Grow Up

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forevermore. Amen." 2 Peter 3:18

    Most kids can recall their vertical progress being measured on a growth chart. When my own girls were in their formative years, we marked their heights on the door frame in our bedroom. They always had excellent posture on that day, striving to be taller than ever as they hoped to catch up to me. There was a feeling of accomplishment because it meant they were growing up. 

    Just as seedlings push through soil and babies wriggle about in the womb, life is meant to grow. Pediatricians become concerned if a child does not reach the percentiles they'd like to see. Physical growth is measured on a door jamb; mental growth is measured through the report cards and test results. 

    How much emphasis is placed on spiritual growth? If God had a growth chart next to the pearly gate, how much would you have grown since last year? In my own life, I spent a lot of years minimally picking at God's word like a lukewarm meal. Reading the Bible seemed like such a dry heave; doing anything else had much more appeal. But then I thought, "If a cataclysmic event wiped out everyone save me, would the Bible be any less relevant?" So it was then that I devoured the Scriptures as the truths rose like an aroma from a steaming pan of lasagna. It's so much more than just a book.

    If you're like I was, I encourage you to "grow up." After all, the Bible tells us that even Jesus had to mature: "And the child grew and became strong; He was filled with wisdom and the grace of God was on Him." (Luke 2:40) "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man." (Luke 2:52)   

"But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." Hebrews 5:14

I Hope So

 "Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken." Psalm 62: 5 & 6

    My childhood friend, Pam, and I spent many happy hours constructing our blanket-over-the-clothesline tents. For our home-away-from-home, a pile of old blankets became the A frame of our cabin. To secure the frame, we fetched bricks from behind the neighbor's garage to secure the blankets against the wind. Without those, it was all just laundry on a line. We placed our hope in those bricks, and they didn't disappoint us. 

    What if we'd used a plastic Barbie car and a container of Nestle's Quik instead of those bricks? We could clamber in and hope with all our fingers and toes crossed, but that wouldn't have made a difference when the wind blew because we'd hoped in the wrong thing.

    Biblical hope differs as widely from worldly hope as a brick does from a Barbie car. Christian hope is based on the fact that the crucified Jesus rose from a sealed tomb; his body was never found. Over five hundred people witnessed seeing him during the forty days prior to his ascension to heaven. All of his disciples (except for John who was exiled to the Isle of Patmos and Judas who betrayed him and hung himself) died as martyrs believing this hope, which was an anchor for their souls. 

    And what hope is this? Eternal life! Solid as a brick are the promises of God so go ahead and construct your life on it. When the storms of life batter your dwelling, you will sleep as securely as a child in a backyard tent.

"May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13  

Good Government

     Can you imagine if the President of the United States and all persons of authority from him on down were to practice the words of Psalm 101? If school teachers, professors, police officers, judges, senators, mayors, business leaders and movie producers would commit each morning to practice these words from the psalm, what changes could be wrought?:

"I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise. I will be careful lead a blameless life. I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart. I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I will have nothing to do with what is evil. Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not tolerate. No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence." (from Psalm 101)

    These words were penned by King David, who was said to be a man after God's own heart, and it's little wonder how he earned that description. To be fair, David had his times of deceit in his life, but he repented of his sins and pled with God to "create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10) He had a broken and contrite heart, which is just what one needs when pursuing a right relationship with God. 

    Now, imagine if each one of us recited this psalm as a personal pledge each day, how it would affect what we will and will not do. The problems in our broken world can not be fixed by bigger government, economic stimulus checks or hand sanitizer. Wearing a mask or succumbing to a "vaccine" will not cure what truly ails us. Each one must govern his/her own heart from within and that can only succeed by the power of the blood of Christ.

    At the risk of sounding like a bearded street preacher whom some ignore, I implore all to repent and seek the Lord while He may be found. That's good government.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

Childlike Faith

 "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me."         Matthew 18: 3-5

    It is with great joy I have been helping at Vacation Bible School this week at Zion Lutheran Church. The rafters in the old chapel tremble with the zealous singing, clapping and shouting of these happy children. They are eager to memorize verses and challenged to compete in the Bible quiz show. We sing and sway while doing the motions, holding nothing back, just as King David danced before the Lord with all his might. I know that our loving God smiles broadly at the little ones' enthusiasm.

    After more than a year of experiencing the dismal affects of the coronavirus, I, for one, simply cannot get enough of praise and worship sans the mask! Can I get an amen?

"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God.

It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise;

give thanks to Him and praise His name.

For the Lord is good and His love endures forever;

His faithfulness continues through all generations."

Psalm 100

My Father's House

 "Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck." Proverbs 1: 8-9

    We don't get to choose our parents, but if I could have, I would have chosen my dad. He was a soft-spoken, kind, humble man who was genuinely interested in my sisters and me. A delightful sense of humor was his trademark; never boorish or sarcastic was he. I never knew just how blessed I was to have this caring, Christian man for my dad until much later in life. Before I could learn to read, he was my living Bible.

    After reading the above verse, I pondered what instructions he gave that I have followed. He taught me how to use a hammer and a paint brush. I recall his good manners when company came, he shut off the television, listening and gifting people of his time. By example, he showed hard work and service to his church were of utmost importance, as were Bible study and prayer. 

    In his wisdom, my dad knew he wouldn't be around forever to pray for me, stand up for me and lend me aid so the best thing he left me was the key to my Father's house.  Grateful am I that my dad told me, "If a church does not preach that Jesus is God, they are going down the wrong path. They must preach Christ crucified as the only way to heaven." So, these days I am about my Father's business spreading the gospel, serving Him and attending a Bible-believing church.

    May I pass the key along to the next generation, the key to my Father's house.

"'Why were you searching for me?' he asked. 'Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?'"  Luke 2: 49

To Whom is Your Allegiance?

 "But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."            Joshua 24: 15

    In Fairfax County, Virginia, school board member Abrar Omeish, who doubles as a spokeswoman for the organization "No Muslim Ban Ever," gave the commencement address at Justice High School. Prior to her speech, a student recited the Pledge of Allegiance, replacing "One nation under God" with "One nation under Allah."

    Shockingly, the time is well upon us when we, as Christian Americans, must declare with a fervor our allegiance to the one true God, even when our country does not. We must not sit on our haunches in apathy awaiting a divisive situation to come our way while the storms of paganism brew beyond the portals. That which formerly seemed distant is now in our living room.

    Christians in Ethiopia are not deterred from sharing the gospel with their Muslim neighbors, even at great expense. After leaving Islam for Christianity, Nagawo and his wife, Faizah, worked tirelessly to further the gospel. In 2017, Islam extremists torched their home and killed Nagawo. Despite her deep sorrow, Faizah told Voice of the Martyrs, "Even while the flames were shooting up, I was thanking God. And even when I saw that my husband had died, I maintained my relationship with Jesus. He has helped me pass through these difficulties," she continued, "and I believe that He will help me even more." 

    Pray now that, when push comes to shove, your faith will not suffer loss. Daily devour the scriptures as you don the full armor of God. The battle is upon us every day. Stand up, stand up for Jesus!

    "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." Hebrews 12:2

 

Wounds That Won't Heal

 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: 'Here am I.'" Isaiah 58: 6-9

    Last week, I cut my finger while chopping celery. It reminded me that I should not put it below a swift blade; I dressed it with ointment and a bandage. For several days, it affected me so I altered my usual ways, making allowances for this wound to heal. It seemed high on my priority list at the time.

    Today, I looked down and saw only a faint reminder of the event. That, too, will soon fade; the whole affair forgotten. Jesus healed it and I went my way.

    But what of the inner wounds from past inflictions that never seem to be forgotten? Am I the only one who remembers them? After all, these wounds ran deep, leaving scars from acute sorrows. Some days, I proceed without a limp but other times, the memory smarts and the tears brim once again. Why can't I forget?

    In the content of the Scripture leading to the passage above, the people of Israel were half-heartedly fasting, vaguely looking for God while doing whatever they please. Then they wondered why He didn't notice and respond to their requests. "Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?" (Isaiah 58:5)

    Maybe my wounds haven't totally healed because I have only half-heartedly sought the Lord. I kept back some of my pain so I may nurse it and relive it in a morose way. Why wouldn't I want to embrace the thorough freedom Christ offers with His outstretched, wounded hands? It's time to get my mind off myself and be about His business. There are those who are bleeding before my very eyes. The battlefield is littered with casualties! "With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken." (Psalm 16:8)

"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:6

     

Give it Your All

 "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you." Jeremiah 29: 12-14

    In Sunday School, as a child, I used to sing, "Jesus knocks, knocks, knocks at the door of my heart...Open and let Him in." What does it look like to invite Jesus into your heart? In doing a bit of delving, I found 40 Bible verses that emphasize the words, "all your heart." 

    Here's what I discovered within those verses: We are called to love, seek, serve, observe his decrees, obey, trust in the Lord, take hold of God's word, praise, extol the Lord, turn back to Him, work at it, keep his precepts, call on Him, be glad and rejoice with all our hearts. 

    The greatest commandment, according to the words of Jesus, is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength first, so that we can love our neighbors as ourselves. Loving Him is a prerequisite to all other relationships in this life. 

    While in prayer the other day, I asked that ALL of me be an acceptable vessel for Him. Lengthen to my feet, so that they may follow Him. Extend to my hands, so that they may diligently serve with both gentleness and strength. Permit my ears to hear notes of beauty and truth. Focus my eyes to see with clarity the needs of others and may my tongue utter His words in kindness and respect.

    High achievers, like inventors or professional athletes, give it their all. In like manner, I gladly give to the One who laid down His life for me. I'm a professional Christian!

"I will give him a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart." Jeremiah 24:7

The Devil Made Me Do It

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever." 1 John 2: 15-17

    Bowls beckon me. I find them aesthetically appealing and quite functional, but I need another one like a need a hole in the head and, you know what? Someday, all my stuff will land in an estate sale, being picked over by treasure hunters after my kids have slapped price stickers on them. 

    Certainly the temptation to add another bowl to my home is seemingly small, but at the root of my desire lies a much bigger question: Who is the master of my domain? If the devil can talk me into buying a bowl, would he gain ground with larger expenditures? Do I have the power to walk away from that four-piece Pyrex set from the '40s?

    Yes, I do. When that wily serpent, Satan, showed up in the garden tempting the two, Adam could have told him to slither off since God had given him dominion over all the creatures. But he succumbed to sin. When Cain's jealousy toward his brother brooded within him to the point of a murderous plot, God reasoned with him saying, "...sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." (Genesis 4:7) He didn't listen either. 

    You see, Satan knows our Achilles heel. He begins by whispering doubts and delusions in your ear as he presents his lies in a most attractive way, but James 4:7 says, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, even though He was the Son of God, He was not impervious to Satan's schemes, but He used the word of God as His weapon. Sweet success! Satan left him alone after that and angels attended to Christ. "The Spirit helps us in our weakness." (Romans 8:26)

    When I look in the rear view mirror, there were times when I committed my most grievous sins but I am able to pinpoint the exact moment when I should have mastered it. I could have sent that serpent packing, but I didn't. The mud that I slung on the face of my Savior by these detestable actions will forever cause me grief, even though, in His rich mercy, He "is faithful to forgive my sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) 

    Why do we always yearn for what we do not have, especially after God has so richly provided for all our needs?  All I really need can be found in Him.

    "So, if you think you're standing firm, be careful that you do not fall!...But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1 Corinthians 10: 12-13

    

If Only

"If my people would only listen to me, if Israel would only follow my ways, how quickly I would subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes! Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." Psalm 81: 13-16

    Anyone who knows me knows I am a fan of the novel, "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell. The title characters, Rhett and Scarlett, are very much alike - both headstrong and determined. He loves her passionately, but he cannot let her know it or she'd hold it over his head like a whip. Like a cat watching a mousehole, he patiently, expectantly waits for her to truly love him, but she stubbornly holds on to a childhood desire. The reader realizes Scarlett is throwing away happiness with both hands but, by the time she comes to her senses in the final chapter, it is too late. The door has been shut and Rhett doesn't "give a damn." (excuse my french)

    Reread the above scripture with this story in mind. Hear the frustration in God's words. See all that He longs to give us, if only we would drop our foolish desires and soften our hardened hearts, He'd fight for us, then pamper us with the finest of offerings. If only we would listen to Him. If only!

    In the movie, "Bruce Almighty," God has given Bruce the job of filling His shoes because he was complaining about how God was managing things. It doesn't take long for Bruce to make a mess of things and, in doing so, alienates the love of his life, Grace. In frustration, he asks God, "How can I make her love me?" Dryly, God answers, "Good question. Let me know if you figure that one out."

    Of our own free will, God wants us to love Him. Today is the day of salvation. If only we would love Him before the door is shut.

"If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you...Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me." Proverbs 1: 23, 28

     

Are We There Yet?

 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me where I am."  John 14: 1-3

    Recently, my husband and I drove a great distance to visit family. There were times along the route when we were troubled by unforeseen events, but we pressed on together in great joy because we had a common goal: to see our loved ones.

    When we arrived in weariness and road dust, our daughter and son-in-law ushered us into the spacious, spectacular rooms with a view which they had lovingly prepared for us. There was a comfy bed, outfitted with the softest of linens, aromatic soaps and lotions awaited our bath, even a gift basket bearing selected items that were known to please and comfort us according to our personalities was presented to us. Favorite and familiar foods awaited us in the kitchen while a bouquet of purple, pink and yellow blooms graced the table, just for our pleasure. I felt undeserving of such a gracious display.

    In my heart, as I took all this in, I felt the familiar nudge of the Spirit poking me in the side as if to say, "This is a foreshadowing of what Jesus is preparing for you in heaven." Tears sprang to my eyes.

    The journey in life seems long and fraught with trouble at times. We have rainy days and wrong turns amid other days of sunshine and blossoms. Out of sorts, we never quite feel at home in our skin. We are impatient to reach our destination; will we ever get there? With the Bible as our road map and the Holy Spirit as our GPS, we know which way to turn. Our Lord Jesus has gone ahead of us to prepare a most delectable feast, fluff the pillows and arrange to spray of heavenly blooms in a vase. 

    Like a little kid in the back seat, I want to say, "Are we there yet?"

"However, as it is written: 'What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived' - the things God has prepared for those who love Him." 1 Corinthians 2:9