Friday, September 30, 2016

United We Stand


With the Presidential election looming and the country divided, Unity has been strong on my mind. What I find most ironic is the fact that both sides (Republican and Democrat) fear what will happen if the other candidate wins the election. My husband and I were discussing this and we couldn't help but wonder if once the election is final and everything settles back down, if life won't just go back to normal. Of course we know there will be policy changes, tax changes, and position changes, but isn't the way of the human race to focus on getting back to what we know best - leading our own lives? And yet all of this division - political, judicial, and moral - seems to be dragging each of us farther and farther apart.

What I've come to believe, however, is that it saddens God when Unity is lacking - especially among Believers. When Christians can't get along, when they won't forgive, when they slander one another and then act "nice and sweet" to each other's face, when love, mercy, and grace are non-existent...THESE are the things that break His heart.

The Bible doesn't tell us to create Unity but rather to maintain it, to live in it, and to preserve it. In fact, Unity is so important to God that He would rather us makes things right with each other than to bring Him an offering. Listen to these words of Jesus from Matthew 5:23-24:

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift."

It takes me back to when Jesus was asked to pick the most important law to keep. His simple answer was for us to Love God and love Others (See Matthew 22:37-39).  Love, clearly the greatest of all laws, must also be the greatest tool to help us keep Unity. So what are the qualities of Love?

1 Corinthians 13 lists them as such... Love IS:
  • Patient - bearing pain and trials without complaint
  • Kind - to be helpful, considerate, compassionate, gentle, sympathetic
  • Doesn't Envy - doesn't hold resentful awareness of another's advantages
  • Doesn't Boast - doesn't brag or overly praise oneself
  • Is Not Proud - doesn't display excessive self-esteem or conceit
  • Is Not Rude - isn't discourteous, vulgar or unpleasant
  • Is Not Self-Seeking - doesn't only seek to safeguard or further one's own interests
  • Is Not Easily Angered - isn't quick to lose one's temper
  • Keeps NO Record of Wrongs - doesn't hold grudges
  • Doesn't Delight in Evil - doesn't promote anything immoral, harmful, repulsive or offensive
  • Rejoices with Truth - is delighted over things which are honest, sincere, factual or real
  • Always Protects - to cover, guard against, or shield from injury or destruction
  • Always Trusts - to place confidence or belief in, to rely upon
  • Always Hopes - to long for with expectation, to expect with desire and trust
  • Always Perseveres - to be steadfast in a state of grace despite opposition or discouragement
  • Never Fails - to lose strength, weaken, fade or die away; to stop functioning
They will know we are Christians by our Love...


In closing, I want to leave you with some powerful Unity-minded Scriptures that really hit home with me this week. I pray they will help you understand God's heart and God's will for each of us.


"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:2-3)


"...there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other."  (1 Corinthians 12:25)


"How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)


"Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,  then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus..." (Philippians 2:1-5)


Jesus Prays for All Believers: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are oneI in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."  (John 17:20-23)


"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues PUT ON LOVE which binds them all together in perfect unity.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." (Colossians 3:12-15)


Thursday, September 15, 2016

A TIME for everything...


“Nothing compares to the greatness of knowing You, Lord…”

These lyrics sang to me this morning from my bedside clock radio. As I slowly peeled my eyes open I listened to the artist’s words as he sang of how he’d tasted all that was fine and yet nothing (he’d experienced) compared to knowing the Lord.

The next stanza was a bit more convicting…“I see all the people wasting all their time, building up their riches for a life that's fine…  It made me wonder about the things I waste my time pursuing rather than looking to the One who can truly fill me.

My thoughts then turned to Solomon and the book of Ecclesiastes. “Everything is meaningless!” Solomon practically shouts off the first few pages! Yet this is what King Solomon discovered through his many years of searching.

In Chapter 1 he finds that even the pursuit of wisdom is a waste of time! Why? Because both the fool and the wise will come to the same end…death.  In the next few chapters he shares that pleasure (wine, sex and stuff), along with work, power and wealth are also meaningless – like a chasing after the wind.  It’s like he’s challenging us to be mindful of our TIME here on earth – not to waste the days, months, or even the years we’ve been given.

In Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 he shares what he considers more valuable and a better use of Time:

 A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume.
    And the day you die is better than the day you are born.
Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties.
    After all, everyone dies—
    so the living should take this to heart.

Sorrow is better than laughter,
    for sadness has a refining influence on us.
A wise person thinks a lot about death,
    while a fool thinks only about having a good time.

All I can say is, WOW!


I absolutely loved his “Advice to the Young” in Chapter 11 and on into Chapter 12:

9 Young people, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do. 10 So refuse to worry, and keep your body healthy. But remember that youth, with a whole life before you, is meaningless.

Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly.

Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint.

Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral…  Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. 14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.

In closing I wanted to leave you with Solomon’s most famous words regarding Time:

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NLT):

For everything there is a season,
    a time for every activity under heaven.
 A time to be born and a time to die.
    A time to plant and a time to harvest.
 A time to kill and a time to heal.
    A time to tear down and a time to build up.
 A time to cry and a time to laugh.
    A time to grieve and a time to dance.
 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
    A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
 A time to search and a time to quit searching.
    A time to keep and a time to throw away.
 A time to tear and a time to mend.
    A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
 A time to love and a time to hate.
    A time for war and a time for peace.


Here's a link to the song I was listening to....

Thursday, September 8, 2016

The InSanity of God!



Suffering...

Doesn't this one word speak volumes? Its simple definition is succinct: Suffering is the state of undergoing pain, distress, loss, or hardship.

Frankly put, suffering sucks!

This has been the one blog that I've resisted. With each letter I've known almost immediately what I wanted to write about (and the same held true for "S"), but I knew that when it came to this topic…well, it wasn’t going to be easy.

Within the last few weeks life has held some pretty hard things – One of my favorite childhood friends lost her 14-year-old son in a car collision. Another friend lost her husband in a freak motorcycle accident. My next door neighbor has struggled for over 4 years with a chronic and intensely painful infection. Another set of neighbors is divorcing. This list could go on… and I haven’t even begun to mention the chaos in our country or the world!!

Anyway, when two unusual things happened this past week I knew the Lord was gently nudging me to push on with this blog. The first thing involved a movie entitled, “The Insanity of God.” I was invited to go see it, however I had no idea of the movie’s title and/or what it was about! My friend had invited me to go, and I said “Sure!” I had no idea what I was walking into!

This film featured Nik and Ruth Ripken, two missionaries who while serving in Kenya, Africa, faced not only the death of their son but also the intense testing of their faith. Taken around the world, viewers examine not only what Nik witnessed in Somalia, but also the experiences of certain persecuted believers from China, the Middle East, and the post-Soviet World. Ultimately what the Ripken’s discovered was that “…the church not only survives under persecution, but it thrives!” Trey Reynolds, manager of LifeWay films.

Here’s the link to the movie trailer: The Insanity of God
                        You can also download the movie and watch it!! You won’t regret it!!


The second push came from my new favorite Netflix show called, The Tudors. This 2010 Showtime series provides an interesting (albeit liberal) look at the life and many loves of the English King, Henry VIII.

One of my favorite characters is Henry’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Catherine is portrayed as a very spiritual woman, and it is her relationship with God that carries her through the rejection and abandonment of her husband, the King.

In one particular scene, Queen Catherine is asked whether she would prefer happiness or sorrow. She quickly answers, “Sorrow,” and then explains that “…whilst one is happy he often forgets his great need for God. But when one walks in sorrow, God is always near.” This poor woman walked through so much brokenness, yet she never lost her faith.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.  Psalm 34:18

  
Although I haven’t suffered beatings, imprisonment, or abandonment I have certainly tasted some morsels of suffering throughout my own life. One of the hardest times for me personally was while I was working at a preschool in Allen, TX.

I was a pre-school aide in one of the 3-year-old classrooms. I loved my job. I loved the kids. I loved the ladies I worked with. I was faithful to pray for them and often felt called to do so. So, I shouldn’t have been surprised when the enemy sent an accusing “giant” into my midst to stop those prayers!

To make a long story short, there was a CPS situation in one of the 4-year-old classrooms. We were told to not discuss it and/or to even ask questions. I completely complied and never strived to find out what had happened. However a few weeks later at lunch, when the aide from that particular 4’s class began to expound on the situation, my heart quickly went out to her. I remember saying, “I’m so sorry! I had no idea what you were going through.”

I guess my comment either offended her or she was panicked over what she’d shared, because she went back to her classroom and told her lead teacher that I had called her a liar. Soon after, I was called into the director’s office to explain. I was shocked by the allegations and deeply saddened because that was not my heart or even my thinking toward her or the situation at all! I didn’t realize that my innocent words had been twisted into something ugly.

I quickly asked for the director’s permission to go to “Leisha” and her lead teacher to apologize. The director gave me her full support and even said that she knew that’s what I’d want to do. Sadly, I should have had her go with me because I was walking into a hornet’s nest and didn’t have a clue!

Needless to say, I was told off by the lead teacher (and quite loudly!) while “Leisha” stood over in the corner cowering. Looking back, I’ve come to believe that “Leisha” stood away from the confrontation because she knew that she was the one who’d crossed the line. Not me. She knew that she could have been in major trouble for sharing so openly about the CPS situation at lunch. Unfortunately I was too dumbstruck by the accusations to explain what had really happened. And as a result, “Leisha” got away with it and I became an easy scapegoat. I believe that if I hadn’t been taken so off guard that I would’ve been able to defend myself better. But sadly “Leisha” was seen as the “hero” calling out the “preschool gossip.” The worst part was that she told others her version of the “truth” and they believed her. Ladies that I loved and considered friends were now treating me like a pariah…all because of a lie.

The Lord made it very clear to me that I was to remain silent. For me, this was torture. I wanted to defend myself sooooo bad. I wanted to shout from the rooftops what had really happened – that all I had done was give her support! But I was not given the freedom to do so. The Lord asked me to lay down my reputation…

For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did no revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously”   (1 Peter 2:21-23).

And you know what? It sucked. But sometimes following Jesus means that we’ll suffer even when we’ve done nothing wrong. “The greatest honor for any Christian is to be like Jesus. When we suffer unjustly, we share a tiny portion of what happened to Him.” Quote taken from pg. 70 in the book, “Countdown to the Apocalypse” by Robert Jeffress.

Compared to cancer or the loss of a loved one, this trial seems pretty trivial. But to a people pleaser (and insecure girl like me who wants everyone to like her) this season was really tough. Yet the Lord was with me. Despite the sickening, “pit-in-my-stomach” feeling I had every time I walked into that preschool ,the Lord showed up in some sweet, unusual way. He would send someone or something each and every day to encourage me to rest in Him.  And this too did pass…


The closing question in “The Insanity of God” is also a huge challenge. Is Christ Worth It?
Is Christ worth giving up your comforts? Your time? Your job security? Your finances? Your blood, sweat, and tears? Or like me, your reputation?

"Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world " (1 Peter 4:12-13).

Is Christ worth it? Absolutely He is!


See Also:

·         2 Corinthians 12:5 – God's grace is sufficient!

·         Philippians 1:6 – God’s goal is to make us like Christ!

·         Philippians 4:12 – We can handle anything with Jesus!

·         James 1:2-4 – In the end we will be thankful!

·         1 Peter 1:6-7 – Through trials, our faith will produce praise, glory and honor!