We Have Come to Worship Him

I have seen prisoners or war or military soldiers when returning to American soil kiss the ground. I know this is an unspoken symbol. It means they are glad to have arrived safely at a longed for destination. It means love for all that they hold dear. This was an image that popped into my head as I studied the Christmas story in the Bible. I am at the place in my study where the wise men come to see the Christ child. OK, you might not see the correlation yet but I hope I’ll be able to clarify. But you know how my mind hops around, so here goes…

Matthew 2:1-11

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:

 ‘AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH,
  ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH;
  FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER
  WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.’”

Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (I underlined the parts I like.)

The word “worship” in this passage is “proskyneo.” It sounds kind of funny if you try to say it. And, of course, it meant nothing to me until I researched the word. In Greek this word is a combination of “bow down on the ground” and “kissing in adoration.”  Now you can see where I got the picture of kissing the ground.

These wise men saw a new star and discerned that it meant a king of Jewish people was born. They decided that though they did not worship the Jewish God they should worship this king. That’s amazing to me. They came and took every measure to diligently find this baby and when they did they bowed down and kissed the ground in adoration. They arrived safely at their longed for destination and rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. They loved that time and that place and that King as all they held dear.

I wonder if I worship my Jesus with that much fervor.  I know I want too. Everything seems to compete at this time of year to distract me from this. So this year I’m going to take a little quiet time away from crowded malls, parties, and family to worship. Really worship.

Will you come with me?

Come let us worship Him.

The Prince of My Peace

Isaiah 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace.

At Christmas time we hear the names that have been given to our Messiah Jesus Christ on cards, with carols, and in Christmas productions. One of His attributes, Prince of Peace, has really been a focus for me this year. When I researched this name (you know me and my penchant for looking up stuff,) I found that this word “peace” is the Hebrew word “Shalom.” This word is still used today BTW.

 “Shalom” means:

1.       to make complete

2.        to secure

3.        to bring peace between enemies

4.        to give a joyous greeting of wellness and safety

Isaiah proclaimed that the Messiah, the Son of God (our Prince,) would bring “shalom.”

It is Jesus Christ who completed the plan of God for the redemption of man.

It is Jesus Christ who makes our salvation secure and eternal.

It is Jesus Christ who brings peace between God and man, and man and man.

It is Jesus Christ who gives us that sense of wellness, joy, and safety in the midst of a tumultuous world.

Jesus, our Prince of Peace, said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” This word “peace,” though in Greek, was used interchangeably with “Shalom.”

The author of peace gave us His peace. We can trust the source so we can be assured of the peace. This is such a relief to me. Not only is my relationship with my Father God at peace, complete, and secure for eternity but I have the same peace for now.

As I listen to the news and watch what is going around me I realize that the world is crying out for peace; for an end to all kinds of conflicts. If I dwell too much on these circumstances I lose my peace too. But when I go to my Jesus and dwell in His presence then that peace that  passes understanding will invade my heart and mind as Philippians 4:7 encourages.  

And so, my dear friends, I say to you:

“Shalom!”

May the God of peace be with you all.  Amen. (Romans 15:33)

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and good will toward men. (Luke 2:14)

Got Joy?

This is the "Joy to the World" time of year but not everyone feels the joy all of the time. Even though we get all festive sometimes we have stuff that happens during this season that dampens our happiness. Do you know the children's chorus, "If you're happy and you know it say, "Amen?'" Sometimes I say, "Ummennn" without gusto.

I keep a list of “joy” verses handy because, let’s face it, I’m not always happy. The Declaration of Independence says we have the right to pursue happiness. I guess that means happiness is not always a given. So I pursue happiness or the joy of the Lord. When I’m down I go to the list. I keep this list on my bedside table so I can meditate on these thoughts from God’s Word as needed:

Ps. 5:11 But let all those that put their trust in You rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them: let them also that love Your name be joyful in You.

Ps. 16:11 You will show me the path of life: in Your presence is the fullness of joy; at Your right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Ps. 35:9 And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in His salvation.

Ps. 40:16 Let all that seek You rejoice and be glad in You: let such as love Your salvation say continually, “The Lord be magnified!”

Is. 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robes of righteousness.

Jn. 15:11 These things have I spoken to you, that My joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full.

Gal. 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…

Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always: again I say, “Rejoice.”

1 Thes. 5:16 Rejoice always.

When I’m not happy I say these verses over and over until I've got heavenly Joy. I don’t chant them, well; maybe it is a chant or cheer. Sometimes my pursuit of happiness takes longer than other times but the joy of the Lord always comes through. These are my “go to” verses when the world’s got me down. I can’t help but come away from the “joy” verses with a renewed happiness.

Joy to the world the Lord has come.

Let earth receive her King. 

Let every heart prepare Him room and heaven and nature sing.

Got joy?

Got it?

Get it.

Good!

Is the “Happiest Place on Earth”?

I just spent a little time at “The Happiest Place on Earth.” And I must admit it was fun. There were a lot of sensory stimuli. There was pretty stuff to look at all around. There were great tastes and smells with food from around the world. There was an abundance of exciting (touchy/feely) experiences available. There were sounds that were enhanced by all the technology in existence. Talk about sensory overload!

I met some wonderful people from around the country and some Tuscaloosa girls too. Special shout out to Bob and Sarah (even though you are yankees y'all are a lot of fun.

Yes, I enjoyed it all but there were still crying babies, pouty children, grouchy dads, and frustrated moms. The happiest place on earth is and was not perfect. And this is supposed to be the superlative of happiness. This is the best the earth can offer.

But I’m thinking of another place (not on earth) that is better.

For since the beginning of the world no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen, O God besides You, what He has prepared for them who wait on Him. Isaiah 64:4

It is written, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Cor. 2:9

We can’t even imagine what heaven will be like. It is beyond human understanding. But I think God has given us indications that it’s gonna be goooood. Aside from the human limitations of describing heaven in the Bible, we know there are animals that can see things that human eyes can’t register. There are animals that can hear sounds higher and lower than human ears can perceive. There are plants that respond to the slightest touch. There are animals that can separate smells that we don’t necessarily notice.(Yep, saw all of those things too.) Well, if God gave some of these enhanced abilities to plants and animals, how much more does He have waiting for us?

When Jesus said to the disciples, “I am going to prepare a place for you” He had in His mind so much more than His followers could even anticipate.

I had a friend who said a long time ago to me, “I think heaven will be kind of boring. There won’t be that much to do.” I hope she has changed her mind since then. I think we’ll have eternity to experience the extent of God’s sensory creativity. And that won’t even be the main attraction!

Sight,

Sound,

Taste,

Touch,

and Smell

to the extreme.

The Happiest Place Not On Earth

I have a reservation.

Do you?

I Wanna Meemow

And because of His glory and excellence

He has given us great and precious promises. 2 Peter 1:4

I was helping Emma learn to write her name. She was having a little trouble writing the “m’s.” So I told her that they were like rainbows. She had fun writing the rainbows in her name. We were so excited that she had 4 rainbows in her name. Her little brother came over and said, “I wanna meemow.” That was his way of saying, “I want a rainbow.”  So, of course, I helped him write a rainbow too.

That incident made me think of rainbows as being promises from God because the origin of a rainbow was the promise from God to Noah. He has given a lot of promises to us in His word. And I pictured myself going to my heavenly Father and saying, “I wanna meemow.” And of course my Father will give one to me.

Psalm 145:13 For Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout generations. The Lord always keeps His promises (*meemows); He is gracious in all He does.

So the meemows in the Bible are for me. I am even promised that He will keep His promises. That’s a double promise. Yay, that means a double meemow!

Here are some of my favorite meemows I am meditating on this week:

1.    But my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  Phil. 4:19

2.    For God so loved the world, that He gave Hid only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

3.    Come to me, all you are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

4.    No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.     Romans 8:37

5.    Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

6.    And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matt. 28:20

There are many more promises from God to anyone who will look for them in His word. If you want a rainbow all you have to do is look.

Go to your Heavenly Father and say,

“I wanna meemow.”

He has one waiting for you.

Unconditional Thankfullness

This is the season that our nation pauses and gathers with family and counts the blessings the year has brought us. Some of us go around the turkey table and share what we’re thankful for. Some reminisce with family about the fun times they've had together. Some remember members of the family they love that are not with them anymore or just couldn't make it this year. But we all pause and thank.

I've recently wondered what would happen if we actually voiced out loud the bad things that happened in our lives this year and said we were thankful for those times. I know if I did that my family would start looking for a special new place for me to live with kind people who would take care of me and not let me hurt myself. We just don’t like to say we’re thankful for the yuckies. It goes against everything we know.

We put conditions on what we will be thankful for:

I’m thankful I got that promotion or raise - not that I lost my job. I’m thankful for my health - not that I was diagnosed with something that will change my life. I’m thankful that God has taken care of my family - not that I have had a tragedy with a family member.

We can’t seem to be able to bring ourselves to unconditional thankfulness.

But we do have this glorious expectation: God’s unconditional love.

And I’m glad He does love us because we have all been quite unlovable. God never says, “If you do this or that and don’t do this or that, I will love you.”  Romans 8:35-39 says, “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? …No, despite all things that happen to us overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love…No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Yay! We like that! Unconditional love from God is our secure promise. We are so thankful for this.

 But what about our response to this wonderful unconditional love? 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” The word “everything” in this verse means: all, everything, the total picture. It is God will for us to receive His unconditional love and to give Him our unconditional thanks.

So this Thanksgiving I’m saying thanks to my God for everything (even the yuckies.)

And I’m going to try not to put conditions on my thanks in the future.

I want to get to the place in my life that I am habitually unconditionally thankful.

That may take me until next Thanksgiving. 

Thirty One Flavors of Christian

A few weeks ago, in his sermon, my pastor Wade said (when talking about us being salt,) “Christians are to bring flavor to the world.” This statement reminded me of something a friend once told me, “If we were ice-cream flavors, I’d be vanilla and you’d be pistachio!” I’m not sure that was a compliment. But I think she meant that she was classic, conservative, traditional, predictable, and a popular choice and that I was …well … not.  I almost started laughing in the middle of a serious sermon as I remembered this.

I’m pistachio. Is that OK?

Consequently, this led me to a study of flavor. There are supposedly seven flavors recognized by humans: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami (savory), spicy, and metallic. I’m not sure where pistachio fits in. Hmm,  maybe umami?

I learned that smell can’t really be separated from taste.  Any company in the food production area has to consider smell as part of their product appeal. The flavor creation in their food product is done by specially trained scientists called “flavorists.”  These flavorists insure the smell and taste of the food will work in the application for which it is intended.

Well God seems to be our Flavorist. He has created us to be a taste that will work in in His plan for presenting salvation to the world.

Matthew 5:13 says, “You are the salt and seasoning (flavor) that is in the earth. But if the salt becomes tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything.”

 Wow, we are called to be a flavor of the gospel to the world. We are no good for God if we’re not actively flavoring those around us. I guess it takes all kinds of flavors to meet the needs of those around us.

 Sometimes we need to show the sweetness of Christ’s love. Sometimes we need be the salt preservative and make sure God’s standard in His Word is upheld. Sometimes we need to even be the bitter reminder of the punishment for sin. Sometimes we need to turn up the spicy heat and remind the world of the brevity of life and point the way to salvation. Sometimes we will even leave a metallic taste that the unsaved don’t like in that we point out the difference between our Christian life and theirs. And, yes, sometimes we get to be umami, the yum of being a follower of Jesus.

Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your message to the world be always gracious, flavored so that you know how to respond to everyone.”

We need to depend on our Flavorist to make sure that the flavor we present works for His intended application.

2 Corinthians 2:14 says, “But thanks be to God who always causes us to triumph in Christ and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere.”

Our Flavorist makes sure that the fragrance (the knowledge of God) matches the taste (salvation through Christ) as we spread the gospel.

We may be vanilla or, thankfully, we may even  be pistachio or any flavor in between as long as we are using the flavor God has given us to spread His good news to mankind. It reminds me of the ice-cream shop that offers thirty-one flavors so that any customer can get what they want. You are one of God’s flavors to the world so that everyone can get what they need as you point them to Christ.

I’m pistachio.

What flavor are you?

You Are Here

I just recently went to a wonderful mini conference called “How to Study the Bible” led by a Godly local lady (Jo Hancock of His Vessel Ministries.) Jo started with an overview of the Bible. She presented this overview of God’s plan for the world and how we fit into this plan as the reason to diligently study God's word. When she got to the book of Revelation she said something that caught my attention in a way that pointed a convicting finger at me. This gifted speaker said that if we wanted to know where the Christians are right now in time we needed to read Revelation chapters 2 and 3. She went on to the wonderful finish of God’s word but I was stuck those few chapters back at 2 and 3.

It was as if I was at the map in the mall and found the red dot that said, “You are here.” I felt prompted to read chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation right there on the spot. If this is where I’m located in the history of God’s plan for the world then I need to see what God has to say to me for this time. I’m sorry and I apologized to the speaker afterwards but I missed part two of her session. God took my focus to these two chapters. You see, I had always read these passages as if they were written to some other Christians at some other churches at some other time. But I was shocked into the reality that this was for me ... now... here.

Here is a little synopsis of the letters to the churches and to us from Jesus himself in chapter 2 and 3 of Revelation:

1.       OK, so you've worked diligently to keep your relationship with Christ uncorrupted from the world. You've stood strong even in the face of those opposing God. You didn't stay quiet when you could have for Christ’s name sake. But be careful in all of your good works that you are not just doing it out of duty or habit.  Don’t let your love for God get swallowed up by obligation. Remember to love the Lord with all of your heart, soul, and mind. God doesn't want a dutiful Christian. He wants a loving child.

2.       OK, so you’re not rich by the world’s standard. You have even been mistreated financially and physically because you claim the name of Christ. Be ready to suffer in this life. It’s inevitable that heartache and pain will come your way. The final victory for a Christian over sorrow, hurt, and even death is heaven. It cannot be taken away from you. You have this as your ultimate triumph as you persevere.

3.       OK, so it’s hard to live the Christian life when there’s sin all around you.  You play in the proverbial trashcan all day yet you try to come home clean. Remember that your definition of clean is not God’s. He is holy and has called you to holiness. Don’t let sin creep into your life and try to justify it by comparing yourself with those around you. Jesus is your only standard.

4.       OK, so you have grown in your faith. You know God more intimately. You follow God more closely. But don’t let this feeling that you are so good hide a deeper sin. Do you blandly tolerate others who blatantly sin?  Do you do align yourself with the ungodly? Do you watch as others fall into sin and say nothing because it would not be acceptable behavior? Do you silently watch as others live their life without Christ? Then there is something wrong with your understanding of the Christ life. You are not as “all that” as you thought you were. Get your “Christian” on and wear it proudly.

5.       OK, so you know all the right words to say and you can pull off the Godly act around other Christians. You may fool everyone but you don’t fool God. Make sure your life matches your talk. Be a "real" Christian.

6.       OK, so you’re a little weak in the “go into all the world and make disciples” area. God’s power in you totally makes up for that. Let Him show you this power in your everyday life. You will be amazed at what He does through you. Just do it!

7.       OK, so you’re not charging hell with a water pistol but you’re not deliberately living in sin either.  You think that if you can just scoot through life without causing a big hassle with the unsaved or God, you’ll be fine.  But God doesn't like that kind of lifestyle. You can’t just “get by” as a Christian. Stand up, put on your spiritual armor, and make a difference.

I saw myself in every scenario. And it wasn't a pretty picture. So right there in the middle of Jo's session, I renewed my commitment to: love Him, persevere, measure my life by God’s standard, proudly proclaim my faith in Christ, be real, get out there, and make a difference.

I found my location.

I am here.

Where are you?

The Voting Booth a Place of Worship...Who Knew?

As soon as I turned 18 years old I registered to vote and have been voting as a good citizen of the USA since. I always considered it my civic duty and a privilege of my freedom. These were my thoughts on the subject…

               

 Voting is really just giving your opinion on the matter. All of the opinions of all of the voters, interest groups, and sometimes the opinions of the Electoral College (never quite understood that but their opinions count) are put into a big pot and out pops the opinion of the collective.  Those who do not vote I call “The Beatles” because they choose to just “Let It Be.” And so it is. Our country goes with the opinion of the voting collective. That shows us, the Christians, the spiritual, moral, and political temperature of our city, state, and/or nation. Usually it shows how much we all need Jesus. Snap. All finished in 24 hours.

Last Sunday the pastor of my church was preaching on 1 Peter 2: 13-17:

“Be in submission, for the Lord’s sake, under every human form of authority whether it is to the king (*or the supreme person of governmental power) or to the people in immediate authority over you. These people have the power to punish those who break the law of the land or to approve those who obey it. Because it is the will of God, live rightly. Obey your authority no matter how ignorant of God’s plan they may be so that they cannot find fault in you.  Though you are free to realize you destiny in Christ, do not use this freedom to disobey them because you live under His authority who called you to obey their leadership. Show proper respect to all people. Especially love your brothers and sisters in Christ. Worship and revere God. Properly honor your king (*).”

My Pastor Wade pointed out a truth I had not realized in all my years of exercising my right to vote. He said that the voting booth is a point of submission to God. It is actually falling under the leadership God has placed over you. No matter the outcome of the election, for a Christian, it is a statement of obedience and submission.

I had always detached this national freedom from my spiritual freedom. I had “separated church and state” because I had heard I was supposed to do that sooooo often. But for a Christian that should not even be possible. 1 Peter 2:13-17 says so.

What an “aha” moment! Now as I enter the voting booth I place my submission under the authority of God’s will for my leadership. I recommit my desire to follow God no matter the outcome. I place His will for my leader in His hands to control. I worship and revere my sovereign God who is in control of everything.

If I stay a little longer behind the voting curtain, forgive me, I’m just praying.

The voting booth has become my place of worship.

Closer to the Wall

Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8

Last week I was a substitute teacher for a second grade class for a few days. Our recess time was 2:00-2:30 P.M. That’s kind of late in the day but neither the children nor I were not about to complain.

The other second grade teachers and I sat beneath the awning of the building and enjoyed the shade and some adult conversation as we watched the kiddies have some much needed free play. The shelter was a refuge from the heat of the afternoon.  I noticed that as the thirty minutes elapsed the sun crept further and further in and we had less and less shade. We would move our chairs back a little closer to the wall of the building as we went through the recess time. Finally we were as close to the wall as the chairs would let us be. I would lean my head back on the wall as a little head support and enjoy what was left of the protection from the sun.

As I enjoyed the refuge at recess I thought of the above verse and some others in the Bible that talk about God as our refuge.

My God is my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my shelter and my place of safety. 2 Samuel 22:3

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my protection. He is my God and I trust Him.” Psalm 91:2

But for me, it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge. Psalm 72:28

Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge in You; And
in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by. Psalm 7:1

These verses and my imagination gave me a mental picture of the Lord as my refuge. Do you get same picture I do? Maybe not, but I’m a little weird like this. I have a picture of me sitting under the shadow of the Lord’s protection (like the shelter on the playground at school.) I see the forces that are detrimental to me creeping in on me (like the sun creeping in on the shade at school.) Then I see me scooting closer to the Lord Jesus, deeper into His protection, nearer to Him and His safety (like scooting closer to the wall at school.) Until I’m right next to Him resting my head on Him (like the wall in the little bit of shade at school.) See? I told you I’m a little weird. But I like this picture.

God is my refuge. He is the definition of refuge. He is my shelter, protection, help and relief. He is my rock and my wall. I want to stay as close to Him as possible.

That’s me scooting closer to the wall.

You can scoot closer too.

There’s always room for one more in His shade.

Sometimes Worship Is Messy

Whew! I’m glad last week is over. Have you ever had one of those days when nothing seemed to go right? And you’re late everywhere you go? And your emotions are all over the place? And even the things you feel confident in about yourself go horribly wrong? Yes, yes, and yes! No major disaster, but nothing to get you over the hump? Well, have you ever had one of those weeks!?! That was my last week.

Somewhere between:

 Business (work, work, work,),

 Disappointing news from my doctor about my last check up (everything that is supposed to be up is down and everything that is supposed to be down is up,),

Unforeseen events that made me late everywhere I went (I hate to be late,)

Mix up with medications (my fault,)

Things that have and are supposed to work in the classroom didn't (can’t blame the kids, they were just being kids,)

Daily headaches and physical aches and pains (I’m uncoordinated and drop things and trip and run into things a lot.)

                                And just general depressing thoughts,

                                                I was down, down, down.

I was reading the Bible and praying as a good little Christian should but not getting anywhere in my spiritual life.  Nothing. And I was examining my life to find the cause of the blockage. Nothing.  I was a spiritual mess.

The culmination of the mess had me on the treadmill, coloring my hair, practicing the coming up choir songs, and mentally reliving the past week’s failures. God got my attention with the words of the choir song:

God You Are God

Words by Josh Lopez

I will wait and be still, 

Knowing You’re here with me.

God, You are God even when I don’t feel You.

God, You are God even when I don’t see You.

I will worship.

 I will worship.

You are my God.

                                               

Suddenly The Holy Spirit thumped me with these thoughts... It’s easy to worship when everything is going great. The joy of the Lord and all that. It’s even easy to worship during the tragedies of life.  When I have no other place to go but to the Lord.  But do I worship when things are just yucky? Do I? Is that my first response?

So God and I had a worship time on the treadmill with this song.  It included a lot to sweating, singing, praying, and crying. But it was great! When I got off the treadmill and looked at myself in the mirror I had to laugh. I’m a visual learner and God truly gave me a visual. I was drenched with sweat. My make-up that was left was streaked from the crying. And the hair color had run down the sides of my face and covered my neck and shirt. I was a mess. It was God showing me that:

Sometimes worship is messy.

Sometimes it's not easy to worship.

But do I still worship?

Yes.

Would You Just Look At Her!

Why Doesn't She Do Something About Her Appearance? (Gym Talk)

One of the ladies in spin class shared a recent event that upset her. She overheard some “young thin things” in the locker room laughing and making fun of some of the other women there who were neither young nor thin. She said they were judging these women and didn't even know the particulars of the lives of the women.  She took it personal because she doesn't consider herself young or thin. She went home and shed a few tears because of the insensitivity of these young ladies. She felt she didn't measure up and couldn't measure up no matter how hard she was trying at the gym. She felt tried by their court and found guilty of not being what they thought she should be.  She was still feeling hurt about that incident. Because, like it or not, the only ones who can have 20 year old looks and bodies are 20 year olds.

This made me realize that we tend to criticize those who do not meet our standards. We have standards for weight, height, age, appearance, fashion, and, well, you get the picture. If someone doesn't live up to our self-made or group-made standards we feel free to fault find and disapprove. It’s all about how they appear and not who they are.

But what does God think as He looks at a person? If we are held up to His standards we all fall very, very short. We would definitely be in line for His disapproval and criticism. Even though we deserve condemnation, we don’t receive it from God. We receive love. We receive forgiveness. We receive the acceptance we don’t even merit.  And we take God’s love for granted when we put down others who don’t measure up to what we think are the expected norms.

Culture’s expected norms:

1.       Fit, thin, and healthy looking

2.       Good taste in clothing

3.       Efficient money management

4.       Correct comportment  in all society situations

5.       Proper manners, grammar,  and behavior

Now I’m not saying that this kind of conduct isn't impressive to me.  It is. But it’s not what impresses God. Let’s compare the above expectations with God’s acceptance.

God’s accepted norms:

1.       “Bodily exercise has a little profit, but Godliness has value over everything, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.  1 Timothy 4:8” – God cares more about your eternal soul’s health.

2.       “The Lord does not look at things man looks at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 6:17” – God wants you to be in a right relationship with Him. It’s more important to him than what you look like on the outside.

3.       “And what will it benefit a man if he gains the whole world and he loses his soul?  Is anything worth more than his soul? Matthew 16:26” – Your salvation through Jesus Christ is worth more than anything money can buy.

4.       “Now when they saw the boldness and confidence of Peter and John they perceived that they were uneducated and common men, and were amazed and realized that Peter and John had been with Jesus.  Acts 4:13” – Time spent with Jesus supersedes appropriate public decorum.

5.       “But since the Holy one has called you, be holy yourselves in all your conduct, conversations, and behavior. 1 Peter 1:15” Being holy before God is more important than being a proper lady.

I shouldn't even comment on someone else’s looks, clothes, wealth, social status, or tactlessness.   I should be getting past appearance and getting to know the real person. That takes time and effort on my part. Besides, God is making His plans for spiritual improvement not outward signatures in social surroundings. He sees to the very soul of each person and wants more than anything to love her as His child.

I think God wants to say of others…

Would you just look at her! 

Really look at her.

Do I see her the way God does?

                                             

The Second Most Important Person

We unconsciously categorize people we know and don’t know. Oh, it’s not intentional but it’s what we do.  We seem to have these criteria:

Family = I love them and they love me. They are very important.

Friends =I like them and they like me. I have degrees of importance for them.

Co-workers =They’re OK, but I could live without them unless they are friends.

Acquaintances = My effort to develop relationships is dependent on what they will do for me.

Strangers = They are not important in my grand scheme of things unless they benefit me.

   

People I don’t like = Avoid! Avoid!

 If I’m being honest with you, I’d have to admit that the importance of a person is based on how valuable they are to me. Some people give me unconditional love and security. Some people give me acceptance and stroke my ego. Some people will further my career. Some people will fulfill my need to be philanthropic and make me feel like a better person. Some people will encourage me.  And if you don’t fit these categories, well, avoid, avoid. I put my wants and desires first before I’m even aware of it.  As I said earlier, “If I’m being honest with you…” Most times I don’t want to admit that about myself. I’d like to have spiritual and altruistic motives but it doesn't always get to the subconscious level. Maybe you can admit that to. I think it goes back to our original sin nature which is; me, me, and more me!

Jesus said that it all comes down to two overriding life philosophies. (Matthew 22:35-39)

The first life philosophy is to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul and mind. Love God without putting conditions on Him. Love Him because He is. Love Him with all of your emotion. Love Him with all your inner self that no one sees but God and you. Love Him with all of your conscious and unconscious thoughts. There is no room for you in this command. Jesus said that it is the greatest command.  Your love for God takes priority over everything.

The second life philosophy is to love everyone around you with the same affection you have for yourself. There are no degrees of how much more you like one person over the other.  There is no subconscious categorization.  There’s just the command to love.

Now, I did say that these are overriding life philosophies. If we just go to “default,” we’ll go to loving ourselves every time.  We have to submit to the Holy Spirit and let Him push the “override” button. We have to look at every one through Jesus’ love-colored glasses.

I like the way my Sunday-School teacher said it.

“The most important person in your life is God.

The second most important person is

the next person you see.”

If I'm Breathing, I'm Praying

I’m a proud Liberty University grad. In my honest opinion, it’s a wonderful place to get a Christian perspective career education. Yes, I am biased. I just like everything about this university. I keep current with what is happening. I contribute as an alumnus. I just love L.U. Go Fames! This is an endorsement.

Recently in the Liberty Journal (yes, I’m happily on the mailing list) there was an article about the Director of Spiritual Development for the Liberty Flames football team, Dr. Ed Gomes. The article began by saying that Dr. Gomes usually starts conversations with the individual players by asking, “How can I pray for you?” The players call him coach. I think that’s great. The team considers him their prayer coach. Wow, I’d like to be on that prayer team. I’d like to have a prayer coach. I’d like to cheer in the stands for that prayer game. I’d like to be first string in the upcoming prayer playoffs.

This article made me run to my Bible and study the ministry and work of prayer.

We are to be praying servants of God. (2 Chronicles 6:19) “Listen to my prayer and my plea, O Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer your servant is making in your presence.”  As we serve the living God, we can come into His presence with our requests. He hears His faithful servants.  We are prayer servants.

We are to be fervently dedicated to prayer. (Colossians 4:2) “Devote yourselves to prayer, with an alert mind and a thankful heart.” We need to have a continuous persistent intense prayer life. That’s what devoted means. We are to be ardent enthusiasts of prayer. Just as we sit in the stands and cheer as a fan for our football team, we should be that fanatical about prayer. We are prayer fans.

Oh, and we do have a prayer coach. The disciples went to their leader Jesus and said, “Teach us how to pray.” Jesus is our prayer coach too. He said in Luke 11:2-12 that we are to pray:  praises to God, for Him to set up His kingdom on earth, for our daily needs, for forgiveness, for others, and for help living the righteous life. He told us to ask and seek about anything and everything as a dear child of the Father. We are to have a lifestyle of prayer. We are on the prayer team under the leadership of Coach Jesus..

I like how Oswald Chambers puts it. (He was the author of MY Utmost For His Highest  in 1935.) “Think of prayer as the breath in our lungs and the blood in our hearts. Our blood flows and our breathing continues without ceasing…Prayer is not an exercise; it is the life of the saint.” He was praying while doing all the things in his life. I guess he was multi-tasking before multi-tasking was cool. He was living praying or prayerfully living.

That’s my goal now.

Dr. Gomes may not be my prayer coach but I’ve got a good one.

 Jesus is my prayer coach.

 He’ll help me get prayer breathing as my lifestyle if I’ll be His servant. So I can say:

If I’m breathing, I’m praying.

Do We Worship? Here is a Test

Our Associate Pastor of Praise and Worship asked the choir to participate in a Bible study for the month of July. It was 30 days of lessons on effective worship. Well, I just finished 75 days later. It must take me awhile to assimilate. I guess I’m a slow learner. The study ends with the challenge of evaluation and goal setting to make sure that a change in one’s praise life has really happened. The teacher in me has to make and take a test to verify any learning. That’s just how I’m used to assessment. So I’ve got my #2 pencil ready. Get your pencil ready too.

Do I Truly Worship? Test

 Psalm 96:1-9, Psalm 105:2, John 4:23, Hebrews 13:15

Scale 1-5      

1 = always, 2 = mostly, 3 = working on this, 4 = new concept to incorporate, 5= further study and practice required

1.       Do I worship?  ______

                                Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness.

2.       Do I conduct my worship correctly? ______

                                True worshippers will worship in spirit (holiness) and in truth (sincerity.)

3.       Do others know I worship? ______

                                Praise His name.  Declare His glory. Tell of all His wondrous works.

4.       Do I worship constantly and consistently? ______

                                Proclaim His salvation day after day.

5.       Do I expand my worship to include the entire world? ______

                                 Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among the people.

6.       Is God pleased with my worship? ______

Through Him, Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing well and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

I won’t tell you my scores so you don’t have to tell me yours. Let’s just say worship is an ongoing work we all must practice. The more we worship the more we glorify our awesome creator redeemer God.

The authors of the study say to set goals for continuing effective worship using the acrostic; SMART (a G.T. Doran management concept.) I have made my own words for SMART worship. Sorry Mr. Doran.

S – Spiritual Worship 

      (Make sure I am spiritually attuned to God’s word, work, and plan through prayer.)

M – Mature Worship  

        (Make sure I am growing in the knowledge of Christ through Bible study.)

A – Aggressive Worship

       (Make sure everyone who knows me knows that these things are my daily priority.)

R – Real Worship 

      (Make sure I keep my feelings balanced with the truth of God’s character.)

T – Theological Worship

      (Make sure my worship is confirmed by comparing my actions to the Bible.)

If our worship is spiritual, mature, aggressive, real, and theological then God is pleased with our praise.

We are practicing SMART worship.

And we get an “a” on the test for today.

Put your pencils down.

But the test is not over.

There will be a pop quiz tomorrow.

Be Strong. Who me?

My sister says I shouldn’t tell people that I used to be shy. She says no one would believe me. But it’s true. Sometimes I still feel that old insecurity raise its ugly head.  This week I’ve had to revisit the “be strong” sections of my Bible because I wasn’t feeling too strong. Psychologists say that each individual has a crisis response of “fight or flight.” Well, I’ll pick flight as a first response in every time of crisis. And I recently had that run away feeling that I had to conquer. I just don’t want to stand strong. I want to hide. I don’t want to charge hell with a water pistol. I want God to not place me in those threatening situations. I don’t want to grow in Christ. I want to stay where I am. Yes, I’m a whiner. Yes, I like to be a protected princess. But that’s not reality. That’s not the Christian life. And that’s not where God wants me to be. He wants to show me victory; to do that I have to be in the fight.

My go to places for the strength pep talk is Deuteronomy 31:7, Joshua 1:6-9, 1 Corinthians 16:13, Ephesians 6:10-19, and Matthew 28:16-20. 

In Deut. 31:6 Moses tells the people this from God, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread. For it is the Lord Your God who goes with you He will not leave you or forsake you.” It’s time to cowboy up and git-er-done. It’s time for me to overcome. This should inspire me. But..

I should step up to the challenge. I’m still not feeling it.

In Josh. 1:6 God Himself came to Joshua with this discourse on bravery: “Be strong and courageous”, verse 7-“Be strong and courageous”, verse 9 – “Be strong and courageous.” That was 3 times God reminded Joshua that there was no room for flighters. In each instance God reassured Joshua that He and His word would be there through all of the conflicts before him. And God kept His word to Joshua. Did he always have an easy time? No. Was God faithful? Yes. Did God give him strength? Yes. Did he win? Yes. Would God do this for me? Yes.

I’m feeling a little stronger.

In 1 Cor. 16:13 Paul said, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” The act like men part doesn’t let Princess Jan off the hook. This refers to being prepared and armored as a soldier for battle. My Women’s Study Bible says it like this, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”

OK, I’m putting my armor on.

In Eph. 6:10-19 Paul explains the armor that Christians should wear in this life. Before that he says, “finally brethren (and sisteren) be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm.”

I’m feeling strong now. I'm ready to face the circumstances that make me want to run but I still need a little somethin/somethin.

Matt. 28:16-20 says, “But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.  When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful (They were a little scared to be on their own. I know the feeling.) And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority and power has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go  and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always (Ah, here’s what I needed.) even to the end of the age.’ ” 

Flight is not an option. Thankfully I will never face insecure situations alone.

Jesus is with me.

 He is before me,

Behind me,

Beside me,

Over me,

Under me,

Around me,

And in me,

Forever.

I’m ready.

Hand me a water pistol.

My Contractor Designer Builder Knows

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy

has caused us to be born again 

                    to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.                              

I Peter 1:3

(I underlined the words I like.)

I’m having my bathroom remodeled. Wow, I never imagined those 5 words would have had such a great impact on my life! What I thought was a simple: just move the shower over here and put in new sinks has affected every inch of the space. My friend (a very patient man I might add) is my contractor/designer/builder. He had to go all the way back to the beginning point of the area I called my bathroom. It was a complete do over.

Our pastor is leading us in a study of I Peter 1. I find myself at verse 3 in my bathroom redo and my life rebuild too. Since I underlined the words I like I’ll try to explain why I like them. I say try because my bathroom is not finished and my application of this verse in my life is not quite complete either.

1.       Blessed - Worthy of praise is our Father God and our master Messiah Jesus (I like giving my God the honor and submitting to His leadership.)

2.       Great mercy –Because of His daily overflowing covenant love (I like the fact that His love is a minute by minute promise.)

3.       Has caused us to be born again – Has given us a genesis, a re-creation (I like knowing that this is a total redo of me.) 

4.       Living hope – To a daily gift of trust in His surety (I like that I can absolutely trust that He is creating me perfect in His eyes.)

5.       Through - This promise is made possible by Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection (I like that the sacrifice of Christ was the final covering of my sin and gifts me with all the promises.)

There have been moments when I have questioned my very patient friend in the ways and means of my bathroom remodel. My sister, who is visiting, has heard my conversations with my very patient contractor/designer/builder. She finally said, “Jan, just let him work. He knows what he’s doing.” And that is true. He does know what he is doing much better than I.

And God has basically said the same thing in I Peter 1:3, “Jan, just let Me work. I know what I'm doing.” And this is true too. Jesus knows what He’s doing with me much better than I. I need to trust His work until it is completed. I think it will take all my life. I’m glad He is a very patient God.

Jesus Christ is my contractor, designer, and builder.

He is daily recreating my life to be more like Him.

And He knows what He’s doing.