What Have I Placed Above God?

I am following a Bible study plan and today we focused on 1 Samuel 5. 

It is so incredible how we can read a passage from the Bible and learn something new each time. I love being able to share in the perspectives and insight of others as I am reading through the Bible. There is so much I miss. So much that just gets by me...

Like in today's reading. I never really thought about relating the God's presence, in this case the ark, being in the company of the idols, Dagon, to His presence being the company of the idols I have in my heart.

It's funny how, as people, we all do the exact same thing.

It is so easy to see the sins of others, like Israel or Saul, when we read the Bible. It is easy to see them in the lives of others. Yet here we sit with planks in our own eyes.

Perhaps it that very plank that blinds us.

We all fall short and we all have idols that we have embraced. Whether we purposefully sought them out and created them, like Israel did with the golden calf, or they crept in slowly over time because we allowed the culture around us to influence our hearts, they are there.

It is easy to say "I don't have any idols", but is that really true?

An idol is something we worship, or "put ahead" of God.

We tell ourselves, "But, God is the head of my life, I don't worship anything else." It is always so much easier to remain blind to our own sin than admit it, face it, and change it. Change is often painful and it usually requires giving something up. Which, as humans, we aren't generally thrilled about.

So how do we know what our idols are?

--->We start by asking God to show us.<---

It may not be as blatant as bowing down and worshiping a golden calf. More often than not it is subtle. It can be disguised as a "goal", or a bent that seems to just be part of our "personality".

It can be something like obsessing about our bodies or the way we look. It can be a consuming longing to be better than others at something. Pridefully boasting in our children, or even ourselves, can be an idol.

We have to look at what is consuming our thoughts. What is driving our behavior? What are we fiercely clinging to that is causing more destruction than blessing?

It all comes down to our hearts. Surely, as with the ark, God dwells there among our idols. But, given enough time, if we let them go unchecked, our idols will grow, consuming more and more of our thoughts and hearts, until there is no room left for God.

My prayer is that the Lord would shine His light into the darkness of my heart mind, and show me those things that have become idols in my life. I pray that He would cast them down like the statues of dagon, and that He would be all that replaces them.

Be blessed my friends.

What Would Jesus Do?

Well, what would he do?

Over the years, as a Christian, I have been told many times that Jesus would never judge anyone. I have been told that He accepted everyone as they were, no questions asked. I have been told that He did not point out sin or heresy. That He only professed love and acceptance. 

It sounds good in theory. It looks good on paper. But is it truth?

We are warned not to accept everything we hear or every doctrine that is preached to us. We are told to test the spirit that comes to us to "teach" us. We are warned about false prophets and the twisting of the word of God in order to serve man's purpose.

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." - 1 John 4:1

2 Peter 2:1 warns of false prophets among the people, saying, "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction." 

We have to be very careful not to paint Jesus in any light apart from what is written in the word. We have to be careful not to tailor Him to our "liking" or set Him up as an idol; a god of our own making. 

How do we know the "truth" of who Christ was and is? We read the word. 

How do we know if what is being told to us is true? We compare it to the word.

"For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough." - 2 Corinthians 11:4

In 2 John we are given a very stern warning about straying from the teaching of Christ:

"Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works." - 2 John 9-11

In considering those things that have been spoken to me, those admonishments that I have been given, I have prayerfully spent time reflecting on these questions, reading and studying what is taught in the Bible. A few things stand out to me, the first of which is this...

Would Jesus point out sin or heresy?

This is a image of Jesus that is often forgotten, overlooked or even ignored.

We rightly acknowledge the examples of love and grace that Christ gave us but we tend to "forget" his many teachings and examples of intolerance of sin.

Jesus did not enter the temple and show love and fuzzy-warm-kindness to the money changers and sellers. He knocked over their tables; He drove them out. He publicly condemned their actions. He was intolerant of their sin and their corruption of the purpose of the temple.

"Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, 'The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!'" - Matthew 21:12-13

He did the same thing with the Pharisees. He pointed out their hypocrisy. He condemned the motives and attitudes of their hearts. He made a very public statement and example of their sins of pride, greed, self-indulgence and lawlessness. He even told them that they would not enter Heaven. (See: Matthew 23)

Yes, Jesus called out sin. 

Consider the Samaritan woman at the well...

"'Go and get your husband,' Jesus told her.

'I don’t have a husband,' the woman replied.

Jesus said, 'You’re right! You don’t have a husband for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!'" - John 4:16-18

Jesus did not shy away from her sin, instead He brought it out into the light. Why? So that she might repent of it. 

That's what He does. He calls out our sin so that we can be free from it. Tolerance of sin opens the door for sin to take root in our hearts and facilitates the spread of it's destruction to others. Likewise, we cannot keep it concealed. When sin is kept secret, in darkness, it continues to grow and fester. It consumes and destroys. 

He tells us that all things concealed will eventually be revealed. 

"For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all." - Luke 8:17

If we want to break the hold of sin in our lives, we must bring it out into the light. 

“Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even  expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, 'Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.'" - Ephesians 5:11-14

We must confess it. Then, we must repent of it.

"'Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.'" - James 5:16

He does not see us defined by our sin. He does not hold it over our heads to shame us. He does, however, point it out, so that we can be free from it. 

"But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness." - 1 John 1:9

He did, and does, forgive sins when we repent of them. He doesn't just ask us to confess and repent of our life of sin, He asks us to turn from it. To the woman caught in the act of adultery, He said:

"'Then neither do I condemn you,”Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.'" - John 8:11

He did not come to give us a "FREE PASS" to live as we wish and be pardoned of it all. He came to show us how we should live.

He came to pay the price for our sin; to take our punishment. He offered His life for ours, so that we may be forgiven. 

We are not to ignore sin. If we are to help our brothers and sisters, instead of judging and condemning them as the Pharisees did, we must first deal with our own sin. 

"Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye." - Matthew 7:5

This verse teaches us so much. A few things that struck me in this passage are:

1. We cannot judge anyone else for their sins because we are guilty of our own.
2. We must address the sin in our own lives.
3. We can help each other overcome sin.

To choose to embrace and justify any kind of sin is to mock His sacrifice. To continue our own sin and refuse to turn from it is to reject His work on the cross. To ignore the sin of a brother or sister is to leave them trapped in bondage and to, on some level, condone and even participate in their subsequent suffering and destruction.

We don't call out sin in judgement or to shame others, we reach out to them in love so that we may help them. 

Would Jesus judge?

The answer is yes. Yes He would. Yes He did. Yes He will.

His return is foretold in the book of Revelation and it includes judgement and wrath.

"Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a wine-press. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords." - Revelation 19:11-16

So what would Jesus have us do?

- He would have us not condemn another for their sins when we are guilty of sin ourselves.
- He would have us confess our sins, repent of them, and turn from them. 
- He would have us fight against sin, not tolerate it.
- He would have us encourage one another, and help each other overcome sin, in love.
- He would have us not just accept teachings at face value and not embrace something as "sound doctrine" just because it sounds "good". He would have us test it against the word.
- He would have us read the Bible regularly so that we would be able to tell the difference between truth and false teachings and heresy. 
- He would have us seek to serve one another instead of be elevated above one another.
- He would have us walk humbly rather than boast in ourselves, in our own goodness, in our superiority or our works.
- He would have us share the good news of love and hope with the world.

Yes, Jesus loves us... with an unparalleled love. Yes, He forgives our sin when we repent and turn from it. Nothing we have done/can do will cause Him to not love us. Which is why, in that great love, He wants to see us set free from our sins and no longer be slaves to them.

Lord, it is my desire to walk humbly in Your TRUTH. I pray, God, that you would shine Your light upon any ares of darkness within me. Show me any areas of sin in my life, that I might repent of them and turn from them. I pray that You would show me any false teachings/beliefs that I have embraced. I pray that You would stamp them out and pour in Your truth to replace them. Holy Spirit, guide me in truth, guard my mind from false doctrine. Give me strength of conviction to resist the beautiful lies of the enemy that would lead me astray and set my feet firmly on the the rock of truth. Help me to love and serve others as Christ did. In Jesus' name, Amen.

*I am not a "scholar". I don't have a degree in theology. This is just what I have learned from what I have read and my understanding and conviction on these points.

Bless and be blessed, my friends. <3

Why Am I Here?

Have you ever wondered what your purpose is in life?

I have.

At various different stages in life I have wondered why I am here. I have wondered what I could possibly have to offer. I have doubted that there was anything in me or anything I could do that was of value to anyone else.

--- AND THEN GOD ---

As a child, when people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, all I could think of was simply being "grown up". To me that meant being free of all of the burdens, constraints, bullying, shame, rejection, judgement, and loneliness that I was experiencing. 

It meant the freedom to do whatever made me happy. The world lay ahead of me, the opportunities were endless. Happiness and freedom were on the horizon... but I still had no idea what I was going to do with my life. 

Sure, there were all kinds of fun adventures I wanted to go on, and amazing things I wanted to experience but as far as a career? As far as my own contribution? I was coming up empty.

I was told by so many people, over the years, that I was a "screw-up"; that I was "garbage"; that I would "never do well in school"; I would "never amount to anything"; I had "nothing of value in me". After a while, I genuinely believed it. So imagining a purpose for my life... it didn't seem possible.

When I became a mom, rather unexpectedly, that changed. Suddenly I had a purpose. There were little people that depended on me. Little eyes that looked at me with a love I was certain I did not deserve. I was constantly in awe of these precious little lives that came from mine. I wondered how such beautifully amazing little people could come from such a useless piece of trash.

Yet, as clearly and strongly as I felt "needed", for the first time in my life, I still felt like something was missing from me. I still felt so painfully inadequate, lost and worthless. My babies were so incredibly valuable to me, but I felt I had nothing to give back to them, let alone to offer to the world. 

Still, I knew that God loved me. I knew that He saw value in me. I just had NO idea why.

I took my first "Spiritual Gifts" questionnaire while my kids were still quite young. If you are wondering what in the world a "Spiritual Gifts" questionnaire is, it is pretty much a list of statements, about areas of talents and skills, that you rate low to high based on how they make you feel or how well you think you do in those areas, not entirely dissimilar to the "Career Guidance" questionnaires we took in high school. 

I scored painfully low in all of the areas except "Serving", "Giving" and "Missions". In areas like "Leadership" or "Ministry", I had 5 points each, simply because you couldn't rate anything lower than 1. I really believed that I was no where near qualified or worthy of any such position, so I could not even consider if I enjoyed any aspects of them or had any level of skill in those areas.

I looked at my list of "Gifts" and thought, "Everyone can serve, that isn't really much of a "gift". I have nothing to give, financially, materially or skill wise, no matter how much I would love to bless someone else. There is no way we can afford to go on mission trips."

Instead of feeling excited about those things that God had put in me, the things that make me who I am, I felt like I was lacking and yet again, a disappointing failure.

I longed so much to serve God and to bless others, but clearly, I had nothing of value to offer. Still.

But God, He knew what He was doing. He began to work in those three areas of my life. He began stirring up little fires in my heart. 

He showed me that serving was a gift. That it did bless others. That it was something that I could give. I could give of my time. I had a passion in my heart for helping others in any way I could and God showed me how to put that to work. If it meant stacking chairs at church, helping set up for outreach, cleaning up after events, helping people move or do yard/housework, it didn't matter what it looked like, I was so happy to be serving and finally having tangible worth.

He took my desire to travel and merged it with my passion for helping and gave me a dream, a vision and a hope for a future in missions. He put nations and people on our family's hearts and He has ordered our steps to guide us in His calling and prepare us for this part of His plan.

He has repeatedly pushed me outside of my comfort zone and stretched me in the areas where I thought I had no ability or skill. He has healed my wounds. He has replaced lies with His TRUTH. He has trained and equipped me for the work He has called me to do.

I no longer sit alone, aching for value, worth and purpose, and I am burdened with it and the work He has called me to, even the things that scare me, bring me so much joy. 

I am excited for the new adventures He has planned for me. I am so thankful for His design and the way He created me. There is no one exactly like me. There is no one that can steal my calling, His plan, my purpose or my identity because it rests safely in His hands.

The same is true for every single person in this world. We are all beautifully unique and designed to play our very own part in God's great masterpiece. No one can take that away. No one can be a "better" you. No one can do exactly what you were created to do in just the way you were designed to do it.

You are special. You are unique. You are loved. 

You have a purpose!

Be blessed my friends! <3