Uprooted

image by stockarch – stockarch.com

It’s the culmination of hard work, long nights, and ridiculous caffeine addictions. Students everywhere meticulously preparing for the day they hear their name called to receive their long-awaited reward. It’s graduation time!

Anyone who has graduated remembers the marked feeling of satisfaction as they realized they were finished. Well-wishers congratulate you with gifts and sweet notes of praise. Your parents embarrass you with tears and recall all-too-personal memories of you as a baby. And then it happens. The inevitable, always dreaded,

“What will you do now?”

High schoolers avoid answering because they aren’t always 100% certain. College students generally have some form of a plan, but most often are stricken with fears of failure and insecurity.

With so many options available today, it is easy to become overwhelmed. For Christian students, we’re always concerned with “finding God’s perfect will”. And you’ve heard it preached before: “Stay faithful in the day-to-day and God will show you the path to take.”

This concept is true, and also another blog post for later.

But when you have discovered God’s will for your career path, it can still be daunting.

That first leap of faith feels like trying to step over the grand canyon…with a blindfold…in torrential wind…and there’s no safety net.

Take it from someone who moved across the country with only 1 days notice. I had already registered to be a student at a Bible college in Tennessee.  I had a job waiting only for me to arrive and start working. I had a dorm room and roommates I was excited to meet. My bags were packed and in the car. All I had to do was simply drive the 4 hours to the college campus.

And God said, “Nope. Changing your plans.”

Super long story short, God decided, within 24 hours, to remove Chris and I from the backwoods of the deep South to the middle of the absolute desert: Lancaster, California.

It really is an amazing story of God’s perfect leading. I will eventually tell it another time, but the moral that we had to learn was: No matter what you’re doing, where you are, or what time of day (or night), be prepared to be uprooted.

God doesn’t uproot us to get a good laugh at our expense. He truly loves us and wants the complete and perfectly best scenario for our lives. Sometimes, though, moving us is necessary.

Naturally when I say “uprooted” we think plants. Plants hate being ripped out of their cozy flower beds and shoved into a wide open space outside in the cold. They get temperamental and, I believe, wilt out of spite. But it’s good for them!

Did you know that dividing and transplanting flowers in the fall time will help them to multiply and flourish in the spring?

Same with you, graduates. God has allowed to you complete your years of traditional schooling and is going to be moving you somewhere into the unknown. You will be in a new environment and it will be tempting to “wilt”.

Psalm 56:3 “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.”

Don’t fear change. The honest truth? It will hurt and it will be difficult. But never make life decisions based on what feels good. If you know God wants you to move away from home to a new city, state, or even a new country, do it! No one has ever died from change. There is no more peaceful, safer place than being in the center of God’s will.

Be thankful God loves you enough to do whatever it takes to make you grow stronger. Be flexible to to His direction.

And you know what? Chris and I survived the cross country adventure. We ended up exactly where we were needed most. Yes, I hated to leave my family, but I wouldn’t trade in God’s will to avoid homesickness.

The day after we submitted to God’s surprise change of direction, we actually did end up crossing the Grand Canyon

The Prodigal

A dear friend wrote and sent me an article she felt God pressing on her heart to share. I post this from my “anonymous” source, but please read. It’s a great reminder to all of us who are saved, especially to those of us who’ve been saved for a while.

Enjoy!

The most important thing on this earth is your relationship with Jesus. It is the gauge to which everything in your life is measured. If you are in love with Him and who He is, you perceive the world around you in its proper perspective. Your health, your personal relationships, your church, your study and prayer time, your eating habits, your sleeping habits, your clothing, your choice of entertainment, will all be in alignment with God’s plan for you. He lovingly and gently guides each step you make and directs your thoughts to see the inside of His heart.

Some may say this is constrictive. That to be so intimately connected with the God of the universe would be to, in some way, give up your own rights and your ability to choose what you want for yourself. Or in other words,” I’d have to be good. I could never taste the darker side of life to try what is offered, or I could never have fun.”

My inner man struggled with this concept of “relationship”. I struggled for a long time because I didn’t understand what it meant. I already did what was expected of me. I think I loved most of the people I came across. I mentioned Jesus in everyday conversation. If someone wanted to know about Him, I didn’t hesitate to tell them all that I knew. I listened to great sermons and read good books. I sang in church and served wherever I was needed. I abhorred and refrained from sinful activities. I even kept myself away from those who participated in such activities, raising my eyebrows at their wickedness. However, deep down I still held to the idea that I was given some leeway if ever the need arose to indulge in some wild oat sowing. I mean that’s what forgiveness was for. Right? So, maybe I didn’t read my Bible EVERY day or prayed as often as I should have but… Yes, I loved Jesus. He and I were great friends.

In reality it was not a true relationship, but rather years of weak acquaintance. And it was all I knew.

The test came..as unexpectedly as a summer shower after days of heat..I fell down. I failed the test and I fell down..I couldn’t get up and I didn’t want to get up. I liked the dirt. It was cool and felt good under the weight of my rebellious conscience. For many months I lived to myself, in shame and loneliness. Loneliness, because no one knew or believed that I was capable of such rebellion. I pretended and I did not talk to God. I knew that He wouldn’t hear me. My heart was filled with iniquity. I tried to subconsciously fill the void by continuing my righteous doings. I wanted others to see I was still propped up. It was my imitation of goodness. During those moments alone when I had to confront the emptiness that was enveloping me, I would cry. Sometimes I would stomp my feet. Sometimes I would literally plug my ears and hide under the blankets of my despair. Often times seen with arms folded across my chest, lip jutting out in insolence. I wanted my way.

All the while my gentle Shepherd tugged at my soul, trying to pull me back with the crook of His finger. Whispering, “Come now, Love..Be mine forever. I love you so. Don’t leave Me”, He’d say. Ever blowing the wind of love across my furrowed brow. I’d hear His voice in a beautiful song, I’d see His face when I’d listen to my mother speak, I’d feel His presence when the Scriptures were read.

Then finally the soil of my heart, so hard and cracked and parched, finally began to feel those first small splashes of raindrops. Soon I felt His strong arm grab a hold of me. Then I could feel His chest as my shoulders were pulled tightly against Him and I could hear His breath as I moved in even closer. The glorious, comforting, beautiful breathing of my precious Savior, Jesus! His heartbeat loud and clear, giving me joy at His tender reception. He cried with me and told me of His love. I begged Him to receive me back to Himself and forgive my wickedness.

Oh How I love Him..because He did! He forgave me and then threw away the memory of my misdeeds. 

I walk closely beside Him today. A woman stronger and wiser to the wiles of the wicked one. Because my relationship with the One who died and paid for my sins is of utmost importance. Not one person and not one thing can dare to replicate what He and I share and what is offered to you, dear reader. Guard it closely and be not tempted to stray. For your heart is a needful thing that only our gracious God can satisfy.

My question for you is that if you have never sought out a relationship with Jesus.. Why not? Don’t allow yourself to be tricked into thinking the dirt is good. Get up! Give him your whole heart. Stop pretending. Live fully and abundantly in the knowledge that He is with you because He cherishes YOU with HIS whole heart!

A Pawn in Satan’s Army

I’ll be honest with you, I hate the feeling that I’m being used. Most people would agree that insincerity by friends, or even strangers, is insulting and shows that they don’t really care for you as a person. It has happened to all of us, too. We were befriended by those who just wanted to use us for our talents, money, listening ear, possessions, connections..etc. with no intent to stay once they were finished with us.

Satan works like this. He is the best sweet talker you will ever meet. Since the beginning of time he has manipulated us to do his bidding with no promise of a real reward. Why? Because he hates God that much.

Satan doesn’t care about us at all. He knows if he can turn us away from God in any way at all, God loses and Satan wins. That’s all he cares about.

Satan distracts the unsaved people from the Truth of Salvation, and unfortunately he is most successful when he uses Christians.

He uses false doctrines within Christianity

Subtlety is Satan’s best ploy in the battle for souls. In the Garden of Eden, he clearly showed his skill when tempting Eve. He won’t seek the strong Christians who are spiritually “in tune” with what God says is truth. He will search for the hurting ones, those who are struggling, or those who are merely distracted. He takes Truth and changes it ever so slightly and makes it sound so good and so believable. Human logic fails every time. Seek the Truth through prayer and study of the Bible. The Holy Spirit will speak if you will just listen.

He uses standards and convictions to divide Christians from each other

Matthew 12:25 “And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:”

Satan is no dummy. God had him appointed as one of his top angels in heaven before his pride destroyed him. He knows what God thinks about the Christian walk. He will actually use God’s Word against us.

Everyone has their own standards for their lives, and each conviction will differ. God knows this about humans and wrote an entire section in the Bible about how we should deal with differences. (Romans 14)

Christians are notorious for fighting with each other on issues that will not matter in eternity. We gossip about how we think other pastors and churches should do things and we lose focus on our main job: Winning the lost. How can we be a good example to the unsaved when we bicker about opinions?

A smart soldier will create a diversion to hide his true intentions against the enemy.

He uses our own liberty and freedoms

This goes hand in hand with differing opinions on standards and convictions. Christians DO have liberty.

We have liberty from the bondage of sin, not the freedom to commit sin.

Satan understands the power of our redemption. We’ve been released from his grip and are now free agents to work out God’s plans. But pride is what got Satan in this mess and pride is what he uses against us. He makes us believe we are free to do as we please, to satisfy our flesh in the name of “Christian liberty” and uses that to become a stumbling block for not only other Christians, but unsaved people as well. (1 Corinthians 10)

If we aren’t any different from the world, how can our Light be bright enough to reveal God?

He will make us fall

In short, Satan will use whatever means possible to trip us up and cause us to lose our testimony. I know of many former Pastors who, in a single moment of weakness, surrendered to their fleshly desires and lost their influence forever. All it takes is one wrong word or action in front of an unsaved person to completely turn them away from Christ.

We must stay armed with the Truth. You don’t put your armor on once and forget about it. In a battle, you check your armor constantly for cracks and weak points to avoid being pierced.

Satan is always about, ready to use us as his pawns, willing to sacrifice us for his own gain. Stand ready and stay strong.

Don’t Become the Zebra

Some days, really all you want to do is just stay at home and sit on your couch. You’re tired and emotionally drained and that can put you in a funk. Satan really likes these times in our life. He knows when we are susceptible to sinful thoughts or bad attitudes.He watches for these moments, ready to take action at the first sign of weakness. Basically, he is the hungry lion and we are the slow, little zebra. He’s ready to devour us.

We need to be ”in tune” with ourselves. Not in a new-age, “be in tune with your inner chakra” sort of way, but we do need to learn how our own body reacts. Physically, we know when we are sick. We can just feel a cold coming, or predict our next migraine. Spiritually we get sick too and our physical and emotional beings do play a part.

Physical exhaustion can cause emotional crankiness that leads to hasty (and most often ungodly) spiritual decisions.

Learn what situations can set you off. Pray about them and ask God for guidance on how to properly deal with them. Take a “spiritual Tylenol”. Figure out the necessary preventative measures. This could mean more extensive Bible study and prayer, hiring a helper, or avoiding situations altogether.

Be aware of your limitations. If you are busy all the time, running around like a crazy person with your down-to-the-minute time budget and daily triple-shot venti latte, you probably shouldn’t become the Events Coordinator of the PTA  because a teacher thought you weren’t involved enough.

I recently left my second job. It wasn’t that I couldn’t handle two jobs. I’ve maintained two jobs since I was 16 years old. But my full-time work at our church was beginning to suffer due to my lack of availability. I had to prioritize my time. As much as I appreciated the extra income, God’s work won. I recognized the need for me to be fully devoted and physically well so I could be a better servant.

Letting go of tasks in which you are no longer successful is NOT admitting defeat; it’s being a smart steward of your resources. We can be exceptionally talented in one area, or mediocre at them all.

Be aware of your surroundings. Satan and his minions lurk behind every corner waiting for you to slip on the proverbial banana peel. The Bible says he roams the earth as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He is not lazy. He doesn’t get tired. He is always hungry.

When you find yourself becoming envious of the vegetative state of comatose patients, put up your Shield. Take a rest, but don’t linger long. A moving zebra is not a captured zebra. God knows our limitations and He will protect us, but we must be proactive to stay inside the safe-zone. Becoming too complacent or lazy is very dangerous.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

Purpose for Today

“When friendship with the Lord becomes blurred, perhaps through the busyness of daily living, I find myself wandering through my days with no purpose. That’s not a good place to be.” – Marcie Varnum

God has placed my husband and I in an incredibly beautiful little town. It’s very historic and almost “Stepford”-ish. I mean, our Town Hall is on 123 Main Street, Pleasanton. This time of year is truly gorgeous and when I drive to work I can’t help but express my gratefulness to God.

One particular drive this week, I started praying for the day to start well and the strength to get everything finished. It was almost as if God asked me out loud, “What is your purpose for today?”

I didn’t really have an answer. I go to the office at our church, do my normal routine of graphics and brochure updates, emails..etc. I started to list my tasks as He said, “No. Whose life will change as a direct result of your actions today?” No answer. I didn’t even have a clue. I don’t really see too many people on a day when I’m not working my retail job.

I think He asked me this simply to stir my mind. What do I do in my every day life that serves an eternal purpose? The church can survive without bulletins or attendance sheets. No one really cares about how well I file music in the drawers. What is my purpose? Why did God give me THIS day to live? Why does He still have me around?

Every morning is a gift from God. He gives us the very breath we take and taps out our heartbeat every second. Why did He allow us to get up THIS morning? Whose life are you supposed to change today?

You may not think your everyday actions touch lives of anyone but maybe your boss, but you will never know this side of Heaven who you WILL influence today — either good or bad. Every small task could be leading up to a larger one. It could be something simple as a much-needed compliment to your co-worker that brightens their day. You could demonstrate a good attitude towards a situation in which most people would react negatively.

We are walking testimonies. Everything we do serves a greater purpose. Will you purpose every morning to strive to do God’s will, or will you choose to disobey His promptings?

Be sensitive to His leading; be still and hear His voice. You never know how greatly your actions will move the future.

Philippians 1:12 “But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;”

Jesus Eyes

Luke 6:6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. 7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. 8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. 9 Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? 10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. 11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.

Think about this story for a minute.. These Pharisees were privileged enough to actually witness, with their own eyes, a real miracle. Instead of being amazed and stricken with fear of what this could be, they were simply trying to think of how they could punish Jesus for working on the Sabbath.

Just let that sink in.

There are a great many people who have “left” Christianity because of it’s “huge list of requirements.” Being more conservative myself, I agree that we do a lot in the name of the ministry. Yes, there are standards and convictions  that I try to follow, but I have to understand that these things do not make me good, do not make me better than you and certainly don’t make me more lovable to God. He took me as I was — filthy and ragged– and transformed me into what I am today. All by himself. Everything I do now is completely out of love and respect for who and what He is. I will never repay Him, but at the very least, I can give Him my best.

This isn’t a lecture on being a good Christian, and it’s not even about why. If you are a Christian, you already know the WHY. Our whole purpose is to have fellowship with God, to be good stewards of the time He’s given us and to bring as many other souls with us as possible. We are soldiers with a mission to save the planet by leading others to Safety. The standards and convictions are merely there to guide.

Don’t take this as an opportunity to send your standards flying out the window and live a worldly life. Just take this as a reminder to keep your priorities.

The downfall of most is the focus on changing issues than changing lives.

If the Pharisees had put aside the man-made laws and just LOOKED for a second at what had happened, maybe they too would have believed and been saved. I’m speaking to myself today as I ask all to change their outlook.

See the world through Jesus’ eyes.

Making a Difference Without Love

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Matthew 22:36-40

When I consider that tomorrow the entire nation will be celebrating “love”, I have to know that there is something powerful about it. Everyone wants it, everyone needs it. Love is the #1 subject of music, poetry, books and story lines.  It can build up or destroy anyone in a matter of minutes. Love is said to conquer all; love is everything.

2,000 years ago, Love came down in the form of a tiny baby born into poverty. Love made the ultimate sacrifice to rescue the whole world. Love conquered death granting humanity eternal life. Love saw a need, went out of His way, humbled himself and changed our destiny.

Christ’s Love saved our pitiful selves; how can we not share it with others?

Today, the media has painted that Love as weak and insignificant, and those who are grateful enough to serve Him are nothing but blind sheep. Christians don’t do much to remedy this picture. We spew hypocritical nonsense at unbelievers, most often out of ignorance. We do not even realize the impact we are making.

Westboro Baptist Church is a prime example of the hate and wickedness the world seems to believe embodies all Christianity. I never like to name-drop, but they’ve put themselves in the front line of  the battle yet are fighting for the other side. They call sinners disgusting names; they belittle the person. Never do they offer advice towards changing from wicked ways. Not once will you hear them preach forgiveness. Their repugnant attitudes towards unbelievers have all but obliterated any chance of Salvation.

In John Chapter 8, we see the perfect example of forgiving love given to an undeserving woman. She was caught in the act of adultery and sentenced to death according to the law of the day. Jesus was given an opportunity to teach mankind a lesson. He simply asked  him who was without fault to condemn the woman. Not a single man could. They knew they were all guilty.

When you post on your social media websites, be careful. Too often I see young and old Christians alike make comments about people as if they were animals. Treating homosexuals as filthy creatures is a sin, therefore lumping us all together. Sin is sin is sin. Gluttony, lying, hatefulness, selfishness, laziness…all sin. Romans 3:23 There is none righteous.

Being kind to someone does not mean you condone their sin. You can’t positively affect their lives with judgment and self-righteous piety. I work with an incredible amount of unbelievers at my retail job. They know what I do for a living and they know without a doubt that I am a Christian. Some of these are homosexual and yet they are the ones who seem to like me more than the others. I’m different from what they expected and because of that, all of them have asked me at least once about Christianity. The door is wide open and I’m taking every precaution to keep it open. God will get all the glory when they come to the Saving Grace.

The battle is raging and we have to do all we can to lead souls to safety. Don’t ruin that with pride. God’s power lives in you. Use it for good.

Hold the Ropes

I will go down, if you will hold the ropes. – William Carey, missionary to India

As my church approaches our annual World Wide Missions Conference, I can’t help but wonder how difficult it would be to exchange the comforts of home and family for a distant foreign land.

We have missionary families visit from all over the world. They share amazing, once-in-a-lifetime kind of stories. Stories most could never dream of experiencing.

God really uses foreign missionaries in a huge way. They are able to reach a people who have never been outside of their own village; people who’ve never held a Bible of their own. They get the opportunity to share Christ in the uttermost parts of the earth. We can physically see their spiritual battle as they give testimony to the ways God has spared their lives when they face cultural differences.

I’m too afraid, however, that the idea of the foreign missionary has been somewhat romanticized. We quickly forget about their day-in day-out lives. Learning a new language can be cumbersome and discouraging. They can sometimes feel isolated and alone when they realize  their family and friends are in a completely different country without much chance to visit. Often, the everyday routine sets in and becomes overwhelming, sometimes causing them to feel “burnt out”.

How can we here still at home ease their burden?

Though God does not call everyone to foreign missions, He does command ALL Christians to take part in the Great Commission. Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Most of the missionaries we have present at our conferences are on deputation. This simply means they are working their way around the US to find consistent financial support. The average time on deputation is about 2 years. Two years are far too long to stay when God says to GO.

Think about how YOU can support your church’s foreign missionaries. You can give money to the missions fund, send encouraging letters or care packages full of supplies from home. (Favorite foods that can only be found in their homeland are always nice!)

Even if you can’t give monetarily, you can definitely give your prayer. Most missionaries I speak with say they covet prayers more often than money. Take their prayer cards and stick them on your refrigerator or by your bedside or in your Bible. Pray often for their protection, wisdom to make right choices, and of course, provision.

Without support from the body of Christ, we are left open and vulnerable to the attacks of Satan.

Though we cannot go, we can hold the ropes. We can be their support.

Inside the Mind of Christ

Written when I was 16 years old

Inside the Mind of Christ

The most bittersweet moment, earlier… Surrounded by the ones I love; they mean it all to me.

Now, alone in nature’s palace, my heart bleeds tears of joy for those on my mind, yet the sorrow that fills my eyes overflows and drops like blood. Willingly, I’ve subjected myself to this great cup that’s been passed before me.

The millions on my mind, each individual’s soul screams to me for safety. I lay down myself, my example, to be the propitiation, salvation, the Door to Life. These very souls my gift reject, sending the pains of agony, urgency and ungratefulness to my heart.

The most alone feeling to ever breach the mind of man knocks at my soul’s door. Not even the Father sees me now through what I’ve become.

I left my home, my throne on high to save my Fathers creation. My love for them compelled me to be their mediator. Their price have I paid in full with my own life’s blood. I am the Truth they’ve searched for, yet when they found me, they rejected me.

However, I am not bitter, but compassionate. I don’t regret my excruciating pain. My Love was worth dying for. I just wish they would acknowledge my unrequited affections. I’ll never give up on them. I’ll never leave them though they leave me. I’ll just wait here and be ready when they turn to me. I only wish they understood that rejecting my eternal gift condemns them to Hell. Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing.

When I Grow Up

July 2013 will mark 21 years since my Salvation. 21 years! That’s all but 4 years of my life.

God was gracious to give me a pastor father and a godly christian mother so I could hear the gospel very young. I still remember every detail about that day down to the picture that I was coloring and what color marker I was using.

After 21 years of living in Grace, growing up and being active in church, and graduating from a Bible college, one would assume I should have this “religion” thing down. And I can quote you anything you would like to hear; I know what to say and how to say it. The “religion” part is easy.

But then there’s the “living” part.

As a teenager, there was always a part of me that wanted to rebel. That’s really not unusual in most teenagers. It wasn’t that I wanted to live a wicked life on purpose, I just wanted to see what all the hype was about. I was curious about those things from which I was “forbidden”. I wish I could say I never indulged in my curiosity.

They say hindsight has 20/20 vision. I can pinpoint exactly when I started to fall away from what I knew to be right.

In junior high I was very faithful to my Bible reading. I had a genuine hunger to grow in knowledge of the Bible, and a burden for lost souls. I was ridiculed by my friends on my convictions, but I never wavered. Peer pressure and persecution never affected my stand on Truth. Satan knew I was strong, so he had to be more clever in his approach.

Gradual complacency and plain laziness.

I got too busy working 2 jobs. Talking to my long distance boyfriend was much more exciting, and I started missing days of reading my Bible.

I always thought “When I finally get married and become a pastor’s wife, then I’ll have to get back to my daily devotions. It will be easier.” Not. Being married actually makes it harder to have a consistent devotional life.

After 21 years, I am nowhere near what I should be spiritually. If I’ve learned anything, it is to stay faithful and consistent even when you really just don’t want to. Anytime in my life, now, when I feel my attitude shift, or my walk with God grow weak, I always check my Bible reading. 9 times out of 10, I’m slacking off.

When I’m old, I would love to look back and see a steady path of consistent growth. I should be stronger spiritually than I am currently. I realize that I cannot put off study time and praying daily. I can’t wait until I “grow up” to start doing the right thing. 21 years has already gone by; who knows how many are left?

No matter what you’ve done in the past, redeem the time God’s given to you and live out the rest of your life for Him.