faith – Page 19 – Growing 4 Life

Spreading the Rose Petals

4 Comments / June 30, 2014 June 30, 2014

As most of you already know, Saturday was Wedding Day around here. Our oldest daughter was married on Saturday and is now happily honeymooning with her groom in the Caribbean.

Saturday dawned bright and clear. It all felt a little surreal, quite honestly. After a flurry of activity and many camera clicks, we were finally ready for the five o’clock ceremony.

I walked down the aisle with the best man, aware that all eyes were on me for that brief moment. I breathed a sigh of relief as I sat in my appointed seat and eyes were moved elsewhere.

I then watched my daughters walk down as maids of honor, followed by the bridesmaids and groomsmen.

And then came the children.

If you know my daughter, you know that she loves children. First came two beautiful nieces, their hands tightly holding the strings that were attached to the big, round balloons floating above their heads. And then came a handsome and very serious nephew, pulling a wagon which was supposed to hold two baby nieces. However, we heard a howl in the back and so only one adorable and wide-eyed baby girl was in that wagon.

And then came the official flower girl and ring-bearer. The ring-bearer was another nephew and the bride has been the flower girl’s nanny since she was born. This charming couple was tightly holding hands. Meanwhile, the basket holding the white rose petals stayed filled to the brim. They carefully walked down the aisle. I thought she forgot about the rose petals, but when they got to the front, they dropped hands to go different directions and that is when she put her small hand into that basket and pulled out a handful of petals. And then another. And another. She just kept pulling out those petals and spreading them over the ground where the bride and groom would soon be standing.

I finally told her that it was probably enough and she dutifully moved to her position beside the maid of honor.

I then had the privilege of standing and turning, as all eyes turned towards the stunning bride. It was an overwhelming moment and the next hour flew by, as we listened to two of our favorite pastors in all the world present very helpful challenges not only to the couple, but to us, the witnesses.

It was a beautiful ceremony and reception and I am proud of all the thought and effort that my daughter put into making the evening a wonderful experience for all who attended. It was her hope– and ours– that it would be God-honoring, first and foremost, and also enjoyable. I hope that we accomplished that.

I heard later that the flower girl told her mother, very logically, that it wasn’t possible to drop the petals before she let go of the ring-bearer’s hand. Ah, the wisdom of children.

As I was thinking about her words this morning, I had to smile. You know, she may be on to something there.

How often do we try to hold on to our own dreams and desires and please God, too? It’s like we want the best of both worlds. And, yet, it is absolutely impossible. We cannot totally experience the all-surpassing peace and joy that God promises us until we let go of our own desires. Of course, the most awesome thing of all is that when we do this, God changes us and fills our hearts with desires that please Him.

During the ceremony, one of the pastors talked about how God’s purpose for marriage can only be accomplished if we die to ourselves. He then added that living for Christ can really only be done well if we die to ourselves.

Yes, that is exactly what I saw in the flower girl’s actions. You can’t really do what you have to do until your hands are free.

You have to love the simple lessons we can learn from children.

Now, I’d better get going. I have a ton of wedding clean-up to do :)

Never Lost

Leave a Comment / June 19, 2014 June 19, 2014

I reached down into my pocket and felt nothing. Just to be sure I patted both pockets to make sure nothing was hiding in there. Nope.

Okay, so I must have laid it down. I started looking on all of the surfaces around me. Nothing.

I started looking underneath the chair I had been sitting on. And then lifted the cushion and ran my hands down the side cracks of the chair. I found a few other things, but not what I was looking for.

Where could I have left it?

The car!

I sometimes do leave my phone in the car, so I walked outside with a renewed sense of hope. I looked in the cupholder–it’s usual home in my car– to no avail. I looked beneath and between the seats. I looked outside the car on the ground. It was nowhere to be found.

I walked back into the house, now growing a bit frustrated–and a little panicky, if I’m honest. At this point, I am wondering if somehow it was stolen or was permanently lost. (I am also thinking about how I have become far too dependent on my phone–but that’s another story for another day).

As I rush around, my youngest daughter realizes that she, too, cannot find her phone. We are like two crazy people searching the house madly.

My other daughter gave a half-hearted effort to help us and then, a few minutes into it, said, “Have you tried ‘Find My iPhone’?”

Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?

I plugged my info into my iPad and there it came– up on the satellite. My iPhone was definitely somewhere on our property. It looked like it was outside somewhere. So now what?

I noticed the option to have my phone play a sound. That could help. I pressed the button and then listened. Nothing.

I walked towards the car because that is where I had last remembered having my phone. And, suddenly, I heard a wonderful, and yet annoying, sound coming from my car. So it was in the car. I opened the door and started looking around again, this time with certainty that what I was searching for would be found.

And there it was! It had slid underneath the center console and I hadn’t even thought to look there. Sometimes…

Meanwhile, in another part of the house, my daughters were finding the other lost iPhone, using the same method. That phone had become lost in the recesses of the new leather chair (by the way, yes, that’s the chair that I wrote about last week. We put it in the family room and I am now happily back in my old chair!)

You know…

We are kind of like iPhones. Stay with me here.

We can never really get lost.

Oh, we can be alone, somewhere far away, not knowing anyone, but we are never lost to God. He always knows where we are and nothing can separate us from His love and care (Romans 8:38-39).

We can be in our own homes, surrounded by loved ones and yet feeling so lost and lonely it hurts. But God knows and walks with us in those times (Isaiah 43:2).

He won’t leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

God always knows where we are, even if we don’t always know ourselves!

I guess God can use even a lost iPhone to remind us of His precious promises.

The Messy Middle

Leave a Comment / June 17, 2014 June 17, 2014

Before I even begin this post I may as well just make a confession.

I do not excel at cleaning my house.

You know how you go into some homes and everything is so spotless that you don’t even have to look into the closets to just know that they are probably organized by color and size? The fact that you could eat from the floor gives pretty solid proof that their pantries probably do not hold any old boxes of crackers, a bag of chips with just a few crumbs remaining, or empty tasty-cake boxes?

Anyway, that’s not my house.

I am just not one of those women who is checking my pantry every day for empty boxes. I am not one of those women who is cleaning out my cabinets every week…er…month…or even year?? I confess, I just believe there are so many other important things to do!

If you are one of those women who keeps a really neat house, then your family is blessed! Many have been the–shall we call them discussions?– regarding my method of housecleaning. Now, I do want you to understand that I do not keep a hovel. My house is basically clutter-free and clean–at least the areas that you can see when you visit!

BUT if you look into any given cabinet or closet…well, just don’t do it, okay? It may be dangerous. I try to stay after them. I really do. But–like I said– there are so many other things to do and, with six “not-so-tidy” people living here, well, they quickly become disorganized again, anyway.

But yesterday, I decided to tackle my family room. I don’t think I had actually thoroughly cleaned the cabinets in that room for several years. They were therefore unusable. I had a basic idea what was in there, but knew I would probably find a few surprises, too. I also decided to change the furniture around to make for more seating and to clean out a few other baskets.

The messy middle came about 30 minutes into the project. This was exactly why I didn’t want to start in the first place! And why I had put it off for so long.

So. Much. Stuff.

What is this? What if I give this away and then I need it again later? What in the world does this cord belong to? Where is the case for this dvd? Why do we even have this dvd? If I haven’t read this magazine from last year, I wonder if I ever will?

While I was in the midst of all that clutter and stuff, which was spread all over my kitchen table and family room floor, one of the kids came in.

“Wow, this is a mess.”

Yes, I know. Thanks for telling me.

Another one came in.

“Whoa! What are you doing?”

?? Really? I thought it was obvious.

I started to get discouraged and overwhelmed. I would escape to my computer every 15 minutes or so to check e-mail and Facebook. Anything to escape the dreariness of what lay ahead. I did not want to finish this job. But it had to be done. For goodness’ sake, we couldn’t even eat a family meal until this job was finished.

And so, I finally made myself sit and work without any escape. I forced myself to finish the big job I had undertaken, even though I didn’t really feel like it.

After it was all done, I looked over my rearranged and clean family room with the satisfaction of a job well-done. It was so miserable in the middle, but the end result made it so worth it!

Oh, how true this is in so many areas of life! Raising kids can get very messy in the middle, can it not? Marriages can get pretty messy, too. As can extended family relationships, church situations, and job situations.

Oftentimes, we warily stand back, so fearful to address an issue. Sometimes we are just lazy. And sometimes we are just too busy. We just figure it will have to go away sometime. And, very occasionally, that does happen.

But, just like my messy cabinets weren’t going to disappear, most problems aren’t going anywhere, either. And just like the cabinets grew worse– more layers of dust, more stuff, more disorganization, so do our problems grow bigger and deeper. And so we need to face them head on and deal with them. And, YES, dealing with it will be messy and unpleasant and hard work. But we can’t give up in the middle. We have to keep going so that we can get to the other side.

And when we do, we will feel a peace and satisfaction that is comparable to little else this world has to offer.

The messy middle is no fun. That’s the truth, plain and simple. But the results are so worth it.

And now you know far more about me and my house-cleaning practices than I wish you did but don’t let it be said that I’m not willing to sacrifice my reputation for the Lord ;)

New Isn’t Always Better (and other lessons I’ve learned about change)

1 Comment / June 11, 2014 June 11, 2014

Sometimes you have to learn really expensive lessons. Sometimes you can fix it, sometimes you can’t.

But, before I talk about my lesson, first let me tell you a story–

The dark green recliner sat on the floor of our local Sam’s Club. It was a great price and we thought it would be a great addition to our living room. So we decided to purchase it. We took it home, very pleased with our bargain.

I loved that chair and spent many hours there, nursing babies and holding sick kids. I even spent the nights there when I had a horrible case of mastitis — yes, you read that right — in terrible pain with a breast infection.

About ten years after we purchased it, we moved to a new house. We took the chair with us, but relegated it to our formal living room and bought new furniture for our family room. It now wasn’t used as often. That room became our homeschooling read-aloud room and so the chair became my place to read to my kids. We read about history and God and science. We played games and argued and laughed, all while I was in that chair.

As the kids became teenagers, that room became the confrontation room. It was where we would go to talk privately with one another. The kids knew that if I asked them to go to the living room, I had something serious to discuss with them. I would sit in that chair and they would sit on the sofa opposite, as we would discuss a problem or concern together.

And, then, as, one by one, they headed off to Christian school and college, that chair became the place where I would read the Bible and pray every morning. During my busy homeschooling years, I wasn’t always able to make the time I wanted for the Lord. My time was often with the kids — teaching them to pray and to learn God’s Word. But, suddenly, one day I realized that I actually had the time to spend quietly with the Lord each day and so it was in that chair that I spent many hours reading His Word and petitioning the Lord.

Then, one day, I looked down and saw that the chair was torn.

What a sad day.

I knew I was going to have to replace it, eventually, so I started keeping my eyes open for a new recliner — a leather one this time.

The first furniture store had nothing that thrilled me. The chairs were either too soft or too hard (do I sound like Goldilocks??) or too expensive.

On a whim, I stopped at a furniture store on the way home from a soccer game. The first chair I sat in was perfect and was on sale! I sat in a few more but kept going back to the first one. Yes, that was my new chair. I purchased it and told them someone would be there to pick it up later in the week.

A few days later, my beloved green recliner was removed from my room and the new leather one was put in its place. Oh, joy! I couldn’t wait for my devotions the next morning to sit in my new chair!

Oh, I feel foolish now. I feel foolish even sharing this story. For when I sat in that new chair it wasn’t even comfortable. I squirmed this way and that, but it just wasn’t the same. I got off of it and shifted it to the right. I tried it with the foot rest up and with it down. Nope. It just wasn’t all that comfortable. How could I have made such a mistake? I had a very difficult time concentrating on my devotions that morning.

As the day progressed, I talked myself into believing that it was just in my head and I would get used to it. After all, every piece of furniture takes some breaking in. So, with renewed diligence, I was determined to make this chair work as I sat in it the next morning. But, alas, it felt the same as the morning before. Now, what to do?

And that’s the end of the story. Because I am still not sure what I am going to do. Just get used to the chair? After all, we paid good money for it. Or bring back the old one and sell the new one at a slight loss? And while that’s a possibility, I can’t change the fact that the old one is falling apart and I am going to have to get used to a new one eventually.

There are so many thoughts that surround this incident in my life that I am having a hard time narrowing it down to just one–

1. New isn’t always better. Sometimes we yearn for a change to happen in our life. We think “if only” or “when that happens” and then when we are finally there, it isn’t near as great as we thought it would be.

2. Sometimes change needs to occur. It isn’t pleasant or fun but it is necessary.

3. Sometimes change doesn’t need to occur but we push and push for it because we are impatient and don’t want to be labeled “stuck in the mud” or “traditional”.

4. How do we change without changing what really matters?

5. With all change comes our new normal and it doesn’t take us very long to grow used to it. I just read somewhere (and, boy, do I wish I remember exactly where!) about people’s amazing ability to get used to almost any circumstance in their lives. We start living in the new normal. I think this is the case with Evangelical Christianity. We have gotten so used to the departure from scripture, the inclusion of Catholics and Mormons under the label “Christian”, the lack of standards and morals and holiness, the feel-good and shallow worship, that we have become used to this new normal and accept it as normal. But while it may be our new normal, it isn’t anything close to biblical Christianity.

My mom mentioned yesterday, as we were driving home from the mall, that when she was a girl, it was made quite clear to her that Catholicism was not the same as Evangelical Christianity. The church taught very specifically that we do not believe the same things and that they are two separate religions (which they are). And yet, now, if you try to say that you are immediately branded as someone who causes division and disunity. Because we have gotten used to a new normal and in that new normal, we have forgotten–or choose to ignore– hundreds of years of church history. And this is tragic.

We also talked about how Christians of old were concerned about their behavior. You didn’t dare call yourself a Christian if your behavior didn’t match. And so no one assumed you were a Christian if your behavior was characterized by worldly entertainment and vices. Now, in our new normal, everything is okay and even sanctioned under the word grace. This false definition of grace will leave a lot wondering why they are still here when the rapture occurs. With true grace comes repentance and life transformation. It could not be clearer in scripture (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is a lie that we can continue in our old activities and lifestyle and be saved. And, yet, that has become normal. See what I’m getting at here?

And here is what I’ve learned. No one wants to hear this stuff. It is negative and offensive and uncomfortable.

People may read this post but they won’t like it and they certainly won’t share it. They may even agree with it, but they won’t share it for fear of offending someone (another new “norm” we have grown used to — don’t dare offend anyone lest we be labeled or become susceptible to uncomfortable discussions).

I am weary of this new normal, quite honestly. But I do believe it is here to stay. So now we learn to live –and even thrive– in it. If we respond to this right, it could become a wonderful culture to grow in Christ.

And I go back again to God’s Word. If we know it and are studying it, then so much becomes clear that is clouded otherwise. If you want to truly thrive in this increasingly hostile culture, then study and know God’s Word. It is the only thing we have in this desert of modern Christianity. I hate to even call it Christianity because it isn’t even real Christianity. It’s some shapeless, relative, false religion that has no resemblance to Christ’s teachings whatsoever.

Do I expect this to be one of my more popular posts? No, not at all. But, please, keep your eyes open in your churches and your homes. Be discerning! Satan is using any and all means possible to deceive us and to render us ineffective for the cause of Christ. Don’t let that happen to you.

And so that is the story and my subsequent thoughts on switching a simple chair. And I don’t really even know the end of that story yet. I guess I’ll go try it again this morning and see if I can get used to a new normal!

When Worry Overtakes Us

2 Comments / May 22, 2014 May 22, 2014

Sometimes fear just grips us. The “what-if’s” crowd our mind and, if we aren’t careful, we become enveloped by worry and doubts.

There are so many things to worry about, aren’t there?

Health

Finances

Children

Our government

Our culture

What others think of us

Job situation

Church situation

Relationships

Really, there is no end to the list of things we can worry about.

I can’t remember if I shared this before on the blog, but I want you to know that as a young woman I had an all-out battle with my flesh over this sin of worry (yes, I called it a sin). I would lay trembling and sweating in my bed because I was so scared of something that “could” happen. My mind would dwell for hours on the “what-ifs” and I would waste much God-given time on these thoughts. They were all-encompassing and would render me helpless.

This lasted for many years. Oh, I still lived a normal life and most people had no idea of what was going on inside my head. But I knew that the chains of worry had wrapped me tight and that I desperately needed to break free.

That was years ago, but I was reminded of this battle recently as this sin has loomed onto my horizon again after all these years.

I think as we get older, the things to worry about almost multiply and grow bigger. Instead of worrying about a child’s safety, we start worrying more about their eternal destiny. Along with worrying about finances, we become fully aware that we aren’t going to live forever and we can start worrying more about our health and death. Reality hits us square in the face and we see that there aren’t many happy endings in this world. Grandchildren bring more loved ones to worry about. And, of course, if we listen to the news, there is no end of things to worry about.

As a young woman, I was able to overcome this sin of worry through prayer and the Holy Spirit. Through that battle I learned some practical ways that helped me on a daily–even hourly– basis–

1. I ask myself “What’s the worst that can happen?” Sometimes the worst that can happen is really awful (at that point I move on to 2 and 3), but many times it is just something that is silly. For instance, if I need to speak or play a piano solo I can get really worried about messing up. But if I realize that the worst that can happen is that I make a fool of myself and then life moves on, it helps me to put that particular worry into perspective.

2. Train my mind to turn away from thoughts of “what if?” This was not easy to do, but once I developed this habit, it was by far the most helpful thing for me in this battle with worry. When my mind would start dwelling on the health issue and turn toward all its possible outcomes or when my mind would think about problems I was having with a child and then toward what that could mean for the child’s future, I trained myself to just stop thinking about the future and come back to the present. Now, I do recognize that is SO much easier to write than to do. But it is possible.

And one more thing to add here. Many years after my initial battle with worry, I realized that I started feeling heavy with worry after I would watch the news. The sad stories would depress me and the reports of random violence and increased socialism in this country would fill my heart with fear. At that point, I made the choice to stop watching the news. Oh, I still keep up with the important stuff, mostly via my family (who tell me anything going on that is news-worthy). But I made a conscious decision to stop watching on a nightly basis because of my personal battle with worry. Some of you can handle it just fine and that’s good. But I couldn’t.

3. Acknowledge and submit to the sovereignty of God. My brother (Pastor Dean) says that this is one of the most important aspects in our walk with God. As I have been studying scripture on my own, I realize that he is right. We cannot even be saved without this. Humility (by recognizing our sinful state) is the first step of salvation. But it doesn’t end with salvation. We continue to submit to God’s sovereignty as we walk with Him. It is the only way to have peace and joy and freedom from this sin of worry.

(As we grow older, it does help that we have experiences of God’s faithfulness to us during the hard times. We can see how He worked through difficult and heart-breaking situations and brought us through to the other side. Sometimes we can see the good that came out of those situations, but many times we can’t. But we recognize His strength and comfort and peace during that time and it helps us to face the next difficult time that comes along. Reading biographies of Christian men and women or having conversations with them is also very faith-building. God has worked in incredible ways through some very impossible circumstances.)

There is so much more that could be written about the sovereignty of God. If this is something you struggle with, I would suggest you read the book: The Sovereignty of God by A.W. Pink. This helped me tremendously to have a better understanding of God’s sovereignty. In fact, this book was so helpful, it is included on my Books Worth Reading page.

These three things helped me tremendously as a young woman and for many years I didn’t really struggle with worry. But it reared its ugly head again just recently, as my mind started dwelling on all of the changes we are experiencing in this country and the ramifications of these changes. I find myself going back to square one and trying to put into practice these three things once again. I thought I’d share them here, in hopes that you, too, might find them helpful.

Do you struggle with worry? Do you have something to add to this list that might help us, too? I would love to hear how you have overcome your battle with this sin.

Are We Guilty of Treating the Bible like a Ouija Board?

Leave a Comment / May 1, 2014 December 2, 2014

“I can’t figure this out. Both words work. How do I know which one it should be?” The young man asking the question was staring at the Spanish worksheet on his desk. He was to underline which word fit the sentence best.

I was substitute teaching a Spanish class, which was no easy task for me, as my complete knowledge of Spanish is derived from four years of high school Spanish, a few trips to Spanish-speaking countries, and several levels of the Duolingo App.

And here was an example of exactly why I wasn’t sure I had wanted to do this. I knew I wouldn’t be able to answer questions, especially for the more advanced classes. With my limited knowledge, I decided to try and help the student to answer his question. I read, as best I could, the entire paragraph that included the sentence. I then examined the picture above the paragraph and looked up the two word options in my Spanish dictionary. Upon doing all of this, I realized that, while both words would certainly make sense, only one of the words made any sense at all when taking into consideration the context of the paragraph.

What a great example of how we should approach scripture! I heard a preacher say the other day that so many of us Christians treat God’s Word like a Ouija Board. We open it and expect God to magically show us the exact right verse that will guide and direct us.

But that’s not how it works. We can only truly understand what the Bible says if we take the time to study the context of each verse and passage. But that means we must give our time and effort. And most of us have been conditioned to want answers the fast and easy way.

Recently, A friend shared with me something that had happened to her son. He was put in a college class with a professor that wanted nothing more than to prove Christianity wrong. This woman attempted to crush any young believers in her class by using the Bible itself. The young man left her class stunned and full of questions. Was everything he had been taught his whole life a lie??

Thankfully, he decided to study for himself. He got into the Word to try to sort through it all. What a wise young man. What he discovered is that his professor had taken verses out of context and, thus, had totally warped their meanings. What he found was that God and His Word are absolutely trustworthy and that all he had been taught his whole life is true.

You see, we can come up with any message we want to out of the Bible if we ignore context. This is why you have all of these “new” interpretations of scripture that insist that some things are not sin that we thought were sin for the last two thousand years and, its counterpart, some things that are sin in these modern times, that have never been defined as sin before. Fallen man, without the aid of the Holy Spirit, can contrive the Bible to say anything he wants. It is only through careful study and a humble heart that we can really know what the Bible says.

God’s Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12) and when we study it properly it will change our lives. But if we study it haphazardly or to prove a personal point, we have rendered it almost useless. The Bible is not a Ouija board. It is the inerrant, inspired Word of God given to us, His people. Let’s treat it as such and study it with the respect and awe it deserves.

If you enjoyed this post, would you consider sharing it on your facebook page or twitter feed? I do not take in any income or spend any marketing dollars for Growing4Life, but rely solely on my readers to spread the word. Thank you!

That was me. That could be me. That will be me.

Leave a Comment / April 17, 2014 April 17, 2014

I was tired and ready to go home. It had taken me at least ten minutes to return two items of clothing at the busy wholesale club, which was my last stop in a long list of errands that afternoon. As I piled the items from my full cart on to the conveyer belt, I saw her. She looked so frail. She was with someone younger than her, maybe a daughter or niece. As she was making efforts to pay, I felt slightly irritated. She was writing a paper check (people still actually pay at a retail store by writing a check?!) and was having some trouble understanding the instructions of the clerk. This was all happening in–what seemed to me at the time–slow motion. Each step or arm movement seemed to take minutes instead of seconds. But then I caught the eye of her companion. We exchanged smiles. And I continued to watch that tiny, frail old lady with a little more patience because around that moment, it hit me.

That is going to be me someday.

And I started to think about the different people who so easily frustrate us in life–

The mom with the sick infant that won’t stop screaming in the store or on the airplane.

That was me at one point in my life.

The driver, on their way home from a really terrible meeting or visit, who cuts me off because they are just so distracted.

I’ve been there.

Or the woman paying with food stamps in the grocery store line.

That could be me but for the grace of God.

And I realize that we should really extend so much more grace to people. Why are we so easily frustrated? We could be just like them. Perhaps we were just like them. Or we will be just like them one day in the future.

How do you want people to treat you? That’s the way we should treat others. It is so basic and yet so important.

Do you want your co-workers to tell you the truth? Then extend to them the same courtesy.

Do you want the person behind you in line to be patient as your credit card gets rejected for the third time for some unknown reason? Then do the same when you are that person in line.

What about the overwhelmed waitress? Does she deserve kindness? Would you want kindness if you were in her place–perhaps as new to the job or in a restaurant that is understaffed? God calls us to treat her the way we would want to be treated.

Jesus tells us this basic truth so clearly in Luke 6:31. So why do we struggle so? Why are we so gossipy and easily angered? Why do we backbite and hold grudges? Or sigh and throw tantrums?

I fail at this so often. I don’t mean to, I just get so caught up with my own little, selfish agenda and, woe betide anyone who gets in my way. But for some reason, the elderly lady really made me stop and think. How do I want to be treated when I can’t move as fast as I once did? Because it’s coming. Whether I want it to or not. It’s coming for all of us one day, if we are blessed to live a long life.

You know, if we all followed Luke 6:31 the world we be such a better place. In fact, I believe if Christians followed this commandment, churches would find themselves with few problems.

Of course, that’s in an ideal world, which is certainly not where we live. But it can start with us, can it not? Today, let us be the ones who treat others as we want to be treated. Let’s try to make a difference, however small, by extending grace and kindness to all who cross our path.

What is the Gospel?

4 Comments / April 14, 2014 June 27, 2016

With Easter almost upon us, it may be a good time to review just what the true gospel of Jesus Christ is, as written in the Bible. The other day I heard a supposedly Christian young man on a radio program answer a question about how he would share the gospel. It got me thinking about my own answer to that question, as he proceeded to give all of the selfish, shallow reasons why someone should “follow” Jesus.

Maybe it’s a good idea to first talk about what the gospel is not–

The gospel is not an all-encompassing panacea, solving all of our worldly problems.

The gospel is not our guide through life’s trials and tribulations.

The gospel is not to fill us with a sense of purpose.

The gospel is not designed to teach us that we are beautiful and worthy.

The gospel is not an insurance policy to protect us from a hell.

So exactly what is the gospel?

The gospel is the term used in scripture to depict God’s plan of salvation, available to all mankind. The plan of salvation cannot be understood unless we first understand that we are sinners (Romans 3:23). We cannot truly understand salvation until we truly understand our need to be saved. Repentance of sin is absolutely necessary for true salvation. In fact, without it we cannot even be saved (Luke 13:5).

Once we understand our sinfulness, we can then understand the quandary we are in. We can never be good enough to meet God’s standards (Isaiah 64:6). God cannot tolerate any sin and we can never be perfect (Isaiah 59:2). So how can we be at peace with God?

The answer is in the marvelous plan of salvation, designed by our loving heavenly Father, who sent His son Jesus to make himself a propitiation for our sins by dying on the cross. That is a big word, but it basically means that Jesus bore God’s wrath for our sins, indeed making a way for us to be reconciled to God (I John 4:9-10).

But it did not end there. Three days later, Jesus Christ rose from the grave, victorious over sin and death (I Corinthians 15:55-57). He has promised that those who accept this free gift of salvation will live with Him forever in heaven, where He has prepared a place for us (John 14:2-3).

Salvation comes when we believe with our hearts what the Word of God says (Romans 10:9). Of course, with true belief comes the transformation that can only come from the Holy Spirit’s working in us, paired with a deep desire to please God with all of our being.

Wonderfully, when we do put our faith in Jesus Christ and experience His life-changing power, we do get the benefits of peace, guidance, and purpose that come along with being a true Christian. But these are not the reasons we follow Jesus, they are only by-products of the choice to put our faith in Him.

So, why am I writing this? Most of my readers already are familiar with the gospel. Isn’t this a bit redundant?

I don’t think so, and here’s why: If you aren’t caught up in a few lies about the gospel, chances are pretty high that many others around you are. Mark 13:22 tells us that in the last days even the elect would be deceived, if possible. I believe we are living in those days. And that means there are a lot of variations on the true gospel.

It has been twisted into various forms. A few popular ones I can think of are the self-centered form — we come to God for material wealth, answers to selfish prayers, or happiness. We expect Him to fix our lives just the way we want. Another very popular form is filled with “extra-biblical” things we need to do in order to be saved — such as pray to Jesus’s mother or special saints, witness door-to-door, or follow certain rules. Any time there is anything other than faith in Jesus Christ alone, the true gospel has been twisted irreparably.

My dear friends, I pray that you know Jesus as your personal savior today. If you do not know Him, then I pray that you will soon! How I wish I could truly express the deep love I feel for Him and what He has done for me. The older I get the more I realize just how sinful I am. While I can see myself becoming more like Jesus in certain areas (an outworking of the Holy Spirit in my life), my eyes are also opened a little more each day to the depth of my sinfulness. Oh, how thankful I am for the sacrifice Jesus made for me! Jesus just grows sweeter and sweeter to me each year. How I long for you to have that salvation, and the peace and joy that comes along with it, as well!

If you do know Him, then I pray that you would want to share this with your world. Don’t be shy! Easter week is a great week to share the gospel with your circle of unbelieving family, friends, and acquaintances. Many are terrified by what they see happening in the world and even their communities. Many are without hope, seeing no sense of purpose or reason to what’s going on in their families, their work places, and on the news. But if you follow Christ, you have answers! Don’t be afraid to share them.

I end here with the chorus of a familiar hymn that reminds us of the great blessing of the cross. May we live in the victorious glow of it each and every day–

Calvary covers it all
My past with its sin and stain;
My gilt and despair Jesus took on Him there,
And Calvary covers it all.

Oh, praise God, Calvary cover it all!

If you like this post, I would appreciate it very much if you would share it with others. That is the only way I know of getting the word out. Thanks so much! :)

The Dialogue Deception

2 Comments / April 9, 2014 April 9, 2014

I don’t really consider myself a deeply philosophical person. I cannot look deep within movies and books and find themes. Nor do I really want to.

But I can spot a big fat lie when I see one. And it is about time someone exposes this one–The Dialogue Deception.

We have heard this typical excuse for the lack of discernment for years now. But with the current fascination Hollywood has with biblical tales, it has become even more prevalent.

“I know it misrepresents scripture, but it starts a dialogue.”

Come again?

It starts a dialogue?

SO you mean to tell me that we cannot talk about the marvelous gift of salvation without a movie? We can’t start a conversation about the eternal stuff of life without some help from Hollywood? Do we realize how pathetic that sounds?

It’s not that we can’t, we just don’t want to.

You see, many years ago, right around the time I was in college, we were sold another big lie–we need to be relevant to reach the world. Now, nowhere in scripture can this be found (those who want to use I Corinthians 9:20 as a defense for this philosophy clearly do not understand context), and yet, the church as a whole, desiring for an excuse to continue in their worldly ways, jumped on this bandwagon in full force.

Fast forward thirty years. We are in a culture that literally hates true, biblical Christianity and anyone that follows it-– for Christianity actually has the audacity to follow a Book that includes absolutes and moral standards and teaches that there is a literal hell and only one way to heaven. These are in direct opposition to the post-modern philosophies so prevalent today.

And so, with our minds firmly sold on the relevance lie, we recognize the possibility of looking very uncool if we clearly state we believe in God’s Word. And cool is everything. Look– I am right there with you. It is so much easier for me to casually mention a movie about God than to ask the question “If you die tonight, do you know, without a shadow of a doubt, where you would go?”

And so we skirt around the issues and casually try to work our way to the plan of salvation. The funny thing is that we see none of this skirting the issues in Paul’s epistles, or even the life of Jesus. They were straight forward and to the point. Loving, yes. But never vague. And certainly never needing a helping hand from a worldly practice (unless publicly denouncing it) to start a dialogue.

In all of the days of my almost fifty years, I have never seen the world so lost. The consequences for leaving biblical standards are tremendously painful. In just my little world alone, I know of many who have walked into the gay lifestyle, a few suicide attempts, and countless struggling marriages–and that is just the very small percentage of situations that have made their way to my ears. People and even entire families lie broken in the ash heaps of these sinful choices. This world is hurting!

Do we really need a movie to talk about the hope that is within us?

I don’t think so. In fact, I think that this lie of dialogue is hurting Christians far more than it is helping unbelievers. With each step away from a commitment to biblical doctrine and the inerrancy of scripture, we find ourselves with harder hearts and a growing lack of discernment.

Satan is no fool. He knew this would be a very effective way into the church and he was right.

It is time for thinking Christians to stand and fight. Let’s have the courage to stand for the Truth. And let’s bravely start the conversations that offer hope. Yes, that means we may be ridiculed. But we are talking about eternity here.

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So What Is Your Life’s Project?

2 Comments / April 3, 2014 April 3, 2014

What is the main project of your life? The answer to this question is a very important one. There are really only two answers to this question–

Your Happiness

God’s Glory

If we are a believer then, according to scripture, our life’s main project becomes bringing glory to God in all that we do. If we are still in darkness and unregenerate, then our project is, by default, our own happiness (which takes its form in many different ways, depending upon our personalities).

The problem is that many of us Christians tend to behave like we have not been transformed by the renewing work of the Holy Spirit. Most of us still tend to default back into the “my happiness” mode. Of course, it doesn’t help very much that much of the Christian media is pushing us to keep our own happiness as our primary project.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this because I recently read a book entitled Under His Wings. The only thing I knew about this story was that it was about missionaries in Vietnam during the war there in the 1960s. I don’t even know how I found it on Amazon or why I was looking for it. But I can tell you that this book has presented a great challenge to my “American” view of godliness.

I won’t tell the story here (you can read it for yourself here) but the thing that struck me most was the fact that these people went willingly into a very dangerous country because of their love for Christ and their desire to share the gospel with the lost. They gave up conveniences, comfort, health, family, and eventually their lives for this purpose.

After I finished reading it, I felt so ashamed. These missionaries soldiered on through major illnesses and serious problems as they continued on about the Father’s business.

Me? I cave at the smallest thing. I give God my excuses as to why I can’t do this or that or why I haven’t been able to make time to pray. I was disgusted with myself after reading that book. And I have to ask myself a question: am I as impassioned to give God glory and to share the gospel with the lost as these amazing missionaries? I know the answer is no.

And I become fully aware of just how much my life focuses on my own happiness rather than on God’s glory. It is a constant battle for me.

But a sense of comfort comes in the fact that it is a battle. If there is no battle in the heart of a believer between their selfish desires and the desire to please God, it is an ominous sign that perhaps we are not saved at all.

But while a battle is a good sign, it doesn’t change the fact that, more often times than not, my life’s project is definitely my happiness.

Sometimes after I read a story like Under His Wings, I am tempted to conclude that there are just some super spiritual people out there. People who are just really special. They are the ones who will be wearing the most decorated crowns in heaven.

But is that true or have these ordinary Christians just completely and utterly surrendered their lives to Jesus?

And then comes the next question– if I am not called to the mission field (and most of us are not), how does selling out completely for Christ look right where I am right now?

Perhaps it isn’t just the big things we do and life-changing decisions we make. Instead I believe it is the small ways we are faithful each and every day– resisting the temptation to yell at our spouse or our kids; smiling while we do the work we have been called to do; spending time studying God’s Word on a daily basis; taking that opportunity to share the gospel with that person sitting on a park bench or in the doctor’s office. It’s how we make a choice to not watch a movie or TV show everyone is watching because we know it would not please our heavenly Father. It goes on to include how we spend our time and our money. Being sold out for Jesus encompasses everything. After all, surrender means sacrifice. And true sacrifice occurs every single day in the life of a Christian. It’s not about that mission trip that was a week of our life or the few hours we spend in church on Sunday.

And so, perhaps by the faithful and sacrificial things we do each day, people will see that our life’s project is to bring glory to the great God who saved us. And As we fight the battle between our flesh and our new life every day, may we stand strong in the power of His might! For my weakness is made strong by His strength! (2 Corinthians 12:9)