What Pleases the Lord? (Part 2)

“and find out what pleases the Lord.” Ephesians 5:10

As we continue on in our treasure hunt in searching out what pleases the Lord I would like to refer you to Part 1 of this series if you have not already read that before continuing on with us in Part 2. Otherwise, welcome!

Obedience

But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices  as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15:22

“If you love me, keep my commands.” John 14:15

Obedience to our Heavenly Father and His word is one of the simplest ways to please the Lord. However, there are times when obedience feels as if it is one of the hardest things to do. Especially, when we are caught between doing what is right and doing what we want (what feels good). Obedience isn’t always easy, but it is always right. Take for example Abraham with his son Isaac. I have no doubt that Abraham had thoughts of disobeying the Lord. What parent in their right mind would want to kill their own child? Abraham had to struggle between what was right and what felt right. God honored Abraham’s obedience by sending a ram as a substitute sacrifice instead of Isaac. Are we willing to obey even when it doesn’t make sense? Are we willing to obey when it goes against everything within us that “feels” right?” Like Abraham, are we willing to obey when it “appears” to go against God’s promise over our life? There are times when our obedience will be tested. How will our obedience measure up when the testing comes?  

Giving of our lives

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:15-16

The fruit of our lives often speaks louder than our words. Are we bearing fruit that is tender and sweet or is it bitter and tart in the mouth of others? The people around us should be able to taste and see that the Lord is good. If our lives are not visibly showing Christ, then we can not possibly please the Lord. Hebrews tells us that we should be continually offering praise, the fruit of our lips should speak of His name. If we are not speaking about our Savior and all He has done in our lives, how can we possibly please God? Our lives are a walking, breathing, speaking, living testimony of God’s amazing grace. If we do not speak of this, who will? When we give our entire life, everything we do and say to the Lord as a living testimony for the world to see, hear, and taste, this pleases our Heavenly Father. By walking our lives this way we will stand before Christ and hear “well done good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)

Humility

“For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.” Psalm 149: 4

“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” Psalm 51:16-17

Our humility is the key to God’s heart. Our Heavenly Father delights in a heart that is humble and broken before him. If our hearts are not in a place of humility the Lord is not obligated to move on our behalf. His heart is moved by our humility. Our humility pleases the Lord. Think about how much easier it is to work with others who are humble and teachable as opposed to those who are arrogant and unyielding. Our relationship with God is no different. When we keep our hearts humble before Him, He is able to do so much more in us and through us then when we are puffed up with arrogance and pride. Our humility will become our crown of victory. How humble we are will determine the size of our victory crown. A heart full of humility the Lord will cherish.

Righteousness

“The Lord detests those whose hearts are perverse, but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.” Proverbs 11:20

“To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” Proverbs 21:3 (ESV)

The Lord takes delight in us when we walk in righteousness, when our ways are blameless. I think the best way to put this into perspective is to relate it to the parent/child relationship. When our kids are being respectful, honoring and obedient with no malice or bitterness in their hearts, then we as parents can delight in them. On the flip side of that, if our children are rebelling and doing all they can to disassociate from us, then our hearts can not fully delight in them. This does not mean that we do not still love them, of course we do, but we will inevitably find ourselves frustrated and worn out by them during these times. I believe in some small way our Heavenly Father is much the same way. He never stops loving us no matter how far we push Him away, but I believe His heart can not fully delight in us when we are not walking in righteousness. So, if we want to make the heart of the Lord smile, we should walk righteously and blamelessly before Him. 

Grace

“Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.” Romans 14:13-18

I realize this is a long section of scripture, but I felt the need to include more than just the emphasized section so that you had an understanding of what was going on. Paul was addressing the Roman Christians (as well as us today) that we need to be willing to extend grace in some areas and not be so legalistic. In the transitioning between the old covenant and the new covenant Paul realized that there would be Christians at various stages learning how to function under a new way of interacting with the Lord. He was encouraging them to extend one another grace as they learned how to make this transition. We too need to become a people of grace. New believers are not going to understand everything that a mature Christian might. We can let righteousness, peace and joy flow out of each of us and by doing so, grace will be there as well to understand that God is working on each heart in His own way and in His own time. If we try to become legalistic about all of it we become no better than the pharisees and sadducees, and we all know how Christ felt about them.

Call to action

Today we discussed five things that please the Lord. We talked about our obedience, the giving of our lives and the fruit we are producing, our humility, walking in righteousness, and extending grace. All of these things bring a smile to the face of our Heavenly Father when we put them into practice. I realize this list may seem overwhelming, but I want to encourage you today to choose one of the five things we discussed and make a conscious effort to make that a priority. Take one thing and please the Lord with that one area this week and watch how God’s heart will delight in you because of your diligence.

Sweet Father, I thank you that you have given us keys to your heart in your word. Thank you that you have shown us the very things that please you. I pray that you give us each a drive to work on at least one of these five areas this week so that we can bring a smile to your face and in turn become a witness to the world. We pray this in your precious name.

Stepping Off The Cliff

I frequently hear people say “God is never going to give you more than you can handle” when I have faced an overwhelming circumstance. All I can say is “hogwash!” More often than not, God has allowed things to enter my life that I could not remotely handle. I also have plenty of friends who would say the same thing with the circumstances they have faced in their lives. I’m sure each one of us can relate, at least to one degree or another. We all have had occasions in our lives that we have felt like we were drowning. I truly believe that God allows our worlds to “fall apart” just so that we come to the end of ourselves and to the beginning of Him.

I was thinking the other day about how God has asked my family to step off the cliff (spiritually speaking). In the natural, selling everything we owned, leaving a steady job, being forced to rely on the generous giving of others each month for our survival, and uprooting our entire family to one of the poorest countries in the world was God’s way of saying “step off the cliff.” It’s as if the Lord’s voice echoed “I dare you to leave everything sensible in this world and take a leap of faith that will cause you to be completely out of control. Yes, it will absolutely be more than you can handle, but watch what I can do with the things you can’t do.” 

When God called us to Liberia, there was no promise that my kids would not get sick and die, there was no promise that money would keep coming to sustain us, there was no promise that things were going to be okay. In other words, when God called our family to step off the cliff, He did not give us a parachute or a harness and rappelling ropes for us to bail ourselves out. There were no safety nets under us or helicopters standing in the waiting for our rescue. When God called us to step off the cliff, there was no turning back. The Lord dared our family to step out knowing that we had no chance of stepping back onto the safety and security of our comfort zones, aka, the cliff in which we we had left behind.

Two years after stepping off this cliff, our family would absolutely say that there have been many times we felt like we were free falling out of control. But, even in the midst of the falling, we are continually reminded that our lives are not falling apart, but rather falling into place. Stepping out when the ground beneath is unable to be seen is a scary place. But we have learned that when the Lord calls us to step off the cliff, it absolutely will be more than we can handle, but it will never be more than God can handle. And that my friend, is all the safety net we will ever need!

Call to Action

What is God calling you to step into and leave behind? I encourage you today to seek the Lord and find out what step of faith He is calling you into next. May the Lord birth in your heart the desire to step off the cliff of faith and never look back.

Heavenly Father I thank you for calling us into places of unknown, places that require us to take leaps of faith, to step off the cliff and give surrender some things in our lives. Show us the cliff you have for each of us to step off of in your kingdom. Fill us with the faith that draws us to the end of ourselves and into the beginning of you. We pray against the temptation to stay in our comfort zones, but to step out and free fall into your perfect will for our lives. We ask this in the precious name of Jesus Christ.

Respecting Leadership

“In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.” Exodus 16:2

“Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”Exodus 16:8

Not grumbling 
Moses and Aaron did nothing more than deliver the very words of God directly to the people and yet they chose to complain rather than yield. The truth be told, when we choose to gripe and complain about our leaders when they are simply delivering the word of the Lord, we are doing nothing more than opposing God Himself. By being a constant critic of our leadership, we are essentially telling God that He is not big enough to work through our leaders to teach and strengthen the body. In other words, our grumbling screams directly into the ear of Christ that we know better than He does about what is best for His flock and for us. Ouch! I don’t know about you, but when I see the kind of collateral damage that a grumbling spirit can do, it makes me want to keep quiet, sit back and watch what the Lord is going to do as He speaks through those in leadership positions. Please don’t misunderstand me here, I certainly am not expecting those God has placed in leadership to hear His voice with 100% accuracy all of the time. However, if the hearts of our leaders are submitted to our Heavenly Father and they are submitted to others out of reverence for Christ, (Ephesians 5:21) then we can walk in a greater confidence knowing that our leaders truly have heard from the Lord. It is an entirely different can of worms if our leaders will not submit to others. However, my desire for this post is to point our hearts to the correct response towards our leaders when they line up with God’s word. It is in this vein that I want to take a closer look at our responsibility in respecting leadership.

I love how Paul puts it plainly for us…

“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” Hebrews 13:7

Remember your leaders
Paul first off reminds us not to forget our leaders. When was the last time we told our pastor “thank you” or wrote them a note of appreciation? I don’t know about you, but that thought pierces straight through my heart! We seldom remember just how much work our leaders do to keep watch over souls. Being a shepherd  is no little task, take it from someone who actually raised sheep! (I grew up on a farm.) This is serious business here. Our spiritual life in many ways is in their hands and a pastor who understands the depth of this responsibility deserves a “thank you” from time to time! 

Consider the outcome of their way of life
Paul tells us to take a look at the fruit their life is producing, consider it, ponder it, study the fruit. We would be wise to plant the seeds from the Godly fruit we see flowing out of our leaders directly  into our hearts so that we too can produce a Godly fruit. What types of “fruit” am I talking about here? 

Let’s take a look at Galatians 5:22-23. 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

When we see love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control flowing out of our leaders, it is always in our best interest to learn how to have those very same things flow out of our hearts as well.

Imitate their faith
I love how Paul tells us to imitate their faith, not imitate them, their behavior, their actions or their personality. I believe Paul was very intentional about choosing faith as our target for imitating. Faith can be played out through a myriad of people, actions, behaviors, and personalities. Our Heavenly Father has created each and every one of us in a very unique way. He did not design us to be carbon copies of each other. He designed us to be uniquely and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). We are designed to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1) not imitators of man. So, when Paul chose this word “faith,” he chose it specifically to direct us to emulate the God within our leaders rather than our leaders themselves.  

“Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.” Hebrews 13:17 

Be a joy
We are sometimes quick to forget that our leaders carry a heavy responsibility set upon them by the Lord himself to keep watch over our souls. If we can remember the severity of this responsibility we will inevitably do a better job of  submitting to their leadership. When we are able to submit to their leadership with a peaceful heart, it will allow the weight of their responsibility to be lightened. However, when our mouths are quick to grumble and complain it increases that weight of responsibility upon their shoulders causing their job to become a burden. It amazes me how the very attitude of our hearts can change the atmosphere of the workplace for our leaders. Let’s be quick to check our hearts to make sure we are being a joy not a burden.

“Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.” 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

Respect and honor
This entire post has been showing us ways in which we can respect and honor our leaders. 1 Thessalonians reminds us once again to hold our leaders in the highest regard. They truly carry a weight much heavier than we may ever know. May we remember the magnitude of the responsibilities they chose to pick up when they accepted the beckoning of Christ’s call. Let us not forget that they are keeping watch over our souls, a responsibility that we can make a joyful one or a burden.

Call to Action
Take a few minutes this week to write a note of encouragement to your pastor. It doesn’t need to be anything formal. It can be something as simple as a text message letting them know that you are praying for them and you appreciate all they do. Find a way to let your pastor know that you are thankful for the work they do for the kingdom. Be an encouragement to your leaders this week!

For more reading on this topic read: Submission

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the leaders you have placed in the body of Christ who tend to our very souls. We may never know the extent to which they toil and labor in the kingdom, but help us to honor and respect them, be a joy to them, imitate their faith, remember to encourage them, and most importantly not become someone who grumbles against them. Help us to keep our hearts with all diligence in regards to our leaders. We desire to be a joy to them and not a burden. Show us today the very things we can be doing to bless those you have placed in our lives who are called to watch over our souls. We pray this in the precious name of Jesus.

Taste And See

“You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices.” Leviticus 18:3

God was specifically calling the Israelites out of and away from Egypt. They were not to take “Egypt” with them. For the Israelites, Egypt was both a land of physical bondage as well as spiritual bondage. God was calling them not only out of their physical captivity, but He deeply desired for them to have freedom spiritually. It was His desire to have a relationship with His children. He was calling them into a land of spiritual liberty, a land far from the clutches of Egypt. Or was He? Let’s take a look at the second part of Leviticus 18:3 again. “You must not do as they do in the land of Canaan.” The reality that the Israelites faced in Canaan was no different than Egypt. The level of evil was just as twisted and perverted. If you need proof of this, feel free to continue to read on in chapter 18 of Leviticus or head over to chapter 20. God lays out a very clear list of “don’ts”. Why would God give them such an exhaustive list before they ever set eyes on Canaan? These very things listed happened to be the exact behaviors that were taking place in their beloved promise land and it was God’s desire to forewarn them of these harsh realities so they knew exactly what to do when faced with them. Have you ever found yourself in a situation that you only wish someone had given you a heads up so that you could plan better, but instead found yourself completely blindsided with no idea how to handle it? The Lord wanted His people to be prepared to fight the spiritual battle that lay ahead of them. He didn’t want them to be caught off guard. 

While God gave the Israelites plenty of warning about what lay ahead of them they still managed to adopt many of the detestable practices of both Egypt and Canaan. There were times when the Israelites had assimilated so much that they were virtually unrecognizable as God’s chosen people. The Israelites broke God’s heart time and time again. The Lord would plainly lay out His expectations only to find His people worshiping other gods (2 Kings 17:7), rejecting His law (2 Kings 17:15), and imitating the nations around them (2 Kings 17:15). For a more detailed list of the ways the Israelites evoked God to anger read 2 Kings 17:1-17.

Like the Israelites, we too are called to “come out from among them.” (Isaiah 52:11, 2 Corinthians 6:17). We are aliens and strangers in this world (1 Peter 2:11). We are called to be in this world and not of it (John 15:19). We are to be the salt and light of the earth (Matthew 5:13-14). So, here is the question...do we have enough “God” in us that people around us can actually taste and see that the Lord is good? (Psalm 34:8) If the people around us can not taste the goodness of God, or see the light pouring out of us, then something is amiss. The Israelites had looked so much like the nations around them that when those nations looked at God’s chosen, they saw nothing different. They could not taste the salt in their lives. Salt has the ability to make a normal run of the mill fruit or vegetable become savory, making it more desirable. It creates a craving in people to want more. Can people taste the savory flavor of Christ, or are we leaving them tasting nothing different then the rest of the world has offered?

Just as we are called to be the salt, we are also called to be the light (Matthew 5:14). We are not to be hidden (Matthew 5:14). We are to let our light shine before others, that they may see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:15). Can people actually look at our lives and physically see that we are one of God’s chosen, or do we blend in with everyone else? There is a Newsboys song entitled “Guilty” and every time I hear that song I find myself asking the question… “Is there enough evidence to convict me of serving God?” Is there enough visible, tangible, hold up in the court of law evidence to convict me beyond a shadow of a doubt that I serve the Lord? Can people physically taste the salt and physically see the light to the point that it could put me in prison? These are tough questions. How about you? Can people physically taste the salt and see the light in your life? Would there be enough evidence to convict you of serving God? 

Call to action
I leave us with this today, let’s spend some time praying that the Lord puts His finger on the very things that are dimming our light from people seeing God’s goodness and stealing our salt from people tasting that the Lord is good. What a rejoicing there will be in heaven when those around us come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ (Luke 15:10) all because we made a stand to come out from among them (2 Corinthians 6:17) and be the physical, tangible palatable salt and light of the earth (Matthew 5:13-14).

For similar posts visit: Being Ready and Where is Your Heart?

Father, I thank you that you ordained us to be on this earth for such a time as this, to be the salt and light, for others to see our good deeds so they can glorify you. We pray that you begin to place your finger on the very things that are hindering others from tasting and seeing that you are good. We lay our lives at your feet, to be teachable and pliable so that our loved ones who do not know you will come to the saving knowledge of your son. We pray this in the precious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Voice Of Victory

“God put the victory in our voices.” 
For whatever reason, this phrase kept resounding over and over again in my mind as the heaviness of my eyelids began to squint at the morning sun beaming through my bedroom windows. Like many mornings I woke up with something stirring in my spirit, but this one seemed urgent. 

As I began to think about scripture, I was reminded of Joshua’s commissioning to bring down the walls of Jericho with an army of trumpets and voices. Joshua knew the plan for victory was going to be birthed through the power of the obedience of the Israelites and their ability to use their voices. As Joshua was giving the Israelites their battle instructions, he specifically told them not to make a sound until he said to (upon the long blast made on the trumpets - see Joshua 6:5). 

“But Joshua had commanded the army, “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 6:10

“When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.” Joshua 6:20

The obedience of the Israelites with their voices brought down an entire city and its “impenetrable” walls. These were not just any walls here. The city was surrounded by two walls. The first wall, began with a retaining wall which stood at the base of an embankment, standing 12-15 feet tall. On top of the retaining wall stood a mud brick wall 6 feet thick and between 20-26 feet high. The second wall stood up the embankment and towered an intimidating 46 feet from ground level. (Facts taken from: answersingenesis.org) 

Now, imagine you are an Israelite for just a moment. The city of Jericho stands majestically on a hill high above you, in fact so high you are unable to even evaluate what exactly you are fighting. Just the combined height of the walls alone rises 78-87 feet above your head, this does not include any increase in elevation caused by the embankment in between the two walls. It’s no wonder the Lord told them to be silent for the first six days of marching. This gave them time to pray and meditate upon the magnitude of what God was about to do through their voices. 

Can you even imagine the excitement in the air when they saw the first brick shatter? I can hear the voices increase with the drop of each brick as if they believed that the intensity of their voices was literally what was demolishing these monumental walls brick by brick. The atmosphere must have been sheer electrifying! What do you think the talk was like around the dinner table that night? That next day? That next week?

 “Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!” Psalm 118:15

“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.  For the Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth. He subdued nations under us,  peoples under our feet. He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved. God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.” Psalm 47:1-5

A dear missionary friend of mine once told me to “use my voice” when I was struggling with things. She went on to explain that by doing so it would not only build up my own spirit, but I would cause the devil to flee. The reality is, I am not the only one listening to the sound coming out of my own mouth. Our enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). And make no mistake, he is listening! Our voices become our weapons in our times of struggle. 

Sometimes we just need to hear ourselves speak victory over our situation. We need to physically say the words out loud so our ears can hear them. Jesus told us over and over again in the gospels to “say” to this mountain go, and it will go! (Matthew 17:20, Matthew 21:21, Mark 11:23) He didn’t say “think” about this mountain going. He specifically used the word “say.” In other words, speak out loud, tell the mountain, yell at it, scream at it, shout at it, use your voice!!!!! We can not fight our battles in silence. God did not give us the sword of the spirit to hold. He gave us the sword of the spirit to swing at the enemy. This only works when the word of God is spoken. 

Call to action
Like the Jericho wall, I have mountains in my walk that at times seem impenetrable. I would like to encourage us do a Jericho walk around our mountains. Let’s pick a specific mountain we are struggling with and spend the next six days praying about that specific thing. Then on day seven, let’s be sure to open up our mouths and speak to that mountain, yell at it, shout at it, scream scriptures at it. Use our voice!  I am not about to make any promises that our mountains are going to crumble right in front of us, but maybe, just maybe we will see God move through the sound of our voices speaking life, truth and the word of God over our situations. God has put victory in our voices. Let’s use them, stand back, and watch what God does.

Father, help us to speak out the word of truth over our mountains. Help us to use the voices you have given us to usher in the victory you so desperately desire us to walk in. Like the Israelites, give us a steadfastness to walk around our Jericho, use our voice and watch what you will do. We pray that you will open the floodgates of heaven over our situations, even if that simply means that you allow us to see our mountain with your eyes. We pray these things in the precious name of Christ Jesus.

Renovation

Building and renovation projects can be a time consuming investment. Some of us would just rather avoid them altogether and others of us jump in with both feet, but by the time we are in up to our necks we look around and wonder what we were thinking. I have recently been through a somewhat small “renovation” project in our home in Liberia. I put renovation in parentheses because it was never meant to be something that needed to be redone in the first place. However, if there is one thing we have learned about Liberia it is this, things rarely get done right the first time. So, be on your guard when they actually are done “right.” Please don’t misunderstand me here. I am by no means trying to criticize the Liberian culture. It’s just that when you receive education by an uneducated culture the results of that education are surely going to bring about it’s fair share of problems. And this is exactly what we are seeing in the country of Liberia. They are caught in a vicious cycle of poor education. So, upon graduation from college or even their trade schools, the understanding of their skill is limited. The best part about this, is that as missionaries we have such a wide open field to plow, plant and one day harvest. It’s very exciting to us.

Back to my original topic of renovation.  As I spent time the Lord this morning, I realized just how much our faith journey is like a renovation project.  When we are in the throws of a renovation project sometimes we have a hard time making heads or tails of the mess that is being made. If you are dealing with an older home, you may find that you start your renovation project only to find seven other things that need fixed along the way. Isn’t that kind of like how our faith journey can go sometimes? We can’t see the vision for the finished product because we are too busy seeing the mess, or as we walk through the one thing the Lord has us working on fixing and then it feels like seven other things crop in there that need adjusting too.  I frequently find myself telling God that I can’t find Him because I’m too busy looking at the messiness of my life and I just feel overwhelmed by how much fixing really needs done. 

It’s funny how short sighted and impatient we can become with the process. God is not in a hurry with this renovation project of our faith. In fact, the slower He takes us, the more gentle the other fixes will seem to us if we embrace God’s speed at the project. In that same vein, the slower He takes us, the more detailed He can become, in other words, the more like Him He has the ability to make us. This makes me wonder why I am in such a hurry to get through this renovation of my faith. The more I rush Him the less detail He is able to add. What a loving Heavenly Father we have, He knows what He is doing.

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

In the times of renovation in our faith journey we are called to fix, or focus our eyes on Jesus, to not get distracted by the mess that is all around us right now. Why? Because He is the author and perfecter of our faith. He is renovating our faith into something better and more beautiful than it was before, something that will be unrecognizable, if we only allow Him to work in His timing and at His pace.

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

Isn’t it comforting to know that Christ is working on us to create something special. He has a unique and especially chosen plan for your life. Ephesians 2 calls these plans “good works.” I just love the fact that God is handcrafting me, and He is handcrafting you as well! He sees the end result even when all we can see is chaos. It helps me to be less anxious about where my faith renovation is going to know that God has a clear vision and He never misses even the smallest detail.

Father, I thank you that among the mess of this faith renovation you are in the process of creating something beautiful. No matter how messy this thing gets, the end result will be well worth every change we need to make in the process. How humbling it is to know that you are the author and perfecter of this renovation project, a project that you promise to bring to completion in your perfect timing. Help us to step back and allow you to take out the things that should not be in our temples and allow you to add the things that should. Make us more like you each and every day. In your precious name we pray.

What's Your Thorn?

Over a year ago I wrote a blog post entitled “Worthy To Be Praised.” In that post, I shared briefly on the topic of Paul’s thorn in his side. I had mentioned that perhaps Paul’s thorn was some form of physical pain (although, this is not clearly stated in scripture). Whatever the thorn was, be it physical pain or not, it was something Paul was continually dealing with, something he had to keep in a crucified state and laid down at the feet of Jesus. Today I would like us to take a look at this thorn, this continual struggle that needs to be crucified on a daily, hourly or even a minute by minute bases.    

Roses and thorns
In the plant world, roses were created with thorns. God made them that way on purpose, not to harm the rose, but to protect it. I want us to think about this concept just for a moment...the very thing that brings pain to a predator (the thorn) is the very thing that brings life and protection to the rose. I find it ironic that our hardest struggles can sometimes turn out to be our saving grace, and our Heavenly Father ingeniously designed it that way. The very sin that trips us up time and time again can sometimes be the very thing God uses to bring about the growth and protection of a beautiful rose. Please don’t misunderstand me here, I’m not saying God created sin in our lives for our protection. But I am saying that sometimes I think God allows us to have our own way and walk in our own struggles long enough for us to blossom from them. Sometimes God will use our struggles to bring about something so exquisite that we never could have predicted the full extent of its beauty. This is why we can claim “all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

I was out walking with my husband the other day and as he was talking about the topic of pride, the Lord began to drop in my spirit… “that is your thorn.” I had to do a double take for just a quick second, and then I began to realize that all of my issues with self-esteem boils down to this five letter word. PRIDE. God had placed a finger on it. Now, the question remained what was I going to do with it? I believe we all have to deal with some level of pride, and keeping it in a dead state. However, I am learning that, for me personally, it is requiring way more work on my part. God is not going to take away this battle of pride in my life. He has allowed it to stick around as a continual reminder to me to stay focused on him. The extent to which I can lay down my pride (aka: my self-esteem issues) is the extent to which I will blossom. In other words, the thorn is there so my rose can come forth. Without the sweat equity required by the thorn, the blossom will not be protected. If I continue to be lead by my self-conscience nature, I will never see my rose.

So, I find myself brought back around the mountain, yet again, to wage war. But this time, I understand a little better why my battle seems to keep cropping up. When I wrote my post entitled “Time To Wage War” I wrote from the standpoint that this thing was going to flee and never return. In some cases that is exactly the standpoint we must take in order to see change. However, I feel as if the Lord has changed my thinking a bit on this particular area of my life. When the Lord said “that is your thorn.” I believe He was showing me that I will always face this battle. In knowing that piece of information, I can now fight just a little different. I do not believe this information was shown to me so I can throw up my arms and give up. However, I think the Lord chose to share this so my fighting could be adjusted for a marathon rather than a sprint, for a lifetime rather than a moment in time. It has made a difference knowing the duration of time I have been called to fight this battle. It has put my mind to rest just knowing that it’s okay for me to struggle with this issue because it is my protection for the rose God has in my life. Believe me, coming from someone whose sin of self-consciousness has deeply entangled her at times, my mind has been truly calmed by knowing that my continual battle with this will bring about my own protection in the end. The Lord never ceases to amaze me in the intriguing ways he weaves our deepest hurts, struggles and hardships to bring about the highest honor and glory for His name.  In our weakness, He is strong! (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Call to action
What is your thorn? What is the thing in your life that Christ is continually putting His finger on that will bring about your very protection in the end if you willingly and faithfully lay it at His feet? May I be so bold as to encourage you to seek out your thorn. Ask the Lord what it is that you will be expected to battle with for the rest of your life, not as a form of discouragement, but as a source of relief in knowing where your protection is coming from. May we all have the courage to ask the Lord to reveal our thorn.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for thorns. I thank you that our very struggles are the things you use to display your strength. May you reveal to our hearts the specific struggle that we will face for a lifetime so that your honor and glory can come forth like a rose! Thank you that your ways are higher than our ways. We ask all this in Jesus name.

Do you love me?

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.
John 21: 15-17

I find it interesting in this passage of scripture that Jesus would ask Peter three times in a row if he loved Him. As you study out the original Greek and Hebrew of this word love you realize why. In the English language we just have one word for love, but many definitions, or expressions of the word love. However, in the Greek, there are six different words for love with six very distinct meanings and expressions. In the Hebrew, they have three different words for love, each conveying a very different weight and connotation to it. I feel like the original language does a better job of helping us to see into the heart of Peter in this passage better than our current English translation can. 

The original Greek
I wanted to take some time and examine the Greek words used in this passage. When Jesus asks Peter the first time if he loves Him (vs 15). That word love in the Greek is agape. This word carries a unique weight to it because it is the word used in scripture time and time again to describe the way God loves. Agape love is an all-consuming passion for the well being of the one being loved. It is a love that esteems, elevates, prizes, and delights in others expecting nothing in return. It keeps loving when the love is not reciprocated when the one being loved is unkind, unlovable, unworthy and rejecting the love being given. It is an unconditional love that only desires the best for the one being loved and nothing less. Doesn’t that just sound like our Heavenly Father? Agape love is God. That is the very definition of who He is. Agape love is how He loves us! 

Now that we understand the weight associated with this word agape, let’s return to Peter. When Jesus asks “do you agape me?” I can just picture Peter squirming a bit and somewhat getting defensive as he answers… “you know I love you.” But here is where it gets interesting. Peter does not respond with the word agape. He responds with a completely different word for love and he says... “you know I “philos” you Lord.” 

This word philos has an entirely different meaning and carries a much lighter weight than the word agape. It is a word that means brotherly love, a friendship kind of love. It is a fondness or a liking for another person. I read one definition that actually went as far as to say that this type of love can collapse in times of crisis. When I read this it made me stop and wonder if Peter was unknowingly foreshadowing his coming denial of knowing Jesus (Luke 22:54-71) when he said... of course I philos you, Lord. 

If we keep reading Jesus asks Peter a second time “do you truly agape me?” Again, I can picture Peter still squirming and feeling a bit perturbed with Jesus’ questioning… “Yes, Lord, you know that I philo you.” Now, for a second time in a row, Peter did not answer with the same word. I wonder if that word agape had such weight in the original Greek that it was too much for Peter to even speak? 

Finally, Jesus asked Peter a third time if he loved Him, but this time instead of agape He used philo, love of the friendship variety, a brotherly kind of love. Peter again replied with… “you know that I philo you.” Finally, Peter’s answer was lining up with Jesus’ question!

I don’t believe Jesus was trying to exasperate Peter here by repeating the same question over and over again, but I do believe Jesus was trying to make a point. We serve a God that loves us with an all-consuming kind of love, a love that cannot be broken, weakened or taken away. What Christ was showing here is His desire for us to love Him with that level of passion. As I studied this out I found myself asking...Do I really agape the Lord? Do I really love Christ in the manner He desires for me to love Him? God desires an all in composing, all-consuming kind of agape love. Do I even remotely give that type of love to Him or is it more of the friendship variety?
Just like Peter, I can honestly say that I absolutely philo the Lord, but agape Him is a whole new dimension, one that I wonder if I have remotely come close to.  

Call to action
How about you? Do you love the Lord with the weight of an agape kind of love, or does it lean more towards the philo or friendship type? I know there are some of us out there who can honestly answer that we love the Lord in an all-encompassing, all-consuming agape type of love. But for those of us whose love for the Lord leans more towards the philos variety, we have some work to do.  I wish I could say I have answers for moving from one level of love to another, but I do not. I will be seeking the Lord to reveal to my heart how to make that transition. I am just thankful that the Lord brought me to a place where I noticed there was a difference. 

To read more on the topic of love visit the series on love.

Father, thank you for showing me the difference between the agape love that you shower upon me and the philos love that I end up returning. My heart’s prayer is that you bring me to a place where I can love you and others with an agape love, one that does not have expectations involved. I pray for anyone reading this post that may need to make a change in their level of love for you, that you deal with their hearts compassionately and gently. Lead them to a greater understanding of agape love. Show us, Lord, how to love like you! Show us how to agape others!

Missionaries

We find ourselves on the road yet again for the second round of fundraising. So, please forgive me once again for my posts being a little scattered. Living on the road does not give as much time for writing as I would like. Upon the completion of round two of fundraising, are hoping to have enough funds to get to Liberia come August or September of this year. We have had some precious opportunities to spend with family, friends and even fellow missionaries on the field. Our most recent adventure was to Tijuana, Mexico. We spent about 5 days with two beautiful missionary families. We rejoiced with them as they shared their many God directed moments and connected with them as they openly shared their struggles and challenges of being on the mission field. Missionary life is not easy no matter what part of the world you are in. 

Missionary calling
Did you know that we are each called to a life of missions? Scripture tells us to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). It never tells us where, it just says go. That “going” could mean the grocery store, our workplace, our neighborhood, and even our closest friends and family. There are no clear boundaries given to that word “go.” You don’t even need to find yourself on foreign soil in order to fulfill this word, but you do need to “go.” But because the word “go” is an action word, we must physically be doing something in order to fulfill the scripture. We must take some kind of action to see disciples coming into the kingdom. They will not just magically appear because we want them to. We are required to put in some blood, sweat, and often times many many tears rooted in prayer in order for that scripture to come to fruition. When we do our part, the Lord will always make good on His word. So, no matter where you are at, you are called to be a missionary for Christ!

I wanted to share with you some of our experiences on the mission field of Tijuana, Mexico in hopes that you may be encouraged to reach out to those in your own community who are in need of the love of Jesus Christ.  I realize that some of these experiences may be extreme cases but look around you. There are hurting people everywhere. They don’t all look the same from the outside, but their hearts still need Jesus just the same. 

A local orphanage

What a tremendous heart-tugging experience it was to visit an orphanage in Tijuana. This particular orphanage is currently housing 64 children. They provide housing, meals, schooling, clothing much-needed love and support to all of these precious children. You could not help but want to take these kids home with you. Are there any orphaned individuals in your community? People who have been written off as unwanted, unneeded or unloved? What are some things you can do to show them the love of Christ?

The city dump
This was by far the most gut-wrenching thing to see during our stay in Tijuana. These people had literally built shelters in at the city dump. They spent their days picking through dump truck loads of trash that were disposed of on a daily basis. We passed out more than 100 sandwiches and snacks to individuals and even had the opportunity to pray for several of them. It truly breaks your heart to see people with so little when we are blessed with so much. We were told by one of the native people that these individuals flee to the dump often times to escape the police. They know that the police will leave them alone if they are there. There is a lot of drug abuse and a dump is a place that the police do not want to go. Who are the people around you who find themselves in a hopeless situation, a situation they don’t know how to get themselves out of? How can you show Jesus to those who are down and out, heavy-hearted, or just simply running away from their past? 

There are people who find themselves in these types of situations in every walk of life. The situations may disguise themselves in different masks, but as I said earlier, they still all need Jesus.

Father, open our eyes that we may see those around us in need of you. Help us to seek out the broken hearted so we can bring them to your feet so you can bind up their wounds. We know that there are broken people everywhere. We do not have to go to the orphanage or the city dump to find them, they are in our workplaces, our neighborhoods, and sometimes even in our own homes. Help us to see people through your eyes. We pray this in the precious name of Jesus Christ.

Where Is Your Heart?

I was reading a portion of scripture this morning and something seemed to jump off the page. What’s funny is that this was not some kind of new understanding or realization. It just got me thinking about this question… Where is your heart?

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,” Luke 4:18 (Emphasis mine)

After reading this I realized Christ came for the poor, the prisoners, the blind, and the oppressed so they can be set free. I was once all of those things, but have been set free. Not that I don't’ need Christ on a daily basis, because I do, but it got me wondering where my heart is. If Christ’s heart longs for the poor, prisoners, blind and oppressed, then who am I longing for? Who am I proclaiming the good news to? It convicted my heart to realize that the majority of the time I am talking about Christ it is with other believers rather than with the lost. I began to look up other verses about whom Christ came for and why he came and believe it or not the pattern is very similar to the verse we just went over. Let’s take a look at some of these verses, shall we?  

“On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17 (Emphasis mine)

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10 (Emphasis mine)

“The one who does what is sinful is of the devil because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” 1 John 3:8 (Emphasis mine)

Christ’s main goal is to destroy the devil’s work. Now, I realize at times it may seem like the devil is winning the battle, but the beauty of this whole thing is that he never wins the war.  If you look at the back of the book Christ wins! That is exciting news! The way He wins this war is one soul at a time, one person who is poor in spirit at a time, one prisoner at a time, one blind eye opened at a time, one oppressed spirit at a time, one lost heart at a time, and one sinner at a time. Where is my heart in all of this? Am I willing to fight the good fight of faith and go after these precious souls, or will I just be comfortable in the fact that I am “safe” in the knowledge of Jesus Christ? Am I willing to seek out the lost and hurting or do I want to stay in my comfort zone and pretend like everything is going to be fine with my neighbor, the clerk at the grocery store, my co-worker or the librarian at the public library? Where is my heart?

How about you? Where is your heart? Do you feel drawn to the lost and hurting or do they scare you and freak you out? Are you like me and would feel way more comfortable saying nothing at all because we don’t want to offend anyone. I believe we are in a day where if we don’t speak out the name of Jesus to this lost and dying world, then the rocks and trees will do it for us. And if that actually transpires, then standing before the judgment seat of Christ is going to be a miserable experience for us. Instead of “well done good and faithful servant,” we are going to hear “why didn’t you say something to the clerk in the grocery store when you could clearly recognize her hurting heart? Why didn’t you say something to your co-worker when you recognized they were having a bad day?”  

I don’t mean to scare us here, but scripture clearly states we are all going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account for what we did when we walked this earth. I would much rather find myself in a position that God is pleased with instead of the other end of the spectrum.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:10

Heavenly Father, we plead at your feet for forgiveness for being complacent about the lost. Please place within us a burning inside our bones for the lost. Break our hearts for what breaks yours. Guard our hearts against the many excuses we come up with on a minute by minute bases for why we can’t share your love with those around us. We know that they are nothing more then lies from the enemy in the attempt to stop your kingdom from coming as it is in heaven. Jesus, birth a passion in our souls for the lost that literally consumes us if we are not seeking out the lost. Give us backbones of steel, that we will not back down in the moments of testing. We know that fear is not from you. It is just a weapon that satan uses to keep your people silent. Fill us with your loving boldness. We ask this in the precious name of Jesus Christ.

Time To Wage War

One downfall I often see in the world of blogging is this illusion that the person writing has a life with few struggles and blissfully shares their advice with us. I have shared my frustration about this misconception with you before, but bear with me as I share it once again. The truth of the matter is that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) So, when this common misconception arises, let me be the first to remind you that here on this blog, all you will find is a woman who has dreadfully and woefully fallen short of God’s perfect glory time and time again. And to be perfectly frank, I will continue to do so, not because I am willfully sinning, but because I have a sin nature that I am in a raging war with on a daily basis and it is inevitable that I will lose a battle from time to time. 

One of the biggest battles I continually find myself in is one that leaves me feeling smothered under the suffocating grasp of my own insecurities. I am haunted by my shortcomings so much so that I lay in bed at night, my pillow soaked from tears of inadequacy because I was reminded yet again that I have indeed fallen short of the glory of God. I can usually shake off the insecurities long enough to keep them from affecting my daily living. However, there have been times I have found myself to be so paralyzed by them that my family has suffered because of it. The difficulty with this is how to handle it. I have always had a hard time sharing what is going on inside and when I finally get brave enough to try I have already burned the bridges of people’s patience. So, since the patience is gone, I just hold it in and keep silent longer. This inevitably propels the situation into a full-blown nightmare! Oh, how I wish that I was blessed with the ability to sort through my emotions quickly and speak openly and freely about them! It is an incredible inconvenience!

The faithfulness of God 
I thank God that His word tells us He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6), especially in those moments of struggles. God is not an “Indian giver.” In other words, He does not give us something only to take it away. God gave us His word. His word never changes. He never relinquishes on His promises. What a treasure! As I ponder God’s faithfulness I am reminded of a dream that I heard many years ago and it was eventually turned into a song, entitled “Footprints in the Sand.”  If you have never heard that song please click the link to view the song. It truly is a precious reminder that the Lord is always with us even when we feel like we have been left to fend for ourselves.

Not only is the very character of God faithful, but He also sends people our way to speak words of life when we need it most. Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to give us a clear understanding of what is really going on. I recently had a phone conversation with a dear friend who understands what it is like to be in the trenches of motherhood, homeschooling, and ministry simultaneously. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, she was able to speak such soothing words to my raging heart and mind. I can honestly say I walked away from that conversation with clearer vision. Not that my circumstance had changed one bit, but what had changed was my perspective. How many of us know that a right perspective on a situation can be the paradigm shift in a problem being resolved?   

I thank God for giving me moments of clarity in the midst of the fog. If it weren't for those little clearings I would find myself continually lost in a sea of emotions unable to distinguish left from right and up from down. 

Freedom
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” Romans 5:6 (Emphasis mine)

This verse is such a beautiful reminder that in the very depths of our need, in the face of our weakness, and in the trenches of our inadequacies Christ died for us. He was and still continues to come and meet us where we are for the sake of saving us and making us whole. We truly serve a remarkable God. I don’t know of any other kind of love, but the love of Christ, that would come into to a life riddled with sin all because He wants to have a personal relationship with that life. This verse says we were powerless. Are there days when you find yourself powerless? I sure do! Christ died for you. Christ died for that sin in which you find yourself ensnared and engulfed with. He died for me in the throngs of my insecurities, in the depths of my self-doubt and in the pile of perceived shortcomings! Christ has given us freedom! He has placed freedom in the palm of our hands. The question remains are we going to carry that freedom and walk in it, or are we going to lay it aside and walk in our bondages? That is a choice I find myself struggling with on a daily basis. There are days I choose to walk in the freedom of the cross. Then there are days I choose to walk in my bondages. I am finding that when I walk in freedom I feel refreshed and light as if the chains have been lifted. There is a true liberty in my spirit. On the reverse side of that, when I have chosen to walk in the bondage of my insecurities, my soul feels entangled in an eternal war, my spirit is restless and my emotions run unchecked. The crazy thing about this is I find it more comfortable to lay aside the freedom of the cross and cling to my insecurities. Are any of you that way with their repetitive sins, or is it just me? Here is the kicker of that, it is a false sense of comfort in every way conceivable! By clinging to the sin of my insecurities, I am really clinging to self rather than to the Lord. I will never find freedom in myself. I must cast the cares of my insecurities upon the Lord, pick up the freedom of the cross and walk in it! This is a conscious, deliberate, and minute by minute task. We must be willing to wage war with the old nature before we can ever expect to gain victory over it. 

The Lord will bring us to a place where we are so sick and tired of the sin that we find ourselves drowning in that we are ready to wage a very harsh and furious war with it. Are you ready to wage war with your repetitive sins? You may not be, and that’s ok, but may I encourage you to go before the Lord and ask Him to well up inside of you the will to fight. Ask Him to give you a desire to slaughter the enemy. Yes, I’m sounding morbid here because the enemy is not playing peaceable in our lives, so why should we? We have been given mighty weapons to defeat the enemy and we (myself included) have laid them aside too long and watched the enemy annihilate us without ever lifting a finger in retaliation. NO MORE!!! It’s time to wage war!!!!!!!!!

To read about waging war please read: Weapons of Warfare (Part 1), Weapons of Warfare (Part 2), Weapons of Warfare (Part 3)

Father God, I thank you for the place you have brought me. It has not been a fun road, but I thank you that I am finally ready to fight. Give me the of faith Abraham, the drive of David and the wisdom of Solomon to fight the good fight of faith. Lord, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ that this spirit of insecurity that I have allowed to inhabit my heart will flee! It has no authority in my life. I am casting off the burden of insecurity and choosing to walk in the freedom of the cross today! I thank you for the blood that was shed for my sins. I thank you that it has the power to cleanse, purify, and set me free! Lord, I realize that this is going to be a long and furious battle, but it is one I have put off long enough and I am now willing to go after it with all that I am. Father, may those who read this today be stirred to wage war against the sin that so easily entangles them. Give them the will to fight and to fight with grit and zealousness. We ask all these things in the precious name of Jesus Christ.