Trusting, Leaning and Acknowledging Him

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).

Perhaps, like me, you have memorized this scripture and it is one of your favorites. Yet, as we struggle in our Christian walk to apply the scriptures we know so well it becomes a different story.

Do we really trust in Him? Are we leaning on our own understanding? In all our ways are we acknowledging Him? We are faced every single day with decisions. Some carry more weight and consequences than others, but yet there are decisions every day that we need to make: e.g., how can I discipline my child and show the love of Christ, how can I talk to my husband or wife about this delicate matter, how should I relate to this person who has offended me, which house should we buy, which job should I take, should I run errands today or do some things at home that need my attention?

Many times we lean on our own understanding or what someone else has to say. We do not acknowledge Him in all our ways. We acknowledge Him in some of our ways some of the times.
If we trusted in Him, leaned on Him and acknowledged Him in all our ways we would be thanking Him more often, praising Him more often and asking wisdom of Him more often. I would say that we go through our days much of the time without acknowledging the Lord and showing a complete trust in Him.

As you look to your day and the decisions that need to be made, "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."

Difficult Circumstances

I recently read the book of Habakkuk. It was one of those bittersweet experiences. Bitter because the book is about the stubbornness and hard-heartedness of God's people and His using the Babylonians as a chastening rod against them. Sweet because of the faith the prophet had in the salvation of the Lord. Life was tough for God's people because of their own rebellion. Life for us at times is very hard. Sometimes it may be our rebellion, or maybe not, but certainly because the Lord is sanctifying us and making us more like Him.

I exchanged an email with a dear friend this morning. Esther is very faithful to the Lord, yet she has some difficult circumstances that are surrounding her life. She has had many difficult circumstances over the years. Our family has had many difficult circumstances over the years and many of you know what it is like to go through difficult circumstances. Esther concluded her email talking about God's word bringing her comfort. She said, "He is the stability of our times."

The prophet Habakkuk knew that truth. He was very sorrowful over God's chastisement of His people. He had no idea when this difficult time would end. Many times we do not know how long we will be in difficult circumstances, but we can declare as Habakkuk did, "Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls - yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation" (3: 17, 18).


P.S. I will be traveling for a few weeks and will not post again until Monday, July 12, 2010.
Abide in Him and remember "He is the stability of our times."

It's Not About Us

I was having a conversation with someone recently about the struggle of building a child's character and helping them not be so self absorbed. We were honest with each other and concluded that we are pretty self absorbed as well. It is very easy to see selfishness in our children. Left to themselves without discipline or instruction, most children would spend all their time playing computer games and watching television or movies. Left to ourselves without discipline, we would be absorbed with our favorite pleasures. The point is, it doesn't matter whether you are male or female, 6 or 60, we are all self absorbed. We want to do what pleases us.

People have been self absorbed since the beginning the time. It was Eve's selfish thinking that caused her to eat the fruit off the tree she was specifically told not to. She wanted to do what she wanted to do, regardless of the instructions she had been given. When we really grasp that life isn't about us, we begin to make a shift in our behavior.

God sent His Son to die for us. We are not our own. We were bought at a price and therefore, we are to glorify God in our bodies (1 Corinthians 6: 19, 20). Paul tells the Galatians, "I have been crucified with Christ: it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now life in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

Because of sin, selfishness is a struggle for all of us. Let us remember the forgiveness we have been given in Christ for our sin (1 John 1:9). As we try to help others with the struggle of being self absorbed, we need to show them Christ's love and forgiveness. Help them understand life is not about us. We are not our own. We belong to Him who bought us and paid the price with His blood.

God Is a Forgiver

When you are around those who do not know the Lord, how do they see you? Do they see someone who keeps the Lord's precepts? I'm asking myself the same question. Would these people know we belong to Him? If our behavior does not show obedience to the Lord, we defame His name.

Daniel knew this. In Daniel 9, he is praying for God's people. He first starts his prayer by praising God who Keeps His covenant with those who love Him. "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments" (v.4). Then Daniel confesses his sin and theirs. "We have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments" ( v.5). Daniel knew the rebellion of God's people made them a reproach to all those around them (v. 16). Daniel was ashamed for himself and God's people because of their sin against God and what it looked like to the people around them. He put it this way, "Oh Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness though we have rebelled against Him" (vs. 8, 9).

The same message is ours today. We should feel ashamed before others when we are disobedient to the Lord, because it defames His name. Yet from Daniel's day in the old testament through the writers of the new testament, we see the promise of the Lord's mercy and forgiveness. This wonderful message of mercy and forgiveness is not new - it began with Adam and Eve and God's promise when He told the serpent, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel" (Genesis 3:15). The fact that God did not kill Adam and Eve after they ate the forbidden fruit that would surely bring them death, we see His mercy and forgiveness. Man is a sinner - God is a forgiver. Let us walk in the joy of His mercy and forgiveness to us in Christ.

P.S. I will not post until Monday, June 14, 2010.

His Ways

There is a Christian elderly couple that lives on my street, who recently sold their house after only being on the market for two weeks. The thing that makes this unique is that the housing market in this area is definitely not good. There are many houses in our neighborhood that have been for sale for two to four years.

I know a sweet Christian family out of state who have been trying to sell their house for about two months. The housing market in that area is much better. Because of particular circumstances, they need to sell their home as soon as possible. Many have come through and looked at their home, but have not put an offer on the house.

The longer I know the Lord, the more I realize His ways are so different than ours. What we think makes sense and the direction we think things should go just doesn't always go the way we planned. Many times it leads to discouragement. This morning I was reading the song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32 and in verse 5 Moses says, "He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all of His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He." Then in Isaiah 55 the Lord is calling His people to call upon Him and that He will abundantly pardon( vs. 6, 7). Then He says in verse 8 and 9, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."

We know the Lord loves us because He gave His only Son to die for our sin. We know He has a plan and purpose for our lives, but it is often not abundantly clear to us. What we do know, is that He has called us to glorify Him. As we struggle with God's plan and purpose for us, we must remember that our ways are not His ways and that His ways are always perfect and just. It is understanding this, that will keep discouragement away when we find ourselves wondering why the Lord has not worked as quick as we would like or in the way we would like.

Awesome!

We went through a time when people were using the word "awesome" to describe something. It could range anywhere from clothing attire to food or events. To me, it was well overused. I agree with Joe Stowell, writer for "Our Daily Bread",

"If we call earth-side stuff awesome and then call God awesome, we diminish how truly awesome He is."

Psalm 66 gives praise to God for His awesome works. "How awesome are your works through the greatness of your power" (v.3). "He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men. He turned the sea into dry land; they went through the river on foot" (v.5, 6). Awesome is a form of the word "awe" and one of it's definitions is "profound and humbly fearful reverence inspired by deity or by something sacred or mysterious." When you think of it that way, describing food, clothing or every day events using the word awesome is like looking at the Grand Canyon and saying it's cute.

God is our heavenly Father who cares for His children, but we must remember His awesome works and ways toward "the sons of men" (v.5). He is truly worthy of all our praise.

Rich Mullins wrote a song called "Awesome God." Take the time to listen to it and be reminded of our awesome God. You can find it on the computer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lvTsn32pWg. The Lord and His works are awesome!

Contentment

Contentment on a regular basis is pretty hard for most of us to have. We do well at times, but not so well at others. Some people have chronic illnesses that keep them from having the energy and strength they need for their daily tasks and they long to be healthy like others. Some people live in small modest homes and if they would admit it, they would love to have a larger, more beautiful place.

When our daughter and her family lived in the Florida Keys and we would drive by a large, beautiful home that probably cost over a million dollars, we would slow down and gawk or more honestly, covet. I remember one time as we were looking at a place like this, our daughter said "But we have the Lord." It is true, the people living in that place may have known the Lord and had the joy of owning a home like that. However, my daughters point was well taken.

In Hebrews 13:5, Paul says "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have, For He Himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you." Paul is wanting us to understand that knowing the Lord and Christ whom He sent is where true contentment is. Jesus said,"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul" (Matthew 16:26)?

If you belong to the Lord, you already have the best thing you will ever have - in this life and the next. What is perfect health or a million dollar home if He is not with us. These things can never bring the lasting peace and joy that having Christ will. When we allow the hope of worldly things to influence us, it causes us to behave contrary to the commitment we have to the one who says "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

If you have a chronic illness, find some peace knowing He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will sustain you. If you find yourself, as I did yesterday morning, coveting a beautiful home, remember He will never leave your nor forsake you. Let us learn to be content with exactly where the Lord has us today.

Tie a String Around Your Finger

I have heard people say they are going to "tie a string around their finger" so they will not forget something. I admit I have never seen anyone with a string tied around their finger. With the use of BlackBerry's and other technology, we have better ways to help us remember. Let's face it, we are so busy we do forget things if we don't use ways to help us remember. I'm still stuck in the "old days." I have a tablet that sits by our phone that I use to jot down everything I need to remember for that day or the week to include things to do, people to call and food to buy. It works for me.

In Numbers 15 the Lord instructs the children of Israel to make tassels on the corner of their garments and a blue thread in the tassels of the corners (v.38). Notice He says to do this "throughout their generations." This was to be done so they could look on the tassel and be reminded to keep the commandments of the Lord and do them (v.39). He wanted them to remember to be holy as He is holy (v.40). He also wanted them to remember "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God; I am the LORD your God" (v.41).

We shouldn't need to be reminded to remember the Lord and keep His commandments, but we are just like the children of Israel and prone to forget His commandments and holiness. Perhaps it is a good idea for us to choose the color blue as a reminder to us of these things. Should we hang a "tassel with blue" from our key chains as a reminder at all times of God's holiness and His instructions for us to "do His commandments?" It is easy for us to get busy in our day and forget His holiness and commandments, as well as His forgiveness, grace and love to us through Jesus Christ. Maybe the color blue can have a whole new meaning for us. Look at it and be reminded!

You're Just Like Your Father

My parents divorced when I was 5. Sometimes when I would do something wrong or something that made my mother angry she would say "You're just like your father."

Ephesians 5 opens with Paul telling the Ephesians that they were to be imitators of God as dear children. He goes on to say that if we are imitators of God, fornication, covetousness, foolish talking, and course jesting is unfitting for us. Because our children spend so much time with us, there are ways in which they imitate us. Little girls like to help mom clean and bake. Little boys like to help dad build and fix things. This is why the retail store sells products for children such as toy vacuum cleaners, ovens, dishwashers, lawn mowers and tools. However, children not only imitate what we do, but who we are. Many times we see ourselves in the strengths and weaknesses of the behavior of our children.

What does it mean to be "imitators of God?" 1 Peter 1: 15, 16 says "but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy'." We know we will never be completely holy until we go to be with Him in the final resurrection, but we are to strive to be holy as He is holy. No one has ever seen our holy Father except Jesus, but He became flesh to dwell with us and show us who He is (John 1:14). In John 14:9 after being asked by Philip to show him the Father, Jesus says "He who has seen Me has seen the Father."

If we want ourselves and our children to be imitators of God, we must spend time with Him actively in His word. Can you imagine my thoughts today if my mother said "You're just like your Father."

Aimless Conduct

In 1 Peter 1:18, 19, Peter is telling the Jews they were redeemed from their aimless conduct received by tradition from their fathers.

Just as the Jews had to forget the traditions of their fathers that were not the Lord's traditions, we need to forget the traditions that lie behind us - those traditions and values that would not support the teachings of Christ. If you were not raised to know the Lord, like me, you probably have traditions, instructions and values in your background that did not uphold the teachings of Christ.

When we come up against trials, we often fall back to the "aimless conduct" that was taught to us by our parents. Instead, we need to remember that we were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ and that we now belong to Him. Our conduct now is not aimless. We are guided and led by the resurrected Christ who dwells in us. We have a tendency to forget this. Let us gird up the loins of our minds and rest our hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 13).

Strength from the Lord

If you go to the grocery store and purchase several bags of groceries, chances are you will take them out to your car in a shopping cart. You probably would not think about trying to carry them out in your arms all at once, nor carrying a couple at a time until they were all placed in your car. You would use the strength of the grocery cart to carry them.

When we are faced with difficult times or people who may be our enemies, how quick are we to depend upon the strength of the Lord? Many times we struggle and depend on our own strength to help us through. Yet, there is the Lord always ready to help in our time of trouble (Psalm 27:5). I have this picture in my mind of us struggling in our difficulties while the Lord is standing right there ready to carry them for us (Psalm 25:22). It would be like saying to the "bagger" at the grocery store, "Oh, don't put them in the cart where it would be much easier to carry. Just let me take them out a couple at a time and come back for more." You may think my thinking is a little warped, but I think it makes the point.

"For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places" (Psalm 18: 31-34). These are Davids words when he is delivered from the hands of his enemies. Just as you would let the strength of the cart carry your groceries, let the strength of the Lord carry your burdens. He is a shield to all those who trust in Him and His way is perfect (Psalm 18: 30).

The Pot Calling the Kettle Black

The phrase "The pot calling the kettle black" is an idiom used to accuse a person or thing of being marked with or guilty of the very thing they are pointing out.

This is what was taking place in Romans 2 when Paul tells the Jews they are as guilty as the Gentiles. The Jews in Rome were blaspheming God through their behavior. The Gentiles heard the Jews teaching the law, yet their actions were no different than the pagan Gentiles. Paul says "You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say, Do not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples" (vs. 21, 22)?

We do the same today. As believers (spiritual Jews), we have His name upon us, yet our behavior does not square up with what we teach and believe. Marriages are falling apart and believers are bailing because they don't want to work at the commitment. We gossip and judge others without all the facts. We complain about our spouses, children, jobs, houses, and many times do not have a spirit of thankfulness to the Lord for who He is and what He has done for us. Yet, we are quick to teach others God's law.

"But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God"(v. 29). Let us be the Christian whose inward thoughts and desires reflect God's character, and whose outward appearance squares up with what we teach and believe.

Blood

"Blood" is a word that brings different kinds of thoughts to us and I would be right in saying most of those thoughts are frightening. Blood is the lifeline of our veins and when someone is bleeding and losing blood their lives are slowly dying. Some faint at the sight of blood, while others may get sick at their stomach.

Exodus 12 is where the Lord institutes the Passover. As you know, the Lord requires His people to kill a lamb without blemish and take the blood and "put it on the lintel of the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it"(v.7). The reason is that He intends to kill the first born of every living creature to bring judgment on the Egyptians. The blood over the doorposts of the Israelite houses will be a sign that He will not destroy them while He is striking the land of Egypt. In other words, the blood of that lamb saves them.

In 1 Peter 1: 18, 19 we find these words, "knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." This passage refers to the Exodus 12 passage.

Regardless of what you thought of the movie "The Passion", it did a terrific job depicting the horror, pain, agony and bloodiness of Jesus' crucifixion. It is easy to gloss over Jesus' death on the cross and it's details. Thinking about the "blood" gives us a better picture of what had to happen for us to be forgiven and saved by God's grace. Just as the Lord passed over the doorposts, He passes over us in judgment because what He sees is the "blood" of Christ, shed and placed upon us for redemption.

Take some time today to give praise to our Lord for His plan of salvation through the shedding of the blood of the precious, spotless lamb which He provided for us - His Son.

Why Go to Church?

"PRAISE the Lord!

I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation" (Psalm 111:1).

Some people say they don't have to go to church to be a Christian. This is true. However, if you are a Christian growing in the knowledge of the Lord, you will desire to be in church with God's people. All too often we do not clearly understand the reason for church membership or participation. We go because of what we can get out of it not what we can put into it - our praise and worship of the Lord.

If you have trouble finding reasons to praise the Lord, here is a list from Psalm 111 that will give you a wonderful guideline of reasons to praise Him. His works are great, His works are honorable, his righteousness endures forever, He is gracious and full of compassion, He will always remember His covenant with us and He has sent redemption to His people. As you spend time in His word, there are more reasons than you can possibly count to praise Him.

If you have a church home, be there as often as it is possible with you to give praises to the Lord. If not, find a church home that teaches the truth of God's word and be there to worship and praise Him with His people!

Bloom Where You are Planted

The title of this blog is a quote from Mary Engelbreit. Perhaps you have used this quote before in conversation with others. Recently, I was having a conversation with someone about this quotation and what it means. We both concluded that because it is used so often it is viewed as somewhat "trite." However, the more I thought about, it the more I realize it is pretty rich with meaning. The conversation we were having had to do with serving the Lord in the workplace as well as on the mission field.

When Jesus called the fishermen to be His disciples in Matthew 4:18-22, we see that these fisherman immediately left their nets, their boat and their father to follow Jesus. In other words they gave up a lucrative career to go on the mission field. Many times we think that to serve or follow Jesus full-time, we have to be in a labeled full-time ministry. The Lord does call some to that type of work, but He calls all of us to live each day for Him no matter what our duties or jobs are. I know many people who are in the workplace, and they are aware every day that the Lord has placed them there not only to be a diligent and hard worker, but to take every opportunity to be salt and light in that environment (Matthew 5:13-16). Whether we work as a missionary, a vice president in food service, carpenter, business analyst, manager of a restaurant, real estate agent, teach computer in college, olympic skater, or a homemaker, etc., we are called by the Lord to use that work to further His kingdom - to show others to know the Lord and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. As salt and light, we are to be a reflection and proclamation of the gospel of Christ.

The Lord may not be asking you to leave a lucrative career to follow Him, but He calls us to follow Him wherever we are working. Joe Stowell, a writer for "Our Daily Bread" says, "We are tempted to think that we should make something of our lives and at the same time follow Jesus. Wrong! He calls us first to follow Him, and then he makes something of our lives."

Place of Refuge

Most everyone has a place of refuge they like to retreat to when stress and trouble seem to become overwhelming. It may be a cabin by the lake, cabin in the mountains, condo on the beach or even just the solitude of your own home.

Many times in the Psalms the Lord is referred to as a refuge or hiding place, rock or dwelling place, for His people (Psalm 9:9, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 71:3, Psalm 31: 2, 3, Psalm 91: 1,2).

David knows well the days of deep trouble and stress. He speaks of them many times in the Psalms. David was raised to know the Lord from his childhood. In Psalm 71, he speaks of the Lord being his hope, rock and refuge (vs. 3-5). David says, "For you are my hope, O Lord God; You are my trust from my youth. By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother's womb" (vs.5,6). Because of this truth, David says "My praise shall be continually of You."

David knew he could find refuge in the Lord continually. The Hebrew word translated refuge means "dwelling; a place to live." When we are faced with the stress and trouble of life, we need to remember that He is our hiding place and He is our dwelling place. We do not have to go far to find this refuge. He is there if we will, as the Psalmist does, cry out to Him.

I was reminded of that as I traveled this morning in traffic that was beginning to frighten me and cause me great stress. I cried out to Him and He brought me relief.

Having the cabin on the lake or condo at beach is a great place to visit from the stresses of life, but it can never take the place of the refuge we have in the Lord. Let us resort, continually, to the Lord who is our strong refuge.

Are You Generous?

Generosity comes easy for some, but is difficult for others. I can think of three reasons why a person would be generous. One, they hope to give thinking they may get something in return. Two, they give out of duty because they know it is the right thing to do. Three, they give out of thanksgiving to the Lord because of what He has given them. This kind of giver understands the gospel message. Christ died for them and has forgiven their sin, and now walk in the mercy and grace of the Lord. Because the Lord has been merciful to them, they show mercy to others. They also know that all they have belongs to the Lord. It is His to give away.

We have some close friends who are givers of the third category I described. They are consistently generous with their money, time, and material things. They are overjoyed to be able to help and serve others with the blessings the Lord has given to them. Consequently, the Lord continues to bless them financially even in an economy where many are struggling. They don't take that lightly. They thank the Lord every day for His generosity to them.

Proverbs: 22, 9 says "He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor." Paul tells the Corinthians, ".....He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver"(2 Corinthians 9:6.7).

When we give cheerfully, we are blessed. Not that we necessarily receive monetary things in return, but we are filled with joy. That is the blessing.

Let's examine our hearts and see which of the three categories we would place ourselves. May the Lord in His mercy help us remember all He has freely given to us in Christ, so that we may freely give what is His to give to others.

The Day of Trouble

When we find ourselves pushed into a corner with serious decisions to make, we often look to different people or ourselves to help us get out of those situations. We turn to doctors for hope of healing, teachers to help our children in school, good friends who will give us counsel, credit cards because we think that is the answer to a financial issue, etc. In other words, there are many areas we look to in a "day of trouble". Even if the people in all these areas were the best at what they do, it is the Lord who delivers.

In Psalm 20 David has the assurance of the Lord's help and strength in the day of trouble. In verse 7 he says, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. There are several places in scripture where horses and chariots are referred to in terms of strength. Psalm 33:17 tells us a horse is a vain hope for safety..." Proverbs 21:31 says, "The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the LORD." Isaiah 31: 1 says, "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor see the LORD!"

The Israelites had a tendency to trust in the strength of their horses and chariots in the day of trouble. We may not trust in those things today, but we do trust in people and things just as they did. The more intimate we are with the Lord, the easier it is to look to Him first in the day of trouble. I didn't say it was easy, but easier.

Our trust in those areas listed above should come first from our trust in the Lord who is in control of these people and uses them to bring about His plan and purpose for us.

What Have You Done For Your Marriage Today?

There is a billboard on interstate 75 that says "What have you done for your marriage today"? I am convicted every time I read that sign. We do many things in a day for us or for our children, but what have we done for our marriage.

My husband and I have spent a lot of time teaching marriage overseas. I want to begin with what Paul has to say about marriage in Ephesians 5. Wives are to submit to their own husbands realizing that her husband is her head as Christ is the head of the church. Husbands are to love their wives as Christ has loved the church and sacrificed Himself for her. He does this to sanctify her - to make her holy without blemish (Ephesians 5: 22-27).

Now let's look at some specifics. Are we kind and tenderhearted, forgiving our spouse as Christ has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32)? Do our words build up and impart grace to our spouse (Ephesians 4: 29)? Are we concerned more with our spouse's interest than we are our own (Philippians 2: 4)? Do you look your spouse in the eyes when he or she is speaking with you? Do you pray for your spouse for their physical struggles, mental struggles, areas they work in and more importantly their growth in the Lord?

If I asked "Do you love your spouse?" what would you say? There are those who love their spouses but they are not in love with their spouses. That is a topic for another day. Either way, we are to love our spouses and Paul shows us how to do that in I Corinthians 13.

What have you done for your marriage today?

A Light Bearer

As you go through your daily routine do you ever wonder how other people see you? Think about your response when someone cuts you off on the highway or messes up your order at a restaurant. Usually when we are with those we know, whether it be with family or our work environment, we are careful about our behavior. We want them to see us in a positive light. We may behave differently with those we don't have to impress.

When Paul writes to the Philippians he tells them they live "in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation." He tells them how to behave so that they will be light bearers. He says "Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the mist of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights to the world" (Philippians 2: 14, 15).

As I began my day today, I asked the Lord to help me focus on those who do not know the Lord and that I would take every opportunity to share the salvation given to us through Christ. I seem to fail pretty regularly in that area. I was reminded of this passage in Philippians. Paul spoke those words a very long time ago, but we know sin is still in the world. Because of the ruler of this world (John 12:31), we live in a perverse and crooked generation. We don't have to look far. Between magazines, television, movies, etc. we see the work of the ruler of this world. Rather than have this thought bring us to despair, let us think of the privilege we have been given through Christ to make a difference and this difference comes through our behavior as light bearers to those who are outside of Christ.

As you go through your day today, remember you are a light bearer.

"If Only..."

"If only I would not have married that man, my life would not have been so difficult." "If only I had not become a Pastor, I would have had more time for my family." "If only we would not have left Pennsylvania to move to Mississippi, I would have more friends." Many of us can identify with falling into the trap of "If only..."

In Numbers 14, the children of Israel are frightened because of the report they received from the spies who went to check out the land of Canaan. They had been told that the people were stronger and they were afraid to take the land. So now they go back to Moses and Aaron and complain. "If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness!(v.2)" God is the one who lead them there and promised this land to them after taking them out of Egypt. How easy it was for them to turn around and complain because the job of taking the land was going to be a more difficult than they thought. God would be with them but they wanted it to be easy.

My husband and I moved to Mississippi from Pennsylvania so he could attend a seminary that gave housing assistance to families. We prayed and asked the Lord's guidance in that decision and went believing it was what He wanted us to do. After getting there, it was tough. We and our children left friends we loved, a church family we loved, and a job I had which I enjoyed.
I was miserable after we got there. I began to think "If only..." By the Lord's grace and counsel from some Godly people, I realized we were right where we needed to be even though it was hard.

As the Israelites took their eyes off the Lord, they focused on their difficulties. We do the same thing even today. Let us remember what the Lord told Joshua, "Be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)"

I Will Not Go With You!

Psalm 139 speaks of God's spirit and presence being with us no matter where we are. He is always there, leading us and holding on to us (vs. 7-12).

What if (some very vain speculation here), the Lord said to you this morning. " ________,
(fill in the blank with your name) I will not go with you today because you are a stubborn person." I don't know about you but I find that to be a very frightening thought. Yet, this is what He told Moses in Exodus 33 when He said he was to depart from Sinai and take the people to the land that He swore to give to them through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He tells Moses He will send an angel to go with him but He said "for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people" (v. 3). Moses converses with God and the Lord then tells him "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest" (v.14).

God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. We know He never changes. However, before Christ came things were different. The way sin was dealt with was different. Praise be to God for His unconditional love in becoming flesh to live with us and show us who He is. Praise be to God that He sacrificed His only begotten Son for our sin, bringing us forgiveness and the promise of His Holy Spirit to dwell in us. There is no place we can go from His presence.

Like the Israelites, we are stubborn, stiff-necked people. We are still people who want to go our own way. The good news is because of Jesus Christ we know He will never leave us or forsake us. He is always there to forgive and cleanse us as we confess our sin to Him.

Go today in the joy of the presence of the LORD!

Fruitful Growth in the Faith

"For if these are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (II Peter 1:8).

Now I know you are probably thinking "what things" is she talking about? I'm talking about virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance or patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and love (II Peter 1: 5-7). If these things are yours and abound you will be fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. II Peter 1:9 says that if we lack these things we are shortsighted or blind and that we have forgotten that we were cleansed from our old sins. Notice he is writing to believers. He isn't talking about losing our salvation or an issue of unbelief, but he says "we have forgotten that were were cleansed from our old sins."

C. John Miller, who is now with the Lord, began New Life Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia in 1974. He had a heart for Christians to understand the grace that has been given to them through the gospel. He started World Harvest in 1983. This movement was primarily for us to focus on the power of the gospel and it's leading us to constant renewal as believers. You see, we do forget that were were cleansed from our old sins. Peter knew that. When we forget that were were sinners, cleansed by the blood of Christ and His sacrifice for us, we become "ho hum" in our walk with Christ. In other words, barren or useless.

If you are feeling "dry" and "ho-hum" in your walk with Christ maybe you need to be renewed in your understanding of the gospel and what God has done for you in Christ. If we are in Christ, we have been cleansed from our sins and we must not forget that.

Peter is preparing Christians to deal with false teachers and their destructive doctrines. Understanding the gospel of grace and forgiveness is the only way to fight the trials that are sure to come your way. We celebrated Easter yesterday. Let us celebrate it every day by remembering that we have been cleansed from our old sins.

He is Risen!

Since I woke up this morning I have such a strong sense of Christ's resurrection. No doubt the coming of Easter this weekend has heightened my awareness and freshness of His resurrection.

Death is not an easy thing to think about - ours or someone we know. Yet, without Christ's death and the shedding of His blood there is no forgiveness (Heb. 9:22). We know that Christ has come to take the sting out of death. Death is swallowed up in victory (I Corinth. 15: 54, 55).

Jesus, in all His perfection, took the horrible suffering on the cross for my sin and yours. It was a dreadful death. If we knew someone personally who suffered this way it would give us great sorrow. Still, somehow we look at Jesus' death as more of just a historical event.

I think of Jesus having breakfast by sea with his disciples after His resurrection (John 21). What a totally glorious day that had to be for them. The horror of His death was behind them and now they could look forward to the final resurrection when they would be with Him. It should bring great comfort to those of us in Christ to know that the sting of death is gone. He has taken the sting out of death. Death now becomes a journey to be united with the resurrected Christ forever.

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this ? (John 11: 25, 26)"

Happy Easter!

Forgiveness

In all of the commands the Lord has given to us, forgiveness is probably the hardest to do. It is for me and as I speak with others it is for them. Many may not admit it, but the resentment and anger with which they speak of someone is a clear indication of unforgiveness.

Ephesians 4: 32 says "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." In Dan Hamilton's book "Forgiveness" he says that a practical step to forgiveness is to absorb the cost yourself. That is an interesting thought - absorbing the cost. He uses the example of a friend breaking your lamp. You forgive them and you don't require them to replace it, but yet someone has to absorb the cost of replacing the lamp. You absorb it yourself. He says when we replay the videotapes of what happened in our mind, we stay angry. Therefore, do not remind yourself of the "videotapes." Remind yourself of the cross and what Jesus did for you. He, also, says we are to come to the point of praying for the offender and ourselves. Praying for my offender is very hard for me to do even though the scripture clearly says we are to love our enemies and pray for those who spitefully use us and persecute us (Matthew 5:44).

Jesus' words in Mark 11:25, 26 says, "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But, if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

There will never be true joy in our lives if we allow unforgiveness to fester in us. Let us remember that when Christ died for us, He absorbed the cost. The consequences of our sin had to paid. He paid it for us. Therefore, we must forgive others as He has forgiven us.

A Feeling of Insignificance

When you look at the moon, stars and the sun as you gaze into the heavens do you ever feel somewhat small and insignificant as a part of God's creation? Do you ever think, "Who am I but a small creature compared to the glory of the heavens?" David felt the same way. In Psalm 8 David opens by praising the Lord's name for the work of His hands and His creation of the heavens, moon and the stars. Then he sees the comparison. "What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit (give attention to or care for) him? For you have made him a little lower than the angels and You have crowned him with glory and honor (vs. 4, 5)."
Then David goes on to speak of the wonderful privilege God has given to us. He has given us dominion over all the works of His hands.

Sometimes life's hardness and trials make us think we are insignificant to the Lord and to others. We are not small and insignificant to the Lord. We are so significant to Him that He sacrificed His own Son to redeem us from our sin. This should also enable us to see how significant others are to Him and, therefore, they should be significant to us as well.

The next time you gaze into the heavens in awe of the power and majesty of God's creation let it be a glorious reminder to you of your significance to Him. We are more important to Him than we could ever imagine or think. "Oh LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!"

Be Careful What you Ask for!

I'm sure you have heard that statement many times with respect to praying. I like to use the Psalms to personalize prayers for myself. In fact, all of scripture is great for just using the same words to personalize our joys and struggles as we speak to the Lord.

Psalm 26: 2 says "Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my mind and my heart." This morning as I read this Psalm I found myself focusing on this verse. I want the Lord to show me things in my mind and heart that I would not see because of my own selfishness. It is good for the Lord to show us these things so we can seek His ways and His forgiveness. I was about to pray it for myself and when I discovered that another translation for "prove" was "test", I put on the stops for a second. I really thought of the impact of what this prayer would mean. Honestly, I was afraid of the "testing." I wanted to learn but I wanted the easy way. As I pondered for a moment I realized that this "testing" is out of love for me to show me His ways for my good and His glory. I want to be like Him so I moved on to praying that the Lord would indeed show me what was in my mind and heart.

How about you? When was the last time your asked the Lord to prove you and try your mind and heart? It is a scary prayer because our God is Holy and perfect. However, the good news is He has given us the Holy Spirit to do what we could never do to please Him. We can say with David "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting"(Psalm 139: 23, 24).

Guard Your Affections

In I Kings 11 we have the account of Solomon's heart turning from the Lord because he had allowed the love of women to take first place in his life. He began to serve their gods. This happened when "Solomon was old" the scripture says in verse 4. We see how Solomon's commitment to the Lord fell by the way because of his affections for many wives who were serving other gods even though he started out with a tremendous commitment to the Lord and a desire to keep His statutes.

This passage is appropriate for all of us. We must guard our affections. While this teaches us to be sure to marry believers in Christ, it moves us even further in our relationships with others. It is possible for us to meet friends, co-workers and employers that we all look up to because they have a lot of positive qualities and we get along very well with them. We may even find ourselves spending a lot of time with some of these people. If they do not know the Lord we must be careful. We can begin to allow their thinking to influence us and take us in directions we should not go. The next thing we know our other Christian family and friends can begin to see a change in our behavior subtle as it may be. Then it may even come to a place where they realize we are not walking with the Lord and keeping His statutes.

Verse 9 says the Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned from Him after he had been commanded that he should go after no other gods. We are saved by grace and it is all of the Lord but we can know for sure that we will be chastised if we forsake Him to chase after other affections (Deuteronomy 8: 5, 6).

Julie Ackerman Link, a writer for "Our Daily Bread" says "It is difficult to make good decisions if our allegiance is to someone who does not know and love God." Guard your affections.

"Just tell them"

"Go home to your friends and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you and how He has had compassion on you." These are Jesus' own words in Mark 5: 19 after He heals the Gadarenes demon-possessed man.

When the Lord brought saving faith to my husband and me we were living in Hawaii. We had not seen our parents and friends for almost two years. When we returned we were very different. While we were waiting for our things to return from Hawaii we stayed between his parents and mine. We were so excited about the great change in our lives and all the wonderful things the Lord had done for us. We took every opportunity to tell others. My parents definitely didn't understand it but yet couldn't deny that I was different than I was when I left. I kept trying to tell them that difference was Christ's work of salvation and sanctification in my life.

We struggle at times with telling others about salvation and forgiveness in Christ. Either we think we are not eloquent in our speech or we think we need to know a lot more than we do.
We should study the bible and look for ways to help people understand the scriptures, but being able to share the Lord's goodness and mercy with others should be in our every day experience. His active work of salvation and forgiveness is in our lives every day. Take notice and then tell others the great things He has done and is doing for you.

Broken is Good

It is hard for me to say which Psalm is my favorite but Psalm 51 ranks pretty high on my list. It can be used almost word for word as a prayer to the Lord when dealing with sin in our lives. Usually we think of David and his horrendous sin with Bathsheba and having Uriah killed when we read this Psalm, and rightly so. He probably wrote this after he spent quite some time trying to avoid his sin until the prophet Nathan came to him to show him his sin.

All sin is an abomination to the Lord. We often want to rate or place sin in the better or worse category. We may not have committed adultery or had someone killed but we sin in word and deed daily. This Psalm is such a clear picture of the forgiveness of the Lord and the restoration of His salvation to us. Restoration doesn't mean He takes it away and gives it back, but sin causes us to break fellowship with Him and there is a need to be restored. Verse 17 says "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart - these, O God, You will not despise."

Broken is good. When we are broken by our sin, our hearts are truly feeling the pain and sorrow of our sin before the Lord. He loves it when we are in this place. We can sacrifice our time and money to serve Him but if we do not have a broken and a contrite heart these sacrifices mean nothing to Him.

At your next opportunity read and pray through Psalm 51 and be reminded of your sin, your need for forgiveness and the joy of the Lord's restoration to you.

Hungry/Thirsty?

When we are hungry we go to the refrigerator or pantry and get something to satisfy our hunger. When we are thirsty we get something to drink to satisfy our thirst.

Jesus said "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). If we hunger and thirst for righteousness we will seek to satisfy that desire. We will be in the word, spending time in prayer, reading books that encourage our faith and walk with the Lord and spending time with those who do the same. Jesus tells us we will be filled if we hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Many would admit that they do not hunger and thirst for righteousness as they should. Just as our salvation comes from the Lord, our growth in righteousness comes from Him as well. We cannot do it ourselves because our nature is not turned toward Him. Thanks be to God that He does it for us. Paul tells us in Philippians 2:13 "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."

If you find you do not hunger and thirst after righteousness, confess that to the Lord and ask Him to change that in you. "He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it" (I Thessalonians 5:24).

Sweet Smelling Aroma

What is that wonderful smell? We may smell the aroma of flowers in the spring or a dinner cooking that causes us to look ahead to a delicious meal. On the other hand, there are those odors that cause us to recoil and react just the opposite.

When my husband and I have been in Africa teaching, there have been many parts of these countries that are very poor and very dirty. I have struggled with the odors of what is called "slit trenches" that are used as bathrooms.

II Corinthians 2: 14, 15 speak of an aroma that to those who are being saved is an aroma of life but those who are perishing it is the aroma of death. For those of us who have been saved, we are to God the fragrance of Christ. We are to "walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma" (Ephesians 5:2). I asked myself, "what is the aroma I give off?" Is it the aroma of Christ or the aroma of my own selfishness and sin? Let's not let covetousness, unforgiveness, selfishness, anger or resentment be the aroma that comes from us. Instead of smelling like "slit trenches" that causes others to recoil, let the aroma we give off be" the fragrance of His knowledge in every place" (v.14).

Lord, take from inside of me those things that produce an aroma that is not the fragrance of your knowledge in every place. Fill me with your knowledge as I look to Your word.

P.S. I will be a way on a trip and will not post until March 15, 2010. May the Lord continue His blessings on you.

The Joy of Forgiveness

You know the feeling. You have sinned against someone in thought or deed and you're trying not to think about it, but it won't leave you alone. Maybe it was losing your temper, gossiping, pornograpy or adultery. Perhaps your sin was directly against the Lord. You make excuses thinking it wasn't that bad, or everyone does this from time to time, but it won't leave you alone. The bottom line is that any sin done to anyone is a direct violation against the Lord's statutes.

David experienced the same thing. In Psalm 32, he describes how his sin affected him. He said his bones grew old and he groaned all day long. He felt the hand of the Lord heavy upon him. His vitality was gone and felt more like the drought of summer (v. 3-4). Then he confesses his sin to the Lord and the Lord forgave him (v. 5).

There is restoration and a feeling of joy when we confess our sin to the Lord knowing He will and does forgive us of all our sin (1 John 1:9). It is in this feeling of joy and knowing forgiveness, that David writes "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit" (Psalm 32:4).

If we are in Christ we know our sin has been forgiven - past, present and future. Yet, because we live in these bodies of original sin we still struggle with sin and will until we go to be with Him in glory. If you find that unconfessed sin is weighing heavily upon you today, do not let the day pass without confessing your sin to Him. If there is confession to be made to someone you have sinned against, seek the Lord's guidance for an appropriate way to do so. There is restoration and joy in the forgiveness of sin.

Do You Compare?

Have you ever noticed there are some people who live in beautiful homes, have great jobs, big boats, take cruises, have wonderful children and everything certainly looks pretty good for them? The interesting thing is that many people we know who fit this description do not know the Lord or even think about Him at all, yet they prosper. I have found myself somewhat envious of this kind of person. I understand why some of my Christian friends have been blessed with much but sometimes I struggle when I see those outside of Christ prospering while other Christians struggle.

The writer of Psalm 73 struggled with the same question. He admitted to being envious of the prosperity of the wicked. He noticed they didn't seem to have any problems. He says, "there are no pangs in their death, their strength is firm, they are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride serves as their necklace" (Psalm 73: 4-5).

I have looked on people and felt the same way as I know you have too at times. The Psalmist says, "Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end" (Psalm 73:17). He finally sees that these people will be brought down to desolation in a moment. He then goes on to say that his heart was grieved because of his foolishness and ignorance. He knows these people will eventually be brought down to destruction and they will perish but because of his faith in the Lord he will be guided by the Lord's counsel and received to glory. He says, "I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all Your works" (Psalm 73:28).

If you find yourself asking the same thing, read Psalm 73 and be reminded of the blessedness of those who trust in the Lord. A day in the presence of the Lord is worth more than years of living with worldly possessions without Him.

Obedience Unto Death

Isaac, who is a pastor in Uganda, has worked with my husband and I to train church leaders and their wives. In the 70's Isaac was shot and left for dead by President Idi Amin Dada during his military coup because Isaac would not deny that he was a follower of Christ. He was thrown on a pile of dead bodies to wake up and realize the Lord had spared him. He fled to Kenya where he spent two years trying to contact his wife and children in Uganda to let them know he was alive. They were reunited.

Isaac was willing to die rather than deny his faith in the living God. The Lord spared Isaac and he speaks freely about this experience. He gives glory to God and believes the Lord spared him for the purpose of continuing his ministry and starting a home for orphaned children where he and his wife now take care of about 80 children.

Daniel 3 tells us of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego who were threatened to die in a fiery furnace because they would not bow down to Nebuchadnezzar's image of gold. They knew their God was able to deliver them from the fiery furnace and the hand of the king but they made it abundantly clear that even if He chose not to save them from this fiery furnace they would not bow down to this gold image (Daniel 3: 17, 18).

These three men were willing to die in the fiery furnace rather than denounce their faith in the living God. They were tossed into a fiery furnace that was made seven times hotter and not only lived through it but came out not having the hair of their head singed, their garments affected and did not even smell of fire (Daniel 3:19, 27). The king was so impressed by their obedience to God that he praises God and then causes Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego to prosper in the province of Babylon.

When I am made aware of people like Isaac and these three Jewish men I stand in awe of their obedience and faith unto death. I would only pray you and I would be willing to die because our faith and trust in the living God is worth more to us than our lives. The good news is...to die for Christ is to be taken into His eternal presence where we will live forever with Him! Isaac, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego knew this truth.

From SAD to GAD

I have shared with you my struggle with SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder. If I am not careful, a few days without sunshine can change the way I handle difficult situations. I am more easily given to discouragement. I just found out there is another condition that is recognized today as GAD - Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It involves anxiety and worry that is excessive and unrelenting.

I was reading 1 Peter 5: 6-11 this morning. Peter talks about humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God and casting our cares upon Him because He cares for us. I made a connection this morning in these passages I had not thought of before. After Peter tells us to cast our care upon Him he warns us in verse 8 "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." If we allow ourselves to wallow in our worry and anxiety we are prime targets for the devil who takes every opportunity to tempt us and weaken our faith. It is during these times the devil will cause us to question God's care and love for us. Just this morning I exchanged an email with someone who was struggling with this very thing.

Peter then goes on to say "Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world" (1 Peter 5: 9). There is no new persecution, sorrow or pain that others have not experienced. There is no new temptation ( 1 Corinthians 10: 13). The suffering we do is to perfect, establish, strengthen and settle us. This is done by the God of all grace who called us to His eternal glory (1 Peter 5: 10).

Let's not use the excuse of SAD or GAD to keep us from living in the power of His love and care for us. Let's go to GOD.

Weariness Leads to Giving Up

If you have tried the regiment of exercise and dieting, perhaps you have suffered with not seeing the change as quickly as you would like and therefore, grow weary and give up. It is a common thing with all of us in one form or another. We are going great guns and when we don't see the fruit of our labor we grow weary and give up.

Being a pastor's wife I have had to struggle over the years with growing weary when I do not see the fruit of my labor and wanting to give up. I have taught Sunday School classes, lead women's bible study groups, tried to encourage women whose marriages were falling apart and prayed for many people to know the Lord or grow stronger in the Lord. Many times over the years I have gotten weary because of not seeing the fruit of my labor in some of these situations. I know I am not alone. I know many of you reading this have experienced the same type of weariness.

The Galatians were experiencing this as well. Paul wrote "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" (Galatians 6:9). What happens when we grow weary? Paul answers that. We lose heart. What does it mean to lose heart? We begin to find all kinds of excuses to just "give up" and think we have every right to do so. After all "I tried." What I have had to focus on and encourage you to focus on is when he said "for in due season we shall reap." We have to wait until it is just the right time. His time. We have been wanting to plant an orange tree. I have to remind myself that I will not have delicious oranges immediately. We have to plant the young tree, see that it gets plenty of sunshine, fertilizer, water and then wait. It takes time but it will bear fruit "in due season." The Lord does have His due season and His timing for absolutely everything but it may not be as quickly as we would like to see it happen. Paul knows how easily it is for us to grow weary but challenges us to not give up. "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith" (Galatians 6: 10).

I Can Do that?

When we lived in Georgia I was a "DJ" at a Christian radio station. I did not have any formal training for the position. My husband found out about the position and encouraged me to apply for it. In my wimpy little ways I said "There is no way I can do that." "Yes you can", he says. It truly seemed an impossible task to me. Long story short, I applied for the position, got it and worked in Christian radio seven years before moving to Florida.

I was reading Matthew 21 one morning going through the account of Jesus cursing the fig tree and how it immediately withered away. The disciples were marveling about this as I am and asked why the fig tree withered away so soon. Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive"(Matthew 21: 22). Wow! It leaves me speechless.

I am not a theologian and will not get into all the particulars about whether or not one could wither a fig tree or cast mountains into the sea. However, I do believe Jesus is teaching us to have faith and believe in the power of prayer He has given to us as believers in Him. I believe we could accomplish a whole lot more than we do with respect to answered prayer. At times we probably spend more time thinking of reasons our prayers would not be answered instead of just praying. Our problem is not so much unanswered prayer for the big things we asked for. Our problem is praying for them and believing He can and will do it. I asked myself as I marvel at this passage if I am battling with unbelief and lack of faith? Is it Jesus' way of showing us that we can ask for things that seem impossible and then believing God can and will do them because we asked? We can do that!

Jonathan Is Losing His Life

"Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lost it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it (Mark 8: 34, 35)."

As my husband and I dropped Jonathan off at the airport in Uganda to send him home to Wisconsin, he had tears in his eyes. They were not tears for missing us. They were tears of compassion for the pastors and church leaders he was training. He had a profitable law practice that had been in his family for years. Within about a year or so he announced that he was leaving his law practice so he could travel to developing countries to train church leaders who could not afford a seminary education. He not only left his practice but sold it. Jonathan understood what it meant to lose his life for Christ and the sake of the gospel. There are many stories out there of men and women who have done what Jonathan did.

Whenever I read those verses I ask myself "Do I really deny myself to follow Christ?" I am sure most of us have not done this as we should and probably don't think much about it. For those who have stable jobs, a comfortable income and the privilege of living close to family it would be very hard to do what Jonathan did even if they felt the Lord calling them to do it. The Lord uses us wherever we are and sometimes His calling enables us to stay where we are. But the question is are we denying ourselves and following Him with a willingness and obedience to give it all up should He have plans that would drastically change our lives? Many would try to push these thoughts away hoping they would disappear and live miserable lives because of choosing to save his life instead of losing it for the sake of the gospel. To make a choice that would drastically change our lives would be hard for me and for you, yet this is one of those exhortations in scripture we must wrestle with if we say we are followers of Christ.

At the end of Jesus' exhortation to take up the cross to follow Him he says "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels (Mark 8: 38)."

Our Compassionate High Priest

It is hard to understand that during Jesus' time here on earth He was fully God and fully man. In Matthew 14 we see a glimpse of His human side. He has just been told that John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod. We are told in verse 13 that after He heard this news, He departed by boat to a deserted place - by Himself. He withdrew so He could be with the Father and perhaps deal with His sorrow over John. John had a vital part in preparing the way for Jesus' ministry. Not only that, they were relatives (Luke 1:36). I could even imagine as children they played together.

There is another time in this same chapter Jesus departs by Himself to pray (v.23). Following this, the disciples are in a boat being tossed by the sea and the disciples were afraid. He comes to them on the water and tells them not to be afraid. I can certainly believe He came to them because He knew their distress and had compassion for them.

We must clearly understand that Jesus is compassionate. We see His compassion demonstrated many times in the scriptures. This should bring great comfort and peace as we suffer because of sorrow, whether over sin or the loss of someone or some thing. Hebrews 4:15 tells us "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin."

One of the devil's ways to tempt us is to try to make us believe that Jesus doesn't care about us. Let's never think that Jesus doesn't understand or care about our struggles because of His deity.

Heavenly Father, it brings us great comfort to know you are compassionate and care very much about our struggles and sorrows. Thank you for giving Jesus as our High Priest to intercede for us because He understands and sympathizes with our weaknesses.

Have a Good Day!

We often hear this from people who are in customer service. Everyone of us wants to love life and see good days. For many, life is bitter and every day is a dread - even many who are Christians. In 1 Peter 3: 10-12 Peter gives a formula for loving life and seeing good days. He quotes it from Psalm 34. "He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." He says this on the heels of reminding us to be of one mind, being compassionate for one another and not returning evil for evil.

We read over verses like this and pay little to no attention to their meaning and promises attached to them. We are slow and stubborn to see God's way for us. His word guides us in every area of our lives, yet we read it and move on. James spoke of this. Many times we are simply hearers of the word but not doers. It's like the man who observes himself in a mirror, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was (James 1:22, 23). Sometimes we pay attention to what we think the bigger issues are in our lives and others. We may think one who commits adultery is worse than one who speaks deceit. All of God's word is given to us to obey and whether we realize it or not, it is for our own peace and happiness as well as His glory. Let's not just gloss over any portion of scripture the Lord has given to us. We are instructed to bless others and therefore inherit a blessing ourselves - the blessing of loving life and seeing good days.

Missing the Best Part

Have you ever visited someone for dinner or overnight who is busy doing things the whole time you're there? They may be a wonderful hostess from the standpoint of working hard to serve you and make delicious food preparations but you really wish they would just sit down, drink that second cup of coffee and visit for a while. I have been in homes like that and I often think I am missing the best part which is just to be with them.

A similar thing took place in Luke 10:38-42. It is the familiar account of Jesus visiting Martha and Mary in their home and Martha fretting because Mary was not helping her. Over the years poor Martha has received a lot of criticism. She may have had one of those type "A" personalities whose ducks all have to be in a row. You know the type. Perhaps you are one of them. This is not all bad because this person usually accomplishes quite a bit but when it becomes more important than the relationship it is out of balance.

Perhaps Martha was trying to fix a more elaborate meal than was necessary. Meanwhile, Mary sits at the feet of Jesus fellowshipping with Him. I believe Jesus was tender in His rebuke as He said "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things." He understood her desire to please Him but she was missing the best part. He then goes on to say "But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

Do you allow the things of your day to take precedence over your time spent with Jesus? If we are not mindful of this it is easy to happen. We have so many things to attend to and accomplish today that we neglect "that good part, that cannot be taken away from us." As you prepare to have company in your home be mindful of this as well. Remember, people are coming to spend time with you - not to have an elaborate meal and be showcased in an absolute meticulous home. Let's not miss the best part.

Copper Bottom Pans

When my daughter was young we gave her the responsibility of washing dishes a few times a week. I have copper bottom pans and was always so persistent about the copper bottoms being cleaned after every use. She probably thought cleaning the bottoms did not change the effectiveness of their ability to cook our food. I'm sure she thought I was a fruitcake and truly I made more out of that chore than I should have.

In Matthew 15 Jesus is chided by the Pharisees because His disciples did not follow the tradition of washing their hands before they ate. Jesus went on to point out areas of sin in their lives and yet they were so concerned about the tradition of clean hands. Jesus quotes from Isaiah 29:13. "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men." Jesus then goes on to teach that it isn't what goes into the mouth that defiles man; but what comes out of the mouth that defiles a man. The things that come out of the mouth are from the heart and those are the things that defile a man. He lists some of those things. I love how direct Jesus got with His disciples when they asked Him to explain what He was talking about. Then He says "Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?" It may seem kind of crude but He was interested in making the point.

We are like the people Isaiah spoke about. We honor the Lord with our lips but our hearts are far from Him. I know this to be true by the things that come out of my mouth.

Traditions can be meaningful and useful but we need to be careful of the motives behind them. Obedience to tradition should never take the place of obedience from our hearts.

Lord, show us those places in our hearts that are disobedient. Cleanse us within so that our mouths will speak of things that do not defile.

"Piece of Work"

,My son uses a phrase when he is teasing someone about their behavior or attitude in some area. "You are a piece of work." He may not realize it but he is absolutely right. I am a "piece of work." God's "piece of work."

We are all familiar with Ephesians 2: 8, 9 where Paul tells us we are saved by grace through faith and that it is a gift of God. These verses are favorites with most of us because they do remind us that we did nothing to deserve His grace. It was a gift. This is one of those places we sometimes leave off a key part in our memorization. Verse 10 says "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

If someone ask you completely unaware of the reason for the question "why were you created?", what would your answer be? We may be quick to say "for His own glory." Do we really think about what that means in our day to day lives? We often forget He created us to be what we are and who we are. It is hard to understand this but if we believe in the sovereignty of God we know this is true.

He didn't create us to play and have a good life of nice things. He created us for good works. His good works. What do these good works look like? Everything we do and everything we say is to promote His kingdom and His coming - our marriages, school work, jobs, attitudes and relationships. God prepared these things beforehand that we should walk in them.

Wherever God has placed you and whatever He has called you to be, remember you are His "piece of work."

"Smile, It Isn't That Bad"

Several years ago I worked the circulation desk at our local library. One morning a man came in, looked at me and said "Smile, it isn't that bad." I was embarrassed. As a person who claims to love the name of the Lord, I did not appear to be very joyful. I realize we cannot walk around every minute of the day with a silly smile plastered on our faces. However, the comment this man made was like a slap to my face. I was reminded of the lack of joy on my face more times than I am willing to admit. I am sure you have noticed people who claim the name of Christ whose faces register very little joy.

Joy is one of the key aspects to our relationship with Christ. The scriptures speak of it many times in many ways. It is one of the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23). In John 15:5 Jesus speaks about being the vine and our need to abide in Him. He tells us these things so that His joy will remain in us and our joy may be full (John 15: 11).

David in Psalm 5 prays for the Lord's guidance in his life. He could find joy even in the midst of enemies pursuing him. He finishes the Psalm with "Let those who love your name be joyful in you (verse 11). Perhaps we do not have joy in our lives which is why many times it does not reflect on our faces. I am sure the pressures of life weigh heavily upon us at times and it shows on our faces. Do we really trust the Lord to guide and protect us as we seek Him?

David says "My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord: in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up (verse 3)."

Lord, let me place my trust in you so that I will rejoice from my heart, reflecting Your joy on my face.

Exercise Yourself Toward Godliness

I have been running/walking for the last twenty-one years. I let very little get in the way of my exercise. Many times people compliment me on my commitment to walk or run. The truth is...I love it! It isn't as much a discipline as it is something I love to do. The only thing that keeps me from exercise is a commitment to an appointment. It is the same with my time in the scriptures. I start every morning as best I can with Bible reading and a time spent in prayer. I don't do it out of duty because I know it is good for me. I do it because I love it! It is my lifeline to this life and the next.

Have you ever noticed we usually find time to do the things we enjoy? Whatever it is, however busy the schedule, there will always be room for this activity with some regularity.

In 1 Timothy 3, Paul is writing to Timothy warning him of the great apostasy that will take place and those who will depart from the faith. Paul is teaching Timothy the importance of doctrine and his instruction to others in his ministry. Paul tells Timothy he is to exercise himself to godliness (1Timothy 3: 7). Paul goes on to say, "For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come (1Timothy 3: 8)."

How do we exercise ourselves toward godliness? The Lord has given us music, literature, teachers and preachers for this purpose. However none of that should take the place of our time in the scriptures and prayer with the Lord. If your exercise toward godliness is limited because of your busy schedule be sure the scriptures are your first choice of exercise toward godliness. Pray that the Lord would cause you to love his Word. If we love it we will stay in it. Let us say with the writer of Psalm 119: 97 "Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day."

How Can He Do That!

He can do that because he is a sinner like all of us! How many times do we wonder how a Christian can do the things they do, say the things they say and yet truly be a Christian. Many ask that of themselves as they wrestle day after day with sin in their lives. I know pastors who have been addicted to pornography, setting up meetings with young teenage girls on the internet, having affairs with their secretaries etc. I have known several Christian women who have had affairs. I knew a pastor's wife who left her husband a note and took off never to return as his wife. I couldn't even begin to list the sinful things people can do and the evil that is still present with all of us at times because sin runs that deep in this world and still is a struggle in us. Yet, when we are personally affected by these types of situations we stand back and say "How can they do that!"

Romans 7: 13-25 is Paul's explanation for this question. This very fine Apostle who was theologically educated, saw Jesus face to face, lived a life of dying to himself so he could live for Christ, still struggled with sin. As he is explaining his struggle with sin he speaks of how sin dwells in him. In verse 21 he says, "I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good." He uses the word evil. It is a strong word which depicts the total depravity in each one of us. Therefore what we say and do is effected by sin. Here is the marvelous, wonderful, awesome good news. We can thank the Lord as Paul does that it is through Jesus Christ our Lord we have been delivered from this body of death! "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:1)."

When we have been "shattered" because someone we love has sinned against us let us remember that except for the grace of God in our lives we would do the same thing. When people behave as evildoers instead of the Christians they profess to be pray for them and remind them with humility that Christ died so they can be free from the power of sin over them.

Let us not be surprised by the sin that dwells in us but amazed by the grace of God and His forgiveness to us through Jesus Christ.

Love Covers

If you have grandchildren have you ever noticed how quickly you will cover for them? My eleven year old grandson has been given the task of emptying the dishwasher in the mornings. As with many eleven year olds, he has a tendency to procrastinate and take more time doing his task than is necessary. One morning his mom had already given him the ultimatum of what would happen if he continued to procrastinate. She left the room and a few minutes later I walked into the kitchen to find him playing with his cat. I spoke to him about the importance of obeying his mom and than said "Please stay with your task until it is done. Your mom will be very disappointed if she finds you playing with the cat." He continued and finished. I love him and did not want to see him paying the consequences she would set out for him. I covered for him. I could have told her but I dealt with it and he finished.

When someone we love does something wrong or sins against us do we counsel them to help them see what they have done or are we quick to tell others, therefore stirring up trouble?

In 1 Peter 4 Peter talks about Christ's sufferings and ours and then he says "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8)." Peter quotes this from Proverbs 10:12. "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins." This does not mean that we condone sin or that we turn our backs to a person's sinful behavior but it does mean we are to correct others out of love and not hatred. Quoting from Tyndale on this passage of covering sin it says "It is ready to forgive again and again. It finds a way to shelter the wrongdoer from exposure and condemnation. This is how God has treated us."

If we find we do not look for ways to help others cover sins, forgiving them, chances are we are not acting in love as Christ taught us to do. "Love covers a multitude of sins."

Communication That Encourages

One of the definitions of communication is "a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs or behavior." We usually rely on words or body language for communication. Our body language and tone of our words can very often cause miscommunication.

In seeking effective communication skills between you and your spouse we should focus more on our own communication skills. Do we come across as arrogant, bossy, judgmental, looking down our noses as we speak to our spouses? It is very difficult to communicate with someone who is not a communicator at all. One of the best ways to help someone else to strengthen their weaknesses is to look at our own weaknesses first (Matthew 7: 4, 5). We cannot hope for change in our spouses until we have adequately sought the Lord to change us. This takes prayer, prayer, prayer.

Thanks to the Lord there are many scripture verses we could "camp out" on to help us communicate more adequately. I am using Ephesians 4:29 for this post. "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." If we want to communicate effectively we need to choose words that are not unwholesome, degrading or immoral to the hearer. People will miss the positive point you are making if it is surrounded by words they find offensive. If we truly want effective communication with our spouses we need to be sure the words we chose are encouraging and will build them up. The whole point to this verse is that everything we say is to impart grace to those we are speaking to. It is to build them up and encourage them. Paul says we are to speak the truth in love. We don't need to falsely sugar coat our statements for our own gain but we should certainly look for every opportunity in our communication to be sure we are encouraging them while we are speaking the truth in love.

We can usually be pretty effective in communicating with those outside of our household. It is our spouses and children who may suffer sometimes because what we say to them does not build them up but in fact tears them down. If your spouse tears you down with his/her words continue to encourage them with your words. "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:32)."

Plethora of Praise!

Every time I read the Psalms of David I stand in awe of his flow of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. He gives Him praise for who He is and thanksgiving for what He has done. As I go before the Lord to pray, it is my desire to give praise and thanksgiving to Him. It all sort of dries up in a hurry. I get a few things out and sit and think and then move on to the rest of my prayer which is full of petitions, petitions for others mostly, but full of petitions.

Then there are those times when we are invoked to give praise and thanksgiving to the Lord during times of worship or any gathering of God's people to pray. How often do we see that the room becomes quiet and all of a sudden our tongues are tied. When invoked for prayer requests we can go on and on. Those are very uncomfortable times for me because many times I find myself just as quiet as others.

James McDonald in his book "Lord, Change My Attitude (Before It's Too Late)" gives an exercise in his chapter on thanksgiving in which you take a little notebook and list five things you are thankful to the Lord for at the end of the day. He suggests doing it nightly. With excitement I bought a 4"x4" notebook to do this exercise. I used the first 5 pages and now confess this little notebook has turned into a place where I keep my passwords. Is praise and thanksgiving difficult for us because we are so full of ourselves and continue to look for what we can receive from Him?

This morning I read 1 Chronicles 16:7-36 where David gives a plethora of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord after the ark is placed in the Tabernacle. "Oh give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!" If praise and thanksgiving does not always come easy for you, read these verses and give Him your own praise and thanksgiving. He ends with "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And all the people said, "Amen!"and praised the Lord."

Offering Willingly

When I was a little girl my grandmother would say, "What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine." I could never figure out what she meant and in my timidity I never asked.

In 1 Chronicles 29 we see David getting the people together to prepare to build the temple that would be built under Solomon's reign. David and the various leaders were collecting together all that would be needed for the building of the temple - gold, silver, bronze and iron. Here is the exciting part. It says three times they "offered willingly." How often do we struggle with giving what we believe is our tithe let alone giving above and beyond that? Yet these people gave willingly to build the temple which David says "is not for man but for the Lord."

The key to giving willingly was the fact that David and his people understood all they had to offer was really God's in the first place. In verses 10 through 18 David is praising God and says, "For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;" and then he says "For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You." Verse 14 says, "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willing as this? For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You." In verse 18 David asks the Lord to "keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You." David wants them to remember forever that all we have belongs to Him. It is my prayer all of us would remember this truth.

I believe as we understand all we have is His we will be able to offer willingly. As the Lord brings opportunities in your life to give, remember you aren't giving things that belong to you but already belong to Him. It is very humbling in that when we do give, we cannot give ourselves credit for giving what is ours but give glory and praise to Him for giving what is His.

My grandmother had it right as I can hear the Lord saying "What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine." Let us praise and honor Him by offering willingly what He has given us.

Same Shirt Different Day

I saw a young man wearing a t-shirt that had this slogan on it. We know it was the cleaned up version of what is normally said. I know it was meant to be funny but as with all humor there is an underlying truth. This slogan indicates to me that this person has little hope of getting up in the morning and finding things to be better than the day before. Unfortunately, I know Christians who have this same attitude. They may not say it as crassly but they feel the same. Life is tough for them in some fashion and it just doesn't get any better and they don't think it will be any better tomorrow.

There have been times when I have awakened in the morning with these same thoughts. Reading Lamentations 3: 22-24 I can hear the Lord saying "why do you wake up with no hope? My compassions fail not and they are new every morning including this morning". You may be thinking "Yes, I know the Lord is compassionate to me and I know He is faithful but is He going to change this difficult situation I am in"? In this 3rd chapter of Lamentations we have the prophet Jeremiah telling us "For the Lord will not cast off forever, though He causes grief" (Lamentations 3:31).

God in His mercy and compassion for us does not let us stay in difficult situations with no hope. He may not change the situation. If He does it may not be the way we expect or would like but we can always believe that He will do what brings glory to Him and is best for us and our growing sanctification. Somehow we mistake God's mercy and compassion for indulgence. We think for Him to be compassionate and merciful He has to give us exactly what we want. Just as we do not always give our children those things they want because it may not be the best thing for them, the Lord does not always give us exactly what we want, but what He chooses to give to us will always be good for us.

It is because of the Lord's mercies this day can be different even if the change is in you. The t-shirt should say "Same Mercies Different Day".

New Things

We all like to get new things - new home, new car, new furniture, new clothes etc. However, these things eventually become old. There is no way they will stay new no matter how well we take care of them. They will eventually grow old.

If you are in Christ, you are a new thing or as Paul says "new creation". "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). I find such joy in this promise. I was 21 when I came to faith in Christ. I really was a picture of old things passing away and all things becoming new. I understood the "junk" that filled me and defined who I was. I came to understand that I am not filled with "junk" because I am a new creature in Christ. The old sin patterns that were so much a part of my life had been replaced by the newness I had in Christ. It felt so good to be brand new at 21 years old. You may have grown up always knowing the Lord but hopefully at some point you became aware of your sinfulness and newness in Christ.

The good news is that we continue to be brand new every day. Many times we don't feel that way, myself included. As the difficulties of life "ping" at us we don't feel like new creatures and many times do not behave like new creatures. God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18). Our trespasses have not been imputed to us but to Christ (2 Corinthians 5 19). He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). We need to realize every single morning when we wake up we are new creatures in Christ. We continue to have forgiveness for our sin by confessing our sin to Him (1 John 1: 9).

Unlike the new furniture or car we will always and forever be new creatures in Christ. Say to yourself right now "I am in Christ, therefore I am a new creation."

Go Practice His Righteousness!

Perhaps you have said or had said to you "Go practice your piano, flute, violin, etc. It is pretty safe to say that those who were coerced or forced to practice probably did not become professional. Those people we see in concerts who play instruments so well they receive standing ovations are those who have loved the instrument. They probably practiced for many, many hours. Practicing was not as much of a chore as it would be for those who are just doing it because they had been told to do so. They did so because they loved what they were doing.

John in his first epistle tells us we are to practice righteousness (1 John 3:10). However, his way of saying it is if we do not practice righteousness we are not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. In verse 6 John says "Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him." This does not mean we do not sin once we come to faith in Christ because in the first chapter of 1 John he says "if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 John 1: 8)". Paul himself speaks of our wrestling with sin in Romans 7 and this is after coming to faith in Him. I believe what John is saying is that if we are abiding in Him we will not be practicing sin. Instead, we will be practicing righteousness knowing we have forgiveness in Christ even though we still sin.

Just as the musician who loves his instrument will spend more time practicing to be more proficient, the believer who practices righteousness out of love for the Lord will be more proficient with the wrestling of sin in his life. It is interesting that John also says if we do not love our brother we are not of God. Practicing righteousness and loving our brother is the test as to whether or not we are abiding in Him. Keeping His commandments is the key to pleasing Him. How do we keep His commandments? By hiding His word in our hearts that we may not sin against Him (Psalm 119: 11). God gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit to do in us what we cannot do ourselves but we have a responsibility to practice righteousness so that we can be pleasing to Him. Please read 1 John 3 and go practice His righteousness.

Checking the Fruit

One of the things I enjoy living in Florida is the oranges. We live close to a "u-pick" fruit place and during the season we will buy at least three 1/4 bushels of oranges that we often pick ourselves. Since I eat them more regularly than my husband does, I find I need to rearrange them around almost daily to keep them from becoming soft in spots which leads to their deterioration.

I was thinking about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. Paul tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I love this bag of fruit, however, sometimes I neglect it or certainly do not check it often enough to make sure that each one is staying fresh. I find I need to run through a "spiritual" fruit check to make sure they are not sitting in one spot going soft, therefore deteriorating.

We are to walk in the spirit so we do not fulfill the lust of the flesh. The works of the flesh are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, drunkenness, revelries and the like. What a list! Most of us would read through this list quickly and assume we are not guilty of any of it. But if you really look at them slowly meditating on what they mean and their different forms we could probably see at any given time that we have fallen somewhere in this list. That is why Paul tells us that we are to walk in the Spirit. Then he goes on to tell us what that is.

Memorize Galatians 5: 22, 23 and check your fruit daily.

P.S. We are leaving tomorrow for a short trip. I will not be posting until January 11, 2010.