Category: Teaching Topics

Why Don’t We?

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You do not have, because you do not ask. James 4:2

A daughter of promise should live praying about everything.   There are many reasons though that I don’t. Here are a few.

1.) I’m shy to trust God for what He’s already promised. While traveling several years ago, I had dinner with a family who had recently adopted a ten-year-old boy from Russia. They were telling me some of his story. He had lived his entire life in an orphanage. Food was never plentiful and so he learned to live hungry. Though there was a refrigerator in the orphanage’s kitchen, it was padlocked.

When this family brought him home, they explained to him that he need never be hungry. They showed him the refrigerator in the kitchen and told him that he could go to it whenever he wanted something to eat. For the first few years, he never took them up on it. Why? He wasn’t yet sure of their love and couldn’t fathom good news. What keeps me from praying boldly? I’m unsure of God’s love. Insecure children rarely ask for much.

2.) I go to people first, give them all the details, and make prayer a generalized after-thought. When something bad happens, it’s easy to text a friend, call a spouse, even put bad news on Facebook. Out of habit, I learn to rely on friends for guidance, comfort, and validation. My father asks me to come to Him first, just like a child does when he’s hurt. He runs to Daddy and recounts the event that led to his tears. I might argue that God already knows but it’s not He who benefits when I communicate at length, it’s me. I need to say things. I need to ask. By asking, I’m affirming my trust in Him and getting to know my own heart as I speak at length.

3.) I believe that God is sovereign and is going to do whatever He wants anyway so prayer is not necessary. Prayer is cooperative. God hears my prayers. He changes His mind on matters because of my steadfast prayer. He withholds judgment from those who might otherwise experience harsh consequences because I, like Daniel, like Moses, plead their case, ask God to forgive them and stay His hand. Prayers change the course of history and God is sovereign. They are not mutually exclusive.

God is my King. He is my judge. But first and foremost, He is my Father. He delights to see me coming. The more I need Him, the more He likes it. Joni Eareckson Tada said, “Jesus is strong but He’s also approachable. He is able to carry our load but He’ll never make us feel embarrassed or defeated for asking.”

Living As a Daughter of Promise – Part 1

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See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. I John 3:1

In many cultures, and perhaps in one where you grew up, children were to be seen and not heard. Their value was less than the adults in the group. Not so in God’s kingdom. He tells all adults, even highly educated ones, that they should become as children. The child is definitely the biblical role model in scripture. Jesus referred to us as His children. How humbling. Children need guidance and instruction in wisdom. Children need role models. God offers all that in Himself as our Father. The only way for me to mature from a baby child in the kingdom to a mature one is to live in my Father’s Word and ingest it on every level.

That being said, the 1st way to live as a daughter of promise is to meditate. Many Christians believe that meditation is synonymous with ‘new age’. It is not. It originated with God and it is His concept. Satan hijacked it. Meditation is a practice where scripture simmers constantly in my thoughts. If I am out for a walk, having lunch with a friend, sitting at my desk working, or straightening up my family room, thoughts of scripture co-exist with living.

Meditation is Father/Daughter time. It’s about being close, bonding, listening, feeling and thinking. The Hebrew word for meditate is ‘hagah’ which means to savor slowly. “Taste (hagah) and see that the Lord is good.” Psalm 34:8 To savor a bite of food means that it sits on my tongue and I chew it slowly. I engage with the taste of it in every way possible before swallowing. Jeremiah said, “Your words were found and I ate them; and they were the joy and rejoicing of my heart.” Jeremiah 15:16

As God’s child, I must learn to think in whole new ways, ways that are opposite to how I currently think. My Father, through scripture, must redefine my perception of everything. God must fashion a whole new mindset in me since the philosophy of this world is not of heaven.

In scripture, God tells me the way things work. He tells me who He is, who I am, the way the world works, and the way the kingdom operates. Doesn’t this sound like basic instruction between a parent and a toddler? We begin teaching our baby how to recognize mama and dada. God tells us after adoption that He is our Abba.  (Daddy)

In the messiness of life, meditation is imperative. When I feel abandoned by God, meditation has me focus on His faithfulness. When I fear He hasn’t heard my prayers, meditation zeroes in on His promises to answer prayer. When my feelings trip me up, meditation reorders my thoughts.

As human parents, we don’t hand our small children a textbook to learn life. That would be tragically impersonal and disastrous. Instead, we offer them relationship and a learning environment within the context of a loving relationship. As God’s child, why would I think that studying scripture as God’s textbook would shape me in any significant way? God, also, desires to parent me in the context of a tender relationship.  He whispers in my ear through meditation.

Living As A Daughter Of Promise

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Jesus is a lovely and beautiful Savior. He is full of glory and this upcoming series is to make so much of Him that there is no doubt in our minds that the only One who transforms orphans into sons and daughters is Him. Orphans are of the earth. Children are begotten of God and are made in heaven.

Our emotional wells are deep and living on this earth leaves gaping holes that only God can fill. It takes us a long time to learn how to hear Him speak to us. Until then, we hide from Him. We blame Him. We search for Him in wrong places. We mis-perceive Him and judge Him. But ah, when we find Him, everything changes. This glorious God becomes our new Father, through Christ, but what it looks like to be raised by an invisible God can be somewhat confusing. We call ourselves His children, but do we live and thrive with all the privileges of fully adopted children? Do we function, consciously, as children who are being parented by God?

And that is the reason for this series. Personally, I am not whole yet. But I am not crippled anymore. I often limp but I’ve found my legs and I feel God’s wind behind me. The healing journey of fully living as God’s child will take me a lifetime but I’m grateful for what He’s taught me so far. Each piece of instruction has felt like the golden whispered secrets spoken between two who love each other and can’t stop talking late into the night.

It is this journey which I long to share with you. God knows my heart for you. I’ve seen your faces in my dreams; curious, tentative, even a little hopeful that God’s love is for real and His power is available to you in all the places where powerlessness has snuffed out the promise of an abundant life. My prayer today is that God will prepare your heart; prepare to break through the fog of pain and misunderstanding that obscures Him so that you may see His glory and hear Your call to live.

It is time to consider coming out of the shadows to live life loved. On Monday, we’ll begin exploring the ways we are invited to partake in a holy Father/daughter relationship. Each principle is a privilege but each is also activated by an act of faith. It’s the call to put down the sword against those who couldn’t, or wouldn’t, give us what we needed. Instead, it’s the call of the Father to raise our eyes to the One who can be everything to us as He walks us, step by step, to our home with Him in heaven.

“Your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given to you made your beauty perfect,” declares the Sovereign Lord.   Ezekiel 16:14

The Right Way To Handle Failure

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There is a right way to handle failure. Giants of the faith did it well and most of them came out with their faith in tact. Every patriarch struggled with failure. So did King David, King Solomon, and the Apostle Peter. Proverbs says, “The righteous may fall seven times but still get up, but the wicked will stumble into trouble.” For reasons such as overestimating or underestimating sin, the unrighteous can’t move past his mistakes. He carries them over his shoulder and the weight grows heavier as they accumulate over a lifetime.

What can I learn from my spiritual ancestors about the right way to handle failure?

See It As God Sees It. 

He will tell me how bad it was. No more, no less. He will pass on to me a spirit of repentance so that I may feel the gravity of it – one that matches His own but He will also pass on the joy of forgiveness and the expectation of a restored relationship. The apostle Peter was, for a short time, crippled by his sin of denying Christ. I’m sure he felt that he had disqualified himself from ever serving God again. Yet, Jesus orchestrated a moment on a beach when confession, repentance, and restoration became personal. They sat inches apart and Peter struggled through with the dynamics of a severed friendship; failure to hold eye contact, fear of rejection, fear of never knowing forgiveness but then fearing he wouldn’t be able to accept it if offered. Not until he accepted full forgiveness could he press in to explore redemption. And what a redemption it was!

The one who teaches me most about how to handle failure is King David. Many today struggle with the favor God continued to bestow on David.  God called him, in spite of such utter moral failure, ‘a man after my own heart.’ Didn’t God think David’s sin was serious? The label God gave David was not related to whether or not he sinned. It was related to his response to sin. The prophet Nathan was sent to confront, to bring conviction and judgment. When faced with the truth, David immediately owned what he did. No excuses or blame shifting. The next act recorded was David’s prayer of repentance.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

Psalm 51:1-3

God didn’t refer to David as ‘the king who disappointed me.’ David was not Saul! The gravity of Saul’s sin was not that his sin disqualified him from God’s favor. It was the refusal to see it, repent, learn from it, and shun evil.

You can be a woman or man after God’s own heart if you treasure Jesus more than sin, more than your reputation, more than being right. I must ask for the courage to see myself, and my sin, the way He does. Then, trust in His unfailing love to forgive and wash away shame. The joy of restoration is so much better than the pain of self-inflicted self-condemnation.

When Love Is In Front Of You

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I will never walk alone for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.  Psalm 26:3

Everyone wonders what their future will hold.  Good times or hard times?  Healthy or unhealthy?  Married or unmarried?  Financially secure or living with meager provision?  Surrounded by those who love us or mostly alone?  We aren’t granted a clear picture of tomorrow but any of us who know God as our Father can know for certain one thing about our future.  In spite of uncertainty, David says that God’s love is ever before us.  Perfect Love is always and forever in our tomorrows.

If times are good, God will join me in my celebration.  If times are difficult, He will offer open arms.  If times are rewarding, He will still remind me that heaven will be better because He will be there.  If times are tragic, He will assure me that this time of tears is short in comparison to an eternity of joy.

Picture a groom, on his knees proposing, and he says in a deep and meaningful tone, “Spend your life with me.  I can’t promise you that it will always be easy but however it unfolds, I promise to be there with you and love you.”  It’s exactly what she needs.  Love.  Companionship.  Commitment.  And for any who have not known this in their human experience, Jesus is the Bridegroom who offers what is supremely better than that.  A perfect love without the imperfection of the flesh within mortal marriages.  There is perfect companionship as the groom knows His bride completely.  And there is  perfect faithfulness as this Groom never backs away.  No matter how well or how poorly the bride loves, His love is constant and true.

Your love is here now.  Your love has always sustained me.  Your love waits for me in all my tomorrows.  You are timeless and I can rest that You have traveled ahead of me.  I’m so comforted.  Amen

The Sin-Eater

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Jesus, seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven.” But there were some of the scribes sitting there and reason in their hearts, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; ‘who can forgive sins but God alone?” Mark 2:6-7

The scribes in this story are right. Claiming to forgive sins is a big deal and no one can do it except God but they didn’t recognize their Yahweh in the face of His Son, Jesus. People will do anything to wash themselves of nagging guilt. Most refuse to run to Jesus because their own pride convinces them that they have the power to do something about it. Never has this self-sufficiency been more twisted than with the ancient practice of choosing a sin-eater within a community.

Still in existence within rural Appalachia, this ritual originated in southern England. A sin-eater was selected from among the most despised of society. Their calling would ostracize them for life. Their role was, 1.) to live in obscurity, 2.) to appear at the home of a deceased person at the time of the funeral, 3.) perch themselves at the border of the property and wait for the casket to emerge from the house, and 4.) perform the ritual of eating bread and drinking wine. All of the sins of the deceased would be transferred to the bread/wine and enter the sin eater’s body. They were believed to be the new ‘dwelling place’ of the dead’s iniquity.

Before meeting Jesus, the hymn writer, William Cowper, succumbed to a deep depression from the weight of his own guilt. While living in a mental institution, he was known to keep washing his hands and lamenting, “My guilt, my guilt. What can wash it away?” After his conversion and having looked to Jesus to wash away his sins, he wrote, “Unless the Almighty arm had been under me, I think I should have died with gratitude and joy.” Within weeks, he wrote the words to the hymn, “There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins. And sinners cleansed beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.”

There is only one sin-eater. Jesus. He became the despised, was shunned by His people, and took on the sins of the damned. He was the sacrifice for any who will apply His blood to their iniquity. Today, we do not need to wallow in guilt nor employ a scapegoat to bear our sins. Jesus did it – and then He said, “It is finished.” 

Nagging guilt need never plague me. You are a God of closure. I repent, you forgive, and it is finished. Amen

 

Anxiety and Being in the Middle

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“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you more valuable than they are? And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life? Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers of the field grow; they do not work or spin. Matthew 6:24-28

Ever been put in the middle? It’s an awful place to be. There are some whose role it is to be peacemaker. The anxiety of trying to serve opposites is tormenting because pleasing them is impossible. Compromise keeps them at bay but they are never fully satisfied because neither has won.

What does this have to do with the parable about worrying? What I’ll eat? What I’ll wear? What others think of me? Whether I’ll be employed? Whether I’m seriously ill?

Anxiety serves Master Satan. Plain and simple. To worry is to wonder if God is faithful and Satan is the author of that. Worry then leads to autonomy. I take matters into my own hands to take care of myself because I believe God won’t.

Remember the daisy game? ‘He loves me – He loves me not.’ Though it was childish, I do remember the bit of suspense as I neared the end of the petals. Which way would it be? Love me – or loves me not? This is the stuff of serving two masters.

When the stakes are high, so is the battle. ‘God loves me – He loves me not.’ Faith is put on the sidelines as I wage the options of trusting God versus taking care of myself (which is serving God’s enemy.) God is unhappy because I fail to know the joy of childlike trust. Satan is unhappy because I entertain the promises of my Father’s word. How is this tug of war won? How do I extricate myself from living between two masters? Remove the power of the evil one.

Satan does not deserve an ounce of attention because he lies about the other Master. If he told the truth, the battle would be understandable. If he predicted outcomes correctly, listening to him would make sense. But nothing he says is true. John reminds me that he is a liar. His very nature is to lie. His default language is based on deceit. So, I step out from the middle today and give him no attention. When the first thought of worry emerges, I snatch it and kill it with the whispered assurances of a faithful Father. Every Word saves me and sends the other would-be master away from my presence.

No middle, Father. No torment. Only a simple, childlike trust built on every single promise You have made. I love how You take care of me. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Spiritual Acumen. Do I Have It?

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Jesus also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A rainstorm is coming,’ and it does. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and there is. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how can you not know how to interpret the present time? Luke 12:54-59

How can smart people be so foolish about spiritual things? How is it possible for one who knows God to miss the obvious signposts He provides for guidance? This was Jesus message to the crowd. They possessed real skill when it came to interpreting weather related signs but they were inept when it came to interpreting their times through the mind of God ~ the one they claimed to know.

When Saul was pursuing David in order to kill him, the numbers of those who stood by David were few in comparison to the armies of King Saul. But, there was a group of men called the ‘sons of Issachar’ who perceived both men correctly. They were able to see Saul for who he was ~ a disobedient king under God’s judgment. They were able to see David for who he was ~ God’s anointed man who should ascend the throne. From all circumstantial evidence, it would appear that Saul was suffering the threat of a coup, led by a renegade named David. However, these 200 men (descendants of Jacob), read the two men accurately. The children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of their times, knew what Israel ought to do. I Chronicles 12:32

What kind of spiritual acumen do I possess? The men of Issachar looked at Saul the way God looked at Saul. His throne or his crown did not sway them. They were able to see his behavior and leadership style and know that he was out of God’s favor. They looked for the anointing but couldn’t find it. They also looked at David and were able to see past his poverty and rag tag militia. They perceived the spiritual markings of a kingly anointing – a marking not visible to the naked eye but brilliant to the eyes of their spirit.

Not everything is as it appears. Powerful people are often a house of cards. They can crumble after just one confrontation. The meek are perceived as weak but will rise to rule over us when God promotes them. I am asking God to sharpen my spiritual acumen so that I can interpret what’s in front of me correctly. I believe Jesus is coming soon and never has understanding the times been more critical.

Whom have I assessed wrongly? Correct my vision, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen

The Parables Jesus Told

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I love a good story, especially if related by an exceptional storyteller. If the storyteller loses enough inhibition to bring life to the characters, utilizing a wide range of inflection for the character’s speeches, the stories will not only be captivating but memorable. I have to believe that Jesus was a perfect storyteller because thousands of years later, mankind is still talking about each of his parables.

He spoke in parables to fulfill prophecy. Matthew explained by quoting from Psalm 78.  All these Jesus spoke to the multitudes in parables, and He was not talking to them without a parable, so that what was spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.” Matthew 13:34-35 Psalm 78 speaks of Israel’s rampant unbelief in Yahweh ~ in spite of the fact that He rescued them repeatedly from their enemies. God spoke openly to them, displayed His power with signs and wonders, but they missed the point that God wanted a relationship with them. He wanted to be their God but they rejected Him. Many centuries later, Jesus spoke in parables to bring judgment on Israel’s collective hardness of heart. Only those who had a true relationship with Jesus would understand its meanings.

While Jesus did perform miracles and gave many signs and wonders to prove that He was God, he spoke most often in parables to fulfill another prophecy, this one from Isaiah. “You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; and you will keep on seeing but will not perceive; for the heart of this people has become dull; and with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes…” Matthew 13:14-15

What does that mean for me if I’m about to jump into the language of Jesus as found in His parables? It is possible for me to hear them but not understand them. Unbelief skews the message and makes it impenetrable.   I must ask for spiritual understanding.  The end result can be a full disclosure of this private language between Jesus and me.

Lord, I confess that I am spiritually blind unless You open the eyes of my heart. If there is anything that will compromise my ability to understand Your stories, would you reveal it to me? I want Your words to transform the complete landscape of my heart. In Jesus name, Amen

New Wine in Old Wineskins

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No one pours new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the skins burst and the wine is spilled out and the skins are destroyed. Matthew 9:17

Don’t mix the old with the new. That was the message Jesus wanted to convey when he shared two parables. The first was ~ Don’t sew a new patch on an old cloth. It will shrink and tear. The second was ~ Don’t pour new wine into an old wineskin. It will burst and render itself useless. Anytime Jesus repeated Himself, the message was important.

Wine, when poured into a wineskin, begins the aging process. As it ferments, the gases cause it to expand. A new wineskin will swell along with the wine and all will be well. However, when you pour new wine into an old wineskin, the wineskin has already stretched to capacity and will burst with the fermentation process. The skin won’t sustain any new pressure.   So what is the allegorical meaning?

When Jesus came, people assumed that everything He taught (the new wine) was to be added on to their existing paradigm (the old wineskin) of their traditions. His message, however, was that He came to change everything. They were told not to blend the old with the new.

 If I’m a religious person – and then become a child of God – am I supposed to add Jesus to my religious way of life? No way. I’m called to turn away from religiosity to engage in a relationship. One is behavioral; the other is relational and heart-driven.

I am a new creation in Christ. I’ve been saved from religion and all the trappings that accompany it. I am no longer driven by the desire to do good things because that’s just what religious people do. Piety is supposed to be far from me because I know what I am without Jesus.

When God writes a new paradigm in my heart, it is stressful. The old wineskin of past paradigms must be abandoned and I don’t let go easily. I must turn away from anything associated with old religious archetypes. Church-ianity is not the same as what it means to live in Christ. The world doesn’t know the difference and that’s my fault. I’ve blurred the lines and must show them that loving Jesus and cultivating a church culture are two different things. The first invites others to love Him too. The second invites others to conform to a religious community. Jesus had strong words for the latter and so should I.

If there is any way I have attached You to something that should be dead to me, an old wineskin, show me. In Jesus’ name, Amen