Shaken and Stirred

When I read about the first church and those who fled Jerusalem under persecution for the gospel (Acts 8:1-3) and the martyrs who died with the name of Jesus on their lips, and I think about the Christians in the east who are still tortured and killed for their faith in Christ, I am ashamed. Oswald Chambers rightly said, “Beware of the danger of spiritual relaxation.” Beware of the Lazy-Boy faith of the Western church today. The true Christian life is not safe.

If every day as a Christian is an easy-breezy-peazy day, then we are in trouble. Following Jesus is not intended to be some blissful nirvana. It’s a climb, a race, a battle, a challenge.  It’s a step-by-step, day-by-day, prayer-by-prayer trek over desert sand and rocky mountains and treacherous trails through hostile territory.  That’s the life the Apostles experienced.  That’s the life the martyrs endured.  Their faith was tried and tested in the fires, and it came forth as gold.  The Christians with the strongest, deepest faith are the ones who defy opposition, persecution, threats, and even death for the name of Jesus.  The most dangerous state for a Christian is when all is right in their little world. 

After grapes are crushed to extract the juice it is placed in containers and allowed to ferment.  During fermentation, the dregs, or sediment, settle at the bottom of the container.  After forty days the wine is “shaken up” – poured into another container to allow the dregs to be removed.  If the dregs remain, the wine becomes too sweet and thick and it is spoiled. The Lord spoke of Israel’s enemy, “Moab has been at rest from youth, like wine left on its dregs, not poured from one jar to another.  So she tastes as she did and her aroma is unchanged” (Jer. 48:11).  Moab had been largely at peace, and their turmoil-free life had made them spoiled.  The Lord said the same of Jerusalem, “I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs . . . (Zephaniah 1:12)”

Beloved, has your life – and your faith – been shaken lately?  Mine has. James says, “Count it all Joy . . .” (James 1:2).  God is sifting out the dregs, the dangerously sweet stuff that spoils you.  He is making your life an offering worthy of Christ.  Is it hard?  You bet.  Is it painful?  Without a doubt.  Is it worth it?  Just ask the saints who endured.  They’re the ones singing songs of Joy and praise around the throne.

I AM: The Good Shepherd

My favorite “I Am” statement of Jesus is “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11). It is precious and comforting to me. To get the full scope of this statement, please read John 10:11-30. Remember that Jesus is talking to the Pharisees, the ruling religious party of the Jews. They had just tried to discredit His miraculous healing of a man born blind (John 9) and had thrown the man out of the temple for defending the One who opened His eyes. This I Am also comes on the heels of His claim to be The Door/Gate (10:7-10).

The Pharisees knew exactly what Jesus meant by this statement, and it infuriated them. It was a reference to the Lord’s proclamation against the worthless “shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves” (Eze 34:2). They used and abused the sheep they were called to tend, ate their curds, and took their wool for their own coverings. They had no compassion for the weak or sick or wounded. They left the lost to wander alone and in constant danger. So the Lord said, “I myself will tend my sheep . . .” (Eze 34:15). Jesus came to be the Shepherd – the Good Shepherd – and step in where they had failed.

The Good Shepherd, Jesus said, “lays down His life for the sheep” (Jn 10:11-12). Sheep owners would hire shepherds who had no stake in the flock other than a paycheck. When a wolf attacked, the careless shepherds would run away, leaving the defenseless sheep in mortal danger. Of course, the wolf is satan, and Jesus did not run away. He faced down the devil, laid down on the cross, and died to save His beloved lambs (v. 18). And by God’s divine power, He rose to life and stands between the wolf and His flock.

Here’s the part I love the best – Jesus said, “I know my sheep and my sheep know me” (v. 14)”. The twin words, “know” speak volumes in the original Greek. It means to be acquainted with or have knowledge of. But it also means intimacy, the kind that only a husband and wife enjoy when there is nothing between them but love. No pretense. No distance. No distrust. Jesus knows me like no one else, and He loves me. All of me. Even the parts that I do not love about myself.

It is the same love He has for you. Intimate. Abiding. Unwavering. Unfailing. Eternal. He is the Good Shepherd. You, precious little lamb, can trust Him.

Hebrews: Home

My husband, son, and I lived in Florida for almost twenty years. We had jobs, bought a house, became involved in a church, made very dear friends, and my son’s entire school life was in Florida. But – no offense to Floridians in the least – we never felt like we were home. I’m an Alabama girl. Red clay runs through my veins and cotton is my favorite flower. Home is where your heart is, and my heart is in Alabama. To quote that great bespectacled poet, John Denver, “Hey, it’s good to be back home again.”

The writer of Hebrews would understand. He said, “For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come” (Heb 13:14). We’re looking for a home that will last. We won’t find it here in this world. Not even in Alabama. But that’s by God’s design because we weren’t made for this world. “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil 3:20). “Gentleman” Jim Reeves sang, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through.” We are pilgrims here on our way to our heavenly home.

Jesus is at work today, preparing a home for all who will believe and trust in Him.  He made this promise in John 14:2-3: “In my Father’s house are many rooms…I am going there to prepare a place for you, [and] I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”  Jesus is fixing up your room in His Father’s house.  With just the right colors and furnishings, everything will be perfect for you when you arrive.  I hope he hangs His portrait on the wall.  But then again, we won’t need pictures, we will see Him face to face, in all of His glory.  Imagine, all of the great men and women of the Bible, the martyrs, missionaries, servants, those who preached to great audiences of people, and those who lovingly wiped feverish brows in the name of Jesus all together in the great halls of God’s house.  And oh, what wonderful reunions with those who made it home before us!  My mom, dad, and big brother will be there, and dear and precious friends that I miss so much.  We will all share in the joy of God’s house, for Jesus has been working all this time to make everything ready.  No wonder He “apprenticed” as a carpenter for thirty years here on earth. Is this your forever home? Do you know the Carpenter from Nazareth? What do you imagine your place will look like in heaven? Beloved, keep moving toward heaven. When you get Home you can take your boots off and rest. Forever.

This is the Way

Hubby and I went into town yesterday to run some errands. But first breakfast at our favorite breakfast spot. When we got to the 3-way intersection by the church, I expected him to take the middle road, knowing where we were headed. He went to the road on the right. I opened my mouth to say that this was the wrong way, but then I remembered that he grew up driving on these backroads and I settled back in my seat. He loves to take alternate routes. Riding with him is an adventure but we always end up in the right place.

After 400 years of enslavement, the Israelites were allowed to leave Egypt and journey to Canaan, the Promised Land. But there would be alternate routes all along the way. If you look at a map, the easiest way would be due east, hugging the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, but God didn’t lead them that was because they would have crossed through Philistine country and faced a fight they were not strong enough to handle. He said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt” (Ex 13:17). So He detoured them to the south toward the Red Sea.

Then he turned them back the way they came. I’m sure they were thinking, “God, what are you doing here? Where are you taking us?” But He said, “Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’” Thinking he had the upper hand Pharaoh pursued them, but God divided the sea and led the people across on dry ground. Then He closed the waters up over Pharaoh and the Israelite army. And they glorified Him. (Ex 14:1-31).

Of course we know about the detour through the wilderness when the Israelites disobeyed Him, but in the end, they crossed over the Jordan (again in a miraculous way) and into the Promised Land. Even in their sin, God was working to take them where He wanted them to be. Traveling with God is always an adventure. He never directs me the way I expect. But He has never gotten me lost. Every time I think He’s given me a wrong turn it turns out to be a different path to the right place. And when I fail to listen and think I know the way, He guides me back to the place I need to be. He knows every backroad and every detour because He blazed the path long before.  Beloved, you can trust God to lead you well. Whatever path he guides you to, He will always get you Home.

When the Thunder Rolls

When my son was about five he was afraid of thunderstorms. Like every child, he wanted to be near his parents, where he felt safe; but he was at the age where he really wanted to be “a big boy.” He didn’t want to give in to his fears, but his fears were very real. I’ve been there, and I am sure you have as well.

I remember one night when a storm rolled in just as his dad and I were going to bed. I went to check on him, and He said, “I’m fine Mommy, I’m going to stay right here in my bed.” Okay, son – but I’ll come if you need me.” Another rumble of thunder and I heard a shaky voice say, “Mommy, I’m okay. ” “Okay, son – I am here if you need me.” The thunder crackled outside and lightning flashed through the sky. I heard, “Mommy, I’m just going to lay down here on the floor beside your bed.” “Okay son, I’m here if you need me.” Suddenly the sky lit up and a “BOOM!” rattled the windows. “Mommy, I’m comin’ up there!” And in just a few minutes, lying safely between his Dad and me, my son was fast asleep, even as the storm raged on.

Doesn’t life throw some awfully frightening storms our way? I know I’ve been in some harsh ones in the past few years. Where do we find peace when thunder crashes and lightning crackles and BOOMs rattle our lives? I go to my Father and His Word, especially the Psalms. Psalms is peppered with both pleas and praise for God’s protection during stormy seasons. God is called a “Shield” (Ps. 3:3, 5:12, 7:10,), a “Refuge and Stronghold” (Ps. 9:9), and a “Place of Shelter” (Ps. 55:8), just to name a few. David finds security “in the shadow of [God’s] wings” (Ps. 17:8). He expressed what I am sure my son felt as he drifted off that stormy night: “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8).

Storms will come Beloved, but you don’t have to face them alone. You have a Shield, a Shelter, and a Refuge. When the thunder crashes over your life, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). There is peace and rest in the arms of your Father.

Hebrews: Money, Money, Money

I always heard that the Bible says “Money is the root of all evil,” but that’s a misquote, and you know how I hate misquotes of Scripture. Paul actually said, “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1 Tim 6:10). The writer of Hebrews agreed: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have . . .” (Heb 13:5). The love of money – not money itself – is the problem. I used to believe that I didn’t have an issue with money mostly because I’ve never had any. I thought Jesus was speaking only to the rich – I can’t possibly be materialistic on my pitiful budget. But look again at what Hebrews 13:5 says: “be content with what you have.”

Philippians 4:13 is one of those favorite “pull-out” verses for believers – especially weightlifters and football players, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” But do you know this verse in its context?  It really isn’t about physical strength at all.  Check out the verses that come before: “I have learned to be content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want . . .” (Philippians 4:11-12).  Paul was in prison – and 1st-century prisons were nothing like our modern American facilities. There were no cots, no pillows or blankets, medical care, and no meals provided. Prisoners slept on hard floors and were at the mercy of others for their basic needs. This “strength” verse comes as Paul assures them that, despite his situation, he is not in despair.  Rather, Paul is content.  How? Let’s go back to Hebrews 13:5.

“ . . . be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Paul was in prison because of his testimony about Jesus Christ. But listen to this: “The following night the Lord stood near Paul . . .” (Acts 23:11). Jesus was with Paul in a dark, dank, miserable prison cell. He encouraged him and reminded him that He had called His once former enemy to be His greatest witness – and the Lord wasn’t done with him yet. “So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Heb 13: 6). Man threw Paul in prison, but Jesus set Paul’s spirit free.

There are only a handful of wealthy people in the world in terms of material wealth. I am not one of them. I expect you are not either. But money doesn’t buy contentment. The contented heart looks to Jesus at all times for all things – big and small. If He is with you, Beloved – and He promised that He is – you have the greatest treasure in heaven and earth.