Lions

Welcome to Unseen today.  The new year has brought good things for us and I hope it has for you.  It has also brought a very busy time.  Busy times can be hard if they continue for long. We may neglect our own well-being to take care of business. Read on for lessons about this.

 

Lions

 

Your adversary, the devil prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Pet 5:8

 

    Lions are powerful and majestic, the king of the jungle.  They can eat up to 50 pounds of meat in a single day.  They can take down prey that is faster than they are or bigger than they are. Have you ever watched one of the nature channel shows about lions? The wildebeests or antelope are running across the savannah and the camera pans to the edge of the herd, where a lions stalks almost lazily.  Have you ever noticed how lions hunt? They don't choose prey from the middle of the pack. Instead, they isolate one creature on the fringes of the pack.  Those who are sick, weak, or aging are in the most danger. The lion will separate its prey, and then pounce once it is able.

    What about our lives? We are part of the Body of Christ, and we are encouraged to remain in fellowship. This is important because once we are separated from the body and its security and accountability, we are easy prey for they enemy. He does not fight fair.  The believer who wants to keep his relationship with God to himself may be in danger. The Christian who says he can commune with God on the lake just as well as in church may be in danger. It is easy to skip worship and to make excuses, but I have found that if I miss once, it is that much easier to miss the next time. In Hebrews we are told, “Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together as is the habit of some, but encourage each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.”

    Two things are necessary.  We need to stay in fellowship ourselves and we need to help others who are on the fringes.  We are in a body for a reason.  If we stand together, and rely on the Lord, we will defeat the enemy.

Emmanuel

Welcome back to unseen.  Hope the new year is going well.  I am seeing God's restoration at work inmy home, family and work.  If you are there too, great. If not, I have definitely been in the holding pattern and understand how hard it is to wait on God. Hopefully today's post will offer some hope.

Emmanuel

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matt 1:23

Several years ago my younger child and I had an outing together.  Abilene has a monthly event called Art Walk. The stores and art galleries downtown open n the evening and there is often live music. And free stuff. We saw a jaguar car, had hot chocolate, made an art project and listened to the live music. We had a great time. He didn’t care that we spent a grand total of two dollars. When we got home I  got out my book and sat on the couch. He crawled up on the couch with me, and ten put his head on my lap on top of my book. He looked up at me with his gorgeous blue eyes and said, “I need some attention.” I told him he had just had an hour and a half of my undivided attention. He answered, “Well, I need a lot.”  You better believe he got it.

                Sometimes being together is all you need. God has done a lot of restoration in my marriage in the last few months.   A friend was watching us together the other day, and said, “You two sure are happy together even after 20 years. “It is good to love someone and be able to share good times and hard times. We have each lost a dear friend in the last 2 months and sometimes just being there is all you can do to help.  My children have a good friend who has been in the hospital after a serious car accident.  They had their first experience with Dallas Fort Worth traffic when they went to the hospital to see him. They said he was not able to respond but they could tell he knew they were there.  As great as it is to be together with family and friends, there is something even more important.

                When the angel came to Joseph, he was told that she would have a son and was to call his name Emmanuel, which means god with us. (Matt 1:23)  He reminded Joseph that this was told by the prophets hundreds of years before. We are coming out of the Christmas season and this sounds routine, but think about it.  The king of kings is here with you and me.  He invites us to come boldly into His presence and find mercy and grace in our time of need. (Heb 4:16) Anytime we need, we can go to him, like Heath came to me and say, “I need some attention.” He is never too busy to love and hear me and finds ways to show me if I can be open to them.  For instance, this morning I was out walking the dog and came on a huge group of Monarch butterflies.  That in itself is cool enough, but it is December!  What a gift and an evidence of His presence and power. Sometimes, like he did with Elijah after the incident at Mount Carmel, he shows his presence in a still, small voice rather than in the power of the fire or the earthquake. (1 Kings 19:12) However you sense God’s presence, allow him to wrap you in it and know that it is His joy and desire to be with us here.  Remember, too, that when the time comes for him to restore all things, we will be with Him for eternity and need no more reminders. (Rev 21:3-4)

Are you ready for some football?

 Welcome back to unseen.  Sorry for the delay.  This time the problem was not technical difficulties, but working like a dog.  I have several coworkers out sick, so the load has been heavy. 
     Football playoffs are winding to a conclusion and we had Thanksgiving day with lots and lots of football. In honor of this, today's post is about the lessons we can learn from the gridiron. It also honors my uncle, Greg Sherwood, who was an amazing coach.

Are you Ready For Some Football?

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 1 Cor. 9:25

In West Texas football is not a game.  It is a way of life.  My family lived it, too. My dad seldom missed a high school game in our town, unless it was to go to see my uncle coach a high school game in another town. Greg was a phenomenal coach, and his 23-year coaching record was 174-64-2. Coaching was not a job to him. It was a ministry. He used the time on the field to teach much more about life than he did about football. Nothing could get in the way of Dad getting to football games. One night he had left with my grandmother to go to a game, and my brother and I were home with Mom. The phone rang after they had been gone about 15 minutes, and this is the conversation that took place.

     DAD: “Stella, you need to bring me the other car. I am out by the pizza place.”

     MOM: “Why? What’s wrong?

     DAD: “Well, I am sitting here watching this one burn, and I have to get to the ballgame.”

      MOM: “OK, I’ll be there in 5 minutes.”

            There are spiritual lessons to be learned from football. In football there are two teams. Each team has an opponent, a coach, a goal and a group of cheerleaders. There are rules and there are rewards.  The same things are true in our Christian lives.

 We as believers are a team.  We must work together to win.  Many verses speak to this idea, but one that comes immediately to mind is Galatians 6:2. Bear ye one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. We definitely have an opponent, and he is not just playing. According to John 10:10, he comes to steal, kill and destroy.  In 1 Pet 5:8 he is described as a lion seeking whom he may devour.  We have a coach or a leader in God.  Our goal is to bring salvation, restoration and healing to others.(2 Cor. 5:18, Mark 16:15, James 5)  In Hebrews 11, the writer describes the great cloud of witnesses cheering us on.  Yes, there are rules to be followed. Some people get focused on the rules and forget the goal, and some people forget the rules and focus on the goal of eternal life. Think how this would work in football. Suppose one team decided they were going to get a touchdown regardless of how many people got hurt or run over. Another team might get so interested in following each rule to the letter that they never got around to scoring or found any joy in the game.  It takes a balance of both, in football and in life.  As a reward in football, a team will receive a trophy, a write up in the newspaper, and fame. As Christians, we are promised a crown of life. This is what we read in 1 Cor. 9:24-25

 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in     such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

            God meets us where we are and teaches us from the things we understand.  Like Uncle Greg did with his players and coaches, take the lessons from the gridiron and use them every day. The most meaningful thing Greg ever did for me was to send me a telegram when I went to state track meet. It said, “We are all the same. We all have arms, legs, eyes, ears and a head. The difference is in the heart.”

Operation

Welcome to Unseen today.  Living unseen is difficult. For those in caregiver roles, it can be especially difficult.  We need help but are reluctant to accept it, either from God or others.  Read on for a lesson from the operating room.

Operation

Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not grow weary. They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

 

            A man is going in for an operation. The nurses start IVs and clean the incision site. The transport aides move the man onto the gurney and begin rolling him down the hall. His wife follows, holding his hand. They reach a pair of swinging doors and she kisses him and goes to the waiting room. Inside the operating room, the doctors and nurses perform a well-rehearsed symphony in the sterile environment. They move together with few words needed, each one doing his or her part to complete the operation efficiently and safely. In the waiting room, the wife prays and waits. She fidgets and paces. She drinks coffee and chews her nails. Finally she gets up and when someone runs out of the operating suite she pushes her way in. She comes up behind the doctor doing the surgery and says, “Do you need some help? I think the incision is too big. Are you sure those stiches are going to hold? They look a little long. You know, while you’re in there can you do some liposuction? Why are you taking so long?”

            What would you do if you were the doctor? You had gone to school for years. You had practiced your skills. Here was a woman coming into your sterile, safe environment, bringing germs, advice and demands. We would never do that, would we? Unless it is to God. Do you have a loved one that God is working on? Perhaps it is a stubborn teen or a family member or friend opening a heart to God. How hard is it to sit in the waiting room and let God do His job? God informed me that my job while He was working on my loved ones is to pray, sing praises and love them. I would much rather tell God how He should hurry and suggest things He could fix while He is at it.

            I love and hate the verse in Isaiah that says, “Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not grow weary. They shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31) I love it because it reminds me that God is faithful. I hate it because it is so hard to wait.  I am a good West Texas girl and was taught to pull myself up by my own bootstraps, even if I don’t have any boots. I have to rely not only on God, but on friends who bear each other’s burdens. The waiting room is a hard place to be.  If that is where you are, take courage. The Great Physician has your loved one in His mighty hands. If you are not there now, you probably have been and can bear someone’s burden.

 

 

Welcome to Unseen today. Pray for the return of the guest bloggers. This has been an up and down week in many aspects. I have dealt with some disappointments and decided that God and I were not communicating well. (Translation, he did not do what I wanted). Read on for what I learned.

Interpreter

The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. Rom 8:26

            I have a friend who is hard of hearing. Sometimes she does pretty well at understanding what people say to her. When she is close to them and there is not a lot of extra noise, she can usually get the message. However, if she is in a noisy environment or she can’t see the speaker well, she needs help. She has good coping and social skills and can usually “fake it” even when she misses the message. Because we have been together a lot, I can recognize the look of confusion and uncertainty underneath the proper social responses.  I have often interpreted for her. I translate what the speaker is saying into sign language for her. She can understand and be sure to get the message. This is very important when you are dealing with doctors or attending a seminar. I also interpret for her at church, which can be difficult because of the complex nature of sermons and the length. She enjoys the signed music, especially. I am able to interpret for her because I understand both what the speaker is saying and the language that she can use to make sense of it.

            We are all like my friend in some ways. We come to church and we know the right movements to make and the right words to say. We know when to sing and when and how to take communion, but when it comes to communicating with God we are at a loss. This can be true in talking to God and hearing from him. We may read the word or hear a sermon and on our own we cannot make sense of it. Also, when we pray we may be unable to think of what to say. I have sat in my “thinking chair” and said, “God I don’t have any idea what I need to ask for.”  For example, when my dad was so sick, there was a point where even though I believed God could heal him of the physical ailments, I didn’t know if it would be compassionate for him to be well but live with the confusion and loss he had experienced. Sometimes I have been so hurt that all I could do was to sit in His presence and cry. You know, not only is he OK with that, He has already provided the solution.

            Jesus tried to explain this to the apostles before He died. In John 14:26, He said, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” He does the same thing today for us.  He translates what we hear into a form that we can use to understand it. For me, one way he does this is through the use of analogies like this. Then in Rom 8:26, we read this: “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

            God loves us so much and wants to have relationship with us. He didn’t just say, “Find Me if you can!” He left us a map (the Bible) a guide (Jesus) and an interpreter (the Holy Spirit). Realize that we have these tools and use them. I can’t wait to see what treasures we will find when we get there, especially the treasure of being in the presence of the living God.

Evidence

Welcome to Unseen today. As difficult as it is to live unseen, it gives us a rare opportunity to be witnesses and a force for good. Read on for some thoughts on being a witness.

Evidence

Explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and {saying,} "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ." Acts 17:5

    Lights flash. Sirens scream. The camera pans the area and than zooms in on the back of a jacket. CSI. I love to watch them solve baffling crimes based on evidence they collect. Suspects are caught and victims are avenged.

    What about our lives? What is the evidence that we have been with Jesus? Let me suggest a few things. See if you could be convicted. People are often convicted because they are placed at the scene. Are we found in the places Jesus would be? I don't just mean in church either. Jesus tells the story of the people who come before God. One group he dismisses, saying depart from me, and I never knew you. The other group he welcomes, making mentions of the times that fed him, visited him, and gave him a drink. "When did we do these things?"They questioned him and he said, "As much as you have done it to the least of those you have done it to me." If we are about the business of ministry to the least of these, we may be convicted of being with Jesus.

    Sometimes suspects are convicted because of clothes they have been wearing. What do we wear? In baptism we put on Christ. We also, according to Isaiah have received the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. To stand against the enemy we must put on the whole armor of God.

    Many time the crimes is solved by blood found at the scene. There is nothing more powerful than the blood of Jesus. When we are “washed in the blood”, as the old song says, we needed forgiveness. Once we received forgiveness, we are able to pass it on to others. Once we receive love, we are able to give it. Love and forgiveness are not natural and stand out, evidence of blood splatter in our lives.

    It is tempting to walk in fear and not show our faith. When we have been with God, though, it is evident. When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai, his face glowed. We need to stand against our fear and share Jesus. A lost world needs our conviction.

Cree's Tree

Welcome to unseen today. Living Unseen requires getting our resources from reliable sources, even in hard times. Read on to see a lesson from an unusual place.

Cree’s Tree

He will bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. Is 61:3

The Texas Panhandle is a desolate place in many ways. The first settlers said that there was no way that trees could grow there.  Houses were usually dugouts or sod houses called soddies. The stereotype that Texans are bullheaded has its roots in fact. In 1888, a settler named Thomas Cree and his wife came to West Texas after working on the railroad. Since there were no trees for wood, they built a dugout. His wife wanted a tree, so he drove 35 miles in a wagon to get a sapling. He decided that for her sake he would get a tree to survive, by George. He watered it from a lake he dug from a buffalo wallow and it lived for many years, through blizzards and droughts. Although it has since died, in 1963 the governor dedicated a historical marker there, celebrating the first tree in the Panhandle. What was the secret of Cree’s Tree, as it is known? In a word, roots. What the early settlers did not know is that deep under the prairie grasses and dust ran an underground river. It is known as the Ogallala Aquifer, which I still find fun to say out loud.

The Bible has a lot to say about trees. In Psalms 1, we read this about the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord;

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Psalms 1:3.

Isaiah says that we are the trees of righteousness planted by the Lord for the display of His splendor. (61:3) The parable of the sower compares different types of soil that seeds grow in the seed that fell in the shallow soil grew up quickly but because it did not have deep roots, it died quickly too. The seed that fell on the good soil took root, grew strong and multiplied thirty, sixty, or even a hundredfold.

I have mentioned before that I grew up in a family “well-versed” in the word of God. (Pun intended.) From my earliest days I was taught stories and memory verses. They took root and my faith has held trough the wind storms and drought in my life. This is what I hope for you. Water your seeds of faith with prayer, study and fellowship. Take heart when God prunes off dead leaves in your life. Take joy in being a tree of righteousness created to display God’s splendor.