Simplicity

I woke up Christmas morning feeling so very blessed. The snow was absolutely beautiful and I couldn't wait to get to my mom's house for the day of festivities. But first my sweet potato casserole had to be made. So I put my Christmas apron on, turned on the television and got busy in the kitchen. For you to understand what I'm about to tell you, I must first explain one little story. A few weeks ago I was visiting with a close friend about the teaching podcasts I love to watch. The amount of knowledge available to the believer today is mind blowing. I have a long list of favorites. I made the comment that Joel Osteen is a great speaker with a feel good message. His teachings are practical and he offers good advice on "living your best life now". But, I shamefully must tell you that I told my friend that I like a little more Word in my teachings. I like to go a little deeper. Well, guess who was preaching when my television powered up Christmas morning? You betcha! Joel Osteen was sharing a sermon and I had already started peeling potatoes. So I decided to listen. Three times in his message I began to cry. At one point I looked up to see Joel tearing up as well. And all of the sudden everything became so clear. I was changing and growing in a 20 minute message. Joel Osteen was oozing with "The Word". I'm not talking scripture, I'm talking Jesus. Jesus was pouring out of every crevice of this man's being. I suddenly felt like a modern day Pharisee. When Jesus came to this earth, He entered in by way of a common couple and a smelly manger. At the age of 30, His teachings began to be recorded. He showed love and compassion to those that most religious people would walk by and scoff. He chose fishermen and tax collectors to be his helpers. He slept and ate in the homes of the despised. He spoke to prostitutes and lepers without fear of rejection. Jesus was and is the Word. And the Word is Love. The Sadducee's and the Pharisees did not understand the simplicity of Christ's message. He confounded the wise. They were looking for something "deep" and yet they didn't even recognize the well of never ending supply that was standing before them. What does it mean to go "deep"? Is it bible knowledge? Is it knowing Greek and Hebrew translations? Is it possessing more gifts than your Sunday School teacher? Or could it be more simple than that? The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek it's own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never Fails!" Christ made it very clear how important love was to Him. I will probably spend my lifetime becoming love. I don't want to miss Jesus looking for knowledge. In everything I do and say I want to look to Him. Joel Osteen is preaching love to a world full of hate. He is changing lives one message at a time. Not because of who he is or what he is capable of doing. He is changing lives because he loves Jesus! And this love shines bright for all to see. Now that is deep.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Freedom!

This weekend God used a certain verse in Acts to speak to me and many others. It was an amazing story that has kept me smiling for the past couple of days. So this morning in my quiet time, I decided to go back and read Acts chapter 16 in its entirety. As soon as I began, something popped out that I had never understood before. By the way, this is not because of my own understanding. This is because the Holy Spirit points things out to me that without Him would seem like gibberish. He can do the same for you. Anyway, in the first few verses Paul and Silas have come to the town in which Timothy resides. And Paul has decided that he wants Timothy to come and go down the road with he and Silas. Now this is an awesome time for Timothy. He is being invited by one of the greatest missionaries and crusaders for Christ to go preach the gospel to the masses. I can't imagine what He must have been thinking. Pure elation would be my guess. But look at verse 3. "Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek." Now most days I would have just read this and moved on. But something struck me. I was reminded that in Galatians, Titus, who was also of Greek decent, refused to be circumcised before joining the journey with Paul to Jerusalem. He refused because he would not be put under the law by those who tried to argue his freedom. See many years earlier God called all men to be circumcised as a symbol of belonging to Him. But when Christ came, Paul discouraged circumcision because Jews continued to preach circumcision was a sign of salvation. Paul argued that you are not saved by works (circumcision) but by grace (Christ's blood). Circumcision had become a way for the Jews to hold their position over the heads of the Gentiles. Paul was called to preach salvation to the Gentiles and he refused to put law before grace. Not because of his own deciding but because of what Christ came to earth to teach. And in Romans 2:28 Paul says it best, "A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God." Meaning, God looks at the heart. You are saved because God paid the ultimate price. It is a free gift never to be earned by hard work or being good enough. Today many followers of Christ do the same thing that the Jews of Paul's day did. They judge your church attendance, your bible knowledge, your volunteer statistics, how you dress, how you talk, where you go and with who you go. The Bible says, "It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts."

So I say all this to explain what caught my attention. Timothy was circumcised and Titus was not. Why? Was it because of Law? NO! Was it because of tradition? NO! Did he want to fit in? NO! Timothy was circumcised because he knew the people he was going to be preaching the gospel to and circumcision mattered to them. He wanted to reach every last person possible without anything hindering God's mission. Why did Titus refuse circumcision? Was he rebellious? NO! Was he scared? NO! (I would have been). He refused because those under the law were trying to rob him of his freedom in Christ. In fact, Paul said in Galatians 2:7, "God does not judge by external appearance-those men added nothing to my message."

God is a personal God. He wants relationship with each one of us. Timothy had a heart to reach people and He heard God say that circumcision would help break the barrier in the hearts of those who would hear the gospel. Would you be willing to obey God in doing whatever He asked of you? Even if it was painful? So which man was wrong in his decision. Surely two men can't do the total opposite and be right. But the fact is, Titus and Timothy were both right. They were right because they had relationship with a loving God. He spoke and they obeyed. Don't put God in a box. Let Him speak "rhema" to you today. Others need to see the Jesus in you and nothing should be hiding the light that shines inside. Don't follow rules, follow Jesus!!!

The Local Church- To go or not to go?

I had a short but great visit with a dear friend of mine on Wednesday. We were discussing a couple of books that have become very popular in the anti-church world. People who once belonged to a local church and are now discouraging others from stepping through the front door. They list problem after problem with the church and they make many good points. In fact, I have very close friends who feel the same way as the authors of these books. Many people have been hurt or they have watched others be hurt. They have seen Pastors fall hard and pull many people away from the right path. They have heard wrong teachings, witnessed raw manipulation, and seen God's Word be shared in a poor theatrical presentation. I have been a part of the local church my entire life. I have witnessed more than any person should and I have been saddened by too much. BUT.................... This is what my friend said on Wednesday. Although she has experienced tough times in church. She has had many great times there as well. She was saved in the local church. She was married in the local church. She was supported by her church family when her first husband passed away. She dedicated her children to God in her local church. She was baptized with the Holy Spirit in the church. Her love for God's Word grew in the local church. She said, "Where would I be in my faith if it weren't for the local church?" Do we have hurts? Yes. Have we been disappointed? You bet ya! But is God still using Pastor's and teachers to spread the Gospel in all the World? Absolutely!! To quote a theme song to an old television show, "You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have; The Facts of Life." Now this may sound heartless. I honestly and whole heartedly don't mean for it to be. But the fact is, we are all human. Only with God's help can we make a change in this world. Are there some churches you shouldn't go to? Of course there are. But there are men and women who have a love for God and His Word. They are humble in spirit and they love God's people. They preach the Truth and nothing but the Truth. They are held accountable to their peers and to God first and foremost. Will they still make mistakes? Probably. As Bishop TD Jakes once said, "We are lambs leading lambs." The Good Shepherd is our Heavenly Father. He and only He is perfect. But praise God for Grace. It is sufficient for all of us.

So, should you belong to a local body of believers? What is God telling you? And whatever He tells you, don't assume He is telling others the same thing. I personally can't imagine my life past, present or future without the local body. Through all the good and the bad the FACT is I have been abundantly blessed.

In The Storm

When things are tough and you have so many questions, how big is your faith? I've learned over time that during tragedy your faith can be limited. When things are going good in my life, I can pray and believe for everyone. But when I'm down and struggling, it's much more difficult to have faith. A wise man once said, having faith during tragedy is like trying to build a house during a hurricane. Isn't that a true picture of your own personal storm. But that is why we have each other. In my darkest times I need you to believe. And in your darkest times you need me. The family of God is so vital in our lives. We need one another to lift the other up when standing seems impossible.

I'm reminded of the story of Moses and the battle between Israel and the Amaleks. Moses stood on the mountain top and as long as his hands were in the air, Israel was winning the battle. As soon as his hands began to fall, the Amaleks dominated. When Moses' hands became too heavy, Aaron and Hur stood on each side and lifted them up. Isn't that a beautiful picture of the Church. As the Children of God, we hold each other up. When your tired, I am there. When I don't feel I can stand, you hold me up. It is the power of God working through His people.

So when you are smack dab in the middle of your storm, don't beat yourself up because of the size of your faith. Lean on those around you. Let them pray for you and let them believe for you. The battle is yours so don't give up.

Thankful!

We are nearing Thanksgiving and it is not uncommon for people to start talking about what makes them grateful. Why is it that we only do this once a year? All year long we grumble about the troubles in our lives. Why me? How much longer? When will this end? Do these questions sound familiar? What if we started everyday thanking God for the good gifts He has given us? James 1:17 says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." I can't tell you how many times I hear people say, "God is testing me in this trial." They say,"God took him/her because He needed another angel." This is hogwash. God sent His son to give us life and life more abundant. The enemy came to kill, steal and destroy. God does not "take", He "receives". God does not lead you into the valley of the shadow of death, He walks with you in the valleys. God does not throw you into the fire, He stands with you while you are in it and when you come out you don't even smell of smoke. A grateful heart may not change our circumstances but it does change our perspective. We have so much to be thankful for and it far out weighs the trials in our lives. Our perspective has to change. Be grateful 365 days a year not just Pre-Thanksgiving. If you're reading this, you can see. If you're reading this, someone invested in your education. If you are reading this, you have breath in your lungs and tomorrow is a new day. Give God thanks! This is the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Garden Excess

This year our zucchini and squash were abundant in our garden. You can only eat so much of it and then give the rest to friends and family. If you're like me, you love to find new and creative ways to fix these veggies for lunch/dinner. So here is a great recipe that i made up and the family loved it.

Take left over grilled chicken breast or you can roast some in the oven. Olive oil, salt and pepper rubbed all over chicken. Bake at 350* for 30-40 minutes. Then when cooled, chop into chunks.

In a large saucepan on med heat, add 2 TBS. olive oil and 1 TBS. butter with 1 white onion (chopped). Saute for a few minutes with salt and pepper. Then add sliced zucchini and squash to onions. I usually use one large zucchini and squash or use 2 medium of each. Continue to saute a bit longer before adding any type of tomato. I have used fresh grape tomatoes as well as a can of diced tomatoes. Fresh is my favorite. Add a bit more salt and pepper to taste. Then add chicken broth to pan. Do not cover veggies with broth. Just add broth half way up. Cover with lid and turn heat down a bit. Just let the veggies simmer for 5 - 10 minutes. You want veggies tender. Then remove lid and reduce the liquid by half. In a large, salted pot of water, boil whole wheat Penne pasta to Al dente texture. Drain pasta and pour veggie mixture on top. Add chunks of chicken and toss. Top with Parmesan cheese. Great way to get your kiddos to eat their veggies. Believe me, I have a very tough time with Hudson Bean and he loved it.

I Trust In Him

Today I awoke and wondered if I would get a phone call from Dr. Hyacinth. Would the lump I've had for over a month be cancer or not? Today I awoke to a journal entry from a father I barely know. Would his eight year old daughter who unexpectedly went into heart failure have a good day today? Today I awoke to a text message from a dear friend who is sitting in a hospital room with her daughter for the umpteenth time. Would her daughter's breathing improve and the seizures stop? Today I awoke and dressed for my Wednesday with Seth Anderson. Seth has been a vital part of my life for fifteen years. This 21 year old young man has never ridden a bike, never eaten a piece of birthday cake and never spoken a word. But he has ministered to me more than any person I know. Would today be my last Wednesday to serve him? To be honest, there are some days that I would like to sleep through until the next sunrise. There are some days that my heart is heavy. My understanding of life is unclear and my questions are unanswered. But then I am reminded that I don't have to know all the answers. I am protected, loved and cherished by the one who does. Our world is full of things we don't understand. I shared on Sunday morning a revelation that challenged me to my very core. We were singing a song that says "I Trust in Him" and once again I asked myself, "Do you really?" It's so easy to love Jesus when everything is going great. It is so easy to trust Him when everything is in its place. But what about those times that you don't understand what He is doing? So the analogy I shared was about overpasses. My mind shot to Dallas/Fort Worth and the maze of underpasses and overpasses. It's like a ball of yarn that some genius engineer designed. Then he handed his plans off to a contractor who then instructed laborers. To be honest, I get a little overwhelmed thinking about the magnitude of that job. Can you imagine the responsibility and design efforts. But every time I go to Dallas I go under and I go over those passes. I don't stop mid-traffic and say,"I don't understand how this works, therefore I don't know if I can trust this structure to hold me and my precious cargo." No, I don't dare stop in mid-traffic in Dallas Texas. I put the pedal to the metal and stay on my course, TRUSTING that everyone who had a hand in this structure knew what they were doing. Have accidents happened and structures failed? Absolutely! Time, weather, environment and more have effected the strength of our highways. But I trust that it won't fail me. And I do that without even thinking about it. So why can't I trust the Creator of the Universe with my life? Does time, weather and environment put a toil on this body? Absolutely! Does God cause bad things to happen to good people? NO! But He does walk with us through those events. We live in an imperfect world, with imperfect people but we serve a perfect God who we can TRUST! My prayer for all of us is that it gets easier to do just that. I want to take those leaps of faith without hesitation. When I walk through those dark valleys, I want to walk with confidence that God has not left me. Because the truth is, "He will never leave us nor forsake us." I don't understand all that happens in this life. But I trust God has a plan that only He may know. I don't understand the job of a highway engineer but I trust his design will stand strong. But I tell you this, I trust God more than a mere man. I think we all do. It's just the process of letting go. Stop trying to figure it out and just drive this course of life without fear.

Update:

Me: I'm cancer free! Thank you Jesus!

Father's journal: "We live in a fallen world where pain and suffering are not strangers. But there is relief found in our Savior Jesus Christ. We thank God for our time here and for the love of so many people. His will be done. Still time for a miracle or a new heart."

Friends text: "Seizure free today! What is going on in LBK? (She was checking on me.) Hope all is well. Please, please let me know if you need anything. I will be right there. Love you more than you know." Amazed at her desire to be there for me even in her time of need.

Seth Anderson: He had a great day and I "get" to go back next Wednesday.

Psalm 39:5

"You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath." Make the most of today. Love more, give more and Trust more. We do not know what tomorrow holds.