The Soil of a Heart

I woke extremely early, got about my Bible & study time as I waited for the morning coffee to brew. I've been doing a specific study on Jesus and I was eager to get into it. Typically, I read rather fast and I am forcing myself to slow down, re-read passages for their full impact and certainly have asked God for revelation so I might get all that He would have me glean from the study.

I love it when a passage, a thought, or intent I had not grasped before jumps off the page at me. It ignites a spark that becomes a flame as God reveals more and I sit in awe that He has shared it with little ole' me. Much I read this morning inspired me but one thing stuck out and encouraged me, a nugget of gold to hold on to and turn over in my spirit to see from every angle.

There was a change in tone and teaching style when Jesus went from proclaiming the kingdom was at hand to the Nation of Israel who rejected Him as the long-awaited Messiah, to a call to the individual to surrender in faith to the yoke of his lordship. Thus began the time of teaching in parables – everyday stories that illustrated spiritual realities.

The first parable recorded in scripture in Matthew 13:3-9 was that of the sower/seed/soil. Jesus, always focused on seeking and saving the lost, preached the gospel in His first parable. Rather than openly proclaiming His message, He obscured the truth from those that had rejected it already. Genuine believers who desperately wanted to understand found Him eager to explain every detail. Those who hated the truth didn't bother to ask.

As I sit with my class of 'tweens, I draw analogies between spiritual concepts and their everyday worlds so they can understand how it is as relevant today as it was in the time Jesus walked the earth. As with the parable of the sower/seed/souls…I can tell by the attitudes, behaviors and interests the four types of soil bearers sitting in the class. There is a distinct line between the askers and the non-askers. The nugget I referred to before was this: in ancient times, the Palestinians used different methods of sowing. Sometimes they sowed first, and then plowed under the seed (gospel). That often happens in evangelism. We sow the seed, and even when it seems the hovering birds (satan) are ready to snatch it away, the Holy Spirit plows it under so it can sprout and bear glorious fruit.    

As sowers, we are called to broadcast the seed of the unadulterated gospel, even if some of it falls on unprepared soil. There will always be wayside soil, shallow soil, and weedy soil, but there will also be good soil that will bring forth crops thirty-, sixty- or a hundredfold. That prepared soil needs only to have the right seed thrown on it.

The Heart of the Matter

Somewhere along the way, many Christians have come to paint a mental and spiritual portrait of Jesus as a mild-mannered, soft-spoken man of grace, peace of mind and heart, and all-inclusive salvation; salvation promised to any and all that accept Jesus into their hearts, which by the way, is a contemporary evangelistic term. To me, this conjures up an image something akin to the peace-sign waving hippies of the 60's. I have often wondered if I was totally off base in my mental/spiritual image of Jesus because, to me, he was certainly not a milk-toast messenger scooping up followers as fast as he could. Consider Nicodemus or the rich young ruler, for instance. The highly educated, influential Jewish leader and the wealthy man would surely have been feathers in the Followers Cap, were that true. Yet, Jesus stood firm in His admonishments of both because he knew their hearts. The Jesus that rang true in my spirit challenges people to face their sin, change their ways and habits through regeneration. Can one have the salvation Jesus offered with mere lip service?

Salvation is a gift but not one passed out like samples of food at Sam's on a Saturday morning. It is not a passive decision but a lifestyle of deliberate action. "Follow Me" is not an invitation to fall blindly into the ranks like lemmings but to set aside with purpose that which you formerly believed and lived, to forsake anyone and anything that hinders your path to the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Jesus embodies love, forgiveness, and grace, certainly; but it is by no means an indication that it is an all-inclusive gift card for those that claim a life on Righteous Road half way to Heaven but dwell as citizen of Sodom and Gomorrah! Regeneration is the rebirth Jesus spoke of to Nicodemus. It was turning away from all that is not Christ as Savior and Him crucified. We read in Titus 2:11-15 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority Let no one disregard you.

Still, there are Christians, congregations and entire denominations that open wide their arms to accept any profession of faith from anyone regardless of their lifestyle, active and/or open participation in a life ripe with sin. Jesus knows the heart of man; He is not swayed by flowery words of professions of faith. Jesus confronted and challenged people to look into their hearts, examine the fruit of their lives. Look at what Paul instructs in Titus 3: Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.

A regenerated heart and life renewed by the Holy Spirit cannot continue to wallow in the sinful, carnal practices it did before Christ. Professions of faith fall flat when the actions of the speaker reveal an un-regenerated heart and lifestyle. Jesus told Nicodemus, no man has any hope of eternal life without a spiritual rebirth. He refused to proclaim a message that would give anyone false hopes. His words, always tailored to the individual's needs never failed to puncture an inquirer's self-righteousness, unveil wrong motives, or warn of false faith or shallow commitment. That does not read as mild-mannered or soft-spoken to me. I see it as to the point and straight to the heart of the matter. That's my Jesus.

Eye-opening Trip Down Memory Lane

Coming home from the hospital where my dear friend had heart surgery today, I stopped at the local post office to buy stamps...you may remember stamps, they were once little cheap things we put on envelops when we wrote long letters to distant friends, paid bills or actually mailed out Christmas cards. Today, we use the internet more and more for all of the above mentioned correspondence. But today, I needed a real stamp to mail something....it's been a while. The long hot drive home from the medical center found me relieved to pull into our small hometown. I have long loved small town living.

Walking into the post office I was greeted by the familiar smell of post offices everywhere, no matter how big or how small, there is a distinguishable smell they have that can be found no where else. The cool air was refreshing and the hushed quiet felt reassuring, don't know why but it did. The hallway of mailbox faces lined the wall of the empty hall. I miss the brass plates that once adorned post office mailboxes, it's not the same when the detailed brass plates were replaced with the more economical and decidedly less attractive mailbox doors. Now they are just doors, no longer feel like locks to a treasure chest.

Maybe my kid-like fascination with post offices of days gone by was rather fanciful but I've always been enamored by them. I can remember being excited about going to the post office. We no longer live in a day and age where having your kid walk to town to check the mail is a good idea but we used to! I loved climbing the tall steps the old post office, the heavy glass doors the hushed stillness of the hallway that held the beautiful, magical brass-fronted mailboxes. I was also fascinated with the big poster of Uncle Sam pointing to you as you stood in front of it! Ah, and the metal stand with all the brochures from the different branches of the armed forces invited you to enlist and see the world. I always took one of each home with me because they ignited my imagination about foreign place I hoped to one day see. I miss those, too!

Today, I needed one stamp, so I entered the inner office of the post office where you buy stamps and/or send off packages. There were only two men to be seen, the professional though friendly postal worker behind the counter and a man in well-worn overalls talking about the merits of changing daylight savings time to winter months rather than the hot summer months where you work till nine, don't have dinner till eleven and then have to start all over again early the next day. I said, "Sir, I will vote for you for any office for which you choose to run based on that platform alone!" I, too, am not a fan of longer hot days! Never cared for daylight savings time, not any of my life. I prefer my days to be days and my nights to be night over daylight extended well into the night time hours.

He then moved on to discuss with some disdain the state of our country under our current leadership. Terse words about terrorist, birth certificates, et cetera were tossed over his shoulder as he left the glassed in inner office. I commented to the postal worker that he must hear all sorts of commentaries. He said he heard all sorts of things every day. This man, he said, had just lost his combine; he just lost everything and it was so hard to be a farmer in this economy. My heart was heavily burdened for the farmer than just walked out the door. I do not know him, do not know if I would recognize him if I saw him again but  my heart hurt for him. We have a lot of farmers in this area and, sadly, I must say, I have not given them a lot of thought. But this day, I felt a heavy weight of knowing my fellow small-towner, a farmer, my neighbor has lost his entire livelihood. This hurt me through and through. 

Friends, we are all connected, all people. Small town, large cities, third world countries, remote islanders, famous and infamous, rich and poor, educated and illiterate...we are all connected. Sometimes we get so absorbed in our own little worlds and illusion of importance that we never give a thought to "those people" that do not hit our radar. Today, I felt conviction in my spirit for the blind eye with which I viewed my world. How can we say we seek to be more Christ- like if we do not have the heart and vision for all people Christ displayed over and over? God has a world vision, not tunnel vision. As one with a call to be a missionary, I have had a heart for lost people....somehow that world vision has narrowed and I've stopped thinking in world vision terms. For this I asked forgiveness. My prayer is that we purpose to open our eyes to all people. To feel their pain, share their joy, empathize with their issues, show compassion to those where needed and most importantly of all, do this in the name of Jesus!

My nostalgic memories of trips to the post office and my need for one little stamp was, I believe, a divine appointment to show me where I had lapsed into apathy where empathy would be more Christ-like. I always say I wish I got postcards from heaven....today it as a message in a post office...isn't that just like God?! 

Morning........

Morning, Friends.....

One of my dearest friends is in the hospital having heart surgery, so please bear with me as I spend time with her. Truth in the Morning will be back in regular operation soon. Just wanted to let you know why there hasn't been any new post lately.

Take care and God bless!

Out of the Way!

Say it boldly; say it loud…Jesus is Lord!! It's one thing to say that from the comfort of your favorite seat at church but does it ring out from your home and lifestyle, too? Can a co-worker tell you are dedicated to Christ by the way you act at work? Does your demeanor with your family behind closed doors reflect that of one seeking to be more Christ-like? Is your daily walk one of a person of integrity or of convenience? Is situational morality your best friend and/or partner in crime and sin? These are questions to be asking ourselves. It's easy to point out the slips and failings of others but we need to monitor our own behaviors in the bright white light that is pure and holy first and foremost.

I think we as a people cut ourselves too much slack. Yes, we all fall and fail. We will continue to do so as long as we walk around in our earth suits, our human flesh. The issue I have is when we glaze over our shortcomings and dismiss them with a casual, "Oh, I am a work in progress." Yes, we are….however; can we really say we are repentant of our sins when we do not take ownership of them? Is it possible to acknowledge our shortcomings glibly with the wave of a hand and shrug of a shoulder? I'm not so sure this qualifies as owning our sins and true repentance. It's more like the 'wink and a nod' we read so often about in Proverbs….  

I'm not saying we shouldn't forgive ourselves and move on without dwelling on the failing or beat ourselves up with a proverbial whip when we mess up but we should first seek the forgiveness of God and I do not think that is possible when we glaze over the areas of personal sin. If you cannot admit to that sin as being undesirable to God can you ask for forgiveness without acknowledgment and ownership? I do not think it possible. Doesn't scripture say that if we believe ourselves to be without sin we are deceiving ourselves? Denial is a slippery slope we traverse when we blow off that which we do not repent.

All that being said…..is Jesus really Lord in our lives when we overlook sin and call it by another name when it is our own or that of a loved one? 'Self' becomes lord when we use the standard of our liking rather than that of Jesus Christ. There is no 'dying to self' when self-protection is in play. Whether we hold our loved ones and ourselves accountable or not, the day will come when we all stand before our God and answer for that which we have not repented. We will sin and we will fall. Let's not compound the offense by denial and white-washing. Own it up front and confess it. Repentance can only come from a sincere heart. Denial and a sincere repentant heart cannot co-habitat.

Jesus is Lord, this day and every day. We need to get our 'self' out of the way!

Get Out of my Head

I feel I have spent my entire summer trying to get my act together. Maybe this entire year…or several past years! Egad! Somewhere along the line I zigged when I should have zagged and now I look up…regularly… and wonder how I got to this point. I had plans, goals, and direction of purpose….didn't I? I find I question myself about those plans, question my commitment to them, even the sincerity of my intent.  

In part, I believe I have let outside circumstances affect me. I always seem to be waiting on something to happen before I can move on to the next step. I must say, that's nuts and counter-productive! Am I so easily distracted and discouraged that I am swayed from my vision and target goal? As I sit here writing this, I chuckled because I am waiting on the weekend guest we are expecting to come and go so I can move my home office to the guest room in order to help reduce distractions when I work.. Aughh! See what I mean?

In my quest to eliminate distractions, I am working toward paring down the 'things' in my house that vie for my attention. Why do we, I ask myself, need things that require storage? If it can be stored away and not used regularly, do we really need it in the first place? If they are not being utilized…set them free, bless others that may really need them and shake yourself loose from the encumbrance of unnecessary stuff! Stuff distracts. Stuff starts moving in on your personal space. Stuff steals your time when you are trying to accomplish something and continually rearranging the stuff to make anything else happen.

You can box up material stuff and cart it off. Mental and emotional stuff can steal your focus and time as well. We all have issues that require our time and attention but we must be on our toes to not allow our focus get misdirected by anything that is not of God. Therein lays my problem. I have been lax about guarding my thoughts. I'm not plagued with carnal thoughts, just have allowed my focus to be bombarded by so many thoughts and issues. If my mind is clouded with extraneous issues, I am not being productive.

The following is part of a prayer out of Prayers that avail much:

In the name of Jesus, I take authority over my thought life….With my soul I will bless the Lord with every thought and purpose in life. My mind will not wander out of the presence of God. My life shall glorify the Father - spirit, soul and body …I gird up the loins of my mind, and I set my mind and keep it set on what is above – the higher things – not of the things here on earth…..I have the mind of Christ the Messiah, and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart. In the name of Jesus, I will practice what I have learned and received and heard and seen in Christ and model my way of living on it, and the God of peace – of untroubled, undisturbed well-being – will be with me. In Jesus' name, amen!

That's my prayer for my life and yours!

The Domino Theory of Thankfulness

One of the things I love most about teaching the 'tween class at church is seeing the light come on in their eyes when a spiritual concept clicks in their heads. We were discussing the need to pray with thanksgiving. I used an example of a recent situation where my back was having spasms and very painful. I told them I stretched out on the floor and thanked God for healing my back and making the spasms go away. They asked if it had already quit hurting. I told no, I was thanking Him in advance for the healing and waiting with expectations of it happening. Knowing God can heal is one thing. Knowing to wait, trusting, and expecting the healing is another. Giving thanks before the healing shows more faith than begging God to do something. Within minutes, the spasms stopped, the pain went away, and I got up off the floor and went back to work. Thankfulness in advance allowed me to be a walking talking witness for the Lord that day. A divine opportunity to share his mercy, healing compassion and mighty works all rolled into one.

My class picked up the fact that I gave thanks in advance and waited with expectation. I shared that the Bible says we are to give thanks through all things, all situations – good or bad. Can we be thankful in the face of the bad things? Of course! We are not thankful for the bad thing, but through the bad thing. I told them we could be thankful about ALL things. We might have to look harder sometimes but the reason to give thanks to God is there somewhere.

Opening my eyes every morning I thank the Lord that my Honey and I woke up alive and have a new day to share. Walking to the kitchen to make the coffee, I give thanks that I have a hard working husband with a job that supports our family and the home in which we live. I am thankful for the coffee that I enjoy so much, for the man that grew the plants that made the coffee beans in the first place. I am thankful for his harvest that puts coffee beans in my grocery store; it not only provides me with my coffee but it provides an income for his family and he is able to buy food and clothes for his kids. I am thankful we live in a country where commercial enterprise is open to trade with other countries so we can buy his coffee beans and have our choice of supermarkets from which to choose. I am thankful for the car we have to drive to the store……. It can go on and on if we only stop long enough to look for all the reasons we have to be thankful. It also illustrated how people are all connected one way or another; the coffee grower and I are both thankful for his harvest! One of the kids came up with the comment, "It's the domino theory of thankfulness." Indeed, it is!

I give the kids an assignment every week to take with them as they go out in their worlds. Sometimes, they are to look for the ways they see God working in their lives. Maybe come back the next week to share an opportunity to stand for Jesus when others around them were not. That day, I told them to watch for everyday situations they discovered for which to be thankful. Thankfulness is a state of mind and heart more than a situational issue based on circumstance. Look around, reasons are everywhere you look!

As for me and my house, this day we choose to be thankful.

The Gift of Salvation

Salvation is a gift, yet it costs everything. Yesterday I made some statements and raised some questions that may have felt uncomfortable. I talked of surrender and obedience being criteria for salvation. As I wrote it, I heard a chorus of voices asking.."but what about grace?"

Salvation is solely by grace through faith. Eph. 2:8 (CJB) says: 'For you have been delivered by grace through faith, and even this is not your accomplishment but God's gift. True grace, according to Scripture, teaches us "to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age" (Titus 2:12) Grace is the power of God to fulfill our New Covenant duties, however inconsistently we obey at time. Grace does not grant permission to live in the flesh; it supplies power to live in the Spirit.

Saving faith is more than understanding the facts and mentally accepting them; it is inseparable from repentance, surrender, and a supernatural eagerness to obey. Salvation IS a gift appropriated only through a faith that goes beyond merely understanding and assenting to the truth. True Believers are characterized by faith that is as repulsed by the life of sin as it is attracted to the mercy of the Savior. Drawn to Christ, they are drawn away from everything else.

The only way we can be saved is by God's merciful grace. We must first come to the end of ourselves to receive salvation as a gift. Repentance is recognizing our utter sinfulness and turning from self and sin to God; the inevitable result of God's work on the human heart. It is much more than a mere change of mind – it involves a complete change of heart, attitude, interest, and direction. It is a conversion in every sense of the word. The Bible does not recognize faith that lacks these elements. True faith is never seen as passive – it is always obedient. In John 3:36, Romans 1:5; 16:26; 2 Thessalonians 1:8 Scripture equates faith with obedience. Hebrews 11:8 says "By faith, Abraham [the father of true faith]…obeyed." God brings us to faith, then enables us and empowers us to believe unto obedience. Repentance, faith, sanctification, yielded-ness, obedience, and ultimately glorification are the saving work of God. True Salvation produces the fruit thereof.

If we are truly born of God, we have a faith that cannot fail to overcome the world (1 John 5:4). We may sin (1 John 2:1) – we will sin – but the process of sanctification can never stall completely; God is at work in us (Philippians 2:13) and He will continue to perfect us until the day of Christ (Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). Now that, Friends, is good news!

So, when I say Salvation is a gift from God, yet costs everything, I am saying we surrender all of our sinful and selfish ways, attitudes and thinking to redeem them for the gift of eternal life through salvation.

Would You Pass the Test?

Salvation is for those who are willing to forsake everything for Jesus Christ. On the surface, that might seem like an obvious statement and we confirm with a wave of our hand and shrug of our shoulder…"Sure, I believe that." and walk away feeling secure in our personal salvation. Is it really that simple, do you think?

I wonder how we would measure up if Jesus should give us a little pop quiz. Would we really be willing to surrender everything to Him. It's great to sing about it in a song but how do we react in practical application?

I have a vivid and clear memory of driving north on Hwy 183 in Austin, Tx, one day and heard with my spiritual ears the phrase, 'After you give your car away.." My reaction cut the rest of the sentence off! What do you mean, 'after I give my car away'? I just paid my car off, why would I give it away?! I knew, as soon as the words came out of my mouth, I had just failed a test. I was ashamed and wanted to cry. You see, I was thinking about my application to go do a two-year internship with a ministry in Africa. Thinking I was prepared for any and all sacrifices to do this, the car comment showed I still had a ways to go before I was truly prepared to forsake all to follow Christ into Africa. God didn't have to strike me down with a bolt of lightening for me to feel as if I had been. The realization that I balked at giving away a stupid car I would not be using for at least two years anyway slammed home the point that I was not totally surrendered for Christ. I had not realized I valued my material possessions that much. Painful reckoning.

"Ok,' you might say, "maybe that shows you were not ready to go to Africa for two years but does that really warrant cause to question your salvation? After all, you accepted Jesus into your heart, isn't that the criteria for salvation? You live a decent life, go to church, tithe, and serve Him, isn't that enough?"

Is it? Is that all it takes? Is that how Jesus sees it or is that how we interpret it in our modern version of His messages so we can get more people to accept Jesus?

Here's some food for thought…consider the scripture in Matthew about the rich, young ruler coming to Jesus to ask what he must do to obtain eternal life. This guy had it going on. He eagerly sought Jesus out, making his way through a crowd of followers to ask what he needed to do. He knelt before Jesus in humble submission to make his request. He called Jesus master, teacher; it was evident he recognized that Jesus had the answers he was seeking. He asked the right questions, 'What good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?' He had great wealth, perhaps he would contribute to the cause by supporting Jesus' ministry or help out the poor. By all accounts, he was a learned man that followed the laws of his Jewish faith. He professed to follow the commandments and considered himself to be without sin. On the surface, this young man appeared to be a fine candidate to be a disciple of Christ. Yet…Jesus did not welcome him as a disciple with open arms, though we are told in scripture in Mark 10:21, "And looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him." Ok….recapping, this man seemed to be doing everything right yet Jesus did not promise him eternal life. Why?

Jesus looks into our hearts and knows the very core of us. Though this man felt he conformed and qualified for eternal life, Jesus knew the areas in his heart that were not surrendered. First, I believe, is that this man did not see his own sin. Raised on Mosaic Law, he measured himself against what he understood the law to be and found himself guiltless. If we do not acknowledge our sin and truly know we have sinned against God, how can we come to the cross and be repentant? It required a sincere desire to turn away from those things that God finds unpleasing. If we believe we are free from sin, we deceive ourselves. Secondly, Jesus knew his heart regarding his wealth and possessions.

Thus the test…."If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me" (Matthew 19:21)

Was Jesus saying we have to give everything away to have eternal life? No. He was saying that we have to be willing to surrender all, to cling to nothing taking precedence over Christ. (Luke 14:33) By placing Himself alongside the man's wealth and demanding he make a choice, our Lord revealed the true state of the young man's heart. Jesus' request was simply meant to establish whether he was willing to submit to the sovereignty of Jesus over his life. Matthew 19:22 says, "When the young man heard this statement, he went away grieved; for he was one that owned much property." He clung to his things of this world.

Saving faith is a commitment to leave sin and follow Jesus Christ at all cost. Jesus takes no one unwilling to come on those terms. The Lord Jesus does not take sinners on their own terms. Something to think about.

Obedience is Not for Sissies

Obedience to God is not a part time job. Anyone can maintain obedience when obeying is easy and you are not looking trouble in the face. Determining to stay obedient when friends and family turn against you or when Trouble lines up like soldiers taking pot shots at you, well, that's another whole level all together.

I teach a class of 'tweens – 11-13 yrs old - at church and it struck me yesterday they are a good example of new Believers. They have an understanding of salvation, faith, obedience, and of the sacrifice Jesus pain for them but it somewhat like a page in a coloring book. They understand what it is by the outline of the picture but their grasp and knowledge stops there. It is the maturing faith and revelation knowledge that colors in the whole picture. At this point in their faith walk, they are learning to apply it in their own lives to see how it is relevant to them and the situations they face.

During our class this past Sunday, we talked about obedience to God and His ways in the face of adversity. At a time in their lives when they are trying to spread their wings and flex their muscles of individualism and independence, they came face to face with the information that redeeming grace and faith retains no privileges; it cannot cling to cherished sins, treasured possessions, or secret indulgences. In order to walk in obedience to God they must completely surrender, 'to do anything the Lord demands.' My 'tweens' are not the only ones that hear this concept with a look of bewilderment. Gaining freedom thru Christ by surrendering their rights to 'self' and all that 'self' entails at a time when self is largely all they think about requires a paradigm change.

I take issues they face and use them to paint word pictures of godly principles. They can relate to dealing with an annoying sibling or someone at school that is bullying them or spreading rumors about them. Painful family issues bring grown people to their knees; imagine what it does to a child with limited understanding of the big picture. The isolation they feel in any of those situations makes dealing with the emotions almost impossible. Knowing their issues are not so different from the family down the street or the popular kid at school helps but it is the loving 'of thine enemies' that makes them stop short in their tracks. Not striking back at those that harm us is most difficult on the best of days so it seems impossible when they are feeling shunned, hurt, betrayed, isolated, etc. Learning that obedience to God means loving that unlovable individual or group of people regardless of how they abuse us a daunting task. They hear me say it becomes easier when following Jesus and their faith walk matures but I bet they don't really believe it just yet. My goal is to assure them that as spiritual understanding opens their eyes, ears and hearts, the desire for obedience grows and an eagerness to please Christ replaces their impulse to strike back at those that wound us. This is a lesson they will only truly understand as they grow in Christ.

This is true of 'tweens' of all ages. We all spend time between our first glimpses at the Lordship of Christ and the realization of revelation knowledge. We are all 'tweens' in that regard and obedience comes like an ebbing tide. Sometimes we rush in and other times we pull back. True faith is humble, submissive obedience. May we all get to the point in our faith walk where we no longer struggle for our self, but willingly rush to the foot of the throne in eager obedience.

Power of Words

A dab of olive oil shimmers in the bottom of the pan as if in anticipation of what is to come. When slices of fragrant yellow onion hit the oil, it seems to dance in delight around it. Next, cubes of green squash slide in with the onions and they swim together, combining their aromas as the oil bath tints them to a delicate brown. A shower of sea salt raining down on them serves to enhance the flavors. As the two reach the peak of perfection, chunks of portabella mushroom join them. The heat from the pan and oil start to work immediately on the tender pieces of baby bella, chunks, rather than slices so each bite renders a burst of the earthy flavors in your mouth. Quickly, two fresh eggs, gently beaten and slowly poured over the tantalizing bits of vegetables reduce the sizzle of the pan in a sigh of submission. As the eggs slowly surrender to the heat of the veggies within, they turn from their liquid state to a soft pillow that now cradles the veggies lovingly. Slivers of smoked Gouda placed on top next. No match for the heat, the smoky cheese smoothly melts into the mixture. A gentle turn of the spatula places one-half on top the other before sliding it out of the pan and onto a waiting red plate. It's time has come…..

As the words in the paragraph moved on, could you picture each action as it happened? Could you smell the sauté of the onions, see the cubes of green squash and chunks of baby bella mushrooms? Did your mouth respond in anticipation at the thought of the smoky Gouda? Words paint pictures in our minds, elicit emotions and sometimes take our thoughts to places they, perhaps, should not go.

I was describing making my omelet for breakfast. It was awesome, by the way! Every statement made was true and accurate. However, had I simply listed the ingredients and wrote out the cooking instructions, it would have read quite differently; it would have been a recipe. Now, you could reproduce the omelet from what I originally wrote as easily as following a recipe but the word images in your mind would be vastly different.

I said all that to say this; words are powerful and we should always be attentive to how we use them. In my morning Bible reading, I was struck with how often it addressed the words of our mouth. Here are but a few examples….'make my words known to you', 'receive my words', 'from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding', 'those who speak deceitfully', 'smooth talk', 'incline your ear to my words', 'keep crooked speech from your mouth', 'banish deceit from your lips', 'snared by the words of your mouth', 'my words are right', and 'my mouth says what is true'.

The Bible is ripe with verses regarding our words. For example from the NASB in Matthew 12:33-37 Words Reveal Character "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. "You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Proverbs 18:20-21 With the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach will be satisfied; He will be satisfied with the product of his lips. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 6:12 A worthless person, a wicked man, Is the one who walks with a perverse mouth

Some people say hurtful things and try to whitewash it by saying they were only kidding, just joking, or teasing. They are only kidding themselves if they believe anyone will buy that! Words can be a soothing suave to the wounded or like a stabbing knife. Words spoken in anger rarely pass through the conscience before doing damage. Soft words are healing when sincere but soft words used to deceive carry the same consequence as harsh words.Words of love carry much weight, especially to the sad of heart.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Choose your words carefully, Friends, 'For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.' What is your heart saying?

When Identity and People Pleasing Collide

Once upon a time and long, long ago, I discovered I could not please everyone. Sometimes, you cannot please anyone but you certainly cannot please all the people all the time. People do not always want the truth when they ask your opinion and often want you to give a pat answer that meets their expectations. I learned this at the very early age of seven (7) when my future stepfather's mother asked me if I was excited about having him as a new father. I told her NO, I was not! She asked why and I told her I did not like him. To say that set the tone for our relationship is an understatement. I did not have the words to say I found him deceitful, selfish, sleazy, conceited, and a braggart. He was that way when I was seven and he is that way still today. No people pleasing to be had that day, I assure you! Truth and honesty, I discovered, would get you in trouble. I decided then I had to be truthful and honest regardless of the trouble riding on its coattail. Consequently, Trouble plagued me for it!

My mother used to say you never had to wonder where you stood with me because I would tell you. I had a close friend that would ask my opinion but preface it with the request not to be painfully honest. I never understood why people would ask my opinion when they really didn't want to hear it! I had my own version of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy long before today's military plan.

Still, I can look back on my life and see where I tiptoed into the land of People Pleasing from time to time. Though it went against the grain of my conscience, I tried being what I thought others wanted me to be because obviously, who I really was neither pleased nor made them happy. Maybe if I was prettier, the house was cleaner, the kids were quieter, or I cooked better….maybe I could please this person or that. You know what, in trying to please others all the time, I lost me! I literally could look in the mirror and not recognize the person looking back. Oh, sure, her face was familiar, but her soul was foreign to me. I sold my identity in the name of pleasing other people. Depression became my new best friend, and together we slid into the abyss of despair. Desperate people make desperate decisions and take desperate actions. It's a self-fueling fire of destruction. I needed the heart and determination of that honest seven-year-old girl back if I was to survive. Fortunately, God was looking out for me when I wasn't able to look after myself.

I felt very alone most of my life and never felt I truly belonged because the honesty that I felt was necessary for my survival was never enough for others. People either liked me a lot or didn't like me at all. There was never any middle ground. My few true friends were loyal and loved me in spite of myself, I guess. Still, I always felt acceptance was just out of reach. People would say they liked/loved me and then proceed to try to make me fit the mold they had in mind. You see, I thought the transparency I tried to walk in was the honest, truthful way and what you see with me is exactly what you get. These were not the qualities of a People Pleaser and that rubs some people the wrong way.

It took the love of God and the time seeking Him for me to accept and understand being the authentic me, the way He made me with my sensibilities and personality, was not a personal faultiness. Before learning my identity in Christ, I felt flawed because I was different from others. Learning I was uniquely made, rather than flawed by my differences, was an eye-opening lesson. The hardest part was accepting that God saw me through the eyes of Christ's sacrifice, pure and holy. I certainly never felt pure and holy. I had to believe by faith in the knowledge of Him that God could see me that way.

The gift of discernment allowed that little girl to see into people and know their hearts even at that tender age. The oft' unpopular prophetic forth telling of Old Testament days stills lives in those that speak the truth regardless of circumstance. I didn't ask to be this way, my life would have been a lot easier if I were not. Knowing God crafted and designed me to be this way makes dealing with the consequences tolerable. Knowing God's plan prepared me to be useful to Him makes all the struggles of my life worthwhile. He has tempered my mouth with wisdom and compassion though I still speak the truths He shows me. People still do not like it for the most part. My identity is in Christ and I seek to please Him, not people. My identity will always collide with People Pleasers and that's okay with me. My prayer is that you find the same acceptance in Christ and realize you are who you are because of Who He is and what He wants you to be. Take joy in that knowledge and let Him shine through the uniqueness of YOU!

Step Away from the Rut!

Since returning home from vacation, I have felt thwarted in my every effort to get back to my normal workday routine. I actually slept till 6 this morning! Egad! Stumbling into the kitchen to make coffee I became aware that most of my joints were revolting and refusing to work properly. Pain greeted me before my eyes were completely open. I felt like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz when he needed someone to rush in with the oil can! The fog in my head was thick and the very thought of trying to string words together to make whole sentences seemed ludicrous. Still, I pushed on, coffee cup in hand, with my Bible reading. However, no divine 'holy tap on the shoulder' was forthcoming this morning! No direction from the Lord this morning reaffirmed my 'out of whack-ness'. I said a little prayer asking God to help me get my 'groove on' so I could be productive. He responded quickly. His message…'Grooves become ruts.' Hmmm… where are you taking this, Lord?

I looked up the definition for both groove and rut; …to no surprise, they had identical definitions. Was God trying to tell me I was in a rut with my normal routine? He was leading me to share this tidbit so I stopped and waited for Him to reveal where I was to go with it. By now, it was light enough to see, so I ventured out to water what is left of my garden. Some of the best talks I've had with God were in the garden. I knew enough to know I was getting nowhere on my own and this would have to come from Him or not at all.

My attention kept traveling back to the fig tree. This is the third summer of this particular fig tree, a record since most die out quickly here. We live on a rock hill that produces many weeds and baby rocks but is not so great for fruit trees. This is the 5^th fig tree I've planted and the only one alive. In fact, I've thought this tree died three different times now and decided I was not going to waste anymore valuable water on it. The tree looked dead as early as spring a year ago; the lack of life all last growing season only plagued my saddened heart. Yet, I never pulled it up for some reason, just left it as a reminder not to plant any more fig trees. When it started putting on leaves this spring, I was shocked. Still, I was determined not going to get invested in this tree because it seemed only a matter of time before it died…again. In fact, I told God that He was on His own with this tree; if He wanted it to live He would have to do all the watering, I was keeping my hands off. Like He needed my help anyway. Silly woman!

Wow, ruts and fig trees….what a combination! See why I leave it to God, what could I do with that? Fig trees have significant emotional meaning to me and having one in my home turf is important for me. That's a story for another day but what was God showing me this morning? His message said, "Grooves become ruts" and yet I could not shake the feeling that this was somehow connected to the fig tree.

Then it hit me, I have allowed my efforts in writing, like tending my garden, to become so routine I felt I was not functioning properly if I didn't follow my routine. I did things in a certain order and felt frustrated if that routine was deviated in the least. Getting 'my groove' back would simply throw me back into my rut, not allowing for fresh insight and vision. One of the prayers over us in New Mexico was that we find a fresh anointing, a new vision and spiritual refreshing…yet here I was fighting to get back into the old rut, the familiar. The fig tree was thriving under God's care without so much as one watering from me all season. It was as if God was showing me that my efforts were stagnant and stale, yet left to Him, would thrive. I do listen for His direction, yet I take it and cram it into the rut with me! You can't keep God in a box or rut or routine! He is freedom, He is liberty, and He is creation and life itself!

Biblically speaking, I was trying to force the new wine into the old wine skin. Luke 5:37-38 (NASB) 37"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. 38"But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.

In the first century, wineskins would have been made of goatskin or sheepskin taken from the neck area of the animal (Gen 21:14-15; 19; Ps 119:83). The result of putting new wine into old skins would be disaster, a tragic waste of wine. The new wine would ferment and cause the old wineskins to burst--the new wine would then be lost and the wineskin rendered useless. YEP, I believe that God was not allowing me to jump back into my rut (old wineskin) because it simply was not sufficient to carry the new wine of fresh anointing! I'm excited now and can not wait to see what He has in store. Check for ruts in your own life; they may be holding you back, too.

Eager to Go and Happy to be Home.

…..and, We're back!

My Honey and I took a much-needed short vacation. It was difficult to drive away from the hounds as they sat on the back porch watching. It's funny how they always sense when we are leaving and three sets of wondering eyes follow our every move. Alyson, our twelve-year-old neighbor, came over twice a day to love them. She and the hounds are familiar with each other, so they would welcome her visits. We felt better knowing they were getting hugged everyday. Still, leaving our four-legged kids brought an element of guilt regardless of how much we need to get away.

People in ministry expend a great deal of physical and spiritual energy. The time you see them on Sunday mornings is but the tip of the iceberg. Many pastors take Mondays off just to recharge after the pouring out on Sundays. Without regular periods of refreshing and restoring the mind, spirit and body, people in ministry are susceptible to burnout. Statistics say 1500 pastors leave the ministry a month, a MONTH, due to burnout, moral failure, and contention within their church. Seventy percent of the pastors polled said they constantly fight depression. Only fifty-five percent said they were involved with an accountability group for pastors and seventy percent said they do not have someone they consider a close friend. The service without the replenishing is a dangerous combination!

These are but a few of the statistics listed and gathered from a variety of sources including Focus on the Family regarding pastors at risk. When you think about it, how often do you see a pastor being fed spiritually rather than feeding the congregation? Not often, I assure you. Preparing for a Sunday service or teaching is work, hard work. As a Christian writer, I have to say God isn't going to let me get away with just throwing something out there, not if I am to be true to the calling He has placed on me.

Jesus took himself and his followers off away from people to rest after pouring out spiritually. It is vital. You cannot pour out what you do not have and your own spiritual well needs refilling and refreshing. This is true for everyone.

We were able to sit in a spirit-filled church service with our friends while we were away and it blessed us very much. We went back for the Sunday night service. The pastor asked if we would allow them to pray for us. Prayers and prophesies swarmed around us as one after another prayed over us. Total strangers that morning were now sharing spiritual insights that could only come from God. It was an intense spiritual encounter with our Lord and we needed it much more than we knew. The fresh spiritual eyes of our new friends in Christ were willing ministers to our weary souls.

God knew people would need rest and planned for it, setting aside one day a week for physical rest and spiritual renewal. We are instructed in the Ten Commandments to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. God made this a commandment for our benefit, not as a restriction to your activity and fun. Not many people today honor the Sabbath as God intended. Weekend warriors cram in as many activities as they can all in the name of fun. Working moms and dads use this time to maintain their homes only to find they show up at work on Monday morning feeling just as worn out as they did Friday afternoon. Families shuffle from one activity to another, juggling schedules and energy as if both were inexhaustible. They would benefit greatly from down time at home with all parties present…really present, plugged –in, not just physically there. Any family Bible time in your home? As much as the pastors and church teachers want to give, all teaching should begin in the home with the parents as the established spiritual leaders. Do your children see you reading the Bible? Are there any discussions of Jesus over the dinner table or snuggled on the couch? Does Jesus live in your home or simply visit on occasion? Is He invited in at all?

My Honey and I benefited from our get away very much. Blessed with time and fellowship with our good friends, we met new family and friends in Christ, were dazzled by the beauty of the northern New Mexico Mountains, and took time to simply sit in God's handiwork and soak up its glory! We came home ready to jump back into our normal life with renewed zeal and enthusiasm with our hounds by our sides! All is well with our souls. Thank you, Jesus! It's good to home.