I am currently reading Believing God by Beth Moore. My husband recently found some interesting reviews of the book on a blog called Slice of Laodicea. Now, I am not new to this site. Late in the evening hours, as we sit around our table, the thoughts and convictions expressed on this site provide ample fuel for discussion. But usually I allow my husband to filter what he has read there and to express his concerns. When they started discussing Beth, however, I decided to read what they had to say for myself. And I cried.
I didn't cry for Beth. Beth is a big girl with a heart as big as Texas itself. Her life is zeroed in on God and her love for Him spills over onto all with which she comes in contact. I didn't cry for her. I cried for the people who were writing on the site.
As they expressed their convictions about prayer, scripture reading and versions of God's word, I was impressed with the cloud of death that hung over them. There was no life abundant that Jesus promises in John 10:10. They were "waiting for God in the next life". They were "annoyed" by their brothers and sisters in Christ. They were wallowing in death....abundant death.
Oswald pointed out, just yesterday, that had Abraham clung to his convictions (as adamantly as these people cling to theirs) he would have killed Isaac. The only thing that saved Isaac from a brutal death was Abraham's ability to be completely and totally zeroed in on God. Focused totally on God and God's nature, Abraham was able to hear the angel tell him to "Stop!"
In Matthew 15, Jesus has a discussion with the Pharisees regarding the keeping of tradition. It was tradition (and a fairly wise one) to wash your hands before you eat. The Pharisees expressed concern that the disciples didn't always do this. And when they asked Jesus about it, He asked them why they could pick and choose which traditions they would adhere to. "Why hold only to the hand washing one? Why do you ignore the one to honor your father and mother?" Who are we to pick and choose what traditions or rules we will honor and which we will ignore?
As I read the responses on the SOL site, my heart broke at the venom that was vomited all over my sister in Christ. Jesus explains in Matthew 15:10-20 that our lives are defiled not by the things we take in (Beth's study on Believing God, reading the NIV or, heaven forbid, the Message!) but by what we spew out. What comes out of our mouth comes from our heart and if it is vomit, putrid and foul, then the source (the heart) is putrid and foul as well. And according to Psalm 18:25-26, if our hearts are corrupt- putrid- foul- bad, we cannot figure God out- He makes no sense to us. And we cling to empty traditions and exist in a life void of Life.
Pause a moment with me and pray for those trapped in convictions that kill. Allow blessing from a heart that is pure lift prayers of praise to a God that cares that they are blind leading the blind into a ditch. Pray that their eyes be opened, and if you have a chance, offer a hand to pull someone from the ditch and point them to a God who is bigger than tradition and more merciful than we could ever imagine.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Yoked to Jesus
Matthew 11:29 (KJV)
According to Wikipedia, a yoke is
When Jesus said these words, he wasn't talking about some sort of yoke that you would wear alone like a leash or a tether. He meant that two would wear it. And guess who that other one would be? How else will we learn of him? (That's why I like the King James Version of this verse. It says we will learn of him or "about him". NIV says we will learn "from" him). As I attempt to bear the load and find out exactly how difficult it is, he is there beside me, pulling the weight. It is only by working side by side with him, towards the same goal, that I will learn of his strength, his dependability, his power, his ability to perform the task...and my inability to do it on my own.
It's good to yoke up with Jesus. There is peace and rest for my soul when I work in union with him and understand that he never meant for me to go it alone. What he meant was for me to go it yoked to him.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
According to Wikipedia, a yoke is
a shaped wooden crosspiece bound to the necks of a pair of oxen, occasionally horses. It is held on the animal's neck by a usually U-shaped oxbow that also transmits force from the animal's shoulders. A swivel beneath the centre of the yoke, between the animals, attaches the pole of the vehicle (when the animals steer the vehicle) or chains that are used to drag the load.
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006
When Jesus said these words, he wasn't talking about some sort of yoke that you would wear alone like a leash or a tether. He meant that two would wear it. And guess who that other one would be? How else will we learn of him? (That's why I like the King James Version of this verse. It says we will learn of him or "about him". NIV says we will learn "from" him). As I attempt to bear the load and find out exactly how difficult it is, he is there beside me, pulling the weight. It is only by working side by side with him, towards the same goal, that I will learn of his strength, his dependability, his power, his ability to perform the task...and my inability to do it on my own.
It's good to yoke up with Jesus. There is peace and rest for my soul when I work in union with him and understand that he never meant for me to go it alone. What he meant was for me to go it yoked to him.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Never Fish Alone (and other tenets on motherhood)
Several events lately have caused me to ponder the heaviness of the task of motherhood, one of which is an impending Mother's Day! So it seems, that almost anything I come in contact with might have something to do with being a mother. And April 13th's installment of Oswald was no exception.
Oswald is talking about how when we are placed under a heavy burden or task by God, it is His desire that we "roll it back" onto Him. Now, kudos to the perfect mother, the woman who can mother without God's help, the woman to whom mothering is easy or natural. If you are that woman, just skip this blog...it is not for you! But for those of us who are sometimes overwhelmed at the gravity of the role there's something important God wants us to know.
God knows that the responsibility of caring for and educating our children, for raising them whole and undamaged by our own "stuff", is a daunting and difficult (if not impossible) task. Sometimes I wonder if there is a woman on earth who hasn't mortally screwed up her children! If I truly believe that I can do this on my own, I become totally overwhelmed and quite depressed. It's much more than I can handle- more responsibility than I feel equipped to bear. Like Hagar, the mother of Ishmael, I want to sit by and sob at the hopelessness of it all. (See Genesis 21:8-21)
That's why it is so imperative that I "roll it back" onto God. He gave them to me. He chose me for them and them for me. Therefore it is essential that I trust Him to help me raise them. So I must understand what it means to "fall back on God."
In Psalm 55, the psalmist is overwhelmed by fear. All he can see is enemies, storms and strife. (Perhaps, if he had been writing it from a mom's perspective, all he could see were bullies who pick on her kids, perfect tennis moms who have perfect children in perfectly clean SUVs, and piles upon piles of dirty laundry). He has the overwhelming sense that there is no way on earth he can make it through this time...so much so that he calls out for the perfect tennis moms to catch rotavirus from their perfect children from throwing up all over the perfectly clean SUV. (Wait a minute...that's not what is says! Anyway...close enough.) But he realizes that God is a God of answered prayer. God is a faithful and strong God. God is a God that asks to be involved in our difficulties. God is a God who creates wells in the middle of the desert. God's companionship through this task makes it do-able. And until we realize that- that this is the only way we're going to make it through- the task will continue to be overwhelmingly daunting.
Therefore, falling back on God means casting our burdens on Him. When one casts in fishing, one doesn't let go of the pole. One simply tosses the "meat" of the matter into the water...and waits...and watches. We stay tuned in. And God takes the burden and He does what He will with it. We stay attached to Him- in tune with him- in step- holding on, communing and praying, conversing and praising, trusting Him for the strength to go on. And He carries us on the current of His Holy Spirit, His strength. And suddenly, with His companionship, we come to realize that the yoke is easy...and the burden is light.
So for this Mother's Day (and all the days that aren't) my prayer for myself (and even a few perfect tennis moms that I know) is for us all to fall back on God. May we each understand the importance of not going it alone. May we each find our wells in the desert and a hedge of protection... especially from rotavirus!
Oswald is talking about how when we are placed under a heavy burden or task by God, it is His desire that we "roll it back" onto Him. Now, kudos to the perfect mother, the woman who can mother without God's help, the woman to whom mothering is easy or natural. If you are that woman, just skip this blog...it is not for you! But for those of us who are sometimes overwhelmed at the gravity of the role there's something important God wants us to know.
God knows that the responsibility of caring for and educating our children, for raising them whole and undamaged by our own "stuff", is a daunting and difficult (if not impossible) task. Sometimes I wonder if there is a woman on earth who hasn't mortally screwed up her children! If I truly believe that I can do this on my own, I become totally overwhelmed and quite depressed. It's much more than I can handle- more responsibility than I feel equipped to bear. Like Hagar, the mother of Ishmael, I want to sit by and sob at the hopelessness of it all. (See Genesis 21:8-21)
That's why it is so imperative that I "roll it back" onto God. He gave them to me. He chose me for them and them for me. Therefore it is essential that I trust Him to help me raise them. So I must understand what it means to "fall back on God."
In Psalm 55, the psalmist is overwhelmed by fear. All he can see is enemies, storms and strife. (Perhaps, if he had been writing it from a mom's perspective, all he could see were bullies who pick on her kids, perfect tennis moms who have perfect children in perfectly clean SUVs, and piles upon piles of dirty laundry). He has the overwhelming sense that there is no way on earth he can make it through this time...so much so that he calls out for the perfect tennis moms to catch rotavirus from their perfect children from throwing up all over the perfectly clean SUV. (Wait a minute...that's not what is says! Anyway...close enough.) But he realizes that God is a God of answered prayer. God is a faithful and strong God. God is a God that asks to be involved in our difficulties. God is a God who creates wells in the middle of the desert. God's companionship through this task makes it do-able. And until we realize that- that this is the only way we're going to make it through- the task will continue to be overwhelmingly daunting.
Therefore, falling back on God means casting our burdens on Him. When one casts in fishing, one doesn't let go of the pole. One simply tosses the "meat" of the matter into the water...and waits...and watches. We stay tuned in. And God takes the burden and He does what He will with it. We stay attached to Him- in tune with him- in step- holding on, communing and praying, conversing and praising, trusting Him for the strength to go on. And He carries us on the current of His Holy Spirit, His strength. And suddenly, with His companionship, we come to realize that the yoke is easy...and the burden is light.
So for this Mother's Day (and all the days that aren't) my prayer for myself (and even a few perfect tennis moms that I know) is for us all to fall back on God. May we each understand the importance of not going it alone. May we each find our wells in the desert and a hedge of protection... especially from rotavirus!
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Packed and Ready
Yesterday, I was asked to be prepared with an answer for something. Since this was a subject with which I was extremely intimate, I thought it would be fairly easy. But then I was told that my explanation needed to be in just a few sentences. I had to verbally repeat my answer several times before I felt like it was close to what I wanted. It was very difficult; my story kept changing. Sometimes the explanation got too long and I felt frustrated that I couldn't get it all organized and concise. Sometimes I wasn't quite sure whether certain points were imperative to the explanation or merely interesting tidbits. Eventually, after several tries (and a lot of "uhm-ming" and back-tracking), I said something with which I was fairly satisfied. So later last night, I wrote it down.
What I wrote was the concise explanation. It said everything I needed it to say. Then underneath, I entered bullet points under headings. Here's where I put all those "interesting tidbits" that I kept wanting to put in the concise answer. The whole picture was like a that of a suitcase. The brevity of the answer made it easy to carry, like a suitcase- ready to take with me. But inside, if I chose to open it, were nice neat compartments, filled with a clutter of little details that I could access if need be. All of this made it much easier to express this information to someone else, should the need arise.
After reading Oswald this morning, I realized that this is a responsible task for us as followers of Jesus as well. When someone asks me about my relationship with him, the source of my joy or perseverance, I need to be ready with an answer. Then is not the time to be fumbling around in the interesting tidbits, searching out the imperative points. I need to be aware of God's moving in my life, where the interesting tidbits become life-changing impacts. I need to have my suitcase packed and ready to go, just like Peter said:
So I think I have some more packing to do today.
What I wrote was the concise explanation. It said everything I needed it to say. Then underneath, I entered bullet points under headings. Here's where I put all those "interesting tidbits" that I kept wanting to put in the concise answer. The whole picture was like a that of a suitcase. The brevity of the answer made it easy to carry, like a suitcase- ready to take with me. But inside, if I chose to open it, were nice neat compartments, filled with a clutter of little details that I could access if need be. All of this made it much easier to express this information to someone else, should the need arise.
After reading Oswald this morning, I realized that this is a responsible task for us as followers of Jesus as well. When someone asks me about my relationship with him, the source of my joy or perseverance, I need to be ready with an answer. Then is not the time to be fumbling around in the interesting tidbits, searching out the imperative points. I need to be aware of God's moving in my life, where the interesting tidbits become life-changing impacts. I need to have my suitcase packed and ready to go, just like Peter said:
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
I Peter 3:15, NIV
So I think I have some more packing to do today.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Think Before You Worship
I was reading a news leaflet from a friend of ours today in which he made a comment that grabbed me. The comment was
"Wow!" I thought. How I've known this and even said it before (however not quite so elegantly!) I began to wonder what this worship of self-autonomy, consumption, and technological progress looks like. First, I needed to make sure I understood what was meant by "worship".
Harold Best, author of Unceasing Worship, defines worship as, "the continuous outpouring of all that I am, all that I do and all that I can ever become in light of a chosen or choosing god." (2003, p.18)
Princeton University defines it as:
I found the verb definition the easiest to relate to: To love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess.
I believe that we should question and be critical of something before we decide to love it to excess- before we pour out all that we are, all that we will ever become into it. But the only way we could truly worship self autonomy, consumption and technological progress would be if we did so "unquestioningly" and "uncritically". For surely, if we really thought about these things, we would see, beyond a shadow of a doubt, how easily they let us down. How truly unworthy they are of our worship. We worship without thinking. And that is dangerous and unwise.
Ponder what you worship- what you pour yourself into. My devotion often is first to myself. I will even consume -shop, eat, sleep, workout, ________ (you fill in the blank) to make my self feel better. And I know how reliable self is and exactly how worthy of my devotion. So why do I do it? I do it because I don't think. I don't ponder how many times self, or things, or progress have let me down. How about the time I swore I wouldn't do "whatever" again...yet did it anyway. Or the time I bought or ate or slept to make myself feel better...and it didn't. Or the time I depended on a medical cure, a technological advance, to come through for me... and it didn't.
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And earth has nothing I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
Psalm 73:25-26
There is only One that will never let me down. Only One that will satisfy to the core, time after time after time. There is only One that when we really think about it, when we question, when we evaluate, that comes up worthy of worship. One and One alone. So pour yourself out today- pour like the woman with the alabaster jar of perfume. Pour yourself out on Jesus, who poured himself out for you. Love Him extravagantly. Love Him in a way that might even make people talk, or to stop and stare, or to reprimand you. Love him with abandon. It's what you were made for.
Most persons in the U.S. are silently and unconsciously worshipping the idol of self-autonomy, consumption and technological progress. This quiet religion may be the singlemost difficult challenge for the Gospel--mainly because nearly all of us who are attempting to bear the news of the Gospel are also either unaware of our allegiances oursleves, or simply overwhelmed and underpowered.
"Wow!" I thought. How I've known this and even said it before (however not quite so elegantly!) I began to wonder what this worship of self-autonomy, consumption, and technological progress looks like. First, I needed to make sure I understood what was meant by "worship".
Harold Best, author of Unceasing Worship, defines worship as, "the continuous outpouring of all that I am, all that I do and all that I can ever become in light of a chosen or choosing god." (2003, p.18)
Princeton University defines it as:
worship
n 1: the activity of worshipping 2: a feeling of profound love and admiration [syn: adoration] v 1: to love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess; venerate as an idol; "Many teenagers idolized the Beatles" [syn: idolize, idolise, hero-worship, revere] 2: show devotion to (a deity); "Many Hindus worship Shiva" 3: attend religious services; "They worship in the traditional manner"
Source: WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University
I found the verb definition the easiest to relate to: To love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess.
I believe that we should question and be critical of something before we decide to love it to excess- before we pour out all that we are, all that we will ever become into it. But the only way we could truly worship self autonomy, consumption and technological progress would be if we did so "unquestioningly" and "uncritically". For surely, if we really thought about these things, we would see, beyond a shadow of a doubt, how easily they let us down. How truly unworthy they are of our worship. We worship without thinking. And that is dangerous and unwise.
Ponder what you worship- what you pour yourself into. My devotion often is first to myself. I will even consume -shop, eat, sleep, workout, ________ (you fill in the blank) to make my self feel better. And I know how reliable self is and exactly how worthy of my devotion. So why do I do it? I do it because I don't think. I don't ponder how many times self, or things, or progress have let me down. How about the time I swore I wouldn't do "whatever" again...yet did it anyway. Or the time I bought or ate or slept to make myself feel better...and it didn't. Or the time I depended on a medical cure, a technological advance, to come through for me... and it didn't.
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And earth has nothing I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
Psalm 73:25-26
There is only One that will never let me down. Only One that will satisfy to the core, time after time after time. There is only One that when we really think about it, when we question, when we evaluate, that comes up worthy of worship. One and One alone. So pour yourself out today- pour like the woman with the alabaster jar of perfume. Pour yourself out on Jesus, who poured himself out for you. Love Him extravagantly. Love Him in a way that might even make people talk, or to stop and stare, or to reprimand you. Love him with abandon. It's what you were made for.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
From Real to Permanent
Jesus answered them, "Do you finally believe? In fact, you're about to make a run for it--saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I'm not abandoned. The Father is with me. I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world." John 16:31-33 The Message
Jesus prepared his disciples for his departure by telling them that they were going to face dark times which he had, in fact, conquered. "I'm leaving; but don't worry, even though things look dark, I've gone on before you and defeated them." In his providence, he could have prevented their difficult times but he chose not too. Instead, he wanted their faith to grow from "real" to "permanent".
"So, you finally believe?" he asked. Good!- their faith was real. "But you are about to abandon me- scatter all over. Some belief!" Yes, at that moment, their belief- their faith- was real. But what Jesus desired was that it be permanent. That when hard times come, they wouldn't scatter but would stand strong, trusting him.
Recently I have been faced with the dark emptiness of my own life. I see the empty life that has turned it's back on God's blessings and trusted only in what it could see and feel.(And believe me, in the darkness, I couldn't see or feel very much!) These are the dark times Jesus was warning of: the times when we all look at our lives and see empty self-sufficiency or skeleton-like religion. We haven't felt God's love, we've refused to believe he is in control or worthy of praise in this dark situation. We have convinced ourselves that he has abandoned us...yet it is us who have abandoned him. Somehow when we face that darkness, we assume he is not in it. That we have been abandoned to face it alone. How very untrue this is. Jesus says we will have dark times. He's not going to prevent them. But he has gone ahead, into those dark times, and overcome them. All he asks of us is to exercise our faith and walk into those dark times with a song on our lips and a prayer in our heart, trusting him to provide. Praising him that what he desires is for our faith to grow from real to permanent.
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