Every good and perfect gift is from above...(James 1:17) Wow, have I felt poured down upon. Remember the old hymn, There Shall be Showers of Blessings. Beside the beauty of the snow that we have delighted in this past week, I have been filled to the full with the delight of family. To begin with, our Coffee Oasis family is so excited about Jesus. The worship and praise times have been bonding to our Lord and Savior. And the excitement of proclaiming Him to the individuals that God brings along our paths is invigorating. I can't put words to the excitement of seeing others grasping God's salvation and amazing goodness. Our larger Hope in Christ family has enthusiastically entered into God's moving to provide the drive thru to expand the Coffee Oasis business and training. God's provision has been unbelievable. It is on Him alone that we depend and He alone has provided! Showers of Blessing!
Then yesterday (Christmas) we were warmed to the depths of our hearts as we spent the day with our children, grandchild(!), parents, siblings, neices and nephews and 4 "extra" family. Oh, the blessing of a godly heritage. Oh, the sweet fellowship with those with whom we have shared life for so many years. God has been, is, and will be truly good, always!
Friday, December 26, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
They Found Him
"So the shepherds hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child." (Luke 2:16,17) "'...a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.'" (2:11)
I am constantly challenged in my heart to "spread the word concerning what has been told to me about this child." Yet sometimes I feel so inept. How do I turn a conversation to what is so important to me. It's easy to talk about anything else that I'm jazzed about. And I am jazzed about Christ the Lord. Oh, that I would be bold. Oh, that I would glow from the edges just as the photo of our lawn display shows.
I am constantly challenged in my heart to "spread the word concerning what has been told to me about this child." Yet sometimes I feel so inept. How do I turn a conversation to what is so important to me. It's easy to talk about anything else that I'm jazzed about. And I am jazzed about Christ the Lord. Oh, that I would be bold. Oh, that I would glow from the edges just as the photo of our lawn display shows.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Fullness and Emptiness
"Futility of thinking...darkened in their understanding...hardening of their hearts...lost all sensitivity...given themselves over...with a continual lust for more." (Ephesians 4) Bleak! I felt surrounded on Friday night as I sat on the edge of the stage next to S.
"Are you still with L.?" I asked her. "I saw him walking downtown this afternoon and you weren't with him."
"Oh, no," was her immediate response. "He was too controlling."
Did this surprise me? No. I honestly can't count the number of boyfriends I have seen come and go in S.'s life. Each one is her hope for the security, love and care that she so deeply longs for. Friday night she was cozy with D. Two weeks ago D. had proposed to another girl while he was drunk and that was the drama going around our Teen Night Outreach. Now, he kept kissing S. every other sentence as we were trying to talk. Totally distracting and meaningless!
At the same time, right in front of me, M., a street mom, in her 30's was cozying up to C. who is a young gal just 20. The physical affection was uncomfortable. Actually, it was sickening. Futility, dark, hardened, lost, given over, continual lust for more! (Yes, we have rules regarding the public display of affection, but at this moment, it was out the window.)
I felt crushed in upon by the depravity around me. It was ugly. It was empty. Actually, I would say that it was "full" of emptiness! There was no room in these kid's lives on Friday night for anything but the emptiness that they were given over to. Any words of truth spoken fell on dull ears. Ephesians 4 talks of this way of life as being corrupted by deceitful desires.
In sharp contrast, the beginning of Ephesians 4 directs our thoughts to a life that is completely humble, patient, bearing with one another in love. God's people prepared for works of service. The purpose being so that we can built up the body of Christ. The ultimate goal: attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. It was that manifestation of the fullness of Christ in the early believers that earned them the title of "Christian" from the world around them. What am I manifesting in my life? What am I full of? Am I full of emptiness as I chase after futile things that lead me to continually lust for more? Or am I full of Christ? What does Christ see? What does the world around me see?
"Are you still with L.?" I asked her. "I saw him walking downtown this afternoon and you weren't with him."
"Oh, no," was her immediate response. "He was too controlling."
Did this surprise me? No. I honestly can't count the number of boyfriends I have seen come and go in S.'s life. Each one is her hope for the security, love and care that she so deeply longs for. Friday night she was cozy with D. Two weeks ago D. had proposed to another girl while he was drunk and that was the drama going around our Teen Night Outreach. Now, he kept kissing S. every other sentence as we were trying to talk. Totally distracting and meaningless!
At the same time, right in front of me, M., a street mom, in her 30's was cozying up to C. who is a young gal just 20. The physical affection was uncomfortable. Actually, it was sickening. Futility, dark, hardened, lost, given over, continual lust for more! (Yes, we have rules regarding the public display of affection, but at this moment, it was out the window.)
I felt crushed in upon by the depravity around me. It was ugly. It was empty. Actually, I would say that it was "full" of emptiness! There was no room in these kid's lives on Friday night for anything but the emptiness that they were given over to. Any words of truth spoken fell on dull ears. Ephesians 4 talks of this way of life as being corrupted by deceitful desires.
In sharp contrast, the beginning of Ephesians 4 directs our thoughts to a life that is completely humble, patient, bearing with one another in love. God's people prepared for works of service. The purpose being so that we can built up the body of Christ. The ultimate goal: attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. It was that manifestation of the fullness of Christ in the early believers that earned them the title of "Christian" from the world around them. What am I manifesting in my life? What am I full of? Am I full of emptiness as I chase after futile things that lead me to continually lust for more? Or am I full of Christ? What does Christ see? What does the world around me see?
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Grieved
Noah lived in desperately wicked times. Genesis 6:5,6 describes man's wickedness as every inclination of the thoughts of his heart only evil all the time. And then God says that His heart is grieved. Has there been a time when you have been grieved by a person that you have poured yourself into? I felt that way last night. A gal that I have loved, prayed for, invested in, been frustrated about and tried to love again asked me to look at her arm last night. She has developed a cyst of some sort under the skin on the inside of her elbow from shooting up. She wanted to know what I thought it was or what she should do. She was so matter of fact as she told me that now she was only using her other arm or the inside of her wrist and of course she uses clean needles! I wanted to screem! I wanted to cry! How could she talk to me like she was talking about something frivilous like the color of hair dye? She gambles with her life everytime she picks up a needle. Oh how I grieve that she continues to choose to walk this path of death. She has heard, she knows and yet she refuses to choose. I know that God grieves deeper than I ever could begin to. He grieved enough to do something about it. Oh, thank you, God for providing the way out through your Son, Jesus. Oh, that my friend might chose that way out.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
He Who Knew No Sin
"God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21
I was talking about this verse with my new sister in Christ, Becca, today. I have known this truth about as long as I can remember. Just today, God brought to mind an illustration that helped me to begin to grasp the depth of what Christ did. What I said to Becca was that if I willingly took the place of a gal who is prostitute drug addict up on Broadway so that she could enjoy the secure, loving, affirmative and supportive life that I live, that would be somewhat like Christ who was sinless, willingly becoming sin in my place. The thought of taking the place of that gal makes my insides scream with fear and panic. I can't imagine trading my innocence and moral purity for the degredation and hopelessness of such a life. Yet Jesus, the sinless Son of God, innocent, holy and pure took on degredation/sin so that I might be innocent, holy and pure in Him.
I am humbled. Can I not deny myself and take up my cross daily and follow Him? (Luke 9:23)
I was talking about this verse with my new sister in Christ, Becca, today. I have known this truth about as long as I can remember. Just today, God brought to mind an illustration that helped me to begin to grasp the depth of what Christ did. What I said to Becca was that if I willingly took the place of a gal who is prostitute drug addict up on Broadway so that she could enjoy the secure, loving, affirmative and supportive life that I live, that would be somewhat like Christ who was sinless, willingly becoming sin in my place. The thought of taking the place of that gal makes my insides scream with fear and panic. I can't imagine trading my innocence and moral purity for the degredation and hopelessness of such a life. Yet Jesus, the sinless Son of God, innocent, holy and pure took on degredation/sin so that I might be innocent, holy and pure in Him.
I am humbled. Can I not deny myself and take up my cross daily and follow Him? (Luke 9:23)
Friday, October 17, 2008
God's Presence
In reading through Genesis 4, I was struck by the seriousness and severeness of Cain's situation after his proud, self righteous coming into the presence of God. By the time we come to verse 14, Cain says to God, "You are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence. I will now be a restless wanderer." "So Cain went out from the Lord's presence." (v.16) I can't imagine the utter feeling of abandonment and lonely desperation.
Cain is not the only one in scripture that came to this desolate place...In 2 Kings 17:18-20 "the Lord was very angry with Isreal and removed them from His presence...even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord...so the Lord rejected all...gave them into the hands of plunderers until He thrust them from His presence."
King David had seen the rejected state of King Saul after the Lord removed His Holy Spirit(1Samuel 16:14) and in Psalm 51:11 David cries to God, "Do not cast me from Your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me."
In Jeremiah 7:13-15 God says to Isreal, "while you were doing all these things (murder, adultery, perjury, following other gods...), I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen, I called you but you did not answer...I will thrust you from my presence." In 52:3 Jeremiah says, "it was because of God's anger that all this happened...and in the end He thrust them from His presence." It was God's last resort, final action, after He had done all to save.
In sharp contrast, we see the welcoming of God's presence to those who have a humble and obedient heart before Him.
Psalm 31:19,20 says, "How great is Your goodness which You have stored up for those who fear you...in the shelter of Your presence You hide them."
Psalm 89"15 says, "Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, O Lord."
Psalm 139:7-12 says, "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there, if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast. I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me, even the darkenss will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You.'"
How about God's presence and me?
God says in Jeremiah 5:22, "Should you not fear me? Should you not tremble in my presence?"
Psalm 90:8 says that "You (God) have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence." Yet He also promises in 1 John 1:9 that when "we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
In Ezra 9:15 we find Ezra leading the remenent of Isreal that God has allowed to return to the land in a prayer of humility, confession and obedience. He says, "O Lord, God of Isreal, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remenent. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in Your presence. Then in the next verse that Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of the Lord and a large crowd of Isrealites gathered around him and they too wept bitterly.
Oh the delight of Jude 24 that declares that God is "able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy."
O Lord, in Your mercy, keep my heart pure before You so that I might dwell in Your presence all the days of my life.
Cain is not the only one in scripture that came to this desolate place...In 2 Kings 17:18-20 "the Lord was very angry with Isreal and removed them from His presence...even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord...so the Lord rejected all...gave them into the hands of plunderers until He thrust them from His presence."
King David had seen the rejected state of King Saul after the Lord removed His Holy Spirit(1Samuel 16:14) and in Psalm 51:11 David cries to God, "Do not cast me from Your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me."
In Jeremiah 7:13-15 God says to Isreal, "while you were doing all these things (murder, adultery, perjury, following other gods...), I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen, I called you but you did not answer...I will thrust you from my presence." In 52:3 Jeremiah says, "it was because of God's anger that all this happened...and in the end He thrust them from His presence." It was God's last resort, final action, after He had done all to save.
In sharp contrast, we see the welcoming of God's presence to those who have a humble and obedient heart before Him.
Psalm 31:19,20 says, "How great is Your goodness which You have stored up for those who fear you...in the shelter of Your presence You hide them."
Psalm 89"15 says, "Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, O Lord."
Psalm 139:7-12 says, "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there, if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast. I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me, even the darkenss will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You.'"
How about God's presence and me?
God says in Jeremiah 5:22, "Should you not fear me? Should you not tremble in my presence?"
Psalm 90:8 says that "You (God) have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence." Yet He also promises in 1 John 1:9 that when "we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
In Ezra 9:15 we find Ezra leading the remenent of Isreal that God has allowed to return to the land in a prayer of humility, confession and obedience. He says, "O Lord, God of Isreal, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remenent. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in Your presence. Then in the next verse that Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of the Lord and a large crowd of Isrealites gathered around him and they too wept bitterly.
Oh the delight of Jude 24 that declares that God is "able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy."
O Lord, in Your mercy, keep my heart pure before You so that I might dwell in Your presence all the days of my life.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Unclean Lips
"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty." Isaiah 6:5
I am struck by the order that Isaiah makes this cry out to God. He first proclaims, "I am an man of unclean lips." He then states, "I live among a people of unclean lips." It is too easy for me to be concerned first of all with all the people around me with unclean lips and heart and then at the end of my conversation with God mention something about my own unclean lips and heart. Oh Lord, "Search me and try me...see if there be any wicked way in me. (Psalm 139:23,24)
I am struck by the order that Isaiah makes this cry out to God. He first proclaims, "I am an man of unclean lips." He then states, "I live among a people of unclean lips." It is too easy for me to be concerned first of all with all the people around me with unclean lips and heart and then at the end of my conversation with God mention something about my own unclean lips and heart. Oh Lord, "Search me and try me...see if there be any wicked way in me. (Psalm 139:23,24)
Monday, September 29, 2008
Faithful
"Lord, You are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago." Isaiah 25:1
There is no greater degree of faithfulness. Jeremiah declares God's faithfulness great in regards to His compassions that never fail. (Lam. 3:23) Psalm 117 proclaims that the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. David, in Psalm 57 describes God's faithfulness as reaching to the skies.
What is God's faithfulness to? He is faithful to His own character. All that He has proclaimed Himself to be, all that He displays Himself to be; that He will faithfully be. What He says He will do, what He says He will be; that He will do and be...always...perfectly. We are the benefactors of His faithfullness.
It follows then, that if we are convinced of God's faithfulness, we will trust. Trust that who God has proved Himself to be, He will be to me. He is not saying that His faithfulness means that situationally all will go as I think it should. If I am trusting in God's faithfulness, than I am trusting that in each and every situation, God will be wholly Himself (love, righteous, just, compassionate, all-powerful, all-knowing, sustainer, holy...) and that is all I need: God Himself: perfectly faithful.
There is no greater degree of faithfulness. Jeremiah declares God's faithfulness great in regards to His compassions that never fail. (Lam. 3:23) Psalm 117 proclaims that the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. David, in Psalm 57 describes God's faithfulness as reaching to the skies.
What is God's faithfulness to? He is faithful to His own character. All that He has proclaimed Himself to be, all that He displays Himself to be; that He will faithfully be. What He says He will do, what He says He will be; that He will do and be...always...perfectly. We are the benefactors of His faithfullness.
It follows then, that if we are convinced of God's faithfulness, we will trust. Trust that who God has proved Himself to be, He will be to me. He is not saying that His faithfulness means that situationally all will go as I think it should. If I am trusting in God's faithfulness, than I am trusting that in each and every situation, God will be wholly Himself (love, righteous, just, compassionate, all-powerful, all-knowing, sustainer, holy...) and that is all I need: God Himself: perfectly faithful.
Monday, September 8, 2008
His Children
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. And that we are!" 1 John 3:1
I have thought much about the truth stated in this verse this past week... the depth of belonging that is signified when God calls us His children. There are many children that have been part of my life to varying degrees over the years of my adult life. About 30 of them have been foster children in our home. As many or more homeless youth have been under our roof as well. All are recipients of a warm bed, hot meals, a listening hear, a hug of encouragement and some "motherly" advice. Yet, there are only four children in my life that I call "my children": Rebekah, Jonathan, Daniel and Stephanie. What is it that makes that distinction and bestows on these four children alone that position? I believe it is the greatness of the love that I have for these four children. I care about all the children that live in my home, but it is only my four children that I love to the depths of my heart.
What an honor to be called a "child of God." All people are recipients of a beautiful creation, air to breath, the fruit of the earth to eat and God's revelation through His Word. Yet only some are given the "right to become children of God" (John 1:12). Oh the depths of His love for us who are called "God's children." "God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) Is that the ultimate demonstration of love, a love that leads God to call us His children?
I have thought much about the truth stated in this verse this past week... the depth of belonging that is signified when God calls us His children. There are many children that have been part of my life to varying degrees over the years of my adult life. About 30 of them have been foster children in our home. As many or more homeless youth have been under our roof as well. All are recipients of a warm bed, hot meals, a listening hear, a hug of encouragement and some "motherly" advice. Yet, there are only four children in my life that I call "my children": Rebekah, Jonathan, Daniel and Stephanie. What is it that makes that distinction and bestows on these four children alone that position? I believe it is the greatness of the love that I have for these four children. I care about all the children that live in my home, but it is only my four children that I love to the depths of my heart.
What an honor to be called a "child of God." All people are recipients of a beautiful creation, air to breath, the fruit of the earth to eat and God's revelation through His Word. Yet only some are given the "right to become children of God" (John 1:12). Oh the depths of His love for us who are called "God's children." "God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) Is that the ultimate demonstration of love, a love that leads God to call us His children?
Monday, June 9, 2008
Spiritual Piety
In Luke 5, Jesus called Levi, the tax collector, to follow Him. This immediately caused a stir. The religious could not fathom why, if Jesus was truly who He was making Himself out to be, He would call to the low life. The religious, who saw themselves as the righteous, did not consider mixing with the unrighteous... the sinners. Why did Jesus cross these lines? If those people wanted to become like the righteous, they could clean up their act and then come over to the other side of life. Jesus had the opposite perspective. He, who was here to offer forgiveness of sin, was not about standing by waiting for the sinners to clean up their act so he could offer them a new life. No, He came to "call sinners to repentence." (v. 31) He wasn't about calling the righteous. Those who already thought they were righteous didn't think they needed a Savior. Jesus equates it to a healthy person not needing a doctor. A person could be truly sick, yet think they are healthy and thus not realize their need for a doctor. Spiritually we are all sinners (Romans 3:23, Romans 3:10), yet we think we are righteous and thus we don't think we are in need of a Savior. Beware of this spiritual piety. Pray that we may see ourselves as we truly are: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." (Luke 18:13) Only then can the true work of regeneration begin.
Monday, June 2, 2008
The Opportune Time
After the time that Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan (Luke 4:1-13), Luke states that Satan left him (Jesus) until an opportune time. What are those times? I think they are the high times and the low times in our lives. When this story opens, Jesus has just been baptized in the Jordan River by John. It is Jesus "passage" into his formal years of ministry. The baptism is given further power and significance because God the Father and God the Holy Spirit show up as well. The Father doesn't just watch on from heaven, but speaks out audibly, "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." The Spirit decends on Him in bodily form like a dove. This to me is the ultimate of spiritual intimacy within the Godhead. Jesus comes out of the water completely prepared for the task set before him...to bring salvation to the world. It is at this point that the Spirit led him out into the desert and Satan comes into the picture to tempt Jesus. The desert, the place where Satan puts Jesus spiritual intimacy with the Godhead to the test. Just as Satan's greed for power and status led to his fall in the heavenlies (Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:12-19), he now tries to break up the Godhead by tempting Jesus to act independently of the Father and the Spirit. To satisfy His immediate needs himself, with the help of Satan. Jesus, still empowered by the Spirit, rebukes Satan with the words of God the Father all three times. "It is written...It is written...and It says..."
This story of Jesus in the desert also shows Satan's attach in the low times. Jesus had fasted for 40 days. The Bible says that he was hungry. That is a time of weakness. Physical weakness easily breeds spiritual weakness. Satan will look for any window of opportunity.
After Jesus rebuked Satan, verse 13 says, Satan left him until an opportune time. We must beware. The devil is a roaring lion seeking who he can devour. (1 Peter 5:8) Beware in the times we feel like we are spiritually imtimate and beware in the times that we are feeling worn out, tired, hungry and vulnerable. May the words of the Father be ever present on our hearts and tongues. "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." (Psalm 119:11) May the fullness of His Spirit guard our hearts and minds so that we are prepared when the evil one thinks that it is the opportune time.
This story of Jesus in the desert also shows Satan's attach in the low times. Jesus had fasted for 40 days. The Bible says that he was hungry. That is a time of weakness. Physical weakness easily breeds spiritual weakness. Satan will look for any window of opportunity.
After Jesus rebuked Satan, verse 13 says, Satan left him until an opportune time. We must beware. The devil is a roaring lion seeking who he can devour. (1 Peter 5:8) Beware in the times we feel like we are spiritually imtimate and beware in the times that we are feeling worn out, tired, hungry and vulnerable. May the words of the Father be ever present on our hearts and tongues. "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." (Psalm 119:11) May the fullness of His Spirit guard our hearts and minds so that we are prepared when the evil one thinks that it is the opportune time.
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