Exclusive!

Gen. 2:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

I've been having some odd thoughts about Adam and Eve today.

For some reason I was thinking about how people select mates and realized that the First Couple had no choices! God put them together and expected them to learn to be counterparts - even before the Fall. So when they looked around after realizing their shame and began pointing fingers, there was no choice but to work it out. Not only was there no legal system for divorce - there weren't even any other options. So with fallen hearts, they had to learn to pick up the pieces of their marriage and move on.

They must have done so successfully, because several hundred years and a houseful of kids followed. But imagine the difference in our marriages today if we truly lived out that picture of exclusivity. We are married - there is no one else. No other option but to work it out.

I don't say that in a condemning fashion - I myself have been divorced, and so was my husband. Many of you I know have struggled with the pain of the effects of the Fall on your marriages. My point isn't really about avoiding divorce - it's about exclusivity.

What would your marriage look like if you treated your spouse as the only one? The only one to lean on, the only one to turn to, the only one to confide in? I'm not minimizing other friendships or relationships - I'm just saying that we have so many choices now that it's easy to forget the picture of exclusivity that Adam and Eve gave us. She didn't have a mom to call or a friend to have a Girls Night Out with. She just had Adam, the animals, the kids - and God. Likewise, Adam didn't have Monday Night Football with the guys. He just had her. Exclusively, at least for a while.

Our extended relationships are crucial and valid. But we need to remember that there needs to remain part of us that belongs just to our spouse. Not just physically, but emotionally we should be one flesh with all that entails. I know there are weaknesses and struggles; I realize that because we live in a fallen world and struggle with the flesh we may have extended seasons when we are a long way from that ideal union. But always, always we should realize that it should be better. It should be more intimate, more exclusive. We'll always fall short, and thank God for those friends and family members who fill that void because our spouse will never be everything we need - only God can do that. But we should keep striving toward oneness.

Ultimately, that effort will better reflect the exclusivity of our relationship with Christ as His bride. As Peter said - we have nowhere else to turn. He alone has the words of eternal life. And so through all our crises of faith and things we fail to understand, we keep learning how to be His bride - exclusively. We have no other option. And the oneness that can result as we draw close to Him, as we take on His heartbeat, will reflect the depth of relationship that is possible. That's the real reason that marriage is worth fighting for - to show the world what that relationship with Christ is like.

Like marriage in a fallen world, we won't always get this relationship right either. Thankfully, He will. And we will stumble forward, learning what it means to be His ... exclusively.

Heartbeat

One of the latest scientific studies brought tears to my eyes and conviction to my heart this week.

Research has confirmed what many of us know by experience: Extremely close married couples - especially elderly ones - are statistically more likely to die within 6 months of each other. The key in the study seems to be whether or not the surviving partner has some sense of purpose beyond the relationship with the deceased. (You can read a report at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26980587/).

But the part of the story that really touched me was the detailed research on why this might be true. It's not merely psychological or emotional - there is a physical element involved. Specifically, research shows that long-time couples actually have a regulatory effect on each others' heartbeats. From the article:

In one such study, Rollin McCraty, research director at the Institute of HeartMath in Boulder Creek, Calif., looked at what happened to six longtime couples' hearts while they slept. Heart-rate monitors revealed that during the night, as the couple slept beside each other, their heart rhythms fell into sync, rising and falling at the same time. When the printouts of their EKGs were placed on top of each other, they looked virtually the same.

“When people are in a relationship for 20, 30, 40, 50 years, they create sort of a co-energetic resonance with each other,” says Lipsenthal, who is the past director of Dr. Dean Ornish’s Preventative Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, Calif. “A simple analogy is two tuning forks, put next to each other. They create a co-resonant pitch. What happens when two people sleep together for 50 years? What happens when one goes away?”

"They looked virtually the same." They took on each others' heartbeat. Incredible.

Paul tells us that marriage is a picture of Christ and the church. Whose heartbeat are we reflecting - individually, in our local body, as the church in our nation or on the field? Can we say that our spiritual EKG would match His?

If not, there's only one way to get it - give Him our quality and quantity time. Draw close to Him, open His Word, and let Him start retuning our hearts.

Temptation in Preparation?

The Lord spoke to Moses: “Send out men to investigate the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. You are to send one man from each ancestral tribe, each one a leader among them.” (Num. 13:1-2)

God sent the spies into Canaan. This observation is critical to an accurate interpretation of the passage. It's also one I overlooked for years.

Without paying attention to this fact, it's easy to fall prey to the deception that any preparation indicates a lack of faith. But God wasn't sending the Israelites to take the land blindly. As Moses charged the leaders, they were to discover

what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, few or many, and whether the land they live in is good or bad, and whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or fortified cities, and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether or not there are forests in it. And be brave, and bring back some of the fruit of the land. (Num. 13:18b-20)

Clearly, some of what God wanted the spies to see was designed to encourage and excite the people to anticipate what God had in store: they surely would see the land was good, rich, and fruitful. But it's easy to overlook that He was also preparing them for the battle ahead; like the God of Hosts that He is, He would lead them into battle after a full recognizance of the enemy. They would know who they faced, and they would know Who was leading them. They would be aware of some potential problems, but their trust would be in God to give them victory.

Preparation isn't wrong. In our spiritual walk with God, He is going to call us to do things for which we need spiritual preparation. We'll need to know that there might be forests where the enemy can lurk, that some battlegrounds might be easily swept through like a camp while others will require the tearing down of fortified strongholds, and that the enemy is strong. But we'll also need to know the fruitfulness and richness that awaits us after victory. Most importantly, we'll need to be aware that God is thoroughly for us and is the Lord of Hosts, allowing us to see only what is necessary to prepare us, not for fear but for victory.

And yet in that very preparation lies the seeds for temptation. Even leaders can fall into unbelief and lead others astray. And while preparation is not unbelief, what God allows us to see in times of preparation can lead us to doubt. We have to determine to move forward in faith, and not be swayed into unbelief during times of preparation. When faced with conflicting messages, we must discern which reflect fatih and glorify God's gracious promises, and which reflect fear and dishonor Him by casting doubt on His word.

We also have to be aware that experience isn't enough. The people saw the awesome glory of God - and yet complained even in the shadow of His presence. All our experiences must be united with faith.

Preparation isn't wrong. But if you are in a time of preparation - whether for the first step or the next one - be aware that with the preparation comes the potential for temptation to doubt. Trust God that what He is revealing is for victory, not fear. Then say along with Caleb, "Let us go up and occupy it, for we are well able to conquer it" (Num. 13:30).

Please Pray With Me

Two nights in a row, I've been awakened during the night with a burden. Monday night I just woke up sickened and grieved at the fact that 85-90% of pregnancies in which the baby is diagnosed with Down Syndrome end in abortion. Think about that. For every child you see with DS, 9 more were never born. I had a rock in the pit of my stomach over that one.

Then last night after watching the debate I woke up during the night and found myself praying about the presidential election. Sensing a spiritual battle involved, I was crying out to God to give me a Scripture to pray over the next month. This morning He answered that prayer, leading me first to Isa. and then to Isa. 1:16-20, 23-27. I am posting this to share with you and ask you to consider praying this passage with me.

Isa. 1:16-27
1:16 Wash! Cleanse yourselves!
Remove your sinful deeds
from my sight.
Stop sinning!
1:17 Learn to do what is right!
Promote justice!
Give the oppressed reason to celebrate!
Take up the cause of the orphan!
Defend the rights of the widow!
1:18 Come, let’s consider your options,” says the Lord.
“Though your sins have stained you like the color red,
you can become white like snow;
though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet,
you can become white like wool.
1:19 If you have a willing attitude and obey,
then you will again eat the good crops of the land.
1:20 But if you refuse and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.”
Know for certain that the Lord has spoken.
Purifying Judgment
1:21 How tragic that the once-faithful city
has become a prostitute!
She was once a center of justice,
fairness resided in her,
but now only murderers.
1:22 Your silver has become scum,
your beer is diluted with water.
1:23 Your officials are rebels,
they associate with thieves.
All of them love bribery,
and look for payoffs.
They do not take up the cause of the orphan,
or defend the rights of the widow.
1:24 Therefore, the sovereign Lord who commands armies,
the powerful ruler of Israel, says this:
“Ah, I will seek vengeance against my adversaries,
I will take revenge against my enemies.
1:25 I will attack you;
I will purify your metal with flux.
I will remove all your slag.
1:26 I will reestablish honest judges as in former times,
wise advisers as in earlier days.
Then you will be called, ‘The Just City,
Faithful Town.’”
1:27 Zion will be freed by justice,
and her returnees by righteousness.

I must admit this wasn't quite what I was expecting. God basically let me see the spiritual battle isn't as much about the election as about the soul of our country - particularly the church. So the answer isn't the right outcome in an election - the answer is revival. Thus I will be praying the following:

For the church, starting with myself (vv. 16-20, verses that follow God listing spiritual grievances He has against them)
* Purification
* Repentance
* Righteousness
* Promotion of justice, not self-interest ("the least, the last, and the lost", as one of you wrote in a newsletter recently)
* Redemption
* Willful obedience

For our nation (vv. 23-27)
*Return to our ideals of justice and the rule of law, based on our constitution, as opposed to social injustice and legal corruption
* Leaders/officials who grasp their responsibility and seek peace ("wholeness") over personal gain
* That God would come against those He deems are His enemies - whoever they are
* That He will re-establish honest judges and wise advisers
* That our nation will be freed by justice and righteousness, not our own efforts or any political leader

Let me clarify something: I don't think the US is "Zion", nor have we ever been a theocracy. But God is Just and Righteous today just as He was then. In Scripture He consistently criticizes those who fail to uphold principles consistent with justice and righteousness, who fail to realize that governments are established by Him for the benefit of the people not the rulers. This post isn't about a specific outcome in the election or a specific theology of the US. It's really not about politics at all - it's about revival.

Would you pray with me then - and trust Him to hear?

"Yours!"

Wow - I am SO captivated by the latest song by Stephen Curtis Chapman. If you're not stateside you might not have heard it yet - so I am posting a link to a YouTube video. Warning - get out the tissues!



This song reminds me of Abraham Kuyper: ""There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: 'Mine!'"

Thank You Lord. It is all Yours.

Politics and Love

The older I get the more of a daddy's girl I become. As I understand myself better, I realize how much of "me" is shaped by the gentle giant in the background of our home. Nothing reminds me of this more than those days I get to talk politics with my daddy.

You have to understand - my mom HATES political conversations. She tolerates them briefly, and then informs us that it's time to change the subject. I'm not sure why - she's just been that way as long as I can remember.

My dad, on the other hand, LOVES political conversations. He loves to debate, to tease, even to argue! And I am much the same way (except for arguing). Other than my husband there is no one on earth I'd rather have those conversations with than my daddy - even when he has me wanting to pull my hair out.

These days, those conversations are by phone and they only occur when my mom isn't home. My dad is hard of hearing and so my end of the call is rather loud. But when daddy wants to talk politics - I talk. Even in Wal-Mart. I treasure every phone call, remembering his successful bout with cancer and knowing that one day I will be recalling the last conversation instead of preparing for the next.

But all the years of conversations with daddy have taught me something else - something he has never verbalized, but that I've seen every day of my life. My dad, better than anyone else, has taught me what it means to love someone without regard for self-interest. He is the hardest person to buy for because everything he wants is whatever makes my mom smile. He joyfully lets her choose restaurants, make plans, and yes, tell him when to quit talking politics. I try to talk her into letting us continue - he happily moves on to the next subject. If you were to ask me one thing that best describes my father it would be simple: "He loves my mother with complete disregard for himself."

Love is hard. 1 Corinthians 13 is filled with action verbs - not emotions. Not everyone can envision what it should look like. Yet it is so important that we try - because through our acts of love, others are pointed to the One who IS love.

The Apostle Paul prioritized love in his teaching about relating to others in the church with differences of opinion (Rom. 14). He also demonstrated love when he willingly became "all things to all men" for the sake of the Gospel.

Those of you on the field know what he must have gone through. It isn't easy to lay down preferences and rights, to give up a favorite food or adopt a restrictive style of dress. No motivation but love can carry those decisions forward past the tough moments, when the very people you are trying to reach push you away.

And yet love is always right. Whatever sacrifices we make for love's sake are never in vain. So the next time you struggle with letting go of a right for a weaker brother, or making a cultural change to reach a lost soul, know that the message comes through. I've learned more about love from those times my daddy quit talking politics than from anything I was taught verbally. Love has a way of shining through - and people are watching.

Untameable!

Yesterday was an awesome day - I ran around town doing errands all day long with worship music on the CD player in the car. After years without one, I was enjoying the luxury!

One of the songs gripped me in a new way - so dramatically that I caught my breath:

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
(Chris Tomlin, "Indescribable")

There is much in this short chorus to evoke worship and reflection. But what I heard with new ears was one word: Untameable.

Untameable - as in, He can't be tamed. When we tame an animal we try to bring it under submission, to make it fit our purposes and needs. In short, we try to control it. Not so with God. As others have said before me, a God we can control is no God at all.

But the practical implications of this are truly profound. We can't put Him in a box. He reserves the right to act in ways that don't fit our preconceptions. He has revealed what we need to know in His Word, but we make a serious effort when we think His Word is all there is to Him. It's not. It's just a tool He gave so we could know something of Him who is beyond knowledge. We simply can't handle any more. My intellectual bent loves to parse Greek words and dissect phrases - but if I think by doing so that I've figured Him out, then I need to start over. Any conclusion that limits God or makes Him smaller is wrong.

God's "untameable"-ness also means that He reserves the right to interrupt my life - or my day. He hears my prayer requests and knows what's on my to-do list, but it remains MY list -- not His. If He wants me to be part of the answer to my prayers for an ill, lonely church member by shifting my schedule around to send me on an errand of mercy, that's His prerogative - even if I thought that the job should go to someone else. If He calls me to lay down something as simply as my list or as life-changing as my career, it's really His call. Why should I expect Him to get with my program? He's Untameable.

Thankfully, our Untameable God also is a God of grace, mercy, love, goodness. And He exercises these in Untameable ways as well. A dear friend has a blog titled Scandalous Grace. Others has emphasized the riches of His love. A local church proclaims weekly, "God is good all the time//All the time God is good." We put limits on our mercy. He doesn't. The Untameable God is a limitless God.

Is it scary to trust ourselves into the hands of someone so - untameable? Sure. But what better place to land.

“Then he isn’t safe?” asked Lucy.“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver…”Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

"People who have not been in Narnia sometimes think that a thing cannot be good and terrible at the same time."

- C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

New Posts on The Big Picture

Hi everyone ... I have been catching up and have several new posts on my study blog, The Big Picture (http://worldchristianfoundation.blogspot.com). Thanks!

Koinonia

We were up to our elbows in cucumbers when I made a logical decision: Canning would be my hobby.

Those of you who know me probably know that while I have many strengths, spontaneity is not one of them. I also tend to be disturbingly rational and logical -- and thus even choose my hobbies intentionally.

But my husband loves to garden, and we don't waste food - so since I was going to can anyway, I decided one day in the midst of a 17-day stretch that saw us can 42 quarts of pickles that canning would indeed be a hobby. Not a chore, or a responsibility, but a hobby. I chose to make it fun.

And in the process I discovered something amazing -- koinonia. Yes, the Greek word for fellowship.

Koinonia is more than just the meal after Sunday church. It's not the coffee hour or the ladies' craft day outings. Biblical koinonia is most closely understood as the fellowship that comes to those working together for a common goal. It's the unity of purpose, the relationship that comes when people share the same heartbeat.

Bob & I added koinonia to our many layers of closeness this summer by developing a common hobby. Night after night, as we chopped and seasoned and peeled and boiled, we found ourselves enthralled at what we produced. In an odd way it was like the years we raised kids together - getting on the same page and moving forward drew us even closer.

That's what it's supposed to be like in the church. We all should have a common goal - furthering the kingdom of God, blessing the nations, serving the world. It doesn't always work that way though, and koinonia gives way to mere social fellowship.

Yet those of us whose minds and hearts are with you in your corners of the world are learning that koinonia doesn't require physical presence. Because we share koinonia - the fellowship of common goals - we have a shared heartbeat. His heartbeat.

So when I write this blog I am in a sense having a "coffee hour" with you. I'm thinking of our common goals and trying to further them in a small way. And in the process I learn from you what it looks like to put feet to big kingdom dreams.

Thank you for that shared koinonia.

As Good as dead

I'm reminded today of the depth of grace, and feel somewhat like Isaac or even Lazarus - alive when things looked hopeless.

My Bible read-through has me in Leviticus these days, and as I seek to get personal applications out of each passage, I have had some surprising lessons. Today's was more of a reminder of something I so easily forget.

Grace is amazing.

I was reading through some of the lists of sins in the law ... sins that carried the penalty of death by stoning. I was realizing afresh that I had committed some of those very sins. I was guilty and deserving of death - not in the James 2, "guilty of one = guilty of all" way, but in the very literal sense. My specific sins carried the specific penalty of death.

And yet here I sit, in His presence, soaking in His word, communing with Him daily in the very Holy of Holies. His presence indwells me and His life infuses me. "He shall not die, but live" Jesus told the disciples about Lazarus. And so it was with me.

While I was dead spiritually in my sins and trespasses, Jesus took upon Him the penalty of physical death that was mine. That's one of the reasons I believe very strongly that it wasn't "one drop of blood" that saved me - it was His death. He had to die ... to be my sacrifice, to enter the grave, to be resurrected. And in His death, He gave life. His grace not only bore my sin, it brought me back from the dead.

How did Isaac feel when Abraham untied the bonds that held him to the altar? How did Lazarus feel as the wraps were undone? How can I put into words the feeling that comes when I put those passages next to each other - the one calling for death by stoning for me and the one telling me that I have been saved by grace?

I can't. All I can do is what He wants me to do - live to Him. In a very real sense I've already died to myself - to that me that deserved to be stoned. Living for Him is the life that I have left. And it's the only life that matters.

Whose Call is it, Anyway?

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” So when they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him. (Luke 5:10b-11)

I've become convinced lately that we fret too much over our "calling". We often hang more weight on an "experience" than it was ever intended to carry - often when things are going "wrong".

We replay it, relive it, journal about it, talk about it, review it, take it apart, examine it, and try to put the pieces together. Often, we end up with "paralysis by analysis". We are so good at making things harder than they have to be.

As I was preparing to teach Children's Church this Sunday (how I love God's sense of humor), I was struck by a theme in all of the Gospel accounts of the call of Peter and John. It's a simple point, but one that struck a chord with me: Scripture doesn't portray the call as Peter and John's. The call is Christ's. He simply states the work at hand, and gives them the choice whether to follow Him.

His call, not theirs. His call, not mine. Henry Blackaby put it this way: God is always at work around us, and He invites us to join Him in His work. Like the disciples, my primary call is to follow Him into the work He is already planning to do. Those men He wanted Peter and John to go fishing for? They would be caught regardless - even if Peter and John said no. Jesus would have found other willing vessels, but His work would have gone forward. His call, not theirs. His call, not mine.

In 2020 Vision and Run with the Vision, Bill & Amy Stearns outline a view of call that de-emphasizes specificity and prioritizes opportunity. Take Phillip as an example. In Scripture he is portrayed as a deacon, an evangelist, an itinerant missionary, and a father to godly prophetesses. What was his "call"?

I'm not discounting the importance of preparation and awareness of spiritual gifts, or even the value of a call to a specific role, area, or corner of the world. If you have that much specificity, great. But don't ever forget that your primary call is to follow Him. And your call to wherever you are now is really His call, not yours. Which means He gets to decide how you - and I - fit into the big picture. And because we are His "special possession" - literally "moveable treasure" - that may very well require some relocation (literally or figuratively) on our part.

Frankly, it helps me to know that it's His call, not mine. It takes the ultimate responsibility off my shoulders and puts it onto His. And most importantly, He gets the glory, not me.

Too Quiet!

I'm drowsy tonight, the result of a poor night's sleep Saturday for which I can thank Hurricane Ike. His remnants raced through Arkansas, causing minor damage and widespread power outages. Ours hit around 2 a.m. and I was awakened by the sound of silence.

I sleep with a fan next to the bed year-round -- a habit I've had for years. The silence instantly awakened me. I was a little warm without the trusty air conditioning, but that wasn't what kept me lying awake for an hour and sleeping fitfully for the rest of the night. It was the lack of background noise.

Somehow into my sleepy head drifted the thought: This reflects a spiritual problem that I have. I struggle to truly be still, silent with God. I'm so used to "background noise" in my life. My prayer time most days occurs while I'm getting my exercise walking; worship music is the backdrop of my day as its sounds fill my office as I'm working; even my Bible study time is filled with distractions from sleepiness to household needs to phone calls. I've gotten so used to "multi-tasking" in my relationship with God that I find it challenging to focus.

And yet that is exactly what He is calling me to. He wants to be honored by being the only thought in my mind ... the only thing on my agenda ... the only thing that is needful. He wants me to be able to rest in Him ... without the background noise.

He wants me to be still ... and know that He is God. And then I will see Him exalted among the nations!

Traffic Jam!

I was stuck in traffic a couple of weeks ago. On a side street through our downtown, I found cars backed up and not turning right when it was obvious to me there was no reason not to be moving. After my initial frustration, I turned to prayer and hoped to get a lesson out of it. (A conscious choice - not my usual pattern!)

As I rounded the corner to finally make my turn, I saw immediately the reason for the delay: construction workers were backing a large piece of equipment in and out, stopping traffic as needed to accomplish the task. I questioned the wisdom of doing this at 5 p.m. on a weekday, but quickly grasped the lesson for the day.

Only God sees the big picture. Sometimes other believers do things that from our perspective make no sense. They go when we think they should stop - or worse, stop when we think they should go. We sit smugly in our pews assuming our perspective is thoroughly accurate - never considering that they see something we can't envision quite yet. It never occurs to us that the Master Plan might require us to hold on while something big gets moved into place.

I'm a doer - and so my tendency is always to get ahead of God. His "wait" answers are the hardest for me. When I'm sitting in a traffic jam, it's easy to blame the drivers in front of me. And sometimes, people do need to be spurred on to keep moving. Sometimes the enemy is stopping traffic. But sometimes, God Himself is moving something big in place - and I just need to be still and watch it happen.

Even if it feels like a traffic jam, waiting on God is a great place to be.

The Lowest Place

The Lowest Room
by N.V. Tilak
Grant me to give to men what they desire,
And for my portion take what they do slight.
Grant me, Lord, a mind that doth aspire
To less than it may claim of proper right.
Rather, the lowest place, at all men's feet
That do Thou graciously reserve for me.
This only bounty I would fain entreat,
That Thy will, my God, my will be.
And yet one other boon must Thou bestow;
I name it not ... for Thou dost know.

I've been gripped for months by this poem which I've posted here twice before. Only this week, God gave me a new insight about what "the lowest place" really means.

We've all heard the insight about John 13 that washing feet was the lowest task, something reserved for servants - the exact lesson Jesus wanted to teach the disciples. But the willingness to get down by His feet leads to another privilege, one He called the "choice part" (Luke 10:38-42).

What He taught me was that when I embrace "the lowest place", serving others, I find myself at His feet. And in God's economy, that is the best place.

I'm learning to die to self and give up my right to be right. I'm also learning the truth of what CS Lewis meant when he encouraged graduates to shun "the inner ring" - that place of earthly influence and significance. Because the only "inner circle" that really matters is the one in His presence.

What low place is He calling you to today? What inner ring do you have to give up? Trust Him that when you bow to serve, you'll find yourself at His feet. And when you give up the pursuit of those earthly spheres of influence, you'll find yourself in His presence in a whole new way.

His call to serve turns everything upside down. Which makes it right.

It's About the Process

Earlier today we had a sinkful of tomatoes. Tonight, 10 quarts of spaghetti sauce sit cooling on our kitchen table, all because of a process called canning.

We've come to really enjoy the process of planting and growing seeds, harvesting produce, and creating something for later meals through canning or freezing. But the process is a lot of work! And it requires forethought: a sinkful of tomatoes might become salsa, or spaghetti, or plain diced tomatoes -- but we have to know when we start working on them what they will become, so we can follow the correct process.

The process is different for sweet pickles or dills. Some produce requires additional steps to guarantee safe preserving. Some items - like watermelon - just have to be eaten fresh; the process of canning would ruin the fruit.

I love eating canned items well into the winter. I enjoy seeing the finished product. But what I love most is the process - seeing something through from beginning to end, from seed to shelf awaiting use.

It all reminds me of a comment from a friend - "God is process-oriented". Face it, here in the west especially we are very task- and outcome-oriented. We love to set our goals and the steps we need to get there. And if we can skip some steps to speed up the outcome, that's fine by us.

God doesn't think that way. Because He views things eternally rather than temporally, He doesn't get anxious like us at a process that delays an eventual goal. In fact, the process is central to His work in our lives. I would even go so far as to say the process IS the work.

The over-arching term for God's process in our lives is called sanctification. And the goal is certain: we are being made into His image. Along the way, that process of sanctification will take us through some lessons that we will learn quickly, and others that we will return to repeatedly until we grasp His viewpoint. In all cases, we have to trust the process. We have to trust that He is working toward that ultimate goal of Christlikeness. And we have to realize that the process can't be short-circuited. God can no more skip the painfully slow lessons than I could skip the 45 minutes our jars spent in the water bath canner before the spaghetti sauce was sealed.

It's such a relief to know that God has guaranteed the finished product of my life, and that He is in charge of the process. He's not just preparing me to sit on a shelf - He's putting within me what I need to serve, to be used and poured out for Him. All the things that seem to me to slow down the achieving of some goal are really part of the process.

I know I can trust Him, and I'm learning to sit back and enjoy the process!

Messy Service

The priest must present it at the altar, pinch off its head and offer the head up in smoke on the altar, and its blood must be drained out against the side of the altar. (Lev. 1:15)

Where do people get the idea that ministry is about position or prestige? That having Lear jets and million dollar homes is a sign of spiritual success? That prosperity is primarily material? That when we do it right, it's clean and easy?

And why do I find this passage so convicting?

Before reading Leviticus 1 this morning I prayed for an application. I expected to struggle with it, but God hit me square between the eyes with the obvious - something I've overlooked many times. The priests had a messy job.


And then He reminded me that under the New Covenant, I am a priest. And so are you, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ.

So why do I expect my priestly ministry to be anything less than messy? Why do I get frustrated with my valiant effort to serve doesn't go smoothly ... when there is warfare ... when the path of service requires me to get my hands dirty? Why do I get frustrated when I have to play an organizational role that belonged to someone else - when I am there to serve anyway? Why do thoughts of the benefits that might come from service cross my mind?

Speaking to King's College in 1944, C.S. Lewis encouraged students to shun "the Inner Ring" - that place of being "in the know", accepted, elite, above others. We don't like to admit that there is an "Inner Ring" in Christianity as well ... even within our churches. Among the many reasons to shun any "Inner Ring" is that the minute we look at ourselves as "special", we lose something of the mindset of service.

The priests could have been considered an "Inner Ring". But Scripture places on them more of a burden, a responsibility. And should they ever begin to think too highly of themselves, the blood splashed all over them, the messy entrails of the sacrifices, and the next bird's head to pinch off would be vivid returns to reality. They were chosen all right - chosen for messy service.

And so are we. Messy service means that God reserves the right to rearrange my schedule. It means that He can turn my life upside down. It might mean that He sends someone to my home that requires me to adapt my lifestyle. It might mean a special needs child, an ill parent, or a rebellious teenager takes priority over my own life goals for a season. It might mean sitting up at night to patrol the streets of a city and try to deliver women from prostitution. It might mean holding the head of someone kicking a drug habit as they vomit. It might mean going to the other side of the world and wearing a burqa. It might mean giving up internet access and pizza.

And like the priests of Leviticus, it might just mean redemption as someone accepts the atonement offering of Jesus Christ.

Hang in there. No matter how messy it gets on the ground, we have the assurance that we will stand before Him fresh and clean, worshiping around His throne as part of the only Inner Ring we should ever pursue.

She was permitted to be dressed in bright, clean, fine linen (for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints). (Rev. 19:8)

A Transformational Experience

This is the inventory of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, which was counted by the order of Moses, being the work of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest. (Ex. 38:21)

In my quiet time I can be a "model Christian" (whatever that is) - meaning that I can have the theology right and the desire to practice it. But in the nitty-gritty of life, "where the rubber meets the road", I falter ... often before getting out the door. I used to wonder why God didn't change me sitting there in my prayer room. Now I know that isn't His way.

I'm in the midst of an interesting journey in my quiet time. A few months ago, after I completed a Bible read-through, I was praying about how to proceed in my quiet time and sensed the Lord prompting me to pursue an "application- and prayer-centered" read-through. Never one to miss pointing out the obvious to the Lord :) I mentioned to Him that in some sections that would be rather challenging. The portion I'm in was one of those I had in mind. I knew that there was a lot of rich typology and some doctrine to be gleaned, but I was concerned that there would be little application and not much to pray over. Little did I know!

I'm blessed to be using the NET Bible for this read-through (you can see it online at www.nextbibleorg). This is a "translators" version which gives alternative renderings and discussions of the choice of Hebrew or Greek texts and translations. It basically affords miniature word studies, often on words I would never think to look up. Today's reading was one of those, and I was so blessed that I just have to share it with you!

The word translated "inventory" is the Hebrew pyqued. It comes from the root meaning "visitation" and refers to "numbering" and "appointing". But the translator's notes gleaned something that has had me thinking all day long:

By using this Hebrew word there is also the indication that whatever was given, i.e., appointed for the tabernacle, was changed forever in its use.

Changed forever in its use. Whatever is given for God's purposes is changed forever in its use. In other words, change happens best in service. Ministry will also be a transformational experience. We often think we are changed in order to serve ... but God's Word lays down the principle that we are changed by serving.

That's not a big surprise to many of you. I've heard most of you tell me that the biggest change on the field happens in the heart of the one who goes. And it's the same here. When we truly give ourselves to serve - seriously looking for opportunities to bless; taking the jobs that no one else desires; scorning what C.S. Lewis called "The Inner Circle" in favor of that place on the fringe where we go unrecognized - then something amazing happens. We are transformed.

That change which I seek to have imparted to me supernaturally doesn't come so easily. Instead, what is imparted is the Holy Spirit - and with Him all I need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). I become a new creation with a new heart. And then God calls me to cooperate with Him on a daily basis to live into reality what He has put within me. To make theology meet reality. And the medium through which He works this transformation is service.

All the gifts of the Spirit are for the building up of the body (1 Cor. 12). We know that - and yet we don't always get that it's not just those we serve who are built up. Sometimes we need the most work of anyone in the group. It's easy to forget that God doesn't use us because of our spirituality and maturity, but in spite of ourselves! And that's how we know the power is of God and not ourselves. I can sit here and tell you my strengths and I know God gave them to me. But it's when He works through my weaknesses - when He calls me to serve in an area where I know I'm desperate for Him - that I know HE did it and not me. And I stand in awe of Him.

Changed forever in its use. Sometimes our struggles in ministry are designed to change us. Surrender your challenges to God today and let Him change you forever through service.

But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. (2 Cor. 4:7)

"______, who first came to Jesus _____"

I am intrigued about Nicodemus. After Nicodemus questions Jesus in John 3, we don't get to hear how the story turns out. We get some clues in John 7 and John 12 - Nicodemus defends Jesus' right to be heard, and goes with Joseph of Arimathea to prepare Jesus' body for burial. Both times, he is refered to as "Nicodemus, who first came to Jesus by night."

That really stuck with me. If I were to be identified by how I first came to Jesus, what would it be? As I thought it over, I finally decided on: "Rosa, who first came to Jesus in desperation."

And I was desperate. Although I was raised in church, I kept God at a distance. I didn't pursue intimacy with Him. And my life fell apart. Several years and a divorce later, I found myself remarried and desperate to avoid the regrets of the past. I turned back to my childhood faith, this time with a desperation for God's presence and Word. I began to walk with Him and grow in Him, and to see Him work and move in my life. For the first time, I felt truly like a new creation.

I want to keep that feeling before me - that desperation that first brought me to Him. I imagine Nicodemus being introduced in heaven to the Father - "This is the one who came to me at night". I want Jesus to say, "This is Rosa, who was desperate for me every day of her life."

What goes in your blanks? As you write yourself into the story of salvation, how would you be defined? Or how do you want to be defined?

May it ever be so.

"I want to know the real You"

And Moses said, “Show me your glory.” Ex. 33:18

C.S. Lewis was right: We are far too easily pleased.

We too frequently settle for so much less than the fullness of who God is. In my own life, I have seen myself struggle with settling for the passing pleasures of sleep and chocolate rather than the potential deepness of a stronger relationship with God. Not that sleep and chocolate are bad - may it never be! But I know when, deep down, I'm making a choice that is taking me away from intimacy. And I don't like that after all these years, I still make such decisions.

That's why the story of Moses in Exodus 33 jumped out at me. Moses - begging God and interceding for Israel, unwilling to move forward without His presence - asks to see His glory. In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament used in New Testament times and quoted extensively in the New Testament, the translation means "Show me the real You."

Moses had been dealing with God's judgment over the golden calf incident (Ex. 32). Now, He asks God to reveal Himself in a new way. He wants to see "the real You".

Seeing God for who He really is still requires what Moses demonstrated in this chapter:
* Determination to meet with Him. We have to want His agenda, not our own. In a society like ours, most people want God on their side. Even for the faithless of Israel, the thought of losing God's presence was sobering. But He doesn't want us to co-opt Him to "our side". The real question should be, are we on His side. Are we determined to meet with Him, to not go up without Him?
* Willingness to be near, not worship at a distance like the Israelites. Most of us know someone who gets in frequent jams and is always ready to change during a crisis. These "Crisis Christians" are often prone to calling us for prayer, but not as willing to spend their own face time with Jesus. They want to stand at the tents like Israel, watching us go into His presence on their behalf. And God very graciously may respond. But like Israel, they will miss the depth of His glory. They will never truly see 'the real Him'.
* Intercession on behalf of others -- even those who don't "deserve" it.
* A desire to see His glory - to know "the real You". Sometimes, our own sin makes us fearful of what God is really like. Other times, we just don't want to do our part. We want Him to show up, but we don't make an effort to meet Him. When we truly desire to see His glory, we will find out what He's really like.
* A dependence on His presence. Moses was unwilling to go up without Him!

And just what did Moses see when God allowed Him this awesome privilege? Really only glimpses of glory - the 'fringes of His ways', as Job recalls. Yet even that shows an incredible truth. Because Moses was asking to see the real God in the context of Israel's sin, we might expect the Jealous God or God's wrath to be revealed. And these are rightfully considered part of His glory, because they are part of who He is. But what God reveals when Moses asks to see "the real You" cuts to the heart of the matter:

* Goodness
* Grace
* Mercy
* Revelation
* Covering

God's goodness, grace, and mercy were the very things that could have been in doubt because of the golden calf incident. Yet this passage reveals that God is full of those things. Given the chance to show Moses only a glimpse of His glory, this is the glimpse He selected. Adrain Rodgers used to say, "The cross didn't change God's heart; it revealed it." The heart He revealed to Moses when He gave him a glimpse of His glory is the same heart that sent Jesus to die for us when we were still His enemies.

This is the glimpse the Israelites missed, because they worshipped from afar. Because unlike Moses, they didn't want to see "the real You."

I Just Want to be Where You Are by Don Moen
I just want to be where You are,
dwelling daily in Your presence
I don't want to worship from afar,
draw me near to where You are

I just want to be where You are,
in Your dwelling place forever
Take me to the place where You are,
I just want to be with You

I want to be where You are,
dwelling in Your presence
Feasting at Your table,
surrounded by Your glory
In Your presence,
that's where I always want to be
I just want to be,
I just want to be with You

I just want to be where You are,
to enter boldly in Your presence
I don't want to worship from afar,
draw me near to where You are

Oh, my God,
You are my strength and my song
And when I'm in Your presence
Though I'm weak You're always strong

I just want to be
I just want to be with You

Asking the Right Questions

We saved $1700 on our new car because we asked the right questions.

First, the salesman never volunteered that a standard shift cost $900 less. Asking the right questions, we quickly learned of this potential savings. Later, as we were wrapping up the deal, the finance manager promoted the extended warranty "for only $16 a month more" ... and only when we asked the right questions did we learn that the warranty can be purchased at any point before the basic warranty expires - without the $800 interest we would have paid over the life of the loan.

I'm learning that asking the right questions is important in life as well as in car shopping. So often our first question when there is a problem is "What went wrong?" "What happened?" "What did I do?" Or the everpopular, "Why, Lord?"

The Israelites faced such a challenge. Numbers 13-14 records their failure to see that God was up to something big, and instead chose to complain and ask the wrong questions. Of 12 spies - leaders of Israel - only 2 brought back a good report. Israel's response:

Then all the community raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron, and
the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had perished in this wilderness! Why has the Lord brought us into this land only to be killed by the sword, that our wives and our children should become plunder? Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” (Num. 14:1-3)

All the wrong questions! Sometimes, asking different questions can provide us a totally different perspective. When we're facing a change - wanted or unwanted - asking "What is God's view?" can yield an entirely different perspective. When we say, "Where is God working?" in our new circumstances, we often find the answer to why He shifted us - His moveable treasure - around in what seemed such a haphazard way.

The Israelites missed the chance to ask the right question - "What is God going to do about this?" would have been a good start! Instead, they shrank back into questions that didn't help a thing.

And an 11-day journey took 40 years.

Glimpses of Glory

I love the "parade of nations" at the Olympic opening ceremony. Despite my internal conflict over this year's Beijing Olympics, I found myself anxious to see each nation march proudly into the Bird's Nest.

My favorites are always the little nations, those with one or two or a handful of athletes. I always think they are so brave, so proud to be representing their homelands. There are always interesting stories too - such as this year's US flag-bearer, one of the "Lost Boys" of Sudan who emigrated to to US and now represents my country in the Olympics.

The world seems to love this part of the Olympics, I think I know why. It gives us glimpses of glory. It draws out from within us something that God put there when He set "eternity in our hearts". It is an earthly attempt at the heavenly in-gathering that will come at the end of the age, when every tribe, tongue, and nation will "parade" before His throne to worship Him.

On that day, there will be some with just a few represented. There will be fascinating stories - billions of them. And there will be more than the 204 countries represented in Beijing -- there will be people from every tribe, tongue, nation, and people group. But we won't be gathered to compete, because the race will be over.

And all our crowns and medals will be to cast at His feet.

After these things I looked, and here was an enormous crowd that no one could count, made up of persons from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb dressed in long white robes, and with palm branches in their hands. They were shouting out in a loud voice,
“Salvation belongs to our God,
to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Rev. 7:9-10

A New Path

I walked a new path last week.

While waiting on a friend, I took a path around a pond and into the woods - a path I didn't know existed. And as I did, I found myself reflecting on change and the paths of life.

Those of you who know me well understand that I am not an adventurous person. The whole "life is an adventure" approach has never had appeal for me. I avoid risk and struggle with change. (I stayed in my first full-time job 8 1/2 years, until God forced me out of the nest!)

But as I walked the path, I learned something of the joy of adventure. It was a journey of discovery, since I had no idea where the path led or ended, nor did I know what twists and turns it took along the way. And I found it unexpectedly - fun! I found myself wondering what was around the next bend.

The second round on the path had its own pleasures. I was able to pay better attention to things I missed the first time, and to look more carefully at things I only glimpsed first. But the walk made me realize that life truly can be enjoyable as an "adventure". I don't have to know the details, or even the outline, of the path. Instead, I can trust in the One who designed the path, and know that His ends are always good and for His glory.

If you're like me, you may be struggling to find joy in the journey today. If you're facing an unknown path, try trusting the Designer - and seek to pleasure of discovering where He leads.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

(Psalm 23:1-3)

The Face of Global Christianity (or, Listening with My Heart)

I was so privileged yesterday to look into the face of global Christianity.

I've heard about the "global south" and the vibrancy of the evangelical movement in places like India, Africa, and Latin America. But my readings didn't prepare me for yesterday's visit to a local Hispanic congregation.

On the invitation of a Hispanic co-worker, my husband and I attended a non-denominational evangelical church a couple of towns away. I must explain that neither of us are fluent in Spanish. Bob can converse better than me, but struggles with reading the language. I can read about 1/3 of a given text, but can't carry on a conversation. Neither of us have very good listening comprehension. So we went almost more out of courtesy than with any real expectations to receive.

But we were quite blown away by their love and hospitality, their graciousness and heart. We were made to feel included from the moment we arrived -- they even provided a translator during the message to provide at least the sense of what was said. They apologized that their translation equipment was not yet installed. (This is a very small church.) For the post-service meal, they insisted on getting our plates and serving us.

I was amazed. Here was a group of immigrants to our country, making us feel far more welcome than some of them have probably been made to feel. I felt convicted that I've never once been in a church that even attempted to provide translation for non-English speakers. Sure, there have been some that tried to plant Spanish-speaking churches - but not provide the translation in the English service. (I'm sure some do - I just haven't been in them. This is not meant as a condemnation, just a sharing of a personal time of conviction.) Yet here was a small church of less than 50 or so that was so focused on other cultures than their own that they were making the effort to translate into English.

Their heart for the world was equally overwhelming. Not once was the focus on their home countries -- in fact, we only learned the home country of 4 of the people we met. Neither were they limiting their vision to Northwest Arkansas. They clearly had a heart for the world, and were out to impart that heart within their congregation. With my reading comprehension I was able to grasp the sense of most of the worship songs. What I heard was a heart for the world -- consistently the choruses cried out to God on behalf of the nations, begging for His glory to come, and reflecting the need to take the message everywhere.

As I looked around the congregation I saw all ages, faces upturned in passionate worship. The 17-year-old who shared our lunch table could hardly wait to ask us how long we've been Christians and what we've seen God do. Here was a vibrant congregation, learning together what it means to be on mission with God. And God spoke to my heart that this was the reality of things I've been studying in my World Christian Foundations curriculum; this was the face of global Christianity.

Some of you have seen this and told me about it. Others of you hope to bring it to your corner of the world. I'm posting this to encourage you that those stories you read in the journals are real. The face of global Christianity may be shifting from the west, but it is very vibrant, and God is very much at work.

I didn't understand everything yesterday. But I understood enough to know that if I listened with my heart, I could hear the wind of the Spirit blowing.

"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Acts 2:1-2

Active or Passive?

Those of Pharaoh’s servants who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their servants and livestock into the houses, but those who did not take the word of the Lord seriously left their servants and their cattle in the field. (Ex. 9:20-21)

God's Word is meant to spark action.

We should certainly study Scripture. Praying it back to God is great, discussing it with others is helpful, and grasping its nuances can be rewarding.

But Scripture is God's Word, and from the first words God spoke to man, He intended His words to be acted upon. This passage in Exodus jumped out at me - those who feared God's Word took action; those who did not take it seriously did nothing. It remained for them a theory, a novelty.

The principle that I drew from this underscored the truth God has been teaching me for about 6 months now -- God doesn't want me to be passive. Certainly He doesn't want me to rely on my own strength, and there is a place for "being" rather than "doing". But "Be still and know that I am God" doesn't mean to do nothing -- it means to rest in Him. Resting, as Hebrews 4 says, from my works -- not from His words!

I get frustrated at passive Christianity - my own included. I hate that sometimes I know what's right and don't do it - Paul calls that sin. I hate that sometimes I grasp something theologically long before I apply it practically. I hate that it's so easy for me to tell someone "I'll pray for you" (maybe remembering to do so, maybe not) and so hard to say "Let me take this part of your burden" and then put myself out for them sacrificially. I hate that I have been guilty of brushing away horrific sins in the world with the rationalization that "this is a fallen world; what can we expect" -- as if God had forbidden me from speaking out or trying to change anything.

I am challenged by active Christians - like William Wilberforce, who refused to be passive in the face of slavery's horrors. Like William Carey, who refused to sit down when ordered to do so by an elder who insisted God's method of saving the "heathen" didn't require human action. Like Hudson Taylor, who was willing to risk scorn to blaze a new path for kingdom workers, a path that was radically different and yet thoroughly biblical.

I don't expect to solve every problem. But I am increasingly committed to actively manifesting the lessons God teaches me through His Word. This commitment doesn't lead me to pray less - quite the opposite. For I am learning that if I take God's Word seriously, I will live my life in a war zone - and the battle starts on my knees.

I've known that for a while. What is new lately is that God is teaching me that it doesn't end there.

"God's Word is alive and active in me." -Beth Moore

Different Kinds of Pickles

What's the best kind of pickle?

I love a crunchy dill - sour dills are even better. My husband, on the other hand, could eat kosher dills all day. And my mom swears by sweet pickles. Which is best?

As I've canned dozens of pickles this year, I'm coming to understand how many varieties are out there -- and I appreciate the uniqueness of each one. When you can homemade pickles, you have the added pleasure of creativity - no two batches are alike. We've made kosher dills, dills, pepper dills, and even "non-dills" (made by forgetting to put the dill in the jars) out of the same basic ingredients - cucumbers, water, and vinegar.

As I work I've thought about how my pickle-making illustrates an important truth about the body of Christ. There are so many ways that our worship and Christian community can look -- and if you are on the field, you have personally experienced that. We start with the same basic ingredients - faith in Christ, the presence of the Holy Spirit, relationship with God - and turn out some pretty different-looking results.

And that's the beauty of it. God doesn't want assembly-line churches. He is personally involved in each one, for His glory. John could tell the ethnic distinctions in his vision of heaven (Rev. 5) and so we know that those differences transcend earth's boundaries.

On the field, you are one of God's instruments for creating a unique batch of Christians - a unique church. As He adds the ingredients that will make this body distinct from others, sit back and enjoy the process. Because at the end of the day, you will have a new variety on the shelf, and God will be glorified in His creativity.

Distracted by Survival

I've decided that the enemy has a subtle tactic to shift our focus away from kingdom work: getting us into survival mode.

This can happen in several ways. At one extreme is persecution. True, some degree of persecution purifies the church and makes her stronger and more kingdom-oriented. But extreme persecution historically has thrown the church into "survival mode", where self-preservation moves the church into a defensive posture. When all energy is directed toward survival, the advance of the kingdom can suffer.

But this distracted-by-survival mentality can creep in the church subtly as well. I know of two churches that are scaling back giving to kingdom work in order to survive financially during these tough times. Other churches, struggling to maintain enough workers in the nursery or recovering from in-fighting and a church split, have decided that "we have to get healthy here before we are of use there" - and quickly find themselves distracted by survival.

The survival mentality can affect families and individuals. Conflict in a marriage can lead to more time spent praying in warfare for the marriage to survive and a loss of energy to pray for the warfare across the world. A wayward child can quickly - and rightly - become the focus of prayer, but at the expense of praying for that people group. Extreme poverty can cause a family's day to be filled with trying to find food to eat -- and indeed, one reason for the great advance of the kingdom in the late 1800's was the mere fact that because the standard of living was raised, people had more time to devote to something other than survival.

Falling into survival mode isn't selfish - it's part of our human tendency, something God put in us that scientists call "fight or flight". But we have to recognize when our perceived need to focus on survival is genuine or when it is a distraction by the enemy.

I've known churches that refused to cut back on giving - and found themselves blessed with a donation after a death in the church. I've read of small churches that committed more efforts in kingdom advance overseas rather than focusing on their conflicts and needs, and found themselves growing by leaps and bounds. I've known a wife who faced a serious conflict in her marriage that determined not to replace her kingdom prayers with marriage prayers - she committed to praying both. Lots of warfare, but the marital battles subsided faster than she ever imagined and was stronger than ever - allowing her even more kingdom prayer time.

I've also known churches that truly needed time to heal and regroup. (Smyrna in Rev. 2 affords a great example of a church that needed to be in survival mode, and received encouragement from God for it.) I've known people who needed to lay down fruitful kingdom work to focus on family needs and battles for a season.

My point isn't that every focus on survival is a distraction or of the enemy. But we are wise to remember that this IS a war. Sometimes in war, a soldier has to get out of the battle for a season to heal and survive effectively. Other times, he simply presses through the pain and keeps on fighting - finding that survival is granted in the middle of the battle.

What are you facing today that makes you head for survival mode? As you fight that personal battle, ask God to reveal to you whether this raises the need to focus on survival, or whether the enemy is distracting you by trying to get you into survival mode.

God is faithful. He will bring what He has started to completion. He will help you survive this trial - just trust His leading for that next step.

Moving the Stones

You're probably content not to always be the harvester. By the time you have any experience on the field at all, you understand the true meaning of Paul's words that "one plants, one waters, one harvests, but God gives the increase".

But you probably feel better when you realize where in that chain you are working. When you are bumping up against roadblocks of every kind and feel that you aren't even getting to sow seeds, frustration sets in. When you pray week in and week out for significant conversations that never happen, for deepening relationships that never quite get off the ground, for divine appointments that don't seem to come - you wonder. You question the call, you re-examine the steps that led you to presume this location was God's will, you look for open doors elsewhere in an attempt to go where God is working ... and still, you stay put, wondering what to do when the soil is hard.

Maybe God put you there to move stones.

I ran across this concept in my studies today. Paul Pierson referenced it in the context of workers who toiled for 50 years to garner 5 new believers. Pierson writes:

...there are people whose mission is not to reap, not even to sow, not even to plow the field, but, as one put it, to take the stones away from the field so that others can plow and others can sow and others can reap.

Lifting stones takes a strong body. Likewise, lifting spiritual stones requires a strong spirit. God didn't put you there because you are a failure - instead, He put you there to put within you a strong spirit to lift the stones away. To prepare the way of the Lord.

Come through! Come through the gates! Prepare the way for the people! Build it! Build the roadway! Remove the stones! Lift a signal flag for the nations! (Isa. 62:10)

Secret Believers

Most of the time, I try to keep this blog to encourage you. But today, I shamelessly use it to appeal to your hearts - because I have a prayer request that many of you can really understand.

If you haven't already read Secret Believers, the latest book by Brother Andrew, I highly recommend it. The book is a story of MBB's and their struggles. There is an awesome website, www.secretbelievers.org, that has a secured log-in blog written by some MBBs in the Middle East. Usually those blog posts are private but today I found one that was a cry for prayer - a request to pass it on - and that is what I am doing here. Please pray for this precious family.
---------------------------------------------
From secretbelievers.org ...
Uncle brought news about a family we are praying for. He is a spiritual father to the family. T. about 50, has 8 children & 4 grandchildren. She met Jesus & became a Christian when she was about 20 years old. When her husband found out the persecution began. His solution to the problem was making sure she was always pregnant! Every time she had a baby, a few weeks after recovering she would be pregnant again! Shocking! But she just kept dedicating her babies to the Lord even the 6 she lost. Every one of them is walking with the Lord.

For the last 4 years it has been difficult & they have been on the run. Four years ago Uncle found her in a hospital recovering from serious acid burns & stab wounds. It was the children who first met him & shared the story of their lives. Uncle saw that the Lord had brought him to the city & hospital, reached out to them & took them under his wing making it possible for them to go into hiding after she recovered some. At home we were on our knees praying & weeping before God. T.’s family is influential- they are related to people even you would have heard the name in the US. However, I do not think it is safe to actually tell you who exactly. Just pray urgently with us.

T. & her family have continued to worship & declare Jesus their Lord & Saviour. In spite of her ugly scars, she is beautiful with a beaming smile & beautiful heart that just shines for Jesus. But she is a woman with young daughters & sons & is on the run. Her daughters were once kidnapped from her & forced to marry Muslim relatives of their father. However God in his goodness made it possible for T. to get to them in time & help them escape. It was only God’s goodness & power that saved them from these marriages.

I love my country but it is not the kind of country where someone like T. can live a Christian life without trouble. Last year Uncle arraged for them to leave & go to another country where they did not need an entry visa. This country also houses a UN base. They are in hiding there. The situation is getting worse. Their Muslim family is closing in, writing letters to Embassies & the UN discrediting their story, saying they are fakes & frauds. ... Get the world to pray. They are very alone & very afraid in a land where they do not speak the language- where those promising to help the needy have abandoned them & where they are now illegal residents. If they are sent back they will be kidnapped, tortured or even killed on arrival. Oh please get your families, friends & churches to share this story. Let’s get a lot of prayer going for this family. They really need it. I cannot even imagine what it must be like in a strange land, in a tiny crammed living space, in hiding, unable to speak the language and unable to go to the shops to get food, uncertain about finances etc… Please pray for this. Can we pray that in the days to come the Lord will stir up the heart of someone to do something for T. & her family? Pray for protection, that the people there would stop looking for them, following them, threatening them and they’re able to slip away & make a life as God has purposed for them.

We do not advise running away & leaving your home country, but sometimes you are forced out of the country as was their situation. Pray God can give them a home and in the place God has for them. Last time Uncle spoke to her, her son was crying with the concern in his heart for his mother & sisters.

Changing Chairs

I spent a day-and-a-half trying to be blessed by a new chair at work.

Someone's hand-me-down looked better than my old chair, so I tried it out. Unfortunately it was uncomfortable, and I found another possibility. This one had everything going for it - ergonomically correct, adjustable, and no stains on the arms :). I really wanted to make it work - but it was so uncomfortable that I finally switched back to my trusted old friend.

I'm not sure the old chair is really better - maybe my body needed to conform to that new chair. I just wasn't willing to go through the pain in the process. My back and backside were sore, and even my arms were tired from the different position. I remembered adjusting to an ergonomic keyboard and the eventual benefit that resulted - but this time the price was too great.

That got me thinking about change in our lives. Sometimes, where God takes us is so uncomfortable that we want the old place back - even if it's not where we needed to be. Sometimes, when God adjusts us, the price feels high, and we are glad we don't have the option to turn back, or else we might just run for the hills. We are His moveable treasure, but it can be painful to be uprooted.

I know several of you who are in this sort of situation. You know God is making a significant change, but the place in between the comfort of the old situation and the settling into the new is rubbing blisters on you! Let me encourage you - don't do what I did with my office chair. Let God define what "fits" best for you - and conform you to the new environment.

He is faithful, and will finish what HE has started!

Bridge Builders

My absence from the blog the past week or so doesn't mean God hasn't been working in my life. Quite the contrary - He has been bringing together things that have stirred around in me for a while, coalescing them into a tangible, practical awareness:

We need bridge builders.

It's no secret to kingdom workers that there are two structures - the world of the field and the world of "church". Though they should be the same, they rarely are. For all practical purposes, things function differently in the two worlds. On the field there is unity among denominations and groups, international churches with mixed races, radical faith in God for healing, finances, transportation, serious prayer and lots of awareness of spiritual warfare. While the church occasionally comes close to this, it's usually within the confines of a small group who are kingdom-minded, or former field workers and the like. The average Christian may truly and sincerely be interested in kingdom work, but doesn't understand that world, and doesn't know much beyond writing a check and praying for "all the workers". Not a bad start, but not enough.

That's why I'm calling for bridge builders - people who feel at home in both worlds. Often when we are awakened to the implications of the Great Commission and determine we are not goers (at least for now), we get frustrated with the church world and glamorize the field world. Or we become "the m. person" at our church - thereby enabling them to check off a box and not get more involved.

We need to engage both worlds. We need to encourage kingdom workers and find out what their real needs are. We need to teach the church how to pray and encourage them that "keep the m's safe" isn't always the prayer that needs to be prayed. We need to rally our church to keep the support going even when the budget is tight, to inform about why research on UUPGs is just as important as evangelism, to keep the communication flowing. We need to be bridges ourselves and train others to do so.

The best New Testament example I can think of is Gaius. John wrote to him:

Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth. (3 John 5-8)

This speaks of more than financial support - the brothers testified of Gaius' LOVE. Gaius was apparently a significant person in his church - John exhorts him to greet "every one" of the friends. But he was also significant to those who went out "for the sake of the name". And John makes it clear - this is how we become "fellow workers for the truth".

If you are reading this as a field worker - please know that God is stirring in me specific ways to raise up bridge builders and be a bridge myself! I am praying that God will help you identify YOUR bridges!

If you are not a field worker but have been awakened to the cause, then please, seek to be a bridge. Seek to be a bridge builder to raise up more bridges in your church. The more I talk to workers the more vital I realize this role to be.

"Fellow workers for the truth." Hallelujah!

Rest

Have you ever tried to rock to sleep a toddler who was determined to stay awake and not miss the fun? Typically, such children will wear themselves out "fighting sleep" and finally collapse, spent, against your chest, looking every bit the innocent child with a sleeping face betraying none of the struggle shown only moments before.

That's the picture God has given me to help me understand the principle of rest, and the futility of struggling against Him. In fact, I am beginning to see a strand through Scripture that calls us to this rest:

* Jacob "fought with God" (Gen. 32) but the blessing didn't come until he quit fighting. The NET Bible notes explain that the Hebrew text makes clear that after the angel touched Jacob's sinew, Jacob stopped fighting before asking for a blessing: "To be successful with God meant that he had to be crippled in his own self-sufficiency." In other words, he had to learn something of rest before he could be blessed.

* "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted over the nations." (Ps. 46:10) Here God calls us literally to "cease striving" (the literal translation of 'be still') and know Him. Specifically, we rest in knowing He will be exalted over the nations - even in a time when the nations are in turmoil.

* Even the Apostle Paul had to learn that struggling with God is futile. In fact, God told him that he was only hurting himself by "kicking against the goads" (Acts 26:14).

Hebrews 4 lays down rest as one of the key principles of faith. Verse 10 makes clear that we rest from our works. We find our "rest in faith" in Him. We may come away limping, but we find a dependence that keeps us trusting in a new way.

And that is precisely the point. Because like a parent knows when the child is tired, God knows that we need to relax and lean against Him. He knows that we need to learn how much we need Him. And He calls us to do that in a position of rest - not so we can do nothing, but so that we can realize that only as He equips us will we do anything at all. If we can get to that point, then we are ready to start serving. Until then, we're just struggling.

Rest in Him today, and see your service transformed by dependence.

Hanging out with Kingdom Workers

I think everyone should hang out with kingdom workers.

I was thinking today how my life has been impacted by my relationships with each of you. The reports and newsletters are nice, but it's been through "hanging out" - through the stuff of life - that I have learned and been impacted the most.

Because you've allowed me to live vicariously in your worlds, I view my world differently. I find myself responding differently, wondering how this decision will impact your corner of the world or seeing opportunities where previously I only saw obstacles. Increasingly, I 'get' that we are all connected in the body of Christ, in a way that cannot be described. Even my personal struggles are put into perspective - complaining about an unbalanced washing machine feels selfish when I think of one of you who washes clothes for 4 kids and a husband by hand!

If you are reading this and you're not a cross-cultural field worker - please, get to know at least one. Dangerous prayer: "Lord, send me a friend who ministers over there." In 1998 God starting surrounding me with those sorts of people, and life hasn't been the same - thankfully!

And for those of you who are field workers - please, keep those relationships with the rest of us. I know it's hard, because you often hear from those who don't "get it." It's easier and probably more fun to hang out with those from your organization who understand your struggles. And you need that, desperately.

But we need you. Every day I realize increasingly just how much we need what you offer the Body. Keep the reports and updates coming. But even more than that, be our friends.

Only God knows what fruit those relationships will bear!

Refusing to Settle

My monthly women's group just concluded, and while I thoroughly trust God's sovereignty, I refuse to settle for less that all He wants for us.

You see, we have about a dozen ladies, and every month, a few are unable to attend. Sometimes it's because of God-given higher priorities - a mission trip, a family event. Often, though, it's because of what they describe as "last-minute" distractions, obstacles, or spiritual attacks. Even the high gas cost has been a prohibitive factor. Lately the number who have to miss exceed the number who make it.

And I'm not going to take it sitting down. I've decided the position from which to address this is on my knees. I'm not going to settle - I'm going to fight.

So today, we prayed for the group, for God's purpose and people. We prayed against obstacles and distractions and attacks. We even prayed that God would stretch gas money and increase their mileage so more can attend. We agreed in spirit and in prayer - God hasn't indicated an end to this group. He hasn't indicated that we should be laissez-faire about the roadblocks some of them have shared that have kept people away. We are fighting for their ability to attend, and will continue to fight in prayer.

One of the preparations God gave me for this morning - that I was going to share with the group, but instead found to be for myself - is this brief essay. It reminds me that it's okay to not settle in my prayer life. It reminds me that God honors persistence! Most of all, it reminds me that desperation is a good place to be.

Many of you may be discouraged. You may be thinking you should give in and settle for less of an impact than you were hoping for in your corner of the world. You may be facing a change of service area, and wondering if you should give up on those you left behind. You may be seeking God's will in a matter and wondering if you're expecting too much.

I can't address every situation - but one thing I can say is don't settle. Seek desperation!

Living Out Life in His Presence

I love reading through the Bible in a new translation. Familiar passages leap off the page when presented in a new "language". My current read-through utilizes the NET Bible, a translator's Bible that gives tons of alternate renderings for words and explains the choices made by the translation team.

In Gen. 17 yesterday I read the familiar covenantal condition to Abram: "Walk before me...". The translator's note clarifies the sense of the phrase in Hebrew: "Live out your life in My presence".

WOW. Understanding that makes the second half of the condition more understandable: "and be blameless." One possible way of understanding the connection is that walking before God - living all of life in His presence - has the purpose or result of the individual being blameless, or righteous.

Unfortunately this principle has been taught in some ways that generate fear and legalism. "God is watching, so you'd better be good" is the message we get. Like "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", we think that we'd "better watch out, better not shout" because "He knows when you've been bad or good" and of course, what's in our stocking depends on being good!

But becoming more aware of His presence in the minutae of life has to do with more than our sanctification. This covenant is immediately followed by God appearing to Abraham with two angels in Gen. 18. This chapter illustrates what it means to walk before God. Living life in His presence looks like this: worship, interaction, giving, receiving, interceding. It's relational, not legalistic. It's faith, not fear.

So my prayer this week is that I will consistently live out my life in God's presence - becoming increasingly aware of His presence in the minutae of life. I want to know Him more so, like Abraham, I can intercede better. I want to know that I can trust His no's, like Abram did when He gave him an emphatic "no" about Ishmael. I want to see Him come through time after time after time, year after year after year. I want to know that the blamelessness is because of His change in me, not because of my fear or legalism. And I want to interact with Him in intimacy and relationship and constant dialogue.

I know you do as well. So tonight, this is my prayer for you: That you will increasingly live out your life in His presence. And that together we will learn just what that means!

Fleas and Warfare

OK, confession time. We have a dog, and this summer, that means like everyone else in our area with a pet, we have fleas. We've never had them before in 12 years of pet ownership, and so we've been learning a lot!

For example, did you know that fleas have 4 stages in the life cycle - and at one of the stages, larvae, the flea can survive for months without a food source (i.e., blood). Flea eggs can live after the fleas that laid them are dead, and to my horror, one flea can lay billions of eggs.

All of this means that our approach has had to attack the flea at all stages of development. It means we've had to treat our dog, our yard, our house, and even our car. We've used a variety of tools in the treatment. And in the process, I've learned a lot about warfare.

Sin is a lot like the fleas we've been fighting. It's a greedy parasite that can lay dormant for an extended time. That's why some of the lessons I've learned fighting fleas can help me spiritually as well.

Get to the source. This means fighting a multi-front war. We couldn't just treat our dog - we had to treat all places the fleas went when they weren't on the dog. Likewise, with sin we can't just attack the symptom - such as a sharp tongue. We have to treat the underlying source - the pride, or bitterness, or selfishness, that reveal themselves in bad fruit.

Take serious action to gain the upper hand. As much as I complained about the fleas, not much happened until we started taking serious action. We had to move beyond occasionally spraying the dog to committing significant amounts of time to getting rid of fleas. Similarly, sin doesn't go away on its own, even when we recognize that it's unpleasant. We have to get serious about fighting sin, and that requires commitment that might be inconvenient but is utterly
essential.

Keep the momentum. We're at a stage now where we haven't seen fleas in a couple of days, and things seem pretty "normal". But we've made the mistake previously of quitting after a couple of rounds of treatment - not realizing that those larvae were just waiting for a blood source to walk by :). Now we know that to keep the momentum, we have to fight daily against the fleas we can no longer see. Sin is like the fleas - "crouching at your door", as God told Cain in Gen. 4. The author of Hebrews wrote of sin that "so easily entangles us" and gave us the solution: Keeping our eyes on Jesus. He shed blood for our sin, so any struggle we make against it will never go beyond what He's already done (Heb. 12:1-3). This should motivate us to keep fighting for a victory that has already been secured on our behalf. But the fight must proceed daily!

Don't fight alone. The tasks involved in "flea-proofing" our home would be overwhelming if I tackled them by myself. But because my husband and I team up, we are able to maximize our efforts and maintain a better consistency in the process. When you are actively trying to gain the upper hand against a certain sin, it's important to solicit prayer support and accountability. Find believers you trust to fight with you and help you maintain the momentum. And realize that you are not alone in the struggle! When I shared my "flea prayer request" with a friend the other night, she immediately said, "Oh, I'm having the same problem"! We realized that we were fighting the same battle. 1 Cor. 10:13 tells us that our temptations are "common to man" - whether other people mention them or not. And Jesus is our way out!

The battles you face on the field certainly involve significant outside warfare from the enemy. But I've talked to enough of you to realize that you also struggle with the same sins we face daily at "home". Keep fighting!

New Post on Big Picture

Hi everyone,

If you're following it, I have a new post over on The Big Picture (http://worldchristianfoundations.blogspot.com).

Thanks!

Detours and Clouds

We don't always get all the choices we'd prefer.

Last night was one of those times for us. Driving through Oklahoma on the way home, we missed the turn for our turnpike. By the time we figured it out, we were in a stretch 7 miles from the next exit and absolutely no way to get onto the other side of the highway. The long-awaited exit bore a sign we dreaded to see: No re-entry. In other words, keep going the wrong direction; this is going to take a while. By the time we finally had the option to exit and re-enter 13 miles later, we were halfway to an alternate route home. A 2 hour trip took almost 4, but we made it.

Life often affords unscheduled detours as well. A doctor's visit with unwelcome and unexpected news. A forced job change due to downsizing. A teenager's pregnancy. A reassignment from a sending agency. We struggle with these changes the most, I think, because we feel such a helplessness, such a lack of choice.

We fail to see that these times are like the storm system I also saw yesterday -- from the backside. Like the picture above I could tell precisely where the system ended. I marveled at how sunny it was from my perspective, and how fierce the storm must look to those underneath its massive dark clouds. When we're underneath the circumstances of our life's latest detours, we see the darkness, the storm, the whirlwind. We struggle to see the handprints of God. But when we get to the other side, we can see the beauty of the clouds. We can see the detour had a purpose.

What detour are you struggling to accept today? Pray for God to give you eyes to see the sun that will signify the end of the storm. And ask Him to reveal the beauty of the scenic route.

Changing the World

We all want to see the world changed.

Wherever we live, if we have a biblical worldview there is something we want to see changed. And yet we so frequently get discouraged - "weary in well-doing", Paul called it. We determine that changing the world is impossible, that the best we can hope to do as an individual is make a difference in othe lives of one individual at a time. If we're diligent, we think maybe we can make a different in a few dozen individuals' lives.

But we're still not satisfied - nor should we be. Because God never asked us to change the world by ourselves.

The limitations of the English language combined with a western individualistic mindset have turned a lot of the plural "you's" of the New Testament into singular ones. The church - the body of Christ, all true believers regardless of denominational attendance - has a role to play in society. The Gospel and our lives should preach the same message. And when we move to view things from a group perspective, we realize it's not just me making a difference in one life...it's us making a difference in lots of lives!

There are so many strands that go into social change. Who "caused" slavery to crumble? The abolition movements, to be sure - but what stirred them, and how did they move from merely assessing and praying about a problem to a movement that impacted two continents? We think of the big names - Wilberforce, Brown, Sojourner Truth - but they were only strands in the rope that forced a new worldview about slavery. So often when we are one strand we feel insignificant. But when one becomes many, it matters!

That's why you must realize that "you" aren't alone. You're not singular, you're plural! You are part of a team where you are ... you are the feet for the team that sends you ... you are positioned at the head of the battering ram that is the church's offense against the gates of hell. You're not alone.

And that very fact should help you realize that it's not hopeless. Whatever the situation on the ground, whatever your personal struggles right now, the change you are longing for doesn't depend on "you". God is the one who is working all this out, and He has put an "us" behind you as part of the task.

And the victory around the throne will be oh, so sweet.

New Post on Big Picture

Hi everyone! If you're following my studies this module, there is a new post over on The Big Picture. Check it out at http://worldchristianfoundations.blogspot.com. Thanks!