Hammer on Anvil '

"And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn" (Luke 2:7, ESV).

The birth of Jesus was not as we might romanticize it to be. It was not a clean, cozy, warm room in a birthing center, where nurses attended Mary. It was far from being what hospitals call a sterile environment. On the contrary, the birth of our Savior took place in a barn which no doubt reeked of the dung and urine of the various animals that resided there. Since no Pack-N-Play was available, Mary laid her newborn son in a feeding trough.

Imagine that. God incarnate, choosing as His birthplace a foul-smelling building used to house cattle, donkeys, goats and sheep. As I meditated on this wondrous truth, the thought occurred to me, How can you NOT believe this marvelous story? Think about it. What other religion would enthrone their king in a feeding trough? The pharaohs of ancient Egypt, for example, were no doubt born with pomp and circumstance, with a dozen nursemaids attending to the mother's every need. If anything happened to the baby, the person responsible would likely have been executed.

Jesus was born in the same way He lived His entire life -- in humility. Instead of people of nobility being in attendance, Jesus was surrounded by shepherds, who were considered the dregs of society. The outcast and the marginalized were always His favorites; the pious and religious were the ones He shunned.

As you gather with loved ones this week, take time to stop and meditate about the wonder of Jesus' birth. And that He came for YOU. He came for me. He came for all those who will humble themselves and call on His Name.

Have a blessed, joyous Christmas.

Sometimes things happen to Christians and we wonder why. We seem to think that, as children of God, we should be insulated from any unpleasantness in life.

Recently my dear niece called to share what's going on in her life. She does this periodically; she and I seem to have an uncanny knack for understanding each other. She GETS me, and I get her.

This time, she called to ask for prayer. Her church is in the midst of a capital campaign -- not a huge one, but just adding on some much needed room. Right after my niece and her husband prayerfully committed the amount they felt God wanted them to give, they got hit hard -- a nearly $4,000 auto repair. Satan is SO predictable, is he not?

The cool thing about my niece is that she was way clued in on this. She shared her excitement at waiting to see how God was going to provide in the midst of this.

We must not deny God's inherent goodness simply because we are bewildered by circumstances. We need to remember we are but fallen, sinful creatures and that His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9). We have no right to expect to understand our Creator's every move. If we did, what need would there be for faith?

Remember Job? He refused to curse God even when nearly everything he had was taken from him -- including his health. Through his entire horrendous ordeal, he maintained his confidence in God's goodness, even though the reason for His suffering was never revealed to him.

Christians love to quote Romans 8:28 about how all things work together for our good. But many of us misinterpret what "good" means. In God's economy, our "good" does not mean convenience and comfort and a carefree existence. God's ultimate end in His dealings with us is His own glory -- and when we are disciplined by Him, it is because He is conforming us into the likeness of His Son.

J.I. Packer explains this dynamic very well in his book Hot Tub Religion:

"He leaves us in a world of sin to be tried, tested, belabored by troubles that threaten to crush us, in order that we may glorify Him by our patience under suffering, and in order that He may display the riches of His grace and call forth new praises from us as He constantly upholds and delivers us."

Even in horrific illness; even in the deepest, darkest depression; even in the death of a loved one; even when an innocent is cruelly molested; even when children go astray and we fear for their very souls -- let us remember, dear brothers and sisters, that our God is still on His throne. And let us seek to glorify Him in how we respond to whatever life might throw our way.

"Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them" (Hebrews 11:36-38).

What a sobering passage -- and how starkly different we Christians in America live! Is our behavior as Christ followers so like our Lord's that people can truthfully say, "The world was not worthy of them"? For me personally, the answer is a resounding NO.

I much prefer to be surrounded by comfort. I have a precious family -- a wonderful husband, sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren, as well as extended family that is very dear to me. Can't I just focus on all the good things in my life and not think about suffering and persecution?

No, I can't. Hebrews 13:3 exhorts us: "Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." I am to REMEMBER them -- not put it out of my mind because it's uncomfortable to think about.

Saeed Abedini is an American pastor who has been imprisoned in Iran since 2012. In September, he wrote a beautiful letter to his daughter on her eighth birthday. In it, he addresses questions we all have asked of God at one time or another:

God is in control of the whole world and everything that is happening in it is for His good purpose, for His glory, and will be worked out for our good (Romans 8:28). Jesus allows me to be kept here for His glory. He is doing something inside each of us and also outside in the world. People die and suffer for their Christian faith all over the world and some may wonder why? But you should know the answer of WHY is WHO. It is for Jesus. He is worth the price. And He has a plan to be glorified through our lives...The confusion of “WHY has all of this happened?” and “WHY your prayers are not answered yet” is resolved with understanding WHO is in control…LORD JESUS CHRIST, our GOD!

"The answer of why is WHO." Saeed stressed this more than once in his letter. I think the point he is trying to make is that our focus should not be on circumstances and why they are happening, but on Who is in control.

Our pastor is currently preaching a series of sermons on Revelation, and recently talked about the fifth seal:

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”

This is the cry of my heart as I pray for pastors like Saeed, who has a wife and two children. It is the cry of my heart for dear friends who are currently in one of the biggest battles of their lives, assailed by what Scripture calls "fiery darts" of the enemy -- but in their case those darts seem more like javelins piercing their hearts. They are waging a major spiritual battle, and my husband and I are in it with them. As our pastor asked, "How long, Sovereign Lord?", I suddenly began to weep. I had no control over it -- the Holy Spirit came upon me and I began to weep quietly for all those who are being tormented and harassed by the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy.

It is wonderful to have blessings -- and I have far too many to count. But as you gather with family and friends this Christmas, take time to pray for those less fortunate. Remember Pastor Saeed and his wife and kids. Remember Hannelie Groenewald, a physician whose husband and two children were killed just last week by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Werner Groenewald was a South African aid worker who had been helping Afghans through education and development projects since 2002. Remember men, women and children who are victims of human  trafficking. Remember the families left behind when their loved ones are senselessly killed, victims of police brutality.

I don't intend to be morbid, but it's so easy to get lost in the frivolity of the holiday season that we almost forget -- in my case I WANT to forget -- that fellow believers are dying out there. Take time to educate yourself by visiting Voice of the Martyrs or Open Doors. Dare to sign up for their e-mail updates, so you can be equipped to pray more intentionally and effectively. 

Our intercession may be the lifeline our brothers and sisters need to hang on and endure.

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul (1 Peter 2:11).

When is the last time you felt like an alien in your sphere of influence? Have you ever felt out of place in a gathering where people were discussing, for example, a movie that you chose not to see because of questionable content?

I remember very vividly a time when my place of employment had a fire drill. I was standing outside with some other women (all believers) as we waited for the "all clear" to go back inside.

When the conversation turned to Coach handbags, the youngest in our group boasted about having SIX of them. I was tempted to ask her if she had any idea how many orphans she could sponsor with the money she spent, but I held my tongue. When she said her fiancee probably wouldn't want her to spend money like that once they got married, some other women in the group proceeded to tell her that if her husband could have HIS "toys," she was entitled to hers. I about threw up, and excused myself from the group -- which I realize now was not the correct thing to do. I was wrong to not confront my sisters. It wasn't so much the greed, but the fact that these older, supposedly more mature women were basically instructing the younger woman -- before she was even married -- in the clever art of deceiving her husband so that she can buy whatever she wants.


A couple of years ago I complimented a young woman in our church after seeing her honeymoon pictures online. Though many of the photos were taken on the beach, she was dressed modestly in lovely sundresses or skirts. I made it a point to compliment her because many Christian women have embraced the world's standards with regard to their clothing. String bikinis seem as popular at Christian swim parties as they are at public beaches. We have forgotten that God exhorts us to be modest and not draw attention to ourselves -- let alone cause men to lust after our nearly naked bodies.

I think we forget sometimes Paul's admonition to the Romans: "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think" (Romans 12:2, NLT). 

It is not a bane or a curse  to be different. On the contrary, we are called to be different. If our lives look no different than the rest of humanity, how can we hope to reach the lost for Christ?

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body (1 Corinthians 6:19,20).

I have been humbled by this wonderful Scripture more times than I can count. I have embraced it as wisdom for myself, and have used it to counsel brothers and sisters in Christ.

When you get to be my age, you have gleaned some wisdom -- not solely from God, but simply by virtue of the fact that life has battered and bruised you for decades. I am always honored when a younger person comes to me for mentoring, eager to learn and to grow in their walk with God. They seem to understand that dynamic about wisdom and age.
 
At other times, though, when I have confronted a brother or sister who was behaving in a less-than-Christlike manner, I was accused of being judgmental. I can't tell you how many times I have heard that verse ripped out of context because someone was prideful and defensive about being called on the carpet about their behavior. 

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that we are all accountable to each other. We are part of the Body of Christ, and are to exhort and encourage one another to be true to the faith. Sometimes that requires loving confrontation.

It's not about whether we are right or wrong. It's about whether we are honoring GOD in all we do. It's about remembering that we are not our own. Yes, we live in a country where freedom of speech is touted. And yes, we are free in Christ. But Paul exhorts us to not use that freedom to do what we please:

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13).

Are you free to post whatever you want on Facebook, regardless of how crude and/or offensive it may be? Are you free to smoke weed or get drunk or overeat? Are you free to walk out on your spouse because you simply don't want to invest the time and effort it takes to save your marriage? Are you free to be in debt up to your eyeballs because materialism has become an idol?

The answer to all these questions is yes -- if you don't know Christ. Jesus says if anyone would come after Him, they must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. And the wonderful admonition in Philippians urges us to consider others better than ourselves (2:3). That means choosing not to post something on Facebook that could make another stumble. It means going to God to fulfill your needs, rather than self-medicating with marijuana or alcohol or food. It means cleaving to your spouse and exhausting every possible opportunity to save your marriage. It means being a good steward of your finances rather than spending irresponsibly.

Jesus left His throne in heaven to come walk among us. He was vilified, hated, and ultimately crucified so that we could be reconciled to God. If He can make a sacrifice that immense, should we not be willing to at least set aside our personal "freedoms" if they cause others to question our faith? If the fruit you bear does not bring glory to God, it's time to do some pruning.

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit” (Acts 19:1-2).

It's no secret that the Holy Spirit has been the source of many heated discussions in the church. Tragically, entire denominations have been formed around what people believe or don't believe about Him. And if you happen to attend a church where the third Person of the Godhead is virtually ignored, you may echo the sentiments of the disciples in the Scripture above: "We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

The Bible is quite clear that we need the Holy Spirit if we hope to live as Jesus wants us to live. Remember Peter? Before the Holy Spirit came on him, he was weak and cowardly, ultimately denying Jesus. After the Holy Spirit, he spoke boldly and unapologetically about Jesus to anyone who would listen. He died a martyr's death because he wouldn't stop witnessing about his Lord.

The bottom line is that our lives with the Holy Spirit should look radically different than they did before. For many, though, "new life" in Christ has become formulaic:

• Life before Christ = drinking, smoking, drugs, sex
• Life after Christ = NO drinking, smoking, drugs, sex

We tend to focus on what we DO, but God focuses on who we ARE. Like Peter, we can go from fearful to bold, from powerless to powerful, from self-absorbed to self-crucified. It's not about whether we speak in tongues or not, folks -- it's about our bodies becoming the very temples where the Holy Spirit dwells in power.

Have you shied away from the Holy Spirit simply because you weren't sure what it meant to "receive" Him or be "filled" with Him? Francis Chan addresses this in his book Forgotten God. He has heard people say, "What if I pray for the Holy Spirit and nothing happens?"

It's scary to pray boldly for change or freedom from sin because if nothing happens, then doesn't that mean God failed? Doesn't that mean His Spirit isn't all we've been told He is?
I think the fear of God failing leads us to "cover for God." This means we ask for less, expect less, and are satisfied with less because we are afraid to ask for or expect more.

Chan is absolutely right. We make it so much about ourselves, and how we're going to "look" to other people. Some think they are more spiritual simply because they speak in tongues. Our focus is totally off what God intended when He sent His Spirit -- power to be His witnesses.

I have known people who speak in tongues and were mean-spirited and divisive. I have also been privileged to pray and walk with others whose countenances nearly shone with the Holy Spirit's love and power. May we all desire to be so completely His that we lay aside our preconceived ideas and ask for a fresh infilling of His Spirit today. Then let us "go and make disciples of all nations."

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:1-3).

In the ancient Roman world, little children were least important. But when Jesus came, old ways of measuring greatness were no longer valid. Jesus turned the world upside down when He told His followers they must become like little children.

To become like children, we have to know something about children. Here are some observations that came to mind as I meditated on this passage from Matthew:

• Children are marvelously simple human beings. They don't wake up in the morning and immediately start worrying about what the day might hold. They don't wonder what they're going to eat or wear -- those things are their parents' concern.

• Children don't lie awake at night and worry; their sleep is sweet.

• Children aren't concerned about what others think of them; that comes later, when society begins dictating how we should look and act.

• Children are joyful, and possess a delightful wonder about things. They are like sponges who crave learning to the point of saturation. Their needs are simple. They fall asleep when they're tired -- whenever and wherever that might be.

• Children forgive quickly and easily. They are not prideful. They don't sweat the small stuff.

• Children don't fear lack. They have implicit trust that their parents will meet their every need.

• Children are pure in heart, unsullied by the world.

• Children don't have an agenda; they look to their parents for direction and wisdom.

Our oldest son, Josh, and his wife, Bethany, are school teachers. Before Bethany took a sabbatical when their third daughter was born, I cared for our older two granddaughters full-time. When Evie (whose recent photo adorns this blog) was not quite one year old, she would wake in the morning, stand in her crib and reach for me with a huge grin on her little face. It's as if she was saying, "I'm ready, Grandma! What great adventures are we going to have today?" As you can see by the photo, she still embraces life with joy and gusto.

Imagine if WE began our days like Evie, excitedly looking to our Abba Father, breathless with anticipation about where He might lead us and how He might use us! This, I think, is the heart of a child: never losing sight of who our Father is, and that He is the source of all life. He created us, He leads us, and He equips us to do whatever He calls us to do.

Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? (Romans 9:21)

In this chapter of Romans, Paul anguishes that the  Jewish people are enemies of the gospel -- so much so that he wishes himself cursed and cut off from Christ for their sake (vs. 3).

He mentions Pharaoh, and how God hardened his heart "that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth" (vs. 17). The Jews could then argue, as they were very adept at doing, that they are not to blame because "who can resist God's will?" (vs. 19).

Paul knew his audience. He knew how prideful the Jews were, and how set on making their own path to salvation. Not content to embrace the gospel of grace, they continued to insist that they were inherently better simply because they were Jews.

How often, I wonder, do we as Christians do the same thing? Oh yes, we say we are saved by the blood of Jesus, and in that way may be a step ahead of the Jews. But do we harbor that same stubborn pride in our hearts, that smugness that makes us think we are better than others simply because we are Christians? I know I have.

Though we bear the name of Christ, we allow society to dictate our identity and our sense of importance. Those who hold masters or doctorate degrees may deem themselves somehow a cut above those who only have bachelors degrees or have never attended college. Senior pastors may bristle at the thought of visiting someone in the hospital because that is the job of one of their elders or deacons. People with money may be esteemed more highly in the local church, because of what their money can DO for the congregation.

I love verse 21 because it handily puts all this nonsense in the proper perspective. Think about pottery for just a minute. A "noble" piece of pottery may be a beautiful vase on display at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. A "common" piece of pottery would be...hmmm...perhaps a chamber pot? You know, those handy little vessels that people had to use before we had the luxury of flush toilets?

See how quickly we categorize things as noble or common, beautiful or...well...unmentionable? Paul knows the hearts of men, and turns the focus on the Creator rather than the creation. Whether we are Jew or Gentile, educated or uneducated, wealthy or indigent -- we were all created by God and in His image. Our focus should not be on what we can do or how much money we can make, but on submitting ourselves daily to God, and asking Him to fulfill His purposes in and through us.

Am I willing to be a chamber pot for the sake of the gospel? Or do I have delusions of grandeur, and prefer to be recognized and praised by men? I confess to the latter. But as I read Romans 9 in my devotions last week, the thought of being a chamber pot started to become more appealing. Why should I think that I am "above" being a certain thing for my Savior's sake? He emptied himself and became nothing for me, and I would like to do the same for Him.

In the verses preceding these, Jesus told Peter, “I tell you the truth, when you were younger, you tied your own belt and went where you wanted. But when you are old, you will put out your hands and someone else will tie you and take you where you don't want to go” (NCV). He was alluding to how Peter would be martyred.

“It is the will of Christ that his disciples should mind their own duty, and not be curious about future events, either as to themselves or others. Many things we are apt to be anxious about, which are nothing to us. Other people's affairs are nothing to us, to intermeddle in; we must quietly work, and mind our own business. Many curious questions are put about the counsels of God, and the state of the unseen world, as to which we may say, What is this to us? And if we attend to the duty of following Christ, we shall find neither heart nor time to meddle with that which does not belong to us.”

When the believers heard this, they stopped arguing. They praised God and said, “So God is allowing even other nations to turn to him and live” (Acts 11:18).

Remember this story? In Acts 10, Peter had a vision in which a large sheet was lowered before him. It contained all kinds of animals, and a voice told Peter to "rise and eat." Peter was indignant and protested, "But I have never eaten anything impure or unclean!" The voice spoke to him again and said, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."

At first read, you may think this passage is about Jews eating stuff that's not kosher. But in fact, God was impressing upon Peter to not consider PEOPLE impure whom God has made clean. In this case, it was Cornelius. While in prayer, God told Cornelius to send for Peter, and he did so promptly. There was just one problem with this, according to the mores of the day: Cornelius was a Gentile and Peter was a Jew. Peter tells Cornelius in Acts 10:28: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean."

In chapter 11, when Peter returned to Jerusalem, the circumcised (Jewish) believers criticized him and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.” When Peter explained, the believers responded with the verse quoted at the beginning of this blog.

How often have we responded with criticism when a brother or sister ministered to someone whom we deemed unworthy? One of my friends is devoting her life to ministering to women who work as exotic dancers. She blogged recently about the interesting responses she gets -- yes, even from Christians -- when they ask her what she does for a living. Some people nervously clear their throats, others simply walk away. It's as if they don't believe she would actually waste her time on these women.

I have encountered some very similar responses over the years about ministering to women who have had abortions. Unfortunately, some of those responses have been from pastors. It is distasteful to them, so they bury their heads in the sand and deny that there are women sitting in their church services who have had abortions. Women who need help and healing, not judgment.

This week, think about your "pet sins." We all have them. You know, those nasty little infractions that make us believe someone is out of the reach of God. Homosexuality. Abortion. Addiction to sex or pornography. Alcohol or drug addiction. 

Now think about the passage from Acts. Peter protested at first to the command to "Rise and eat," clinging to his religiosity and tradition. God had to open his eyes to the truth that salvation is for all who call on the Name of the Lord.

May we allow the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and blast us out of our tradition and our prejudices and our prideful "holier than thou" attitudes. All have sinned, and that includes us. We who know the truth need to be about our Father's business, bringing hope and light and salvation to others.

 

"I will be in them and You will be in Me so that they will be completely one. Then the world will know that You sent Me..." (John 17:23, NCV).

Generally when we talk about unity in the Body of Christ, Ephesians 4:3 is the Scripture cited: "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." But as I read this passage from John last week in my devotions, the second part of this verse grabbed me: "THEN the world will know that You sent Me."

When will the world know that God sent Jesus? When His followers are "completely one." Gulp.

If you have been part of a body of believers for any length of time, you are well aware of the fact that sometimes unity seems hard to come by. We seem to forget that we are not our own, that we were purchased with the precious blood of Jesus. We push and shove and gossip and try to cause dissension when we don't get our own way.

Just last week, I heard another sad story of a church about to implode due to lack of unity. The youth group was given permission to do a worship service. When they began to play and sing, the adults promptly sat down, rather than standing for worship as they would normally do. The message they sent to the youth was, "If you're not going to do things OUR way, we're opting out." How tragic!

First Peter 2:9 says we are "a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a  holy nation." Our mission is to "declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness." The knowledge of who we are in Christ Jesus should bond us together in holy, brotherly love. What can be done to foster unity of the Spirit?

Nothing is more vital in this endeavor than to commit ourselves to lives of prayer. Remember the Upper Room? Christ's followers stayed there for ten days and "joined together constantly in prayer" (Acts 1:14). Jesus had exhorted them to not leave Jerusalem, but to "wait for the gift My Father promised" (Acts 1:4). I sense that in those ten days of united prayer, the disciples' hearts were knit together as one. Today, it's like pulling teeth to get God's people to come together for a prayer meeting.

I recently read an Andrew Murray devotional that painted a vivid picture of the importance of unity:

Because of the many mountains in Natal (a region in South Africa), the streams often flow down with great force. The Zulus join hands when they want to pass through a stream. The leader has a strong stick in the right hand, and gives his left hand to some strong man who comes behind him. And so they form a chain and help each other cross the current. When God's people reach out their hands to each other in the spirit of prayer, there will be power to resist the terrible influence that the world can exert. In that unity, God's children will have power to triumph with God.

Wow. What a lovely illustration of unity in the Body of Christ! Joining hands in a spirit of prayer, realizing that we CANNOT do life alone!

Are you forming a chain today in your relationships with other believers? Or are you yanking and pulling and stubbornly trying to go your own way? My friends, the world will not know we are believers in Jesus when all they see is bickering and jealousy. John 13:35 says, "Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples."

Let's try to do what the disciples did as they waited for the Holy Spirit. In the communion of loving, believing, faithful prayer, our hearts can be united for the one purpose of living for and glorifying God. 




 

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26).



God calls us to uphold two great commandments above all else: Love God and love others. It would not be in His character to ask us to hate anyone. So what does this verse mean?

Matthew 10:37 says something similar: "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." Barnes' Notes on the Bible explains:

"Christ must be loved supremely, or He is not loved at all. If we are not willing to give up all earthly possessions, and forsake all earthly friends, and if we do not obey Him rather than all others, we have no true attachment to Him."

I have encountered many counseling situations that illuminated the truth of these verses. For example, a young woman who I had mentored briefly in the past contacted me. I hadn't heard from her for months, because she generally didn't like what I had to say about how she was living her life. She looks to men constantly to fill the God-shaped vacuum in her heart. In her early 20s, she has already been divorced and has a child.

In a Facebook message, she informed me she just became engaged, and wants to get together with my husband and me so we can meet her fiance. I did not respond right away; I knew I needed to seek the Lord about what to say to her, and I prayed her heart would be receptive.

I told my friend it would not be a good idea to meet her fiance until she and I had a chance to talk first. I told her I was sorry to hear that she is still running from God and into the arms of men, looking for fulfillment in all the wrong places. I said I was willing to meet with her, but would understand if she didn't want to after reading my note.

This is what I think Jesus means by loving Him more than others. It means doing the hard thing. It means not glibly saying, "Congratulations on your engagement!" when you know that's the worst thing that could be happening. It means upholding God's standards, rather than responding the way the rest of the world might respond.

I would have done my friend a grave disservice by pretending to be happy about an impending marriage that -- unless God intervenes in a big way -- is doomed before it begins. Someone has to tell her the truth. Lots of people have tried, most notably her dear parents, but to no avail.

Surprisingly, my friend responded that yes, she would like to meet with me. I am praying for wisdom. I so want her to know how much God loves her, and that she doesn't have to feed on the garbage thrown to the pigs any longer. She can come HOME, and be embraced with open arms by the God who knit her together in her mother's womb.

May we all endeavor to hold out the truth of God's Word, no matter what we face. Anything we do in our flesh will not bring about God's best.

An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest (Luke 9:46).


How clueless can you get?!? Jesus had just told the disciples that whoever wanted to follow Him must deny self and take up their cross. Then, in the verse immediately before this one, Jesus predicted His own death for the second time.

This doesn't exactly sound like a prime time to begin jockeying for position and prestige, does it? Oblivious to Jesus and the gravity of what He had been telling them, they totally missed the point.

But don't we all do the same thing? We get prideful about so many things:

• our talents
• our accomplishments
• our jobs
• our education
• our possessions
• our families

We may jockey for position even in spiritual matters, boasting that our spiritual gift is somehow superior (Pentecostals and charismatics seem particularly adept at this), or that the way we worship is how it should be done. We even get prideful about our denominational doctrines, thinking that if people don't believe like us, they are somehow missing an essential part of Christianity. We squabble over what kind of music to play in church, and how loud it should be. We argue about what curriculum should be used in our kids' programs. Tragically, churches have actually split over what color the carpet should be!

What is missing here is humility. We conveniently lose sight of the fact that we are supposed to deny ourselves and that, in God's economy, the LEAST will be the greatest. Consider these Scriptures:

• Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each others' faults because of your love (Ephesians 4:2).
• Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves (Philippians 2:3).
• Serve each other in humility, for "God opposes the proud but favors the humble" (1 Peter 5:5).
• Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted (Matthew 23:12).

Humility and gentleness go a long way in promoting unity in the Body of Christ. Ask God to examine your heart this week and reveal where you might be lacking in this area.

According to the notes in my study Bible, 2 Timothy is a "bold, clear call for perseverance in the gospel in spite of suffering." Throughout the book, Paul exhorts Timothy to continue steadfastly in the faith, even as Paul approaches the end of his own life.

Paul begins this letter by thanking God for Timothy, and makes mention of Timothy's "sincere faith." Then comes our text for today:

"For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control" (2 Timothy 1:6,7).

Note that this passage begins with "For this reason..." For what reason does Paul encourage Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God? We have to look no further than verse 5. Because of Timothy's sincere faith, Paul encourages him to not be lax in using the gifts God has given him.

The Lord has whispered this verse to me on a number of occasions. Perhaps He has whispered it to you, as well. We all need to be reminded that our spiritual gifts will atrophy if they are not exercised.

Maybe you're reading this and wondering if you even have spiritual gifts. I have been there. I have sinned against the Lord so grievously at times that I was sure He could never use me.

Satan does that to us, my friends. We fail, and then he begins his litany of reasons why God could never possibly use you. That's why I'm so grateful that we have the Bible. It is rife with examples of God's people who blew it big-time, yet God used them in remarkable ways to further His kingdom.

David is a classic example. He is chosen over all his brothers to be king, and uses his position of authority to snatch another man's wife. He even has her husband killed, so he won't have to be reminded that she belongs to someone else. God, in His mercy, sends the prophet Nathan to confront David (2 Samuel 12). When David's eyes are opened, he doesn't squawk about how he's a victim of circumstance. He doesn't make any excuses. His only words are, "I have sinned against the Lord." His child died because of his sin. But did God stop using David because he failed? No.

David's life is a portrait of successes and failures. In the Psalms, David opens up about many of his shortcomings, and prays for God to forgive and restore Him (see Psalm 51 for David's prayer after he committed adultery with Bathsheba). How interesting, then, that God calls David a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22). God saw beyond David's pride and his fleshly appetites. He saw a man with absolute faith in God, and a man who loved God's law. More importantly, David was truly repentant when he sinned. That's big in God's economy, friends.

Now to the point at hand. Regardless of what you have done, God wants to use you. We are not informed in today's text precisely what gift Timothy was to fan into flame, but that doesn't  matter. First Corinthians 12 tells us that we are all given spiritual gifts, and "to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good" (verse 7). Together we comprise the Body of Christ, and each of us has a part in making sure the body is healthy.

Maybe you don't know your spiritual gifts. Or maybe you know you have a certain one or two, but have been reticent to use them. Whatever your situation, I encourage you to seek God about how He wants to use you. Educate yourself about spiritual gifts if you are unfamiliar with them. Most importantly, be available to God. He has engineered things such that the Body of Christ works like a well-oiled machine when we all do our part.

In the gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus exhorts His disciples: "Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me." But then, in Matthew 18, He says, "Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

This dichotomy boggles my mind. Death to self versus becoming like little children?

But be assured there is a method in God's seeming madness. Jesus' admonition to become like children came on the heels of the disciples asking Him who would be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. They were still lobbying for a powerful Messiah; a humble one riding on a donkey wasn't what they had in mind.

I like how Matthew Henry's commentary explains this:

Our Lord set a little child before them, solemnly assuring them, that unless they were converted and made like little children, they could not enter his kingdom. Children, when very young, do not desire authority, do not regard outward distinctions, are free from malice, are teachable, and willingly dependent on their parents. It is true that they soon begin to show other dispositions, and other ideas are taught them at an early age; but these are marks of childhood, and render them proper emblems of the lowly minds of true Christians. Surely we need to be daily renewed in the spirit of our minds, that we may become simple and humble, as little children, and willing to be the least of all. 

Okay, now it's starting to look more like self-denial and taking up one's cross. Being like children doesn't necessarily mean being totally carefree. It means having a teachable spirit. It means not jockeying for position or authority or recognition. It means being dependent on your parents to meet your needs.

Where is the freedom in all that? It's in Jesus. He has made provision not only for our sins to be forgiven, but also for us to walk in newness of life. Many of us eagerly embrace that first provision, but may not be as familiar with the second. Instead of living life simply and joyfully as a child of God, we are burdened down with what we deem our "responsibilities" as Christians. We set out, sometimes by sheer willpower, to please God, only to find that we keep failing Him. So we make new resolutions and set out again, redoubling our efforts. And you got it -- we fail yet again.

The freedom, my friends, comes in realizing that we can't do anything to please God. He already knows that, which is why He sent Jesus. He has set us free from the Law (Romans 8). Yet when we try to do things for God in our own flesh, we enslave ourselves to the Law all over again.

God created the Law to convince us of our weakness and inability to fulfill it, so we would finally put our trust completely in God. Watchman Nee, in The Normal Christian Life, uses a drowning man to illustrate this dynamic:

A drowning man cannot be saved until he is utterly exhausted and ceases to make the slightest effort to save himself.

Where are you at this point in your walk with Jesus? Are you striving to please God in your flesh? Many times programs and outreaches and other "church activities" are what keep us away from God. It is easier to DO than to simply BE the child of God He wants you to be.

When we work at being acceptable to God, we deny all that Jesus accomplished on the Cross. Watchman Nee says, "Our every attempt to do His will is a denial of His declaration that we are utterly powerless to do so."

Yes I know -- this flies in the face of much we have been taught. It sounds like deliverance from the Law means we are free from doing what God desires, but of course that is not true. We are free from trying to do His will in our own strength, however. And that, my friends, is true freedom! It means no more striving, no more performing. It means resting in what God has already done for us, once and for all.

The Gospel of Matthew is packed so full of wonderful wisdom that when I journal about my day's reading, it is hard to pin down one verse -- even one chapter -- on which to focus! But it's hard to beat this one, and I love how the New Living Translation puts it: "Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need."

The NIV says it like this: "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

What are "all these things" Jesus makes reference to here? Earlier in the chapter, Jesus exhorts His listeners to not worry about what they will eat or drink, nor what they will wear. He says "pagans run after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows you need them" (verse 32). The New Living Translation says, "These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers." The message is clear: if you follow Jesus, your focus should be on Him, not on what you perceive to be your own personal needs.

I'd like to ask you a question that Oswald Chambers poses in My Utmost for His Highest:

Are you so identified with the Lord’s life that you are simply a child of God, continually talking to Him and realizing that all things come from His hands? Do you continually say with amazement to your common-sense life – why do you want to turn me off here? Don’t you know that I must be about my Father’s business?

Remember when Jesus was only 12 years old, and He stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it? They found Him in the temple courts, and basically asked Him how He could do such a thing, worrying them like that! Jesus expressed surprise at their obvious cluelessness, and asked, "Why were you searching for Me? Didn't you know I had to be in My Father's house?" (Luke 2:49).

Being in our Father's house does not mean being in a church building. It refers to our position in Christ, which is laid out pretty succinctly in the first chapter of Ephesians. He has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (vs. 3). He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight (vs. 4). In Him we have redemption through His blood (vs. 7).

When Jesus died, the veil of the temple -- a thick, heavy curtain which kept sinful men out of the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle -- was rent in two from top to bottom. We are no longer forbidden to approach God; in fact, Hebrews 4:16 tells us we are to approach the throne of God boldly! Yet how many of us still wallow in our past sins and feel we are too unworthy to approach Him?

Now back to Matthew 6:33. Because of our position in Christ, we are free to seek God and His righteousness. We are free to have open, constant, unbroken communion with God. We can experience his presence whether we are reading the Bible or at our desk at work or doing a load of laundry. To keep the lines of communication open, though, we must "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5). If we spend a lot of time playing video games or watching television, obviously God's presence is not going to seem as real to us, because we are effectively tuning Him out. We are telling Him that our frivolous pursuits are more important to us than spending time with Him.

Many things distract us and pull us away from God's presence in this day and age. It is time for us to decide whom we will serve. Remember Matthew 6:24: "A man cannot serve two masters; either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to one and despise the other."

Christ has provided all we will ever need. Our place is to put Him first, and trust in Him to do the rest.

I love this quote by Andrew Murray (see graphic at right). We can never be good enough or clever enough to earn God's love. He loves us because we are His children, created in His image.

I confess I have struggled with skewed ideas about the love of God. It is so stupendous that simple-minded human beings have difficulty wrapping our minds around it. Particularly if you have been raised by harsh parents who only expressed love if you "performed" to their liking, embracing the Father heart of God is a big stretch.

Over the years, I have talked with dear brothers and sisters in Christ who have expressed some of the same struggles, which is why I wanted to blog about this subject. I hope to clear up some common misconceptions about the love of God.

Someone very dear to me (I'll call her Jill) struggled with infertility for years. She believed God was punishing her because she had an abortion as a teenager.

Another sister confessed she was scared to death to give herself entirely to God, for fear that something dreadful would happen. She had recently come to me for mentoring and was making progress in her Christian life, when suddenly her beloved grandfather died. She was convinced that his passing was a direct result of her walking in newness of life.

These are very real concerns. In a society where Christians condemn abortion and show little compassion to women who have experienced it, no wonder Jill thought her infertility was a curse from God. After I helped her to see that her theology was faulty, I prayed for God to open her womb. Eventually Jill was able to conceive, and gave birth to a son. To show Jill how much He loved her, God added another little bonus -- her son was born on the anniversary of the abortion. A calendar date that once brought condemnation is now a cause for celebration.

The fear about giving oneself entirely to God is a common one. People seem to be convinced that one of two things will happen:

• something terrible will happen to someone they love
• God will ask them to move to some horrible place to be a missionary

Where does this theology come from? Well, from a lack of love on our part, for one thing. God loves us so passionately that He sent Jesus to die for our sins. And Jesus says whoever wants to be His disciple must take up their cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23). That's where we bristle, I think. We read that and groan, and wonder what our "cross" will look like.

The problem with all this is our FOCUS, my friends. All of these fears are about US, and saving our own hides. When our thoughts take this kind of trajectory, it is clear that we are not in a good place with God.

Jeremiah 31:3 says God loves us with an everlasting love. Zephaniah 3:17 says God will quiet us with His love, and rejoice over us with singing! One of my favorites is 1 John 3:1: "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" If we truly believed God loves us like this, we would stop fretting about our own sorry selves.

True love for God is expressed in a zeal that wants to spend every waking minute in His presence -- and that is our birthright as His children! We can have unbroken communion with Him, constantly pouring out our hearts in thanksgiving and praise and worship. The Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth (John 16:13), and help us discern God's will for our lives. Micah 6:8 says it very simply: "What does the Lord require of you, but to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?"

For some, following Jesus may mean going to a dangerous mission field. For all of us, it will mean suffering at times. Jesus said we will experience tribulation in this world (John 16:33). John 15:20 says, "A servant is not greater than his Master; if they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also." Salvation is a free gift, but following Jesus comes at great cost.

God's love for us is not in question here -- it's our love for God. We are selfish and want to live comfortable, convenient lives. When we truly understand His love for us, we will love Him selflessly in return, and every day offer our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). His love for us will compel us to be emptied of ourselves so that we can pour out our lives in service to Him. Everything we do, when done joyfully unto Him, can be a sacrifice of praise!

"There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear" (1 John 4:18). We will have no fear when we are secure in God's love for us, and love Him with all our hearts.

Do you ever get impatient about progress in your spiritual life? I sure do. Just when God has me where He wants me, I hear a sermon or overhear a conversation about what someone ELSE is doing, and I think to myself, "Man, I am so lame! I need to be doing THAT!"

Wrong. God does not direct our lives based on what somebody else is doing for Him. In fact, many times those situations are temptations the enemy throws in our path to divert us from what God wants US to be doing.

Case in point: the past month or so, God has been tenderly bringing me back to the basics. He has to remind me frequently that I need to be simple like a child. This particular time, He used a well-worn book I have had for years -- Brother Lawrence's The Practice of the Presence of God. Something happened in me spiritually as I read it again (for the zillionth time!). This paragraph really resonated with me:

I'd been brought up to be a regular church-goer, and for all my conscious life I'd believed in God and wanted to please Him. I'd assumed this was done by deliberate acts of worship, by prayer and study, by discipline and self-control. And I was discouraged because, instead of getting better as I got older, I found I was actually getting worse. The harder I tried, the more I failed.

As he walked one day, contemplating this conundrum, Brother Lawrence came to a beautiful tree he had passed many times. Its branches were weighed down with chestnuts. That's when God spoke to him.

It's hard to explain, but this is how it came to me. In the winter this old tree was bare, stripped of its leaves, apparently dead. In the spring, new life flowed up from the soil through its trunk and branches. Then later, the flowers and finally the chestnuts appeared.

I was like the tree in winter. Myself, I was nothing -- dead, barren, without fruit. And, like the tree, I couldn't change by struggling or sheer effort. I, too, must wait for the hand of my Maker to touch me with life and change my winter of barren unfruitfulness -- in His own time -- into first the spring of new life and then the summer and fall of flower and fruit.

As I read these words, I felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from me. Suddenly I realized my focus had been all wrong. Instead of striving to reach a certain state of spirituality [focus on self], I need to simply rest in my Maker's presence [focus on Him]. I can't do anything to speed up God's purposes for my life, or make anything happen that He knows I am not ready for. Rather than doing things out of obligation and duty, I can do everything as a labor of love for my Father. It is a freedom I have never known before. I get giddy just thinking about it!

Then came the temptation. I heard an amazing sermon, and the one who delivered it is a missionary to Muslims. He and his wife live in very dangerous places, and he has been imprisoned for his faith. He issued a challenge for Christians to stop being so content in their comfort zones, and be willing to do dangerous things for Jesus.

My response? I am so lame as a Christian. I need to go overseas and be martyred for my faith. There's just one problem with that line of thinking. It takes my focus off of God, and back to spinning my wheels, thinking I need to be doing what somebody ELSE has been called to do. I was experiencing condemnation instead of my new-found freedom. God graciously showed me the trap I had fallen into, and helped me crawl out of it. He reminded me of Brother Lawrence's words: "The One who patiently led the trees and the plants through their seasons would also lead me, if I would only submit to His loving and powerful hand."

It is fine to have ideals. It is fine (and highly recommended) to have your heart broken with the things that break God's heart. It is fine to be challenged by a call to action. But we all need to pray for discernment, and ultimately submit to God's will and His timetable.

Are you tired of spinning your wheels and trying to do things in your own strength? Do you play God, thinking you know what's best for yourself and others? I have been there and done that, and it is exhausting.

If you are there now, I encourage you to "Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens" (Isaiah 40:26). Shed the weight of self-imposed "religious activity," and embrace the freedom of a child.