A Mother's Decision

In today's paper, I read about Georgianna, a local news anchorwoman. I know nothing about her or her family except that she worked 20 years in that job. It seems many people respected her work. The article told of a decision she made. It brought a huge smile to my face.

Georgianna decided to quit a job that she liked. That's because she is now the mother of twin girls. She wants to raise her children and be there for them. Georgianna says she thought she could continue working after her daughters were born. So she did. I think she may have also bought into the myth that a woman can "have it all" or do it all.

Unexpectedly, the television station changed Georgianna's shift by an hour or two. That resulted in her losing even more precious sleep. Georgianna began to realize too that her children are young only once. Like all parents, she gets one shot at raising them. So, I assume in discussion with her husband, she decided to quit working full time outside the home for now and raise her daughters. I applaud her! And I believe her children will be the better for it too.

I do not have anything against mothers who work jobs in addition to raising their children. Sometimes it may be needed for any number of reasons. Some women have high capacities as well. (And hats off to many single moms/single parents who somehow manage to parent and provide for their family.) Yet I wholeheartedly believe one of the greatest gifts a mom can give her children is to raise them herself. To be there for them. A child's young years are incredibly formative and foundational. Being a mother is an enormous responsibility and sacrifice, requiring all you are. Being a mom is also an enormous privilege given by God.

Georgianna, thank you. And to my mom, an enormous thank you from my heart. My mom was a stay-at-home mother who raised me and my seven siblings, along with my dad. What a precious and blessed gift that was to me! Children are a precious gift from God. Being a mother and raising your children is a high and noble calling. Oftentimes, there may be things we need to give up for now for the sake of our children.

Genuine Fellowship

Ever wondered why genuine fellowship can be hard to find? I John 1:6-7 illuminated this for me recently.

The backdrop is the powerful truth that God is light, and there is no darkness at all in Him. 

“If we say we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Verse 8 adds, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves.”

In chapter two, we are commanded not to love the world nor the things of the world. Sin originates from one of three main areas: 1) the lust of the flesh, 2) the lust of the eyes, and 3) the boastful pride of life. These rob us of genuine fellowship as well.

Is there any area where you may not be walking in the light? Or has anyone perhaps told you that you are arrogant or proud? Maybe you think a little too highly of yourself or your position. If so, you are not walking in the light. And you are thus not able to have genuine fellowship.

Praise God that if we confess our sin, He will forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

Let us walk in the light. That is the source of genuine fellowship. 

Women Who Love Too Much

A friend, whom I’ll call Ruth, told me of some drama with “Ed,” a man who seemed charismatic and charming. Ed was a peer. Ruth is single, over 50, walking with the Lord, and a compassionate, nurturing type. Friends had introduced them.

This charmer had a fun side.  Ed started to go to church with Ruth. They spent time together as well as had several phone calls and texts. Ed said he had recently accepted Jesus. Ruth was delighted. And she wanted to help him. But it did not take long before Ruth noticed some odd things.

Turns out, Ed was doing drugs. And he tried to get Ruth to as well. That was the final red flag that caused Ruth to end it with him. Another male friend had to take Ed aside and tell him in no uncertain terms that he was to leave Ruth alone – no calling, no texting, no visiting, nothing.

As Ruth and I talked, I shared with her something I had learned years ago. For too long when I was single, I often attracted needy men, or the wrong type of men, like the charmers. Because I too was compassionate and nurturing. And it took me a while to realize that I gave too much of my time, attention, and caring to some men who really gave little of substance back to me. In that respect, I was a woman who “loved too much.” Sometimes we do these things because we are lonely, and sometimes we think “something” feels better than “nothing” in terms of a man’s interest.  

Then, as if awakening from a long sleep spell cast on me, I finally realized something. I do not have to be the one to give these types of men attention, a listening ear for hours, my time, or significant parts of who I am! God has provided plenty of mature men in the Body of Christ who can and should help these men be men. I don’t have to. Nor should I give precious parts of my heart and time to such men who cannot appreciate it, nor are they able to give back in healthy and God-honoring ways. For any woman who “loves too much,” or may be “co-dependent” like I was, that is no small realization. And it is quite freeing.

Titus 2:6-8 urges men to help younger men to be sensible, an example of good deeds with purity in doctrine, dignified, and sound in speech which is beyond reproach. No matter his age, there is always an older man who can help another man grow and learn to be a Christ-honoring man. Ladies, consider that you may need to stop "loving too much" and let men help men be men.

She Who Changed America ... for Worse (Part 2)

The atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair was the driving force behind the unfortunate Supreme Court decision to ban prayer from public school in 1963.

How tragic, because Madalyn was so very un-American. She was vile, filled with rage, immoral …and perverted.

When someone like Madalyn believes there is no God, then there is no right and wrong. No morality. This profanity-laced woman had sexually explicit statues around her home. That turns my stomach. Her son said she worshiped these statues.

Although we may never stoop to something so appalling, let us beware and take heed. There is almost always a link between sexually explicit things and dishonoring, violent behavior. God continually warns against such debased, detestable things and practices throughout the Old Testament for good reason.

Instead, Psalm 101:3 teaches us the path of life, “I will set before my eyes no vile thing.”

And Luke 6:45 teaches, “The good  man (or woman) brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”

We must renounce, get rid of, and work to steer away from all things impure or immoral. This step begins clearing out the muck. In 1 Peter 1:15, God calls us to holiness, “But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior.”

There is no middle ground here for those who want to walk in the glorious promise of Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (emphasis added).”

Another crucial step is to put on the new self in Christ. Mainly, we do this by feeding ourselves continually with the pure Word of God. It cleanses and renews our minds.

God call us to be radical about living in purity. In every nook and cranny of our heart and life. Moral purity—the bedrock of holiness—fans the flame of true joy, peace, freedom, and rich relationships in the Holy One who redeemed and called you.

Source:  My Life Without God – New Expanded Version – William J Murray

She Who Changed America ...for Worse (Part 1)

You may know the name Madalyn Murray O’Hair. She was the driving force behind the eventual Supreme Court decision to ban prayer from public school in 1963.

But what you may not know is how vile and un-American she was. This, then, begs the question: How could America have allowed a patently hateful and self-serving woman to get such a verdict? And what in the world happened to make her so nasty and abusive? This atheist woman profanely bad-mouthed America, railed against capitalists and continually sided with Communists! She even renounced her American citizenship as she packed up her young children and tried to move to Communist Russia! ... all the while living off the freedom and benefits that America offered.

Dig into the person of Madalyn and one discovers she was violent, vile, perverse, and a liar. Filled with rage and contempt, she dominated, controlled and berated others for her own ends. She abused her own unwanted children and often used them as puppets for her schemes. Her home was one of almost constant rage and violence. And while I find Madalyn’s character, behavior and choices detestable, I discovered some core issues that deeply shaped her early on. Very sad and significant ones.

Madalyn’s parents were quite the pair too. Her dad did a lot of illegal or ill-advised things. Her mother read Tarot cards. And Madalyn's parents had little desire or love for having any children of their own. Sadly, when Madalyn’s mother was several months pregnant with Madalyn, she jumped from a second-floor window of the family home to try and abort baby Madalyn. However, both survived.

The fact that Madalyn’s mother would even relay this story to her daughter reveals a calloused insensitivity that ran deep in the family. This and other painful realities of early rejection by her parents must have deeply hurt Madalyn.

How different might things have been for Madalyn, for her children, and for Americans had Madalyn not been rejected, but wanted as a child?  Or if she would have found her pain's balm through the cross of Christ?

Source:  My Life Without God – New Expanded Version – William J Murray

If You Love Me

Jesus is with His disciples the night before the horrible day of untold suffering He knows is coming. In His teaching and revelations that night, I noticed something that Jesus repeated at least five times.

“If you love Me, You will keep My commandments” (John 14:15).    

The Greek word for “keep” is tereo. It means to hold fast, to keep.

This kind of keeping is born from complete surrender to the Master. One cannot keep His commands unless one has first given up all control to Him and submitted totally to His authority. Because then our love for Him is truly demonstrated, as we hold fast and obey all that He commands.

Love for Christ is inseparable from obedience to Him and His commands (His Word). If not, Jesus says you do not truly love Him.

Jesus later says in John 15:10 that if we keep His commandments, then we abide in His love, just as Jesus kept His Father's commandments, and abides in His Father's love.

But It's Not My Idea

At the end of 1 Chronicles, there is something that may be easy to miss. It has application to the question: what is our response when someone asks us to do a big task that may not be our original idea?

Newly crowned King Solomon was handed an enormous task from his father, King David. Building a  house/temple for the Lord God was not Solomon's own idea, but his father's. His father had the idea, gathered the materials, and drew up detailed plans. Some years before, the Lord had made it clear to David that even though building the house for God was his idea, David would not be the one to build it. His son would.

So before he died, King David handed all the plans and materials over to Solomon, commissioning him to build it for God.

Solomon took the mantle of serving as King from his father and eventually began the enormous task of constructing this magnificent house. I don't know how Solomon reacted to inheriting this task, but he recognized and accepted it as from the Lord.

And therein lies the key. Sometimes the Lord gives us big ideas or ministry or other things that come through someone else. Maybe it is handed to us. Maybe we inherit it. It may be already prepared to some extent, but it now needs our leadership and energy.

If we recognize and believe, as Solomon did, that it is ours from God, that makes all the difference.

Not all things handed to us or requested of us are necessarily "from God." But when it is, we honor Him and fulfill His will by owning it and moving forward with it.

All the Father is Doing

God the Father is constantly at work. John 5 tells us He is doing things. “For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing.” And much of what the Father is doing, you and I cannot see.

As I contemplate the fact that God is constantly doing things, my heart stirs. Something is changing deep inside. My faith re-kindles. My perspective radically alters. And I am more willing to wait on God because I believe He has a plan bigger and better and far greater than I could ever dream up (which includes heaven too).

Because if God is constantly at work, then I can trust Him even when I cannot see. Or when a prayer seemed unanswered. Or a loss rips my heart. Or when God may seem silent. I can lay it at the feet of Jesus, like I did last week, knowing that He is wholly faithful and true, and believing that He will work according to His good and perfect will. I can trust. And trust is the backbone of waiting on God.

Since God is constantly at work, I can also step forward in faith as His Spirit prompts. That is partnering with God in doing something that may or may not make sense to me, that may or may not be convenient, but it is something He wants to do and He is prompting me through His Spirit to simply do it.

The Father is at work. The Son is at work. Believe. Trust.      

The bleach that did not bleach

Interrupting the wash cycle, I added bleach to my load of whites to eradicate a pesky stain from a garment. For good measure, I soaked it for 30 minutes. Yet the stain barely even faded. So, more bleach and more soaking. But surprisingly, the stain remained!

So, I washed it again. More bleach, and more soaking for 60 minutes. 

Yet the stubborn stain remained! What in the heck was wrong?

Then it dawned on me ... my bleach has lost its bleachy-ness! This older bottle of bleach had completely lost its bleaching power. It did nothing. Even adding the whole bottle of that bleach and soaking my whites for 3 hours would have failed to clobber the stain.

It made me think of a similar analogy that Jesus used. Matthew 5:13 - "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless (lost its saltiness), how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing any more...."

It's simple. Which of us would use salt that has completely lost its zing - salt with zero flavor or power? It is useless.

Jesus has already made us the salt of the earth. However, He clearly tells us to also remain salty. That is our part - making daily choices to live holy, blameless, and pure for His glory and purposes.

Speed Dating?

This advertisement came in my email Inbox:

$17 for Speed Dating Admission with Date and Dash ($35 value)

Speed dating?

Date and dash?

You have to be kidding. That almost sounds like just dash to the Okay Corral to check out two Mr. Availables to choose from to dine with on Friday night. No worry though - if you discover he is not your type, just dash by again and choose bachelor number two!

Will relationships and dating be so cheapened?  

A Google search for “dating websites” turned up a mere 18,500,000 hits. 18 million!

While the hunger for love and relationship is as real and alive as in any generation, and there are now a dime a dozen websites ready to assist you to find love and rapport, may I make a suggestion? Let’s throttle down several gears.

I admit my bias of not being a fan of dating websites. These websites can promise much but deliver less than expected or hoped for. 

Here is another suggestion. Consider the simplicity of waiting on God. Of trusting that it’s no problem for God, the Creator of the universe, to bring along the right person at the right time for you if it is His will. And, in the normal course of living your life. And yes, I know how hard it is to wait. Sometimes there are no answers. Nor guarantees. However, waiting is not an enemy.

Consider that Jesus Christ had to wait on His Father. There were things that Jesus wanted to see happen during His time on earth, but He chose to wait on His Father’s timing. Why? Because Jesus, the Son of God, completely trusted His Father and lovingly yielded to His Father’s purposes and timing.

It’s fairly simple at the core. Keep coming back to the Father and trust Him with all of your longings and hopes. Often, it's not easy. But it is good and right and worth it in ways we do not fully see or understand.

Psalm 27:14 encourages and directs us: “Wait for the Lord; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.”  

Why Dandelions Thrive

With dandelion digger in hand, I moved into attack mode to eradicate the pesky dandelions from our yard.  And while I don’t care to lay eyes on another one anywhere in my yard, I wondered, why do they thrive so?

That eventual white ball of featherweight seeds ready to fly is one answer. Dandelions constantly proliferate.

Another answer is their root. The dandelion I pulled up a few days ago had a 9.5 inch root ! That equals more than 3 times the size of the plant. No wonder dandelions thrive and don’t go away easily. See any spiritual parallel?

What a picture of Psalm 1 that says blessed is the man (or woman) who delights in the Word of God and meditates on it day and night. For he will be like a tree planted by the water. A tree with deep roots. A tree full of leaves and loaded with fruit.

Where are your roots?  How deep are they? What do you delight in? If we are not in God’s Word regularly for ourselves (and obeying it), our roots cannot grow deep. Spiritual growth stagnates. And it will be much easier to live like the world.

Let's grow our roots in the right place.

A Shortage of Seeking Forgiveness

A veteran missionary friend, Dan, commented, “I’m amazed that Michelle sought you out to apologize. So few Christian leaders do that today.”

Now think about that for a minute.

Why is it “amazing” that Michelle, who serves in a Christian leadership position, sought me out to apologize when she had indeed sinned against me? How have some “leaders” often failed miserably in something this basic to our relationship with Christ and with others? And sadly, I doubt Michelle would have even apologized had not another colleague pointed out that what she said and did to me was wrong.

I certainly accepted Michelle’s apology, but it would have been nice for Michelle to have also asked for my forgiveness.

It is easy to rationalize or excuse our sin. I have at times. That greatly contributes to the shortage of seeking forgiveness.  

Often, we don’t seek forgiveness because we are not convicted of our sin. We are not convicted of our sin because we don’t look at God’s standards as the benchmark. Or we don’t listen to the Holy Spirit who convicts us. Or we may shamelessly excuse or deny or dismiss our being rude, unkind, jealous, boastful, arrogant, disrespectful, impatient, or envious. And God is grieved.

Numerous factors can contribute to the sad shortage of not seeking another’s forgiveness when we should. If we are not controlled by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), we will lack the genuine fruit of His Spirit— love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Or when we refuse to listen to the trusted person who lovingly confronts us, we often miss God’s greater work in our lives. For him who may think too highly of himself because of the position he holds, there can be much ungodly fallout.

In addition, if we neglect feeding our soul regularly from His Word and communing with our Lord, it becomes rather easy to live according to our flesh and like the world. We slide into justifying sin, perhaps becoming callous to it. The Word of God cleanses, renews, reveals, convicts, directs, teaches, and restores! Ephesians 6:17 describes God’s Word as our sword of the Spirit.

God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble (I Peter 5:5-6). Let’s respond to God, His Spirit, His Word and others as He convicts and leads us. Humble yourself. Seek forgiveness. That is the Christ-life.

14 Year-Old Jailed for Teaching the Word

Fourteen year-old "Rachel" was teaching children to sing and she was sharing the Word of God with them. Then the Vietnamese authorities came on their motorbikes. They had guns, clubs, and electric batons. She was scared and hid in her room. They found Rachel and put her in the back of a small truck. This 14 year-old girl was arrested for "breaking the law" --  for simply teaching the Word of God.

After one month in the Vietnamese jail, Rachel shared the gospel with many people. She said, "Don't be afraid. Believe in the Lord, then you will receive peace."

The police had asked Rachel to raise her arms, and they put nails under her feet for 15 minutes. She stood against the wall on the nails and prayed, "Lord, help me." If she slipped, they would use a rubber hose to beat her legs. It was so painful, Rachel fainted and fell down. She fainted for about an hour. She says, "I believe that the Lord held me up so I could bear it."

Finally her father was able to take her home from prison. The older people in her village noted Rachel's courage and bravery to be arrested. Now, they were no longer in fear. The villagers said, "Rachel also loved the young ones and wants to tell them that they are the princes of God, and that they should be strong and go on with the Lord in strength."

Rachel says, "The Lord is coming soon. You must be strong and go all over the world to share the gospel with many people no matter what color of skin we have. You have to go." Rachel is now in Bible school. She says, "I would like to go back to my village more or go to other villages to share about God's Word. I am not afraid to be arrested again. If I am faced with persecution, difficulties, because of the Bible, I will never withdraw. I will continue on. I will never be afraid." (Condensed from a recent issue of The Voice of the Martyrs, "Vietnam's Most Wanted")

What a 14 year-old! She has stirred my heart and greatly challenged me.

Will You Forgive Me?

Recently Michelle owned up to a poor decision that affected me. I appreciated that and accepted her apology. I've made plenty of poor decisions myself. However, something was still missing.

I had asked Michelle, a colleague, to sit in on an important meeting she was leading because the information related to my work. Recently Michelle had also invited communication and input on this topic. So imagine my surprise when she gave an odd response and did not invite me to the meeting. I felt frustrated. And mad. And hurt.

Michelle later apologized. She admitted it was a bad decision, told me some of her thinking, and agreed that I should have been at the meeting. I thanked her. However, I wished she would have also said, "Will you forgive me?"

When you or I offend or sin against someone--for example by being unkind, rude, unloving, or breaking our word --saying "I apologize" is a good start, but it can fall short. It can be a cop out at times too. A better approach is to say, "Will you forgive me?" Even better, be specific. "Will you forgive me for ___?"

This acknowledges that we have sinned, which is important when confessing. If you cannot say, "I was wrong. Will you forgive me?"  that often indicates that you are not truly owning your sin. Asking for forgiveness also validates the person we have offended because we own our sin against him or her. It also gives the offended person the opportunity to grant forgiveness, which is one of the most powerful forces on earth.

Forgiveness is a mark of a follower of Christ. So is humbly owning up to our sin. Let us genuinely own and acknowledge our sin and ask, "Will you forgive me?"

The Titanic’s Last Hero

You may not have heard about John Harper, a little known hero who helped those on the “indestructible” Titanic as it sank 99 years ago this month.

At 11:40 pm on April 14, 1912, an iceberg scraped the Titanic’s starboard side, showering the decks with ice and ripping open six water-tight compartments. The frigid sea poured in. On that night, 1,522 people were lost at sea. Of the 712 people saved, 189 were men of the crew. Only half of the 20 lifeboats were full, and they did not rescue others for fear of capsizing.

John Harper shouted, “Let the women, children and the unsaved into the lifeboats!” Harper, a widower, handed his six year old daughter Nana to an upper deck captain with instructions to get her in a lifeboat. Nana was eventually rescued.

For the next two hours and forty minutes, Harper relentlessly shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone he met. He even took his lifejacket and gave it to another man. After the ship had sunk, Harper was thrust into the bone-chilling water. The last person Harper talked to testified, “Harper was struggling in the water but cried out to me, “Are you saved?” I said “No.” Then with all the strength he had left, Harper shouted out, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.” Harper then slipped away and went to be with the Lord. That last person who was converted to Christ was later rescued by the S.S. Carpathia’s lifeboats.

As followers of Jesus Christ, our life is no longer our own. John Harper knew this. He also knew that God had already given him eternal life through Christ and with Christ forever.  

My heart is stirred by Harper and what he did. I pause and ask, have I died to self and to this temporary earthly life so that Christ reigns in me? so that others will hear about Christ from and through me? How can we live like John Harper? And like Moses, who chose to endure ill-treatment with the people of God rather than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. Moses considered the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward (Hebrews 11:24-26).

What are you and I looking to and living for?

Cell Phone Dangers

A few weeks ago I was in a room full of over 200 people at a wonderful church missions conference. The stories the various missionaries were telling were very moving - the kind of stuff the Holy Spirit uses to transform and lead if we will but listen.

I could not help but notice the three lovely teenage women sitting next to me. While one missionary spoke, the young woman beside me kept checking her cell phone and texting someone. I'll call her Brittany.

What Brittany likely did not understand were two important things. First, her constantly checking her phone while someone else was speaking was rude. Consider that if you were talking with someone, and they suddenly got up and left while you were talking, how would you feel? That is what Brittany's texting was like. Texting is similar to "leaving" because when you text, you mentally leave and your mind is elsewhere.

Second, Brittany missed out in a huge way because she was not fully listening. Her texting also distracted me and possibly others. These missionaries who shared personal stories are no ordinary people. Their lives and faith and obedience inspire. When we don't give our full attention to these dear saints of the faith, we often miss the nugget that would touch our soul, ignite our faith, answer our unspoken question or thought, and spur us on to greater things that will last for eternity. That's a danger when we don't turn our cell phones off. 

Philippians 2:3-4 instructs in a better way. "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others."

What would help us sometimes not just focus on ourselves and those text messages we think we can't live without? You may well miss something important God has for you. Special things from the Holy Spirit often come to those who are undistracted and truly listening.

Be Alert

This week I bought groceries at the commissary (military grocery store). The man bagging my groceries was a retired Air Force man in his seventies who also delivered the groceries to my car. Then I tipped him a dollar as I usually do. What was unusual though was his response to my question, "How has your week gone so far?"

Humbly, he replied, "It's a right fine day when I didn't come home with a tag on my toe."

Wow. He was grateful to be alive. He well understood that many military men have come home in a body bag with a tag on their toe (to identify who they are). These brave men paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Suddenly, that put some things into perspective for me about what is truly important.

It also reminded me of what I recently read in Matthew 13. Jesus is telling his disciples about the final Day when He will come again as Judge over all. He will seperate forever the sheep (true believers) to heaven and the goats (non-believers) to hell, along with Satan and his host. Next, Jesus implores his diciples in verses 33-37 to "Be alert" for no one knows when that Day will come. Nor do the vast majority of us know the day He will call us from this life. Jesus says "Be alert" four times! 

In your life, is there any unfinished business to attend to? Has any worldly thing perhaps become too rooted in your heart? Oh how I long to invest in eternal things that will last beyond my life. The Bible talks about three things that are eternal: God, His Word, and people. Let's be alert. He is coming.

Believing Prayer

Jesus condemned a fig tree because it had no figs to eat when He was hungry. When passing by the tree the next day, Peter pointed out that the tree had withered! Jesus responded to Peter and the disciples, "Have faith in God. Whoever says to this mountain, be taken up and cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him."

As the Master teaches us to believe when we pray, He also adds something interesting.  "And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father who is heaven may forgive you your transgressions."

There is something about unforgiveness that is often a roadblock to greater faith in God, to believing, and to answered prayer.

Right away the Holy Spirit brought to mind someone I needed to forgive. I bowed my head and forgave. Then I thanked the Lord for His forgiveness and payment for my sins. The Master calls us to believe, to truly have faith in Him, and to forgive as He has forgiven us.

The Secret of Guidance

On the first few pages of the paper he was writing titled, "The Key to Knowing God," Olympian and missionary Eric Liddell offered suggestions on how to have an effective daily prayer hour. Eric had been seperated from his wife Florence and their children again for a few years. War had broken out in China as the Japanese had invaded and were taking over with brutal force.

Japan had already attacked Pearl Harbor and brought the United States fully into WWII as well. Eric and other missionaries and expats found themselves confined to a certain part of Tientsin, China. Eventually, the Japanese would order he and many others sent to an internment camp.

In the midst of this awful war, Eric penned his suggestions for an effective prayer hour. He began with this: "One word stands out from all the others as the key to knowing God, to having his peace and assurance in your heart; it is OBEDIENCE. To OBEY God's will was like food to Jesus, refreshing His mind, body and spirit. 'My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me.'"

"Obedience to God's will is the secret of spiritual knowledge and insight. It is not willingingness to know, but willingness to DO (obey) God's will that brings certainty. Obedience is the secret of guidance. Every Christian should live a God-guided life. If you are not guided by God you will be guided by something else (from Eric Liddell: Pure Gold by Dave McCasland)."

That is what Jesus taught in John 7:17, "If anyone chooses to do [obey] God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own."

What is guiding you today? The fodder of effective prayer is choosing to obey the Master and His Word no matter the cost.

Willing

The Olympic Games were just over a year away for a young college student. He was a sprinter and a rugby player who was already making headlines. It was conjecture at this point if he would be named to the Olympic sprint team. But the Olympics were not the only thing weighing on his mind.

One thing he knew for sure. As he pondered his future, he wanted to serve Christ with whatever gifts he had been given. But he had no idea how his athletic ability could be used for the kingdom of God. He thought to himself that he seemed to possess so few of the skills necessary for Christian ministry. He was not an orator. He dreaded even the thought of speaking in public.

One evening, he decided to tell the Lord that he wanted to serve Him. Whatever the Master asked, he settled in his heart that he would do it. In his room, Eric Liddell knelt and said a simple prayer.

Not long afterwards, D.P. Thomson, of the Glasgow Students' Evangelistic Union (GSEU) asked Eric to come and speak to a group of men at Armadale, a coal mining town. Thomson and his friends were trying to reach the young men there for Christ but these men  preferred to be at the pub rather than any church. Eric had already surrendered to his Master, so he took a giant leap of faith and said, "All right, I'll do it."

And thus were the beginnings of a new chapter for young Eric Liddell, the soon-to-be 1924 Olympic champion, yielded to the Master, shy but willing to speak publically of Him if He so desired. Nearly 80 tough coal miners from Armadale came to hear Eric, one of the most popular athletes in Scotland, and more seeds of the gospel were planted that day (from Eric Liddell: Pure Gold by Dave McCasland).

Luke 9:23-24 says, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." A willing, yielded heart is the Master's glory and tool. Is my heart so yielded today?

Lord Over the Unseen

Mark 1:21-27

The first 45 verses of the gospel of Mark reveal a great deal about Jesus Christ. One thing that stands out is that there is an unseen spiritual world that is as real as the water you and I drink.

Most of us already believe in angels—spiritual beings created by God to do His will, to be His messengers, and to help out people on earth. Angels are usually unseen by us. Sometimes angels manifest themselves. Right away in Mark, one sees that there are also fallen spiritual beings, or demons.  Mark tells of a particular incident. While Jesus teaches in the synagogue, a man who has an unclean spirit (demon) cries out, “What do we have to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus then rebukes the demon and commands it to be quiet and come out of the man. It obeys.

As you think about this amazing reality, what do you observe about Jesus Christ? What does it tell you about Him?  

Even demons had to obey the voice of the Son of God! Looking further through the first six chapters of Mark, demons are mentioned 7 times, Satan is mentioned 3 times, angels are mentioned once, and the Kingdom of God is mentioned 4 times. Jesus is Lord and Commander over the spirit world that we cannot yet see, as well as over the physical world that we can see. As followers of Jesus who is Lord, how can we do anything less than bow our knee to Him as Commander of the seen and of the unseen? 

Choose

Joshua 23-24

God chose Moses and Joshua to lead His people out of slavery from Egypt and into the promised land. God performed numerous miracles and conquered enemy after enemy during this whole amazing process.  Joshua is now 110 years old and God tells him his time on earth has ended. In Joshua’s farewell address, he tells the people of Israel to:

·         Remember all that God has done for you. Not one word of what the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled.

·         Fear God and serve Him in sincerity and truth.

·         Choose this day whom you will serve.

·         Be very firm to keep the law of Moses.

·         Love the LORD your God and cling to Him.

·         Go and conquer the remaining territory, and He will continue to drive out these nations.

·         Do not bow down to any of their gods, nor serve them, in fact, do not even mention their gods.

God is holy and He alone is to be worshipped. God also knows that entertaining any other god in the slightest will lead His people away from Him. Idolatry does that.

Idolatry can take many forms. It is basically anything or anyone that you or I put ahead of the LORD our God. Maybe it is a relationship. Or that thing you won’t let go of. Or it may be choosing to live life on your own terms. In your heart today, is there any idolatry? Is there anything or anyone that you love more than God?

If so, will you confess it, surrender it, and turn from it? Choose this day whom you will serve. Cling to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Love Him wholeheartedly and give Him first place in your heart.