Saturday, March 27, 2010

It Matters How We Live

Let me just say this straight out with boldness: It matters how we live as Christians. Believing is not enough, at least not the kind of believing that has no effect on our lives. The kind of faith or belief that is apart from a changed life is not only wrong but clearly in contradiction to the teachings of Scripture.

This has been on my heart for a few years; this whole idea that is lived out in many lives of so-called believers - a life of ‘faith’ that does not result in a progressive walk of holiness. That is abhorrent to God and detestable to Him.

I started to collect verses that spoke of a changed life due to our salvation in Christ, but I soon stopped, because the Bible is chock full of millions of verses that illustrate and highlight this truth of a sanctified life - a life that is progressively growing in truth and holiness. This is the only path for true believers; there is no other way therein to walk. If this is not true of you, if there is no ongoing proof of your walk with Christ, I beg you to examine not only the Scriptures, but your own life and heart. Because once Christ takes up residence in our lives, we change. There is no exception.

There are those out there who want to live in blatant, defiant sin who still want to claim the mantel of Christianity. This is utterly false.

A believer can fall. Yes. A believer can fall badly. Yes. But if the pattern of years is unfruitfulness and willful sin and an unchanged life, then the Scriptures tell us to examine their fruit. We will know them by their fruit, and a good tree does not produce bad fruit.

We believe - God rescues us and we believe with the God-given gift of faith - and the result is a new life in Christ; we are now new creatures. We walk in newness of life, “so that in every way we will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.” (Tit.2:10) We ‘adorn the gospel of God….’ How? We adorn it with a godly and upright life.

We are told to "put our religion into practice" (I Tim 5:4/8); to "pursue righteousness and godliness" (6:11); to "fight the good fight of faith" (6:12). The fight of faith is the fight for holy living. Admittedly it is a fight.

We are "called to a holy life" (2 Tim.1:9). “The Lord knows those who are His…everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from sin.” A life of faith and real belief results in a turning away from sin and wickedness. “Flee evil desires…and pursue righteousness…” (2:22). I see no room for cozy co-habitation with sin. It should repel and horrify us.

Titus 1 tells us that "knowledge of the truth leads to godliness." In verse 16 Paul says that "there are those who claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him" Ouch. Actions and behavior tell the real story, right out there plain for all to see. And God above has access to our hearts, too; what kind of ugliness is revealed there?

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good. These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority…” (Tit. 2:11-15)

"Learn to devote yourselves to doing what is good" (Tit.3:14); “purify yourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of a reverence for God.” (2 Cor.7:1) “But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you - but you must master it.” (Gen. 4:7)

I could go on and on. I feel so strongly against the ‘easy-believism’ of the current Christian pop culture. What an affront this slap-stick religion is to God Most High and Holy. Such a life holds Him in utter contempt and spits on the blood sacrifice of His Son. For shame.

So examine your life and heart. I will examine mine. Where do I fall short? Where am I cozy and comfortable with sin? Where have I gotten too lazy to fight the good fight and have slid down into murkiness? The downward slope is slick and easy; no fight involved there.

Lets get more serious about our walk with God. Sober up. Pursue Him; follow hard after Him. Evaluate your walk and bump it up; raise your walk with God to a new level. Why? Because He loves us, sacrificed His Son on our behalf, and made a way for us to live in heaven with Him. He transferred us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. We owe Him. We owe Him our very lives.

R.C. Sproul says this: “God first sets us apart as holy - and then He commands us to live up to this reality.”

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Christmas Tree Adventure

We got our Christmas tree in early December, on my oldest daughter's 21st birthday, per her request. Otherwise, we would have been bartering with Daddy for weeks to please, please, please be able to get our tree early!!! The Christmas tree tradition he was indoctrinated in during his childhood, espoused that the parents got the tree, decorated said tree and the whole living room behind closed doors, and 'ta da', on Christmas Eve the whole magical room was unveiled. Hmmm. Special tradition. Nice and all - but definitely not appealing to the women of this household.

Every year he wants to wait that long and - poor guy - every year he loses out to the female horde in his home and graciously gives in to our wishes. For of course we girls want the tree up as soon as possible, otherwise how could we fully enter into the joy of the season? How could we properly get into the lit-candle mood of advent? Without a tree, how could we sing Christmas carols during family devotions? How could we munch on holiday cookies and candy canes outside of the proper atmosphere of a glittering and ribbon bedecked tree?! Makes no sense.

So, we usually get our tree early - give or take a couple of weekends - depending on our persuasiveness that particular year.

We loaded up the Suburban in the pouring down rain with tarp and rope and gloves and handsaw and drove past all of the signs advertising Christmas tree farms practically right in our backyard and drove miles away to discover a new - cheap - tree farm. We found one with a sign that advertised selected red ribbon trees for only $10. That would qualify as cheap.

We started our tramp through the trees, spreading out like frost on a cold window, each exclaiming over the perfect tree - over here! I quickly surmised why they were cheap, for the trees had such expanded girths they had outgrown most houses. But year after year we are tempted by giant trees, so that was not a deterrent for us. We chose our tree, sawed it down, and carried it to the waiting Suburban. It didn't fit inside. It barely fit on the roof of the car though we tied it down and drove off with our arms out the windows holding it in place. I'm sure we looked like the Beverly Hillbillies.

We hung blankets to protect our new front door as we shoved and heaved the tree into our living room. Ahhh. The hard work was behind us - let the fun begin! I warmly contemplated how early in the season we'd managed to whine our way to a tree!

I've never been so deceived in my smug complacency.

For now the second yearly debate began...where to place the Christmas tree! Daddy wants the tree in the middle of the room - I kid you not - for clearly that way everybody gets a good view of the twinkly lights. Every year he wants this. Every year we girls trample all over his fanciful fantasy with derision and scorn and passive aggressive behavior, for the tree clearly must go in its proper place in front of the window. Clearly.

This year something came over me and I said - I really did - I said go ahead and try it where you would like it. Then I hid in the kitchen doing clean-up while he and the girls dismantled and disarranged the whole living room to experiment with his tree fantasy.

To properly set the scene, you must know that my oldest daughter had assisted me in thoroughly decorating the large living room just the day before. Displays of snowmen, creches and candles, our large Christmas book collection, holiday villages, bowls of sparkly colored balls nestled in green moss covered every surface, and it was beautiful. And it was almost all dismantled as couches and chairs and trunks and coffee tables and end tables were all moved around to accommodate the intruding fat tree.

Well, he got it to its imagined place of triumph. From the kitchen I heard him say: "Hmmm, it doesn't quite work there." I was still in the kitchen, yes. I sometimes find it easier to maintain a godly, gracious demeanor - facade - if I am not directly tempted by watching. It is a whole lot less painful than biting my tongue.

After about an hour of finagling, back the tree went to its properly designated-before-creation place of triumph and beauty in front of the window. I came out of the kitchen, and we girls all heaved a sigh of relief. I consoled myself with the knowledge that surely, now, this temptation to dilly dally around with the tree will be forever nipped in the nappies and we'll not have to deal with this particular trial again in future. At least I have a whole year to be free of this particular worry.

Onward to the decorating. We left the tree out a bit from the window for ease of decorating,
added a bit of water for the thirsty tree, and began the tradition of winding the white lights about the tree while we sipped our hot spiced cider. Until we ran out of lights. This also is a yearly family tradition. Once back from the store, we finished up the lights, added wide red ribbon wrapped around the tree, and gold, red, and white ornaments. It was gorgeous. My eldest daughter kept a tight rein on the wilder, less beautiful ornaments, for she was to be the hostess of her Bible study's Christmas party this year. Any ragged ornament outside her theme was snatched off the tree and we were informed it could go back on after the party. This whole decorating thing with her has been quite fun as she is a minimalist - and I - well, I am a 'maximalist.'

The tree is now all decorated and it is time to move it back into its place against the window. We had the heavy metal stand placed on a three foot piece of plywood to protect our new floors and as we slid the tree home - you guessed it - the water sloshed out onto the board, swam to the edges and leaked under the board. Oh Oh. Of course we could not leave the water under the board for the whole month of December. (Although tempting)

Now the fun really began. Hubby had a plan. Remember the large girth of this tree - and imagine its weight. He marshaled his troops, we all had our assignments: one hold the tree, one slide the plastic under the board, one dry the floor and the board, and he would tilt the board to accommodate all. You know what happened. We did dry the floor, we did get the plastic under the board, but the tree fell over, twice, in the process and all of our decorating came undone. About fifteen ornaments crashed onto the bare floor and broke and the lovely red ribbon hung in bedraggled rows reminiscent of a harlot after a long night.

We decorated again. And we put the living room back in order again. The amazing truth is that all of this happened in just one afternoon and evening. We kept our humor - you must agree, it was all really quite laughable, and it has been fun sharing with you our tree trimming escapade. Debacle. Adventure!





Monday, March 22, 2010

The Secret

"I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want." (Phil.4:12)

This verse implies crazy whirling circumstances and conditions of all kinds:
In any and every situation - in the death or serious injury of a loved one; in the heartache of a struggling marriage or divorce; in failure at work or school; in the midst of dark depression or spiritual oppression; in ill health or cancer or debilitating migraines and bodily pain; in loneliness and loss of friendship; in the midst of being misjudged and the topic of gossip; in a rape or sexual assault; in lack of purpose or aimlessness; in times of waiting and not knowing - I have learned the secret.


The secret is God Himself. In any and every situation the one constant is God. I have God right here where I am residing at this very moment. Nothing can remove Him from me; nothing can separate Him from me. Other losses I may suffer, but this loss I shall never be asked to endure. I am His and He is mine.

"My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart
And my portion forever." (Ps.73:26)

My portion. My cup. My inheritance. My all.

So - I can lose everything - my family, my friends, my home and things, my job and career, my safety, my comfort and ease, my money, my sustenance, my health, my pleasures in this life, my purity, my dreams - and I would not have lost the most important thing in all of my life, for I still have my precious God and Savior.

Now one thing that is true for all of us in our spiritual sojourn is that we know these truths, but then God takes that head knowledge and makes it real, real, real. And He makes Himself the very thing that matters most. How? He presses these truths out in the wine press and pressures of life and He shows us over and over again the utter necessity of trusting Him 'even here' and 'even here' and 'even here.' Hasn't that been true for you? It surely has been true for me.

I am not the same woman I was even 10 years ago. God has been at work and it has been a good work even though my life has had its painful, tortuous times. Over and over He has said, I am your all-in-all. You could lose this - whatever - and you would still have Me, and my soul has been comforted with that precious reassurance. Not until we have suffered in various ways and seen Him prove Himself to us personally can we say with confidence that yes, He is all I need, though I lose all else. This, then, is the secret of being content in all circumstances.

That secret is not learned in a moment. That secret cannot be taught in a book or a class. It is borne out of a faith pressed into service in the high heat of trials beyond our own capability to endure. We are taught to run to our Savior, to our Jesus. And right there is where that truth becomes our own. Yes, I have my God. I will never lose Him.

We cannot just take in the facts from our eyes and think this is the only truth - this is 'real' truth. For the Bible says, "We live by faith not by sight..." (II Cor.5:7) There is an unseen truth. The data from our eyes may say this is chaos happening in my life, uncontrolled chaos, working against my comfort and peace and joy. But as believers in the God of the universe, we look beyond what is seen with our eyes and we look to the unseen. Our faith grabs hold of the assurances in scripture that God is in control and holds on tight. Always. Nothing can remotely touch our lives without, not only His divine permission, but also His good and sovereign purpose. And in believing, we cling to His beloved hand.

"Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, 'It is well, it is well, with my soul.'"
"I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord..." (Phil.3:8)
"I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.'" (Lam.3:24)
"You are my portion, O Lord..." (Ps.119:57)
"God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'" (Heb.13:5)


Thursday, March 18, 2010

Active Voice Obsessions

I am obsessed with popcorn. To obsess: to haunt or trouble the mind; harass; preoccupy; usually in the passive voice.... My obsession has an active voice. A loud voice.

My teeth bare in defense of my own private bowl and before I ever make my own batch of popcorn, I carefully question the crowd to ascertain if there is somebody else who wants popcorn. Because if so, I'll make their batches first - all in premeditated protection of my own buttered and salted bowl of ambrosia. You see my motives. They are to be sated with their own popcorn so that by the time I have my own, they'll not come near me with grubby groping fists.

And I'm not talking about a cereal bowl, but a mixing bowl sized batch and I eat the whole thing. Myself.

Prior to owning an air popper we indulged in microwave popcorn. Awhile back in my up and down weight history, I decided to kick the popcorn habit. I threw into the garbage can my remaining three bags of microwave popcorn. You might ask, what is wrong with low-fat, low calorie popcorn? Nothing. Except that I add fat and calories by pouring on the butter. Otherwise, I ask you, what is the point?

By mid-afternoon of that same day, my resolve crashed and burned, enduring under as I had, the clarion call of my precious popcorn bags from the garbage can under the kitchen sink. I sneaked back and surreptitiously fingered through the detritus remains of various kitchen activities, like a bag lady plowing through a dumpster, but I could not find my three precious plastic wrapped bags of microwave popcorn!

"GIRLS!!" Looking at them with narrowed eyes as they sat eating lunch together in the dining room. Hands on my hips, I interrogated, "WHAT have you done with my popcorn?!" My eldest spoke up and assured me with mischievously snapping eyes, that she'd HIDDEN them and that I'd never find them.

Bent on imbibing in a bowl of buttered popcorn, I charged upstairs to begin the search. Her confidence that I'd never find them told me that it had to be someplace special. In hindsight, I believe that the three packages of plastic wrapped microwave popcorn wanted me just as much as I wanted them, because they subliminally drew me right to them.

I pulled out one drawer in her captain's bed to explore the space behind - something I'd never remembered was there in all the years we'd owned the beds - and there they were. I snatched them up, hugged them tightly to my chest, and triumphantly descended upon the girls with a "HA! I found them!"

With grim satisfaction I plopped one into the microwave, melted several teaspoons of butter and salted the life out of my precious white kernels. Never again would I so blithely abandon this obsession of mine. This irresistible impulse. This bewitchment. I fully intend to regularly indulge myself in the future and the one concession I may make for health's sake is that I will sometimes use olive oil in place of butter. Sometimes. But I am making no foolish rash promises as such.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Nourishment for our Souls, Part II

My youngest daughter and I had a great talk awhile ago. She shared with me that sometimes she doesn't feel fed when she reads her Bible. We've all experienced that at one time or another - the discouragement of coming to the Bible, being hungry and needy, and nothing doth seem to satisfy. Nothing speaks. Right?

I encouraged her that as believers our job is to come to the table and eat. Just like she comes to the dinner table to eat the food her mother has prepared for her, she is to come and sit at the banqueting table that God has prepared for her in His Word. Her job is to eat. To shovel it in, scoop it up, partake. As her mother I provide her with a variety of nourishing and delicious foods at the table and expect her to sit down and eat, fork it in, chew it and swallow it down. God has an even more bountiful banqueting table full of good spiritual eats to nourish and satisfy the soul. So we are to come, come, come to His table, and He promises to feed us and provide our souls with the richest of fare. We come. He feeds. Our responsibility is to come to the table and delve in with knife and fork and with eager abandon. His responsibility is to feed us and provide us with the sustenance for our very life. The table is set. Come and eat.

We all know the story of Mary and Martha in the Bible. (Lk. 10:38-42) Martha was busy and distracted, Mary sat at the Lord's feet listening to what He said. Martha is the spiritual nibbler and Mary is the gourmand. Martha is dashing around doing busy deeds, and I can visualize her sticking her head in the doorway of the room where Mary sat at Jesus' feet. She'd listen for a brief moment and catch a good spiritual tidbit, a little nibble to momentarily dim her spiritual hungers, and off she'd go again. Mary on the other hand sat. She came to rest, settled in. She scooted herself right up to the bountiful banqueting table and ingested solid spiritual food.

How would we characterize ourselves? Are we the Christian nibbler ever on a strict diet of low calorie spiritual eats? Or are we the Christian gourmand who settles in for a fine feast? Feeding our souls on the richest of fares takes time and effort and energy and commitment. It is not the work of a moment in passing.

The only soul satisfying arm-around-you comfort in this life comes from the precious Words of our sweet God and Savior. He has communicated truth to us - words of life. His Word is truth. It applies. It matters. It speaks. It works. It suits each and every ache and pain and weariness and agony and speaks life directly into our souls.

Devotion - a steadfast looking to Him to hear the words of life. We have our 'devotions', but are we devoted to knowing Him? Loving Him? Then come, come, come and eat. Why spend your labor on what does not satisfy and your money on what is not bread?

Monday, March 15, 2010

Nourishment for our Souls

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters...come buy and eat. Why spend money on what is not bread and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to Me and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare....As the rain and snow come down from heaven...watering the earth and making it bud and flourish - so is My WORD...it will not return empty...but will accomplish what i desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it..." (Is.55)

These verses mix it all up in a delectable concoction - our coming to His Word, with our coming to the Person of Christ (known as the 'Word' Himself) - to feed and water our souls.

His Word is bread for the hungry and nourishment for the soul. Sustenance. Provision. Satisfaction.

His Word is water for the parched and thirst quenching for the dehydrated, pinched, and shriveled soul. Revitalizing. Refreshing. Clear as crystal.

Jesus says about Himself, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty." He is our perfect food source.

The Bible does not say He is our wine and chocolate - two tasty treats but fundamentally nonessential. (Really) He is the essential Bread and Water that is the foundation of our eating. Not just a weekly treat; not just a rich delicacy for occasional nibbling. Not just empty calories devoid of real nourishment. But He is our life sustaining re-energizing Bread and Water. We can live without wine and chocolate - but we cannot live without bread and water. We eat wine and chocolate and we end up still hungry, still thirsty, whereas bread and water fills and satisfies and meets the true needs of our soul.

Bread and water - two life sustaining requirements. Jesus is that to us. Taste and see that He is good. May your soul delight in the richest of fare.

"Thy Words were found and i ate them,
And Thy Words became for me a joy
And the delight of my heart;
For i have been called by Thy name,
O Lord God of hosts." (Jer.15:16)

Friday, March 12, 2010

My Purpose in Starting a Blog

I want to talk to YOU - woman to woman, nose to nose, heart to heart. My purpose in writing, my deepest hope regarding this blog, is twofold: to encourage women that God’s word has meaning and truth for today in the very midst of this post-modern world in which we live; and to remind and rejuvenate and rekindle our hearts; to fan into flame our love for God and His Word. Because -

God is worthy of all of our trust. His Word applies to today. God and God alone strengthens weak and feeble knees of trembling faith - He props up the lame and makes straight paths for our feet. We have to truly believe down through our socks that this God who saved us is our complete ALL in ALL. That if we have Him, we have everything.

So lets talk. Come along with me shoulder to shoulder and lets walk together, strengthening each other, providing support and truth for the way.

“I would have despaired

Unless I had believed

I would see the goodness of the Lord

In the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord;

Be strong;

And let your heart take courage.” (Ps. 27)

All of our lives - every moment of every day - occur right here in the ‘land of the living’ - and right there is where God’s goodness dwells with us. Right there is where we do not walk alone through this desperate, dear life, because we have an ever-present Help-er in times of trouble. He is worthy of all of our hopes because He is able to provide all of our helps.