The Kingdom of This World is Like...

¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.-Colossians 1:13


Last Sunday we heard parables about The Kingdom of God and yesterday's devotion was on that topic.  But I read a sermon blog this morning http://www.sarcasticlutheran.typepad.com/ that suggested we ask ourselves:  What is the kingdom of this world like?  Not the world God created and proclaimed that it was good, but the world we have made of that creation... what would you compare today's world to?


The kingdom of the world is like...a man who found a priceless treasure and buried it in his back yard so no one else could take it from him.


The kingdom of the world is like... an exclusive club where only people who are very much like one another are allowed membership.


The kingdom of the world is like... an apartment building in a big city where people are locked in behind closed doors and don't know their neighbors.


I'd love to hear your own ideas of what the Kingdom of the World is like.  If you are receiving this by email, hope over to my blog at karenkhayes.blogspot.com and leave a comment at the bottom of today's blog.


Father,
You created a world and said that it was good, but our sinful nature has corrupted much of that goodness. Help us to find the beauty once again by see through the sinful states and by being the kingdom of God.  Amen.


Joys: Our church building almost fully recovered from Monday's lightning strike; exciting weekend at  National Via de Cristo Secretariat beginning today; looking forward to bringing Cecelia to Vacation Bible School next week

The Kingdom of God

²⁰ Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, ²¹ nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”-Luke 17:20-21


Last Sunday many of us heard parables about what the kingdom of God is "like."  But what exactly *is* the kingdom of God?  According to Jesus, it is not a place or anything you can point to or touch... and what's more, he says it is here in our midst!  This "kingdom" that we would want to sell all we have in order to gain it is already here!


If we are not seeing it, it is because our earthly treasures have gotten in the way and we have our priorities thoroughly messed up.  The kingdom of God comes near as Jesus comes near and is present as God's word of Grace, Mercy and Justice.  And it is *we* who are the Church... Christ's body... who dispense God's word and acts of Grace, Mercy and Justice who *are* that very kingdom of God. Or to put it another way: Those who by faith dwell in that Word and in whom God's Word dwells are *in* God's kingdom.


We find the kingdom of God simply by choosing to dwell in it!  It's simple, but it is not easy.  We must get our priorities straight first.  We must understand that the kingdom of God truly is the greatest treasure.  We must be truly willing to sell all that we have in order to receive it.  We won't necessarily *have* to sell everything we have, but we must be *willing* to if that is what it takes.


Where do your true priorities lie?  How do you spend your thoughts, your time and your money?  The true answer to that question is where your priorities lie.  How close are they to the kingdom of God?  


Father, 
We look for your kingdom as if it were a place outside of ourselves.  Help us to see it within and to sell or give away whatever is necessary in order to dwell in it fully.  Amen.


Joys:  Spending time with good friends; fruit for breakfast; looking forward to an interesting long weekend 

ALL

 ⁹ The LORD is good to all; 
   he has compassion on all he has made. 
¹⁰ All your works praise you, LORD; 
   your faithful people extol you. 
¹¹ They tell of the glory of your kingdom 
   and speak of your might, 
¹² so that all people may know of your mighty acts 
   and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 
¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, 
   and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises 
   and faithful in all he does. 
¹⁴ The LORD upholds all who fall 
   and lifts up all who are bowed down. 
¹⁵ The eyes of all look to you, 
   and you give them their food at the proper time. 
¹⁶ You open your hand    and satisfy the desires of every living thing.-Psalm 145:9-16


What a great Psalm!  Throughout the entire 21 verses the word "all" is used 12 times... good to *all*... endures through *all* generations... upholds *all* who fall... lifts up *all* who are bowed down.  


How wonderful to know that no one is left out. How good to know that all any of us need do is cry out and God will destroy the wickedness within us. 


It can be easy to believe that God only blesses those who are like ourselves... that he only cares about those who believe the same things we do in the same ways we do.  But God created variety.  Think of the animal kingdom... zebras, elephants, platypuses (hmmm... platapi?); birds from tiny finches to majestic eagles; and under the sea you can find some of the most incredible looking creatures of all.


Human beings are so much more complicated!  We may not be quite so different in appearance, but our experiences, up-bringing, environment, genetics, traditions and ethnic roots give us differences that range just as greatly.  And God loves those differences in us as much as he loves the variety of the rest of his creation.


Maybe one day we will learn to celebrate this wonderful variety instead of fearing it.  Maybe one day we will understand that God really does love us *all*.


Father,
Help us to celebrate the variety in creation, especially in people.  Teach us to truly love and accept one another.  Amen.


Joys: aroma of coffee in the morning; getting to babysit Cecelia today; lower humidity

The Kingdom of God is Like... Wildflowers

 ⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.-Matthew 13:44


Yesterday's gospel was a series of parables about what the kingdom of heaven is like.  How would you fill in the blank?  The kingdom of heaven is like ____________ .


My favorite description is that the kingdom of heaven is like wildflowers, making even the most dreary places beautiful.  Did you ever notice that about wildflowers?  I've seen them sprout up in the cracks of city sidewalks or around the edges of smelly recycling centers or growing in clumps in the cracked pavement of old or abandoned shopping centers.  They are the most beautiful in these unexpected places.


And isn't that how the kingdom of heaven is... most beautiful in the most unexpected places?  I'll bet the kingdom of heaven is showing up in Oslo just as it has been showing up in the tornado-stricken mid-west and in Japan and in Haiti.  The kingdom of heaven breaks forth in glory in the lives of those who have lost little children to horrible diseases and in the lives of those who have experienced terrible violence.


The wonderful thing about these wildflowers of the kingdom is that they are you and I.  We each can be God's wildflowers, sprouting in the most unexpected places and bring beauty to the ugliest areas of life.


How can you be a wildflower today?


Father,
May your kingdom burst forth in our little corner of the world today and may you use me to show forth that glory.  Amen.


Joys:  an absolutely wonderful weekend with my sisters and family; Cecelia and Joey becoming "best friends"; a weekend split between Blowing Rock and South Mountain.

Free to Be Slaves

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. - Galatians 5:13

If for some reason we ever had to condense the Bible down to about 5 pages and still retain the essence of the message, there are a few passages that would absolutely have to be included... like John 3:16. I think this verse from Galatians is one of those passages.

We spend so much time arguing about religion. How and when do we baptize? Whom should we allow to preach God's word? Traditional or contemporary music? And even... what color should we paint the doors? To quote the author of Ecclesiastes, "Meaningless, meaningless... everything is meaningless!"

We were called to freedom in Christ. And when we are truly in Christ, we don't use that freedom to indulge ourselves... and we don't use that freedom to criticize how others are using their freedom! If we are truly in Christ we use that freedom to *choose* to become slaves to one another. And if we are serving one another we are too busy to take part in the petty bickering that goes on within most of our churches.

Don't be fooled! These issues are the favorite tool of the Enemy. They make our self-righteousness feel righteous. We feel like we are "fighting" for God. But the only thing that is happening is that we are being distracted from our Christian call to serve one another. God doesn't need to be defended, he's been taking care of himself for all of eternity.

We are *free* to be slaves! What a wonderful paradox! How will you serve your neighbor today?

Lord Jesus,
Thank you for the wonderful freedom we have in you. How awesome that we are free to be slaves to one another. What a wonderful choice! Help us not to be distracted by religious arguments no matter how tempted we might be to *fight* for you. Amen.

Joys: How wonderful A/C feels after spending hours outdoors; cooling down in refreshing mountain water; excited to see Florida family this weekend!!

The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" -John 21:17


Peter's answer to Jesus was, "Lord, you know all things.  You know that I love you."  And indeed Jesus DID know, so why did he ask?  Why do we need to tell God what we want in prayer?  He already knows, right?  Why do we need to confess our sins?  God knows our sins before we do.


All these things are for us, not for God.  We need to articulate these things in our own hearts and minds.  They help us to grow.  They help us to see our true priorities and to make changes if needed and then to focus on those priorities.


When in my heart I hear Jesus ask, "Karen do you love me?"  I know it is because I am not living in a way that shows my love for him.  I know it is time to look at my life's priorities and place Jesus at the top once again.


This question to Peter caused Peter to refocus.  He was dwelling on his failure... his denial of Jesus.  Peter's priority was this failure and Jesus told him his priority ought to be his love for Christ.  When we focus on our love for Jesus, our lives will be as changed as Peter's life was.


Lord,
You know all things.  You know I love you.  Help me to make that love my greatest priority in life.  Amen.


Joys:  Being caught in a downpour during a hike... great way to cool off and there is just something playful and energizing about being caught in the rain; yummy homemade seafood/veggie stir fry for dinner last night; having a really great summer

Judgment or Joy

¹² You will go out in joy 
   and be led forth in peace; 
the mountains and hills 
   will burst into song before you, 
and all the trees of the field 
   will clap their hands. -Isaiah 55:12


Did you ever giggle at something in worship and get a dirty look from another worshiper?  Have you ever found yourself clapping to a song during worship only to realize you are the only one moving?  It reminds me of the story of the visitor who came to worship and shouted amens and alleluias during the sermon and raised her hands in praise when she sang or prayed.  After worship, she apologized to the couple sitting next to her for being so boisterous explaining, "I just couldn't help myself... I got the Holy Spirit!"  To which the neighbor replied, "Well, you didn't get it here!"


Do you know what the most popular word to describe Christians is?   No... it certainly isn't "joyful."  Unfortunately, it is "judgmental."  Yes, in the eyes of the unchurched we are judgmental, not joyful... and we do little to dispel that image.  Who would WANT to be like us?


In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had the choice of eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil or the Tree of Life.  We are still choosing judgement over joy millennia later.  


It boils down to whether we would rather be like God judging others, or let God do God's work and we can just relax and take joy in life and in the fact that we have it eternally.  When we do that, we will also have life abundantly and joy will truly be ours.


Father,
Help us to eat from the right tree and leave the judging to you alone.  Amen.


Joys: Noisy, joyful bunch of kids at Day Camp; music; long summer days

The Weeds

 ²⁴ Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵ But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. ²⁶ When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

   ²⁷ “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

   ²⁸ “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

   “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

   ²⁹ “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”-Matthew 13:24-30

Living in the Bible belt among many fundamentalist denominations, I tend to hear verses like these used as "proof" that God will send most of his children to hell.  It was so good to hear a good mainline denomination (Lutheran, in this case) sermon on the topic.  Thanks, Chad!

If we look at the parable, we see that the "enemy" sowed the weeds, not the farmer.  The weeds don't necessarily symbolize "bad people."  The weeds that the enemy sows are things like hate, greed, envy, addictions, .... and all the rest that wreak havoc on the wheat.

These are the things we have to deal with in our world.  We have to try to do God's work even though these weeds try to choke us as we attempt to thrive and grow.  We are stuck with these weeds and they have become a part of each of us.  We all struggle with our own weeds, don't we?  

But at harvest time, these weeds WILL be separated from us.  There will be no more hate or depression or addictions... or any other of the enemy's weeds.  For now, we will have to do our best work in spite of them and learn to recognize when one or more of the weeds are overtaking us and our work for the kingdom.

This is why we need Christian community.  We can help one another when we see the weeds taking over.  Without our brothers and sisters, we don't have a chance.

Lord Jesus,

Thank you for the parables you have given us.  Thank you that they almost always bring new insight each time we read them.  Help us in our fight against our weeds today.  Amen.

Joys:  5 mile mountain hike yesterday; so many babies in church!; looking forward to a weekend with Florida family

The Living House

Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere. -Psalm 84:10

It is so peaceful being in the church sanctuary alone. Whether serving on altar guild, coming for reunion early or taking a few moments before I begin work, I always find water for my thirsting soul.

Then there are the times when the building is just humming with activity… So full that we search for any nook or cranny to put another group.

Whether empty or overflowing there is a living, breathing quality to our church building. I remember once when my sister, Lisa was visiting.  She came to see me at work so I gave her a tour of the church.  She remarked that it feels like a place people want to be. 


Could it be the echoes of heartfelt praise to our God?… the smiles and laughter shared within its walls nearly every day?… the repentant tears and impassioned prayer requests offered by those in need of God's touch?… or the simple knowledge that when God's presence is hard to sense anywhere else, we can count on knowing he is among us at Holy Cross.

I know God is with us wherever we go, but there is a special sense of his presence at Holy Cross that gives the brick and mortar a life all its own.  I'm sure the same is true of worship buildings around the world.

Holy Father,
Thank you for the opportunity and freedom to go to church whenever I want to be there.  Amen.


Joys:  waiting for Cecelia's visit today; rain without the scary winds and lightning; a lazy Saturday morning

Shaking It Up

¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.-2 Peter 3:18

 As many of you know, I've been hiking in the mountains a lot lately.  I’ve been going 2 or 3 times a week, mostly to South Mountain.  I’ve gotten to know that hike pretty well, and it gets easier each time.  Wednesday Richard suggested we do the loop the opposite way from what we normally do.  Wow!  What a difference THAT made.  The way up was WAYYYYY steeper that way.  I used brand new muscles and whined and complained every step of the way.  But I did it!  Going down was different too.  All those steps I’m used to climbing up are no picnic coming down either… especially on tired, wobbly legs.

Any physical trainer will tell you that it’s good to shake up your exercise routine every now and then.  I think it is the same with our spiritual routines.  We can get into a rut and our prayer and worship can become rote.  Our study can become nothing more than a confirmation of things we already believe instead of giving us new insights.

Shake it up occasionally!  Pray in a completely new location… try outside if you normally pray inside… try kneeling or standing if you normally pray sitting.  Use a different pattern for your prayer.  Include adoration and confession if you normally just jump right into supplication.

Try worshiping in a different atmosphere.  I don’t necessarily mean to miss worship with your church family.  But if you go away on vacation, find a church to worship in on Sunday.  Maybe even try out a new denomination.  Attending a retreat is a great way to have some new worship experiences.

Shake up your scripture study!  Read a new spiritual author.  Read something you don’t think you will agree with, and after reading it, if you still don’t agree, form a good argument against the author.  You don’t have to really confront him/her, just know WHY you disagree and back it up with scripture.

Use some new spiritual muscles this summer.  It’s a great way to grow in faith!

Lord God,

Help us to expand and renew our faith by reaching beyond our regular spiritual routines.  Amen.

Joys:  Internet back up after the latest storm messed it up; my doctor... he's just a sweet guy and I'm always smiling when I leave his office; Friday!

Being SURE and CERTAIN

Now faith is being SURE of what we hope for and CERTAIN of what we do not see. -Hebrews 11:1


Through the years, God has seen me and Richard through a lot of tough times... especially financially.  Somehow, through unemployment, underemployment and just plain too-low wages, we have always had enough to get by.  We have always had what we needed, and often, a little bit more.  So why in the world would I ever worry?


As Richard's present military orders dwindle to the final couple of weeks with no new orders on the horizon and no certainty of a civilian job in hand, I worry.  You would think that looking back on God's faithfulness in the past, I wouldn't, but I do.


It's not that I don't trust God to help us, I just don't know HOW he plans on doing it.  I want what "I" want!  I want to continue to live by the standards I have grown comfortable with and yet I know that God may have plans to "improve" my life by making me a little uncomfortable.


Am I SURE that God will provide a job and CERTAIN that it will be right on time?  No.  But I do have faith and I am SURE that God will take care of us and CERTAIN that the way he does so will be in our best interest.  And THAT is what real faith is... not in believing that our life will always be easy, but that God will see to it that we make it through the tough times. 


 Father,
It is such a comfort to know that no matter what, you are there.  Keep our faith strong in these next few weeks, or however long it takes to find the path to which you are leading us.  Amen.


Joys:  Catching some mountain breezes yesterday; a picnic with Richard; faith

Keeping our Spiritual Focus

⁵ Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.-Deuteronomy 6:5-7

We usually claim that people tend to connect to God more quickly when they are in the midst of life's storms and ignore him when they are experiencing joy.  But I don't think that's really true.  I think we really do tend to be thankful and remember God in those exceptionally joyous times... births, marriages, graduations, new homes, work promotions, etc. 

Both the highs and the lows of life tend to bring us to God.  It is in the mundane that we lose our spiritual focus.  It is when life is going exactly as we expect that we forget to connect with our Lord.

That is why we need to make a habit of going to Him daily.  We need to have intentional prayer time, because if a need or joy is not on our mind, we will find no reason to pray if we don't have a specific time and place to pray.  We need to make an appointment with our Bible.  If we are not searching for scripture to help us in our trouble or for words to express our joy, we might easily forget to read any scripture at all.

Making good spiritual habits is as important as good health habits or good hygienic habits.  We wouldn't think of skipping brushing our teeth because we are running a little late... why should we skip asking God's blessing on our day?

Most of the days of our lives are going to be "same ol' same ol'" with no big events that bring us to our knees. Do we want to limit God to those extreme days or do we want him to reign over ALL of our days?  Invite him into your day today, even if you don't think you need to.

Lord God,

We thank you for even the mundane days of our lives.  They make us appreciate the the joys in our lives and they give us hope that the storms that come will pass. Help us to keep you in the center of our lives even when things are normal.  Amen.

Joys: Sharing Pastor Chad's joy in winning an IPAD in a local drawing; air conditioning; the habit of daily devotions that helps me stay spiritually centeredI

Anger

⁹ Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit,    for anger resides in the lap of fools. Ecclesiastes 7:9


Did you ever listen to a sermon and one line from it just hangs around in your head for the next few days?  That happened to me yesterday.  The line was:  "Our anger makes Satan happy."


Anger really takes our focus off of others and makes us focus on ourselves.... on how "I" feel... how "I" have been wronged... on how "MY" rights have been trampled on.  Oh... and if we can get several others to agree with our anger, how much better we feel.


Anger makes us forget about compassion.  Who has compassion for someone they are angry with?  We forget about love and charity.  We forget about kindness.  We forget about patience.  Oh... wait... when we are angry we forget about love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  When we are angry the fruit of the Holy Spirit is absent.    There must be an absence of the Holy Spirit in our anger.  No wonder anger makes Satan happy!


However... anger is a God-given emotion.  It has its place in our lives.  It motivates us to work for social justice.  It helps us to protect ourselves and our families for those who would do us harm.  But we need to be careful with anger.  Our anger should always be thoughtful.  Is our anger justified?  How will this anger lead us to act?  In a godly way or in a rash, human way?  Would love and tolerance be more helpful in this situation? 


After we have thought out our anger and worked through it in the appropriate ways, it is then time to begin the path towards forgiveness.  Anger should always be followed up by forgiveness no matter how long it takes.  Used properly, anger will never make Satan happy again.


Father,
Help us to think of anger as a tool rather than a state of being.  Once used properly, help us to forgive those who have caused us anger.  Amen.


Joys:  Hiking with Cecelia... what a little mountain goat!; Looking forward to a visit from Florida family in a couple of weeks; Sunday afternoon naps

Relationships

One who forgives an affront fosters friendship, but one who dwells ondisputes will alienate a friend - Proverbs 17:9


Relationships are tricky things.  But what would our lives be without them.  Relationships ARE our lives.  When you boil it all down they are the only things that matter.  No one on their deathbed asks about how much money they have in the bank or how their car is doing.  They ask to see their loved ones.  So how can we be so cavalier with our relationships?  We take offense at an offhand remark and we walk away from a friendship of many years or we close down communication lines with a family member.


But if course we don't look at it that way.  We blame the other person.  They ought to apologize.  They were wrong.  And we even pray for them... "Lord, change him.... change her heart... make him see the errors of his ways... make her more like I think she should be."  That's where the trouble lies.


People are going to disappoint us on occasion because - like us - they are flawed humans.  Maybe in those disappointing times they ARE the ones in the wrong... maybe it is actually ourselves.  But either way, it really doesn't matter.  What matters is the relationship.  Accepting others and loving them in spite of what they do is much more effective than praying for them to change.  That in turn provides us with more energy to look at ourselves more honestly and work on changing ourselves.


Don't let your relationships flounder and die.  Don't let a cross word take something so important away from you.  Your relationships ARE your life.


Father,
Show us how to accept and love others the way you accept and love us... in spite of our faults.  Help us to always put relationships above all other earthly things.  Amen.


Joys: Family coming up from Florida for a visit in a couple of weeks; short work week and already Friday!

Lutheran Evangelism

 ¹ Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. ² Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. ³ Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. ⁵ One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”-John 5:1-6


Most of us have experienced the knock on the door by a couple of well-groomed people who ask, "Do you know, beyond of a shadow of a doubt that if you died tonight, you would go to heaven?"  Now, we know this is not how Jesus operated.  He never began by making people afraid, but invited them to see God at work in their lives by asking things like, "Do you want to be made well?"  The only people he ever mentioned the possibility of hell-fire to were those "religious" people who already believed in God.


But before we rest on our Lutheran evangelism theology laurels, we must admit that at least these guys knocking on doors are not afraid of talking to outsiders about their faith.  In many of our Lutheran churches, evangelism tends to be more like a membership drive... looking for folks to fill our pews rather than bringing new people to Christ.  We think we've been successful in our evangelism when the people from the church down the road start attending our church.  Shifting believers from church to church is not evangelism... making new disciples is.


That is not to say that evangelism WITHIN the church is not necessary... it is.  We have many unbelievers and "under-believers" inside our churches that need to be made into disciples.  But we must be very careful to see the difference between evangelism and membership drives.


We don't need to "scare the hell" out of people to bring them to Christ and we don't need to pedal our faith door-to-door.  We need only share our own story.  And in today's world, we don't need to go to people's homes to share our story.  We meet people everywhere... on vacation, during commutes... and think of the audiences we have on-line on Facebook alone!


We just need the mindset that it doesn't matter whether these people attend our specific church, it only matters that they meet Jesus.


Lord Jesus,
You have commissioned us to go into all the world making disciples.  There has never been an easier time to reach out to all the world.  Help us to use every means at our disposal to share our story of our relationship with you.  Amen.


Joys:  Those mountain hikes getting easier; making shrimp tacos at home; summer fruit

Addicted to Sin

¹⁵ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶ And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷ As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. ¹⁸ For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.^[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

 ²¹ So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³ but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? ²⁵Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!-Romans 7:15-25


There are many things in the Bible I don't relate to.  I know nothing of sheep herding and very little about farming or fishing.  


There are a lot of things in the Bible I don't understand.  I can't fathom how God could love me so much or why Jesus would suffer and die for me.  


There is much in the Bible that confuses me.  I don't get why the flood was necessary if God already planned to send Jesus to save the world from sin or why God would need to "test" Abraham's faith if God already knows our hearts.

But if there is any scripture that every single one of us can relate to, understand and is clear in our minds, it is Paul's discourse on doing what he doesn't want to do.  Every one of us has been there and done that. We struggle with it each and every day.


This is the stuff that addiction is made of... knowing what we should do, but being powerless to do it.  Yes we are all addicts.  We are not all addicted to alcohol or drugs, but we are addicted to something.  It could be food or shopping or approval.  We may have a need to be right about everything or crave gossip.  Maybe we just love to peek at the broken lives of others so we can feel better about ourselves... like watching Morrie or gawking at the Casey Anthony trial.  We know we shouldn't do it.  We really don't want to, and yet we find ourselves there time and time again.  


Paul is right.  Our only hope is in Jesus Christ.  We can't do it on our own.  There is no amount of willpower that will keep us from our addiction to sin.  It is only when we turn our lives over to him that we can change.  It is the power of God's will, not ours, that can work in our lives to defeat our addictions.


Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!


Lord Jesus,
Help us to turn over our addictions, whatever they may be, to you.  Heal us.  Amen.


Joys:  a lazy day at home yesterday; hiking today; coffee ready when I got up

Faith or Arrogance

³ “Do not keep talking so proudly 
   or let your mouth speak such arrogance, 
for the LORD is a God who knows,    and by him deeds are weighed. -1 Samuel 2:3


Yesterday we had a 4th of July cookout at our house for the family and a few neighbors.  I guess we had 25-30 people including the little ones.  The cookout was planned to start at 4 PM even though weather forecasters were predicting storms.  If you live around here, you know that storms have been predicted almost daily this summer with many hitting, but many missing as well.  We decided they were going to miss and continued our plans for an outside party.  


We set up under the carport, more as a protection from the sun than from any anticipated rain. Richard began cooking on the grill and I brought out all the food that I had prepared.  As we sat down to eat, we could see it approaching... and it looked ominous.  But we all still "had faith" that it would miss us.  "Maybe we'll get the edge of it," someone said, "It looks like it will mostly go around us." 


Nope.  We got it.  The carport worked well, and the cars parked in the driveway helped keep most of the rain from blowing in on us, but storm it did.  Food, plates, etc. got blown from our hands.  The party was not ruined, but the mood was certainly "dampened" (pun intended).  So much for faith... or was it faith?


There is a fine line between faith and arrogance.  Arrogance is expecting God to do things MY way.  Faith is trusting God will do what is best for all and everything concerned, even if it is not what I hope for. When our "faith" is really "arrogance" we will soon find out!


There is a sermon illustration about a community that was enduring a drought.  They all decided to meet outside the courthouse to have a prayer vigil for rain.  Only one little girl brought an umbrella.  Of course the point of the story is that only the little girl had true faith in the prayers of the community being answered.  But perhaps her faith is tinged with arrogance.  Perhaps God had other plans for this community that no one could understand.  Perhaps God's plan was simply to bring them together in prayer.  Perhaps he was teaching them perseverance.


When we pray... no matter what it is we think we want... we should desire God's will over all.  Faith in God's will is truly faith.  Believing God will give us what we THINK we want is arrogance.  There really is a fine line.


Father,
Help us to see your will as the true answer to our prayers and to rejoice in it.  Amen.


Joys:  Fun time with family in spite of the storm; a couple more days off before going back to work; summer time
   

A Lifestyle

   ²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”-Matthew 11:28-30


One thing I've learned through my on-going struggle with weight loss is this:  You can't just eat healthy and exercise for a certain time frame - healthy living must become a lifestyle.  You can't just "eat healthy," you must BE a "healthy eater."  You can't just do some exercise - you must BE an active person.  I am the first to admit, this is much easier said than done, but it is the only way to lasting weight loss and good physical health.


It is the cure for world-weariness as well.  So often we lay our burdens at the foot of the cross, only to pick them up and carry them with us as we leave.  What good has that accomplished other than a 20 minute rest?  Or perhaps we pick and choose which burdens to leave and which to carry.  Or maybe you think you really put those burdens down, only to find them weighing you down again.


Leaving our burdens at the foot of the cross must become a lifestyle.  As Christians, it should be a part of who we are.  It should be as much a part of us as daily workouts and a healthy diet is for the athlete.  If we only do it on occasion, it will never be our lifestyle, only an exercise in futility.  


But like exercise and eating well, it takes practice for it to become a lifestyle.  At the beginning we can expect to fail.  But we will begin to notice when we drop off that burden and pick it up before we go.  We will start to search ourselves more carefully for the entire burden that needs to be released.  And we will begin to be more honest with ourselves about whether we really have given over the burden to Christ.  After much trial and error, we will improve to the point where we don't have to think about it as much anymore.  And one day, we will hardly think about it at all.  We will set those worries down and never look back... it will BE who we are.  It will be part of our Christian lifestyle.


THAT, dear friends, is when we will be free indeed.


Lord Jesus,
Help us to not just live "like" Christians but for Christianity to be our lifestyle...including giving our burdens to you.  Amen.


Joys:  family cookout this evening; Independence Day celebrations; having Richard home this summer