He has pre-prepared

Since 1947 Girl Scouts have had the motto “Be prepared.” I should know. I was a girl scout from Brownie to Cadet. It was drilled into us. We came to meetings with a plan already in motion. We came with all of the essentials we would need for the task at hand.

And that suited my personality quite well. I’m not a winger. I never “wing it.” I'm a planner. I like being prepared.

Later when I worked for a children’s ministry at my church, my children’s minister told us, “When working with children consider all the things that can go wrong and be prepared for these things to happen.” Did he know kids or what?

When I started teaching my principal had a “no surprises” policy. I liked that and found it easy to submit to that kind of leadership.

I like being ready for every situation when it comes to life and/or teaching kids. And I can tell you, there have been some situations! OK, I didn’t always get it right. I've even used advice from Garfield the unflappable cartoon cat, “If you can't convince them, confuse them.” I'm prepared to confuse at a moment’s notice. It’s called, “distract, repair, and regain attention.”

There’s nothing wrong with being prepared. This word even comes with a “pre” in front which means ahead of time. I like to be ready ahead of time. But I have learned that no matter how prepared you think you are something is going to come out of the blue and knock you sideways and shock you into realizing you're not as prepared as you thought you were.

Thankfully during those post-preparation moments when things are falling apart and you're just mopping up mess and trying to survive it God has an answer.  

For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

Nothing is a surprise to Him. He has pre-prepared in advance (I know, I've used a little redundancy. But it’s just to get the point across) everything that has happened and is going to happen to us. The creator has and is creating a masterpiece in us. All the things that happen, planned or unplanned, are part of His predetermined plan. It will be for His benefit, His kingdom’s benefit, and our benefit.  He has taken the “Be prepared” motto to a whole new level. He has made everything ready beforehand for His specific purpose. And it will be created into a good work.

This suits my personality immensely. There is a lot of peace of heart and mind in knowing it’s all for a planned purpose and has a reason beyond my understanding and planning. I plan and when and if it falls apart He planned and is working the unfailing plan.

I prepare.

God has pre-prepared.

It will end up as a good work.

As Hannibal says on the A-Team, “I love it when a plan comes together.”

One is Not a Lonely Number

I visited Chicago with my sister and two nieces. It was all big buildings and masses of people everywhere. We had fun but I did get an occasional feeling that I was just one of the masses.

I think that feeling alone in a crowd is not uncommon. Sometimes we all feel that we are by ourselves even with people around us especially if we are surrounded by strangers.

One night as we were waiting to get into a restaurant for Chicago pizza (and, no, it’s not anything like we serve in Alabama,) a young woman offered to take our picture. We chatted with her for a bit and found out she is from Alabama and going to Moody Bible Institute. I told her that I was familiar with Moody and she said, “Oh, are you a Christian?” Well, that started a whole new level of friendship. Suddenly we weren't strangers anymore. Suddenly we had a connection and a unity.

She was precious and I told her I would pray for her. She shared the path she felt God wanted for her future. And she was so appreciative for the encouragement of me just saying she would be in my prayers. BTW, Sidney and I are Facebook friends now so we can keep in touch.

After that God-planned meeting, I was reading in Ephesians 4. Look at all the unities surrounded by the “ones.”

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:1-6

Sidney was just back to start a new semester at Moody and I imagine that being far from home can make you feel lonely sometimes. But God put us together to bear one another in love and to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Even though we each are one, we are

1.    In one body of believers

2.    Each possessing the one Spirit that keeps us unified

3.    One in the hope of our calling

4.    Joined by one faith in one Lord

5.    One in our profession of faith and submission to Christ in baptism

6.    Children of one God the Father of all of us

We are never alone no matter where we are in this great big world filled with people. We are unified with other believers around us whether we know of their existence or not

 I love this Christian family

.

 It’s a group in which a woman from Demopolis, Alabama can meet a woman from Montgomery, Alabama in downtown Chicago and feel like we've known each other forever. We can hug and pray for each other and have instant unity that will last throughout eternity.

Look around.

You are not alone.

One is not a lonely number.

Conjunctions

I’m going to show my age now but I love “Schoolhouse Rock” cartoons. If you were a kid back then, you probably liked them too. If you are an elementary teacher now and are not familiar with these little ditties then you are missing a great tool.  One of my favorite Schoolhouse Rocks is “Conjunction Junction.”

Here’s a little sample:

Music & Lyrics: Bob Dorough,  Sung by: Jack Sheldon, Animation: Phil Kimmelman and Associates (1973)

                                                  

                                                 Conjunction Junction, what's your function?

Hooking up words and phrases and clauses.
Conjunction Junction, how's that function?
I got three favorite cars
That get most of my job done.
 Conjunction Junction, what's their function?
I got "and", "but", and "or",
They'll get you pretty far.

The word "and" puts two phrases of equal weight together. The word "or" gives choices. It’s the conjunction “but” that carries so much weight. It is used to join two contrasting or opposite phrases.  I found this little word in Ephesians 2:4.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us…

What comes before this is that we were dead in sin. We were blatantly living contrary to God’s way. We didn't care that we were disobedient. The more sin the better was our mantra.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us…

What comes after this is that He made us alive by forgiving our sin through Jesus Christ. He has placed us in honored places we don't deserve because of His grace. We didn't do anything to merit this promotion. God just did it out of love.

My Sunday School Teacher Eddie always says, “Take everything after the “but” and double it.” He is usually talking about us making excuses to God. I think it also can be attributed to God when He forgives us for the excuses we try to make.

Double the “rich in mercy.” Double the “love with which He loved us.” Double the “surpassing riches of His grace and kindness.”  All of this adds up to more than enough to cover our sin.

Here are some conjunctions for us in Ephesians 2:1-10

Death in sin or life in Christ

Children of wrath or His workmanship

His love and grace and mercy

Formerly walking according to our sin nature but now walking according to God’s nature

It’s not anything we can do for ourselves but everything Christ has done for us

These little conjunctions as the tiny cartoon engineer says,

‘I got "and", "but", and "or",
They'll get you pretty far.’

Who’s In Charge Around Here?

One of my favorite lines from a movie when dealing with children is when Goldie Hawn in the movie Deceived says, “Isn't anybody in charge around here?” She was speaking to a daddy who was trying to cajole his child into giving back a very expensive necklace. Well, the child had no concept of worth when it came to the necklace and the dad was trying to get the child to agree to give up the sparkly shiny thing. This is not a winning situation so Goldie just snatches the necklace out of the child’s hand and delivers the line.

Sometimes the one in charge just has to take the responsibility and make it happen.

There are times we look around at what is going on in this world and want to say, “Isn't anybody in charge around here?” The people that are in places of authority seen to be trying to make themselves popular to everyone and seem to be avoiding making the hard decisions. Before I throw rocks, I have to admit as a “people pleaser” I have a hard time in a leadership position. I know leaders can't please everyone, and that everyone wants a leader to please their own interest. The buck has to stop somewhere. Someone has to step up and take responsibility for the situation. But I don't want to make the hard decisions. So I can understand a leader's dilemma.

I'm certainly glad that there is Someone in charge around here. Even if I may not agree with some of His choices for this world and me, I have to admit I like the security in trusting His leadership.

The eyes of your heart are enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might that He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

(Talk about a run on sentence – But I understand the Greeks did not have punctuation and really Paul is getting the point across that God is the top of the authority chain. He is absolutely capable and not intimidated by anyone or anything to use this power and make the decisions.)

And He put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Ephesians 1:19-23

If you want to go to the top and talk to the one in charge, you have that privilege. You don't need an appointment. You don't have to be of equal rank. You don't have to go through screening. You don't have to snatch it and try to make it work out of your own strength. You don't have to wait while He is in a meeting. And you are given the knowledge that you are always welcome now and anytime in the future to seek His leadership directive.

God is in charge around here. He was and is and will always be in charge around here. He is above every ruler and authority. He is above every power and dominion. He is above every name that is named.

Isn't anybody in charge around here?

Yes,

God is.

Super Hero

Yes, when I was little I sometimes wore a cape. Yes, I wanted to be a super hero. My hero of choice was Wonder Woman. She had those amazing bullet deflecting bracelets (maybe that is why I still love stacking lots of bracelets today.). She had that wonderful invisible airplane. And what little girl can resist wearing a crown that is also a Frisbee weapon?  I wish the truth telling lasso was real because I’d really like to use that with some people now. She didn't wear a cape but I improvised. The cape was the signature that you had special powers beyond what was normal for humans. It was all about the cape.

Although the cape is a modern concept for heroes I found it in Ephesians 1:19 – The cape of power.

“the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might” Ephesians 1:19

The “surpassing greatness of God’s power” comes from a word that means it is thrown over you. It is surrounding you. It goes beyond you as protection in all directions. It is your cape.

There are times unassuming Christians when confronted with adversity turn into super heroes with a power beyond themselves coming from God with the strength of His might.

WOW! BAM! LOOK OUT! Here comes Super Christian Woman!

In this one little verse we are given words from Paul like: uperballon (force field thrown over around us), megtheos (super/mega God’s strength), dunameos (dynamite power), energian (super energy and influence), kratos (mighty works of defeating the enemy), and ischus (force of domination that overcomes any resistance). All this in one little verse is Paul’s way of showing us just how much power we actually have through Christ. What kind of comic book hero can compete with this definition of Christian power?  None.

Sometimes we walk around in fear and defeat and never realize we’re wearing the cape. This is why we need so many reminders of the power that the Creator of the universe has given His children.

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our
knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ... 2 Peter 1:3

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us ...  Ephesians 3:20

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He
who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. ... 1 John 4:4

Use the power.

Wear the cape.

You are a super hero.

The Eyes of My Heart are Open

I’m a little dense sometimes. Well, maybe more than sometimes. Anyway, I love the Michael W. Smith’s song, “Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord” but I wasn't quite sure what it meant. The words “eyes of my heart” are clever and romantic but exactly what do they mean?

In my study of Ephesians I found out. And it was like striking gold! The “aha” light bulb came on and I danced around while I sang the song. It’s a good thing I have my Bible study at home. Nobody wants to see me dancing.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened and opened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, Ephesians 1:18

The word “eyes” in this verse is really the Greek word "ophthalmous." We get all kinds of eye words in English from this…Ophthalmology and such. So it means: eyes, sight, view, and insight.

The word “heart” is “kardis” in Greek. We get all kinds of heart words like cardiology from this. It means: heart, mind, character, inner self, and your center.

So the “eyes of my heart” is that understanding and insight that is revealed in my innermost self. And that definition doesn't make the best song lyrics. I like “eyes of my heart.”

Exactly what am I supposed to see with my open heart? I’m supposed to catch a glimpse of:

1.       The hope of His calling – the acceptance of the invitation of the gift of salvation and all the blessings that go with it

2.       The riches of His glory – the abundance of His character and majesty revealed to us and through us

3.       The inheritance of the saints – all the wonderful daily and future blessings given to us as children of God

We are to walk and worship as we go through this life with a heart expressing a clear understanding of just what we have been given; hope, riches, and an inheritance.

Eyes open

Heart open

Shining in the light and riches of His Glory

Securities, Stocks, and Bonds

I’m taking an on-line course in managing my financial future. Although no one can actually secure a future, because it’s unknown, the instructor has given “definitions and instructions for you to better understand how to go into your economic future with confidence” (His words, not mine.) Well, not really confidence but maybe a hedge against making a really, really big mistake that affects my future financial well-being. Before this course I might have ignorantly gone to the really, really big mistake area. Now I can confidently say that if I go into the really, really big mistake zone it won’t be out of complete ignorance. I’m not so sure this is advantageous but "knowledge is power" (they say.) The instructor has already commented in one of his lessons that, “A little knowledge is dangerous when it comes to investments.” So now I’m pretty confident that I’ll make a mistake, just maybe not a really, really big one.

 Anyway, here are some terms and definitions I've learned thus far:

Security – anything that belongs to you

Stock – investment in something

Bond – holding part of a debt

Yes, I know these are very simplistic definitions. But remember, I’m used to teaching first graders and always have to get down to the lowest level of understanding to be successful. In other words, I have to understand it before I can use it. It’s taken me 7 weeks to get this far. What can I say? I’m a slow financial learner.

I’m also taking an in-heart course in Ephesians (my Bible study currently) and it seems to be about managing my future too. This book also gives definitions and instructions to better understand how to go into my spiritual future with confidence. In fact, I can have and should have more certainty in my spiritual future than my financial future. And the way things are so unpredictable in in the NYSE and NASDAQ I’m better off having that ultimate security in Christ. Whew, that’s how to spell c-o-n-f-i-d-e-n-c-e.

Ephesians 1:11-14 states (I’ll make my notations as I go):

In Him (God our Creator) we have we have obtained an inheritance; (This is our security. It belongs to us, How’s that for being in the will? This is the ultimate insurance. We don’t have to worry about changes in the market affecting our spiritual retirement plan. We don’t have to make contributions to it. It is an established legacy. ) having been predestined (selected by God Himself) according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will; (This is part of our stock portfolio. God has a proven blue chip investment in us. It is a long term grade A stock that is guaranteed to increase in value as we go through life. Wall Street brokers can’t even compete with this!) In Him you also, when you heard the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit; (This is part of our bond holdings. Christ holds the debt we could never pay through His salvation of us. The Holy Spirit in us is the assurer that the debt has been and is being paid daily for our sin.) He is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, (Hey, I didn't make this up. God says He, the triune God, is the irrefutable warranty that our securities are secure now and in the future, past our retirement and into forever.) to the praise of His glory. (How’s this for the ultimate securities portfolio? The world has nothing better to offer as our present and future protection plan. And we can praise Him and glorify Him and rest confidently in Him.)

   

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ the solid rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, His covenant, His blood

Supports me in the whelming flood.

When all around my soul gives way,

He then is all my hope and stay.

On Christ the solid rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

                        (Edward Mote)    

While I might be a little unsure about my financial holdings

 I’m very confident in my spiritual holdings.