Yes, Jesus Loves Me

Spokane, WA  (August 2016)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”—John 3:16-18 (ESV)

Sometimes a verse arises from its page, its place in Scripture, and gives me a hug. One that comforts my soul and reminds me, “Yes, Jesus loves me; the Bible tells me so.” And what joy it is to my heart when my loving, heavenly Father condescends to me in such a marvelous way.

John 3:16-18 is one such passage of Scripture for me. God loves me so much, He gave me His Son so that I might be reconciled to Him. Jesus is my Savior, the mediator of my life. A life that was once in utter condemnation but is now completely righteous in Christ. And why? How is that possible? Because by His grace, I believe in Him. I believe His testimony is true and that He is God almighty. I believe there is no god beside Him.

Think of it. What god out there knows our condemnation and yet offers His Son on our behalf—not to condemn us (which we deserve!)—but to save us? He is a just and holy God, and this side of Heaven, instead of judgment, He offers us hope and eternal life in Him. He offers us freedom and release from our sin. Our sin, which we were born into. Our sin, which separates us from the love of God. Our sin, which our Creator responded to by sending us His Son to save us from sin’s eternal consequences. Our sin, which drew the Savior to earth, to die on the cross, so that the condemnation we justly deserved was laid upon His shoulders.

So, I can’t help but believe. Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible does indeed tell me so.

_______________________________

How Deep the Father’s Love for Us

By: Stuart Christopher Townend

How deep the Father's love for us

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the Chosen One

Bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon a cross

My sin upon His shoulders

Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice

Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom

Moral Compass

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”—Romans 12:2

“For God is not the author of confusion but of peace …”—1 Corinthians 14:33a

Processing what is going on in the world is something that takes its toll on my spirit. So much of what takes place in my generation goes against what I know to be true, right, and dare I say logical? Confusion abounds. Media loves to add to this cacophony for their own profit, which makes the discussion among the masses often one of contention rather than polite discourse.

Sometimes the best help for me as I process these thoughts is having an open and judgment-free space and a willing ear. I can then lay it all out there and sit back and listen to the wisdom of those I love and respect, who themselves desire to walk with God in a way that pleases Him. Many times when I share my thoughts with others in this way, God brings me peace in the midst of the confusion, by recalibrating my mind on what is true, kind, noble, of good report, pure, etc. (Philippians 4:8).

Recently, I have had two such open spaces, one with my dear husband and another with my close friend. Both of them hit the “Cassy-sharing-is-caring” jackpot when I burst out of my seams with some of what confuses and bothers me about the world we live in. I really needed to understand how God sees what’s going on in our world and how to move forward in that understanding, both personally and spiritually. How do I approach living in the world but not being of the world as a parent, a relative, a friend, but most of all, as a Christian? How would Jesus act and react to these goings on today and how should we, as His ambassadors on earth (1 Corinthians 5:21), express to others what He would do?

My desire is to be Christ-like in the face of such confusion—not to condemn those who I believe are making choices contrary to God’s Word, some of whom are truly soul-searching and trying to find a place and a voice in this world. I know Jesus didn’t come to condemn us, but to save us (John 3:17). So, should someone ask my opinion on this or that matter, I could lovingly speak the truth of God’s Word into their hearts (Ephesians 4:15).

As a Christian, I believe the Bible is the Word of God and the final authority for all my decisions in faith and life. So, I am to make decisions as best as I know how based upon God’s Word, and not what Christians refer to as the “world’s standard” or doing what I think is right in my own eyes.[1] Again, I am not to conform to the world around me but to renew my mind. I do this by reading, studying and meditating on His Word. Through that process, I am transformed in that renewal so that I may prove the perfect will of God.

As God’s people who live in this world but who are not of this world, our “job” as Christians is to offer a lifeline to those who may also be looking for answers in the midst of all the confusion. We are encouraged in Scripture to do this in a winsome manner (1 Timothy 2:23-25). We aren’t to condemn others for making decisions that stand in opposition to what God states in His Word (John 3:17). We aren’t to condemn ourselves or other Christians because of a perceived spiritual failure on our part that opened the gates to whatever confusion exists.[2]

Satan is at work here (Ephesians 6:12). We as Christians need to realize this and not only that, there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). I will give you that perhaps whatever “new” thing you may be facing may not have been as open in the past or as talked about as it is today (e.g., our 24-hour news cycle). But I guarantee whatever you and I are struggling to understand has happened in the past and is not new to the world. More importantly, it is not new to God. I find comfort in this thought, because I am so often like a deer caught in headlights and shocked and baffled when confronted by all the new theories that abound about all manner of topics. It heartens me to know, God has seen all this before and He not only has an opinion about it, He has a plan to use it for His glory (Romans 8:28).

The answer to all my heart’s questions is simply this: God’s Word is a steadfast and sure moral compass. It does not change because He does not change (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). Its truth, its principles, its wisdom can be applied to all generations in all types of situations. I have faith in Christ. I believe the Bible to be His Word. And that is my moral compass. He steadies me in the storms of our day and my prayer, my heart’s desire is to reflect Him to others in this world in case they, too, are looking for answers beyond the world’s conclusions. I hope they will see in me someone who has a peace that is beyond human understanding and someone who can explain to them lovingly, kindly, and in truth how they, too, can have God’s peace (Philippians 4:7).

The opposite of His peace is the world’s peace, and it changes daily. One day the world will give you peace, and the next day it will be taken away because of this new study, that knowledgeable person’s opinion or this person’s experience. It’s never the same.

I don’t know about you, but I am desperate for guidance and peace in the midst of all this confusion. If you, too, are looking for direction, I can suggest nothing better than His Word to show you the way. It not only tells us how we can have a peace beyond human understanding, it guides us to our true Compass, Jesus Christ.

---

1 There are many verses in the Bible about mankind doing right in his or her own eyes and how that is the way to bring troubles upon oneself. The most telling verses on this topic are found in Judges, which is the book of the Bible that is the most descriptive (and frankly, one of hardest books for me to read because of it) of how wicked man can get morally when he is left to his own judgments. (See Deuteronomy 12:8; Judges 17:6; Judges 21:25; Proverbs 12:15.)

2 Don’t get me wrong. We should regularly ask God to show us sin in our lives, personally, and from there confess our sins and repent should God prick our consciences about where we as individuals are not walking with Him. What I am referring to here, however, is a fault-finding spirit that is divisive and not one of unity. One that criticizes and puts down others, especially other believers, instead of lifting and building up. If we as Christians maintain a habit of putting down fellow believers for this or that thing, the world may see us as not having love for one another. And it is this love that Christ commands us to have, so that the world knows we are His disciples, thereby being able to point others to Him (John 13:35).

Children Are a Blessing

“Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward.”

—Psalm 127:3

“Children are God’s gifts, a heritage, and a reward; and are to be accounted blessings, and not burdens”—Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on This Passage (Biblehub.com)

I’ve been meditating on this verse a lot lately. I have a three year old, and I’ve been needing to meditate on this verse. I’ve come up with my own paraphrase, “Children are a blessing.” And I’ll say it over and over because I need to remind myself of this. Here’s why.

This verse keeps me centered on truth and not how I feel in any given moment. (Did I mention I have a three year old?) Sometimes, I just have to take God’s word for it that children are a blessing because much of the parenting of my personal little one feels like a slog, and I wonder to myself regularly will this stage ever be over?

I derive little pleasure in continuing to "train" my daughter to go potty, something we began over a year ago. And something, quite honestly, she knows how to do!

There is also the fact that about 20 times a day, I need to tell my daughter, “Now, how do you ask nicely?” I do this to try and soften that demanding three-year-old tone to my ears so that I feel like better serving her (I know, very servant-like of me).

And then, there is her turtle-like slowness to obey my wishes, a simple one being, “Honey, please stop being silly for the next minute so I can put your pull-up on after bath.” It’s these silly episodes that make me really feel my age. I wonder if I was at least in my early 30s would I be more patient with her sillies.

I don’t know.

I do know though that it’s in these moments and many others like them that I catch myself before I get too frustrated and speak this truth into my heart and mind: children are a blessing.

I have to sometimes admit to God, okay Lord, I’m just going to have to take your word for it because right now in this challenging moment with my little one, I don’t feel like children are a blessing. It really feels like the opposite of that.

And yet, something changes when that truth sinks into my mind and heart. The parenting cup that was half empty is all of a sudden half full, and I see a glimmer of that truth in her. Oh it may not be in big bursts on par with how she can just come apart over having to wear a long-sleeved shirt “coat” over her purple T-shirt because in her mind it just isn’t right!

What I see are little glimpses of the person God made and then placed in my husband’s and my care. I laugh at her humor (even her sillies!). I share joy in the things she enjoys. I’m in awe of her already adventurous spirit that often asks, “What next mommy?” I love hearing her daddy chuckle at her reasoning when she says something like, “But it will break my brains … what’s my brains again?”

I even love the smile she brings to my face when she says so matter of factly, “Princesses don’t wear jackets.” That is, until she goes outside and realizes it’s too cold and we go back in the house to put on a “princess” coat.

Truth is, I have been having a difficult time dealing with my emotions and feelings since I became a mom. It has not been an easy road for me. I have been wondering what’s wrong with me because I actually do not love being a mom. Parenting is hard and I feel it’s especially hard for me in these early years of my daughter’s life. 

It's because of these feelings that I get trapped in negative, “less-than” thoughts. I feel inefficient, lacking, and somehow deficient. Frankly, I feel out of my depth as a parent. Unfortunately, this not only distorts my own vision of myself but also how I see my daughter.

Thankfully God’s word is always true and always dependable. It contains the windshield wiper fluid and the wipers themselves that clear up my vision. Then, I see more clearly, albeit still very imperfectly, how my child is a blessing from the Lord and not just because God says so.

My sweetie is a blessing. Let me continue to count the ways.

Words of Knowledge

“Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the 

words of knowledge.”—Proverbs 19:27

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”—Hosea 4:6a

Christianity is a belief system in which its adherents are encouraged to study. That does not mean we need doctorate-level (or even college-level) studies in order to practice our faith more perfectly. No. All of God's children have varying degrees of intelligence and varying degrees of interest. One believer may have a moderate level of education, for example, and loves to delve into the Scriptures by way of word studies. This believer may know he needs to understand God's view of patience more clearly, so that he may apply that quality to his own life. He would then seek out verses that use this word, read and memorize those verses, and then read those verses in context to the verses surrounding it for a deeper perspective and a clearer understanding of how patience applied in each of those circumstances.

You may also have a believer that just can't get enough of theology and how individuals down through history approached their faith. She would study the lives of great theologians and learn the concepts they defined and then learn the concepts of others (contemporary or not) who may or may not agree with this theologian's concepts, and then begin to study what they believe. From there, through her own knowledge of Scripture and by way of much prayer that God would guide her into all truth (John 16:13), she would seek God and ask Him to show her what He thinks of these rich theological concepts by way of His word.

There are Christians who love studying the end times and can't get enough of learning about current and future events and how they relate to biblical prophecies. There are Christians who love poetry and wisdom and so want to read the poetic books of the Bible, over and over and over again, so that the truths in these passages (of Proverbs for example) just start to become his own thoughts as he goes about his days. There are Christians who love to read missionary tales of current and past individuals who lived their faith out loud to a lost and dying world. Simply said, there is so much we can be fascinated with about God and His word that would encourage us to study deeper.

Studying God's word also protects us from the lies that we come across in false doctrine and false teachings. God expects us to study to show ourselves approved unto Him so that we can rightly divide the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). This is key in our age of too much information because there are many voices and many ideas out there in our world that are clamoring for our attention. In order to clearly maneuver in these waters, we need to make sure our ship and our sails are without damage, and that our anchor is sure. That ship, sail, and anchor can be said to be God's holy and precious word and the basic truths He communicates to us through His word. Without knowledge of His truth to steady us, we will be like children, the Bible says, “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14).

So, how do I cease from hearing instruction that leads to my destruction? I feel very fortunate because I happen to love studying. I love learning and diving deeper into subjects that interest me, and I am blessed with a thirst to know God's ways and to know His word. He has blessed me over and over in my own personal life with deeper understandings on this or that subject. But that thirst is not constant and it does change as far as what subjects I want to study or that He’s leading me to study.

For example, in my earlier walk with the Lord, I loved studying other religions and all the different views even within Christianity. That changed into a desire to know and understand my Bible better, and then led me into the discipline of reading my Bible every day. As time went on, I was then led to take a three year Bible college course that taught on every book of the Bible and how each book fit into the other to make the whole Bible. That was a beautiful and enriching study. I also love preaching, so I am someone who actually likes to attend church and listen to the biblical messages God has given His man to speak on in the pulpit. Today, though, I haven't been as thirsty, and I began to ask God to revive my thirst to know Him more and to live for Him better according to His word. I can speak honestly that God has given me a couple lessons this week alone that have begun quenching a newly growing thirst for Him and His ways.

But even if I'm not thirsty, I try to read my Bible every morning. It may be a chapter or two or several chapters. Lately, I have been reading one chapter in the Old Testament, one chapter in the New Testament, my daily Proverbs chapter, and as many as five chapters in Psalms. Before I read my chapters, I pray Psalms 119:18, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” With that prayer comes an expectation that God will bring to light any subject my spirit needs to feed on before I begin my day. And I think that's why I have a love for His word. He has used my morning Bible readings over and over to speak truths to me that I desperately needed or didn't even know I needed until He showed them to me.

So, as God's people, we need to study His word. This is a truth we see throughout the Bible. We need it so that we understand our place in the world and so that we understand His will for our lives better. But, perhaps most importantly, we need to study His word because if we don't, our knowledge of Him will slowly fade away and we will be setting ourselves up for destruction.

Let us be Christians who study God's word. But more than that, let us be Christians who love His word.

"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

—Joshua 1:8

John 6:13 in my Bible

Early in the Morning

“And Abraham rose up early in the morning …”—Genesis 22:3

“And Jacob rose up early in the morning …”—Genesis 28:18

“And Moses … rose up early in the morning …”—Exodus 24:4

And Cassy rose up early in the morning. Yes, she did rise up early in the morning, but she didn’t want to. She wanted to stay under the covers, coddling her flesh in the warmth of the sheets and the cushy comfort of her pillow. But baby called. She was not in her usual playful mood in the morning, either, full of the sounds of finding her voice.

No, this morning was different. There was an insistence to her mommy, a "please-feed-me" whimper. So, she got up, reluctantly, with a demand to her husband under her breath, yet loud enough for him to hear, that she gets a “sleep-in” morning soon. That’s how her day started.

Not the prettiest of morning pictures, she knows. But then, as she opens the pages of Scripture, eating her breakfast and drinking her coffee, while her little girl resigns herself to yet one more tummy time, she begins reading verses on the Devotional Life. She loves devotions, she thinks to her Lord. This topic sings to her this morning. And the first verse she reads is, “And Abraham rose up early in the morning.” The next verse, and the verses after that, also dealt with waking up early in the morning. Okay. Point taken, Lord, she thinks. Much like her daughter resigns herself to tummy time, she resigns herself to the fact many spiritual people rose up early in the morning. She doesn’t like it, but she knows God is telling her to also rise up in the morning and spend time with Him.

These mornings of early wake ups are to be spent with Him in prayer and meditation before the day begins. These mornings when she “puts on the Lord”* equip her to be emptied of self and full of the Holy Ghost for all the tasks ahead of her … the most important being to care and love her husband and her daughter. The other circumstances of the day are in God’s hands to be dealt with one at a time, leaning upon His grace and wisdom to guide her.

She loves these mornings. She wishes they came later, but she’s thankful they come at all and that she can spend some time with Him. As coffee is to her flesh, she knows these Scriptural meditations in the morning are necessary for her soul.

So her day begins, at first, with the resignation of her flesh, and then with renewed devotion and thankfulness that she rose up early in the morning to spend time with Jesus.

*Melinda Doolittle, an American Idol contestant from several years ago, said in one of her interviews that she “put on Jesus” in the morning, in the same spirit of getting ready for her day. That thought has been with me ever since, and I wanted to give credit to where it was due. 

 Prague, Czech Republic (2005)

 

Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” –Proverbs 25:11

Somewhere in the pages of journals past, I know I have written about this verse before. It seems every time I read it in my Bible readings, God highlights it in my soul. It always shines through the pages of Scripture. 

This time, it reminds me that my heart's desire since giving my life to the Lord has been to posses His wisdom, sometimes even to my own vanity. However, it is mostly so I can know Him and understand His ways better, applying what He shows me to my life.

I think this is why I love Scripture because it is a well of God's precious wisdom and a solid foundation of truth. I have experienced His precious wisdom over and over by reading His Holy Word. I know there are many out there that stumble upon parts of Scripture—and you should know, so do I. The book of Judges, for example, has to be one of the hardest books of the Bible for me to read. The depravity of man and just how far we entertain our sinfulness is a fact that I have a hard time dealing with. But when I take a step back and gaze at the awful stories in that book and search for God's understanding or what He wants me to understand about such passages, I am pointed to the cross and the purpose of the Bible—that it points us to a merciful and loving Savior, Who took upon Himself the form of a man and sacrificed His life on our behalf to reconcile us to God.

And yet, some of His judgments can be hard to read too. Again, gazing at these parts of the Bible through the lens of God's whole counsel, we understand that if we turn to Him, He doesn't reward us according to our works and that His long-suffering leads us to a godly sorrow that brings about our repentance. He knows we are but flesh, and His mercies are new every morning.

The Bible taken as a whole is a magnificent treasure especially for those of us who are born-again because we have the guidance of the Holy Spirit in us and with us teaching us the mind of God as we read Scripture.

O friend, have you experienced this? So many “lonely” moments of my single years, for example, were spent in this Scriptural communion with God, sometimes with a pen in hand and blank pages in front of me on which I discussed with praise the treasure of truth God had settled upon my heart.

And do you want to know something I realize as I write this? God molded me where I was. He was the Master Potter directing my thinking one thought at a time. He was and is so patient with me because some truths He gave me were tainted by my sinfulness. My “disposition” toward others as I tried to communicate these truths has often been less than perfect. God didn't stop there with me though. In time and with experience He showed me a better way, a more Biblical way of handling the truths He graciously gave me. He taught me and continues to teach me how to communicate in love.

Thank you, Jesus. Thank You for all the words You have fitly spoken to me and for all the words You will fitly speak to me, so that I, too, may be an apple of gold in a picture of silver for someone else. 

Angkor Wat, Cambodia (2000)

Who Did Hinder You?

“Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?”—Galatians 5:7

This verse is a gentle rebuke of how I allow the lies of the devil to pierce through my heart and diminish my love for my Savior. I feel as though I not only allow his lies to affect my walk, but also the cares of this world and my own flesh to hinder me from the freedom that is in Christ Jesus.

The cares of this world choke the fruits of God’s Spirit, like weeds choke out the beauty of a once thriving and healthy garden. My own fleshly complacency in tending to my love for my Savior has probably been the biggest factor, though, as it is truly weak by laziness and not really liking to hear God’s rebukes no matter how tender He is with me.

How easy is it for all of us to turn from the truths of God to the lies of Satan? I hate that it is very easy, especially when we walk in the flesh. I would so much rather hear the praises of men, than the gentle whispers of God’s correction.

I keep bringing up this idea of listening to the devil’s lies because I think this is from whence many of our paths get off course. One lie and then another, and slowly, our Christian life becomes a shell of what it once was.

For example, I can easily believe Satan’s lie that God only tells me what I am doing wrong never what I am doing right. God just criticizes me. So, why listen to Him at all? God will ask too much of me or what He asks will be just too unbearable. I have to remind myself all those thoughts are lies.  In fact, it is only through God’s correction that I am liberated from bondage to those things that hinder my walk with Him.

Thankfully, I believe God has given me the strength to stay the course in one area of my Christian life: Bible reading. I continue to read His Word regularly, only occasionally missing a day. I firmly believe I am not equipped or complete without His truth guiding me through the various lies the devil throws at me, as well as the lies my flesh simply likes to entertain.

Oh, Lord, so much hinders me. I’m so sorry. Please help me to recognize any of those hindrances, help me in my weaknesses and remove far from me those things that will hurt me, hurt others, and make my relationship with you less than what it should be.

Ayutthaya, Thailand (2000)

Inspirations and Grand Gestures

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”—Matthew 5:16

Pastor Jerry Scheidbach, my very first pastor, inspires me. His walk with God was so expressive that I found it very easy to follow his examples. He taught on restitution, not just repentance. He taught me that when you ask someone for forgiveness, you should also ask how or what you can do to restore the loss or ill you did to them. If you stole, give back, the Bible even says fourfold (Luke 19:8). If you put a hole through someone’s wall through anger, pay for its repair. If you hurt someone with your words, fill your mouth with kindness toward them. You should follow up with restitution at any time even if you come to it years later in your understanding.

He taught me how to read my Bible. The way he taught Scripture was so profound to me. He could take a verse and travel the pages of the entire Bible and show you where that verse fit across various books of the Bible. He could also take a swaths of history and illustrate many Bible principles through his observations. He often taught on passages of Scripture I usually overlooked because I didn't really understand them.

He taught that the simplest acts of kindness were great ways to be a Christian. Take your shopping cart at the grocery store, for example, and put it in its place. Take someone else’s cart and put it in its place. Pick up trash where you see it, and not just in your church. But anywhere. Be a Christian in all things, great or small.

He taught me the importance of reading God’s word, every day. A discipline I didn't have down until I went to Romania, where I knew I needed it the most. His sending verse for me going to Romania was “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4b).

He inspired me to read God’s word, through his own example. When he was a younger pastor and studying to get his Masters, I believe, he became so discouraged about what he was studying. He surveyed the shelves in his library and was sickened by what everybody else was saying about the Bible and so committed to only read God’s word for a season to find out what it said without the chaos and the noise of other people’s opinions. If I remember correctly, he only allowed himself to reference a Strong’s concordance, a Bible atlas, and the old 1828 Webster’s dictionary. What he gorgeously got out of this passionate commitment to know God and His Word more was that the central theme of all Scripture from Genesis to Revelation was Calvary. That touches my heart so much, even to this day. I call it his grand gesture to God, something I think every Christian should do at least once in their lifetimes.

(I don’t think I've made mine yet.)

Other grand gestures that inspire me come from God’s word: Jesus washing the disciples’ feet and the woman with her alabaster box of ointment that she poured at Jesus’ feet.

I love the story of the woman and her alabaster box offering to Christ, when without fear of reprisal, she poured her love out to Jesus without pretension, but freely, without inhibition. It was an exorbitant gift as the cost of that perfume was very expensive. It is one of the best examples of how Christians ought to be thinking in terms of their own giving before God.

And then Jesus with His washing of His disciples’ feet. How that Peter felt Jesus should not be doing that, but Jesus did it anyway, as He was illustrating an example of how we are to serve one another … and also how we ought to keep clean from the world. When Jesus told Peter he was none of His if he wouldn't allow Him to wash his feet, Peter then responds, then Lord, wash my hands and my head also, but Jesus put his zealousy in check--no, you are clean every whit, but let me just clean your feet.

I think this is a wonderful example how that as Christians, we are clean before our God, as He has forgiven us of our sin debt, but how when we minister in this world, and live in this world, we still get a little dirty, and that we need to occasionally go to Jesus for a little foot washing. (This, too, was a lesson taught me by my first pastor.)

In my current church home, Faith Baptist Church located in Spokane, WA, a visiting preacher gave testimony of his grand gesture toward God in that he personalized the commandment in the law where it required the kings to write out their own copy of it. This preacher took this principle to heart and is writing his own copy of God’s word, a chapter a day, in fact. That inspires me. How great his understanding of God’s word must be through this very simple act.

Brother Jerry Castro also inspires me. During a missionary conference at our church, he was one of those visiting us in order to share his ministry. He is a Philippino missionary to a fervent Muslim city in Indonesia. He stood at our pulpit, in the clearest English with the coolest accent and told us that he was a product of American missionaries and the money sent to them. He was called to preach the gospel to a CIA blacklisted Muslim city in Indonesia to be a witness to them. It was a city that when one Christian work went up, hundreds of Muslims would come surround that building to scare off the work, and if I remember correctly, even throwing rocks along with verbal threats into the building of the new work, until they stopped their ministry. His prayer request to me: 10 open Muslim families in a year. He didn't say their salvations, just their openness of heart. Why? Because to him, winning a Muslim to the Lord is like extracting a diamond from coal. A grueling work, but a treasure so fine, it’s worth the wait. What an inspiration to me.

I asked the Lord what to share on my blog next, and this is what I believe He laid on my heart. I actually wrote this in a letter to an acquaintance some time ago.

So much of my walk with God is bottled up within me. So many sermons, so many experiences over the years, so many lessons from His precious word. The chance to even share a little bit of that with you, for whatever reason, for whatever purpose, for however long, is a blessing.

I wonder if I’ll ever write a book about it someday. Perhaps that will be my grand gesture to the Lord.

For now, though, I will continue writing blog posts, which is just one small gesture from me to you, for which I hope to be a little inspiration.

Morro Bay, CA, February 2009

(There may be some misrepresentations I've made in remembering some of these events, and I want to clarify that they are my own and not another's. They are how I remember them, however.)

The Entrance of His Words

“The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding to the simple.” 

Psalm 119:130

The theme verse in my church this year is “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16) The emphasis is that we “Walk in the Spirit” in all we do, in our ministry and in our daily lives. This has led me to study the Holy Spirit in my Thompson Chain Reference Bible. I have been blessed learning about how God’s Spirit will abide with us continually, how that He is our Comforter, that He is our Guide into all truth, and that He enlightens our understanding, to name some of His works in and with the Children of Men.

Most of the blessings of this study have come from being reminded that God’s Holy Spirit is there guiding me and teaching me. He is showing me how to walk and where to walk. I am reminded, though, that this guidance does not come in a feeling (although it can) or a preset logic or something taught (although that may be true), but it comes in the entrance of His Words. 

When I read the Bible, I am gently moved to the right or the left by His Word. 

When I read the Bible, a section of Scripture may stand out to me and give me the direction I need for the day. 

When I read the Bible, a verse can settle me and give me rest.

This morning, as I was reading my daily Proverb, I was struck by “He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.” (Proverbs 13:3) 

Ouch, I said in my spirit. Oh Lord, how is it I can feel so great one minute about this blog "adventure" and be so humbled the next by the thought that I am in a state of opening wide my lips by the words I write? Lord, please keep me close and humble, so that I can be used by You to bless others with this gift You have given me.

And just as quickly, in my readings about the Holy Spirit, Jesus wraps His arms around my heart, giving a gentle hug with “ … he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever … even the spirit of truth … for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” (John 14:16, 17) 

Yes, Lord, You are with me in this venture. Because You dwell in me, I can rest in this awesome task I believe you have given me. That does not mean I won’t fail, that I won’t get prideful, but despite those likely results from time to time, You will abide with me. You are abiding in me.

Thank you, Lord. 

Ankor Wat, Cambodia. (2000)

Into All Truth

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:”

John 16:13a

So many Christians I know carry in their hearts a life verse, some salient thought that speaks to their whole being about who God is in their lives or the direction God has given them along their journey. This verse is tangible evidence they have a personal God who communicates with them.

The issue for me has always been there are too many verses from which to choose. God has spoken to me and given me rest and comfort through many verses. Proverbs 3:5-7, for instance, is about trusting God with all my heart, not leaning on my own logic and understanding, and committing my paths, my thoughts and my actions unto Him so that He can direct my paths. I love that section of Scripture. This passage of God’s word steadied me as I was dating my husband.

How about “The Lord knoweth how” from 2 Peter 2:9? This small section of Scripture helped me through a very dark time in my Christian ministry, when I was looking through the lens of my flesh and not the Spirit, when surveying what was before me.

And then there is John 14:27, which is often quoted by me. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” What a gorgeous verse when you’re in a valley and the only way to look is up to the Lover of our souls, who gives us perfect gifts in our times of need.

All that to say, I think John 16:13a is the closest Scripture passage I have to a life verse. There was a day this verse was spoken to me, and it has never left my heart. The background of that day was that my church in California had just purchased a new building. The church members had gotten together to sell the old lumber and hardware left from the previous owner, along with home items brought in by the members for a very large garage sale. My pastor was talking with another pastor that day, and I had asked my pastor a question. I can’t remember the details of that question, but I believe by the Holy Spirit’s leading, my pastor knew I could only get the answer from God. I could not just take someone’s word for it, pastor or not. That’s when he said this verse to me, and I have never forgotten it.

Whenever I am perplexed over some doctrine or some difference among faith families in God’s beautiful Spiritual Church, I remind myself, that God, by His Holy Spirit, will guide me into truth. I like to say, not 75% of the truth, not even 99% of the truth, but “all truth.” What salve this verse has been to me, as God has gently guided me on paths of study since I gave my life to Him when I was 23. I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was eight, but I didn’t commit myself to His ways until much later. At that turning, my life has never been the same. Oh, there has been much heartache in the studies He’s taken me through, but they have produced in me a confidence in His Word, along with fruit-bearing Bible readings. He blesses my heart while guiding me into all truth—not at once, mind you—but, little by little, when He sees an open heart and a readiness to take in and absorb what He has to tell me. “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” (Isaiah 28:10)

Lake Pend Orielle, Ione, Washington. (Fall 2007)

(I linked this up with Christian Mommy Blogger.)

Near Unto Him

"A people near unto him."

Psalm 148:14

"A people near unto him," that is, near unto our blessed Savior. In these five words, there is so much dew from heaven. Is there not salve in this portion of God's word for those who think they're alone? For those needing someone to talk to? For those needing to know what it feels like to have someone love them perfectly?

He loves His people, and because I am saved, I know that I am one of His and, therefore, can also lay hold to the truth that I am included as one of those near unto Him.

However, I know that if I willingly sin against Him, my spirit will not be near unto Him. I know His nearness to me will always be the same, but my own fellowship, my own closeness to Him, will suffer if there is sin between me and my Lord.

So, Lord Jesus, You know my sins, and You know those things that need confession. I ask You, then, to help me in humbling my flesh to receive any correction and exposure to sin I need so that I may lay those sins down at Your feet and receive all the benefits of being a person near unto You.

(Originally written September 15, 2004)

Tescan, Romania (May 2005)