Mid-Week Message - A Worthy Struggle

"I want to know Christ - yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.  Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 3:10-14 (NIV)  

I appreciate the life that Paul led and the letters that he left behind so that we could know how dear the Lord was to him and how everything he did was done with Heaven in mind.  Of course we know the story that previous to meeting Jesus, Paul, or rather Saul, was a persecutor of Christians.  But when he met the Savior, everything changed.  His life was spent spreading the Good News, for which he endured unspeakable suffering.  But he didn't give up and he found joy in the struggles he encountered because he knew that there was a reward awaiting him that would be greater than he could imagine.  

I wonder how many of us are able to keep that in mind as we encounter the difficulties of daily life.  I have many friends in full-time Christian service and it isn't an easy life.  Moreover, I hear and read stories of missionaries in foreign lands who endure great hardship, including the threat of torture and even death.  They chose to leave behind the conveniences and comfort of their lives here in order to carry Christ's love to those who haven't had the chance to hear that there is a Redeemer who laid down His own life so that we on earth could have an everlasting future with Him.  

Several times a day I utter the words, "I'm tired."  And I am.  My body doesn't work the way it used to and just going through whatever the day requires of me is tedious at best.  Some days, my pain level makes me want to sleep the day away because when I am asleep is the only time that I am truly pain free.  Yet, if I give in to that desire then I am unable to focus on what is more important.  If I am sleeping, I am not praying for the many on my prayer list.  If I am sleeping then I am not reaching out to others that I know need encouragement.  And I am reminded that my life is not my own, but belongs to the One who paid an enormous price to redeem it and therefore deserves for it to be used for His glory.  

Paul set an example for each of us to follow.  No matter what he encountered, whether it be shipwrecks, beatings, illnesses, imprisonment or attempts on his life, he kept praising the Lord and sharing His message with everyone that was around him.  He didn't give in to pain or let exhaustion cease his efforts.  He knew that his time on this planet was temporary and that he had a limited amount of time to accomplish as much as he could for Jesus.  He seized every moment handed to him to make an eternal difference.  I'm sure he had moments of discouragement, moments of saying, "I'm tired."  But then he put them aside and continued on what he knew to be the better path.  

We have a finite time upon this orb.  Our days are limited.  If we do not fill our days with Heavenly purpose, then we are missing the mark.  God has us planted us where we are for reasons we may not be aware of.  Our response should be to take hold of the resources and opportunities that come our way and use them for His glory.  We each have a mission field.  We just have to realize it, and, with our hands firmly in His, go forth and boldly represent Him.  If we need a guide to show us how to take each step then we can read about Paul and, as he did, press forward toward the goal to win the prize that is waiting for us when we are called home.  It will be worth any struggle we encounter, no matter how tired we may get.  God bless.

Mid-Week Message - Valentines Thoughts

"Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." Romans 12:10

I used to love Valentines Day in school.  Each year we got to craft a "mailbox" for students to put our Valentines in. I would dig through my mother's sewing box and dig out pieces of fabric, lace and ruffles to glue on mine.  Then I would cut hearts out of construction paper, doilies and foil.  Each year I thought my box would be the most elaborate and the prettiest one in the classroom.  There was no award for the nicest box but it was important to me that mine stood out.  I guess somewhere deep down I thought the prettiest box would get the most cards.  

Fast forward to adult life.  When I was single I used to look longingly at the flowers that were delivered at work to the ladies with boyfriends and husbands.  Not all of them received them, but many did.  I thought it would be the most romantic thing ever to have flowers delivered to me at work.  The first Valentines Day of my married life, the flowers never came.  However, when I got home, my husband met me with a dozen roses and a glass slipper.  I was overwhelmed with emotion as I realized that it didn't matter if the flowers were delivered to my job or not.  It didn't even matter that I received flowers and a gift or not.  What mattered was the demonstration of the love my husband had for me.  

We all crave affection, and not just one day of the year.  Holidays have become opportunities for financial gain for companies that cater to them.  Cards, candy, jewelry, and flowers are big sellers this week.  Florists are working overtime trying to deliver all the orders.  But flowers die, candy gets eaten, cards eventually get either thrown away or shoved in a drawer.  What lingers is the satisfaction that comes from the love that was shown.  That is what matters because we each have a basic need for love.  

Romans 12:10 intrigues me.  What would happen if we actually followed its instruction to "outdo one another in showing honor?"  If each of us made it our mission to be the most loving to our families, neighbors, acquaintances and everyone else around us, what would change?  If we met that basic need for love in one another, if we all made that our mission, can you imagine the joy that would ensue?  I was elated to be met with flowers and a glass slipper one time.  It continues to impact my life even today.  That is how important a display of affection can be.  

Wherever you find yourself today, please know that at least one person loves you - me.  If it was in my power to deliver hugs or other displays of that love, I would do it eagerly.  Please reach out to those around you and honor them.  Don't wait for a special day or occasion.  There may not be another.  God bless you.

Mid-Week Message - Truth

 "Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.  Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long."   Psalm 25:4-5  (NIV) 

We are living in a time when men are defining truth by their own standards or agendas.  They are attempting to rewrite history to force it to align with what they have decided the truth needs to be.  Gone are the agreed upon happenings that have shaped lives and nations for centuries.  The elite have their own ideas about what the past should be, so they are creating narratives and repeating them over and over until they become ingrained in the minds of others, particularly the young.  By changing what is taught about what was they are attempting to create the future that best suits their own ideas.  

Ugly words are being bandied about to shame people into giving up their own individual beliefs and accepting what they are told.  "The truth," they say, "is what we tell you it is."  It seems that the only acceptable viewpoint is the one of those in charge.  It is incredibly sad that some are accepting this strategy and adopting these falsehoods into their own lives.  

When my daughter was little she rarely received correction that was more than being talked to, or maybe spending some time in her room.  There was one thing that she would receive harsher discipline for though, and that was lying.  We wanted to teach her how important it was to tell the truth, even if she was afraid or thought she would get in trouble for doing so.  We were teaching her about Jesus and that by being truthful He was honored because it was the right thing to do.  

As I witness all that is taking place today, I see our enemy having a huge laugh at how gullible and easy to fool humans are.  His one agenda is to rob Heaven of as many souls as he can.  He loves it when we are deceived and especially when we know God's truth yet still choose to follow earthly ways.  

My friends, as Christians we are to have discernment.  We need to turn to our Father, tell Him what we are seeing and hearing and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us.  It is vital that we be studying our Bibles so that the Truth is fresh in our hearts which will allow us to weigh what we are encountering against what God says.  If it does not agree with His Word, then we are to reject it.  

I will tell you that I am an "If God said it, I believe it and that settles it" kind of girl.  There is no greater authority than the Almighty.  My prayer of late is that He will reveal the evil, the deception and the lies in America and throughout the world so that everyone will know what the real truth is.  As He does that, I pray that all who claim to be followers of Christ will stand up, speak up and declare Jesus to a world that has lost its way.  God bless.

Mid-Week Message - Mysteries

"If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing."  1 Corinthians 13:2  (MSG)

I enjoy a good mystery.  In fact, I almost titled this message, "Who Killed Hank Pittleman" because that is the question in the book I am now reading.  But the eternal mysteries, those that we don't have the ability to understand completely, are not of this world but of God, and I don't want to cast any earthly shadow over any of them.  

How can the human mind grasp fully that the Lord has no beginning and no end?  Everything in our world has a beginning and an end.  Even though we say the right words when asked about His existence, we can't really understand it.  

And how can three be one?  The Trinity consists of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  God in three persons, as the song says.  If Jesus is God, then how was God still in heaven while Jesus was on earth?  If Jesus is God, then why does Jesus pray to God the Father?  

How is He able to be everywhere at once?  With the billions of people on the earth, how can He hear us all at the same time?  

Mysteries.  And there are Bible scholars who can explain it all, up to a point.  

According to today's verse, all that knowledge is worthless if we don't have love.  And there are many who proclaim to be "Christians" who refuse to reach out to those who are hurting or lonely or hungry.  

There are some behind the pulpit who are terrific orators.  They can deliver a biblical message that will knock your socks off.  And some of those churches grow to unbelievable numbers.  However, one on one with some of these preachers will reveal that they actually take no interest in anything except the messages they preach.  They rely on assistant pastors to do all the "people" work because they take no interest in what their flock is going through.  

And that is the bigger mystery to me.  I don't worry about how God created the universes, or how He does any of what He does.  It is enough for me that He knows and I have placed my faith in Him and trust Him completely.  But I cannot figure out how someone could be filled with the Holy Spirit and not love their fellow human beings.  Which makes me wonder if they are truly Christians or not.  

This world is in pain.  A quick look at the news will reveal that no matter where we go, there are those who are crying out for someone to care.  If we are to be like our Savior, if we are to make any difference at all, then we must be willing to reach out with the love He has demonstrated and placed within us.  That is our purpose.  We bring glory to our Creator when we minister to those who are in need of His touch.  

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.  Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'  The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine you did for me."  Matthew 25:35-40  (NIV)

Mid-Week Message - The Most Pleasant Aroma

"Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?"  2 Corinthians 2:15-16 (NLT)

Our sense of smell creates and recalls to mind memories that can both touch our hearts or turn our stomachs.  For instance, I will forever remember the way my mother smelled after she took a bath.  Her blend of bubble bath and bath powder coupled with a hint of perfume would permeate the house.  It was a sweet aroma that made the house feel even more like home.  One evening recently that fragrance came to me.  It was just an ordinary evening but suddenly those memories were triggered by that familiar smell.  I still have no idea from whence it came but it made me feel close to her even though she passed away thirteen years ago.  Not all smells are pleasant however.  I have heard medical professionals speak of the stench of burnt flesh and how it is something they will never be able to forget even though it causes them to feel ill at the very thought of it.  

I love the smell of coffee.  I have been known to stand in the coffee aisle in the grocery store just to take in the wonderful earthy scent as long as I could.  Not everyone likes that smell though.  To me it is a pleasure, to others it is something to be avoided.  This week's verse discusses the dichotomy of our lives being a Christ-like fragrance.  To some it symbolizes life but to others death.  

This has caused me to do some introspection.  What does it mean?  If we are to live lives that are "a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God", what are we to do?  I see in this verse what is ideal. Ideally we are to reflect our Lord as He is.  Ideally, we are to live our lives in such a manner that others will be drawn to us, not because of us, but because of Him in us.  However, most of us do not present ourselves in such a manner at all times, or even most of the time.  We get caught up in whatever is happening in the moment and forget that He is living in us.  We fail to project His love, His hope, His power.  

When we accept Jesus as our personal Savior, we are born anew.  The Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us and we begin to grow closer to Him and become more like Him.  There are times though that we revert back to our old ways.  Our old speech patterns come back.  Old habits such as worry and defeatism return.  We forget that those around us who do not know Him are watching us to see how we rely on Him to help us through troubled times.  In so doing, we lose the sweet aroma and emit a sour smell of hopelessness.  An unsaved person that witnesses this may conclude that since we say we are Christians yet do not have confidence in Jesus, that there is no reason for them to either.  If we turn to Him, praise Him and openly trust Him, then we present the opposite.  The fragrance will be one that draws others in and creates a desire to know more about our Lord.  It is one that will speak life and joy.

We have an enemy whose main purpose is to snatch us away from Jesus.  He doesn't want us to reach others with the Truth.  He hates anything that points the way to the Almighty.  So he is quite pleased when we fall back into our old ways.  He revels at the stench of death.  Let's not give him that satisfaction.  We belong to Christ.  That needs to be our identity, our purpose and our very breath. 

As we go through this week, let's be on guard so that the fragrance we project is Christ-like.  It will mean being alert and conscious of our words and actions at all times.  That's okay though because we have the Holy Spirit to help us.  Love and blessings to all.  

Mid-Week Message - Send Me

 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"   Isaiah 6:8

Each time I read this verse I am more in awe.  The willingness that it reveals is astounding to me.  But it teaches me something very important.  We need to be available to the Lord to do what He needs done.  What should matter the most is His kingdom and His will. 

Years ago, I prayed a prayer, after which I began to place a lot of stipulations.  The prayer was simply, "Lord, do with me what you will.  Whatever it takes, Lord, do."  As I thought about the words that had come out of my mouth, fear set in.  What if that meant that something or someone I loved would be taken from me?  What if that meant serious illness?  What if that meant going somewhere difficult?  What ifs poured forth like a fountain.  But the prayer had already been uttered.  Could I stand before my heavenly Father and say, "I changed my mind?"  

It took me awhile to think things through. In the end, I poured out my heart and shared my fears with Him.  I figured that since He made me, He would understand.  And in the end, I said the words again, "Whatever it takes, Lord, do."  Because I want to be used of Him.  I want to bring glory to His name and honor Him in His kingdom.  I want to be who He created me to be.  

My challenge this week is for you to think about those words, and if you have never prayed them, that you do so.  It sounds much easier than it truly is.  But I promise you that it will deepen your relationship with the Lord and you will learn some new things about yourself.  God bless you.

Mid-Week Message - Feeling Spiritually Inadequate

"Then God asked him, 'Who gives a person a mouth?  Who makes him unable to speak, or deaf, or able to see, or blind, or lame?  Is it not I, the Lord?  Now, go!  I myself will help you with your speech, and I'll teach you what you are to say.'  Moses said, 'Please, Lord, send somebody else.'"  Exodus 4:11-13  (ISV)

Some weeks, when I prepare to write my mid-week message, I feel very inadequate.  This is one of those times.  As I read about those who have lost everything in the Bahamas because of the hurricane, and hear more about the latest mass shooting, I think about all of the pain in this world.  I know people are in need of hearing from the Lord and knowing that He remains on His throne and sees all that has happened and that He cares and is present.  They need hope and compassion.  They need tangible help.  They are asking, "Why?  Where was He while my world was being destroyed?"  

As I type word after word, I am asking the Father if they will make any difference.  I never know who will read these messages.  Each week I pray that the message will be seen by those who need to see it.  My only desire is to point the reader to the Savior and I read and re-read what I've written before I publish it and eventually just have to trust that it will be used in a positive way.  

As Moses was being instructed by God to go to Egypt, he argued that he was not capable of doing what he was being told to do.  He tried to convince the Lord that he should send someone else.  He countered each assurance he was given with an excuse.  Finally, scripture says, the Lord grew angry with him.  He had chosen Moses and He does not make mistakes.  All Moses had to do was to be obedient.  God would give him the words he needed and direct each step.  

Each of Christ's followers is called to represent Him.  Whatever talents and abilities He has given are to be used for His glory.  They are to serve a much nobler purpose than to please ourselves.  Some can preach, some teach, others lift their voices in song.  Some are good with numbers, organization or administration.  Some are artists or entertainers.  No matter what your strong points are, there is a way to use them to uplift, to encourage, to assist others who are in need and thereby spread the love of Jesus.  

Life is overwhelming.  At times it is even devastating.  At any given time, there are those who are searching for answers.  They are looking for direction, for hope, for security.  Any one of us may be put in the pathway of someone in need.  We cannot simply turn our backs and walk away thinking that someone else will step into the gap.  God has placed us there for a reason.  We may be the only one that cares enough to love someone who is suffering, confused or lost.  All we have to do is trust that our Father will show us what needs to take place in the moment then be obedient even when it is frightening or uncomfortable.  We may not all be a Moses, but we can all touch lives and make a difference.  With sincerity of heart, God bless.  

Mid-Week Message - The Task Set Before Us

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

This past weekend brought news of two mass shootings.  One in El Paso, Texas and one in Dayton, Ohio.  Once again there are family members and friends grieving the losses of those dear to them.  I say "once again" because these shootings are just two more in a succession of violent attacks in this nation.  

Although some of our lawmakers wish to take these incidences and use them as evidence that gun control needs to be enacted, or guns outlawed, I would argue that the reason for this violence runs far deeper than the choice of weapon used.  Rather, my belief is that it stems from a nation that is moving away from the principles it was founded upon.  

Not that long ago in our history, parents took their children to church where they learned the Word of the Lord.  At home, they learned to say a blessing before they ate and to pray before they went to sleep.  Hearing the name of the Lord in school, in our courts and other places in public was not only accepted, it was expected.  However, those times have dwindled away.  Fewer parents attend church, let alone take their children.  Prayer in public is looked at as something odd.  God isn't welcome in our classrooms anymore, nor in our courts.  Christmas is now a "winter holiday" with protests being made about manger scenes or any mention of the birth of Jesus.  

So we have become a nation where our Creator is welcome in far fewer places.  Our children are not being taught His Word which provides a moral foundation unlike any other.  When we don't know that we have Christ to turn to in our times of difficulty then we will seek something else to turn to and the enemy is just waiting to offer his own solutions to our issues.  Unfortunately, many listen to him and choose evil and violence as the answer to their problems and their perceived problems of the world.  

If you think that I am over-simplifying what we are experiencing then you are welcome to your own opinion.  However, when I read God's Word I find that we as His followers are told to pray for our nation and for each other.  Today's verse holds a great promise but the operative word in it is the word "if".  "If"  we humble ourselves, seek His face, turn from our wicked ways and pray, "then" He will hear, forgive and heal.  

There is another verse that is tantamount in this reasoning.  It is Matthew 28:19 which says, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost:".  This verse, also called "The Great Commission", was a command, not a suggestion.  We have been tasked with carrying the Good News to those around us.  But because we as Christians have become afraid of being ridiculed, screamed down, or shunned, we have stopped taking this command seriously.  Yet, Romans 10:14 asks us, "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?  And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?  And how shall they hear without a preacher?"  

Beloved, the times are urgent.  We must return to obedience of the Lord's Word.  We are to be the carriers of the love, the hope and the salvation of Jesus Christ.  If we sit in our homes with our mouths shut, then how will those who are desperately seeking answers ever hear the truth?  We cannot wait and assume that someone else will tell our neighbor.  We may be the only ones that have the opportunity.  If we refuse, then we are denying Christ and doing harm to that neighbor.  

And we must return to earnest prayer.  God longs to hear our voices raised to Him.  We are to pray for this nation, including the elected officials no matter whether we agree with them or not.  And we are to pray for each other, including our enemies, including those who do harm to others.  Because they are loved just as much as we are by our Father and it is His desire that none should perish.  As we pray, we need to ask to see others as He sees them, rather than relying on our own opinions and reactions.  Maybe, just maybe, if these shooters had been reached with the truth, this evil would not have occurred.  I don't know for sure, but I do know that my job, and your job, is to make sure everyone hears the Gospel.  Those are my thoughts.  God bless.

Mid-Week Message - Father Knows Best

A father was sitting with his little boy in church.  When the boy stood up on the pew, the father told him to sit down.  The little boy shook his head.  He was told again to sit down,  Again he shook his head.  This went on for a few minutes then, finally, the father picked up the tot and sat him down on the seat.  The boy looked up at his dad and said, "I might be sitting down on the outside, but I'm standing up on the inside!"  

Parents can definitely relate to this attitude.  Children have their own ideas about how things should be done and are often defiant when those ways are challenged.  With our daughter, cleaning her room was the biggest difficulty we had with her.  We wanted everything put away.  Everything in its place. However, she liked having everything around her.  We even found out later that there was a fear factor at work. We never discovered why, but she felt that if she had everything on the floor, she was safer.  

Adults face this as well, not only with the rules, or laws, of this world, but in our relationship with the Lord.  Sometimes, we acquiesce on the outside but remain defiant on the inside.  We reluctantly obey without changing our heart.  Addicts white-knuckle through giving up their chosen substance.  Physically, it appears that they are doing well.  A mental or emotional examination though would show that the dependence is still alive and well and simply waiting for a time to reappear.  

So what do we do?  How do we bow before the Lord with pure hearts, truly ready to exchange His will for our own?  The pull of this world is stronger than we can handle on our own.  We do not have the strength to walk away from harmful attachments and addictions.  The first thing we have to do is to admit that we are powerless and that we need His intervention.  We have to ask Him for the willingness to allow Him to work in our lives and to make the necessary changes.  We need His touch and His direction to be able to honestly ask that His will become our will.  

We also need to believe that He is Who He says He is and to seek His forgiveness for living life on our own terms.  He promises to change us from the inside out, to mold us into the beings that He created us to be in the first place.  Jeremiah 24:7 says this, "I will give them a heart to know me, for I am the Lord, and they will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with their whole heart."  What beautiful words!  If we are willing, and if we desire, He will change our hearts into hearts after His own. We will desire Him above all and want His best for our lives.  This will enable us to leave the destructive things of the world behind and allow Him to lead us in the future He has for us.  

We all face rebellion in one way or another.  We all have that little child inside that is determined to do what we want to do when we want to do it.  However, there comes a time when we have to grow up and admit that our way is not the best way and to realize that we still have a Father who knows best.