Renewed Day by Day

I'm sure I'm not the only one, but I really have a hard time coming to terms with the fact that I am aging.  I keep thinking I'm still in my early 20's, and that my body is that same 20-year-old body that I used to have.  There's something profoundly humbling about growing older every year knowing that my body is becoming, for the most part, less effective and less reliable.  It's also a bit scary.

What's weird is that I feel like I've learned so much in life that my mind is full and bursting, and it seems like my body should have the same exuberance and energy.  It seems like I should constantly be getting better, not becoming weaker.  And even though I know in my mind that this isn't the way the real world works, something in my heart balks at the idea that I am slowly breaking down, decaying.  Nothing hit this point home harder for me than the death of my father three years ago.  I should have known that one day my father would die.  Granted, he was only 63 and his death by heart attack was unexpected and gut-wrenching, yet my response to his death wasn't simply about the earliness of his death--my reaction was horror that it happened at all.  It didn't feel right.  It felt unnatural.  My grappling with the realization that he was gone and that there was nothing left of him rocked me to my core.  How could someone I love so much, someone whom I'd accepted as a staple of life, be gone?

And then it hit me.  One day, I too will be gone.  I too will just be a memory attached to photographs and a few old possessions.  And my body is slowly preparing for this day--every year showing the signs of wear and tear.  It was a wake up call for sure.  I do believe that many of us live in denial of the fact of death.  We defy it with our vitamins and weight loss regimes, we thwart it with our lotions and exfoliations, we ignore it with our entertainment and our devices--but still it's there waiting in those quiet moments when we are alone whispering what we most fear.  That one day it will all be over.

This is a message that kills hope.  This is a message that makes us want to crawl into a corner and cry.  It is the theme that haunts every book, every movie, every work of art--how to escape the end.

But, thankfully, that isn't the only message out there.  "[He] will deliver those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery." (Hebrews 2:15 ESV).  This chapter speaks of the plan of God to redeem man, to bring a glorious salvation.  One in which this tiny, feeble life of ours is just the beginning--the seed that needs to die in order to birth who we were really meant to be.  The part of us that is meant to live forever.  You see, we know this intrinsically, don't we?  I've spoken to non-believers and nominal believers who don't subscribe to the biblical view of things, and most seem to feel that there has to be more.  That something else happens after death.  In theory, many can say that nothing happens when we die, but it's hard to live with that philosophy.   Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "He has also set eternity in the human heart..."  We were created to long for more.  I love the way Blaise Pascal words this, "There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus."  Even better is C.S. Lewis's, "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."

So how do we live here on the horizon of eternity?  How do we live as we watch ourselves die?

"Therefore we do not lose heart.  Even though the outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day." 2 Corinthians 4:16 NKJV

It's all about perspective. The rest of this verse spells it out clearly: "...we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things that are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."

You see, there's no doubt about it--our outward man is perishing. We can see that every day. But there's more to us than bodies. There is a reality that is unseen but more real than this one. One that that we are daily being prepared for.  The question is are we ready for it?

The Bringer of Peace

Recently, I have been reading some historical fiction based on the times during WW1 and events proceeding it.  I must admit that I had an idealized vision of my mind of what America was like during that time.  I didn't know that this was when the Klu Klux Klan was rampant.  I had forgotten about the Great Depression and how it destroyed many families.  I didn't know much about the gangster control of large cities.  I didn't even think about the persecution and judgment endured by different people groups.  It wasn't a time of peace as I thought.  People weren't any better than they are now.

I don't think I'm the only one who gets a little idealistic when I look at the past.  It's hard not to look at a different time and say it had to be better than now.  When we watch the news and we see rioting, police men killed at point blank, and children being massacred in Pakistan, how can we not look back and think "If only we lived in another time"?

The problem is that no matter what time we go to in history, evil still exists.  History shows us wars, abuse, tyranny, massacres, selfishness, greed, and hatred.  

The world Jesus was born in to was much the same.  This was a world ruled by the Roman empire.   Their reign brought stability, but they ruled with an iron fist by the power of their well trained army and sustained themselves off the taxes of the territories conquered.  This tax load was heavy on the poor farmers (who made up the majority), but there wasn't any mercy if they couldn't make their payments.  "The Romans would sometimes destroy an entire village for late payment either enslaving or killing all its inhabitants. When an individual could not pay his debts, he was often tortured. We have accounts of tax collectors first torturing the head of the household for non-payment. If he still did not pay, they would torture the man’s family while he watched" ("Who Were the Romans").  Click here for the entire article.  For the average person living during this time, there wasn't any hope of change.  There wasn't someone they could call out to to help save them from the injustices they were experiencing.  The Roman empire was a vast, unstoppable force.  And the alternative to Roman rule wasn't that much of an upgrade.  Man isn't a creature of peace.    

But into that dark night shone a light.  For the first time in centuries, there is hope that man can change.  That he can become something better than he is.  That he can become free in the truest sense.  That maybe there was a chance that all that was wrong in the world could be made right.

"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever.  The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."  Isaiah 9:6-6

I italicized the words government because they encompass several important ideas.  The first is that God desires to reign.  But it's necessary to note that his reign is unlike any other reign in history--it is one of peace and justice and it is a reign that doesn't end.  But the biggest difference is that His reign isn't set in a country, or a system, or a building.  His reign begins in our hearts.  His kingdom is the kingdom of believers, of those who call upon His name.   

And His reign can only bring peace as we submit to it and as we reach out to make a difference in the world in which we live.  We cannot be surprised by evil, but we know how to overcome it.  

"And they overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony..." (Revelation 12:11).

My Response to the Attempts to get 19 Kids and Counting off the Air

Recently I was reading through the news and saw that the LGBT community is trying to get 19 Kids and Counting taken off of the air because of their stance on traditional marriage.  It wasn't too long ago that this same attempt was made to remove or boycott Duck Dynasty because of anti-gay sentiments spoken in an interview by one of the cast members. 

Again and again we see this divisive issue coming up in our culture to the point where I believe that, if the LGBT community has their way, those who oppose this lifestyle will be considered akin to Hitler's Nazis or past slave owners.  It will be the issue that challenges the church. And this isn't just about gay marriage, but the entire concept of sexuality and gender identity.

This is already upon us--the question is how do we respond.  Truly there are two responses we must consider.  As American citizens, we have a right to have laws that represent the viewpoints of the majority of Americans.  We have the right to free speech and freedom of religion.  We should continue to uphold these rights because these rights pertain to all Americans and are foundational to our country.

However, there is a second response which I feel must be discussed--the Christian response.  Right now, we are attempting to fight this battle the same way we are fighting for our American rights, and we are failing.  That is because this battle is a spiritual battle and is won by truth and love.

As a church, are we making a big effort to reach out to, understand, and love the LGBT community?  Are we sharing the gospel in meaningful ways with them knowing that no one is ever argued into the kingdom?  

I truly believe that if we want to make a difference in our country for Christ, we need to stop taking the attacks personally.  Let's recognize it for the spiritual battle that it is.  "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age..." Ephesians 6:12.  Our first line of defense is to pray.  Pray for those who don't know Christ, to have a real encounter with Him.  Pray that God opens up opportunities where we can show love to those who oppose us.  

And then expect God to answer those prayers.  Be ready to be a witness not of condemnation, but of the glorious grace of Christ.  

As Americans, keep on fighting the good fight for our rights.  But, as Christians, remember the more important battle is for the souls of those whom God loves.  

Why Suffering?

This is certainly an ambitious topic to write about--one I'm sure I won't even be able to truly uncover.  However, it is a topic that has been coming up again and again with my students, in my Sunday school class, in my personal Bible study, and even in conversations with friends.  How can God be good and allow suffering?


Truly, there are hundreds of books out there that have dealt with this question in more depth and with more clarity than I can even attempt; nevertheless, I will put my feeble answer out there because it might just help someone face whatever difficulties he or she might be enduring.

The first place in Scripture that you would most likely be pointed to in order to answer these questions is the book of Job.  Job is living a righteous life and is prosperous.  So good, in fact, that God even offers him up as an example of all that is good and noble in man.  But then after this bold statement of affirmation God does something completely surprising, He gives Job over to Satan and allows him to test Job through the crucible of suffering.  Satan wagers that the moment Job begins to suffer, his faith in God will disappear.  But Job doesn't give up.  Granted, he isn't happy.  He even says he wishes he wasn't born.  And, more than anything, he desperately wants to know why God is allowing this.  If you've read the book of Job, you know his friends don't really help him either.  They are confident that his suffering is a result of his sin no matter how vehemently Job denies any known wrong-doing.  And then God shows up.  

God doesn't come on the scene sheepish and embarrassed for what he's put Job through.  He comes to remind Job and the others of a very important fact.  They don't have all the information.  

"Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question  you, and you shall answer Me.  Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?  Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements?  Surely you know!  Or who stretched the line upon it?  To what were its foundations fastened?  Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" Job 38: 4-7

The resounding answer is that only God can tell us these things.  Only He was there in the beginning.  Only He has the knowledge needed to understand how the world began.  And that's not the limit to His understanding.

When we look at our world, we imagine suffering to be the worst thing that could possibly happen to us. We live in fear of it, in fact.  We do everything we can to avoid suffering at any level: from managing the temperatures in our homes to planning and saving so that we are never in want.  But what if suffering as we know it really isn't the worst thing we can experience?  What if there's something worse than suffering?   And what if it's God's highest goal to save us all from this fate that is worse than anything we can imagine?

If we understand that the true threat to us all is living in spiritual blindness and never really seeing, we might not be so afraid of pain.  If we believed that pain could actually open our ears, so that we might hear God's voice, we could fulfill James' injunction to "...count it all joy when you fall into various trials." (James 1:2) not because we are demented and actually enjoy pain, but because we can see that difficulties can be used to make us more real, more able to do something that really matters.  

For those in the midst of real-life horrors, these words are probably no real comfort.  But we have a host of witnesses who have gone before us and left us an example of how to walk when the way is dark and the heart is suffocated.  In these times of darkness, there's no reasoning with yourself that can be done.  There's only the cry of the heart to God for help to make it through each breath and a reaffirming moment by moment that we can, we will trust God no matter what we feel.  

When it's over, and the wound isn't so raw, we can begin to learn and to grow.  We now know how to comfort those who walk through the valley of the shadow of death.  We now have a tenderness that we lacked before.  We now have a trust in God's ability to walk with us that will be a comfort for the future.  And experience by experience, we learn to not be afraid.  We learn to put our faith in a God who redeems all difficulties and who never, ever leaves us.  

And like Job, we can say, "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You." (Job 42:5).  Job never got his questions answered--but he did get a better understanding of God. And it was enough.  

"We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”  

C.S. Lewis The Problem of Pain

Evidence of a Presence

Many of you know that recently I served as a juror on an important murder trial.  I had never before been called to serve on a jury, so I was surprised when I not only received the summons, but I got called back for questioning.  There were two long days of questioning where the lawyers gauged our understanding of the law.  Many times they emphasized the important responsibility of being a juror.  The fact that, although our system is not perfect, it is the best out there because we allow citizens to stand between man and the government as an arbiter.  Our decision decides the fate of the defendant.  I felt both honored and terrified of the responsibility.  In the end, me, and fourteen others, were chosen from the pool of 90 potential jurors and were told to come back on Monday.  We were warned to not do any research on the case, so that we made our decision only based on the information presented during the trial.

On Monday we heard the opening statements from both attorneys explaining the main gist of their future arguments.  For those who aren't familiar, the case is about the murder of a man who came home in the midst of a robbery in his home.  There were two men who were committing the burglary.  The prosecutors were arguing that the defendant was not only one of those men, but that he was also the murderer and mastermind of the crime.  The defense was arguing that he was not even there, and that the co-defendant was framing him in order to protect someone else.  Over the next few days, the prosecuting attorneys laid out a meticulous set of evidence that walked us through the events concerning the crime and revealed step by step the proof that the defendant was in fact there.  This evidence was so overwhelming that, even though there was no DNA evidence linking the defendant to the crime scene (ie no fingerprints etc), the jurors would have had to throw all common sense out the window to believe that he wasn't the culprit.  You see, even though he didn't leave a solid piece of scientific evidence of his presence that night in the house, he left a distinct trail of his presence including witnesses, distinct shoe prints, cell phone GPS coordinates, and the possession of stolen items among many others.  

Today it hit me that this concept is very similar to our belief in God.  No, we do not have direct scientific evidence of God's presence.  I cannot give you a piece of God.  I cannot record His voice and play it for you.  I cannot even show you a photograph of His face.  I can, however, show you a set of evidence of His presence that, using common sense, removes any shadow of doubt concerning the existence of a Creator.  

Starting with the evidence around us, the obvious conclusion we would draw from the complexity of the universe we live in is that our world was designed.  I've read the analogy where we are asked what we would believe if we found a watch on the beach.  Would our first thought be that the watch came to be as a natural outgrowth of the ocean?  Of course not.  The assembly of a watch requires intentional action--complexity never comes out of chance.  In the same way, it takes a stretch to believe that the amazing detail of our universe came about as a result of millions of years of random interactions.  God's "fingerprint" is all over His creation--His thought, His creativity, His plans shown through the smallest details of the human cell to the hugeness of the universe (see Louie Giglio's video here for an awesome description).

The foreman of our jury, and also a lawyer, explained how he came to the conviction of guilt for the defendant.  He said that there is a logical train of thought that helps identify the most realistic option.  He tried to follow the thought presented by the defense that the defendant was in fact not there.  That someone else had his phone when the GPS coordinates were taken near the crime scene.  That someone else was wearing the identical shoes that matched the shoe prints at the scene of the crime and that he himself was later wearing when he was arrested near the scene of the crime.  The amount of speculating and juggling it would require to accept this idea was preposterous.  It sounds similar to Occam's razor--a problem solving principle that states that the simplest hypothesis is often the one most correct (click here for a more detailed definition).  This too fits when considering the existence of God as Creator.  It takes much more mental gymnastics to believe the earth created itself.  

Looking at the revelation given to us in God's Word, we find hundreds upon hundreds of witnesses.  Those who have seen Him face to face.  Those who have spoken for Him and seen those things come to pass.  Those who have been willing to die for the revelation that they have experienced.  

Through the course of the trial and preceding it, we were instructed quite specifically how to evaluate the plausibility of a witness. We were to note how they acted on the stand (fidgeting, not making eye contact, etc), their past character as known to us, and what they might have to gain from testifying.  These points helped us to weigh the testimonies of conflicting statements.

In the same way, we can evaluate the witnesses set forth from the Bible.  Let's evaluate the disciples following Jesus's death and resurrection.  Following Jesus's death, the disciples were in hiding.  John 20:19 says, "Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, 'Peace be with you.'"  In this moment in time, the disciples were afraid for their lives.  They knew from what happened to followers of other rebel factions that after the leader was killed so were any of their close followers.  Into the midst of this fear, Jesus shows up.  He speaks to their fears knowing this was crippling them.  Scripture tells us that Jesus hung around for 40 days revealing himself to hundreds of people before ascending to heaven and leaving them with the commission to go and be witnesses. The book of Acts records what happens next--these fearful disciples become bold proclaimers of Christ.   Every single one of them dies as a martyr, except John who is exiled.  

As we observe these men, we see they are not ashamed or acting shifty.  Instead, they act with certainty.  We observe the change in their characters from the competitive, showy disciples of old to men who demonstrate that they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).  We see that they have nothing to gain from their testimony except ridicule, excommunication, and death.  Can you get a stronger witness than theirs?  (For an awesome article on the plausibility of their witness, click here).

And we aren't done yet.  I am a witness too.  I can relate a hundred, a thousand times, I've seen God work in my life in a way that cannot be explained away.  I have the witness of a changed life and changed heart, and even more so, the witness of a changing life and a changing heart.  He is real and He is at work in me.  

In that jury room, the twelve of us who were left to deliberate found it easy to look at the evidence and state that he had been at the scene of the crime.  Based on the evidence of witnesses and evidence of his presence, we found him guilty of first degree murder.

In many ways, the truth of God himself is on trial though not for a crime.  Will we listen to the defense and follow the absurd manipulations of truth that we must believe in order to show that God is not here or will we use our common sense and choose the only verdict that makes sense?

God is guilty of being here and being real.  The evidence for His presence is overwhelming. 

Am I Good?

One of the ideas that is most offensive to non-believers (and, let's be honest, believers too) is the idea that we are sinners. When we look around at the world, yes, we see inexplicable evil, but we mostly see people living in harmony following the laws and caring for their families and others.  It seems hard to call these people bad.

When we look at tragedies like 9/11, we even see firefighters and policeman and average, regular citizens risking their lives to help others with no reward to themselves (and often to their detriment).  Are these people evil?

What we have to do first is define what it means to be good.  What is our standard?  If our standard is everyone else then we are all set.   We find it easy to point out that those who commit evil acts are anomalies.  Goodness essentially means to us the absence of obvious evil.  If I don't hurt anyone--I'm good.  If I help someone--that's bonus.  

The truth is that the standard for good is much higher--the standard is God's perfect holiness.  Goodness (at least according to God's definition), therefore, isn't just the lack of doing bad things--it's perfect purity.  

It's not just never murdering someone--it's never thinking a hateful thought.
It's not just never stealing something that doesn't belong to to us--it's never even having the tiniest desire to do this.
It's not just never committing adultery--it's never looking at anyone except your spouse with any sort of interest. (Matthew 5:21-30)

When we look at that standard, it's easy to see that we all fall short.  And when we realize that this is the standard to which we are all being held that is when we fall to our knees in humility and recognize we need help.  

I want to be that good.  I want my instinctual desires to be something of beauty and not of selfishness.  I want to be changed.

Bottom line, I want a Savior. 

Keep Your Heart

"Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life." 

Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV)

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." 

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

Last night I returned from a Women of Faith conference in Orlando with a group of lovely women whom I am blessed to call friends. We heard from various speakers such as Patsy Clairmont, Sheila Walsh, and, a new one for me, Christine Caine.  I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and the good teaching and the excellent reminders of God's redemptive power--His ability to turn even the horrible things in our lives into something beautiful.  This morning I got up and studied in Hebrews in preparation for my Sunday school lesson.  The author of Hebrews is frustrated with the lack of their spiritual maturity and chastens them for their "milk-drinking" saying "solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good evil."  Hebrews 5:14

All the Bible lessons and Bible reading I've done this weekend is wonderful, but it is absolutely useless if I don't put it into practice.  And putting it into practice isn't usually a large task, it's a small, consistent choice to continually keep watch over my heart and my thoughts.  In Proverbs 4:23, we are admonished to keep or guard our hearts.  I am a NKJV girl, but I think NIV really nails it with this translation.  Guard it because everything you do flows from it.  What's happening internally will decide what is happening externally.

Adam had a similar admonition in that he was instructed in Genesis 2:15 to tend and keep the garden (with the same connotation of guarding).  In fact the Hebrew word shamar can be translated as to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life, watch (www.blueletterbible.org).  Adam had a responsibility to protect.  To be on guard against danger.  We all know that he didn't do his job well and it ends with disastrous consequences. 

We don't want to continue that same story over and over again in our lives.  So let's heed the warning to guard our hearts.  And how do we do this?

It starts by monitoring the monologue of our thoughts.  Many times over the years, when discussing sin, I would ask my students how they would like their thoughts to be broadcast for all to hear.  The terrified looks on their faces said it all.  It would be horrible!  We have a constant stream of thoughts going through our mind--many times unchecked.  Now I will preface this to say that for the most part, we have absolutely no control over those random, horrible thoughts that seem to come from nowhere.  We do, however, have control over what we do next.

2 Corinthians 10:5 speaks of taking our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.  This is our goal.  Let me give you a practical example of how this looks:

1) Jane has a stupid thought (it could be one of fear, anger, lust, judgment, arrogance, or whatever) but for this situation we will say she has one of self-loathing.  She says to herself, "I am horrible and no one will ever love me."

2) Jane stops and recognizes that thought for what it is (not from God).  This thought is a big, fat lie.

3) Jane submits this thought to the truth of God.  "God's Word has told me that I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

4) Jane moves on.

We humans have a funny way of interacting with our feelings and thoughts.  We seem to believe that if we feel it or think it (especially in a strong way) that this automatically makes this sentiment true.  We don't take time to really think about it.  The awesome thing is we don't have to figure this out on our own--we have the word of God to help us identify truth and lies (too bad Adam didn't do this himself).  

When we feel something very strongly, whether it is shame, fear, anger, or lust, we are tempted to think this is the most real thing in the world.  It isn't.  Feelings pass.  One of the biggest lies ever is the lie that a certain feeling will never change.  We think if we feel it now that we will always feel this way.  And that simply is not true.  Because we can make a choice about what we want to believe.  We do not have to be lead by the emotions; we can choose to lead them instead.

We lead by bringing these emotions and thoughts to God's Word and seeing how they line up.  If they don't, we can just let them go.  It's not our fault that we felt it, but it is our fault if we hold on to it and nurture it.  And it is by doing this that we truly grow into maturity as mentioned in the passage from Hebrews 5:14.