Humble Huddle

FaithWalkDaily September 30, 2008

Rom 12:3-6
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. NIV

Isn't pride hindering each of us? What makes us angry when someone else gets the promotion we thought we should get? What makes me feel inferior when someone else gets an award? What is it that causes me to criticize another person? What makes me feel superior when another person stumbles? What makes me think I need a bigger house when my neighbor gets a room addition? Pride is an ever present companion and I've become so used to it, I hardly notice how it hinders my spiritual growth.

In remembering not to think of myself more highly than I ought, I can trust in my faith, that God has a plan uniquely crafted for my life. If I didn't get that award or promotion, it wasn't in God's plan. It's not that someone else is better or was favored over me, it's simply the way it is.

We are each members of a specific body - first the body of Christ. Then, on a smaller scale, the local body. And every single one - from the wealthiest and healthiest right down to the drooling, seizure plagued girl who cannot speak or participate - is figured into God's plans for His glory.

I'm reminded of the huddle in a football game - the way in which a team comes together to plan the next play. No man can make the play alone. Humbled in their huddle, each man submits his will to the whole team. We too need to gather in a humble huddle, seeking the Holy Spirit's plan.

We're all in this together. Let's not permit our pride to hinder our ability to grow in faith because we put our focus in the wrong direction. We belong to one another.

Lord Jesus, I submit all my pride to the foot of the cross. You've paid the price for that ugly sin and I no longer claim it for a refuge. Forgive me for holding on so tightly to my own ideals, my self-righteousness, my judgements, criticisms, and lack of forgiveness. Heal me O Lord, make me whole and holy; set apart to do Your will. Would I seek fist the kingdom of God and be grateful for whatever is bestowed on me or taken away. For You've assured me all things work to the good of those who love You and are called to Your purposes. There is nothing You haven't got a handle on. Here am I Lord, send me. Use me. Take this cracked vessel and seal it up with Your goodness and love, fill it with Your wisdom and mercy, and pour it out on the body to be used according to Your purposes. May I be content with my part, never trying to be more than I am or jealous of what others have. In Jesus' name, amen.

Where is the Church Today?

FaithWalkDaily September 29, 2008

I've decided to write my devotion today in a response to Christine Wicker’s book, "The Fall of the Evangelical Nation: The Surprising Crisis Inside the Church" http://www.christinewicker.com/

I recently received a message and article from a friend via email. I’ve highlighted in red, some of the issues I want to address in my responses that follow. I wrote to my friend Bill and to Christine Wicker with what I felt God revealed to me in prayer. Mind you, whatever I write, is still clouded by the heart of a woman, a human being, a sinner. No matter what I say, in the end, it's really no more than my opinion mixed with my heart and compassion for truth - God's word. Read on. Warning: it's LONG.

Bill’s Message:

Dear Friends,
This article was in the Dallas Morning News this morning. I picked up this book by Christine Wicker last week and I am about half way through it. In the book she really picks on the Southern Baptist because I think they are the only group who will give her hard facts of their records of attendance, etc. In her book, she claims to have accepted Christ as her Savior, but beyond that, I haven't a clue. To be fair to her, she doesn't only claim that Southern Baptist have slipped in numbers but all Evangelicals are declining. The problem with her research is that she has only selected a few of the churches and not all of them. For example, Crossroads Christian Church, where I attend, the faithful and the dedicated are growing very fast. I would really appreciate your thoughts and comments on this.
Bill
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Article Bill sent:

Christine Wicker: The great evangelical decline
12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, June 1, 2008

What Baptist leaders have known for years is finally public: The Southern Baptist Convention is a denomination in decline. Half of the SBC's 43,000 churches will have shut their doors by 2030 if current trends continue.

And unless God provides a miracle, the trends will continue. They are longstanding and deeply rooted. The denomination's growth rate has been declining since the 1950s. The conservative/fundamentalist takeover 30 years ago was supposed to turn the trend around; it didn't make a bit of difference.

Leaders said it did. Reporters and politicians believed it did. But the numbers kept going down until, finally, they have become obvious to everyone.

Evangelical faith has been dropping since 1900, when 42 percent of the U.S. claimed that distinction. Every year, Religious Right evangelicals, such as those who lead the Southern Baptists, are a smaller proportion of the country. Every year, their core values are violated more flagrantly by the media, scientific discovery and mainstream behavior. Every election, politicians promise to serve them and then don't because evangelicals lack the power to make them.
What all this means is that we were duped. All the hype proclaiming an evangelical resurgence was merely that – hype, a furious shout from a faith losing its grip, manipulation by a relatively small group of dedicated, focused, political power-seekers.

The long decline of Southern Baptist faith is critical to the entire evangelical movement because the Southern Baptist Convention, which claims 16 million members, is the biggest evangelical denomination in the country, almost six times as large as the next biggest predominately white evangelical denomination.

The second-largest evangelical group, the National Association of Evangelicals, has claimed 30 million members. Their churches actually have 7.6 million, tops. Most of those are having the same problems the Baptists are having.

As the true picture of evangelicals' problems has developed, panicked leaders are splitting into camps. Some say that the church is lax, soft, sold out. That what's needed is an even bigger dose of the medicine that the SBC fundamentalist takeover delivered. More authority, more strict interpretations of the Bible, more sermons about sin and suffering and sacrifice, more rigor about who is and who isn't getting to go to heaven. They argue that Christianity-lite is the problem. Get back to the Bible, they say, which means proclaiming more confidently that the only interpretation is Truth, and anyone who doesn't agree with it will surely go to hell.

A growing number of dedicated Southern Baptists believe the Bible's truth is a Calvinist one. They reject the traditional Baptist idea that any human can choose to be saved in favor of predestination, the idea that only those whose names are already written in the Book of the Lamb will go to heaven. Kick out the unregenerates, they say. That will fix the problem.

Still others say the problem is image. Evangelicals have been seen as mean-spirited and narrow. Caring about the environment and giving more attention to the poor and needy will turn it around. Get out of politics, they say. Play down abortion and gay rights. That will fix the problem.

But none of these ideas will halt the increasing irrelevance of evangelical faith to the great majority of the U.S. population. Evangelical faith is being attacked inside and outside its churches by forces that won't be stopped by new biblical rigor or an image makeover.
I'll give you just three of those many forces.

One is Alcoholics Anonymous and all its 12-step offspring – the creation of two Christian men who wanted to help alcoholics. They modeled AA on the teachings of Jesus and the ideas of philosopher William James. Instead of asking alcoholics to be saved, they asked them to call on a god of their own understanding. Sometimes leaders illustrated the freedom of that definition by saying, "That door knob over there might be your god."

They included 12 steps based on Christian principles that are never identified as Christian and include no Bible verses. They eschewed guilt and any talk of sinfulness. Repentance was directed at specific people who had been harmed. There was no doctrine, no institution, no demand for monetary support.

Tens of millions of addicts and other troubled people used this "door knob god" to build new lives. They learned that they didn't have to read the Bible, attend church or follow a preacher's rules to engage a divine power that could heal them.

Nothing like that kind of open-ended faith had ever been experienced before. And so the role of the church as interpreter of God's truth and the Bible as its sole repository lost power with millions.

The second attack came within the church as American evangelicals themselves became less willing to proclaim that they are the only ones saved. That idea had seemed reasonable when people lived in fairly homogeneous groups. "The other" was unknown, seemed inferior and appeared unlikely to have God's blessing. Since few people had much to do with foreigners – except in times of war, when they were trying to kill them, or from behind a tourist's camera, when they were making souvenirs of them – "our way is the only way" seemed reasonable.
But international travel, business and communication have changed that. So have huge waves of immigration. Now "the other" is likely to be your son-in-law or grandchild.

The idea that only one little part of one kind of religion has the only way to God has begun to seem more and more unlikely. It has begun to seem rude. Un-Christian, even. And evangelicals, who don't like being boorish any more than anyone else, have become less and less willing to relegate their neighbors to hell.

So we have a completely formless god of great power and instant accessibility romping around, rescuing millions whom everyone else had given up on. Then we have more Christians getting squeamish about proclaiming hegemony over heaven.

And along comes The Pill. It's merely one of the insidious attacks science has launched against traditional religious faith, but it is surely the most successful. Nothing in history has changed human relations as much as that little white pill.

The curse God laid on Eve wasn't quite so ironclad anymore. Skip forward a few decades, and couples started delaying marriage until their late 20s, 30s or even 40s. But that pill meant there was less pressure to abstain from sex until the wedding.

So hardly anyone did. Some single couples who slept together or lived together and simply kept quiet about it kept coming to church, but millions of others slept in Sunday mornings. Evangelical leaders resolutely hewed to the abstinence standard at least formally, resulting in little more than extra hypocrisy.

That didn't matter much. Hypocrisy has always flourished, and it hasn't killed the church yet. But evangelicals' failure to grapple with change meant the church was no help in a world where people were expected to sleep together long before marriage and desperately sought guidance about when and with whom.

Evangelical leaders defend their stance by claiming that God doesn't change and that neither does sin. But sin does change. Slavery wasn't sin once. Now it is. Taking a wife and a concubine wasn't sin once. Now it is.

And God – or our understanding of what God is, which is all we actually have – changes, too. When societies change, their interpretations of God change. Their readings of the Scripture shift. Human understandings are remolded so that faith can remain vital and effective during new times.

Whether evangelical intransigence is pleasing to God isn't anything that humans can ever be absolutely sure of. If it is pleasing to him, God may send a great revival that will sweep the country and restore them to their place of predominance.

Such revivals have happened before. They could happen again.

But I've named only three of the ways that evangelical faith has come to seem less useful, necessary and vital to those who might benefit from its teachings. Evangelical faith is failing in so many other ways that a growing number of Christians believe a New Reformation is needed.
If they are correct, the Southern Baptist Convention is unlikely to lead that reformation. Let's hope it is at least around to participate.

Christine Wicker is the author of "The Fall of the Evangelical Nation: The Surprising Crisis Inside the Church." Her e-mail address is christine@christinewicker.com.

This was my response to Bill:

Dear Bill,

As you know, I serve in ministry to the Christians reaching out to Mormons. This gives me a great deal of contact with pastors and ministry leaders of many denominations. We only connect with those whose doctrines are sound and in agreement with what we believe to be Biblically true (see here www.cogprays.net - click on the What We Believe page) regarding the essentials of faith. For this purpose, we are confident in crossing denominational lines for the sake of the gospel outreach in Utah. We work with many SBC churches who tend to be very conservative and sometimes border on legalistic. However, I believe they are, for the most part, true Christian brothers and sisters. As I'm sure the others have already enlightened you, RBBC is with the Baptist General Conference (BGC) and has somewhat different doctrine than the Southern Baptist Convention. That's about all I know which ain't sayin' much...

Here's what I do know, which may shake your tree and give you plenty to pray about. Many doctrinally sound Bible teaching/preaching churches in America are declining. That includes Evangelical Presbyterian, Baptist of all flavors, Evangelical Free, Calvary Chapel, Community, Independent and many others. While at the same time, "seeker-friendly" mega-churches continue to grow. I've heard from friends everywhere that the general decline is not limited to those in the oppressed areas where Mormonism dominates. As I've prayed about this in regard to churches in LDS influenced areas, the Lord has given me an image and insight you might find worth praying about. Our economy is certainly affecting giving and attendance. But this sickness goes much deeper than that.

While I prayed, I saw hands, palms up, with fingers slightly splayed. The hands moved gently in and out, side to side, as one might shake a sieve. I sense that the Lord is doing a great sifting of the churches in America and indeed around the world. He is not pleased with us. We have become complacent, apathetic and worldly as a people - we have fallen away from our first love. We give more time to sports, television, music, entertainment and all forms of worldly involvement than to God's word and fellowship. He is sorting the chaff.

Why are the mega-churches growing? I can speak for some I've been in contact with but certainly not all by any stretch. I was horrified to hear the pastor of a large and growing non-denominational Christian church in Utah publicly state "Our goal is to be the first mega-church in Utah." For starters, I wouldn't know how a person could define such a goal. Is there a certain number associated with a "mega-church?" Secondly, what kind of sick goal is that? By the numbers rather the healthy salvation of souls?

As I prayed and asked God for discernment, that I not stand in judgment, He called to mind the Scripture in Matthew 13:3-9 Then he told them many things in parables saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed some fell along the path and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up the plants were scorched and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil where it produced a crop-a hundred sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 He who has ears let him hear." NIV

I believe God is telling us that in (many of) these large churches, much seed is thrown out, but not all fall on fertile soil. I have seen a number of Christians leave small, loving, close knit fellowships over some worldly argument or dislike of a person and lose themselves in huge churches. They tell me how wonderful it is and what a great preacher they have only to write me some months or years later to express their disappointment over finding the messages watered down or people shallow in their faith and relationships.

Satan wants nothing more than to divide God's people. Because God's people are saturating themselves with good deeds in the church (busy about ministry) and pretty trappings rather than putting the time they need to into Bible study, etching God's word on their hearts and one on one witnessing and discipleship, the church is in trouble. The wholesome fellowships are dwindling while the whales are swallowing the little fish and belching out uninformed fools who ultimately turn around and start their own crazy cult, turn to new-age religion or fall away from religion altogether.

We're not done for yet. Many are crying out on behalf of our nation and our faith according to 2 Chron. 7:14-15 If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. NIV

In my humble opinion, for what it's worth, we seriously need to get back to the basics - Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul and with all your strength and love your neighbor as yourself:

• Daily prayer
• Daily Scripture reading/memorization
• Worship & Fellowship
• Being "Jesus" to your neighbors, coworkers, friends, family and community
• Welcome the newcomer to the neighborhood with baked goods or an invitation to church
• Watch for someone in need and reach out Reaching out to someone hurting in your church or community
• Contacting local representatives and senators to take a stand on issues that affect our faith and morality

It's not my premise that all big churches are bad or even that any big churches are bad. My concern is that wherever we choose to worship, our hearts need to be SLD:
Seeking the will of God
LISTENING to the Holy Spirit
Doing the will of God

If inadvertently through our desire to see droves of the lost and deceived come to faith in Christ we have unwittingly done so by our own methods and expectations, God forgive us and set us straight. There are many large, thriving churches teaching God's word and drawing people not only to salvation but discipleship. They’re raising up godly, vibrant Christians. There are also the other kind that I believe have grown according to their own plans and purposes and they've become big business, not sanctuaries of worship. God will deal with them.

My desire is to stir the body to look at our own churches and pray for our pastors and leaders for discernment and wisdom. Would they seek God at all times and do nothing to promote man’s ways but everything for the purposes and glory of God.

I hope you'll forgive the sermon. I've just returned from a week of praying with Christians and pastors in Utah and am zealous for good holy fellowships whose hearts are on fire for God and the desire to save souls!

I Love you all with the love of the Lord.

In His love, by His grace,
anne

It seemed to me that my response to Bill's inquiry about declining churches turned into a diatribe on mega-churches. Don't know where that was coming from but it's pretty much how I feel.

My Message to Christine regarding some of her statements:

Dear Christine,

Please forgive me to start because I haven't read your book and don't know that I will. However, a friend of mine wrote to me asking for my comments on the article he included.

He asked me, not because I'm some authority on churches or a brilliant analyst, but because I work with churches of many denominations in a prayer ministry - moral support for Christians working in Utah who are persecuted and beleaguered by well-meaning and horrendously deceived Mormon folks.

My friend sent me the above article (which I’m guessing is an excerpt from your book) in order to help me understand his question.

Personally, I don't think we need a bunch of numbers to see what's happening to the church in America. It is obviously declining. I'd be willing to bet you could ask any person who's been attending a home church for at least a few years and they would tell you there are fewer people in the pews today than 3 years ago.

The smaller churches shrink faster and are the most troubled. From what I've seen myself, people often leave a small church to go to a "more vibrant church." If they were really honest with themselves, they'd admit they can hide easier in a big church. You don’t have to be committed to ministry when there are so many others to fill the servant positions.

Some families have left our small Evangelical Presbyterian fellowship, claiming their children didn't have enough peers to help them grow. Get real. Fellowship is not about connecting our kids with peers. I do understand a parent's concerns today, wanting their children to have a good support network to lean on since there is so much against them in the public school system and the world in general. But what are they teaching their children?

1. If you cry loud enough I’ll give you what you want
2. If you’re not happy with your situation, run away

I’m sorry, but I think they’re gravely mistaken. Since when do our children lead our families? America’s future IS in deep trouble. This is a HUGE trend today.

But you want to know the truth Christine? I'll tell you the real problem in our churches today – all Christian churches– it's us. Parents. Christians. We let our televisions run out of control, don't monitor what our children watch, they spend countless hours online or playing video games or both, we let them read books of questionable influence, we don't read the Bible at home or eat together as a family any more. We run off to sports instead of mid-week church meetings. Everything that used to strengthen Christian families and home life has gone out the window.

We're busy, busy, busy accomplishing nothing, nothing, nothing!

Here's one for your records. Why do you think the LDS church is growing at a phenomenal rate? They're using the Biblical model of raising families and it's working! Now, if they were just teaching the Bible instead of Joseph Smith’s fairy tale, they'd have it made.

But why is all this happening? Well, I can throw your theory about AA out the window. You wrote, “And so the role of the church as interpreter of God's truth and the Bible as its sole repository lost power with millions.” Dear Christine, it never had any power in their lives. They didn’t acknowledge the Bible or God to begin with!

Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob were inspired to start the program that has helped millions of people get and stay sober, not to mention all those other 12 step programs that have helped countless others recover from sex addiction, drugs, food or whatever one is addicted to.

As a result of finding god in a teddy bear in 1990, while earnestly praying for God to reveal Himself to me, I not only got sober, I found Jesus in a little Baptist church in 1994 and continue to grow in real faith one day at a time, sharing the gospel with others as the Holy Spirit leads and ministering to Christians who bring the true gospel to Utah.

I wouldn't be alive or saved if it weren't for AA and the brilliant approach those two men inspired. I know a lot of people who wouldn't have gotten sober through a church or religion but were willing to at least concede to the possibility of God through AA. Some of those same good people now fill the pews in Christian churches, worshipping, sharing their faith and serving the Lord. God will have whom He will have and nothing man does will interfere. Many who overcame addictions through the twelve steps of AA did find true faith in Jesus as a result of the admonition in AA literature to "return to the faith of their youth."

That’s exactly what happened to us. Albeit a teddy bear is a long way from the God who created the universe; it was the best I could do at the time. God led me to AA to ultimately lead me to Him. One Sunday, my recovering alcoholic/addict live-in boyfriend and I went in search of an eloquent speaker to perform our wedding ceremony on a beach. We landed in a little Baptist church, heard and received the gospel, and ended up getting married in that church (after a 10 month separation and abstaining from sin.) During the ceremony, the pastor used our testimony and one of my bridesmaids, another recovering member of AA, made a profession of faith in Jesus that day. God did that, we didn’t. God used AA. There must be millions of similar testimonies.

Your second analysis of the church looks at the transience of society today. Well, that theory can also be argued due to the fact that we have always been a blended society. The very nature of the US is a virtual melting pot of people from around the world who poured into this Native American land.

“Now ‘the other’ is likely to be your son-in-law or grandchild.”

This is not a 21st or even 20th century concept or problem. Jesus warned us 2000 years ago about the dangers of being unequally yoked. Look what happened to the Israelites when they married people in the lands they inhabited. They ended up with idol worship, turning away from the God of their father Abraham. Is it not the spirit of rebellion that in fact causes us to lean on our own understanding, disobeying God’s will?

Here my friend – hear, my friend – I must correct you.

“Evangelical leaders defend their stance by claiming that God doesn't change and that neither does sin. But sin does change. Slavery wasn't sin once. Now it is. Taking a wife and a concubine wasn't sin once. Now it is.”

Sin has not changed. Slavery has never been a sin. Adultery has always been sinful.

How man treats a slave may be and often was sinful. Whether by force or choice, any man who works for another is a slave, “one that is completely subservient to a dominating influence,” according to Miriam Webster. What many men often did in the early days to their slaves was certainly sinful. Yet in many Old Testament accounts, some slaves were well cared for and even treated as members of the family. But God never said slavery was a sin.

What has changed is the nature of slavery. No longer are men bought and sold as commodities. There are still wicked employers who abuse their workers and others who treat their employees with great respect. Sin is sin.

God commands us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. " Matt 22:37-40

Anything short of that is abusive and sinful.

Gal 3:28-29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

God did, however, say adultery was sin and it has always been. So that hasn’t changed either. Only man’s laws regarding such have changed. God created one man and one woman to be unified and populate the world. God allowed man to do as he pleased (free will) and man chose to have multiple wives. It certainly wasn’t a mandate by God and God warned man about the problems such behavior would cause. He did, after all, state in the original ten commandments, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Ex. 20:14 There was good reason for that. Paul, in a letter to Timothy his disciple, teaches him that a deacon must be a man with one wife. Wonder why…

“And God – or our understanding of what God is, which is all we actually have – changes, too. When societies change, their interpretations of God change. Their readings of the Scripture shift. Human understandings are remolded so that faith can remain vital and effective during new times.”

God does not change. Never has. Never will. Disillusioned man may misinterpret God or His meaning but God is God.

Mal 3:6-7 I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7 Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. NIV

Heb 6:16-19 Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. NIV

Finally, I believe the decline of the Christian church in America is the result of sin, plain and simple. We live in a corrupt society – fallen world – as a result of man's willful turning from God Almighty. There is nothing new under the sun for heaven’s sake.

There is nothing to save us but the Holy Spirit convicts us that God will and does withhold His blessings as long as we persist in our sins. Each man, woman and mature child must be convicted in their own right and reach this decision. It can't be forced by any church. We see many great men teaching the truth from the pulpit, preaching repentance and admonishing the body to share the gospel. The people nod in agreement (or sleep,) then leave church all aglow with new resolve. All week they go to their soccer games, eat their McDonald's crappy meals, watch Big Brother, and spoil their children. They live in the world all but 2 hours a week. Well duh, monkey see, monkey do.

An old Cherokee tale recounts the story of a grandfather who teaches life principles to his grandson. The grandfather says, “son, on the inside of every person a battle is raging between two wolves. One wolf is evil. It is angry, jealous, unforgiving, proud and lazy. The other wolf is good. It is filled with love, kindness, humility, and self-control. The two wolves are constantly fighting. The little boy thought about it, and said, “Grandfather, which wolf is going to win?” the grandfather smiled and said, “whichever one you feed.”

The bottom line is, it isn’t the fault of the church. It isn’t a changing God or changing sin or changing truth. It is the perversion of man and his self-will run riot. It isn’t up to any governing body to determine how the body of fellowship grows. It is always up to individuals. It isn’t the US government that has screwed up our economy but the collective of irresponsible individuals who have spent with foolish greed. We have been feeding the sin nature.

One of the greatest things I learned in AA that would serve us all well to practice is personal accountability. If every man and woman would do a “fearless moral inventory” to honestly see their own sin with a willingness to change, things would improve, people would turn back to God and His blessings would once again flow. As long as we persist in living in this world as if it were healthy, our churches will shrink and our faith will decline.

Satan is the ruler of this world. He’ll have his fun for awhile. But it won’t last forever.
Meantime, what are we going to do about it? Which wolf are we feeding? Can you honestly evaluate the amount of time you give God vs. the amount of time you give the world? That should speak volumes about what your mirror is reflecting.

Christine, God bless you. I understand your frustration. Having seen what’s happening first hand, loving the church and God as I do, I just want to grab them by the shoulders and shake the people, saying, “don’t you see what’s happening to us!”

I suggest that you and everyone disturbed by the decline of Christian churches, step up and do something about it. It starts with meeting with God every day in prayer and Bible study and listening to the Holy Spirit. Go to church, worship, encourage one another in fellowship and hospitality, meet often, be a shining presence in your communities, share the gospel as the Holy Spirit leads - be Jesus. That’s all we’re really asked to do. Love God. Love your neighbor. Love God by sharing God with your neighbor. Love man by sharing God with your neighbor.

Be very careful about writing books and making claims that you know something. God is in control. Every man needs to be accountable to Him. Then things will turn around and He will hear our prayers.

These words, spoken to the Israelites so long ago when they had gone astray, hold every bit as true today for us, right here in the USA. I believe God has been telling us this as we see more seats in the pews empty. He is calling to the remnant, if we would only listen, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.” 2 Chron 7:14-16 NIV

May the Holy Spirit who knows your heart, guide you in a closer walk with Jesus.

Not afraid to speak the truth in love,
anne hughes
http://www.cogprays.net/

Living Sacrifice

FaithWalkDaily September 28, 2008

Rom 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. NIV

The message this morning was on Romans 12, pointing to God's goodness. I've been thinking recently about God's tenderness and mercy and want to explore how this plays into His will for us.

Sometimes, we don't see God's goodness, all we see is pain, or darkness, or obstacles. Where is God's goodness in the midst of all our difficulties?

Well, let's think about that. Suppose I weren't disabled. Suppose I still had a strong, flexible body. Where would I be right now? Would I be the prayer warrior that God has made in me? Would I be reading and savoring Scripture in daily devotions for the edification of the saints? Now that I think of it, I suppose I'm right where God wants me.

I didn't freely choose to live in a damaged body, but now that I'm here, I trust that God will continue to make the best use of it for His purposes. That's the tenderness and mercy of a loving God. My compassion is a good spiritual fit for this body.

Father, in view of Your infinite wisdom, mercy and love, I offer this body, a living sacrifice, to do with as You will. May I daily submit myself to Your plans for Your purposes. As I think about the incredible sacrifice of my Savior, let me find joy in every trial I face for Your glory. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Harder Than I Thought

FaithWalkDaily September 26, 2008

2 Cor 11:28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. NIV Please read all of chapter 11.

I'm a writer by nature. Writing comes with little effort for me. I find it easier to write than to talk. That's not to say I really love writing, more that I'm driven. Most of the time I write when I feel like it, I'm compelled. I'm not forced to do this.

I decided to share my thoughts in writing with the world, whoever should chance to read them. It seemed that perhaps the Holy Spirit had promted this venture and if that's the case, it's not about what I want to do but what I must do. And I decided at the time that I should blog daily for continuity, create a day to day devotional using Scripture. I've always got a fresh flow of thoughts pouring out of my head and I love God's word so it seemed at the time it would be easy. It isn't. A commitment to anything requires obedience. Having already missed a number of days, I always feel badly that I've failed to stay on track.

As I was reading 2 Corinthians 11 just now and reflecting on the many times Paul talks about his struggles, I realize we're not so very different. Did he really love spending all that time writing to the churches (with a quill pen and ink, not a fancy computer keyboard?) Or visiting them to preach (walking, taking long tumultuous trips in sailing ships, perhaps a few uncomfortable camel and donkey rides along the way?) It probably seemed like great fun in the beginning. Gee, I'll get to travel, see new places, make new friends...

...Be locked up in prison for the faith...

When we're asked to do something, or are told by our boss to get a job done, we do it for them. But when the Holy Spirit asks you to do something, it's usually much harder and requires a deep level of self discipline. I'm so grateful to read of Paul's struggles and perseverence. I'm not alone! No matter how weary or discouraged I become, I can always get back on the road.

What does Holy Spirit prompt you to do that you've been procrastinating or ignoring? Be still, listen to that voice in your heart. God will speak to you if you're willing to listen. Ask Him, by the power of Jesus in you, for the strength and boldness to be obedient.

Are we daily concerned for the body of Christ? Are we moving according to God's Spirit in those concerns?

Heavenly Father, we are humbled as always, by Your power and presence. You are amazing God - the One who created everything in existence also cares for every person on earth who has not heard the gospel. Your word tells us it's not Your desire that any should perish but for all to have the knowledge of Your saving grace. You are patient beyond measure to wait until we get off our laurels and go according to Your will. Lord, would we be especially attentive today to hear Your voice. Would You grant us the strength and boldness to go as prompted, to utter Your words, to glorify You. May we be the light of Jesus today in this dark world. In His precious name we pray, amen.

Can You Imagine Heaven?

FaithWalkDaily September 25, 2008

~ Rev 21:10-27
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits thick, by man's measurement, which the angel was using. 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.

22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. NIV

No matter what we suffer here on earth, and it will get worse for each of us as we come into old age and the body's functions decline, we have hope and a future as promised in Jeremiah 29:11. I'm so longing for heaven and can't even begin to imagine how marvelous it will be. There is nothing to cling to here on earth but His every word! The only thing that will bring us joy in the midst of the difficulties here is the hope we have in heaven.

It becomes clearer each day as I draw closer to my Savior, that my finances, home, car, clothes, and all that I fret about on a daily basis are like dust in the wind. Or, as Soloman put it, "there is nothing new under the sun." None of it matters.

We can chase after the things of this world until we're exhausted, and how foolish we are! We cannot even begin to imagine the treasures that await us in heaven. And we think in terms of earthly time while we're here. Whether we have 20, 50 or 100 years on earth, that time is but a breath in eternity and eternity is what we're promised! Do you get that? Can you possibly grasp that the riches of heaven are our inheritance for all time and eternity?

So why do we seek the rags of earth when we could be enlarging the kingdom of heaven for the sake of mankind and God's glory? We only have a moment - let's not waste it!

Heavenly Father, it's so hard for us to get our minds around Your magnificance, and what You have in store for us. We're just too simple. But we can trust in Your word and Your promises. Thank You for giving us just a taste of what's ahead so we can refocus on Jesus and redouble our efforts to bring more lost souls into Your kingdom to share these delights eternally with You. May we do all we do for Your glory alone. In Jesus' name, amen.

Where are the Blessings?

FaithWalkDaily September 24, 2008

But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
~ 1 John 1:7, NLT

My friend called me this morning to firm up our plans to get together tomorrow. She is my mentor and walks me through my dark times (which lately seem to be far more than the light!) She said, "can I talk tomorrow..." Yea! My turn to listen.

What a stark reminder of the blessing I have in her friendship: we lift one another up to walk side by side in the tumult. There are those who come to me to be heard and I can shut up and listen. More often I find I'm the one doing the talking. Either talking to educate or talking to dump my own garbage to make room for more of God's filling. I'm looking forward to sitting on the other side for a change. The question of the day, "where are the blessings?"

I spend an awful lot of time considering the troubles of the world. As a prayer warrior, it's what I do. I pray for the needs of the faithful. They don't ask me to pray when their children are healthy and walking in God's grace. They don't ask me to pray when their loved ones are all doing well. They don't ask me to pray when their bank account is overflowing and they're trying to figure out which ministry to share their blessings with. They don't ask me to pray when their new car is shiny, their new home is built, their land is fruitful, or when their churches are filled to capacity.

The faithful ask for prayer when it all falls apart.

So just for the sake of His glory, let's spend a little time reflecting on His gifts. Because even today, with the economic indicators pointing south and all the media spewing doomsday messages, His goodness and mercy flows in America. Let's not skim the top tasting only the broth when the pot is filled with rich meat.

Did you have your Starbucks today? How was your workout with your trainer? Did you have a nice walk on your two good legs? Was your bed nice and comfy-cozy while you couldn't sleep? What did you have for dinner last night? How about this beautiful weather? Aren't those mountains and fall colors amazing? Wasn't the message at church on Sunday wonderful? Don't you just love that song, Heart of Worship? How about all those people reaching out to the victims of recent hurricanes and storms in the south?

I could write a gratitude list a hundred miles long and still not cover all there is to be thankful for. Sure we're facing some hard times. And they may get harder still. But I'll wager the master of darkness loves to hear us project about a bleak future and focus on the negative rather than bask in the light that guides our way. Praise Jesus for the light of fellowship as we keep our eyes on Him. His blessings are right here, right now.

Heavenly Father, how great Thou art! How marvelous are Your ways. We thank You Jesus for the light that saves us, for the blood You shed to cover our sins and pave our way to heaven. Though the way is often difficult with many hills and curves, we know You're just ahead, making a way, clearing the path, shining Your light. We submit all our fears, concerns and questions to You now, entrusting everything to Your wisdom and care. Basking in the glow of all Your blessings, in Jesus' name, amen.

Draw Near

FaithWalkDaily September 18, 2008

Heb 10:22-2522 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching. NIV

Today is my earthly father's birthday.

He was not a very good man and unless he made a deathbed confession of faith, I don't believe he walks with Jesus. Perhaps because I lacked a good father to raise me up through life I cling all the more desperately to my Father in heaven so I'm grateful for my dismal history.

As a result of my broken family I've always been disturbed by brokenness amongst human beings and am forever trying to patch things up. In the depths of my being I know that there is a logical order to things, that there must be one to lead while others follow. Followers are no less important than leaders - the work would never be done without them. So a leader is lost without his support. Of course the flock is lost without a Shepherd.

We are living in desperate times beloved. Look around you. Satan is having his way in every arena around the world. Many Christians sit passively complaining in disgust but do nothing. Careful. It's not wise to speak if we're not prepared to act.

I'm prompted by a couple things. One is the endless stream of politically flavored email circulating ad nausea. The other is division in the body of Christ. I'm not going to speak to what I call splat - candidate bashing slander - in this blog. I've already done that elsewhere. I want to talk about the latter today - body slashing.

This issue of disunity, grumbling, complaining, demanding our own way, changing for the sake of change, and ultimately dividing the body of Christ, must so grieve God's heart. We must look to Him like the mentally deranged "cutter" who slashes himself. If we're honest with ourselves, most of our complaints are petty. People leave churches for the stupidest reasons. Don't even get me started on doctrinal issues! If I didn't believe fellowship were an absolute necessity and a mandate, I'd withdraw completely. But that's not what we're about. God wants us to gather, to support and encourage one another, and to confront sin in love. Lift up, not tear down.

Instead, what's happening today is, you don't like somebody or some thing in your church so rather than address it or get over it, you leave. So I want to talk to both of you today. You who's hotfootin' and you who's made him mad. You're both in the wrong. What you need to do is sit down with Scripture and settle it.

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nobody needs to leave. God wants you to work it out. God wants you to work it out. God wants you to work it out!

God wants you to work it out. God wants us to draw near to Him.

I want to talk to you today about loyalty, dedication, support, encouragement, edification.
1 Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. NIV

Don't worry about getting our own way or getting the position you want. Our reward comes from God. Don't be concerned about the program somebody wants to run you don't agree with - God has it all under control. Don't be fretting over so and so not doing what they're supposed to - they're a work in progress just like you. God can handle them. Satan causes you to think you've been wronged by your brother to take your eyes off the work Jesus is doing in and through the body as a whole. Get off your high horse and offer it to your brother or sister. Love one another, lift each other up, cheer the other guy on. Forget about yourselves. It's not about us! Satan wants you to think it's about what's best for you. Only God knows what's best for you.

So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.
~ Galatians 6:9, NLT

Draw near to God.

O heavenly Father, all this petty bickering among Christians is a nuisance and hinders the work you have planned for us. I pray now that You would help each of us to stop thinking about ourselves and start thinking about Your holiness, You great mercy, Your love and most of all, Your perfect plans and purposes for our lives to glorify You. Would we humble ourselves to simply serve as Jesus served, to wash the feet of our brother; to come to the aid of our sister; to love one another as You love us. Would we stop being about the busy-ness of church and start being about spreading the gospel through godly living and an active testimony of faith in our communities. Let us draw near You O Lord, we need You desperately! In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Beyond Color

FaithWalkDaily
Second Thoughts

We will finally see beyond the skin colors of this world when we face the races of other worlds or heavenly hosts...

Have I finally gone over the edge?

Just checkin' to see if you were awake or not!

Rev 4:6-8
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holyis the Lord God Almighty,who was, and is, and is to come." NIV

Am I a Christian

FaithWalkDaily September 17, 2008

36 "I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
41 "I do not accept praise from men, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?
45 "But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?"
~ John 5:36-47 NIV

These words of Jesus are very convicting and key to our destination. The Jews who persecuted Christ and sent Him to His death on the cross, were devout holy men. They knew the Scriptures. They had read the prophesies of the messiah and yet were blind to His very presence.

I was reading through the blog of a self-proclaimed "Christian" woman who is literally journaling her personal life online. Not that there's anything wrong with that if you don't mind the voyeurs of the world peering into the windows of your soul. And if you're going to put yourself in that position, I would only hope that while you're sharing your sinful nature, you would so do along with the solution and how you're living it (which she did not.)

After I read the first entry in the blog with my judgmental glasses on ;-)\ (though I repent and ask God to give me wisdom to help, rather than condemn) I read her profile and was shocked to find she was willing to share things about herself that are no one's business but her and her husband! Do we really care what kind of underwear she wears? And what kind of idiotic blog host gives users options for sharing such intimate information? Only one that's of the world, of course. Personally, I'd have left some of those details blank.

As I read this woman's profile, I could relate. I was a worldly Catholic for many years. I had no problem telling (or showing) anyone what kind of underwear I wore, or flaunting my great legs. I didn't realize I wasn't a Christian until I came face to face with Christ and became a born again Christian. I was immediately transformed. On the Saturday before I would probably have flirtingly told you the style, color and size of my panties but the following Monday I'd have blushed and exited quickly. The transformation with Christ in my heart was that drastic.

Am I a Christian? Without a shadow of a doubt. Are you?

How can you know?

Jesus said (John 14:6) He's the only way to God. Not some way. Not a way. Not one of many ways. The way. Do you believe that?

If you believe Jesus is the only way to heaven, do you believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God? Since Jesus is the fulfillment of Scripture (OT prophesy) and the prophesy of things to come (NT,) if you believe in Jesus, you must believe the Bible.

If you follow any other book or any other man, you are being led down a path to destruction. A true Christian follows Jesus alone, Trusting the Holy Spirit using the Bible as a guide.

Joseph Smith was a liar and a false prophet (Matt. 7:15, Deut. 18:21,22.) The Pope has abused the power of his position. Charles Taze Russell perverted the gospel among other blasphemous acts. There are far too many "Christian" leaders who, consciously or unconsciously have twisted the gospel to the joy of Satan and company.

Let's be safe. Stick with the basics. Read the Bible. Store God's word in your heart. Be prepared to give an account for the hope we have in Jesus so that others might come to the table of grace in His kingdom. Follow no man. Fellowship with other believers who have solid Biblical doctrine and understanding. Follow Jesus. Trust the Holy Spirit. Know that God is God and He will have His way. I'd rather be in His camp when the storm comes than out there floundering around wondering if I've got it right, blown away on the winds of the world.

Lord Jesus, open the eyes of our hearts, show us clearly who You are, give us wisdom and discernment in all things regarding faith. Guide us in paths of righteousness for your name's sake. Protect us from liars and false prophets, and beguiling worldy ways. Light the way Jesus, we want to follow You. Holy Spirit embolden us for the journey. Save us a place at your table Lord Jehovah - we look forward to that great feast! In the holy name of Jesus we pray, amen.

Do You See God?

FaithWalkDaily September 14, 2008

Acts 17:26-2826 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' NIV

Luke intimates in these verses that if we seek God we will find Him. God wants us to seek and find Him. That tells us He is personal. He wants us to come to Him. He wants us to find Him. Why? Well, if we want to be found, surely we must want to be known, yes?

Then Luke tells us that in Him we live and move and have our being. Meditating on this I got an image of putting on the armor of God as in Ephesians 6. In Him, we live and move and have our being. Under His protection. Suited up for His purposes.

And where are we? In Him. Looking at Him from the inside. We see His heart, which is the heart of love, a nurturing Father. Seek Me, find Me. Abide in Me, grow from Me (John 15.) He is teacher, provider, healer, listener, helper, leader - He is everything. And in Him, He moves us according to His plans for us.

In Him, we see the world through His eyes. We feel His grief. We rejoice with Him. We experience His love for us. In Him we see with precise lenses.

Do you see Him?

O Father, so marvelous are Your ways and Your wisdom. Thank You for calling our names, for prodding us to seek You, to find You, to know You. What a gift! May we grow in You more every day as we look at the world through God colored eyes. In the perfect name of Jesus we pray, amen.

Depending on God

FaithWalkDaily September 13, 2008

The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.
~ Lamentations 3:25, NLT

Through a series of tramatic events in my life, I began searching for God very early on. I didn't meet and embrace His love until I was almost 40 but I was on a lifelong quest for truth.

As I look back over my life, I can see so many instances where God was good to me, where God protected me, where God blessed me - well before I was a Christian, where God honored my desire to know Him even when I was on the wrong path.

As an infant, I nearly died and was saved, by of all people, my angry alcoholic father. As a teenager, I got into drugs and alcohol and hitchhiked all over the country. Several times I was saved from rape and possibly worse. As an adult, I drove under the influence of alcohol more times than I care to admit and was never in an accident. I was blessed with people who helped me throughout my life, with jobs I wasn't qualified for, with opportunites I didn't deserve.

He waited patiently for me while I explored mysticism, Buddhism, European Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Scientology, knowing that each time I prayed earnestly, "God, how can I know You?" somewhere deep inside through the muffler of my own life's noise, I heard that still small voice that said, "keep looking, keep seeking, keep going."

Conversely, family members who hated God or denied Him because of the trauma in our lives have suffered in many ways and have not received the blessings and protection of the Lord.

What I know beyond any hint of doubt, is that He is good to me, even when I'm in the Refiner's fire. Paul tells us He promises to work it all out for our good in Romans 8.

Some days my well just feels empty. Some days the work is hard. Some days my noise blocks His wisdom. Some days the road is full of potholes. But every day the Lord is good to me. I know that as I seek Him, He will fill me up, ease the task, quiet the noise, smooth the way and sustain me with His strength, power, love and mercy.

Lord Jehovah-Jireh, how marvelous are Your ways, how perfectly you provide; You are faithful, You are good. Thank You for patiently waiting on us as we seek You. Open my eyes today Father, reveal Yourself so that I might glorify You in all I do and say in accordance with Your plans. In Jesus' name, amen.

Healing Rain

FaithWalkDaily, September 12, 2008

May you experience the love of Christ ... Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
~ Ephesians 3:19, NLT

Holy Spirit, grant me the heart and the words to honor holy God today.

The point of this blog, the point of my journal, is to examine random Scripture, verse by verse, as the Holy Spirit uses it to speak to my soul.

My testimony is one of miraculous transformation. I was like Paul in that I persecuted "the church" in general , shunning all formal or organized religion. My "road to Damascus" was actually in a church. And when that moment came, the Holy Spirit flooded me - I bought in to the whole program for life in an instant. There has been a constant thirst for more of the Word, for knowledge of God, and a desire to grow closer every day.

I have experienced the love of Christ daily since I turned to Jesus in November 1994. I have been filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. He moves in me and captivates me like nothing else can.

There are times when it rains fire from heaven and I just want to run away. I don't want to do this anymore. Being obedient to Christ is often a rugged, uphill climb and I just want to lay down and sleep forever.

Just when I think I cannot go another step, the healing rain begins to fall. Living water flows from heaven, soothes my weary spirit, refreshes my soul and gives me the energy to go on.

As I watched pregnant clouds open to release a cooling shower this morning, it was a sweet reminder to me that all the pains of yesterday are simply washed away. I start new and fresh every morning, take the yoke of Jesus and trudge on.

Thank You sweet Savior that You carry the load with me. Thank You for healing rain to soothe my shattered spirit. Thank You for what You suffered that was far worse than anything I could ever expect to face, so that I can be free, so I can come into the presence of holy God, and have received the Holy Spirit to direct me always. I welcome Your living water that pours into me so that I might pour out the heart of Christ into the world around me. In Your matchless name I pray, amen.

Infinite God, Finite Man

FaithWalkDaily 9/11/08

The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?
~ Psalm 27:1, NLT

On this memorial of probably the worst day in American history, it is hard not to fear in these times. On top of dealing with all the memories of that tragic day and so many things that happened in my own personal life at the same time, today I learned that the husband of a very dear friend has passed away suddenly. He was only forty something.

My dear friend Mimi is left without her husband, the father of her sons and her best friend in the whole world. She said to me, "we were a we, I can't even think in terms of I. I don't know how I'll do anything without him. He was always my comforter and now when I need him to comfort me more than ever, he's not here."

Can we find comfort today in the words of David, when he faced a great adversary?

Satan wants to use the terrible things that happen in life to convince us God doesn't exist or to make us fearful, angry, confused, or turn away from God.

But these are the times God waits quietly on us. He is there to comfort us with His sovereign presence, to speak to our hearts the words we need to hear, to prompt loved ones and friends to reach out in our darkest moments, to guide us to seek the comfort of those left behind. This is the very time to turn to him, for He has promised to see us through with our best interests at heart. As so often, I turn to Jeremiah 29:11 which has been my anchor verse for the past couple years. God knows the plans he has for us - not plans to harm us, but plans for our good, plans to give us hope and a future. He says in that still small voice, be still and know that I am God.

So while nothing makes sense in our grieving, something is happening. God is at work. We cannot know how. Someday my dear sister Mimi will testify to God's glory through all this and God will be honored and people will be blessed. For now, it just hurts.

For all those who are mourning again today losses or wounds from 911, God be with you.

Lord, You are sovereign and merciful. We don't pretend to have wisdom to understand all that happens in our world: when a young, healthy man suddenly dies for no apparent reason; when a whole building full of innocent people going about their business are suddenly attacked for no reason - in the name of a foreign god. None of it makes any sense to us. But You are God. You are holy, perfect and in control. And so today, we humbly bow before You, conceding how small and finite we are, and how much we need You. Bring comfort today to those who mourn, bring peace to our nation, bring wisdom to our leaders, bring hope to us all. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

Did You Know You are Perfect?

FaithWalkDaily
Second Thoughts

2 Cor 12:7-107 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. NIV

I have fallen deeply in love with Paul through my years of studying God's word. With all his imperfections and history of sentencing Christians to death for their faith, he is the disciple I can best relate to. Having been saved out my sinful lifestyle and indeed persecuting Christians, Jesus has shown me again and again the depths of His mercy and love.

In counseling some time ago, I complained about how I am. "I never finish anything. I'm never sure of myself. I question everything. I have no patience. I can't stick with anything for very long because of my afflictions."

I was assured that God had created me just as I am. In order for God to accomplish the purposes He's already set forth for my life before I inhaled my first breath, He crafted me just as I am. I'm supposed to be this way!

After taking some sort of personality test, I was relieved to learn that I'm something of a butterfly. I lite for brief moments here and there, getting my fill, collecting some pollen and then flitting off to the next place to distribute, fill, collect...
http://www.images.on.ca/JayC/jc_g1index.htm

I did a little research on the butterfly for fun and found this: The blooms that we enjoy with our eyes and noses are also the beacons, landing platforms and launching pads for pollinators. In the process, insects get dusted with pollen, which they carry to other flowers. This, in turn, helps the plants produce seed and reproduce. http://www.zoo.org/bflies_blms/facts.html

Hm, rather simplistic I know, but isn't that a bit like discipleship? First we're fed, then we feed others on the Word of God?

A little off track there. Getting back to the point. Each of us is created uniquely for God's purposes. When I realized it's not only okay but right to be just as I am, I began a sojourn in search of what exactly that means in the life of anne leigh andrews hughes. You see, I've spent so many years trying to be someone else, trying to metamorphis into a different breed of butterfly, that I nearly lost all hope of ever doing anything according to God's plans. And all along my only desire has been to be in His will. Tell me He's not a patient God - I'll give you proof He is...me.

This is a process - and a slow one - lifeling. Just knowing a bit about my own nature, perfectly designed by our Creator, gives me a peace I'd not previously known. Today, I needed to remind myself of this. I'm a butterfly. I have a given purpose and it's not yours but mine. I don't have to be like you. I'm not meant to be like you. You're not meant to be like me. Maybe you're like a bee who's always busy, like a dolphin who likes to play, or a giraffe type person who goes for the higher branches. Whatever it is, it's worthwhile to discover your true nature to help you become the person God intends for His glory.

So now all my questions - about why I was born as I was, into the family I was delivered, why I've done what I've done, suffered as I have, been given the thorns I bear that have not been taken from me - are put to rest. For in my weakness, in my being just as I am, His strength abounds. His purposes are accomplished. If I've made Jesus the copilot, I need to relinquish the controls back to Him.

Father, thank You for creating us each as unique individuals who has something marvelous to contribute to the greate whole for You proposes. Help us today to accept who we are, to seek Your will and to obey for Your glory. May You be blessed by all we do and say in the presence of others for the sake of the gospel. Lord may Your strength manifest itself in our weaknesses; may You increase as we decrease. Thy will be done, in the name of Jesus, amen.

Mustard Seed Faith

FaithWalkDaily 9/11/2008

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.
~ Psalm 40:1 NLT

Yesterday started off headache free for the first time in days. After some prayer and meditation on K-Love's Encouraging Word http://www.klove.com/EncouragingWord/, I thought it was going to be a wonderful day.

Then the enemy crept in while I was all puffed up and shattered my world. In one fell blow, with my defenses down, he bowled me over in an instant. I found myself flattened, on the phone with my husband who gave me terrible news. After hanging up, I tried to pray but I felt nothing but anger, fear and complete loss of control. I sat sobbing, wondering what to do.

Beside myself and unable to move or pray, I started calling friends I know who are strong prayer warriors. No one answered their phones so I began screaming at God, "HELP! HELP ME GOD, Where are you when I need You? Why do You hear everyone else's prayers and not mine? Why do You bless everyone else and not us? What have we done that keeps You from hearing our prayers? I want to serve You, want to be obedient. So if I'm doing something wrong, show me Lord, Help me!!"

After a few unanswered calls, I got my church directory and opened it and the first name my eyes rested on is a woman of deep faith. I called and poured out my heart to her. She immediately prayed for us, for our situation and for the other person involved. Her specific prayer was for these two men to resolve the problem as good Christians, in peace. She also prayed something like, "Lord, You have said we can move mountains with just the faith of a mustard seed. As small as our faith is, we know You're in control and that You can make this situation right for everyone concerned."

Through my sobs, I told my friend that I didn't think I even had the faith of a mustard seed anymore. She responded to the effect that the very fact that I had called, that I had reached out to others for prayer in my time of need, proved my faith. A simple but profound statement - words straight from the heart of the Holy Spirit. God poured a healing salve into my wounded soul through her wisdom.

Before she was even finished praying, my husband called on my cell phone to tell me this man had apologized and they had resolved the issue to everyone's satisfaction.

I don't always wait patiently. Sometimes I'm flat out kinetic - pacing, ranting, raving, crying. Perhaps that's as patient as I can be. God created me this way. He knows my heart, my needs, my abilities. Despite my lack of serenity, and inability to sit still, He has abundant patience. He turns to me in my time of need and hears my cry.

O Holy God, thank You for Your patience when I have none, thank You for Your mercy when I am far from You, thank You for providing for my every need though my faith is so small. You are marvelous and majestic, all powerful and all knowing, yet You attend to me as a gentle Shepherd takes care of the lamb gone astray. You have far greater things to attend to, yet no prayer goes unheard. You draw me into Your presence and guide me according to Your perfect plans. Protect me from the enemy - ever lurking, ever patient - just waiting to devour me. You etch Your word upon my heart for times when I can't think clearly, and the Holy Spirit brings them to mind to thwart the devil's attacks, when he taunts me with his lies. Thank You Lord Jesus, that You have paid the price for my sins, that You have made a way for me to bring my petitions before the Father. Thank You my Savior, my Redeemer, my Rescuer. Guide us through this day, with constant reminders, that You are Soverein God. In Jesus' name, amen.

How Much Can We Endure?

FaithWalkDaily 9/9/2008

Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested. ~ Hebrews 2:18, NLT

In our reading of John 16 this morning, I was overwhelmed with the depth of God's perfect plans surrounding the crucifixion of Christ. Jesus promises His disciples that although He's leaving them, it's for their benefit - that only by leaving will the Holy Spirit become manifest in their lives to guide them always.

Jesus was born of a young, naive, teenage girl, was raised in a poor family that was probably somewhat shunned as a result of the virgin birth that many may not have truly believed, worked hard training under His adoptive father's tutelage, lived a life of total trust on God for every provision after He began His ministry traveling from town to town preaching and teaching, and even providing for the crowds He ministered to. Knowing His own fate, He was obedient to the last step, as He was beaten, tortured, taunted, carried His own vehicle of death the long road to Golgotha and finally was laid out on that rough hewed, splintering cross while brutal spikes were driven furiously through His wrists and feet. Jesus suffered more than you or I can ever imagine. We shudder to think of it; Mel Gibson's graphic depiction in The Passion of Christ was difficult to watch, but we will never know the true nature of Jesus' suffering.

And He did it for our sakes. He did it in order that when He came to us in the form of the Holy Spirit, we might somehow grasp the depths of His love for us, to help us when we face our own inevitable trials as we walk this earth.

Do you get that? Wow. What more can be said?

Lord God of mercy, O Jesus sweet Savior, what have You done? Can we even begin to fathom the depths of Your love and sacrifice? Father, would we meditate on these thoughts today, on the power of Your love, on the reaches of Your compassion, that we might be obedient with each step we take. Give us hearts to be attentive to the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit who never forces us but promises blessings if we but follow His lead. Jesus, be our guiding light every step of the way, for Your word is a light unto my heart, a lamp unto my path. In our test You are all the help we need. In Your holy name we pray, amen.

Clinging desperately to the cross...

This Earthly Body

FaithWalkDaily 9/8/2008

Matt 11:28-30
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." NIV

Sometimes I just want to throw in the towel and quit everything. I'm just flat out weary. Entrapped in this human body, a temporary shelter in need of repairs, I long to be free. This skin is etched with myriad lines like a road map of my life, veins are choked, my mind grows dim, pains abound from head toe, and there seems no end in sight. Yes, I'm weary.

Violins at ready: Nobody's coming to my pity party!

As I rest with a sinus headache that has refused to take a hike for several days, I just want to feel good again. Whatever that means. I can't remember my last pain free day since - well, honestly, I can't remember. I've been in pain of one kind or another for just about as far back as I can remember. I didn't always sit around feeling sorry for myself, hoping you'd join my bandwagon with your woeful violins and mournful fugues.

Let's face it, a gaggle of naysayers singing the woes of humanity would not be a popular band. And no one accepted my invitation anyway. Misery loves company and doesn't often find it. This is a lonely place to be.

Life hurts. We have options. We can sit around alone feeling sorry for ourselves and complaining, or we can turn to the One who suffered more pain than we can even begin to imagine.

Jesus invites us to share His yoke which is "easy and light." The purpose of a yoke is to distribute the weight between beasts of similar size to create a managable load for the working animals to carry. Likewise, Jesus is saying, we're in this together - seeking after the will of God. Come, share my yoke, and I'll take the load off of you.

One thing I've learned as one who bears a permanent thorn, His grace is sufficient for me, for His power is made perfect in weakness (2Cor. 12:7.) I can pray in any situation, no matter how bleak, how weak or how tired I am. I can pray. And the burden rests with Him. Being weak forces me to lean on my Savior.

This is only a temporary station, this earthly body. Praise God, it isn't my final destination!

Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder that You're always there for us in our time of need. Though we don't always feel it, we can know you bear the burden with us, Your grace is sufficient to see us through. Trusting in my Savior, amen.

Need Him