Category: Bible Study

Pouring Out What’s Been Poured In

Clutching her hand, my voice quavered as I looked up, pleading. “Tell me again, mom, tell me again.” Leaning down to kiss me goodbye, she handed me my lunch and reassured me gently, “Jesus is holding your hand. Just remember, even when I can’t be with you, He can. Even if you can’t feel Him, you can trust that He’s there.” The lump in my throat slowly shrank and my courage returned as I pulled on my backpack and joined my siblings for the car ride to school.

Starting first grade at a new school in a new town hadn’t been easy. Every night as I climbed into bed, my stomach twisted in nervous knots. Every morning I fought back tears as my dad dropped me off. But all of that had changed once my mom started reassuring me about Jesus’ love and care for me.  She was the first person to entrust me with the good news of the gospel. Throughout my childhood, she used her gifts to share God’s Word-whether it was reading stories to me from Scripture or teaching  neighborhood kids at an after-school Bible class in our home.

As I got older, other people came into my life to shape and encourage my faith as well. There was Micki Ann, my wise small group leader during high school who patiently poured into a gaggle of teenage girls despite having a toddler and a newborn of her own. Later in my college years, I had a string of mentors who entrusted me with God’s Word and coached me to become a leader among my peers. Julia, Kim, Stacy and Kelly each left an indelible mark on me during that season by encouraging me to stand apart from the crowd and follow Jesus. In young motherhood, there was Melinda, who taught me how to be a godly wife and mom and Courtney, who helped me to understand my identity in Christ and the importance of healthy boundaries.

And of course, throughout adulthood there have been mentors I didn’t know personally who have shaped my faith by entrusting me with Biblical truth: Kay Arthur, Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, and Kelly Minter, to name a few.

All of these women and others like them poured into me in the same way others had poured into them. They used their varied gifts to nurture my faith, to draw out my potential, and to help me discover how God could use me. And like them, I’ve had the blessing and privilege of spurring on others in their walks with Jesus. Some have been formal mentoring relationships, others have sprung up naturally over time. Some I still see regularly, while others I rarely get to connect with anymore.

The cycle of being entrusted with the gospel and then sharing it with others has repeated from one generation to the next for over two thousand years. The pages of the New Testament are filled with examples of people pouring out their lives to pour the gospel into others. Their names and surroundings were different, but the cycle remains the same. All followers of Jesus share the call to entrust the gospel to others using the gifts God has given them.

Paul puts perfect words to this when he urges Timothy saying, “What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us….And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 1:13-14 and 2:2, NIV)

Over the next few months I’m going to spend some time on this idea of pouring out what’s been poured into us.  I’ll draw on inspiration from Beth Moore’s Bible study, Entrusted: A Study of 2 Timothy (Lifeway Press 2016). Whether you do the study or just follow along with my posts, I pray that you’ll be encouraged, inspired and challenged to discover more of what God has entrusted to you and how you’re being called to share it with others.

 

 

 

 

Faith Foundation #8: Trust and Obey

She was one of those students brimming with potential. As her freshman English teacher, I was eager to see her tap into it, but she seemed more interested in boys, clothes and popularity. When she did turn in work, it was mediocre at best. And then one day, she surprised me with a new attitude. Handing me a completed assignment, she gushed, “I worked on this all night, I can’t wait for you to see it.” Pleased by her newfound enthusiasm, I leafed through the stack of papers later that day eager to find hers. To my disappointment, the assignment she’d completed didn’t follow the guidelines I’d explained to the class. It was obvious she’d put a lot of effort into creating some beautiful artwork, but none of the other requirements had been met. There was no way I could give her full credit for it. I’d explained the instructions verbally and in writing, but she’d chosen to ignore them and do things her way.

Handing the assignment back the next day, I affirmed her for her effort, but explained why she didn’t earn the maximum points possible. Sadly, no amount of encouragement or explanation I gave her could break through her stubborn shell. She glared at me with arms folded for the rest of the period. As the year progressed, I think she saw me as an unreasonable and unfair task master. Eventually, she just gave up trying. Her stubbornness and pride led her to miss the opportunity to learn from the experience.

While I would never be so presumptuous as to equate myself with God, I think many of us see Him similarly to the way my student saw me all those years ago. We want to approach Him on our terms instead of His. Rather than taking the time to learn how to live faithfully and obediently, we follow our own path and then don’t understand why we don’t feel more connected to Him.

Accepting God’s free gift of grace offered through Jesus marks the beginning of a lifelong process of growing in a relationship with Him. Author and pastor Eugene Peterson describes this journey as “a long obedience in the same direction.” That “o” word (obedience) is a hard one to accept in our culture today. Like my student, most of us want to do things on our terms. We pray hoping God will bend to our wills instead of inviting His will to be done. The idea of obeying Him doesn’t sound nearly as attractive as the free gift of grace.  Yet, the two were meant to go hand in hand.

Jesus taught His disciples about the importance of obedience saying: “If you love me, keep my commands… Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” (John 14:15 & 21, NIV)

Years after hearing Jesus teach, John expanded on the importance of obedience by explaining, “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says,’I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:3-6, NIV)

The idea is that once we receive God’s grace, we show our love for Him by responding with obedience. Doing this makes His love complete in us over the course of a lifetime. It shows that we trust Him, whether or not we understand what He’s doing.

I’m guessing right now you may be wondering two things. First, how are we supposed to know all of the commands Jesus wants us to obey? Second, how can I ever follow them obediently when I still struggle with sin every day?

The short answer to the first question is simple: you need to read the Bible consistently. The more you study Scripture, the more it will study you. As you discover God’s plan for your life and begin to incorporate His ways into your choices, you’ll begin to surrender different areas of your life that you’ve been trying to control on your own.  As you respond to His Word by trusting Him and taking steps of obedience, you begin walking a new path that puts God in the lead instead of you. Make time consistently to study His Word intently, discuss it with others, wrestle in prayer over the things you don’t understand, and ultimately you will be changed by it.

Going back to the second question above, you may be wondering how it’s possible for an imperfect and sinful person to be obedient and walk as Jesus did. We can’t be obedient to God based on our own will power or good intentions. Jesus knew this, which is why when He explained the importance of obedience to the disciples, He also said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you…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.” (John 14:16, 17, 26, NIV)

When we accept Christ, the Holy Spirit of God comes to live in us. He is our tutor, our guide, and our advocate. He gives us wisdom when we ask for it, He convicts us when we’re dabbling with sin, and He gently leads us in the way God calls us to go. He speaks to us through God’s Word, searches our hearts, and intercedes for us in our prayers (see Romans 8:26-27 if you’ve never heard this before).

God’s grace gives us access to Him for eternity but our trust and obedience are the keys to living the abundant life He intends for us now. Not surprisingly, there aren’t many popular songs today about the concept of obedience.  There is, however, a great old hymn called “Trust and Obey.” Click on the link to hear Big Daddy Weave’s version of this song and let the truth of the lyrics marinate in your mind.

Faith Foundation #7: Making It Personal

Sifting through the pile of mail, I ripped papers in half before tossing them in the recycle bin when the bold print on one letter caught my eye: “Enjoy a 7-day cruise for two, our gift to you!” Without another thought, I tore up the offer and threw it in with the rest of the junk mail.  Maybe I was missing the opportunity of a lifetime, but I’ve always been taught that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.  That piece of mail started me thinking, though.  How many “special offers” do we discard without checking to see if they’re legitimate? Have I ever missed out on something good just because I didn’t make the effort to redeem it?

If you’ve been following along with my last few posts, you know I’ve been exploring some foundations of the Christian faith. You might remember that God extends each person an offer that surpasses any others we might receive: the gift of eternal life.  I’ve written about some key truths in the Christian faith that paved the way for today’s message:

  • Truth #1 God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.
  • Truth #2 There is a problem, sin separates us from God.
  • Truth #3: Jesus Christ is the only way we can have eternal life and experience God’s love.

Many people have heard snippets of these messages but sometimes fail to see the big picture.  They’ve been told that Jesus died for the sins of all people, but aren’t aware of this fourth key truth: Each person must individually place faith in Jesus Christ as Savior in order to receive the gift of salvation and to learn God’s plan for his or her life.

Jesus’ death was not just a blanket insurance policy that automatically covers everyone and saves all people from their sins.  Just like any other special offer, we must choose to redeem it personally in order to receive it.

John 1:12 puts it this way: “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

And Ephesians 2:8-9 clarifies that it is God’s grace activated by our faith that saves us: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Grace is God’s unmerited favor bestowed upon us.  An easy way to define it is by using this acrostic:

God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense

Like the special offer I received in the mail with my name on it, God extends a personal invitation for us to begin a relationship with Him and to receive eternal life through Christ. Jesus says in Revelation 3:20 “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Eating a meal with someone signifies a relationship– Jesus is ready and waiting to begin an individual relationship with each person, but it’s up to us personally to open the door and let Him in.

Deciding to accept God’s grace and to begin a relationship with Him is not just an intellectual decision or an emotionally charged “spiritual high.” It is an act of the will made by faith. It is the beginning of a new and thrilling journey of trusting God and learning to lean into Him no matter what comes your way. Jesus explained that when we begin a relationship with Him, we are born into a new life. (You can read about this in John 3.) This choice for spiritual re-birth shifts our focus away from self and onto God.

If you’ve never accepted Jesus’ offer for a personal relationship with God and eternal life, you can simply pray something like this:

 Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive you as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Please take control of my life and make me the kind of person You want me to be. Amen.

Choosing to accept Christ is cause for celebration! Whether you did it for the first time just now, or many years ago, put words to your joy by listening to Jason Gray’s song “More Like Falling in Love.” (And if it was your first time, be sure to tell someone who can help you continue to grow spiritually.)

*Note that the four key truths discussed in my recent posts were all adapted from The Four Spiritual Laws, originally compiled by Dr. Bill Bright. Click here if you would like to read them as they were originally written for the international ministry he founded called Campus Crusade for Christ (now called Cru.)

*All Scriptures in this post are from the NIV 1984 version

 

Faith Foundation #6: Inclusive Exclusivity

Neatly pressed tablecloths rustled as we walked past them on the way to our table. Starched napkins stood at attention flanked by place settings arranged with perfect symmetry. The hostess smiled as she showed us to our seats and handed us menus. A wall of windows nearby gave us a perfect view of the pristine beach where the club’s lounge chairs and umbrellas were stationed in neat rows. Beyond them, the Pacific Ocean gleamed as the sun sank low on the horizon. Although I’d seen the exclusive beach club from a distance many times, I’d never had the privilege of stepping inside it before. I felt honored to be there.

At the time, I was in college and had been invited to a birthday dinner for a friend whose parents belonged to the club. Because of her, I’d been allowed access to all of the amenities enjoyed by the members. As her guest, the staff treated me warmly and attentively.  I felt welcomed, included, and accepted, at least for the night.  I knew full well that if I’d returned the next evening on my own, I wouldn’t have been allowed past the front door.

Have you ever had a glimpse into an exclusive place that you knew you couldn’t gain access to on your own? Ever known that your only way to get acceptance was riding on the coat tails of someone with more clout than you?

Well, if you know how that feels, then I have good news for you: God made it possible for you to gain access to the one place that is more exclusive than any other.  It is a place reserved only for those who are perfect, holy and sinless. Anyone without these qualifications would simply be destroyed. Where is this place, you ask? It is in the presence of God for eternity.

If you’ve been following along, you may remember that the last few posts in my Faith Foundations series have been discussing four key truths that are crucial to understand in the Christian faith. Here’s a quick review:

  • Truth #1 God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.
  • Truth #2 There is a problem, sin separates us from God.

Today’s post explains Truth #3: Jesus Christ is the only way we can have eternal life and experience God’s love.

Romans 5:8 explains our pitiful state and God’s solution to it: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  And Jesus says it clearly in John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

In our pluralistic society, saying there is only one way to connect with God is outlandish and even offensive to some people.  The irony, however, is that God’s grace makes the Christian faith more inclusive than any other religion.  God knew His standard of perfection could never be reached by sinful humans. No matter how “good” we try to be, we will never be good enough to “earn” a place in heaven.  In human terms, this makes God’s “club” the most exclusive ever, with no one being allowed entrance. And yet, because of His desire to be in relationship with us, God made a way into His exclusive “club” through His Son, Jesus. For anyone seeking a direct relationship with God and hoping for eternal life in His presence, Jesus is the only conduit.  All we have to do is admit we need Jesus to save us from our sins. This is God’s grace, His free gift to us. Anything “good” we do after we accept Christ is simply an expression of our gratitude, not an act done to earn God’s love or to rack up spiritual brownie points.

Thinking back to that night I was a guest at the beach club, I smile as I remember the name of the friend who took me there: Grace. Just as my relationship with her enabled me to experience the pleasure and privilege of her parents’ exclusive club, a relationship with Jesus enables us to receive the joy and honor of knowing His Father.  Anyone that comes to God through His son receives grace, forgiveness and acceptance. He is indeed, the one true God who made a way to be inclusive despite His exclusivity.

The song “One True God” by Steven Curtis Chapman elaborates on this idea and uses some key phrases from Scripture to show Jesus as the one true path to salvation.

For further reading on this topic, consider one of the following:

  •  The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
  •  More Than a Carpenter by Josh and Sean McDowell

Photo courtesy of www.pixabay.com, Scriptures from the NIV translation

Faith Foundation #5: Why Did Jesus Have to Die?

Have you ever wondered why, exactly, Jesus had to die for us? Ever thought, “I didn’t ask for a Savior, so why do I need one?” Maybe you’ve questioned if “good” people really deserve to be labelled as “sinners.” My last post explained the first of four key concepts: God Loves You. Today’s post explores the second truth: There is a problem, sin separates us from God.

The Concept of Covenant

Before we can answer these questions, we need to understand the concept of a covenant, which defined simply is “a binding relationship based on a promise.”  In his book The Marriage Ref, pastor and author Tyler Scott explains: “In order to fully appreciate the meaning of this new covenant [made by Jesus in the New Testament], we need to understand what the old covenant meant.  The old covenant first began to take shape in Genesis 2.  There, God makes a covenant with Adam in language that is strong, clear and definitive:

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.’” (Genesis 2:15-16, NIV)

The Covenant is Broken & Sin Enters the World

Genesis 3 describes Satan in the form of a serpent tempting Adam and Eve to break their covenant with God, thus bringing sin into the world.  He planted seeds of doubt about God’s goodness, and caused them to think He was holding out on them by not letting them eat from a certain tree in the garden.

The choice Adam and Eve made to sin and break the covenant with God had a ripple effect that changed the world for all time.  The consequences of their choice changed the relationship between God and humans and forever altered the course of human history.

Author Josh McDowell explains, “The Bible indicates that God created man and woman so he could share his love and glory with them.  But Adam and Eve chose to rebel and go their own way.  They left God’s love and protection, contaminating themselves with that self-willed, grasping, prideful nature we call sin.” (More than a Carpenter p. 153)

The Problem of Sin

McDowell goes on to explain, “God dearly loved Adam and Eve– even after they spurned Him—he wanted to reach out to them and save them from the deadly path they had chosen.  But God faced a dilemma.  Because God is not only loving but also holy, righteous, and just, sin cannot survive in his presence.  His very holy, just, and righteous nature would destroy the sinful couple.“ (Josh McDowell, More than a Carpenter p. 153)

Romans 6:23 makes this concept clear: “The wages of sin is death.”

God is not mean, cruel, unkind or exclusive. But because He is perfect and holy, sin is consumed in His presence, just like the flames pictured above would consume anything in their path.  We don’t think of a fire as being cruel for burning things; that is simply its nature.  God’s pure holiness and goodness is like this.  It simply destroys anything in His presence that is not pure and holy.

God’s Solution to the Problem of Sin

The Father, Son and Holy Spirit made an astounding decision in light of Adam and Eve’s choice to sin: “[Jesus] made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:7-8, NIV)

Josh McDowell explains, “Because He was not only finite man but also infinite God, He had the infinite capacity to take on himself the sins of the world.  When Jesus was executed on the cross more than two thousand years ago, God accepted his death as a substitute for ours.  The just and righteous nature of God was satisfied.  Justice was done; a penalty was paid. So at that point God’s love nature was set free from the constrictions of justice, and He could accept us again and offer us what we had lost in Eden—that original relationship in which we could experience his love and glory.” (p. 154)

McDowell sums up Romans 3:25-36 explaining, “When Jesus died on the cross, he died not only for us, but he also died to meet the holy and just requirements intrinsic in the basic nature of God.  The contamination was removed so we could stand clean in his presence.” (p. 155)

“When God looks at us, in spite of his tremendous love for us, he has to bring down the gavel and say death because He is a righteous and just God.  And yet, because he is also a loving God, he was willing to come down off his throne in the form of the man Jesus Christ and pay the price for us, which was his death on the cross.” (p. 156)

Why Did Blood Have to Be Shed?

Remember the idea of covenant I defined earlier? In the Old Testament, the two parties of a covenant would cut animals in half and walk between the divided carcasses. This was the symbol of stepping into a covenant relationship with one another. “When the parties of a covenant walked between the pieces of bloodied animal flesh, they were saying, in effect, ‘I will fulfill this covenant—and if I break it, may I be cut into bloody pieces like these dismembered animals.'” God made a covenant like this with Abraham in Genesis 15 when He promised to give him descendants and to bless the world through them. He did this “knowing full well that Abraham and all human beings were incapable of keeping the covenant.” (Tyler Scott, The Marriage Ref p. 34-35)

Later in the Old Testament Abraham’s ancestors were instructed by Moses to make animal sacrifices to God to atone for their sins. Author Florence Littauer explains, “There was no access to God without first making a sacrifice. Sin could only be forgiven by the substitution of an animal for the sinner himself—an innocent animal had to die in the place of the guilty man.” (Journey to Jesus, p. 210)

The final blood sacrifice for the atonement of sins was made in the New Testament with Jesus’ death on the cross: “God, through His Son, allowed himself to be torn to pieces—not because He broke the covenant, but because we did. He knew we couldn’t keep our end of the bargain, so he said, ‘I’ll do it for you.  I’ll pay the debt you can never repay.’ God fulfilled both the old covenant and the new covenant.”  (Tyler Scott, The Marriage Ref p. 34-35)

As graphic and awful as the description of blood covenants and sacrifices sounds, our sin is even more horrific to God. Yet, in His mercy, Jesus made it possible for us to be washed clean and made new. And this is good news, indeed. Click on the link and celebrate this tremendous truth with the song “My Victory” by Crowder.

 

References and suggestions for further reading:

  • Littauer, Florence, Journey to Jesus, Hensley Publishing, 2004
  • McDowell, Josh, More Than a Carpenter, Tyndale House 1977, 2005, 2009
  • Scott, Tyler, The Marriage Ref, Condeo Press, 2012

 

Faith Foundations #2 The Bible: Don’t Leave Home Without It

Sitting alone in my dorm room, I turned the page and began the day’s reading assignment in my Student Bible. Prior to my first year of college, I hadn’t spent much time studying the Bible or praying on my own. But as a lonely freshman, I’d begun to find a new sense of comfort and peace as I learned to spend time alone with God. That was the first day that I read something that seemed like it was meant for me specifically. Grabbing a 3×5 card, I wrote out 1 Peter 1:6-7 and pinned it to my bulletin board so that it would continue to encourage me when I felt down. Over that year, I read it so many times that I memorized it unintentionally.

That is when I first realized the value of studying the Bible on my own. I’d participated in Sunday school, youth group and Christian camps since I was a kid. I was familiar with random Bible verses, but really didn’t know how to apply them to my life. Once I started reading it daily, however, my eyes were opened to God and His Word in a new way. The difference was that this time, instead of having someone else tell me about it, I was grappling with it for myself and beginning to see how the words mattered in day to day life. As my perspective changed, I started filtering my choices through the truth of God’s Word instead of the ever-changing messages I was receiving from the world.

Looking back, I see how the time I spent studying the Bible alone and with others impacted significant choices in my life in those formative years.  Here are a few that come to mind:

Friends: I discovered that God’s Word has a lot to say about the company we keep. Our friends influence our attitudes, choices and behaviors. I began to realize that choosing friends required careful discernment if I wanted to continue growing in my walk with God. I had to be patient with the process of finding like-minded people and to cultivate relationships with those who would point me toward God. I also had to be aware of how non-Christian friends were influencing me and and began praying about how I could influence them positively. (Something I still do to this day.)(See Proverbs 12:26 for more on friendship.)

Fun: For many people, college is characterized as a time to let loose and have fun in ways that generally aren’t honoring to God. At youth group in high school, I had often been presented with a long list of external activities that “good” Christians should avoid. I knew these things weren’t right, but felt like applying them meant leading a pretty boring and “un-fun” life.  Later, when I studied the Bible personally, I began to understand why God discourages us from embracing many types of worldly fun. I saw the bigger picture and realized that many of the “fun” things people around me were doing were destructive for the long run and were limiting them from growing in other ways. I realized that my outward behaviors showed what was going on inside my heart. The lure of joining the crowd and ignoring my conscience no longer held the same pull for me that it had in the past. Choosing to be social without plunging into worldly behaviors in college saved me a lot of heartache and enabled me to continue growing in my walk with God. My counter-cultural behavior also opened doors for conversations about faith with inquisitive people. (See my blog Choosing to Be Different- No Other Gods Session 1 for more on this.) Those years laid a strong foundation that prepared me for a rich and fulfilling life afterwards. I also learned there were many other positive ways to have fun that still honored God. (See 1 Peter 4:1-7 and 2 Timothy 2:22-26 for more on the purpose for avoiding worldly behaviors.)

Dating Relationships: Studying the Bible helped me to be wise and discerning in the types of guys I dated. I learned what character qualities to value and how to determine the kind of man I wanted to marry. I learned how to build a solid foundation for marriage by not getting involved in unhealthy situations that would impact my relationship with my husband later. I also began to see the value in dating someone who was spiritually like-minded.  It’s pretty hard to pursue God consistently when you attach yourself to someone who doesn’t care about Him very much. No matter how funny, attractive, smart, talented, witty or successful a guy was, I knew that the first thing I needed to determine was whether or not he loved and followed Jesus. If he didn’t, that was a deal breaker for me. (See Hebrews 13:4 and 2 Corinthians 6:14 for more on this topic.)

When we only engage the Bible sporadically through the filter of others who have studied it, we miss out on being personally transformed. It’s a little like the game of “Telephone” from childhood. Someone whispers a phrase in a person’s ear and that person whispers it in the next ear and so on.  By the time you get to the end, the original message has been changed dramatically and is garbled.  The same thing can happen when we’re hearing about the Bible, but not reading it for ourselves. Things can be taken out of context, misconstrued and lost in translation.  We get a false impression of God and a poor understanding of what He’s teaching us through His Word. Conversely, through directly and consistently engaging it for ourselves, we hear Him speak to us personally and can be transformed as a result.  The teaching we hear from others reinforces what we’re learning on our own.

Psalm 119 is one of my favorite passages that explains the value of knowing God’s Word and keeping it in the forefront of your mind. It reminds us that the Bible is a much more reliable foundation for our lives than the whims of popular opinion.  I’ve included a few verses to whet your appetite below, but make some time to go and read the rest for yourself.

“Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures. Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you. If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!  I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalm 119, 89-105, NIV)

If you want to learn more about the benefits of God’s Word, spend some time studying the following verses and pray that God shows you one that you can personalize today:

  • Deuteronomy 6:6-9
  • Joshua 1:8
  • James 1:22
  • 2 Timothy 2:15
  • Hebrews 4:12
  • 2 Timothy 3:16-17

“Your Words” by Third Day is one of my favorite songs about the value of knowing God’s Word. Click on the link let it remind you of the truth you can access through Scripture.

Staying Engaged with God

Pedaling my bike up the steep trail, I wiped the sweat running down my face. My lungs heaved and my heart pounded.  Lush green grass and colorful wildflowers bordered the trail, a testimony to the heavy rains that had kept me off my bike for most of the winter and spring. Being my first ride of the season, I could feel the full effects of my time off. There is no better cardio workout than a good mountain bike ride, but the first few times out can be a little rough. Still, I knew the temporary pain of getting back in shape was worth the pay-off. If I stuck with it my mind, body and spirit would all be healthier.

As I rode, I thought about the parallels between the physical and spiritual realms. And then I remembered Paul’s words:

“Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance.” (1 Timothy 4:7-9, NIV)

Most of us would agree that pursuing and maintaining physical fitness improves our health and quality of life.  There is so much more we can do and accomplish when our bodies are working properly. Daily maintenance has positive effects that benefit us now and in the future. Although it’s hard work to get in shape, once exercise becomes a part of our routine, it’s easier to stay physically fit and worth it over the long haul.

Paul’s words in 1 Timothy remind us that pursuing and maintaining spiritual fitness is even more important because it affects both our present lives and our eternal lives. Yet maturing spiritually doesn’t happen automatically, it requires effort and intentionality, just like physical training.

As we move toward the summer months, many of us fantasize about the freedom that comes with a less regular schedule. Vacations and spontaneous outings call out to us. We look forward to reading books for pleasure, spending time with friends and family, or traveling to different places. But lurking within that haphazard schedule is the danger of getting lax in our spiritual disciplines.  Looking forward to the ease and comfort of a day on vacation doesn’t bring us to our knees in prayer the way daily challenges do. And having unscheduled days often means a lack of accountability. We get complacent about staying in God’s Word when we’re left on our own too long.  After all, if your Bible study group is on a break, there isn’t any homework to guide you, is there?

So right now, before summer starts, let me ask you a question.  How will you train yourself to be godly this summer? How will you stay engaged in God’s Word and in prayer during lazy days with less structure and accountability? Summer is a fun time to deviate from your normal routine, but that doesn’t mean you should abandon the practices that keep you spiritually in tune.  Need some ideas of things to keep you engaged? Here are a few you can try:

  • Choose a new devotional to read daily. Take the time to do the suggested activities and to read and study the Scriptures included. Instead of rushing through it, make the time to absorb what it says.  Here are two I’ve enjoyed this year:
  • Whispers of Hope by Beth Moore
  • Draw the Circle: The Forty Day Prayer Challenge by Mark Batterson
  • Choose a Bible study to go through and invite a friend or two to do it with you. Schedule times when you can meet during the summer to discuss what you’re learning. Text or e-mail each other in between so you can hold one another accountable.  Here are two I’d recommend:
  • Breathe by Priscilla Shirer
  • Women of the Word: The Family Tree of Jesus by Marybeth McCullum (I’ve revised and updated this since it was done at Focused Living in 2015-16) Click here for more information
  • Read a book to gain deeper insight on a topic you want to learn about. Get some biblical perspective from a trusted Christian author.  Here are a few I’d recommend:
  • The Peacemaker by Ken Sande
  • Present over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
  • Forgive and Forget by Lewis Smedes
  • I Give You Authority by Charles Kraft
  • Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs
  • Boundaries and/or Boundaries with Kids by Cloud and Townsend
  • Go back and finish a Bible study workbook that you didn’t complete or that you rushed through during the year.  Take the time to let the lessons sink in and then apply them to your life.
  • Subscribe to an online study or devotional from one of your favorite Christian authors. (You can start by subscribing to this blog if you don’t already.) Or check out the offerings at Proverbs31.org.
  • Join a summer Bible study at a local church. If you want information about options at CPC Danville, click here.
  • Wherever you find yourself this summer, I pray that you will use the slower pace and the less predictable schedule to draw near to God, to savor His Word, and to grow deeper in your faith.
  • Let Micah Tyler’s song “Never Been a Moment” remind you of God’s constant loving presence and His longing to connect with you in every season of life.

 

When Pain Exposes Your Idols: No Other Gods Session 2

When I’m working so hard to do things “for” God without drawing on his strength and wisdom, I’m actually producing nothing of lasting value.

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(Second in a series of posts inspired by Kelly Minter’s Bible Study entitled No Other Gods: Confronting Our Modern-Day Idols)

Whenever I’m leading a group through a Bible study, I make it a priority to work through the book on my own before they begin. Back in the spring I studied Kelly Minter’s No Other Gods in preparation for this fall. The day I was reading Week 2, Day 3, I was sitting at my desk attempting to position my arm so that I could write. A huge splint bent at a ninety-degree angle was making it awkward to put pen to paper. It was just four days after breaking my elbow and wrist and I was reading about how God uses pain to identify our idols. Using the life of Hannah from 1 Samuel, the lesson gently emphasized that God occasionally brings pain into our lives for a reason. The last question on that day of study asked me to consider how Hannah’s life was enriched by God’s closing of her womb. Trying to connect her painful experience to mine, I scrawled a list of the things God was teaching me through having a broken arm (my comparison is not intended to diminish the deep pain of infertility). That list helped me to clarify the ways he was working and inspired me to write a few blog posts about what I was learning. (You can find those five posts from May and June of 2016 in the archives to the right.)

Now, seven months later, I was reviewing the lesson again to stay in sync with the women in my group. Turning the page in my book, I discovered a yellow Post-it note with the bullet-pointed list in my messy handwriting from back in the spring. It was the one I’d written a few days after breaking my arm. Ironically, I found it on the same day my doctor’s office had delivered a new device that will hopefully aid in healing my arm once and for all (at the moment, it still doesn’t extend fully).

Reading the list convicted me that some of the lessons I thought I’d learned needed to be repeated. I should probably explain this a bit more. My new therapy requires me to put my arm in a heavy elbow splint and to sit for thirty minutes three times a day. The device must remain on a hard surface and I have to be in a seated position. Since it’s my right arm, I can’t write, type or do anything particularly productive. Suffice it to say, I’ve been lamenting having ninety minutes of “wasted” time daily for the foreseeable future. My husband, on the other hand, thinks it’s awesome.  Apparently, my constant drive to be productive makes it difficult for my family to relax around me.

The more I thought about this, the more I felt convicted that although productivity is a good thing, it has become something of an idol in my life. The drive to complete tasks and tend to responsibilities can be relentless. And wrapped up in that is an underlying assumption that being constantly productive makes me a worthwhile person. There is a sense of power, identity and control that comes from knowing I’m accomplishing things constantly.

Reading Hannah’s prayer after the birth of her miraculous first child, I was struck by the contrasts in her description of God’s activities:

“The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.

The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts…

For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s; on them he has set the world.

He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.

It is not by strength that one prevails; those who oppose the Lord will be broken.” (1 Samuel 2:6-7, 8b,9, NIV)

This is not the description of a haphazard or capricious God, but of a God who knows exactly what to give people in different seasons of their lives. He knows who needs more and who needs less; who needs to be humbled and who needs to be exalted. And he creates circumstances accordingly.

The last line of this passage is the one that strikes me hardest: “It is not by strength that one prevails; those who oppose the Lord will be broken.” The power, identity and control that I get from being productive can make me feel strong. But this verse reminds me if my productivity is opposing God’s plans for me, I will be broken. For me, there are times when this has been literal. When I’m working so hard to do things “for” God without drawing on his strength and wisdom, I’m actually producing nothing of lasting value. Only when I draw near to him first and let his strength fill me and his wisdom guide me will I make any impact for his kingdom. And when he needs to remind me of this, he allows painful circumstances in my life, like a broken arm that refuses to heal fully without ninety minutes of doing nothing “productive” every day.

God is much more interested in a heart that is fully surrendered to him than a mind intent on being productive—even when the goal has spiritual implications (like writing a blog, preparing a Bible study or leading a ministry). Author Donna Partow says it this way: “God is not interested in the most efficient or effective way of accomplishing his work in this world…What he is profoundly interested in is you. And me…He is profoundly interested in molding and shaping us—conforming us to the image of his Son. He is profoundly interested in preparing us for the coming Kingdom, when we will reign as joint heirs with his Son.”

Josh Wilson’s song “Fall Apart” celebrates the way pain draws us near to the heart of God. Click on the link and be encouraged as you listen:

Continue reading “When Pain Exposes Your Idols: No Other Gods Session 2”

The Sword of the Spirit- The Armor of God Part 7

I’ve begun to notice a clear difference between the lives of people who are actively engaging God’s Word and people who simply embrace the Christian lifestyle and its values.

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To say I was going through a rough patch would be an understatement. One of my boys was a toddler and the other was in pre-school and although life at home was good, some hard situations outside our household were weighing heavily upon me. Looking back, I see that there was an element of spiritual attack I hadn’t even considered.

I remember one morning in that season I awoke feeling especially burdened with dark thoughts and anguished emotions. Sitting at the breakfast table flanked by one son in a high chair and the other chattering beside me, something triggered a flood of tears. The lump in my throat couldn’t hold back the sobs as I pushed my chair back and abruptly left the kitchen. Throwing myself face down on my bed, I wasn’t even sure why I was crying, but the tears wouldn’t cease.

A tap on my shoulder a few minutes later gently reminded me I had little people to tend to and forced me to gather my emotions. Wiping tears away, I tried to regain my composure as I looked up to find my older son standing in front of me. He held out his Beginners Bible and with wisdom that defied his tender age simply said, “Here Mom, read this. It’ll make you feel better.” I’m still not sure how he knew to bring me a Bible, but I’d been following his advice since long before he was born.

I’ll never forget the first time the words of Scripture jumped off the page, making me feel like a passage had been written just for me. I was a freshman in college, struggling to find true friends and to live by God’s standards. It was not the easiest time in life to decide to follow after Jesus whole-heartedly. The many worldly temptations of college had wooed away the one friend from home I’d depended on for spiritual support. Trying to shine a light for Jesus in the dark was not easy. I felt utterly alone, but undaunted in my desire to pursue Christ without compromise. And then one morning I stumbled across this passage:

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:6-7, NIV)

Armed with this verse in the face of deep discouragement, I sensed God telling me not to lose my perspective. The trials I was facing were temporary, but if I persevered through them, my faith would prove genuine, which was eternal. Eventually, God also brought me friends who were godly, encouraging, and just plain fun.

Since that time, many more verses have felt especially relevant and personal in different seasons of my life. So much so, that I could make a time line of events in my life with corresponding Scriptures that spoke directly to me with words of wisdom, comfort, and direction. God’s Word has provided truth and light when I’ve been deceived by lies or have lost my way. It’s given me encouragement in times of trouble and hope when I’m tempted to despair.  I guess that makes sense considering Paul lists it as the final piece in the armor of God when he says, “take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”  (Ephesians 10:17, NIV)

The Bible has been my greatest weapon to fend off attacks of the evil one throughout my adult life. And because it is the spoken Word of God, it is always fresh, relevant and personal. “For 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”  (Hebrews 4:12, NIV).  Scripture is so much more than just words on a page.  When we engage it and apply it to our lives, it changes us.  It changes our attitudes, our desires, our relationships and the things we value.   It is a guide for every aspect of daily living.  It is our solid foundation and the plumb line that keeps us aligned with God’s will.

I’ve begun to notice a clear difference between the lives of people who are actively engaging God’s Word and people who simply embrace the Christian lifestyle and its values.  People who study the Bible consistently and apply what they’ve learned have a passion and a sense of purpose in what they do.  They serve others out of gratitude to God, not as an obligation.  They grapple with hard truths and have teachable spirits.  They are hungry to know more about God and how He’s calling them to live.  They don’t follow rules and checklists–they abide with Jesus and let the Holy Spirit guide them.  Their lives are not safe and predictable.  They trust God when things get messy and complicated.  They have too much integrity to worry about whether or not they are “showing well” or impressing the “right” people. They are profoundly aware that they are sinners only saved by Gods’ grace.  Their resulting gratitude causes them to give their lives for God’s Kingdom purposes.

Putting on the armor of God daily means putting into practice what we say we believe. And when we do that, the enemy doesn’t stand a chance.

I can think of no better song to include than Third Day’s “Your Words.” Click on the link to enjoy a musical reminder of the value of God’s Word:

Priscilla Shirer, The Armor of God, Lifeway Press, 2015.

Righteousness and The Jesus Surfer- The Armor of God Part 3

Anyone who has accepted Christ has moved from darkness to light. With that transformation comes the mandate to pursue righteousness and reject sinfulness. Our location doesn’t have to change, but our perspective does.

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Riding my bike through a busy parking lot next to the beach, an old Volkswagen van caught my eye. It was covered in stickers from bumper to bumper, roof to tires. Easing to a stop, I pulled my phone out in hopes of snapping a photo when I noticed the van’s owner rummaging in the front seat. His long blonde hair and deep tan told me he was a fixture at the beach and had probably surfed his fair share of waves. Not wanting to seem rude, I approached him to ask permission before taking the picture. He was happy to oblige and eager to show me his favorite sticker on the van that read: “Why Worry? God’s in Control.”

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What followed was a 20-minute conversation about our mutual faith in Jesus. It was an unexpected “God Moment” in the middle of a Newport Beach parking lot.

The van owner enthusiastically told my husband and me the story of God’s redemptive hand in his life. As a young man, he’d embraced a carefree lifestyle with no plan, purpose or direction. He’d spent his days surfing and his nights partying and carousing with different women. What had started out as fun soon enslaved him, leading to 35 years of drug and alcohol addiction. He described a life of hopelessness, living in the shadows and alleys, unable to hold a job or make meaningful relationships. But it all changed when he found God.

Now, 17 years sober, he lives and works in a rehab center, sharing the good news of Jesus and helping others make the journey from the darkness of addiction to the light of freedom. He exudes God’s love and proudly refers to himself by the nickname he’s been given around town “The Jesus Surfer.” Although he still lives in the same community, his purpose and identity have changed as a result of his encounter with the living God.

I thought about the Jesus Surfer and his dramatic transformation as I read Priscilla Shirer’s definition of righteousness this week: “Righteousness is upright living that aligns with the expectations of God.” She explains that those who follow Jesus should affirm God’s standard and then align their behavior with it. Choosing righteousness means rejecting deeds done in darkness and embracing the light of God’s truth. Although Paul doesn’t mention the breastplate of righteousness until chapter 6 of Ephesians, he gives a clear description of what a righteous life should reject and embrace in an earlier chapter:

 “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving…. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them…

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:3-4, 8-11, 15-20, NIV)

 Paul admonishes us to “make the most of every opportunity” and to “understand what the Lord’s will is” and “what pleases God.” Once the Jesus Surfer moved from darkness to light, he made it his goal to share Christ–whether he was sitting on his surfboard waiting for the next wave or leading a group at the rehab center. He even made the most of meeting perfect strangers (my husband and me) to share his love for God and his story of transformation. He pores over God’s Word and applies the truth he’s learning at church. He was eager to tell us about the latest sermon he’d heard and how it was impacting him. His enthusiasm couldn’t be contained, making his delivery disarming and winsome.

Although some of our stories may not be as dramatic as the Jesus Surfer’s, anyone who has accepted Christ has moved from darkness to light. With that transformation comes the mandate to pursue righteousness and reject sinfulness. Our location doesn’t have to change, but our perspective does. As you look at Paul’s lists, is there anything you need to leave behind? Anything you want to pursue more fully? Will you pray and ask for opportunities to bring light into the lives of people you know? Invite the Holy Spirit to help you live righteously and to pursue a deeper understanding of God’s will.

If you’d like to see and hear The Jesus Surfer for yourself, click on the link to view a brief news story that was done on him a few years ago. Let his life transformation inspire you toward living the righteous life God calls us to in His Word.

Continue reading “Righteousness and The Jesus Surfer- The Armor of God Part 3”