jana's thoughts

Psalms of Ascent

2011-08-20T06:06:00.001-07:00

Right now I am doing a Bible Study about the Psalms of Ascent and have had the opportunity to write some of the Psalms in my own words. The Lord loves to hear His Word prayed back to Him, and it gives me great hope to pray Scripture over the things that trouble or concern me. Here are a few prayers that I have recorded that are paraphrases of a few of the Psalms.

Psalm 124

You are faithful. You are for me. You are a fountain in the wilderness. You find me in my wandering and draw me to Your side.

When I feel as though I am drowning in the restless, roaring tide you reach out Your hand to part the waters...You whisper "Peace Be Still"..and all is well inside.

Like a bird in flight you rescue me from the prisons of darkness that overwhelm me. You raise me up to new heights and fill my mouth with songs of praise.

My help is in You, Oh Lord, Maker of Heaven and Earth. I will praise You all of my days...

Psalm 129

There will always be those who oppose us, attack us and oppress us. I praise You for Your power to triumph over the enemies of my soul. Victory alone is with You. Judgment alone lies with You. Even though my back lies deep with footprints trampled by the enemy, You have strenghtened me and have allowed me to stand firm because of Your mighty power.
You will continue to be the Ancient of Days, The Keeper of evvery wrong done to me and I rejoice that I do not have to engage in mortal combat for every injustice and evil deed. You have it under control. Your righteous right hand will hold back the enemy from my destruction and I can rest in the shadow of Your wings. Blessing and honor await me as I see Your face. Hide me Lord in the shelter of your abundant love.

Psalm 130

Out of the depths I cry out to You, oh Lord. Incline Your ear to me. You are the righteous judge. If you were to keep a record of sin, none could stand in Your presence. But You are a fountain of forgiveness, overflowing from the depths of Your unfailing love. Your mercy and compassion have no end. Therefore, I will wait for You and watch for the sunrise as it peaks over a dark horizon. Then I will see Your goodness and the display of Your faithful, abiding love and full redemption of every hurt, loss and disappointment that has come my way. Your abundant redemption restores my soul.

Standing the Test of Time

2011-06-21T06:50:00.000-07:00

As a consumer in today’s market, I appreciate products that live up to their names. Through the years, we have come to depend on certain brand names and products that consistently demonstrate good quality. They stand the test of time. Brands such as Maytag, Toyota, Honda, Eddie Bauer, GAP Clothing, General Electric, etc., have all been around for quite a while and have proven their effectiveness and reliability over and over again. The research, attention to detail, and the actual materials used in these products have all contributed to their quality and popularity.
As I read Acts 24 this morning, I was reminded of the quality, and power of the Gospel. Not only has it withstood the test of time and persecution, but the author and initiator of the Gospel is eternal and without imperfections. He is full of power and authority. It is no surprise then, that the Gospel would display power and eternal evidences as well. I was struck with this truth when I read about Jesus’ encounter with his followers on the road to Emmaus after He had risen from the dead. As Jesus spent time with his followers, their eyes were opened to the truth about Him. After Jesus had disappeared, they asked each other, “Did our hearts not burn within us as we were with him?” (Acts 24:32) They experienced power in His presence and the fire that once burned within their hearts continues even today in the hearts of those who receive the good news about Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. Jesus continues to open the eyes of those who do not understand, who do not yet believe and He sheds the light of His truth to all who seek Him.
I am so thankful for a God who is dependable, whose Gospel is trustworthy, as both have proven to stand the test of time with power and effectiveness. I am thankful for a God who is mighty to save, and His truth and authority extends through all generations. I am thankful to serve a risen, glorious Savior.
I serve a risen Savior,
Who’s in the world today,
I know that He is living
Whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy,
I hear His voice of cheer
And just the time I need Him
He’s always near

He lives, He lives,
Christ Jesus lives today
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life’s narrow way
He lives, He lives
Salvation to impart
You ask me how I know He lives
He lives within my heart!

For Such a Time as This

2011-03-24T04:51:00.000-07:00

The events of the past few weeks have had my mind swimming in a sea of unanswered questions, especially the question, “why?” The truth of the matter is, we may not have all of the answers this side of heaven. Nothing makes sense and emotions are raw, ranging from sorrow to anger, to disillusionment. However, one truth remains constant: our God reigns and His Word is sure. It’s hard to know how to continue after such events have occurred, but this is a time when our faith must carry us and we lean heavily upon the truths and promises that God has given to us in His Word. A friend shared in our Bible study this week about a very dark season in her life. During that time, she said the only words she could hear from God were “Be still and know that I am God.” There were no answers to her questions, and things became worse before they ever got better, but as she reflected upon the truths that she knew about God, they became her anchor during the tossing and turning of the raging sea around her.
Her story was an inspiration to me and a reminder of how the knowledge of character of God must be burned into our hearts and minds during times of tragedy and uncertainty. So what does it mean to be still and know that He is God? I think it takes a lifetime to answer that question; a lifetime of seeking His face and learning from Him during all of the seasons of our lives. For this particular season, I am focusing on the truth that God is good. What is meant for evil, God will turn it around and be glorified through His goodness and grace. It also gives me great hope to know that He is victorious. By His blood and the word of our testimony, we will overcome and be joined with Him in the eternal, ultimate victory over sin and death. Nothing can separate us from His love and he is close to the broken-hearted.
Singing and playing for Clint Dobson’s funeral was one of the most difficult things I have ever done, but I knew that God had ordained me to be in that particular place for such a time as this. As difficult as it was for me to get through the funeral, I was so honored to be a part of celebrating the life that he lived. In my weakness, God empowered me and gave me the strength to continue. I am so thankful that He poured His grace out upon me during that time, as well as to everyone else involved. I was amazed to see how so many people played important roles in taking care of necessary tasks related to this tragedy. It encouraged me to see the support and love of our church as they embraced the people of NorthPointe in their time of need.
So where do we go from here? Our emotions are frazzled by the events at NorthPointe and the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. God spoke to my heart this morning in 1 Cor. 15. This chapter is rich with encouragement and we are reminded by Paul to focus on the ultimate victory that is ours through Christ Jesus. Because of that truth, he further admonishes us to let nothing move us and to give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord because our labor is not in vain. I have to believe that when God gives an instruction through His Word, that He will empower us to follow through with action. As our pastor said this past Sunday we are to keep believing, and keep moving forward. We have been chosen, redeemed and equipped for such a time as this. May we all join together to minister to each other in this time of need and uncertainty.

The Power of Questions

2011-02-04T06:46:00.000-08:00

This morning our neighborhood is blanketed with snow. It is a dazzling sight to see the sparkling crystals join together to make such a beautiful winter scene. What I love about a fresh snowfall is the absolute peace and quiet that follows it. It is as if God made a statement and all of creation is speechless because of His awesome display of beauty.
This morning, our daily Bible reading was in Isaiah 40. In this passage Isaiah asks a series of questions regarding the nature of God: “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Who has understood the mind of the LORD or instructed him as his counselor? Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?” (Isa. 40:12-14) For some reason, the questions actually cause me to think more intently about the nature of God. There is power contained in the questions because we must ponder the answer to those questions.
Isaiah 40 isn’t the only place in Scripture where questions are asked about God’s unwavering character and majesty. Psalm 89 echoes the same thoughts: “The heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones. For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD? Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings? In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him. O LORD Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty O LORD and your faithfulness surrounds you.” (Ps. 89:5-8) The Psalmist answers his own questions with resounding truth about the eternal nature of God.
In the book of Job, God himself asked a series of questions concerning his own might and power as Job was wrestling with the unfortunate events of his life. God’s questions continued for three entire chapters. Job’s response to God’s questioning was: “You said, ‘Listen now and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:4-5) Job fell to his knees in repentance and obedience after God’s elaborate questioning. When Job sought the answer to God’s questions, he had to come face to face with the fact that God was God and there was no other like him. No one else could take the place of God.
As God questions us, may we be like Job who said, “I know you can do all things; and no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know…” (Job 42:3)
Our God is the great King over all of the earth; the Majestic Ruler who is unending in knowledge and wisdom. The snow this morning is a reminder to me of this fact.
“How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth!” (Psalm 47:2)

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

2011-01-11T05:57:00.000-08:00

I love the book of Ephesians. It is rich with so many Biblical treasures and affirmations and it is a book I could spend an entire year studying. I have enjoyed reading through this powerful book in our daily Bible readings. What I love most about the book of Ephesians is how the Lord demonstrates His pursuit of His people. He is divinely active and relentless to establish intimate relationships with the people He so dearly loves.
Over and over again in Ephesians we see the active work of God: He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ, He has adopted us as his own, He has made known to us the mystery of His will, He has chosen us for the praise of His glory, He has called us into the riches of His glorious inheritance, He has made us alive in Christ and has offered eternal redemption, and He has lavished his grace upon us. Ephesians 2:13 tells us, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” Praise God for His unending pursuit of those of us who were once dead in our trespasses and sins. He has made us alive by His love, grace and power. What an amazing mystery and miracle!
Right now I am reading a book called From Jihad to Jesus by Jerry Rassamni. It is about an ex-militant Muslim who fought Christians during the Lebanese Civil War. In his attempt to refute the Bible as a Muslim, the Lord captured his heart and he eventually turned from Islam and became a faithful follower of Christ. While describing his search for the truth, Jerry exposed the pagan roots of the Muslim god and the feet of clay of its founder. Through reading the Bible, Jerry discovered that God Almighty is a God of love, mercy and grace. These are concepts that are not taught in Islam. They are taught to live and die by the sword and to pursue vengeance for all who do not believe as they do. Although the Islam holy book, the Qur’an contains certain stories and passages from the Bible, it leaves out the instrument of redemption that the God of the Bible requires. This is what Jerry Rassamni describes as the Great Divide between the Bible and the Qur’an. Through Jerry’s study of the Bible, he was convicted of sin and was led into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am so thankful for the power of the gospel. The Word of God is alive and active and it can deliver a prisoner of darkness to into God’s marvelous light and freedom. Reading Jerry’s book has given me much cause for thanksgiving that I serve a risen and active Lord who is full of mercy and grace.
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Christ…” (Eph. 1:8-9)

Songs of Victory

2010-04-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

Every time “The Patriot” comes on T.V., my husband watches it. He never gets tired of watching Mel Gibson wave the American flag in victory over the British in those final days of war. He went out in front of all of his men into battle and led them to victory. I love what 1 Chronicles 14:16 says about the Lord: “God has gone out in front of you in battle.” Our Lord Almighty is a chief warrior who goes before us and fights for us in all of our spiritual battles. As we all know, the Bible is a book about war and victory; good versus evil, love versus hate, life versus death and our ultimate destiny in the eternal realm of glory. Our great victory over the enemy comes through the Lord Jesus Christ, but there will be many wars and battles until the great Day of the Lord.
As we turn the pages of our Bibles from 1 Chronicles to Revelation, we find another reference to war in chapter twelve. Revelation 12:7-9 says: “…and there was a war in heaven…the great dragon was hurled down…Now have come salvation and the power and the kingdom of God.” The great dragon was not only defeated, but he was “hurled”! I picture the Lord taking the dragon by his tail, twirling him above his head, and hurling him at great speed until he crashes to the ground. Halleuiah! In Revelation 11, the twenty-four elders who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.’” In Revelation 12:10 a loud voice in heaven proclaimed these words: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God!”
It is these truths that have created the inspiration for so many great songs of victory that we sing. Those of us who worship the Lord God Almighty, who have been bought by the Blood of the Lamb and who have declared our testimony of his salvation, can sing the songs of the redeemed. Here are just a few phrases from our songs of victory that we sing on a regular basis: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits upon the throne…” “We’re singing glory, glory, halleluiah, he reigns!” “Behold he comes riding on the clouds, shining like the sun at the trumpet call, lift your voice, it’s the year of jubilee and out of Zion’s hill salvation comes!” “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” “There is a Fountain, who is the King, Victorious Warrior and Lord of everything; my Rock, my Shelter, my very own, Blessed Redeemer who reigns upon the throne!” “Sing to the King who is coming to reign, glory to Jesus the Lamb that was slain; life and salvation his empire shall bring, and joy to the nations when Jesus is King. Come, let us sing a song, a song declaring that we belong to Jesus…lift up a song of praise, come now with voices raised to Jesus, sing to the King!” Let us celebrate our victory in Him, the One who goes before us in battle! Let us sing the songs of the redeemed!

Wisdom

2010-04-27T06:44:00.000-07:00

Wisdom is one of the most valuable things we can possess, yet we can’t purchase it with a credit card or a personal check. James 1:5-6 tells us that if we lack wisdom, we can ask God for it and he will generously give it to us, if we truly believe that he will give it to us. Wisdom is obviously something that God wants us to possess because it protects us. I think about my own children and how I long for them to make good decisions so that they will bear the fruit of those good decisions. My children are at crucial ages in which the decisions they make could affect them for the rest of their lives. Our Heavenly Father looks out for us in the same way, but with even more love and compassion than we have for our earthly children.
I love reading the words of Solomon. At one time in his life he could have asked God for anything—riches, wealth, fame, etc. However, he chose to ask God for wisdom. God was so pleased with his request that he granted Solomon undeniable wisdom that we still read about today. As I have read through the book of Proverbs, I have been reminded of all of the benefits of wisdom. Here are just a few of the things that make wisdom so valuable:

• We will gain knowledge and a fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:7
• We will gain understanding (Prov. 2:6)
• Discretion will protect us (Prov. 2:11)
• Wisdom will save us from wicked men (Prov. 2:12)
• Our paths will be made straight (Prov. 3:6)
• It will bring health to our bodies and nourishment to our bones (Prov. 3:8)
• We will be blessed (Prov. 3:13)
• We will walk in peace (Prov. 3:17)
• We will go on in safety (Prov. 3:23)
• Our sleep will be sweet (Prov. 3:24)
• We will not fear sudden disaster and ruin
Solomon refers to wisdom in “female” form in Proverbs 4. He restates the value of wisdom in this chapter. In his words to his son, he says: “Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Esteem her and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. She will set a garland of grace on your head and present you with a crown of splendor…When you walk your steps will not be hampered; when you run you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction; do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. ..My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, and keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life…” (Prov. 4: 10-23)
Oh Lord, give us wisdom so that we may enjoy the benefits that it brings. Thank you for generously giving wisdom to us when we ask for it. You are infinitely wise and your resources are available to us! We praise you for wisdom and the quality of life that it brings. Help us to trust in you with all of our hearts; to not lean on our own understanding; to acknowledge you in all our ways so that you will make our paths straight!
“For the LORD gives wisdom and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Prov. 2:6)

Pioneer Worship Leaders

2010-04-27T06:26:00.001-07:00

In 1 Chronicles 6, we have a record of some of the first worship leaders in Biblical history. David put these men in charge of the music in the house of the Lord after the ark came to rest there. 1 Chronicles 6:32 says: “They ministered with music before the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, until Solomon built the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem. They performed their duties according to the regulations laid down for them.”
These men were called out in the Old Testament to not only be in charge of the music in the house of the Lord, but they were also set apart for prophesying in song accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals. All of them were trained and skilled in music specifically for the purpose of worship in song in the temple. It is fitting that David, the ultimate worshiper, organized this group of talented musicians to carry on the worship in the tabernacle before Solomon’s temple was built. I wish I could have been there…ministering in song in Tent of Meeting where the ark dwelt.
This is a beautiful example to us who are vocalists, instrumentalists and musicians in our churches. Though we are not in the actual Tabernacle, Tent of Meeting or Solomon’s temple, we are in a sacred place and our music ministry happens in the presence of Almighty God. I would imagine that the ancient worshipers took their jobs seriously. There were specific regulations for them, and they were required to play and sing skillfully.
It is our responsibility to proclaim the glory of God through music. Psalm 66:1-2 tells us to “Shout joyfully to God all the earth; sing the glory of His name; make his praise glorious.” Psalm 119:172 says, “Let my tongue sing of Thy Word.” God’s purpose is clearly shown in Psalm 33:1-3: “Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones; praise is becoming to the upright. Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre. Sing praises to him with the harp of ten strings. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy.”
We can also encourage one another by using music. Ephesians 5:19 tells us to “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to God.” Another way that music can be effective is by combating the enemy through spiritual warfare. In the heat of battle against the enemy, King Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and praise him in the splendor of his holiness…As they began singing and praising the Lord, He set ambushes against the men who were invading Judah and they were defeated. (II Chronicles 20:21-22) Our praise to the Lord silences the enemy of our souls.
As worship leaders and musicians in our church, we have the privilege and responsibility to encourage others through music, wage war against the enemy, and direct honor and praise to our Lord. He has given us both the desire and the ability to make music for him, and He wants us to glorify Him with our musical gifts. If it was important to God in the days of David to set apart musicians to lead out in worshiping Him, it is still important to Him today. I am thankful for a church where we can worship freely and contribute our musical gifts to Him on a regular basis.
Psalm 92:1 says, “It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, Oh Most High!

Hope Restored

2009-12-31T20:59:00.001-08:00

As I read 2 Kings, the drama continues to unfold concerning the nation of Israel. Over and over again, they have been warned by God to keep his commandments and to follow His ways; to worship Him only and to not follow after other gods. However, they rejected God’s decrees and the covenant He made with their forefathers. They followed worthless idols and they became worthless themselves. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them to not do as they do and they did the things God had forbidden them to do. The people of Israel, including their kings, forsook all of the commands of the Lord and they continued to cast idols. They bowed down to all of the starry hosts and they worshiped Baal. They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and sorcery. They sold themselves to evil in the eyes of the Lord, provoking Him to anger. So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from His presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They were taken captive by Assyria and were exiled there. Things were not looking so good for the nation of Israel—not even Judah.
During this hopeless time, a young man named Hezekiah became King of Judah. This twenty-five year old man was a non-conformist. Rather than practicing the evil and rebellion of the kings before him, he chose to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He removed high places of idol worship, smashed down sacred stones and altars for idol worship, cut down Asherah poles and broke the bronze snake that the people were bowing down to worship. Hezekiah was serious about CHANGE! He trusted in the Lord and did not cease to follow Him. The result: the Lord was with him and he was successful in whatever he did.
During Hezekiah’s reign in Judah, they were attacked and captured by the Assyrian army. The Assyrian supreme commander mocked Hezekiah and blasphemed against the Lord, attempting to make Hezekiah look like a fool. He even tried to convince others that Hezekiah was a liar who was not to be trusted. But the word of the Lord spoke through the prophet Isaiah to Hezekiah: “Do not be afraid of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Listen! I am going to put such a spirit in him that when he hears a certain report, he will return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with a sword.” (2 Kings 19:6-7) Hezekiah’s response to the threats and blasphemy was to encourage people to pray for a remnant to survive. He eloquently expressed his worship to the Lord during this time of anguish: “O Lord, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O Lord and hear; open your eyes, O Lord and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. …now oh Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God.” (2 Kings 19:14-19)

The Word of the Lord came once again to the prophet Isaiah who foretold the fall of the Assyrian army. This stiff-necked, arrogant nation was going to not survive the wrath of God. Concerning Assyria, Isaiah spoke these words: “I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth and I will make you return by the way you came.” (2 Kings 19:28) And concerning Judah: “Once more a remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above—for out of Jerusalem will come a remnant and out of Mt. Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” (2 Kings 19:30-31)
That night the angel of the Lord put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. This story is so inspiring to me, because it once again demonstrates the absolute power of Almighty God when all seems hopeless and futile. God, fueled by His infinite love for His people, was mighty to save and brought great deliverance. He sought vengeance upon a stubborn and arrogant nation who was mocking Him. God was faithful to honor Hezekiah’s obedience and Hezekiah was faithful to honor God’s decrees. If God is for us, who can be against us? Our God is a God of restoration and hope. He continually works to restore His glory in us on a daily basis. What a great and mighty God we serve!

A Little Jug of Oil

2009-12-31T20:55:00.000-08:00

In today’s Bible readings, I was impressed with how all of the Scripture passages flowed together with consistency even though they were written at different time periods, and were penned by different authors. Of course, it shouldn’t be surprising that the Word of God is consistent because the Spirit of God is the One who inspired the writers of the Holy Scriptures. It is the Spirit of God who speaks to us today, and breathes life into His Word as we take time to read it. I witnessed God’s Spirit at work today as I read 1 Kings 17, 1 Peter 4 and Psalm 52.
I have always been touched by the story of the widow of Zarephath. She was a poor woman, barely able to care for herself and her son. However, the Lord commanded the woman to be hospitable to Elijah; to feed him and take care of him. The story goes like this: “So Elijah went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, ‘Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?’ As she was gong to get it, he called, ‘And bring me, please, a piece of bread.’ ‘As surely as the Lord your God lives’, she replied, ‘I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.’ Elijah said to her, ‘Don’t be afraid, Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.’ (1 Kings 17:10-14)
This story demonstrates the abundant resources of our God when we are spent and have nothing else to give. Many times in ministry and with my family, I have been tired and worn out, feeling like I had nothing left to give. My resources had run dry, and yet the needs of those around me continued to demand more of me than I felt like I could give. But God has always provided ways for me to give out of my emptiness and He took my “little jug of oil” and multiplied it supernaturally. He wants us to depend on Him so that He can provide us with strength that we do not have. This principle is confirmed in1 Peter 4: 9:11: “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength that God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.”
In Psalm 52, David presents a stark contrast to those who are dependent on the Lord for his provision. He is disillusioned by the fact that the wicked prosper and gain power by destroying others. He speaks of them harshly: “Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold, but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!” (Ps. 42:5-7) David knew that their strength was temporary because it was not provided by God, but rather by their own power. Unlike the wicked men, David endured many days of anguish and called upon the name of the Lord out of his own emptiness and desperation. Yet, as the widow of Zarephath experienced, he also witnessed the faithfulness of God to give out of his vast resources when he only had a “little jug of oil.” He concluded Psalm 52 with this glorious truth: “But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love forever and ever. I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints.” (Ps. 52:8-9) God took David’s little jug of oil and caused him to be like an olive tree, the very source of the oil. What a beautiful picture of God’s ability to provide! Let us not forget to place our hope in God’s strength to do mighty works in our midst!

Jesus What a Friend for Sinners

2009-12-31T20:52:00.001-08:00

As I read through the book of 1Timothy 1 this past week, I was particularly impressed with verses 13, 14 and 16. These verses reminded me of the vast mercy and infinite patience of our Lord as He continues to pour out His love out on those still walking in darkness. Paul admitted his own frailty and painful past as he reflected upon his own life in his letter to Timothy: “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” (1Tim. 1:13) Not only does God pour out his grace, but He also throws in a couple of bonus gifts: His faith and love! The faith that He supplies will allow us to grasp how high and wide and deep His love is for us, then we will be able to further understand His abundant grace. He knew that we needed help “wrapping our minds” around this concept so He offered some assistance! Paul continues in his letter to Timothy by saying, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” It occurred to me this week that we, who are followers of Christ, are living examples of the patience of God in order that others might believe Him. His work in our lives is a manifestation of His unlimited patience and others will see it and believe! This is truly miraculous. It is no wonder that Paul ended this particular discourse with an incredible benediction: Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever Amen.” (1 Tim. 1:17)
Jesus came to free the captives, to redeem and restore all that has been stolen from us, and to bind our wounds when we were helpless in our own sinful, ignorant unbelief. He came to seek and to save those who were lost. Jesus was and still is a friend to sinners; and now He is saving, helping, keeping, and loving us. He also promises his loving presence with us until the end of our days on earth. Hallelujah what a Savior!

Jesus What a Friend for Sinners
Jesus What a friend for sinners!
Jesus lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Savior makes me whole.
Hallelujah! What a Savior! Hallelujah! What a friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end!

God You Are!

2009-12-31T20:48:00.001-08:00

Psalms 46:10 tells us to “Be still and know that He is God.” Part of that process involves consciously thinking about the different aspects and characters of God. I am amazed at how quickly I can forget what I read in my Bible if I don’t continually keep it before me. In the first chapter in the book of James, we are instructed to “look intently” into the Word of God so that we are not like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and forgets what he looks like. “Looking intently” means that we need to focus on the Word of God in such a way that it makes an unforgettable impression in our hearts and minds. Years ago, a friend encouraged me to read through the Bible and look for different aspects of God’s character. I began to make a list of all of the wonderful qualities of God that I had found in His Word, and before I knew it, my stress level went down significantly and my faith was increased. It makes perfect sense for us to focus intently on the Word of God and praise Him for his incredible characteristics. As I made a list of the characteristics of God, I would recall back to Him those attributes and say, “God, You are faithful” or “God ,You are my Redeemer.” We can also simply say, “God, You Are” because He is the Great I Am! This past week, I focused on God as my Deliverer. Here are some wonderful verses that proclaim God as our Deliverer. May He bless you today with these Scripture passages:
Psalm 34:4-7
I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the LORD heard him, he saved him out of all of his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him. And he delivers him…
Psalm 91:14-16
“Because he loves me”, says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation. “
Isaiah 46:4-5
Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. To whom will you compare me or count me as equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?
2 Cor. 1:8-10
We do not want you to be uninformed brothers about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. In- deed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us.
2 Sam. 22:17-20
He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.
Thank you Lord, for being our Great Deliverer!

Continue

2009-10-21T08:18:00.001-07:00

My daughter, Haley was struggling with her math homework last week and I discovered that I could not help her at all because I had completely forgotten everything I learned in high school math. In fact, I was overjoyed on the day I finally finished my last math exam in college. Math was not one of my favorite subjects, but I do remember vaguely that all of the information was cumulative; one step led to another and many of the formulas were somehow related to each other. The reason that I didn’t remember any of my high school math is because I didn’t continue with it. The same is true with piano lessons. So many people have approached me and have said, “I wish I hadn’t quit my piano lessons when I was growing up.” Many students begin piano lessons at about age 9 and quit somewhere between the ages of 12 and 15. There are just too many distractions and many more attractive options available for teen-agers who find themselves in the drudgery of practicing the piano. However, I was one of those unusual students who loved to practice the piano and I continued lessons all through college and even in my graduate years. Even now, I play regularly each week to keep my skills sharp because I know if I quit playing, I will begin to lose the accuracy and technique that I have worked to develop all of these years.
As I read 2 Timothy this week, I was reminded of the importance of continuing in what we have learned about the Lord and His Word. Like many of you, I grew up in the Baptist church, and was exposed to so many sermons, Bible stories, memory verses, hymns, praise songs, etc. It is amazing to think that all of the truths contained in those songs, Bible verses and sermons are still somewhere in the recesses of my mind. I still remember Bible verses that I learned in the 4th grade. I still remember some of the great songs that I learned as a child and as a teen-ager. I remember my Sunday school teachers and pastors from my childhood. All through my life, God has been building a foundation of truth for me so that I may be able to stand upon it during times when my faith may be tested.
It is evident that as Paul and Timothy shared ministry together, they encountered some difficult situations and great times of testing. Paul was in the process of “passing the torch” to Timothy so that he could carry on the work of preaching the Gospel. It was also at this time that Timothy needed some encouragement. Paul, the ever resilient and tenacious ambassador of the Lord, admonished Timothy to continue in what he knew to be true, just as he himself had done. In his tender letter to Timothy he wrote, “You, however know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact everyone who wants to live a godly life will be persecuted, while evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:10-17)
By continuing in what we have learned, we have the opportunity to become convinced of the truths that we have heard repeatedly and have witnessed in others. Through our knowledge of the Scriptures we allow the Lord to equip us for every good work because all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. May we follow Paul’s example as he said in 2 Timothy 1:12: “…for I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.”

No Confidence in the Flesh

2009-10-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago at the Adult Bible Conference, Dr. Wiles mentioned that our society has become a very narcissistic society. We now have You Tube, the i-phone, My Space, etc., all of which display pictures and videos of ourselves and those we know. Many of the advertising campaigns have adopted the slogan “My__________________”, as in “My McDonalds”, My Albertsons”, etc. Advertisers are tapping into our “I, me mine” philosophy and we are rapidly being persuaded to focus inward to what belongs to us, much like two-year old children do with their favorite toys.
Many of our reality T.V. shows also emphasize narcissism such as America’s Top Model, American Idol, The Bachelor, etc. These shows reveal by process of elimination the most talented, the most beautiful, and the most desirable. Each contestant on these shows has one goal in mind: to win the prize; the coveted American Idol or Top Model title, as well all of the benefits that go along with that particular title.
When I read Philippians 3, I am reminded of how far we have drifted as a society from what Paul addressed in his letter concerning confidence in the flesh. Philippians 3 is the antithesis to narcissism.
“For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh…” (Phil. 3:3)
As we read further in Philippians 3, we find that Paul did not lack in self-confidence. In verse 4 he states: “…though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else things he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more…” In other words, as a Jew, he had it all: circumcised on the eighth day, from the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, zealous toward the law, righteous in his legalism and faultless in his ability to follow the law. He had pedigree, education and flawless behavior according to Jewish heritage. However, in the midst of all of his accomplishments and impressive heritage and education, he developed a shift in his thinking regarding all of these things. He had an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. That one encounter changed everything about what he once thought for he wrote: “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Phil. 3:7-11)
I am so impressed with Paul because he could have easily become self-sufficient in his own confidence, pedigree and heritage. Instead, he found something greater; a relationship with the Lord Jesus which added more depth and meaning than any earthly accomplishment or accolade. These words of Paul continue to remind me that Jesus is worth it; He is worth the loss of all things great and small. When we have experienced great loss in our lives, we gain the blessing of knowing Jesus in a more powerful and intimate way. When this happens, all that we once had diminishes in comparison to what lies ahead. That is why Paul said, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. What a wonderful promise awaits us as we persevere and lay aside those earthly hindrances which so often entangle us. There is a prize more wonderful than we can imagine, and we can rejoice because Jesus is our prize. As Paul says, “Let us live up to what we have already attained” as we eagerly wait for Jesus to bring everything under His control and He will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like him in glory. Halleluiah, what a Savior!

Green Pastures and Still Waters

2009-10-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

This week, we read through Psalm 23. This short Psalm is packed with so many spiritual metaphors revealing necessary truths for us to embrace. For many years, I have heard this Psalm recited at funerals because of its comforting words, but its message is very much about life as well as death. Every time I read the 23rd Psalm, I am reminded of the things that God desires and intends for us; particularly verse 2 which says, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. “ In Phillip Keller’s book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, he sheds some insight on this passage.
He says, “Generally speaking, water for the sheep came from three main sources: dew on the grass, deep wells, or springs and streams. Most people are not aware that sheep can go for months on end, especially if the weather is not too hot, without actually drinking, if there is heavy dew on the grass each morning. Sheep, by habit, rise just before dawn and start to feed. Or if there is bright moonlight they will graze at night. The early hours are when the vegetation is drenched with dew, and sheep can keep fit on the amount of water taken in with their forage when they graze just before and after dawn.
Of course, dew is a clear, clean, pure source of water. And there is no more resplendent picture of still waters than the silver droplets of dew hanging heavy on leaves and grass at break of day. The good shepherd, the diligent manager, makes sure that his sheep can be out and grazing on this dew-drenched vegetation. If necessary, it will mean he himself has to rise early to be out with his flock. ‘”
In the Christian life it is or more than passing significance to observe that those who are often the most serene, most confident, and able to cope with life’s complexities are those who rise early each day to feed on God’s Word. It is in the quiet, early hours of the morning that they are led beside the quiet, still waters where they imbibe the very life of Christ for the day. There alone, still, waiting for the Master’s voice, one is led gently to the place where, as the old hymn puts it, ‘The still dews of His Spirit can be dropped into my life and soul.’”
Our Good Shepherd loves to see us contented, quiet, at rest and relaxed. He delights to know that our souls have been refreshed and satisfied. Unfortunately, we as Christians try to satisfy our thirst by many other substitutes. We try to appease the cravings of our souls while we pursue careers, intellect, money, relationships, etc. only to find dissatisfaction. We do as Jeremiah once declared, “My people…have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jer. 2:13)

Take Up Your Cross

2009-08-26T06:05:00.000-07:00

Mark 8:34-35 Then He called the crowd to Him along with His disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, He must deny Himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life with lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.”
Take Up Your Cross
Deep in the heart of the Sawatch mountain range near Vail, Colorado is the Mount of the Holy Cross. It is one of the highest peaks in Colorado and it is famous for its East facing facade which fills with snow and forms a well-defined cross within the mountain. The vertical cross beam stands approximately 1100 feet tall and the horizontal cross beam is around 750 long. First discovered in 1869, it was described to be a sign from God and His promise; a beacon upon the very center and height of the continent to all people and all generations. Samuel Bowles referred to this phenomenon when he said, “Here is a supply store and workshop of creation, the fountain of the Earth.” For many years, people saw the Mount of the Holy Cross as a place of healing. One pastor once took 2000 handkerchiefs from his congregation and prayed for healing for each of the members who gave him handkerchiefs symbolizing their particular needs. Near the foot of the cross structure in the mountain is a lake known as the Lake of Tears.

Colorado is known for its 14ers; the mountains with at least 14,000 feet to the summit. Advanced hikers come from all over the world to hike the trails to the top of the 14ers. The Mount of the Holy Cross is a 14er and a very difficult hike. Many 14ers take at least 8-10 hours to hike to the summit. Before hikers can see the cross in this particular mountain, they must take Half Moon Pass and descend into the Holy Cross valley across East Cross Creek. The trail will then head to the Ridge of the Holy Cross and will follow the rest of the way to the summit. As I read about the Mount of the Holy Cross and its particular trail, I saw the incredible parallelism between this mountain trail and the Christian life of someone who “takes up his cross” and follows Jesus. Following the Jesus Way, often involves descending into the valley and walking through treacherous, rocky paths. However, after putting one foot in front of the other, after much toil and sweat and prayer, we eventually reach the summit—the exaltation, the glorious inheritance that is ours for eternity.

I love how God demonstrates Himself through His creation and tells the very story of the Christian life as a follower of Jesus through a rocky mountain trail. Last week, my family hiked a difficult trail in Colorado. It was not the Mount of the Holy Cross trail, but it was certainly rocky and steep. I had to carefully watch where I took each step so I wouldn’t trip and fall. I became short of breath in the thin mountain air, and even had bouts of altitude sickness. My legs were burning from climbing miles of rocky stairs, but eventually I reached the summit and it was absolutely gorgeous. At the summit there was an incredible waterfall that flowed into a turquoise blue pool of water. As difficult as the hike was, there were also beautiful sights along the way; other waterfalls, rushing rivers and beautiful trees to encourage me to keep going. As we “take up our cross” and follow Jesus, there will be steep inclines, rocky paths and we may run out of breath and have to stop and rest, but He will give us joy in the journey by granting us His presence and He will encourage us as we make our way to the summit. We know that as we follow Jesus, there is no path that He will take us that He hasn’t been before, and we know that our ultimate destination is an eternal summit filled with the glory of God. I am thankful that He does not leave us to walk our life’s journey alone, but He guides us every step of the way.

Take up your cross and follow me
I heard my master say
I gave my life to ransom Thee
Surrender your all today
Wherever He leads I’ll go
Wherever He leads I’ll go
I’ll follow my Christ who loves me so
Wherever He leads I’ll go

Our Great God

2009-08-26T06:04:00.001-07:00

Psalm 145 is known as an acrostic of praise written by David. Each verse corresponds with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. I love this Psalm because it gives us accurate descriptions of God’s character and His active interest in our lives. In the English language, we can see this Psalm partially divided into two categories: God is_____________ and God does__________________.
The list begins with these descriptions of God. Each of these phrases appears in pairs and most of them are connected by the word “and”, almost as if to imply a continued explanation.
“Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise.” (v. 3)
“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.” (v. 8)
“The Lord is good to all and has compassion on all He has made.” (v.9)
“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom , and your dominion endures through all generations.” (v.13)
“The Lord is righteous in all His ways and loving toward all He has made.” (v. 17)
“The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.” (v.18)

The next group of phrases describes the activity of the Lord in our lives. Sometimes David talks about the Lord and sometimes he is actually directs His praise to the Lord Himself. This list begins with the statement:
“The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made.” (v.13) The list continues with how the Lord demonstrates His faithfulness to us:

“The Lord upholds all those fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.” (v.14)
“You give Your people food at the proper time.” (v.15)
“You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” (v.16)
“The Lord is near to all who call on Him in truth.” (v.18)
“He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.” (v.19)
“The Lord watches over all who love Him…” (v.20)

Our Lord is an active God who continually works to fulfill His promises to us. He does it in so many ways; upholding us, lifting us up, providing for us, staying near to us, fulfilling our desires and watching over us. I am so thankful that we serve a Great God! “Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom!” (v. 3)

The Concept of Freedom

2009-08-26T05:59:00.000-07:00

2 Cor. 3:17 “Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom…”

This verse is comforting to me because it means that we can actually achieve freedom in our souls through the power of the Holy Spirit. Freedom means that things are as they should be. Bondage has been eliminated and restoration has occurred. This past week, I did some graduate work at the McClosky Vocal Institute in Georgia, and we discussed at great length how to achieve “freedom of tone” in the voice. As singers, there are so many elements that prohibit freedom of tone: tension in the face, jaw, tongue, neck and shoulders, incorrect posture and breath support. When all of the tension is eliminated, and there is proper posture and breath support, the vocal tone will be free and resonant. This week, I heard phrases such as “Let the breath be in control…” and “Let the sound happen, don’t force it to happen!” Everything should come easily and naturally, and yet we get in the way of our own freedom of sound by all of the bad habits that we develop in singing.

As I thought about 2 Cor. 3:17, I saw a distinct correlation between “freedom of tone” in the voice and “freedom” as it relates to the Christian life. The key to singing freely is to let the breath control the sound. The Spirit of the Lord is often referred to as the “breath of God”. As His Spirit fills us and controls us, our lives will function more productively and we will experience His leadership and peace. Singing with freedom of tone also involves a great amount of relaxation. It is essential to work out as much tension as possible before uttering a single sound. The more tense we become, the more our vocal sound will be “tight and pinched”. Over and over again, God reminds us in Scripture to rest or “relax” in Him. We need to roll our troubles onto Him and rest in His almighty power to handle our problems and situations. This is much easier said than done, and it is difficult for all of us to do! It is equally difficult to keep our neck muscles, tongue and jaw relaxed when singing and may often take years of practice to achieve relaxation in just one of those areas. But I know for a fact that as those muscles begin to relax, a beautiful and free tone emerges. In the same way, we must trust that as we rest in the Lord, we will have a more peaceful state of mind. The Lord promises to restore us and give us freedom in Him.

Another important aspect of singing with a free tone, is to have proper posture. If the body is not aligned properly, the entire sound can be affected. Even the slightest alteration in posture can greatly inhibit the freedom and ease of the vocal tone. This reminded me of how important it is for us to keep a proper posture before the Lord. As we spend time with Him, He gives us a proper perspective of Himself and how we relate to Him. For God’s Spirit to flow freely through us, we must remain yielded and humble before Him. When His Spirit is in control and flowing through us, we will begin to produce fruit that looks like Him; the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control.

We all love to hear a beautiful, free singing voice. It is pleasant and soothing to us. It thrills me to work with a voice student who is learning to break away from tension to create a beautiful, resonant sound. The Lord wants to work with us as well to achieve freedom in our lives. My prayer is that my life will be pleasing to the Lord and will reflect the freedom that He gives me as I rest in Him and yield to Him. A life of freedom is what He desires for us. It is His ultimate goal for our lives. In fact, it was so important to God for us to have freedom, that Christ died to set us free from Satan’s bondage. Since we have already been set free, let us learn to live and walk in the freedom that is ours!

Less is More

2009-06-30T06:14:00.000-07:00

The story of Gideon demonstrates a beautiful picture of God’s heart and motives. We need to pay careful attention to the words of the Lord mentioned in this story. As humans, we tend to look at numbers as a gauge of success and power. In our society, significance is determined by how much money we make, how many employees we have working for us, how well we are known in the public eye, etc. We validate one another by the things that we have and achieve.
I was in London this past week at the time of the Royal Ascot horse races. It was an event for those in high society. Only the most elite people of England were able to attend this event and it was a mark of status to be seen at the Royal Ascot races. The men were required to wear tuxedos with tails and top hats, while the women wore formal dresses with fancy hats. There was entire day devoted to the fashions that were worn, as the men and women paraded around having their pictures taken, much like we do for the Academy awards here in the United States. Of course, the most beautiful dresses and hats were recognized and there was much attention given to those with the highest status. As I watched this event on T.V., I was reminded that the Lord is not impressed at all with the things that we humans think are important.
One of my favorite children’s books is called “You are Special” by Max Lucado. In the book, there was a town full of wooden puppets called the Wemmicks. Each Wemmick had a box of golden stars and a box of gray dot stickers. All day long, the Wemmicks gave stickers of stars and dots to each other. The pretty ones with smooth wood and fine paint received stars, but if the wood was rough and the paint was chipped, the Wemmicks gave dots. The talented ones got stars too. Others, who could do little received dots. Some Wemmicks had stars all over them. Punchinello was a Wemmick who did not have stars, but dots all over him. He was neither the prettiest nor the most talented Wemmick. He had scratches and bumps all over him. After a while, he had received so many dots that he was afraid to go outside. The Wemmicks with stars made Punchinello feel badly about himself, until one day he met Lucia. She had no stars or dots on her body. She told Punchinello that they fell off of her whenever anyone put a star or sticker on her. She did not want anyone’s marks. Punchinello wanted to know her secret and she told him that her stickers didn’t stick because she spent time with Eli, the Woodcarver. Punchinello went to visit Eli and Eli told him how special he was; that stars and dots didn’t matter. What mattered was what Eli thought of Punchinello, because Eli created Punchinello and in Eli’s eyes, Punchinello was special and beautiful to him. Eli told Punchinello that the stickers stuck only if they mattered to him. Eli said, “The more you trust my love, the less you care about their stickers.” Eli reminded Punchinello to come spend time with him every day so that he could let Punchinello know just how much he cared. He said, “You are special because I made you, and I don’t make mistakes.” Punchinello began to believe Eli, and as he did, a dot fell to the ground. Punchinello discovered that the less stars and dots he had on his body, the more he had grown to believe his creator.

God continues to use the story of Gideon to teach us that man’s strength and status mean nothing to Him, but only His power and might will be everlasting. The Midianite army was so huge, the men could not be counted, but the Lord used Gideon’s army of 300 men to defeat them. Gideon spent time with his Creator, as Punchinello had done, and he knew and discerned the truth about the battle he was about to face. When Gideon had twenty-two thousand men, the Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’.” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. (Judges 7: 2-3) According to the Lord, ten thousand men were still too many. Gideon was left with 300 men. Rather than looking at the Midianite army and all of their “stars”, Gideon focused on the words of the Lord, “I will deliver them into your hands.” Miraculously, Gideon’s army, probably covered with “dots” defeated the Midianites. It was the word of the Lord that prevailed. Let us not forget, in our society of “stickers of stars and dots”, that less is often “more” when God is involved. May we not boast about our own strength, but boast in the power of the Lord Almighty.

The Fall of Jericho

2009-06-30T06:10:00.000-07:00

There is an old spiritual called “Joshua Fit the Battle at Jericho.” I remember playing a piano arrangement of that particular song when I was in elementary school. However, I really wasn’t aware at that time what the song was about. I just knew it was fun to play and it had a catchy tune. The story of the Fall of Jericho is one of my favorites, especially now that I understand how it relates to our every day lives on the spiritual battlefield. Joshua was fit for the battle at Jericho because he had come face to face with the commander of the Lord’ s army and he was faithful to fight the battle as the Lord commanded him to do. In Joshua 5, we find that Joshua had a personal encounter with the Lord Himself. Joshua 5:13-15 recalls this encounter: Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ”Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither”, he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

The city of Jericho was a closed community and no one could come in or leave from its borders. It may have possibly been the center of worship of the moon-god. God Almighty not only wanted to destroy this Canaanite city but also its pagan religion, so He was going to help Joshua accomplish this. In Joshua 6:2, the Lord promised Joshua that He would deliver Jericho into his hands, along with its king and all of its fighting men. The method that the Lord chose to destroy Jericho was unconventional and probably did not make sense to Joshua, but he did it anyway. The battle plan was for Joshua and his men to march around the city once with armed men and they would do this for six days. Seven priests were to carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the Ark of the Covenant. On the seventh day, they were to march around the city seven times with the priests blowing the trumpets. When the trumpet gave a long blast, the people were to give a loud shout and the wall of the city would collapse so that Joshua’s army could attack Jericho and destroy it.

This type of battle wasn’t initially fought with swords and stones, but with perseverance and endurance. I think I would be exhausted after marching around the city just once, but Joshua’s army was to march around the city without stopping for six days. After six days of marching around the city without stopping, I think I would barely have any life left in me. However, Joshua’s army was commanded on the seventh day to march around the city seven times! Surely these men were beyond exhausted and yet somehow, they were going to have the strength to march around the city seven times and then destroy the people of Jericho. It is interesting to me that the wall of Jericho, which was possibly a very strong, double wall did not fall because it was blasted by large boulders, but it fell because the people of God were obedient, and faithful to do what God asked them to do. All they had to do was to shout and the wall fell down. I would have loved to have been there to see that avalanche!

In our own battles, it seems that we may “march around the city” many times without seeing any results. But because we serve a victorious God who is on our side, one day the walls of the enemy will tumble down because of our faithfulness to pray and persevere. When Christ comes again, we will hear one final blast of the trumpet (1 Thess. 4:16) and all of our battles will be over. All of our walls of sorrow, discouragement, bitterness, disillusionment, etc. will come tumbling down and we will celebrate Christ’s eternal victory. Lord, give us the grace to keep walking…to keep standing….to keep praying until that final day!

Caught in the Storm

2009-06-30T06:05:00.000-07:00

I have watched several episodes of “The Deadliest Catch” on the Discovery Channel. I am intrigued by the lives of the deep sea fishermen. They have no fear and they are consumed by one passion: to catch Alaskan king crab. These fishermen endure treacherous journeys across the Behring Sea, while they are beaten with icy, cold waves. Each voyage they take out into the mystic, violent ocean is an opportunity for survival, and a way to earn bountiful wages for their “deadliest catch.”
I have ridden some treacherous and daunting rides at Six Flags, but none can compare to the ride of a ship being tossed to and fro by a powerful storm. Not even a hefty dose of Dramamine would help with the sea-sickness and the disorientation that comes with such an experience. The Apostle Paul and his crew encountered many frightening events at sea. In the book of Acts, Luke documents one of their experiences very explicitly: “When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the “northeaster,” swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure. When the men had hoisted it aboard, they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.” (Acts. 27:13-20)

The riders of this ship felt completely out of control. There was nothing more they could do except hope and pray that somehow their lives would be spared. The irony of this is that when we feel we have completely lost control in the storm, God is most at work. In the storm, we see “no results” of our prayers. When the answer is out of our reach, we are not trying to “do it” any more, but we have rolled our burdens onto the Lord. Let us take the comfort out of it and not put our hands on it again. (I‘m talking to myself too!) Oh, what a relief it brings to know that He is already working on the difficulty. If we have truly rolled it onto Jesus, then we are looking to Him to perform the task. In the storms of my own life, God has comforted me with His Word, or He has sent ministering angels to me so that I may endure the trial. God was faithful to Paul in the same way. Paul quotes in Acts 27:23-25: “Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.” I love Paul’s words, “The God whose I am”. He already placed his trust in the Great Deliverer, for he said, “I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me.” Even though they would eventually shipwreck, God would be with them and preserve their lives. The moral of the story is: Trust the Calmer of the Storm. Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said, “The Lord will go through with His covenant engagements. Whatever He takes in hand He will accomplish; hence past mercies are guarantees for the future and admirable reasons for continuing to cry unto Him.”

Teach me, Lord to have faith
In what you’re bringing me will
Change my life and bring you glory
There on the storm I am learning to let go
Of the will that I so long to control
There may I be in your arms eternally
I thank you, Lord, you are the Calmer of the storm.
(From the song, “Calmer of the Storm” by Downhere)

Glorious Victory

2009-06-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

As we are reading through Deuteronomy, we find that it is not easy for the Israelites to enter into their Promised Land. Though it was promised to them, God never said it would be a “walk in the park” for them to inherit their land. However, He did promise that He would go before them, and He promised that His presence would be with them. The Promised Land was inhabited by pagans and heathens who worshiped other gods. The Jews needed to go to war and capture the territory that already belonged to them. Victory was promised to them, but they still had to fight. This is what the Lord said concerning Israel’s battle against the enemy: “Hear O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” (Deut. 20:3-4)

The Apostle Paul must have remembered these words of the Lord as He marched into enemy territory in Jerusalem. He was warned not to go to Jerusalem because of the impending danger that awaited him. But Paul’s response was, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart: I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts. 21:13) He knew there would be a battle to fight, but He knew the Lord would be with him and would fight for him. Paul was well-acquainted with warfare. He was tortured, and put in prison numerous times for proclaiming his faith. Because of this, he has written some of the most eloquent discourses concerning warfare that we will find in Scripture. Concerning Spiritual warfare he wrote these words: “be aFinally be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be to stand your ground…” (Eph. 6:13)

Paul understood that as Christians, we do not wage war as the world does. He explained in 2 Cor. 10 that the weapons of our warfare are not weapons of the world. We must fight with the very words of God—our sword of the Spirit. With that sword, we are able to demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Just as victory was promised to the Jews as they entered the Promised Land, victory is promised to us as well. Paul assures us in 2 Corinthians 2:14 that God will lead us into victory with the help of Christ. We must do our part to stand firm in our faith and victory will be ours. In Romans 15, Paul reminds us that everything in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Rom. 15:4) I believe he had Deuteronomy 20:3-4 in mind when he wrote the passage in Romans 15. We have hope in our glorious victory because God has already promised it to us, just as he promised victory to the ancient Jews. We have His presence, His protection and His mighty power to fight the battles for us. If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:37) “Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him!” (2 Cor. 2:14)

An Open Door

2009-06-30T05:55:00.000-07:00

There have been so many decisions in my life that I have made even when I wasn’t quite sure which direction to go. Each one of us encounters crossroads where we must choose one way or the other. Sometimes, the answer is not always clear, but we go with what we know at the time. We trust, pray and hope that the Lord will guide us to the next step. In Acts 16, Paul received a direct word from God concerning his next decision. Acts 16:6-10 says, “Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the Word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”
This passage of Scripture taught me a few things about God’s guidance and direction. First of all, Paul and his companions were yielded to the Spirit of God. The Spirit “kept” them from preaching the Word of God in the province of Asia even though they may have not had all of the answers as to why they were not permitted to do so. Secondly, they kept moving. There was a closed door in the province of Asia, so they moved on to the border of Mysia. They tried to enter Bithynia, but again the Spirit of God would not allow them to. They kept moving and proceeded to enter Troas. Once Paul made it into Troas, the Spirit of God sent a vision to Paul concerning Macedonia. The other principle I learned from this passage is that once Paul received the vision from God, He concluded that God called them to preach the Gospel in Macedonia and they left immediately the next day. When making a decision, we need to stay yielded and willing to do whatever it is that God asks of us. We need to keep moving until we find an open door, and when God makes something perfectly clear, follow through immediately.

The book of Proverbs contains some very helpful passages about decision making. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” In this passage is an instruction as well as a promise. Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed.” And Proverbs 19:21 tell us, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Obviously, the Lord desires to be a huge factor in our decision making. He is the only One who can direct us effectively and we know that He will always direct us into the right way—the Jesus Way. As we continue to walk the Jesus Way, let us consider the example of Paul and heed the ancient Proverbs before we take our next steps. Sometimes the way is dark and uncertain, but Jesus is the Light and in Him is no darkness as we read in 1 John. Psalm 119:105 reminds us that God’s Word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. God, we thank You; for You did not leave us alone to find our way in this vast creation. You promise to never leave us nor forsake us. You promise to guide us as we seek You; and You promise that our plans will succeed as we commit them to You. We know that You will provide the open doors for us and we can walk in peace and safety with You by our side.

Wherever He leads I’ll go
Wherever He leads I’ll go
I’ll follow my Christ who loves me so
Wherever He leads I’ll go.

A Strong Tower

2009-05-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

A Strong Tower

Proverbs 18:10 “The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and are safe.”

God is passionate about revealing Himself to us. We have seen in our Old Testament readings in Genesis, Leviticus and Numbers, that God has revealed Himself as jealous, holy, forgiving, wrathful, loving and merciful. In the ancient Hebrew culture, the name given to someone described that particular person. Every name given to God in the Bible describes an attribute of His character.

In the Old Testament, we find many names of God that are mentioned for the first time. In Genesis 1, God is referred to as Elohim, or Creator. After Moses led the Israelites through the Red Sea, the Lord made a decree to keep His people from disease if they obeyed His commandments. He referred to Himself as Jehovah Rapha—the God who heals. In Genesis 16, Hagar became pregnant with Abram’s child and Sarai, Abram’s wife, mistreated her out of her own bitterness. Hagar fled to the desert to get away from Sarai’s mistreatment but an angel of the Lord came to her while she was in the desert and told her to name her son Ishmael; for the Lord had heard of her misery. After this had happened, Hagar said, “You are the God who sees me. I give you the name, El Roi, the God who sees.” In Genesis 17:1, the Lord referred to Himself as God Almighty—El Shaddai, the All-Sufficient One. In Genesis 22, when Abraham marched up Mount Moriah to offer his son, Isaac as a sacrifice, he told Isaac that the Lord would provide the burnt offering. At that moment, he identified God as Jehovah Jireh—the Lord will Provide. In Exodus 3, God established His ultimate identity to Moses as Jehovah—the self-existent One, the Beginning and the End. God uttered His holy name from a voice in a burning bush as he spoke to Moses. In Exodus 15, after Moses led the Israelites through the Red Sea, the Lord made a decree to keep His people from disease if they obeyed His commandments. He referred to Himself as Jehovah Rapha—the Lord who heals. After the Israelites defeated the Amalekites at Rephidim, Moses built an altar of victory and named the Lord, Jehovah Nissi—the Lord is my Banner of victory. In Exodus 31, God instructed His people to observe the Sabbath day and declared Himself to be Jehovah Mekoddishkem—the Lord who Sanctifies or makes holy. In Psalm 23, we read that the Lord is our Shepherd—Jehovah Raah.

These are just a few of the names given to God in Scripture, but we can see the unfolding of His unfailing character throughout the generations of the Patriarchs. The Lord loves to hear His name uttered. To call the Lord by His specific names increases our faith and turns the ear of God toward us. We can praise Him according to His names and we can cry out to Him in times of distress according to His names, because His names represent who He is. The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into and are safe! Some trust in chariots and some trust in horses, but we will trust in the name of the Lord our God! Blessed be the name of the Lord!

The God Who Keeps

2009-04-28T05:58:00.000-07:00

The word “keep” has great significance in Scripture. It denotes continual action as well as responsibility for us and for God. Our responsibility is to keep God’s commandments, to observe, obey and hold fast to His promises. God promises to keep watch over us, keep us from harm, and to keep us in perfect peace as we trust in Him.

A couple of weeks ago, the pre-K choirs came and sang for us during the evening meal. They sang “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” They sang some new and interesting verses such as “He’s got the dirt and the worms in His hands.” When I was growing up, we used to sing, “He’s got the wind and the rain in His hands”, or “He’s got the little bitty baby in His hands.” This simple, yet profound song reminds us that our God keeps all things in His hands with His sovereign might and power. One of the definitions of the word “keep” in Vine’s Expository Dictionary is “God’s sustaining power over His people.”

God’s sustaining power is demonstrated to us with great gentleness, however. That sustaining power guards us, protects us and watches over us, much like a shepherd does for his sheep. Many times our Gentle Shepherd must restrain us or constrain us to keep us from hurting ourselves. He also promises to keep our souls at rest, but only as we maintain our responsibility to trust in Him and keep his commandments.

Here are some verses that give us a picture of what God does for us on a continual basis: Psalm 121:4-8 “Indeed, He who watches over (or keeps) Israel (or you) slumbers not nor sleeps. The Lord watches over (or keeps) you –the Lord is your shade at your right hand…the Lord will keep you from all harm; He will watch over (or keep) your life; the Lord will watch over (keep) your coming and going both now and forevermore.”

Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep those in perfect peace whose mind is steadfast, because He trusts in You.”

Psalm 19:13 “Keep (restrain) your servant from willful sins so that do not rule over me.”

Let us not forget God’s ability to keep us; to save us, protect us, watch over us and restrain us. He never slumbers nor sleeps so that His continual sustaining power will keep all things together in this vast universe. Let us remember that He keeps us in perfect peace as we trust in Him and His sustaining power.

Frances Havergal, the writer of the hymn “Like a River Glorious” understood God as her keeper. The year of her death, she wrote these beautiful words:

Like a river glorious is God’s perfect peace
Over all victorious in its bright increase

Perfect, yet it floweth fuller every day
Perfect, yet it groweth, deeper all the way

Stayed upon Jehovah hearts are fully blessed
Finding as He promised perfect peace and rest.

A New and Living Way

2009-04-18T15:57:00.000-07:00

In our daily readings, we have traveled through the book of Leviticus, and it was overwhelming at times to read about the unbelievable detail regarding temple sacrifice. It is obvious that God’s way of atonement was through the shedding of blood. I am thankful that we do not have to go through the ritual of finding a blemish-free ram or goat to slaughter for a burnt offering.

It was interesting to go back and read Hebrews 8, 9, 10, and 11 after reading Leviticus. Hebrews was one of the first books we read in the Word of God for the People of God daily Bible readings. As I read the commands of the Lord for the temple sacrifices, I kept wondering why God would go to such great lengths to indicate each detail regarding the temple, the sacrifices, the priestly garments, etc. I wrote about this a couple of weeks ago in an article entitled “Master Designer.” In Hebrews 8, we find the answer to why God was so particular about the design and functions of the Tabernacle that He described in Leviticus. Hebrews 8:5 says: “They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in Heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the Tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”

The explanation continues in Hebrews 9: When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, He went through the greater and more perfect Tabernacle that is not man-made…He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the Most Holy Place once and for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; He entered Heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did He enter Heaven to offer Himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not His own. But now He has appeared once and for all to take away the since of many people. (v. 11.12, 24)

This priest offered for all time one sacrifice for sins and then sat down at the right hand of God. Therefore, according to Hebrews 10, we have a new and living way opened for us through the curtain (the body of Jesus) who is also our high priest. Our invitation is to “draw near” to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, since our hearts have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to cleanse us from a guilty conscience. (Heb. 10:20-21) Thank you Lord for Your sacrifice once and for all. We praise You for Your incredible provision! We remember Your broken body and shed blood for us and we rejoice that we can draw near to You with full assurance of faith!

Let us draw near to the throne, let us draw near
The Father welcomes His own, let us draw near
Our hearts are sprinkled with blood
Cleansing is here,
Let us draw near to the throne, let us draw near!

I Will Rise

2009-04-18T15:52:00.000-07:00

Luke 24:1-5

"On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they had entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!"

This is a wonderful prelude for us to reflect upon before Easter Sunday morning. Victory happened once and for all when Jesus declared “It is finished” while breathing His last breath. Jesus’ ultimate triumph over the clutches of death occurred when He rose from the grave. He is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Every knee will bow to the name of Jesus. Because of Jesus, we can look forward to no more pain and no more sorrow, where all will be illumined by the glory of God, and our faith will become sight.

As we live out our daily lives here on earth, we can still acknowledge the victory that we have in our relationship with Jesus Christ. We can live with the hope that God is at work even now to create new life within us. This hope develops internal peace, which is the anchor for our souls. Though we know in our hearts that victory is ours in Christ Jesus, it is sometimes hard for us to hold on to this belief when times are difficult. Jesus never promised that our lives would be without heartache and sorrow, but He did promise that He would be with us during the hard times, and He also promised us His comfort and peace through the Holy Spirit. Even during the face of trials, we can know that Christ is working to bring life to us when we feel as though we are “dying” inside.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 encourages us not to lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, we are being renewed inwardly each day. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” No matter how broken we may become, Christ will continue to prove His resurrection power in our lives as we surrender to Him. As we bow before Him in humility and reverence, and as we wait on Him, even in the midst of pain and suffering, He will lift us up and we will rise on wings like eagles, we will run and not grow weary, we will walk and not be faint. (Isa. 40:31) This is true faith put into action. This is the faith that will carry us to the end of our days on earth. This is the faith which allows us to say “It is well” as we live victoriously in Christ.

I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles’ wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise, I will rise

Grafted In

2009-04-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

Reading through Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus, we see several themes developing. One theme is God’s desire for obedience among His people. God was so careful to present specific guidelines for His people to follow, and those guidelines were to protect and preserve the holiness of the Israelites in their devotion toward God. He certainly did not want to share their devotion with any other god. Over and over again, God warned the Israelites not to worship pagan idols or make sacrifices to them. If they worshipped other gods, they were put to death! God is a jealous God and will not share His glory with another!

Unfortunately, the appeal of idol worship lured the Israelites away from God’s commands. They grieved the heart of God and He burned with anger toward them. If I were God, I would be thinking, “How could you do this to me, after all I have done for you?” In Romans 10, Paul quotes Isaiah who reveals the grieved heart of God: “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.” Because of this, God gave them a “spirit of stupor” and blinded their eyes. (Romans 11:8) Not only had the Jews worshipped other gods, but they also manipulated the laws of God and created them to be “stumbling blocks” to the truth of the coming Messiah. Their eyes were indeed blinded! Later on, God would show mercy upon His people, but in the meantime, something wonderful happened for those of us who were not Jews. We were “grafted in” to the Living Vine!

In Romans 11, Paul used powerful imagery to demonstrate God’s love and mercy toward the Gentiles—those outside of Abraham’s Covenant to the Jewish nation. In verse 17 Paul wrote, “You, though a wild olive shoot have been grafted in among the others and now share the nourishing sap from the olive root.” Richard Foster, in his book Learning from Jesus describes the grafting process: “The graft shoots its little roots and fibers down into the stem and the stem grows up into the graft, and what has been called structural union is effected.” A graft is intentionally placed by the vinedresser into the vine. Once the graft has been placed into the vine, it then begins to draw nourishment from the vine and then becomes part of the vine.”

Because of the Jews’ disobedience and unbelief, they were branches who were “cut off”, which consequently made room for those of us who are Gentiles. Our provision to be grafted into the Vine is through our faith in Christ. All of this was part of God’s plan! He used the disobedience of the Jews to make a way for the Gentiles (you and me!) to become a part of God’s eternal kingdom. I am so thankful that God showed His mercy upon us and adopted us as His children—the “little olive shoots” that can draw nourishment from the Living Vine. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1) This is a profound mystery that only comes from the heart of One who is much greater than we are. It is only appropriate that Paul would close is discourse on the “grafting in” process in Romans 11 with this glorious doxology: “Oh the depth and the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay Him? For from Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.”

The Master Designer

2009-03-10T14:27:00.000-07:00

I have learned so much more about God since I have been doing the daily Bible readings. It is easy for me to think of God as the Creator of the heavens and the earth. I have never had a hard time "wrapping my mind" around that concept. I can look up into the sky and see His wonders and I marvel at the miracle of the infinite details of a seashell. When I envision God as the Creator, I see that nothing is impossible for Him and He does everything in such a big way. However, as I read through Genesis and Exodus, I see a different aspect of our Creator God. He is a builder, an architect, a clothing designer and an interior designer. For some reason, it is more difficult for me to imagine God in these "every day" roles, but I am realizing that he is an "every day" kind of God. He is very interested in all of the details concerning our daily activity.

When God instructed Noah to build the ark, He knew exactly what the ark needed to remain afloat during the time of flooding. He was specific about the type of wood to be used--cypress. It was to be coated with pitch inside and out. The ark was to be 450 feet long, 75 fee wide, and 45 feet high. As a builder of the infamous ark, God protected Noah, his family and all of the animals, and also demonstrated His wrath upon a godless generation as the waters covered the entire earth. His instructions were accurate and fail-proof regarding the construction of the ark.

In Exodus, we read about the construction of the Tabernacle, the altar of burnt offerings and the priestly garments. These chapters contain tedious details about the construction of the Tabernacle. Surprisingly, I was very fascinated by these chapters. God was very specific about the materials to be used for the Tabernacle just as he was for the ark before the flood. He specified the length of the curtains and size of the altar of burnt offering. He was particular about the clothing for Aaron the priest, and how it was to be designed. He only chose the finest materials to be used for these things. As I was reading about all of God's specifications for the Tabernacle and the priestly garments, I began to ask "Why?" Why would God go to such great lengths to give such detail? Why was it so important to God for his instructions to be followed so accurately?

Sometimes God's instructions are for our protection as demonstrated with Noah and the ark. Other times, God's instructions show us a bigger picture of Himself, or they display symbolism of what is to come. The Tabernacle symbolized in many ways the coming of Christ, the pure and spotless Lamb who would come to atone for the sins of all people. God has also revealed to me that He is a God of great order and detail and He has expectations for His instructions to be followed completely and accurately as an act of obedience. Sometimes it doesn't matter if we know the answer "why" to all that God asks of us. What does matter is that we are obedient to do what He has asked us to do. God the architect, master planner, interior designer is reconstructing each of us on a daily basis. Will we hear Him as He gives us specific instructions about our lives? How will we respond? What I learned from reading these chapters in Genesis and Exodus, is that God has a specific design for our lives, and they will be made of the finest materials--character, endurance, perseverance, faith, etc. Ultimately, our life's purpose is to point to Christ and to demonstrate His love, mercy and faithfulness. May we all be sensitive to God's master planning in our lives so that they bring glory and honor to Him while we are here on this earth.

God's Unfailing Love

2009-03-03T11:54:00.000-08:00

I have heard many stories over the years about people who were near death, and as they looked back on their lives, they admitted their regrets and disappointments. One of the biggest regrets mentioned is the fact that the individual didn't spend enough quality time with his/her family and friends. When I come to the end of my life, I will definitely want my friends and family to be reassured of my love for them. If we spend any time reading the Bible, we will find that God is very intentional about letting us know how much He loves us.

There are so many themes in the Bible, but none greater than that of God's unfailing love. From the very beginning, God has been about the business of redeeming and restoring His relationship with man--His beloved creation. Echoing through the pages of Scripture, we hear God's voice whispering, "I love you, and don't forget it." As I have been reading the daily Bible readings, I was struck by the absolute tenderness of God to write this love letter to us.

The term "unfailing love" is mentioned over and over again through the Scriptures. "Unfailing" means "completely dependable", "endless--as a resource or supply."

Here are a few passages from our daily Bible readings which recall God's unfailing love:

Psalm 32:10 "...but eh lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him."

Psalm 48:9 "Within Your temple, O God, we meditate on Your unfailing love..."

Exodus 15:13 (From the Song of Moses and Miriam) "In Your unfailing love You will lead the people You have redeemed..."

Psalm 52:8 "But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love forever and ever."

God desires for His unfailing love to be active in our lives--surrounding us and leading us as we trust in Him; but we need to be convinced that He loves us so that we will trust Him completely. God's resources are limitless, and that includes His love as well. Oh Lord, let us be like the olive tree flourishing in the house of God. Shower us with Your unfailing love today. Thank You for sending this beautiful love letter to us in the form of Your Holy Word. May our lives be a reflection of the love that You have poured out on us!

Just as God Said

2009-02-20T18:45:00.000-08:00

Word of God Speak
Reflections from the Daily Bible Readings
The Word of God for the People of God
The daily Bible readings have been refreshing as I have read passage from the Old and New Testament and the Psalms. Reading Genesis, I am reminded of the passage in Hebrews 12:1 which says "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses..." My faith has been increased as I have read and reviewed the unbelievable faith of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. Then, in Hebrews 11:6 we read that it is impossible to please God without faith. Over and over again, we read that the faith of our forefathers was considered as righteousness before God, and each patriarch received rich blessing and reward as a result of their faith. However, all were tested. Abraham tried to take matters into his own hands many times, instead of letting God work to reveal his plan. Jacob deceived and manipulated his way to get the things he wanted. Though some of these ancient men of faith failed the "pop quizzes" of life, they ultimately passed the final exams and realized God's promised blessing.

The phrase "just as God said" is a key phrase in both the Old and New Testament. Adam and Eve experienced their punishment for eating the forbidden fruit--just as God said they would. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob received the Promised Land just as God said they would. In fact, God was faithful to confirm His covenant with them to strengthen their faith. The wise men found the baby Jesus under the star in the East, just as God said they would. Jesus came forth from the land of Judah, just as God said He would. How wonderful it is to read God's covenant to Abraham, Jacob and Isaac; to read the Psalms of the one who would live in Bethlehem, the "City of David"--the fulfillment of every prophecy concerning God's redemption. Jesus Christ--the exact representation of God's glory, the Great High Priest, the One with whom God was well pleased, was revealed to us at just the right time in history. It is evident that God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purposes very clear. We have this "hope"--the anchor for our souls, firm and secure.

My prayer is that we will all treasure the priceless gift of God's Word. Psalm 19 tells us that God's Word is more precious than gold, sweeter than honey from the comb. ..in keeping them there is great reward. The Word of God is the voice of G0d--the voice which uttered the creation of the heavens and starry hosts. The Word of God is the GREAT I AM--the beginning and the end, and the Word of God is the Good Shepherd who whispers comfort and encouragement to those who are cast down in spirit. Every day, God is "watching over His Word to perform it." (Jer. 1:12) Let us also watch to see how He performs His Word each day.

Word of God speak, would you pour down like rain, Washing my eyes to see Your Majesty... To be still and know that You're in this place Please let me stay and rest in Your holiness Word of God Speak...

A Second-Hand Violin

2009-02-11T15:14:00.000-08:00

I've always been impressed with the Apostle Paul who said he had learned to be content in all things. He endured shipwrecks, prison and persecutions, yet none of those things seemed to affect the inner peace and joy that remained in his heart.

There was once a great violinist named Paganini who entered the stage to play before an audience, when he noticed something was wrong with his violin. As he looked at it, he realized that it was not his famous, valuable violin. In a state of panic, he turned to his audience and told them there had been some mistake and he did not have his own violin. He stepped back behind the curtain thinking that his violin was where he left it, but he discovered that someone had stolen it and left an old, second-hand violin in its place. He remained back stage for a moment and then went out to face his audience. He said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I will show you that the music is not in the instrument, but in the soul." He played as he had never played before; and out of that second-hand instrument the music poured forth until the audience was captured with enthusiasm and the applause almost lifted the ceiling of the building. Paganini was able to effectively demonstrate that the music was not in the instrument, but in the soul.

The life of Paul and the story of Paganini both encourage me to be intentional about growing my faith "from within", developing the ability to say "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." (Phil. 4:13) Paul learned to trust in the faithfulness of God because God was faithful to Him. His contentment discourse goes like this: "for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether being in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength." (Phil. 4:11-13) It is as if Paul wrote the favorite hymn that we sing:

Great is Thy Faithfulness
Oh God My Father
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Lord unto me

If life hands us a "second-hand violin", it is a good opportunity for us to see whether or not the "music is within our souls." May we become like Paul and learn contentment in all circumstances as we trust in the faithfulness of God.

The Weapon of Praise

2009-01-30T11:33:00.000-08:00

I was really touched this past week by the song "This is My Destiny." It is a powerful modern hymn containing Biblical theology and truth for every believer. Dennis Jernigan, the writer of "This is My Destiny", is also the writer of other well-known worship songs such as "Who Can Satisfy" and "You are My All in All." He was once a struggling youth who did not fit in with his peers. He had numerous self-esteem issues and eventually fell into homosexuality because that was where he found acceptance. As a young adult, God delivered him from this lifestyle and called Him into music ministry. Today, he is married and has several children (9 I last heard!) He is a powerful worship leader, and his music brings healing and hope to many who are struggling. Dennis admits even today that he writes many of his songs as weapons of warfare against his old patterns of thinking. He has learned that praise to God Almighty silences the enemy (Psalm 8:2). In other words, Satan is basically "bound and gagged" when we praise the Lord. He is forced to sit and listen to it!

In the Old Testament, King Jehoshaphat inquired of the Lord before going into battle against the enemy armies who were advancing toward them. Seeing the size of the enemy armies, Jehoshaphat prayed, "Lord, we don't know what to do, but our eyes are on You." (2 Chron. 20:12) The Lord spoke to Jehoshaphat saying, "Do not be discouraged because of the vast army...you will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance that the Lord will give you...Do not be afraid, but go out and face them tomorrow and the Lord will be with you." (2 Chron. 20:15-17) Jehoshaphat and all of his people fell to the ground and began to worship the Lord. They praised Him with a very loud voice! Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord; to praise Him for the splendor of His holiness. Then they went out ahead of the army singing "Give thanks to the Lord for His love endures forever!" As they began to sing, the Lord sent ambushes against the enemy and they turned toward each other and destroyed one another. Not one member of the enemy army was left standing. What an incredible story!

God has reminded me this week that praise is a powerful weapon against the enemy. Praise is the way se "stand firm and take up our positions." There is great victory in praise. We begin by recalling truths from God's Word. I believe the song, "This is My Destiny" is a warfare hymn that Dennis Jernigan wrote to silence the enemy. The chorus says:

He calls me child He calls me to His side eternally
He calls me once was lost, now found, was bound to sin now free
He calls me holy, calls me righteous by the blood redeemed
He calls me overcomer crowned with victory, this is my destiny!

Stand firm, take your positions--let us see the deliverance of the Lord! Praise is powerful and it is our destiny to be overcomers!

Something Beautiful

2009-01-24T07:55:00.000-08:00

Not too long ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to hear Andre Watts and the Ft. Worth symphony play the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #2 in Cm. The music was so incredibly beautiful that it made me cry. Rachmaninoff is a master of beautiful melodies (as many Russian composers are). The unique aspect of this concerto is that it came as a result of the aftermath of a disastrous failure of his first symphony in 1897. After horrible failure, Rachmaninoff sank into a deep, clinical depression. He began to doubt his ability to compose, and he was ready to put his music career behind him. After much therapy and encouragement, he decided to write the Piano Concerto #2 in Cm. It is one of his most captivating works, and audiences world-wide are astounded by the beauty of this piece.

This story reminds me of God's ability to redeem and restore after failure and loss. I am not sure of Rachmaninoff's religious beliefs, but it is evident that God is the author and creator of music, no matter who the musician may be. God is always at work within us to cause us to triumphantly march into victory even if there has been failure in our lives. When I was growing up, I learned a song written by the Gaithers entititled, "Something Beautiful." The lyrics go like this:

Something Beautiful
Something good
All my confusion
God understood
All I had to offer Him
Was brokenness and strife
But He made something beautiful of my life.

There is no failure or mistake too great that God cannot overcome. I love Corrie ten Boom's quote, "There is no pit too deep that He is not deeper still."

If you ever get a chance to listen to Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto #2 in Cm, you will hear absolutely beautiful music, and it would be difficult for you to believe that Rachmaninoff almost gave up composing before it was written. I am so thankful that he didn't give up! I am also thankful that God doesn't give up on us either. We are all "symphonies" that are being written, and God is creating "something beautiful" in all of us!

But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. (2 Cor. 2:14)

A Beautiful Flower

2009-01-19T05:43:00.002-08:00

Cheryl Costello-Forshey once told a story about "the most beautiful flower." The story began with a woman who was disillusioned with life, with many reasons to frown. She sat down on a deserted park bench and began to sulk. At that moment, a little boy interrupted her silence and exclaimed, "Look what I found!" In his hand was a flower which was quite pitiful, with worn petals and a brown, droopy stem. As she grew more irritable, the woman just wished the boy would go away and leave her alone. Instead, the boy sat beside her and placed the flower to his nose and said, "It sure smells pretty and it's beautiful too. That's why I picked it for you!" The little boy handed the woman the flower, which looked more like a weed. There were no vibrant colors in this flower, no wonderful aroma or anything eye-catching about it. The woman was rather insulted that the boy would give her such an ugly "gift." She almost wondered if it was a joke. Out of kindness, the woman took the flower and said "thank you". The woman noticed that the boy handed the flower to her, but did not place it in her hand, and then she realized for the first time that the little boy was blind.

The little boy was pleased that she accepted his gift and ran on to play. The self-pitying woman sat speechless on the park bench after the little boy left. It was almost as if the little boy "saw" her self-indulgence. Perhaps he had been the one who was blessed with true sight. The woman learned a great lesson that day--from that moment on, she vowed to see the beauty in life and appreciate every second that she had. As she held the wilted flower to her nose, she breathed in the fragrance as a reminder to her of the lesson the boy taught her. It was at that moment that she could smell a "rose".

There are certainly plenty of problems in this world and it is easy to get bogged down with all of the issues that plague us on a daily basis. The Lord used this "beautiful flower" story to remind me this week that I need to be thankful for each day and the blessings that belong to me. Sometimes when things don't go "our way" we are tempted to become disillusioned, but there are always things to be thankful for in this life and the Lord desires for us to have a heart of gratitude. The blind little boy is such an inspiration to me, because he was not concerned with the fact that he was blind--he was not depressed or sad because of his blindness. Instead, he was enjoying life and giving to others.

Lord, open the eyes of our hearts as you reveal those "beautiful flowers" to us. Many times, we have blessings that we do not see. May we not be blind to the blessings that you desire to give us. Give us "true sight" as we seek to be thankful for each day and the special moments that will be gone before each day is over. Most of all, help us to see the needs of those around us so that we can bless some else's life today.

Offerings of Praise

2008-10-09T15:15:00.000-07:00

As I reflected on Psalm 99 this week, it occurred to me that I need to spend more time recalling the things that the Lord has done, as well as the many aspects of His name. As Psalm 99:1-3 says, "The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; He sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the Lord in Zion; He is exalted over all the nations. Let them praise Your great and awesome name!" So today, here are my offerings of praise:

I praise You Lord...

Because You reign far above all other gods...
Because Your plans will stand forever...
Because You are close to the broken-hearted and You save those who are crushed in spirit...
Because You redeemed my life from the pit and put a song of praise in my mouth...
Because You will supply all of my needs according to Your riches in Christ Jesus...
Because You have compassion on me...
Because You will never leave me, nor forsake me...
Because Your love never fails...
Because all things work together for good for those who love You, who are called according to Your purpose...
Because You are near to all who call on You in truth...
Because You have given me everything I need pertaining to life and godliness...
Because You do immeasurably more than I could ask or imagine...
Because You are faithful to Your promises...
Because You are worthy of my praise!

Lord I praise Your name today:

Because You are the Holy and Anointed One, the Beginning and the End...
Because You are my Deliverer, Healer and Provider...
Because You are my Strength, my Rock, My Fortress...
Because You are My Redeemer and Restorer...
Because You are my Light and my Salvation...
Because You are my Shield and My Defender, the Ancient of Days...
Because You are the Great I AM, the Living God...
Because You are the name that is above every other name!

"Great is the Lord and worthy to be praise...Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations, Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength...Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name! (Psalm 95:4,7)

More Than Gold

2008-09-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, so many of us were "glued" to the T.V., as we watched the Olympic athletes amaze us with their incredible abilities. Each gymnast, swimmer, runner, etc. seemed to perform his/her athletic event with such ease. Michael Phelps, who has repeatedly won gold medals, created the illusion that swimming in the Olympic races is easy. However, we all know that it is no easy task to become an Olympic athlete.

I once knew of a gymnast who trained for the Olympics and she put her entire life on hold to pursue this dream. For months, she trained for 8-10 hours per day, giving ultimate sacrifices with a strict diet, curfew and social restrictions. She left her school, her family, her friends and everything familiar to press toward the goal of competing in the Olympic Games.

The apostle Paul had also observed the Olympic Games in his day, for they are nearly as ancient as civilization itself. Paul was what I would consider to be an Olympic Christian. He left all of the comforts of life to do the work of evangelism and follow his calling to the Lord Jesus. In Philippians 3:12-14, Paul gives us a beautiful illustration of the life of a Christian who is pursuing his/her goal to know the Lord--everything is a loss compared to knowing Him. In verse 10, he continues to want to know Christ even more, to share in the fellowship of His suffering...Here is what Paul says concerning His relationship with Christ in verses 12-14: "Not that I have obtained all this or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

In this passage of Scripture, Paul is obviously making comparisons to a runner who is striving toward the finish line to win a race. These verses give me a new perspective about goals, dreams and prizes. When I see the Olympic athletes from the U.S.A. receive a gold medal, and the American flag is raised while the National Anthem is being played, I always get a tear in my eye. However, how much greater will our prize be, when we stand before Jesus face to face to receive the rewards that He has prepared for us. How much greater will our prize be than a piece of metal or a plastic trophy when we fully understand the priceless gift of a relationship with the Lord of Lords who gives us everlasting purpose. Let us look toward what is ahead and press toward the goal to receive the prize (which is much greater than gold) of the high calling of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord.

More than gold, More than silver,
More than bronze is Your worthy to me...
I press toward the mark of the high calling
Of Jesus Christ Who is the Prize
Of my life...

A Symphony of Praise

2008-08-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

When I was in elementary school, my teacher conducted an experiment with our class. She asked us to listen to every sound we could possibly hear in the classroom. As we sat and listened, we could hear airplanes flying over, people walking down the hall, the buzz of the fluorescent lights on the ceiling, etc. The teacher finally asked us to list the things we heard during the experiment. While the class listened for all of the sounds in the room, no one seemed to notice the teacher scribbling on a piece of paper with her pencil. She explained that no one heard her scribbling because of "noise pollution". All of the other noises we heard were much louder than her scribbling pencil. The object of the lesson was for us to realize that there are sounds happening all around us that we may never hear.

Every now and then, I am reminded of this experiment, and I begin to listen for sounds that I don't usually notice. There is an entire symphony of praise that God orchestrates every day. He pulls the curtain open each morning to a beautiful sunrise. The rhythm of nature is expressed in the wind trickling through the leaves on the trees, the crashing of waves against the shore, and the drops of rain on giant leaves in the rain-forest. Choruses of living creatures give praise to the Lord as whales moan, crickets chirp, mockingbirds sing, and bears growl. Thunder echoes through time and space, as the great timpani of heaven awakens us to the Majesty of our God.

Luke 19:40 tells us, if we keep quiet, the rocks will still cry out in praise to God. Not only will the rocks praise Him, but every living creature will orchestrate a glorious symphony of praise to the Creator of heaven and earth. Thank you, God for Your awesome creation that daily demonstrates for us how to worship You. May we never keep silent, but let us join with all creation in this symphony of praise!

A Divine Masterpiece

2008-08-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend, my husband, Dale and I went to see the Impressionist Exhibit at the Kimball Art Museum. It was fascinating to see original works by famous painters such as Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, and Cezanne. Although Dale appreciated seeing these great masterpieces, he was satisfied with a 45 minute tour. However, I wanted to linger at each painting to observe every brush stroke, every hue and shading technique. Several art students were at the exhibit taking notes and memorizing the exquisite details in those great works of art. I will probably have to go back and take notes myself!

I was so inspired by the use of color and design that these artists dared to explore during their lifetime. The impressionists rose out of France in the late 1800's and early 1900's. They were rebels against the Western art of the Renaissance period. Up until the late 1800's artists primarily painted formal portraits and Biblical scenes. The Renaissance artists painted realistic, concrete images. The impressionists experimented with figures in every day life and their painting techniques leaned more toward the abstract, and eliminated clean lines. The use of color and vivid brush strokes became more prominent.

What led these brilliant artists to rebel against what was considered to be normal and acceptable? The impressionists were initially criticized for rebelling against the culture of their time. They were continually misunderstood. But what if they hadn't rebelled? We wouldn't have the works of art that are so beautifully admired today.

Sometimes rebellion can be a good thing. I am thankful that Jesus rebelled against the religious culture of His day. The Pharisees, or pious, religious leaders carried an image in their minds of what the Messiah would look like--a majestic king, robed in royal clothing, with a jeweled crown. They pictured Him to be a conquering warrior; a commanding hero who would set up a magnificent earthly kingdom. Yet God sent another portrait of the Messiah--a humble carpenter, dressed in ordinary street clothes, who held children in His lap and spoke to half-breed women. Instead of seizing power over nations and kingdoms, Jesus taught, "the last shall be first and the first shall be last."

Many times I ask myself--what would I have done with this Messiah if I would have lived when Jesus lived? Would I have seen Him for who He was or would I have looked for someone else? I believe that God is still painting images of Jesus today. He is still presenting "brush strokes" and "color schemes" that seem foreign to me at times; foreign because my flesh does not often see the things God's Spirit longs for me to see. Even now, God is rebelling against the culture of our day. He fights against what seems to be normal in our finite realm of thinking..

However, God, in Holy rebellion is painting the Way, the Truth and the Life, and when all is said and done; we will see Him as He is! We will be filled with awe and wonder one day, as we gaze upon the Masterpiece that God has been painting all along. Oh Lord, help us to catch a glimpse of the images of Christ that you are painting in our lives today. May we see with the eyes of the Spirit and not miss the beauty that you long for us to see...

Thirsty

2008-07-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

This time of year, I consume more water than usual. I just bought a huge case of bottled water and it is already gone! There's just something about the heat that drives us to drink water. Nothing else seems to satisfy like a cold glass of water when we are hot and thirsty.

Our body weight consists of 2/3 water. Water is necessary to regulate our body's systems and maintain proper body temperature. Our bodies use water along with food, as fuel to keep it in good running order. Water lubricates our joints and organs, maintains muscle tone, keeps our skin soft, filters out impurities, and keeps our minds alert. It is also responsible for the movement of nutrients to cells throughout our bodies. Without a doubt, water is a necessary part of our diet. The benefits of drinking plenty of water each day are numerous, and yet there are probably very few of us that want to consume 8-10 glasses of water on a daily basis. We're just not that thirsty! However, in the heat of the summer, I would be more likely to consume more of the recommended daily amount of water than usual.

When the "heat is on" spiritually, where do we go? David the Psalmist cried out in Psalm 42: "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after you. My soul thirsts for you oh God." This was not a happy time in David's life. He was oppressed by the enemy and he felt like God had abandoned him. But as a discipline, he recalled the faithfulness of God and he redirected his thoughts to the truth about God's character. In his desperate state, David knew that the water he longed for was hidden in the truths of God's Word. God's character was known to him through his obedience to spend time in the presence of God. He was spiritually thirsty, but he knew where to quench his thirst.

All of the complications of life can quickly deplete us of our spiritual hydration. Drinking the water of God's Word, and spending time in His presence "lubricates" our tired souls. It "regulates" our thoughts and actions and helps us "maintain" spiritual stability. Let us not forget the benefits of the Living Water that God desires to give us on a daily basis. As we reach for our next bottle of water, may it be a reminder to us to hydrate ourselves spiritually as well.

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

Survivors

2008-07-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

There are many tribes of people who live on the Amazon River. I recently observed a particular tribe on a television documentary who challenged me to a better understanding of what it means to survive. With survival as their main goal in life, this tribe devised ways to escape their harsh surroundings and natural elements. They had to work together as a team to build their homes and hunt for food. To survive, they needed to focus and gain strength for their journeys ahead.

In the spiritual world, we are no different than this Amazon tribe. We are trying to survive in a jungle of activity overload and choice overload. In 1978, there were 11, 767 items in the average grocery store. By 1992, that number increased to 24,531 with 186 different types of cereal alone! We are trying to survive as Christians among a culture that continually bombards us with ungodly influences and immorality of every kind. How will we survive? This is no reality T.V. show! This is real life!

One of the keys to survival is to gain strength. In Isiah 30:15, the Lord says, "In quietness and trust is your strength." These two words, "quietness" and "trust" are words that are packed with great energy. It is no small task to quiet oneself and to completely trust in the Lord. To quiet yourself means to be rid of anxiety or to "settle your heart." Fortunately, God wants to help us quiet our hearts. Zephaniah 3:17 says that "He will quiet you with His love." There is nothing more precious in all of human existence than that moment when God quickens us to how much He loves us. We can then become more than conquerors (or survivors) through Him who loves us. (Rom. 8:37) God promises that His love is perfect and it casts out fear. (I John 4:18) If we truly understand His love for us, then it will be so much easier for us to trust in Him to take care of our circumstances.

Throughout the different trials in my life, the Lord has asked me two very important questions, "Do you know that I love you?" and "Do you trust me?" I have come to realize that I cannot even answer these questions with a "yes" until I become so weak, that I allow God's love to empower me. This is true strength. This is survival. The beautiful aspect of God's love is that He not only uses our trying circumstances to reveal His love to us, but He uses them to perfect our love for Him.

We are living in enemy territory--in a world that is against us. I am so thankful that God is on our side! He is fighting for us and He will empower us to survive as we learn to rest in His love and trust Him to provide for our every need. Lord, perfect Your love in us so that we may gain strength for the journey ahead. May we see the urgency to rest in Your love as we live as survivors in a jungle that would seek to devour us. You are our Hope, our Fortress and our Deliverer. We depend on You!

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness...
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand...

Identity

2008-05-24T17:44:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 1:18 "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe."

From current statistics, it is said that identity theft happens every three seconds. I have been a victim of identity theft, and it is a frightening experience! Sandra Bullock starred in a movie a few years ago, where she played a character whose identity was not only stolen, but in all of the electronic systems around the world, she did not even exist. Her name had been completely removed from all Federal and official records. Because identity theft is one of the leading crimes in America, there are companies like LifeLock, whose mission is to prevent identity theft from happening to innocent people.

From a spiritual stand-point, I believe that Satan is in the business of identity theft. As I am in the midst of raising teenagers, I have seen how fragile a person's identity can be. A teen's main question during this turbulent time is "Who am I"? How a teen answers this question will often determine the choices he or she makes. I have found the same thing to be true in my own life, even through my adult years. This simple, yet haunting question "Who am I" continues to echo in my mind.

In last week's article, I wrote about Jesus, the Good Shepherd in John 10, who gently leads us through every season of life. He also calls "His" and he knows us intimately. As His sheep, we can know and recognize His voice. As our Good Shepherd, Jesus affirms our worth to Him, and our purpose to His Kingdom. Yet in John 10, Jesus also mentions the thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy any identity we may have in Christ. Satan targets our identity because he knows that those who have a sure identity in Christ are a threat to him. Once we know who we are in Christ, we are able to stand firm against any lies and fiery arrows that Satan may hurl our way. Jesus calls this thief a "stranger"; one who has "trespassed into the sheep pen". He warns us not to listen to the stranger who lies, accuses and deceives us.

In Ephesians 1, the Good Shepherd continues to whisper through the words of the Apostle Paul, "You are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus", "have You are chosen before the foundation of the world", "You are created in Christ because you have believed the Word of Truth", and "You have a glorious inheritance." Jesus has given us prevention from identity theft. He is our "Life Lock". Let us stand firm in the hope to which He has called us. We can be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power, and we do not have to ever listen to the stranger's voice.

Thank you God, for You have given us true identity through Your son, Jesus. May we only listen to our Good Shepherd who gives us life, hope, purpose and peace.

Uncertainty

2008-05-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

"I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me--just as the Father knows me and I know my Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep." John 10:14-15

I often convince myself that if I worry about a situation involving uncertainty, I will be able to fix it. Uncertainty is one of the hardest things for me to deal with, because I can't control it. The truth of the matter is, I really can't control what is certain either. For some reason, I frequently cling to the sense of "false peace" that worrying brings. The longer I live, the more I see that I can't control my circumstances; but I can control my reactions to my circumstances. I am comforted by Jesus' words in John 10. As my Good Shepherd, Jesus knows me and He cares for me; enough to lay His life down for me. Furthermore, He wants to speak to me, and He longs for me to recognize His voice. He promises to guide and direct me, even through the troublesome, uncertain times.

Jesus has tried for Himself all of the experiences through which He will ask me to pass; and He would not ask me to pass through them unless He was sure that they were not too difficult for me. This is the blessed life--not anxious to see far in front, nor fretting about the next step, nor eager to choose the path, nor burdened with responsibilities for the future, but gently following behind the Shepherd, one step at a time. It is comforting to know the Shepherd is always ahead of His sheep. OUR UNCERTAINTY IS HIS CERTAINTY. He is already in the tomorrows, and all of the tomorrows have to pass by Him before I can experience them.

Jesus confronts the worrier in Matthew 6: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?'' (verses 25-26)

Jesus was wise in His choice of animals for us to imitate during times of uncertainty. The birds are the earliest to sing in the morning, and they are more care-free than any other creature. Singing is the last thing that the robins do at night. When they have done their daily work, when they have flown their last flight, and picked up their last morsel of food, they prop themselves on a high place and sing a song of praise. I learned a lesson from the birds this week: THINK LESS, SING MORE. SING IN THE MORNING. SING IN THE EVENING. Surely our weights will become wings as we adopt this philosophy. It's worth a try, anyway!

How can I keep from singing your praise?

How can I ever say enough

How amazing is Your love!

How can I keep from shouting Your name?

I know I am loved by the King

And it makes my heart want to sing!

Vision

2008-05-10T08:06:00.000-07:00

This year, I have prayed for God to give me spiritual vision. First of all, I want to see Him more clearly, but I also want to know what He specifically desires for me. I believe that I will worship God more authentically once I see Him more clearly. Throughout all generations, God has miraculously revealed Himself to individuals who were earnestly seeking Him. As a result of their vision from God, their lives were forever changed. They SAW, they WORSHIPED and bowed down and finally, they FOLLOWED Him. This happened to Moses, Abram, Isaiah, Paul, and the list goes on. Compelled by their vision from God, others followed them as well.

Great preachers, poets, prophets, songwriters and singers of old, are those who lived imaginatively from a vision from God. One who has received a vision from God can simply say, "Imagine the view from here." We have the songs and hymns today because people experienced certain aspects of God's character and dared to write about it. As a songwriter, I am always fascinated by the stories behind the songs that we sing. Perhaps the writer of "Shout to the Lord" was captivated by God's creation as she wrote: "Shout to the Lord, all the earth let us sing, power and majesty praise to the King, mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of Your name..." Others have written from a place of repentance: "We bow our hearts, we bend our knees, O Spirit, come make us humble..." From a place of mercy: "When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of Glory died..." From a place of awe: "You are beautiful beyond description, too marvelous for words..."

It is not really about singing the songs, but seeing God and calling others into the vision. The Lord promises to reveal Himself to us if we truly seek Him. However, we must be ready for our lives to be changed once we really see Him. Furthermore, we may be responsible for leading others to follow Him. A worshiper journeys through the multiple aspects of Almighty God, stopping at the "scenic overlooks" as he views the horizon of God's infinite glory. Then, he can say to others, "Imagine the view from here!"

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord...

I want to see You high and lifted up

Shining in the light of Your glory!

Be Thou my vision oh Lord of my heart

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art--

Thou my best thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Freshness

2008-05-04T13:17:00.001-07:00

Freshness is another characteristic of an effective worship leader. It simply means "to live in the present tense." Worship leaders who exhibit freshness lead from the perspective of "today", and can often interject glimpses of their present journey with God into the corporate worship experience. There is a simple equation for us to follow: DAILY DEPENDENCE EQUALS FRESHNESS. I ate at a restaurant recently (I won't mention the name to save its reputation!) but I was very disappointed in the quality of the food. It did not taste fresh, but stale and old. I probably will not return to that restaurant because of the bad experience I had while eating there. In fact, every time I think of that restaurant, or pass by it, I will remember the dreadful old and stale food!

As I have reflected on the aspect of freshness as a characteristic of an effective worship leader, I remembered the words of Jesus as he referred to Himself as "Living Water". Jesus implied that He would offer freshness with every drink. He is our Daily "fresh" bread, the "fresh" Air that we breathe. He promises freshness to us each time we come to Him, and from that life-giving interaction, we can reflect His vitality in our daily living. I am always encouraged to know that God does His most ordinary work within our most mundane, ordinary activities. He is the Fresh wind and Fresh fire that blows through the most ordinary of circumstances. He is the flowing stream of fresh water that gives life to our parched souls.

God knows that we will expend ourselves on the most useless tasks. He knows that we will fret over what we cannot control. Yet, He offers this beautiful invitation: "Come to the waters...all who are thirsty...why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen to me, eat what is good and your soul will delight in the richest of fare! (Isa. 55:1-2)

Oh God, may we depend upon You daily to rejuvenate us so that we can reflect your fresh work in our lives!

You are the air I breathe

Your Holy presence living in me

You are my daily bread

Your very Word spoken to me

And I'm desperate for You

And I'm lost without You...

Intentional Worship

2008-04-26T06:34:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, I attended a worship conference that greatly impacted my life. As I watched all of the "cool" people on stage, I was impressed by their attitudes of humility and transparency as they poured their hearts out to us. At the time that I attended the conference, I was aspiring to be a "worship leader." However, I was confronted with some very profound thoughts while I was there: 1. An effective worship leader is first an effective worshiper 2. You can't lead someone to where you have never been 3. Once you know the way, you are ready to lead 4. A worship leader is responsible for those he leads. I thought to myself, "There's a lot more to this worship leading stuff than I thought. Do I really want to be a worship leader?"

God began a work in my heart at that time to draw me closer to Him. I knew that I could never be an effective worship leader without first being a worshiper of Him. Many years have passed since that time, and God is still teaching me about worship. Sometimes, it comes from absolute joy and awe as I have witnessed God's mighty power in my life. Other times, worship comes as a sacrifice when I have nothing to give but pain and tears. Nonetheless, worship has become an important part of my life. I once learned of nine characteristics of an effective worship leader: Joy, Authenticity, Excellence, Maturity, Humility, Freshness, Sensitivity, Transparency and Biblical Soundness. Since we become what we worship, these qualities will be evident in us, if we seek to worship God intentionally.

I have also learned through the years, that a worship leader leads worship off stage as well as on stage. It is humbling (and frightening) to know that people are watching every moment of the day! Worship is our response to God for who He is; and what He has done, expressed in and by the things we say and the way we live. He reveals Himself and we respond to Him. By worshiping God intentionally, we are declaring that He is of great value in our lives and we are willing to invest our time, energy and devotion to Him.

The beautiful aspect of worship leading, is that we can all have a part in leading worship--every cellist, choir member, guitarist, organist, pianist, praise team member, etc. I love that God has a place for all of us. I love that this church allows so many to use their gifts and talents. Thank you God, for the privilege of enabling us to lead others to Your throne each week. Help us to worship you with our whole hearts. Reveal Yourself to us so that we may respond to you in joy, authenticity, excellence, maturity, humility, freshness, sensitivity, transparency and Biblical soundness...

Psalm 84:1,2,10

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere..."

Peace

2008-04-19T07:21:00.000-07:00

I'm seeing the word "peace" posted everywhere lately...on t-shirts, bumper stickers, billboards, etc. Why are people so infatuated with peace? It has almost become a foreign word, a lost art or a faint memory.

One of the names given to Jesus was the Prince of Peace. It is interesting to me that these two words are combined together. A prince, as we all know, is someone with power and authority--an heir to the throne. "Peace" is a sense of rest or contentment; wholeness. In other words, Jesus is the ruler over our sense of rest, contentment and wholeness. Christ's power and peace go hand in hand. This is evident when Jesus calmed the storm in Luke 8. He rebuked the winds and the waves and they dared to obey Him. He brought peace and calmness through His power.

In Jesus' last days on earth, he left us a "will". He said, "My peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you." (v.27) Then, in Matthew 28:18, he goes on to say, "All authority has been given to me in Heaven and on earth." The most amazing thing of all is what He says in John 16:15. "All things that the Father has are mine (including peace and power)--yet they will be disclosed to you and imparted to you by the Holy Spirit." I can hardly take this in! So then, the power and authority of Christ, as well as His peace are all available to me! This sounds like a simple Sunday school answer, but as I have meditated on this principle, I have been overwhelmed with God's goodness to impart such an incredible gift to me, and I have been convicted by the fact that I have not received it more often...

Prince of Peace, come and reign
Restore Your power to Your people once again
Take Your throne, rightful Lord,
Prince of Peace, come and reign forevermore!

Rest

2008-04-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 4:1 "Therefore since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it."

Rest--just the mention of this word causes me to sigh. Rest is one of the greatest needs of our society. Everywhere I look, people are overwhelmed, overloaded, overworked and weary. Stress levels are at an all-time high and more people are on anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications than ever before. What has happened to us? It is though we are on a merry-go-round, and we can't jump off because it is going too fast. We are spinning out of control!

Hebrews 4:1 tells us that the promise of rest is attainable. However, God did not intend for us to rest on our own. He said to "take his yoke upon us"--in other words, BE JOINED with him in the act of resting--to LEARN from him about how rest is to be achieved.

I have been learning that "to rest" means "a space of peace reserved for you"; "to quit, cease, put down worry". The phrase "enter that rest" is mentioned over and over again in Hebrews 4. What is "that" rest? It is HIS rest (v.5) If it is HIS rest, then there is no way we can do it on our own. However, Hebrews 4:11 tells us to make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the bad example of the Jews in their lack of faith. So then, our part in resting is to join with God and believe him--to follow HIS example. Our part in resting is to cease striving, to quit worrying and to trust in his promises. He will provide the rest that we need. It then becomes a supernatural event. I heard a phrase this week: "Nothing makes God worry." I love to think that as I join with him and his attitude about things, I will not worry either. The slogan "Don't worry, be happy" takes on new meaning for me after reading Hebrews 4. (My son has the big mouth bass mounted on his wall that sings that silly song as you walk by!)

After God created the heavens and the earth, he rested from his work. However, the Bible never indicates that the rest ended. It was perpetual--this is God's example to us--perpetual rest in him!

Oh God, help us to LEARN from you as we join with you in YOUR rest that is promised to us!

Jesus, I am resting, resting in the joy of what Thou art;

I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart.

Thou has bid me gaze upon Thee and Thy beauty fills my soul,

For by Thy transforming power, Thou hast made me whole.

2008-03-28T07:25:00.000-07:00

A Matter of the Heart

God has been reminding me lately that he is interested in my heart more than anything else that I have to offer. Not my talents, not my accomplishments, nor any of the "good things" that I have done. This is such a contrast to what the world considers to be important.

The keepers of the Law in Jesus' day were so consumed with their status and traditions based on the Laws that God once gave them. For them, it had become ritual, routine, and a matter of pride. However, Jesus rebuked them over and over again because they were missing the point: He spoke of them with these words; "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." (Matt. 15:8-9). How tragic it was for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, in all of his glory to be standing in front of these men, and yet they did not even recognize who he really was. They did not have eyes to see or ears to hear because their hearts were "far from him." Perhaps this is why Solomon told his son, "Listen closely to my words; do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your HEART; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body. Above all else, guard your HEART, for it is the wellspring of life." (Prov. 4:20-23)

The risen Lord is in our midst today. Will we see him? Will we hear him? Christ reminds us in Matthew 5:8 that those who see God are those who are pure in HEART. It is our hearts he is after; not our traditions, our rituals, our status, or our hard work. Oh God, may our worship not be in vain to you. Let us hear your voice and see your glory as we seek you with whole hearts!

Remembrance

2008-03-18T08:15:00.000-07:00

There is a theme of remembrance throughout the Bible. In Deuteronomy 4:9, God reminds us to watch ourselves closely so that we do not forget the things our eyes have seen, or let them slip from our hearts...
God knows that we are forgetful creatures. I am especially guilty of forgetfulness if I don't write myself a note of reminder. I have even written sticky notes to remind me of things, and then I forgot where I put the sticky notes!

Sometimes, people tie strings to their fingers to remember events, times, etc. God told the Jews to bind what he told them to their foreheads. Some of them took God at his Word and strapped little boxes to their foreheads. The boxes contained sections of Scripture. Though this is a little extreme, the ancient Jews had the right idea. Keep God's Word ever visible!

My faith can be shaken so easily by circumstances, but when I REMEMBER the promises of God, my faith is strengthened once again. When I am walking through the darkness and the storms, I must REMEMBER that the Lord is my light and my salvation...whom/what shall I fear? (Psalm 27:1)

I love reading the final words of Jesus as he spent time with his disciples before his death. He eloquently spoke in parables and used images that would stay with the disciples after he left this earth. Most importantly, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit who would come and REMIND them of all that he had said to them. As he ate the last supper with his disciples, Jesus said, "Do this in REMEMBRANCE of me." In other words, "DO NOT FORGET WHAT HAPPENED HERE TONIGHT. DO NOT FORGET ANYTHING THAT I HAVE SAID TO YOU." For he knew that their faith would be tested beyond anything they could imagine.

As we enter this Palm Sunday, and Holy Week, let us REMEMBER the things that Christ has said to us. Let us REMEMBER his life, his death and ultimately, his resurrection. And finally, let us REMEMBER that he promises to be with us, even to the very end of the age. Hallelujah!

2008-03-05T08:23:00.000-08:00

Dependence

2 Cor. 12:9 "My power is made perfect in weakness...for when I am weak, then I am strong--the less I have, the more I depend on Him." (TLB)

It has been said that when God wants to do something great, He starts with a difficulty. When God wants to do something miraculous, He starts with an impossibility. The weaknesses or limitations that we possess will create difficulties or even possibilities in many of our situations.

When our weakness and limitations are combined with an overwhelming task, this can be an invitation for God to overwhelm us with His presence and power as He partners with us to accomplish the task.

I have a hard time viewing weakness as a good thing, but God seems to think otherwise. He seems touse our weaknesses to transform us from arrogant to humble, from insecure to bold, from impulsive to stable and hot-tempered to patient. This kind of transformation can only come from complete dependence on Him.

For me to realize a weakness, it is as if I've exposed an open wound. But what I have found as I have admitted my weakness to the Lord, is that I am taking steps toward freedom--freedom from carrying the heavy load of self-sufficiency. I can then cross over that difficult threshold of faith into total dependence on God. Of course, the only way I can do that, is to come to the end of myself. Why do I want to hang onto "myself"? I am not the one that the world needs to see, but Christ! When I completely depend on Christ through my weakness, it is His sufficiency and power that is made absolutely whole and complete in me. Then, the world no longer sees my weakness, but His power.

I just have to remind myself that it is about less of me and more of Him. My total dependence on God insures my security, increases my faith, and allows me to influence others to depend on God as well.

I guess we all need to remember that when we are feeling weak, that God is remind us to depend on Him. We can then boast about our weaknesses as the apostle Paul did, for through them, God's power is unleashed!

"Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong!" (2 Cor. 12:9-10)

2008-02-29T06:53:00.000-08:00

Surrender

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ." (Phil. 3:7)

When we surrender to something or someone, there is a sense that we have lost our dignity and we often view ourselves as weak and inferior. However, it takes courage to surrender--courage to step out in faith, believing that God grants His greatest blessing to those who are fully surrendered to Him.

A surrendered Christian is one who has given up the fight to own his own life, for he understands Christ's promise, "He who loses His own life for my sake shall find it." (Matt. 10:39). A surrendered Christian is one who has learned to be content in all things because he has discovered the Lord as his helper. (Phil. 4:11) A surrendered Christian can say " I will not be afraid, for God is with me." (Heb. 13:5-6) A surrendered Christian, though he may be weak in the flesh, is strong because he has allowed God's power to be demonstrated through weakness. (2 Cor. 12:9)

Frances Havergal, the writer of the hymn, "Take My Life and Let it Be", once said, "There must be full surrender before there can be full blessedness." She learned the secret of letting go of all of the trappings of this world, in order to gain the richest treasures that heaven could afford. The more she gave to the Lord, the more He gave her in return. She eventually gave God all that she had; her material possessions, her mind, her will, her voice, her feet, her life. And God gave her Himself. All she desired was more of Him; and so the cycle of surrender continued in her life. She could say along with the apostle Paul, "I count all things as loss for the sake of knowing Christ." (Phil. 3:8)

Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord to Thee
Take my moments and my days
Let them flow in ceaseless praise
Let them flow in ceaseless praise

Simplicity

2008-02-24T12:10:00.000-08:00

"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matt.18:3)

It amazes me that the Christian life is based upon principles that are basic as well as complicated. Even though the God of all creation possess thoughts and ways that are far beyond those of man, He has fashioned our steps to His Kingdom with simplicity!

I am still trying to digest the meaning of Matthew 18:3-4 when Jesus admonished his disciples to become like little children in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. When you observe little children, it is easy to see that they believe and receive with no hesitation. They speak of the joy and pain in their hearts with no inhibition. Children run to open arms where safety and security await them. Most importantly, children need guidance from those in authority over them.

The more I depend on God, the more I see that He longs to fulfill His faithfulness and sufficiency to me--His child. For those of us who dare to come to Him with child-like faith, and receive Him with all of the fullness that He offers, we will gain the mind of Christ and inherit power to change the world. Simple faith and simple obedience equals mighty men and women of God!

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus
Just to (simply) take Him at His Word
Just to (simply) rest upon His promise
Just to (simply) know "Thus saith the Lord."

"Blessed are you who are poor in spirit (you who are simply relying on God, one day at a time, one step at a time), for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matt.5:3)

Thank you, God, for the gift of simplicity!

Transparency

2008-02-04T05:46:00.000-08:00

"Search me, Oh God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24)

The Psalmist asked God to search his heart to find his anxious and offensive thoughts. The all-seeing, all-knowing God already knew David's thoughts and motives, yet David offered himself as a transparent offering to his creator. By doing so, he admitted his frailty before God. He took one step further, and requested a response from God regarding his personal thoughts and feelings. What a tremendous act of courage!

David knew the One who knit him in his mother's womb. (Ps. 139:13) He knew that his frame was not hidden from God when he was made in the secret place. (Ps. 139:15) As he reflected about the way he was fearfully and wonderfully made, David realized that he was loved the most by the One who knew him most intimately.

Joyous communion with the Heavenly Father occurs when we come before Him in total transparency. He sees us for who we are and then we are overcome by the fact that He would love us with unfailing love no matter what we have done

Transparency toward God produces dependency, trust and security in Him. True worship begins when we surrender all of who we are to all of who God is--all of our desires, needs, thoughts, and shortcomings to His infinite power and conditional love.

"How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them..." (Ps. 139:17) May we never forget the beauty of our transparency before God because it is the birthplace of God's greatest work in us!

2008-01-18T15:14:00.000-08:00

January 18, 2008

Absorbing Nutrients

I am one of those people who gets bored easily. But when something captivates me, I am awestruck and impressed, never forgetting what I have seen and heard. Surely, in this society of sensory overload, it is increasingly more difficult to be awestruck. I believe the key to remain awestruck, is creativity, which stimulates appeal. If something appeals to us, we will then ingest it--much like food. If the food presentation isn't good, we will probably turn up our noses and walk away. But if the presentation is appetizing, our mouths will water and we will immediately begin to savor every bite. In doing so, our bodies will naturally absorb important nutrients better than any vitamin could ever benefit us.
So would I rather take a pill or savor a plate full of pan-seared tilapia, whipped potatoes and asparagus drizzled in herb butter?
We live among a generation who wants nothing to do with the church. If we listen to them for very long, we will discover that it's not the message of the church they dislike, but rather the way it is presented.
Just as the restaurants need the creativity of its chefs, communicators in the church need to work skillfully with the gifts they have been given: crafting images, writing songs, painting pictures, telling stories, etc. to help whet the appetites of those hearing and experiencing the truths of God's Word.
This is one of the callings that I believe God has given me. I don't want to ever become so concerned about what exact spiritual "nutrients" are needed, that I forget what the meal should actually taste like. I want to feast on the riches of the truths of God's Word and savor every bite; I want to participate in that Divine feast in every way possible. God help me to express the truths of your Word creatively so that it becomes irresistable to those who need to absorb the "proper nutrients"!

2008-01-16T05:56:00.000-08:00

January 16, 2008

More Than Conquerors

I tend to forget how powerful God really is. Romans 8:37 says "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." I usually just brush by this verse, but today I read about a legend of an ancient civilization that gave me a new perspective. The ancient Phrygians believed that every time they conquered an enemy, the victor absorbed the physical strength of his victim and added so much more to his personal strength and valor.
Could it be that every time I victoriously encounter a trial or temptation, my spiritual strength could be doubled? 2 Chron. 20:15 says," Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the enemy. For the battle is not yours but God's. Take up your positions and stand firm to see the deliverance the Lord will give you."
All I can say is...may the enemy be sorry for ever messing with me!

The Good Shepherd

2008-01-14T05:54:00.000-08:00

January 14, 2008

I take comfort in this thought today:

John 10:14-15
I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me--just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Jesus has tried for Himself all of the experiences through which he will ask me to pass; and He would not ask me to pass through them unless He was sure that they were not too difficult for me. This is the blessed life--not anxious to see far in front, nor fretting about the next step, nor eager to choose the path, nor burdened with responsibilities of the future, but quietly following behind the Shepherd, one step at a time. It is comforting to know that the Shepherd is always ahead of His sheep.

He is already in the tomorrows, and all of the tomorrows have to pass before Him before I can experience them.

Be Still

2008-01-11T05:24:00.000-08:00

January 11, 2008

I am a collector of "words." When a word speaks to me, I think about it, expound upon it, etc. I guess that's what songwriters do... Anyway, the word "Still" has impressed me lately. Of course, my favorite words are found in God's Word--especially this verse: "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

As Christians, our walk with God is full of activity. We clap our hands and sing for joy, we walk by faith, we run toward the eternal prize, we bow down before God, we stand firm in what we believe. The wise Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3:11, "Everything is appropriate in its own time." There is a time and a season for everything; a time for every event under Heaven."

There is also a time to be still; to rest and to listen. It is in the stillness and quietness that I can gain strength and hear God's voice. When I am still and quiet, I realize that God is God!

We have many responsibilities in the Christian life and the Bible is clearly marked with instructions about what we are to "do" to lead godly lives. Sometimes, however, situations may be out of our control, or we may go through times of disillusionment, grief or confusion. It is during these trials that is particularly important for me to be still. I need to cease striving to fix things that only God can handle. He promises to work when we roll our burdens onto Him and wait in stillness before him. (Ps. 37:5)

As a bird lets down its wings to rest upon a branch, I want to "let down my wings" and cease from fluttering so that I can gain strength and direction for the journey ahead. I really want to learn the beauty and blessing in the art of being still before God. I want to understand the calmness and peace that comes as I wait in His presence until I hear from Him. Then, I believe that I wil return to ALL of my activities (of which there are MANY!) with greater purpose, greater meaning and greater enthusiasm than ever before!

A New Year, A New Day

2008-01-10T15:05:00.000-08:00

January, 10, 2008

I am always comforted by David, the Psalmist and his candid way of letting God know just how he felt about things, and then he ended up praising Him. No matter where this poet began, he always ended with worshiping God. I want my life to be like David's Psalms. Even though I may gripe or complain, or seem discontented, I want my days, weeks, months, and years to end in praise to the Living God, just as David did. Augustine couldn't have said it any better: Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee."
Oh God, help me to rest in You. I don't know what each day holds for me, but help me to rest in the mystery of this journey called life.
More on this later...