The View from Above

3 Comments / October 25, 2024

On Monday, I received a text from a friend. Would I be interested in flying in a hot air balloon with her? Her friend, a hot air balloon pilot, was giving her this to her as a birthday gift. Now, just to be clear, I am not really one for heights, per se. While I can do it, I would mostly choose not to. So last year when she asked me to join her, I said no. This year, I said no again. Why take the chance? I had visions of balloons and electric wires dancing in my head.

And then–and I am not sure why–I had this thought: Is this who you are going to be for the rest of your life? Stuck in status quo, not willing to try anything new? And I realized that I had to do it, if for nothing more than overcoming my fear and trusting the Lord in this one thing. It is so easy as we grow older to just sink comfortably into what we know and be perfectly content in never stretching ourselves to learn something new or to take opportunities like this. (I know there are so many of you who have absolutely no idea what I am talking about but I also know there are some of you that can relate perfectly to what I just wrote.)

So I told her I would go.

And so on Wednesday, after a rough night with little sleep (I have to be honest and admit there was some anxiety for me surrounding this decision), I got in my car and drove to the address she gave me. It was close by and as we prepared the balloon, excitement began to mix with the nervousness I felt. The Balloon pilot and his crew were friendly, as well as very experienced, and this did much to calm my fears.

As we floated up and over the town I’d lived in for almost twenty-five years now, I took it all in. It was incredibly lovely, especially at this time of year with the fall colors. As I peeked over the basket, I saw tractors, trains, and cars that looked like toys. I saw well-manicured front yards as well as tidy backyards. I saw deer bounding through a field, along with two foxes separately running across the same fields. There was a miniature tractor beside tiny hay bales, waiting for the next harvest step in the farming routine. I saw a huge quarry filled with water that I didn’t even know was there (well, I knew there was a quarry but I had no idea how big it was nor that it was filled with water.) I saw the enormous graveyard of a local church. It was far more enormous than I realized. As my eyes soaked in all that I was seeing, I forgot to be anxious. It was an incredible experience. I loved every minute of it.

Well, almost every minute of it. There was a touch of anxiety as we prepared to land but our pilot knew exactly what he was doing and the weather was perfect. I had the perfect first balloon ride.

I couldn’t help but think about my view from up above my town, compared to my normal horizontal view. From up above, I could see things that I normally can’t see. I became aware of activity and areas that I didn’t even know about, even after living here for so many years. And I had to think about God and what He can see that we just can’t see.

He can see every little thing that is happening on the earth. He can see all that has gone on and all that will go on. He sees perfectly and in every infinitesimal detail what IS, what WAS, and what WILL BE. While my eyes were limited to the present goings-on of just one small area as I gazed at the world below me, His are not.

At one point, I glanced down at a school parking lot and saw someone drive in the “DO NOT ENTER” side of the lot and park their car. And I had to think–that is just like us. We will make a decision “against the law” and think we get away with it, but God, looking from heaven above, always sees. God sees even the hidden sins. He sees the “little” sins…the bad attitudes, the unkind words we speak at home, our prideful responses, the ungodly entertainment we feed our minds. He sees all of it all the time. It was a sobering reminder for me.

As I considered this idea of all that I just couldn’t see on ground level and all that God can see from His perspective, I had the thought that this is especially relevant to us in how we approach people. You see, God knows exactly why they are the way they are. He knows why they have made the choices they have made and why they have the opinions they do. He understands them perfectly, unlike us, who can only go off of our “ground level” experiences. It was a reminder to me of the tremendous grace we need to have with each other. We are so narrow-minded and self-centered in our dealings with others (myself included here…I am convicting myself here probably more than you, my reader!) I think this is why it is so important to obey God’s Word in how we treat others, where we read that we are to love, to forgive, and to have so much grace. This is why, as believers, we should look so different than the world in how we approach and treat others.

God sees what we can’t see and, based on that, He has written guidelines and commands for us for all of life. We obey God’s Word because He has a view from above that we don’t have (Isaiah 55:9). We obey God’s Word because He wants our best (Romans 8:28-29). We obey God’s Word because, at the end of the day, He is God (Psalm 46:10).

As the balloon drifted back down to the ground, I was so glad that God had given me the courage to go on the ride. Would my life be a lot different if I had not? Not really…not from anyone who was looking from the outside. But, inside, I was different. For I had taken a step of faith and God had met me there. Such a tiny, and perhaps even unnecessary, step of faith and yet so significant. For this will serve to remind me that I can do the things I am uncomfortable with. That I can step outside my comfortable routine and try something new. And, finally, that there is great joy in enjoying the world that God has given us. Just because we are older, doesn’t mean we need to get stuck in our ways. Physically OR spiritually. May we continue to grow and embrace life–always with our priority being the Bible and what is written within its pages–no matter how old we are.

Be Encouraged!

5 Comments / October 18, 2024

As I was studying for a speaking engagement this morning, I came across the following in H.A. Ironside’s commentary on Jude. I wanted to share it with you because I realized that I cannot be the only one who has been discouraged by the state of the visible church. All around, we see an unbelievable lack of discernment and an astounding disregard for what the Bible says. Even in churches that have historically stayed true, we see this falling away. It can be so disheartening and yet! Ironside reminds us why this is not disheartening but rather strengthening and encouraging. But why? He reminds us of an important truth–

*Well it is for the soul who seeks to be guided by Scripture to remember that nothing which he beholds on every side was unforeseen by God. Unbelief and apostasy may abound, but nothing takes Him by surprise. Long since, the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ had warned us that the last days would be characteristically days of spiritual declension and departure from the truth. The coming of mockers, walking after their own unholy desires, has been foretold from the beginning.

For the simple believer there is both strength and encouragement in this. If he look about him and see, as it were, star after star falling from heaven, teacher after teacher apostatizing from the truth, the love of many waxing cold, with error proudly defiant and apparently carrying all before it, he is apt to be overcome by fear and gloom. Like the prophet, he will be ready to cry, “Truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey” (Isa. 59:14, 15). But he may forget to add, with the same prophet, “The Lord saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no judgment.” But let him remember that all that is so solemn in the on-rushing tide of evil has been foreknown and foretold long ago by Him who knows the end from the beginning, and he at once begins to take heart. He realizes that he is not to expect anything else. Therefore what he sees but the more firmly establishes him in the truth of Scripture. And, more than that, it is in the time of the end all this iniquity is to come to its height, before being forever overthrown by the personal appearing of the Living Word as King of kings and Lord of lords. Therefore he finds encouragement in the very darkness of the scene to expect soon to behold the shining-forth of the Morning Star, and later the rising in glory of the Sun of Righteousness.

This is the value of prophecy, which is as a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the daystar arise in the heart (2 Peter 1:19). Led on by this sure and steady gleam, the humble child of God will not be dazzled by the pretensions, nor disheartened by the evil influence, of these haughty resisters of the truth, who set themselves apart as a select circle, who have attained to what the commonalty of Christians have not yet reached. There is a spiritual and carnal separation. The former is separation from evil at the call of the word of God, when to longer continue in some particular association would be unfaithfulness to Christ. The latter is a walking apart in fancied superiority, led on by pride and vainglory.

Yes! What a wonderful reminder. Prophecy is a light, given to us for such a time as this. What we are seeing has been foretold and we can take great encouragement in this. May we, as Jude encourages us, build ourselves up in holy faith and keep ourselves in the love of God, helping others along the way as God gives us opportunity.

*Ironside, H. A.. An Exposition of the Epistle of Jude (Ironside Commentary Series Book 44) (p. 44). CrossReach Publications. Kindle Edition.

A Crooked Flower

6 Comments / October 15, 2024

Early this month, my husband and I had the wonderful privilege of keeping our four grandsons (ages one, four, six, and eight) while their parents went on an anniversary celebration trip. Now, just to be clear— we didn’t do it alone but had lots of help from other family members, for which we are immensely grateful. I wanted to take a few moments to talk about my weekend because I was reminded of something so very important.

On Saturday afternoon, my husband was with the four-year-old outside digging up potatoes and doing other various things that needed done. At one point, they came inside and my grandson came traipsing over to me in his muddy rain boots, holding out a flower. It was the broken, crooked piece of a fall mum but I thought it the loveliest thing in the world.

As I reflected on this moment (and on the whole weekend, actually), I was reminded of what a precious gift children are.

I was so dismayed recently to hear the dialogue of a TV show where a woman stated something like this: “I want to do something more important with my life than stay home and raise children”.

Oh, what a deception! Is there anything more important than raising the precious children that God gave to us?

Children, left to devices, tvs, and a school system that hates God, have been easy targets for those who seek to change a society. Especially in families that never talk about what little eyes are seeing and little ears are hearing.

So many moms and dads, busy and exhausted from their own commitments, have little time left over for their own children. What time they do have is taken up with sports and lessons and other activities. There is little time left for pointing little ones to scripture and teaching them the things of God. Little time left to counteract and rectify the wrong lessons and errant viewpoints they are absorbing from the world. Oh, how vulnerable these little children are to Satan’s subtle tricks and to the enticement of the world.

And what a valuable commodity. For children become adults who will either be for or against God’s Kingdom. What they learn as little ones is what they carry on into their lives. But for the grace of God, most will follow the examples given to them as children.

Oh, may we make make our children (and grandchildren, too) our priority. For all too soon (so soon!) they will be grown and raising kids of their own. The love and lessons given in the few short years they are at home will impact the generations coming after us for many years. How important it is that we do not let temporal good things keep us from the eternal best thing.

A crooked flower is one of the most beautiful things in the world, if we but choose to see. The glitter and gold of this world will fade away, but the things done for the Lord will never fade away.

That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. (Titus 2:4-5)

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. (3 John 4)

The Temptation for the Writer (and for the rest of us, too)

5 Comments / October 8, 2024

There is a temptation to anyone who writes that is hard to put into words but it exists nonetheless. It is the temptation to write what people want to read. We want to write that viral post or that next great bestseller. Whether it be fiction or non-fiction, we all desire to be liked and to have lots of readers/followers. By default, we writers (and any other content creator or social media influencer) almost always fall to this temptation as it is the amount of readers and followers that [supposedly] gives us validity.

And so it is a very conscious decision when a Christian writer (or content creator/social media influencer) chooses to share some truth from scripture that they know will not be popular or very well received.

As I have blogged here over these past fourteen years, it has continued to be my desire, above all, to write what I believe scripture teaches. But, as the years have passed by, I can see that interest in this is growing less and less popular. The average Christian seems to gravitate toward only two types of content: 1) Content that brings encouragement and warm, fuzzy feelings and 2) content that is new or sensational.

And so, I have had to ask myself many times– over the recent years especially– am I doing the right thing? Should I be focused on only encouraging believers? Should I try to be more creative in what I write here?

In the end, I keep coming back to the same conclusion: I write for God and not for my readers. And, while, of course, I really do write for you as I write for God, my goal cannot be to make you happy, to gather the greatest number of readers, or to agonize over whether or not what I write will be popular.

But this can be discouraging in a world that seems to only give validity and the label “successful” to the one who is popular and well-liked. Every so often, I pour out my heart to the Lord and He always reminds me: Seek ye first the Kingdom of God... (Matthew 6:33)

The Bible isn’t all warm, fuzzy feelings and sensational. While those two things are nice and they are both part of scripture at some places, much of scripture is about knowing God and understanding what He desires of those He has redeemed…things like holiness, purity, and turning from sin and the world. Never popular topics.

But this is not only about the writer or content creator. This is about you, too. I’d rather guess that you also face the same temptation to not speak or share on certain topics with your family, friends, and co-workers because of the reaction you will get. Popularity is not generally going to characterize the life of the believer who speaks the whole counsel of God rather than just the pleasant or good stuff.

However, as believers, we are to be sharing the truth of scripture–the whole truth and not just the good parts–because partial truth leads to lies.

For example, the good news of Jesus dying on the cross is inoffensive and impotent unless we understand the unpleasant truth that we are without any good; that we are lost and hopeless sinners and that Jesus Christ died so that we can be reconciled to God. “Accepting Christ” so that we have a better life, to find purpose, or to have a fulfilled dreams is NOT salvation but, in fact, is a damning heresy. We must speak the whole truth.

Thankfully, we are not responsible for someone’s response. This was a real relief when I finally realized this. It means we can lay our written and spoken words on the altar before God and let Him do what He will with them.

And, while we should always be examining ourselves to make sure we are speaking truth in love, “being popular” can never be the measuring stick to determine this (John 15:18-19) and, in fact, this may be a sign that we aren’t speaking the whole truth, as we should be (James 4:4; I John 2:15-16).

It is so important that we believers take time once in a while to evaluate and examine our testimony among others as we live each day and encounter the many different people that God brings into each of our lives. Do we only speak what we know will be well-received? Do we try to avoid ridicule or antagonism? Does our desire to be well-liked supersede our desire to please the Lord?

We need to remind ourselves that, if we claim to love Christ, our priorities are no longer what they were. We are new creatures living a new life. Old things have passed away (2 Corinthians 5:17) Instead, our desire should be to seek God first and His righteousness. This will be a lifelong pursuit that will serve to keep our priorities in order, whatever the Lord has given us to do and wherever He has placed us. May we live for His honor and glory alone!

 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

The Buzzy Bothersome Fly

2 Comments / October 1, 2024

The fly was one of those kinds of flies. You know the kind with the extremely loud buzz that seems extra agitated and can’t sit for more than a second?

This is what greeted me the other morning as I sat down for my quiet time in our sun room. I debated for a second. Should I get a fly swatter? But it was so very agitated that it would be impossible to find it, much less swat it.

I sat down to see what would happen. The buzzing could be heard from across the room. It was so loud and distracting. It would move closer and closer to my head and then off it would go again. At one point, I did grab the fly swatter but it moved way too fast and just wouldn’t land.

So I sat down again. And tried to focus on my Bible.

Eventually, it either landed somewhere or flew to a different room because I noticed that it was finally quiet. I have no idea what happened to it. I never saw it again.

Distractions that come at us on a daily basis are a little like that buzzy bothersome fly, aren’t they?

They buzz around us loudly, demanding our attention. You can almost hear them saying, “chase after me…”

They keep us from prayer, from meditating and studying scripture, and from doing the good works the Lord has planned for us, such as caring for our families as we should or acts of loving service to others. Always insisting that they are more important, these buzzing flies have our full attention for far too long before we even realize what happened.

These flies can come in the shape of emails, social media, and news. They are things like entertainment, hobbies, sports, or overcommitment. Sometimes the “flies” are not bad things but they keep us from the best things.

For me, personally, my greatest buzzy bothersome fly is my phone. This small device demands my attention even when I am with people I love. I see other people who may suffer from this same distraction, as well. They hold the device when they are with family or friends, staring intently at it.

I wonder why do I do this? Why do I care about anything on my phone when I am with someone I love? And why does it call my name when I am spending time with my Lord?

Be rest assured that I am writing this with myself in mind. I am not judging anyone else. You may have a good reason that your phone is demanding your attention that no one else knows. This is a really personal thing because, generally, no one knows why the screen we are staring at is so important to us at that moment. Only we can examine our phone usage (particularly during our Bible study/prayer times or in the presence of others) and determine if it is unnecessary or even rude. But I believe it’s a pretty important question for many of us. One that needs an honest answer.

I think there is a good explanation for this innate drive to stare at this powerful object (and an intentional, very evil purpose) behind it all but that is not the purpose of this post.

No, the purpose of this post is to encourage us all (myself included) to examine what is distracting us from our best, most God-honoring life? And then to intentionally go about changing it, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Consider for a moment, if you will, a stick in a fast-flowing stream. What will keep that stick from flowing downstream? Nothing can or will unless someone intentionally picks it up from the stream and removes it.

We are like that stick in a stream that is quickly flowing away from growing in godliness and moving us towards a status quo, ineffective life. Our lives will not change unless we decide to intentionally change it. Yes, true and lasting change is impossible without the Holy Spirit, Who is there to give us the strength and help we need. But we need to remember that He’s not going to just swoop in and change us without any effort on our part (see verses below).

Effort is hard and some of us just feel…unmotivated. But may we not be so unmotivated that we stop living with intention. Even little changes can reap big benefits. What is one change we can make today that will start us moving in the right direction?

Our intentional efforts, through the help of the Holy Spirit, to be conformed to the image of Christ and to not be conformed to this world will shine the light of the Gospel into this dark, weary world. And it will encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ, reminding them that He does have the power to change those who want to be changed.

But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. (2 Thess. 3:13)

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13)

The Crunchy Grass (with a personal note at the end)

2 Comments / September 23, 2024

I walked across my yard the other day and heard the grass crunch beneath my feet. At the time, there was no rain in sight and we had missed what they were calling for the week before. The grass was brown and dry and, yes, crunchy. It desperately needed water.

Unlike thick green grass, which is plush and inviting, this grass looked ugly and felt very unpleasant to walk on or sit on.

As I took another step and heard another crunch, I had the thought that our spiritual walk is just like this when we are not consuming the water of the Word.

You see, the grass just needs some water. And, in fact, on Saturday night we had 3/4” of rain and it is amazing how quickly it is turning green and soft again.

We believers are no different. Have you noticed how quickly you are to be selfish, indulgent, angry, proud, or give in to the flesh in any other way when you aren’t in the Bible and meditating upon it?

I certainly have. It feels like fighting the flesh is so hard. And, in fact, if I am not in scripture, I may even forget to care! I become dry and dull and unpleasant. Oh, we may give the appearance of being lush and green, for that’s what hypocrites do. But, inside, we feel spiritually barren.

Grass needs the rain to thrive and Christians need the Word.

There is no other way. Going to church may be helpful, as may listening to sermons or reading a good book that points you to the truth. Spiritual discussions with friends can help as you practice “iron sharpening iron” as the book of Psalms says. But there is no replacement for reading and studying the Word on your own, in context.

I know I have mentioned this so often, but I learned this way too late in my life. The first forty plus years of my life were spent listening to “Christian” radio shows, reading devotionals (one verse and commentary about the verse), and trying to stay away from the “worst” in the world, while indulging in the things that weren’t “so bad”. This method of Christian living left me dry and dusty and I didn’t even realize it.

But when I began to very intentionally study the Bible and then, later on, began to memorize verses and passages, it all changed. God has provided a very simple way for us to be vibrant and growing believers and it took me far too long to find it.

And while I’d like to say I have achieved perfection in this area it’s obvious to those who know me that I certainly have not. Even green grass has its issues, doesn’t it? There can be insects or disease in even the most beautiful grass. Just as this green grass can struggle, so, too, can a vibrant growing Christian. Our problems and temptations do not disappear when we start reading the Word.

But I will testify that our ability to wage war against sin and to recognize lies changes. The length of time it takes to surrender to the Lord and His will shortens. Studying God’s Word and filling our mind with His promises and desires for us as believers sanctifies and grows us.

But we have to actually pick up the Word and read and study it. If you can read this, you can do this. I am nothing special. God, in His awesome grace and lovingkindness, led me to study His Word and to understand its importance. This has become my main focus here at Growing4Life…to encourage other believers to do the same. God has given me this platform and I believe this is why.

Of course, it is probably good to remind you here that I still have my “crunchy” days (and even weeks). Recognizing this truth doesn’t automatically mean you are eternally green, unfortunately. But recognizing this truth does help you know where to intentionally turn when you find yourself in that state again. Just as the water so quickly revives the grass, so, we, too, are quickly revived when we start watering our soul with the Word once again.

I don’t know where you are today. I don’t know if you are dry and crunchy both inside and out. I don’t know if you are pretending to be lush and green, all the while knowing, deep down inside, that you are faking it. What I do know, however, is how to fix the barren, discouraging state of your heart.

And that is to get in the Word and really spend time there. God has graciously provided His Word to exhort and encourage us. It is only through His Word that we can grow and thrive in our Christian walk. Oh, may we believers recognize the wonderful and never-ending treasure within the pages of scripture!

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

A Personal Note: Over the course of studying Revelation and through various other means, I have been vividly reminded of the truth of what lies ahead, both temporally and eternally, for those who do not trust in Christ for their salvation. One day, perhaps very soon, we will not be here to tell our unsaved family and friends about the Gospel or help them understand what is coming on this world. They will be bewildered at our disappearance and will be susceptible to many lies at that point.

It is with this in mind, that I have created a “To Those Who Are Left Behind” page here at the blog. You can find it here and I have also included it in the menu above. I have no idea if it will be of use to anyone now or in the future, but, for some reason, I felt compelled to do this. The world waxes worse and worse in every way and I just don’t know how long we are going to be here. Jesus could come tomorrow or perhaps not for ten years but, whenever it is, I wanted to have something up on the blog for those who are left behind when it happens.

Random Circumstances Are Not Random

4 Comments / September 11, 2024

Sometimes life can be annoying. It’s not that we are facing some major trial or anything. It’s just that things aren’t going our way. The weather isn’t cooperating with our plans; someone says something hurtful to us; we have to do something we just didn’t want to do; sickness comes at the worst possible time… these kinds of things can be so frustrating!

And, the truth of the matter is: We show our character by how we respond.

Each one of these little, seemingly insignificant, events are not random things that have happened but are allowed by God very specifically, giving us the opportunity to practice a right response as His growing child. Each one gives us the opportunity to practice surrendering our will to God’s; to respond with joy rather than a complaining heart; to trust that God will work all things out for His glory and our good.

We also get many other opportunities to grow in these “unimportant” happenings that we experience each and every day. Opportunities to practice humility and patience and rejoicing and forgiving others; to learn to be diligent rather than lazy; to choose not be so offended all the time; to love our enemies; to turn from envy and choose contentment. God uses the random circumstances of our lives to shape and mold us into His image. They aren’t random at all.

Have you noticed that we tend to have our default response to these “little” events in our lives and very rarely examine our responses?

But how we respond to these little things prepare us for how we will respond in the big ones. Oswald Chambers puts this so succinctly—

The very character we exhibit in our present surroundings is an indication of what we will be like in other surroundings.

If we are proud now in the little things, then pride will be our response when it really counts and can potentially destroy a relationship. But if we learn to be humble now, then that will be our response when the cost of a prideful response is so terribly high.

Or another example: If we can train ourselves, by the Holy Spirit, not to complain in the little things, then as we age and life becomes filled with aches and pains and unexpected challenges, we will have already learned to respond correctly. We will have learned that complaining doesn’t help a thing but that it will turn us into grumpy old men and women that no one wants to be around.

God has allowed all things in our lives for a purpose. We are reminded of this in these well-known verses—

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:28-29)

Let’s remember some important facts that we find in these verses. First, this promise is only to those who love God. This is for the redeemed child of God and not for the unredeemed. We cannot assure that unsaved friend that God is working all things out for their good because God never promises that in His Word.

Second, we know from these verses that God’s ultimate goal for us is that we be conformed to the image of His Son. This being the case then gives us insight into why certain things are allowed. Notice that God’s goal for His children is not ease of life or popularity or good health or lots of money. No, it’s one thing: To be like Christ. Every single thing that comes into our lives gives us an opportunity to respond like Christ or to respond in the flesh. Each little thing gives us a choice. If we look at it from this perspective, then every random circumstance takes on more significance, doesn’t it?

Oh to remember that each little thing is ordained by God and, as such, has a purpose. We are (at least I am) simply too quick to complain and to wonder “why me” and to rebel against what God has allowed, instead of remembering the above verses and God’s eternal purpose for me.

But we can change. We can learn to respond as scripture encourages. We can—and we should—be growing in the fruits of the Spirit.

As we respond to each seemingly random happening, we are given the wonderful opportunity to grow in love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, and faith (Galatians 5:22-23).

But a key to growth is to leave our status quo, default responses and to really think about what we are doing. No easy task in a world where life is busy and distractions come at us 24/7.

Maybe a first step for us all is to put down our phones, turn off our tvs or music, and just really give ourselves time to reflect, study scripture, and pray. If don’t give ourselves time to do this, then right response is unlikely, for we have nothing to draw from.

So may we all remember today that the random event that is causing us so much frustration or discontentment is not random at all but given to us by our loving Heavenly Father who desires that we be conformed to the Image of His Son.

Baptism Does Not Save

2 Comments / September 7, 2024

Many years ago, while in high school, I was with two friends and we were talking about what it meant to be saved. One of us was living a very worldly life, devoid of any spiritual fruit or desire to walk with God. I had been trying to share the Gospel with him. As we talked, he mentioned that he had been baptized as an infant. Upon that statement, my other friend suddenly piped up with passion that he was definitely saved then!

I can still remember the bewilderment I felt when my Christian friend (or so I thought) made this declaration. Our other friend went on to live his life (I have no idea where he is now) with the belief that baptism had saved him and he could live his life however he wanted, assured he had his “golden ticket” to heaven.

Octavius Winslow (1808-1878) does not mince words when it comes to this lie from our enemy—

We do not hesitate to pronounce the doctrine of “baptismal regeneration” to be the paramount lie of Satan–the most subtle and fatal weapon which this arch foe of our race ever forged for the destruction of men’s souls in eternal perdition!

Do not build your hope of glory, upon your baptism.
You are lost to all eternity if you do.
You must be born again if ever you enter the kingdom of Heaven.

If you plunge into eternity clutching the airy fiction, the fatal notion that you passed from spiritual death into spiritual life in your baptism; that in baptism you were regenerated, adopted, justified, made holy and saved–then you have staked your eternal happiness upon the most fatal lie!

In many instances, the unhappy victim of this delusion passes away, undeceived until the deception is too late to rectify!

Any time that we are told we can have salvation without transformation, we can be sure it’s of the devil. You see, Satan caters to our fleshly demands. We want our cake and to eat it, too and so he has cleverly provided a way that deceives us into thinking we can have both a love for self and a love for God.

Those who are deceived by this lie are deceived because they aren’t really interested in Jesus (other than as perhaps an example and a buddy) but they are interested in going to heaven when they die (because we all know down deep inside that there is an afterlife). And so baptismal regeneration assures us that we can live for self and still get that ticket to heaven.

Through this lie, they are assured that they can continue living the life they want to live; to watch and listen to and read what they want to without concern for anyone but self. They believe they can choose their own path and chase after their own dreams, without concern for the will of God. In fact, some take this to a whole other level, calling for the blessing and miraculous intervention of God in their selfish pursuits, praying and treating Him like their personal genie in the sky whom they can manipulate to do their will (such sacrilege!)

But the very nature of true, biblical salvation is that all of this just naturally changes after we are saved. God takes our selfish hard heart of stone and turns it into a heart that beats for Him. Oh, we aren’t instantly living for God without regard for self. But we become aware that we must decrease and God must increase (John 3:30). We become spiritually alive and begin a journey of sanctification that continues our whole lives. Our conviction of sin changes and stems from our love for our Lord rather than from an outward moral code.

We don’t change in this way in order to be saved, we change because we are saved.

No work —including baptism—will ever be able to accomplish that supernatural change of the heart that only God, through the Holy Spirit, accomplishes in the one who seeks Him and turns to Christ alone for salvation.

So, yes, we must conclude that baptism does not save. This is a lie that has led many to believe they are headed for glory when they, according to scripture, clearly are not. Oh, the terrible deception!

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.

He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

(John 3:16-19)

When Our Status Quo Is Shattered

3 Comments / August 30, 2024

You will notice that the tagline right below the title of this blog (above) is “never satisfied with status quo”.

My thought in adding that many years ago was to remind us all that we should never just be satisfied to be a “good enough” Christian but to always be striving to please Christ more, to be more holy, to grow in grace.

But the bottom line is we all struggle with status quo living. Including myself. It’s just so much easier, isn’t it?

Status quo: The state of things; the way things are, as opposed to the way they could be; the existing state of affairs. 

When we live to the status quo it eliminates work. And thinking. And effort. And so we often naturally fall into it.

For example, when we get together with family or friends, it’s status quo to talk about current events, weather, and other trivial things. In most families and friend circles, it takes effort and thinking (and not a little courage!) to bring up the things of God and His Word.

(Aren’t you so grateful for the relationships you have where talking about the Lord doesn’t take effort and courage but is rather a natural outpouring of your mutual love for God?? What a blessing and joy!)

Or how about when we know something is wrong according to scripture but we are unwilling to speak up? It’s just so much easier to stick with the status quo than to make waves, isn’t it?

Or another example: We have a personal habit that we know we should change. We think, yes, I need to change that but when push comes to shove, it’s just so much easier to continue on as we always have whether it’s in our lack of personal Bible Study, our bad spending or health habits, the unkind way we treat a spouse or our kids, or any number of other unhelpful life habits we find ourselves doing over and over again.

Status quo living is always easier but it’s never better.

I believe this is one of the reasons trials come. They shake us out of our status quo life. We are forced to come face to face with ourselves. Is what we say we believe actually what we believe?

One example that would seem to affect us all no matter where we live in this world (I say this because I’ve talked personally with or have heard testimonies of this in so many counties and not just the United States)… The political system of an entire nation has been upended and is in utter chaos. Our status quo has changed without our consent and it’s beyond our control. How do we respond?

It’s been interesting and faith-building (although also sometimes very disappointing) to watch the responses of people when they are shaken out of their status quo lives.

Some rise to the challenge and cling to God and His Word and provide us a vivid reminder and encouragement that His promises are true. Oh, this doesn’t mean they never struggle. Not in the least. But their overall attitude is one of submission to the Lord’s will as they traverse the rocky path of trial and they trust that God loves them with an everlasting love and that He is good.

Others do not. They cling to things of this life and find themselves disillusioned and disappointed as their expectations go unmet or are even obliterated. They grow bitter or angry or depressed. God has not fulfilled their desires or expectations and they can’t get past that disappointment. Some who profess Christ never do get past this and their lives become a bitter, sorry mess. Or sometimes these kind of people end up living a life of escape from the pain through travel or hobbies or pets or any number of other things.

And probably most of us who honestly love the Lord and desire to please Him with our lives start off clinging to this world and eventually recognize the need for surrender. Generally, the journey to surrender eventually begins to take less and less time as we recognize with each preceding trial that God’s grace truly is sufficient and His mercies truly are new every morning.

Of course, trials come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes it is one great trial and other times it’s just a bunch of little things all in a row. Sometimes they are absolutely life-altering and other times they are simply inconvenient or uncomfortable. Sometimes they are faced by an entire town or even a nation and other times they are intensely personal. No matter what they are, trials of any shape or size tend to shatter our status quo life and make us stop and think.

But whenever and in whatever way our status quo is broken, we each are forced to make a choice:

Will our faith and hope in God grow stronger as we surrender to His sovereign will?

OR

Will we turn to the things of this world to fulfill our hopes and to the wisdom of this world to find our answers?

I will leave you with this wonderful hymn that reminds us of where our hope truly lies if we have been saved by Christ alone. Our hope is “born of God’s own Word and nourished by His grace”. Oh, may we keep our hearts and minds stayed on God when our status quo is shattered (Isaiah 26:3). 

I HAVE A HOPE
(Charles Naylor, 1907)

I have a hope, serene and sure,
That anchors past the veil;
In all the storms it holds secure,
Nor will it ever fail.

Refrain:
My hope is born of God’s own word,
And nourished by His grace;
His promise true my soul hath heard,
And hope beholds His face.

I have a hope that looks away
From present woes and tears
To heaven’s bright eternal day,
Till sorrow disappears.

I have a hope that doth not fear
The silent grave to view,
Nay, doth not shrink though death appear,
For I shall live anew.

A Bloom of Truth

1 Comment / August 24, 2024

I looked down over my railing to see a single bright pink bloom on a hydrangea that is full of fading blossoms. Weeks before this shrub had been filled with these bright pink blossoms but they slowly started to fade away until only dying blossoms remained.

(Now, personally, I almost love the faded hydrangeas more than the bright pink ones, but there is an analogy here so let’s forget that for a moment…!)

Yesterday my husband and I attended yet another funeral. This one was especially difficult (to say the least) because we were saying goodbye to a wonderful friend who we’ve known for many, many years and knew the road ahead without him will be so very hard for his family. I think we have figured out that this is the seventh funeral we’ve been to in 2024. Some of which have been for people we have loved dearly.

Yesterday, as I was processing and thinking about all of this, my son came in to the house. I started crying because it just feels like the world can’t go on without these dear friends we have loved. And yet it does. It just continues on.

My son said, “Well, what the Bible says really is true. We are just a vapor.”

And I had to look up that verse in James 4 (vs. 14)—

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

I’ve been reflecting on this verse. Life is but a vapor. So it’s important that we consider what really matters…

I am going to be really honest now. As you know, one of the ways I process things is to write about them. And I have shared many of my own personal struggles with you all through the years. I am not looking for praise or encouragement this morning. I am just being flat-out honest with you and sharing with you an important lesson that God continues to teach me.

You see, in the midst of all of this death and through a good bit of this year, I have struggled with my calling. It seems almost unimportant in the midst of so much pain and hurt and life-altering changes in the lives of so many families that I care about. Am I really doing what I am supposed to be doing?

But then I saw that bloom. And I realized. When it comes right down to it, is there anything more important we can do than point people to God and His Word?

A waning interest, a dying passion, an apathetic and disinterested church doesn’t change that.

I read a quote by someone the other day who said they were writing a specific book because, while they knew it would never be wildly popular, they did know there were some who needed the encouragement that would be within its pages.

I have to confess that her words really resonated with me because I, too, knew that my Learn to Discern book would hold little interest for a worldly church. But I went forward with it because I hope that God has used it in someone’s life to draw them into a deeper walk with Him.

I saw a quote this morning that talked about how important that we remember that all glory belongs to God. As soon as we are searching for our own glory, we have lost much of our effectiveness for God’s plans and purposes.

We believers know this is true in theory. But the desire for God’s glory with no interest in our own glory is an arduous journey for most of us. As in so many other areas, we know the truth and we want to live out the truth, but to actually do this is a struggle.

But what a reminder all of this death has been to me personally that our own glory is irrelevant in the scope of life. I am but a vapor, as are you. Only what’s done for Christ will last.

And through this past year, God has been reminding me that one of the main things we can do as believers is to stand for biblical TRUTH—to be that bright pink bloom—among a church steeped in apostasy and a world that is spiritually dead. Eternity and souls are at stake and little else really matters.

And, while part of the way I do this is by writing on a public platform, you all have your own opportunities to stand for truth. Some of you, like me, use social media to point people to the truth. Some of you teach Sunday school or lead Bible Studies. Some of you volunteer in Christians organizations that have lost sight of God’s Word or serve on church boards that are moving away from biblical truth. Others of you work among professing believers that have no fruit whatsoever. While still others of you have opportunities that come through your unregenerate or unfruitful families.

For most of us, it isn’t just one opportunity or one arena in which we are given opportunity to point people to biblical truth. If we really believe the Bible is true, then our desire to share its truths with others should encompass all of our life. It should be more important than our own desires and dreams. God is our portion. He is our ALL. Do we live like that? Do others know we believe that?

What a challenge to consider, right? Or am I the only one??

I guess the question for us all is: In what way am I being that bright pink bloom of biblical truth in the world where God has sovereignly placed me?

We are not responsible for the response. We are only responsible to speak up. Oh, that we may all have the boldness, the courage, and the love for our fellow man that is greater than our love for self that we need in order to do this. No matter what the response and no matter how difficult, may we continue to stand for what is right and true, according to God’s Word.

Of course, we can’t do this unless we actually know the Word of God, so, as always, it goes back to that basic. We must read and study the Word of God, which is our only anchor in this world of lies and which is a blessed gift and the only means given by God to transform our lives and to grow us to look more like Jesus.

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