What the Resurrection of Jesus Does (Part II)

(By Thor Knutstad)

We recently looked at the resurrection of Lazarus in part one.  In the plot of the Gospel story, the Scriptures in John 11 begin to unfold this great conflict between Jesus and the Sanhedrin.  Like the hammer and nails, these leaders become the very tools of our Lord’s death in His suffering and crucifixion.  In today’s blog, it is not my goal to sideswipe the power of Good Friday and King Jesus’ sacrificial death for our sin.  If you want to read more about that, I would suggest that you go to Isaiah 53, the Gospels of Matthew/Mark/Luke/John (latter chapter narratives), Philippians 2:1-11 (which is one of Pastor Nate’s favorite passages where the “Deity-humility” of King Jesus is explained and on which is preached and repeated often at LFA – and I love this because it’s one of my absolute favorites as well); or maybe you can read the various epistles of Paul where the death of Christ and those benefits are explained (the Pauline epistles, especially Romans 1-6, but it is also explicitly mentioned in Hebrews).  Again, it is not my heart to bypass the centrality of Jesus’ death as our substitute for sin.  He gave His life for us.  He died for sin.  He who had no sin became sin for us in our place.  There is no atonement for sin without the shedding of His precious blood.  He is the Lamb slain for the world.  Enough said.  You get the picture.  At least I hope you do.  His death on the cross for sin means everything.  But like my previous article, I want to focus on the resurrection.  His resurrection changes everything.  And I mean it – everything.

The second half of the Gospel of the book of John (chapter 11-end) starts with the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.  It was a miracle of Christ’s Power, Deity and glory.  It propelled the Jewish leaders to hate King Jesus all the more.  But it set the table for His own resurrection.  To feel the full power of Good Friday and His sacrifice, I have encouraged you to open your Bible.  Gospel fluency becomes easier when we, like the Bereans in Acts 17, become eager to search the Scriptures to see if what someone says is true.  Right now, I want you to put down your smartphone/laptop/tablet and read the greatest passage on the resurrection of King Jesus:  1 Corinthians chapter 15.  You don’t have to read the whole book of 1 Corinthians (I know that some of you who read this will want to read it all and put that chapter in its proper context – that’s fine.  But this chapter stands alone and can be isolated as a treatise concerning the theology and the doctrine and the first importance of Christ’s resurrection as Gospel central significant).  So please stop and read 1 Corinthians right now two times – Not once, but twice.  If you think this would benefit a friend or your spouse or your children or grandchildren, read this aloud to them sometime between Friday and Sunday this coming Easter weekend.  It is the core of the Gospel and it is why we are all on mission to have Gospel conversations with our neighbors and friends and family and with anyone who would listen.  Yes, I am asking you to read the whole chapter of 1 Corinthians 15 - twice.  This is probably Paul’s greatest summary in all of his New Testament writings concerning the first importance facts of the Gospel.  I love how we celebrate the Birth “Incarnation”, ‘in flesh’) appearing of our LORD Jesus during Christmastime.  There is so much joy in knowing that our God King stepped off of the eternal throne and in humility became human flesh.  But maybe Good Friday and Easter are actually greater than His birth?  Maybe we should see this Gospel of His death and resurrection as the greatest gift ever?  Did you stop and read 1 Corinthians 15 at least two times yet?  You will have to forgive the teacher and pastoral counselor in me.  Anyone who knows me knows that I am not afraid to repeat myself.  I need the gift of repetition in learning.  We all do ☺ - that was two times.  Yes, you got it!

As I ponder what Paul is saying in 1 Corinthians 15, I find many effects of the resurrection of Christ Jesus.  Some of these are derived logically from Scriptural truths, and others can be directly cited with biblical chapter and verse.  But the facts remain – there are many effects and benefits of the resurrection.  All of eternity hinges on this great and forever resurrection.  In other words, the resurrection of King Jesus the Christ does, but is not limited to, the following:

1. Testifies to the Deity of Christ that Jesus is God; he is a third of the equal and triune God-head.  Period.
2. Testifies to His power over death as the author of life (Creator) and that death has no power over Him. 
3. Guarantees our future resurrection; we will rise.  Death will not hold us and has no hold on us. Forever. Guaranteed.  I love it!
4. Pronounces Jesus as Prince and King at the highest level of worship; He is on the throne.
5. Perpetuates hope over sin and death; this hope is an anchor to soul, firm and secure.
6. Creates a witness for Gospel fluency; it makes Gospel conversations easier (not harder).  Why? What other belief system serves or believes in a risen Savior?  What God has died for and risen for His people?  None.  Period.  All other religions are straw arguments. Period.
7. Heals all grief and sadness from death and unites us to others who have died (and are risen) before us.  This gives us a greater hope as death surrounds us often and puts this temporary life in eternal perspective.
8. Centralizes the most important part of the entire Gospel of Good News – it is of first importance (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 and the whole chapter).  Paul never says this in all of his other writings.  It serves us well to pay careful attention to the resurrection of King Jesus (see Romans 10 as well).
9. Guarantees that we will be liberated from the bondage of weakness, sickness, sin, decay, and even death.  This gives us freedom to move and live through things that are very difficult – hurt, pain, broken relationships, and suffering that eventually lead us to this greater hope.  The burdens of life are a bit easier to bear.  But they are still hard, for sure!
10. Brings the reality of faith and hope to the crux of loving well.  The resurrection as followed by Jesus’ death shows us how much He loves us as it secures our eternal dwelling with Him and in His presence forever.
11. Puts Jesus in position to intercede on our behalf at the Father’s right hand throne.
12. Fulfills all (and I mean all) Messianic prophecies from the Old Testament Scriptures and the writings of the true prophets who spoke toward a future Savior who would redeem His people (note the phrase “according to the Scriptures” in 1 Cor. 15).
13. Closes the parallel gap between Adam (sin and death) to Christ (righteousness, life and resurrection).
14. Jesus’ new body guarantees our new bodies as believing Christ-followers – new resurrected bodies raised imperishable, raised in glory, raised in power, and raised as a spiritual body that bears His finished likeness.  What a finished work He makes of us!
15. Swallows death up in victory by our warrior Lion of Judah, King Jesus the Christ and Messiah.  You see, my King is a death killer.  He is God the gladiator and the true Braveheart.  He is that lion who charges to the front of the battle to face the enemy Satan without hesitation.  Have you ever noticed how the real drama of this battle and war cannot really fully be captured on the movie big screen?  There’s just too much going on in the unseen world.  Too much is happening. His resurrection ultimately swallows death in victory.  It is the deciding blow to Satan’s kingdom attempt.  And the sword of our King cuts deep into the enemy.  Victory is sealed.  We win the war.  And winning the war will be seen in real life as the consequences of the Gospel unfold.  Judgment is pending and the medals of valor as crowns will be the blessings of the saints.  Does the crown of life await you?
16. Reveals Jesus as the Resurrection and the Life.  He is King over all aspects of life and a “death-destroying God.”  This sin and death conquering King wins because He is life.
17. Causes us to not lose hope in our hearts during tremendous affliction.  The resurrection is a sustaining power to our hearts because though life tries to make us addicted to circumstances, our God calls us to focus on the unseen.  We rise above situations because Jesus did just that – in His death and His life, and in His life resurrected.  
18. Makes His death make sense to us and completes the Gospel by making Jesus supreme and superior and better than all other religious systems, doctrines, teachings, and philosophies of life, etc. (see Hebrews for more on this).
19. Causes our message to others not to be in vain.  Christianity would be pointless without the resurrection.  No resurrection means no Christian faith.  But our message is true!
20. Invites conversation because no one besides Jesus has conquered death in eternal form and eternal fashion.  Death is an unstoppable force as a result of sin and the curse.  But the death of Christ and His resurrection stops the unstoppable force of death and reverses that very curse.  What a gracious, merciful and benevolent God we have!  He so loves us!

Christ’s resurrection rolls away the heavy stone of death and buries death forever.  As we celebrate Easter, pick one of the 20 things listed above that most impacts your heart, and read it before you pray over a weekend celebration meal with your family, friends, and neighbors.  Testify to this Gospel.  Do not be ashamed of this Gospel, dear brothers and dear sisters.  For it is the cornerstone foundation of our very faith.  Resurrected Jesus means resurrected you and much more!  Praise Him, our resurrected King Jesus! 

No Room For Comparison

This blog was originally posted on Sarah Howard's blog "Parenting". Read more at: http://www.somuchhope.com/parenting/

A couple of years ago, my husband and I tried to read through the Bible in a year. I didn’t make it all the way through, but it was a great experience to try. We read it in chronological order, in the order it was supposedly written in, so sometimes we were reading from different passages each day instead of simply reading straight through.

In the beginning, we read some of the beginning of Genesis, and then jumped into reading the whole book of Job before we came back to Genesis again.

I found it really interesting to see the way God interacted with different characters of the Bible in different ways. It struck me, after reading about God's story with Job, and then moving to God's story with Abram, that God really does move towards as specific individuals. His way of (to use a Christian phrase) ‘working in Job’s life’ was way different than with Abram. There’s not a cookie-cutter formula when it comes to the story of His interactions with us.

As a mom, this really speaks to me. There are so, SO many opportunities for comparing myself to other moms and their stories. For example, just spend some time in a room full of women discussing their labor and deliveries stories. There's always that subtle comparison aspect. The one-up feel. The nonchalant asking of whether you had an epidural or a C-section. Or talk to that same group of women about their newborn parenting philosophy. Did they let their baby 'CIO'? How long does their baby sleep at night? At what age did they achieve the elusive sleeping-through-the-night phenomenon?

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE knowing the stories of my friend's lives. It can be so hysterical to compare notes and find out personal details. Talking about ‘women stuff’ is a blast. It’s one of my favorite things to do. However, here’s what I’m talking about: it’s definitely NOT my favorite thing when the simple sharing of who we are and what’s happened in our lives turns into something darker. Sometimes it morphs into the same discussion on the surface, but under the surface, women are also trying to decide if there's something wrong with them, with their story, with how they did things. They’re wondering if they’re ‘good enough.’ And they're defending the validity of what they experienced.

And that's where this ‘God with Job/God with Abram’ things speaks to me. God was uniquely orchestrating each one of their life experiences to have a unique God-encounter with Him. It's totally different how He expounds on the magnificence of His creation to Job, and how He promises Abram an heir when he's an old man and makes him wait even longer for the promise to materialize. His story for their lives is the same in that He is using the circumstances to draw them to Himself, but they’re completely different in the way He goes about it.

The hopeful conclusion for me in all of this is that God interacts with ME uniquely, too. And the way He moves towards my mom friends to get ahold of their hearts is also completely different than the way He moves towards me.

So, let me suggest this. Maybe it's not so much about whether or not I had the epidural, or if my birth was completely natural or not. Maybe my labor was tailored specifically for me and what God wanted to work in me. Maybe He had unique plans for what He wanted to lead ME through and how I'd encounter Him in the middle of it all. What if how my newborn acts is less about how perfect of a parent I am, and more about what God is doing inside of me? If my friend's baby sleeps 12 hours straight through the night at 3 weeks old, and mine wakes up after 45 minutes every stinking time, maybe it's not about whether I'm a good mom or not...but about God and the things He is working into me, the ways He's stretching me to learn to hope in Him in a new way, the methods He’s using to refine me. Maybe my friend with the easy labor and the easy baby needs grace from God. Maybe I need to go through the deep waters. But whatever He’s doing, it is most certainly specific and individualized, and there is no room for comparison in the light of His faithful pursuit of His glory being revealed in each of our lives.

Sarah blogs regularly, connect with her at www.somuchhope.com 

What Resurrection Does (Part I)

(By Thor Knutstad)

Before his death on the cross, Jesus did a major miracle that caused quite a stir with the Jewish leadership, the Sanhedrin.  In John 11, He raised Lazarus from the dead.  This set off a wildfire of rage and hatred with the Pharisees.  Because of Lazarus’ resurrection (which was witnessed by hundreds), the Sanhedrin called a special meeting and began to specifically plot how to kill Jesus.  Instead of celebrating God’s Glory in this miraculous work of Christ, their jealousy of Jesus and their desires to keep their power motivated them to put a plan into motion to stop what He was doing.  I think that we sometimes wrongly assume that they tried to deny the miracles – especially the miracle of Lazarus’ resurrection.  Sure, there are moments in the gospels when they try to deny the miracles of Jesus, but here they do not deny.  They actually admit the miracles and the miraculous signs and wonders.

A closer look at John 11:47-48 reveals something else.  The Sanhedrin were motivated by fear.  In verse 48 John writes in chapter 11, “If we let him go on like this (performing miraculous signs), everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away our place and our nation.”  Isn’t it ironic that they were admitting that Jesus actually raised Lazarus from the dead miraculously, confessing the Glory of God in the miracle, without actually believing it?  By doing this, they are somehow saying that Jesus is Deity (God).  Their hearts do not testify to this, but their words and actions actually show an admission of the miraculous.  Yet something was more sacred to them than seeing the Glory of God and being in the presence of the LORD God (Jesus).  What was more important?  Power – the nation – the temple – their fear.  Their hearts did testify to that.  They were so afraid of losing their power and their authority over the people that they would begin the plot to kill the Lord.  Caiaphas, the high priest, didn’t even know the prophecy he was saying when he said, “It is better for you that one man die for the people than for a whole nation to perish” (John 11:49-50).  This solidifies the plot and gives the authority to the Jewish leadership to begin a widespread plot of accusation and collected information to destroy the LORD.  John notes that Caiaphas didn’t say this on his own, but that his statement was a prophecy of deeper truth.  The secondary meaning of his words indicate that God declares the eventual effect of Christ’s sacrificial and atoning death for Israel and the entire world.  What a statement!  But it is a turning point in the battle of the Pharisees against Jesus.  From that point on (verse 53), literally “from that day on” they plotted to take his (Jesus’) life.  “From that day on” is a continual phrase that defines their mission.  This meant that during the next two weeks they would bear down on the people, on Jesus, and the Roman leadership to enact Jesus’ death.  This terrible but great set-up of questions and stirrings and accusations would eventually lead to the cross on Golgotha where Jesus was crucified for sin.  Little did the Sanhedrin know that their plotting was part of a grander design by the LORD God in the sacrifice of His Son.

Lazarus’ resurrection from the dead as a miracle of Jesus is a crucial turning point in the unfolding events of history.  It pits the Sanhedrin directly against Jesus as life-giver and God.  They go so far as to even plot to kill Lazarus (John 12:10) and refuse belief in Jesus, even though they had all seen themselves His miraculous signs and wonders (John 12:37-44).  It is easy to see how they are merely tools and pawns in a greater story, but it should amaze us that their jealousy, their anger and their fear brought them to the culmination of the premeditated murder of our LORD.  The miracle of Lazarus’ resurrection stokes the fire that leads to Jesus’ death on the cross.  It should sadden us that a miracle would create so much trouble.  But life and resurrection do just that.  Our Gospel collides with the enemy and with death and with a world system that is destructive to people.  

We often consider Good Friday and Easter in this order: death, then resurrection.  But Lazarus’ death and resurrection is a sort of prophecy of Jesus death and resurrection.  It’s the very miracle and event that previews Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection that fires up the Jewish leadership to plot the LORD’s death.  Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is in essence defying them and saying this: “I am God, and I have the power over death and life.”  Jesus provoked and irritated their self-righteous and self-protective motives to the measure of them wanting to kill Him.  Wow!  But even their sinful plan to take Jesus out would be used by our masterful God in a better way. A greater and ultimate resurrection – Praise Him!  (Part two next week – What The Resurrection of Jesus Does).

Uninspired

I’ve been stuck in my house for six days now. 

First, the snowstorm that cancelled school for two days. Second, the bronchitis…the cough that is so nasty sounding that the doctor asked me if I smoked or had asthma when he heard it. (The answer is no to both, by the way.)

I went out yesterday, to the clinic and the drugstore. Other than that, just me, serial killer crime shows, and these four walls most of the time for almost a week.

Even my beloved cats are sick of me!

I remembered this morning that it was my turn to blog. My first thought was that I could not possibly be less inspired to write something spiritual and uplifting than I am right now. As my dad always says, I got nothin’. I’m a coughing, depressed, anxious, grieving, searching, achy, fed up, exhausted, burnt out little soul. My mind and heart have been aching…now my body has joined them. 

But maybe being uninspired is the best topic. Discouragement is hardly unique to me or the present day. 

One of the things about the Christian life that it has taken me a long time to learn is that a trouble free life, one of easy abundance and good cheer, is an illusion. We like the idea that prosperity will come our way with God as the divine Santa Claus, making a list of good boys and girls and checking it twice. This is simply not accurate. God is the giver of all good things, but we live in a fallen world where things will never be perfect. 

So disappointment and discouragement are inevitable parts of any earthly life, I’ve come to find. We will be afflicted with sickness, dysfunction, brokenness, and grief until this part of our lives is over. 

What do we do with these things? Hide them? Put on a happy face? Run away? Become angry and bitter? There are so many responses to the “bad” parts of life. I think I have explored every single one of these possible reactions at some point, and none of them has been healing. 

God is still God. The Gospel is still the Gospel. No matter what happens or how I am feeling, these things are True.

This is what heals. Gripping Truth when all you want to do is let go of your hope and your faith. Because if you hold on to something in spite of wanting to give up, then it is more powerful than anything else you may be thinking or feeling. It becomes the Most Important Thing, bigger than any emotion or circumstance.

I know my current discouragement will be temporary because I’m holding on to something way more powerful than my feelings and illnesses.

This isn’t easy. I am not “good” at this gripping of Truth. I still want many parts of my life to be something different than what they are. I find it all too easy to focus on my faults and problems than God’s glory. But I know this is a process that God uses to grow His Children:

“But we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” – Romans 5:3-4 NIV

Nancy Vasquez

 

"What would you say to someone who is fearful of being married?"

So we live in a time where people are tempted to create or adopt alternatives to the original design God gave mankind regarding marriage. Perhaps you are in the place where fear is what keeps you from entering into God's design for marriage. Listen to what Winston Smith, counselor, would say to someone who is afraid.

The Gift of Anger

(By Lois Robinson)

Anger, a gift? Some of you may highly disagree with the title of this blog! Some of you have witnessed anger being used in a controlling, manipulative way that brings division and harm at times. That is called externalizing your anger. That would be an example of taking a gift and using it in a wrong way. Just like getting a beautiful vase, a one of a kind, but using it as a hammer just because you needed to put a nail in the wall to hang a picture. The vase was never created to be used in that way. It will break, and someone may even get hurt when it shatters.  Make sense? Then there are those who don’t break things but internalize their anger. They just don’t acknowledge any feelings of anger whatsoever; they deny it. Both are wrong ways of dealing with this emotion. 

The bible, otherwise known as the Word of God, actually says to be angry. It is actually a command! Check it out:

    Ephesians 4:26 (NRSV)

    "Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,"    

When I saw this, I was taken back. I never read this particular verse as a command. I only paid attention to the ‘do not sin’ part. As I then started breaking this verse down, it became clearer and clearer to me, through the Holy Spirit, that it would be impossible not to get angry in this broken world we live in. There are so many teachings saying anger is a sin, it’s wrong to get angry, Christians don’t get angry, and the list goes on and on. The verse that I have posted in this blog says just the opposite! That’s why it is so important we make sure we know what God Himself says about anger and other issues as well.         

So, why am I calling this emotion of anger a gift? Here goes!

Anger is the barometer of your heart that tells you something needs to be dealt with- a quote from Pastor Nate Howard, Living Faith Alliance Church.  So in trying to sort through what needs to be dealt with, you can unpack it with this next bit of information:

Anger is considered a Secondary Emotion. It is actually made up of three Primary Emotions: 

• Fear
• Frustration
• Hurt Feelings                 

So the next time you feel anger, see if it is a Fear Anger, a Frustration Anger or a Hurt Feelings Anger. It may be a combination of a couple or all three as well. That can help you understand where the anger is coming from so you can know how to move forward in dealing with it. 

Processing the anger correctly will prevent the following destructive pattern from occurring:        

        Anger-(becomes)-Resentment- (becomes)-Bitterness

It is critical that you pay attention to what you are feeling inside and then make healthy choices to deal with it correctly. Otherwise destruction comes from internalizing it. 

    Hebrews 12:15 (NRSV)

    "See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and through it many become defiled."

That is a heavy verse, friends. I would encourage you to stop externalizing anger in controlling, manipulative ways, if that is your tendency. I would also encourage any of you who hold it all in/ internalize it, to process it and take steps to handle it in a healthy manner. 

Blessings Friends - 

Stewarding Words: A Case for the Wise Sayings of the Proverbs

(By Thor Knutstad)

If you have known the LORD as a believer for some time, you have heard this often repeated list of phrases:

Steward your time (moments, hours, days, the clock)

Steward your treasure (money, possessions, resources, home)

Steward your talents (God-given abilities, spiritual gifts)

To steward something literally means “to manage it.”  Actually, the word itself infers that it would be “managed well.”  The dictionary defines steward (the verb) as:  1. to supervise the arrangement of, 2. to keep order of and be responsible for, 3. to manage or look after and have charge over, 4. to actively direct or administer.  In the Bible, the Hebrew for steward (as a noun) was used for one who “ruled over as an overseer.”  This person had full charge over the household, property and business affairs for the owner (like Joseph had over the house of Potiphar in Genesis).  The New Testament definition in both the Aramaic and the Greek is not dissimilar from the Hebrew.  To steward meant to rule or have charge over.  Peter called believers to steward the grace of God (1 Peter 4:10), while Paul called fellow Christians to steward the (now revealed) mysteries of God (1 Corinthians 4:12).  He told the leaders of the church (overseers such as pastors/elders) to take scrupulous care of the flock as a steward (Titus 1:7).  Needless to say, to steward can be summed up in this connection of many words – manage, look after, direct, administer, care for scrupulously, have charge over or to oversee.   

I already mentioned that we have repeatedly heard the wise mandates to steward our time, our treasure and our talents.  The LORD wants us to manage our moments and hours, to oversee our possessions and resources, and to administer our gifts and abilities for Kingdom purposes.  But when I read the Proverbs, I of reminded of a fourth stewardship.  I am called to steward my tongue (or my words).  In my observation and experience as a pastor, Christian counselor, husband, father, man and fellow struggler, we are NOT stewarding our words well.  Our words are full of lies, gossip, accusation, division, a lack of gentleness, legalism, foolishness, approval, pride, self-glory, deception, chattering, manipulation, immorality and perversions, poorly timed statements, context forgetting, ungraciousness, gospel averting, indiscretion, seductiveness, poor tone, eye-rolling, poorly stewarded words.  We are just not stewarding well our words,folks.  Go back and reread that very sobering list.  Did I miss any one of us in those depictions?  It’s doubtful.  Don’t feel judged.  That is not my intention at all.  But if you sense the conviction of God’s Spirit about stewarding your words better, then I have done my job in hoping to provide wise counsel in my own words to you.

In Proverbs 6:16-19, Solomon lists seven things that the LORD absolutely hates.  Three of the seven are related to actually stewarding words: #2 – He hates a lying tongue. #3 – He hates a false witness, and #7 – He hates the stirring up of dissension among brothers.  As a matter of opposites, Solomon is in essence saying this:  steward words for truth, for honesty, and for peace and unity.  He is saying that the LORD loves these things (the latter) rather than the former (#2,#3, #7).  When we know the heart of our LORD God and how He speaks and how He stewards His own words in His Word, we will communicate better and speak from His heart (not ours).  We often say “that’s how I feel” or “that’s my opinion” or “that’s what I think,” but we forget the sobering truth that Jesus said in Luke 6:45, that “out of the heart the mouth speaks.”  When we steward well our words, we are speaking from the heart of the LORD and by His wise sayings.  Here are some questions from the Proverbs concerning the stewardship of words/talk that I am listing for us to take an honest look at:

Do I pursue wisdom in the Proverbs? (Do these wise sayings matter to me?) – Prov. 1-2

Do I know the benefits of wisdom?  Is wisdom supreme to me? – Prov. 3

Do I love wisdom? – Prov. 4:7

Do my words “invite ruin”? (Prov. 10:10)

Do I speak what is fitting (10:32) and give well timed and apt replies? (15:23, 25:11)

Are my words reckless (12:18) or perverse (10:31-32) or kind (12:25) and pleasant? (16:21)

Am I like a fool whose soul is ‘snared by his words’? (18:7)

Do I chatter aimlessly too many words (10:8,19) or hold my tongue appropriately in silence?

Again, go back and reread each one and contemplate the specific questions on this list.  Read the corresponding Scripture reference for God’s greater wisdom to see more fully what the Spirit of the LORD is saying through King Solomon.  And make it the goal of your heart and mind to steward well your words.  For the tongue truly does have the power of life, or death.  Stewarding well our words ministers life to others.  Don’t spread words of death.  Rather, steward well your words, dear people.  For this is the heart of God.  Praise Him. 

-- Copyright, 2015: Thor Knutstad, all rights reserved.

Good Around The Corner

This blog was originally posted on Sarah Howard's blog "Letting Your Feminine Heart Live". Read more at: http://www.somuchhope.com/the-female-heart-alive

---

Last week, I came home from my usual routine of dropping my husband off at work to find that our house had been robbed.

I first noticed tire tracks in the snow in our driveway. Then I saw the foot prints leading up to the door. Lastly, I saw that our door was open and the frame was splintered.

I quickly turned around and herded my two daughters back into the car and locked it. I facetimed Caleb: "Honey...I think our house has been robbed..." and called the police.

When we were able to enter our house again, we found that pretty much every room had been ransacked: closets thrown open with everything that had been inside lying on the ground; every drawer pulled out and rifled through; bags opened; papers scattered about; jewelry flung over the counter...it was a mess. And it was very disconcerting to see our possessions looked through and thrown all over the place.

As I've processed the violation of an uninvited guest being in our home and going through our things, there's one thing that I keep coming back to. This turn of events could really freak me out. I could start to feel unsafe in our home. I'm a stay-at-home mom who was robbed in the middle of broad daylight, for crying out loud! I could decide we need to move to a safer neighborhood. I could freak out every time I hear an unexpected noise.

And yes, those things are certainly coming into my head. I never knew our house made SO MANY random noises. Now I do. These are the emotions and thoughts of real life - I can't escape them. We're definitely grappling through the brokenness of what happened to us. We're finding out (again) that the pain of living on earth is unavoidable.

But in the middle of those thoughts, that's not the only reality that I can choose to hold onto. At the exact same time of holding on to the reality that a break-in really did happen to us, I'm fighting to know that I can, in my other hand, hold on to the reality that I am a child of God. I belong to Him. And because of that, I am completely safe.

I'm not safe in the sense that nothing bad will ever happen to me, or if I just 'speak safety over my future' with enough faith, no harm will ever befall me. We were robbed. That can certainly fall in the category of something bad happening. But because God Himself, the Strongest and most Significant Being in the whole world, holds me in His hands, nothing can ever touch me or happen to me that He has not allowed. His eyes are on me. 24-7. And He is doing good to me, no matter what it looks like to my eyes.

So I don't have to freak out. I don't have to move to the best neighborhood to make sure this never happens again. In order for me and my family to be safe, I don't have to be the strong one. I don't have to save myself. I am in GOD'S hands. And because of that, there is good, and not disaster, around the corner.

Sarah blogs regularly, connect with her at http://www.somuchhope.com/the-female-heart-alive. 

Does God Save Just to Bless Me?

(By Diego Cuartas)

I was reading some passages from the Bible the other day and came across Psalm 85:9. I could not help but read it again and again to grasp what is being said there. 

"Surely his [God's] salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land." 

What grabbed my attention is the idea that when God acts favorably on behalf of any individual, something more than "salvation" takes place. When God saves any of us, He not only has our well-being in mind, but also His own glory. When God saves, He also desires His glory to dwell in our land. Perhaps God saves not only to bless us but to also make his honor and abundant riches known on earth. Almost like a witness to Himself in terms of who He is and who can be for those who would fear Him. I suspect He knows that when His glory is revealed on the earth others will come to see Him as He is and be inclined to fear Him too.

With a little bit of search or study, I found that there are several words that are used to describe God's salvation: deliverance, salvation, rescue, safety and welfare. When God delivers you or rescues you or brings you to safety or acts to ensure your welfare, in some way He is also working toward allowing His glory to fill the earth.

You could ask the question: does God bring salvation to any of us because He is primarily concerned with us experiencing Him as Savior? The answer I propose is no. He has our welfare in mind, along with our experience of His salvation, but He also desires to fill the earth with His glory. His glory fills the earth through the experience and knowledge of His salvation. It is not just for us; it is for many more to see.

I encourage you to read for yourself the passage. It is packed with ways in which God extends salvation, deliverance, rescue, safety and welfare toward people who fear Him.  You will also find (in verse 13) that the revelation of God's glory, particularly His righteousness, is said to make a pathway in which our footsteps can follow or walk. Beautiful imagery that can inspire our desire to observe the ways in which God reveals His salvation and glory.

For further digging (study), I encourage you to learn about the "sons of Korah"--who are identified as the writers of this Psalm. Learning about them and who their father was can add greater meaning to what is being presented in this passage.

For reflection, ask yourself:

• in what ways can I know God better as I see Him deliver, save, rescue, bring to safety or seek the welfare of others?
• How can I help others to see God's abundant riches revealed through the ways He is offering salvation to me?

Rejoice in His salvation, and may God use you as an instrument to help reveal His glory to others.

FLUFFY

One might naturally suppose that when a teenage girl takes herself to town to go shopping, she would likely come home with something cute, like a shirt. At least, that’s what I expected. But my elder daughter, Andi? Nothing so mundane. She came home with a Boa Constrictor.

Only spiders give me the willies, and snakes aren’t really slimy, but my first choice would not be to share my home with one. But there it was, along with a big glass tank and a live mouse for its dinner. We already had or used to have multiple happy animals -- dogs, cats, horses, gerbils, guinea pigs and a hermit crab – but in this case I really did not favor the idea of either the mouse or Fluffy (she had already named him!) escaping from the tank. After many assurances from my daughter that this would not occur and, I’m sure, also silently from the snake, as regarded the mouse, Fluffy became part of the family.

We don’t always get what we want, or even what we think we need. And we’re often not very appreciative of what God does provide for us. We think He doesn’t understand, or doesn’t hear us. And we think we know best what would solve whatever problem it is we’re facing. We beg and we beg. 

I’ve done some begging. 

A few years ago my son Denny was going to sell his payroll business, and he hired a reputable (he thought) broker to line up a buyer. He became connected with a small group of investors who seemed legitimate, but they weren’t. They stole $1.8 million from his tax accounts and when my son found the money missing and contacted the IRS they ran back to the hole they had climbed out of and left him holding the bag. In the middle of all this my son’s excellent lawyer suddenly died from a heart attack!  The prosecutor went after everyone. One of the so-called investors was sentenced to years in prison, but the judge decided that since my son was the owner of record she had to “sentence him to something,” and gave him 18 months in federal prison, which turned out to be in Ohio. He had stolen nothing.  

I begged God to change it all. I could not understand why He had allowed such a miscarriage to happen. One thing after another went wrong. Unbelievably, his second lawyer died from a heart attack! And because U.S. Marshalls picked my son up to take him to a hearing in New Jersey without properly notifying some clerk his record was changed to say that he had attempted to escape from a maximum security prison (he’d never been in one). It was never corrected, and after he was returned from the hearing he was housed in solitary confinement for months and months and months! He had been a Christian since he was 14; do you think his faith was tested? You can bet it was! Do you think mine was? I wept. I begged. But I wrote and wrote and assured my son over and over and over that God loved him and was with him every minute, and prayed that it was true. We both hung on by a thread.

But you know what? God was working on him, and for him, the whole time. My son did not grow up on the street, and he knows that he would not have survived in the general population of federal prison. It’s a different world in there. He wouldn’t have known how. Isolation, moving from cell to cell every couple of weeks, was terrible, but we realize that God was protecting him the whole time. There were things God wanted to change in him, and He did. My son came out of that experience with greater maturity, with much deeper faith, owning his faults and mistakes and never doubting that God had been leading him. Denny has often told me that he feels that God knew that it would take 20 years to get him from point A to point B, but instead He took Denny on the intensive, accelerated trip in 18 months. And he is grateful every day. God used that dark time to accomplish things in him that my son might never have allowed if he had not been where he was. He was changed. And as for me, if I ever doubted God, I never will again. 

Life is not just funny stories. Some periods are indescribably painful, with no sign of a bright light ahead. But God is there. And God is good. God is always good. And He loves us with an everlasting love. 

If you are going through a dark time, large or small, hang in there. Pray for wisdom. Pray for peace in your spirit. Pray for trust. When there is no understanding, there is only trust.  God is so completely, totally trustworthy. He will see you through.

Norma Stockton

The Gospel in 6 Minutes

This week I want to recommend a video from John Piper to remind us of the key pillars we find in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Depending on where you are at today listening to this short video clip might be the encouragement you need today. We "never outgrow" the gospel, says Piper, it is the news we need to preach to our souls even after we have trusted Christ for our salvation and transformation.

Sincerely,

Diego Cuartas

Game Changing Perspective: A Call to Arms

 One of my favorite old testament bible stories is found in 2 Kings 6:8-23. The curtain rises on the king of Syria making war on Israel. However, despite his many tactics to trap them, they manage to out maneuver him because they heed the warning of Elisha who has insight from God into the enemy’s plan. Tension begins to mount because the king of Syria realizes that it is by no coincidence that the Israelites keep circumventing him. He thinks at first that he must have been betrayed by one of his own men, but they are quick to inform him that it is the prophet Elisha who tells the king of Israel even “the words that you speak in your bedroom” (2 Kings 6:12, ESV). 

   So what happens next? He sends an army in the middle of the night to surround the city of Dothan where Elisha was staying in order to capture him. He must be thinking. Aha! Try to escape now! Elisha’s servant awakes in the morning to see that they are surrounded on every side by a great army. He freaks out and runs to see what Elisha wants to do. Elisha says, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16). He then prays over his servant that God would open his eyes  and the craziest thing happens. God does it. Cue epic music. The young man’s eyes are opened and he sees chariots of fire filling the mountainside. God sends his angel armies and has the enemy surrounded. What!? Talk about a change in perspective. 

    This New Year’s day I didn’t have any desire to make a resolution. I knew that after the newness of the year wore off that I would be lucky to even remember what I had promised to do let alone accomplish it. 2014 was a beautiful year but a hard one that left me hopeful and raw all at the same time. It was a year that blew all of my best laid plans out of the water and sucker punched me with many unexpected difficulties. So with that said, I only prayed a simple prayer at the beginning of this year. I prayed that God would renew my sense of perspective again and again and again. I asked that he would remind me that the difficult and mundane parts of my story are wrapped up in his much bigger one. 

    It does not come naturally and I need him to open my eyes. When Satan taunts me with my past failure, I need him to open my eyes. When life is just hard and the fulfillment of his promises seems delayed, I NEED him to open my eyes to see that, “Because of the Lord’s great love I am not consumed, for his compassions never fail” (Lam. 3:22, NIV). 

So, let’s fight well church and lean into our God’s strength. He has never left us and he never will. He has our enemy surrounded. He will and has won. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16, NIV).

Sophia Howard

Blue's Clues

(By Lois Robinson)

The statements that I am hearing a lot of these days are:

    “Man, I am feeling so tired, down, and don’t want to do anything.”

    “I’m feeling so yucky and overweight!”

    “I just want to be left alone. I’m so tired of people and their crap!”

    “All I want to do is eat.”

    “I could sleep for two days if I was allowed!”

    “Ugh, I’m so tired of the days being so short, and the cold is annoying!”

    “I want to live someplace warm”

And the list goes on and on...

Well, we could say that the above statements are a case of not be grateful for living another day or we could say just pray about it or throw a christian-y cliche out there and insult the person. We could, and many times do, all of the above. 

But…

The above statements may be CLUES to a deeper issue going on, one that cannot be wiped away with a quick cliche that doesn’t help but serves to offend.  Some may call it a chronic case of the Blues, but the truth is, this time of year is a classic time for Seasonal Affective Disorder. It is a real condition and actually has a name! In a recent Google search, the following list popped up, and I have copied and pasted it below. Why try to reinvent the wheel and put my little spin on it. Take a look.

People with SAD have many of the normal warning signs of depression, including:

Less energy.

Trouble concentrating.

Fatigue.

Greater appetite.

Increased desire to be alone.

Greater need for sleep.

Weight gain.

I would encourage you to take an assessment of your own behaviors, especially after the holidays. That is when many people tend to dip down in their mood, especially during the winter months. In the counseling room, I get a lot of calls from people that begin experiencing increased anxiety, depression and even panic disorder during this time. That is not including the added stressor of the change of seasons to shorter days and longer nights. Isolation, increased sleep, increased eating and the tiredness that more sleep just doesn’t fix! All classic symptoms of SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, or the Blues that won’t go away. 

If you or someone you know may be struggling with this, I would encourage you to reach out to someone you trust, maybe even call a mental health professional, a counselor that can help you sort through what you are experiencing. Usually knowing it actually has a name and is a real condition is of some comfort. Don’t stop there though. Come out of isolation and begin taking action steps that are the opposite of the downward spiral. 

For me, I will move toward people that love me and are safe. I know they love Jesus more than me so will tell me the truth for my own benefit and to see me grow. I also process my thoughts and feelings. The other thing I have just started doing is getting more active by joining the local YMCA. I have people pray for me, recognizing that Jesus knows (He really knows me and my struggles) even when I get the Blues! The last thing I will have you check out is this powerful verse:

But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. (Psalm 59:16, NIV)

These kinds of verses are found in the Bible, around the center of the book if you are looking it up.       

Though it can be very hard to actually open my mouth and verbally say or sing the above verse, it is where my ability comes from to crawl out of the dark hole. It tends to happen to most of us; it is all in how you respond. 

Be blessed friends!

“The Margin of Real Rest”

(By Thor Knutstad)

As I write today’s weekly blog, I am reading the comments of many disappointed people. Adults wanted a day off at home. Kids wanted a snow day from school. Many businesses and schools were closed.  People throughout our region had braced for “Winter Storm Juno” – which was ‘supposed to’ (and let me emphasize SUPPOSED TO) dump a foot or two of snow in blizzard-like fashion over the entire North Eastern United States and here in the Greater Philadelphia Region. It did not. It was a bust. In the words of teens these days, “Fail.”  Actually, “Epic Fail” seems more appropriate. In the throes of expectation and disappointment, here are a few simple observations that I have made today:

 Don’t judge what you and others don’t know.

 People really do want reasons to rest and be at home.

Don’t judge what you don’t know.  The meteorologists got it wrong about the snowstorm. So what?  99.9% of the time they actually get it very right. Maybe the fear and hype of HOW PEOPLE RESPOND to snow shows that they really do want the weatherman to be correct. This was a storm that had a lot of room for meteorological error. And maybe we should be grateful that it isn’t worse. Lives are actually saved without recognizing it. We judge and we blame for what we do not really understand or fully comprehend.  This is wrong and ought not to be. But it’s more than wrong judgment and disappointed expectations.  Many crave something that is treasured, yet not really utilized or lived out.

People want real reasons to rest and stay home.  Rest is something very foreign to our busy, pleasure idolatrous culture. We cannot sit still and just talk, laugh, read or rest.  We leave NO MARGIN for ponder, thought or imagination. Our minds are distracted by an endless array of media, sights, sounds, internet, information, to do lists, social media (yes, Facebook), tablets, movies, games, apps and smart-phones that ALL subtly deceive us into thinking we are connected to others. These tools aren’t evils, and are useful secondary things, until they are abused and distract us from primary things.  When they drive our minds and bodies away from real rest, we crave someone or something to make us rest.  We want something to be done for us because we sinfully (yes, I said that) live in modes of extreme exhaustion and the busyness of “marginlessness” (my new word).  A big snowstorm puts loved ones together with lots of food and laughter and TIME and closes the door on outside activities – ENDLESS ACTIVITIES of BUSYNESS.  The disappointment isn’t just a sign of wrong expectations.  It’s an indicator of the crave of rest.  And remember people – it’s not even February.  There’s still time for snow.  Winter isn’t over.  But make time for the margin of real rest.

On the Brilliance of Man

"I'm just a little bit worried. Do you have some sort of plan? Have you been finally defeated by the cunning of these fully evolved men?"

— from “Letter from a Concerned Follower”, by Pedro the Lion

As of yesterday, the forecast for today called for 12 to 18 inches of snow.  Bread was absent from store shelves last night (don’t ask me how I know), and local schools announced they’d be closed, even before any flakes had fallen.  Modern science is an amazing thing, and the technological tools that man has developed are wildly fantastic. 

I didn’t measure it, but I’d say we got about 1 to 2 inches of snow today, or what you might call a “dusting,” which is a little less than the foot and a half they were calling for.  How could a forecast, just 24 hours ago, be so off?  With all of modern science behind them, the meteorologists best guess was wildly wrong.

Before you get the wrong impression, I am not a science hater.  I’m not a climate-change denier.  I believe in getting kids vaccinated.  Science is a passion of mine, and I have spent years trying to inspire a sense of wonder to my students through science.  I believe that God has given us the information in the natural world, and the mental capacity to do things with it that would have been mind-blowing just 200 years ago.  God has made us pretty brilliant.

But I find a strange comfort in science getting things wrong.  With all the computer models, expert minds, and satellite images, there is still some mystery in nature.  I’m not saying that God supernaturally shifted the storm to humble the braggadocious weather men.  I suppose that’s one possibility, but more likely, they just didn’t have a complete understanding of what was going on.  And I love that.

God is so much greater than man.  His creation, whether you believe it is 10,000 years old or 14 billion, is vastly more complex than our best attempts to understand it.  It is comforting to know that the God of the universe is my father, and he remains firmly in the driver’s seat.  Throughout human history, we have attempted to understand our world.  Every generation makes advances and assumes that they are the pinnacle of knowledge.  Sometimes we forget that Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.”  Then 18 inches of snow turns out to be a dusting, and we are left to realize that we don’t know everything.

Jeff Hyson

What Is Good Repentance?

(By Diego Cuartas)

Whether we all use the same word to describe the need for change is not as relevant as the fact that as human beings we all understand what is implied by the expectation to repent or change. Not everything about us—our thoughts, words, attitudes or actions—is admirable! There is always room and a need for change—in this blog I will call this repentance.

I remember the days when my two brothers and I would get into playing rough and loud, and my father would warn us that if there was not a change (repentance) in our behavior we would experience physical consequences that usually involved pain. What my father was calling for was a change of our behavior at the moment. Remember the warnings you received from a teacher, your parents or perhaps a friend? Some of us have even experienced the warning offered by a law-enforcement officer while driving on a road where we ignored the law of the land!

I have personally experienced many moments in my life in which my intent to repent was very superficial at best. Perhaps with the help of others I saw that there was a need for repentance in my life, but I only pursued such repentance to please others or pacify them in some way. I knew deep in my heart that though I was modifying my behavior I had remained the same person. So my brothers and I at times were lucky to calm down and avoid my father’s punishment, but deep inside we did not want the authority of our father over our lives in that moment—especially if his authority was bringing limitations to what we considered our wants and freedom in the moment!

May I suggest that in order for repentance to be good—effective and fruitful—we will need a more comprehensive approach to repentance. Let me explain. As human beings, we constantly display behaviors, but the reality is that we are more than behaviors. We are creatures with a command center that God has made with the capacities to desire, belief and strive. And at the core of these dynamics is our capacity to treasure or worship. What is true is that our behaviors are always in sync with what is happening in our command center—our hearts. So to speak of repentance and and pursue a repentance that is good, effective and fruitful, we need to consider both the behaviors and the heart. 

Think of it this way: behaviors are indicators (or the fruit) of what is really happening in our hearts. 

Good repentance will always require that we consider a journey into our hearts by using the path that our behaviors afford us. Let me illustrate through a personal simple journey:

I am making statements that are not my real opinion in a given conversation with a friend.

I am sensing that what I am doing is not sincere and therefore fake.

I am experiencing the guilt that comes with this moment.

I am now considering why I am doing this. Why am I not saying what my sincere opinion is?

As I follow the path of my behavior, I start noticing some desires, beliefs and agendas seeded deep in my heart.

I am noticing that I desire acceptance, not rejection; I see that there is also a belief in my heart that says, “You will not be safe if you tell the truth” and another one that says, “You will miss life if this person rejects you or disapproves of you.”

As I keep following the path into my heart, I also see that my agenda is now to control the conversation in order to secure the outcomes I really want.

Can you see it? In order to experience repentance—change—in who I am, I will need to consider both my behaviors and my heart. Good repentance then will lead me to explore and understand my behavior in light of my heart. Furthermore, good repentance will probably translate into addressing the wrong (idolatrous) desires, beliefs and agendas that rule my heart.

Good repentance is not something that happens in a vacuum. And it is not something we do within the confines of our own understanding and wisdom. A bigger, wiser and holier being than us will have to be our reference point and helper. In order to treasure or worship what is truly good and admirable we will need a transformation that only God can offer.

Stay tuned. Good repentance is possible! 

Would the World Notice if the Church Ceased to Exist?

(By Nate Howard)

Imagine...

Tomorrow, you awaken to find ShopRite has disappeared — along with every other grocery store! What if the police department was no more? What if, heaven forbid, chocolate ceased to exist? What if technology as we know it, including the internet, cell phones, even electricity, vanished without a trace?

It’s hard to imagine survival without life’s so-called necessities. But here’s a more challenging question: What if all Christian churches disappeared? What if Living Faith Alliance disappeared? Would it make any difference if we didn’t exist? Would anyone notice?
God imagines His church to be a world-changing church — that our presence would be felt, that people would know we exist. God said, "I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, that they might be for me a people, a name, a
praise, and a glory." (Jeremiah 13:11)
God intends the life of Jesus in His people to significantly alter the world. That’s what we want as well. We’ve set the course of LFA to be in pursuit of the life-changing presence of Jesus, impacting
South Jersey one life at a time.
The 5-year goals we have embraced (see the front cover) describe the kind of impact we imagine, not just as one church, but as a number of networked churches — call them church plants or multisite.
We want to engage our world, intentionally talking with our friends about the Gospel, experiencing the joy of watching them become Jesus followers, connected in true community, living a
purposeful life of mission.

Look again at the graphic. Do you see the five essential practices we intend to grow in? It really does start with you and me. So as we begin this new year, the questions facing each of us are:
‣ What values need to shift in our life?
‣ How must we change?
‣ What will God need to do in you and me for us to become the
church God envisions?

I hope you can see there is an urgency that each of us connect with
God. That’s why we are beginning 2015 with an all-church week of
prayer. Please use this guide to enter in to the life of your church.
Set aside this week and let your faith rise to grasp what God has
for us.

A CHRISTIAN “FISH” on YOUR CAR?

It was the day before the moving van arrived to take us from Minnesota to Massachusetts. At the dining room table were two movers, wrapping and packing the last of the kitchen in layers of paper. My husband, definitely an A-type, was in the eaves of the attic directly overhead, struggling to remove a youth bed mattress so he could take it to the dump. The new owners were to arrive in two days and he was determined that everything should be perfect.

All was going swimmingly when suddenly, without warning, my husband’s foot and leg crashed through the ceiling overhead --- the freshly painted ceiling, I might add.

Dead silence. Everything stopped. All four children froze. The two packers were fixated on the leg. I just stood there with my mouth open, cringing in anticipation of how my dearly beloved might choose to comment on this latest catastrophe. More silence.  And then, blessedly, he burst into wild laughter, and pulled his leg back out of the wreckage, and he and the cursed mattress came back downstairs where we were all helplessly doubled over at the memory of his leg waving around through the dining room ceiling. And one of the men summed it up. He said, “Yep, Doc --- that’s a hundred dollar hole!” (1965 dollars!)

So how do you think God would really like us to react when we are stopped in our tracks by some unforeseen and decidedly unpleasant surprise, or some obnoxious person, or the failure of something we really, really wanted to succeed? 

Back in the ‘70s a Christian music artist, whose name I have forgotten, shared a few thoughts in the middle of his excellent album. He reminded us about the shock-absorbers in our cars, and how they made the ride smoother and more comfortable for us. And he said that he was pretty sure that God wanted us to be His shock-absorbers. He said that when something hits us, we have a choice. We can always bounce the bad right back at someone else, and let the anger start a new journey bouncing off who knows how many people in its journey. Or we can  react in a way that pleases God, and stops the damage, and we can let it end with us. We can be God’s shock-absorbers. 

If we are to be the light of the world, then there really isn’t any place for yelling and screaming, or nasty hand-signals to the driver who cuts us off, or snarky comments to the clerk who offends us. We can really never know the life circumstance of that other stranger who treats us poorly, or what awful distraction may be causing what looks to us like rank ignorance. Even when faced with a direct confrontation there are almost always ways to defuse it without anger and retaliation. We do need to be God’s shock-absorbers, as much as we can, in this angry world. 

It’s not easy for everyone. Some of us may have grown up with pretty short fuses. Some of us may even be a little proud of the way that we’ve taught people to treat us carefully and sort of walk on egg-shells around us. But that isn’t God’s way. Jesus didn’t teach us to be that way, and we know it. 

       “You are the salt of the earth, but what good is salt if it has lost

    its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out 

    and trampled underfoot as worthless.

        “You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot

    be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket.

    Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to 

    everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine

    out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

                                                                                                           Matthew 5: 13-16, NLT

Norma Stockton

The Donkey, The Elephant and The Ladybug

(By Lois Robinson)

What a weird title for a blog, huh? Well, keep reading and you will find out the reason why I chose it.  It all started back in the first week of December when I was feeling pretty low. I actually felt abandoned by God a few times during the week as well. I was dealing with some significant health issues, family issues and the like. You may be able to relate to what I am talking about.

Then, something really strange happened at the end of that week. I pulled into my driveway and there, hanging on the wrought iron lawn ornament, was a red letter with a heavy plastic donkey tied to it. I thought, what in the world! I took it into the house, opened the letter and saw in addition, two WaWa gift certificates.  As I began to read the letter, it described how my King, King Jesus, came in a very unexpected way, and He road that donkey into difficult circumstances. He too will show up in my circumstances in unexpected ways and will ride that donkey into my difficulties. Oh my, I began to weep and weep.  It was like my Jesus reached out to me and gave me a huge hug. That is the picture of the Body of Christ. Someone, His people, saw my affliction, purchased the items, wrote the letter, pointing me to my King. Praise God for hearing my cry.

These tangible acts of love continued throughout the entire month of December. I couldn’t believe it. There was a beautiful basket full of healthy organic food products along with another gift certificate to Applebee’s. I was so moved and taken aback. Included was a large, heavy plastic elephant with large strong tusks, representing strength, with a handmade ornament. On it was written out Joshua 1:9 about moving out in battle. Not to be afraid but to be strong in the Lord. Once again, my Jesus came and wrapped around me, through the tangible actions of His people. Another package contained a beautiful picture of humming birds and how God cares for each one. Another gift certificate to my favorite food, Chinese:) Plus, a cute little Lady Bug stuffed animal. The people involved have no idea the TREMENDOUS impact you had on my life and the timing of it was absolutely amazing.

Little did I know, there were going to be some very difficult issues ahead the last week of December into January involving very close friends of mine, friends that are like family.  It was and still is in a crisis state. I made it a point to keep the Donkey, the Elephant, and the Lady Bug propped up in front of me by the TV. The letters were there as well. The family felt led by God  to do an intervention for a younger sibling heavy into substance abuse, eating disorder and mental illness.  We would read those letters, with the sister’s name inserted, declaring God’s plan for her life. Amen. We would look at those animals. Knowing that Jesus, our King was riding that donkey right into the middle of those/these difficult circumstances. The image of the elephant reminded us of the book in the bible, Joshua 1:9, to be strong and of good courage. The little Lady Bug, well, she reminded me that someone cared enough to bring her to my house and say, “Hey:) you are loved and not alone.”

There you are, the story of the Donkey, the Elephant and the Lady Bug.

How To Create Habits for Your 2015 Resolutions.

Before we end the year 2014 I would like to recommend Joe Carter's blog on how to create patterns in your life--which is essential to any New Year's Resolutions. Carter is one of the editors for the Gospel Coalition and an author. Don't get discourage if you have not met your past resolutions. Today is a new day and God can make grace abound to you in whatever area of your life you are seeking to experience change in. May He aide you and sustain you! To read Carter's blog click here.

Diego Cuartas