Boast In This

Recently a friend of mine was telling me about two people she knows who are both Christians. The two people are sisters so they come from similar backgrounds and are not too far apart in age. However, the description my friend gave of each of them was something I found interesting. She described one in terms of the things that have happened in her life and how she has seen God move and how God is using her. Her past is anything but "clean" and yet my friend could see how God was using her. The other she described as always talking about how much she does for God, but treats people horribly and has no evidence in her life of truly knowing God.  This person has the "ideal" American life....high paying job, devoted husband, three children, cute dog, and a beautiful house in a nice neighborhood. She has attended church regularly for most of her life and is vocal in letting everyone know her faith is listed as a Christian. However, my friend saw a tremendous difference in the fruit of these two people.

I love how 1 Corinthians addresses this issue.

"Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth.  Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong.  God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world-what is viewed as nothing-to bring to nothing what is viewed as something,  so that no one can boast in His presence.  But [it is] from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became God-given wisdom for us-[our] righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, in order that, as it is written: The one who boasts must boast in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

In what do you boast? Is it of the time you spend at church, in how much you tithe, or in how many hours you spend volunteering? Is it in what YOU have done? Or is your boasting in the power of Christ in your life? Do you share who you once were and how your life was changed after you encountered Him? Do you show love to those who do not know Christ? Is Jesus someone they would want to know based on looking at your own life? Not that your life circumstances have to be perfect, but do they see peace, love, and joy in you? When they have conversations with you, do then leave feeling encouraged or beaten up?

Today's post is a short one, but one to think about. Which category would you fall into?

Pearly Beauty

True beauty comes from the trials and pressures of life. Many strive to achieve an unrealistic ideal of the beauty portrayed in society. Depending on where you live on the globe, beauty has different definitions. The "issues" I think I need to fix here in America would be honored in another country. Perhaps I need to move. Is there a standard you use to measure yourself that is different from the standard you use when measuring others? When you think of the most beautiful women you have ever known, do you think of their outer appearance or is their beauty something that radiated from within?

Think of the process involved in forming a pearl.
 

The formation of a natural pearl begins when a foreign substance slips into the oyster between the mantle and the shell, which irritate­s the mantle. It's kind of like the oyster getting a splinter. The oyster's natural reaction is to cover up that irritant to protect itself. The man­tle covers the irritant with layers of the same nacre substance that is used to create the shell. This eventually forms a pearl.So a pearl is a foreign substance covered with layers of nacre. Most pearls that we see in jewelry stores are nicely rounded objects, which are the most valuable ones. Not all pearls turn out so well. Some pearls form in an uneven shape -- these are called baroque pearls. Pearls, as you've probably noticed, come in a variety of various colors, including white, black, gray, red, blue and green. 

The beauty of a pearl begins when something foreign, an irritant, enters into the life of the oyster. The oyster's natural reaction is to cover up the irritant to protect itself. How human-like of the oyster! Is that not what we do when things happen in our lives that are irritating? With the same substance used to form our outer shell, we layer over our hurt. Just like pearls, our beauty comes in many varieties. Without the irritants, hurts, and pains of life, a pearl cannot be formed. There are pearls cultured by harvesters. The end result is basically the same, but there is a difference in value. The formulated pearls are more common. The ones produced by nature are more valuable because they are more rare.

The same applies with us. Only you own the rights to YOUR story. Only you are aware of the pains and pressures that have resulted in the pearl you have become. The things that have happened in your life are what make you rare. The pearl that is your life is something you should value and protect. This means to be careful in whom you entrust your beauty. Many will want to use your beauty for their own purposes without realizing the beauty and purpose of your pearl. This is so important that even the bible talks about the subject.

"Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces." Matthew 7:6

My prayer today is that each of you recognize the beauty in the pearl that has resulted from the irritants in your life. I also pray for wisdom for you in who you entrust with your pearl. If you have already had your pearl trampled by others, then I pray for the restorer God to reassemble the pieces again. If you do not see your life as being beautiful, then I pray today is the day your outer shell is cracked open to reveal the beautiful pearl hidden inside!

Playing Favorites

I wasn't sure of the direction  to go in my writing this morning so I did the "classic" move of randomly opening my Bible and believing God will direct me where He wants me to go with this post. Where he took me was James 2, so that is what we are going to talk about today.

The title given the first part of this chapter in my bible is "The Sin of Favoritism." I think we can all become easily guilty of this sin. There are people in our society who are easily recognized as being the "cool kids." I wish I could say I have seen this only during my high school years, but I have witnessed it many times in my adult life and unfortunately, also within the church. I have watched as the wealthy were treated differently or ushered to sit in places of honor within church services. I have witnessed others being asked to sit in the back of the service so as not to be a disruption to others. I have seen many times over how churches can have cliques made up of different economic statuses. There are always people who are the exceptions to this rule, but for the most part it has been what I have witnessed. There are people who are kept out of certain "circles" because they don't fit the dress code of the group. I am sure this is not the primary reason for the separation, but have you ever noticed how most groups of friends tend to dress alike? What about where they gather outside of church? If we all have Christ in our hearts, then certainly we should have more in common than just our clothing or are choice of hang out spots, right? Should we not find reasons to love all believers and not just those who "fit in?"

As I think more on James 2 I realize I have heard many sermons on the second half of the chapter regarding faith without works. It is quite a popular scripture, especially when volunteers are needed. However, I can't recall preaching on the verses on favoritism. Perhaps it is because it is a sin we are all easy guilty of committing. I am including myself in this statement.

"My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, You sit here in a good place, and say to the poor man, You stand there, or, Sit here at my footstool, have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment." James 2:1-13

These verses have caused me to examine my circle of friends. I truly need to do a better job of being open to more diverse friendships. According to these verses, showing favoritism is no less sin than murder or adultery. If I show special treatment to someone simply because of their financial status, then I have sinned. For this I repent Lord. Please show me ways to show your love to all people! I pray for this to change within our churches as well. Let the poor be given as much honor as the wealthy. What stirs in your heart when you read these verses?

The Queen of Sheba

Have you ever felt like when things are going bad in life the struggles attract more struggles? Or when things are going well, more blessings follow? I have seen this happen time and time again in my life. As I look back, it seems the bad things coincided with times of blatant sin in my life. The blessings aligned with times when I was walking closer with God. When I put Him first, things happen without me having to stress or worry over them. I thought perhaps it was just my imagination and then I read the story in 1 Kings 10 about Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.

Most of us know of Solomon's wealth. The temple he erected for God was more opulent than anything we could even begin to imagine. God had blessed him and promised him wealth and wisdom incomparable to anything the world had known. The queen of Sheba heard about Solomon and wanted to test him to see if the rumors were true. The scriptures say his wisdom and wealth "took her breath away." She was very impressed! So much so that we are told in 1 Kings 10:10,

"Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great quantity, and precious stones. There never again came such abundance of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon."

Am I the only one taken aback by this gift? Solomon certainly did not need anything from the queen. He already had more than enough for his needs and the needs of his people. And yet, the queen was so moved by Solomon and his God, that she gave a gift like no other person ever bestowed on the King. The verses that follow give detail of Hiram's fleet giving the King large quantities of wood and precious stones. What made people give a man who already had everything such extravagant gifts?

When I read this story, I see two illustrations. One is how when we are walking with God, He will bestow gifts on us. I've experienced this personally in my life many times. I also see how we can offer our gifts to God. He needs nothing from us. God already owns everything. He created it all! However, He wants us to use our gifts for His glory. The Queen could have used her wealth and blessings for anything she wanted. And yet she chose to give them to the King. How are you using your gifts? Do you look at all God has or the people who are already serving Him and think your gifts aren't needed? This is not true! There is a reason and a purpose for the gifts you hold in your hands.

The result of the Queen giving so extravagantly is a returned blessing. "Now King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, besides what Solomon had given her according to the royal generosity." (vs. 13) How much more will our King in Heaven return to us when we surrender all our gifts to Him?

Intentionally Targeted

Last night I became acutely aware of something happening in our culture. There is a major attack on women happening in the spiritual realm. I saw two commercials last night that brought this to my attention. Both of them were for new flavors of vodka. The flavors were marshmallow and whipped cream. This may not seem like such a big deal until you think about how traditionally alcohol and liquor were primarily marketed to men. These two commercials were obviously targeted to women. Not only women, but I dare say teenagers as well. I can't imagine real men sitting around ordering whipped cream or marshmallow flavored vodka drinks. I heard of another example of this shift in marketing a few months ago and it involved pornography. We all know romance novels have been around for years and are primarily read by women. I remember my Grandmother read "True Confessions" magazines and my mom was always reading a Harlequin. Those both are extremely tame compared to what is happening now. The porn industry is filming and marketing with an intentional market towards women rather than men. The demons that formerly targeted men have shifted their focus to take out our women.

I believe it is also these very things that have contributed to the gender confusion we see all around. It saddens me when I see someone and have to look several times and guess as to whether I am looking at a man or a woman. So many women do everything possible to look as masculine as they can. As much as it grieves me, I can only imagine how it must sadden God to see so many women moving further and further away from the beautiful, feminine design He made. It may seem odd for me to be writing this since most who know me would say I'm not the most girly-girl they have ever known. This is very true! I hate shoes and I prefer to be barefoot. I'm not a big fan of wearing dresses. I don't feel a need to "flaunt" everything I have, but I don't dress to hide the fact I'm a woman. Even though I don't have much of it, I love jewelry. I don't mind dressing up when an occasion calls for me to take it up a notch.

The beginning of the battle is recognizing the source. Too many people want to blame a person when in fact it is a spirit controlling and influencing the person that is to blame. We could boycott the companies targeting women, but until we recognize the true culprit, nothing will change. It starts in the hearts of each of us as we become aware of the battle happening all around us. The battle is not simply about what a woman wears, watches, or drinks. It is a battle for her soul. The enemy is very real and his greatest weapon is confusion. He wants to have us fighting against each other because that shifts our focus off of battling him. If he can confuse us in regards to who God made us to be, then it affects all those around us. Our children no longer see the purpose of male/female roles. Our men no longer feel needed so they lose their masculinity and step out of their place as leaders in our homes and society. Here is where we have to remember our battle is not against our men!

"For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds." 2 Corinthians 10: 3-4

What is it you are battling in your life right now? Is it a battle you never should have been involved with in the first place? The biggest battles in my life are results of the choices I made outside of God's will. How do you go into your battle?

"Put on God's whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil."  Ephesians 6: 11


Please know you do not have to face your battle alone! I know it is easy to call on our friends in times of stress, but never neglect crying out to God. Ask him for discernment to show you the ways you are led into temptation. It could be friendships that need to end or be limited. It could be musical influences or what you are watching on television. Take the time to know your enemy!

***It happened again as I was typing this that a song I have never heard came on and the lyrics contained this..."When I'm with my Daddy, my innocence is restored....This generation is coming out of confusion. Come out of your sexual confusion."  I'm not making this up! I think God is giving theme songs for each post!**

Where Else Would I Go?

The Christian walk is not an easy one. Many pastors make the decision to accept Christ seem as simple as a prayer and then life is great. Perhaps this is how we have been led to feel when thinking of the Christian walk. The reality is that to walk with Christ in every area of our life requires absolute sacrifice of our own agendas. How many people have you known who have walked away from the faith because they wanted to play by their own rules? I have been tempted many times myself to go back to my own lifestyles and habits. Satan tries to tell me how much more "fun" life was then. He points out how I was never alone when I was living a life of sin. He loves to tell lies. In fact, that is all he ever does. The only power satan has is the power to make you believe a lie.

It is in the times when I am being tempted to revert to my old life that I feel closest to being a true disciple of Jesus. When that temptation comes, my response is similar to that of Simon Peter in John 6:68 when Jesus asks if he would also like to leave.

"But Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life'
When worldly temptations attempt to pull me back into the depths of pain where I once lived, it is then I remind myself of the eternal love of Christ. If I turn away from Him, where would I go? There is absolutely nothing or no one on this earth that compares to Him!

What led to Jesus asking this question was the leaving of other disciples because the road laid out before them was simply too hard. Fulfilling the calling of God on our lives takes courage. It requires a willingness to leave behind the pursuits of the world in order to purse Him only. It's about becoming last in order to be first. It's about throwing out our agenda in order to be available to walk out His.

"Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, This is a hard saying; who can understand it?61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, Does this offend you? 62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.65 And He said, Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, Do you also want to go away?68 But Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." John 6:60-69

When God speaks to you to step out in faith, how do you respond? Do you tell God the thing He asks is too difficult? Do you give Him your life resume and explain all the reasons why He's obviously chosen the wrong person this time? Sometimes I feel I have to remind God of all the times I've screwed up in the past. After all, if my sins are remembered no more, then I can see why He would forget how many times I've failed and might mistake me for someone who would be capable of living "right." It's in these times that I imagine He grins at me and says "It's because of those things that I KNOW you are the right one for THIS task."

Once we have the revelation of who He is, where else can we go? For me, I cannot think of anywhere else I would rather be than His presence. I pray you have a true heart revelation of Him today. If satan has been tempting you back into a life you knew before, then I pray for a renewed strength in you to run after Jesus even harder. But what if you've never really had a divine experience with God? When your walk is simply out of cultural expectations, then it's hard to step out of sin. I want to tell you that it is possible to get out. No matter what your addiction, Jesus can heal you! Once you experience the power of the eternal, living God, the things of this world no longer have appeal. Even when you TRY to go back you realize you don't enjoy it anymore! It's because of this that I never want to be anywhere else except in His presence and will. I pray for each of you to experience that personal revelation of Him.


***As I was writing this a song came on that I do not recall ever hearing before. It immediately grabbed my attention when I heard the words..."I will run unto You, Oh God. Where else can I go?" I LOVE how God surrounds us even in little details. Most days I write I have no idea if it is "speaking" to anybody or if anyone will even read what is written. I know God has told me to write and so I write. It does not matter if it is read by one person or 1,000 (although that would be pretty cool!). And then something like this happens to assure me I'm heading on the right track. I share this to tell you to pay attention to the little details in life. You will see, hear, and feel God all around when you are on the lookout for Him.

Out of the Shadows

A strange thing happened to me Saturday. I was driving around posting flyers for the Invasion concert and while sitting at a stop light in a low income area of Charlotte I began looking around at the people who were there. The light is located near several gas stations and at them were people just standing around or leaning against the building. There was a man walking down the median of the road who appeared to have battled the demons of alcohol or drug abuse. His posture was bent and he stumbled as he walked. I could hear obscene lyrics playing loudly from a nearby vehicle. In the matter of 60 seconds I processed these scenes through my senses and I before I even knew what was happening I began weeping uncontrollably.

Each of the people I saw have a purpose for being alive. However, from what I could see in that brief amount of time, none of them were fulfilling that purpose. I was not standing in judgment of them. We all have a choice in how we spend our days. What I was feeling in my spirit was the sorrow of the Father when He sees us pursuing things not of Him or outside of His will for our lives. He grieves for us. We may engage in activities and justify them with the excuse that at least we are not hurting anyone. Yet, if what we are doing is apart from God, then we are grieving Him. He yearns and longs for us to commune with Him.

I recently realized that my closest friends are all former drug addicts, drug dealers, prostitutes, alcoholics, and gang members. You would not necessarily know these things about them when you first meet them. They are all now serving God and not with a common, every day type of service either. They are some of the most passionate people I've ever known. When you have been in the depths of the hell that exists here on earth, you have a whole new comprehension of God's grace and His life changing power. The stories in scriptures are not just stories about others. Your life is a living, breathing, real testimony that God is still alive and the Holy Spirit is still in the business of transforming lives today. When this gets inside of you, it is impossible to not share Jesus with others.

The people I saw on Saturday all have a story. There are reasons and circumstances that brought them to where they are today. Just like all of us. We all have a story. While the details vary, we have all arrived where we are in life because of choices made in the past. The difference in the addict and the former addict was a choice was made to change. We all have our addictions. Instead of looking the other way when we see a person in hurt, what if we all saw them through the eyes of Christ? What if instead of feeling angry at the person asking for change, our hearts broke for the spirit of begging? Just like the woman with the issue of blood who pressed in to touch Jesus' garment, let's pray for those hurting around us to have a desire in their spirits to encounter Jesus. Perhaps they already have that desire, yet their shame and feeling of condemnation keeps them hiding in the shadows. But what if they were drawn out of those shadows?

"Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” Luke 8:47-48

What is it that you have been hiding? Are you willing to come before Him, even if it's with trembling and falling down? Are you willing to tell Him the reason you need to touch Him? Are you willing to do that....if it's the only way to receive your healing?