Category: SPIRITUAL GROWTH

SOME DAYS MUST BE DARK AND DREARY

What do you do when a week feels like an eternity?

“Into each life some rain must fall, some days must be dark and dreary.” (except from  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “The Rainy Day”) Difficult times are a common part of life, but what about weeks? Months? Years?

The Fallen Warrior

How did King David feel as he endured the last decade of his life? This once strong warrior had defeated Goliath, brought the Philistines to their knees, and miraculously led a ragtag army through the wilderness while being chased by his relentless adversary, Saul. However, in the twilight of David’s life, two of his sons attempt to steal the throne from Dad. David’s health deteriorates due to age, stress, and exhaustion. He can no longer even stay warm at night. “Some days must be dark and dreary”.

Week that feels like an eternity

Rather than an entire season, what about experiencing just one dark and dreary week? That succession of days which feel like an eternity. I felt the oppression of such a week. The pressure as my heart drowned in a continual tide of confusion and fear. A client blew up at me over an issue that was not my making. The same day, a friend called me, still angry at God and life’s circumstances. I faced two medical appointments with specialists and had no direction whether either physical condition could be remedied. In the background is the continual pain I experience with a deteriorating back. Some weeks must be dark and dreary.

Unsettling hum of distress

It all contributes to an unsettling hum and sigh of distress. I can not control my circumstances. The only thing that I can do is cry out to God.

So glad that God doesn’t shut the door on me. When He sees my name on caller ID, God does not reject the call. He patiently listens and then He waits for me to listen. Often, I can’t hear the connection with Him because I am deaf, drowning in a my sea of spiritual dissonance.

The Choice

What do I do? What can I choose? Where can I focus my heart and mind?

David wrote this during some of his darkest days: “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” (Psalm 34:4-7)

This is the recipe for when “Into each life some rain must fall, some days must be dark and dreary.” You can embrace this prayer: “Lord, make my face radiant as I choose to look to You.”

For further encouragement, click to listen to Hannah’s story.

NOT A SOLITARY SPORT

True Christian living (especially when no one is looking) shows all the world what you truly believe about God. We are His team.

Read: Titus 2 (AMP, NIV, NLT)

Ever drive by athletes training for long distance running? They often run in packs, however, rarely are they laughing or interacting. Their feet steadily pound the pavement, one grueling mile after another. It is an agonizing solitary sport.

CHURCH IS “ALL PLAY”

A healthy church is not a solitary sport. Andrew McClure describes the church body as “All Play”.  He recounts his days of playing basketball: “It was our responsibility as a team to put into practice the things we learned. One week we drilled a zone defense. To learn the concept our coach tied one big rope around all of our waists. If the ball moved to the left wing, everyone in unison would shift left. If the ball moved to the corner, everyone would shift to their places. The rope taught us to move in unison. To move with synergy.” We learned the duty of each individual impacts the strength and effectiveness of the whole.

The Cretins said they believed, but there was a disconnect in how they interacted as a team. They professed to know God but didn’t “make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way.”

INTER-GENERATIONAL TEAMWORK

Paul gives guidelines to the Cretin church, regardless of age, gender, or profession. No believer is exempt. Older men are to exercise self-control, be respectable, live wisely, know God well and be filled with love and patience. They are to teach this to the younger men. Older women are to honor God, not speak badly of others. They are to teach others, especially the younger women, what is good. This is inter-generational living and teaching in the church. It is expected teamwork; not a solitary sport.

The life of a woman in the pagan Roman world was challenging. Marriages were often arranged and loving both husbands and children was not the norm. Making it a priority to live wisely, purely, and to keep one’s home running smoothly was a Christian concept. Being respectful of their husbands and not bringing shame on the Word of God separated the Christian women from the pagans.

In the Cretin culture, how were the slaves or the bond servants to live? Counterculturally: to obey their bosses, behave as employees of Christ, not talk back or steal, and be entirely trustworthy and good. This behavior was nonconformist because the Holy Spirit empowered and drove it.

LIVES PROPELLED BY GRACE

All these behaviors bloom out of lives propelled by grace.  For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, … He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, … and to purify for Himself a chosen and very special people to be His own possession, who are enthusiastic for doing what is good.  (Titus 2:11-14) True Christian living (especially when no one is looking) shows all the world what you truly believe about God. We are His team; we are not solitary players.

Another person who knew something about living out truth was William Wilberforce. He spent his life ending slavery in Britain. A body of believers, especially John Newton (former slave trader and writer of “Amazing Grace”), nurtured him in the Gospel. Do you realize you are God’s possession? Are you enthusiastic for doing good? Your lifestyle impacts the strength and effectiveness of the entire body of believers.

Click to read the story of John Newton

HEAVEN’S HOT MIC

Reacting to a sound bite, I yell at the TV, calling that person stupid and an idiot.

I attended my son’s basketball games and (to his embarrassment) I frequently loudly yelled encouragement from the stands. During a heated battle with a particular team, a parent was ejected from the game. No, it was not me! The parent in question was screaming taunts and jeers at the ref. I knew this unruly father proclaimed himself as a believer. I hung my head in shame for the dishonor he brought to our Heavenly Father.

WHO CARRIES YOU AWAY?

Some people might say, “Oh, it was just a sports game. People just get carried away. They were just in the moment.” Let me pose the question, “Who carries you away?” I don’t think the Holy Spirit performed the carrying in that game.

A HOT MIC MOMENT

Heaven’s hot mic was turned on. A “hot mic” is a microphone turned on and it broadcasts publicly something considered private. All the angels heard the hot mic recording of that parent’s foul and abusive language.

FOUL AND ABUSIVE LANGUAGE

Scripture is clear.  Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful…And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. (Ephesians 4:29-32)The Apostle Paul speaks plainly. He refers to words that are coarse, obscene and not acceptable in polite speech. Words you don’t want on permanent record and caught on a hot mic.  Things you would not say it if Jesus was right in the room. However, Jesus is right in the room!!!! Just because you can’t see Him, He still hears us and knows our hearts. Heaven’s hot mic is live.

POLITE SUBSTITUTIONS FOR BAD WORDS

As nice believers, we may adopt what we consider polite substitutions for abusive or four-letter words. Once I was on a mission trip. One of my co-workers constantly and habitually used the expression “freaking”. I finally pulled him aside and said, “Every time you say that word with that tone of voice, I hear its equivalent echoing from my own past. Could you please not say it? I want to put my painful sins in the rear mirror.”

BROTHERHOOD OF FOUL AND ABUSE

Foul language and abusive language are brothers. Abuse is name calling and ridicule. Language considered insulting, offensive, disrespectful, and intended to cause pain.

Have I ever called someone “stupid”, “worthless”, or an “idiot”?  Yes, guilty as charged.

I watch the news and can’t believe the behaviors of individuals. Reacting to a sound bite, I yell at the TV, calling that person stupid and an idiot. Jesus warned: If you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. (Matthew 5:22) It is okay to disagree with someone, but using abusive language is clearly not acceptable for Heaven’s hot mic.

DON’T GRIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own. Don’t be the parent ranting from the basketball stands. Refuse to be the one who thinks substituting a four-letter word with an equivalent is a sound idea. Never, never be the child of God who ridicules and disrespects individuals. They called Jesus every name in the book; cursed him right and left, but He always honored God in His speech.

He calls believers His dear children. Who do you belong to? What is heaven recording on your hot mic?

THE END IS NEAR

I gave my writing class a challenge: “You are given forty days to live. What does it mean to “number our days” as the psalmist says and live them fully?

I gave my writing class a challenge: “You are given forty days to live. What does it mean to “number our days” as the psalmist says and live them fully? What choices will you make, what supplies will you need?” The clock ticks away as we make our choices. Should we write in capital letters in our planners: “THE END OF ALL THINGS IS NEAR!”?

There is an urgency in Galatians 5:13-15 and I Peter 4:7-11,17. What do we do with the time God gives us? “It is time for judgment to begin with the household of God” does not encourage us to float lazily along with the status quo (I Peter 4:17). The end is near!

BEDROCK OF HIS PLAN

What guidance are we given regarding time? Be sound-minded and self-controlled for the purpose of prayer [staying balanced and focused on the things of God so that your communication will be clear, reasonable, specific and pleasing to Him.]  That’s the bedrock of God’s plan. Solid prayer; lots and lots of prayer. Picture a road with miles of asphalt. Prayer is the asphalt for wherever God desires to lead us. Without it, we become lost in the woods, useless, even though the end is near!

FERVENT LOVE

Posted on God’s road is a huge sign: Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another. Costly love. Fervent and inconvenient love. The love that stops me in my tracks and focuses on the person in front of me, regardless of how I plan my time. God writes using a large Sharpie on my calendar: the end is near!

COSTLY LOVE

Fervent love is costly. Love covers a multitude of sins [it overlooks unkindness and unselfishly seeks the best for others]. Regardless of how nasty the other person has been, giving them the grace of praying blessings for them. Expensive love is needed because the end is near!

HOSPITABLE LOVE

My personal plans fly out the window with the verse: Be hospitable to one another without complaint. Why oh why does God interfere with my time? It is inherent to His character. My plans aren’t your plans, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. (Isaiah 55:8) Often I want to demand of God, “What in the world are You thinking? This is not how I planned it!” Rarely does He reply to my impertinence.

GIFTS FOR THE JOURNEY

While we wonder at His plans, He provides supplies for His plans. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the multifaceted grace of God. Gifts. All kinds of gifts. The kindness of God, like a parent’s, has great variety. God knows exactly what we need foe all our circumstances.

The multifaceted grace of God uses the different gifting of believers to help each other grow and bloom in the Kingdom. What present has He given you? Are you driven to use your gift(s) as the clock ticks away and the end is near?

How are you using your freedom to prayerfully love, gifted by God? What if this is the last day God gives you on this earth? THE END OF ALL THINGS IS NEAR!

Click to listen to the story of Gladys Aylward, a woman who, despite all odds, kept forging ahead. She had time to waste.

INCONVENIENT LOVE THAT HONORS

Pastor Powell lived a life honoring others above himself even during the most difficult circumstances.

Pastor Powell was authentic. Consistently gracious, he consistently cared deeply for us even though my husband, Bill, was only part-time on the church staff. The year Bill came on board was in the midst of rough professional waters for Pastor P. A contingent of unhappy congregants wanted major changes which included booting out Pastor P. Rather than causing a church split, Pastor P made the decision to resign and pastor a much smaller struggling congregation.

Remaining friends, Bill went to visit Pastor P. The gentleman was just as gracious as ever to Bill. In their conversation, He prayed the best for Bill. Pastor P did not vent about the congregants who threw him under a bus. He honored others above himself. I felt severe loss a year later when Pastor P died suddenly of Epstein-Barr virus.

LOVE THAT HONORS

“To honor” means to hold someone or something in high regard, treating them with respect, esteem, and reverence, and recognizing their value and worth. Pastor P was a man of principle; one who consistently treated others both with compassion and honor. He treated with respect those believers who vilified him.

LOVING THE UNLOVABLE

Pastor P took Romans 12:1-2, the passage about a renewed mind, to heart. He responded in his behavior to the mercies of God with a renewed heart. Romans 12:10 uses the Greek word phileo for love. This is the family love of those living in community. It’s the kind of love where you not only invite the guests inside, but you make sure they have the best seats and food at the table. It’s love which actively pursues what is noble and best for others. It honors even the unlovable.

SLOW DOWN AND SAVOR

True love is fervent, relentless and may seem impractical. In Romans 12:9-21 there are 13 exhortations concerning love in this passage. Seems a little bit much. How can these admonitions make a difference in our lives? By slowing down. Don’t just fly at 560 miles an hour above a grove of fruit trees, look down and say, “My, what an impressive grove of fruit trees.” Instead, land the plane and walk through the grove. Stop and pick the fruit and eat it. Slow down and relish the beauty and the sweetness of these 13 exhortations. Meditate on the words and let them sink in. Romans 12 must be savored for true love to take root in our lives.

FAKE LOVE

What does “sincere love that honors” mean? Ray Stedman observes: “the English word sincere comes from the Latin sincerus, which means ‘without wax.’ It stems from a practice of the early Roman merchants who set their earthen and porcelain jars out for sale. If a crack appeared in one, they would fill it with wax the same color as the jar, so a buyer would not be aware of the crack. But astute buyers learned to hold these jars out in the sun, and if the jar was cracked, the wax would melt, and the crack would be revealed. So, the honest merchants would test their wares this way and mark them sincerus — without wax.”

This is sincere honorable love. Authentic. It is the honorable conduct I witnessed all those years ago in Pastor P. Love that honors makes a huge impact. When I get to heaven, after seeing Jesus, Pastor P is one of the first people I want to see. He took the passage about a renewed mind and properly responded in his behavior to the 13 exhortations. Pastor Powell lived a life honoring others above himself even during the most difficult circumstances.

Take time. Savor the 13 and let true love take root in your life.

MIRACULOUS FORGIVENESS

The world took notice of how the Amish reacted, and they were astonished at such grace in a time of despair.

On October 2, 2006, at 10 am, a mass shooting took place at an Amish schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, a rural village in Pennsylvania. A young man, married and the father of three, entered an Amish schoolhouse. He ordered all to leave, except the young Amish girls. After a standoff with the police, the man shot 10 girls, killing 5 of them, including himself.

The news of this terrific tragedy spread throughout the rolling hills of this bucolic community. Amish and non-Amish alike began to mourn for these innocent young children and their families. No one was able to understand why a person would commit such a depraved act. What drove him to do harm to his friends and neighbors, let alone innocent children?

FORGIVENESS IN ACTION

All of this was confusing and beyond comprehension. But as it turned out, it wasn’t the only thing that caused people to scratch their heads. The same afternoon after the shooting, some Amish neighbors visited the wife and children of that murderer to comfort them in their time of sorrow and pain. They wanted to express their forgiveness for the actions of a troubled man. Their forgiveness was not just a polite gesture; it was wrapped in kindness and love. The Amish even attended the funeral of the killer. Amish mourners outnumbered non-Amish. The world took notice of how the Amish reacted, and they were astonished at such grace in a time of despair. What they were seeing was forgiveness in action.

HOW MUCH FORGIVENESS?

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:12-13).  God commands us to forgive those who have committed grievance (suffering or distress) against us. What degree forgiveness? Does this just apply to the neighbor who always mows his grass early on Saturday as you are trying to sleep? Or what about your fellow worker who makes jokes about you whenever you happen to be out of the office? Or more seriously is this the man who ran over your dog and never even apologized?

Remember, you’re one of God’s chosen people, you’re holy and loved. How can you find a way to forgive that co-worker and also resolve the situation (if that is possible)? Can you do it with real compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience? All of these are difficult but not impossible.

HOW WERE YOU FORGIVEN?

What stands out in is when the Lord said, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you”. How did the Lord forgive you? Did He give you a test to find out what kind of person you are? Has He checked your credentials? Did He ask your neighbors to write you references? None of that. Just the opposite. Romans 5:10 says that when He reconciled us (He saved us) we were enemies of God! We were on the opposite side of truth.

REAL FORGIVENESS

That’s what real forgiveness is, when you choose to forgive someone because you have the humility, kindness, and compassion of Christ. We often weigh the injustices people do to us and then decide whether forgiveness is necessary. But if we follow the command of Christ, we must realize, it isn’t about the wrong someone committed. Rather, we must forgive, just as Christ has forgiven us, unconditionally. Forgiveness, just as the world saw given by the Amish in the Nickel Mines community. This makes the world notice and wonder at such grace only found through Jesus Christ.

MIRACLE AT MYSTIC

What strikes me as I listen to interviews is a simultaneous chorus of both heartbreak and faith.

You probably witnessed a miracle this past week. Possibly you did not even notice what you observed. It is horrifying to view the devastation from the flooding in Texas, especially at Mystic Camp for Girls. Did you notice that the commentators kept calling it “a Christian Camp”. Why did they keep repeating the moniker “Christian”? Christian is not in the name of the camp.

Loss of life is loss of life. The resulting heartbreak pulverizes the soul, regardless of one’s religious connections. The death of young girls is especially appalling. So why did the reporters feel the need to keep repeating “a Christian Girl’s Camp”?

SATAN’S FIELD DAY

I think they did so because Satan planned on a field day. He wants individuals to ask, “What if God cannot protect His own; little girls at a Christian camp? What if He is powerless and flawed?” Satan desires that the world make all kinds of false assumptions regarding God’s character.

SIMULTANEOUS CHORUS OF HEARTBREAK AND FAITH

What strikes me as I listen to interviews is a simultaneous chorus of both heartbreak and faith. Parents broken yet utterly relying on God and His character. People who still choose to trust God, regarding of whether their daughters are rescued or their bodies are recovered.

PRAY..ABOVE ALL, PLEASE PRAY

A recurrent question in the interviews is, “What can we do to help?” Overwhelmingly, the answer is “Pray; above all, please pray.” Prayers that will press shattered hearts toward God.

PRESSING INTO GOD

Pressing into God? Joni Erickson Tada has been quadriplegic for more than 2/3’s of her life due to a diving accident. During her first two years, post-accident, she experienced anger, depression, suicidal thoughts, and religious doubts. A friend visited her and made a difficult statement: “God put you in that chair Joni. I don’t know why, but if you’ll trust Him instead of fighting Him, you’ll find out why – if not in this life, then in the next. He let you break your neck because He loves you.” At the time, Joni thought those words sounded awfully harsh from her teenaged friend.

Years later, Joni wrote in the book When God Weeps: “Hardships press us against God. God always seems bigger to those who need Him most.”  

TRUSTING GOD FULLY

After an especially dark period of his life, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Church at Corinth: “We don’t want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn’t think we were going to make it. We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead! (II Corinthians 1:8-11).

Apostle Paul thoughtfully wrote: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39). May I suggest a daily prayer: “Lord, I don’t know what you have in store for me today, but may it press me into You.”

BUILT FOR COMMUNITY

In his plea to end his life, Elijah made a fatal assumption by concluding that he alone was faithful. Elijah needed both purpose and community.

In I Kings 19 the prophet is exhausted, lonely, and cut off after what should have been a huge victory. The Israelites recently witnessed a massive showdown between their idol Baal and Jehovah God. God performs a throwdown with a massive lightening punch from heaven. It screams the truth of Who God is.

GOD LIGHTS UP THE SKY

Baal’s followers ran around yelling and cutting themselves. They thought all that self-mutilation would get Baal’s attention. After hours of no response from Baal, Elijah pours gallons and gallons on his sacrifice and utters a prayer. God lights up the sky. Elijah’s sacrifice burns perfectly to a crisp. It should have been game over. Elijah’s prayers bring an end to a 7-year drought. The Israelites should have fallen on their knees, promising to never return to idol worship.

HEARTBROKEN ELIJAH

But the Queen is not too pleased with Elijah’s honoring God (and the execution of her star prophets). She puts out a contract on Elijah’s life. Elijah runs for the hills. The cowardly Israelites don’t run alongside him. Elijah is heartbroken. He feels his age. All the signs and wonders do not break the stranglehold of sin on his people.

PRAYED THAT HE MIGHT DIE

I Kings 19:4, Elijah “prayed that he might die.” He declares, “I have had enough Lord. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” What he had viewed as a huge win for God now looks like smoke and mirrors. He can’t see God’s hand.

ELIJAH’S BONE TO PICK

God sends an angel who to feeds Elijah. Elijah wakes up, is fed again and Elijah makes the trip to Mt. Horeb. Elijah has a bone to pick with God. He may have rested, but his mouth vents an extensive list of complaints.

GOD’S WHISPER

The Lord tells Elijah to stand by the mountain. A mighty windstorm breaks out, an earthquake shakes the ground, a firestorm scorches the earth. Yet, God is not there. A whisper comes. This is the voice of God. He gives Elijah purpose: three people to anoint. Furthermore, he lets Elijah know he is not alone. There are 7,000 other Israelites who have not retreated to idolatry. God gives Elijah community both in the 7,000 and also in the person of Elisha.

ELIJAH NEEDED COMMUNITY

All the time Elijah thought he was the lone wolf, the sole person sticking up for God, he was not alone. In his plea to end his life, Elijah made a fatal assumption by concluding that he alone was faithful. Elijah needed both purpose and community.

BUILT FOR COMMUNITY

God has built us for community. Arthur W. Lindsley observes, “If we do not make a commitment to a particular body of believers, we will never have in-depth community. This problem of idealism or perfectionism manifests itself often in people’s lives. I have seen a pattern in what happens. First, an individual or a couple joins a church thinking that the pastor, worship, fellowship, etc. is great. They give glowing recommendations to others. However, after a few years (or months) they begin to be dissatisfied with the sermons, the pastor and the church leadership, members of the congregation, the worship style, or some other fault. They leave and move to another church where the cycle starts again. They have found again the perfect church. But, no, after a time it is not perfect. So, they church hop for the rest of their lives or just give up.”

DON’T GIVE UP

Don’t give up and cut yourself off like Elijah. That never ends well. Ask God for a community of believers who follow the simple principles of the early church. Acts 2:42- 44: All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. Don’t assume you have to live like Elijah. You are built for community.

THE MESSY CHURCH

“Holy people”? Doesn’t sound like the elders, Mrs. K, Chris, Peter, Randy or Sally received that memo.

The cauldron boiled at the First Church of Chaos. Resentments filled the air the evening the elders engaged in a nasty exchange over who was the best pastor: Peter, Chris, or Arty. Then there was the string of lawsuits regarding Mrs. K’s son vandalizing the 2 Lexuses belonging to church elders and Peter’s backing into Chris’ Tesla. Who forgot the tale of 30-year-old Randy’s romantic entanglement with his 40-year-old stepmother? The icing on the cake was the communion service where Sally spiked the grape juice with vodka.

WHAT A MESS!

Shameful! Out of control behavior! If you read I Corinthians chapters 1, 5, 6, & 11, these behaviors are just a glimpse of the conduct of the Corinthian Church. With all that going on, how could the Apostle Paul address the Corinthians with their call to holiness? Paul writes, “I am writing to God’s church in Corinth to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus,just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours” (I Cor. 1:2). “Holy people”? Doesn’t sound like the elders, Mrs. K, Chris, Peter, Randy or Sally received that memo.

WHAT DOES GOD DO WITH A HAYWIRE CONGREGATION?

The Apostle Paul continues, “He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (I Cor. 1:8-9). Can God be faithful to a congregation gone haywire?

THE TRUE CHURCH

What actually is the true church? Pastor Steve Hubbard observes: “It is not just a group of religious people gathered together to enjoy certain mutually desired functions. It is a group of people who share the same life, who belong to the same Lord, who are filled with the same Spirit, who are given gifts by that same Spirit, and who are intended to function together to change the world by the life of God.” Notice the word “same”; it’s a word representing unity.

IMPORTANCE OF UNITY

Over time, the Corinthians lost sight God’s instructions for unity. “Make it your aim to be at one in the Spirit, and you will inevitably be at peace with one another. You all belong to one body, of which there is one Spirit, just as you all experienced one calling to one hope. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, one Father of us all, who is the one over all, the one working through all and the one living in all. (Ephesians 4:5-6).

SOMETHING ROTTEN

First Church of Chaos and the Corinthians suffered greatly. A local church can be much like Noah’s Ark. If not for the storm outside, you couldn’t stand the smell inside. Yet, the Apostle Paul remarks, “If one member suffers, all the parts share the suffering.”

GOD’S PROMISE

Yes, we live in a messy world. Most churches have members like Chris, Arty, Peter, Mrs. K., Randy and Sally. However, take heart. In church community, true believers have a promise. “God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6).

WHAT TO FOCUS ON

What amazing experiences are waiting for us once we hold tightly to the supernatural peace of Christ.

A recent diagnosis of Lyme Disease put me in a quickly descending tailspin of toxic thoughts.  Will there be long term side effects or permanent damage?  Will I recover 100%?  Is this going to impede the upcoming vacations that I’m eagerly waiting for?  What if, what if, what if….

HOLDING TIGHTLY TO THE NASTY

I find myself holding onto something, either positive or negative thoughts, but not at the same time.  And if you are like me that slippery slope into negativity can happen quickly. Have you ever noticed that our spiritual hands are never empty?  Holding on tightly to the nasty stuff like bitterness, offenses, anger, unforgiveness, fear, etc. can quickly become a huge burden.

SORT OUT THE JUNK

So, what’s the fix? Becoming doers of God’s word. In 2 Corinthians 10:5, Paul states, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  This simple solution is harder to execute.  Fortunately, the Bible also tells us that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us.  Jesus offers to help us sort out the junk.

A beloved Bible story brings this principle to life.  Matthew 14:22-33 tells of Jesus calling Peter out into the water.  The familiar story begins with Jesus walking on the water toward the disciples in their boat.  The disciples are terrified, until hearing their master’s voice; “Take Courage! It is I.  Don’t be afraid.”  His comforting words calm their fears. 

PETER LETS GO

But, for Peter, the master’s words embolden him to try something new.  “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.”  Jesus calls him, and for a moment Peter lets go of all the trepidations that his natural mind screams at him and embraces the supernatural by focusing on the peace that only Jesus can provide

Though the experience is short-lived, Peter miraculously walks on water!  While he remained focused on Jesus, he was free to defy nature with a miraculous new experience.   But, as soon as fear crept in, he began to sink until he cried out to the Savior of the World; “Lord, save me!” Immediately, Jesus catches him.

So, we have the contrast of the positive versus the negative. When Peter focuses on Christ, he is free to walk on the water. When the negative thoughts enter his mind, he sinks faster than a bag of lead.  If Peter had released the negative thoughts, how much further could he have walked on top of the water? 

THE CHOICE

What about us; are we willing to release fear and negativity when Jesus calls?  Probably you do not have the diagnosis of Lyme disease, but you have other challenges in your life. Let go of the nasty stuff like bitterness, offenses, anger, unforgiveness, fear, etc. What amazing experiences are waiting for us once we release the negativity and hold tightly to the supernatural peace of Christ. Hold on to the Light.