Guest Blog on Hello Morning

Let the Morning Tip the Scale

Jan 03, 2022

It happened slowly, ever so slowly. If I had not been looking for it, I might not have seen it. I did not notice any difference at first, but then one day there it was, there was room to move in my once skintight jeans. Faithfulness had paid off. This blog is not so much about weight loss as it is about doing daily what we know to do and seeing that faithfulness pays off. 

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https://www.hellomornings.org/blog/let-the-morning-tip-the-scale

The Perfect Gift

Christmas has come and gone, the Christmas gifts have been opened and the wrapping is thrown away. Remember the shopping that went into getting all those gifts? Perhaps you received or gave, gifts that were nice but not really perfect. Perhaps settling for a gift or something generic but not knowing what would really please the receiver. Does the same thing happen when we give gifts to God? Do we give to Him not knowing exactly what would please Him. Sometimes we give Him what we think would please Him, like perfect church attendance, giving to others, more faithfulness, or money. When we bring gifts to the King, we need to be sure it is what He wants. Before we take on that extra duty, activity, or commitment, let's ask Him what He wants of us. When He tells us what He wants and we give it, it will be the perfect gift. The perfect gift might not look like what you would expect. The kings brought Jesus gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Appropriate gifts for a baby born in a manager? Hardly. Appropriate gifts for kings to give another king? Entirely! Ask Him what would please Him and then give it freely.

What about the gifts you received, did you open them? Have you enjoyed them? Used them? I heard yesterday of one store that makes $8,000,000 each year in unredeemed gift cards! Let's make sure we open the gifts He has given us and receive all that He has for us. It is already given but we have to unwrap what He has for us. God in His grace and "divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him." (2 Peter 1:3) "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" (2 Cor 9:15) Let's receive and open everything our Father has given us!

Empty Manger

On this Christmas morning I see the empty manger and my mind begins to wonder. What was heaven like without Jesus?  Was it like a child away at college? You know they'll be home for the holidays, or this year perhaps they won't. Or was it like a death in the family?  A gapping hole in everyday where He had been. 

He was God unlimited! He was everything,  had everything,  could do everything,  and He emptied Himself of all that was superhuman and became confined to a small body in the hands of simple humans who didn't really know what they were holding, wrapped in swaddling cloths. His birth opened the heavens and made the angels sing,  the star's align and kings angry, but that what His presence does,  it disrupts, it changes everything.

An empty manger, an empty cross, an empty tomb. He emptied Himself of all that was his so He could fill the earth with love, peace, joy!  He made a way for every fallen human be saved through Him. He made a way where there had been no way for me. He made a way by giving up His own place in Heaven and coming to live and die here on earth.  Then He rose and one day He will come get us so that we can be together. What a Christmas that will be!

Finding Success in Total Dependence

 This post is adapted from Kathy Howard’s new devotional “Deep-Rooted: Growing through the Gospel of Mark.” Get your copy here “Deep Rooted!” Join me on Facebook Live with Kathy at 11AM CT, Wednesday, December 9th!

I’ve experienced plenty of failure in my lifetime. You probably have too. We are imperfect people living in a broken world. Much of my failure has resulted from refusing to admit when I needed help, pridefully overestimating my own ability. And have you noticed? Simple defeat isn’t bad enough; failure always seems to draw a crowd. Why is that? Seriously, where are all those looky-loos when we succeed?

The ninth chapter of Mark’s Gospel records a big fail for some of Jesus’ disciples. When Jesus and His three closest disciples descended from the mount of transfiguration (Mark 9:2-13) the fallout of failure welcomed them. An eager crowd and a desperate father with a sick, demon-possessed son, looked on as the other nine frustrated disciples argued with some opportunistic scribes. The scene quickly dampened the spiritual high of the mountain-top experience.

Maybe this scene feels familiar. You returned home after a peaceful time of rest or some special time with the Lord and walked into a storm at home. Chaos chewed up calm. Discord displaced peace. This is what Jesus encountered.

The nine disciples had tried to heal the boy and failed. But, why? With the authority of Jesus, they had exorcised demons during their recent mission trip (Mark 6:13). So why did they fail now? The passage indicates not only insufficient faith, but also misplaced faith. When they were alone, Jesus blamed a lack of prayer (Mark 9:29). Prayer fosters dependence on God and His power. Lack of prayer reveals an attitude of self-sufficiency. Perhaps their past “success” had fostered pride, which caused them to battle the demon under their own power. And they lost the fight.

In contrast, the father was helpless and he knew it. Although he confessed weak faith, he humbly asked Jesus to strengthen it, to ease his doubts. The father brought everything to Jesus. He brought his sick son. He brought his hopelessness. He bought his fledgling faith. He even brought his doubts.

But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Mark 9:22b-24, ESV

Jesus encouraged the father to embrace faith. “All things are possible for one who believes” (vs 23). “Possible” does not mean that we can dictate God’s work through our “faith.” Just because God can do something doesn’t mean He will. It does means that God is able. Our desire for an outcome, no matter how much we believe, will not override God’s plans and purposes. But, we can rest in the truth that God’s work does not depend on the size of our faith, but on His power and grace.

Faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). We can either weaken it by independence and self-reliance or we can strengthen it through use. Let’s ask God for opportunities to build our faith. And when they come, may we exercise dependence on the One who is always able. 

Have you been trying to undertake some ministry or work for God under your own strength? If so, confess your independence to God and submit to total dependence on Him.

Lord God, I confess feelings of independence and self-sufficiency. All things are possible only because You hold all power and authority. Help me depend fully on You at all times. Strengthen my faith where it is weak. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Kathy’s bio:  A former “cultural Christian,” Kathy Howard now has a passion for God’s Word that’s contagious. With more than 30 years of experience, Kathy has taught the Bible in dozens of states, internationally, and in a wide range of venues including multi-church conferences and large online events. Kathy, who has a Masters of Religious Education from the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary, is a devotional and Bible study author. She also writes for multiple online magazines and devotional sites. Kathy and her husband live near family in the Dallas/Ft Worth. They have three married children, six grandchildren, and two accidental dogs. Kathy provides free discipleship resources and blogs regularly at www.KathyHoward.org. Kathy’s new 40-day devotional book, Deep Rooted: Growing through the Gospel of Mark, is available now!

In Deep Rooted: Growing through the Gospel of Mark, Kathy Howard’s seminary education, passion for God’s Word, and vast Bible teaching experience come together in a unique devotional experience. Finally, a daily devotional with some meat on its bones! Get your copy of “Deep Rooted!”

Time to Rip Off the Bandage

 

This is a guest post from my friend, Kathy Howard. We have led several retreats together and she has encouraged me in my writing. You will want to check out her new devotional, “Deep-Rooted: Growing through the Gospel of Mark.” 

My grandkids love bandages. It seems that every time they come to our house somebody needs one. So, I keep “kid” ones on hand. Bright colors. Their favorite characters. Most of the time, their little scrapes and bumps really don’t need a bandage. But it makes them feel better for a little while. Bandages don’t heal. They merely cover the wound until healing can take place. 

The Old Covenant was a bandage. Sin was the gaping wound. The law, the tabernacle, the sacrificial system, none of it could bring real healing. It was all simply a place holder, waiting for God’s perfect timing to bring true and complete healing for sin. Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross was the once-for-all, eternal cure. 

When Jesus took His last breath on the cross, something significant happened. The curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. This ornate, linen curtain blocked the way into the Holy of Holies. That innermost sanctum of the temple that housed the Ark of the Covenant, the very symbol of God’s presence with His people. No one could enter the Holy of Holies into the presence of God except the high priest; and he could only enter once a year on the Day of Atonement. 

On this day, the high priest first sacrificed a bull on the altar and sprinkled its blood in the Holy of Holies to atone for his own sins. Then, he sacrificed a goat and took its blood into the Holy of Holies, into the presence of God, to atone for the sins of the people. These ceremonies had to be repeated again and again. Year after year. Because the blood of bulls and goats could not cleanse sin or purify the conscience of the people (Hebrews 9:13-14). 

These sacrifices were just a bandage. They simply covered our wound of sin. Jesus was God’s plan of salvation all along. Before creation (1 Peter 1:19-20) God saw our need for a Savior and determined that His Son would pay the price. The blood of bulls and goats is not sufficient. Only the blood of the unblemished Lamb of God can provide eternal forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:14). 

When our sinless high priest died, He carried His perfect cleansing blood into the presence of God to atone for our sins. When His body was broken on the cross, the barrier between sinful man and our holy God was torn in two. To dramatically mark this victory, God ripped the veil that blocked the way into His presence. "And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom." (Mark 15:37-38, ESV).

In his book “The Pursuit of God,” A.W. Tozer reflected on the temple veil. “Ransomed men need no longer pause in fear to enter the Holy of Holies. God wills that we should push on into His presence and live our whole life there. This is to be known to us in conscious experience. It is more than a doctrine to be held; it is a life to be enjoyed every moment of every day.” 

God invites those who trust in Christ’s sacrifice for salvation to enter the Holy of Holies. To step through the curtain of Christ’s precious body and draw close to our holy God (Hebrews 10:19- 22). Won’t you come? 

Have you taken the privilege of entering God’s presence too lightly? If so, repent and consider the broken body of Christ. Father, thank you for the incredible privilege of coming into Your presence. Jesus’ suffering and death was the price of admission. In His name, amen. 

Kathy Howard 

A former “cultural Christian,” Kathy Howard now has a passion for God’s Word that’s contagious. With more than 30 years of experience, Kathy has taught in dozens of states, internationally, and in a wide range of venues including multi-church conferences and large online events. She has a Masters of Christian Education from the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary. Kathy is the author of 10 books, including the new “meaty” devotional Deep-Rooted: Growing through the Gospel of Mark. She writes for multiple online magazines and devotional sites. Kathy and her husband live in the Dallas/Ft Worth area near family. They have three married children, five grandchildren, and two accidental dogs. Kathy provides free discipleship resources and blogs regularly at www.KathyHoward.org. She also connects with women at Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Captured Thoughts

Since the garden of Eden snakes and women have been at each other because God said so. Yet, there is this odd story in the Old Testament about God's favorite people and snakes. They are on their way from slavery to the promised land and God takes care of all their needs as they travel. He makes a path through the seas and rivers; He keeps their clothes fresh, their shoes from wearing out, and He delivers food for them every morning but they are not happy. They complain. Sometimes we forget how bad things really were before we meet Jesus. We thought things were good, but the truth is we were slaves; slaves to habits, to our past, to the rule of the one who kept us captive. The truth is we were in prison. We were not free, we just got used to it.

In this story the Israelites have been freed and they do not like it. They do not like the food, they complain about the travel plans, and they try to undermine the leadership. God notices. He notices the complaining, and because of the complaining He sends snakes to bite His favorite people; some even die. OUCH! God is not throwing a fit because they were unappreciative, no, He does not want them to die. His plans for them are good, plans to prosper them and not to harm them but they need correction. Complaining is killing them. 

Like a snake, complaining can slide into our lives and we may not notice it. If we noticed, we would get rid of it! No need to be a snake handler to capture a snake. This small spider in the photo has captured a snake with the tiny threads of her web. In the same way, we can take our complaining thoughts captive. By persistently bringing out thoughts in line with God’s Word, we can bring our thoughts into submission. If a spider can capture a snake, then we are able, with God’s power, to capture our complaining thoughts.

2 Corinthians 19:5 says, “We even fight to capture every thought until it acknowledges the authority of Christ” (J. B. Philips).  You may be more familiar with the NIV.  “We demolish arguments (yes, we argue with ourselves) and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 

From this one-sentence-verse what can we learn to help us capture our thoughts?

 

1. It’s not easy. It’s a fight! We demolish! It’s intentional. Put on your armor girl!
2. Demolishing takes time and persistence. The spider captures the snake one thread at a time. So, our thoughts must be reined in until the complaining stops. Be tenacious! 
3. The truth sets us free! Notice that the arguments are against God’s way, and they are pretentious. They are not the truth. As long as we believe a lie it lives like truth in our lives until we demolish the lie and replace it with the truth.
4. Finally, the antidote is obedience. Taking our lying thoughts down and making them obedient to Christ is how we get our prayers answered. “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered…” (Hebrews 5:7-8 NIV).

What Not To Wear

Do you remember the TV show, "What Not To Wear"? During this time of lockdown and 'Stay at Home', many interesting things have been worn that will never be seen in public. It reminds me of the moment during my husband's long recovery from back surgery. We decide to get out of the house and make a dash to the local theater for a change of scenery. As we waited for the movie to start I looked down and my eyes widened - before laughter burst out of my mouth and eyes. I had different shoes on each foot. Clearly, what not to wear! 

What have you worn during the last few months? I know one woman that wore the same yoga pants every day, except for laundry day. Perhaps you tried on some clothes from that box in the back of the closet. You know, the one marked “Will-fit-again.” Relax, this devotional is not about weight, it's about choice.

This morning when you went to your closet what did you choose? Something to make you feel good, something comfy, something old, or something new? The Bible has some specific instructions for these choices. In Colossians 3:12 we are told we cannot just wear whatever we want, we are called to do better, to choose wisely, to be holy! “Since God chose you to be the holy women he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” (NIV).

Since God chose us… we must! He loves us and calls us to be holy! God chose us to wear the best, He chose us to display Him to the world. He did not leave us unprepared, He fills our closets with everything we need for life and godliness. He puts mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience on the hangers but we must put it on. Don’t reach for the will-fit-again box of thoughts. It might be a good time to get rid of it. Just a few verses earlier Paul tells us that we must get rid of all anger, wrath, malice, evil-speaking, filthy talking, and lying. He says get rid of the old and put on the new self. I wish that getting rid of our old way of thinking was as easy as taking a box of outdated clothes to the curb. It's not. Three things keep us going back to our old ways.

First, we believe that we need to defend ourselves with anger, wrath, malice, or speaking evil of others. That’s a lie. There is a better way dear friends, don’t take revenge… leave room for God's wrath. "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord, according to Romans 12:19. Leave room - don’t take over the situation, let God do what He promised to do. Leave room for God…perhaps leave the room as well. 😀

Secondly, we believe that being holy is unattainable. God is holy, we are not. Would God tell us to be something that we could never be? “His divine power has given us everything (Yes, everything!) required for life and godliness (How?) through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3). When God calls us to something, He always supplies the means to do it. That’s what He means when He tells us, we can do all things through His strength in us (Philippians 4:13). He thinks we can be holy, so go for it. 

Thirdly, we are afraid to fail so rather than fail we claim we can’t. Imagine a child learning to walk, we open our arms and encourage them, but they fall. We don’t scold them. We stand them up, hold our arms out to them, and cheer them on. That is how our Heavenly Father cheers us on. He says be like Me. We try and fail. He picks us up, dusts us off, and cheers us on until we are like Him. 

Now we know what not to wear and what makes us look most like our Father. 

In the Middle of the Mess

In these days of super-cleanliness, disinfecting, and hand sanitizer, we are trying to eliminate all the messes in our lives. After all, the good book says, cleanliness is next to godliness, right? Not! The Good Book, the Bible, says that the One who loves us without limit or condition cares for us in the middle of our messes. Psalm 23 says He prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies, in the middle of our mess.

 

Imagine the battlefield scene in a war movie where the smell and smoke and gunpowder hangs in the air. Soldiers in camo with dark-smudged faces are crawling in a muddy field. In the middle of the dirt and the noise is a table; a table with a white cloth, fine china, cloth napkins, and food prepared by God Himself! Not the perfect setting but the perfect table, and the perfect dinner partner. He invites you to sit, to rest, to talk, and to be refreshed. In Song of Psalm 18:19 David says of the Lord, "He led me to a place of safety, he rescued me because he delights in me." (NLT)

 

I don't know what your mess is. A relationship? A job, or jobless, situation? A child? Grief? A habit? A fear? Whatever it is, Jesus is inviting you to focus on Him, not the dirt, the pain, or the turmoil. As women, we tend to see dirt, clutter, and the mess! If the room is 90 percent clean we will see the 10 percent that is not. Jesus tells us to keep our eyes on Him, His is the source and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Take your eyes off the distractions around you for a minute and look across the table at the Lord who is sitting across from you. Your Host calls you to enjoy personal time with Him. In the middle of the mess, in the darkest hour, He is there at the table saying, "Look at me, let's talk and eat." Just like Jesus called Peter to focus on Him when he walked on the water, and when he looked away he sank, Jesus is calling us to keep our eyes on Him.

 

So what is this Good Shepherd offering us? "He is all that I need...He lets me rest...He leads me...He strengthens me... He guides me...He is close by me...He protects and comforts me" (Psalm 23). Wow! I DO have ALL I need! Before He asks anything of us, He gives to us; and then HE extends the invitation. "Come! Come sit, I have prepared this meal for you. Before the mess is clean, before the pain is gone, before everything is fixed, my feast is ready for you."

 

The choice is clear, focus on the mess or eat with the Master? Easy choice if you keep reading and see the aftermath of enjoying the meal with Him. "My cup overflows with blessings... goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life..." Cleanliness may not be next to godliness but godliness IS keeping our eyes on Jesus in the middle of our mess.

                                                              

Staycation, learn from the sea

Summer is here and escaping to an island may not be possible, but escaping from the routine pressures of your job, the traffic, and the everyday ordinary is an option. You can spend a few days on the beach relaxing in the sand with the clear water lapping at your feet and the gentle breeze stirring the palm branches overhead. Ahh!

The scene I just painted in your head sounds like freedom, freedom from the restrictive routines that regulate our everyday lives. Sometimes a change can give us that very needed rest. Take a closer look at that picture, and notice that beach scene is filled with routine, rules, and restrictions. Jeremiah 5:20-25 tells us many things we can learn from the sea. Take a moment and read it with me and see if you don’t hear the same things I did, and maybe more.

Jeremiah 5:20-25 (in Martha’s words). Tell my people to listen to the wisdom of the sea. Learn from her. You see the waves washing on the shore but do not understand. You hear the rolling breakers but don’t listen to what they say. This is what they show you. This is what they say. “Fear the Lord! Do not go beyond the limits of His Word. Live in respect and response to His ways and directions and the seasons will come as expected. The sea understands that and respects the one who put the beach at the water’s edge then drew a line in the sand and said, “don’t cross this line.” The waves try, they wash over the line only to recede again and come back to rest on the seaside of the line. “The sea knows, understands, and fears (respects, reveres, responds to) Me!” But my people do not. They don’t understand, don’t comprehend that fearing Me is for their own good. They resist the boundaries I have laid down for them. They have made their own tsunami by departing from the Lord and not fearing Him.

Fearing God, we may not often think about it and we may not understand it, but it is a good thing. In fact, “the LORD delights in those who fear him,” He takes pleasure in those who understand and respond appropriately to how awesome and powerful and mighty and loving He is (Ps 147:11).

Job gets it. After talking and listening to his friends talk on and on about his sorrows and pain, he hears the voice he has been waiting for. In Job 38 the Lord speaks, and Job knows that God is in charge and he is not. God is just and he is not. The Lord asks Job, in a telling sort of way, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Who told the sea, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’? Have you ever given orders to the morning? Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do you give the horse its strength?” Ok, ok, ok, Job gets it, he knows that fearing God is wise and right and good. Perhaps taking some staycation time to ponder that would set our minds right again, see the wisdom of the boundaries that the waves do not cross, hear the wind come from nowhere and whip up some whitecaps. Now, tell me again, whose in charge?

A Fresh Word for Today

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.”   Psalm 143:8

My husband could not stand the taste of coffee for the first 18 years of our marriage, while I would go the proverbial extra mile to get the perfect cup of coffee, the thought of heating up yesterday's left over coffee in the microwave nearly made me gag. Some of that has changed as Paul now drinks coffee every morning. We are spoiled with a fresh ground cup of brewed coffee every morning and we think it is the perfect way to start the day, sipping in the mellow mood of mornings, kick-starting the thoughts that will take us through the day. I’ll ask any non-coffee drinkers to use their imagination.

The other day I was having my perfect cup when a still small voice reminded me, that as much as I like my coffee fresh, am I content with yesterday's Word? I would never be content with yesterday's coffee, yet I can let my feet hit the floor and point myself into the day with yesterday's Word of God vaguely resting on my memory. Why is that habit of starting fresh with Him every morning so easy to let slide? I never forget to have my coffee. Let's sit at His feet together and listen to His fresh spoken Words for today.

Psalm 143:8 is rich with guidance for your day. “Let the morning bring me word…” Let, bring, these are accepting words, a receiving attitude, like accepting something handed to us. My favorite cups of coffee are handed to me by my husband. Our Loving Heavenly Father has prepared this day and He will prepare us for whatever this day brings. What is He bringing you this morning? Words of His unfailing love. This is not love like we may have known it. His Word and His love is true and faithful, unconditional and trustworthy. Perhaps your earthly experience with love and relationships doesn’t look like that. This morning He asks you to put aside those thoughts of disappointment and broken trust, and let Him bring you His love. Our experiences are not perfect and often not beautiful, but just like the sunrise is perfect every morning so God’s love remains perfect and beautiful every day. If we let each morning bring us His Word instead of our disappointed words we may find our perspective on the day is changed.

What kind of perspective is He offering us? A perspective of trust based on who He is, unfailing and loving, no worry, no doubt. Like Peter, when He got out of the boat to walk to Jesus on the water, we can keep our eyes on Jesus and not on the disturbing waves around us. That focus will change how we walk through the day, in trust and faith. “Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” The walk of trust has more confidence than questions, promise than doubts. Perhaps you think this sounds too much like motivational talk without real substance. If you think your situation is more challenging that the writer of this verse take a look at the rest of the Psalm, the verses before verse 8. “Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry…come to my relief…The enemy pursues me…my spirit grows faint…my heart within me is dismayed…Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails.” (Read the whole chapter here. Psalm 143 NIV.) Verse 8 comes on the heals of discouraging thoughts. Then the Psalmist turns his focus to the One who gives him hope. 

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.”  

Resurrection Morning! That was ten days ago. We all celebrated that monumental, history changing moment last week. He is risen! He is risen indeed! We relive that morning in our minds and online (because Covid-19 has closed the building), hoping to recreate the joy and hope in our hearts that Mary Magdalene had after she Jesus alive! Here we are just over week later, is life different because Jesus is alive? We have all felt the incredible ache of separation when we loose someone we love. “If only we could speak one more time, I wish I could say.... if I could ask one more question.... I would express my love more....” When Jesus died those who loved him grieved; but then He rose from the dead and they talked with Him, they hung on every word He said and they loved Him.

In this week since we celebrated His resurrection we have had ten mornings to get up early to talk with him one more time. Ten evenings to walk and talk with Him. To hang on every word. To love Him with all our heart and mind and every fiber of our being? We might think we have all the time in the world to do that and the urgency of the phone notifications is constant. Don't mistake the urgent for important. Keep the most important thing (or person) the most important thing. 

It may be helpful to see things from His perspective. In Exodus 32:1-8 the Israelites were waiting at the bottom of Mt. Sinai for Moses to come back from his face to face meeting with Almighty God. In verse one the people complain because Moses has been gone 's-o  l-o-n-g'. Moses is talking with God on a glory covered mountain and they think he has been gone too long so they build a golden calf to worship and call it their god. Eight verses later God’s description of the exact same time period is 'how quick’ they are to turn away. How long would we want to stay in the tangible presence of God? Obviously God has a whole different perspective on time. 

We just celebrated Jesus' resurrection. What about that earthshaking, veil ripping, grave opening, soldier slinging, eternity changing moment has changed your week? Ten days, would you describe your time with Him as, 'so long' or 'how quick'? 

In this convenient life we live in, we are easily inconvenienced. Anything from traffic, slow electronics, or spilled coffee is inconvenient. This morning as I was reading about Passover; a day when God saved His chosen people because they obeyed His strange directive, and painted the frames of their doors with lamb’s blood. Then they stayed inside until morning. In this narrative of the disciples' preparation for Passover there are two verses set off all by themselves (Mark 14:10-11). As I read them I stopped short, and reread them again. These are not verses you would memorize or cross-stitch or place as your screensaver. 

“Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him (Mark 14:10-11 NKJV). Judas looked for a way to conveniently betray his friend and master. There is nothing convenient about betrayal. What did he tell himself? “OK I’m going to betray my friend today but I don’t want to let it get in the way of my day, or make me look bad, and I definitely don’t want to be inconvenienced."

I am so glad that the inconvenience of the cross didn't make Jesus pause. No, when it was inconvenient He turned His face toward Jerusalem, knowing what was waiting for Him there. Then when He knew they disciples would all desert Him, and one would betray Him, He inconveniently planned a meal, He sat down with them and ate a tender meal with them. He didn't let what He knew about their imminent betrayal detract him from serving them. It's reminds me of the good Shepherd, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies..." I know you are my friends at this table but in a few hours you will join my enemies. Why? Because following Jesus is hard, it's inconvenient, it's an honor -  it's worthy everything.   

Evil did NOT win!

Tomorrow marks two years since the evil stormed through our community and a church building became a memorial for the 26 lives that were taken. Shortly after the shock numbed and the mayhem left town, First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs embraced a slogan that would give them strength and focus through the dreaded months to come; "EVIL DID NOT WIN". 

The words were posted high above the church on the sign by the road, it was the title of many newspaper articles, and the slogan on their t shirts last week at the Sutherland Springs Old Town Days. In the aftermath of the facts; all the loss, all the pain, all the challenges, all the family members who don't show up for church each Sunday, how is it that evil did not win? News reports are filled with the graphic evil that occurred on Nov 5th, 2017. Some Facebook posts are transparently raw about the pain of loss after that day, others are sadly silent in their grief and anger about things that can never be undone. How did evil not win?

There is a phrase in The Lord's Prayer that millions have prayed for thousands of years, "deliver us from evil," or, "deliver us from the evil one," either one is true. Deliver us, rescue us; this is not a suggestion or a request, it is an imperative command. "HELP!" No please or thank you, just the plea, deliver us! "Deliver" assumes that the danger, the evil, the need is already present. There is no need to deliver from a hypothetical or future situation. Deliver us from evil, a very real evil, and the evil one.

That dread-filled day has passed, and the evident danger is also in the past, but what of the evil, has it gone? Or is it continually knocking at the door of the survivors, the responders, the community, the world that reads and reels from the perpetual bad news? The apparent evil has passed but the temptation to let it remain is still here, still daily apparent. 

Looking back at Jesus' prayer the phrase that precedes "deliver us from evil," is, "lead us not into temptation." Lead us not! Don't let us go there! The evil that is in front of us every day is the one from which we need deliverance. Evil may have burst through the church door and delivered destruction but that evil is gone. The evil that remains is the temptation, by the evil one, to destroy everyday with evil. The temptation to let our peace be destroyed by anxiety, the temptation to let our love disappear into fear, to let doubt eat away at our faith. "Lord, lead us away from temptation." 

When the news tried to distort the grief of the remaining church members, they said "NO," evil did not win. When the conspiracy theorists stood at the edge of the church property taunting the pastor to engage, he said "NO," evil did not win, when depression threatened to drown survivors, they said "NO," and they supported each other, got counseling, and prayed for each other. "Lord, keep us from that temptation, and deliver us from that evil." That is why EVIL DID NOT WIN!

• the evil of hate did not win.
• the evil of unforgiveness did not win.
• the evil of self-pity did not win.
• the evil of hopelessness did not win.
• the evil of fear did not win.
• the evil of defeat did not win.
• the evil of offense did not win. 

Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever. 
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory; 
because of your love and faithfulness." (Psalms 115:1, NIV) 

For God's sake, forgive!

Fall, I love fall for so many reasons. It's beautiful, it's cooler, it's sweater weather, and of course there's some pumkin stuff. Really fall is about letting go. Letting go of the old leaves to make room for the new growth. Forgiveness is like that. 

Forgiveness frees us from so much when we let go. I'm talking about those wrongs, injustices, cruelties, that were done to us and we hang onto them thinking that justice will come and we will feel better. Not! As long as we don't forgive we are tied to that memory, that pain, that time in the past. 

By forgiving we release all that stuff and making room for new growth. There is freedom in that.  Forgiving may not even affect the other person but it changes me, it frees me. Listen to what God says, "He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins." Isaiah 43:25 NKJV

Did you get that? FOR MY OWN SAKE. God forgives us for His sake. He doesn't hold onto our sins but removes them as far as the East is from the West. For God's sake, forgive! For your own sake, forgive. Stop holding onto the cancer of unforgivness that polutes our everyday.  If you need words to help letting go try this. 

"Jesus forgive me for holding on to the past, it's sin. Teach me forget the things that are behind and reach for what is ahead. Because you have forgiven me, I chose to forgive____. I release them from my judgement and the emotional dept I feel they own me. I forgive them and release them. And God, I ask you to bless them. Yes, bless them. Please remove the pain and the past from my life and bring new life where the old has left. All because of Jesus. Amen."

Now enjoy the fall for new life is on the way.

The Flow of Words

This morning I talked with my friend from Georgia. The language that flowed from the phone was an immediate give away of who the caller was. The tongue gives away who you are. Even if you are not from England or Texas if you spend enough time there your accent will change to sound like the land in which you live.
     In the same way the language that flows from our mouths sounds like the land in which we live spiritually. If we dwell in the place of criticism out hearts get critical and the sound of the words we speak is critical. If we dwell in the land of sarcasm or complaining then out of our mouths flows the language of sarcasm and complaining. We always speak our mother tongue with ease. The heart of the matter is what makes the difference. What flows out can only flow out if that is what is inside.
     If you spill a glass of water, water comes out. If you spill a cup of coffee, coffee comes out.  What would happen if our heart were so full of thankfulness that thankfulness spilled out everywhere we went? What if we learned to make thankfulness our mother tongue.  Can a mother tongue be changed?
    In Genesis 1 God gives mankind dominion to rule over everything on the earth. “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion…. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion ....” Man is given dominion (rule, power to control) over every creature, bird, animal, and over the earth, yet according to James 3:7-8 “Every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish is tamed and has been tamed by humankind, but no one can tame the tongue. (CSB)
James 1:26 "If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives himself."
     So are we doomed? Must we live with a tongue we can't change? Look at the flowers of the field that God clothes in color, they can't change their color unless something supernatural takes place. If someone takes that flower and places it in colored water the color of the flower changes also.  The only way the petals of a flower can change color is if the food coloring travels up the stem and goes to the petals.
    In the same way the only way our mother tongue can change is if the Holy Spirit flows up from our heart to our tongue. Don't hold your tongue, you can't change that, but do hold your heart. Let your heart be filled with the Holy Spirit and the fruit of holiness will flow up into your mouth. Then love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control will come from the Holy Spirit filling your heart, moving up the stem and changing the color of your words.

My passion for 2018

My passion for 2018? It hasn't really changed since I read and memorized this when I was 14. I have grown,  my desire has grown and become more intense, but the goal is the same. 

THAT I MAY KNOW CHRIST AND THE POWER OF HIS RESURECTION, BECOMING LIKE HIM IN HIS SUFFERING AND DEATH SO THAT SOMEHOW I MAY EXPERIENCE HIS RESURECTION FROM THE DEAD! Philippians 3:10.

Everything else is worthless compared with knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For that goal I shake off every other goal. For that prize I run the race lightly, letting go of everything that weighs me down. I make it my single focus to pursue and really know Him. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! Our friends in First  Baptist Church  Sutherland Springs shared, and are sharing, in that experience as are many in the community.

What does really getting to know and pursuing Christ look like? Does it look like reevaluating my priorities? Reorganizing my time and energy to reach that goal of knowing Him intimately?  Or does it mean I will have to know Him in my suffering through grief and loss? Jesus loved us SO MUCH that He chose the suffering and death so we could be with Him. Jesus says it in John 14, "I'm going to prepare a room/ mansion for you.  So that when it's ready,  and you are ready,  I'll come get you so that we can be together!" God really loves us that much. That being with us makes Him happy.  In other words.  Jesus will do anything and everything to be with us. 

My prayer for you today is from Ephisians 1. That you may know the hope of His calling for you, the richness of His glory in the saints who have His inheritance in them, and the incredible greatness of His power toward those who believe in Him, that the same power that rose Jesus from the dead lives in us, today!!! WOW!  WOW! WOW! So as I contemplate the sorrow and trouble and death around me, I place over that the picture of Jesus dying and rising from the dead so that we could be like Him, so that we could know Him in our earthly experience,  so that He could come get us when our room is ready and we could be together! Now that's a great thought for my heart to start this day.  ♡

UPSIDE down - see life differently

Looking at the clouds from the top side is one of my favorite moments during flight. They are huge, fluffy, endless, and appear solid and strong. Like a huge playground where weightless bouncing is normal and 'hide and seek' takes on a whole new challenge. We imagine we see animals and giant figures but they are not real. What is real is the blanket of pure white that looks solid enough to walk on. But is that real? Is that the truth? The truth is that the moment we step on this blanket the law of gravity will pull us down, down, down through miles of clouds to inevitable disaster.

The law of gravity is hard to avoid, impossible some say. Some have managed for a moment on a trampoline, wind tunnel or parachute, but in the end gravity won. The law of gravity remains in effect until a stronger law overpowers it.  For instance, stepping into a plane changes everything. As the engines roar the law of aerodynamics overpowers the law of gravity and I am free to fly above the clouds. I am not afraid of falling nor do I feel the pull towards the earth when I look at the clouds from the Upside down.

Can the same be true of my life? Is there a law at work that keeps me down and below my true potential? Is my past, my pain, my circumstances holding me back? The law of sin and death is real. When we sin we die, not instantly but since that first garden sin has been at work in our bodies causing us to die one day at a time and eventually law of death will overtake us all. Experiencing that dreadful moment from this side is hard, very hard. We think we will not survive, the sun will never shine again, the birds will never sing again, and yet they do. The very next morning whether we hear them or not, the birds are singing. The truth is that the sun still rises radiantly in the morning, flowers bloom and the birds still sing.  Even when I "walk through the valley of the shadow of death" and that is all that I know, there is another truth at work. God's Word reminds me 2 verses later that “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6)

Like the law of aerodynamics, I am reminded of another truth, a stronger truth than death. I will rise above the law of death and live again. Eternally? Yes! But here and now as well, for God "has put eternity in our hearts." (Ecclesiastes 3:11) He has offered us His perspective on our lives, His eternal perspective. When we allow His law of everlasting life, of eternity living in our hearts, to overpower the law of sin and death we can see our circumstance from His perspective, from the UPSIDE down.  "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:2 THANK YOU JESUS!

Empty heaven, empty manger

It is not Christmas. It is the morning after.  All the boxes are empty. The tree is no longer crowded with gifts. And then I see the empty manger and my mind begins to wonder. What was heaven like without Jesus? Was it like a child away at college? You know they will be home for the holidays. Or was it like a death in the family? A gapping hole in everyday where His amazing presence had been. 

He was God unlimited! He was everything, had everything, knew everything, could do everything, yet He emptied Himself of all that was super-human and became confined to a small body in the hands of simple humans. Humans who didn't really know who they were holding, wrapped in swaddling cloths. His birth opened the heavens and made the angels sing, the stars align, wise men worship, and kings angry. But that's what His presence does; it disrupts the darkness, it brings alignment to chaos and angers evil, it changes everything. 

An empty manger, an empty cross, an empty tomb. He emptied Himself of all that was His so He could fill the earth with love, peace, joy, and make a way for every fallen human to have their place in heaven with Him. He made a way where there had been no way. He made a reservation for me by giving up His own place in Heaven. 

Jesus left heaven, left the manger, left the cross, left the tomb so that He could call my heart His home. An empty manger, an empty cross, an empty tomb has filled my heart with unspeakable joy, unquenchable light, everlasting life, and unconditional love!

Read more in Philippians 2:6-11
The song my heart is singing  What a Beautiful Name

God is watching but maybe not like you think.

 "For the eyes of Yahweh roam (go to and fro) throughout the earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are completely His." 2 Chron 16:9

The Lord is actively watching you, looking for those who will totally trust Him, wholeheartedly! If you read the rest of the chapter it is obvious that each choice, toward or away from trusting the LORD, has consequences.  He tells His people, "You depended on the king of Syria instead of depending on the Lord your God. And so, you will never defeat the Syrian army. Remember how powerful the Ethiopian and Libyan army was, with all their chariots and cavalry troops! You trusted the Lord to help you then, and you defeated them. The Lord is constantly watching everyone, and he gives strength to those who faithfully obey him. But you have done a foolish thing, and your kingdom will never be at peace again." 2 Chron 16:7-9 NKJV
God is watching, looking for ways to help us when we agree with and depend on Him. God is not passive watching us waiting for a mistake or misstep so He can catch us in our misbehavior. He is however, watching us every second. Watching us intently and actively looking for those who will trust him completely. Watching so He can help us, strengthen us and show His strength in our lives. He promises that He will show up strong for those who completely trust and follow Him completely. He is for us, always. He makes us braver than we can possibly be in our own imaginations. This song remind us of His intention for us. 

"As Your love, In wave after wave
Crashes over me, crashes over me
For You are for us, You are not against us
Champion of Heaven You've made a way
For all to enter in...You make me brave"  

You make me brave  by Amanda Cook.

 

What is in your hand?

I am not a huge fan of magic. I'm usually intent on figuring out the trickery behind the trick.  But I love the miraculous, when God does something only He can explain. God gave Moses what seemed like an impossible task. "Go see the powerful man that has been trying to kill you and tell him to release the majority if his workforce, tell him to let My people go." Moses was the perfect mixture of Israelite / Egyptian to deliver the message but his response is so familiar. "Suppose they will not believe me or listen to me...” Doubt, doubt, doubt. I doubt it, I doubt myself, I doubt You, God. So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”  He said, “A rod.”   And He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses ran from it. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), “that they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” The all knowing One asks a simple question. “What is that in your hand?" Seems kind of obvious, "A stick."
Talking to God is often like that, He seems to beat around the bush,  not the burning one. He is all knowing but he often answers a question with a question, usually a question with an obvious answer. Like whose face is on Caesar's coin? Hey  Peter, do you love me?  Cain, where is your brother? Moses, what's that in your hand?  "Moses, what is that in your hand?" God was showing Moses that He had everything he needed to obey God right in his hand. After all, he was given the rod by God. So according to 2 Peter 1:3, "His divine power has given to us everything for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us..." We are equipped by Him with everything we need to live and be godly. 
That said, when God shows you what He can do through you it is often scary. When Moses saw the rod turn into a snake he ran from his own rod in fear. How many of us retreat from what God says He wants to do through us. "No God, I can't possibly..." You're right, you can't, but God can. The first thing we have to do is grab it. Watch how God tells Moses to deal with his fear.  "Reach out and grab it by the tail. Fear is dangerous. Grab it. Living in Texas I have a whole new respect for snakes. Snake safety 101 is never catch a snake by the tail. The pure obedience of Moses reaching out and catching the snake by the tail is a picture of faith. The faith that if I do exactly what God tells me, He will do the rest. Perhaps this is why God could do so much through Moses. He heard God clearly. He trusted God. He obeyed.
What do you have in your hand? An instrument? Then play. A voice? Then speak. A pen? Then write. Creativity? Then create. Children? Then parent.  A job? Then do it.  What do you have in your hand? Grab it by the tail and do what God has told you to do.