faith

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)

Who Is Jesus According to…? A Study of Religions (Before We Begin)

2 Comments / April 19, 2024

I’ve spent the last few weeks really studying who Jesus is in God’s Word and comparing this to a specific false religion that uses His name. As I’ve been studying, I realized that there are two key points that need to be shared before we can really get started on this series. The first one will be extremely helpful in ascertaining whether or not a religion using the name of “Jesus” is true or false. And the second point is beyond important as we continue on. Please don’t miss it.

FIRST KEY POINT:

It is critical to remember that, to God, there are only two religions: True Religion and False Religion. God has given us all we need to know to worship Him as He desires in His Holy Word. It is there we find true religion. Any religion that doesn’t submit to or abide by His Word is a false religion.

Now, I recognize that some may ask how is the Bible different from any other “Holy Book” and why is Christianity so special? Why is THIS the only (and exclusive) religion? While it is not the point of this post to delve too deeply into this question (which can be clearly answered, by the way), I would like to share the one thing that was rather an “Ah-Ha” moment for me personally regarding this specific question.

Did you know that Christianity is the ONLY religion where you don’t have to DO anything? There is nothing YOU can do to merit salvation. Heaven is a free gift, given by God because He loves us (John 3:16). It has nothing to do with works in any way (Ephesians 2:8-9).

All false religions, whether they use the name of Jesus or not, rely on good works at some level to merit eternal life. THIS is HOW Christianity is different. And THIS is why it’s the only true way.

God, in His amazing grace, reached down to sinful man and offered the free gift of salvation to those who seek Him. It’s an awe-inspiring and critical difference.

So this is how you know if a religion is true or false.

NOW, I would like to add here that there is a false religion that relies on a “decision to accept Christ” that has a heretical view of God’s Grace and true biblical faith. This, too, is a FALSE religion. To declare that one is saved simply because of a sentence that was said when moved emotionally and then yet to go on living the same sinful, worldly life is NOT true Christianity. We know this because the Bible tells us that such a change is wrought in the true child of God that they can’t help but be transformed in some way! We become a “new creature” as Paul puts it (2 Corinthians 5:17) As we are changed into the image of Christ, we all change at different rates and we must have grace for one another. But the Bible clearly shows us that if we aren’t changed at some level, then we aren’t saved. The difference is this: Our holy lives and good works aren’t the means of our salvation, they are the evidence of it.

I may actually feature this false religion that people view as “Christianity” later on in this series, as it seems that so many people have been deceived by this false teaching which has eternal consequences.

SECOND KEY POINT:

As I have been praying and thinking more about this upcoming series, I was struck by something rather profound. As we take some time to take a look at these religions that are using the name of our precious Savior in erroneous ways, it may be tempting for us to grow angry at those who are deceiving others or to be frustrated with family members or friends who just can’t see the truth.

It is critical to realize that it is the system that is false and, yes, even satanic. The people—no matter their role, whether leader or follower—well, they are, to put it simply, deceived.

They are our mission field. They are not our enemy.

According to scripture, our enemy is not flesh and blood. Our enemy is the devil. (Ephesians 6:11-12) He may use, manipulate, and deceive people. But the people are not our real enemy. They are simply deceived tools in the hands of our enemy.

How essential to keep this in mind as we continue on in this study. Our hearts should rightly be filled with righteous anger as we contemplate the deception that has robbed these lost souls of joy and peace and hope and we should weep for them.

It is my prayer that this series will be of great help to you in your conversations with those caught up in these false systems but find themselves seeking the Truth. And that, through the Holy Scriptures, you will be better equipped to reveal the errors that they have believed and point them to the light and life and freedom that can only be found in the true Jesus, the Jesus of the Bible.

Next week, we will lay the foundation for the rest of the series and answer the question: Who is Jesus, according to the Bible?

He’s Still Working on Me (Life Lessons from Philippians)

8 Comments / April 5, 2024

Before I begin today’s post, I do want to give a bit of explanation as to what’s ahead on Growing4Life as related to last week’s post. When I gave the introduction for the Religions Study last week, I had no idea the scope of what I had undertaken. As I started to dig into the first part on Catholicism, I found so much information that I began to realize that this will take much time to sort through it all and determine what is most important to include in a single post.

I am considering writing up a longer, more detailed pdf version for each religion featured. Would this be something any of you would appreciate? I could attach the more detailed pdf to the posts, if it would be helpful. My decision to do this will be partially based on your response. I am also considering writing up a “Religion at a Glance” pdf to attach. Would this be helpful? Your responses would be most appreciated as I try to determine the best way to go about this study. I love to hear your thoughts.

As I have begun my study, I have come to understand that this is a HUGE subject and I desire to give it the attention it deserves. I am not sure how quickly I can accomplish this with my other life responsibilities. But I do want to let you know that I am committed to this series, no matter how long it takes. I will add them to this page, as I write them.

I also wanted to apologize that you received two of the same post last week. I was having trouble with the WordPress platform and, in order to fix, it I needed to delete and repost the post. In the process of doing that, I never even thought about the fact that you would receive the same post twice. Please accept my apologies.

Okay, on to Philippians.

This month, the Growing4Life Bible Reading Challenge is taking a break from Revelation and heading over to Philippians. It is a welcome break after the heaviness of Revelation (which, by the way, has been an incredible study!). As I’ve been listening to and reading the first chapter of Philippians this week, many, many thoughts come to mind. Thoughts of application to my own life and also thoughts of what God is saying through Paul in this short letter as compared to modern day “Christianity”. I thought I may share a few posts dedicated to these insights and thoughts throughout the upcoming month. I hope they are a blessing, particularly for those who are participating in the 2024 Bible Reading Challenge this year.

Today, I’d like to focus on just a short verse from Philippians, chapter one:

Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (verse 6)

There is nothing like a break from “normal” to remind me how inadequate and, yes, sinful, that I still am. My husband had the second surgery on his schedule (you will remember that last summer he had his back surgery and now last week, he had his first knee replacement, with a second still to come) and so I find myself once again in the role of caregiver. I am trying so hard to be the best caregiver I can be, but I realized the other day how woefully short I fall.

For example, I am just not natured to be a caregiver. While I love my family so very much, I would never make a good nurse. The other day, I accidentally handled my husband’s leg more roughly than I should have and someone made a sarcastic remark about my lack of care. I almost started crying. I truly didn’t even think of it (oh, how I wish I was someone who DID think of these things. I hate that I am not more thoughtful and careful). The comment filled me with so much disappointment in myself because I so badly want to be the best caregiver I can be. And yet, while I can improve, this will never be my natural bent and I will always have to work much harder than many of you at doing this well.

And then there is the fleshly response to not sleeping through the night. Isn’t it so much harder to be godly and patient and humble when you aren’t sleeping? These kinds of times are tests and our responses show our true hearts.

We can get a bit proud and then something jerks us out of routine and we realize that, while God has certainly changed us, we have much more changing to do. After I have time to process these humbling moments, I find myself thankful for them because they remind me of why I need a Savior so desperately and also help to release my grip on this world, as I contemplate the perfection that will be mine in the life to come. Oh, I can’t even imagine not struggling with sin. Can you??

This change in routine and the subsequent humiliation/humbling that has come as a result is why I found verse six of Philippians very encouraging as I read it this morning.

Let’s read it again–

Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ

Paul is reminding the Philippians that Jesus Christ began a good work in His redeemed children and will continue that good work until He returns.

While caregiving may not be my natural bent, scripture makes it clear that we are to lovingly and thoughtfully care for one another and so Christ will continue to help me grow in this area of my life. And my normal sinful responses will slowly grow less and less–even when I am unable to sleep.

And, thankfully, as I mature in the faith, I do realize that my responses to frustrations and my tendency towards selfishness has improved at some level. Last night, just as we were ready to go to sleep, a cup of water was spilled, which meant a change of clothing (not an easy task at this particular stage of surgery). When it happened, I was frustrated but I was able to be more patient and didn’t say a word. That was definitely not how I would have reacted in the past. Isn’t it nice when we can see the sanctification process taking place? These things encourage us as we grow in the Lord.

If we are a redeemed child of God, then we are not left to our own devices. We are being sanctified day by day, through the truth of God’s Word (John 17:17) and through the work of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5) in our lives. God is completing a good work in us and He will continue this work until He returns. And that is something for which we can be truly thankful!

Choices

1 Comment / January 4, 2024

Every time my dog, Dixie, eats anything but a very specific type of dog food (and just a few very specific snacks) she gets sick. It’s inevitable. I’ve had many different dogs throughout my life but I have never had a dog with such a sensitive stomach. It’s so frustrating. She loves to eat…is obsessed even (as is typical for most Labrador Retrievers). And so before we can stop her, she scarfs down food left on plates on the kids’ table or scraps that fall to the floor from the high chair.

Last night Dixie ran to our basement apartment where my husband’s sister and family have been staying for a few days. Unbeknownst to us, she ate the dog food that was in a bowl on the floor for their dog. My sister-in-law mentioned this and my heart sank. When, in answer to my question, she assured me that it wasn’t the Purina brand of dog food I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe she wouldn’t get sick. (Dixie seems to get especially sick with any food labeled Purina for some reason. My other dog lived a good long and healthy life eating Purina so no knocks on Purina. )

But, no, this morning I was rudely awakened by… well, you can only imagine. She got through the whole night but somehow couldn’t wait that extra few minutes for one of us to let her out. Ugh.

She made a choice to eat food that she shouldn’t have and, as always, she bore the consequences. And so did we. The consequences are never just hers alone.

But she loves, loves, loves to eat and so if food is available she will take it without care for the consequences.

Dixie is a dog. Of course, she has no process of logic or ability to think through what she is doing. She just does it.

But we humans–who do have this ability and can think logically– too often do this same thing, don’t we?

I ran into a friend recently who works for a charity organization. One thing she said has stuck with me: The people that need help are mostly in their situations because of their own bad choices. They are reaping the consequences of wrong choices.

And so are we all at some level.

Some kind of instant gratification comes from our choice to eat too much, yell at our spouse or kids, fill our minds with the things God hates, go places we know we shouldn’t go, buy that thing on credit that we can’t afford, or letting our kids spend hours and hours on tablets so they don’t bother us.

The problem is we’ve talked ourselves into the belief that there are no consequences for these choices. But that’s just not true.

An unkind word to our spouse or yelling at our children weakens our relationship; choosing to overeat on a regular basis yields an unhealthy life; filling our minds with the things God hates hardens our consciences and increases our love for the world that God says we are to turn from; lazily handing our kids a tablet instead of interacting with them will yield kids who are hampered relationally; and on and on this list goes. And these consequences often spill out on to others, making them pay for our bad choices.

Thankfully, God, in His awesome grace and abundant mercy, graciously keeps us from experiencing many of the potential consequences of our daily sinful choices. And so we don’t always experience the consequences we fully deserve. His faithfulness, despite our failures, is…well, it’s hard to express our gratitude for this, isn’t it?

But consequences are something we should always think about when we are making any choice, whether it be something that takes us weeks to deliberate (a new home or a career change) or it’s small (what we will watch tonight or how we will respond when someone in our family annoys us).

What is the potential consequence of my choice?

If you are like me, you are just not thinking about this question when faced with the daily choice of what to put in your mouth OR when you are feeling frustrated by someone and the words just come pouring out (or if you are the quiet type, the ungenerous and unkind thoughts fill your mind) OR when you feel exhausted and you just want to veg in front of the TV.

But as we mature in Christ, this should become something we ponder more and more. Particularly the aspect of how our choice will please God. Will my choice strengthen or weaken my relationship with my heavenly Father?

So much is clarified when we ask this particular question because I know that God hates when I treat my family unkindly or when I watch, read, or listen to something filled with the things He hates (and this is NOT just the things that are obvious but includes themes and ideology that are in direct opposition to scripture.)

As we head into a new year, I want to be more cognizant of my sinful choices and intentional about confessing them and asking God to help me. It is so very easy to fall into a status quo Christian life. This life is easy and demands nothing from us. But this isn’t really the Christian life that is in the Bible, where we are told to examine ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5) and to prove or test all things (I Thessalonians 5:21).

This is not easy. Especially in a Christian culture that does not teach this. But, as Christians who want to live a life to please God, we must be intentional about these things. For they won’t just happen.

May we grow together in faith in 2024. Thanks for reading and being here for another year at Growing4Life!

An Exercise in Trust

4 Comments / July 25, 2023

Ironically, I had just read a book that contained the account of a deadly ferry fire. All those on the ferry had perished with the exception of just a few. Granted, this had occurred back in the 1800s, when the safety of passengers was not of the greatest concern. But, still…we do hear of ferry tragedies today…

So while I thought the ferry would be fun, I did have this in the back of my mind. And the ferry to the island was fun. It was a beautiful ride in the summer sunshine. Dousing ourselves in sunscreen, we sat on the front deck, drinking sodas and lemonade as we watched boats of all shapes and sizes pass by us on the water. After a pleasant 45 minutes, we were at our destination.

After enjoying a lovely day on the island, we prepared to go back on the ferry. The first hiccup was the 7:30pm ferry. Our plan was to take this ferry back to the mainland. Unfortunately, we did not realize that the 7:30pm ferry only picked passengers up on the weekends. We had totally missed that fine print (we weren’t the only ones).

Disappointed but not disheartened, we walked to a park to wait for the 8:30pm ferry. Had we known we had that extra hour we certainly wouldn’t have wasted it in a park but such is life. Around 8:10 or so we headed over to the ferry dock.

As we watched the ferry move closer to us, it looked…different. Observing the amount of people that stood in front and back of me in line, I couldn’t imagine how this small boat would hold them all. The smallish cabin of this ferry was at one end, while the back end looked like…a road (photo above was my view as we chugged back to the mainland). I found out later that the regular ferry had broken down and this stand-in was a ferry used to carry tankers.

As we boarded, we quickly realized it was going to be an interesting ride. There were no announcements about life vests or safety or anything else. There were no warnings to stay back from the edge and away from the various holes, both protected only by flimsy, orange plastic fence. And staff were nowhere to be found. I was “unpleasantly” surprised and found myself growing more and more nervous.

We found ourselves on the lower deck (on the “road”), just standing there at the back. A kind couple had left us take a chair out of the back of their pickup for my husband because he is unable to stand for very long due to his bad back (an update regarding his surgery will be at the end of this post) and so we just stood there by him.

Well, that was until the ferry started its engine to move out into the open water. Oh, my, was that loud!! My daughter and I took her boys and moved to the front of the “road”, while my husband and son-in-law remained under those loud engines. As we stood there in disbelief, her oldest son had a look of stark fear on his face and said, “This is the worst thing on this trip!”

I couldn’t agree with you more, buddy! I tried to stay calm, but, all the while, my mind kept going back to that book I had just read. This just didn’t feel at all safe. This was going to be a longgggg forty-five minutes.

It did not help AT ALL that there was a huge NO SMOKING sign on the ferry and about halfway through our trip I saw an arrogant young man skateboarding his way across the deck while smoking a cigar.

That is when my fear reached an all-time high. I started dwelling on the what-ifs and if-onlys. Do you know what I mean? Have you been there? Maybe not on a ferry but in some other place or at some other time that plagues you with these questions.

At some point, I realized that sometimes God’s Sovereignty allows for terrible tragedies. And I asked myself: Would I still believe He is good even if this ferry did not reach its destination?

I know this probably sounds so silly and dramatic to some of you (a vivid imagination is definitely one of the hazards of being a writer!) but these were the thoughts that filled my mind as I found myself in that totally unexpected situation. And I realized that I needed to just trust God, no matter what. Whatever happened, He had not changed. He was still good and kind and sovereign. To live is Christ, to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).

As I thought of these things, I came to a bit of peace. I still was not enjoying it, but my fear settled down. As I hugged my grandson, who was crying, probably both from fear and exhaustion, I could honestly say that we would be alright, believing my own words.

Why did I happen to read that book with the deadly ferry fire right before that ferry ride? I think it was because I needed that exercise in trust. These kinds of situations test us and strengthen us for the moments that it becomes not an exercise but the real thing.

It reminds me of a soldier who will attend boot camp and drill practice to prepare for the real battle. Let us not waste these little, seemingly insignificant, moments in our lives for they are probably given to help prepare us for those inevitable battles that lay ahead of us all as we go through life. May we not waste even one opportunity God gives us to remember His loving Sovereignty in our lives (Romans 8:28-29). And may we not forget to thank Him when we come through a frightening experience safe and protected. :)

…..

Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You.
 In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?

(Psalm 56:3-4)

…..

TWO QUICK NOTES:

First, I still cannot email from my growing4life email address. I spent a few hours a few weeks back trying to fix this. I will work on it again to try to fix it, although at this point, I am not even sure where to turn… At any rate, I wanted to let you know that I SO appreciate all of you who have taken the time to write and encourage me and to let me know you will be praying for my husband’s upcoming surgery.

And, second, speaking of the surgery… a few of you have asked about the date. The surgery is schedule for this Monday, July 31. We are so grateful for your prayers regarding this. We so appreciate them!!

The Place of God’s Appointment is the Place of God’s Provision

1 Comment / June 13, 2023

Have you ever talked to someone who insists that God’s Will is something that goes completely against His Word? Perhaps they are walking away from a loyal and loving spouse because they are infatuated with someone else. Or they are taking an outrageous and irresponsible financial or physical risk, insisting that God has sanctioned this decision. Perhaps it is a mom that is making her career a priority rather than her family or it is the pursuit of a dream at the cost of far too much. Whatever it may be, Christians often expect God’s provision and blessing upon them in these choices they insist are God’s will.

But is this how God works? Does God bless and provide when we are in a place where we were never to be in the first place? I guess occasionally He may–simply because of to His tremendous grace and undeserved mercy– but that should not be our expectation.

In I Kings 17, God told Elijah to go to the brook Cherith, assuring him that He would send the ravens there to feed him. Elijah obeyed the Lord immediately. Verse 5 puts it this simply: So he did what the Lord had told him.

That’s all the information we have so we do not know if this cost Elijah anything. Although, we can imagine it must have been rather strange for him to expect food from a bird, much less one that was considered unclean by His people. That alone would have been a challenge that we can’t really comprehend very well. But Elijah’s provision came because of His obedience. He was fed by the ravens at a specific place. Had he chosen to ignore God or go to a different brook, he would not have had God’s provision or His blessing.

I am currently reading a book by Will Varner called The Chariot of Israel and it is in there that I was reminded of this important truth yesterday. I have been thinking on this ever since and considering the truth of this in my life and the lives of other believers I’ve met.

The author puts it like this–

The place of God’s appointment is the place of His provision. In other words, you’ve got to be in the place God wants you to be if you expect to claim the promise that God will meet your needs. This is the Old Testament counterpart of a New Testament truth that’s stated in Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” If I am seeking first the Kingdom of God, I can be assured that God will meet my needs. The place of God’s appointment is the place of His provision. Are you where God wants you to be? Then you can claim God’s promise that He will meet your need.” *

I think about this on my own life. I can think of one time, in particular, that my husband and I made an extremely difficult choice in order to please the Lord. We knew He wanted us to do a certain thing, although it was sure to cost our family so much. But we went ahead and did what we knew we had to do in order to follow God. And did it cost us? You bet it did. It cost us a LOT. It is one of the most painful times we have been through. BUT… looking back now, we can see God’s incredible grace and mercy carrying us through that time. And there were some amazing blessings that came because we chose to obey the Lord rather than rebel against His will.

So now when we look back at that time, it is with awe in our hearts at God’s faithfulness to us despite the difficulty of the path. We experienced His provision in a wonderful way because we were willing to travel the path He had made clear we were to go.

Of course, sometimes I stick my feet in the ground and just say NO, God, that’s too much. I just don’t want to. An example of that is the music I so loved. I’ve written about that often before. I told God, in no uncertain terms, that I would not give it up. I said this to Him for years and years. But as the battle grew more fierce in my soul, so did the conviction. It finally prompted me to ask God for help as I struggled with my unwillingness to do what I knew God desired me to do. And guess what? When I finally was willing to step out in faith and obey, again came tremendous blessing: God totally removed my taste for the music I had so loved. I still look upon that as a small miracle. I am in awe even yet when I think about it.

And, yet, I still struggle giving up certain things or walking the way I know God wants me to walk sometimes. Even after all of that. Isn’t that just ridiculous? Even as I write this, I can hardly believe my own stupidity sometimes.

The one thing I do know, though, is that the more we are willing to follow hard after God, denying self and turning from the world, the more blessing we receive. So that we don’t really miss what we thought we would miss. It really defies logic. God is so amazing! His grace is amazing and so is His provision! The same God that fed Elijah with the ravens is the same God still at work today in our lives!

Can you look back, as I do, and trace God’s amazing provision and abundant grace in your own life? If you have walked with God for any length of time, I am sure you can. His promises are not just empty words. They are proven true over and over again by those who are God’s own dear children. His provision is a very real thing to those of us that seek to love Him with our whole heart, soul, strength, and mind (Mark 12:30).

And so I want to encourage you this morning to step out in faith and do what God has called you to do. It may be something as simple as sharing the Gospel with a co-worker or reaching out in kindness to an elderly neighbor. It may be giving up an ungodly TV series or leaving a church that is headed a wrong direction. Whatever it may be, know that your choice to follow God will not go unnoticed by Him but will lead to His provision and blessing as you seek to serve Him. He is so kind and so very faithful. He will keep you and He will change you.

Psalm 1 echoes this thought and so I wanted to share a few verses here this morning of this precious Psalm. I hope you will carry these words with you as you seek to follow God and do His will today–

Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3)

*The Chariot of Israel by Will Varner, p. 23

The Conditions We Must Consider

2 Comments / May 30, 2023

Have you ever heard someone say “God works all things out for good”? Or “He will give you peace”? We love to say and hear the promises of God. They are encouraging to our souls and they fill us with comfort.

But do we ever stop to consider the conditions that are in place for those promises to be fulfilled? I don’t think we do so intentionally, but perhaps we often just tend to sideline those conditions because they do not offer comfort and they require something of us—two things that aren’t all that attractive. But, of course, we can never just quote the promises without considering the conditions for those promises. God is so kind and faithful and He makes it so clear who His promises are for very specifically.

First and foremost, we must realize that the promises in God’s Word aren’t for everyone in the world but only for His own dear children. We dare not assure an unbeliever that all things will work out for good for them, as we will see the reason later on in this post. But, beyond that, there are some conditions even for us believers. Let’s take a look at some of the favorite verses to quote and see what conditions are attached to the promises, shall we?

Cast your burden on the LORD,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22)

This verse promises that God will sustain us and that we will never be moved. But only IF we choose to cast our burden on the Lord and IF we are righteous. Notice God did not use the word “anyone” but very specifically says He won’t permit the “righteous” to be moved.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Here we see that our paths will only be directed by Him when we stop trying to direct our own life. We can’t “have our cake and eat it, too”. We can’t expect His guidance while we continue to hold tightly to the reins of our own lives and demand our own way. His guidance is for those who have given up their own will in order to trust in God’s will for their lives. We can see that this will only be accomplished when we stop leaning on our own finite, short-sighted understanding and acknowledge God in all our ways—whether in small choices or huge decisions—THEN, and only then, can we be assured that He will guide us.

You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3)

Here, in this well-loved verse from Isaiah, we see that we will only be in perfect peace when our mind is stayed on God. Funny thing is…our mind can’t be focused on ourselves and on God at the same time. We have the opportunity to make a choice each time life doesn’t go our way. Will I trust God for all things or will I dwell on and complain about my unhappy circumstances? It’s a choice we Christians make multiple times each day. And, if you are like me, I, too often, make the wrong choice. No wonder peace is missing. I heard this quote the other day: Stress comes when we don’t yield to God. Yes, that’s true. Stress and anxiety come when we don’t yield our will to God’s. Of course, this all sounds great as I write but you and I both know that when the rubber meets the road, it’s downright hard to live. Thank the Lord for His Holy Spirit, Who moves and works in us to grow us to trust God more and more each day as we walk with Him.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Here is a promise that is perhaps the most quoted one from the Bible. But, here again, we see a condition. Things work together for good to those who love God. And this seems to beg the question—Do I love self more than I love God? If I want to live solely for God and strive to love Him with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30), then I can rest assured knowing that He will work all things out for His glory and my good. If we think little of God and dwell on our own personal safety, comfort, dreams, and desires as we live this life then we can’t hold on to this promise. It’s not for us.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Here again, we have a promise that is so wonderfully appealing. But it, too, comes with a condition. We must let our requests be made known to God with thanksgiving. Then, and only then, can we expect that wonderful peace to guard our hearts and minds. You may think— how can I be thankful in the midst of such a heavy trial? But the redeemed child of God always has something to be thankful for…for we are saved from sin through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and now have the sure hope of eternity in heaven. If we can think of nothing else to be thankful for, may we start there.

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

This is an interesting promise that assures us that the devil will flee from us. But what must we do to make sure this happens? Two things are given here: Submit to God and resist the devil. Submit to God’s will and give up our will (we saw this same idea in Proverbs, didn’t we? The Bible is SO consistent!). When we insist on our own will—fulfilling our personal desires and dreams—we open ourselves up very much to Satan’s subtle and not-so-subtle temptations… “Oh, just lie about this, compromise on this one tiny thing, …it won’t matter.” And because we want what we want, we will do so. We can do so much to resist the devil simply by submitting to God. For it is our lusts and idols that get us into so much trouble. When we submit to God, we can expect the devil to flee from us for his power over us is limited if he can’t tempt us by using our lusts and idols.

So these are just a few well-known promises of God and the conditions that accompany them. Whenever you hear someone quote a promise of God, look for the condition that goes with it. God’s love is everlasting, His kindness is overwhelming, and His promises are sure, but scripture makes it clear that these are not given indiscriminately but are rather given with very specific conditions.

And let me just reiterate as I conclude this post that, though it is easy to write about these conditions of God’s promises, it is so much harder to live them. Let me assure you that I do not write what is above from a place of “arrival” but from a place of striving, right along with you, at turning my eyes from self to God with each new trial. Every day is a new day that gives me opportunity to submit my will to God’s in both the little things of life and the big things.

But when we make the choice to submit to God and to keep our eyes on Him, we can be sure that, without a doubt, we will experience the fulfillment of God’s promises as we go through each new day. What a wonderful thing to consider! They are no empty promises, but given to God’s dear children as they walk through this troubled world. Great is His faithfulness!

Resisting the Roaring Lion

Leave a Comment / October 26, 2022

We have been studying I Peter this past month in the Growing4Life Bible Challenge. It is really hard to cover this book of the Bible in just four weeks but we are taking in as much as we can! There is so much there! We are now on the final chapter, chapter 5, and verses 6-11 contain much that is profoundly helpful for us believers in 2022–

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called [g]us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The first verses gives us a framework for the rest of the passage: Humble ourselves and cast our cares on God. These are two very basic things for the redeemed to remember:

First, we must be humble. We must stop thinking more “highly of ourselves than we ought”, as Paul puts it in Romans 12:3. Later on in that same chapter, Paul puts it like this: “Do not be wise in your own opinion.” (vs 16). This is a key aspect in a healthy Christian walk for a number of reasons but the two that come to mind: To be in right relationship both with God and with others necessitates humility.

Second, we must stop fretting and worrying. Instead, God tells us to cast our cares on Him and choose to trust Him to care for us. He has promised to do this not only here in this passage, but throughout scripture. He loves and cares for His own. He will never forsake us! (Hebrews 13:5)

Now with those two exhortations, Peter goes on to talk about our adversary. In our modern day Christianity, many believers shy away from talking about the devil. Of course, there is the other extreme, where one blames everything on the devil or thinks he can be ordered around, as if that is their job to do so (It’s not!!). So what should be our right response to the truth that we Christians do have an enemy and it is the devil?

Peter gives us some instruction in verse 8: Be sober and be vigilant.

Dictionary.com gives these partial definitions–

Sober–not intoxicated or drunk.

Let’s think back to what it says in Ephesians 5: And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit. From this, I believe we can deduct that Christian sobriety comes from being filled with the Spirit. And let’s remember: It is not just wine that makes us intoxicated! We can be intoxicated by any number of things: ungodly novels, worldly entertainment, temporal goals, money, hobbies; so much can intoxicate us into a state of caring little about spiritual things. This intoxication (or idolatry!) is what leaves us open to the attacks of our enemy. 

Vigilant–sleeplessly watchful

We are a spiritually lazy culture. Many people claiming Christ don’t even open their Bibles between Sundays. They are asleep spiritually. Caught up in their distractions and worldly living, they are uninterested in what really matters. Instead of being sleeplessly watchful, they are sound asleep and can’t see a thing. Vigilance is not a popular concept these days, but here in I Peter we are told it is necessary in order to protect ourselves from our enemy.

Why is it so important that we are sober and vigilant? What is the big deal? Peter goes on to tell us why it’s a very big deal:

Our adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour!

This is not just some fable or allegory told for our entertainment. This is 100% true.

We have an enemy who seeks to destroy us. Of course, if we are saved, there is nothing he can do about our eternal destinies. But he can, and often does, render the believer ineffective for the Kingdom of God by distracting us with the frivolous and the meaningless, by getting us caught up in unbiblical philosophies and practices, and, often, by tempting us to sin or to feel discouraged and without hope. And, since he often cloaks himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), he will be hard to spot–unless we are sober and vigilant and expect his attacks, both the obvious and the deceptive.

Peter goes on to say that we must resist the devil and remain steadfast in the faith.

We resist the devil and remain steadfast in our faith by submitting to God’s Will and obeying His Word. There is no other way. And, in fact, this is one of the biggest areas of life that Satan attacks us, for he does not want us in the Word of God, understanding God’s care for us, feeling conviction of sin, and recognizing the need to surrender our dreams and passions to God.

Of course, for all of us, resisting the devil and remaining steadfast in our faith is not an easy task. As Peter says, it often brings suffering. If you have read the biographies of men and women from the past, you will know that they suffered greatly as they battled Satan and stood for the truth. Whether on the African plains, in the Chinese village, or in the cathedrals and monasteries of Europe, wherever there have been people who share the Gospel and stand for truth, there is suffering.

Peter tells us to expect this suffering and to know that these same sufferings have been experienced by other believers all across the world.

But Peter doesn’t end there! (Aren’t you so glad he doesn’t??)

He goes on to remind us that God won’t just let us drown in suffering but, after suffering for just a while, God will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. I wonder if God doesn’t use the suffering for these very purposes? For it is in suffering that we often experience these things. True believers aren’t weakened by suffering. They are strengthened. True believers aren’t shaken by suffering, they are settled. God, in His goodness and in His ultimate perfect plan works all things out for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28).

And then there is the final verse that reminds us of just how big this One, True God is that we belong to, as Peter reminds us that all glory and dominion belong to Him! We know glory means great praise, honor, adoration. But what does dominion mean? Well, in a nutshell, it means the “absolute right to rule”. God is the King of all.

While it may look like Satan is winning, he isn’t! Some battles may be lost, but the war will soon be over now and we are on the winning side! May this truth help us stay sober and vigilant. May it remind us that we are not resisting the devil alone, for we have the God of the Universe fighting with us and for us. And may we remember this truth as we suffer for our Savior, whom we are given the privilege to serve during our short time here on earth.

God has been so kind to give us His Word in this crazy, upside down world. I pray it is an encouragement to you as you go out into the world to soldier on for the Lord this day!

 

 

Bears don’t live in the jungle…

Leave a Comment / October 15, 2022

Anyone remember that game where you put a paper headband on and then you had to guess what was written on the headband by asking questions?

I bought an inexpensive kids’ version of this game and so I thought this would be a fun thing to play with the grandsons while I babysat them a few days ago.

We had a grand time taking turns being the headband wearer/question-asker. This game’s buttons were all fairly easy animals to guess and so the kids caught on pretty quickly. “Do I live in the forest?” “Am I small?” “Do I have four legs?” It was fun watching them think of questions to ask.

Even the two year old got involved. He’d run over and shout “my turn! my turn!” and so I’d find an easy animal that makes a sound and we’d all start making the sound and tell him to guess. He’d sit there with a big smile and then he’d be off to play with something else until he decided it was “his turn” again!

For the last turn of the game, my oldest grandson picked out a “really hard one” for me. I smiled and thought how hard could it be?

And so I started asking questions. The first question I asked was “Do I live in the jungle?”

Yes! He said. You DO live in the jungle.

Every other question I asked or animal I considered was based on this answer. Yes, I do live in the jungle.

I asked question after question after question. But it just didn’t add up. No animal fit all the criteria. I really had no idea.

Finally, he gave me a few BIG hints.

And you know what? It was a bear.

But bears don’t live in the jungle. And so I was starting with a wrong premise. From there, it became literally impossible for me to reach the correct conclusion.

Did you know it is impossible to reach the correct conclusion if you don’t start with the right premise?

It’s no different with spiritual matters. You won’t reach the right conclusion, if you don’t start with the truth. And there are a few things that we must know about the truth.

Contrary to popular opinion, the truth is not determined by what we happen to believe is true. Believing something doesn’t make it true. The fact that my grandson believed bears live in the jungle does not change the fact they they do NOT live in the jungle. He couldn’t just decide they do just because he wanted them to. He can’t have his “own truth” when it comes to bears and where they live. Why do we think it is any different regarding matters of eternity?

Truth is not determined by the majority. Did you know that the whole world could believe something and it could still be a lie? Popularity, numbers, and votes are irrelevant to what is true.

The truth doesn’t change. Truth does not blow every which way, upon a new cultural trend or direction. Truth is truth and it is immutable. Which we would expect from the determiner of that Truth, who is God– “with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

We also need to be aware that people lie. Now my grandson may have been playing a joke on me and told me that bears live in the jungle even if he knew full well that they didn’t. Jokes are one thing. But eternity is no joking matter. And there are many false teachers out there plain out lying to you about the matter of how you get to heaven.

People can be confused and deceived. Some people aren’t purposefully lying. But the fact that they are so kindly sincere in their deceived and confused assertions doesn’t change the fact that what they are passionately sharing just isn’t true.

The truth about eternity can only be found in the Bible. How do we know the Bible is different than any other religious book? Why’s the Bible so special? If you are really sincere in asking that question, then may I refer you to Pastor Dean Good’s series on The Bible (find it here), where he will explain in detail how it is not only special but will also tell you why it can be trusted.

You may assert that the Bible isn’t true or that it’s just a book full of myths. But you can’t really say that honestly until you’ve done the research. Why not do the research? Your very eternity may depend upon it. Isn’t it worth a bit of your time?

Oh, may we start with the right premise: the Bible is true…

          so that we can come to the correct conclusion about eternity and where we will spend it.

 

The Plain Truth

2 Comments / August 24, 2022

Five hundred years ago, a Catholic monk came across the book of Galatians and took the time to actually really read and study it.

It changed his life. And it changed your life, too. For Martin Luther changed the whole landscape of the Christian Faith.

I’ve been studying this book for the past few weeks and have been stunned at how much I had missed in my former read-throughs. It really isn’t until you study a book that you begin to understand it.

And as we do so, the things that are muddy often grow clear. And the things that didn’t make sense begin to make sense.

While we will never understand everything, of course, we can be sure that our study of the scriptures will lead us to have much greater understanding regarding the hard concepts and puzzles we’ve struggled through.

I’d like to take some time to give an example of this very thing from my study of Galatians. I finally understand why it was Galatians that opened Martin Luther’s eyes. The main theme of this book is: We are justified by faith in Christ alone.

Not by a little faith and a lot of works.

Not by a lot of faith and a few works.

Not by an equal share of faith and works.

NO, NO, NO.

We are saved by faith alone. Paul puts it like this in Galatians 2:16–

 yet we know that a person is not justified[b] by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

As Martin Luther read these words he was steeped in the false religion of Catholicism. A religion that required faith and works in order to be saved. He recognized his own depravity. He knew he was unable to do enough good works to be reconciled to God. He had felt an utter hopelessness about this. Until he read Galatians.

Galatians makes it clear that we are justified by faith alone in Christ alone. It is all of God’s grace and of no merit of our own.

This goes against the grain for most of us. We want to think there is something we can do to be right with God.

This truth from Galatians makes it clear that any religion (no matter its breakdown of faith and works, it use of biblical names, or its claim to the Bible) is a false religion, ensnaring people in a works-based, pointless religion.

What the culture has made muddy and confusing, the Bible clarifies.

Not only are we not saved by our works, we are not kept by our works. Galatians tells us it is all of grace. As we study the Bible in its entirety and compare passages, we begin to understand that works are evidence of faith. They are never, ever to gain or to keep our salvation. 

This is a great relief, is it not? Yes, we want to live lives that please God. But, wow, do we mess up. Well, I’ll speak for myself, anyway. I mess up! (A nice way to say I sin…) Just way too often. I am so grateful that my salvation doesn’t rely on me or I’d be in trouble!

Instead Galatians tells us it is fully based on Christ’s work on the cross. Stop and consider this glorious truth for just a moment. The God of the universe loves us and sent His Son to die for us so that we can be reconciled to Him and spend eternity with Him.

Isn’t that amazing?

So I’m going to get real for a moment. I’ve been struggling through some challenges recently. Nothing major but just feels like too many for one time. And yet, I have been amazed—truly amazed—at God’s loving kindness and faithfulness to me as He stretches and grows me.

You see, once we are God’s own child we are so well-cared for. This is not some “pie in the sky”, imagined notion but a truth that you can’t really understand until you are saved.

Salvation isn’t a prayer. True salvation changes our whole life. We relate to God in a whole new way and experience His personal care for us in ways hard to comprehend. Our purpose, goals, hopes, and even our dreams change to reflect God’s will instead of our own. Everything changes because the Holy Spirit changes us. We don’t mourn that change because our hearts are changed. We are the great winner in this trade-off!

And it’s a free gift!

Galatians can be confusing to study, with some of its strong language and references to the Old Testament. I have much more to study myself and it won’t be exhaustive, for certain. But there is one thing anyone reading it will take away: We are saved by Christ’s work on the cross alone. No works required.

If you don’t know Christ, I’d love to talk to you about this. If you think you know Christ, but aren’t sure, pick up your Bible and start studying it. If you’ve known Christ and His work in your life, I hope you are filled with a passion to spread the Good News of the marvelous Gospel to those who don’t. For this is truly the best news in the world!

 

 

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