Is God Free to Do What He Pleases?

What can we learn from God? Particularly, what can we learn about His freedom of choice? I am thinking of the freedom God exercises to act in one way toward someone, or a group, and the freedom to act differently toward another. You may be thinking this is contradictory, but I want to emphasize that this is true. Throughout history, as recorded in the Bible, we see instances that reveal God choosing freely to act favorably toward a group of people while giving others a less favorable treatment--and that is putting it mildly. I was drawn today to Psalm 44, where we find a recounting of what Israel's forefathers have passed down to other generations. In the beginning of this chapter, we find the following recounting of how God acted in the past. And though the latter part of the chapter clearly shows that Israel is now in distress looking for God's help, what they have as a backdrop for their trust is the favorable acts they have experienced from God in the past.

Here we observe a contrast between God driving out some while planting or establishing others, afflicting some while setting others free; we also see God saving or granting victory to a group of people He chose. He also made evident the fact that their sword did not save them from their enemies. This passage emphasizes four other things that characterize God's actions toward them:

God, we have heard with our ears,

    our fathers have told us,

what deeds you performed in their days,

    in the days of old:

2 you with your own hand drove out the nations,

    but them you planted;

you afflicted the peoples,

    but them you set free;

3 for not by their own sword did they win the land,

    nor did their own arm save them,    

but your right hand and your arm,

    and the light of your face,

    for you delighted in them.

4 You are my King, O God;

    ordain salvation for Jacob!

5 Through you we push down our foes;

    through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.

6 For not in my bow do I trust,

    nor can my sword save me.

7 But you have saved us from our foes

    and have put to shame those who hate us.

8 In God we have boasted continually

    and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah

God used His right hand, His arm, the light of His face, and His capacity to delight on a group of people to act favorably toward them. This stands in contrast to the way He acted toward others.

It is my view point that there is one thing that should cause us, human beings, to tremble before God and be in awe of Him: His freedom of choice. This reality of God is sobering. It obviously can raise the question: what kind of God is this who acts toward some in one way and toward others in another? Is He a fair God? Is that loving on His part? These are good questions, and they need to be addressed in the larger context of who God is and His larger purposes for humanity. A poor comparison, but perhaps a helpful one, is the earthly father who gives one of his children something but withholds the same thing from another of his children. There are many factors that inform that choice, and we would be mistaken to judge or assess the goodness of this father just based on one action that may seem partial or not equal.

Here is one thing that considering God’s freedom of choice has done for me: it makes me appreciate with the right kind of fear, the fact that I have been favored by God. I don't know about you, but I have come to a place in my life where the predominant belief of my life is that God is FOR ME. I don't have to wonder if that is the case or not. His grace abounds before me, behind me and around me, every day I exist. Psalm 23 is a reminder of this. I did not always see or experienced this personally; it is only by God's grace that I do today.

God's freedom of choice magnifies for us the grace we receive in light of what others don't receive or experience. This is a mystery, especially when we consider that there is a general grace that He dispenses over both the good and the wicked. He, according to the Gospel of Matthew, causes the sun to rise over good and evil and also sends the rain over both (Matthew 5:45).

How are you seeing God act favorably toward you?

Sharpen Your Affections With Fasting

This week I want to recommend this short article written by David Mathis for the Desiringgod blog. Last Sunday we began a 40 day fast at our church, and I think this article comes in handy in rethinking the value fasting can have in our lives. Mathis proposes that “...if we are awakened to see fasting for the joy it can bring, as a special means of God’s grace to strengthen and sharpen Godward affections, then we might find ourselves holding a powerful new tool for enriching our enjoyment of Jesus."

- Diego Cuartas

The True Value of Worship, Pt. 1

Worship has to do with recognizing God's worth and giving him the worth due to His name. Listen to Darlene Zschech, worship pastor of Hillsong Church, lay a good foundation to understand what worship is and how we can participate in the experience of worship with integrity. 

Who’s Running This Place, Anyway??

It seems everyone is excited about SOMETHING lately: racism, Confederate flags, President Obama, gay marriage, the Supreme Court, or some combination of all of the above. I have never seen so much emotion on social media as I have seen over the past few weeks.

Of course, everyone has strong opinions on these issues. We would not be human if we didn’t! God has granted us the abilities to think and reason, and we should be using these gifts to learn and grow and formulate thoughts on the world around us. There is certainly nothing wrong or sinful about holding opinions on what is happening in the world.

However, how many of us forget the so-called “Big Picture” when we rail against the practices and thoughts of today’s world? As Christians, we are called to view everything through the lens of God Himself. Everything. Not what we like or agree with…all of it. This is tough territory, because differences in Scriptural interpretations often leave believers divided on how we think God sees a belief or practice. Roman Catholic or Protestant, Baptist or Episcopalian, Fundamentalist or Reformed: we all think that we have the “right” interpretation of God’s Word and its commands. So what is the “Big Picture” that we need to remember?

I think that Christians of all stripes need to remember one central Truth when we are faced with a confusing and tumultuous world:

                  For He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. - I John 4:4b (ESV)

That isn’t a qualified statement. It is absolute. God IS greater than he who is in the world. There are no exceptions. This means that God is greater, all the time, in all circumstances.

How tough is this to believe? I look at my own little world and find myself arguing with God often about how “poorly” I think He is handling things, or I convince myself that my life is “terrible” because God wants me to suffer. I KNOW these thoughts aren’t accurate to the God of the Bible, but that sure does not stop me from complaining when the going gets rough! It is awfully hard to maintain a perspective that God is in charge of everything when it doesn’t seem that life is going “my way.”

And I think a lot of us do the same thing with the state of the nation or the world. Some want a return to the “good old days” and what that represented as far as faith and morality in the United States. Others want a world where everyone is treated equally and fairly regardless of race or any other personal characteristic and don’t see that vision happening. We see a world that may be changing into something that does not represent what we believe, and we tend to lose sight of the fact that God is the same today as He ever was. He is still the One who is greater than he who is in the world. We may not know why “things” are the way they are, but we can rest assured that God is in charge and has not lost control.

I don’t think this means that we should stand by and do nothing about injustice in our world. God’s command to love our neighbor is also clear and absolute. There is no way we can show love and not help the persecuted or afflicted. But I do think that we do not need to fear our world. An all knowing, all loving God is “running this place” and will win out over sin, shame, and injustice.

Dads and Family Leadership

An interview with Francis Chan. The title does not reflect all he says, since he basically aims to parents and where we are falling short in helping our children be socially and relationally fluent. As parents bring appropriate boundaries to their children and help them relate, children learn to be bridges between people they know and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Music vs. The Noise

I love writing in a busy place. I can't figure out why exactly, but I think it has something to do with the way it makes me feel invisible. Like right now, I'm sitting in Starbucks at my favorite table, typing away with my headphones on. In the last hour, probably twenty or thirty people have walked in, ordered their coffee, chatted with a friend, and walked out without ever acknowledging I’m here. It's like I'm hiding out in plain sight. It's a weirdly safe feeling, but something about it keeps me dialed in to my writing. It's like background noise, only it's visual noise rather than audible.

I've been thinking quite a bit about noise this morning. Most often, when we think of noise, we are thinking of unorganized, audible sounds, like pots clanking together or anything by Nickelback. The operative word here is unorganized. Random pots clanking produces a purposeless, meaningless sound. It's something that ultimately doesn't mean anything. In a word, it's forgettable. 

Now contrast this with a symphony. A symphony also involves banging things together, but it's organized and moves to a very specific tempo. It's purposeful sound, sound in a direction. Symphonies impact people; noise is easily ignored. Nobody gets moved to tears listening to their dishwasher.

This principle applies to more than just music. When you take stock of everything that makes up your life today, which does it resemble more, a symphony or noise? What's your direction, your aim? What are you trying to say? If your life was a song, would people have it on their iPod? Would anyone say it meant something to them?

Far too often, we clutter our lives with things that don't matter. We lose sight of the big picture and make decisions that play out like a poorly timed guitar solo that makes you cringe. If you feel like your life doesn't make sense, take a look at the way you spend your time, your money, and your resources. Want to know what you value most? There's your answer. What you value is expressed by what you love. And when we lose sight of what our lives ought to be about, things begin to get out of order, confusing. Disordered loves never produce beautiful lives, just as disordered sounds never produce beautiful songs.

Living a life that amounts to more than cluttered noise is a lot like writing a song. It takes intentionality and passion. Certain rules and boundaries apply. You need more than just a few good instruments; you need to find a way to make those instruments work in harmony with each other. Ultimately, it's about saying something that counts, something that makes a difference because it exists. It's about making something beautiful.

90 Days of Myths and Lies, Pt.1

(By Thor Knutstad)

Days 1-31 (part one of three)

1. The self love and self esteem movement is completely biblical. (No, it's not, not at all. It is not commanded nor inferred as choice or volition. Identity is the biblical trade off here. Real. Identity. In Christ.).

2.  Showing off our good works and what we give or do for others is okay. (No, it's not. In fact, we are told not to do this with the motive of display and that announcing it loses reward - yeah, gotcha! Hard, I know! Watch your FB feed for this one - a grievous sin missed by many and all!).

3.  We can't have deep joy and heart wrenching sadness simultaneously. (Yes, we can. See Proverbs 14:10, then think practically).

4.  Men and women are essentially the same in function. (No, in essence of nature they are similar, but not in function. The distinctions are vast by God's very complimentary and useful design in creation - praise Him).

5.  Authority should be replaced by opinions (Um, no).  Age is hated and grey hair isn't esteemed (No, wait?!).

6.  The rewards of saying 'yes' are countless and saying 'no' is never painful. (Um, are any of you raising kids? Yeah, I thought so; let your ‘yes’ BE ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ BE ‘no’).

7.  People should understand what I explain to them. (Don't be fooled by this; there will be misunderstanding and misunderstood and incomprehensible and 'not caught' moments - often!).

8.  Shame and guilt are good motivators of right behaviors. (Far be it from me to judge how God sometimes uses this but it is not the 'best' motivating factors for repentance).

9.  It is okay to fear people and situations because everybody worries and has some anxiety, and its normal and popular. (It's destroying our hearts, people - stop being so afraid of stuff!  In your fear, like King David, cry out to The LORD - and don't walk in fear! See 1 Peter 3:6 and know that you are Sarah's daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. Don't. Give. Way. To. Fear).

10.  Worship is about music and what I see/hear/taste/touch/experience. (Worship is about the position of your heart to bow before a worthy, praised and glorious God - yes sometimes in music and song, but it is the posture of my heart).

11. The prosperity gospel of health and wealth really isn't harmful to the real Gospel of Jesus. (See 1 Corinthians chapter 15 - um, yes, it is!  Do not be deceived, people. Be Bereans and check the Scriptures to see if what others are saying is true or not - Acts 17).

12.  I can abuse some freedoms that God gives me because they don't master me, and He will always forgive me. (Whoa! Don't be a stumbling block, and grace doesn't increase more when you sin like that!! And freedom isn't ever a license!).

13.  It's okay to live on television, cell phones, game systems, tablets, the Internet/web, laptops, computers etc. (‘Nuff said, no words here. All guilty on some level).

14.  Electronics and the Internet shrink the world and keep me connected in a community abroad. (No, they don’t; they feign intimacy and interfere in what is real and close and near you).

15.  I know what's going on in the world because I read it in a newspaper, saw it on a major news channel, or on FB. (No, you don’t, not really. How informed you perceive yourself may make you more blind).

16.  FB is relationships.  FB is not an addiction.  (FB is NOT relationships and FB is an "alarming" new time addiction for the current culture).

17.  The lament of sorrow is a display of weakness.  Tears are even weaker. (#realmenfeelandcryasdowomen. We are commanded by Jesus to grieve with others and go to houses of mourning not to parties - wow!).

18.  All pastors and preachers and spiritual leaders know the Bible and have the intended heart of God to shepherd people and speak truth. (Actually, there are fewer speaking the WHOLE counsel of God and really doing justice to the heart of the Gospel - praise God, the Word is spoken and proclaimed here).

19.  I don't feel things when I read the Bible like I do my favorites stories, novels and shows. (Have you really embraced the Savior?  Is your heart in a position of worship when you read or listen?  #softheartshaveeyestoseeandearstohear)

20.  It's okay to eat out 4-5x's a week, be given a plethora of food choice and be served. (Hmm - the Son of Man came to serve - what are we teaching our kids?! Ouch!!).

21.  The immorality of others doesn't affect me. (what a lie!).  Or my own immorality doesn't affect others (a even bigger lie yet!).

22.  My children aren't curiously using social media wrongly in text, pictures, videos; nor have they viewed or sent anything that is not appropriate. (Yes, they are and have and are tempted, often, daily).

23.  My anxieties and worries and fears aren't really 'sin.'  (Yes, usually they are - for the most part).

24.  Everybody is busier than me so it's okay for me to have small or no margins in my schedule (X!! Wrong! Margin and rest are necessary!).

25.  I don't have to cry out to the LORD to experience His presence, fuller dependence or His deeper purposes. (Hmmmm).

26.  Fear is a stronghold that is nearly impossible to beat. (No, no, no!  Greater is HE our King Jesus!).

27.  The Gospel shouldn't ever offend people. (Um, what Bible version are you actually reading? Are we ashamed of Jesus?!).

28.  My words aren't REALLY 'that' important.  What's all this talk about "stewarding words" with timely and apt and wise replies?  That's just too hard to do all the time! (Steward/manage your words folks; it's how you guard your own heart, too).

29.  My body image and appearance of physical health is tangibly more important than the spiritual and the heart. (Oh my gosh, we have traded the heart for the flesh. See Galatians 5-6 - why would we live this death and not want to live life?!).

30.  What's all this talk about ambiguity and complexities? Most situations are easily solved, and most problems we face can be terminated/eradicated with simple solutions. (Wow! Problems and struggles and lives are actually very complex, AND ambiguity is actually healthy as it guides us toward a raised shield of required faith!).

31. BONUS - I like all the noise and commotion around me.  It's normal and keeps my mind occupied from other worries and sadnesses and thoughts. (Why do we run from silence, solitude and simplicity?!)

Thor Knutstad

Does Father's Day Discourage You?

Father's Day is 4 days around the corner. How do you feel about it? What thoughts does the day bring to your mind? Whether the day brings discouragement or it brings your heart to a point of celebration, you may find this short blog a source of good perspective. Thanks to the desiringgod staff sound bites like this one can help us approach Father's Day with a renewed perspective. To read the blog click here. May God encourage you with realistic hope.

Sincerely,

Diego Cuartas

"I'm Not A Good Enough Mom"

I went for a run yesterday with my Nike running app on my phone that tracks how long I run and how fast I go.

And I started thinking to myself: "Why in the HECK do I use this thing? If I run slower than I did the day before, I'm honestly not really able to push myself to run faster. It's like I should just get a thumbs up sign on this thing for just being out here, trying."

So I started brainstorming what a good running app for MOMS could be like. What if there was an app that said (through your headphones) "Great job! You're doing AMAZING!" instead of "Point five miles completed, average time <insert how fast you're running>." What if instead of pace and distance, the app measured how long it took you to get the kids and yourself ready, your tiredness level, how many pounds you're pushing in your jogging stroller, wind resistance, your personal level of motivation and how freaking hard it was to actually make yourself get your butt outside? What if it spouted phrases like, "I'm so proud of you! Just having your shoes on is a WIN! That you're even trying is success!"

Good idea, right, mommas? ;) You know you'd buy it.

---

A few weeks ago was Mother's Day. I like Mother's Day because I like getting treats. I like that my husband stops by Dunkin' Donuts to get me an iced mocha latte. I like cute cards from our children, and I like lots of hugs. So Mother's Day is pretty fun for me.

But Mother's Day also carries with it a darker side for me...and I'd guess it does for a lot of moms.

This year, I ended the day crying on my husband's shoulder at bedtime. All day long, I had had this subconscious BAD FEELING floating around in the back of my mind: "I haven't done good enough as a mom. I am not a good enough mom. I don't spend enough time listening to them, giving them enough attention, playing with them, being affectionate enough with them. I'm failing as a mom." I felt compelled to ask my husband, "Do you really think I'm a good mom??? I don't feel like I'm good enough." The question made me burst into tears...and I realized how pervasive that feeling is of "I haven't done enough, been enough, to be a good enough mom to these precious children."

---

I think my mind needs a change of gears just like I was imagining for my running app.

I feel all this pressure to do more, to be more, and it's never enough. But what if God is truly GRACIOUS? What if He's not disappointed with my progress? What if He's more like that Mom's Running App that I was picturing: "I'm so proud of you! You're out here giving this mothering thing your energy, your time, your effort. You're doing so well"?

Honestly, I'm still 'on the hunt' for what God thinks about me and my mothering. I'm in the stage of realizing that I feel that I haven't done enough pretty much all the time. I feel like: "Whoa, I didn't even know I felt this so often." And I'm planning on thinking that through and asking God for some insight into His feelings in the coming weeks.

But there are some things that I DO know. Here are three:

1. God Himself has entrusted these children to ME. Not to anyone else. He wanted their lives to be shaped and formed by my life. He could have given them to anyone else in the whole world, but He gave them to me.

2. That Numero Uno that I just wrote is a big one, because I tend to think of myself pretty consistently as the 'crap parent.' My husband happens to be both an elementary teacher, as well as a person who is very gifted in working with children. He's able to see through a lot of extraneous details into the heart of what's going on, as well as what needs to happen. I don't have the years of teaching that he does, and I just don't have the gift to see things as clearly as he does. My kids will ask me a question in a whiny voice, and I don't even hear the whine. I just reply. My husband, though, will realize, "Oh, they're whining. We don't want to reward whining. They're probably whining because of this, this, and this. Here's how I'll address the current whining, and here's how I'll proactively nip the whining in the bud for the rest of the evening by changing this, this and this." What the?!?

So as you can imagine, I think of myself as the sub-par parent who messes the kids up.

But when I can remember that God chose to give these two goofy ganders to ME, guess what? My perspective starts to change: I realize that my husband brings what he has to give to our family. But he CAN'T bring what I have to give to our family. He's not a woman. He's not ME, with my thoughts, my background, the way God speaks to me. I would conclude that if I don't have the same giftings as he does, then I bring nothing of value. BUT WHAT I BRING IS VERY SIGNIFICANT AND NEEDED. God entrusted these lives that He knit together so carefully into my care as well.

3. But saying that I'm significant and needed doesn't rule out my need to grow. It doesn't mean I'm perfect. If leading my children doesn't come naturally to me, that doesn't mean that I can just say, "That's just the way I am." It's like there are the two extremes: concluding I'm worthless because I'm not the same as someone who has certain obvious giftings, or deciding that because I'm significant, I can just stay the way I am, with all my weaknesses and my kids just have to deal with it. THERE'S A MIDDLE GROUND! I can learn from my husband's strengths. I CAN ASK QUESTIONS! I can intentionally look to grow in areas where I'm not very strong. I can ask him what he thinks through as he leads our kids. I can LEARN. And the only way to really learn is to go back to number two and reject the conclusion that 'I'm not good enough if I'm not perfect.' Only when I'm OK with who I am and the strengths and weaknesses that I have, can I genuinely ask for help in a healthy way. Only then can I truly grow.

---

So these are the things that I already know. If you agree with them or like them, maybe you should go to the App Store and look up "Gentle and Kind Running App for Moms Over 25"...just kidding! ;)

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

To Judge or Not to Judge; That is the Question

When I quit smoking, it was because of God. I was playing guitar for a seventh grade girls Sunday School class (no, I am not a musician; EVERYONE played guitar in the early 70s). Along about then, God clearly convinced me that I should not go in there smelling like an old ash tray. So that week I just threw it all away: cigarettes, case and lighter. And because it was all God, I was able to go cold turkey, and was never ever tempted again.  That was wonderful, but that’s not my point today. The whole thing was quick, it was clear, and it was totally effective. And that’s because no one else messed it up.

No one had judged me for smoking. No one looked down on me. My good friend who taught the class (who was also Principal of the Christian school) obviously did not feel that my nasty habit precluded my participation in her class of impressionable girls. And any non-smoker can attest to the fact that one needed only to be in my vicinity to know that I smoked! I was living proof of the wisdom of Romans 14: 3 and following:

    Accept other believers who are weak in faith. Don’t argue with them 

    about what they think is right or wrong. God has accepted them. They

    are responsible to the Lord, so let him judge whether they are right or

    wrong. And with the Lord’s help, they will do what is right and receive

    his approval.

In spite of having grown up in church, I was a new believer.  And I was accepted and loved, faults and all, which is exactly the way it’s supposed to be.  

We are responsible to judge those within the church.  We are supposed to be able to discern sin (1Cor.5:12). But more important than anything else, we are told to love. Our motivation makes all the difference in the world. Are we coming from a critical spirit, or from a desire to heal and uplift? We are told that it is a very good thing to be one who turns a fellow believer from sin, and that many blessings follow. That can only happen with love. And if any of us cannot approach that sinner without anger and condemnation, then we are definitely not the one to approach him at all. 

Paul tells us not to judge the world, that God will judge them, that unless they change they are judged already. But of course the whole import of evangelism is to do our part in effecting that very change! And although we need to be able to see what is wrong, there too the most winning approach is surely love. My dear little friend Sherly Giglio put it best: “We have to love them where they are, don’t we, Norma!”  And she was so right. Without love our message is not received, cannot be received. Without love, we are building walls, not bridges. “I really love you, but …” is not acceptable. The Word does not overreach in telling us so much about the absolute necessity of sincere love for those we would reach for Jesus, both saved and unsaved. If you pray for anything, pray for love.

If, all those years ago, I had been met with disapproval and distance, I don’t know where I would be today. Surely saved, because when God calls we answer. But not then, and not there. And who knows, I might have missed many years of fruitful service to my Lord and Savior, all because someone messed it up. 

ICU

(By Lois Robinson)

When I was a teenager, I lived on a 25 acre farm and raised African Pygmy goats, as well as an assortment of dairy goats. I would travel for hours with my mom to buy good stock, breed them responsibly, then sell them to responsible owners. I loved it! I still love to watch those crazy videos that come over social media, namely Facebook, with baby goats hopping wildly all over the place. It just cracks me up! 

Well, one afternoon, while my mom and I were out in the yard mowing or some such thing, my goat Alfalfa began to holler in a typical “goat stress” manner! He was a 100 lb. Toggenburg with big horns. I typically dehorned all of my goat kids when they were only 2 weeks old (kid is the name of a goat baby) so children would not get hurt, but Alfalfa was an adult when I got him. He had fallen into the septic tank! Actually, it was a homemade septic tank that my grandfather made 100 years ago on the farm. It was hand dug with an old wooden lid on it with an old wooden fence around it. Alfalfa had successfully gotten through the fence and fell into this gross mess. Both my mother and I dropped what we were doing and fled to the scene. Here was Alfalfa, thrashing about in this nasty, stinky, bacteria-filled septic pool. Remember, he was about 100 lbs. I will never forget it. My mom, who weighed about 130 at the time, grabbed that goat by one horn. The scene looked like something right out of the movie Hercules. She lifted that 100 lb. goat out of that septic tank with one full upward motion. I can still see it today, 45 years later. I then rushed in and used my index finger to swipe any nastiness out of his mouth. In the process, he bit me. Goats grind their food sideways so it was not a straight down bite. It was a shredding type so I had to go to the doctor. He did declare my presenting issue his first goat bite! 

This blog, entitled ICU, is actually  not about the goat bite, but I use this true story as an analogy illustrating some of the important steps in our own healing journey. 

Step 1. The I stands for Identify In many cases (not all, but most) in order to have healing in your life, you must Identify the specific issue and state with your mouth what  you need healing from. From the above story, we identified that Alfalfa was hollering because he had fallen in the septic tank, a place he did not belong. If he stayed there he would die. When I go a restaurant and the waiter says, “Can I take your order?” I need to identify and state out of my mouth what I want to eat off the menu. In the bible, people approached Jesus to heal them. He would ask, “What is it that you want me to heal?” They would have to identify the issue and state out of their mouths what they wanted healing for. Notice, this is not a passive response but a proactive one. 

Step 2. The C stands for Confront-  Identifying the issue is not enough. If mom and I just saw Alfalfa in the septic tank and did nothing proactive, he would have died. We had to step up and deal with the situation. Praying the whole time, I knew neither my mom nor I would be strong enough to lift that goat with mess all over him, out of that  deep hole. But God! God gave my mom the strength not her own to accomplish something good. When we are willing to identify our problem, our sin, our issue and desire healing in that area, we must call out to God to give us a strength not our own to proceed in the confrontation, the battle ahead. With the goat, it stunk, it was ugly, it was scary, it required more than either of us had to give. But God. We were not afraid to confront the situation. We didn’t run from it nor did we deny it.  We did recognize our limitations and cried out the the Almighty One, our God, and we won the victory. 

Step 3- Notice in the last step I used the word WE a lot.  The U stands for Unite. When desiring transformative healing in your life, you cannot do it alone. You must identify it and state it out of your mouth.  You must confront it with others and unite with others to face the battle ahead. You must also recognize you are created to live in community, meaning with others around you. Even if God has made you to be an introvert and crowds exhaust you, you still need to live in community in the way God leads. In the goat illustration, my mom needed to be the one grabbing him up out of that septic tank. I was right there, as her teenage daughter, praying for her and my goat! I witnessed something that my Mighty God did that I will never forget. I was there to swipe his mouth clean. I got bit in the process, but that happens!  For any of you wondering, Alfalfa lived for many years after that, and I have learned that my God has lifted me out of some deep septic tanks I jumped into. I had to learn to recognize that I couldn’t stay in them or else I would die. I praise my God for my Savior Jesus who died for all my septic tanks and yours.  Check out John 3:16 in the bible. 

Blessings, Friends- Lois

Self-Confidence

I envy confident people. I see them everywhere—at work, at church, at family gatherings. Their lives seem so much easier than mine. They breeze through life, never paralyzed with doubt or second guessing. They never seem to wonder if they are “good enough.”

I want to be them.

I know that my viewpoint is a huge generalization and is mistaken in many ways. The mistake I am wrestling with right now is that I have an inaccurate definition of confidence.

Dictionary.com defines confidence as “belief in oneself and one’s powers or abilities; self-confidence; self-reliance; assurance.” The dominant word here is SELF. And isn’t this just what our society demands, a devotion to our talents, appearances, careers, and material possessions?

Even the lack of self-confidence is a type of devotion to self. The focus is on one’s own deficiencies and the wish to be a “better” self. Why else would self-improvement books, videos, and television shows be such a prominent part of American culture? Having low self-confidence is just as self-absorbed as having high levels of self-assurance.

Placing confidence in anyone outside oneself is such a radical approach to living that I can’t grasp it. The Book of Philippians presents a view of the possibilities of life that flips all conventional cultural wisdom on its head. The verses on confidence are no exception.

We are to have no SELF-confidence? That’s what Paul calls for.

Since Pastor Nate’s sermon last Sunday on confidence, I’ve been trying to imagine a life rooted COMPLETELY in Christ, not my performance. Not basing my value on my job performance? Worrying about how effective a teacher I am is such a huge part of my life, my brain space, that I can’t imagine life without that stressor. A life lived doing my job to the best of my ability but not worrying about it all the time? Wow. That seems so far out of reach!

Imagining this life is revealing how amazingly self-focused I am and how few of my thoughts center on Christ’s view of me as a child of His. I really struggle with the concept that none of life-NONE OF IT!-is about me. It would be such freedom to live without the struggles of performance based values, but do I really want to let my selfishness go? I’ve lived with it for forty years…it is just a part of who I am. 

The human mind and heart are tricky. We want to have confidence, but we shy away from the only One who can give us true assurance of our worth. We still tend to put faith in the temporal things of our own weak and inadequate brains because we want it to be all about us, all the time.  

As I sit here wondering with my low self-confidence if my clinical strength deodorant and anti-humidity hairspray are still working in this unbearably hot room, I realize once again how sanctification is an ongoing process. Someday I will be confident in Christ and stop worrying about all this other “stuff.” Starting with one step at a time, right here, right now.

The Heard of Media

(By Thor Knutstad)

Media, which used to mean 'newspapers and radio then became big screen and television,’ has evolved to an "out-of-context forum of public opinion" where injustices are highlighted, sadness and sin are put on display, and the diluted facts are often completely distorted and deluded.  When each does what is right in his or her own mind (and each is his own authority), it's a panacea and panoramic display of anger, self-protection, chaotic expression and 'the false glory desire of being heard.'  Being heard?  Yes. Heard. Listened to. Acknowledged. Not dismissed.  Is the issue about ISSUES or is it about being heard because life has silenced many?  Hmm - ponder this.  Being heard.  Defiance and "sin glorying" and hate, dividing and excusing actually do "SAY" something, don't they?  Where has reason gone?

As the final tide of eternity turns and as earthly division arises, may believers be unified and of one heart for the sake of the Gospel.  Sin and the enemy Satan are winning daily battles in subtle ways via Heard Media, but the real victory is ultimately in Christ Jesus as depicted in God's Word - and the foot of the Savior journeys on to save many souls.  If that doesn't make any sense to you then you are eating from the famine of truth. No wait, you may be eating from 'the famine of Hearing The Truth'.  The latter may be greater than the former by all means.  Oh what grief this brings to our hearts. Even Christ-followers have traded the quiet of God's Holy spiritual wisdom in Word for a blue and white scrolling catalog of nothingness that tries to highlight everything. Connected but lonely. Lonely yet connected. Sort of. Yet we have gained the appearance of horizontal intimacies for a loss of vertical intimacy.  Maybe this is why anxiety and fear reign in darker moments?  Maybe this lack of personal truth in our embattled hearts creates blind spots that are darker than the worst London Fog. Does 'The Son' really clear out the fog in your life, in your perceptions, and in your viewpoints? Passion and voice aren't an excuse for lacking clarity, reason, and Truth.

Stand firm in the faith, people. Do not let your ears be tickled by the deceiving spirit of antichrist all around you in this latent fog disguised as a vapor of mist. Only when you have absorbed more Bible and reckoned with the Man of Truth (The Risen Christ called Jesus) than those hourly poisonous doses of news and FaceBook, will you ever possibly begin to comprehend a larger, wider, and bigger picture of His unfolding plan. Stand firm, brothers and sisters. For He will bring all things under Him who is Head, even Christ. Come quickly, Lord Jesus - for the groaning and the longing of your people is echoing through Heaven's hallways like the hourly church bell rings throughout the town. Praise Him. 

How Psalm 23 Helps Me in Moments of Fretting

(By Diego Cuartas)

Just this morning, I was fretting. While I was considering the different things that were in my day, I was feeling like I had little margin for anything else. It is in this context that I fretted because of some comments my wife made that I was interpreting as demands or expectations on her part. When I get to this point I'm recognizing that I am not as a loving in my responses to my wife. I offer short answers; I get frustrated and deep inside annoyed by the circumstances. I also think there is a belief going through my head regarding what I assess as unfair or unjust. An undercurrent line that says, "It is not fair that these things are being imposed on me at this moment!". And I find myself reacting to that.

So as I found a few minutes to slow down, before taking care of some lab work, I sensed God prompting me through His Spirit to read Psalm 23. This chapter is packed with with descriptions of who God is and what He is doing all the time--now and future. The following verbs or actions give me insight into who He is and what He is doing in every circumstance--including those when I am fretting:

• He is my shepherd and addresses my needs
• He is able to lead me to places of nourishment and rest
• He leads and restores my soul
• His guidance in my life is aligned with the pursuit of His good fame 
• He is present with me through correction and offers me comfort 
• He is my defender and bestower of blessings in my life to the point of satisfaction
• He is committed to offer me goodness and mercy into my future days
• And all this drama of life will end up with me and Him together living eternally--with this kind of Shepherd! 

In light of these realities, I can ask myself the following questions in my moments of fretting--and use them to X-Ray my heart and hopefully realign my thoughts with Him and be able to live hopefully, in gratitude and loving others well:

1. Who do I believe is with me in this moment?
2. What do I think I am entitled to? And who do I believe is responsible for delivering that to me?
3. Who is in control of my present?
4. Who can seek my best "good" and actually secure it for me?
5. Where can I find true rest and peace?
6. What do I believe I have to be in this situation or what do I believe I must do to come out of it ok?
7. Who do I believe will secure justice for me?
8. If God is this good and gracious to me, how can I be good and gracious to others in this moment?

May God help us believe that we can live as people who have a Good Shepherd--who oversees and cares for us--rather than living life as an orphan who believes that life, good and justice depends on our own efforts. Fretting will turn into trusting!

Is Authenticity Enough?

“It developed like a second language that I don’t understand.  I believe I was praying perfectly.  I know other people say they faked it, but I don’t feel like I did.  I know it was real.”  -anonymous, on speaking in tongues

(This quote is from a podcast called “This is Actually Happening”, from the episode “What if you used to speak in tongues?”  If very strong language doesn’t bother you too much, I recommend listening to it - but not in front of the kids.)

Is it possible to have a fully authentic Christian experience, and walk away from it?  Did someone who “loses” their faith, ever have it to begin with, or were they just faking it, or going through the motions?  Having grown up in the Church, I have had the opportunity to meet some super-spiritual people, and watch some of those same super-spiritual people walk away from their faith.  Either I am a terrible judge of character who grew up surrounded by adolescent and teenage scammers, or something else is happening.  I have known people who seemed to have it all together, and decided that Christianity wasn’t for them.

The speaker in “What if you used to speak in tongues?” recounts her experience in a charismatic church setting, with tongue-speaking, faith healing, and being slain in the spirit, but at its core it is not much different that the church I grew up in, or that I see my kids growing up in.  We, as parents and CM leaders, want to provide opportunities for authentic God experiences, which is fantastic.  But the young person in “What if…” seems to have had that.  She believes her experience was real, authentic, and valuable.  So why is her story called “used to” speak in tongues?  Because she gave up on religion.  If you listen to her story, it boils down to the fact that she was hurt by the church, and all of her very real and meaningful experiences weren’t enough for her.  

I have witnessed this trajectory before, and I don’t know if the modern church has a valid strategy for preventing it in the future.  Statically speaking, one of my own kids or their friends, having experienced God, will decide that staying in the church is either more painful than leaving, or simply lacks enough meaning to them.

So what are we supposed to do?  First, we need to understand that people change.  I have a friend who’s beliefs are not far from mine, but he can’t see them fitting into the narrow box of his idea of Christianity.  He can’t get past all of the prerequisites (including the need to speak in tongues) that he grew up with, so he feels that he has no place in the church.  We are all at different places, and accepting people on the journey without judgement is important.  Church is not an exclusive club for people who meet the requirements. 

We can also recognize that young people leave the church because their faith isn’t personally meaningful to them.  They have the faith of their parents, who made them attend church and have God experiences, but it never became their own, first-hand faith.  Maybe their friends went to church, but if their faith is not their own, they will likely see no reason to remain in the church, when there is no requirement or pressure to do so.

So, is authenticity enough?  Sometimes.  But no amount of striving on my part can create authenticity for someone else.  And even when an authentic experience happens, there’s still no guarantee that it will outweigh all else.  I suppose it’s truly a miracle when a person decides for themselves that, despite the potential for pain, an authentic relationship is worth pursuing, and holding on to.

Jeff Hyson

Make Sure Your Lights Are Lined Up..... One Way I’ve Learned to Hear God’s Voice

(By Lois Robinson)

A question I get asked a lot is, “How do I learn to hear God’s voice?” It happens to be the same question I had years ago. Through the years I have learned there are many teachings on how to hear God’s voice, how to discern His voice over the enemy’s voice and so forth. All are very important to learn. James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

I have learned by spending time with Him, much like spending time with a best friend or family member, you tend to learn the sound of their voice. A good example of this is when that person calls you,  it would be silly if they actually identified themselves. You usually know the sound of their voice because of the close relationship you have cultivated.

But, there is another way I have learned to discern God’s voice, and as the title of this blog reads, it involves a cool little story about a great man of God named Hoppy, an oyster boat, and lights on pilings down at the pier at night!

Way back when I was a young adult, 27-28 maybe, I remember serving in the role of the organist at Deerfield Methodist church. One weekend a Revival Service was held and the evangelist was a man by the name of Wilbur Hoffman. His nickname was “Hoppy”. Boy did he preach! What he shared, I have never forgotten. I am 51 years old now and I still hold on to what he said that night. Here goes:

By trade, he ran an oyster boat down at Port Norris, NJ. At night, when he came in off the sea gathering oysters, he had to make sure his lights lined up. What he meant was quite literally the lights on the pilings at the port. He then proceeded to draw a set of 8 circles, each representing a light on a piling.  There were 2 circles drawn on the top, about 5 inches apart, then 2 more below them, again 5 inches apart and so forth. This image was to give the appearance of the lighted port that his boat had to navigate through in order to dock. Something like this:      

O                         O

O                         O

O                         O

O                         O

I was fascinated by what he was saying. He explained that when he would come in at night, naturally he would not be able to see in order to navigate steering his boat into the port safely, without damaging it. So the lights on the pilings were crucial in order to pull in safely to dock. He then went on to use this example to explain his analogy of how to hear God’s voice.

Each of the above lights were labeled with some specific things:

O                        O - God speaks through His Word

O                        O - God speaks through Prayer

O                        O - God speaks through His People

O                        O - God speaks through Circumstances

Here is a practical example of how I used this in order to discern God’s voice in my own life. Back in the mid 90's, I had just completed my Bachelor’s in Youth Ministry from Eastern University, then Eastern College. :) My Youth Ministry professors told me I should go back to grad school to get my Masters in Counseling. I said I didn’t think so but would pray about it. They apparently were discerning something God was saying about my life, but I sure was not seeing it! I honestly thought, “There is no way I’m heading back to school, nor do I have any money to do something like that!” Well, I prayed, “God, if this is what You want, then You better help me find out about this counseling thing!” I was in the Bridgeton Bible Book Store, which is now gone, and Miss Tammy Vaughn was in there. I had no idea who she was, but she hollered across the store to me, recognizing me from Eastern. She was a counseling student at Eastern and proceeded to tell me about the program. I couldn’t believe that God did this!

So as the events began to unfold, reading scripture, praying, circumstances, His people. All my lights were lining up. So, I went to the Eastern College parking lot with the Grad School Counseling Program application in my hand. I prayed, “God, if I am NOT supposed to do this, CLOSE the door. If I am supposed to do this, let me get in with flying colors.” That was my actual prayer. I soon received a letter saying I was welcomed into their program. I then discerned that I was “pulling my boat safely into port because my lights did indeed line up.”

That was the start of God revealing one of my greatest passions in serving Him. I am so thankful for God’s voice. I would be lost without Him. Truth and Light counseling was born three years later. Amen

We Have Enough

Our Spring Break this year was really different. We didn’t visit Cancun. We didn’t spend our time washing our windows or doing other spring cleaning tasks. Our family of four moved into our yucky, dirty garage for the week.

We did it to try to experience a tiny bit of what it would be like to live below the worldwide poverty line...where people live on less than $1.50 a day per adult for food. We modeled our living situation after places my husband had visited in Central America in college. All four of us slept in the same bed, we ate rice and beans each meal, we cooked outside, and we walked anywhere we had to go. We each had two sets of clothes and we didn’t have any toys for the girls besides little sticks and rocks we found outside.

We spent some time blogging about our experiences. Mid-week, we had to come sleep inside one evening because the temperatures dipped into the 30’s. Here’s what happened in our house that evening when we ‘re-entered’ our regular living situation:

“Two nights ago we came inside our (regular) house and out of our garage house for a little while. Of course, our girls practically jumped on all their toys and started playing, playing, playing.

But it wasn't long before Bethany had a little doll in her hand that Ava wanted.

And Ava asked her if she could have the doll. And Bethany said 'No.'

I told Ava to go look for other toys that she could play with instead. Her response to me was: "I don't want any other toy. I don't really like any of the toys in this house except that doll."

Well, you can imagine how I, being tired and cold and deprived of regular middle-class comforts, would respond to such a comment.

I said, "Well, then, Ava, maybe I should just PUT ALL YOUR TOYS AWAY THEN. Maybe you shouldn't have ANY TOYS AT ALL if you don't like them," in a rather rude voice. But I was just so mad that 10 minutes inside our house could SO EASILY make her forget what we had been living outside and cause her to say something so entitled and ungrateful. I was upset.

The moment passed and she found some other toys after asking me to please not put her toys away.

I didn't really feel so good about our encounter, so later on, after I had cooled down, I brought her into my lap and I told her that it was really sad for me to hear her say that she didn't like any of the thousands of toys we have in our house. I told her it made me sad because we had been living outside in the garage with NO toys and SO MANY kids in the world have so much less than we do. We have 5 dollhouses and a Dora dollhouse and a hamper full of stuffed animals and crayons and sparkly markers and SO MUCH. And yet she thinks it's not enough because there is one thing she doesn't have.

Then I told her that Mommy is the same way. I have SO MANY clothes. A closet full. A closet STUFFED full. And I so often decide that I don't like ANY of my clothes and I must have new ones. I think that I have to have MORE because I don't have ENOUGH.

Sarah Howard

And that is really, really sad.

I told her we would work on it together, being happy with all the wonderful things that God has given us. That we would work on accepting that we have ENOUGH.”

Read more about our experiences at www.SoMuchHope.com/sow

Can We Enter God's Joy?

if you are like me, and many others in this world, we can often find excuses to not live joyfully or hope-full--much less enter what is known as the joy of God. Yes, God has joys and we are invited to enter those with Him. The Israelite King David put it this way: "You [God] make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Today, I want to point you to a blog Ed Welch composed on this topic. It will be worth your time. I hope that God gives you grace to recognize the possibility of entering into His joys and to live a life motivated by them. To read the blog click here.

Sincerely,

Diego Cuartas

“…No Longer a Slave…”

Over the last couple months my husband and I have been listening to Bethel’s new album We will not be shaken. It seemed like that was all we listened to for a few weeks. One of my favorite songs from that album is No Longer Slaves by Jonathan Helser and Brian Johnson. It is sung as a raw declaration of truth and freedom by Helser who has this sort of raspy lumberjack voice. Ah such a good song. Here are some of the lyrics.  

You unravel me, with a melody

You surround me with a song

Of deliverance, from my enemies 

Till all my fears are gone 

Chorus:

I’m no longer a slave to fear

I am a child of God 

    I love this song because of the truth in it. It speaks of a God who is gentle and sings over us, but strong enough to save us from our enemies. He has released us from our bondage as slaves and made us children in his family. 

    My heart and mind need to be constantly reminded of this truth. Our God is not weak, small or timid. He is completely gentle but completely strong. I am no longer a slave. I am a child in God’s family. This should make all the difference. I don’t need to “submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1). I don’t need to be governed by fear. 

    I don’t know how many of you can relate with having a fear that is often misplaced, but I will be the first one to admit it. I waste too much time running through worst case scenarios in my head in an effort to “be prepared,” afraid of what might happen if I’m not. I can get caught up living life reacting to what my fears are and making faulty conclusions because of them. For example: My train of thought can sometimes go, ‘I can’t forget a single thing in the baby’s diaper bag because if I do then our outing/ day will be ruined because we will not have what we need to enjoy it.’ I am afraid of having my plans changed in that moment and so I make every effort not to be caught unprepared. Uhhhh…extreme much? I doubt the day would be ruined. This is a silly example but just imagine if that happens on a bigger scale. Who is God and where is he in those instances?

    The enemy seems to be good at blowing things out of proportion in order to get us side tracked. If he can get us to fear insignificant things, then those become big in our minds view, God becomes small, and we end up walking through life as though slaves even though we are already free. So how do I actively fight for truth and combat fear? 

    Often what I need to remember in fearful situations is who God is and who I am. As I journal and read these days, it has helped me to meditate on certain passages that say just that. I write the truth about God on one side and then what that means for me on the other. For example, Isaiah 42:13- “The Lord will march out like a champion, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies” (NIV). The truth that I write on the other side would be that He is a mighty warrior and he is capable of defeating my enemies; so I am safe. God becomes big again and my fear is in its place. 

    When fear says jump, I don’t have to say how high because the TRUTH is that my God is bigger. My God is in control. My God is ferocious and fights with a vengeance against my enemies. In his presence fear must run. AND this great God is my father. I am his and apart of his family. I AM NO LONGER A SLAVE. It is for freedom that Christ has set me free (Gal. 5:1).

Sophia Howard

Are Your Twenties Difficult?

I want to point you today to an insightful blog Paul Maxwell contributed to the desiringgod.org blog recently. His blog looks at some realities that can characterize the "twenties" of our life as a "dark" period or a season full of opportunities. Maxwell also reflects on what God has to offer to you during this season of life. Not just practically speaking, but how He offers Himself to you to fill your life with meaning and hope and fulfill His purposes through you. To read the blog click here.

May God bless you in your "twenties",

Diego Cuartas