Holy Light

“The lamp (light showing the way of truth) of the LORD searches (examines, tracks down) the spirit (breath, life) of a man; it searches out his inmost being (heart, chamber, bedroom, the most intimate part of the heart),” Proverbs 20:27.
When I am searching for something important – keys, wallet, phone – I turn on every available light and look throughout the room. I move things that might be covering up what I’m seeking. I may call for help in my search. I go back to where I’ve already looked, just in case I missed it the first time. I check every corner, hunt through drawers, closets, and shelves, and keep searching with a light in my hand until I find it. The presence of light makes it possible to see what might be hidden. (The older I get the more often I have to go through this routine.)
God has a holy light, a brilliant, powerful light that illumines every corner and crevice of our lives. When we read His Word, He shines that spotlight on you and me, searching our hearts and minds, our thoughts and intentions, our desires and passions, and our actions. At the same time, His Spirit moves everything we use to cover up our sin. He looks far deeper than we even know exists, to the most intimate levels of our being, to the place where He finds the truth about us. His purpose is to locate and root out everything in us that does not meet the perfect standard for His children. This is the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:11).
I need this holy light of truth to examine my life, to track down everything in me that is not conforming to the image of Christ. I need God to search out every offensive way in me (Psalm 139:24). In the deepest part of my heart, there are passions and desires and fears and selfishness – that need to be crucified to Christ Jesus (Col. 3:5; Gal. 5:24) if I am to truly love Him and be a vessel for His glory. I want to be fully open to the Spirit’s examination. I want Him to freely roam throughout my heart, mind, and body and expose me to the core. That is frightening, but it will release me from the bonds of my flesh and the world. Beloved, will you let the Word and the Spirit do a sanctifying work in you?

How to Behave Like a Christian

Okay friends, I hear you. Yes, I’ve said that God isn’t after behavior modification, but then I said that behavior matters. Yet the harder we try to behave like a Christian, the more we stumble. It feels like an impossible scenario. And it is. So how do we do this Christian thing?
Colossians 3 has some excellent advice for us – in fact, in my Bible (NIV) this section is entitled, “Rules for Holy Living.” Paul gives the key right up front: “Set your heart on things above” (v. 1) and “Set your mind on things above” (v. 2). In Scripture both the heart and the mind center around our thoughts. “Set your heart” means “to seek by thinking, meditating, and reasoning.” Likewise, “set your mind” means “to direct one’s mind to a thing.” Our behavior starts with our thoughts.
The heart, in the original Greek, is “the seat of thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections . . .” and the mind is the locus of “considering and judging.” The first key is to recognize that we determine our thoughts. We choose what we meditate on and allow to take up valuable space in our hearts and minds. Granted, our thoughts can be triggered by outside forces – advertisers count on that. And lest we forget, the mind is the devil’s favorite playground. But you and I determine what stays in our minds.
One verse I claim often is to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor 10:5). How? By setting our thoughts on things above. By grabbing that errant thought and taking it to Jesus and letting His Spirit direct us rightly. Which brings me to the most crucial point in our quest for living the Christian life – the presence and work of the Holy Spirit. Paul said, “Those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires” (Rom 8:6). That is the conjoining of our minds with the Holy Spirit. Then we will be “controlled by the Spirit . . . [that] lives in us” (v. 9). And that is the complete surrender of our lives to the Spirit of Christ.
Beloved, what you think about, what you give your heart and mind to, what you pursue with your emotions are all under your control. But when you submit your mind and heart to the Holy Spirit He takes control. He leads you in the ways of Christ. That is how you and I live holy, godly lives. That’s how the impossible becomes possible.

Peace, Please

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you” (John 14:27).
I could sure use some peace – how about you? How about in your home or workplace? How about in our world? Why, if the Lord promised us His peace, is there so little of it around?
I believe it is because we are looking in the wrong places for peace. Our key verse tells us that the only source for genuine peace is Jesus Christ. Real, lasting peace comes only when we are at peace with God. Paul wrote that we “have peace with God through Jesus Christ.” (Rom 5:1). Peace cannot exist where God does not reign, be it in the human heart or between nations. In fact, peace between nations will never exist unless there is the peace of God in men’s hearts. Peace is the result of walking with and in Jesus Christ.
Peace also comes when we submit to Christ. Colossians 3:15 tells us to “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” The original terminology for “rule” means, “to decide as an umpire.” My husband used to umpire for Little League baseball, and it was up to him to decide if a pitch was a ball or strike, a hit was fair or foul, or if a player was out or safe. Whatever he decided stood. Coaches argued his calls at times, but his decision was the final word. When the peace of Christ rules in our hearts, we take His determination, through His Word and His Spirit, as the final word on our situation – and we have peace.
A lack of peace also comes from worrying – I know this one well. Jesus said “Do not worry . . . your Father knows what you need” (Matt 6:25-34), so we rest our anxious hearts and choose not to fret. He said “Ask, seek, knock,” and then trust Him to give (Matt 7:7-11) and so we present our petitions and wait for His answer. He said, “I will love you with an everlasting love” (Psalm 103:17), and so we take Him at His Word.
When the peace of God through Jesus Christ rules and reigns in your heart and mine, there is peace on the inside and peace on the outside. Peace that affects our homes, our nations, and our world. Most of all it affects us. Beloved, let’s live in peace.

Packing up Christmas

Christmas Day has come and gone and my living room looks like a toy store exploded all over the place, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. So what now? Well, I’ll clean up the blast zone and pack away the lights and ornaments and we’ll finish off the last of the Christmas dinner leftovers. But, where does the Christmas spirit go for the next 11 months?
Where does Joy belong? Certainly not packed away until next year. Joy is a by-product of the indwelling Holy Spirit, not a Christmas decoration. And what of the peace the angels declared? According to Jesus, peace is His gift to me, something the world can’t offer (John 14:27). Joy and peace are not meant to sit in a box in the shed. They belong in my heart. Jesus said that His Joy cannot be taken [or packed] away (Jn 16:22). Paul said that peace is to always rule over me and my relationships (Col. 3:15).
There isn’t a box in my shed big enough for the Hope of Christ. Hope believes that God is who He claims to be, that He is trustworthy and faithful (2 Thess 3:3), that His love is unfailing (Ps. 136), and His promises are as sure as His Name (Heb. 6:13). Hope trusts that His eye is ever on me and His ear is tuned to my cries (Gen. 21:13, 11). Hope knows that one day this wicked world will be turned right-side-up (Rev. 21:5). I am hanging on to hope I need it desperately after the year we’ve been through.
And then there is love – the greatest of all gifts (1 Cor. 13:13). Love slept in a manger (Luke 2:7). Love walked the dirty streets of earth, healing and lifting up the downtrodden (Matt. 8:1-3). Love died on a cross (Mark 15: 37) and Love brought life from death (Mark 16:6). Love must never be packed away for the world needs it more than any other thing. Love – holy love – is the only thing that can save mankind. And it is the only thing that will draw men out of darkness into the light.
I don’t know if your Christmas was merry or jolly or less than you’d hoped, but I know that the spirit of Christmas lives in the hearts of God’s people all year long. Beloved, pack up the decorations but don’t pack away the Joy and peace and hope and love. Keep it out on display – the world needs it now more than ever.

Acts: Receive the Holy Spirit

It is a sad truth in our churches; not everyone who claims to be a Christian is a true believer and follower of Christ. Some put up a very good front, and we’ll see an example in a couple of weeks. But some who believe themselves to be Christians are sadly wrong. Case in point: read Acts 19:1-7.

Paul traveled to Ephesus where he encountered twelve disciples – but not disciples of Jesus. A disciple is not a solely Christian concept. Disciples are learners and followers and go back in Scripture to Moses and Joshua, Eli and Samuel, and Elijah and Elisha among many others. The secular version of disciples are apprentices, learning a trade or craft from a master.

When Paul questioned the disciples, he realized they did not know fully about Jesus and life in Him. That speaks volumes to the present state of the church. They had no knowledge of the Holy Spirit. They had received “John’s baptism” but John the Baptist baptized for repentance of sins, which is the first step to full conversion to Christ. Another point at which the modern church falls flat. John was beheaded before Jesus’ death and resurrection and before the filling of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Thus, John’s disciples taught what John taught, which was true, but incomplete. Paul brought them up to speed on Jesus and they believed and “were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.” They also received the baptism – or filling – of the Holy Spirit, who comes to every true believer.

Paul would later write to the churches in Rome saying, “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ” (Rom 8:9). How can we know if we have the Spirit of Christ? “Those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires” (v. 5). They produce the “fruit [or evidence] of the Spirit: love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal 5:22-23). They “keep in step with the Spirit” (v. 25), and they live so as not to “grieve the Holy Spirit” (Eph 4:29). The Spirit of Christ is the mark of a true Christian.

When I meet a fellow Christian for the first time, the Holy Spirit in them and the Holy Spirit in me confirms to each of us that we are family in Christ. Beloved, don’t settle for an incomplete faith that cannot save you. Know Jesus. Be all in. And be filled with the Holy Spirit of Christ.

Joy is in the House!

It’s Joy week at our house and it’s evident. Her scooter is parked in the kitchen. The living room is covered with toys, stuffed animals, and baby dolls asleep on the couch – tucked in with blankets. The bathroom contains her bath toys, toothbrush, hair clips (that never last more than a few minutes, and bath supplies. Here in my office, I spy her backpack, a pair of shoes, and lots of coloring pages scattered around. It is obvious Joy is home this week, and I love it!

In Colossians 3:16, Paul said, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly,” meaning the Word of Christ should live in us and be evident in every part of our being. Just as my sweet Joy has left her mark all over our house, Jesus’ Words should leave their mark in you and me. How does that look in real life? Check out these verses from Psalm 119:

“I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You” (11).

“With my lips, I recount all the laws that come from Your mouth” (13).

“I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways” (15)

“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law” (18).

“My soul is consumed with longing for Your laws at all times” (20).

“I lift up my hands to Your commands, which I love” (48).

“How sweet are Your Words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth” (103).

“Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (105).

“May my tongue sing of Your Word, for all Your commands are righteous” (172).

Did you see it? Heart, lips, mind, eyes, soul, hands, mouth, feet, tongue. When the Word of Christ dwells in you and me richly, it shows in every part of us – where we look, what we say, what we think, what we do, and where we go.

When Peter and John were arrested for preaching the Gospel Peter boldly proclaimed the Name of Jesus before the Sanhedrin and “when they saw the courage of Peter and John realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).

When you spend time with Jesus it shows. When His Word dwells in you it is written all over you. Beloved, let His Word live in you – then live out His Word.

Time to Change

Joy does not like to wear dirty clothes. She insists that she must change if she sees just a little spot on her shirt. Last weekend her Daddy took her to a trampoline place to jump to her heart’s content, which also got her clothes dirty. She protested until she got home and changed.

In Zechariah, Joshua became the high priest when the Jews returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity.  (Note: this is about a thousand years after Moses’ Joshua.)  In Zechariah’s vision, Joshua was standing before the Lord with “satan standing at his right side to accuse him” (3:1). The Lord God rebuked satan for his lies. Joshua represented Jerusalem, the city of the Lord’s temple.  Joshua was “dressed in filthy clothes” and the word used here means his clothes were soiled with human excrement. An angel came and removed his filthy clothes, symbolizing the Lord taking away the sin of Jerusalem. Then he put “rich garments” on Joshua and “a clean turban” on his head (vs 4,5). He dressed him in fine garments used only for a special occasion and crowned his head with purity. God cleansed Jerusalem and gave them back their dignity and purity as His people.

This is also a picture of Jesus, “the Branch who was to come” (v. 8). I hope you can see the prophecy clearly. Even the name “Joshua” was the Hebrew equivalent of “Jesus.” Joshua foreshadowed Jesus, the pure and holy Son of God who was stained with all the filth of humankind. But Jesus put off those filthy clothes and left them in the grave and He put on the garments of the priestly king (Heb 6:20; Matt 27:11). He is now in heaven clothed in majesty (Ps 93:1).  

This is also a picture of you and me and all who will believe in Him. We wore clothes stained with the filth of our sins, and satan was hurling accusations (Rev 12:10). But Jesus “Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree” (1 Pet 2:24). He clothed us in “garments of salvation and robes of righteousness” (Is 61:10). We are now “clothed with Christ” (Gal 3:27). And with those new holy clothes, we have a new nature (Col 3:10), and even a new mind – “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16).

Dear one, it’s time to change. It’s time to take off the old filthy clothes and dress like who you are. Clean. Pure. Righteous. Holy. Step behind the curtain, Beloved. Jesus is waiting for you in the dressing room.

A Brand New You

One of my responsibilities is to cover my boss’ classes when he must be away. He had to be out one day and we were talking about what I needed to do as “the sub.” We laughed as I recalled some mischief I pulled on substitute teachers in the past and then I said, “That was before Jesus. I don’t do that stuff now.”

Paul had that same message. In Romans 6 he talked about the difference between who we were before Jesus and who we are now. Before Christ, we were dead to righteousness and a slave to sin. We “used to offer the parts of [our] body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness,” (v. 19). Throughout his letters, he describes some of the things in which we indulged in our pre-Christ state. Things you would expect like murder, sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry, hatred, anger, drunkenness, selfishness, lying, stealing, envy, greed, obscenity, and things you might not expect like foolish talk, coarse joking, and gossip. All those were part of your “BC” – before Christ – life.

But now that you are in Christ, that’s not who you are anymore. Let me say that again so you can hear: YOU ARE NOT THAT SINFUL PERSON ANYMORE. Paul said, “But now you have been set free from sin” (Rom 6:22). But now, you are a “new creation” (2 Cor 5:17), dead to sin and alive to righteousness. You are not bound to obey your old sinful desires and the temptations of the world. While they may have given you a moment of pleasure, they also produced a heavy burden of guilt. Paul asked, “What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of?” (Rom 6:21). The implied question follows – Why do you want to indulge in them again?

Here is the good news: you are not who you once were. “You have been set free from sin” (Rom 6:22). You can leave those sinful desires and actions behind and live for Jesus. Paul said, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of the light.” (Eph 5:8). I don’t know about you but that gives me tremendous hope. When those old familiar desires rise up and the enemy dangles that favorite temptation before you, you can say – “That was the old me – I don’t do that now.” And you can walk away. You really can Beloved. Because that’s not who you are anymore.

For the Overwhelmed Heart

What do we do when it all gets overwhelming? In the past several years, it seems as if life has gone from one hard thing to another. From disease to riots to hate to natural disasters to political ugliness and international heartbreak –will it ever end? And how will we keep our sanity until it does? Maybe the world scene feels like nothing compared to the struggles you’ve faced in your own life. I understand.

This year has been a very difficult season with one hard thing after another. My family has been thrown into turmoil, anxiety, and grief. It seemed like the devil had pained a bullseye on my chest and was aiming his fiery darts right at my heart. I questioned why God would allow all these things to happen. For a while, I lived in my overwhelmed emotions and my thoughts fueled panic attacks and physical health issues from the stress. I was mentally distracted from the work and ministry God had called me to and I just wanted to give up.

But God (oh, how I love those two words!) spoke to me through a verse: “Set your minds on things above . . .” (Col 3:2). I started meditating more on God’s character and less on the problem at hand. I began searching the Scriptures and praying God’s Word over the matter. I stopped telling God what I thought He should do and began telling Him that I trusted Him in whatever He chose to do. God gave me a phrase that became my lifeline every time the panic would start to set in: “I have entrusted my beloved into the hands of my Father.” I posted those words on my desk and ran them over and over in my head. I often spoke them out loud so that I could hear them in my ears. Slowly the peace of Christ began to rule in my heart (v. 15).

I didn’t need fluffy assurances and pretty memes. I needed a real faith for real life. I needed to focus on God and His faithfulness and sovereignty. I needed to go to the Word of God for a word for my soul. I needed to pray His will through His Word. As I came before Him in raw honesty, I felt Him soothe my wounded heart and calm my frantic spirit. I found the strength I desperately needed. I found hope in a hopeless situation. I found peace in the storm. I found a real God for real life.

Are You Paying Attention?

Two people sit through the same church service where the Scriptures are read and taught. One person is moved deeply and acts in obedience to the Word of God. Their life is radically changed. The other person walks away thinking only about lunch and couldn’t tell you what was said from the pulpit. They are unaffected and unchanged. How can this be? And why have I been both of those people at different times?

Paul wrote, “All over the world the gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth” (Colossians 1:6). He said that the believers “heard” the Gospel and “understood” God’s grace in all its truth. Those words intrigued me, and, as often happens, the Holy Spirit said, “What does that mean?” So, I did some digging.

The word “heard” doesn’t just mean that the sounds of the Gospel pronouncement vibrated their eardrums. And it doesn’t mean that they sat through the message and then went on their merry way. That word means “to attend to, to consider carefully what has been said.” It means that the Colossians regarded the message as a matter of importance and gave it their utmost attention. In other words, they were sharply focused on the Word of the Lord. The modern equivalent means they weren’t texting, scrolling Facebook, or checking out Instagram during the preaching.

 “Understood” is also deeper than our English language offers. This means to “become thoroughly acquainted with.” You won’t become thoroughly acquainted with something that you don’t consider worthy of your attention. The Colossians believed that grace was something of value, something worth understanding – “in all its truth.” Understanding the truth of something means investigating it and pondering it and meditating on it. And it means applying our lives to it.  Paul said their diligence bore fruit – “faith in Christ Jesus and love for all the saints . . . and hope” in the eternal promises of God (vs. 4,5).

Beloved, are you listening – really listening – to the message of the Gospel and the teachings of the Scriptures? The same could be asked when personally reading the Bible. (You are reading your Bible, right?) Are you making the effort to understand – really understand – what God’s Word says? It’s not a casual nod of agreement, it is investing your time and attention to dig deeply into the truth. It will not return void. The fruit of your focus – faith and love and hope – is worth it