Book Club: No Other Gods Week 1 & 2

Clearly, I made promises I couldn't deliver. I promised a book club entry at the end of each week, but that just did not happen last week. Something called life took its place. Nonetheless, I am enjoying this study again. Yes, I am on my third rotation; however, the Lord's Word is applicable time and again. We are teachable at knew moments in life, so the study continues to be relevant to my life.

Some of the major highlights from this study:

• When it comes to worship, I try to create a diagram in my head where God is at the center and my life floats around it, much like the solar system. However, with idols of the heart this is not how my reality often plays out. The idols take center stage where the Lord should be - these idols that occupy my thoughts are body image, perfectionism, marriage, being a mother etc. I have realized over the past two weeks just how much of my thoughts are geared toward these idols in some form or fashion. It may be a stretch in some cases by 9 times out of 10 an idol/functional god is what is behind my actions. Minter uses a definition of functional god several times; the part that caught my attention is that a functional god is what "motivates us." Wow!
• I don't know about you but some of the Christian lingo still stumps me. What exactly does it mean to "put your identity in Christ"? Do you remember this being tossed around so often, yet no one really explained what it meant? This little phrase became quite the burden for me because I felt like I was constantly striving to PUT MY IDENTITY in CHRIST. After working through one of the lessons, the Lord showed me that my identity is already in Christ. That's where I stand. It's not something I have to go out and seek, but it's who I am already declared (1 Peter 2:9 and Deuteronomy 7). It's nothing we have to obtain because at our justification we are declared HIS - our identity is stamped at that moment. This Christian lingo that was tossed around all those years easily led to my confusion between justification and sanctification. I don't earn my identity. It's there.
• Need, Want, Silence of God and Fear are some of the motivators that push us to turn to idols. Sarah's need for a child. The Israelites want of a god. Our fear of "missing out" leads to uncategorical amounts of people-pleasing. For me, I was able to write out some of my idols and trace the "fear inducers". It's scary seeing all of your fears listed on paper, but it showed me how much of my life has been led by fears that further lead to a preoccupation of my heart that is not on Christ. Thankfully, the Word has so much to say about fear. God knew we would be fearful people (and why not? we live apart from him), and thus He provides much comfort in fear.

If you aren't doing this study yet, I highly suggest you take it off the book shelf and begin today. There are many studies out there for women; however, I truly believe Minter has a grasp on the Word of God and directing women to the Word FIRST rather than using the Bible as a secondary help. In all of this, sanctification is hard and touches places of the heart that we want to steel away. But our God is faithful to remove those walls, so He can occupy! 

Happy Saturday!

Do Over

The other night Jeremy and I were on the couch watching none other than Bachelor in Paradise. Now, let me say Jeremy is not overly invested in the show. He was watching because of the Chad bear. We will leave it at that. However, while we were watching I was reminded of some of the many dumb things I did to attract a guy's attention. Not just one guy; there were several in the vault that I had my eyes on over the years. I was a good party-planner and always knew exactly who to invite, if you catch the drift. As Elisabeth Elliot said, we all have our own bag of tricks.

In that moment, I realized how much easier life would've been if I'd just trusted the Lord to take control of the situation - to bring me the mate He had for me. Sure, that's how it ended. It ended with Jeremy being given to me as a sweet, precious gift and nothing I had to concoct or plan. It was finally God's plan that had poured forth when I came to the end of myself. I commented to Jeremy how much I would like to do it all over again. I believe there were moments that could have been avoided - moments where I might have been up for the chase or the challenge, rather than allowing a man to pursue me. Of course, this time around should I have been granted a do over would hopefully look different - more patience, more trusting in the waiting, more contentment.

Fast forward to this morning. Thankfully I don't have to do any of that over as far as the dating scene goes, and I'm able to wake up to Jeremy every morning. But this particular morning there was a lot on my mind. The wheels were turning faster than I could keep up with my thoughts. When Jeremy walked into the bathroom to get ready, the only thing I could do was cry. In his steadiness (The LORD knew I needed that), Jeremy reminded me that my thoughts can spin out of control but I can choose to trust God. The moment passed, and I continued to get ready. The Holy Spirit took Jeremy's words and paired them with the words I'd mentioned only a few days earlier - "I would do it over again differently." Each season brings an opportunity to trust God. The matter at hand may look differently, but the opportunity still affords us the chance to release control to the One we trust. In theory, we can say we believe.. but our belief system is fully played out in the practical. This means saying and doing the act of trusting.

While sitting at church this morning, I was thinking of the walls of Jericho because Jeremy was teaching from Joshua. The God who brought down the walls of Jericho is the same God who brings down my trust walls. He gives me a "do - over". He gives me a mulligan. Grace.

The Will of God

Discerning the will of God. It seems to be the hot topic these days. With our sermon on Sunday about Ruth 3 and taking steps of faith and then our small group discussion last night centering on this very subject, I thought I'd take a minute to share my own thoughts on discerning the will of God.

I used to be the person who would run to Lifeway and find a book about whatever topic was the struggle of the day - worry, anxiety, relationships etc. There were too many of those books, and I quickly realized the "help" books were not helping and needed to be tossed. I found I had quite the collection! I wanted the books rather than THE Book to help solve all of my life's problems and show me the will of God for the day.

I believe our generation, now more than any previous generation, has gotten caught up in discerning the will of God. Jeremy and I were talking about this very thing last night with our small group, and I believe he is absolutely right about this. I paraphrase: Our generation has over-spiritualized discerning the will of God to the point that we have an extreme failure to launch and are paralyzed to make decisions. I have added in the paralysis because I believe that to be true as well. The question was asked last night: Is asking if this event/circumstance is the will of God a bad question? I will briefly share my response.

I absolutely think it can be a bad question. I don't think it is a wrong question. I think it can be a good question. Let me explain I think it's good in the sense that should a concern or situation come up in our lives we should absolutely seek the counsel of His Word, pray about it and seek the counsel of others. If one of those three do not line up with moving forward, then I believe the Lord is directing elsewhere. If they do, then move forward. It's the will of God. (Jeremy loves Kevin DeYoung's "Just Do Something".) I think it can be absolutely bad when we ask this question for every decision we make in life (I exaggerate, but you get it). We ask these questions so much that we barely move (exaggeration again). God has given us a brain and created us in His image to reason, and thus that should be used.

What's the point of all this? The will of God is now. If you are a Christian and walking in the light, then God's will is playing out for your life at this very moment. Jim Elliot is noted for saying 2 important quotes about this: "Wherever you are, be all there" and "Live every moment to the hilt you believe to be the will of God." Folks, that time is now. You are outside of the will of God when you are walking in rebellion and opposition to Him. However, if you are submitting to Him and His Lordship the will of God is this very moment! It's NOW! - it's me sitting here typing this blog while my husband is at work. It's you acting on faith in the purchase of a house or a car or whatever the case may be. It's you acting on faith to take a trip and spend time sharing the gospel in another nation. The will of God is good and perfect (Romans 12:2b). Live this moment to the very extreme and know the joy of His will. I wasted too many hours that accumulated to days worrying about my life in the future - marriage, job, living situation etc. There are times when I even regret it. There were times I knew I would regret how much time I wasted worrying about this and that  (Still do!)

I haven't mastered this and I don't foresee mastery until glorification. Yet, the continual sanctification of the Holy Spirit is constantly convicting me of where my will gets in the way of His will. He shows me where fear prevents me from walking according to His plans. He shows me where grace moves me forward. He is sovereign over every area of life - not just the spiritual. If we believe that to be so and act on that faithfully, there will be a contentment and rest like we've never understood before - because we are trusting Him.

I'll end on this note. It's a passage Jeremy shared last night. I'm thankful my husband loves the Word.

The plans of the heart belong to man, 

but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

The heart of man plans his way,

but the LORD establishes His step.

Proverbs 16: 1,9

Let us keep in step with His way, His will.

Thoughts on God

** Thoughts based on my latest reading of Mere Christianity by CS Lewis and a recent conversation with my friend Holly**

"There can't be a God because bad things happen."

Though I will fail to present my thoughts in such a clear manner as CS Lewis, let me begin by asking how do we determine what is bad? How do we know that cancer is bad? There must be a plumb line by which we are measuring all things. This may be good. That may be bad. But deep within us there is a standard of how we are to know the difference.

This weekend while having a conversation with an acquaintance we were discussing the upcoming elections and moral integrity of many, if not all, of the candidates. As far as I know this person is not a believer. Yet, there was a clear measurement of what is moral for him. He was basing his opinions of morality on something. But what? How do we know what is moral and right and good - UNLESS there is One who is behind all of this, who has given us that standard within the very fiber of our being to know what is right and wrong; good and bad.

Let's chase this a little further. In knowing the difference between right and wrong, we are daily confronted with our inadequacies and failures. We may say "Well, I can't help it; I'm not perfect." Yet again, where is the standard for perfection? Our standard for perfection doesn't come from anything we have cognitively assembled in our own mind. It is a standard of perfection that we know to be true in the core of our being, yet we fail to meet. We daily become aware of the fact that we are failing to meet the standard of this Being. This Being is God who has created the world from nothing rather than our creation being based on the happenstance of some atoms just colliding together (who would believe that anyway.)

However, it is only when God has revealed Himself to us that we will begin to realize the enormity and depravity of ourselves due to sin and the need for a Savior. We will recognize the greatness of our being wrong and needing to be made right. We will recognize that there is only One who can make us right because in ourselves we are sinful. The One we must look to in order to be made right is Jesus. And when we are made right, we are made whole. We have been redeemed and the debt of wrong is corrected. We stand in Christ - forgiven, saved, and right.

When we understand that God solves our spiritual problems through Jesus Christ by gifting us eternity with Him, our eyes will be opened to the hope beyond this world. We can look at the world and say "Yes, there are bad things happening here, but dang! there's so much better to come!" I don't want this to be it. I can't believe this is how our lives are meant to be forever- full of pain, turmoil and sorrow. I look to the day of glorification where this will not be the case. We can't miss that. God did not promise here would be free of trouble. That's why He constantly pushes us to look toward eternity. In looking to eternity, we are able to experience joy here as we know that His promises will hold true and stand firm. He will redeem. He will rescue. He has overcome. And He will lead us in a triumphal procession.

Being John the Baptist

A slight twist on the 1999 film "Being John Malkovich", though I've never seen the movie.

Is it possible to be like John the Baptist? Surely it is. The Great Commission commands us to go and make disciples while John the Baptist came preparing the way of the Lord. Both are meant to spread the good news of salvation. In Matthew 11 we find a different side of John the Baptist. He wasn't called John the Doubter; that clever nickname was reserved for Thomas. However, in this chapter we see John in a prison questioning the Christ.

I imagine sitting in a jail cell to be unflattering at the least. The jails of Jesus' day were probably less than the sanitary ones criminals are privileged to bask in today. And here, the messenger of Christ was spending his days inside this cell sitting and wondering. Why was he of all people still inside the jail? Beth Moore in Believing God points out John's potential angst of not being delivered by the one who has claimed His power over the earth, Jesus.

John the Baptist sent messengers to Jesus. His simple question: "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" Wow! John the Baptist knew his current situation. Was all of his work in vain? Was it not true? Was another coming? Had John missed the point? Was Jesus not it? I imagine sitting in a jail cell where insects of every kind are crawling on you and thinking - is this hope false? That hope placed in the Messiah- The Promised One- is it false? John the Baptist was bare bones honest before Jesus. He needed answers. He wanted answers.

I love Jesus' response. I love how He wasn't quick to rebuke the messengers or John the Baptist. I love how Jesus knew the heart of John and didn't turn Him away. I love that He provided the proof of His ministry that lined up with the many prophecies regarding the Messiah - primarily found in Isaiah. Jesus closes to the messengers, "And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."

I love this verse. I want you to love it too. John the Baptist had an expectation of what the Messiah would be- the entire Jewish population did. Would He be an earthly king riding in chariots? Laying out enemies? John the Baptist expected Jesus to deliver Him from prison, but that's not what Jesus did. Jesus is on earth to do the will of the Father. His life began in a way none could have conceived, but He was the Messiah born of a virgin. The one who is not offended by Him is the one who doesn't turn away from the faith when their expectations aren't met.

I find myself being John the Baptist often. I question. I doubt. I fear. But forever am turning the Bible or my husband to talk through the thoughts. I sometimes want to scream just like John - "Are you the one????" Yet, here's the sweet spot. Jesus doesn't turn me away. He doesn't rebuke me. He disciplines me, oh yes. But He draws me closer to His word. He doesn't let me go. Even when I'm John the Baptist, He sends His proof through His Word and hearing His Word preached and spoken.

Though John the Baptist sat in a jail cell and doubted for a moment, his heart for the Lord and commitment to obeying God's mission were greater. And this is why I desire to be more like John the Baptist - not offended, moving forward, trusting and hoping.

Blessed are we when we aren't easily offended - because our expectations aren't met.

One Tree Hill and Theology

Jeremy and I have been steadily making our way through the seasons of One Tree Hill; this was by my suggestion of course. In case you don't know about One Tree Hill, it's a teen drama that aired in the early 2000s and was filmed in Wilmington.

What I love most about One Tree Hill is the constant pictures of redemption that are woven throughout all of the seasons. The show ends in the culmination of this picture and leaves me breathless every time. Today and in posts to come, I plan to write about a segment that stands out to me and how it relates to Christian theology. To be sure, it may be a stretch at times but work with me here.

Season 3:
Dan Scott has been wrongly accused of Daunte's death. Tree Hill didn't want to see their mayor in prison and at last Dan is found innocent. Daunte died on impact in the car crash. As Dan is released from prison, his lawyer quickly says, "Mr. Mayor, you're free how does it feel to be innocent?"

For you: "You're free, how does it feel to be innocent?"

This quote gets me every time because I think the same is easily applicable to a believer. We are free once and for all by the blood of Christ, but we constantly return to those chains and willingly sit behind bars. The guilt and shame of sins present and sins past restrain us to not believe the Truth of who we've been proclaimed to be in Christ. 

It is for freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

This powerful verse explains exactly the innocence Dan Scott was claimed to have on the day of his release - Except our innocence is much greater. Sure there are days when I don't understand this. There are days when I certainly don't think I deserve this (more on that in another post.) But it is not about my own efforts. It is about the promises of God's Word that He has washed us whiter than snow. He has taken away our sin and guilt because of the sufficient sacrifice of Christ. 

Where we were once in chains, we are free to go.

Where we were once laden with guilt, we are now proclaimed innocent.

Where we were once a sinner condemned unclean, we are now clothed in righteousness. 

Where we were destined to an eternity apart from Him, we are now His sons and daughters.

Therefore let us stand firm in our freedom. For when we are asked how does it feel to be innocent, we will know that we walk freely because of what was accomplished for us on the cross. 

In Christ, my friend, you are free. Now how does it feel to be innocent?