Routine or Reality????

As I write this post, I am wrestling with a question - Am I living in routine or in reality? I'm going to do my best to explain what that means in my mind, and then, I want you to ask you, along with myself, to make a choice. Routine or Reality?

Routine - n - 1. a customary or regular course of procedure 3. regular, unvarying, habitual, unimaginative, or rote procedure (Dictionary.com)

We all have several activities that are routine - things we do mostly at the same time of day and in the same manner. Brushing my teeth comes to mind first. If you were to ask my husband about my morning routine, he would probably call it a ritual! It goes something like this: brush my teeth, wash my face, take a couple of pills (one is a hormone and one is for blood pressure - you don't want me to NOT take either of those!), wash my hair, do my make-up, dry my hair, etc. If anything gets me off that routine, I may end up at church or work with wet hair or as a raving maniac! That's how stuck I am in my routine! I feel confident that you are relating to this - well, maybe not the hormones! That just seems to be the way we are wired.

The scariest experience of routine is when you are driving a familiar path to work, a store, or even home from somewhere, and you realize that you don't remember the last couple of minutes, you don't remember passing by a certain landmark or stopping at a red light. (I hope you are still relating to this???) Scientists tell us that these are times when our subconscious takes over, and we are actually on cruise control. That has happened during my morning routine also. There have times when I've had to count the blister-pack to see if I took my blood pressure medicine because I could not remember taking it! That's so bizarre!

Reality - n - 1. the state or quality of being genuine; not counterfeit, artificial, or imitation; authentic; 2. the state of being present  (Dictionary.com)

Reality is getting a bad rap these days due to "reality t.v." The number of shows on the countless number of channels is probably more than we want to know. And, for the most part, what purports to be "reality" is no more than an unscripted script. Most do not come close to showing genuine or authentic life. Reality changes when the camera shows up!

Then there is the issue of personal reality. Again, most people show others only what they want them to see. The person(s) who really knows our reality is the one who lives with us everyday. My husband knows the "real" Debbie more than anyone else because we have spent so much time together. But even he doesn't know all of my inner-most thoughts.

These words are not opposites. In fact, some would argue that one cannot chose between them because they exist simultaneously. And that is true to some degree. Everyone has routines in their lives, and that is part of our reality.

However, when it comes to my spiritual life, my relationship with Jesus Christ, I need to evaluate the role of each one. Routine - do I need some regular, habitual procedures in my walk with the Lord? Obviously, the answer to that is yes. I need to regularly spend time in His Word and in prayer. Those are two of the most important ways we communicate with each the Lord. Do I need to worship regularly and fellowship with other believers consistenly? Again, the answer is yes. The problem comes with part of the definition. When an activity becomes unimaginative or a rote procedure, am I really present? Or do I tap the cruise control button and am not even aware of all that is going on? How many times have I walked out of Bible study or church and couldn't really tell you what was talked about? Or how much of my prayer time is repetitive thank you's, bless them's, and don't forget the food? We do need some regular routines in our spiritual walk, but when they become so routine that my heart and mind doesn't even have to be present, something is wrong.

I was reading the first couple of chapters of Acts when this idea of reality began bumping around in my mind. After Jesus was raised from the dead, He spent forty days appearing to the disciples and various other people at random times giving them assurance that He was the same Jesus and giving them instruction. Right before He ascended into heaven, He told the disciples to return to Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. The gathered in the upper room and waited for ten days. While they waited, they prayed. They were out of their routine. Jesus was gone from them; they were on their own waiting. The Holy Spirit came upon those 120 people in a dramatic way. Their reality changed. The authentic Jesus was very present with them once again - only now in the form of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, as a man, could only be in one place at a time. As a spirit, He could (and can) be everywhere, and He empowered them in a supernatural way.

Fifty days ago, Peter denied even knowing the man Jesus. After the Holy Spirit filled him, he preached to a huge crowd about the risen Jesus, and over 3,000 accepted Him as their Savior that day. The Christian church was birthed in the reality of the Holy Spirit!

Acts 2:42-47 gives the account of this first church. It says, "and they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer...and day by day continuing with one mind ...with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God...and the Lord was adding to their number daily those who were being saved."

They were living in the reality of the Holy Spirit - not the routine of godliness. The reality of the Holy Spirit is that He is ALIVE, REAL, ACTIVE, EMOTIONAL, and POWERFUL! That's what "the state of being present" means! You are not on cruise control, not remembering if you encountered Him today or not. You are so conscious of His presence, that everything you do is framed by that awareness. Is your spiritual life dull and seemingly non-existent even though you know that you know Him as Savior? Then perhaps you've been living in the routine of godliness. It's worth pondering.

As for me, I want to live in the REALITY of the Holy Spirit!!!

Have Your Been Sifted...Yet?

I've concluded that the most difficult job in the world is farming the land. It is not as difficult as it used to be with advent of the industrial revolution - tillers, tractors, pickers, combines, balers, etc. Just think for a moment how different life was before those inventions! Think how difficult growing crops was before even the most basic of tools were around. It all goes back to Adam. Remember how God told him that because of his sin, he would have to work the land for their sustenance, and it would be back-breaking work? That was not just a play on words.

In Luke 22:31, Jesus told Peter that Satan wanted to sift him like wheat. So, let's examine what that agriculture term suggests. Sifting grain such as wheat or barley is the process of separating the chaff, little stones, and sometimes tares from the kernels that eventually make meal. In Bible times, this was primarily done by the women using a sieve of some kind or sometimes just shaking the grain furiously by hand. It was usually a long, tedious process. Basically, the purpose is to separate the good parts from the bad. Little stones and dirt are obviously not good, and tares are weeds that choke out the good fruit. But what about chaff? It is part of the plant. Chaff is the dry, scaly protective covering of the seed grain. Once the grain is mature, the outer casing begins to dry and pull away from the seed. Its usefulness is over. Eventually, it will fall off and be blown away by the wind. When sifting, that process is speeded up so the grain can be harvested and turned into meal.

What was Satan wanting? He wanted permission to try and break Peter. No doubt, he had been watching Peter and the other disciples for three years as they followed the Christ. He had seen Peter's brashness and impulsiveness, and knew Pete could be a hot-head. He knew Peter's weaknesses. Satan thought this just might be his chance to break Peter and get to Jesus. He wasn't successful in breaking Jesus in the wilderness, so this was another chance. Remember, Satan and his demons are in constant conflict with God and His angels - Good vs. evil. He was hoping that Peter was all chaff and no seed.

This should be a wake-up call for all believers in Christ. Once you accept Jesus as your personal savior, Satan does not forget about you. He still prowls about like a hungry lion seeking someone to devour (I Peter 5:8). No, he cannot rob you of your eternal salvation. However, he can rob you of the abundant life Jesus wants you to experience on this earth. He can devour your joy, peace, and your faith. If he is successful in that, he will prevent you from sharing your faith and being a godly influence to those with whom you come into contact. In other words, you will still go to heaven, but he doesn't want you to take anyone with you.

How does Satan sift us today? Well, be certain he knows our weaknesses - just as he did Peter's. Some of the most common sieves we filter through are physical sufferings, financial hardships, career issues, family problems, and a vast array of personal temptations. In those trials (sifting), Satan tries to shake us hard enough for the chaff to fall away. His hope is that our seed is dried up and is of no use to us or anyone else. But the person who has a growing, dynamic relationship with Jesus won't have a dry, scaly covering that is so fragile that it falls off when shaken. And his seed will be ripe for planting whenever and wherever the opportunity presents itself.

I hope you didn't miss the fact that Satan had to ask permission from Jesus to even approach Peter. Talk about the sovereignty of God! And we see in subsequent verses that Jesus allowed Peter to be sifted - and he didn't do too well. That could be a whole post of its own!

Another remarkable thing is seen in v. 32. Jesus, still speaking to Peter, says, "but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once your have turned again, strengthen your brothers." Here's our WOW moment! Jesus prayed for Peter! And Jesus prays for us - He intercedes for us to the Father! He knows us, each one, by name, and takes us before the Father and expresses our needs. This is the Creator, the One who breathed life into man's existence! He also knew Peter would falter - and told him so. Of course, the brash, young Pete exclaimed his loyalty to Jesus and pooh-poohed the very thought of such. And, again, we have the benefit of knowing the rest of the story. Jesus also knew that Pete would come around and realize he had danced with the devil and would turn back to Jesus. He prayed that Peter's sifting experience would make him stronger in his faith, and that he would be a source of strength and encouragement to other believers. Was Jesus' prayer answered? Oh, yeah! Big time!

We know from Peter's experience that sometimes our trials and adversities are a direct result of Satan's work around us. We also know that sometimes God, in His infinite wisdom, allows us to be tested and sifted. There are times when we need the dry scales knocked off so that we can be spiritually healthy. We have the assurance that Jesus is with the Father watching and praying for us by name that our faith will be strengthened, and we can then strengthen the faith of our brothers and sisters.

So, the question that is posed for us is, how will we fare when Satan sifts us like wheat? Because he will - sift us, you know. Is your "faith" made up of dirt and weeds and chaff so that when you are shaken, it will blow away with the wind? Or, is there a plump, ripe seed smack dab in the core of your faith that will sustain you through the trials when they come?

Jesus is praying for you - and for me - that our faith will grow strong so that it will sustain us through whatever life brings our way. That's a WOW!

Sibling Rivalry...

If you have a brother(s) or sister(s), you have probably experienced sibling rivalry to some degree. I have an older sister and an older brother, but we are all spread out with four to six years between us. So we were not so close in age as to be competitive with each other. Psychologists tells us that birth order makes a huge difference in how one learns to relate and cope with others throughout their lives. I am the "baby" of the family and also experienced a bout with a devastating disease when I was two years old. So I know that I was treated differently than my brother and sister. Did these things impact my relationship with my siblings? Yes, no doubt they did. It is often said that the baby of the family is spoiled and not held to such an exacting standard as the older children, especially the eldest. I have to say from my personal experience as the baby and as the mom of two children, that is pretty much how it goes. Then in my case, add a debilitating disease, and for the older kids, you get disaster! No doubt, there were times in our younger days, when my sister and brother got fed up with the extra time and attention my parents gave me. They were often shuffled off to stay with relatives while my folks stayed with me six hours away from our home. I am sure there were activities they had to forgo because of my situation, and times when they were sick of hearing something like, "Don't be rough with Debbie." I know myself well enough to know that had the roles been reversed, I would have tired quickly of the world seeming to revolve around one them. We are all human.

When we pick up the story of Jacob's family in Genesis 37, we run into sibling rivalry at its worst. Jacob had twelve sons by four different women, but only the youngest son, Joseph, was the son of Rachel, the love of Jacob's life. It's obvious that Jacob favored Joseph from the time he was born. That favoritism did not set well with the brothers, and because they were human, jealousy, hatred, and bitterness took seed in their hearts and bloomed into full-blown treachery.

At this point, I encourage you to read Genesis 37, if you haven't, and get a feel for the family dynamics in Jacob's brood. It was dicey and no one, including Jacob and Joseph, was without fault. No, the brothers did not react in a godly way to Jacob giving Joseph a "coat of many colors" that was similar to what men of high standing would wear. It wasn't the normal dull-colored, short sleeve tunic that most teenage boys his age wore. Now think about this for a minute. If the father had always favored the little brother and then crowned him with this expensive, royal-like garment, they would naturally be angry. I'm not saying their attitude was right, but it was natural. Sometimes we seem to focus on their actions without considering why they felt the way they did. When we put ourselves in others' shoes, we sometimes see ourselves.

Joseph didn't always help his plight with the brothers, either. I mean, did he have to share his dreams with them? Dreams that put them subservient to him. According to Warren Wiersbe (see my Bible study references on the left), it was most likely God's will that the brothers and then Jacob hear about his dreams. However, the problem might have been in how Joseph presented it to them. You know, presentation is the thing! How we say something can instill peace or insight riot! Joseph was a bit brash and perhaps flaunted his favoritism when he should have shown humility.

Anyhow, when Jacob sent Joseph out to check on the brothers, the last straw had been drawn. Galations 5:19-21 tells us that the deeds of the flesh are, among other things, enimities, strife, jealousy, anger, disputes, and envying. Take your pick - they were all present as the brothers connived a way to get rid of Joseph without his blood literally being on their hands. After stripping him of his coat and throwing him into a deep pit from which he could not climb out, they ended up selling him as a slave to some Ishmaelites who were passing by on their way to Egypt. (Ishmaelites - get the connection?) When they returned home, they took the coat, which they had dipped in blood, to their father who then assumed the boy had been devoured by some wild animal.

Now, how's that for sibling rivalry gone too far? What can we learn from this episode in history? Many things starting with these:

• Jealousy, hatred, and bitterness are an all consuming fire. Whether they thread through families or other relationships, they are costly - if not deadly. They are listed in Galations as deeds of the flesh because they are natural, human reactions. However, they can be countered and overcome by the fruit of the Holy Spirit, who lives in the heart of a true believer.That's what putting on the "new" nature is all about.
• Favoritism is a destructive force and has no place in any of our relationships. Whether it's family, work, or social situations, it will breed the deeds of the flesh. The outcome will not be good. Aren't you glad that Jesus knows no favorites? He loves me regardless of what I do or don't do, and He died for all and does not pick and choose to whom He offers salvation, He gives a royal cloak to ALL who receive Him.
• We need to "grow up in Christ." Joseph learned about God from his father Jacob, and followed His teachings. But when God gave him some spiritual insight, he handled it poorly. He reacted with arrogance instead of humility, and it fueled the hatred of his brothers. The fruit of the Spirit, proof that one is growing in relationship with Him, is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galations 5:22-24). Joseph could have benefited from some of those.
• Ultimately, God is in control and He will see His will through. We will never know if all that transpired between the brothers and Joseph was God's will or if He just allowed it. But, if you have read on in Genesis, you know the end of the story. God's people were saved from certain death by famine because of the role Joseph came to play in the government of Egypt. Once again, we see the truth of the promise in Romans 8:28 - "All things work together for good to them who love the Lord and are called according to His purposes."

Sibling rivalry is part of the natural course of growing up with brothers and sisters. Enough said about that. But think about sibling rivalry within the body of Christ. We are brothers and sisters through His blood. When we let the deeds of the flesh control our motives, actions, and words, we are instruments that can infuse that same all-consuming fire witnessed in Jacob's family into our spiritual family.

Woe be to those who mess with God's family!

The Wee Little Man...

Zaccheus was a wee little man; a wee little man was he...
He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see...
And as the Lord passed that way, He looked up in the tree...
And He said, "Zaccheus, you come down - for I'm going to your house today...

Remember that little ditty from pre-school Sunday School? We teach that song to our children, but do we really know the meaning of that event in Luke 19? Let's examine Jesus' encounter with this tax collector and discover the Truth that's in it for us.

Jesus and his disciples and the multitudes that had been following them were traveling to Jerusalem, where He would eventually be formally accused, tried, and crucified. On their way, they passed through Jericho and were met with a huge crowd. Now we know that these huge crowds that frequently mobbed Him were full of people who had heard about Him and the miracles He had performed. However, the vast majority of these people saw Him as an oddity that they wanted to get a glance at. Most had no idea or belief that He was the Messiah. Others followed and got excited because they thought He was going to set up a new government, thus, overthrowing the Romans. And still a few followed Him because they truly believed.

Zaccheus was a chief tax collector - meaning he was a supervisor, the big cheese among tax men. Tax collectors were not "Citizen of the Year" type men. They had a reputation for extracting more money from the citizens than was really owed. Some used all methods of extortion; they were not liked. The overage lined their personal bank accounts. As for Zaccheus, the scripture notes that he was rich, so he most likely was one of the dishonest tax guys. He probably even took a cut from the those under him since he was in a supervisory role. One other item the scripture tells us about him is that he was "small in stature." I think it is interesting that we are given that detail. How many characters in the Bible, especially the New Testament, do we get a physical description of? When something unusual pops up like that, we'd best take note.

Have you ever heard of the "Little Man" syndrome? In our culture, the "Little Man" syndrome is when a man who is physically small, projects a large personality, perhaps to compensate for his size. That large personality ususally comes across as offensive and arrogant. It's hard to like a "Little Man." I see Zaccheus as a "Little Man."

As the street in Jericho became more congested with people trying to get to Jesus, Zaccheus was unable to break through the crowd. He wasn't large enough to muscle his way through, and people certainly weren't going out of their way to help him. This situation begs the question, why did Zaccheus want to see Jesus so badly? What had he heard that made him so curious? Was there something deep in his heart that was wounded that Jesus might heal? Was he beginning to doubt his wealth and his eternal security? We are not privy to his thoughts, but we do know he desperately wanted to see Jesus. So he runs around and ahead of the crowd and climbs up into a sycamore tree. He made himself a tall perch from which he could watch for and see Jesus. There is no indication that he wanted to talk to Him or touch Him - he just wanted to see Him.

When Jesus came to the tree, He stopped, looked up and spoke directly to Zaccheus, calling him by name. He told him to hurry and come down because He was going to stay at his house! That's a WOW! Scripture says he hurried down and received Him gladly. Zaccheus goes on to say, unprompted, I might add, that he would sell his possessions and give half to the poor and repay those he had defrauded by four times. By-the-way, paying them back four times what he had taken was the harshest penalty under their law, and he chose to do that on his own. Jesus replied that salvation had come to Zaccheus that day.

What Truth can we glean from this familiar story?

Those who seek Jesus - even when they are not sure Who or What He is - will be found by Him. Zaccheus was driven to find Jesus. Driven by something he may not have understood, but still driven to the point of running through the streets and climbing a tree! That's pretty drastic, especially for someone who had wealth and position in the community. It takes a lot for a "Little Man" to lower himself to do something so drastic. But look closely at the passage. Zaccheus positioned himself in the tree, but it was Jesus who stopped and looked up at him. Jesus found him! Jesus invited himself into the man's home. Jesus desired a relationship with Zaccheus, a man who lived his life as a cheat and a crook.

Jesus' eyes pierce our hearts and souls - in a life-changing way. When He looked up and into the face of Zaccheus, Zaccheus was a changed man. He was convicted of his sin to the point of repentance. It's the same thing that happened when He looked into the eyes of Peter, James, and John at the seashore and they immediately left their old way of life and followed Jesus. He knows us by name and sees into our very hearts. He has the power to change us forever - if we will come down from our perch and let Him reside in our hearts (homes). The "Little Man" became a humble, repentant man who became a "son of Abraham," meaning, of course, a child of Faith. That's about as Big as one can get!

Personally, I have no doubt that He invited Himself to my home and I received Him gladly! I hope you have already been found by Jesus and experienced that life-changing look into His eyes. If you are not sure, I pray that you will come down from that tree and take Him into your home (heart). You will be glad you did, and you'll be changed forever.

I Am Rich!....

I don't play the lottery. But I must be honest and admit that I've thought about it - a lot! I find my thoughts drifting to the possibility of winning thousands or even millions of dollars when I'm paying bills and money is not stretching as far as I need it to. Or sometimes when something big goes wrong with the house or a vehicle, and it's going to take a chunk to fix the problem. Or sometimes when I decide on something I want or someplace I really want to go, and it's just not in the budget. And then there are times when the philanthropic me would love to take care of needs that I see around me or even across the world, but I don't have the resources to do much at all. When my mind dreams about what I'd do with all that money, I always think, "I'll give a bunch of it to the church and mission work!" I really would, but thinking that probably helps clear my conscience! The fact is, I am not sure how having lots of money would change me, if at all.

Jesus spoke about being rich several times in Luke, so it must of weighed on his mind. In Luke 16, he tells of the Rich Man and the beggar. The beggar was at his gate everyday, covered with sores and longing to be fed the crumbs from the man's table. This is the poor man whom the dogs licked his sores! A very pitiful situation. The rich man never acknowledged the beggar, never offered him anything to eat, never offered to clothe him with the clothes his servants were taking to Goodwill, never offered to get him medical attention, never even shewed away the dogs! The poor man died and was taken to heaven; the rich man died and went to Hell. Hell was so torturous that the rich man asked that the beggar be able to come and just give him a dip of cool water! He still didn't get it! Even in Hell, he expected the beggar to serve him - he didn't get that something was so very different between them that they ended up in very different places!

Jesus again spoke of riches in Luke 18. Here he speaks to the Rich Young Ruler who asked what he needed to do to receive eternal life. Jesus recited the Ten Commandments and told him to keep them, to which the rich young man said he had been keeping them all of his life. Jesus then said there was one other thing he needed to do and that was to sell all of his possessions and distribute the revenue to the poor, which would build up treasure in heaven, then follow Him. Wow! Can you imagine what must have been going through the young rich man's mind? He was rich...and had never lacked for anything...could come and go and do as he pleased - just like if I won the lottery! Now Jesus was asking him to sell EVERYTHING  and give away the money. He had been watching Jesus; he must have known the kind of nomadic lifestyle He and the disciples lived - never quite knowing where their next meal was coming from or where they would lay their heads at night. Jesus was asking the young man to make a drastic change! The scripture says that the man "became very sad, for he was extremely rich." Then Jesus said that it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

At first thought, I can rationalize the stories Jesus told about rich people in one of two ways. One, I am not rich, therefore, I am not the focus of the stories, which lets me off the hook. Second, the stories can stand to validate the view that rich people are selfish and snobbish, and think they are better than everyone else. Accepting either of those, would indicate my own shallowness in my relationship with the Lord. So, I must dig deeper and think broader until the Holy Spirit shows me Truth that applies to me, personally. That's what Bible "study" really is - much more than "reading" the scripture.

Obviously, there is a literal meaning and application of the lesson of the rich men when "rich" means well-off financially. And, there is truth in those lessons. However, I believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and that all of it has meaning and application to all people. I can't pick and choose the stories that I want to draw application from. There is something for me in all of His Word, but sometimes I have to study on it a bit more.

Okay, I am not financially well-off, so can I metaphorically be the rich men in the stories? Yes, indeedee! Let's take the first story, the rich man and the beggar. The rich man had a lot, and the beggar had nothing but sores. The beggar came to the gate everyday hoping to receive something helpful from the one who had much. How many people do I pass by everyday who needs something I can give? Attention, a smile, a hug, an ear to listen, a nice word, the gospel. You see where I am going with this. It's not necessarily about money but ministry. I am rich because I know the God of the universe! The Creator of all, the Helper, Healer, Comforter, Provider. the Rock, Forgiver, Redeemer, Salvation-giver! I have everything that "beggar" needs! Yet, most days and most opportunities, I pass right by and never even notice his/her presence.My gosh, even the dogs noticed the beggar and licked his sores!

What about the second story? I, too, try to keep the commandments. But Jesus wanted more than legalistic obedience. He wanted "heart" obedience. He told the rich man to sell all that he had and give the money to the poor. When the man couldn't do that, He said it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to go to heaven. I believe Jesus was talking about what we focus our time and attention on - whether that's money or family, or job, or sports, or scrapbooking, or quilting, or building birdhouses. What is it that we won't give up and instead, put Him first in our lives? The man whose focus or treasure is concentrated on something other than the Lord is the target of this story. I may do all the "things" that I can check off on my offering envelope, but none of those may deal with the condition of my heart. He readily admits that in our humanness, it is very difficult to not focus on something other than God. That's why he added the strange remark about the camel. But when we don't even notice or care that we are out of focus - that's the problem the rich young ruler had and was unwilling to rectify.

All this time, I've been reading those stories about rich people and thinking how "right" Jesus was to concentrate on them. Wow! How small-minded I've been. He has speaking to me and about me all the time because - I AM RICH because HE IS in me! I have won the Lotto!!!

Faith is Not Having to Have All the Answers...

We had another family discussion tonight concerning the events we've been reading about in Genesis.We agreed on at least a couple of things. One is our curiosity about why God continues to be faithful to unfaithful people. Second, they had some mighty strange customs that don't seem "right."

Now, a part of me is really glad that we see the Lord God continuing to be faithful to the people of Abraham's family tree - at least those on the Isaac side of the tree. It shows me that God doesn't give up on people. In fact, He gives them chance after chance to follow Him and obey His will. That's not to say they don't have to face the consequences of their choices when they disobey. But God, in His sovereignty, will ultimately see His plan for man fulfilled. In other words, we may alter His plan for our lives, but we cannot alter His plan for this world.

He makes a covenant with Abraham that He will make Abraham the Father of Many Nations - God's chosen people. He is given Sarah as his wife, and together they follow after the Lord God. God takes His time in blessing them with a promised son. We're talking about years! Years past the normal child-bearing age. So they take matters into their own hands. Sarah suggests that Abe take her servant, Hagar, and have a son with her - and he does. That was not how God wanted it, but He allowed it. Since the beginning, He gave man free will to make his own choices. As we all know from personal experiences, man (and woman) doesn't always make the right choice! Abe and Sarah did their part to "help" God along with His promise, and the result was the birth of Ishmael. God's plan was not to generate His chosen people via an illegitimate son. God allowed the birth of that son but not the birth of His nation through that son. His plan didn't change. Human nature took its course, and Sarah became resentful of Hagar and her son, and finally had Abraham send them away. How Abe handled that was really not humane - at least in our way of thinking. Sending a mom and her young son out to the desert with little provisions is a death sentence. However, God had mercy on them and promised her that her son would also father a nation, but this nation would be in contention with Abe's. Ishmael became the father of the Edomites. Today's native Middle Eastern people, the Arabs and Palestinians, are descended from the Edomites. Is there contention? Oh yeah....

God did fulfill His promise to Abe and Sarah, and they became parents to Isaac. Why did He make them wait so long? Was He testing them? Growing them? Toying with them? Didn't He know they would take matters into their own hands and mess up the plan? Why didn't He wipe them out and start over like he did with Noah? I can't answer those questions. There are some things we will never know or understand in this life. Part of faith is not having to have all the answers.

God's promise to Abraham was passed on to Isaac, who married Rebekah. They also had issues. When she finally did get pregnant, she had twins. Essau was born first, followed by Jacob. God intended for Jacob to carry the covenant promise even though Essau was the older son. Again, we see the mom take things into her own hands instead of waiting on the Lord and His timing. Rebekah and Jacob conspired and cheated Essau out of his father's blessing. They did not wait on the Lord. And again, there were consequences to their actions. Essau determined to get his revenge by killing Jacob, so Jacob was sent away for his own safety. It took him twenty years to return home, and he never saw his mother again. Essau married into Ishmael's family, thus, consolidating the forces against God's chosen people.

God continued in His faithfulness to His people and blessed Jacob with twelve sons, from whom He would divide and populate Abraham's descendants. Now, there was treachery in Jacob's story as well. His twelve sons were from four different women, two of whom were his wives, and two of whom were servants. Today, we live in a culture of a husband and one wife - at least, one at a time! It is not okay to have affairs with multiple people. Why was it different back then? Was that okay with God? If so, when did the rules change?

Once again, I don't have all the answers - but here's the thing. I am okay with not having all the answers. I know with confidence what God's plan for our generation is, and that's what I am to live out.

I don't know or understand why God put up with so much wishy-washyness and deceit. If I think too hard on it, I begin to get angry! Now isn't that ironic?

So, let me try to sum up some of the things learned from these accounts of God's people.

• God is faithful even when we are not. He keeps His word and does what He says He will do.
• God works on His on time-table. His timing is perfect, and when I try to "help" Him along, I am actually attempting to usurp His authority!
• God made man with a free will. However, when our will acts contrary to His will, there will be consequences that may ripple out beyond ourselves and may continue to ripple for eternity.
• If the poor choices of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their families frustrate me to the point of getting angry, how much more frustrated must God be with His people (like me) when I am unfaithful to Him?

This is not an end-all list of lessons to be gleaned from the first thirty six chapters of Genesis. This is just the list that jumps out at me as I write. I pray that the Lord will continue to mull His Word over in my heart and mind and continue to teach me. And I pray that I will be open to His Spirit's teaching.

The Art of Obedience...

Since I last wrote about my journey through Genesis, I've moved from Chapter 15 to Chapter 33. That's way more history than I can cover here. I've seen the lives of Abraham and Isaac played out and am in the middle of Jacob's life. God used these three men to create the foundation of the Christian faith. One thing is clear from reading about their lives - they were not perfect! And I am so glad! That gives us all hope and promise that He will use us and our imperfections and missteps to bring about His will in our world and in our personal lives. We don't have to be perfect - just obedient.

Abraham (Abram) was a descendant of Noah's son Shem. We are not told why God singled him out to become the Father of Many Nations, but we do know that Abraham loved the Lord God, and, thus, found favor in His sight. He married Sarah (Sarai), and she was barren for MANY years. God continued to bless Abraham and Sarah and brought them into the land of Caanan and told him that his discendants would possess this land and they would number more than the stars.Now Abe and Sarah were getting on up there in years (much like Zach & Liz from Luke 1) and still, they had no children. Abe talked this over with the Lord on different ocassions - how was he to be the father of many nations when he wasn't even a father of one child? But God kept promising him it would happen.  And, by-golly, it did - when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was only ten years younger! Now much happened in between including Abe fathering a child, Ishmael, by Sarah's servant. Like I said, he wasn't perfect! But we know that when Isaac was born, Abraham and Sarah were filled with unspeakable joy! God had blessed them and had proven faithful!

Over those years, Abraham learned a lot about what it means to walk with God. He made some serious mistakes along the way, but he never let his mistakes turn him away from following the Lord. Through those years, he also learned about obedience and the consequences of disobedience. He grew into the man who, indeed, could and would be the patriarch of the Christian faith. All of his mistakes, all that sojourning through the countryside, and all the challenges that his life had brought, prepared him for a final test of faith.

God asked Abraham to sacrifice that precious son for whom he had waited so many years. WOW! How could He ask such a thing? It's one thing to sacrifice your best lamb or goat, but it's another thing to give up your only son! Why would He ask such a thing? He had promised that son and had promised to multiply his descendants - he couldn't do that without Isaac.Talk about a turn-of-events that you don't understand! But Abraham didn't even question Him. He just went about being obedient. Now, in the old days, the younger Abraham would have barked back at God much like he did when God told him that Sarah would bear a son. He fell on his face and laughed and scoffed because of their age. But this Abraham was more seasoned in the knowledge and ways of God.

Now, let's stop for a minute and think about this situation. Abraham is walking his only son, the one he had waited many years for, up the hill in order to build an altar and lay Isaac on it and watch him burn to death! What gut-wrenching turmoil must Abraham been going through! Was he arguing with himself, torn between his love for his son and his love for God? He had to be! When that sweet little boy asked "Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb?" didn't he want to gather him in his arms and run back down the hill? Sure he did!

Was Abe really willing to go through with what God had asked of him? The answer is yes. He built the altar, then took Isaac and bound him and laid him on top of the wood. He took a knife and stretched out his arm to slay him, but an angel stopped him. I picture this as Abe holding that knife in the air, praying to the Father, and as his hand begins to come down toward the boy, the angel speaks - and Abe is stopped in mid-air. I think that because I think God wanted to see into his heart and know that he was willing to give his very best to Him.

Am I willing to give my very best to the Lord?

He was willing to give His very best to me...in Jesus Christ. And He went through with it! The parallel between this event and the sacrifice of His only son is undeniable. God loves us so much that He called for His own Son's sacrifice to take the place of our own. He watched His Son walk up Calvary's hill and be laid out on that wooden cross and die a horrible death - so that I wouldn't have to. "For God so loved the world (that's you and me) that He gave His only begotten Son (that's Jesus) so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

And just as Abraham was obedient to the point of sacrificing his son, Jesus was obedient to the point of literally giving his life for me. God desires obedience. Obedience allows His plan and purpose for our lives to be fulfilled. Abraham did go on to become the Father of Many Nations and the patriarch of our faith.

What is His plan for me, for you? We will never know all that He has planned for us until we learn the Art of Obedience.Sometimes it may be costly; however, He provides the strength and grace we need to get through it.

Mary or Martha?...

One of my most favorite movies of all time is White Christmas. When I was growing up, it always came on TV on Christmas Eve, and my family would gather round to watch it every year. Then I shared it with my girls, and we continue to watch it every Christmas season. There is just something wonderful and wholesome about the story and its characters. My dad was a WW II vet - maybe that was one reason it hit a soft spot with our family. But I loved the music and the dance scenes as well. And I loved Rosemary Cloony! The one song besides the title song that has always stayed with me is "Sisters."

• Sisters, Sisters. There were never such devoted sisters...
• All kinds of weather, we stick together; the same in the rain and sun...
• Lord help the mister who comes between me and my sister,
• And lord help the sister who comes between me and my man!

The relationship between sisters may be one of the most complicated of family relationships. It is filled with love, friendship, jealousy, resentment, contempt, and the list goes on. I know because I have a sister. I also have a brother (I wanted to mention him in case he ever reads this!) I also know this because I am the mother of two sisters. So, I've seen  this sister-thing from different vantage points. You can say things to a sister that you can't or would never say to anyone else - both good and bad things. You learn to read a sister's face and body language - you know when she is happy, in love, jealous, angry or put-out - especially with you.

So, I think it's fitting that Jesus chose to teach us a lesson(s) through two sisters, Mary and Martha, at the end of Luke 10 (v. 38-42). Jesus and His disciples had been traveling for weeks from village to village teaching about the Kingdom of God, healing the sick, and casting out demons. They were tired, thirsty, and covered in road dust. As they came into this particular village, Martha welcomed them into her home. We don't know a lot about this family other than they also had a brother, Lazarus (John 11). We learn later that Jesus and the brother developed a deep friendship. We don't know about husbands or children.

What we do know is that these two sisters were opposites. Martha was a "doer," and Mary was a "listener." Martha was the leader; Mary was the follower. In this situation, Martha welcomed Jesus and the boys into her home and quickly got busy preparing to serve them. No doubt she was a great hostess and homemaker. She went about her work, using her gift of service. Mary, on the other hand, never made it to the kitchen to help Martha prepare the meal. She was mesmerized by Jesus and sat at His feet and listened as He talked.  As with any "good" sister, this ticked Martha off! She did the unbelieveable - went to her guest, Jesus, and tattled! My goodness, you would think they were five years old! She actually complained that Mary wasn't helping her in the kitchen and actually asked Him to tell Mary to get in there and help her! I can't imagine...if I had ever done something like that to my sister, well, let's just say I would not be here to write this blog!!!

But Mary didn't react. Now, I have to say that if I had been Mary, a cat-fight would have insued. Instead, Jesus looked into Martha's eyes and basically said, "Martha Martha, calm down. You are getting yourself worked up over nothing...Only one thing is essential, and Mary has chosen it, and it's the main course..." (The Message) That could be interpreted as Jesus getting on to Martha. But I've read this in several versions and my trusty commentary, and none of them indicate that was intended or implied. Instead, I see Jesus saying those words with empathy and concern in His voice. Why? Because that's His M.O. - He always treated people who were seeking to know Him with compasion.

So, what did He mean? Martha had chosen to serve the Lord and got busy doing just that. Is that bad? Well, sometimes, it is. Just being busy "doing" is not all that Jesus wants or deserves. Sometimes we can get so busy doing good things, that we don't even think about "why" we are doing them or for Whom. I can get really busy doing church/God related activities. I study, I teach, I help with the drama productions, I work on the Women's Ministry team organizing Bible studies and helping with events, I help with the Fall Festival, I help with Operation Christmas Child, I help with Heart Beat, I do..., I help..., I do...! Wow, am I busy for the Lord, or what??? All those are good things, but at what point and how often do I take time to just sit at His feet and listen to Him? That's the main course, the most important activity we can do for Him (and for ourselves) is to spend time with Him, soaking in all He has to teach us. That's how we grow our relationship with Him deeper. It's through that relationship that true meaning and purpose is found in the things we do.

Yes, we should be about "doing" for Jesus, but never before we have "sat" with Him. We need a little bit of Martha and a whole lot more of Mary so our life with Him will be healthy and balanced.

The Calming Affect and Efffect...

No telling how many times in my life I have read the 8th chapter of Luke. As I was reading it this morning, the events and parables are so very familiar, so, no doubt, I've read it countless times. However, the number of times I've really READ it, doesn't climb as high! Today, I tried to really READ it, and, again, another WOW! (I think WOW has become my new favorite word - it's so expressive of the inexpressible!) I could spend days writing about the various pieces of that chapter that are powerful, but for now, I want to concentrate on verses 22-25.

At the beginning of the chapter, Jesus and his disciples (and some faithful women, by-the-way), began taking His ministry from city to city and village to village. One day they got into a boat to travel from the west side of the Sea of Galilee to the east side. Jesus must have been physically exhausted from all that He had been doing - healing, teaching, casting out demons, dealing with religious and political leaders - and He fell asleep in the boat. I love it! We are reminded of His humanness! As a youngster, I spent a lot of time in a boat with my dad, either fishing or dragging my brother or sister behind the boat on skis. A small-ish boat is not an easy place to take a nap! And Jesus was with several people who were rowing and probably yakking as they rowed. I'm just saying...He had to be really pooped to fall asleep.

Anyway, while Jesus was napping, the wind got up to the point where the waves were beginning to swamp the boat - and He still slept...The disciples were frightened for their lives, rightfully so. They woke up Jesus, and in their fear, shouted, "...we are perishing!" The disciples were in panic-mode! In my mind's eye, I can see Jesus rousing from His slumber, rubbing His eyes and looking at the boys and out toward the the water - not in any hurry or fear. He then stood up in the boat and rebuked the wind and the gigantic waves, and there was immediate calm. Yep, another WOW! Now remember, this is the same part of the "Us" that separated the waters from the waters and the waters from the land and heaven on day two of Creation. Yes, indeedee, He had to power to speak the water into existence and to calm winds and waves. A miraculous display of omnipotent power! But that's not all...

Jesus looked deep into the eyes of his disciples and said, "Where is your faith?" To me, that means, "Don't panic; I AM right here with you in the middle of this storm!" You see, we can't avoid the storms of life no matter how hard we try or how smart we think we are. Yes, some storms are of our own making, and we do have some control over those, depending on choices we make. We wouldn't be so foolish as to go boating when we know a storm is approaching! So we should always "check the weather" before making a bad decision. However, other storms - not of our own making - will come our way. Some may be due to the choices of others and some just from the circumstances of life, but they will come.

The reaction of the disciples serves as a lesson in what not to do, and that's to not let fear and anxiety grip us so tightly, that we begin to flounder. One of the most powerful things about this story is that Jesus was right there with them in the boat! He was with them in the storm! They were not alone! We must hold tight to the truth that one who walks with Jesus - as the disciples did - is never alone. He lives in us through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Where we go, He goes. He wasn't standing way far off on the shore unaware of the trouble the boys were in. No, He was in the same boat. So, we are never alone in our crises.

It's not just that Jesus is with us in the storm. It's what He will do if we call on Him. That is His affect. Affect is a verb, meaning it is an action word. According to Merriam Webster (BTW - another mush-have is a good dictionary), affect means "to produce an effect on or to influence." Jesus' affect when He stood up and spoke was to influence the guys to calm down. I take comfort knowing that in the middle of a life-threatening crisis, Jesus induces calm! He will calm me when me when I feel like I'm about to be overwhelmed by that which I have no control over. My friends, that is peace! Philippians 4:7 says, "...the peace of God surpasses all understanding." Those boys couldn't begin to understand how Jesus calmed the winds and waves. They didn't have to know! They just got to experience - His affect - His peace.

Jesus can also have an effect if we call on Him. Effect is a noun, a person, place, or thing, defined as a result or consequence. The result of Jesus' action was to stop the storm, literally. With His omnipotent power, He changed the circumstances of the storm. In this case, he stopped it all together. When they were overwhelmed, they called on Him to act, and He did. Now listen, He may not always choose to end your storm immediately. I recall that Paul was in the middle of a hurricane at sea and ended up shipwrecked; however, the effect was a more powerful testimony and ministry for the Lord.  But even when Paul finally made it to shore, he knew he was not alone. Jesus (via the Holy Spirit) had been in the same boat with him. When we call on Jesus, there will be an effect - a result - and it will be good. Paul was wrecked but not dead!

Soak in the familiar words of Romans 8:28, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God and called according to His purpose." That sums up both the affect and effect of the Lord Jesus in our lives!

Wise or Foolish?....

I learned a song as a Sunday School pre-schooler that is chocked full of Truth. If I were real techno-smart, you would click on a link at this point and hear me sing it for you. It's probably better that I don't have that link! I bet you know the song, though.

The wise man built his house upon the rock; the wise man built his house upon the rock. The wise man built his house upon the rock, and the rains came a tumbling down....And the house on the rock stood firm!

The foolish man built his house upon the sand; the foolish man built his house upon the sand. The foolish man built his house upon the sand, and the rains came a tumbling down.....And the house on the sand went splat!

That's the parable Jesus tells at the end of Luke 5. Obviously, the intent of the parable is to show the benefit of making the Lord the foundation of one's life. But to really begin to grasp His meaning, we need to read the context in which the parable is told. After choosing his twelve apostles, He gave a sermon in which He explained the principals of the christian life, called the Beatitudes. You can check out a more extensive listing of the Beatitudes given in Mathew 5. I like to look at these as the Be-Atitudes - Have these attitudes in your personal life and you will be laying a foundation that will stand when the storms of life roll through - and they will.

• Be poor in spirit - live with an attitude of humility treating others as you want to be treated.
• Be hungry and thirsty - for the righteousness of God, longing for and needing Him like you do food and water
• Be compasionate - to the needs of others, putting them before your own
• Be ready to be persecuted - you are in the world but not of the world and the world will not like you when you stand for Jesus

Be those things through the power of the Holy Spirit working in your life, and you will be laying a foundation that will not fail when times get tough. That foundation is Christ the Lord. He should be the basis of everything you are, everything you do, everything you think, everything you say.

Remember Enoch and Noah from a few days ago? Enoch "walked with God" and Noah "found favor with God" - and they lived extraordinary lives as ordinary people because their foundation stood firm.

We have a crack in the ceiling uf our breakfast area. While eating dinner last night, our four year old grandson looked up at the crack and then said to Garry, "Pa, why do you have a crack in the roof?" We all took our turns trying to explain to him in our various ways what had caused the crack. One of us finally said something about the house shifting. Then, he quite seriously looked at us and said, "You shouldn't have a crack; you should get it fixed." There have been times in my life where my foundation was beginning to show signs of neglect. You may have experienced that too. It happens when I neglect those attitudes that should be the essence of who I am. I neglect those attitudes when I neglect spending time with the One who seals my foundation. When you find your "house" shifting, check your foundation and renew your Be-atitudes! You will experience life in a whole different way! Live life as the Wise Man and not the Foolish Man.

The WOW Affect...

I just finished reading Genesis 12-14 and Luke 5, and I don't know where to begin... There is so much covered in those chapters. But, I will go with Luke for now.

Scripture tells us that Jesus was 30 years old when his cousin, John-the-Baptist, baptized Him and the Holy Spirit descended identifying Him as Christ the Lord.(Chapter 3) Jesus then sought time alone with the Father to gear-up for His mission ahead. In fact, His time turned into forty days in the wilderness during which Satan came to Him and tried desparately to side-track Him. I'm not going to go into detail on that event; however, I don't want anyone to miss HOW Jesus dealt with the devil and all that he threw at Him. Ephesians 6 states that our one offensive weapon is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (v 17). And that's exactly what Jesus used to rebuke Satan and his attempts to have Jesus take His focus off of the Father. That is a huge lesson for us. Jesus was living out Psalm 119:11 - Thy Word have I hidden in my heart so that I might not sin against Thee.

After His wilderness excursion, Jesus goes right to work, teaching about God and His way of salvation and healing in His name by the power of the Holy Spirit. Don't you know that people's heads were shaking and they were saying, "Wow! What's up with this guy?" I love the part where he is by the seashore and hollers at Simon Peter and the guys to go out futher and lower their nets. Peter explains that they have been fishing for hours to no avail, but for some reason, he did as Jesus directed. And wouldn't you know it...Wow! Their nets were so full that they were beaking and others swam out to help. By the time they were finished, they had several boats full of fish.

Wow! Peter and the people had seen and or heard about Jesus healing multiple sick people. They had experienced an abundance of fish in their nets. So, did it surprise you that when Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Leave your boat, nets, and all those fish, and follow me," he did? I mean, he dropped everything - his life - and followed this One who had filled his nets to the breaking point. Now, that's a "Wow!" affect. We also see that James and John, who were also fisherman, left their life as they knew it, and followed Him. And later in the chapter, we see Levi, who is known as Mathew, leave his lucrative tax collection business and follow him as well.

So, what was so compelling about Jesus that these strangers left everything and everyone behind and followed Jesus and His teaching? Was it that He had performed these miraculous deeds? Would witnessing someone healing the sick compel me to leave my family and friends and trek off with him? I don't think so. Remember, at this point, these guys didn't know who He was; even at the end, they didn't fully get it. Then, was it his persona? Was He so captivating and charismatic that they couldn't resist? I don't know about that either. These are grown men with families, careers, and responsibilities. It just doesn't make sense...

Well, I don't have the answer. Miracles would be impressive, and He did have a warm, compasionate personality (but of course, my opinion is colored by all the movies that have been made about Him). But it had to be more than either of those things. I can only think that it goes back to the dove. Remember, the one that descended on Him when He was baptized? The HOLY SPIRIT descended on Him in the form of a dove. That's the same Holy Spirit that draws sinners to His saving grace; that is the voice of my conscience and which gives me moral direction; that same voice that brings me to my knees in shame and repentance; that same voice that lifts me up and holds me safe. That's what drew those men to leave their comfort zones and follow the One who would change the course of humanity.

That's the WOW! affect...

Where's the Bitterness???

 The writer of Hebrews defines Faith as the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

Hoping for children was what all young married couples did. Zach and Liz were no exception. They hoped, they prayed, they hoped, they prayed, and it did not happen. Elizabeth was branded as “barren”, and Zacharias could have put her away and taken another wife. Being barren was not a good thing in those days. That label brought with it serious social consequences, and she certainly faced raised eyebrows when she approached gatherings of other ladies in their community. They were surely known as the old couple who could never have children. A mixture of shame and pity shrouded them.

I can’t even begin to imagine her surprise when she learned that she was pregnant! Today we think it odd when a woman over forty gives birth; just imagine what we would think if an eighty year old lady became pregnant! My mind won’t even go there! But let’s look at how Liz handled her surprise.

Scripture tells us that she kept herself in seclusion for five months. Apparently, that time was a time of spiritual soul-searching for her. She concluded that the “Lord had taken away her disgrace among men.” It’s important to note here that when she and Zach are introduced to us in Luke 1, they had been living with their disgrace for many years. Furthermore, we should remember that they were “both righteous in the sight of God and were walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Law.” Now here’s my question. How did Liz keep bitterness from consuming her? She had every right to be disappointed that she had not been able to have a child. Disappointment breeds anger, and anger breeds bitterness. Where’s the anger and where’s the bitterness in her life? How was she able to continue walking blamelessly with the Lord throughout her life? I think it was her relationship with the Lord that gave her an uncommon peace.

It wasn’t just those five months of seclusion that had been a spiritual journey for her. Most of her life had been a spiritual journey. Even when she was a young woman and barren, she walked blamelessly in her relationship with God. Years down the road, when other couples their age were becoming grandparents, she walked blamelessly with God. Scripture doesn’t give us detailed insight into Liz’s mind through those years, so we don’t know how much she wrestled with anger and bitterness or if peace came easy to her. When big things don’t happen for me the way I hope, I do wrestle with anger and sometimes bitterness. Oh, that I could continuously walk blamelessly with God!

Let’s continue Liz’s story. While she was in seclusion, the same angel that had appeared to Zach, appeared to her cousin, Mary. In the proclamation that Gabriel gave to Mary about giving birth to the baby Jesus, he told Mary that Liz was also pregnant with a special child. The last thing the angel said to Mary was, “For nothing will be impossible with God.” That’s an understatement if I’ve ever heard one! Not only had God allowed Elizabeth to become pregnant in her old age (and she would later give birth to a healthy baby boy), now Mary was going to become pregnant while still a virgin. Soon after learning the news from the angel, Mary went with haste to see Liz.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, her baby leaped in her womb, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit. At that point, Liz cried out a blessing upon Mary and her baby, who was to be the Lord. Liz seemed to understand her pregnancy and the roll her child was to play in the coming of the Lord.

Her faith had seen her through to the purpose of God in her life. She faced a crisis of Faith early in her marriage, but did not allow anger and bitterness to ruin her life. Keeping her relationship with God from being stained by bitterness allowed her to protect her relationship with Zacharias. 

So….. What do we learn from Zach and Liz’s crises of Faith? How we react at that critical and decisive moment may frame the rest of our lives. It certainly impacts our spiritual journey. Sometimes we react with anger, fear, and doubt. However, if we give that over to the Lord and walk with Him through the crisis, we will grow stronger and taller in our relationship with Him. How we react may also frame some aspect of another’s life. We’ll never know until we walk through the crisis with Him. I think Elizabeth would tell us that God was with her at the beginning of the crisis, in the midst of the crisis, and through the end of the crisis. That’s what walking blamelessly with Him means.

Where will we go from here? Next time…

A Crisis of Faith...

It's time to comment on this week's readings from Luke. Our reading plan calls for reading from the OT and NT everyday. I've been reading the NT but just haven't posted anything about it. So, here we go with Luke 1...

A crisis is defined as being faced with a decisive or critical moment in which a decision must be made with the consequences being unsure.

Zacharias faced such a crisis when the angel Gabriel appeared to him in the Holy of Holies and announced to him that he and his wife Elizabeth would have a child, and that child would grow up to be John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ. That doesn’t sound like much of a crisis; after all, most married couples look forward to having children. However, the time of barring children had long passed for Zach and Liz. Scripture tells us that Zach was old and both were advanced in years. The scripture also says that both were righteous in the sight of God and were walking blamelessly in the commandments and requirements of the Lord.

Let’s think about this for a minute. Zacharias was righteous and walking with God. So why was this a crisis of Faith ? Zach was immediately troubled when the angel appeared, and then fear gripped him. It seems that he did not recognize the angel as being from God – even though he was in the holy place interceding for his people, and the whole multitude was gathered in prayer outside the temple. Isn’t that just like us? We pray and pray, and even have others praying with us or for us, and BOOM! God shows up and fear or doubt grabs hold, and we don’t see Him through our anxiety and fear. Was Zach really praying with faith as we are admonished to by Paul? Doesn’t seem so. Would I recognize an angel of the Lord if one appeared before me? I’d like to think so; however, I am guilty of not seeing God work in and around me all the time. I find myself praying about something and then not seeing God’s answer – many times because His answer is not what I’m looking for. When His answer is not what I’m hoping it will be, I face the faith crisis of submitting to His will or not. Sometimes I don’t because His answer troubles me, sometimes it scares me, and sometimes I don’t understand it. Obviously, I’m not much different from Zach in that area.

After the angel explained to Zacharias that Elizabeth was about to become pregnant and that the child would serve a unique purpose in the coming of the Messiah, he still wasn’t convinced that God was at work. Anxiety and fear struck first, but then doubt immerged. “How will I know for certain?” Wow! That’s got my name written all over it. How many times have I sensed God’s will but kept asking, “How will I know?” If Zach had not gotten past that question, he and Liz might not have ever had their rendezvous. He did pay a price for his doubting. He was struck silent until eight days after the birth of baby John. Think what we miss because we never take that next step. Talk about the “What if’s”! Where might you be? What might you be? How would the world be different? Only the Lord knows the cost of our doubt.

Once his tongue was loosed, he began to speak in praise of God. Seeing God’s faithfulness through this crisis of faith made Zach a more powerful witness for the Lord. So, did the crisis turn out for good or ought? You got it! For good. Zach had over nine months to think about his encounter with God that day in the Holy of Holies. By the time he could speak, his first words were not, “Man, you won’t believe what I’ve been through!” It was more like, “Man, I’ve got to tell you about the greatness of God!”

How did Elizabeth face this crisis of Faith? More on that later.

Blessings, Deb

Children...

Chapter 4 of Genesis is the account of the world's first children. We can all take comfort, no matter what our children have done and or put us through, in Adam and Eve's parenting experience! When sin entered the world, it did so in mighty ways! The firstborn son was Cain, whom God decided would be a farmer. The second born was Abel, whom God destined to be a rancher. This gives me pause to reflect on occupations. Our culture tends to negate the role of farmers and ranchers and elevate professions such as lawyers, doctors, techno-wizzards, etc. However, the Lord saw the most important jobs as those which provided sustenance to the people. Without them, human existence is not possible. We owe much to those who provide the food for our tables.

We know the story - the young men offered sacrifices to the Lord from their respective domains and Abel's was acceptable and Cain's was not. So the big question was why; what was wrong with Cain's offering? It came from the fruit of his land. Was God saying that blood sacrifice was better than others? Perhaps - because it does connect with the blood sacrifice of Jesus centuries later. This is where I and many people could go bonkers and just say that none of this makes any sense. In fact, Garry (my husband) and I had a discussion about this very issue yesterday afternoon, and then our son-in-law, Brandon, brought it up last night.You might check out Garry's comment on my first post concerning his thoughts about the boys. Anyway, I looked into the matter via a good commentary. BTW - if you want to be a serious student of the Bible, you must have at least one good commentary! I'll list my study sources on the side of the blog page. According to my research, it was not the offering but the attitude in which it was given. Cain was a sour puss! He gave grudgingly to the Lord. Another lesson for me! The evidence is in his reaction - anger and resentment. His reaction to the Lord and Abel was so strong that God warned him that "sin is crouching at the door and its desire is for you." WOW! I had never really seen that verse before. Sin is crouching at the door and its desire is for ME!!! My mind raced to 1 Peter 5:8 - "...be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour." Sin did get the best of Cain, and he killed his brother; thus, humanity experiences its first death. God banished Cain to the eastern desserts and a very difficult, nomadic lifestyle. Lesson: Separation from the Lord leads to a life filled with emptiness and endless wandering for purpose and meaning. Eventually, Cain's entire branch of the family tree is wiped out in the great flood.

Later, Adam and Eve were blessed with another son, Seth, who seems to have had a closer walk with the Lord than Cain. In fact, the one man who found favor in God's sight amidst the total wickedness of the world came from the lineage of Seth - Noah. Also in Seth's line was a guy who gets a little extra bio in the family tree, and that is Enoch. We don't know a lot about him other than the description that he "walked with God." And did you notice that Enoch didn't die? Read the family tree in chapter 5. And so-n-so lived so many years and became the father of so-n-so and then died after so many years...That's how it goes - until you get to Enoch. Four verses are devoted to Enoch! Verse 24 is the highlight - "And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him."  He is mentioned again in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11! He must have been a strong man of faith. I would love to be worthy of having my tombstone inscribed with, "She walked with God." Another interesting fact about Enoch - he was Noah's great gramps! No wonder Noah found favor with God - he grew up in a family that showed him how to be a man of faith! Another lesson learned.

Can you believe that the first five chapters of the Bible are so full of Truth? Can't wait to continue on this road!

The Fall ...

Haven't you ever wondered why Adam and Eve messed up when they had a perfect life? What more could they want? They lived in Paradise, by golly! We get a glimpse of their motivation in Chapter 3. Now remember, God told them that the CONSEQUENCE of eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was DEATH. There was a serpant more crafty than any other creature who refuted God's claim about the the Tree of Knowledge. The serpant teased and tempted Eve with the hope that she could be like God. So she ate of the tree. What a powerful lesson for each of us! We will be tempted to act contrary to what God has planned for us. Eve took the carrot (or the apple?) and got Adam to do the same.What happened next changed the course of humanity forever - their eyes were opened to sin. The first result was that they saw themselves as they really were - naked. Next, they tried to hide from God when they heard Him walking through the garden. How often do we try to hide from God because of what we are doing or not doing? How often do we blame our missteps on someone else like Adam did? Now, I could throw Adam under the bus at this point and play the "Woman Card," but I'll refrain because I am sure Eve would have done the same thing if things had been reversed. No one likes to take responsibility for messing up.

God did pronounce the consequences of their actions, and it was three-fold. 1) Death - their lives, our lives,  became mortal instead of immortal - they would die an earthly death. 2) Women's pain in childbirth would be multiplied - thanks a lot! 3) Man would now have to toil at his work - it would be hard and not always pleasurable - God had planted the Garden of Eden and Adam just had to pick, eat, and enjoy. Now man would have to do the planting and the ground would unforgiving. To summarize the magnitude of their choice, God took them out of the Garden (Paradise) and put them into the World! Ouch!!!

Lesson learned: I am too much like Adam and Eve. I try to rationalize away the reasons I do not live out His plan for me every day and then hide my mistakes from Him. Application: He sees and knows my heart - even when behind the bushes! I am naked before Him.

In the Beginning...

Our pastor, Tim Skaggs, has challenged our church family to read the Bible through this calendar year. I've decided to chronicle my journey through this blog.

My journey began like so many of my life's journeys - playing catch-up! I did not read on January 1, and what I am typing right now was actually written in a journal yesterday, Janaury 2. So I began faced with two days of assignments. One of my prayers is that this endeavor will life-altering for me. I do so want to walk closer wtih my Lord and to know Him and understand His Word. I must confess that I've always thought reading the Bible from cover to cover is not something I would find meaningful. I'm not at all opposed to reading and studying it, but I have an aversion to the "cover-to-cover" thing. I mean, it's not a novel or a chronological series of events. It's more a book of short works - like an anthology - with each work independent of the others. But the Spirit has tugged at my heart to travel this road, so off I go, promising to do my best! I may not write everyday, but I do intend on writing often and recording my thoughts as they come. so, here I go...

Yesterday, I read day 1 and 2 of our guide (you can find the guide at church's link on the left). That reading included Genesis 1 -5 and Luke 1-2. I'll write about Genesis first.

Creation: Day 1 - God created day and night; Day 2 - God separated heaven from earth; Day 3 - He created dry land and divided the seas; called what He had done "good." also brough forth vegetation; Day 4 - It was time for the sun, moon and stars - and they were "good." Day 5 - He decided on water creatures and birds - and they were also "good" and He blessed them; Day 6 - Animals and living creature on land were created - "good". THEN He said, "Let Us make man in Our image..." So He made them male and female, blessed them, and gave them dominion over all sea and land creatures. He looked at all He had made and said it was "VERY GOOD!"

He goes into more detail about the creation of man in chapter 2. We learned that man was formed from dust and God breathed life into his nose! He planted a garden for man that had food of all kinds. It also included the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which man was instructed NOT to eat from. The penalty for eating from this tree was death. Out of this garden the flowing river branched into four rivers - two of which names we are familar with today - Tigris and Euphrates. Just as God did not want to be alone, he wanted man to have a companion as well. So He put Adam to sleep and removed one rib from which He made woman. Adam called her "Eve."