Keep It Simple

In Acts 10, we find the story of a man named Cornelius.  He is a military man and a Gentile (not a Jew).  Here is how he is described in verse 2:

He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.

The story continues about God working in his life and the Apostle Peter's.  Big things happen: God shows Peter that the Gospel is for the Gentiles, not just the Jews (a MAJOR paradigm shift) and Cornelius' family receives the Holy Spirit and is baptized.  The story is famous in Christianity and many applications can be drawn.  Today I'd like to focus on that second verse.

Cornelius' family feared God.  How did that express itself in the way Cornelius lived?  He was generous to those in need and he prayed regularly.

Seems so simple.  But these simple behaviors are the expression of a life that was surrendered to God.  He trusted God enough to share what he had.  He trusted God enough to talk with Him regularly.  The base-line reality of Cornelius' life was a trust in God.

From there, God did some amazing things through and in his family.  All of Christendom knows His story.  But it began with the day-by-day life of faith, nothing flashy or dazzling.  Trust and obedience ... reminds me of a song I know.

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I have wondered a lot lately what being a Christian should look like.  Is there a mold?  Should we all look the same?  Is my life too void of amazing supernatural works, indicating that my faith is too weak or, worse, not authentic at all?

When I look around me and try to determine what it means to "be a Christian," I'm going about it all wrong, aren't I?

Lord, forgive us for seeking an experience or recognition, rather than seeking You.

Lord, forgive us for comparing ourselves with others, rather than asking You what You have for us.

We need to look to the Lord Himself, the one who's calling us to be His, to know how to live with and for Him.  This year as I've read through the gospels a couple of times, I've been jarred by how simple the call of Jesus is.  All He said to the twelve was, Follow me.  In his teaching he fleshed out the call - it would require their all - but that never changed the simplicity of the invitation to follow Him.  He's the vine, we are branches.  Being a Christian at it's most basic level, is connecting to that vine: daily, intentionally, whole-heartedly.

He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.

So my word to you today is KEEP IT SIMPLE.  Cornelius put one foot in front of the other WITH the Lord, praying regularly and giving generously.  He sought God, not a chance to get his name in the Bible.  God does move among His people as we walk by faith.  But usually, it's not glamorous or profound.  Today most of us will do our jobs, eat our meals, talk with family and friends, and so on, without any radical supernatural events.  How long did Cornelius live obediently in relationship with God before and angel showed up and he met Peter?  And I'll bet he continued to live the same way afterward!  Most of his life was like ours: work to do, family to care for, the needy to tend to, etc.

Jesus said, Follow me; repent and believe the good news!  Jesus calls us to Himself, not an experience, not human praise, not someone else's experience.  John Stott says it this way:

Faith has absolutely no value in itself; its value lies solely in its object.  Faith is the eye that looks to Christ, the hand that lays hold of Him, the mouth that drinks the water of life.

THAT is the Christian life.  God may have in store for you a story that is recorded on paper, encouraging future generations of Christians.  Or not.  Either way, KEEP IT SIMPLE because that is the nature of the call.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. 

   And what does the LORD require of you? 

To act justly and to love mercy 

   and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

As you "do life" today, ask God what that might mean at different moments, with different people, and in the midst of the various tasks you have to do.  And may He bless you as you simply walk with Him.

Don't Answer the Enemies

I love new beginnings.  Wrapping up the school year and entering summer, setting some goals and making plans to be more prepared for the fall, tickles my fancy.  But even as God guides us in our planning and dreaming, how quickly the plan can become the idol, fears of failure to meet deadlines (even personal ones) and make progress screaming loudly through the contentment and peace God has brought as we've sought him to direct our paths.

It's a battle isn't it?  This walk of faith.

As I awoke this morning, I knew I needed to meet with the Lord.  Not just show up for my quiet time, say some  "proper" words of thanksgiving and un-heartfelt confessions and praise, and then read my "assigned" passages.  I needed to commune with my God.  Often I find it difficult to wake myself up enough to even know what's going on in my heart in the morning.  He prepared me last night by making me a little too uncomfortable with my own self focus, instilling a craving for some forgiveness and restoration, and woke me a little earlier than usual so I could meet with Him.

And how God wove His word together this morning!  I'm at the point in the Old Testament where Assyria comes to take over Israel (II Kings 17) and sends them into exile, all according to God's plan.  His people have not been worshiping Him rightly for a LONG time.  The nasty King of Assyria takes care of Israel and moves on to challenge the King of Judah, Hezekiah, who actually trusts God, has torn down the high places and Asherah poles - false, idolatrous places of worship.  Hezekiah is leading Judah toward God.  It's really a point of hope after reading about so many kings who "did evil in the eyes of the Lord."

The King of Assyria sends a messenger to challenge Judah with these words, II Kings 18:28-36:

Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew: "Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!  This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you from my hand.   Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, 'The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.' 

"Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and fig-tree and drink water from his own cistern, until I come and take you to a land like your own, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life and not death! 

"Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, 'The LORD will deliver us.'  Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?  Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand?  Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?"

But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, "Do not answer him."

Is this not exactly how the evil one tempts us to despair, to doubt, to fear, to unbelief?  How reminiscent of Satan's temptation to Eve in the garden?  How often my own heart asks, 'Can God really get me out of this mess?'

After a little pondering of these lies my heart too often believes, my readings took me to Psalm 139: God knows when we sit and when we rise, our going and coming; He hems us in before and behind; He knit us together and knows the number of days ordained for us.  Oh, our God knows what's going on with His people!  The taunts of too-proud kings of pagan lands or Satan from his den of folly are real, yes, but how silly they seem when we stop and remember our Lord.

The one who knows us, knit us, keeps us.

I don't know the fears, doubts, and trials that are threatening to undo you today.  But as Hezekiah directed his people, do not answer them.  Rather, lift your eyes and your heart up to the Lord.  Pray as David:

Search me and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me;

and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23-24

God will meet you.  He will hem you in.

Malachi 3:6a

This week's catechism question (in a cool, new devotional book we've recently begun reading at breakfast) is What is God?

The answer: God is a spirit, Whose being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth are infinite, eternal, and unchangeable.

Monday's reading included lots of scripture passages. But the one that stuck with me was the last one they cited, Malachi 3:6a.

I the LORD do not change.

I contemplated making that verse alone the body of this post. Perhaps I should have, but I wanted to let you know where it came from and why I shared it.

For me, this verse is comforting and stretching: Comforting, because in this world where the winds of change and circumstances whip us about, sometimes relentlessly, I'm thankful to be anchored in the Lord Who is not capricious, unchanging, steadfast, secure. Stretching, because that means that the God of the Old Testament and the New Testament is the same God and His actions, commands, and ways don't always make sense to me.

Abiding in this unchanging God will surely change us!

How precious to me are your thoughts, God!

How vast is the sum of them!

Psalm 139:17

How about you, what's your response to Malachi 3:6?

Really?

Hi, blog friends! Seriously, I've got to figure out how to arrange for blogging time in my new life here. As I type there are mountains of papers I should go through, books I should read, phone calls I should make, etc. I'm sure you're familiar with the normal adult experiences, so I need not go on. But it's rest time, both kids are busy, and I want to "talk" with you!

Naturally in the rhythm of caring for kids, changing addresses with organizations and insurance companies, spending time with my husband, getting to know a new area, and shuttling E to and from Vacation Bible School, my mind has been racing with several future blog post. Currently, I can't post pictures because our webservice isn't that good. Some of those photo-based ones will come in the future. But here's one of the things that I've been thinking about.

The Good Lord has been ministering to my soul in this time of transition, despite Brian's early wake-ups and having trouble getting time to myself during the day. (Yes, God can grow you even if you don't have hours a day to set aside to study and pray. Particularly for you moms of tots out there: read a few verses, write and encouraging or challenging one down and hang it above your sink, meditate on it, memorize it. You'll see God begin to use Scripture to change your heart. I don't know about you, but I'm keenly aware of many ways my heart needs to be changed these days!)

A couple of months ago I came across this verse about Jesus at the beginning of Hebews:

The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

And sometime last week I was reading the story, recorded in John 13, about Jesus washing the disciples feet the night before he was crucified. It says this in verses 3-5:

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

Jesus, the radiance of Gods glory and exact representation of his being, knowing that God had put all things under his power, KNELT DOWN AND WASHED HIS STUDENTS' FEET!

I don't know about you, but this runs contrary to what I would do naturally, if I knew someone had put all things under my power. But Jesus came, as Hebrews points out, to show us what God is like. Jesus even washed the feet of the one who, moments later, would leave to betray him for some money. What kind of a god is this?

John 13:1 says that in this action, Jesus was showing his disciples the full extent of His love - the very love of God the Father, to whom He was returning.

I don't have any profound exposition for you. But I wanted to invite you to marvel with me.

If you follow Christ, this is the kind of love that is yours.

Every moment of every day.

Blessed Assurance

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.

He anointed us,

set His seal of ownership on us,

and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit,

guaranteeing what is to come.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22

I've been meditating on these verses over the last couple of days. I don't know about you, but it's hard for me to remember and accept that God loves me. So over the last several months, I have (sporadically) asked God to show me His love for me and let me enjoy being his beloved. He's heard my prayers and been faithfully teaching my heart to believe.

You see, God's love is a no-strings-attached kind of love. I can't earn it.

Neither can you.

We just have to take God at His Word and ask Him to give us the faith to believe that it is true. God gives faith as generously as He gives love. And for we fickle folk, it's a daily (if not hourly) exercise to remember how much God loves us - to live has beloved sons and daughters, rather than orphans, seeking love of any old kind from any old source. God is love - the source and the real deal.

Meditating on the verses I mentioned from 2 Corinthians can help to keep our feet grounded in the truth. Paul reminds us that it is GOD who makes us stand firm in Christ. And just to drive it home he continues:

1. GOD anointed us.
2. GOD set His seal of ownership on us.
3. GOD put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit.

Perhaps it freaks you out a little to think about being "owned." Well, the truth of the matter is that if you don't belong to God, you belong to something else. There is a battle being waged for our souls and the "dark side" wants you to believe that God's love isn't real and that He is not trustworthy.

Remember this: the God who makes us stand firm in Christ, anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts is the one who demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) Yep, that's right, God didn't wait for mankind to clean up his act. He entered into our messed up, sin-tainted world and died so we could belong to Him again.

That is love.

Today, dear Christian, cling to the Word, hold on to Truth, cry out to God Almighty. You are His, beloved and precious. Rest in His love.

If you do not know this love and would like to, let me know. There's nothing more I'd like to share with you!