Hammer on Anvil '

Recently in my devotions I was reading from 2 Samuel 24. David had sinned against the Lord, and was instructed by Gad to build an altar. David set about his task immediately. He asked a man named  Araunah to sell him his threshing floor, which would become the site of the altar.

Since David was the king, Araunah humbly bowed before him, and told David he could have the threshing floor free of charge. David's response is what I want to focus on today: "I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing."

What does it mean to sacrifice to God offerings that cost me nothing? It could mean any number of things. It could mean my "devotional time" is a few seconds at the end of a busy day, rather than rising while it is still dark to soak in His presence before the day begins. It could mean doing everything I want to do with "my" money, and tossing Him the crumbs I have leftover. It could mean only ministering to the needy when it fits conveniently into my schedule.

The missing link in these scenarios is that no sacrifice is involved -- and sacrifice is precisely what Jesus calls us to do. Rising while it is still dark may mean getting less sleep. Giving to God the first fruits of your finances (as we are instructed to do in Proverbs 3:9) may mean sacrifice in other areas of your spending. Being available to God 24 hours a day requires sacrifice. He may awaken you at 2 a.m. to pray for somebody. An acquaintance from church may call in the middle of the night, desperate for prayer and some words of encouragement. You may need to visit someone in the hospital, when you would prefer to enjoy an evening at home with family.

David was unwilling to offer to God that which cost him nothing. Yet many Christians prefer to remain in their comfort zones, and wince at the thought of sacrificing their time or money.

Romans 12:1 urges us to offer our very bodies as living sacrifices. My prayer for 2014 is that Christians everywhere would desire to "be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). I pray that we would remember that we are not our own; we were bought with the precious blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:20) and are to honor Him in all that we do.

Instead of focusing on our possessions and how many more things we think we need, let's think of how little we can get by with, in order that we may bless someone else less fortunate. Instead of hoarding our savings, consider giving sacrificially to a worthwhile ministry, or travel to a third-world country yourself and be broken bread and poured-out wine to the poverty-stricken and HIV-infected.

The opportunities are endless. All Jesus requires of us is that we be completely HIS.

What Child is this 
Who, laid to rest on Mary's lap, is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing,
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

This will be short and sweet. This is Christmas Eve, and I just want to encourage readers to think about the Christ Child as they gather to celebrate His birth.

Jesus, the Lord of heaven and earth, left His glory in heaven to come to earth as a newborn baby. He was born in a crude manger, surrounded by smelly animals. From His very birth, He exemplified humility.

And He asks us to do the same. Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:3 that unless we become as little children, we will never enter the kingdom of heaven. What about children does Jesus want us to emulate?

Children are innocent. Children have implicit trust that their needs will be met. Children are simple. Children are honest. Children are non-assuming. They are genuine and don't put on airs.

This Christmas, let's endeavor to be innocent and simple and honest. Let's have implicit trust that our heavenly Father will meet our every need -- because He promises to over and over again in His Word. Let's not pretend we have it all together when we know we're a mess.

Ann Voskamp wisely states in her Advent devotional The Greatest Gift, "You aren't equipped for life until you realize you aren't equipped for life. You aren't equipped for life until you're in need of grace."

Grace is what we celebrate at Christmas. Grace that came to earth as a newborn baby, walked among sinful men, and ultimately gave His life for our redemption.

Oh come, let us adore Him.

 My husband and I live on an acre of land in the country. From our sun porch, I take pleasure in watching the various birds that come to our feeder. Now that it's winter, I delight especially in the cardinals, and they are strikingly beautiful against a freshly fallen blanket of snow.

As I watched one day, a biblical parallel became obvious. One small house finch came and began to feed. Another bird came, but quickly flew away. And another, and another. Over the course of about 10 minutes, this little finch never wavered from his stance, though many other birds came and went.

I couldn't help but think of the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42). While Martha was distracted by all the "busy work" in the household, Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and would not be deterred. Martha expected Jesus to take her side and tell Mary to help out, but Jesus said, "Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

I must confess that oftentimes I am more like Martha -- more like the birds whose feet would barely touch the feeder before they flew away. I begin to pray and get distracted, instead of just maintaining my position and "feeding" on God's Word. I think of things that need to be done, and have a hard time focusing.

A wise friend once encouraged me to keep a notepad handy when I am having my quiet time with God. Then when my time of prayer or reading is interrupted by thoughts of things that need to be done, I simply make a note (so I won't forget to do whatever it is) and proceed in my time with God. I remind myself that time spent with Him is ETERNAL, and all that other stuff is temporal. If I hope to live and move in the power of His Holy Spirit each day, time with God is not simply desirable -- it's indispensable.

Lord, help us to be like the steadfast house finch who never moved from his place, despite all the distractions around him. May we be like Mary, and choose what is better.

One of the favorite verses of many Christians is Romans 8:28, because it says "all things work together for good" to those who love God. But I wonder how many of us really understand what this means.

Based on some conversations I have overheard, it appears many of us think this Scripture means everything in our lives will work out so we can be happy and comfortable, and not have to suffer much hardship. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Jesus tells us in John 16:33 that we WILL have tribulation in this world. Yet He tells us to be of good cheer, because He has overcome the world. What does this mean for us?

It means exactly what James 1:2 exhorts us to do: "Consider it pure joy" when you face trials. The way this plays out in my life is that I try to view everything as an opportunity for obedience. Whether the circumstance is something as mundane as someone cutting me off in traffic, or as heart-wrenching as interceding for a loved one who is seriously ill, I try to remember God's promise that all of it works together for good -- in His economy. Matthew Henry's commentary explains Romans 8:28 this way:

That is good for the saints which does their souls good. Every providence tends to the spiritual good of those that love God; in breaking them off from sin, bringing them nearer to God, weaning them from the world, and fitting them for heaven. When the saints act out of character, corrections will be employed to bring them back again. 

It's not about our comfort and happiness, friends. It's about what ultimately fits into God's plan and brings His purposes to pass in this world. His kingdom come; His will be done.

God does not force himself on us, though. We can delight in the privilege of denying ourselves and crucifying our flesh, or we can be obstinate and rebellious and prefer to remain in our comfort zones, where nobody would ever guess we are followers of Jesus.

My personal experience is that it really does work to "consider it pure joy" when facing trials. I much prefer feeling that rush of knowing my Father is at work -- breaking, transforming, purifying. It beats whining and feeling sorry for myself and in general being unpleasant to be around.

God's purpose is that we be "transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory" (2 Corinthians 3:18). Allow that truth to encourage your heart if you are weighed down with adverse circumstances today.

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere (Ephesians 6:18).

In the verses immediately preceding this one, Paul admonishes the church at Ephesus to be strong in the Lord, and to be clothed with the full armor of God. Then he asks two simple things: that they pray for each other, and that they pray for Paul to fearlessly proclaim the gospel.

If you have ever wondered how to pray for other believers, you need look no further than the Bible for your inspiration. Consider the following:

• Fill us with the knowledge of Your will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding (Colossians 1:9).
• Help us to live lives worthy of You, pleasing You in every way and bearing fruit in every good work (Colossians 1:10).
• May we grow in the knowledge of God, and be strengthened with all power according to His glorious might (Colossians 1:11).
• Help us have great endurance and patience, and joyfully give thanks to the Father (Colossians 1:12).
• Grant us the spirit of wisdom and revelation so we may know You better (Ephesians 1:17).
• Enlighten the eyes of our hearts (Ephesians 1:18).
• Help us to know the hope to which You have called us, the riches of Your glorious inheritance in the saints, and Your incomparably great power for us who believe (Ephesians 1:19).
• Strengthen us with power through Your Spirit in our inner being (Ephesians 3:16).
• May Christ dwell in our hearts through faith (Ephesians 3:17)
• Grant us the power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ (Ephesians 3:18).
• Help us to be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19).
• May our love abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (Philippians 1:9).
• May we be able to discern what is best, and be pure and blameless until the day of Christ (Philippians 1:10).
• Fill us with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus (Philippians 1:11).

These are very powerful prayers that Paul employed for the believers in Colossae, Ephesus and Philippi. I encourage you to utilize them as you pray for others in the family of faith.

"From now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view" (2 Corinthians 5:16).

This gem of a verse popped out at me in a simple reading last week. As often happens when the Holy Spirit illuminates my vision, it was as if I had never read this verse before or stopped to consider what it means.

So what DOES it mean, you might be asking? Well, the context is that Paul is telling the Corinthians that Christ died for all, "so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." He mentions how he formally knew Jesus "according to the flesh," and how differently he knows Him now!

Paul talks a great deal in his writings about how "there is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female" (Galatians 3:28). He also told the Galatians it didn't matter if they were circumcised or uncircumcised.

All of these Scriptures point to one thing: Paul had come to realize that outward appearances and practices didn't matter. In 1 Timothy 1:15, he is astounded to declare, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst." When Paul came to grips with the fact that the blood of Jesus availed even for HIM, he knew he must no longer despair of anyone else.

I'm sure many people thought Paul was beyond God's reach. I mean, he executed Christians -- and he did it zealously! Yet God chose to reveal himself to Paul, who to this day is considered the greatest missionary who ever walked the face of the earth.

So the message today is this: We must not regard people from a human point of view. Some translations say we must not regard anyone "according to the flesh." The note in my study Bible says that means we shouldn't judge people "according to worldly standards and values that derive from living as if one's present physical life is all that matters."

Brothers and sisters, we must ask God to open our eyes to see others as HE sees them. Don't judge them according to what your limited sight can behold, and despair of them as forever lost. Make an effort to become part of their lives and learn their story. Your coworker who recently confessed to you that she had an abortion needs someone to shine the light of Jesus into her life. Your neighbor who is a single mom and moonlights as a stripper to put food on the table needs you to LOVE her, not judge her. Take a hot meal to her and her children, and sit down and get to know her. The guy at church who is addicted to pornography needs a man of God to walk beside him and help him to get free.

Let us endeavor to walk by FAITH, and not by sight. The world will be a much kinder place, and people will take note that the love of Jesus is alive in you!

What day is it?

Last week I was listening to one of my favorite Gungor songs titled "Every Breath." It is a wonderful reminder that we are to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.

Reminders can be very sobering, though. As I listened, the Holy Spirit convicted me, and I  began to weep. Then He gently asked, "What do you think it would look like if you loved Me with all that is within you?"

Oh my. What WOULD that look like? What if my heart were totally His? It would mean that I would zealously guard my  heart (Proverbs 4:23) and not allow anyone or anything else to captivate it. God tells us to guard our heart for a good reason: "Everything you do flows from it" (NIV). The New Living Translation says "It determines the course of your life." Jeremiah tells us the heart is "desperately wicked," (17:9), so it seems obvious that if we want our hearts to be entirely God's, it will take some pretty stalwart discipline. Sometimes a gesture as simple as turning off the TV (or computer or phone) can be an act of obedience that shows God you desire to hear Him rather than the noise of the world.

Next is the soul, which involves our will and our emotions. Do you have a strong will that compels you to express every emotion that you feel? Living like that can make you feel like you're being held hostage! Imagine what you could accomplish for the kingdom of God if you turned that strong will over to God for HIS purposes! Turn the clamor of your emotions over to Him as well, and discover that He truly does provide rest for those who come unto Him (Matthew 11:28).

Most of us know that our minds can be a cesspool of unsavory thought processes, which is why Romans 12:2 tells us we can literally be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The New Living Translation says, " Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think." How many of us would deny that we'd love to sign up for that?! The catch, though, is that this doesn't happen overnight. God isn't going to just zap us and declare our  minds suddenly renewed. Paul tells us "we have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16) and the best way to know His mind is to devour His Word.

Now on to strength -- how do we love God with all our strength? Take a few minutes now and think about what your strength was spent on yesterday. Was it all expended for God and His purposes? Did you have a keen awareness throughout the day that the Holy Spirit was directing your steps? Or was it a day of hurried and frustrating activity that didn't seem to accomplish much? Some people are critical of spending what they think is TOO much time in prayer, arguing that we need to be "at work" for God. Problems arise when they confuse their ACTIVITY with being in the presence of God.

Second Peter 1:3 says God has given us everything we need to live godly lives. But as in everything else related to our Father, we can only gain access to His blessings by abiding in Him 24-7. Begin your day with Him, reminding yourself that you are not your own -- you have been purchased with the precious blood of Jesus! Tell Him you want to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you! He will guide you into all the truth (John 16:13). He is the Counselor who will be with us forever (John 14:16). He intercedes for us "with groanings too deep for words" (Romans 8:26). Commit your day to the Lord, and He will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:6).

I leave you with this wonderful Gungor song -- may our every breath glorify God this week!



 

Part of my daily devotional time includes reading from an Andrew Murray devotional on prayer. It has become a favorite, along with Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest, which I have read daily for probably 10 years.

Last week something Murray said moved me to tears, and I'd like to share it with you:

As the Lord Jesus pours out His love in unceasing intercession in heaven, may it be so with us on earth -- a life of overpowering love and never-ending intercession.

The words "overpowering love" hit me like a ton of bricks, and I began to weep. I am weeping now as I type this. So many people have never experienced this kind of all-consuming, unconditional, life-changing love. They are miserable to the core of their existence, and don't realize there is a way out. Families of origin can inflict lifelong angst and turmoil, and people who have never learned that life can be different simply feel stuck.

A precious friend called me last week right after I had read this devotional. Together we prayed for a friend of hers (I'll call her Emma) who professes to know Jesus, but is mired in anger and bitterness. Emma had a hellish upbringing, and never learned how to properly relate to people. She grasps for control whenever and wherever she can. She has no clue that Jesus went to the Cross so that she wouldn't have to be burdened with the baggage she carries around. She has no idea that she is free to LOVE -- even those she perceives to be her enemies.

I was stuck for decades where Emma is stuck right now, and she is the one I was weeping for when I read the words "overpowering love." I prayed that she would experience that kind of love very soon -- that God would send her someone to disciple her. She needs a godly woman who can expression compassion and care, yet show Emma that God shows us "a more excellent way" (1 Corinthians 13).

When you are overpowered by the love of God, your life changes dramatically. Suddenly things are not all about you. When you hear about someone behaving badly, your first reaction is not to harshly judge them, but to see them as God sees them -- as broken people who need to be LOVED rather than judged. When someone else unintentionally does something that hurts you, you don't immediately take it as a personal affront -- you let it go, realizing it's not worth getting angry and bitter. You don't feel the need to constantly control situations because you have relinquished control of your life to God.

Philippians 2 tells us that Jesus, though He was in very nature God, made himself nothing and took the form of a servant. We are to have that very same mindset, and "in humility value others above yourselves" (verse 3). It is contrary to our human nature to "make ourselves nothing," but we can do it when the Holy Spirit dwells within us! It is very freeing to relinquish all that we consider our "rights," and let God completely consume us with His love and His passion. When that happens, our one desire should be for Him to accomplish His purposes.

As you read this today, I pray that you will tangibly sense God's overpowering love for you. He knit you together in your mother's womb, He loves you with an everlasting love, and only He knows what is best for you. Be filled to overflowing today!

A lot of us are familiar with this story in chapter 9 of Mark's gospel. A frantic father asks the disciples to cast an "impure spirit" out of his son, but they fail.

Jesus, having just returned from the mount of transfiguration, hears people arguing, and walks over to find out what the fuss is about.

The boy's father responds: "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."

Jesus plainly expresses exasperation, as if He can't believe the disciples could have failed at such a simple task. Upon merely SEEING Jesus, the spirit convulses the boy.  When Jesus commands it to leave, it does. Period.

By now the disciples are flummoxed, and I would imagine a bit embarrassed. After Jesus goes indoors, they follow Him and ask Him privately why they couldn't drive out the unclean spirit. Jesus responds simply, "This kind can come out only by prayer" (later manuscripts add "and fasting").

This seems like a straightforward answer, but what does it mean for us as followers of Jesus?

I think this passage points to the critical truth that we must constantly abide in Christ if we hope to be productive children in the kingdom of God. Maybe the disciples thought that since they simply walked with Jesus, they could touch whomever they wanted, and healing or deliverance would come instantly. I imagine when they first started out, this gave them a bit of a rush. 

What Jesus seems to be stressing to His disciples here is their responsibility to maintain constant communication with the Father. Jesus himself on more than one occasion rose in the middle of the night to pray. He knew He must be prepared for whatever God might ask Him to do. He knew that the business of healing and casting out demons required gaining a certain POSITION with God. Even though He was God's Son, He zealously guarded this time of communion with His Father. 

If our Savior needed protracted times of prayer in order to live and move in His Father's will, can you imagine how much greater OUR need is to do the same? It is not enough to simply say you are a Christ follower. The question is, do you produce fruit in keeping with repentance (Matthew 3:8)? That's what John the Baptist asked the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to the place John was baptizing. He knew their hearts; he knew they were only coming to check him out to see if he was adhering to all their rules. Never known for his social skills, John began the conversation by calling them a brood of vipers.

Are we like the Pharisees and Sadducees? Are appearances more important to us than the condition of our hearts? We can pretend all day long that we're great Christians who do and say all the "right things," but we mustn't be deceived -- our Father in heaven knows the condition of our hearts. We may as well come clean with Him in genuine repentance, and "do the things that show you have really changed your hearts and lives" (that's how the New Century Version translates it).

Dear brothers and sisters, it is not enough to attend church regularly and teach kids' church or play in the worship band. Our entire lives are to be living sacrifices unto God every day. We must deny our flesh daily. We must stop entertaining ourselves to death with television and video games and Facebook and sports, and instead cry out to God on behalf of the people in this world who desperately need Him, and desperately need us to be the followers He wants us to be. 

Jesus commissioned us to not only preach the gospel, but to heal the sick and cast out demons and raise the dead. The time is now.

Two Friday nights ago my family and I were leaving the high school football game. It was passed the point in the day when I function well around people....8pm.

As we walked through the parking lot I saw I had a shadow. Then I saw I had another...and another. As I mentioned before, it was late and my brain wasn't functioning so I wondered how that happened. Then I realized there were several light sources, all helping me to cast a shadow.

I've been thinking about that for these two weeks and thinking about shadows. Our stories are full of shadows. Peter Pan loses his shadow (or in the case of the show Once Upon a Time, sends it to do his bidding). In Doctor Who, the Vashta Nerada lurk in the shadows and you know they have targeted you when you have more than one shadow. Now that Halloween is right around the corner, shadows and dark places are held in high regard. People like to hide in the shadows to jump out and scare others.

The Bible contrasts God to a shadow. In James 1:17 we read, "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no shadow." You see, shadows change. As the sun moves across the sky, shadows shrink and grow. They can distort. We can make shadow puppets on the wall by changing the way we cast a shadow.

God is not like that. He is the same as He has always been and He will not change. The same God who sent Jesus to take each of our places, still loves us. The same God who sent the Holy Spirit to guide us is still that same God.

He still looks after us. He still loves us. He still wants us to follow Him. Nothing has changed. That's a very reassuring thought in a world where nothing is constant. God is, and we can rely on Him.

The other thought I've been throwing around in my head is we are to be like God. So we should not be shadows. God has called us to live a life following after Him. This is true life, when we leave the darkness and come into the light.

My shadow isn't me. It can sometimes look like me, but it's not me. I need to make sure that I'm living the life God has called me to live, and that I'm not living a shadow of the life He desires. Real is always better than a shadow.

God has called us each to live an awesome life for Him. He has a plan for all of us and we can accomplish a lot. Why would we cast away the real, the awesome, or the light, for nothing but an imitation.

Live the life God has called you to live. It's awesome and you don't want to pass up the opportunity.

"When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD" (Exodus 34:29).

This passage of Scripture was highlighted in an Andrew Murray devotional that I read last week. It was about unbroken fellowship with God through prayer, and how people should be able to sense God's presence in us.

Moses, of course, didn't know his face was "ablaze with light" (International Standard Version) when he came down from the mountain. We, too, will be unaware that God's light is shining from us. But to others, it should be evident.

The question, then, is this: Does YOUR face glow with the presence of God? Or does your countenance reflect a sourness and negativity?

Recently my husband and I went into a Christian bookstore where we trade in books we no longer want, and sometimes purchase others. This particular time, we bought some great used DVDs for our granddaughters.

When we took our sacks of books to the man (I'll call him Bruce) who decides what they're worth, he was pitifully morose. But this is "normal" for him, unfortunately. He works in a Christian bookstore, and he exudes not joy but a spirit of sullen dissatisfaction. He hardly makes eye contact, and can be snippy and unpleasant. I was saddened last year when a friend of mine who is not yet a Christian went in there to look for a Bible. She said the staff there didn't seem to care if they helped her or not, and she turned around and walked out.

This particular visit, I was determined to make Bruce smile. I ducked into the restroom to pray. I asked God to help me view Bruce with compassion, and to put words in  my mouth that would put a smile on Bruce's face.

It took Bruce a while to sort through all our books, during which time we found our DVDs and some other books we wanted to purchase. When we were checking out, I joked with Bruce that he deliberately takes a long time so that we'll buy more of his merchandise. And he DID it! He smiled and even chuckled!

Friends, please don't profess to be followers of Jesus if your countenance says otherwise. How can we hope to attract non-believers and share the hope of the gospel with them if they see nothing attractive about us? I can count on one hand the number of people I know who genuinely exude the joy of the Lord. People are drawn to them like a moth to a flame, because they sense something extraordinary and are curious to find out what that "something" is.

So how do we GET this glowing exterior? It's simple, yet requires a great deal of discipline. It's called 24/7 communion with our Father. Murray explains it like this:

Close and continued prayer fellowship with God will in due time leave its mark and be evident to those around us. When the abiding presence of God's presence has become the aim of the morning hour, then with deep humility and in loving conversation with those around us, we will pass on into the day's duties with the continuity of unbroken fellowship. This continuance of the morning watch can be maintained by quiet self-restraint, by not giving the reins of our lives over to our natural impulses.

It is vital that we begin each day in His presence, brothers and sisters. Remember that in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28), and that without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh and anew each morning, so you will be empowered to do whatever God asks of you. Pray for divine appointments, and opportunities to share the hope of the gospel with others. Take time to quiet yourself before God, and pray for your ears to be attuned to hear His voice throughout the day.

This image made me think of Romans 8:37, where Paul tells us we are more than conquerors "through Him who loved us."

Chocolate fanatics may be viewing this image now and thinking, I can sure relate to that! I'm sure it will generate some chuckles. But the subject I want to address today is not funny. It is something a great many of us struggle with, yet something we rarely hear about in a sermon. Why? Because it has become one of the "acceptable" sins.

By now you may have figured out the subject I am addressing is gluttony. We live in a country where the rate of obesity is mind-boggling, yet too many of us still sing the praises of our favorite fast food restaurants. We feed the high-fat/low nutrition food to our children, thereby training their bodies to crave it from an early age. Child obesity and type 2 diabetes are on the rise, yet we keep perpetuating the cycle.

Those of you who know me realize I am preaching to myself today as much as anyone. I have struggled with being overweight for most of my adult life. With the exception of my upper arms, I am more fit now than I have been in a long time. I generally eat very healthy, yet food can still be a source of temptation. 

Have we forgotten that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit of the living God? For decades I tried to ignore the wonderful truth of 1 Corinthians 6:19,20: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."

Does your body glorify God? Are you fastidious in the care you provide for the temple of the Holy Spirit? Paul admonishes us in Romans 13:14, "Make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires," yet we do little to crucify our flesh when it comes to eating.

I remember vividly a time when the church we were attending was preparing for what they called a "revival." When the deacons gathered for a planning meeting, my husband and I suggested we all fast in preparation. We sensed that this could be an important turning point in our church, and we knew the value of fasting.

We were not prepared for what came next. One of the deacon's wives roared with laughter at the suggestion, and said, "Give me a break! I can barely stick to Weight Watchers!" It makes me cringe even now to think of her response, and it's been some 30 years. Friends, if the thought of fasting makes you hyperventilate or become very agitated, that means food has a hold on you that it shouldn't have. And it probably means you SHOULD fast as soon as possible, to break that hold.

We may joke about our lack of control when it comes to food, but God takes it very seriously. So seriously, in fact, that Proverbs 23:2 says to "Put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony." That doesn't sound like a laughing matter to God, does it?

It's always amusing to hear someone boast about how holy they are because they don't smoke or drink or commit adultery or (list your pet sin here) -- yet the person pontificating is 5 foot 2 and weighs 300 pounds. That's a serious disconnect, friends. God doesn't even tell us not to smoke or drink, but He DOES address our eating habits.

Failure to control our fleshly appetites is serious because it compromises our spiritual lives. When we use food like a prescription drug to fill some void in our lives rather than to meet our body's need for nourishment, we are leaving God out of the equation. When fleshly desires are in the ascendancy, the spirit life in us is squelched.

I leave you with 1 Corinthians 10:31: "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." That needs to be our standard.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If you love the world, the love of the Father is not in you. These are the ways of the world: wanting to please our sinful selves, wanting the sinful things we see, and being too proud of what we have. None of these come from the Father, but all of them come from the world (John 2:15,16, NCV). 

This Scripture seems to mess with people's minds sometimes. In fact, when I first got saved, I went to a church whose members thought that if they associated with anyone who was not from THEIR church, they were "loving the world." I didn't stick around there for long.

Apparently this uber-legalistic independent church chose to be entrenched in Scriptures they conveniently removed from context to suit their personal prejudices, while ignoring example after example of how our Lord deliberately SOUGHT OUT messy situations and placed himself smack dab in the middle of them. Remember the Pharisee in Luke 7 who got huffy when Jesus allowed "a sinful woman" to wet His feet with her tears and dry them with her hair? And when He dined at Matthew's house after calling him to be a disciple, the Pharisees got bent out of shape and asked the disciples, "Why does your Master eat with tax collectors and sinners?" (Matthew 9:11). Jesus' response cut like a knife to the core of their problem: "But go
and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." 

Mike Yaconelli, in his book Messy Spirituality, astutely points out that "what drove Jesus' enemies crazy were His criticisms of the 'perfect' religious people and His acceptance of the imperfect nonreligious people." It is still true today. The majority of us prefer the neat and tidy, "act like you've got it all together" spirituality to "messy spirituality." Why? Because, as Yaconelli says, "When you and I stop pretending, we expose the pretending of everyone else. The bubble of the perfect Christian life is burst, and we must all face the reality of our brokenness."

Ouch. How true! It is very hard to be open and real with people who always put on a facade of having it all together. With people who readily admit their brokenness, however, you feel like you can tell them your whole life story and they won't run away in horror.

"Love not the world" is not an excuse to avoid being around sinful, messy people. As the rest of the passage indicates, it is about US and our selfishness and greed. Wanting to please ourselves, lusting after material wealth, and being boastful and prideful about our possessions -- these are the things Jesus warns about. Instead, we are to prefer one another in love (Philippians 2:3) and bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2).

I don't know that I ever claimed John 2:15 as an excuse to not be around "messy" people, but I have avoided them nonetheless. I have harshly judged those who didn't seem to have their lives as together as I did. I have avoided homeless people and judged them for their lack of initiative. Not very Christ-like, I know.

If you can fess up to behaving as I have in the past, I challenge you this week to ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart. Are you perhaps missing an opportunity to share Jesus with someone because you don't want to be seen in their "neck of the woods"? A friend of mine is becoming involved in a ministry in which she and other women will be going into strip joints so they can love on the women who work there. What sort of opportunity would she have if she said "Ewww!" to herself and refused to become involved?

If we profess to follow Jesus, we must be willing to roll up our sleeves and get dirty as He did. Let these words of Paul spur you on to more effective ministry:

I have become all things to all people, so that by all possible means I might save some.

Has anyone besides me ever seen the expression illustrated here? Yes, I've heard "nom nom" -- my son and daughter-in-law use that expression quite frequently, usually when referring to their puppy who is just now learning not to devour everything in his path.

When shopping a few days ago, I purchased a healthy popcorn snack -- you know, the kind made only with sunflower oil, popcorn and sea salt. As I was loading my groceries into the trunk of my car, I noticed these words at the very top of the popcorn bag. "Nom Nom Now." Beside the words was a tiny slit, which makes opening the bag easy.

Oh, I get it now. The manufacturers intend that we not wait even until we get the snack out of the grocery store; we can tear it open right then and begin noshing, as if we have absolutely no self-control.

Manufacturers are on to the sad truth that Americans are very impatient people. We want instant everything, and many of us exude an obnoxious air of entitlement, as if the world owes us something.

Unfortunately that sense of entitlement and instant gratification permeates the church as well. We want everything to go our way, and when it doesn't, we gripe. We disagree with decisions the pastor or elders make. The songs we sing are not modern enough, or they're too loud. Why doesn't the pastor use my favorite Bible translation? And God help the unsuspecting visitor who sits in "our seat."

Folks, this isn't what I see demonstrated in the life of our Savior. For starters, Jesus was never in a hurry. Even when He was told Lazarus was sick to the point of death, He tarried longer where He was, so that a higher purpose could be realized. Jesus didn't buy into "nom nom now," even when He had been fasting for 40 days and was very hungry. Every aspect of His life revolved around one thing: His Father's will.

Being in a constant state of hurry is the bane of today's church, and probably the biggest reason that we don't take the time to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn from Him. Instant gratification, too, is a sinister trap that we all do well to avoid.  I love how The Message phrases 1 John 2:15-17:

Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.

There you have it in black and white. When we want things in a hurry, want things our way or no way, and selfishly desire things we can't have, we get further and further away from God. He does not want you to go into debt because you can't handle waiting. He doesn't want you to be at odds with brothers and sisters because you are determined to be right at all costs.

We all want to be noticed, and want to feel important. But notoriety from the world generally means enmity with God (James 4:4). Don't look to other people for your sense of identity, or allow your wealth of material possessions to define you. Instead, "fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).

"Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few" (Ecclesiastes 5:2).

Have you ever been "hasty in your heart" in talking to God? You know how it is -- you crawl into bed at night and suddenly realize that you have not given God any time that day, so you hurriedly utter some prayers before you drift off to sleep?

Or you approach God at your set "quiet time," and after you do a cursory reading of His Word, you begin your litany of prayer requests for your family and church, and perhaps a few missionaries.

Sound familiar? Sadly, it is all too familiar to me, and I have found it necessary to repent on more than one occasion for my rude and callous behavior before a holy God.

My dear daughter-in-law, Bethany, inspired me to write about this today, because her Facebook post was this very Scripture. As soon as I read it, I was reminded of Matt Redman's song "Let My Words Be Few." Please take the time to give this a listen:



Think about these words the next time you come to God in prayer. Do you approach your spouse or your dearest friends in the same way? If I came to my husband and said, "Okay, I have about 5 minutes, and this is what I need to say," and then got up and left without even giving him the opportunity to interact with me, how do you think that would go over? Communication is a two-way street in human relationships, and it must be the same with God. Prayer is so much more than presenting our laundry list of requests, my friends. Yes, God wants us to bring Him our every need (Philippians 4:6), but He also wants us to stop and listen to what HE has to say. John 10:27 says "My sheep hear My voice," but we will never hear if we don't stop babbling long enough to listen.

It takes stalwart discipline to sit in silence, particularly in this age of technology. If tweeting and texting and Facebook posting and television consume a great deal of your time, perhaps you need to be reminded that those pursuits do not feed you properly. Remember Jesus being tempted in the wilderness in Matthew 4? He had not eaten for 40 days, and Satan tried to tempt Him by saying, "If you are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread." Jesus said, "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Then, in John 4, at a time when the disciples were encouraging Jesus to eat something, He replied, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about" (vs.32). In verse 34, He went on to say that His "food" was to do His Father's will. He lived and breathed and ATE the will of His Father, and did not care to fritter away His precious time in worldly pursuits.

This week, I encourage you to take stock of how you spend your time. If more of it is spent on worldly pursuits than in God's presence, perhaps you need to make some adjustments. If you can watch 3 hours of television in the evenings, but claim to not have time to pray or read His Word, try keeping the TV off for a week and spend that time seeking God.

Discipline yourself to be silent and listen for His voice, and I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

I was reading the sixth chapter of Galations last week. (It's a good book. I highly recommend reading the whole thing.) It's all stuff I've read before, but this time some of the verses really jumped out at me. Mainly, the first couple:

Brothers, if any is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

These two verses are about how we treat our brothers and sisters in Christ. As believers, we expect more from our Church family, and we should. But that doesn't mean that when someone commits a sin we severely rebuke and excommunicate them; we must build them up with love.
In Martin Luther's commentary, he writes that Paul is not talking about doctrinal errors, but of the transgressions committed from giving in to our fleshly nature. If a brother or sister does something they shouldn't and repents of it, then those who are stronger must help that person get back on track. I'm not saying that whoever sins is so much weaker than those who help them, but in those moments we feel incredibly weak and should look to those who maybe don't have a problem with the same kind of sin, or have overcome it in the past. Don't be afraid to seek out help. It may be embarrassing or shameful, but chances are pretty good that the person you go to has committed some embarrassing and shameful sins as well. And if they want to rebuke you and just make you feel bad instead of helping to build you back up, find someone else. I hope no one thinks I mean to find someone who dismisses the sin, saying it's no big deal. It's just that after someone truly repents of what they did and doesn't want to do it anymore, what they need is help, not condemnation.
As it says in verse two, we are to bear each other's burdens. We are supposed to help our brothers and sisters with all of their burdens. Whether the burden is sin, financial, grief, anything, we are to help. If we do this, we fulfill the law of Christ. According to Luther, the law of Christ is the law of love. In John 13:34-35, Jesus says, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." So let's commit to helping out our Christian family. Be there for them, help them. In other words, love them.

I am in Wisconsin visiting family, so my dear niece, Catharine, is filling in for me today. You will love it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I stood in stunned silence and stared at myself in the hotel-room mirror. This was a very big problem. I replayed the previous 45 seconds in my mind a few times and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Why do these things happen to me??? I breathed a heavy sigh and went to the room next door where my parents, husband and son were waiting for me.

My mom took one look at me and immediately said “What’s wrong?”

“I just flushed my glasses down the toilet.”

“You did WHAT?”

“My glasses fell into the toilet when it was flushing and they are gone. They went down. I couldn’t get them.”

I had to explain the sequence of events a few times because it was just so…bizarre. I’d bent over to pick something up off of the bathroom floor while the toilet was flushing. My glasses, which were pushed up on top of my head while I did a few makeup touch-ups, fell off into the industrial strength flush of the hotel-room toilet and in a second they were gone. GONE.

Fourth of July had given us the perfect excuse to escape the scorching desert heat of our home in Phoenix and head north to enjoy higher elevations and cooler temperatures. We checked into our hotel in early afternoon to freshen up before heading out to enjoy the evening celebration. The “incident” occurred shortly after we arrived, and with no “backup” on hand I was nearly blind for the remainder of our trip. When I say “nearly blind” it’s only a slight exaggeration. I’ve worn glasses since kindergarten and I am terribly, terribly nearsighted. While I enjoyed our evening of festivities and fireworks and our hike around a scenic (or so I'm told) lake the next day, it was difficult and at times frustrating to not be able to share in much of what my visually UNimpaired family was enjoying.  Never again will I take the gift of corrective lenses for granted!

But, better physically blind than spiritually so.

Jesus showed great compassion and love for the lost, but his interactions with the scribes and Pharisees took on a very different tone. In Matthew 23, in what could be best described as a “rant” on the Pharisees, Jesus calls them both hypocrites (6 times) and blind (5 times). They had become so caught up in rules and legalism that they’d abandoned the true reason for the law in the first place – guidelines for a life of holiness that allowed communion with God. For many of them, their faith consisted of nothing more than religious showmanship that fed their selfish pride, and God was simply a vehicle for status and self-aggrandizement.

It is so easy to be critical of the Pharisees. We read these words and feel an identification with Jesus' righteous anger towards men who would rather see a crippled man continue to suffer than rejoice in a miraculous healing that "broke a rule" of Sabbath rest.  Men so devoted to the rules that they were completely blind, not only to the love and compassion and awe-inspiring miracles of Jesus, but to His identity as their long-awaited Messiah.

In verses Philippians 3:4-6,  Paul addresses his own walk in the robes of the Pharisee.  He had the right lineage, the right training, the right lifestyle, and yet he says:

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith  Philippians 3:7-9 (emphasis mine)

As I read this passage, I had to ask myself "Am I living out my faith inspired by the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord?"   Paul was acutely aware not only of the magnitude of Christ's sacrifice on his behalf, but also his own unworthiness. It is only when we realize those two things in concert that we can begin to fathom a faith like Paul's and live it out for ourselves.

Simply put, the faith of Paul the Pharisee (then called Saul) was all about how great Saul was. The faith of Paul the Apostle was about how great GOD is.

The same goes for us when we seek to follow Christian rules rather than follow Christ. Legalism keeps us so obsessed with who we are that we miss who God is. We just as well flush our spiritual glasses down the toilet and satisfy ourselves with the notion that we live a pretty good life most of the time, checking the right boxes and NOT checking the wrong ones (Devotional time? Check! Cursing? Nope, not today! Hooray, victory!) Really? Is that why Jesus died for me? Just so I could live out the "be a better person" rules a little more successfully?

Living out the faith Paul talks of here is a very different thing. When we begin with the realization that any notion of righteousness we lay claim to cost Jesus his life (we can never check enough boxes to be good enough for a Holy God) we are able to approach our faith from a place of humility and gratitude. As Christ-followers, our lives should be examples of vibrant faith, inspired by the love of a Holy God and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

My prayer is that we as Christ-followers would live lives that bring Him glory, that we would be vibrant testimonies to what God can do even through a shambles of a human-being (in my case, anyway!), and that we might reflect Him more and more clearly every day.

If you have a calendar you can clearly see what day it is and chances are you have very specific memories about September 11, 2001.

I was in the 6th grade. I remember being really confused about what was happening. I learned about the attacks in one class and then in all my other classes we watched the news footage. It was unreal.

To be honest, I had never heard of the World Trade Center buildings. But I saw them so many times as the footage was played again and again. It was a confusing time for a 6th grader.

After a few days of watching the news in school I remember thinking, "alright, I know it happened. I've seen this all before...can I please play my trumpet in band again?" Obviously I didn't wrap my mind around the fact that 3000 people had died and their family and friends were still grieving. I couldn't understand that we were going to war.

Every year since then we have spent today remembering what happened that day. A lot of things have changed in our country as a result of that attack. We can argue whether they are good or bad changes but they have happened.

It's good to remember. As long as we aren't remembering by living in the past and not moving forward.

My brother is serving in the Air Force and is currently stationed in England. Today, he and his wife welcomed their first child into this world. He's just 3 1/2 hours old as I type this (and it's a good thing you aren't in the room because I may be crying). Here is part of my brother's Facebook status, "So.... I know everyone is excited and all, however I believe the excitement is outmatched here in this hospital room." 

Ridiculously sweet.

I couldn't be more excited for them! They are celebrating life today!

I went to an FCA meeting at the high school today and mentioned to a few students that my nephew might be born today. One said, "oh...that'll be awkward." But how? Why is it awkward to celebrate this new life today?

As a country we do remember those events that took place 12 years ago. We remember to help us move forward. We remember the sacrifices that were made to encourage ourselves to live sacrificially. We remember the lives of those in the buildings to remind ourselves that we are never guaranteed tomorrow. So we live the most out of our today (as Christians, that includes pursuing Christ's plan for our lives).

We should remember the lives lost, and celebrate the new life all around us. It helps push us forward. It brings a smile to our faces. It challenges us to be the best we can be.

One day last week I had the tremendous privilege of reading Rees Howells, Intercessor in its entirety. This was not my first time; this treasure is one I read over and over again. When I sense the slightest spiritual dryness, it is life-giving water for my thirsty soul. When I feel the need to be challenged anew to lay down my life for my Savior, Howells' biography fits the bill.

One of the chapters deals with when Howells allowed the Holy Spirit to come in and take full possession. He claims that he knew God before this time, but was apparently living a rather nominal Christian life. As he explained it, he knew he had been "quickened" but had not yet "been raised up with Christ to that place of power." Howells was attending a revival when he heard for the first time about the personhood of the Holy Spirit and how, if you claim Christ, the Holy Spirit must be given full possession of your body.

Many of us can relate to Howells' spiritual state before the revival. We often forget Paul's probing question to the Corinthians: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:19,20).

When Howells heard the truth about the Holy Spirit, his eyes were opened. The Holy Spirit said to Howells,

"As the Savior had a body, so I dwell in the cleansed temple of the believer. I am a Person. I am God, and I am come to ask you to give your body to Me that I may work through it. I need a body for my temple, but it must belong to Me without reserve, for two persons with different wills can never live in the same body. Will you give Me yours? But if I come in, I come as God, and you must go out. I shall not mix myself with your self."

Though Howells was honored to think that the Holy Spirit would come indwell him, he suddenly realized what that meant. Every bit of his fallen nature was to go to the Cross. From that meeting, Howells went out into a field and wept because, "I had received a sentence of death, as really as a prisoner in the dock. I had lived in my body for 26 years, and could I easily give it up?"

Howells fully intended to say yes to the Holy Spirit, but he wept for days as he considered the cost. It took him five days to make the decision -- days in which the Spirit dealt with him, exposing roots of pride and selfish ambition. Finally as he agonized about the decision, the Spirit said, "If you can't be willing, are you willing to be made willing?" As soon as Howells said he was willing to be made willing, the Spirit came in like a flood.

What struck me more than anything about this testimony is that he wept for days as he considered the cost. The preacher at the revival meeting made it abundantly clear that this was not a decision to be made lightly. This was no "Just come to Jesus tonight and your life will be great" sort of message. I fear we hear the "cheap grace" message far too often in American churches, because we're big on racking up the numbers of salvations and baptisms so it looks good on the monthly report.

Friends, the decision to follow Jesus should not be made lightly. And in our efforts to share Jesus with others, it is our responsibility to be honest with them about the costs involved. Following Jesus doesn't mean we will no longer have any problems. It doesn't mean we will never be sick or weak. It doesn't mean we will never be tempted to sin.

What it DOES mean is that we relinquish every part of our flesh to God, so He can use us for His purposes. It means DAILY crucifying our flesh, nailing every bit of it to the cross as the Father reveals parts of our lives that are not in keeping with His will. That may mean ditching the television because God wants you to use that time in prayer. It may mean relocating to a different neighborhood or state or even country, because God has called you to minister to a particular people group. It may mean doing a major overhaul of your finances because you have been spending too much money on frivolous pursuits, and God wants you to use it instead to help someone else.

We sin against God when we communicate to others that the gospel is easily swallowed and easily lived out. Many believe they are following Jesus simply because they go to church, when in reality their church experience is more like a country club. I have been in churches like that, and it's scary how you get sucked in to thinking you are okay spiritually because you are behaving like everyone else.

Brothers and sisters, remember Peter's exhortation: "I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul" (1 Peter 2:11). The words "aliens and strangers" does not give me the feeling that we are supposed to "fit in." We are not supposed to look and act like other people, even if those people are in the church we attend.

God calls us to intimate fellowship with Him, and that won't look the same for you as it does for me. The point is that we daily offer our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). Daily relinquish your will to the Holy Spirit, and ask Him to "guide you into all the truth" (John 16:13). Pray for your eyes to be opened to the needs around you, and for your ears to be eager to hear when He speaks. He has redeemed your life for a purpose. Let Him use you as He desires.

There was a point in my life, or well, let's be honest, several points, where I was spiraling out of control. Doing, saying, being the very things I knew contradicted my faith, but the worst of the worst was my absolute failure to admit I had done anything wrong.

As I spiraled out of God's will and into my own wants and desires, I had the tendency to grab a hold and throw others under the bus. They did it to me. They hurt me. They. I did not want to admit fault, perhaps because I was so deceived I believed I was completely innocent. It was never me. I never did anything wrong. It was my unwillingness to admit fault that caused me to stay put on that rock bottom for so long.

But funny things happen when you open up, stop playing a character and get real about yourself. You admit you do things wrong. You admit you walk away from the Lord. You continue to walk away, because you can't admit your fault.

The cycle continues, and will continue, until you can admit you were wrong. Admitting guilt is not good times, but getting out of the dumps and back on track is as easy as ABC. Say what? Yes. 1.Admit you were wrong. 2. Believe He is faithful to forgive. 3. Carry on seeking the Lord.

We make it a lot harder than it is, because we cover and mask with layers. You got so many lies going on you don't even know what you believe, but you are sure you did nothing wrong ... so why is nothing going right?

Recently, I heard about a dear friend who went into a full blown drunken disgrace. I'm not talking about a night out at a wild party with one too many. No, he has been straggling in the same drink, drank, drunk pattern for years now. It's more than just an occasional beer, this is a habitual drunken lifestyle, with rigid repercussions. This month, in his belligerence he drank, got way drunk and decided it was a stellar idea to go ahead and bike to work. Not surprisingly, upon arrival he was promptly fired and within a few days, without income, he struggled to pay rent. He has continued to struggle because he flat out refuses that he has a problem.

You see, he can't admit his fault and so he can't get out of this rut. He continues to feel God has left him and yet refuses to see where he wandered away from the Lord. I want to shake him and say, "God doesn't leave!" His refusal to admit his own faults makes him blind to the truth and hope that surround. He has no choice but to continue on this dangerous path, because he can't admit he made a wrong turn.

It's absolutely heartbreaking.

Friend, perhaps your downward spiral, your constant conflict, might just be the warning that you have been wrong. Now is the time to check your heart, admit your fault and return to the Lord.

"Return, faithless Israel," declares the Lord. "I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful," declares the Lord; "I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the Lord your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the Lord" (Jeremiah 3:12-13).

Last week I concluded a 3-part series about the recent trip my husband and I took to South Africa. The picture at the right was taken at one of the schools where we washed children's feet and gave them new shoes. By the time we were through, the water was rust-colored from washing so many dusty little feet. Some of the kids wore shoes but others did not. All were given crocs to wear, which are perfect because they are easily wiped clean.

Fast forward to a similar outreach I participated in a week ago at a local school. After what I witnessed in South Africa, this was quite a change. For starters, none of the children whose feet I measured were in need of a foot washing. They hadn't walked to school in bare feet on dusty dirt roads. Many of the kids were overweight, and I don't think I saw a single overweight child in South Africa.

The other stark difference was in the shoes these kids wore. In some instances, I wondered why we were providing them with new shoes -- one kid proudly exhibited his Air Jordan high-tops, which sell for anywhere from $100 to $200 and up. I thought to myself, this kid needs new shoes? A little girl came wearing what appeared to be a brand new pair of multi-colored New Balance sneakers.

The kids in South Africa were so excited and grateful to be getting a new pair of shoes. Not so much here in America. After all, who wants a $30 pair of Converse sneakers when you can have Air Jordans?

There seems to be a pervasive sense of entitlement in this country, and sadly, that was evident even in these elementary school children. Some seemed annoyed that they had to have their feet measured, and others argued that I didn't write down the right size. I assured them that at the next station, they would try on an actual shoe to be sure I measured correctly.

It is vital that we raise our children to be grateful for all they have -- and to not give them an overabundance. At our granddaughters' joint birthday party in June, our son wisely requested no gifts. Our granddaughters have plenty of toys and tiaras and dolls, and parents are wise to know when enough is enough.

Our kids need to be grounded spiritually more desperately than they need material possessions. Remember Deuteronomy 11:19? Speaking of "these words of Mine," God says we are to "Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

I wish I'd done more of that. I taught our sons the importance of going to church and doing all the "Christian stuff," but I don't think I invested nearly enough time talking with them about God and His Word, and the wonder of dying to ourselves so we can be filled with Him and live our lives as He would have us live them.

Parents, do you need to make some changes in how you communicate love to your kids? They need your time and your presence more than anything else. They need you to be living examples of people who take up their cross daily to follow Jesus. Read the Bible with them and engage them in active discussion of what it means and how they might apply it to their lives. As they get older, teach them that they are not their own, because they were purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and are to honor Him with their bodies. For girls, that may mean dressing more modestly than their peers. Boys need to be encouraged to stand strong and pure in a culture saturated with perverted sexuality.

Don't let the television or computer be a babysitter for your kids. Be sure you are their main source of godly counsel. And from a very early age, teach them gratitude and the joy of giving to others.

My four year old son, Indie, loves to ask questions. Not just the typical, inquisitive kid stuff like "why," but he really enjoys getting to know others. He will ask you what your favorite toy was when you were a child, or how you slept, how much you love the coffee you're drinking, or what Jesus has been telling you.


No, really. He asks this all the time. And then he loves to share what he is learning from the Lord. It's incredible to see this little guy develop his own relationship with the Lord.

Last Sunday I was making dinner when Indie cheerfully came into the kitchen. He stood beside me, looked up, smiled and said, "Jesus loves us just the way we are."

Delighted and somewhat puzzled, I said, "Well, yes He does, buddy. Did you hear that in kids' church this morning?"

"Oh, no, it's just something Jesus told me," he nonchalantly replied.

"Really? Well, what else has Jesus told you?" I inquired.

"We should be thankful for what we already have and keep our hands to ourselves." He stood there sweetly, happy to share what the Lord has been speaking to him.

I didn't even know what to say. I am blown away by his faith, his kindness, his genuine interest in sharing the Lord. I hugged my little guy, and then he brightly asked, "Mom, what has Jesus told you?"

We've made evangelism, discipleship and our faith look and feel way harder than it is. We've put rules and unnecessary limits on what God can or should look like when manifested in our own daily lives. We don't want to get to know God, ask Him the big or little questions, because we keep trying to fit God into our little boxes.

Believers, you can have the bumper sticker, wear the shirt, go to every service that is held, and listen to the clean radio all you want to, but if you don't take the time to get to know the Lord, what you share won't matter. When you do know the Lord, you  cheerfully share Him because He matters to you.

Friends, sharing your faith has very little to do with you "saving" anybody. You can't. Your job is not to save, but to share. Jesus saves. You share what He is doing in your life. That's all.

I pray you take this reminder and go forth to share what light the Lord has shown you.

What has the Lord told you today?

This will probably be the last entry about my trip to South Africa. Though I learned more than I could possibly put into these blogs, I think I have hit on the highlights.

The picture at the right depicts an after-school feeding program that takes place at Lighthouse Christian Church in Mokopane, Limpopo, South Africa. Blessman Ministries feeds 7,000 orphans a day in various venues, and this is one of them.

Nearly 1,000 children are orphaned due to AIDS in South Africa every day. Our team got to spend a couple hours visiting an orphanage one day, and I didn't want to leave. One little girl was noticeably lethargic, and wasn't interested in playing like the other children.  Later I saw her holding her head and crying. Turns out she had a splitting headache. She has advanced HIV and her prognosis is grim.

Then there was Julia, whom I mentioned in my first South Africa blog. She is a 6-year-old bundle of energy. She and I played on the swings and the slides. When we approached the merry-go-round, a bunch of boys were already on it, going at breakneck speed. I told Julia to let me slow it down first so she could get on. But she simply jumped on, seemingly unaware of the possible danger. When I mentioned this to my husband, he said, "Well after what she's been through, what is there to be afraid of?" Sadly, he is right. When you are raped at 18 months of age and placed in an orphanage, what is a recklessly fast merry-go-round in comparison?

James 1:27 tells us, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress." It is an admonition that I have chosen to ignore for much of my life. I have helped widows on occasion, but closed my eyes to the problem of unwanted children.

Before my husband and I went to South Africa, God had been moving on our hearts to do foster care. Our trip sealed the deal for us and confirmed what we believed God was telling us to do. One night shortly after we returned from our trip, I was crying out to God on behalf of the children I had seen at the orphanage. In the midst of my prayers God spoke to me, "There are children like that in your own back yard." Yes, indeed there are. We plan to begin foster care training as soon as a class is scheduled.

The best thing about our trip? Well, playing with the orphan children was great. Washing feet and distributing shoes to needy children was awesome. Watching people's vision improve dramatically when we fitted them with the right eyeglass lenses was wonderful. But by far the best thing was allowing God to speak to us and stir our hearts in the midst of the ministry. It wasn't so much about what WE were doing, but what God was doing in each one of us.

Mission trips aren't about going to a faraway place briefly and coming back to "normal life." They're about being challenged in your walk of faith, and coming back forever changed, with a heart pierced anew with the things that pierce the heart of God. I don't want to go back to "normal." To quote Katie Davis, author of Kisses from Katie, "I was forever ruined for comfort, convenience and luxury, preferring instead challenge, sacrifice, and risking everything to do something I believe in."