Invisible Bonds

"God's method of binding souls to obedience is similar to His method of keeping the planets in their orbits--that is, by flinging them out free.  You see no chain keeping back these shining worlds to prevent them from bursting away from their center.  They are held in the grip of an invisible principle...And it is by the invisible bond of

Love

Love to the Lord who bought them--that ransomed men are constrained to live soberly and righteously, and godly."~William Arnot

Who is the Pharisee?

I've had this post rolling around in my head for a long time.  It is a delicate issue and has taken a lot of thought to be able to express in words.

There are a few "buzz-words" in Christianity that are ill-defined.  One of them is legalism.  When we think of legalism in the Bible, we almost immediately think of the Pharisees.  The Pharisees were a religious group that were extremely adamant about keeping all aspects of the given law.  Despite that point, Jesus pointed out that they were lacking, or lost.  I think that the idea of the Pharisees can not only cause us to stumble, but can also divide us greatly.   We know that Jesus did not come to abolish the law, but rather fulfill it but Salvation by grace alone through faith alone doesn't give us free-license to do whatever we want to do--I think we can all agree on that!  Jesus wasn't condoning adultery when the he stood up for the woman the Pharisees dragged before Him.  He confronted their hearts (aka motives) and then dealt with her by telling her to turn form her own sin.    Like the Pharisees, we can be very focused on God's Word and what it teaches--and that's a good thing.  But like the Pharisees, we can also do it for the wrong reasons and without love.  That's a bad thing.  But there is something else is far more successful at dividing the Church: judging the heart.

A few Sundays ago as I was sitting in church listening to a sermon about the attitudes of the Pharisees, our pastor made a statement and the first thing that flashed through my mind was:  I wish ________ (insert name here) could have heard that!  I have a feeling that I am not alone.  If you tell me that you have never sat in a sermon thinking: "I wish so-and-so could hear this!" then, well, I don't believe you.  We've all done it.  I recognized the irony in my thought almost immediately and felt ashamed.  And then my mind wandered to the many times that I felt anger or "judged" by someone else's convictions.  For instance,(and please excuse me for this illustration, it simply seems to be the most obvious) my mind will say that so-and-so always wears dresses so she must be judging me for wearing pants.  Logically, that is not true, yet my sinful mind wants to convict that person of judging me when chances are, they haven't.  It is possible that this person does it because it is what she believes God desires from her, yet she doesn't see pants as wrong.   I actually know many women who believe that way.   Paul addresses this issue in his letter to the Romans.  Evidently, the Roman church was struggling with judging the convictions of others.  Notice I say the convictions....not the sins!  Big difference!  The Bible instructs us to judge sin and deal with it.  It even gives us clear instruction on how to search our own hearts before confronting the sins of others.  (Matthew chapter 7)  But it never condones judging the heart.  That is for God and God alone!  No one but God can see into your heart and know the motives for what you do.  I believe that this is what Paul was addressing in Romans chapter 14.  How beautiful it is to be able to sit alongside another believer who had different convictions than you and be in perfect unity despite it!

That brings me back to the Pharisees.  The things they did were good.  Yet Jesus, who was qualified to judge their hearts, addressed the motive behind their obedience.  Why did He do that?  Was it so that we could recognize a Pharisee when we see one?  Um, well....no.  If you have followed my logic, you will see that the only ones qualified to address YOUR heart and YOUR motives are you and God.  More than that, when we think of others who hold different convictions as "Pharisees" we committed a great irony.  Since you are not qualified to judge the intentions of others, you have labeled them with a title that you yourself deserve.  Being a Pharisee is about judging the heart.  Ouch.

I started thinking about Nicodemus.,  He was a Pharisee, yet he had a desire to know what Jesus was teaching and to know whether or not it was truth.  When I read his story, I have a hard time believing that he was that terrible of a person-Pharisee or not.  Nicodemus was the one who eventually stood up to the Pharisees and asked the question:  Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?  John 7:52  Nicodemus got it.  After his encounter with Jesus, he understood what it meant to judge someone without knowing all of the facts!  Eventually, he reappears in chapter 19 providing spices with which to embalm his Savior.  He is a changed man.  Thank you Jesus for not dismissing him or giving up on him!


I have a feeling that a little bit of pride-lovin' Pharisee lives in each of us.  I wonder, however, how the Body of Christ would look if we could all do what we can to kill our inner Pharisee?  I wonder, if we could simply accept the convictions of others without feeling judged, or better yet, just sit and talk with them and attempt to understand them.  Get to know them.   I am sure it would take us moving far out of our comfort zone, but God never instructed you to even build a comfort zone!  It isn't horribly important that we all agree on everything, but the proper response to feeling conviction would be to search it out for ourselves and find what we believe to be true according to God's Word.  We also need to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in the matter.  If we are firm enough in our own convictions, then we really shouldn't feel judged by what others believe (unless they admit that they are judging us then in reality, it is more their problem than yours!)


How different would we be if we understood that the only one we are qualified to judge as a Pharisee is ourselves?  

Love, Correction, and Discipline: My Interview wtih Suzanna Kamphuis

 My wonderful friend Suzanna was another person that I sent my interview questions to.  She was very gracious to reply, despite being at the very end of her pregnancy!  Suzanna has the wonderful ability to draw people out in conversation and make them not only feel welcome, but also to think.  And I love her dearly!

1.  Tell me a little bit about yourself.

I’m a stay-at-home, sometime-homeschooling, sometime-not mom with hands in many pies, seldom

(much to my husband’s chagrin) a literal pie.

2. How would you define love?

I’ve been thinking a lot about love these days, reading I Corinthians 13 over silently to myself and aloud to my children.  I enjoy reading the King James Version, and in that version the term “charity” is used instead of “love.”   The Jacobeans, the society that produced the King James Version, were incredibly public minded, interested primarily in Biblical virtues as they affected society.  Thus, they used a term which brought to mind the social form of the Greek original, “agape.”  Conversely, today, many people tend to think of love as a private, heart-chosen, out-of-our-control emotion.  As Woody Allen infamously expressed, “The heart wants what it wants.” 

I grew up in a conservative church that sided with the Jacobeans in this debate.  Love was not about how you felt, but rather about what you did—the public effect was primary.  If and when you didn’t feel it—you were advised to “fake it ‘til you make it,” because “feelings follow actions.”  But in real life, sometimes feelings don’t follow actions.  Sometimes my heart strays while my hand holds to the plow.  Does God care whether I feel love or whether I just find a way to express something loving in spite of my feelings? 

Just to prove to you what an idea nerd I am, for my wedding,  I chose the song “Something That We Do,” by Clint Black to express this idea.  I know; so romantic!  The lyrics have a lot to say about what love isn’t, “Love’s not just something that we’re in…Love isn’t something that you find.”  But what if love is something that found you.  The greatest love I have ever know has quietly but consistently searched me out not for public effect but to minister to my private need.  In my depravity, when the hopelessness of my case is right before me, the miracle of Christ love is poured out on my parched earth. 

I John 4  tells me that it is not the Christian’s job to manufacture love, not even for the Saviour himself, “We love him because He first loved us.”  Just as He is the author of our Faith, He is the author of our love.  And yet He does have some requirements.  He literally commands us to share.  We are not to be cisterns—taking and storing; we are to be aqueducts—passing the love along.  I try to think of the words of Christ as they would have sounded to Old Testament ears.  “If ye love me keep my commandments.”  Think of how that must have sounded to people under the law—how freeing!  “I don’t have to earn God’s favour, God’s favour and the love that it has inspired in my heart is there to propel me forward.”  And where is forward?  Several verses later Christ tells us, “And this is my commandment that ye love one another.”  This is truly a New Covenant.  Receive the love of Christ, feel it, and give it to someone else. 

3.  Biblically, we are called to correct, instruct, and encourage one another to righteousness.  In what circumstances should we do this?  How do we balance this with our call to love?

I Corinthians 13 speaks explicitly about the superiority of love.  The gifts God has given us “to correct, instruct, or encourage one another to righteousness” in this life lack clarity.  “We know in part…We prophecy in part.”  In contrast, charity (or love) “never faileth.”  It is the one tool in our arsenal as Christians that literally is guaranteed to work every single time. 

I’m sad to say that I have been on both the giving and receiving end of correction, instruction, and encouragement in righteousness that was not grounded in love.  It’s not a pleasant experience to get beaten up by another person’s “gift.”  In fact the word “gift” seems a bit of a misnomer when your eyes are getting poked, your hair is getting pulled, your ears are being boxed by your beloved brother or sister in Christ, who then proceeds to pray that you will receive their words in a spirit of love.  A gift to who?  Not to me.  Even when the words are true, it is hard to learn when you feel attacked.  As Paul says in I Corinthians 12, “There is a more excellent way.”

Following I Corinthians 13 is…drum roll please…I Corinthians 14.  In I Corinthians 14 we are instructed to desire spirituals gifts, such as prophecy…as they flow from love…and as we can understand their limited usefulness because of our limited selves.  At this time, we are working in pretty murky water; we do not yet see “face to face.”  Ah, the blessed humility of knowing that my “insights” are often misguided, my feelings frequently interfere with my spiritual sight.  And yet, just as God does not despise my frailty, He does not despise my pursuit of spiritual gifts.  I am not called to be a limp fish or a door mat, but to be fully me, led by His Spirit in a unique way to serve His kingdom.  BUT…my gifts need a regular bath, or they will start to stink maybe not to my nose but to the noses of those around me.  Humility and love scour my gifts and make them acceptable to company. 

4. The big phrase you hear today is "don't judge me!"  The Bible instructs us to judge not, lest we be judged.  What does this passage mean to you?  Is there ever a circumstance where we are called to judge?

 I once heard a Biblical scholar explain that this phrase from the Gospels simply means that one shouldn’t get into the business of judging unless you yourself are prepared to be judged.  Not being a Biblical scholar myself, I jumped on the explanation in my usual enthusiastic way. 

I think there certainly is a time and a place within the parameters set by I Corinthians 13 to speak an honest question into someone’s life.  “Love seeketh not her own.”  The love of Christ does not flatter or seek ego fulfilment in the eyes of the beloved.  But for me, judgment involves a sentence, a statement of determination.  I find that to be antithetical to the definition of love in I Corinthians 13.  “

My Story

I became a Jesus-follower somewhere between 1992-1994.  If you attend a Baptist church like I do, you might have trouble with that statement because you think that there has to be a date and and hour when you "sealed the deal."  But I truly believe that for some it is more of a process than it is a prayer.  I love how John Piper explains the process as an electrical system.  People come into our lives and help to install the wiring tracts for the system, but one day God flips the switch and turns on the lights, which only God can do.  I can pinpoint the time in my life with much certainty that God "flipped the switch."

It is different for everyone, I am sure.  My story is not a condemnation of any one's belief systems, nor is it a commentary on the faith of those I grew up with, it is simply a story of someone who came away from a particular system empty and scared.  Not all people have the same response that I did-I can only speak for myself.

When I was little, my parents were faithful church attendees.  We went to a close-knit Church of Christ.  I think that back in the day, there was a fairly good sized congregation, but the perspective of a child I have found is sometime skewed when it comes to size and proportion.  But they were family. They still are.  The church no longer holds the name "Church of Christ."  I don't know why they changed the name, but I wondered if it had anything to do with that denominations beliefs on salvation and baptism.  I really don't know for sure.

I remember Sunday School and Junior Church and VBS.  We learned to memorize Bible verses, the books of the Bible, and so on.  I have some very fond memories that reach back to those events.  But as I grew into a teenager, I was a bit worried.  I had met people who I had believed had a real connection with God that I seemed to be lacking.  If you would have asked me back then what it meant to be a Christian I'm not really sure what I would have told you.  I found comfort in a lot of things that I don't see as edifying now.  My choice in music was one of them.  My choice in relationships was another.  I have never had any experience with drugs, but I did drink a few times well before I was of age.  I spent a lot of time telling my mother that I listened to heavy metal for the music, but I didn't care for the lyrics-which was a lie and I knew it.

I went through a lot of traumatic things as a child.  Not in my family-they were wonderful.  I had loving, faithful parents.  My trauma was more with friends and it started with a neighbor that decided one day to raise an army against me.  You know how girls fight?  They are never content just to be mad at you, they have to take all of their friends with them and form an army.  My adolescence started that way.  I have had some great friends, but my experience with just one friend left me wounded and raw.  I spent the rest of my teenage years looking for acceptance and love.  I was loved at home, but I needed more.  I needed love from  people who were not blood-related and obligated to love me!  In retrospect, I think I just wanted to be worthy of love.  That led me to seek out love in the wrong places. (remember that song?  Looking for love in all the wrong places?  I always get that song stuck in my head when I tell this story!)  What I did not know then was that I had a hole in my heart that would never and could never be filled by people.

So let me rewind for a minute.  When I was 10 years old, I wanted to be baptized.  I saw that everyone else around me was doing it, and I really wanted to take communion.  My parents called the pastor and he came out to our home to talk with us.  I don't remember a single word he said.  What I do remember was that after our meeting I was scared. I was scared that I would not make it to the church to my baptism.  What if I got hit by a train, truck, or swept up by a tornado?  Then I would be condemned to hell for sure! I don't know how long it was in between the meeting and the baptismal service-let's just say 2 weeks for the sake  of argument.  Two weeks is a long time to sit and worry about death!  I needed my sins washed away now!  But the two weeks passed, and I lived.  I made it to the church and I walked down the isle.  I stood in front of our small congregation and made a profession of faith: that I believed that Jesus was the Son of God, I believed He died and rose again, and I believed that I needed Him for a Savior.  And I really did believe that.  Now time to wash those sins away.  I remember one of my first thoughts when coming up out of the water: what now?  All those sins are gone, does that mean I can never sin again?  How can I be "good enough" for this God? How bad do I have to be to lose this salvation that I just earned by baptism?  These were all subconscious questions I had.  They weren't answered for a few years.

So fast-forward now to those teenage years.  Several years of attempting to "be good" had found me flat on my face.  I had failed so many times.  I didn't even desire righteousness.  I made my own form of it.  I supposed that there were people out there who were much worse than me, so I must be doing okay-even though my soul knew I wasn't okay.  I won't lie to you, I was tormented.  I used to cry at night knowing I wasn't good enough.  When I was in high school and struggling with the "friend thing" I had a thought that I would rather be dead.  I never tried to accomplish that-I just wanted it.  Yet through the day, I wore a confident face for my family and justified everything I did to myself and others.  I never would have described myself as "empty" like I know that it was now.   I just didn't know.

After learning the ways of the world through a miserable relationship with a man, I decided that it was time to change myself.  I resolved to be better.  God brought a wonderful man into my life.  He was everything that I wanted, but he was also something that I hated--Baptist.  My thoughts on denominational lines now are different, but that is another subject for another time.  I went to some of his church gatherings and he came to some of mine.  In less than a year of knowing him, I knew that I would marry him-but I would never go to a Baptist church!

God has a great sense of humor.  But I digress.

My husband and his family introduced me to the doctrine of grace.  This was something totally new for me.  I didn't remember hearing much about it growing up.  I struggled with it at first--because it is a totally un-natural, radical thing.  I asked a lot of questions but still couldn't grasp the idea that I could accept Christ as my savior and then live my life any way I wanted and I would still be His.  Asinine.  For the record-I still don't believe that, but I understand now the transforming power of grace and how God takes a heart of stone from us and transforms it into a living, warm heart of flesh.  Remember when I talked about laying the ground wire and letting God flip the switch?  It's coming soon. All of the things that I learned about God over the years, all of the things that were continuing to wire me was about to be activated by God.  In all of my questioning and confusion, He led me to this verse:

Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been  saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God and not by works, lest any man can boast."


I didn't read that and say:  "oooh!  I get it!" No, when I read that I realized that what I had believed all of these years could possibly be wrong.  So one night, somewhere between 1992 and 1994-I don't even remember if it was spring, summer, whatever- I was lying in bed crying.  I prayed to God and told Him that I didn't know what was true, but I just wanted Him.  And I wanted truth.  I needed Him to open my eyes and show me because my "self" wasn't figuring this out and I certainly had never had the peace I desired.  God is faithful.  And when we humble ourselves before Him, He gives us what we really need.  He knew that this was the cry of my heart and that it was genuine.  That night, I believe that He performed a work in me.  I believe that the next morning I woke up with a clean slate.  The work of baptism that I hoped to wash my sins away failed, but my desires were accomplished by a simple act of faith.  I didn't know it immediately, but I began to see God change me.  I lost the desire for some of the music I once loved.  My thoughts in other areas had changed.  Others noticed a difference and commented on it.  I wasn't super-Christian, flying around with my sword of righteousness--no it was a bit more subtle than that.  But it was a change.  And I knew something that I had never known before:  I was His forever.  Nothing I did was ever going to change that.  My dirty self was now clothed in the righteousness of Christ and one day I would show up at the gates wearing His righteousness-not my own.  And when I got there and He asked me "Why should I let you into my heaven?"  I would start to speak and Jesus would interrupt and say:

"Father, this one is Mine.  I did all of the work for her, she simply believed."

I now believe that salvation doesn't depend on what kind of church you go to.  We attend a Baptist church simply because we like it and find it to be Biblically sound.  But I have learned that my beliefs don't have to lie within Baptist boundaries-just Biblical ones. God has used the past 19ish years to transform me, mold me, and change my wrong-headed thinking on many things.  And I am still open to that.  I am learning all of the time.  (Hence the blog title)  Despite the things I don't know, I still know one thing for sure:  I am His forever and nothing will change that.  Nothing, self included, can remove me from His hand.  Amazing love. I have found rest from my works in the arms of a loving Savior.


Do you rest in Him too?

Words of Love

If you don't have anything nice to say-don't say anything at all.

How many times has your mother said that to you?  Just the other night I was having a discussion with my girls about etiquette.  I told them that a general rule of thumb (for which they giggled and giggled at the idea of a thumb ruling)  was that if a comment about someones appearance was edging it's way out, evaluate it to see if it is something positive or negative.  If it's negative, smash it down and smile and say something positive.

These days, with Facebook and other social media, our thoughts can be broadcast within seconds to over 300 people.  What one or two people might have normally heard becomes an announcement for the masses.    What we say, and how we say it are locked into cyberspace forever.  Over the last few years, I have learned much about what to say and what not to say.  Oh, I am not perfect (anyone that knows me knows that) but I have learned some important lessons. 

I want to share this with you all, and I want you to know that I am not condemning anyone, I am simply sharing what God has taught me.  (I dream of a world where we can do that and no one gets offended--maybe in the millennium...)

I believe that for Christians, our words should be dripping with love.  Why?  Because God has poured out His love on us.  We are really no more deserving than anyone else to receive His favor.  I remember telling my daughter that God loves Osama Bin Laden-even if Osama never returned His love.  God loved Jeffery Daumer (I didn't tell them about him!!) Even if Jeffery Daumer never returned that love.  The truth is, in order to love one another, we need to get over the idea that these people were or any worse than us in the eyes of God.  When we realize the depths of our own sin, and what Jesus did to redeem us from that~THAT is when we can begin loving others.  We don't deserve to be loved.  Period.  But we are.  Praise God!

This is not a dissertation on whether or not one sin is greater than another.  That's a deep subject and I am not going there.  The point is simply this:  before we trust Christ, we simply cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6)~every bit of righteousness is compared to a pile of filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).  Then along comes this beautiful Savior and we learn, much to our relief,  that our pile of filthy rags don't matter because it's not about that.  It is about His sparkling white robe that He graciously clothes us with.  It's about grace.  It's about being loved when we are unlovable.  It, in return makes us want to love the unlovable~simply so that they can see the grace that Christ extends to us.

There are ideologies that are bad.  I believe that Osama had bad ideologies.  If fact, I believe that our own president has some bad ideologies.  Is it okay to discuss the difference in ideologies?  Okay~and essential for preserving what we have fought for in America.  But underneath those ideologies lie souls.  Eternal souls that have been wounded by sin.  Just like me.  And you. 

We are adept at using the grace card when we want to do something that we think God might not approve of.  "It's not about what I do!" we exclaim.  "It's all about grace-so don't judge me!"  But when we are quick to exclaim what others deserve we unwittingly make it about works instead of grace.  Bin Laden deserves to rot in hell.....hmmmm..

...so do I.....

But I won't.  How amazing.  How utterly amazing.

So, for what it might be worth to you, if I have ever been unloving to you I humbly seek your forgiveness.  And if you ever see me forget and start ranting about a person (not an ideology) then I expect you to let me know.  Remind me.  It's okay.  I am human and I forget.  But we are here to hold each other up.  To exhort one another to righteousness.  

I love you!

The Scarlet "A"

It's a nasty word.  We run from it.  We shun it.  We call it "judgmental."  We avoid it like the plague.

Accountability.

Non-believers hate it because it is scary to think that there is something or someone that we might be accountable to. 

Believers hate it because it is painful.

Yet it is a glorious tool that the Holy Spirit uses to shape and mold us into the image of the one who saved us. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17  "All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."  

I read an article on a blog a few weeks back.  I can't remember now which blog it was, probably The Gospel Coalition or The Resurgence.  I am sorry that I cannot give kudos to who it is due, but it was a point too great not to share.  The author was addressing those who were seeking positions in church leadership.  The very first piece of advice he gave to prospective leaders was to find a group of men/women to whom you can be accountable.  Find a group that will not be afraid to correct, rebuke, or instruct you.  Spend your first year of training with these people and be humble.  Then, and only then, will you be ready for leadership.

Wow.  


I thought that was incredible advice.  And I began to think: what if we are not in a leadership position?  Shouldn't we be doing the same?

I know from experience that the people who are the best equipped to correct, rebuke, and instruct are the hardest people to be around.  For a time, that is.  I *think* it gets easier as time goes on.  But I am not really sure.  I am still at the point in my life where I am acutely aware that I need that direction. 

But sometimes I think we get mixed up in the grace-accountability web.  We think that because it is not our works that save us, that the rest is unimportant.  I personally think that the rest is unimportant before we come to Christ, but after it is of the utmost importance for our spiritual growth and well-being.  Yet we (I) fight it with all the strength of a heavy-weight champion. 

I believe that it is all part of the war..  It makes us ineffective for the kingdom of Christ.  It blends us in with the world.

2 Timothy 4:2-4  "Preach the Word!  Be ready in season and out of season.  Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and teaching.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, (because) they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."


I always appreciate the wisdom of others, and I would love to hear from you.  If you are a follower of Christ, what do you think about this matter?

The War

There is a war going on.  One that most are not aware of.  It is a war for the hearts and minds of God's people.  It is an all-time war--waged since the beginning of time.  It's blows render us ineffective for a time.  They are subtle, we really don't even notice most days.  True, we cannot see the warfare around us, but we feel the effects, and usually when it is too late.

In England, that war escalated recently.  What was once a "civil rights" struggle for one group has now become a freedom of speech-religion issue for another.  The problem is~  where do we draw the lines?  How do we speak up for what we believe in, and when do we stop speaking?  If you have not read the article, it talks about a street preacher being arrested for calling homosexuality a sin.  He was not violent.  He was not shouting hate speech.  He was simply sharing his beliefs, which is something that Christians do out of love and commandment. 

The war is going on behind the scenes in America.  Liberal law professors are working hard to outlaw the exclusive teaching of Christianity in our country.  After listening to Michael Farris speak at the Indiana Convention of Home Educators, I am more and more convinced that America's rights to freedom of religion are dwindling every year.  Farris read from papers published by these law "experts" that attempted to convey the threat of  the home school community on the future of America.  We are dangerous to them because we refuse to let them have our kids.  We indoctrinate them into Biblical theology, and teach them that Jesus is the only way to God.  (YES!!)  They can't have our kids for 40 hours a week to tell them any different.   We are raising a generation of dissenters.  Whether you believe it or not, there are many working hard behind the scenes to turn America into a Orwellian utopia.

So what can we do about it?  

Obviously, I am not an expert on anything.  But I do have an opinion.  And a blog.  And freedom of press--for now.


This is a tough war because the enemy is tricky.  He has successfully divided God's people.  We turn on each other.  As another blogger put it:  we shoot our own..  And the truth is, if we cannot stand unified as a body of believers, we will lose the civil right to spread the truth of Jesus in this country.  It might not be in my lifetime, but my children and grandchildren will suffer the effects.

The only way that revival will happen in our country is if it starts with the family.  Sure, we can go to church every Sunday.  We can even go on Wednesday nights.  We can drop our kids off at every program the church offers.  We've been doing that for years.  Statistically, 85% of our youth will leave the church at some point.  So how's that working for us?

The truth is that we have been brainwashed so much that we even question our own convictions to call sin, well sin.  We worry about hurting someone's feelings.  And in this day and age...it is all about feelings.  We worry that we will come off as unloving, yet we fail to realize that true love always points the object of it's affection to truth.   We are afraid to share what God has done to radically transform our lives for fear of being called legalistic.  (true legalism does exist, and I realize that there are many people who have been hurt by it.--I do not endorse it.)  As a result, the church has become an institution that fails to recognize the fact that they have assimilated themselves into the "collective."  The same thing happened in Nazi Germany.  By the time people realized it, their Bibles had been replaced with Mein Kampf--and there was little they could do about it. 

At the current rate of decline in America, I believe that in my lifetime I will see many Christian things outlawed.  I have already seen hate crime legislation that sets Bible believing Christians up for persecution should they vocalize their belief about a particular sin.  I would not be surprised if my children are forbidden by law to home educate their own children, or even take them along to church if they resist. (for more insight check out my post 20 things you need to know about the CRC.)

Our first defense is always prayer.

2 Chronicles 7:14  "If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Isn't humility what it is all about?  Can we really approach the Creator of the universe thinking that our ways are higher or better than His?

We have to ask ourselves:  How do we become a people who hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God, instead of our own man-made righteousness?  Then we need to ask:  Am I willing to stand for the truth of God no matter what persecution I might face?

If American believers cannot figure out where we are losing ground--and do it quickly--we will lose the freedoms that we enjoy and take for granted.  We need to stop what we are doing and take a look around us.  We need to know what we are fighting against and who our enemy is.  We are not battling flesh and blood here.  The only way revival will happen in our land is if it starts within the family.

A God I Could Love.......

There are so many people around me struggling with hurts.

Some are reeling from abuse.

Some are recovering from the race of trying to just be good enough.

When our hearts have been wounded by the ones we love, we need refuge.  A safe place to hide from the condemnation. 

There is a safety in the arms of Jesus.

BUT

Jesus is not safe.

A life lived in relentless pursuit of Jesus will result in~

A relentless pursuit of our hearts and minds by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ will not condemn us.  There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.  That's God's promise to us.  

BUT 

He also promises to transform us into His image.  He promises the Holy Spirit who is there to perform heart surgery on us.  

And it is painful sometimes.

But it is for His Kingdom.  His glory.

I cannot make God who I want Him to be.  I can't take the parts of Him that don't make sense to me and discard them.

God is God~and I am not.

I can only rest in the glory of His love and let Him do His work in me~knowing that He loves me, and I am His for eternity.

Beauty and Love

We all struggle with something.

For me it is insecurity and fear of rejection.

There.  I said it.

I have struggled with these things all of my life.  They have affected my relationships on almost every level.

Fear of really reaching out and connecting with someone.

What if they don't want to be my friend?

What will that say about me?

The truth is, most of us probably struggle with this on some level.  We worry about how other people perceive us.    

We worry that we will wear out our welcome. 

We worry that we are not loved the way we long to be.  

There is a love that desired and pursues us even when we are unlovely.  There is a friend who will hold on to us and see us through the insecurity.  A friend who loves loves at all times. 

A friend who helps us to love others where they are.  

And when we know that we have been loved right where we are, it is easier to give that love in return.

There is such beauty in the love of Jesus.  

We only need to open our eyes and look.

Open your eyes and look upon the handiwork of God.   Open your soul and feel the breath of glory all around~everywhere there's evidence of love... 

Death to the Old Man...I'm Coming Alive!!!

This is me favorite song.  I am new...not who I once was.  Surrendered to Christ--a work of the Holy Spirit.  I am loved--not because I am good, but because He is good!

Misguided Faith is no Laughing Matter

It's so easy for us to poke fun at people we think are crazy.  Maybe it's the way we deal with strange ideas that don't resonate with us.  I tend to joke and tease about many things-that's "just me."  But I have to tell you that I was quite convicted these past few weeks of how people (including myself) made light of a very serious situation.  I watched satan steal my testimony to those caught up in rapture mania.

No one likes to be mocked.  I know I don't.  I have had my faith in Jesus Christ mocked many times.  If you have never been in that position, I guarantee you--it's not a fun place to be.  So what would make me think that poking fun at Camping followers thinking the rapture would happen on a certain date would be a good idea?  Just caught up in the teasing maybe.  Not realizing the potential damage it could do.  Forgetting that Jesus Christ is love.  Could you imagine your young child coming to you and asking you to discern whether or not a faerie tale is real--and you laughing at him and poking fun at him until he disappears in shame--no longer to seek your guidance for the fear of ridicule?   I didn't think so.
The last thing I would want would be to push someone away from real faith in Christ for fear or ridicule or shame!

It's easier to make light of something when we don't personally know anyone with that particular belief system.  When we actually know people eternal souls who have fallen for lies, it becomes more personal.  When we stop and realize the weight that such a false teacher has on the church and the lost--and how satan is convincing believers to mock and ridicule and destroying our testimony of faith--then we might be able to see it in a different light.

I have repented of this sin.  I was right there along with them in the beginning, and now I grieve my actions.  Will you join me in turning from this sin and loving them for Christ?

G.O.S.P.E.L

I can't tell you how much I love this video.  It makes me want to stand and cheer, sing and shout.   This is TRUTH  please watch!

Cultivating a Culture of Failure?

Last week Indiana governor Mitch Daniels signed a bill that would require teachers to be paid by merit rather than seniority.  To union members, this was a slap in the face.  To those of us who work at jobs where our raises are based upon evaluation of performance, it probably made a bit more sense.  I loved reading the comments on the Northwest Indiana Times Facebook page.  The reactions were mixed and quite insightful.

One of the comments stood out to me.  A woman defending the teachers said that you can't always blame the teachers for poor performance of their students.  Her assertion was that there is too little parental involvement, and if the kids don't get the help they need at home, then they are more likely to fail despite the talents of the teacher.  I want you to know that I am in whole-hearted agreement with her.  But I do see an irony in the situation that maybe she doesn't see.

When I first decided to home educate my kids, I was met with many questions and criticisms.  One of the frequent criticisms was that I was not "qualified" to teach my kids at home.  Despite the fact that over 20 years of high scores on standardized test in the home school community, we are still met with this argument.  I believe that it is a prevailing attitude that parents are to feed and clothe their kids, and it is up to the schools to do the rest.  I can even see this line of thinking spilling over into the church community.

Last year I read the book Already Gone: Why Your Child Will Quit Church and what You can do to Stop it.  It was an eye-opener to think that 85% of churched children will leave their faith behind at some point in their lives.  The book made a lot of good points, but In my opinion, it missed to mark with the solutions that it offered.  Churches these days look much like schools.  Sunday school classes are age-segregated.  The emphasis is on programs for the kids.  We have really fallen short of encouraging parents to take on their God-given call to teach God's Word to their own children.  Some have even gone so far as to tell parents that they are not qualified to teach the Bible to their own children.  We are even rearranging the rules of our Bible clubs to accommodate the children who lack parental involvement at home.  We see it as necessary to the spiritual development of the child, and just assume that no amount of encouragement will inspire the busy parents to get involved.   So we continue to tweak Sunday School and Bible club curriculum and avoid the real problem for fear of insulting parents who are too busy to help.

It is really hard to place the blame squarely on these parents.  This is just the way we think these days.  Government and schools have pressed hard to make parents understand that their children's education is not their responsibility, but rather the government's responsibility.  It isn't so hard to imagine this line of thought trickling over into Church culture.  Young couples are focused on careers and being able to afford the things they want.  Most moms can't wait until their kids are old enough for school so they can have their lives back.  It's just the way we are.  I remember thinking this way at one point too.

I don't have all of the answers for the school systems.  I have perceived it as a broken system for quite some time, hence the decision to home educate.  For parents, however, I can confidently say that we can turn the tide of mediocrity.  All it will take is a dedication to being the number one educator and influence in your child's life.  For some, it might mean cutting back on work to spend more time with the family.  Or maybe just getting up an hour earlier to read the Bible together before school.  Whatever it may be, the core of it is taking the responsibility for raising your kids upon yourself and not allowing the church and the schools to claim the primary responsibility. 

If the schools really want kids to succeed, they need to send a message to the parents that they ARE qualified.  I believe that it is the same with churches.  The key is educating parents about their Godly call to be the primary educator, then equip them to succeed in doing so.  A little bit of encouragement can go a long way.

Are You Burdened?

Matthew 11:25-30   Then Jesus prayed this prayer; "O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding the truth to those who think themselves so wise and clever, and revealing it to the childlike.  Yes Father! It pleased You to do it this way!  My Father has given Me authority over everything. No one really knows the Son except the Father, and no one really knows the Father except the Son and to those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.  


Then Jesus said,  "Come to Me, all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you.  Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." NLT

Jesus identifies the Jewish leaders as the wise and clever, and followers of truth as childlike.

To quote John MacArthur:  "Note that this is an open invitation for all who hear-but is phrased in such a way that the only ones who will respond to the invitation are those who are burdened by their own spiritual bankruptcy and the weight of trying to save themselves by keeping the law."

The greatest moment in my life was when I realized that the burden of sin wasn't mine.  That weight was lifted by the true knowledge of the Messiah.  I have found rest for my soul in Jesus Christ.  I hope you find it too. 

My Eulogy

Have you ever thought about what you want people to say about you after you are gone?  I know it sounds a little morbid, but it is something to think about.  Our Sunday School teacher was reading a portion of "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan this past Sunday.  It was a story of a 14 year old girl who's life ended tragically early, but she left behind an incredible legacy of love and living out the Gospel.  At 14.  Amazing.  I started to think this week about what people might say about me when I am gone.  No, not a selfish thing, an introspective thing.  If people were really honest, what would they say about you?

I think it might be helpful to us to think about what we would like to "be," so I put some thought into it for myself.  I figure I have the rest of my life to live up to it.

My Eulogy~

Lori was first and foremost a lover of Jesus.  She craved truth.
Even at the expense of her own pride or prejudices.
She wanted to be everything that He wanted her to be.
She was never one to be ashamed of the Gospel,
Even in the face of intimidation and persecution.

Lori spent her life learning how to be a better wife and mother.
She loved her husband very much.
She also poured her life and energy out into the training of their children.
She was passionate about teaching them truth, discernment, knowledge,
But most of all....love. 

Because of her deep joy and contentment in the Lord,
Lori brought joy to everyone she touched.
She had a deep desire to see the same joy and peace in everyone she knew.

She wasn't afraid to "give until it hurt."
She understood that nothing in this life really belonged to her,
Rather all things belonged to the Creator.
She lived her life with the intent of storing up her treasures in heaven-
Rather than on earth.
She opened her home, talents, and wallet to anyone in need.

Lori's deepest desire is now fulfilled as she rests in the arms of the One who says:

"Well done, thy good and faithful servant."

Planting Seeds of Righteousness

It was a tough week.  I am not sure why, but my kids decided to test all limits this week.  I was tired, frustrated, and heartbroken that my "training" wasn't sinking in.  I was so tempted to just tune myself out and hide.


BUT- just when you think that your words are rattling off of empty walls in empty rooms, a glimmer of hope appears.  The softening of a heart.  Repentance.  A total 180 degree about-face.  A sacrifice made to meet the need of a sibling rather than focusing on "what I want"

 ....My heart sings!

Galatians 6:9 "Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." 

I reminded myself of that verse in the morning.  I reaped the benefits that afternoon.

God is good.

Motherhood is good.  We can't grow weary and tune out.  We need to be tuned in with our hearts...to their hearts.  Moms know.  Maybe today you will join me privately in the quiet of a bathroom or bedroom gently thumping your head against a wall, but if we persevere, we will reap the blessings of our training.

Patience. Seeds don't grow overnight.

There is a season.

He Covers Me

I know, I know.  You probably hate when people blog song lyrics!  So leave then.  I love music.  When I play the piano, I feel like I can pour my emotions out onto the keys and express myself through a few notes.  (not that I am that great of a piano player...but)  And then there are the occasional lyrics that make you stand and scream YES! YES!  That is truth.

That is why I love Steve Camp. 

His music is so full of truth.  So some inspiration for a Friday-my favorite Steve Camp song~

He Covers Me

Oh Lord, I feel so lonely,
and ashamed of who I am.
How I often fell,
I hid it well.
It is a lie I cannot defend.
So I lean upon your mercy,
As I confess my sin to You.
There is no easy way,
No saving face-
When You finally see the truth.
So let my life be filled with only You.

I know some day I will be free,
The weight of sin shall be released,
But for now He covers me.
And though the trials never end,
I've learned to take them as my friend,
For each day He covers me!

Sometimes the pressure builds around me,
And I feel about to break.
I suffer painfully from wrongs done to me,
But vengence isn't mine to take.
So let me glory in my weakness,
Until Your strength is revealed in me.
It is Your grace alone,
That helps me carry on.
To be the man I long to be.
So let Your life be perfected Lord, in me-
Until it's YOU they see!

I know some day I will be free,
The weight of sin shall be released,
but for now He covers me.
And thought the trials never end,
I've learned to take them as my friend.
For each day-He covers me!

And though heartache surrounds me-
I know Your love is around me!
Nothing can separate me from You!
I KNOW it's true!

God Loves You

My all time favorite Christian group is Watermark.  Ask anyone at my church.  50% of what I sing on Sundays are Watermark songs!  This song is a bit more obscure, because as far as I know, it was never released, but one of my favorites.  Very encouraging.  Consider these lyrics:

I have hidden you,
I've set you apart,
and saved the best for me.

I loved you that much-
That I would hold the things that you think you want,
And give you the things that you really need.

Don't you know, I know you.
Don't you know, I know where you are.
And all of heaven sings over you,
Because of the depths of My love.

I love you with a love-
That you cannot think of.
I am near you even though you feel far away.
I rescued you and carried you and caused your world to stop.
Just so I could hear you say that you love Me too.

Don't you know, I know you.
Don't you know, I know where you are.
And all of heaven sings over you,
Because of the depths of My love.