Work in Progress

Welcome to Unseen on a beautiful fall day. This story may have been posted before, but I couldn't find it. The last couple of weeks God has really opened a lot of doors and I have had some divine appointments. Watch for new links soon to help you find other sources that share this vision of helping people who are living Unseen. In light of the open doors, today's story is about how God continues to bring us from glory to glory.

Work in Progress

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.   2 Corinthians 3:18

                My little boy was very allergic to mosquito bites and they would swell and itch miserably. He had several bites on his ankles and had scratched them until they bled. Then the blood had dried, effectively gluing the socks to his legs. I did not realize this and when I was getting him undressed for bed I pulled his socks off and he howled. He put his little hands on his hips and said, "I wish I had the kind of mother who would take my socks off slow when I have a boo-boo." Full of remorse, I said, "I'm so sorry. Will I do until they can find you a mother like that? Wiping his eyes, he said, "Yeah. They're working on that kind of mother but they are not finished with him yet." God is still not finished with me as a mother.

                I was walking to the library to work on proofreading this book. I was a little distracted but my attention was quickly arrested. Our part of West Texas is on the migration path of the Monarch butterflies. Between the sidewalk and the library, probably a hundred gorgeous monarchs flitted in front of me. It was so exciting that I felt like a child. It made me think of the awesomeness of the creator and also of his transforming power. The proud-looking Monarchs with their bold orange and black coloring come from a striped caterpillar that bears little resemblance to the adult. I am so glad that the same God who can make that transformation is at work in me.

                2 Corinthians 3:18 says,  And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. I am so glad that God did not leave me as I was when I first came to him in 1978. I am glad he did not leave me as I was in 1994 when I re-dedicated myself to serving him out of love and gratitude for who He is, not just to follow the rules. He has used situations in my life to draw me closer to Him and make me more like Him. He has taught me things in His word and molded me through service. The more time I spend with Him, the more he changes me.  As I am beginning to take more "faith-steps" in my ministry I see such a change from the scared, inadequate person I used to be.

                It is easy to get stuck at one level of grace or growth. How do you avid this? If you want to be changed into God's likeness, you have to behold his likeness. Spend time with Him in study and worship. Spend time with His people. James says, "Come near to God and He will come near to you. (4:8) If you want more of God, He is eager to meet you.

Chocolate

In honor of fall weather, (Finally) we are revisiting a past story. In fact this is the story that started it all. It was the first one I wrote for my project with my friend. The lessons never get old.   Besides who doesn't love chocolate?

Chocolate

Count it all joy my brothers when you encounter various trials, know that the testing of you faith works patience, and let patience have its perfect work.  James1:2-4

             The other night I was drinking hot chocolate and I heard from the Lord.  I love to drink hot chocolate, especially on a chilly evening.  I was thinking about the different kinds of hot chocolate. Once, my child decided to make his own hot chocolate. He stirred chocolate chips into a glass of milk and was very distressed that it did not taste better.  Then there are the instant hot chocolate mixes.  They taste good, but often leave clumps of chocolate at the bottom.  Finally, there is the good old-fashioned hot cocoa, where you heat the milk and stir in cocoa and sugar.  Nothing quite compares with this. 

            Believe it or not, there is a spiritual application here.  All of us are in different places with God. Some are just beginning to be open to the word and it has not taken root in their lives.  Their walk with God is like the chocolate chips and milk. The good things of God’s word and his spirit are present, but they are not able to make much difference yet.  Others have come farther with God and are letting the word and the spirit affect some area of their lives. They may have cleaned up their language or behavior.  They are becoming sweeter. They still have clumps in their lives, though. These are areas where they have not allowed God to touch, for some reason.  Finally, there are those who are trying to let God into every area of their lives and live by the power of the spirit.  They are like the old fashioned hot cocoa, a sweet sacrifice to God. 

            There are two requirements to this state.  There must be heat and the ingredients must be stirred.  Have you been feeling the heat lately? Has God been stirring you up?  Don’t despair.  You will be a sweeter fragrance to the world of God’s glory. Finally, remember, God has not left you on the burner alone. He is still in control and will not leave us

No experience necessary

Welcom to unseen. Once again, I had a totally different plan for this week's post. When I sat down to write it, God "changed the channel in my head. Maybe you need to read this as much as I n eeded to write it, especially if you have ever felt unworthy or unqualified.

No Experience Necessary

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. John 16:33

Recently I attended a painting class with a local artist. We were assured that no experience was necessary. Most of the students had little to no experience and were more than a little anxious about how the project would turn out. Fortunately, there were four things to help us ensure success. The basic outline was already done in charcoal, giving us a pattern to work with. It showed us where the general boundaries were for different elements in the picture. Second, we had a finished painting to look at for an example and a standard. Also, we had the teacher to instruct us and guide us. She painted along with us and then walked around giving specific tips, such as the fact that if what we painted wasn't what we intended we could either paint over it or use a wet rag to wipe it off. (Bonus lesson on grace in our lives). Finally we had the other students to help us. Another person might be able to clarify something that we didn’t understand from the teacher. In the end, even though they were completely different, we each left with a painting we could be proud of.

Although some of us have been in church since the second Sunday we were alive, others come to God later. Either way, walking with God is something that can be difficult. We are not sure what God wants us to do and even when we do discover our mission and purpose, we can't do it alone. That's OK though, because we were never meant to. He has given us everything we need for life and Godliness. (2 Peter 1:3) He has given us a pattern in his Word that shows us the general boundaries for how we should act and who we should be. I am very grateful for the Bible, and it gives me lots of wisdom. I have mentioned before that I am thankful that my Grandpa began Bible stories and memory verse drills from before I could remember. I remember when I became a Christian thinking, "Why isn't there any practical advice on how to be a Christian?" Then I read the book of James and realized that there is. As wonderful as the Word is and as much as we should treasure it, it is not our only help. God willingly sent his son to earth, both as a sacrifice and as an example or standard. As Max Lucado says, Jesus is God with skin on. He didn't stop there either. He sent the Holy Spirit to instruct and guide us, interceding (or being a go-between) for us before God. We also have our Christian family to help us understand and show us how they walk out the Christian life.

Let’s look at the power of these tools. In Hebrew 4:12 we read “the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart .” Psalms 119 is David’s beautiful psalm of how much he love’s God’s word and his Law. In verse 105, he says it is a light to his path and a lamp to his feet. Although we are familiar with what Jesus did for us, we cannot forget how precious it is that we have a high priest who was like us in every way. (Hebrews 7) Because we cannot see or hear him, we may discount the power of having God’s spirit as our intercessor and guide, but to do so would be like trying to use your computer without plugging it in. Also, we can rely on our Christian family even the ones who get on your nerves. 1 Corinthians 12 describes the church as a body, where no one part can do without the others.

So you want to walk with God? It may not be easy, but it is simple.Using the tools at our disposal, there is no experience necessary.

Small problems, big problem

Welcome to Unseen. Today I want too share a lesson I learned, like so many others, the hard way. Read on to learn about the danger of small problems.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.Ephesions 6 10.

Once upon a time, there was an explorer in the Amazon. He was very brave and could handle almost anything. He faced down a leopard and survived an attack by a wild boar. He escaped from the strangling embrace of a python. He didn’t bat an eye at the storms that came. He learned to find food in the most unlikely places to keep his supplies from running out. When he died everyone was surprised. He was brave and skilled. What could have taken him out? The answer? Fleas. He had been bitten and the bites became infected. No amount of bravery could stop the poison running through his veins.

In the last few weeks, I have been dealing a lot with forgiveness and let go of 4 long-standing resentments toward people at my church. (Surely you don’t have any resentments toward people at your church, but I did.) Well, I thought that things would be a lot better at church, because I was not dragging in my baggage with me. It was, too, but the enemy was not through with the war just because I had won the battle. I was cranky and touchy. Everything was getting on my nerves, from the percussion instruments to the crying babies to the air conditioner. Things that I can always overlook seemed huge and I ended up having to go into the prayer room to get myself together.

The enemy of our souls is clever and ruthless. He will not give up when you win a battle. He may come with a sneak attack or magnify small things, which can be just as damaging as big storms, because they wear you down. When Jesus faced him down and overcame him after his 40 days in the desert, the Bible says he left him for a more opportune time. (Matthew 4:11). My temptations probably don’t look the same as yours. The enemy is not going to waste his time tempting me with drugs, but hurt feelings, guilt trips or self-pity are awfully effective on me. 1 Peter 5:8 says the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  We have to be on our guard and we have to put on our armor.(Ephesians 6) What if one of our marines went out on guard duty in the desert, but did not wear his helmet or flak jacket or take his weapon? We can’t do that either.  Hold each other up and work to resist temptations, large or small.

Guest spot

Welcome to Unseen today. We have story today from Darell Martin, who we have heard from several times before. Next week we will talk about either seasons or how little irritations can wear us down, which ever God decides.

 

I Was Blind but now I See

by Darell Martin

Five thirty comes early any day but especially on a Saturday morning when I could, at least, sleep until seven.  But I didn’t want to miss it. It was the first day of fall, and I didn’t want to miss the sunrise this particular day. 

One of my most favorite places on earth to spend part of my day is in, believe it or not, Abilene, Texas at Jacob’s Dream on the Abilene Christian University campus. This magnificent world class sculpture was created by Jack Maxwell and dedicated to the university during their centennial in 2006. Part of the sculpture is a metal casting of four, larger-than-life, angels either ascending or descending a ladder into heaven. According to Genesis, Jacob had a dream after falling exhausted from his harrowing journey, fleeing the wrath of his older brother, Esau. When Jacob awoke he call the place Bethel saying, “Surely the LORD is in this place.” There are various scriptures on stones, in this small park, that look as if they had been randomly strewn over the area. But, in fact, each piece of sculpture, every stone and each scripture is place in a specific spot. You can walk from one stone to another, reading various Bible passage from both the old and new testaments.

Now the reason I came early that Saturday morning was to see the cross. You see if you stand on a particular spot in the park and observe a particular stand of stones, on the west side, you can see the cross within the space between the stones. You cannot see it from any other vantage point other than in that one spot.  And on the Autumnal Equinox, or so I had heard, the rising sun can be seen within the space of the cross. I was there to see if—to hope that—it was true.

I went through the McDonald’s drive through, got a cup of coffee and drove to the spot, hoping no one else was there. Since most people were still in bed, I had the entire park to myself.  I sat drinking my coffee and praying for quite awhile. As dawn began creeping over the horizon I sat in anticipation on a stone wall facing east, facing the cross—watching, waiting. But alas, there was no sun peeking through the cross. I stood, thinking that I would have a better vantage point but, to my dismay, saw the sun rising, not to the center, but to one side of the cross. Disappointed, I began thinking it was all a bust—like something you hear as true on the internet, only to find out it was bogus hype.

But then I noticed the words on the ground. I hadn’t seen them earlier for the darkness all around. It was from scripture, quoted from the story of the man born blind in John chapter 9 and from my favorite hymn “Amazing Grace. “I was blind but now I see.” How could I have missed it? “I must hurry,” I thought. “The sun is rising quickly, now.” I quickly moved toward the words and stood on “I see!” And there it was. The sun positioned in the very center of the cross. In fact, in its brilliance, the risen sun seemed to eclipse the cross itself. And I thought of Easter. The old wooden cross of death, which on Friday had held fast the Savior of the world, now on Sunday stood old and tattered against the risen Son of God. Death had been defeated. Darkness had been replaced with radiant and dazzling light. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

CHARGE!

Welcome to Unseen today. We are having autumn at last and it is my son Heath's 18th birthday. Pick an emotion and I have probably had it today. Read on for a lesson in being still. It may be as hard for you as it is for me.

Charge!

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me John 15:4

I had a little enforced quiet time this weekend. I left the inside light on in my car. When I got out to go to church, the car was dead as it could be.  That was no problem, I thought. After all, I had jumper cables. Unfortunately the last time my husband let someone use the car, the kept both the jumper cables and the gas can when they brought it back. I looked around for someone to help me but couldn’t find anyone that was awake. When I did find people awake, they did not speak English. I went back in for a while, and my husband helpfully pointed out that I should always check to make sure all the lights were out.  When I came back outside, there were lots of people in the parking lot. Not one of them had jumper cables. I had the same result at the next two parking lots in the complex. Finally someone said, he had jumper cables but not a car. I followed him to his apartment, where he realized that what he had were tow cables. The neighbors upstairs said that if I could find a set they would help me. After a great deal of time looking and asking I found both cables and a car at the same time. The jumped the car and I was so excited I drove directly to the gas station where guess what I did? Yep, I turned the car off to go in and pay for gas. I happily fed the car and got in to start it. Would you like to guess whether anyone at the gas station had cables? I met another neighbor who helped me and told me to leave the thing running for a while. Oh good 25 -30 more minutes of quiet time.  I had left me book inside and my smart phone is currently functioning as a paperweight.  I sat still and guess what? God had something to tell me.

My car is not the only thing that I try to recharge without taking enough time and effort.. In Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, hands down the hardest habit  for me is the last one which says ‘sharpen the saw.’ A man is cutting wood and his saw is dull. He is working extra hard because of the dull saw, and another man suggests that he stop and sharpen the saw so his work will be more efficient. He replies that he can’t stop to sharpen his saw because he is too busy working.” We easily recognize the flaw in his logic, but do the same thing in our lives, both in our physical and our spiritual lives.  I neglect things that are going to make me better and stronger, because I don’t have time to do them. More damaging is the way I do this in my spiritual life. When I am busy, even busy doing God’s work, It is easy to rush through our Bible studies and prayer times. Then we wonder why we don’t have the passion we need for the lost or people in need. We try to go from spiritual experience to spiritual experience and keep the encouragement and lessons we learned without maintaining our connection with God. That would be like going from Thanksgiving dinner which is great Christmas dinner which is great without eating in between. There is nothing wrong with retreats or great sermons or youth rallies, but they are only a part of the equation.

Jesus used the example of plant life. Through much of John 15 he talked about the vine and the branches. In Verse 4 he said Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. When I looked up the word abide it means to remain or to stay or to make your home. How do we know if we are doing that. 1 john has a lot to say about this. We read Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.(3:24) and  No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us (4:12). Let us check the evidence of abiding in Him to keep our lives charged.

               

Trapped

Welcome to Unseen today. I got bogged down on this story last week. We all know enough not to pray for patience. Apparently, if you are going to write about forgiveness you get to take a refresher course. read on to see what I learned in my "mini forgiveness boot camp."


TRAPPED

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13

I cut my teeth on stories. Mom read to us from before I could remember. I remember my brother and I sitting on Dad’s chest as he lay on the floor making up silly stories as he went. Grandpa Carver loved to tell me stories, from Going’ on a Bear Hunt to Bible stories to Irish fables from Henry Lauder. Is it any wonder that I became the “Story Keeper” for our family? Some of my favorite stories were those of Uncle Remus.  First published in 1879, they have brought laughter and lessons to generations. My favorite is the story of Tar Baby. Bre’r Fox and Bre’r Bear were after the wily Bre’r Rabbit. Thinking they had a sure fire plan, they took some sticky, smelly tar and made a Tar Baby. They put a shirt on it and a hat and left it in the road where Bre’r Rabbit lived.  Bre’r Rabbit saw the Tar Baby and said good morning. Tar Baby said nothing, being made of tar. Bre’r Rabbit repeated his good morning and tar Baby still said nothing. Getting angry he informed Tar Baby that if he didn’t say good morning by the count of three he was going to knock him to Kingdom Come. When he got no answer, he drew back his fist and got it stuck fast in the sticky tar. He repeated this with his other hand and both feet, until he was hopelessly stuck. At this point Bre’r Fox and Bre’r Bear come out from their hiding place and grab him, informing him that he is invited to be dinner. In the version I heard he got away by tricking the tricksters, but in other versions he has to be rescued.

When is the last time you felt like poor Bre’r Rabbit? Are you stuck in a situation or a habit that has you unable to move forward with God?   Do you feel like the harder you try to pull yourself out the worse you get entangled?  You are probably right.The biggest culprit is resentment. It would be great if we reserved resentment for people outside our circle. Unfortunately, we most often get angry with those closest to us, because we care what they think. This is true of our families and it is true of our churches. We allow differences within both to undermine two of the most important sources of strength we have.  We are not fighting story book characters. We are fighting a cunning and cruel enemy who is desperate to keep us from fulfilling our purpose. If we are focused on hurts and offenses of those closest to us, we have no energy or resources left to fight him. We become as trapped as poor Bre'r Rabbit. Unlike Bre’r Rabbit, we cannot defeat our adversary by tricks. We are dependent on the grace of God and the sacrifice of Jesus. These give us the power to forgive that we can never have on our own.

We read so much about forgiveness in the Bible. Micah 7:18 is one of many verses that gives us the basis for forgiveness. Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. Then Jesus from the cross in Matthew 26 looks down at the people crucifying him and says, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.  That is quite a standard. In Matthew 18 Peter thought he had a handle on forgiveness, asking if he should forgive his brother 7 times ( the number of completion or perfection) Jesus said no, he should forgive 70 times 7. He tells the story of the man forgiven a huge amount by the king, then unwilling to forgive his neighbor a small debt. I am prone to go to one extreme or the other. I may resist forgiving someone so they don't "get away with it", especially if their offense was against my family members. I may also try to dredge up forgiveness from my own resources. Neither is a good plan. In Galatians 5:22 Paul tells us about the fruit of the Spirit, or what the spirit of God can give to us.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
USe the power you have at your disposal to forgive. We need not stay in the trap set by our enemy.