Author: Jacquelin Stoner

Jacqui is a writer, teacher, life coach, and an encourager. She walks alongside of individuals who need help navigating to the better place God has envisioned for their lives. She has discovered that God is central to genuine lasting life change.

MADE NEW BY THE CREATOR

And there it sat in the middle of our living room. It indeed was an eyesore – the outside finish yellowed by the years of neglect; definitely not a thing of beauty.

Stamped into my DNA before time began, God made me a “Creative”. My mind processes information in pictures. Mentally, I take things apart and redesign them. I take the discards of life and put them back together, so they are both functional and beautiful.

THE EYESORE

A friend of mine was clearing out the estate of her mother. Sitting in her mom’s bedroom was the cedar chest. Years of neglect had taken their toll. The piece treasured by her mom was the wedding present from her true love half a century ago. Now it was an eyesore in a pile of belongings the family didn’t want to toss away but also had no place to keep.

I received the call. “Would you be interested in Mom’s cedar chest? If so, it is yours for free. You can do with it whatever you want.” The words “free”, “cedar” and “do with it what you want” all resonated in my heart. The perfect combination for joy.

CAN OLD BE MADE NEW?

A friend dropped it off at our apartment. Bill and I awkwardly lugged it up the two flights of stairs. The cedar chest was far heavier than it looked. Bill didn’t share my joy as he viewed the piece skeptically. He wondered, “What has Jacqui agreed to now?” I viewed the chest with hope.

PLANS MADE FOR BEAUTY

And there it sat in the middle of our living room. It indeed was an eyesore – the outside finish yellowed by the years of neglect; definitely not a thing of beauty. The chest monopolized space while I brainstormed how I could resurrect it. Bill grew increasingly frustrated day by day as it resided smack dab in the middle of the room. Finally, after about six weeks I came up with a game plan. The picture finally formed in my imagination for the future of the chest to make it both functional and beautiful.

Bill was out of the apartment on the day I pushed and pulled the chest out to the back porch. Covered with sweat, I began removing the finish with my electric sander. I consider this part the treasure hunt: discovering what exists under the top layers of a piece. Will glory or disaster be revealed? I was blessed. The exterior wood just needed multiple sanding to reveal a lovely woodgrain. I treated top and back with Danish Oil. The metal trim work needed cleaning but was reattached as good as new.

Next came the front and sides. What could complement the stained wood? Multiple layers of a cream base paint did the trick.

Finally came the best part, what I call the “jewelry” details of furniture reimagining: multiple layers of stenciling. I echoed the stenciling on the bare cedar interior and the top of the piece. Hours and hours of tedious work, but well worth the effort.

THE “JEWELRY” APPLIED

Lovingly, I had carefully taken apart the eyesore of the past and created a new future. With the addition of a wheelbase, the chest is my new coffee table. This piece that is cherished, at least my generation.

HOW OUR CREATOR WORKS

Isn’t that how God works in our lives? Our Creator longs to take the ruins of our lives and put them back together so they are both functional and beautiful. He strips away the stains of our past and gives us a future of beauty, far better than we could ever imagine. Creating is in God’s DNA.

THE HANDYMAN’S SKILLS REVEALED

Are your skills as a believer evident to those closest to you?

Read: Titus 1:1-16 (Amplified & New Living Translation)

Welcome to Simon’s house. He is a Handyman by trade. When you walk through the front door you notice that the molding missing from the door. To the left, you see bare wiring exposed where the switch plate should be. A hole is in the plasterboard around the hall light. The living room is only partially painted. Yes, Simon calls himself a handyman, but those skills aren’t visible in his own home. What does he think of his own work?

SKILLSET NEEDED FOR LEADERSHIP

What did Titus think of the skills of the prospective church elders he had to choose from? Newly appointed by the Apostle Paul to serve in Crete, Titus was to “set right what remains unfinished and appoint elders in every city.” (Paul led many to the faith and Titus’ job was to organize churches in which to grow and mature the new believers. Many men may have thought they were qualified to lead, but Titus needed to be particular in making that choice. The candidates required the mindset of Christ.

THE CULTURE OF THE CANDIDATES

In the Cretin culture, telling the truth was not considered a virtue. This hindered Titus’ search. How could he find believers who weren’t under suspicion of being immoral or rebellious? Furthermore, the candidates had to exhibit such high character as to be blameless. The requirements were a high skillset in following Christ. Where could he find men who were peaceful, weren’t addicts, and were totally honest?

NOT GIVING UP AND JUST MAKING DO

Titus didn’t throw up his hands and say, “Well, I guess since we are short-handed, I’ll just have to make do with these guys.” He searched for those who loved people and adored what was pure and wholesome. Titus sought leaders totally sold out to Christ. Paul writes about the danger of it being devious times. Titus looked for those who devoted to knowing the Word of God and who could refute the false teachers abundant in Crete.

HIGH STAKES

Paul realized the stakes were high. “For there are many rebellious men who are empty talkers [just windbags] and deceivers.” Titus pursued solid believers to lead the fledgling churches; men who not only skilled as believers, but who daily practiced living with Jesus as Lord. The pressure of living in Crete as a believer was enormous. Paul knows it is not a time to have leadership be weak in living out the Christian life.

HOW DO YOUR SKILLS RATE?

Whether you are a man or a woman, how would the Apostle Paul rate your skills in living your Christian life? If you had to fill out a questionnaire, would the Holy Spirit confirm you have acquired these character traits Titus searched for? Can your dearest friends attest you live a blameless life, are not arrogant or quick-tempered, not a drinker,not violent, and not dishonest with money? Are they always encouraged because of your positive conversations? Do they know you belong totally to Jesus and aim to always live a disciplined life devoted to Christ?

WHO TO ASK FOR GROWTH IN SKILLS

Ask yourself if you put in the work and obedience to learn from the Holy Spirit the skills of the life God envisions for you. Simon, our friend the self-proclaimed “handyman” had a business card proclaiming his abilities. But Simon’s real skills, or lack thereof, were exhibited in his own home. Are your skills as a believer evident to those closest to you? Why not ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you your Christian life skills this week? Ask Him to help you mature in your spiritual life. I bet Simon’s family wished he was a better handyman and even more – a better follower of Christ.

WHO DO I TRUST?

The wind and waves of this storm just would not stop.  The storm raged on for eight long years……96 months.

She experience years of agony, longing for a child, yet God refused their requests. Tears streamed down her face as she said:

EVERY MONTH HOPE WAS CRUSHED

“Silence can be deafening.  Every fiber of my being longed to hear the cry of a baby. As with Hannah of the Old Testament, my body did not satisfy this longing.  We endured an onslaught of invasive tests and treatments and the loss of our baby early in pregnancy.  More doctors and drugs and more excruciating, painful silence followed. Every month our hope crushed on the rocks by yet another huge wave of disappointment. The wind and waves of this storm just would not stop.  The storm raged on for eight long years……96 months.

NO END IN SIGHT

“Those not knowing our struggle, kept asking when we would start our family. Each inquiry felt like a dagger tearing at our hearts.  I plastered a smile on my face during countless baby showers, then wept uncontrollably on the way home.  Every Mother’s Day savagely rubbed jagged salt into my bleeding soul. I was absolutely thrilled for my friends and sisters-in-law when I held their babies in the hospital. After those visits, I sobbed as my husband held me at home. When will it be our turn, Lord? This pain burned into my soul, with no end in sight.

WHO DO I TRUST?

“I asked myself, “Do I trust you, Lord? Do I believe You are really in control? Can I be at peace in this storm?” As the Holy Spirit helped me grow into the lyrics, the answer was a resounding “Yes!”. My relationship with God deepened and becamemore intimate. His presence came to bea healing, refreshing place full of joy, despite my circumstances. Worship transformed into something much more meaningful in this storm.  God was worthy of our praise and admiration, regardless of our circumstances.”

HONEST QUESTIONS

Eventually, due to a set of events worthy of its own story, my friend unexpectedly became an adoptive mom. The following lyrics best describe her journey. Maybe they describe your current season? Is it time to ask honest questions: “Do I trust you, Lord? Do I believe You are really in control? Can I be at peace in this storm?”

“Praise You in the Storm” by Casting Crowns lyrics are:

I was sure by now God, You would have reached down and wiped our tears away, stepped in and saved the day. But once again I say, “A-men” and it’s still rainin’. As the thunder rolls I barely hear Your whisper through the rain, “I’m with you”. And as Your mercy falls, I’ll raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away.

I’ll praise You in this storm and I will lift my hands for You are who You are, no matter where I am. Every tear I’ve cried, You hold in Your hand; You never left my side and though my heart is torn. I will praise You in this storm. I remember when I stumbled in the wind You heard my cry, You raised me up again. But my strength is almost gone. How can I carry on if I can’t find You?

You are who You are, no matter where I am. Every tear I’ve cried You hold in Your hand. You never left my side and though my heart is torn I will praise You in this storm. I lift my eyes unto the hills where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

For further suggested meditation: Psalm 121

HE’S NOT LEAVING

Where oh where was God’s voice amid the pain that never let up? Had God left the house?

My friend saw her life shattered into pieces and scattered to the wind. Where oh where was God’s voice amid the pain that never let up? Had God left the house?

WHEN ALL HOPE HAS FLED

There is a quote from Chad Prather fits the bill entirely for that moment we feel deserted, alone, and all hope has fled. The crucial time when we need to hear God speak those precious words, “I’m not leaving.”

MICROWAVE GROANS

He’s your Father. And sometimes the most powerful prayer is a groan so deep only the Spirit can interpret it. He hears the messy stuff. The rage. The silence. The disappointment. He understands “microwave moans”.

HE SITS IN IT WITH YOU

He’s not offended by the broken grammar of a crushed heart. God is not looking for polished people. He’s drawn to shattered ones. You don’t need to clean up your grief to bring it to Him. He sits in it with you. He wraps Himself around your pain and whispers, “I’m not leaving”. (From “Born for Meaning” by Chad Prather)

GOD IS FOR US

The Apostle Paul shared similar thoughts. “What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us? He who did not spare [even] His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect (His chosen ones)? It is God who justifies us [declaring us blameless and putting us in a right relationship with Himself]. Who is the one who condemns us? Christ Jesus is the One who died [to pay our penalty], and more than that, who was raised [from the dead], and who is at the right hand of God interceding [with the Father] for us. 

Who shall ever separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]. 

For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:31-39)

God’s not leaving….

WHO’S YOUR FATHER?

Thomas Edison is called the “Father of the Lightbulb” because he was the creator of the lightbulb.  Lightbulbs were not part of Mr. Edison’s family; they are his creation.

“We are all God’s children,” were the first words out of Susie’s mouth as she tried to comfort a grieving friend. Sorry Susie! Not all who attend GCC are God’s children and not even all the citizens of New Danville are God’s children. Susie didn’t tell the truth.

CREATIONS VERSUS PARENTAGE

We are not naturally God’s children. Only by understanding this concept does this passage in Romans make sense. It is true that God is the Creator of all people. Thomas Edison is called the “Father of the Lightbulb” because he was the creator of the lightbulb.  Lightbulbs were not part of Mr. Edison’s family; they are his creation.

Many creations of God will spend eternity in hell. Jesus said to the religious crowd, You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44)

ADOPTION OUR ONLY HOPE

“All creations of God, but not all children of God” can a hard truth to swallow. However, one only becomes a child of God by being born-again. We all enter this world as enemies of God because we are born with a sin nature. This separates us from God and aligns us with Satan. Our only hope is through adoption.

MEANING OF ADOPTION

J. I. Packer in his classic “Knowing God” reminds us in the ancient world, “Adoption was a practice ordinarily confined to the childless well-to-do. Its subjects . . . were not normally infants, as today, but young adults who had shown themselves fit and able to carry on a family name in a worthy way. In this case, however, God adopts us out of free love, not because our character and record show us worthy to bear His name, but despite the fact that they show the very opposite. We are not fit for a place in God’s family; the idea of His loving and exalting us sinners as He loves and has exalted the Lord Jesus sounds ludicrous and wild – yet that, and nothing less than that, is what our adoption means”

JUSTIFICATION DIFFERENT THAN ADOPTION

When you are justified by faith in Christ, you stand before God as Judge and He declares: “Not guilty! Righteous through faith in Jesus!” Adoption is different from justification. Sam Storms writes: “God the Judge steps down from behind his legal bench, removes his stately robes, stoops down and takes you into his arms of love and says softly: ‘My son, my daughter, my child!’ God rescued me from the terminal condition of sin and made me his child. Divine adoption isn’t concerned with physical health or financial wealth or potential or one’s past history.”

DECREE SEALED BY CHRIST

That Spiritual Adoptive Decree is sealed by love with the blood of Christ and signed by the God who cannot lie! Thomas R. Schreiner preached: “As adoptees, we inherit God himself! Imagine the reading of the divine will: ‘I God, being of sound mind and body, do hereby bequeath to all my children, Me!’ Simply put, believers are heirs not merely of what God has promised . . . but of God himself.”

OUR INHERITANCE

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And besides you, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion [my inheritance] forever” (Psalm 73:25-26) Only the adoptees receive God’s inheritance.

Who’s your Eternal Daddy? I pray your “Spiritual Adoptive Decree” is sealed with the blood of Christ and signed by the God who cannot lie.

JUST AS IF I NEVER….

Martin Luther’s struggle with sin and guilt tortured him for years, leading to a deep fear of God’s judgment and a desperate quest for peace. 

In the midst of terrible anguish, Job asked the most important question, “How can a man be right before God?” (Job 9:20) He already knew about God, His perfection, mightiness, and holiness. How can we stand before this perfect God? Millions of people since Job, have asked the same question. After hearing John Baptist’s fearful warnings about Gods judgments, the multitudes questioned John, “Then what shall we do?” (Luke 3:10) The rich young ruler asked Jesus, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life? (Luke 18:18) Lying blinded on the road to Damascus, Saul cried out to Jesus, “What shall I do Lord?”  (Acts 22:10) The Philippian jailor asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? (Acts 16:30) Job’s question is timeless.

VIEWED AS RIGHT BEFORE GOD

The answer comes in Romans 3:21-28: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus”. We fall desperately short of the mark of God’s holiness. G. E. Ladd writes, “The root idea in justification is the declaration of God, the righteous judge, that the man who believes in Christ, sinful though he may be, is righteous—is viewed as being righteous, because in Christ he has come into a righteous relationship with God.”

DECLARE RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE OF SOMEONE ELSE

As a child, I learned the simple saying “Justified means just as if I never sinned.” After my conversion at age 12, God looked at me as His child, as one who has been made right. Because of Christ, I entered into a right relationship with God.  I am justified; declared to have the righteousness of someone else: Jesus Christ. He declares me right and for that I will be eternally grateful.

DECLARED HOLY

This doesn’t mean I stopped sinning at age 16. Justification has to do with God’s declaration about the sinner, not any change within the sinner. That is, justification, per se, does not make anyone holy; it simply declares him to be not guilty before God and is therefore treated as holy. This is how God looks at me. I am declared holy. The working out of that holiness is an entirely different topic: sanctification.

MARTIN LUTHER’S AGONY

Martin Luther, the great theologian of Germany, was tormented by his sin prior to his conversion. His intense struggle with sin and guilt tortured him for years, leading to a deep fear of God’s judgment and a desperate quest for peace. He spent hours in confession, sometimes days, confessing every sin he could think of. Still, he remained anxious about the unknown sins he might have missed. Those who knew him feared for his total sanity. His search for relief was fruitless until he studied the Book of Romans and learned that salvation is not earned through good works or confession. It is a free gift received through faith in Jesus Christ.

A FREE GIFT?

A free gift? This is what Luther searched for during all those painful years of anguish. The key is understanding that justification has to do with God’s declaration about the sinner, not any change within the sinner. That is, justification, per se, does not make anyone holy; it simply declares him to be not guilty before God. God, therefore treats the sinner as holy. This understanding turned Luther’s life trajectory around. It eventually tumbled the religious world on its heals. It was the spark for the Protestant Reformation.

Luther learned that all people who accept Christ as their Savior, are saved only through faith. Thus, we become justified before God. “How can a man be right before God?”  Only by being justified before God through faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ. We are declared Holy before the One and only Holy God. I can become overwhelmed by my sin and my arrogance toward the things of God. At this point, I remember the beautiful gift of justification from God. “Just as if I never sinned!”

I’LL PRAISE YOU IN THE STORM

The year 2011 birthed one of the darkest points in our ministry, family, and individual lives

I was sure by now God, You would have reached down and wiped our tears away, stepped in and saved the day. And once again I say, “A-men” but it’s still raining’. As the thunder rolls I barely hear Your whisper through the rain, “I’m with you”. As Your mercy falls I’ll raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away. And I’ll praise You in this storm for You are who You are, no matter where I am. Every tear I’ve cried You hold in Your hand. You never left my side, and though my heart is torn, I will praise You in this storm. (“Praise You In The Storm” by Casting Crowns)

AND THEN THE YEAR CAME…

The year 2011 birthed one of the darkest points in our ministry, family, and individual lives. Without warning, Bill was dismissed from the church he pastored due to a lack of gifts in the offering plate and infighting within the church. After forty-two years in ministry, my husband found himself without a church. Bill stumbled into crushing depression. I plummeted into the same hole; however, I was the one who hunted with all her strength a way to glue the pieces together.

INFECTED FESTERING WOUNDS

For years, church was closer to us than our biological family. Church supplied purpose, love and stability. I felt like a limb had been ripped off without anesthesia. The emotional and spiritual wounds became infected. They festered and clouded our vision. Now with only one income, we eventually lost our house and most of our retirement savings. Humiliation surfaced as we struggled through that first Christmas where I repurposed household items as Christmas presents. Ever present in my heart resonated my greatest fear, that we would become homeless.

THE CHOICE

As my emotional state deteriorated, I realized I had to make a choice, either to trust God or deny Him. This was not an emotional choice; it was a decision based on the facts of Who God is. I decided to draw the line in the sane and to trust God.

CHOOSING TO TRUST

How could I reinforce my choice to trust? During daily walks I began to memorize Scripture dwelling on Who God is. As I tread the sidewalks of Lancaster during lunch, I kept repeating one phrase, “I choose to trust in You.”

Did I feel warm and fuzzy? No. The time felt endless as we waited, waited, and waited for God to work both on our hearts and our circumstances. I kept repeating “I choose to trust in You.” With all my heart, I wanted God to return life to the happier, predictable, and comfortable past. God didn’t choose that direction.

I’M WITH YOU

“I was sure by now God, You would have reached down and wiped our tears away, stepped in and saved the day. And once again I say, “A-men” but it’s still raining’. As the thunder rolls I barely hear Your whisper through the rain, “I’m with you”.”

IN THE END, IT IS BETTER

God all the time was at work, but I often could not see Him. He supplied our need for alternative housing. He introduced us to new friends and gave us both new careers and ministries. Nothing was like we envisioned, but in the end, it is better. And I’ll praise You in this storm for You are who You are, no matter where I am.  

LIVING IN THE SHELTER OF THE MOST HIGH

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him. (Psalm 91:1-2)

COLORING OUTSIDE THE LINES

In her well-planned life, she never considered taking a step out on faith.

While in Costco I ran into an acquaintance from our previous church. She knew Bill announced his resignation and planned to pursue another ministry. Naturally, she asked where we were going next. I replied, “I don’t know. God has not shown us.” A look of horror spread across her face. One would have thought I began speaking in tongues and dancing in the aisles of Costco. In her well-planned life, she never considered taking a step out on faith. She did not know God may choose to be creative and unconventional. God sometimes “colors outside the lines.”

PAUL’S LACK OF PLANS

In Acts 16, Paul is not positive which direction God wants them to take on their mission trip. For all of us for whom detailed planning is vital, news like this makes our stomachs queasy. Do you think the Apostle Paul’s friends wondered about Paul’s lack of plans?

WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING?

The Holy Spirit told Paul’s crew where not to go: Asia. The group had just come from the east. God forbids them to go south or north. It is interesting that they do not presume the Lord is leading them to the west. They wait for His specific directions. Like the woman at Costco, some may have wondered, “What in the world are you doing?”

GOD COLORS OUTSIDE THE LINES

God chooses to color outside the lines. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. Ray Stedman observes: “As we look back, across the intervening twenty centuries, we can see that this is one of the most important events of all time. It changed the whole course of Western civilization. Perhaps no single event since the cross of Christ has so affected the world as Paul’s seemingly unpretentious decision to cross a narrow neck of water.”

NOT PAUL’S NORM

The missionaries pack their bags and travel to the city of Philippi, a leading city of Macedonia. The dynamics of Philippi did not fit Paul’s norm. Usually, Paul goes to the synagogue first to share the Gospel. But there is no synagogue to be found Philippi. A quorum of at least ten Jewish men is needed to have a synagogue. No men, so what does Paul do when the Sabbath Day arrives? The crew make their way to the river where they may at least find a place of prayer.

What do they discover? A group of women led by Lydia, a worshipper of God. She is a Gentile businesswoman, not the typical audience of Paul’s. God colors outside the lines.

FIRST EUROPEAN CONVERT TO CHRISTIANITY

Paul didn’t bail on Philippi because it didn’t fit his plans. Instead, he stands on the riverbank and obeys God. Paul shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ with Lydia. Stedman notes, “The gospel first entered Europe through a Business and Professional Women’s Association meeting.” Lydia becomes the first European convert to Christianity.

Think of the millions who came to know Christ through the ages in Europe due to one Gentile woman worshipping God on a riverbank. At the beginning of Acts 16, there are no men. Where did the Christian brothers come from mentioned at the end of Acts 16? They resulted from Lydia and her evangelistic efforts. Lydia’s home became the first house church in Europe.

Some may look at horror regarding Paul’s lack of travel plans. He did not color within the conventional paths. The lady at Costco would not have been pleased. However, Paul waited on God and obeyed God exactly, even when things may have appeared a little wonky.

WHAT IS GOD CALLING YOU TO DO?

What is God calling you to do that is out of your comfort zone? Do you have difficulty saying “yes” while thinking of lots of reasons to say “no”? I’m so glad that years ago we said yes to God. God never abandons us, even when things may appear a little askew. He often colors outside the lines, and it is glorious!

For additional reading, click the “Great Awakening”

THE CRACKED CLAY POT

Whose power will you choose when you are weak?

Frequently, I experienced humiliation while employed as a music teacher and choral director.  Twice I fell backwards off the stage. Once I tripped on the steps while ascending the stage. There was that special outdoor concert when my music blew off the stand into the audience. Especially humbling was the occasion I gave my acapella choir the incorrect beginning note via pitch pipe. Hence, the choristers began the “Hallelujah Chorus” on notes unsustainably high on their vocal cords. 

TREASURE HIDDEN IN JARS OF CLAY

God speaks that despite our embarrassments and weaknesses, everything is ultimately in His hands. The most trying of circumstances can reveal His power when we let Him. II Corinthians 4:7-20 notes God’s take on the humbling circumstances believers encounter: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.  We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh…So we do not lose heart. 

RENEWAL DAY BY DAY

Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,  as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

CHIPPED, CRACKED AND WEAK

Bottom line is “we have this treasure (the Gospel) in jars of clay (our bodies) to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”  A clay jar is not steel; it chips, cracks and becomes outwardly weaker with age.  Those close to us are quite aware of our outward and inward chips and dents. However, we can make the choice to beautifully allow God to get the glory regardless of the circumstances.  His power alone is available even amid the most painful and humbling moment(s). 

CHOICES WE MAKE

Remember this the next time you are tired (your clay jar reality). You find yourself in the midst of a conversation that can direct someone toward Christ, but you are exhausted. Whose power will you choose in your weakness?

What about the next time you get stuck in line at the store and the person you are dealing with is rude? You would like very much to “righteously” set them straight (clay jar reality). Whose power will you choose in your weakness?  

How about season(s) you feel down and alone? You become tempted to dwell on the pain regarding those who have forgotten you (your wilderness clay jar experience).  Whose power will you choose in your weakness?

DISPLAYING ALL HIS POWER WHEN WE ARE WEAK

Our God isn’t as much concerned about our own dignity and personal lack of strength as He is in displaying all His glory in the moments when we are at our weakest. “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” It is a choice to display God’s glory or to remain sadly immersed and caught up in our own weaknesses.

Are you are wondering and that memorable performance when the choir began singing the “Hallelujah Chorus” four notes too high? I stopped them after four measures. Smiling, I turned to the audience and blew the pitch pipe again (correctly this time). We resumed singing our unique version of the Hallelujah Chorus.  Praise be to God, He renewed this old clay pot. Glory to His name!

WHERE DOES EVIL GROW?

Reeling from the events of that week, I wondered what low point the writer had arrived at in implying that Charlie got what he deserved.

I made the mistake of reading a Facebook post applauded and forwarded by someone I knew. It read, “The irony cuts deep: the very movement that has excused, minimized, and even glorified violence is now recoiling from it when the cost touches home.” The writer identified as a “progressive” and referred to the assassination of Charlie Kirk. It was a very long night as those words raced around my mind. Reeling from the events of that week, I wondered what low point the writer had arrived at in implying that Charlie got what he deserved.

LOVER OF DEBATE

Charlie Kirk loved and delighted in discussion. His vocabulary when debating was never a vile stream of four-letter words against opponents.  He went on campuses to encourage debate and to motivate students to think for themselves. Unlike others, he researched and knew what he was talking about. Charlie’s numbers grew because he was engaging and had a photographic memory. He actually gave his opponents the larger mic.

DIDN’T WANT TO BE A POLITICIAN

At the age of 18 Charlie began by wanting to influence politics in America. He was not afraid to stand up for what he believed was good for his country. Charlies didn’t do what was politically expedient in order to get votes. He didn’t want to become a career politician.

WHAT HARM IS IT TO READ THE GOSPELS?

His worldview greatly matured over the years. Charlie unabashedly stood up for his faith in Jesus Christ. Especially in his last few years, it was Christ first, politics second. He was not Christian Nationalist. Christian Nationalists contend that to be a “true” American, one must be a Christian. Charlie did invite people to investigate who Christ is. What harm is accomplished by reading the Gospels?

FORGIVENESS OUT OF OBEDIENCE

Have you listened to the speech his wife gave at his memorial service? Erika Kirk said she forgave Charlie’s killer. She agrees with Jesus: “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15; Matthew 18:21-35).

A commentator from MSNBC said, “Mr. Kirk pushed hate speech. Hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions.” The man implied that Charlie deserved what he got.

VIOLENCE IS WRONG

Violence, in all its forms, is wrong. Ask yourself which movement(s) and thought process excuse, minimize, and glorify violence? Mahatma Gandhi believed violence was a temporary, harmful approach, stating, “I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent”. He asserted “Non-violence is a weapon of the strong”. Nonviolence requires courage, distinguishing it from cowardice.

COWARDLY VIOLENCE

Where is the strength demonstrated in setting fires, tearing down statues, destroying businesses, and attacking citizens? This is not courage. It is cowardice.

ONLY LIGHT DRIVES OUT DARKNESS

Martin Luther King Jr. famously stated, “Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that”. 

NON-VIOLENCE: WEAPON OF THE STRONG

Remember the mobs on college campuses? Isn’t targeting an ethnic group a crime? Students threaten to hurt students on campuses because they were Jewish. What good is accomplished by threats of violence? The mobs show their moral weakness. They don’t know “non-violence is a weapon of the strong.”

THE NIGHT DEVOID OF STARS

“Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars”. Who can forget the violence of October 7, 2023? More than 1,200 men, women and children, including 46 Americans and citizens of more than 30 countries, were slaughtered by Hamas – the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Girls and women were sexually assaulted. Babies were slaughtered. The depravity of the terrorists’ crimes is unspeakable. All the hostages (living or dead) still have not been released.

You posted on Facebook: “The irony cuts deep: the very movement that has excused, minimized, and even glorified violence is now recoiling from it when the cost touches home.” Please make sure you know which movement(s) and thought process have excused, minimized, and gloried violence.

WHERE EVIL COMES FROM

We can’t heal until evil is looked squarely in the face and called evil, regardless of political or ethnic affiliation. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Evil doesn’t originate with the weapon of choice. Evil originates from the heart.