Tops

Of all the places I've ever been, one place I never care to visit again is under the house!  I can only imagine the crawly things that hang out there!  I don't even like looking at the opening to the crawlspace in our basement!  Come to think of it, I don't even like going to our basement!

 

Have you ever been “under” your circumstances?  We all have but I only heard it phrased like that a few days ago.  Being in the midst of circumstances is bad, but to be under them -- that’s a crisis indeed! In Psalm 142, David describes his circumstances like this: “my spirit faints within me … they have hidden a trap for me … I am brought very low … [my persecutors] are too strong for me.” (Psalm 142).  If you think about it, circumstances alone wield no power – their fury comes only from how we respond to them.  Kicking and screaming into-through them are common responses but produce no good results!  David knew all about being under circumstances, and also know just how to shake 'em off in-trade for peace and deliverance: “I cry to You, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my Refuge, my Portion in the land of the living.”  There are lots of needy [life-sucking] things that hang out in the land-of-the-living but when we know Christ as our full and perfect Portion, circumstances become opportunities and the terribles that threaten us don’t survive to overtake us.  Thankfully, Mr. Bill isn't spooked by crawly things (most of the time) and he loves his basement. Even better, God is Mightiest and Christ satisfies completely!  Absolutely nothing tops that!

Mimic The Father

Mockingbirds have the unique ability to mimic sounds.  Although they mostly imitate the sounds of other birds, interestingly, they are also known to mimic sounds such as whistling, creaking, and dogs barking.  I suppose they have been named appropriately.

 

There's lots of mimicking going on today.  An endless amount of otherwise "wise" counsel is readily offered in books &  magazines, as well as on radio, television, and the internet.  There are multitudes of answers to every issue of life -- some I've never even heard of!  Psalm 1 speaks about the way of life and the way of death.  More specifically, Psalm 1:1 says, ""Blessed [oh, the happiness of] is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful."  The words walks .. stands ... sits shows a dangerous and slippery slope of certain decline when following bad advice.  To heighten the danger, the slippery slope often makes so much sense and usually looks so good!  The righteous person, he who delights in God's instruction and meditates on It continuously (Psalm 1:2), will see bad counsel for just what it is and will refuse to follow it.  Our testimony must be The Truth worked out in our choices, our behavior, and a lifestyle of love & devotion to holiness.  You see, mimicking isn't just for the mockingbird; it's what Believers should do [and] well ... Mimic The Father.

The Deal

Over the years, there’s been lots of deals made around this house!  Usually it was in the form of bribery -- a little work for more stuff.  Mr. Bill stuck to his philosophy that he doesn't "deal with terrorists," which seemed like the case when making deals with the boys ... and with me!

 

God doesn't make deals – rather, He deals in promises!  His promise to Abraham was a "no deals" commitment which was confirmed in The  Seed -- Jesus Christ. The effects of Old Testament Law were to point floundering man to his need for Christ but they did not and could not  bring about righteousness.  "But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith." (Galatians 3:23-24).  We are easily confused into thinking that what we do matters more than just simple faith. Then, we wonder why we fail so much!  Maybe we don't think of ourselves "under" The Law, but what about the do-this, do-that, don't-do-this, don't-do-that -- sounds a lot like the deals made around here:  if I do this, then God will do that!  God isn't interested in great works but instead deep and sincere faith, which ends in devoted service.  Don't count on any "deals" from The Father -- only His Gift of salvation and a living working faith that points others to faith in Jesus Christ.  That's The Deal!

Grace Enough

There’s an interesting clock at a local pizza place: the second, minute and hour hands are constantly moving clockwise. At first, I  thought the clock was broken but the message is that it's always "pizza time."

 

If God had a clock showing His availability, it would certainly be like that pizza clock! He offers an abundant and endless supply of Strength and Protection as well as Grace for each moment.  I've known ample supply of His Grace: mother to three all-boy boys (who never understood the need to scrub a bathroom); resorting to pen my thoughts in morning’s wee hours (when all my sweet "blessings" were sleeping; turning socks right-side-out (cautiously watching for creature-movement); crawling around on floors in search of missing shoes & belts (everyone else assuming the items had a homing device).  In the everyday  perils, it makes much better sense to ask God for Grace rather than plead with Him for a long-hot bath.  James writes, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into various trials. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." (1:2-3)  God is never finished teaching and growing us whether we're making a home, raising children, crunching numbers, stuck in traffic or juggling family & career. His Grace is always sufficient and always enough. Nasty bathrooms, lack of time, inside-out buggy socks, missing shoes and belts -- oh yes, there is Grace enough!

One-Way Travel

Mr. Bill loves to take us home from the beach through Tate's Hell. This lonely Franklin County, Florida road travels along a swamp where a man [named Tate] was lost for about two weeks. Along this route, there are no stores, no houses, and no cell signal. Seems Tate was on to something!

 

God's Word is clear about the only way to Himself.  If you listen to the world, there's enough routes to produce an atlas!  One popular idea is as long as we're all moving in the same destination, God doesn't care which route we take. John 14:6 doesn’t dance around!  "Jesus said to him, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." What part of this can we possibly misunderstand?  The Way is not a lonely journey; Christ promised a Companion and Helper: "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever ... the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things ..." (14:16, 26).  Before we drive through Tate's Hell, we make sure we have plenty of gas-snacks-drinks, everyone has been to the restroom, and no one needs to use their cell phone. God doesn’t expect us to travel His One-Way unassisted; He has given us the Holy Spirit Who is all we need for the struggles, frustrations, grief, and sorrow for life’s travels. God planned this One-Way Travel perfectly!

Summoned

Have you ever been summoned?  Perhaps it was for jury duty, or to a business meeting, or simply to a private conversation.  I used to call "family meetings" when the boys were at home, which although important, I never considered them frightful or alarming.  The boys' friends, however, were always anxious to know the outcome of family meetings, and glad when the boys were available to hangout.

 

In the Old Testament, there are numerous times when God spoke directly to men.  More than 25 times, we read where the "word of the LORD" came to the prophet Ezekiel.  As we age, it's not uncommon our ability to hear diminishes and we get rely on devices to help us hear.  When God speaks to us, however, hearing devices are irrelevant. Rather, what is needful is a heart to hear The Creator when He speaks. Scripture records that Ezekiel often said very little, even mute at times, unless he had words from God for the wayward Israel nation.  One of the first things we learned in life is how difficult it is to hear and talk at the same time.  Even in our quiet times, we think we have to do the talking -- wrong!  Some of my sweetest times of fellowship with The Father and most profound messages from Him have come when I sat quietly with the open Word before me.  Yes, of course, there are times we are summoned and God speaks in the whirlwind (stormy circumstances) but His message comes [too] in the stillness of moments devoted to Him.  The psalmist wrote, "Be still and know that I am God" (46:10) ... yes, be still my mouth -- my hands -- my feet -- my mind -- my spirit ... and hear the "word of the LORD."  Every Christian should have at least one place where he regularly meets God, a designated place where His Spirit summons us to draw near to Him so He will draw near to us (James 4:8).   Yes, I've been summoned a few times and felt the shivers up my spine -- don't care too much for those summons.  Of all the sweet earthly things and times, none is sweeter than a summons for the Believer to come into the Presence of God.  He’s calling – are you listening?

Mirror It

Mirrors are something for serious “reflection” – how witty of me!  In most bathrooms, the mirror is the biggest object.  Interestingly, we frame them with decorative borders, clean them to a sparkle-shine, and rarely ignore what they reflect.  What we see in the mirror catches our eyes and often causes us to stop and stare!

 

How often do you consider your spiritual reflection?  I suspect none of us ignore our reflection in the mirror, and even pause at how we can improve what we see.  Jesus prayed, “For their sake I consecrate Myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.” (John 17:19).  Godly Truth is sanctifying … making us holy.  First of all, we must know His Truth.  I’m ever amazed at how those who call themselves followers of Christ spend little-to-no time in His Word.  Reading and meditating on Scripture is not a spiritual exercise; it is a daily discipline to know Christ and His Truth more intimately.  We will never recognize a lie unless we know The Truth as God has declared It in Scripture – “Thus saith the LORD.”  Second, His Truth reflects the image of Him-in-me.  In Jesus’ prayer to The Father, He longed to mirror God’s Truth to those who loved and followed Him.  We tend to think the best thing we can do for our family, co-workers, neighbors, friends is acts of service, financial provision, etc.  Robert Murray McCheyne, 19^th Century Scottish preacher, said, “The greatest need of my people is my personal holiness.”  Our intention to personal holiness is revealed in obedience to God’s Truth, and it bears life or death to those in our circle of influence.  Like it or not, our heart for holiness (or lack of it) is shaping the lives of those around us.  True, I’m not ready to live without mirrors – and no one wants me to either!  Neither should genuine followers of Christ try to live outside the scope of God’s Truth as revealed in His Word.  Christian friend, I challenge you … Open It – Read It – Ponder It – Pray It … Mirror It!

Behold Him!

Product packaging is quite the challenge.  You can’t tell me you’ve never struggled to tear away or break into a item’s package that could have better protected a bank’s vault!

 

God’s Presence – I fear we use this phrase too loosely.  I wonder if we really know anything of God’s Presence.  The psalmist wrote, “Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in His holy place?” (24:3).  Everyone has opened a package and the packing material clung to your skin.  No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t get away from it! This is a good illustration of sin and its tenacious nature – it dogs us and clings just like that persistent piece of cellophane.  We cannot embrace unrighteousness – selfishness, impatience, bitterness, etc. – and also enjoy fellowship with God.  Sin destroys intimacy with The Father: “For You are not a God Who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with You.” (Psalm 5:4).  It doesn’t matter how loud or often we sing praises or how many spiritual retreats we attend or even how much we read the Bible, ignoring and continuing in sin are barriers to the reality of God’s Presence.  Isaiah wrote, “Who among us can dwell with the Consuming Fire? … He who walks righteously.” (33:14-15)  The Presence of Holy God is reserved for those who are holy.  Being holy as God is holy should be a life-motivator for every born-again child of God.  Hunger and thirst for righteousness should cling to us like that stubborn piece of cellophane! “For the LORD is righteous … the upright shall behold His Face.” (Psalm 11:7).   Let us know His Presence and behold Him as never before!

Live Like It!

We say we love many things! A few that come to mind are sports teams, fried pickles, pets, comfy clothes … the list is literally endless and unique as the individual.  The older-me has come to love the absence of things – alarm clocks, dishes in the sink, busy weekends, noise … that list goes on and on, too!

 

What does it really mean to be faithful?  We understand cars that faithfully start or children that faithfully obey, but what about deliberate devotion with single purpose?  The Apostle Paul often began his letters to New Testament churches, addressing Believers as “saints.”  Now, most of us would recoil at being called a “saint” but, truth is, that’s exactly what God’s Spirit-born children are – holy ones, set apart ones … saints.  Reading Paul’s letters, however, we conclude many of the early Christians lived like anything but saints, much like some Christians today.  Clearly, that love-affair with the world has been around since … well, the Garden.  I seriously doubt Paul was being facetious when he called them saints; no, it was a gentle yet profound reminder to Believers of who they are.  Just as a butterfly behaves in butterfly-fashion, so should saints be true to what they are – sinful persons, washed and made clean by the Blood of Christ. To live denying the change in our spiritual nature should be as foreign as it gets!  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (1 Corinthians 5:17).   This is real faithfulness – understanding and living as children of The King, and in the sweetness and reflection of His Royalty.  If you are a Spirit-born child of God, you are a saint!  You are chosen and set apart as one of His holy people, and here’s the short-and-sweet of it … live like it!

Face The Son!

On the ceiling in [what we call] the computer room, is a small black spot.  Now, hear ye – hear ye, black spots on the ceiling are of particular interest to me especially if the spots are moving!

What compels your spirit?  Perhaps it’s joyful or exciting news; interestingly, however, the joyful and exciting are often short-lived.  Bad or disheartening news, however, seem to draw us to a darker place and keep us there much longer!  The writer of Psalm 43 seems to be at such a place and asks, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” (V.5a).  Most of the time we know exactly who or what threw the pity-party, and Satan loves nothing more than to keep the party alive!  Mr. Bill doesn’t have [nor does he care to attend] pity-parties, and does his best to escort me out.  Truth is, no one can do that quite like God – He can quickly put an end to the celebration of downcast souls!  The psalmist answers himself: “Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my God and my Salvation.” (V.5b).  One of my favorite sayings is “Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows.” (Helen Keller).  Always looking toward The Son!  Maybe one day I’ll paint over that black spot on the ceiling because my eye is always drawn to it.  Until then, I should practice looking away … even from life’s black spots, and see the Hope that is ours in Christ Jesus, in Whom there is no darkness whatsoever (1 John 1:5).  Yes, let’s … Face the Son today!

Balanced Life

What in the world is a Life Balance Coach,” and where you get that training?  I propose many women have that degree, and answer to “Mom.”

 

The Creator is the sole Authority on how to balance life here. Surely to balance one’s life, attention is needed to the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual areas. For spiritual balanced, “My son, if you will receive my words and treasure my commandments within you, make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; for if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding." (Proverbs 2:1-6).  A life missing Godly counsel will always be unbalanced. Be wary of any magazine or book, conference or workshop, counselor or advisor, only listen to The Creator what is required to live balanced according to Godly Truth. Feeling a bit out-of-balance lately? Open The Bible -- It tips the scales in the right direction!

Walk His Way

“Walk this way,” the restaurant hostess says.  It’s just what it sounds like: an invitation to follow her as she leads you to your table!   

 

What does it mean to walk in Christ?  You remember playing “Follow the Leader?”  As teenagers, my friends and I loved to play “Follow the Leader” off the diving board – what a fun twist!  We did our very best to duplicate the leader’s cannonballs, dives, and crazy jumps into the water.  It’s what Christians are

called to do -- imitate Christ.  Jesus chose twelve men to be His disciples: disciple -- a learner, one who follows another’s teaching, a devotee, an imitator, a supporter.  The goal of every disciple is to be like the teacher.  Jesus said,  “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” (Luke 6:40).  Do we not see how essential it is Believers are to “walk in Christ?”  Paul wrote to the Colossian church, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.”   Considering the condition of this world and the lures of sin, it’s not so easy to obediently follow Christ but it’s very simply written -- “walk this way.”  God’s grace enables and empowers us to do so; His grace is sufficient and His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).  It’s not a game – it’s a way of life: follow THE LEADER – walk HIS WAY!