resolute in Christ

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The Well-Worn Path

October 21, 2021October 21, 2021 krisshetter

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Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

In the mid-1800s hundreds of thousands of pioneers left the comfort of their eastern homes beyond the Mississippi River and traveled West toward what we now call Oregon. The result of those courageous pioneers is hundreds of miles of well-worn wagon wheel ruts. In some places the gouges from the wagons extend four feet deep in the rock. It became a symbol of being on the right path when your wagon wheels found the ruts for which to follow. And because they were so deep it meant your wheels would stay true to that path.

And there lies the idea behind “being in a rut.” A well-worn path that, in some cases, is a good place. So often, however, the result of creating those paths in our lives leads us down roads we long to escape. I wonder how many of us Christians find ourselves in a well-worn path that either isn’t to our liking or to God’s?

The last few weeks we’ve looked at ways Christians are expected to stand apart, be held to a higher standard, and stand resolutely with Christ, not the world. But for many of us that means climbing out of that four foot deep rut. The rut of going along to get along. The rut of living in half-truths such as only expressing love without truth or vice versa. The rut of an unintentional life. The rut of sitting in a church where you aren’t convicted or spurred to share the message of eternal life. The rut of any number of sins.

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. Psalm 91:9-10

The Apostle Paul was in a rut. He followed half-truths taught by the Pharisees and then he, himself, passed those false truths along with a vengeance. It wasn’t until Jesus abruptly entered his life and yanked him out of that four foot hole that he realized his state. And when he did, he took the message in Psalm 91 to heart. He pressed on and on staying close to Jesus and the Holy Spirit. He trusted that although perils would befall him it would not stop him from his mission. And thank God. Because he, like you and I, was just a man. A regular flesh and blood human. A person filled with sinful ways. Without his trust in God, without his life of intentionally following Jesus we wouldn’t have his wise words to guide us. He was like Jesus in a sense that God wanted us to have a fleshly example to model. Jesus clothed Himself in skin so he could endure our earthly life. And endure it with full trust in God.

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. Psalm 91:14

Because He loves me just as much as He loved Paul, I know that I can live a bold life in the name of Jesus. I know that even when hands come against me or when words try to hurt me, I will receive the ultimate promised prize. And when we live a life in worldly ruts – cowering before our accusers, afraid of speaking our faith, staying in the shadows not helping pull our fellow travelers from the flame – we are saying to God, “I really don’t trust you to work all things for my good.”

The ruts we need to seek are the well-worn paths of the saints, not the sinners. The paths that Jesus has laid out for us are so clearly defined in His Word. We need to look for them as parents, as spouses, as co-workers, as sisters in Christ, as citizens.

He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation. Psalm 91:15-16

We can’t do this alone my friends. Through praying in the Spirit (not the flesh), through Christian fellowship, good teaching, and constantly living with God just ahead of us as our pioneer guide we can accomplish everything He asks of us. And He will satisfy us with salvation and the glory of heaven.

Friends, what well-worn worldly paths are you living in? Is it your parenting style? Or maybe you’ve flipped the script in your marriage. Are you in too deep with equating your faith with your politics? Have you forgotten that God sees and knows every word you speak, every emotion that lies in our heart? Are you taking advantage of God’s promised salvation and disobeying Him without repentance? It’s time to stop in our tracks and look up to the edge of the rut. Stick out your hand and ask the Holy Spirit for a leg up. You can do it, we can do it. You are not alone.

Join me starting November 1-30 for 30 Days of Thankfulness!

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A Plan for Us

October 19, 2021October 19, 2021 krisshetter

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The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Genesis 2:18

I’ll be honest, I never thought I’d get married. Partially because I just wasn’t raised thinking about marriage and partially because I was the product of a marriage based on very little respect for each other. For many years, God allowed me to live my life in sexual sin. I went from one man to another, sometimes only passing through in the night. But God always has a plan for each and every one of us. For me, that plan included being given the gift of a wonderful husband.

In our early years, my husband and I weren’t faithful followers of Jesus. But he, at least, had a Christian background from which to draw. When I look back over our first 10 years of marriage I can see where I am grateful for that tension of knowing some of what God expected from us as a couple. I say “tension” because whenever we live outside of God’s narrow path we can either 1) live like we don’t have a clue that what we are doing is ungodly or 2) have some concept of ungodliness which can then pull us into learning more. We will be judged in the end so I’d rather not be oblivious to my sins and take the opportunity to work on them!

In our marriage we struggled for control. Control of who would be the head of our household. Control of our finances. Control over long term decisions for our family. Over discipline of our kids. Over our time management. Looking back, I was only doing what I had learned in my family home. A weak father figure gives way to a power vacuum. On the other hand, my husband came from a strong, godly father-led family. And so the back and forth went on and on.

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”  Genesis 3:2-3

There’s a lot of talk in feminist circles and the media about the “patriarchy” and how men shouldn’t “keep women down.” But from the beginning God had a very clear plan for women and men. Women were to be the “helpers,” assisting their Adams to be the best men they could be. Like a good golf caddy, this is no job to take lightly. Yet we arrive at Genesis 3 and Eve immediately forgoes her heavenly role. Instead of seeking wisdom from her husband she is drawn to the words of the serpent. The fleshly desires pull her farther and farther away from God’s plan.

The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Genesis 3:12

And the result? As you can read above the entire plan is turned upside down. Eve takes the lead and Adam falls into a weak position of blame. Eve is punished by God for her role in the Great Fall with painful childbirth and the knowledge that men will rule over her. But when you read the punishment of Adam, he receives a harsh future that effects every area of his life.

I have to be honest and say that every marriage I have been around that was in serious trouble was a direct result of this upside down relationship. That’s not to say there aren’t men who disobey God’s command to love their wives as Christ loves the church (Eph 5:25). But so often in our modern world and as a result of the feminist movement which started in the 70s, women have jostled or demanded control in their relationships. Like all actions that go against God’s holy plan we see the results with weak husbands and overbearing wives. And wives who underneath it all desire a man to stand up for them, to take charge, to love them to the point of sacrifice.

Women of God, the idea of submitting to our husbands or future husbands does not mean we are second class citizens. You’ll notice in Genesis 3:16 Eve’s punishment was to have men rule over her. Therefore, it wasn’t God’s plan for men to “rule” over her in the first place. Thankfully Jesus came to give us a new covenant, reminding us that although there is still a hierarchy of responsibility, every person is of equal value. A helper doesn’t mean you are less than the one being helped. It’s taken me awhile to truly understand this. What it means is we trust God’s plan. And if we have chosen wisely, we trust our husbands who also trust God. We trust them to take care of the family business. We trust they will have our best interest in mind. We trust they love us so much they want us to be content.

If our husbands are not trustworthy in those areas or men of faith, who are we to blame?

He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. 1 Kings 11:3

King Solomon was considered one of the wisest men of all time. Yet it was his wives that managed to turn him away from God, to lead him astray. Our role as our husband’s life caddy is so important that we can’t let what the world says about feminism and submission sway us from following God’s plan. A good and godly wife holds so much sway over her husband. And the world laughs at us thinking a bigger paycheck or fancy job title is what’s most important. Our work in helping our husbands will take us a lifetime — much of the time simply modeling godly behavior, control over our emotions, showing love, showing faith in the Almighty and our men.

Eve’s veering from God’s plan, leading her husband to a great sin, can make me so angry at times. But then I think about the times I placed myself above my husband and ask for mercy. It took a lot of intentional work on my part to step back and encourage and teach my husband how to place himself at the head of our family. He didn’t think I needed him, ever.

Friends, whether you are a husband, wife, or not yet married we must stand resolutely against how the world wants to define marriage. We can’t let the world define what “submission” looks like in God’s world. His great plan for man and woman, joined together in harmony is just the example for what is the final plan. The ultimate marriage between Jesus and His bride will be full of love, joy, beauty and compassion. Let’s start today with making those fruits part of our earthly marriages.

Contend for the Faith

October 14, 2021October 14, 2021 krisshetter

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Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.  Hebrews 10:33-35

Our country has become a virtual cafeteria of different religions, cults, and non-Christian world views that are all vying for supremacy on America’s religious landscape. Our country is also currently confronted by many tough domestic and global issues. We need Christian wisdom and biblical discernment as never before.
Ron Rhodes, 5 Minute Apologetics for Today

That phone call that dreary night will never be forgotten, at least by me. And I wasn’t even the person in trouble. I wasn’t the one who desperately needed to hear the right words to save a life. But I was in need of knowing the right words to say. And because I didn’t have the wisdom, the strength of faith I have now, I must take part of the blame for ending a life that night.

My friend’s voice was filled with desperation. She was pregnant. She was also just 19, a college student far from home, a woman who was having an affair with a married man (who had also gotten another woman pregnant). I had counseled her before, over and over, trying to get her to stop seeing this man. He was slimy and untrustworthy. But of course, he was oh so different with her – a genuine prince apparently. And so, a life of unwanted, unprepared motherhood was staring at her in the face. What would she tell her parents? How could she show her face? My immediate response? “You must get an abortion of course.”

This young woman who dreamed of being married one day and having many children was looking for a way to erase her mistakes. To reboot her dream of becoming a nurse first then having a family. And I helped her take what seemed to be the easy path. We washed our hands of it all and moved forward with both our lives. But I have never forgotten what I did. And I doubt she has either.

I wasn’t a Christian at the time but I was a member of the human race. A person that valued fairness and justice. A person who for the most part thought she was a “good person.” I had no one in my life telling me different, showing me a different way. It wasn’t until I drew closer to Jesus that I realized how far from the truth I was really living.

The problem was I then swung too far in the other direction. I took up the mantle of “truth” and forgot about the Royal Commandment – to love one another. And I think when we Christians get ourselves mired in political and social issues we can forget about that place of balance that God seeks for us. We can forget about what we are really needing to accomplish in God’s name.

In the United States, the Republican/conservative/right leaning parties are automatically associated with Christians. And yes, there are many of the same values involved. But to assign our faith to one political party’s platform is a mistake in so many ways. For one, it politicizes the message of Jesus. For another it assumes that all party stances are within the biblical realm. It also assumes there aren’t people in other parties that profess their Christian faith.

And so, when we come personally up against a faith/biblical/moral issue we may frequently pull back from our commission of helping others out of a sin-filled life because we don’t want to be labeled a “right winger,” a “bigot,” a “nut job” or any other derogatory statements.

To be fair, too many of our churches have either abdicated their responsibility to teach their flock about so many hot button issues such as homosexuality and abortion and how to respond correctly. While others have so politicized their churches you can’t tell the difference on a Sunday between a patriot rally and a sermon.

A new friend of mine told me how she was visiting various churches trying to find a new church home. One visit took place on the 4^th of July – the U.S. Day of Independence. As she stood for the beginning worship, she noticed all the songs were patriotic ones. And when the US flag was marched in by worshippers, she got up to leave. At the door the pastor stopped her and asked why she was leaving. Her response? “I came to worship God, not the United States.” She loves her country but her love of God doesn’t have anything to do with her country.

And so, like the women in my Bible study groups we ask questions that our churches fail to address or in the way they need to be addressed. We feel safe to dig deep into what the Bible truly says about homosexuality, transgenderism, abortion, and more. But we aren’t theologians – that’s why we go to church. To hear the Word of God taught to us in ways we can turn around and use them out in the world. It’s sad, to be honest, to hear Christians desperate for knowledge and yet left unfed week after week.

One of the ladies in my study group recently had a profound breakthrough related to this topic. She is very sweet and prides herself on creating good relationships. But she realizes her desire to not “rock any boat” has also been an excuse for not speaking the truth + love when it is needed most. “I’ve realized that in the past I had the excuse of being naïve as to the expectation of what God wants from me. But I can’t use that excuse anymore. I know he wants me to contend for the faith. I know what is truly at stake. I’m now struggling to see what that looks like for me,” she said.

I’m not going to take each major issue facing our world today because I am not a theologian with lots of important degrees to back up my words. But I will direct you to the steps you might take to be better prepared when your friend tells you their daughter wants to start hormone treatments to become a man. Or, when your co-worker tells you that having a nice house in a nice neighborhood is white privilege and you should be ashamed. We also need to be prepared to step back and know when a political issue maybe doesn’t have any biblical connection at all and just must be looked at from a “good citizen” point of view. Because yes, not everything we deal with is a faith hill to die on – but how we deal with those issues is.

You’ll remember at the beginning of this post I referenced the book 5 Minute Apologetics for Today. It was written in 2010. But you’ll find most of the issues we face currently. It’s a great, easy read for giving us biblical perspectives. In addition, here are 4 steps that were recently explained in my current Bible study on Jude.

As background, Jude (Jesus’ brother) was writing to a church that was infiltrated by false teachers. Teachers who were leading lives and encouraging believers to give themselves over to sexual immorality and more. Towards the end of his letter, before he tells the believers how to confront the false teachers, he gives them these four pieces of advice:

Build up your knowledge and confidence in the Word. Learn about and study the Bible, God’s character, His promises and the judgment to come. Be immersed by also finding a good biblical teaching church – not one that just tells you some good stories each week. Join Bible studies and do the work! Jude 20/Eph 2:19
Pray not in the flesh but in the Spirit. Go to the Holy Spirit and ask for help in what to pray. By doing so you’ll show God your dependence on Him. Ask for help in knowing what issues you should be concerned about and which you should just leave alone. Jude 20/Rom 8:26-27
Keep yourself in the love of God. Fight to resist your own passions and doctrine that keeps you separated from God. Lean into God for His promises and His direction. Jude 21/John 15:9
Stay in the hope of the mercy that is waiting for you. As Jackie Hill Perry says about this, “We have been saved from God’s wrath for God.” The knowledge and hope of what is to come when Jesus returns should feel like a protection. We have something better in store for us than man’s approval. We need to keep our sights on this so the persecution we might face doesn’t silence us. Jude 21/Heb 11:25-26

On a final note, I want to encourage you to do a study on Revelation. It helps to do it with others. Don’t just read Revelation. It’s probably too confusing to be honest. A good study with people you trust will reveal to you what so many of our churches seem to fail to remind us each and every week – that judgment is coming to all. We have a greater commission than just being “nice Christians.” We are commissioned to help God save souls. We might want to start in our own households.

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We Say Yes

October 7, 2021October 13, 2021 krisshetter

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Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

A few years ago, God put my faith listening ears and my trust in Him to the test. He asked me to step outside my well-built comfort zone based on the pride of working. For an unknown period of time, He directed me to feed the homeless with 100 lunches once a week. He told me what to make and where to take the food. He tested and challenged me week after week to put my complete faith in Him. To stand resolutely with Him. For almost a year I experienced a relationship with God like no other.

As I wrote the other day, sometimes God asks us to stay silent. Other times, like during His 100 Lunches Project, God asks us to step up and say, “Yes!” And if we aren’t paying attention, aren’t tuned in to His character, aren’t sure that He is directing us, then we miss out on great gifts of intimacy with Him.

The actual making of the first few weeks of lunches wasn’t so far out of my comfort zone. I had enthusiastic helpers and a husband who supported my venture. But as time passed and God kept calling, I was faced with having to be resolute in following Him. For one, my husband thought this would be sort of a “one and done” activity. Not a financial investment and something that would take up room in our already full garage. He also was concerned for my safety as I ventured into potentially dangerous areas, at times alone. I could have easily agreed with him on all counts and shut the program down. But I knew God wanted me to stand firm. So, as I explained to my husband, God was directing this project, not me, he relented with a few requests. One being that if I didn’t go with someone that I would regularly check in via text.

And then there was my work schedule. At the time I was a long term substitute in a school office. I prided myself on always being on the schedule to work at one school or another. It was my source of “happiness” that people needed me. The direction I was getting from God was to give out lunches in the middle of the week. Doing that would require me to tell the school I currently worked I couldn’t be there that day for an unknown period of time. My fear was they would let me go. And so, I prayed to God. Asking Him to guide me and bolster me. The day I spoke to the office secretary I told her, “I’m doing this lunch project, directed by God. And I can’t work Wednesdays anymore.” A weird thing to say, for sure. Especially in the more liberal area that I live. The response? “Sounds good. We will take you any day you can work for us.”

That’s how the year went. Door after door opened. And some closed as needed. I watched and listened for His Word. And I did His work in His name. It was glorious!

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

The greatest lesson I learned that year was about trust. Trusting in that when God speaks to us and gives us a challenge He will provide. And any obstacle that is put in front of you, you can stand firm in who has your back. That year I had many people scoff at what I was doing. Family, friends, policemen, strangers. But when you know that your mission is God-sent nothing should stop you. You can be resolute.

So many of us Christians are sitting and waiting for God to call us to something special and yet we haven’t taken up the directions already laid out before us in God’s Holy Word. We don’t need another whisper to tell us to be kind or forgiving. We don’t need a tap on the shoulder to know how dangerous our gossiping tongue can be. It’s all there in the Good Book waiting to be lived out. We just need to take a stand for God.

The process of sanctification starts with the basics and moves on toward more and more challenges of trust. When He sees we are obeying the small things He places more of His banquet in front of us. But like the process of knowing when to stay silent we must be able to discern it is God, not our flesh, directing us. I knew it was God asking me to embark on this grand project because it asked me to do things so in opposite of my own desires and yet followed perfectly His.

When you act for God you will have detractors. You will have people that call you crazy. You might even have people who get angry with you. You might have to ask God to confirm you are on the right path. And I’ll tell you, brothers and sisters, when you are on that path, the work you do for Him will be seen by people who need to see it. You just may never realize it.

There were so many lessons for me in that year of 100 Lunches (which grew to about 300 per week!). And one day in December of that year God said to me, “You are done. It’s time for something else.” He closed that door and told me to stop. Even then I needed to be resolute. People chastised me for not continuing. Someone got quite angry with me. My response? “This wasn’t my project to begin with, it was God’s. He told me to be done so I am done. But you are free to serve in my place.”

I mentioned in my last post about the story from Sparkling Gems from the Greek and listening to God’s voice. I’d like to share with you the prayer from that day.

Lord, help me follow the Holy Spirit’s leading whenever He impresses me to do something. I know there have been moments in my life when the Spirit was leading me to do something. But because I didn’t understand it, I didn’t obey – and later I was always sorry. Please help me become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit and to trust Him when He speaks to my heart. I want to be obedient and to experience the supernatural life that He wants to give me! I pray this in Jesus’ name!

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

Resolute In Christ

September 15, 2021September 21, 2021 krisshetter

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. Luke 9:51

Hi Friends! It’s been a while since my last post – which ended the 30 More Days of Praise series. I’ve been praying for some time for direction about my next series. And I finally received a push a few weeks ago to write about standing strong in our faith, in the face of adversity. There’s a lot going on out in our world that pushes back against the message of Jesus. From twisting God’s view of agape-type love to seeking comfort from our fears through worldly means, we Christians are in a tough battle. Tough, but not a new one.

When we read the New Testament books, a common thread throughout is adversity. The saints were constantly up against the threat of death, torture, and imprisonment. Much of Jesus’ time here on earth was pushing up against, not the political world, but the religious one. It was the supposed followers of God who called for Jesus’ crucifixion. And it was his supposed loyal followers that abandoned Him at the time of His greatest need.

And once the twelve received the Holy Spirit and realized their holy callings it only got worse. As word spread and followers grew so did false teachers and strife amongst congregations. And each apostle either found themselves facing a murderous mob or a lonely prison. Yet the Word endured.

On the face of it all it seems improbable. How could a tiny group of men (and a few women) from thousands of years ago be the ones who today help us to know and understand our glorious God, His son Jesus and the Holy Spirit? How could the Word of God have been passed down through the ages with only slight changes in translations? Because God is God. And, because God is resolute in His love for us, He has made sure His message continued and will continue to educate, inspire, and comfort us for all time.

And that brings me to where I am today. In a recent visit to my mother in law, I mentioned how I haven’t been writing lately. And she said, “Oh how I miss my Emboldened each day. I just am amazed at how much and what you write.” It made me realize there are real people out there behind my computer screen reading my messages of God. And I owe you an apology and explanation.

You see, as always, God put on my heart just the right message at the right time. To be Resolute in Christ. To stand firm in His promises. To be assured that He loves us. To know without a doubt that He is with us, through thick and thin. I need that message right now. For the last two months I’ve been suffering through a medical condition that perplexes my doctors. My ears are under extreme pressure and I’ve lost much of my hearing in my left ear. I am in constant pain and so often can barely focus on the basic work I need to accomplish – much less sit and write.

I have pleaded with God to relieve me. I have cried to God. I have argued with God. I have questioned God – even just today after yet another fruitless doctor appointment. I’ve been so weak at times I’ve wanted to turn my back on Him. But He pulls me back each day. He is resolute and I need to be the same.

So, this is my first step to working through my pain, my brain fog and to be honest my self-pity. I am a Jesus follower, just like the early disciples, who needs to trust God and obey His Word. He has given me my marching orders and I choose to engage in the battle for the saints. I am resolute.

Join me September 20-October 22 as we explore the many passages in the Bible that show us how to be Resolute in Christ and to live an uncompromising Christian life.