Tailgater

The other day when I was on the highway driving to another town the SUV behind me was matching my speed and staying right on my bumper. After about five miles I picked up speed and went around the truck in front of me just to see if I could shake the tailgater. The SUV then snuggled up tightly to the truck and seemed to be content in the trucker’s blind spot. It finally dawned on me that the driver of the SUV was probably trying to conserve his own gas by drafting other vehicles. I’ve known believers whose actions resemble that of the tailgater. Rather than exerting any energy on personal Bible study, they come to class content to just draft off those who have done their study and are prepared to discuss the lesson.

Please Pass the Meat

Most of us can look at our past and realize that, generally speaking, the focus of maturing spiritually was better in our yester-year than it is currently. Today we seem to be satisfied with Bible-Lite – a watered-down version of the Word. Certainly Paul dealt with something similar when he told the Corinthians, “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.” (1 Cor 3:1-2 NIV) At one time we were all infants in Christ, but leave it to Paul to burst that contentment bubble by suggesting that being an infant in Christ is no different than being worldly.

Politically Correct

Sometimes when we teach, lead or preach we inadvertently try to please our audience and we become politically correct. Recently a preacher presented some good, well founded thoughts, but then he lost me when he said, “I hope I didn’t offend anyone…” The conversation in my head began, ‘Why are you apologizing? You just spoke a message of truth from the Word of God’. People in the world often look for ways to be offended by the truth of God’s Word, but as believers we should never be offended when the truth is presented. James says, “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” (James 1:18 NIV)

Possessed

Jesus may have been referring to Jewish exorcism when he talked about an evil spirit seeking a place to rest after it had come out of a man. When the evil spirit does not find rest it returns to the house it left. “When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits... and they go in and live there.” (Luke 11:25-26 NIV) This certainly sheds a new light on re-possession.

Enough is Enough

Six year-old Lydia decided she wanted long hair, so for the last few months she hasn’t had her hair cut. However recently she told her mother, “I think it’s time to get my hair cut, it’s been growing long enough.” We believers are so much like Lydia. We ask God for patience and self-control and then a week later we do our own assessment and think we’ve been patient-ing and self-controlling-ing long enough.

Lucifer

A recent edition of the Daily Sentinel newspaper shows a photo of a young man on his knees at an Interstate off ramp holding a sign that says, “Please Help Hungry”. When the reporter asked why he was on his knees, the young man said that he was begging and praying. The kneeling man didn’t have any trouble telling the reporter his first name, ‘Lu’, but then made reference that he had changed his last name to ‘Cifer’. You can’t help but wonder who the young Mr. Lucifer is praying to and kneeling before. No doubt some unaware Christian travelers do support his begging, but personally I think the young man’s solicitations are misdirected. “Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35 NIV)

Really?

Recently one of our young men gave an exceptional communion meditation. After the service I overheard a woman asking him if he had written it himself and he said, “Yes”. Showing she underestimated the young man’s talents she said in disbelief, “Did you really write it?” The young man again said, “Yes”, but I’m not sure the woman was convinced. No doubt many of us do something similar when we hear God’s response loud and clear and yet we ask Him, ‘Did You really say that?’

Leave a Message

The first thing many of us do when we come into our house is to check the answering machine for messages. I have friends who, when they don’t have any messages will joke, “Well, I guess nobody loves us.” But when there are no messages, they also breathe a sigh of relief that there is no crisis in the family to worry about. I have to wonder about the messages we leave for God. Do I send as many messages of love as I do for crisis intervention?

Shy Guy

In my last few newsletter interviews the subjects were one man and two women who ranged in age from 64 to 22 years. All three are active in the church, well founded in their faith and they all described themselves as shy. Normally when someone confesses to being shy, or even painfully shy, we consider it part of their character and accept them as they are. We work around their shyness to help make them feel more comfortable and we go out of our way to be inclusive. I’m now wondering if people ever consider their shyness as something to put at the feet of the Lord or do they simply plan on carrying it with them to the pearly gates.

Your Sins Will Find You Out

Using the passing lane on an uphill climb I zipped past a small car in my van. Almost immediately my hands free phone rang and when I answered the voice at the other end said, “Don’t you think you’re going a little fast there?”  Squinting in the rearview mirror I tried to connect the voice with a face, but I finally had to ask who I was speaking to. I was relieved to learn it was a former colleague who was driving her mother’s car. We had a good laugh, but the situation reminded me that God isn’t the only one keeping an eye on us.

The Voice

Sometime back there was a story in the media about a dog that was put up for adoption because the owner, a Korean, could no longer care for him. The dog found a new home, but appeared to be struggling with depression. No matter what the adoptive family did or said the dog just moped around. Four and a half years later the original the owner reappeared and the dog was immediately transformed when he heard the Korean language spoken. As the Good Shepherd Jesus says, “When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” (John 10:4-5 NIV)

Relocating

While playing on the school swings nine year-old David got a rock in his shoe. He took off the shoe and then as he was retying his sneaker his aunt asked if he’d gotten the rock out. “No,” said David, “I just moved it to where it doesn’t hurt.” I have to say that in spite of all the thoughts running through my head I was speechless. I can’t help but wonder if the Spirit doesn’t sometimes feels the same way with us when we just move our sin to a place where it doesn’t hurt.

The Unnamed

I just heard a report on an atheist group trying to force a community to remove a war memorial that has been standing in the town square for 91 years.  The offending memorial is of course in the shape of a cross. I think it is unfortunate that we simply refer to these people as ‘an atheist group’, rather than exposing the names of the individuals involved. Certainly Satan gets more embolden when he has anonymity. Judas Iscariot had eaten with Jesus and claimed to be his friend, but he was identified as the betrayer. I can’t help but wonder if some of those from the atheist group have also dipped their hand into the same bowl with believers.

As Far as the Gate

My cousin had gone to the funeral of a friend and was so moved by the eulogy written by the husband for his wife that she asked him for a copy. Sixty-four year old Linda, who struggled with a rare form of cancer, passed away last week. Her husband Ken fought the disease with her every step of the way and when she died he was by her side holding her hand. He said of her last moments on earth, “I held her hand all the way to the gates of heaven.” And there is no doubt that Jesus was waiting at the gate to take her hand.

Cover Up

I changed our sheets on the bed and put them into the washer and then the dryer. However when I took them out of the dryer the fitted sheet was missing. Being bigger than a sock I knew it couldn’t walk away by itself. I finally discovered that rather than taking the old sheet off the bed I absent mindedly put the clean fitted sheet over the dirty one. As new believers many of us tried to do something similar. Rather than getting rid of the old sinful nature we thought we could simply cover it over with the new self. “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph 4:22-24 NIV)

Man of the People?

A person in our community is basking in the light of his new leadership role and he says he tries not to think about his new title. “The title didn’t change who I am, for I am no different today than I was two weeks ago.” Rats! I was hoping for a little bit of change, including a change of heart. “By their fruit you will recognize them…Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit…Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matt 7:16a, 17, 20 NIV)

Grudgingly

I really don’t like fund raisers that ask you to make a pledge, because it’s always in the back of my mind that some emergency might come up where I couldn’t fulfill my obligation. I have to laugh at Paul’s method of collecting on a pledge from the Corinthians. He expected them to honor the pledge…but how the gift was labeled would be entirely up to the Corinthians. “So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.”  (2 Cor 9:5 NIV)

Territorial

Although Charlie belongs to my daughter, he is somewhat of a family dog so I occasionally take him for walks. When Charlie gets to pick the path we take, he often chooses to go past one particular house where a black lab in a fenced yard lives. As each dog sizes up the other I can’t help but wonder if they might envy the other’s freedom. One dog is free to roam in the confines of the yard, the other is free to go as far and as wide as the leash allows…and yet both lay claim to their own territory. “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.” (Psalms 119:45 NIV)

Bean Counter

Last Saturday I spoke about the Fruit of the Spirit at a Women’s Tea and I used the pomegranate as an illustration of a fruit with multiple characteristics. In doing research on the pomegranate I was surprised to learn that each fruit contains exactly 840 seeds. I immediately had two questions, ‘Who would even think to count all those seeds and how many did they have to count to know that each and every one contained exactly 840 seeds.’ I can only imagine the joy God has watching us explore His creation. “Then God said, ‘Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.’ And it was so.” (Genesis 1:11 NIV)

The Price is Right

Reflecting on the last four years on City Council I realize that along with making a lot of new friends I’ve also made some enemies. No one intentionally sets out to make enemies, but we believers should be reminding one another that there is a price to pay even if you accidentally make an enemy. “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Matthew 5:44 NIV)

Delete

As I wind down my term on City Council I have literally deleted thousands of emails that have accumulated over the last four years. The in-box and the sent-box are now empty, as well as all the folders. I had kept many of those emails because they were a paper trail of sorts and some of them were positive and others negative. However, the computer screen is now wiped clean and I can no longer remember what was written or said. “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.” (Acts 3:19-20 NIV)

Ready, Fire, Aim

My husband is a member of the DAV Memorial Honor Guard and this voluntary group of old timers aren’t always in sync when it comes to giving a 21 Gun Salute. Every once in awhile a member will get trigger happy and pull the trigger prematurely, or the opposite can happen. The signal from the ear to the brain to the finger is slow to respond and a round goes off late. Actually there are times when the salute is only a 15 Gun Salute because some member wasn’t on time, or they forgot to show up at all. Thankfully those at the memorial service aren’t able to count the total number of shots that go off.  I have to laugh when I think about how many misfires the Israelites may have had when they marched around Jericho. “The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. But Joshua had commanded the people, ‘Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!’” (Joshua 6:9-10 NIV)

Defending

When someone goes on the attack after our child, our parent or our spouse the gloves come off and we rush to the rescue. We won’t let anyone say something bad about our loved ones without responding. And yet, how often do we hear people in all walks of life go after our Heavenly Father without coming to His defense. Certainly we know that God can take care of Himself, but defending Him is part of our family relationship.

Blessed

Two of my political colleagues speak freely and publically about their relationship with the Lord and it’s not unusual to hear criticism of their witness in letters to the editor, on the gossip circuit and behind their backs. Fellow believers often resist running to their defense because they themselves don’t want to become community targets. Jesus however offers support and encouragement. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matt 5:11-12 NIV)

Natural Disaster

Some areas are just prone to natural disasters and when I hear of devastation the first thing that comes to my mind is, ‘Thank God where I live is not like other areas.’ That phrase has a familiar Pharisaical ring to it, “…God, I thank you that I am not like other men…” (Luke 18:11b NIV) Whether it’s the weather or one’s righteousness, it’s seems so easy to slip into comparing ourselves with others.

Walk on By

In trying to connect with the youth in the community we instituted a Youth Council for teens that is patterned after the City Council. One of their projects was putting on a job fair for teens, and for a first annual event I was really impressed with their efforts and the organizations that participated. However, I was unimpressed with the US military representation. Their booths were set up, brochures were displayed, but all the personnel were standing around talking to one another. I went past their tables twice, but no one even made eye contact with me. When I finally forced myself into their conversation I told an Army sergeant I was disappointed they weren’t engaging the students. Her excuse was, “Well Ma’am, I’ve been talking to two new recruits who are signed up and will be going to basic training as soon as they graduate in May.” As a believer I think I have a tendency to do something similar when it comes to spreading the gospel. I gravitate to groups of seasoned believers or try to reach out to those who are new recruits and babes in Christ…all the while the unsaved may be walking by and I don’t even so much as make eye contact with them.

Gender Neutral

I’m working on a presentation for a women’s tea and the requested topic is the Fruit of the Spirit. Over the years I’ve attended many talks on the Fruit of the Spirit, but it just dawned on me that it’s always been the topic for women’s groups. I don’t think I’ve heard of a men’s retreat featuring a keynote address on the Fruit of the Spirit. You have to admit that the Fruit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – really doesn’t have that dragon slayer feel to it. I’m wondering how Paul’s masculine audience reacted to his teaching…I think I’m sort of glad my audience will be women. (Gal 5:22-23 NIV)

Administering

While serving on City Council the biggest policy decision to be made is approving the budget. The elected body ultimately determines how and where taxpayer funds will be spent. In essence the City Council is spending money that is not their own and it is their obligation to administer it properly. As believers I’m not sure we realize what a huge responsibility it is to administer the assets of others. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” (I Peter 4:10 NIV)

The Competitive Edge

In a recent letter-to-the-editor a writer said, “I believe that God takes a neutral position in all competitions….that God only takes sides when the issues involve good and evil.” Really? I have to laugh at the thought of keeping God confined to only issues involving good and evil. “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7 NIV)

Mocking

Recently one of my colleagues was publically scorned and she made the observation that believers don’t often take a stand on issues because they are afraid of being mocked.  “If you can't withstand a little mockery during these days, how will you stand strong later?” She makes a great point. Jesus, in predicting his own death told his disciples, “He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him.” (Luke 18:32 NIV)

Unsubscribe

In the past our local newspaper seemed to be pretty relaxed in the publication of anonymous comments on their web site. I always assumed because the comments were allowed that the readership liked the dissention and angst. When the paper tightened up their blog guidelines, those wanting to vent had to look for other venues to get their message out. A local community group appeared to be trying to fill the void and sent an email to all their subscribers that they would be open for ‘lively discussion’. I had to laugh when the first person to spew on the site brought a flood of people asking to be removed from the distribution list. It’s refreshing to know that the majority of people in the community do not want to engage in, or read trash talk. “Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way.” (Proverbs 4:14-15 NIV)

Well Done

Most of us can look back over many years of service to our church, our community and our country. My four years on City Council are coming to an end and although I am weary and looking for a time of rest, I confidently lay claim to Jesus’ words in the Parable of the Talents, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” Well, I was confident until I let the complete verse register in my mind, “…Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things…” (Matt 25:23 NIV) Now I’m getting nervous. Exactly what does it mean to be put in charge of many things?

Fodder

Yesterday we had City Council elections and I lost my bid for re-election. Certainly I’m disappointed, but I trust the Lord has me where He wants me for this moment in time, so all is good. Actually my husband, friends and family are looking forward to having me back. I do think one of my biggest regrets will be the loss of great fodder for my blog.

In Turn

At a retreat I attended with 20 others one participant bemoaned that his opinions are often ignored because he’s the ‘old man of the group’. By the second day it became obvious that age was not the culprit. My talkative colleague dominated all the discussions by giving lengthy opinions on every agenda item. As I consider Paul’s guidelines for orderly worship, I’m wondering if his thoughts were more than just wanting to avoid confusion. I think it’s possible he also saw the need to keep one speaker from dominating discussions. “Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.” (1Cor 14:29-31 NIV)

Choosing Life

This last weekend my mom, who is almost 88 years and in a nursing home, had a heart problem and was given the opportunity to choose life or death. Her choice was to have a pacemaker installed or, as the doctor said, “let nature take its course”. Mom has been an unhappy nursing home resident for over four years, so I find it interesting that she opted for the pacemaker. Paul says, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.” (Philippians 1:21-24 NIV) When mom is feeling better I can hardly wait to remind her that she chose fruitful labor over being with Christ.

Coincidence

For my weekly church newsletter I debated about swapping two interviews around.  One is a great story that has a warm fuzzy feel to it where the interviewee reminisced about Easter as a child. The other is captivating story of a physically and mentally abused woman who struggled raising two boys and wrestled with God over issues she didn’t understand. I decided to publish the stories in the order of the interview, which meant that the feel good story will run this week, a week prior to Easter. The overcoming abuse story will be published for Easter Sunday. As I proof read the Easter Sunday edition I was blown away by God’s perfect timing and messaging. The interviewee’s favorite passage of Scripture is the perfect Easter story rolled up into one tiny verse, “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies…” (John 11:25 NIV)

Mistaken Identity

A local newspaper reported that a woman survived a gunshot wound to the head and has apparently resumed her transient life style, while the shooter on the other hand is answering questions about some past brushes with the law. The real story however, is that the woman wore a red Mohawk hair style and the shooter, from 90 feet away, mistook her for a bird. I can understand the shooters confusion. We have all fired off shots at others who are acting out of character and then we’re shocked to learn they are a fellow believer. Of course, if people can’t tell whether or not we are a Christian, maybe we deserve to be shot at.

Repairs Done Here

The marquee at a local home decorating business reads, ‘Blind Repair’. Actually, I think the sentiments would be more fitting if they were displayed on the church marquee. Reading from the scroll of Isaiah the prophet Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed…” (Luke 4:18 NIV)

Arriving At Your Destination

I am in Toastmasters and one of my observations is that speakers and presenters almost always begin their talk justifying to the audience why they are speaking and explaining their job. ‘I’m here because I’m the evaluator’ or ‘this is my Ice Breaker speech’. They then tell us how they arrived at where they are, ‘this thought came to me in the middle of the night’, or ‘I spent a week in trying to think what I wanted to say’. We who speak in the church have the same habit. For instance speakers will say, ‘Today I am giving the Communion meditation’ – actually the audience already knows that you are doing the meditation because you are listed in the bulletin. Presenters will then continue on and tell us when, where, how and why they arrived at their particular text for this particular meditation. I wonder if we do something similar when we present the Gospel to others. I think it’s possible that we spend more time telling people how we arrived at the Gospel, than we do in actually sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Bon Voyage

My friend Sharon was recently diagnosed with severe, inoperable heart problems and she has only a short time to live.  “Ninety-five percent of my heart is blocked.” She smiled, “So I’m running on only five percent fuel.” As Christians we should never be afraid to die, but Sharon’s attitude is remarkable. “I can hardly wait to see the Lord and sit on His lap. It’s marvelous, it’s wonderful. The Lord has given me a plan and I have time to get my affairs in order.” I laughed with Sharon when she told me that even knowing she had six months to live didn’t stop her from suggesting a timetable to the Lord. “When I have chest pains I tell Him, ‘I’m ready, this would be a good time for me to go!’”

Reminder

I am attending classes on Emergency Preparedness and we had a chance to visit the Emergency Operations Center, but only six of us took advantage of the opportunity. Some people in the class said they didn’t get a notice. At our last meeting the attendance was down and one classmate told the facilitator, “I had it on my calendar so I knew about the class, but you didn’t send out a reminder, so some people may have forgotten.” The facilitator replied, “At the last meeting we all agreed on the time and the place for this meeting. Everyone has a calendar and it’s not my job to send out a reminder.” He then added, “In an emergency no one will be sending you a reminder.” Can’t you just see people standing before the Lord on Judgment Day saying, ‘But You didn’t send us out a reminder’?

Old Wounds

As I get older there are a few places on my hands and arms that are now showing up as scars. I don’t always remember how I got those wounds, but I can vaguely remember as a child picking at the rough scab and pulling it off before the wound was healed. When I was young in faith I’m fairly certain that I did something similar in my spiritual walk. No doubt some of my spiritual scars are of my own making because I kept pulling off the scabs before I was healed.

Pre-Planning

I’ve noticed that when I have a housekeeper coming in I’ll do some tidying up before she gets here. Or when I have a dentist appointment, I’ll spend extra time brushing and flossing before the appointment. I also try some dieting before it’s time for my annual physical because I know I’ll have to get on the dreaded scale. It’s no wonder that the Lord has kept the Second Coming a secret. “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Matt 24:44 NIV)

Laodicea

Our upcoming election is a non-partisan race and some candidates come from opposite political parties. A few days ago I learned that one candidate declares a party affiliation just long enough to participate in the party caucus then he switches to become an Independent. I’m not sure how his party feels about people who are on again-off again, but the Lord certainly has an opinion on those of faith who have Laodiceian tendencies. “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Rev 3:15-16 NIV)

Perfect Body

At the fitness center I can see people of all shapes, sizes and ages working out and I admire their efforts. However, if anyone were to see these folks on the street or in their work place, they would have no idea how much time, energy and sweat has been expended in order to keep fit. I’m wondering if something similar can be said of the Body of Christ. Very few people see our perfect body because for many of us, the only time we exercise our faith is when we are in the church setting.

Truth

As a playwright, George Bernard Shaw included humor in his craft. Personally I am not a fan of Shaw’s, but I find his quote interesting, "My way of joking is to tell the truth. It is the funniest joke in the world." In my world truth is serious business and I just can’t wrap my head around it as being humorous or a joke. No doubt there was humor in Jesus’ life, but he prefaced much of his teaching and remarks with, “I tell you the truth…” Somehow I don’t think anyone in His audience was laughing at the time.

In Need

A middle aged woman, accompanied by her quiet and unassuming boyfriend, would occasionally attend our worship services and then she would ask for financial assistance. Eventually our leadership stipulated that the church would give her a hand-up, not a hand-out, but only if she attended regularly and become a part of the fellowship…and for a time she did. The woman has now moved on, but every Sunday the boyfriend slips quietly into a seat and joins us for worship. We use our human wisdom to identify those in need, but Jesus has His target audience and it’s not always who we think it would be. “When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” (Luke 19:5 NIV)

Being Counted

Yesterday the activity on the Christian Ear was off the chart. Actually at first I thought it was a glitch with the counter, but no, someone is going through old blogs. More than likely my campaign opposition is sorting through old posts hoping to find something disparaging that I may have said. I really do have to laugh, because if someone is looking for dirt then they have to read through six years of Scripture and Christian thoughts. We know the Word of God does not return void. “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double–edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Heb 4:12 NIV)

Persuading

I’ve just read an interesting little book, Your Mind Matters, by John Stott, who observes that when a person comes to the Lord we tend to think, ‘thank God he was converted’ rather thinking, ‘thank God he was persuaded’. Stott notes that persuading is an intellectual exercise, “To persuade is to marshal arguments in order to prevail on people to change their mind about something.” Most of us don’t feel equipped to persuade a sinner to accept Jesus as his Savior…and that’s exactly Stott’s point.

Dearly Departed

I’ve often heard it said that a funeral service should be for the living, rather than for the dead. At a recent funeral the casket with the body was present, but there wasn’t a lot that was actually said about the deceased. The service really was more about the pastor, the family in video slides and the messages through prerecorded songs. For me there seemed to be a void because so little was said about the deceased. But then I remembered the words of the angel at the tomb, “He is not here, he has risen, just as he said.” (Matt 28:6 NIV) Certainly my dearly departed had already departed and it really was about the family that was left behind.

No Pressure

Each week for over two years I’ve interviewed a member of the congregation and then written a mini-bio about them to share with the congregation. It’s been a great tool for helping us get better acquainted with one another. However, I’m now struggling to find folks to interview. Some people are very private and don’t want to share their lives, while others want more time to collect their thoughts and will say, “Not now, call me back in a couple of months.” I don’t want to pressure people to share, but I hate to see anyone pass up an opportunity to tell others about how God has worked in their life. “Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.” (Psalm 66:16 NIV)

Second Cousin Once Removed

It seems we believers often look for ways to divide ourselves and then show our independence. I certainly mean no disrespect to this congregation, but I cracked up when I read their name, the Third Christian Reformed Church. I can only imagine the history and lineage for this body of believers. The name alone entices me to want to know more about their genealogy and if we might somehow be related.

You Are Here

A frustration I have with my computer is that I don’t always know where I am. Am I in the library, in a folder or in a sub-folder? Every once in a while a family member will have to lead me out of the maze, but that still doesn’t register with me as to how I got to where I was in the first place and more importantly, how to get out on my own. I recently sent up yet another distress call to Bill saying, ‘where am I?’ and he finally had the answer I was looking for. “Just look up on the tool bar at the top of the screen and it will show you where you’ve been and where you are now.”  As believers we sometimes fail to realize where we are in our Christian maturity – for better or for worse. I would love to have a spiritual tool bar that showed me where I’ve been and where I am now. “Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” (Heb 5:13-14 NIV)

Benefit of the Doubt

To me, giving someone the benefit of the doubt has meant saying, “I’ll trust you because I want to be fair and not jump to conclusions”. I recently did a double take when I read the definition on the internet as, "I can't prove you're wrong (or lying), but I suspect that you are, so because of this doubt I'll accept what you say."  Wow….I find it interesting that we seem to give one another a pass on what we say or do just because we don’t want to take the time to prove whether or not their statements are true.

Classification

There are situations in life where I resolve to put something in God’s hands, but then I can’t let it go and I keep trying to help Him out. I fall into this trap is because I can, for good or bad, actually impact the outcome of a situation by my actions. However, there are other times when I have absolutely no power, such as when a loved one has terminal cancer. I can let go then because I know I am limited and God is unlimited. I’m thinking I need to recategorize what problems I give to the Lord. In order to completely turn something over to Him, maybe I should classify it as “terminal”.

Savings and Loss

A few months ago I heard a presentation from Colorado Supreme Court Justice Gregory Hobbs, a water court judge. He noted that conserving water on the western slope really doesn’t help Colorado, but rather benefits communities downstream, like San Diego.  The aquifer, a water-bearing layer of rock, sand or gravel that absorbs water, needs to be replenished, but in our efforts to save water by lining irrigation ditches, we are actually keeping the water from going into the local aquifer. On a spiritual level Jesus has a similar thought, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:24 NIV)

Stealing Wheat

I purchased 50 campaign yard signs for the upcoming election and then I had to come up with friends who would let me display the signs in their yard. I’m pleased to report that I do in fact have 50 friends. I put the signs out on Saturday, but during the night on Monday one of the signs mysteriously disappeared. I’m now seeing shades of the Parable of the Weeds. “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.” (Matt 13:24-25 NIV)

Unfamiliar Territory

I’m just not getting along with the traffic enforcement in the Denver metro area. My last trip I was in an unfamiliar area of town which was under road construction. I made an improper lane change…which wouldn’t have been a problem if it wouldn’t have been for the police car behind me. Thankfully I was given only a warning ticket along with a smile and a courtesy compliment, “You look like a nice lady.” When I reflect on my early years as a believer I can see some similarities where I found myself in unfamiliar Scriptural territory and jumping lanes of Biblical thought. Thank goodness for all those warnings I received from the Sunday School and Bible Study Police.

The Right Answer

I’m trying to wrap my head around being a fulltime online student. Right now my focus is on trying to get the right answer from the textbook, rather than taking in the big picture. It’s as though I really can’t enjoy personal ah-ha’s, because I know those things are not going to be on the final exam. I think something similar can happen in our Christian walk. We are so concerned with having the right answers for the final exam that we often miss the exciting things that the Spirit wants to show us in the Word.

Times of Distress

My mother is in a nursing home and one of the fellow clients is a cantankerous elderly gent who appears to have some dementia. The resident bully has gotten physical with some of the patients so I purchased a sports whistle for mom to wear around her neck. I decided a shrill whistle would either bring help quickly, or at the very least it might scare the beggar away. I’m now thinking about my own spiritual whistle of choice and what I use in times of distress. I know many of us follow in Peter’s sinking footsteps and cry out, “Lord, save me!” (Matt 14:30 NIV) However, I’m wondering if we might be better served by remembering how Jesus responded in times of distress and being bullied, “It is written…”

Anemic

Once when Bill went shopping for grape juice for Communion he compared labels and price and purchased the generic brand. There was a significant savings and he was quite proud of his bargain shopping skills. That Sunday when the Communion tray was passed the juice looked rather anemic. It tasted overly sweet, but yet watered down. We later inspected the juice label and read that it contained mostly apple juice, with a little grape juice added to the mix. Webster’s defines anemic as, ‘Lacking force, vitality, or spirit; lacking interest or savor’. I couldn’t help but wonder if sometimes when we partake of the emblems, we too may be guilty of watering down the blood of Christ. “Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.” (1 Cor 11:27-28 NIV)

Lesser of Two Evils

Many of us bemoan that with the slate of candidates running for office we really don’t like either, or in some cases, any of the candidates. More and more we hear voters saying, ‘It’s going to boil down to the lesser of two evils’. As I look at this from God’s perspective, He disagrees. The person elected will be God’s candidate of choice and His decision won’t be based on degrees of evil. “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.” (1 Peter 2:13-14NIV)

How Does It Feel

Where I sit during worship service is one of the first places to get served communion. Because serving the congregation takes a little bit of time, I’m normally finished with my self-examination and prayers before everyone else has even been served. Usually I just sit quietly until the next segment of the worship service begins. However this last Sunday I really wanted to whisper in my neighbor’s ear…and my topic had nothing to do with worship. I can stop myself from doing something because I know it’s not the time or the place, but at this moment it came to me, ‘Just exactly how do you think you are going to feel after you whisper to you neighbor?’ Not that this situation was a sin, but it did cause me to pause. When I’m on the verge of sinning, maybe it should be crossing my mind how I might feel if I were to go ahead and sin. ^“What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!” (Ro 6:21 NIV)

Thank You

Last Sunday in worship service one of the public prayers included, “Thank you God for the things we can’t give ourselves – life, hope and peace.” Although we know that everything comes from God, the non-believer would say that his job, his house and the food on his table comes from his own initiative. As I think about my normal prayers, I wonder if I put more emphasis on material things than I do on the things that can come only from His hand. “To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” (Jude 24-25 NIV)

Timing is Everything

Recently a fellow believer came to me asking for forgiveness for a situation that happened more than a year ago. She confessed to not only harboring resentment, but to also spreading malicious gossip and maligning my reputation. I gave her my forgiveness, however she just wouldn’t let it go. She continued to talk and rehashed the situation until the forgiveness was overshadowed by justification for her actions. Although we parted company with prayer, I couldn’t help but notice that the timing of her request coincided with the current political landscape. Jesus said, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” (Matt 5:23-24 NIV) I think I’ve just discovered another reason for us to reconcile with one another quickly…so that there is never any question of motives.

Funerals

Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden and I have an image of them hanging their heads, leaving the Garden and walking into the cruel world. I don’t think I’ve fully considered this as being a funeral march of sorts and God grieving over the spiritual death of His creation. While I know that God rejoices with every soul that is saved, I had never contemplated the grief He endures at every spiritual funeral that He must attend. “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matt 7:14 NIV)

You Are

It’s interesting that even in Scripture, unless you are a well known figure, your job description is who you are – fisherman, tax collector, or priest. Jesus asked his disciples who the Son of Man was and they replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” I’m wondering if I do something similar when Jesus enters into my conversations with others. Descriptions like Lord, Savior and Redeemer slide comfortably off my tongue, because that’s who Jesus is to me. However in probing deeper Jesus asks us the same questions He asked Peter, “But what about you? Who do you say I am?” The correct answer may not always be resting on the tip of my tongue. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  (Matt 16:13-16 NIV)

Registering

I’m a member of a class that asks participants to fill out an evaluation form following each session. After one exceptional class I gave the instructors and the material presented very high marks. However in the comment section of, “What can we do better?” I noted that the instructor used a couple of swear words during his presentation, which were completely unnecessary. A couple weeks later I ran into one of the class organizers, so ask if they received and read the evaluations. Through our conversation and then a follow-up call I learned that the evaluations are indeed read. However the facilitator’s critiquing eye was focused on the good parts of the evaluation – the high marks and the positive feedback. My comments about the swear words simply didn’t register and were overlooked. Spiritually speaking I think many of us can relate. It’s easier to read the good news in Scripture and overlook the parts of correction. After all, if it registers with us we then have a responsibility to do something about it.

The In-Basket

Recently a friend shared her frustration about not having a specific prayer answered. Feeling both dejected and rejected, she questioned whether or not God was even hearing her prayers. I couldn’t help but think of Zechariah and Elizabeth who were well along in years and still childless. As a priest Zechariah no doubt pounded the doors of heaven for years with his request to have an heir. One day an angel appeared to him and said, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.” (Luke 1:13 NIV) God’s timing is perfect and it gives me pause to think that my prayer request may be sitting in God’s in-basket just waiting for the right time.

Invitation

Some of us think that the only thing we have to do to bring people to the Lord is simply invite them to church. If we can just get them in the door, then it’s up to the Spirit, the preacher and church fellowship to keep them engaged. When Paul spoke to the Athenians, he didn’t wait for Silas, Timothy or anyone else to make a case for Jesus. He was so acquainted with his subject and his supportive argument that even though some in his audience sneered, others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” (Acts 17:32 NIV) As mature believers we are all equipped with the Word of God, so we know our subject…and yet I wonder if any of us have been invited back to speak again.

Rhetoric

According to Webster’s one of the definitions for rhetoric is, “the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion.” On the political landscape there are plenty of examples of rhetoric as candidates use their words to persuade voters. Preachers too are said to use rhetoric in their sermon as they present the Sunday message. I find these modern day examples interesting and in stark contrast to Paul’s manner of communication. “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Cor 2:4-5 NIV)

Just a Suggestion

In one of my on-line classes the Professor gave an audio instruction for her class. After one set of requirements I was put on notice when she said, “This is not a suggestion.” Although she spoke in a calm voice, her statement registered in Bold, CAPS and underlined. I’m wondering if many of us are lackadaisical when reading the words of Jesus and we simply take them as a suggestion. It’s entirely possible that those red-letter editions of the Bible are trying to tell us that the words of Jesus are not just a suggestion.

WWJD

President Obama continues to want the wealthiest Americans to pay more in taxes. In a recent speech he asked the nation to think about the less fortunate, the middle class, and he brought Jesus into the issue saying, “What would Jesus do?” I had to laugh. Jesus didn’t make a class distinction when he was asked about paying taxes. He simply said, “…give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” (Luke 20:25b NIV)

Missing You

In order to re-run for the upcoming City Council election I had to get 25 signatures on my petition. Naturally I asked many fellow believers to sign because they already know me personally. A friend of over 30 years half-jokingly said, “I don’t know if I want to sign your petition or not. I think you’ll understand this…what I really want is to have my friend back.” I do understand. Since getting into the political arena my area of influence has drastically changed. I no longer teach classes, attend multiple Bible studies or participate in women’s ministries and I do miss the former closeness of friends. I’m now thinking about the family and friends of Jesus as they watched Him leave his former life to begin His ministry. Even knowing Jesus was doing the will of the Father didn’t stop them from thinking, ‘We just want our friend back.’

A Voice in the Wilderness

I have a friend who is in enrolled in a business class and one of the requirements is learning to do a blog. “We're [supposed] to narrow it down to a directed group and have something that we are passionate about…I don't really consider myself qualified to give advice…on any particular subject.” It’s interesting that most of us feel unqualified and yet we have the Spirit of the living God within us who gives us our credentials. John the Baptist was simply a voice in the wilderness and yet he prepared the way and made straight paths for the Lord.

Addressee

I hate it when I send out an email that, rather than going to the intended recipient, goes to someone else.  Normally what I’ve written is not damaging, but once in awhile my tongue-in-cheek comments can feel more like foot-in-mouth. When I pray I sometimes wonder if I don’t inadvertently blind copy Satan. For instance if I tell the Lord about my financial worries is Satan privy to the prayer and does he think, ‘Well OK now…if she’s worried about finances let’s see what I can to help her add to those worries.’ Maybe I need to start using the caveat, CONFIDENTIAL – For the Lord’s Ears Only.

Gratuity

When I was in the metro area I took a couple of family members to dinner. Our waiter, who was of middle-eastern origin, wasn’t quite up to par as waiters go and it crossed my mind that he might be fairly new to America. To pay the bill I put cash in the card holder which was picked up by the waiter. However my cousin insisted on leaving the tip, which he placed on the table. It wasn’t long before the waiter returned and stiffly informed me that there was no tip in the card holder. I was a little taken back and pointed to the tip on the table, then picked it up and handed it to him. On the way out of the restaurant we did speak to the manager about the unprofessionalism of the waiter and hopefully the young man will be enlightened about the difference between wages and gratuity. “…The worker deserves his wages.” (1 Tim 5:18b NIV)

Elected

I will again be running for City Council in the April election. Yesterday the newspaper called me for an interview and the reporter wanted to know my thoughts on the current Council and how it has been observed that we don’t always get along well with one another. My response was, “We’re not elected to get along, but rather to set good policy and make good decisions.” Believers too are not immune from feeling we must get along with others at all costs. Jesus makes it clear where He stands, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matt 10:34 NIV)

Warning

John the Baptist was not one to mince words and in the account of the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to where he was baptizing, John said, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” (Matt 3:7; Luke 3:7 NIV) I’m intrigued by John’s question. Maybe John had a touch of Jonah running through his veins and he wanted the Pharisees and Sadducees to endure wrath.  Was his question in jest, or did John really want to know who among the disciples was brave enough to give a warning to the Pharisees and Sadducees? As a believer it seems like it’s our responsibility to warn people about the coming wrath…and that their only salvation comes by way of fleeing to the Lord.

No Pat Answers

Recently I listened to a presentation on Hospice, where speaking to a largely secular audience about death, the presenter said, “There really are no pat answers on why people die.”  Knowing that the speaker is a person of faith I wondered how difficult it must be for her to talk generically about death. For the believer we need only go to Scripture to find the pat answer for death. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 NIV)

Flip-Flop

Whether it’s in the family, at work or in the community it can be maddening when people do a flip-flop and go 90 degrees in a different direction. Certainly as we gather information or see things from a different angle we have the right to change our mind. However we need go no farther than the political landscape to see candidates jumping from one platform to another with little or no thought to their previous commitment. Sadly the church is not immune to this scenario. I’m thinking about the person who confesses Jesus as his Lord and Savior, makes the good confession and then flip-flops. “It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.” (2 Peter 2:21 NIV)

Fear of the Lord

I was intrigued when I recently heard a speaker mention scary Scriptures in the Bible. I’m wondering if, similar to losing our fear of God, some of us have also lost our fear of Scripture. Personally speaking I don’t usually focus on the consequences of a passage when I’m already obedient to its instruction. One of my picks for a scary Scripture is, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor 10:5 NIV) I think do pretty well at taking my thoughts captive. However keeping them captive and then making them obedient to Christ is another thing.

Indulgence

Many of us struggle with our weight. One minute we’ll reward ourselves with a dognut and then the next we are saddled with guilt for bowing to temptation. I both love and hate Paul’s thought process as he sends me back to reflect on the moment of indulgence. “What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of?” (Romans 6:21a NIV)

Exposed Folly

As the political landscape heats up, so does the rumor mill. There is an undeniable wickedness in men who perpetrate lies about others and Paul describes men who oppose the truth as having depraved minds. What’s aggravating is that once a lie starts making the rounds it’s almost impossible to get the truth out. However I’ve just found some comfort in the account of Jannes and Jambres, two men who opposed Moses. It’s reassuring to know that sometimes we’re simply dealing with folly and that others can see it clearly for what it is. “But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.” (1 Tim 3:9 NIV)

Geriatric Seeds

One of the visitors at church yesterday is a nurse I’ve known for many years who just happens to work in the nursing home where my mom is a resident. Not feeling totally connected in her current church, the visitor and her husband came to our worship service hoping to feel comfortable and get re-connected. We greeted one another and taking a seat next to mine she shared her struggle with knowing she needed to visit our church. “Boy, the Lord just won’t let it go. He’s really been working on me to come here…and so has your mom!” It’s interesting that whether you are an evangelist like the Apostle Paul or an elderly nursing home resident, kingdom work on earth is never done. You can still sow seeds of invitation that produce fruit. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.” (Philippians 2:21-23 NIV)

Unashamed

For a church newsletter I interviewed a woman in her mid 60’s who in her teens had a child out of wedlock. Being sensitive to the situation I tentatively asked her if I could include that part of her life in the story. She laughed, “Oh yes! God already knows about it and I’m not ashamed of it.” I love her attitude and the example she is setting. Many of us allow pride to keep us from acknowledging shortcomings, missteps and the sin in our lives…and yet God already knows.

Shipwrecked

The accounts we are hearing from the recent shipwreck near Giglio off the coast of Tuscany really causes me to pause. It’s hard to understand why the crew did not sound a warning, but rather encouraged passengers to stay calm and stay on board. Paul sounds the alarm for us to fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience, “…Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.” (1Tim 1:19b NIV) I’m now picturing our luxury cruise ship Faith being run aground on the rocks. She is lying on her side and taking on water. The wreckage doesn’t look repairable and salvage will be a long process. And to think the shipwreck of Faith could have been avoided.

Life Sentence

I’m attending a 10 week Citizen’s Academy whose focus is on our local Police Department. At our last meeting I was struck by the fact that a murderer can eventually serve his time and be released from prison, but a sex offender has to report either quarterly or yearly and forever will be listed on the sex offender list. Don’t get me wrong, I think we all feel more comfortable knowing if there is a convicted felon in the neighborhood, be it murdered or sex offender. On a spiritual level, if it weren’t for repentance and forgiveness through Christ, we too would be on the lifetime sinner offender list. “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,…” (Ro 3:22-23 NIV)

Counting Chickens

Recently a relative of mine had a lottery scratch ticket and because of the confusing instructions she thought she was a winner. Even knowing that she might be mistaken didn’t stop her from mentally spending the $27,000 jackpot. It’s interesting that even with our minds on spiritual things we are not immune to such dreams. If we suspected we were in line for a windfall maybe we would pay off the church mortgage, fully fund an orphanage or support a Bible college. We could convince ourselves that we were giving back to God, but I wonder if subconsciously there is an appeal to put ourselves in the place of God by meeting the needs of others. “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matt 6:26 NIV)

Viewpoint

I watched the movie Vantage Point and throughout the entire drama the only two constants were the shooting of an American President and a bomb being detonated in a plaza. Other than the two foundational events, the movie changed the point of view from one character to another. At the end of each character’s segment you understand what they saw and felt for that moment in time...and that things weren’t always what they appeared to be. I found myself anticipating how each new point of view would differ from that of the others. The story and plot was a good reminder to me that it is God who is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent ...and I am not.

Home Décor

Prints of the Last Supper or Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane often adorned the walls of the homes of our parents and grandparents. When our loved ones pass away we find ourselves in a dilemma of what to do with their religious wall hangings. The prints may be worn, faded and soiled with age, but we just can’t bring ourselves to throw Jesus in the trash or send Him to the Salvation Army. Such items are often gifted to the church and then the church struggles with what to do with them while also trying to avoid hurting the donor’s feelings. As believers we give gifts to the Lord, but are they worn, faded and soiled, or are they items that we would hang in our own home?

Green Light

While driving early one morning the traffic was sparse and I was behind a car that was creeping up to a red light. Apparently the driver was trying to arrive at the light just as it turned green so that he wouldn’t have to stop. I chuckled when he had to chicken out and tap his breaks because his timing was off. We believers play a similar game with God. We manipulate our timing in hopes that it will be God’s timing and He’ll give us a green light. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9 NIV)

Personalized

Many years ago my husband gave me a Christmas gift of a ream of expensive personalized paper and envelopes. The printing is in script and the letterhead not only has my name and address, but it also includes my phone number. I’ve been so selective about using the stationary only for important correspondence, that here I am 30 years later with envelopes that are yellowing and letterhead with a telephone area code that no longer applies. Spiritually speaking I’m wondering how many of us have personalized gifts from God that we’ve kept sitting on a shelf collecting dust and turning yellow with age because we’re saving them for just the right occasion.

Tolerance

Years ago my in-laws owned two Siamese cats; they also had a friend who detested cats. Whenever Darlene came to visit the cats would look up at her with adoring eyes, rub up against her leg and caress her with their swaying tails. There is no doubt in my mind that the cats knew they weren’t liked and they were deliberately trying to aggravate Darlene. I found the encounters humorous because, quite honestly I wasn’t invested in the cats, nor was Darlene my favorite person. I now have a Christian friend who reminds me of those cats. She floats in and out of my life on a regular basis, is high maintenance and irritates me beyond belief. I just know God is laughing at my discomfort and forced tolerance.

Rewards for Service

Recently an editorial in our newspaper paper referenced the lack of candidates willing to run for local public office. They highlighted part of the problem stating, “Admittedly, running for and serving in public office is not a game for the weak at heart or those who lack commitment.” I had to laugh because the same organizations that encourage a person to be civic minded and become a candidate are the ones that then use the elected official for target practice. In the church we too have elections for elders and deacons and I could say the same thing of these candidates. However after the election there is a startling difference between the treatment of those serving in public office compared to those serving in the church. ^“The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.” (1 Tim 5:17 NIV)

Always Right

When a fellow believer didn’t like the way I approached a particular situation she personally took me to task saying, “I am disappointed in what you have done…I decided that you were working against me.” Most opinionated people believe they are always right and if you don’t agree with them, then you are the one who must be wrong. Columnist Marilyn vos Savant had an interesting observation; “…people get freaked out by the notion of being wrong about anything. If you can be wrong about this or that, what about all the other stuff you think you know?” I think about Saul of Tarsus after he encountered the Lord on the road to Damascus and discovered he was wrong in persecuting those who belonged to the Way. No doubt it was humbling for Saul to be shown the error of his ways, but I can’t imagine how disconcerting it was for him to then question the other stuff he thought he knew.

Lord Willing

Every once in a while a situation will come up where I’ll come hear someone say, ‘I have to pray about it and see if it’s what the Lord wants me to do’. While there is something to be said about waiting on the Lord for His direction, the flip side would be those who say they are going to do such and such, ‘The Lord willing.’ With the Spirit living within us, I’ve been contemplating which position He finds more challenging – that of motivating the believer into action or that of stopping them when they are headed the wrong direction.

Bring ’em on Down

The marquee sign on a local financial investment company reads, “Don’t keep up with the Joneses, drag them down to your level.” I can’t totally put my finger on it, but I’m having an adverse reaction to this message. No doubt there is supposed to be an investment connection as well as some humor in the message, but I just don’t get it. I can however, see that the church is not immune to such thoughts. The disciples were indignant with the sons of Zebedee for asking for positions of honor to sit at the right and the left hand of Jesus in his kingdom. Jesus responded to the ten, “…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave…” (Matt 20:26b-27 NIV) Most believers don’t have much trouble lifting up the weak and serving the downtrodden, but when someone in our midst thinks they’re superior, being their servant is the farthest thing from our mind.

Impregnable

On the corner of our property we have three large golden-tipped arborvitae shrubs growing closely together. In the summer I hate to trim them because they sting and are loaded with spiders and cobwebs. In the winter when they are covered deep with snow they appear to be one large rolling mound of dirt. I came home from the store last week and found two middle school boys with their sleds having a grand time using my arborvitaes as a ramp, while a third boy was poking his head up through the dense branches. I sent them packing and now I’ll have to wait until spring to see how much damage was done to my flattened shrubs. We don’t always know why kids do the things they do, but after some thought I realized that these boys had their armor on. They were so well dressed and protected for their winter sledding that a romp through the prickly bushes didn’t faze them in the least. I’m thinking that’s the same way I should be feeling when I put on the Full Armor of God.

Do You See What I See

On January 1^st the media always does a look back over what they consider to be the big events of the year. Usually the stories revolve around tragedy, scandal and political gamesmanship…or lack thereof. As individuals we too can fall into the same trap by mentally highlighting the past year’s losses and failures. However Paul reminds me of the importance of putting on spiritual glasses when I look back on 2011. ^“We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV)