Category: Uncategorized

Joseph’s Encounter: How to Forgive the Unforgivable

Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more?

Post WWII, Corrie ten Boom went on a speaking tour of Germany, to win to Christ the hearts of her former enemies. She remembered, “It was at a church service in Munich that I saw him, the former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower door in the processing center at Ravensbruck Concentration Camp. He was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time. And suddenly it was all there – the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, My sister Betsie’s pain-blanched face.… My sister’s death.” Could Corrie forgive the unforgivable?

DEALING WITH THE UNFORGIVABLE

In Genesis 42:1-43:10, can you imagine the same type of shock when Joseph recognizes the group of men at the palace door? He instantly remembered the brothers who despised teenaged Joseph with such a revulsion and enmity that they sold him into slavery. With crocodile tears they told their father that a wild animal killed their brother. Since then, more than twenty years passed. How does Joseph deal with the men he had known as brothers, now bowing before him, begging to buy food?

Joseph is the last person on earth the brothers expected to see, especially in Pharaoh’s Court. The aristocracy before them spoke with great authority and appeared Egyptian. This man is Pharoah’s right-hand man.

EVERYTHING COMES FULL CIRCLE

Do angry vengeful thoughts first swirl around in Joseph’s brain when he recognizes them? “Joseph recognized his brothers; they did not recognize him. Then he (Joseph) remembered his dreams about them.” The God of the Universe reminds Joseph that everything has come full circle. The dreams he was given years ago in which God placed him over his brothers, are being fulfilled.

ENTITLED TO REVENGE

Certainly, Joseph is entitled to revenge. Have his brothers changed? Do they regret their wicked attempt to get rid of Joseph? In their minds, Joseph “is no more”. Joseph uses an interpreter, so they assume he doesn’t speak their language. Then Joseph hears them say, “Surely, we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come on us.”

WHERE DO THEIR HEARTS STAND?

Joseph knows his brothers as tricksters. After all their father’s name is interpreted as “someone who seizes or circumvents”. Joseph gives his brothers a run for their money to reveal where their hearts stand. In the process, he makes possible his heart’s desire: to see his younger brother Benjamin and father, Jacob. Dad has never recovered from the loss of Joseph. Jacob laments, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!”

Joseph maneuvers the situation in a series of tests: the silver in their saddle bags and Simeon being held hostage in Egypt. God provides the answers regarding the former tricksters at the palace door.

FORGIVENESS IS POSSIBLE EVEN WHEN COUNTERINTUITIVE

What lesson do we learn from this? Forgiveness is possible even when it is counterintuitive. Joseph responded in wise trusting obedience to God when confronted with the deepest hurts of his past. Corrie Ten Boom remembers, “Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more? Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him.” Who is knocking at your door? Is it that trickster, the one who has deeply hurt you? Or is it much worse, Corrie’s guard from Ravensbruck? How are you going to respond to God’s call for wisdom and forgiveness?

Click to hear the story of Dana St. John

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

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.

SINGING ROCKS

Jesus was not just the King of the Jews or the Savior of the Jews, He was the King of the cosmos

Are you humming along? Catchy song, happy thoughts, nothing specific on your mind? The jubilant crowd beckons you to join along, but what if someone sarcastically asks, “Praise Him for what”? Read Luke 19:28-40. For the life of them, the Pharisees cannot see what all the praise and celebration is all about. All that concerns them is the noise. What will the Romans think? A week ago, Judas blew a gasket when Mary “wasted” expensive perfume anointing and worshipping Jesus. This week, the crowd calls Jesus “King.”  What is coming next? Singing rocks?

HOW DUMB IS A BOX OF ROCKS?

What is God up to? Jesus knows the significance of this moment.  He knows what is coming: a spiritual regime change that will transform our world. R.C. Sproul writes, “It didn’t matter that the Pharisees thought the crowd was ‘dumber than a box of rocks,’ or something to that extent. How dumb is a box of rocks? Jesus knew the answer to that question because, touching His divine nature, He made the rocks. There was not a stone on the pathway between Bethany and Jerusalem that the divine Logos had not formed and shaped by the power of His creation. They were His stones, His rocks, and He understood that the whole creation groaned in agony waiting for the redemption that Christ and Christ alone could bring. Jesus was not just the King of the Jews or the Savior of the Jews, He was the King of the cosmos, the cosmic King that the unintelligent animals recognized but the very people did not want.”

THE FICKLE CHORUS

The crowd sings as Jesus passes by. They cry, “Blessed (celebrated, praised) is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory (majesty, splendor) in the highest [heaven]!” But as crowds go, they are fickle. They presume Jesus is their ticket out of bondage to the Romans. All they see is their political future. They care less about eternity.

PRAISES FOR WHAT?

Jesus, as always, does the unexpected. He does not bow to the crowd’s, the disciples’, or the Pharisees’ wishes. Jesus only bows to the Father. To the Father go all the praises. Praises for what? That which is coming: the cross and the resurrection. Praises for the agony which will pay the price to redeem the world. Glorious celebration that sin’s power will be broken. Triumphantly, lives both present and future will be given eternal life.

SING THE SONG OF ETERNITY!

If someone sarcastically asks you, “Praise Him for what”? Remember, “Nothing tells Satan and his followers that they have lost like the praises of God ringing in their ears. Satan loses because when God’s people are really worshipping, their hearts and minds are on Him – and not on sin, self, or Satan’s distractions.” (David Guzik) Join the resurrected millions in singing to the Christ Who “came that you may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) Those who don’t join in are “dumber than a box of rocks.” Jesus said, “If these [people] keep silent, the stones will cry out [in praise]!” Accept His invitation to sing the song of eternity with all of creation. Begin humming that tune today!

ARE YOU A TOTO?

Are you familiar with the expression “pulling back the curtain”? It comes from a scene in the movie The Wizard of Oz. Yegor Bugayenko writes: “the intrepid band of adventurers confront the seemingly all-powerful Wizard of Oz, who proceeds to unleash a bombastic tirade on Dorothy and friends. Only, the dog Toto ends up pulling back the curtain, literally, to reveal that the Wizard of Oz is nothing but an ordinary man in a machine.” 

I AM AN IDEALIST

By nature, I am an idealist.  I will always be a “Toto”.  Over the years, I often innocently pulled back a lot of curtains. To my surprise, I discovered individuals who have become lost in believing their own press, their own sycophants.  In their pride, they have become deaf to the voice of reason. Maybe some of you are also “Totos”?

THE RIGGED SYSTEM

I once worked for a large corporation.  Someone in charge had decided that a way to build up morale and teamwork was plan to celebrate an exceptional employee.  Quarterly, a committee appointed by company management, would decide who to give such an honor. A group of management would then parade to the employee’s cubicle, decorate it with balloons and give the individual their congratulations.  On paper, this seemed like a great idea.  However, over time, the committee kept repeatedly recognizing the same people and some of those winners were actually on the committee itself which appointed the winners. The system was rigged and bound for failure.

SOMETHING ROTTEN IN DENMARK

As a Toto, I often assume that if you tell someone that there is a flaw in something, that it will be exposed, there will have dialogue on it and resolution will be found. In the case of the corporation, I wrote the CEO an email regarding the program.  I assumed that he would want to know, as the saying goes, “there was something was rotten in Denmark”. 

THE FATEFUL MEETING

Within days, I found myself having to personally meet the CEO in his lavish office. His assistant ushered me in to the inner sanctum where for the next half hour I was informed by the CEO why the employee award program was a terrific morale booster. I had no idea going in that the program was the CEO’s own brain trust.  It was like I had attempted to murder his favored pet.

TOTO DISCOVERED THE WIZARD

I left his office a little dazed, not realizing that his long harangue was to be the same speech, word for word, that he was going to give at the next company quarterly meeting the following week. At the podium, he publicly patted himself on the back. However, within one year his morale booster hit the dust, being found completely useless in improving the company. “Pride goes before the fall”. Toto had discovered the wizard.

TOTOS ARE NOT POPULAR

In the Christian community, it is not fun to be a “Toto”.  We question inconsistencies, pet projects, and possible fallacies in thinking.  Totos are not popular, no matter how innocently we may enter a conversation with those in power.  I think being a woman Toto encountering male dominated leadership can be especially hazardous.

OPEN THE CURTAINS

As a Christian Toto, I pray, “God help us in these days of darkness and uncertainty.  Please open the curtains, let the Holy Spirit air out our hearts, and drive us to our knees. Expose those who are sadly lost in believing their own press, listening to their own sycophants.  Open their eyes to their pride, as they have become hard of hearing to the voice of the Holy Spirit.”  And so, little Toto continues to pray.

GOD’S PLAN FOR A GREY AND RAINY DAY

The day was grey and rainy.  Perfect for staying in bed and shutting out the world.  No way did I feel like running towards life with a big enthusiastic grin on my face, eager to take on all its challenges.  Due to extensive pain, I could barely move.  It was a time in which I would have appreciated all the sandpaper people in my life to leave town. Why didn’t God’s plan line up with mine?

MY GOD IS A STEAMROLLER

Isaiah 45:2b-3 describes some of God plans for me: I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars. I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden wealth of secret places, so that you may know that it is I, The Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. (NASB)  My God is a steamroller smashing those things that cause me terror in the night.  He is a Bulldozer with a plan, despite my pain.

I ARGUE WITH GOD

Yet, it is disconcerting when I look at the last part of this passage. Verse 9: What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’ That’s my whole attitude in a nutshell.  I argue with God when I don’t think that things are going my way.  I accuse God of bad planning. I have forgotten Who He is.

WHY DOES GOD ASK ME TO PERSEVERE

I don’t want to go through seasons of darkness; those times when life seems filled with more than a soul can bear.  Those periods when one’s faith (or lack thereof) is stripped to the core.  Why does God ask me to persevere? It is His promise: I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden wealth of secret places, so that you may know that it is I, The Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. There are untold riches that can only be uncovered by walking through the depths; through those seasons when we just don’t have any more strength, any more smiles, any more anything.

I TRULY GET TO KNOW WHO GOD IS

These difficult seasons are when I really get to know Who He is.  When I come to the end of myself and stop pretending that I am strong, smart and resourceful. That is when I truly get to know God.  The Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.  Wow – He knows my name and He calls me even though He knows how frail I am.  The journey may not be pretty and the landscape may appear bleak, but I dearly want to know this amazing God, regardless of the pain and discomfort I will meet along the way. He really does have a plan. I guess it is worth getting out of bed after all.

A classic book that may lift your spirits: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=tramp+for+the+lord+corrie+ten+boom+book

A podcast that may open your eyes: https://compelledpodcast.com/episodes/todd-nettleton

LISTENING TO THE COACH

My youngest son was 6 years old.  He was new to both t-ball, the idea of playing on a team, and working under a coach. The rest of the other little boys seemed to be in the same boat. Doing our duty as parents, we sat on the bleachers under the blazing sun, watching the melee that always broke out whenever a ball was hit into the field.  Something was definitely amiss.  No child was listening to the coach.

a disorganized mess

Like a swarm of bees, the kids in the outfield rushed together, all in hopes of catching the ball.  They tripped over each other in their haste to cross the field. That didn’t count the players who were distracted watching the clouds in the sky or the bugs in the dirt.  It was a disorganized mess.  Concepts of the game, like having positions and certain responsibilities, were unknown to them. Working as a team was something that had to be ground into them for the common good.

many parts….one body

The little boys learning to play t-ball had trouble comprehending the phrase “many parts form one body”. For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts, though many, form [only] one body, so it is with Christ (I Corinthians 12:12, Amplified Version). Just like little boys on that t-ball team, the early Christian church also had to learn their positions, their giftings and how they could each contribute to the whole.

who is on the team

The Coach for the church is the Holy Spirit. He has made wonderful and powerful plans.  In His team, it doesn’t matter one’s background, social standing, or their confidence.  The only qualification for membership in God’s team is that a person has repented of their sin and confessed Jesus Christ as their only Savior. The blood of Christ has even given us team uniforms: the righteousness of Christ. The Holy Spirit is the One who bestows on us the gifting and training to play our positions on the team. No member is exempt from playing. 

god’s plan for the team

The church has never been intended to be a picture of those little 6 year olds running willy-nilly over the playing field, not understanding their positions, their giftings or the rules of the game.  Read I Corinthians 12:1-12 to get a glimpse of God’s plan for His team.

serving on the team

How does one discover their position and gift(s) for serving on the team?  Ask the Holy Spirit; after all, He is our Coach. Read deeply the Word of God, seek wise counsel and the prayers of other believers.  It is vital to have a willing spirit to serve wherever God leads you. 

willing to serve

The road to learning to serve can be rather bumpy and humbling. I have made many mistakes learning both what my spiritual gifts are and what they are not. All God has asks is for us to be obedient and willing to serve. 

start listening to the coach

Nothing is better than openly serving on His team.  Who knows what adventures He will lead you to? But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit [the spiritual illumination and the enabling of the Holy Spirit] for the common good. So, stop running all over the field and start listening to the Coach!

For further study: https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/spiritual-gifts and https://www.gotquestions.org/spiritual-gifts.html

BARNEY’S LAST WORDS

Careful words come out of a careful heart. Where exactly was Barney’s heart?

The man approached me as I was standing in the back of the auditorium. I was exhausted as another long Sunday concluded with the evening service.  It was rare that Barney (we’ll give him that name) ever talked to me other than with impersonal greetings. I don’t know what prompted the words that were to come out of his mouth that evening, but I wish that he had ignored the prompts. 

I’VE DECIDED TO FORGIVE YOU

Barney paused, looked me in the eye and said, “I just want you to know that I have had hard feelings against you.  I’ve decided to forgive you.”  And then, he just walked away.  No explanation, no further details. His voice had been quiet, but his words shot an arrow through my heart.

THIS WAS A MAN I BARELY KNEW

I stood there, silently stunned.  What had I done or said to offend Barney in such a way?  Should I run after him and beg him for more information?  This was a man I barely knew other than from high school years ago. I didn’t know the adult version of Barney.  Should I just let sleeping dogs lie? Would further conversation just escalate whatever was going on in his heart?

WAS I JUST COLLATERAL DAMAGE?

In high school Barney had always been a little socially awkward, blurting out whatever he was thinking.  Eventually he had married a woman who was known to be emotionally volatile.  Maybe I had said or done something that got his wife cranked up and Barney had received the fallout? Was I just collateral damage?

HE WALKED AWAY WITH A SMILE

Whatever the reason for his remarks, it appeared that Barney had relieved himself of whatever was burdening him.  He walked away with a smile; free at last.  I didn’t share his elation.

BE CAREFUL LITTLE TONGUE WHAT YOU SAY

I wished Barney had meditated on these lyrics before he approached me that Sunday evening:

Be careful little tongue what you say
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little tongue what you say

EMPTY VESSELS MAKE THE MOST SOUND

Careful words come out of a careful heart. Where exactly was Barney’s heart? There is a proverb: “Empty vessels make the most sound.”  There may have been no trustworthy spiritual cargo in Barney that Sunday evening. Years later, I wish I had gotten the courage to run after him and ask, “What were you thinking?” But then, making no reply to Barney may have been the best reply.

THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME!

No longer were the words dry. God physically pulled me close and whispered in my ear. 

The young man was in his early thirties; the prime of his life. Everyone remarked on his eloquence, his love for the unlovable, his inability to lie.  Jesse’s friend were devastated when he was suddenly diagnosed with a terminal disease.  His death was not one of those Hallmark movies of quiet lovely goodbyes.  No, Jesse suffered terribly.  The end finally came.  At the service, hundreds of people went through the visitation line to pay their last respects. All those in hearing distance were shocked when an individual in line jumped up in the air with a fist pump and yelled, “Whoo-hoo! Jesse’s died!  This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me!”

PETER WANTED TO STAY WITH JESUS

That attitude of that one person in line is the mindset that Jesus was describing in John 16.  Jesus was trying to prepare His disciples for the coming days, the tumult of the coming crucifixion, the resurrection and the aftermath. However, the Apostle Peter simply did not want to hear it.  Peter was probably sticking his fingers in his ears, loudly humming and ignoring the words of Jesus.  His objections may have been: “So what’s going to happen to us? Things are fine as they are.”  Afterall, they had invested three years of their lives in Jesus.  Peter didn’t want things to change; he wanted to stay with Jesus.

THE MAJOR ADVANTAGE TO JESUS’ DEPARTURE

Despite Peter’s objections, in the Gospel of John, chapter 16, Jesus began to point out one of the major advantages to His departure – the arrival of the Holy Spirit (Advocate; Comforter).  All believers for centuries to come would be blessed even more by the arrival and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This far outnumbers the few who received the opportunity to live with Jesus during those three years.

THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO LOVERS OF JESUS

The norm of the disciples was to be afraid, awkward, self-centered, and immature before Jesus’ death and resurrection, .  After Jesus’ departure and the blessed arrival of the Holy Spirit in the upper room, believers became wise, loved unselfishly, gave freely and were courageous.  The difference was night and day.  We could rephrase the loud declaration at Jesse’s funeral to: “Whoo-hoo!  This was the best thing that ever happened to lovers of Jesus!” I wonder if there were some fist pumps in the Upper Room?

EVERY WORD OF TRUTH IS OFFERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

Those in the Upper Room now experienced that the words of the Father which had been passed to the Son were now passed to the Holy Spirit Who then gives them to all believers.  This was a whole new playing field. Christ followers who walk by faith in obedience to the Father were now to be guided by the Holy Spirit in all truth.  Let me repeat – every word of truth which our Heavenly Father wisely decides we need He offers us by the Holy Spirit.  Whoo-hoo!!!!

GOD WHISPERED IN MY EAR

One of my most vivid memories as a new a believer was opening my Bible to read one of the letters to the Church of Corinth.  No longer were the words dry. God physically pulled me close and whispered in my ear.  All those words on the page, God now made alive to me.  This was the best thing that ever happened to me.  Whoo-hoo!!

THE BEST COMPANION/TEACHER EVER

The greatest thing is that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit has had a broader and more effective ministry across the world to millions of believers than what the Apostle Peter could ever have imagined in his daily life during Jesus’ three-year ministry tour on earth.  Millions of us can yell “This is the best thing that has ever happened to us! We have been given the best Companion/Teacher ever – the Holy Spirit. Whoo-hoo!” Is there a fist pump out there?

WEAK, BUT STRONG

My responsibilities were exploding on my calendar.  How could I keep up?

When I entered this past September, I experienced great deal of panic that I couldn’t keep up with life or my schedule.  I was still dragging from the pulmonary embolism. My responsibilities were exploding on my calendar.  How could I keep up? I honestly looked at the month and quaked with fear. Facing my anxieties and handing all those commitments over to God, I entered the month.  I expected to end the month alive…..but barely.

THE GOD MOMENTS

This morning, Sept. 30th, I was taking a tally of the number of God moments which happened during the month. I was honestly blown away. God was my Provider, Sustainer, Fortress, Savior, Father, Comforter, Strength-Giver, and Source of all wisdom (besides many other things). 

I FELT LIKE I WAS PLAYING PING-PONG

One of my greatest concerns was that it was my month to I begin leading a new Writing With God session.  Every Thursday evening we would meet for class.  By the following Tuesday each participant was to send me their completed assignment.  I would then write in possible edits and notes and send a return email.  They often would send me a 2nd draft.  I read that submission and emailed back more possible changes. And so it went.  One eager participant loved to send me many drafts.  I felt like I was playing ping-pong.  It took a lot of thought, time, and grace to encourage and correct at the same time. 

WHEN I FELT MY WEAKEST, GOD STOOD FIRM

God was there.  Every moment.  Each week.  I was blown away at the gifting of the new participants and the growth in my regular students.  Their stories made me laugh, cry, and rejoice in their honesty.  What works of grace I was able to read and be part of.   To be able to witness growth in others is always such a bonus.  For me, the greatest miracle was that when I felt my weakest, God stood firm.

I AM HAPPY TO BE WEAK

I can bear witness to the testimony of the Apostle Paul.  He was undergoing a severe health issue which he repeatedly asked God to heal.  Paul wrote that in response to his prayers: He (God) answered me, “I am all you need. I give you My loving-favor. My power works best in weak people.” I am happy to be weak and have troubles so I can have Christ’s power in me.  I receive joy when I am weak. I receive joy when people talk against me and make it hard for me and try to hurt me and make trouble for me. I receive joy when all these things come to me because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (II Corinthians 9-10)

I testify that for me this past September, I was weak, but God came out strong loud and clear.