New

This week we started online teaching at my school.  I wrote this as an encouragement to myself and the school family.

New

I think the most difficult times in our lives often come when we face new things. I tend to be unsure if I can actually do the things God has brought into my life that simply need to get done. Fears of failure get stirred into the pot of insecurities. The last thing the enemy wants me to do is to trust Him. And yet, that is the very purpose of feelings of inadequacy and failure, is it not? To “force” us to rely on Him and each other to accomplish His will for each day? A total dependence on Him that often is provided for us by the “help” and encouragement of other members of the family trying to process through the same New is what we need to accomplish anything.
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As we face this new challenge: begin each day with prayer—you and your kids together. That would be a nice “habit” to form, wouldn’t it? Need help—parent or student? Call another member of the body—you can work through it together. Can the body of Christ be too unified? Check on each other. Seeing if someone needs help is not arrogance. It’s called love.
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New things—new challenges—I hate them. But when “all is said and done,” I find my confidence in Him has deepened—He’s much more dependable in a crisis than my pride. I find the body of Christ is even more unified than it was before the challenge. The “weakest link” (no pun intended) has become a source of strength for us to lean on—the shoulder God knew we needed. And we will be amazed at who that is He sends to help us. So many of us have been faithfully serving the LORD, learning to rely totally on Him, and we didn’t even know it. It’s amazing the strength you’ll find “hidden” in a “weakest link.” And what opportunities God will give you to love one another as He has loved you—patiently, unconditionally, sacrificially! The New—as we learn to trust in Him and who and what He provides—is always the foundation for the “better still” in His kingdom work on earth.
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And remember—the New comes one day at a time—not two months at a time. “Seek this day the Kingdom of God, and everything you need will be added unto you.” “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and He will make your path straight.”
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Ambassadors

We have a ministry as Christians that we don't talk about much: We are ambassadors for Christ, citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom. And the question is not if I am one or not, but what kind of ambassador am I? The order stems from the truth that through Christ's work on the cross, I am a new creation, reconciled to God. Though hostile toward God and a willing member of the kingdom of darkness, I have been transferred into the Kingdom of Light, the Kingdom of His Beloved Son--our Savior, Jesus. Once an enemy. Now a friend. I am a citizen not of this world but of Heaven. Yet, I am here on earth, sent as His ambassador to those in need of reconciliation with God. To the hopeless I am to offer a sure hope, a hope that makes me unashamed of who I am in Christ. To the restless, I am to offer a peace that calms the troubled heart in a troubled world. To the sorrowful I am to offer the comfort that God has given me in the midst of my sorrows. To the lonely I am to offer a relationship with the One who will never leave them or forsake them. To the unloved I am to offer the freely given, inescapable love of the Savior--a love that will never die. To the fearful I am to offer a refuge in my Strong Tower, the security of the Rock of Salvation on which I stand, a Rock that can enable me to weather any storm, any gale, any adversity.
I am His ambassador sent not to minister to an ally nation--because there are none--but to a people hostile toward Him, in love with their darkness. But I know that while I was yet a sinner Christ died for me and for them. I know that once His enemy, I am now His friend, and He is my King. As His ambassador I must demonstrate a life that shows clearly that I am a new creation, that I am not a citizen of this world; I have been set apart, made holy--distinctive--by His transforming work in my life. I must demonstrate a life of hope--a living hope. I must demonstrate a life of peace, earthquake proof--unshakable in times of tumult. I must live a life that testifies to the comfort of the God of All Comfort. I must live a life that reflects that I am sure of the Love that will not let me go no matter what may come. I must live a life of courage because I know my Captain fights the battle for me--and He is invincible. And I must live a life that radiates my heart's desire that they, too, can come to Him through repentance and be transferred out of the kingdom of darkness and into the Kingdom of God's Beloved Son, Jesus. They, too, can become by grace through faith a new creation, a friend of God, an ambassador of the Heavenly Kingdom.
Again, it is not a question of if I am called to be an ambassador for I am. The question is: What kind of ambassador will I be?

Idolatry

I believe the first and last of the Ten Commandments are the same--just from a different perspective. "You will have no other gods besides Me." From a heavenly perspective the transcendent, immanent God reminds His children that He is all they need. As their Savior He has redeemed them for all eternity. As their Shepherd He will daily walk before them, beside them, and even "come after" them to make all things good as only the God of infinite goodness can do. As their True Vine He will empower them with a sense of His love, with answers to their prayers, with the joy that enabled Him to endure the cross, with the ability to be cleansed through His Word, with the ability to bear eternal fruit for His glory, to be transformed into His likeness. What a wonderful Savior! "There is none besides Thee." He alone is worthy to receive praise and honor and glory and worship. God alone.
"You shall not covet" is the same command from the perspective of His child, the one whose life is hid in Him, the one commanded to "set their affections on things above where Christ sits at the right hand of the Father--mission accomplished. "It is finished." As we grow in our understanding of the majesty of our Triune God--more than sufficient for all our needs--we remind ourselves that we need nothing in our lives but Him and what He has--in His love and wisdom--given us. Is not total contentment the full acceptance of the will of God in every area of our life? Then to covet those things He has not given us is, as Paul tells us, idolatry. Whatever we desire outside of what His loving provision has given us is something we worship instead of Him. It becomes my god; I become my god. And what an impact it has on our lives. As one writer has said, I become an exploiter of others--my wants are more important than the needs of others. And I embrace the emptiness of trying to find joy in pursuit of the worthless.
Sadly, we live in a culture that thinks covetousness is a virtue. Those who get all that they can get--no matter the means--are our heroes--our success stories. Those who try to find a life filled with meaning--with joy; and a life without joy is meaningless--those who try to get all that they can for themselves become angry, dissatisfied, even violent, miserable people looking for someone or Someone to blame for their lack of fulfillment--for the emptiness of their lives. They kiss their golden calves with their image on its countenance and wonder why a heart of stone cannot love them back.
We must be sure that we have no other gods besides Him as our God. We must be sure to radiate a confidence in His goodness in our lives--a trust in His will. We must be sure to demonstrate to the world that our relationship with Him and our security that all we need He has provided and will provide is more than enough to give our lives meaning. We must be men and women of prayer for if we fail to daily take all things before His throne, we will never learn to be content.

"You will have no other gods besides Me." Who could imagine that you would need other? Who could not joyfully worship Him?!!

"You will not covet." Covetousness is idolatry. Who would be so blind as to trust in himself as the god who is able to meet his needs and fill his life with meaning?

May the Spirit empower us to live a life that shouts to others: "God and God alone" is all I need. "I will praise Him! I will praise Him! Praise the Lamb for sinners slain; give Him glory all ye people, for His blood can wash away each stain." Each.

For Such a Time

God is love. Thus, as someone has said, "Love is deathless." If the love we have for someone "dies," it was not God's love working in our hearts. As the Spirit spreads His love throughout our hearts, our love for God; and consequently, our love for others should be constantly growing and deepening. As the Father chose to love us and send the Son to redeem us and the Spirit to empower and lead us, so we must chose to love with an unquenchable godly love. And the response of the ones God has called us to love should be irrelevant. After all, our hearts were hostile toward God and His love; and yet, He loved us, died for us, and gave us eternal life--and a heart that should love as He loved and loves us. It is in such a time as this that His children need to spread His love to His other children and to a fearful, hostile world. To convince the world that God is love, we must lavish His love on our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and we must lavish His love on the hurting and fearful outside of the "family" as well. Will the world be less hostile to the message of God's love? Only if the Spirit opens their eyes to who He is. So we should love prayerfully. What an opportunity--yes, opportunity--God has given us to reveal His caring, sacrificial love to our world! Though they scorn it and resist it, they should not be able to deny the glorious love of God emanating from our hearts, evident in our actions, empowered by our prayers for our enabling and the Spirit's ability to open their eyes to His love as He opened ours and gave us new hearts. There are lots of fish in the sea; be a fisher-of-men, cast the "bait" of a love that will not die into the waters all around you. For such a time as this.

Alive unto God

We serve the Living God--"born again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Christ Jesus from the dead."

He is not the God of the dead but of the living.
For we are the temple of the living God.
The Word of God is living and active.
We like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Therefore, I beg you brothers by the mercies of God present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.

Stumbling Block

Am I a stumbling block to someone's spiritual growth or a stepping stone? How deeply am I committed to--by God's grace and enabling--to submit myself to meeting the needs of others--spiritual and physical needs. "Let each esteem others better than themselves." When I focus on my hurts and not the hurt in the hearts of those around me, I am a stumbling block.

Never Despise

Never despise someone's love for you. Never stop loving those who despise your love for them. Pray each day that God will not heal your broken heart so that you will remain sensitive to His broken-hearted love for you on Calvary and sensitive to those with broken hearts that He places in your path each and every day.

Unwrap Each Gift

Another day. The highlight of the day was lunch with Brad and Mindy. The snow was falling--beautiful even in the suburban edifices surrounding Jason's Deli. Conversation of the mundane lives we live and enjoy. Is anything more beautiful than the daily joys of each day? Does a rhetorical question really need a question mark? A prayer request honored for a friend going through deep sorrow and loss. Tears that rise from the heart are lovely beyond words. 
Several walks through The Acres. Winter's reminder that it's not over yet. Though the snowbird population is down considerably. The crocus and orchard iris and aconite shine their loveliness through the snow. More and more of them each day. The snowdrops, of course, are right at home. Daffodils and tulips and hyacinths are emerging waiting for their moment of glory in 2020. They are not afraid. They are following the directions of the Master. Each walk I take is unique. Never the same places from the same direction at the same time of day--each walk a newold journey in pursuit of today's new beauty. Though I think I know where most things will come up, the chipmunks and squirrels are always rearranging the garden of The Acres. Surprises are good. Lots of work still to do, but that just means that lots of work won't get done and the wildness of The Acres will continue to reign. Another good thing. Getting the mower ready--so, at least, I'm a little bit prepared for my spring time conversations with myself and the country breezes. And eventually, I hope, the companionship of my velvet flyers in celebration of the insects I send leaping into the air. Their skimming, diving, swerving antics are pay enough for the free catering service. In fact, I owe them for the "show" I'm sure.
Each day a unique gift with its simplicity, its beauty, its moments with those you love. So let us number our days--don't leave such a beautiful gift unwrapped. Rejoice in it.

Preeminent Love

Our love for our Savior, the God-man Christ Jesus--must be the preeminent love of our life. Not prominent--preeminent. Yes, if we don't love Him more deeply then our family and friends, we will not begin to love them as deeply and unconditionally as we should--as we must. If we do not love Him more deeply then we love our calling, our calling will become duty, and you know how long someone can do that until duty becomes a weary burden and not a powerful act of love.
To judge His love for us by our circumstances is to despise the horrible physical and incomprehensible spiritual suffering He endured on Calvary because of His willing love for us. "By His wounds we are healed." Because of His deep love and concern for us He has sent the Spirit to indwell us, to live inside of us as our prayer warrior, guide, instructor, and strength--and He is our security, our unwavering confidence and assurance that at death "so shall we ever be with the Lord."
His love for us is our victory. The vastness of the universe cannot separate us from His love. Eternity beyond time cannot separate us from His love. Though we battle against supernatural powers active in the world, they cannot separate us from His love--the Spirit's groaning prayers for us and the sword that He wields on our behalf are infinitely more powerful than the enemy. No sorrow or disappointment or loss or flat-on-our-face failure can separate us from His love, Death cannot separate us from His love--it brings us into the very presence of His love, face-to face with Christ Our Savior.
May our love for Him dominate our every thought and action. May nothing that I do or say be an act of spiritual adultery in pursuit of other loves that I falsely claim are greater than His love for me. May the world and our tendency to love its things be incapable of destroying our contentment with His love and provision for us both spiritually and physically. May we love others as deeply as He has loved us. May we hide in the Cleft of the Rock. May we abide moment-by-moment under the shadow of His protecting wings. May we rest in His inescapable, all-love-excelling love for us. May He be the preeminent Love of Our Life.

"The love of God, how rich and pure; how measureless and strong! It shall forever more endure--the saints' and angels' song."

"If you love Me, keep My commandments."

The Master of My Heart

"Be kind, tender-hearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you." The kindest, most tender-hearted people in the world are the forgivers. Their kindness flows from a heart that recognizes and embraces the great love of God for so unworthy a sinner as they are--unworthy but so freely and completely forgiven. Those who respond to others with spite and anger and hurtful words do not have a heart like God's heart. And I don't need to tell you who is controlling their heart and words, do I? "Be kind, tender-hearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you." Who is the master of your heart? Just step back, look at your actions, and listen to your words, and you'll know.

An Invitation to Return

Moses failed. He tried to take God's plans into his own hands. Fiasco. Killing Egyptians one at a time--not such a bright idea. Fled to the wilderness. God sought him out in the burning bush. Didn't want to obey. Made God a little bit angry by claiming that his inadequacy was greater than God's ability. "I can't do this, Lord. I flunked speech, remember?" Finally, surrendered and acted on God's call. Eloquently and courageously delivered God's message to the most powerful man of the day. Then, led those murmurers for forty years. God's assessment of Moses. "Best friend I ever had. We spoke face to face every day."
David failed. He let the iniquity in his heart control his desires. He committed adultery and murder. The punishment for both under the law was death. Confronted by God through the prophet Nathan, he broke down in repentance and sorrow. Admitted his sin against God, accepted the consequences for his sin, offered the sacrifices of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Sacrifices God will not despise. God's final assessment of David, "He's a man after My own heart. He has learned to desire and seek the things that I desire and seek."
Mark failed. Called to serve Barnabas and Paul on that first journey, he quit and went back home. We don't know why for sure: fear? feelings of inadequacy? angry because they weren't using him the way he envisioned they would use--should--use him? We don't know. He became a faithless servant. When they returned from their journey, Barnabas found a different young man. Ready to serve again. Did so by going on a missionary journey with Barnabas. Paul wouldn't trust him. Did God? He had Mark write the gospel that pictured Jesus as the faithful servant--imagine that. And late in life, Paul told Timothy, "when you come, bring Mark with you. He is so profitable to my ministry. I would love to have him here by my side serving with me."
Failed? Tried to take God's plan into your own hands? Fiasco, right? Told God you were finished with serving Him. Your inadequacies were more powerful than His enabling. Surrender. Let Him use you again. He will enable. And the theme song of your life will be "What a friend I have in Jesus."
Failed? Let your desperately wicked heart control your desires? Sinned a great sin? Offer Him the sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. He will not despise such sacrifices. He will take you and mold you into a man or woman whose one desire is to desire what He desires.
Failed? Been an unfaithful servant? Walked away from Him? Confess and repent. He'll use your story to draw attention to His great faithfulness. And at the top of your eternal resume will be these words, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
Turn back to Him. What a friend you'll have in Jesus! Your heart and desires and loves will be in tune with His heart! You will be transformed into a faithful servant profitable to the furtherance of the kingdom!
What are you waiting for? He's already given you in His Word--multiple times--the invitation to come back to Him and serve Him again, empowered by the everlasting arms of forgiving love.

Three Days and Three Nights

Jonah waited three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish until he decided to pray. The humility to rely on God to help us in our circumstances is often a long time coming. We are so proud. So desirous to be self-sufficient. I have found myself in the fish's belly before I was willing to surrender my will to His will. And often, it has taken a lot longer then three days. But the motivation has been the same: I have reached the point where all seems--all is--hopeless unless I rest on the truth: "Salvation is of the Lord."
And I love Jonah's prayer, Fully relying on the goodness of God, he claims no entitlement, just prays God's promises--six or seven times right out of the Psalms. The focus is on God's character not his worthiness. And he prays in the confidence that God hears his voice and will respond. And he closes his prayer with thanksgiving and submission to God's will for his life--his calling and his assignment.
And I love God's response. Forgiveness and restoration. Jonah had failed theologically--fleeing from an omnipresent God is not a good plan. Jonah had failed the test of compassion (and he would fail it again), but God put him back to service. Jonah had failed the test of self-pity. He wanted to die rather than fulfill his calling. But God put him back into service. And his fulfilling of his calling--even reluctantly--saved a generation of sinners--an entire city.
Been in the fishes' belly long? Humble yourself, and He will lift you up, and return you to service for Him. Reluctant to fulfill your calling? He can use you anyway and in a mighty way. Surrender to His will for your life.
Think you're beyond forgiveness. God sees you in the belly of the fish and is eagerly awaiting your prayer to Him. Yes, eager to forgive and eager to use for the spreading of the kingdom. Pray His promises--He is willing and He is able. Pray with a thankful heart that is He the Lord of salvation and deliverance. Don't pray for deliverance, pray for a submissive heart. Don't pray for a change in your circumstances; pray for a change in your character. He's waiting to hear your voice; waiting eagerly and expectantly for He has things for you to do.