All at Sea.

I was talking to a Navy Veteran the other day about his time aboard an aircraft carrier. Apparently an aircraft carrier is like a small city. There were chapels, game rooms, gyms and a library with daily bulletins of information that was helpful. It was also enormous, measuring 250 feet across and more than 1000 feet long. He also said that the flight deck was 65 feet above the water’s surface. He said that the biggest problem that he had was that you could never tell where you because there were no landmarks. Looking out from the deck you could only see miles and miles of water, and water off of Vietnam, Formosa and the Philippines all looked alike.

Some people see the laws that God sets out for us as unfair and burdensome, or just a way to spoil our fun. Leaving sex for marriage is not be easy and yielding to the temptations looks like fun. Loving our neighbor as ourselves goes against every instinct we have. Dietary laws seem harsh to us.  Even the Golden Rule seems like a way impossible task.

In reality, God’s laws are for our protection and our good.  They give us landmarks for our lives, so that we are not adrift in a spiritual ocean. God knew that keeping sex in its proper place brings fulfillment and outside of that place it can be destructive. The foods that were unclean are things that we now know to be harmful to eat, like uncooked pork or bottom feeding fish or scavengers.  Keeping the Golden Rule is an excellent way to deal with other flawed and broken people.

This is what the writer of Psalms 19 says about God’s law.

7The law of the Lord is perfect,refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

making wise the simple. 8The precepts of the Lord are right,

giving joy to the heart.The commands of the Lord are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.9The fear of the Lord is pure,

enduring forever.The decrees of the Lord are firm,

and all of them are righteous.10They are more precious than gold,

than much pure gold;they are sweeter than honey,

than honey from the honeycomb.11By them your servant is warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

Many other verses mirror these thoughts. I think we can all agree with them. Our problem is that we are human and sinful. Paul describes it this way in Romans 7.
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22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

What is the answer then? In a word, Jesus. Jesus took the punishment for our disobedience. He has paid the price for us to be reconciled to God. Aren't you grateful that our eternal future has much more to do with His righteousness than ours? God has not only given us boundaries to help us find our way, but also an example to follow and a Savior. 

Well, 2018 is closing soon and to be honest it has been a bad day.  I have had problems due to circumstances beyond my control. I would like to tell you that I was very spiritual and handed it all over to God, but I didn't. I fell apart. I am re sharing one of my early stories because I apparently need to be reminded of the lesson.

High Priest

We do not have a high priest who cannot understand our weaknesses, but he was tempted in all things, just as we are, yet without sin.  Heb 4:15

    I was talking to my child the other day about sports.  I told him that when I was in high school the coaches would come out on cold days wrapped up in t-shirts; sweat shirts, quilted coveralls, jackets, gloves and hats.  We would come out in our sweats, and they would say, “Go run. It’s not cold.”  We always complained that of course it wasn’t cold to them in all their layers.  Off we would go, shivering and grumbling.  About half way around we would meet the boys coming the other way.  There was one important difference though.  Their coach was running right along with them. Dressed the same way and willing to undergo the same thing he asked them to, he would encourage us as well.  He did not let them get out of the workout, but he went through it with them.

    We have the same privilege.  We do not have a God who sits up in the expanse of heaven and shouts out rules to us.  He did not just start the world spinning and then watch to see how bad we would mess it up.  He came to earth, personally, in the form of Jesus.  He was tempted like we are. He felt the pain and joys we feel.  After leaving us a path to follow, he paid the price for our sin and shame. 

    I worked with a lady once who had problems, which had isolated her. She told me that she was complaining to God and said, “Lord, do you have any idea of what it is like to be rejected?” She said that in her spirit she felt that God was laughing, because of course he knew exactly how it felt to be rejected.

    Take heart when you feel alone. When temptation feels like it is too much for you, be assured, you have a God who has not left you alone.

We're not From Around Here

We’re Not From Around Here

The summer after my freshman year in College, I worked for a week as a teacher at church camp in Oklahoma. It was a different kind of place than I was used to and even boasted a ghost town close by with a population of seventeen people. One afternoon, I went on a store run with another woman from our group. The first sign of trouble came when we could not find road signs. We drove for miles, hoping we were on the right road. Before we found road signs, though, we found something else. Cows! About twenty or twenty five cows were relaxing in the roadway we were trying to cross.  They ignored our shouts and horn honks. Finally they decided on their own to move along. We drove on down the road for a minute, laughing at our adventure. Then the other lady suggested that we find a farmhouse and let someone know that the cows were out. Since we couldn't find any road sings I wasn't hopeful, but we did find a farmhouse. We knocked on the door and when the farmer answered, she explained to him that a quarter mile back we were trying to cross the road and the cows must have gotten out, and we felt that someone should know. He listened to the explanation and then asked, "Where're y'all from?" We told him we were both from West Texas. He smiled and told us they had open range. I asked the other lady as we drove off what open range meant. She said that the cows wandered and ate wherever they wanted and then were sorted out by the brands when it was time for market. We were glad to finally reach the town we were looking for and get back from our trek.

Sometimes things are hard to understand if you don't know the language or the customs. It can leave you feeling homesick. Sometimes we feel ill at ease in the world here. It is partly because we are not from around here. This is not our home. Advent reminds us that our  hope is a home in heaven because of what Jesus did . Many of my family and friends have gone ahead of me the last couple of years. I am reminded of the old song that says, 

This world is not my home. I'm just a-passing through. 
My treasure are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door 
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

The Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11 tells us that Abraham looked for a city whose builder and maker was God. (11:10) Others In John 14, Jesus is telling his disciples about his going to the father and preparing a place for them. He says, "in my father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you and if I go to prepare a place I will surely come again and receive you unto  myself. (John 14:2)
There is a beautiful description in John's vision  in Revelation.

13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

I admit that I long for that. Life is so hard here sometimes. I want to be where There is no night and the Lamb is the light. I want God to welcome me and wipe the tears from my eyes. Until that time, let us encourage our fellow travelers who are not from around here. 

Out of reach

Out of Reach

God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in times of trouble. There for we will not fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. The Lord almighty is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress. Psalms 46:1-3

It is finally fall here in West Texas and it has come in with a vengeance. Lots of churches and organizations have had fall festivals or Trunk or Treats.  One that I saw recently had inflatable games and I did a double take going past one of them. Two people were inside of an inflatable boxing ring. They were wearing huge blow-up sumo wrestling costumes. It was hard enough to stand, much less fight. They would take a “running” start and crash into each other.  Usually one or both would fall after a rebounding bounce from the hit. The people watching were laughing and clapping. It was also quite a sight to watch them get up after they had fallen. The good thing is that it is almost impossible to get hurt in a game like this. It is also almost impossible to help someone up.  Basically, it is good for a laugh but not much else.

In life we have ways of keeping from getting hurt too, but they are not nearly as funny. My fall back (no pun intended) is that I will reject someone before they have a chance to reject me. I don’t get hurt much but I end up feeling lonely and not getting the help or encouragement that I need, or that I could give. I strenuously avoided forming new friendships after someone I love died. I also tend to bury any negative feelings or hurts, though I do this less often than I used to. When it comes to relating to God I think I am more comfortable following the rules that I am risking real relationship because it is somehow less scary than accepting love from a holy God that I might let down. No matter how far I get away from these two ways to insulate myself, in times of stress I find myself drawn back to them. I personally do not turn to drugs or alcohol to numb the edges of pain, but I know that many people do.  Ways that we isolate/ insulate are as numerous as the people who use them.

What can we do instead? First, let’s let God do the protecting. HE has said, that He is our shield and our very great reward.(Genesis 15:1) He also said in Psalms 46:1 “God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in times of trouble. There for we will not fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. The Lord almighty is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress.” Second when it comes to one another, Paul urges us to clothe ourselves in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12)

Be brave with me this week and engage with your brothers and sisters. We might be bruised or even scarred, but we will come out stronger for God’s glory.

 

Whose move is it?

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They 
 are new every morning. Great is they faithfulness. The lord is my portion says my soul. Therefore I will trust in Him. Lamentations 3:23

When I was in junior high, a friend at camp taught me how to play chess. Kind of. I learned how the different pieces could move and I learned some strategy but I was never very good. Fast forward several years. My children learned how to play chess at school. They are both very linear thinkers and are really good at chess. They would want me to play so they could practice, or maybe so they could beat me. I would get excited when I figured out a strategic move, thinking two moves ahead. Then whoever I was playing would say, "Mama, you don't want to do that because then I could move my pawn here and then you would have to move your bishop there and then my queen could take this and .....So much for my great strategy.

I have a confession. For most of my life I have seen my relationship with God as a sort of cosmic chess game. This was not a conscious decision on my part, but my personality and teaching made it a natural conclusion. If I went to church then I would be blessed. If I kept the commandments I would be blessed. If I was baptized and lived right I would be saved. If I tithed then I would have plenty of money. If I had faith God would answer my prayers. I had verses to back all of these ideas up. Unfortunately the enemy took something that was basically good and distorted it. I lived under a lot of pressure. You see, if I did not do these things then I would not be blessed, or saved, or have plenty of money, Just recently, I gave someone what I considered to be a small blessing and minutes later someone gave me what I considered a much bigger blessing. I thanked God, but pointed out that I hadn't done enough for a big blessing. Once again, He reminded me that he is much more concerned by the state of my heart than with the size of my gift. He also showed me that life with him is  not a back and forth game of chess. His love is a fountain and "his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning" (Lamentations 3:23)

God did not wait for man to come to him for salvation before coming up with a plan. Revelation 13:8  says that Jesus was "the lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world." He didn't even wait for men to seek a relationship with Him. John 15:16 is a verse that has meant so much to me. IT says this. "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit--fruit that will last--and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you." In 1 John 4:19 we read, "We love because he first loved us." Unlike what I tend to think, God does not wait for us to make a move toward him. Luke 6:38 says that "the measure that we used shall be used with us, full measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over."

Join me this week in basking in God's love and favor. Giving is great, but it comes out of our joy and gratitude, not because we are trying to get to the next square. 

Clean Up

Clean Up

"There is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the spirit of life in Christ has set me free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:1-2

It was not a dark and stormy night. It was a hot, sunny August day in West Texas. (I know. That is redundant.) I was one of several hundred incoming freshmen at ACU. After a day of meetings, lectures and registration, the powers that be decided that we needed some fun. The intramural fields had been transformed. At one end was a huge slip-and slide. In the middle was a "volleyball" game with a giant balloon, and at the other end was the mud Olympics. After making it to the front of the line, I waded into a puddle of slimy mud and climbed up a small hill made of mud. Sliding down the other side, I landed in a moat of sorts, filled with muddy water to swim through. It was at this point that I realized I had not taken out my contacts, and shut my eyes tight to keep out the water. I emerged at the end of the course caked with mud and realized that a solution was at hand. Friendly firemen sprayed us down with fire hoses. I had no idea the power behind a fire hose. After the first layer of dirt had been power washed, I squished and dripped my way back to the dorm.  I got into the shower in the wonderful down the hall bathroom and turned on the water. Just as I wet my hair, my sister came in to check on me. She took one look and burst out laughing. I had rivulets of muddy water running all down my back. I feel sorry for whoever had to clean the showers that day.



Sin and its consequences can make a mess of our life. Sometimes it is a sin that we fall into or slide into, but sometimes we jump in headlong and splash around. However we get in it leaves its mark n us. We may try to get out of it ourselves, using will power or self help  strategies. This may take off the first layer of dirt, changing our behavior. Our behavior may change for a while but the underlying thoughts and sin nature is still a part of us. The only way out is redemption through Jesus and his sacrifice. The Bible tells us that he paid the price for our sins and can take away the penalty, giving us a  new heart. What a fantastic, amazing gift this is. Still, we are not automatically freed from the consequences of our sin. We may still have to go through legal dealings or deal with the damage done to the ones we love. Even so, He will walk with us and hold our hand. We also have the hope that this world is not our home and that God will restore all things.


The Bible tells us many places about the need for a savior and healing for our souls.
In Isaiah 1:18,  we read, "Come let us Reason together says the Lord. Though your sins were as scarlet they will be white like snow." It is not something we can do ourselves or even understand. Paul explains in Ephesians 2:8-9 that "we are saved by grace, not by works so that no man can boast."
Romans 8:1-2 addresses tying to earn salvation by good works. " There is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the spirit of life in Christ has set me free from the law of sin and death."

Our own efforts to get rid of sin will be ineffective and only lead to frustration and guilt. Let Jesus and his blood wash you whiter than snow.

Eyes Wide Shut

Amarillo is not a great cultural center but there are a lot of things to do for kids. There is a symphony, a really great science museum, and then there is Thompson Park. It has picnic tables, playgrounds and a zoo. The zoo now has a lion and a tiger, but the last time I was there, other exhibits include two goats, a horse, a donkey and a skunk. Across the parking lot is an amusement park, called Wonderland Park. One summer when I was about 10 our cousins came to town and we took them to Wonderland. They talked me into going on a haunted house ride called Fantastic Journey. We climbed into the car and it started rolling toward a door which opened as we got to it. We found ourselves in a tunnel with swirling black lights We went through a second door and something jumped at the car as strobe lights flashed. That was enough. I covered my eyes and held onto my cousin's hand. I could hear the creepy noises and the screams from the people around me. My heart was beating fast and my mouth was dry. After a very long few minutes, I felt water running down my neck and the car burst through on more door into the summer sunshine. My dad asked me if it was scary. In my pre-teen wisdom, I said "How should I know? I kept my eyes closed the whole time!" Thus began my tendency to avoid things that I am afraid of.
I am not the only one who has this tendency. In Judges 6, We find Gideon hiding in a wine press threshing wheat. He was hiding from the Midianites  who would swoop in at harvest time and steal the wheat. An angel came to him and said, "Hail, mighty man of valor. The Lord is with you!"  Gideon answered "If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?" The angel informed him that he had been chosen to deliver his people from the Midianites. Gideon asked not once, but 3 times for a sign that the Lord had really chosen him, including a sacrifice that was immediately consumed by fire and a bowl of fleece that was wet when the ground was dry and dry when the ground was wet. He gathered 32,000 fighting men. God told him that he had too many men and to send home anyone who was afraid. 22,000 people took him up on the offer, and I'm sure Gideon wanted to be included in that group. God said that was still too many men and told him to take the men to the river and send home anyone who cupped water in their hands for a drink. 300 men were left and divided into 3 companies. 1 on each hill around the opposing army. In one of the strangest battle strategies known, he issued each man a torch, a pitcher and a trumpet. God told Gideon that if he was still afraid to go to the enemy camp and listen. One of  the soldiers was telling another about a dream of a barley loaf rolling down the hill and destroying a tent.  The soldier listening said,"This has to be Gideon son of Joash." Encouraged by this report Gideon went back to his own camp. When he gave the signal, the 300 men broke the pitchers covering the torches and blew the trumpets. The Midianites were terrified and actually killed each other in their frantic race to get away.

One encouraging thing about this story is that I am not the only one who has dealt with fear. I love the fact that God is clear about this and does not put the Bible character on a pedestal and not let us know their weaknesses. He was patient with Gideon and worked with him through his fear. He allowed him to ask for signs  to reassure him. I also love the fact that once Gideon received his reassurance, he went ahead and acted.

Psalms 56:3 tells us this.
"When I am afraid I will trust in you."Then we read this in 2 Timothy 1:7.
"God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind".
Solomon tells us in Proverbs 18:10, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and they are saved." Finally in Isaiah 43:1 is one of my life verses. 

But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
    he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine.

Over 300 times in the Bible we are told not to fear. God knows our weakness but he also knows the solution. Keep your eyes open to God's mercy and goodness this week.