Be anxious for nothing - Really?

This morning I did an inductive study on Matt. 6:25-34. I was amazed at how many times the word "anxious" appears in the passage. The clear theme is that we are not to be anxious - for anything! Put together with Paul's admonition in Phil. 4:6-7, the message is: "Worry about nothing, pray about everything."

Really, Lord? I mean, my budget is tight and the car might break down and the kids are sick and the computer is running slow.

"Be anxious for nothing."

Really, Lord? More hostages were taken this morning and I can't even walk to the market by myself.

"Be anxious for nothing."

Really, Lord? No one signed up for the school we were supposed to teach and we spent months preparing. All those people gave money to support us and now I have to put this in a newsletter. What if we lose supporters?

"Be anxious for nothing."

Really Lord? My mom is sick and I can't even go see her.

"Be anxious for nothing."

Really Lord? My world's falling apart here. I never thought that relationship would end. Am I doomed to be single all my life?

"Be anxious for nothing."

Come on Lord. I just told you my problems and you're talking about grass and birds and flowers. Don't you know that in today's world sermons are supposed to be practical? Tell me what to do?

"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness."

Oh, Lord. Seek You ... so you're not minimizing my needs after all. You are talking about priorities. Perspective. Okay, I can set this aside and pray right now. I know you know what my needs are. But, if this is the answer be forewarned - I may be praying a lot today! It's the only thing that can keep me from being anxious.

Hey, You asked for this! I have an idea that you're okay with it.

Mt. 6:25-34 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Upside Down World

In my reading last night I was reminded how upside down the world is. Oh, it seems like World Christians are the ones upside - focusing on other people around the world, seeking to sacrifice for the sake of the message. But that's not what Jesus says. Jesus says this is the only way to get it right. He lived an upside-right life in an upside-down world, and calls us to do the same.

Ralph Winter notes that the modern Christian bookstore would lead one to believe the message is "I have come to give you life affluently". How popular would a book be titled, 'How to bleed, suffer, and die for Jesus Christ", he wonders. I don't think we have to ask.

The thing is, when we maintain an emergency, war-time mentality, it's so much easier to prioritize. And it's even easier when we realize Jesus' priorities were not to hobnob with religious elite and make a network of connections. He came to seek and save the lost, to minister to "the least of these".

Winter says the disciples' "own agenda [was] written with such large letters that they cannot understand how His agenda could be different from theirs." I had to ask myself - what about mine? Is my daily list written in permanent marker or pencil? Do I leave room for His agenda? When I affirm His lordship, do I realize He is Lord of the Great Commission as well - and has the right to readjust my life to suit it?

We become spiritually and emotionally healthy by focusing on others. It's upside down to the world, but upside right in the kingdom. Be prepared to be flexible today - it might just be God sitting you on your feet to turn you upside right!

Oblivious to Danger

What would you do if you knew a nuclear warhead was going to fly over your house at a given hour? I, for one, would be hunting the nearest bunker -- even if I was told that it was safely attached to a plane!

But what if you didn't know?

That's not a theoretical scenario. Last week, an aircraft accidentally carrying 6 nuclear missiles flew from North Dakota to Louisiana - and its path went literally over the town I live in. I didn't have a clue.

Thankfully there were no accidents, and our country was delivered from a disaster we didn't know was even a potential. But it got me to thinking of the scriptural parallels.

Scripture tells us that we are all "shut up under sin" until we come to faith in Christ. We have the "sentence of death" and the good that happens to us is a result of God's common grace, the rain that falls on the just and the unjust. Frankly, apart from Christ we are all disasters waiting to happen ... nuclear warheads in an unsuspecting world. Enemies of God, according to Romans 5.

But God in His great mercy delivered us ... and now we know the risks and dangers. We are compelled to warn others of the nuclear warheads waiting to explode in their lives, apart from God's gracious intervention. Sometimes, we see the devastating results of those launched missiles. And we weep.

Stay in the battle, beloved. Only the power of God through the blood of Christ can deactivate the nuclear missile of sin. And without a messenger, they won't even know it's flying overhead.

What does it mean to be blessed?

No one doubts that most of us in the West are blessed. We absolutely adore the concept - whether as a mealtime prayer, a ritual when someone sneezes, or a cheerful greeting ("have a blessed day"), we recognize that blessing is significant.

Yet so few of us realize that we are "blessed to be a blessing". If we truly grasped that the blessing doesn't stop at our doorstop, I'm not sure that The Prayer of Jabez would have been nearly as popular!

Ralph Winter puts it this way: Blessing, he writes, is "not something you can receive or get like a box of chocolates you can run off with an eat by yourself in a cave....It is something you become in a permanent relationship and fellowship with your Father in Heaven." ("The Kingdom Strikes Back", in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, 6th ed.)

Not something you get - something you become. He goes on to say that the blessing is contingent upon sharing it with others -- in other words, it's not a blessing until you pass it on. We think we've made progress when we "get" the concept of sharing part of our blessings - giving others a few chocolates from our box. But truly being a blessing goes beyond just sharing ... it is integral to who we are.

We are to become a blessing ... our very lives imparting blessing to others. This isn't surprising ... Jesus, after all, was the very incarnation of God, the ultimate blessing. Why is it surprising for Him to ask us to become something to bless others?

On the other hand, this concept is very liberating. "Blessing" others doesn't depend upon our checkbook, our pantry, or our house ... it is part of who we are. Is my life in every way imparting blessing to others? Am I becoming a blessing? These are the questions I asked myself tonight.

In your worlds, you may feel like you have nothing left to give. You struggle with the language, the culture, the food ... you don't have enough money for yourself much less others ... yet you have the Spirit of God in you, the Spirit they need. He is making you, in your very being, to become a blessing. That smile, that sincere question about a child's health, that cool hand to a feverish forehead, that second cup of tea to invite a guest to linger - all speak that you are becoming a blessing.

Don't let your circumstances define how you bless others. Open your heart and see all the ways God is making you a blessing today!

I know you are to me... never forget that.

Surrender

I found some old notes this morning in a ministry notebook I have kept for a couple of years. Isn't it funny how God brings things up that we sometimes conveniently "forget"? I love how He is faithful even when we are faithless ... how HE is the one who guarantees we will stand before Him "blameless, with great joy on the day of judgment" ... how He keeps us committed to Christ ... how His hold on me will always be tighter than my hold on Him.

All of this gives me confidence when He calls me to surrender. My note - dated 12/14/2005 - reads simply: "Today God has taught me that His call is open, awaiting who will respond. W eare all called to fulfill the Great Commission. I must learn to say "yes" and let Him tell me "no". Surrender says "yes" before knowing the question."

Or as my pastor likes to say, "No, Lord, is an oxymoron."

My husband and I are embarking on some new ventures. We don't know where they all will lead. The ministry doors that are open before me are in some ways beyond me. But God reminds me that "surrender says 'yes' before knowing the question."

It so happens that God has graciously allowed me to know the questions in this case - the specific things He's asked of me are clear. But that's not always the case for me and I know it's not for you. Know that I am praying for you to fulfill all He has for you ... even if it means saying "yes" before knowing the question. May we all surrender fully to Him today!

Imperfect Solutions for an Imperfect World

Maintaining a kingdom mindset in a fallen world can be a challenge. Not only are we tempted to give in to the world system, but when we perservere beyond that temptation we often are thwarted at the next level - discouragement.

For those of us who know God's plan and grasp that His kingdom vision is perfect, the reality often falls short. It may be when a co-worker we respect compromises to obtain a raise. It might occur when we see a bribe given where the giver only wishes to do someone good. It occurs in the US every four years when we elect a president - a periodic reminder that even in the best of circumstances, no one person outside Jesus will hold the keys to a perfect government.

Today's announcement that the Taliban will release the Korean hostages on condition of Korea's pullout from Afghanistan and promise of cessation of all work by Christians hit many as a bittersweet blessing - the hope of release, mingled with the loss of wonderful development works that show Christ's love in practical ways. It's important to note that this was not a decision by the Korean church but the Korean government. It's an imperfect solution by a world power, for an imperfect world.

At times like this we must rely on God's sovereignty. Only He knows why this solution and not another was ultimately put forward. He sometimes uses things like this to mobilize national believers. We can pray for that, and also for the Korean church to redouble its commitment to the Great Commission-wherever it takes them. Like Philadelphia in the book of Revelation, the Korean church has "a little strength" after this ordeal - yet God has placed before her an open door no one can shut. They need our prayer support and our understanding as they seek to be obedient to God in an imperfect world where all man-made solutions are imperfect.

Pray also for the hostages in their last hours/days/weeks (we don't know yet) of captivity. God still has a purpose for them there!

Focus!

We watched "The Longest Day" today. This classic WWII movie was a fresh reminder to me of the spiritual battle that we are in - and of the importance of focus.

The amazing scope of "Operation Overlord" - the D-Day attack on Normandy - was successful because of a tremendous number of small assignments successfully completed. The 101st Infantry and the 82nd Airborne each has specific assignments. Unique roles were assigned to the Scottish Brigade and the Royal Air Force. The paratroopers who overshot, landed in town, and were killed, were no less significant than the men who captured the town and ran the German soldiers into the woods.

Yet each team had to maintain its own focus. The commander responsible for leading a group of men to capture and hold a key bridge until relieved kept repeating that task to himself ... and it kept him from distractions. John Wayne refused to consider turning back from Omaha Beach - even though it meant going up for the 4th time.

It's like that in this spiritual battle as well. We each have unique roles to play - and the task is so big that it takes all of us. We must focus on the tasks God gives us, recognizing that each is integral to the overall battle. Most importantly, we must maintain the primary focus where God placed it: on Jesus Christ. Looking to Him, as Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us, the "author and finisher of our faith", we will play a significant role in the ultimate victory.

Rest assured, victory will come. For now, the wartime mentality requires an intense focus. May God grant that to you today!

"Grace and peace to you"

"Grace and Peace to you." These words appear in almost every one of Paul's letters to the churches and individuals he ministered to. Often in Bible reading, sermons, or even serious in-depth Bible study we skim over those words of the introduction, ready to get to the "good stuff". But have you ever thought about the significance of that phrase?

2 Thess. 1:2 is a perfect example: "Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." If we slow down, we see that Paul and his team (Silas and Timothy) are writing them, and they greet them with this incredible phrase. The grace and peace aren't from Paul, Silas, and Timothy - they are from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. The Father and Son, through Paul's inspired words, personally extend grace and peace to the Thessalonians - a church in need of both!

The Thesslonians had been persecuted, we learn in 1 Thess., and now were troubled because some were claiming that the "day of the Lord" had come. Imagine thinking that Jesus came and you missed it! But Paul's first sentences - a phrase we take for granted - would be reassuring to them. "Grace and peace to you - from God!" Yes, the Father and Son are intimately involved in what concerns the churches.

Most people in the world live under legalism. Even many Christians fall into that trap. Grace is amazing because it is rare, and it is supernatural. Grace is inextricably bound with love, and reflects that love carried out in some unexpected, undeserved ways. Grace saves us, teaches us, and sustains us - and grace poured into someone else's life can result in transformation and a life of hope instead of despair.

Peace is also a rare commodity in today's world. Not merely the absence of conflict, but wholeness and health of all parts of one's life, is a goal many reach for their entire lives. It's that stillness and quiet in the eye of the hurricane while all around the storms of the world rage.

In your own struggles, have you forgotten the simplicity of the grace and peace of God? Remember for a moment how incredible it is to realize that God personally gives us grace and peace. No matter how you feel today, that hasn't stopped. Don't rush over Paul's words here - let them be the balm of Gilead to your soul.

And when you seek to minister to other who are hurting, remember that we have something rare - grace and peace, not of our own effort but from God Himself.

May you experience His grace and peace in a new way today.

Do you know Him?

When you are overwhelmed with life, when you are tempted by the enemy, it is important to know God. Daniel 11:32 teaches us, "He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action." Do you know Him? I know you do, but it's nice to be reminded who He is.

I had read this sermon before, but only when I heard it read in a dramatic way did I really experience it. I have been very blessed by this and hope you are too. Be sure to have your speakers on!

Thanks to YouTube for allowing the posting to Blogger.

Blessings today as you are reminded again who your God really is.

How Big is Your God?

Sometimes, in the stresses and strains of life, we make God too small. Someone said it well at church yesterday: A lot of us, to the question "How big is God?", answer, "A little smaller than we are."

Oh, we don't do it blatantly. Those of us in the church know enough to give religious-sounding reasons for our human-centered answer. But we have trouble envisioning a God who is capable of more than we can envision ... so we limit Him in our minds. Of course, we can't truly limit an omnipotent God ... but we miss so much of Him because we live in the zone of safety instead of the danger and delight of letting go of the reins.

I guess I've been thinking about it today because of a couple of awe-inspiring things going on right now. First, the space shuttle Endeavour started back for earth yesterday (Sunday). It will land on Tuesday, God willing. Now, I don't know how fast the shuttle travels but think of it - that high speed flight and it will still take two days to fly back from space. And the "outer space" it was in is just our little corner of one galaxy ... we haven't even talked about the reaches outside of this galaxy and the "far corners" of the universe where we talk in light-years rather than days.

Second, Hurricane Dean, a Category 5 storm, is the size of Texas. Texas. I'm from Texas. It takes a whole day to drive across the state! And yet, God controls the wind - even the wind from Dean - and upholds the earth it passes over by the word of His power.

No wonder Job said "Behold, these are the fringes of His ways; And how faint a word we hear of Him!" (Job 26:14). The incredible awesome things we see in creation, the wonder of it all - that is only the fringes of God's ways.

And to think we make Him so small. He is bigger than we ever dreamed. What situation has you overwhelmed tonight? Ask God to come in and be BIG.

He stretches out the north over empty space And hangs the earth on nothing. He wraps up the waters in His clouds, And the cloud does not burst under them. He obscures the face of the full moon And spreads His cloud over it. He has inscribed a circle on the surface of the waters At the boundary of light and darkness. The pillars of heaven tremble And are amazed at His rebuke. He quieted the sea with His power, And by His understanding He shattered Rahab. By His breath the heavens are cleared; His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent. Behold, these are the fringes of His ways; And how faint a word we hear of Him! But His mighty thunder, who can understand?

Job 26:7-14

The Gates of Hell

I slept fitfully last night, anxious about the latest kidnapping of a pregnant woman, tentative about whether the 19 Koreans will get out alive, feeling thankful and a little guilty that I was sleeping in a comfortable bed curled up next to my husband.

I awoke desperately wanting to pray for them, but needing a word from God before I could even proceed. I know you've been there ... overwhelmed by a need. How precious that whatever our role in the kingdom we are, first and foremost, His children, and the one thing that is needful will always be to sit at His feet first.

So, I did, and He answered dramatically. In the course of my regular Bible reading, He had me in Matthew 16:18 -

"...upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it."

Excitement and encouragement swept over me. The gates of Hades - that's right! I recalled that the "gates of Hades" was a reference that the church was the one doing the advancing; the gates were defensive.

I remembered all over again the truth that Satan is really a defeated foe and always strikes from a defensive posture. The picture I had was that of a cornered wild animal -- angry and able to inflict damage, but definitely on the defensive.

Regardless of how it looks over there, it's not the gates of hell that are advancing. It's the church of Jesus Christ ... the kingdom of God coming on earth as it is in heaven. It is in the context of the church's advance that Jesus says "Whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (v. 19). This echoes the Lord's Prayer: "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." That's how the church advances and the enemy is defeated!

Sure, suffering and persecution are part of the process. Jesus immediately teaches about the suffering He will endure and the denial that the cross requires. But we have an assurance while that is happening that the church IS advancing! God's kingdom IS coming on earth, and the enemy IS being defeated.

Sometimes the darkest hour is just before dawn. Press on to victory.

Korean Christians - and Warfare

In case you haven't heard (and if you're in the US - you probably haven't), the "negotiations" between the Taliban and South Korea have failed. A Taliban tribunal will now decide the "fate" of the Korean hostages. An additional Christian NGO worker from Germany was kidnapped from a restaurant while eating with her boyfriend.

Now is a time for intense prayer, but also a reminder of the sovereignty of God. Only He knows whether these are numbered among those who will be martyrs. We can pray, however, for their boldness, perseverance, and peace in the midst of this storm. And, based on Paul's request to the Thessalonians (2 Thess. 3:1-3), we can pray God would deliver them from evil and perverse men. But if that doesn't happen, please don't lose heart. Continue to pray for God to use even their deaths for His glory and kingdom purposes.

Surely it is no mere coincidence that I am writing a paper on persecution at the very time I'm praying for persecuted believers halfway around the world. But this applies to you too - even though you may be in a "safe" country. Because Scripture makes it clear that we are in a spiritual battle ... a spiritual battle with a predetermined outcome. We know the contours of the battle, but God fills in the colors according to His plan. We don't always know how we fit into that. We just know that He is in control...He is sovereign. Yes, we pray and give and work because He ordains that certain things happen because of our prayer and gifts and work. But there is always an element of sovereignty about this war that we are in.

Josef Tson said it better than anything I've read outside Scripture:

"For many years...I was groaning and saying ‘Lord, why?’...Now I have as the main pillar of my theology the sovereignty of God. The sovereignty of God means Satan at the end always finds out that he just promoted God's cause. All God’s enemies combine to destroy His work, and they always discover at the end that they just promoted it. That’s the sovereignty of God." (emphasis mine)

Commenting on this, Herbert Schlossberg writes in A Fragrance of Oppression: “That is why a Biblical philosophy of history has to recognize that God’s victories often come disguised as defeats: persecutions, death, destruction of churches and so on. A theology of disaster that is true to a Biblical worldview recognizes the victory lurking behind every external setback to faithful followers of Christ.”

Victory in death and setback? The unfathomable ways of our God.

You are on the frontlines of this spiritual battle. You may not be persecuted today, but you are a target. Keep a prayer circle around you - I'd love to be part of it - but know that anything God allows against you has a victorious purpose. I like to put it this way: Satan always attacks from a defensive posture. The gates of hell will not prevail against the offensive onslaught of the church in spiritual battle.

Even if it looks like we just lost.

An Unexpected Blessing

Our car broke down today.

It's the hottest day of the year, the busiest week of the year on the University campus where we work. We only have one vehicle and our budget is extremely tight. We live about 5 miles from campus - a long walk without sidewalks most of the way, difficult even in ideal weather. When I rode home in the wrecker at 5 p.m., we didn't know how we would get to work tomorrow.

I rounded up the usual suspects ... called a couple of friends who often have extra cars, talked to a co-worker. The Lord whispered to me (as He does) to call a neighbor, but I was unsure whose voice I was hearing. When my efforts dead-ended, the voice became more urgent and I thought of the Scripture: "Better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away." Apt words since none of our siblings live here!

About an hour after the first prompting I called my neighbor. I had hesitated to contact this sweet elderly couple, her nursing him through his stroke. They're the grandparent-ly type, the ones who have trouble saying no if they love you. I didn't want them to feel obliged. I guess I was waiting for God to miraculously have them call me or something. I don't know what I thought - I just know that I was hesitant.

But what an unexpected blessing I received. When she answered the phone and discovered it was me, she asked how things were. I told her it had been a rough week. She had seen the wrecker and so asked about that. "That's why I'm calling", I confessed reluctantly, hesitantly, almost sheepishly. I'm sure I sounded 3 years old. Her next words touched me to the core, bringing tears to my eyes:

"How can I help?"

It wasn't the words as much as the eagerness. There was no hesitation, no hint of compulsion. I expressed our transportation situation and she put the phone down to talk to her husband. She came back and told me his words:

"Do they want the car or the truck?"

The tears flowed again, more liberally this time. When I walked over to pick up the vehicle, I hugged her and thanked her profusely. She pulled back and genuinely said, "No, thank YOU for asking."

What an unexpected blessing on a trying day. To see these people, in trials of their own, being so eager to help, actually glad I asked ... I was convicted but so honored and blessed as well.

"You have not because you ask not", God tells us about prayer. Sometimes that's true of our brothers and sisters in Christ as well.

I thought of each of you, out there doing the thing, hating to let people know how hard it is. Please know that God has put love in different peoples' hearts for you, and those individuals long to know how they can help. So much of the time that is in prayer, but there are tangible needs as well. Don't hesitate to ask God on whose heart He has placed you. And don't hesitate to let them know your needs. They'll be glad you did - and you'll be blessed in the process.

Eager to be with Him?

It's amazing how much I've learned from my dog over the years. I guess God knows that sometimes I need the simple things of the world to get His lessons through my head!

Our dog, George, is an 11-year-old mixed large breed dog. He came into our hearts and lives when he was only 2 1/2 weeks old...we literally had to wake him up from falling asleep in his milk. He's always been more comfortable with people than other animals, and as he has aged we've seen an increased dependence on us, an increase dissatisfaction when we are away.

He's always had his own bed, but would sleep in our room (on the floor) if there were storms which frighten him, or if it was too cold outside, or any other excuse one of us could muster. A few weeks ago we made a momentous decision: George is old, hurting, and alone while we are at work, and so we will let him sleep in our room every night.

Now, George may be old, but believe me, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks! He has quickly picked up the pattern and knows at night when it's time to go to bed. Despite his pain from hip dysplasia, he wiggles around like a puppy when we tell him "okay" and allow him to go into our room and onto his spot right next to the bed.

Last night, his eagerness and expectation got me to thinking: isn't this how God wants me to be? George is eager to be with us - no matter what we're doing he is right there. Am I eager to be with God? George expects that we will call him into the room and he'll be in our presence - do I expect God to call me to Him during my quiet time?

Beyond that - am I growing more, or less, dependent on God as the years go by? Am I satisfied when He seems far away? Or do I anxiously anticipate that next time of intimacy, feeling something is wrong unless I'm at His side?

The simple things of the world - yet a deep truth for me.

Draw us close Lord - and let us never be more eager and expectant than when we get to be right next to Your side.

Beauty for ashes, hope for despair

As I look out my window at a beautiful lawn mowed last night by my husband, enjoying the shade tree in the front yard and the peaceful, quiet street we live on, as I sit and write freely on a computer with a high-speed connection in a country where I don't have to edit my words... my mind is thousands of miles away. I am thinking of you ... and you ... and you ... and the struggles you are facing. I'm thinking of what you see when you look around. I'm thinking of those of you who can't go out of town because of the threat of violence. I'm thinking of you whose computers are broken or who wait for the electricity to come up in order to access the internet at a very slow rate. I'm thinking of everything I take for granted every day, and everything I complain about, and how it pales in comparison to your lives and ministries.

And I love you for it.

I love you because you don't have to be there, not a single one of you. I love you because I know how easy it is to rationalize: I'll go when the kids are grown, when I retire, when I marry, when I'm a widow. I'll go where it's safe, where it's more like home, where the language is normal, where they actually like people from my country. I love you because I know that what I call sacrifice is nothing compared to what you have given up to be there, and because I know that you wouldn't trade places with me for anything (well, not permanently anyway - though you might for a weekend especially when it's 120 degrees in the shade).

I've told you before that I know you have feet of clay, that you struggle and are learning the same lessons I'm learning. I know you don't idealize your country any more than I idealize mine. But as I come face to face with some of the harder truths in the New Testament, the truths about mission and compromise and suffering and persecution, I realize afresh how important it is that you are out there doing the thing. You are still my heroes.

As you look around and wonder if you are making a difference, please know that you are ... you are making a difference in the Body of Christ as I learn from every email and every newsletter you send, as that gets filtered into my life and my church. You are making a difference where you are as well, bringing light to the darkness. I leave you with the words from Isaiah 61 that became Jesus' own description of His ministry when He taught in the temple (Luke 4) - and my own reflection on the passage.

May God bless you today. I love you!

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives,and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,and the day of vengeance of our God;to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,the oil of gladness instead of mourning,the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;that they may be called oaks of righteousness,the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins;they shall raise up the former devastations;they shall repair the ruined cities,the devastations of many generations.

Isa. 61:1-4

Beauty for ashes, hope for despair
What do you see, Lord, when you look over there?
The world calls it hopeless, or claims it's okay
That the darkness seems to hold such a sway.

Oil of gladness, garment of praise
When, oh, when, will their voices raise
In praise to You, Lord, to call you by name?
What will it sound like on that great day

When my voice and theirs, heart languages
Lifting up to Your throne in unity singing?
Let me see it Lord, Your eyes not mine
Oaks for Your glory, in Your perfect time.

Persecution or Compromise

One thing plays repeatedly through my mind as I've read the New Testament passages on persecution in preparation for my term paper. It's a painful and profound thought: Persecution is avoidable for those willing to compromise.

From Paul's admonition that it is those "who desire to live Godly lives in Christ Jesus" that are persecuted, to Peter and John's option of going free but just not speaking about Jesus, to the Galatians who were tempted to doctrinal compromise to avoid persecution, to the martyrs in Revelation who are paralled in the text both as those who are martyred and as those who "obey the gospel" ... we see the two paths laid out for us: Persecution or Compromise.

The compromise may be doctrinal ("Let's just throw in a little legalism here and there"), it may be lifestyle-oriented ("I have to joke like this to fit in and have a platform to share the gospel"), it may be intellectual ("Maybe Scripture against that sin doesn't apply today"). It may be more blatant ("Let's not evangelize"). But whatever the form it takes, compromise is the devil's way of tempting us to avoid persecution. And when we compromise, we don't advance the kingdom of God.

How grateful I am that His kingdom is bigger than my weaknesses! I know I've compromised, and God is teaching me through this study on persecution just how bad that is. Like it or not, His narrow path is the path of difficulty, of being misunderstood, and sometimes outright persecuted. Sometimes from other "religious" people, sometimes from the very people I try to reach. Even if I'm not "beating people over the head" with Scripture - something I definitely don't do -- I can still be a faithful, godly witness and find myself tempted to compromise to avoid persecution, to stay "popular".

Today, seek the Lord for the ways that He wants you to recognize your compromise, and recommit to the narrow way ... even if it leads to persecution.

Blessings to you!

God's Special Presence

I've just spent much of today with my head in books about persecution in preparation for a term paper I'm writing. One key theme that has emerged is the presence of the Holy Spirit in a special way with those who are persecuted or suffer for the sake of Christ. As I go about my daily tasks to wrap up the night, I am reflecting that truly, the deepest valleys of my life have brought His most intimate presence. And I haven't ever been persecuted, and have really not truly suffered that much.

But I know that many of you are enduring trials right now. Trials of faith, suffering in a sacrificial sense, maybe even persecution or the fear of it. Surely many of the people you are ministering to face that reality.

Take heart! God's presence is strong when we suffer; His power is made perfect in our weakness.

Prayer for Hostages

Unified believing prayer is an amazing thing. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to spread prayer requests so that when answers came, God would receive more glory. No matter what we are enduring, when we look beyond ourselves to intercede for others we are blessed beyond measure.

With that in mind, I ask your prayer for the Korean hostages in Afghanistan. The latest update from Baptist Press (below) states many of my thoughts and exhorts us to pass this prayer request along and pray fervently for them! Please do that very thing.

Prayer urged for 21 Christian aid workers held hostage
Posted on Aug 3, 2007 by Staff

WASHINGTON (BP)--With two South Korean men having been executed, 21 young Koreans remained hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan at the two-week point Aug. 2 following the Christian aid workers' kidnapping July 19.Two women hostages are critically ill and most of the others are sick, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported Aug. 3, but it did not provide details.

In Washington, an official with the Institute on Religion and Democracy sounded a call Aug. 3 for the media and for Christians to speak up for the Korean captives."Why is it that the media finds the brief incarceration of Paris Hilton worthy of 'round-the-clock vigils but spares little ink and little air time to tell the world more about these two men who gave their lives while serving the people of Afghanistan?" Faith McDonnell, IRD director of religious liberty programs, asked."Even more disturbing than lack of media coverage, though, is the tepid response of the churches to the plight of their brothers and sisters from South Korea," McDonnell continued in the statement."

No matter what issues currently occupy Christians in the U.S., they should shift their focus to Afghanistan right now and join the churches in South Korea in vigilant prayer for the remaining hostages." McDonnell said the crisis is a chance "to witness to the world that the body of Christ is one worldwide body.""Christians in the West should always be praying for their persecuted brothers and sisters -- but particularly in this time of crisis, they should look beyond their own interests and pray for the hostages. I challenge Christians to pray daily for the South Koreans, and to include them as a prayer item on church Web sites, e-mail conferences and the blog sites of individuals."

The two men who have been killed by the Taliban thus far are:

-- Bae Hyung Kyu, 42, a minister with the Sammul Presbyterian Church near Seoul who was slain by 10 AK-47 shots July 25, his birthday. Bae worked with unmarried university graduates, helping prepare them for volunteer trips for aid work in developing countries, according to Compass, a persecution watchdog organization based in Santa Ana, Calif. Bae leaves behind a wife and 9-year-old daughter, Compass reported. (Some news reports have spelled the name of the church "Saemmul.")
-- Shim Sung Min, 29, who had left a job in information technology to seek a graduate degree in agriculture out of a concern for poor Korean farmers impacted by globalization, a church member told Compass. Shim had been teaching Sunday School classes for the handicapped, the church member also said.

While the South Korean volunteer team, 16 of whom are women, have been criticized in some quarters for venturing into Afghanistan's volatility, an Afghan convert to Christianity told Compass he admires the commitment they evidenced and hopes that a Christian presence can continue in the country."During the Taliban regime, the main expatriate group in Afghanistan was Christians," the Afghan told Compass. "They were here to help Afghanistan. … No one else had the guts to come and help this war-torn country." The convert said Christians are called to serve -– and sometimes at a very high cost.

"Thank you for coming to Afghanistan to serve my people," Compass quoted the Afghan as saying to the hostages and other Korean Christians who had served in Afghanistan. "Thank you for letting the world know, 'Don't forget Afghanistan.' Your Afghan brothers in faith are praying for you daily."

The corpses of Bae and Shim have been returned to South Korea, Compass reported.

Taliban spokesmen threatened more executions by midnight Aug. 2 if the Afghan government continued to refuse demands to Taliban prisoners, Compass reported, noting that Taliban leaders later stated that no one had been hurt.

A purported Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, told the Yonhap News Agency July 31, "If the negotiations do not go well, [the militants] will kill the male hostages, and then it will be the female hostages' turn."

Yonhap, in an Aug. 3 report, cited informed sources in reporting that South Korean officials are negotiating with the Taliban "for the venue for face-to-face talks" on the fate of 21 surviving hostages, "amid conflicting reports on imminent military operations to rescue the hostages."

South Korean officials would not officially confirm efforts to establish direct talks with the kidnappers, Yonhap reported, but said they are trying to maintain "direct or indirect contact" with the captors.Negotiations for medical treatment for the sick hostages at a Kabul hospital also have not yet been successful, Yonhap reported."

The hospital proposed to the Taliban specific conditions for the treatment of the Korean patients, but the militants refused them," a reporter with the Afghan Islamic Press told Yonhap on condition of anonymity.Cheon Ho-seon, a spokesman for South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, said a medical team from the South Korean military contingent stationed in Afghanistan is on standby near the southern Afghan province of Ghazni, where the Koreans were taken hostage. "The team has been on standby since the kidnapping took place," he said.

The 23-member Korean aid team was traveling on a charter bus from Kandahar to the capital, Kabul, when armed men stopped them July 19 in the Ghazni province's Qarabagh district. The volunteers had arrived in Afghanistan on July 13 and were scheduled to return home July 23.Compass, in a July 30 news report, recounted that the team had spent three days assisting three Korean women who were engaged in long-term aid work in northern Afghanistan. The volunteers were traveling back to Kabul but went on to Kandahar by bus when no flights were available. The group had planned to spend several days volunteering at a hospital and kindergarten in Kandahar where a husband-and-wife doctor team and a single Korean woman teacher are working. The two doctors treat up to 150 patients a day, Compass quoted a member of the Korean church as saying.

analyst for the Washington-based International Christian Concern persecution watchdog likened the incident to the 2001 kidnapping of American missionaries Heather Mercer and Dayna Curry, who were held by the Taliban for three months. "It was in the very same area of Afghanistan that these two kidnappings happened," Jeremy Sewell said in a July 20 news release. "While Mercer and Curry's story ended happily, it was only because anti-Taliban forces attacked the prison."

"Under the Taliban, it is absolutely illegal to preach Christianity. This courageous South Korean missions team is going to experience the ultimate test of their faith."

Amazing Grace

If you haven't seen it already, rent the movie "Amazing Grace" when you have a chance. The story of William Wilberforce's fight against the slave trade in England 300 years ago is incredibly relevant to us today. Not only because there are ample injustices to fight against ... but also because we need reminders of what it is like to live life on purpose, with an unswerving passion.

Wilberforce was a rising young star in Parliament, the typical politician of his day, when God interrupted his plans. You know what that's like! In a poignant scene on his plush, extravagant lawn, Wilberforce revels in a newfound relationship with His Lord. Changed from a man who was self-centered and focused on selfish ambition into someone whose delight is in looking at the sky while reading Scripture, Wilberforce tries to come to grips with his calling. His butler queries him: "Did you find God, sir?" Wilberforce answers, in a phrase that caused knowing giggles in the audience when I watched it, "He found me. Do you know how terribly inconvenient that is?"

Inconvenient, yes. But after a struggle with whether to quit politics to join the ministry, Wilberforce determines his place is in Parliament for a purpose: to eradicate the slave trade. After a series of divinely-appointed relationships convinces him of this role, Wilberforce devotes the rest of his life to this task. Along with his friend William Pitt -- who becomes Prime Minister at an incredibly young age -- Wilberforce perseveres through failure after failure, trial after trial, humiliation and rejection. Early in their fight, when Pitt becomes Prime Minister and the two young men are heady with excitement, Pitt exclaims, "We're too young to know all the things that are impossible, so we'll do them anyway." Later, with the stress taking a physical toll on Wilberforce's body, when success finally comes it is so obviously the Lord's doing that you will want to worship Him for His creativity.

Perseverance is hard. We all need to be encouraged. Scripture tells us that we should study the lives of those who have gone before us, and imitate their faith. Wilberforce's story tells us much about a faith that never gives up - a faith that works.

And slavery was history in England before Wilberforce died. Praise to the God of justice.

A poem for times of suffering

As I've been working on my term paper on the persecuted church, I've read some wonderfully encouraging stories, but nothing touched me more than a poem written by D.W. Udd, the son of an American missionary to Malawai who at the time of this writing worked with his father at a ministry in Malawi. Although published in a book about persecution, this poem addresses the issue of suffering in a poignant way to which we can all relate. I pray that it will encourage you and become your prayer today in your own trials.

even so ...

we heed the call to Canaan Lord
where milk and honey flow
enjoying every blessing
your promises bestow

but when you beckon quietly
to dark Gethsemane
we sooth our consciences to sleep
and dream on blissfully
of fattened calves
and peaceful paths
we hope are yet to be

have mercy on our weakened flesh
empower our willing spirits
prepare our hearts to take the strain
of vigils in the night
and still have strength
to drain the cup
of all the world's tomorrows

we are running with the footmen
and find our feet grow weary
Lord keep us then contending
in your great might alone
lest we ourselves be trampled
under the thundering hooves
of the apocalyptic horsement

we weary in our land of peace
with leanness of the soul
and glance with furtive eyes
at the prophetic glimpses
of the swelling Jordan
where our baptism of suffering
still awaits us

why do we think it strange
when you have suffered so
that we should follow in your steps
and no discomfort know

we lean on your perfection Lord
without it we are lost
yet even you obedience learned
at such an awesome cost

teach us the lessons that you learned
refine us in your fires
until we count it joy to be
impelled by your desires

d.w. udd in Destined to Suffer: African Christians face the future. edited by Brother Andrew. Open Doors, 1979.

Like a little child ...

Jesus said that we must come to the Father like a little child. What that tells me is that however deep I go in my understanding of God's Word, I must always increase in simplicity in my relationship with God.

That's hard to wrap my mind around sometime, and so I love quotes like this one from C.J. Mahaney:

"We never move on from the cross ... only to a deeper understanding of the cross."

Like a little child ... my Sunday School teacher told a story this morning. His 3-year-old grandson had to have a medical procedure and drink a lot of liquid in preparation. The parents motivated him by telling him Pawpaw had that same test. As he struggled to drink the preparation, he would say, "Pawpaw will be proud of me, won't he momma?"

Like a little child ... moving to a deeper understanding of the cross, imitating our Lord, and seeking to make Him proud.

It's hard out there. Your struggles are on levels I have a hard time comprehending. But this I know: you will not go wrong to be more childlike in your difficulties today.

It's what pleases your Father.

"Like a weaned child"

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;

my eyes are not raised too high;

I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.

But I have calmed and quieted my soul,

like a weaned child with its mother;

like a weaned child is my soul within me.

(Psalm 131:1-2)

Sometimes in ministry there are things that happen that truly humble us. Someone tells us how much our words meant, and we can't remember what we said. Somebody introduces us and we wonder who they are talking about. Fruit comes on a day we feel far from God. We miss the opportunity to reach the one person we're praying hardest for. All of these serve to keep us humble.

The psalmist decided not to spend time trying to figure out things "too great and too marvelous for me". In a place of humility, he rests in God's presence. His soul is at peace.

Are you wondering how God can use you today? Allow the humility that comes from realizing the weaknesses of our flesh to draw you to God's side, resting in His presence like a weaned child. We don't have to have all the answers.

The hidden graces

I wanted the happy pills for my surgical root canal. I was told they would ensure me no pain, no awareness of what was going on, and no memory of the procedure. Since this was a particularly difficult tooth, I was all for that plan!

But as so often is the case, the world failed to adjust itself to my expectations :). No, instead I found myself awake and alert, wanting a nap but unable to sleep for the noise.

I've decided that our old nature makes it easier for us to see things the way we want them to be, the way that we planned them out, and when we give in to that, we miss a lot of the dewdrops of grace filtered throughout our lives.

During my time in the chair, God spoke to me that the bottom line of what I was doing was trying to avoid suffering ... a very human response and one that God sometimes decrees for us in ways that demonstrate His majesty and reveal His power. We never doubt his love when He helps us avoid suffering!

But other times, God requires us to walk through suffering. This can be the suffering of health problems, or conflicts, or time constraints. It can be mental anguish, difficult relationships, a seemingly hopeless ministry situation. It can even be persecution for our faith. It's at those times that we naturally look for a way out of the suffering or a way to minimize what we feel in the suffering. It's at times like these that we doubt God's love, question our salvation, and get generally snarly or self-righteous about our pain. This also becomes what Henry Blackaby calls a crisis of faith: believe God and see Him in a new way, or lose the opportunity to go deep with Him.

In the chair today I realized that was exactly my problem: I had been expected to be delivered from the suffering by the "happy pills" ... but God was walking me through it and was with me all the way. And I sensed the dewdrops of His grace revealed at every turn. He asked me to consider this type of surgery in a third world country - no anesthesia, little numbing, not much special equipment. I would probably have lost the tooth because of the complicating factors of the surgery. Then He brought to my mind what the "happy pills" accomplished for me - a sense of rest and peace, a lack of anxiety. Without that the suffering in the chair would have been much more pronounced. And the shots that I didn't feel at all - what a huge blessing that was. To even have the shots available - what a huge grace to not have to endure it without numbing.

What I learned today is about far more than dental care. What I learned is that God's grace is always sufficient, and His presence is always profound, and we learn that not by numbingly avoiding suffering, but by holding His hand as we press through it, asking Him to point out the dewdrops of grace along the way. I never want to think about what suffering would be like without those dewdrops.

What are you or your people facing that you wish for miraculous delivery from, or at least the ability to close your eyes and wake up when it's over? Seek God's hand in the midst of the suffering. Open your eyes and ask Him to reveal the dewdrops of grace.

How to Really Live

1 Thess. 3:8: "For now we live, if you are standing firm in the Lord."

What a profound truth Paul expresses here. Paul - who teaches us that our life is hid with Christ in God ... who states that to LIVE is Christ ... who says that he has died and his life is Christ through Paul ... this Paul indicates that this life in Christ is associated with the steadfast faith ... of other believers? Did we read that right?? Catch the context ...

3:1 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 4 For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain. 6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— 7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?

11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

This is Paul's heart for ministry shining through here. Paul doesn't share the Gospel and find the door. He doesn't expect them to take their new hearts, filled with the Holy Spirit though they are, and operate in a new realm, a new worldview, without guidance. While in their midst, Paul works hard, treats them gently, embraces them as children (applying both maternal and paternal characteristics to his team's treatment of them). When he is away and suffering for the Gospel, he worries that they might fall away. They'd seen him suffer, and they'd heard him teach of more suffering to come ... yet he worries. A good report from Timothy is welcome news - the Thessalonians are standing firm in the Gospel. What's more, we learn from chapter 1 that their faith is spreading throughout the region. They are "famous" for it and in the process making God famous.

At this report Paul is able to say "now we live". The NASB translates "Now we really live". Paul and his team were "alive" physically before, and certainly were "alive" in the Lord, and yet there was a fullness to that life that Paul did not, could not, experience apart from the successful perseverance of the saints at Thessalonica. While among them, he worked by speaking the truth in love and setting an example to impart this perseverance. Apart from them, he prays (verses 11-13) for God to establish it in their hearts. And the word that comes lets him know God is moving. Now he really lives. Now the team really lives.

I'm convinced that in our western individualistic mindset we don't have a sense of the community of the Spirit that God intends. This community is supposed to be so strong that it takes all of us together to truly have spiritual "life". Our gifts work together for the building up of the body. Hebrews 11 even tells us that apart from the faith of post-resurrection believers, the faith of the Old Testament saints could not be made complete. This is far more than dinners on the ground and the occasional women's conference. This is a daily relationship that encourages, strengthens, challenges, exhorts ... that depends on one another in the Spirit. The persecution Paul's team encountered set a relational context that caused the team to go deep with new believers quickly! And as a result they really lived when those new believers persevered.

That's kind of how I feel about this blog. I long to encourage you - you who are far beyond me in terms of service - to finish the race, to persevere. When you are successful through a struggle of faith, I really live. When you sign on for another season of ministry, I really live. When I see answered prayers in your newsletters, I really live.

As you work and minister today, seek someone whom you can encourage to persevere. I promise - you will really live as a result!

The Encouragement of Scripture

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4

Are you needing some hope today? Are you having trouble enduring, wondering when anything is going to change? This Scripture tells us that the formula for hope is perseverance + encouraging Scripture.

I don't pretend to have all the theological questions answered, but I do know that Scripture (Paul specifically references the Old Testament!) has encouragement that can provide us with hope.

So, today I give you a Scripture filled with hope!

Zephaniah 3:9-10:

For then I will give to the peoples purified lips, That all of them may call on the name of the LORD, To serve Him shoulder to shoulder. "From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, My dispersed ones, will bring My offerings."

The glorious risk of God's sovereignty

There's a lot that happens in this world that defies explanation. Who can truly understand why a tsunami kills thousands, why at times the innocent suffer more during a war than the soldiers, why a large country is simultaneously experiencing droughts and wildfires, and flooding and crop destruction from too much rain.

As kingdom workers, determined to make a difference both for eternity and today, you have your own "why" questions. You also know that you want to take DO something. Thankfully, you don't have to have the answers to step out and take that risk. Daniel - a book filled with the sovereignty of God - shows us an example:

Daniel 2:13-19
So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. He declared to Arioch, the king's captain, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king. Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

Notice that Daniel made his bold request BEFORE the mystery was revealed to him. Then he hightailed it to his friends to ask for prayer support! Before we brush this aside as merely the impetuous actions of youth, examine Daniel's understanding of his God - revealed in his words to the king later in the chapter:

"No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries...."

Daniel knew his God, and he knew that God was sovereign over the mysteries of the earth. He knew that sovereignty included lordship over dreams. So he spoke to the king's captain without having all the answers, because he stood on the firm ground of God's sovereignty. He then sought the specifics in prayer, and acted on what God showed him.

What risks would you take today if you firmly grasped the extent of God's sovereignty? Let His sovereignty undergird your work today.

Sunsets and Glory

Friday evening's sunset was a glorious sight to behold.

Piercing through the clouds that hovered all last week, the pink light seemed to follow the sunbeams through the sky to the earth. A peachy-pink glow tinged everything around me; even the pavement on the street seemed pink. The closest connection I can make is the Mojave Desert - how it reflects the light in such unique and gorgeous ways. As I admired the beauty (and longed for a shoulder to pull over onto so that I could worship the Maker without the interference of driving), I realized that the glow even tinged my arm. I was captivated by how my hand looked on the steering wheel, cast in the glow of the sun.

That's what the glory of God is like. The fullness of who He is, His glory, pierces through our world's darkness and casts a glow. When we belong to Him, seeking to stay in the sunbeam of His presence, then that glow tinges us. No one could ever confuse the reflection of the sun's light with the sun itself ... and that is how it is with His glory.

Let His glow tinge you today!

Quote of the Day

I thought this quote especially relates to the previous post (below):

"It seems to me that we often, almost sulkily, reject the good that God offers us because, at the moment, we expected some other good."

- C.S. Lewis

Sweet Pickles

I made sweet pickles this weekend.

Mind you, I didn't intend to. I don't even like sweet pickles! Give me a crunchy dill (preferably very sour) and I'll chomp down!

But somehow, the recipe I was following for my first-ever attempt at pickling about 8 lb of cucumbers from our garden never got around to telling me when to put in the dill. I looked at another recipe and thought I had it figured out, but decided to taste test beforehand just to see if it seemed right.... and I discovered that I'd spent 2 days making sweet pickles!

I was SO disappointed ... yet as usual, there was a lesson in it for me.

The process of making pickles involves hours and hours of soaking - "baptizing" if you will :) . And the pickles were completely without a say in the end result. As the pickle-maker, it was up to me to know the recipe and determine whether to make sweet or dill pickles.

I messed up, but thankfully God does not! As He baptizes us with His Spirit, and "soaks" us in the Word of God, times of prayer and worship, fellowship of the saints, and the crucible of suffering ... He always knows what is going to come out on the other side. He knows His own, Scripture tells us, and He knows how to protect us and cause us to stand blameless in His presence with great joy on the day of judgment (Jude 24). Phil. 1:6 says, "He who began a good work in you will see it through to the day of completion." In other words, He'll finish what He started -- and it will be good.

Even if it doesn't look like what we anticipated.

Baptized in criticism?

Are you frustrated today, wondering why God is allowing so much criticism of your service? There could be many reasons - and I encourage you to spend time with the Father to learn the lessons He desires to teach you in this trial.

But one reason we sometimes miss is that God allows criticism to protect us from thinking too much of the opinions of others. Francis Frangipane put it this way:

To innoculate me from the praise of man

God baptized me in the criticism of man

Until I died to the control of man.

Whatever other reasons God may have for his season, ask Him to take this time and innoculate you from the praise of man!

Spiritual Empathy

The study results are amazing: there actually is a class of individuals who truly feel others' pain in a very literal sense. (See the article at http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN1629650020070618).

One of the key paragraphs appears on page 2 of the story: "Other studies have suggested a link between empathy and mirror systems, but Ward said this was the first to suggest empathy involves more than one mechanism: an emotional gut reaction -- which appears exaggerated in the mirror-touch synesthetes -- and a cognitive process that involves thinking about how someone else feels."

What a beautiful reflection of a spiritual truth! We are told by Paul in Gal. 6:2 to "bear one anothers' burdens"; in Rom. 12:15 he teaches us to "weep with those who weep". And the second greatest command is to "love your neighbor as yourself". All of these speak to some level of identification with another individual.

Individuals who intercede for others on a personal level relate a sense of spiritual empathy parallel to the physical type mentioned in the article. They "feel" the weight of another individual's burden. They sense the oppression of the lost. Ronald Dunn, in "Don't Just Stand there, Pray Something", relates that when he was suffering a deep depression over the health of his son and other issues, he awoke one morning early to find that the weight was lifted. Later he received a letter from a friend who said he had felt led to pray for Dunn and ask the Lord to give him whatever portion of Dunn's burden God intended the friend to carry. You won't be surprised to learn that when Dunn questioned the man, he told him that the specific day and time of his prayer corresponded with Dunn's awakening early to find a burden lifted!

As you minister and serve today, as you live amongst a people who have so much pain and so many needs, as you hear of brothers and sisters whose needs are more than you know how to respond to -- remember this principle. God intends for us to be spiritually empathetic - just like these individuals in the article. By God's grace, seek to bear the burdens, and feel what those who weep are feeling.

Sure, in your flesh it's more than you can handle. But in God's divine plan, it's just the way it's supposed to work. He will equip you as you seek His strength to intercede and serve on this new level.

Afraid to draw near?

For those of us captivated by the glory of God, it's hard to understand why everyone doesn't long to draw near as we do. We see and savor His beauty. Why do others - even some believers - not do the same?

At the heart of the answer to this lies the heart of salvation: the creation of a new heart that is enabled to see and savor His goodness. For those who don't know the fullness of His character, who have not seen the grace and truth embodied in Jesus Christ, God can be scary. Even the Israelites faced this struggle, recalled so poignantly by the author of Hebrews:

Heb. 12:18-24
For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

God hasn't changed - vv. 25-29 warn us against taking this new covenant lightly, because God is a consuming fire. But the point the author is making underscores the contrast between the Old and New covenants ... between being fearful to approach God and having the freedom to come "boldly" into the throne. (Heb. 10:22).

Are you frustrated today by all those who don't see the glory of God in the face of Christ that you see? Pray for God to do a miracle of transformation in their hearts. Pray that they will not be too easily pleased with the pleasures of the world, and will instead long for deep pleasures that can only be met at the fountain of God Himself! For had He not awakened our hearts, we too would be settling for far, far less of Him!

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.

We are far too easily pleased.

C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

Little Girl Lost

It was a story of tragedy averted.

No movie could go beyond the drama of the real-life event I was reading about in the newspaper Sunday. A little girl, 5 years old, was missing and presumed dead after her grandfather's body was found in the water where they were swimming. They had been out for the day and she wanted to swim. What grandfather can deny his precious 5-year-old granddaughter a dip in the cool water on a hot summer day?

But as the family members and rescuers gathered and grieved the loss of grandpa, the worst was presumed about the little girl. She was gone too - it was just a matter of time before her body would be found.

Meanwhile, upstream a rescuer saw a young girl, naked, dirty, wandering in the woods. She approached him and asked for food. At first he didn't recognize her. After all, the little girl they were looking for would be found in the water somewhere -- right?

But it WAS her ... and soon tears of sorrow turned to shouts of joy. Mom and dad had no trouble recognizing their baby ... they felt the joy known only by a few, the joy of new life from death.

And that is a picture of our salvation. We were dead in our sins, Paul tells us. Not sinking, but dead. We were naked and hungry for spiritual clothing and food. We may even have been unrecognizable to those whose job was to "rescue" us. Yet our dear Father had no trouble at all knowing who we were ... and He guided us to a safe place every step of the way. We have the joy of new life from death.

Now serving as "rescuers", we must remember this image. Who are you looking to "rescue" today? Pray that God will help you see those coming out death into life -- that we won't miss them even if they appear to us naked and hungry.

And be encouraged that God has been guiding them all the way.

The bottom line

A common theme of my posts tonight seems to be that God makes things a lot simpler than we do! We complicate things, often because the simple path is so difficult on our flesh! The path to true ministry is no different.

Rom. 12:1 tells us that God desires that we be "living sacrifices". In the reader to the "Perspectives" course, Warren Chastain quotes Bishop Hill that when we look at those to whom we minister "you will find an altar ... and may God help you to be a sacrifice". Chastain elaborates on this idea with some memorable, and very true, comments.

"...God has engineered the fruit-making process so that it always involves sacrifice. But people invariably seek ways to turn the altar into a stage for seeking applause."

"...any line man draws is not the bottom line....let us be willing to let God draw the bottom line."

"...today's sower should not fail to sow seed in the entire field...The sower...has a passion to bring life out of all kinds of ground. He will not write anything off, even in the rockiest ground. He has faith that the good seed can cling to life in th ehardest places and bear a specially precious harvest."

"God's weapons are crosses, empty tombs, and willing witnesses."

May God make you a willing witness, willing even to be a living sacrifice, today.

Glory is at Stake

My dear mother-in-law went to be with the Lord on May 25. She spent 99 of the last 105 days of her life in hospital or rehab. During that time, a high school friend died at age 38. I often wondered about suffering and death - why God in His power and sovereignty did not heal when He sometimes could, why a 38 year old died, why God worked differently in similar situations. Ultimately I came away with a stronger impression of the importance of the sovereignty of God ... knowing that He is in control brings such peace. But I also grasped more than ever that His glory is at stake in everything we face, and He alone knows how He wants to reveal His glory through our healing, our suffering, or yes, even through death.

In the depth of my prayer time, as I struggled to understand the truths I so easily typed out just now, I wrote in my journal: "I'm weary of trying to analyze how God may best be glorified." As I thought of biblical examples, I penned the following words. They don't form a perfect poem, but I pray God will bless them for His glory.

Glory at Stake
Heart of compassion, eyes that saw
The real needs before You -
You healed them all, working
Into the night, refusing
To turn them away
For glory was at stake.

Calming the waves, water to wine
Loaves and fishes multiplied.
You showed your might, doing
Only what Your Father willed
With a heart of love
For glory was at stake.

Enduring the cross, despising the shame
Not opening your mouth to rebuke.
Face resolute, joy set before
You willingly gave your life
Instead of holding back
For glory was at stake.

At God's right hand in heaven you see
A perspective in my life
That I am blind to now.
Power you have, and strength beside
But suffering continues into the night.
Yet...glory is at stake.

"Surrender", you ask, "and enter my rest".
I want to know what to do there,
How the glory will look.
"Peace be still" You whisper
To this storm of life
For glory is at stake.

Do I trust only when I know,
Or do I step onto the choppy waters,
Lift my hand over my own flesh,
Enter the realm of total faith?
I know the answer ...
For glory is at stake.

Quote of the day

"God will send the rain when He is ready. Your job is to prepare the field to receive it." (source unknown)

The Ethiopian Eunuch Loved by God

At the title many of you may be assuming this post is about Acts 8. Philip's encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch is certainly an incredible story of the God who loved this one man enough to take Philip away from a successful evangelistic outreach to share the Gospel on a quiet road! But the story of the eunuch I'm talking about is told not in Acts, but in Jeremiah. In the context of the judgment of Jerusalem and God's promises to Jeremiah about the new covenant, God presents an intriguing episode.

In prison, Jeremiah receives a word from God - not a word for the King for the Israelites, but a specific word for a specific man, an Ethiopian at that.

Jeremiah 38:7-13; 39:15-18
When Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch who was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern—the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate— 8 Ebed-melech went from the king's house and said to the king, 9 “My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they did to Jeremiah the prophet by casting him into the cistern, and he will die there of hunger, for there is no bread left in the city.” 10 Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, “Take thirty men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.” 11 So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the house of the king, to a wardrobe in the storehouse, and took from there old rags and worn-out clothes, which he let down to Jeremiah in the cistern by ropes. 12 Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Put the rags and clothes between your armpits and the ropes.” Jeremiah did so. 13 Then they drew Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard. ... 15 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court of the guard: 16 “Go, and say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will fulfill my words against this city for harm and not for good, and they shall be accomplished before you on that day. 17 But I will deliver you on that day, declares the Lord, and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. 18 For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your life as a prize of war, because you have put your trust in me, declares the Lord.’”

Because he put his trust in Yahweh, this Ethipian eunuch received a word specifically for his life. God's heart for the nations is revealed here. "Ebed-melech" means "servant of a king" and God certainly makes him the servant the highest King!

Be encouraged that God has been at work among your people far before you ever got there. When Philip talked to the Ethiopian eunuch, he was simply God's vessel for that time. God had been at work in the Ethiopian people for generations!

The Heart of Prayer

We humans love to make things so difficult. God, on the other hand, really keeps things pretty simple. When you stop to think of His majesty and glory, His infinite knowledge and wisdom, we really do see only the "fringes of His ways" (Job 26:14). What He has chosen to reveal in His Word is sufficient; we just like to complicate it so much. And one area where we are most vulnerable to this tendency is the area we need to pursue with the most freedom and simplicity of all: Prayer.

Jesus' model prayer to the disciples was very simple and basic in its wording, but deep in its theology. Coming from someone who prayed through the night, its brevity is especially surprising! And yet the model prayer, combined with a few other teachings such as persistence, focusing on God's will, having unselfish motives, and being childlike toward God, is what He chose to tell us.

Are you struggling with your prayer life? Perhaps an illustration will help. The following is on p. 339-340 of Don Cormack's "Killing Fields, Living Fields" - an incredible story of the church in Cambodia. As you read, as God to let you see the heart of prayer through this little boy's story. May God bless your prayer time tonight!

"One day, as I stood interpreting for one of the only two doctors at a place called Klong Wah where thousands needed their immediate attention, a little lad of about eight came up to me calling, 'Uncle, uncle, please come and help me carry my older brother over here where he can be given medicine.' The boy explained that the brother, about twelve, was lying a good two kilometres away in the bush, unconscious in a malaria coma. But I couldn't just walk away from my responsibilities as interpreter and the enormous task I already had on my hands helping to care for hundreds of dying people right there. Only a few yards into the forest there were more. How could I justify going so far and using up so much valuable time for just one? I told the boy I couldn't go with him, but to get one or two to help carry his brother in. Of course I knew even as I spoke that it was unlikely anyone was going to expend their own limited energy on a dying boy. ...

The boy however would not be put off. He persisted in crying out after me, till I finally steeled myself and ignored him. After about an hour of whimpering and pleading, he fell silent, deep in thought. He knew that I was the only lifeline there was to save his brothers' life. Next thing, I felt a pair of sinewy arms grip me round the legs, and a pair of ankles lock around mine. And there he clung like a leech. Now it was my turn to protest. But his lips were sealed. He clearly wasn't going to let go his vice-like grip on my legs till they followed him to that place where his brother lay dying. I was thus compelled to go with him in order to get rid of him. His dogged importunity had gained him the victory. And I reflected as I pursued him through the trees that this was surely what serious believing Christian pryaer was all about. It entailed a crucial element of 'violence.' It involved patiently holding on to the knees of God, even in the face of apparent silence and lack of movement. The older brother's life was saved."

Love vs. Duty

God has the power to force us to worship Him. John 18 pictures this when the Roman cohort falls to the ground when Jesus states "I am He"; John foresees this in Revelation when he describes a day when every knee will bow, every tongue confess that He is Lord - everything in heaven and earth and under the earth. The God who forms mountains and creates wind, who knows your thoughts (Amos 4:13) - this is the God whom we worship.

And yet, He has chosen not to have a people worship Him out of duty or compulsion, but out of love. The heart of salvation is the creation of a worshiper -- God, in His sovereignty, somehow takes someone who is so far from Him that Scripture calls him "dead", gives a new heart and a new spirit, and enables that individual to desire to walk in His ways. "We love because He first loved us", John writes, and Scripture makes it clear that faith and worship are inseparable. Our mighty, awesome God has us worship Him from a heart of love, a heart that He gives us.

Worship Him today for making you a worshiper. Together we will anticipate the worshipers He is creating around the globe ... in your neighborhood and in mine!

Christian Excellence and Ambition

I'm not a very good housekeeper. While I do manage to keep things tidy and sanitary, I never seem to get around to the "big jobs", forget to dust, and prefer the decorating scheme of "Modern Nostalgia" (i.e., whatever family members and kids have given or made). While I do consider myself a good homemaker (a different role than mere housekeeping, to my mind), I hold no illusions about winning a Better Homes and Gardens house of the year award! The word "excellent" would never cross my mind when describing my housekeeping skills!

Likewise, I have little "ambition" in the earthly sense of the word. I don't have a specific career-ladder goal in mind; I am not sure that I even want to achieve the next "step". I do want to do a good job every day, but earthly success is not my definition of "ambition".

Thankfully, God is very good at redefining terms for His children. Writing to the Thessalonians, Paul spells out very clearly what Christian excellence and ambition should look like.

Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.
I Thessalonians 4:9-12

Excellence. Paul encourages the Thessalonians to "excel still more" in the second greatest commandment: Love one another. Love for other believers is so important that John writes if we don't love each other, we don't love God! Likewise he writes that if we love God, we will love one another. And he calls the commandment to love a singular command - though Jesus had stated love for God was number one and love for others number two. The sum of John's teachings leads to the conclusion that the first and second commands are two sides of the same coin -- if you have one, you must have the other. In calling us to excel in love, Paul comes alongside John's emphasis on love and strips away much of what is extraneous in our lives. We're not called to be excellent singers, excellent speakers, excellent newsletter writers. We're called to love excellently. That turns a lot of "musts" into optional activities and solidifies our priorities in the right direction.

Ambition. Paul also defines for the Thessalonians what their "ambition" should be. Their ambition is not to single-handedly save a continent, country, or even city for Christ; their ambition is not to meet an artificial numerical goal; instead, Paul defines ambition for them as leading a quiet life, minding their own business, and working with their hands. Pretty simple for a group of new believers, but good advice for all of us who love to set big plans in motion and fret when every cog in the wheel doesn't turn like we anticipated. Just work hard, don't do anything that would cause unbelievers to focus more on our "noise" than on the Gospel, and see what God does. This doesn't mean trouble won't come our way - but it does mean than when it does, the focus can be on the Gospel, not our antagonistic behavior. Here Paul concurs with Peter's teaching that our lives and testimony should be with such a gentle and quiet spirit that when we are attacked, even our accusers won't find any legitimate cause for complaint against us. The attack will be revealed to be against the message, not the messenger.

Have you been struggling with frustration at the lack of excellence in some area of your work? Are you overwhelmed with priorities and unsure where to begin? Are you ready to scream at the goals laid out before you -- goals that seem not to take into account the realities of your daily grind?

Come back to the basics. Excel in love. Make it your amibition to live a quiet life and work hard. See what God does when you get your plans out of the way and just be a vessel.

Encouraging - or being encouraged?

We’re supposed to comfort the dying – right?

That was my attitude as I ministered to my mother-in-law during her last weeks on this earth. While we never talked about it, she seemed to know that her time would soon come to join the crowd from every tribe, tongue, and nation around the throne. My husband and I were blessed as her caregivers to minister to her when she still lived in her own apartment, and doubly blessed when she moved in with us. We focused on making whatever time she had left – we didn’t know how much it would be – as pleasant and comfortable as possible. When her time to pass from this life to the next came, we were standing at her bedside.

We were intending to comfort her. Instead, we found ourselves experiencing the truth of 2 Cor. 1:6a: If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort….

“Comfort” here is the word often translated “encourage” in the New Testament. “Paraklesis” refers to calling to one’s side, exhorting, consoling, encouraging and strengthening, and, yes, comforting. If the word looks familiar, it should – it’s closely related to “Paraklete”, the Greek term used for the Holy Spirit.

Looking at this verse after Mom’s homegoing, it suddenly made sense to me. Both our affliction and our comfort are for the “paraklesis”, the comfort, the encouragement of others. Whether we are going through a difficult time or an easy time, God’s design is that we pass it on to others “for their comfort” – for their encouragement, in an encouraging way.

Mom never once quoted me this verse, but she lived it out every day. Even as she spent 99 of her last 105 days in the hospital, individuals still left her room feeling better than when they arrived. Within two weeks of her homegoing, she prayed with a family friend, “Lord, cause me to be a blessing to someone today.” Within an hour and a half before crossing into eternity, she was thanking the medical providers coming into her room and just enjoying hearing her family’s voice. In her last minutes, as she fixed her eyes on my husband and me and listened to us sing hymns and praise songs, she had a look of transcendent peace that spoke volumes to us weeks afterward.

I learned much through my encouraging mother-in-law. But among the most unexpected lessons was this paradoxical truth: Our affliction is for others’ encouragement. By God’s grace, when I face affliction I’ll try to be an encouragement to others. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to minister comfort to those in difficult situations, even those who are dying. But I won’t be surprised if I find myself on the receiving end instead.

How about you? What affliction are you facing that leaves you desperately feeling like you need to be encouraged? Is the load on the field weighing more heavily than usual today, causing you to need an encourager yourself?

Consider whether God has put this affliction in your life for the comfort, the encouragement of others. Then look around and see how your affliction becomes their comfort. Leave them wondering how, with all you are going through, you can possibly care about them. Then be ready with an answer for the hope that is within you -- because they'll ask!

Standing with you - to encourage you as you encourage them through the very trials that wear you down tonight.

Trying to Learn What is Pleasing to the Lord

Have you ever been in a place where you find yourself seeking to do things differently than you ever have before?

Many of you know that struggle better than I can ever describe. You've relocated your family, learned a new language, and adapted to new cultural demands and expectations. Again I'm reminded that field workers aren't "super-Christians"; instead, they are learning the same lessons I'm learning, but in a different location.

My life is in transition. My mother-in-law passed from worshipping in this life to worshipping in the next on May 25. She lived with us, and my husband and I were her caregivers - a blessing I highly recommend if God puts the opportunity before you. But after 12 1/2 years of providing some level of care for her, with the past 1 1/2 being fairly intense care, I find myself seeking to discover what to do with that part of me that was a caregiver.

Some days I get a lot done; other days I find myself fumbling around. But I take heart in Eph. 5:10 - "trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord." Not that I get it right or have a huge revelation ... but each day, I try to learn what is pleasing to Him.

This blog will continue and I will post here regularly, but I'm still working out how that will look. In this as everything else in life right now, I am "trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord".

My prayer is that in your transitions today you will do the same!