The Time Has Come! The Time is Now!

This morning as I read Haggai 1, I couldn't help but think about 'time'. We often think into the future, proposing what we will do or how we will live differently 'someday.' But that someday often doesn't come. Right now is the perfect time to work on those distant plans of the future. It's not possible with everything. We certainly need to save up for certain things or wait for the appropriate time for others. But, when it comes to a change in our spiritual lives, the time is now. I know we could all use a refreshing new start. As I look out the window at the fresh fallen snow, today is the perfect day to begin.

Readiness

² This is what the LORD Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the LORD’s house.’”

³ Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: ⁴ “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” ~Haggai 1:2-4

In these verses the prophet Haggai is calling the people to rebuild the Lords house, mentioning how they always say it's not the right time while they themselves build up their own homes. Similarly, we all often spend time on ourselves instead of spending time with the Lord. We say that we don't have time to spend in reading the Bible, yet we read our email or facebook statuses. We say that we don't have time to build our relationship with God, but we build up our professional careers.

We often complain that we're not ready for certain things, or that it's not the moment. Next time, I'll do this or that. Next year, I'll really appreciate things. Next semester, I won't let the stress get to me. Brad and I went for a walk through the snow last evening on Christmas night, and we met up with a neighbor. She cheerfully asked us how our Christmas was, and when we repeated the question, she stated, "Great! Well, I had cancer, so this was the best Christmas ever." How often we forget that now is the perfect time- to enjoy a wonderful Christmas, to rebuild the temple, to deepen our relationship with the Lord.

Reflection

⁵ Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. ⁶ You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

⁷ This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. ⁸ Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the LORD. ⁹ “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the LORD Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. ¹⁰Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. ¹¹ I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.” ~Haggai 1:5-11

After readying ourselves to begin again in the now of today, we should also take time to reflect upon the word of the Lord. After all, we are instructed in this passage several times to "give careful thought to all [our] ways." We should consider how the Lord would have us live and what He would have us do. Perhaps there is a children's program that needs help or a neighbor who needs help shoveling their driveway.

Hidden in verses 5 and 6 is the answer. When we are working only for ourselves and our own needs, we fall short. We don't have as many blessings in our lives as we could when we extend a hand to those near us. It's counterintuitive, but it's true. Now is the time to try it out. Reflect on where God is calling you, help out, and see the difference in your life.

Recognition

¹² Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD.

¹³ Then Haggai, the LORD’s messenger, gave this message of the LORD to the people: “I am with you,” declares the LORD. ¹⁴ So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God, ¹⁵ on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month. ~Haggai 1:12-15

Again, as we noticed yesterday, we are not alone in all of this. We are given the assurance by the Lord that "I am with you." The Lord is by our side, helping us in the tasks and gifts and talents that He has given to us. We may find it difficult to overcome our shyness and help out in a new position. We may find it uncomfortable to do something a little different. We may find it downright hard to start a new schedule and keep an important place for Bible reading and prayer...but we know that God is with us.

Emmanuel- God with us! The most beautiful message of the Christmas season. Christ is with us, helping us, waiting for us to ready ourselves, reflect on what He is calling us to do, and recognize His power to change our lives.

Parties, Praise, & Purification in the New Year

This certainly is a very joyous and wonderful time of year... full of excitement and merriment, time spent with family and friends, remembering the good things at life that so often get lost in all the shuffle. And on New Years, it is often tradition to move from the celebration of the holidays into the hopes of the year to come. Many times we get lost in the parties of the season, forgetting the deeper more meaningful aspects of this special season. Reading Zephaniah today, I was reminded of the importance of all three... parties, praise and purification.

Instead of getting lost in hosting many parties, we need to take time to move beyond... into praising God for the gifts and wonderous blessings... and both accepting and praying for the purification that Jesus offers us, that will make all of the difference in the upcoming year.

Parties

¹⁴ Sing, Daughter Zion;
shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
Daughter Jerusalem!
¹⁵ The LORD has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm. ~Zephaniah 3:14-15

Singing, dancing, shouting, being glad and rejoicing... Zephaniah draws a pretty clear picture of a beautiful party. Laughter, merriment and joy. That's what we all wish for holiday parties. We're usually pretty good about making sure this happens during the holidays. Sleeping in late, making all of our favorite holiday foods, giving gifts, watching the classic "A Christmas Story", etc.

But these parties oftentimes aren't as joyful as they could be. This joy is deeper when we remember what it's all about. After all, as one of my favorite verses states, "the joy of the Lord is my strength." When our Christmas festivities are filled with the joy of the Lord, our lives are strong... and so are our parties. The reason for this joy is of course what Christ has given to us. Verse 15 explains that "the Lord has taken away your punishment." We no longer need to live trying to earn our keep in the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus has given us the gift of eternal love and acceptance. Now that's a reason to laugh, sing, dance, rejoice, and party!

Praise

⁵ The LORD within her is righteous;
he does no wrong.
Morning by morning he dispenses his justice,
and every new day he does not fail,
yet the unrighteous know no shame. ~Zephaniah 3:5

¹⁷ The LORD your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.” ~Zephaniah 3:16-17

It makes sense that we would be moved to praise the Lord who is righteous and just, (v. 5) and at the same time loving and mighty to save (v.17). The Lord has shown his righteousness to His people in many ways. He has shown His love and saving grace to me, and I hope that He has shown it to you. If you haven't felt it in a very powerful way, I'm praying for you this Christmas... that you may open up your heart to feel the most amazing change in your life... that Christ may come to show you the way He can change you this new year.

And when you have truly felt what God offers to you, I am sure that you will be moved to praise Him. Praise is the exaltation of the most Holy God for who He is! We often connect thanksgiving with praise, because thanks is often what moves us to praise the Lord our God. For instance, I am thankful today for safe travels, time with family (cousins, parents, brother, and in-laws too), rest after a long semester, and my first Christmas with my wonderful husband who I love so much. I am so thankful for all of these good gifts that I will praise the Lord for His character that has blessed us and also given us the gift of His son.... the ultimate gift that has changed, renewed and refreshed my life- the power of the Holy Spirit to work in and through me.

Purification

⁹ “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples,
that all of them may call on the name of the LORD
and serve him shoulder to shoulder.
¹⁰ From beyond the rivers of Cush
my worshipers, my scattered people,
will bring me offerings.
¹¹ On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame
for all the wrongs you have done to me,
because I will remove from you
your arrogant boasters.
Never again will you be haughty
on my holy hill.
¹² But I will leave within you
the meek and humble.
The remnant of Israel
will trust in the name of the LORD.
¹³ They will do no wrong;
they will tell no lies.
A deceitful tongue
will not be found in their mouths. ~Zephaniah 3:9-13

This section of Zephaniah as well as others in previous chapters mention the humbling of the people, but I chose this verse here due to its explicit mention of purification by God. First, verse 9 mentions that the Lord will "purify the lips of the people". This is meaningful to me, because we often think of "purification" or "repentance" as a difficult, burdensome task. But just as He has promised, the Lord's "yoke is easy and His burden is light." When we ask the Lord to enter our hearts again and again, accepting the freedom that comes from His forgiveness, it is not all on our own. Instead, the power of the Holy Spirit works in us, purifying our lips, our heart, our minds.

Now, purification or repentance is not often thought of during the holiday season. But I believe, just as Zechariah poses, that it has a very important place. We are celebrating and praising the Lord, thankful for all He has done for us. But when we truly recognize the Lord and open our hearts to Him, He will move us beyond praise to repentance... encouraging us to change and become more and more like He was.

Year after year, we hold the tradition of establishing New Year's Resolutions, to eat this or that, to exercise more, to spend more time with family. All of these are fine goals. But this year, I challenge us all to make Christ-Like Resolutions. Pray about what changes Jesus would want to see in your life. Make a list of those things. Pray continuously and work at them, so that we may bless our brothers and sisters through our new purified spirit. Perhaps we need a little more patience, a kinder outlook, more time giving to others, a more missional attitude for our church, a consistent daily quiet time in reading the Bible and prayer. After all, Christ is the reason for the season. By making Christ-Like Resolutions, we recognize His presence all year round... keeping that strength with us. "The joy of the Lord is our strength!" (Nehemiah 8:10)

Best Out of Three - 3 Angels during the End Times

In baseball, in gameshows, we're accustomed to the idea of having 3 shots at something. 3 swings and you're out, 3 doors to choose from, 3 chances. Well, the book of Revelation, that confusing story of the end times, we see that God spells out the consequences for those 3 options that people take during life.

Angel #1: Worship the Lord Only

⁶ Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. ⁷ He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” ~Revelations 14:6-7

The first option is what the first angel speaks of. Fearing the Lord, giving Him glory and worshipping the one who has made heaven, earth and all things. This message was sent to all, to everyone speaking every language on the earth. It seems so simple and so very common sense.

But, it's wonderful to remember, especially at this "most wonderful time of the year". It was wonderful (albeit endlessly tiring) to drive across the country together to get home for Christmas, because we got to witness the changing of many beautiful landscapes. From the dusty desert to the yellow plains of Amarillo to the big blue sky of Oklahoma to the snow of Indiana to the tree-covered hillsides of Pennsylvania. Seeing Shaya jump and play in the snow with Matt & Becky's pup Hayley was a very fun experience indeed. But, it was all too wonderful to look at all of the beauty that the Lord had created, the snow that decorated the branches of the trees or the many different kinds of cacti. As this verse says, "the seas and the springs of water". He made them all, and we worship the creator of all.

Angel #2: Worship the World, Things & Materialism

⁸ A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’ which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.” ~Revelations 14:8

The second angel warned of a fate that is particularly tempting at this time of year. The angel talks of the fate of the people who followed the 'wine of its adulteries'. Wine and adultery are both temptations of the flesh, when one seeks after something in the material world. But, I don't believe "wine of adulteries" refers only to wine and adultery specifically. Instead, this phrase seems to encompass all of those temptations of the flesh, giving importance and worshiping things and materialism.

I'm often asking Brad, "Are you upset that our house isn't really decorated? That I'm not really a homekeeper?" I remember when Brad came to my room in La Aldea the first time to visit. I had the bed and dresser that they had provided. That was it. He must've though I was some kind of strange esoteric girl. Of course, I didn't realize this until I checked out one of my roommates' rooms. She had pillows, posters, a desk, a chair, another comfy chair. Wow. But then I had just come back from Brazil, where I had been living in a little room that had everything I needed. I learned that I could live a quite full and wonderful life without pictures and posters, but with amazing and wonderful friends.

Now, the question, of course, isn't 'to decorate or not to decorate.' Instead, it's what we give the utmost importance in our heart. As long as we are giving thanks and praise and honor to the Lord first and foremost, it can be a wonderful thing that we decorate our homes so beautifully. (I love it; I'm just not very skilled at it. Although I'm hopeful that I'll acquire that skills since I'll now be in one place for quite a few years- which is another change for me.) But, we must beware of caring only about the outward desires of the flesh, caring more about taking care of others, worshiping the Lord with our whole being, and praising Him for all of His blessings during this special time of the year.

Angel #3: Worship the Devil

⁹ A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, ¹⁰ they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. ¹¹ And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” ¹² This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.

¹³ Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”~Revelation 14:9-13

This third option of living, described by Angel #3, is harder to imagine. I mean, we don't often hear people blatantly say, "I'm following the Devil." Oh, I'm sure there are a few crazies out there, but not that many. But Brad and I were remembering today one of our friend who was talking about going to a Yoga weekend, drinking only juices for a week and feeling 'cleansed.' It's interesting that this friend mentioned feeling 'cleansed.' People out there really are looking for that feeling, to feel refreshed and cleansed. These people who are seeking do not realize that it does not take a special juice fast or trip to a Guatemala Yoga camp to feel that. All it takes it God. To accept Him in your heart, to allow Him to enter in, and then you will feel the refreshing cleansing renewal that we all need desperately.

Maybe this Christmas is a wonderful time to praise the Lord again for the 'cleansed' feeling that only He can give to us, and to offer that that those who are seeking... who would benefit so much from a refreshed and renewed spirit. Give the best Christmas gift this season. Pray for those who don't believe. Pray that God would claim their hearts, change their hearts, that they would come to know and love and serve Him... and that we might do that even more every day.

Lord, we praise you this Christmas season, and we choose the best out of three!

About Face

Last Sunday, Brad gave a really nice reflection in church about John the Baptist and his call to repentance. The way it is often broken up into scripture readings, we almost always read the part about repenting separate from the questions by individuals that state, 'What should I do?' But really in its entirety, this is a whole passage together.

Most of think of repentance as going to God and saying, "I'm sorry. I repent. Forgive me." But that's not it. It's an actual 180 degree turn around. It's a change in our actions, when we ask 'What should we do?' and 'How can we do this differently?' So in this complete turn around we change not only the way we are facing (renewing our relationship with God), but we also face some new changes, a radical change in our lives. That was the challenge that John the Baptist gave to those he baptized. That was the challenge we accepted on the day of our own baptism. That's the challenge we have every day when we repent of our own sins.

Facing God

¹ “Come, let us return to the LORD.
He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds.
² After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will restore us,
that we may live in his presence.
³ Let us acknowledge the LORD;
let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.” ~Hosea 6:1-3

Unfortunately the outcome to what Hosea is saying here is quite bleak. This chapter goes on to explain how the Israelites did not do this. They remained unfaithful and did not return to the Lord. Of course that was at one point. Eventually, they did return to the Lord, but it was a long journey, one that could've been made my shorter by repenting with the sentiments described above.

This passage is particularly moving, since it has both the realization of what we should do "Let us" and what God will do "he will" in the restored relationship. For example, it states, "Let us return to the Lord," "Let us acknowledge the Lord," and "Let us press on to acknowledge Him." We are not only drawing close to Him, but we are recognizing Him and His power, and we are "pressing on". We are persevering, even when it's hard, even when we're busy. We need to make time to draw close to the Lord. Then, perhaps, it's even more important.

I'm quite amazed by the food chain Chick Fil A. A huge corporation, it could easily bring in a huge profit on Sundays, but they've decided to take the day off. Anyone would claim it was a huge business mistake, but they haven't gone under. As a business, they do just fine. Now, I don't mean to say that we all should strictly follow Sabbath, although that might not be a bad idea- I often try to do so in order to appreciate the gift God gave to us of rest. But, what I see here is an example of "pressing on", of doing what might be hard in order to acknowledge and draw near to the God who we need in order to make our repentance worthwhile. After all, we repent of our sins, because they separate us from God. Our repentance is our attempt to renew this relationship, and draw closer to Him.

Facing Change

⁴ Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. ⁵ Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. ~Revelations 2:4-5

The renewal of the relationship between God and ourselves is not the end of the story, though it is essential. The power given to us through prayer is deeply connected with the change that we are challenged to take part in. As was stated to this Church of Ephesus in the passage above, they are called to "Repent and do." They must "do the things [they] did at first." Though speaking directly about repentance, this passage neither speaks of action, of "doing." It is essential that we not only repent and ask "Forgive me, Father." We need that change in action. We must do something differently.

By pressing on in our relationship with God, we can pray about changes that we need to see in our lives and ourselves. God will give us the strength to make the changes, and we will do things differently. We can and will do things differently through Christ who strengthens us.

It reminds me of the beautiful hymn: "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow." Through a renewed relationship and through a renewed commitment to change, we can face tomorrow and in a very different way... an about face!

Mobius Symbol: Unending God

Most of us are familiar with the mobius symbol nowadays. It's a loop design, known as the 'unending loop'. Though you follow both sides, it seems to switch over without ending. So is God's love and faithfulness. Today... in the midst of a very busy, stressful and hectic time, I am blessed to remember that there is something so much greater that is unending. More fascinating than a loop that never ends is the Lord who never ends.

Unending Love through Difficult Times

² When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the LORD." ~Hosea 1:2

At the beginning of Hosea, God sends in a quite the plot turn. Could you believe it? A prophet commanded to marry a promiscuous woman? How many of us would be willing to do that to ourselves? Do commit ourselves to loving someone who was unfaithful? And yet this is just the metaphor that God is drawing between ourselves and Him. God's love for us is unending. Though we will sin and fall short many times, though we are hopelessly incapable without Him, and without Him can do nothing, He pledges His faithfulness to His church, His holy bride. This is a love like no other. A love that is, was and will be.

Today I think far too many feel that they are "taking a chance" when they marry. They set up prenuptuals and hope for the best, since something like 50% of marriages fail. But with God, it's not "Until I don't want to put up with you." He 'marries' us knowing every single one of our faults - stubbornness, anxiety, impatience, selfishness, etc. When we make a decision to marry, we usually carefully calculate whether it will work, all the similarities and differences, the qualities and must-haves. God knows everything about us. He knew exactly what he was (and wasn't) getting. And yet, to continue the marriage metaphor, he loved us even while we didn't love Him. Even when we were sinners (when we were not His own), Christ died for us.

²¹ “In that day I will respond,”
declares the LORD—
“I will respond to the skies,
and they will respond to the earth;
²² and the earth will respond to the grain,
the new wine and the olive oil,
and they will respond to Jezreel.
²³ I will plant her for myself in the land;
I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’
I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’;
and they will say, ‘You are my God.’” ~Hosea 2:21-23

And yet, though this must have been so awful, and this is why He commanded Hosea to marry an unfaithful wife, He promsed to love His people, as verse 23 states. "I will show my love to the one I called, 'Not my loved one.' I will say to those called 'Not my people,' 'You are my people'; and they will say, 'You are my God.'"

Unending Love through All Times

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” ~Revelations 1:8

And God's love extends throughout all times. We have a God that loves us during the difficult times, times when we are unfaithful, when we fall to Him, asking for forgiveness.

But God's love also extends to us throughout eternity. I love reading this verse over and over again. It reminds me of a Max Lucado reflection I once read on the 'middle C', how God is the center of our life. No matter which piano we are at, we can find Him there.

God is the center, but God is also the 'always'... the ever-present Lord since the beginning,now and to the end. Knowing that we have a God who loves us so much that He would metaphorically 'marry' and unfaithful bride, we can take great assurance and faith in remembering that God is, was and will be. We have an unending God, with unending love. Praise the Lord, giver of every good and perfect gift!

Away from a "Belly-Button" Theology

This morning's scripture in Jude reminded me of what Pastor Marcos, from the Igreja da Irmandade in Brazil, would talk about. He talked about those who followed a "belly-button" theology. By this, he meant those who are selfish, always looking at themselves, focused on 'their belly-button' and the "I's" and "me's". This, in fact, is the opposite of what Christ's message and love and life compel us toward.

In keeping with the "belly-button" metaphor, we could describe our mission as "outies"... not "innies." We are meant to look out to the world, build up our brothers and sisters in love. As in Max Lucado's popular devotional, "It's not about me."

Destroying the Community through Selfishness

⁸ In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. ⁹ But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” ¹⁰ Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.

¹¹ Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.

¹² These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. ¹³ They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.

¹⁴ Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones ¹⁵ to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”^{e]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[e]} ¹⁶These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

Here Jude clearly recounts the destruction caused by some individuals towards the community. Selfishness, although centered on self, is not an attitude that affects only ourselves. As noted here, it can "heap abuse" on celestial beings as well as others. The rest of the verses go on to recount the many problems caused by such selfishness. These individuals slander, only worry about their own desires (instinct), and "rush to profit." In other words, they run after their own well-being full speed ahead. They are wandering, blown about by the wind, without firm foundations in Christ. They "feed only themselves" and bear no "fruit" without concern and love for those without.

"Grumblers," "faultfinder", "boasters," "flatterers"... none of us would like to be called this list. But these individuals are found in the church (as well as outside), and this is exactly why we need to be careful. It's all too easy to slip into finding fault with our students, our kids, our spouses, our churches. Grumbling during Finals seems almost a given. And we live in a culture where "boasting" and "flattering" are no longer shifty and devious qualities but expected abilities to get ahead in the world. And the central theme of all this- selfishness. When we are living our lives centered around others, caring and loving more, looking outward, we have less of a tendency toward these characteristics.

Building up the Community through Selflessness

²⁰ But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

²² Be merciful to those who doubt; ²³ save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

²⁴ To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— ²⁵ to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. ~Jude 1:20-25

Here, God gives us the recipe to avoid these selfish tendencies. "Keep yourselves in God's love." It seems to be as simple as that. When you're surrounded and reminded of God's overwhelming love, you are impelled to live out that love to others. The God of the Universe loves you. Isn't that all you need? Isn't that all you want to show to everyone you encounter? Then we are free and able to be merciful, to save others, to show mercy. After all, we have the great assurance, that God can keep us from stumbling and free us from our sins, "presenting us without fault and great joy".

Just the other night, I have to admit that I failed. When Brad invited his friend over, I felt jealous and lonely. I know that I should've been happy to have Brad's friend here with us, to encourage him and pray for him during his interview process. But thinking only of myself, it reminded me that after two years here in Tucson I still feel lonely, lacking really close friendship like those I have with my family and friends from college. But, as Christians we can pray to the Lord and know that He will forgive us and "present us without fault and great joy". His forgiveness is complete, and when we pray... He can keep us from stumbling when we keep ourselves in His love.

Say to yourself today: "It's not about me." In keeping with His love, I'm sure He'll use you in amazing ways.

The Strength of Peace & Love be Upon You!

When we hear the words "peace" and "love," they usually aren't connected with "strength." Instead, they are connected with 'joy' or something else. Strength? It seems like an odd connection. But my Bible verses for today seem to speak to me of just that connection. Peace and love can be powerful forces in bringing strength.

At difficult times of the year, of the semester, of our lives... we look for strength. And the peace and love that the Lord provides may just be the key to the strength we need.

Strength in Peace

¹⁵ While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless. ¹⁶ Then one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, “I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I feel very weak. ¹⁷ How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe.”

¹⁸ Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. ¹⁹ “Do not be afraid, you who are highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now; be strong.”

When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.” ~Daniel 10:15-19

After having a troubling vision of the end times, God sent the angel Gabriel to Daniel to comfort and explain the vision further to him. But when he saw the angel, Daniel was only further thrown into "anguish" as the Bible reads. He was a nervous wreck... filled with anxiety and fear, which had very physical effects on him, making him feel "very weak." The angel touched Daniel, and said, "Peace! Be strong now; be strong." In giving Daniel a sense of peace, the Lord gave Daniel strength to listen and understand all that God had to say to him.

At this 'most wonderful time of the year', I feel that many of us experience feelings other than peace. Whether you're a student stressed about work, a parent worried about holiday preparations, a kid frantic to get out of school, or even a pastor worrying about how to give another Christmas sermon... feelings of anxiety, worry and nervousness easily creep up into the most Daniel-like of us. But that's not something to get further worried about. Though God may not send us an angel to stand before us and touch our shoulder, the Holy Spirit is here all around us to give us peace, and thereby give us strength. He waits patiently, watching us run around and cry stress-filled tears, hoping that we will pray and 'lift our eyes to the hills, where our help comes from.'

I know that I'm particularly susceptible to this. At one minute, it seems like everything's ok. I'll get it all done. The next minute, there are too many things buzzing through my brain- the Christmas program, submitting proposals to conferences, grading sets of papers, answering student grade questions, planning our trip back East, and finally... writing papers, the time-consuming work I ultimately enjoy. Yes, I can over-empathize with 'being overcome with anguish' at this time of the year. And this type of worry weakens us mentally and physically. So I know that in the business, I must make time for the peace... calling out to God for the strength that He longs to give me through His "shalom."

Strength in Love

⁵ Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. ⁶ They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God. ⁷ It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. ⁸ We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth. ~3 John 1:5-8

John in this passage is talking about another kind of strength, the strength of 'love for one another' which he refers to so often in his 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Johns. Brothers and sisters in Christ had gone to visit and were welcomed, even as strangers, into the homes of those in a far away town. They were treated with hospitality and love that encouraged and strengthened them in their work. As Christ works through us, we can bring strength through love to those around us. And when Christ works through others, the strength it gives us is unmistakable.

In fact, I've felt it very recently. Brad and I are driving out to PA this holiday season, and we are going to make it almost entirely "the Brethren way" which means stopping at friends' homes. Their hospitality, even last minute, of taking us in is so humbling and beautiful and encouraging. It'll be so wonderful to see our friends, and I'm so thankful to have so many that we can meet up with on the way.

And last night, when I was feeling overwhelmed and lonely, my cousin and friend Emily called me up out of the blue to talk for a while. It was so good to hear how she was doing and to rejoice with her in their joys as she did with me. Though it may not seem like much, it meant the world to me last night, and I'm sure that she had opened herself up to God, so that He would work through her. And her love did so much to strengthen my soul.

This morning I have much to be thankful for, especially the strength God gives me when I call upon Him, through the grace I feel touching my soul as well as the amazingly sweet love of my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Has the Lord whom you serve been able to rescue you?

In Sunday School, we used to sing the song "Trust and Obey", and the story of Daniel shows that trust and obedience are not only commands... but they lead to very real changes in our lives. When we trust in the Lord, we open ourselves to the possibility of His great work in our lives. By remembering moments in our lives when God has rescued us from the mouth of lions or a mountain of Finals to grade, we can remember that He is "mighty to save". This encourages us to obey the Lord at all moments, every day taking time to pray and read His word... knowing that His greatest command is to love others, and in doing so seek first the kingdom of God.

Trust

¹⁹ At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. ²⁰ When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”

²¹ Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! ²² My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

²³ The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. ~Daniel 6:19-23

The story of Daniel may be familiar to many of us. King Darius decreed that no one would pray or worship any other gods or humans besides himself would be thrown into the Lion's den. The king's advisors then found Daniel in prayer in his room, where he prayed to the Lord three times a day. The King, unwillingly, threw him in the Lions den, saying, "May the God who you serve protect you." And the next morning, the king went to check. To me, this was surprising this morning. I had forgotten that the king went to check. He must've had some faith way deep in a hidden place in his heart. Think about it. Most people would think, "Oh, poor Daniel... that's the end of him." Why even both checking, if you don't think is possible.

And of course, Daniel was saved... and we know that it was because he trusted in God. And this question is directed at all of us this morning, not particularly about the lion's den, but "Has the Lord whom you serve been able to rescue you?" For me, the answer is yes... and I'm sure it is for many of you as well. When you open yourself to the Lord and His will for your life, you can experience His goodness and His saving grace from anything that burdens you... a difficult situation with a family, a health problem, an enormous challenge at work. Just like yesterday's scripture recommended, it is a problem to always expect and need our desired outcome... because God knows much more about why certain outcomes would be beneficial and when. We only see dimly, especially at the present time.

I remember that I was so upset when I didn't get the long-term teaching contract to Spanish at Central Bucks high school which I had been in competition for. But I honestly wasn't quite happy there. It wasn't what I'd dreamed of doing. I needed to not get the job in order for God to take me to Brazil to do Brethren Volunteer Service for the next 2 years and eventually lead me to graduate school. Sometimes a rescue doesn't even look like a rescue at the time. Sometimes it can be painful. (I wonder if Shadrack, Meshak and Abednego got sindged at all in the fire.) But, we can rest assured that during finals, during hectic holiday seasons, during difficult health situations, God protects and loves those who trust in Him.

Obedience

I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. ⁶ And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. ~2 John 1: 5-6

When we put God first, and trust completely in Him, it allows us to let go of our concerns. And then, we open ourselves up to living in love. I love verse 6 here, "His command is that you walk in love." Walk in love... the next moment you take a few steps, imagine yourself walking in love. What would that look like? How does it look different?

When I imagine walking in love, I imagine what the Emergent Church calls 'missional living.' Brad was talking to me about this the other day, since I had been describing it without a name. What this church calls "missional living" is to me "walking in love." It is focusing on living each day intentionally, seeing each opportunity and interaction as a moment to reach out to someone you see. To me, this is what Jesus did. He did not organize huge soup kitchens (which I'm not saying is a bad thing), but He stopped to feed, talk to and heal those who He saw... sometimes randomly at chance.

As you walk today, imagine yourself "walking in love" and see what kinds of missional living you can participate in.

An encouraging word to a student, a kind word to a neighbor, help to a friend or a sandwich shared with a homeless person, extra patience with a child (or pet!). With love in every footstep, God can work through us to rescue others.

Does God Hear My Prayers?

The blessings involved in prayer are difficult to understand. And I think almost all of us have wondered at some point some of these questions:

Does God hear my prayer? How do I know? Why can't I hear His answer?

But I believe these questions are based on a critical assumption that may be wrong. That critical assumption: We know God hears our prayer when (and only when) he answers them in the way that we want (a very clear way). However, today I read a few scriptures that reminded me of other motivations for and proofs of prayer.

We're probably all familiar with other forms of prayer: giving thanks and praise. However, in today's passages, even petition (asking for something) is much more than receiving what we asked for. We receive what we didn't ask for.

Faith

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. ¹⁸ But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” ~Daniel 3:16-18

Here we see S, M and A who were going to be thrown into the fire for not bowing before 'gods' made of gold as the king had decreed. And though they are not physically praying at the moment, I believe that they must've (at least in their hearts) been praying to the one true God. And what they are saying is quite impressive. While they have full faith in God, they are accepting that there is the possibility that God's will is for them not to make it out of the furnace. The verse "even if he does not, we want you to know... that we will not serve your gods..." is very powerful (v. 18). It's not what God will or won't do for them in their need that makes Him God. God is God independent of what He does for individual people.

In prayer, we can express our need for faith. Like the man who said to Jesus, "Help my disbelief." And in my own experience, the mere act of prayer can serve to strengthen my faith. By praying, we are calling out to the Lord. By calling out to the Lord, we are reaffirming His existence and the need, the thirst, the hunger and desire we have for Him in our lives. So whether we get what we want out of prayer (a healed body, the job position, etc), we get something that we desperately need... renewed and strengthened faith.

A Connection with God

¹³ I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. ¹⁴ This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. ~1 John 5:13-15

This verse, to me, seems to echo a similar theme. However, I believe some may read this very differently, causing confusion and questions like "Does God hear my prayers?" But, if we look closely, we see the repetition of "He hears us". That seems to take prominence in this short passage. So, I suggest that perhaps what is more essential than receiving the correct response is the fact that "He hears us." If we stop to think about it, having a God that listens to and hears our prayers is already an amazing blessing. To be able to have a personal connection with Him is, like faith, among those things that we need most. So, whether we receive the answer we want or not, whether we receive it or not...we have asked Him to listen to us, and He has done that. And so we have what we have asked of Him.

It's still difficult to read this, and to get answers that we do not want. We pray for a healthy baby, but sometimes that healing doesn't happen... or it happens at a later date. We pray for peace in Nigerian Church of the Brethren, but that has not happened. In a personal example, yesterday Brad and I were the only ones at our Church Start, since the pastor is helping with a program in Costa Rica. Since we have been praying for quite some time that this church would grow, it was disheartening, but together we prayed some more... that individuals would come, that they would come to know Christ more deeply through reading the scripture together. And somehow, even though no one else entered to worship with us, we both felt renewed after time in prayer. We had what we had asked of Him, at least in part, and we knew that God had heard us! What an amazing blessing!

If you need to renew your faith, to connect with God or anything else, pray this morning. God hears your prayers. Though they may not be answered right away, though they may not be answered in the way you would like, it is a sweet salve to your soul that is a blessing to experience. How amazing to call upon the Lord and know and feel that He hears us.

I'm so honored, and I'd like to say thanks to...

When I look at the examples of the Bible, I am so stunned by the stark contrast with our own lives. It seems that back then, they knew how to give credit where credit is due. But now, we mix it up somehow. When we celebrate a victory, a joy, a new job, a new home, our praise should go to the Lord who helped us to get there.

In fact, who wins an Emmy or Oscar award and shouts, "Praise be the Lord who has helped me through all of my difficult times!" Or even closer to home, who lists God in their lists of 'thanks' or 'gratitude' at the beginning of their dissertation. Or even more informally, in daily life... when we are in conversation with individuals about some special event that has taken in our lives... we should praise the one that makes that possible.

Let Our Triumph Point toward God

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
²¹ He changes times and seasons;
he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
²² He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.
²³ I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors:
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king.” ~Daniel 1:20-23

Many of us know the story of Daniel, interpreter of dreams. When asked to interpret the king's dreams, what was his first reaction? Not 'conduct a database search on the topic', not 'refer to the instruction manual', not even 'seek out other dream interperters'. The first source that Daniel sought out what the Lord. When returning home, "[Daniel] urged [his friends]to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon" (v. 18). And that very night Daniel had a vision; his prayers were answered!

I believe we can learn two very valuable lessons from Daniel. 1) Prayer is powerful, and we should pray to the Lord for help on everything- from Finals to a new job to loneliness to health issues. This doesn't mean we'll always get the answer that we want or the answer right away. But we have the assurance that the Lord is working for the good of all of those who love him. 2) Our own personal triumphs (large or small) should serve to point to the Lord, and we should not only thank but praise the Lord for His goodness for providing, caring for and loving us. Our joys should remind us of the good gifts our heavenly Father gives to us!

Let Our Love Point toward God

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God

This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.

We love because he first loved us. ~1 John 4: 7,17,19

These verses from 1 John hold a similar, albeit different, theme. Our love, as well as our triumphs, should point toward the Lord who has given us love and 'made that love complete' (v. 17). I remember feeling particularly distressed at one point in high school, because many people at my school recognized and said things to me like, 'Katie, you're so nice' or 'You're such a good person,' but they'd never connect it to my faith and the love that Christ had given to me. Since then, I've tried to make the connection more explicit when someone says that.

And I don't say this to mean that it's only me. In fact, I know so many amazing Christians... even those here in grad school. They're capable of making me smile just by seeing the smile on their face, or the way they go out of their way to help me get to a doctor's appointment, or when they ask about and pray for me. To me, it is clear that their love comes from God. But to others, it may not be so clear. That's why it's important to give credit to the Lord... that our good deeds, our love and kindness is only a dim and partial shadow of the overwhelming love that God has given to us.

It may go something like this:

'You decided to give to Operation Christmas child? You're the nicest person ever.'

'Well, actually... there is someone who lived whose love outshines any love you've ever seen...."

SB1070? Jesus Provides a Place for Foreigners

Most people are well aware of the recent SB1070 law here in Arizona, which has caused quite the controversy within the state and around the nation. It is a law that I believe is only a physical cultural reproduction of the unfortunate sentiments that many of our fellow nationals hold towards our country's immigrants. So while immigration reform in the politics (physicality) is an essential part of solving this problem; a deeper immigration reform is needed in our hearts. And luckily, we don't need to only speculate on what God would do... we can look at what the Lord did.

A Place for Foreigners

²¹ “You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. ²² You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners residing among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.²³ In whatever tribe a foreigner resides, there you are to give them their inheritance,” declares the Sovereign LORD. ~ Ezekiel 47:21-23

In Ezekiel, we get a very clear picture of what the Lord's will is for the 'foreigners' and 'non-native-born'. There is a whole chapter dedicated to the division of the land, with specifications for high priests, where the boundaries are and where the boundaries of the new city is, which should be called 'The Lord is There.' But, even when there are specific boundaries for land that is for each individual tribe, they are reminded that it is not only for them. The inheritance is not only for themselves, but also for the 'foreigners'. They are called to 'consider them as native-born Israelites.'

Now, this is a huge deal for two reasons. 1) In these days, there were clearly defined rules for who among the family would get the family inheritance. The eldest son, typically? We can even remember the conflict this caused between Esau and Jacob. So, "sharing" and "giving" your inheritance to a complete stranger, a foreigner, a non-native born, an "other" would be an extremely 'foreign' concept, you might say. 2) They were also to live among them and treat them as one and the same. They were being asked not only to give the foreigners the same 'political' and official rights, responsibilities and privileged... the Lord was asking them to look past the differences and recognize each other as native-born. Again, for a "chosen people" who had been waiting for this promised land, this was a shocking command. But, the Lord was already showing a different way of living that would be for all people.

And note that these passages about foreigners are not few and far between. In fact, far from it... there are many commands about protecting the foreigner.

A Heart for Foreigners

¹¹ For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

²³ And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. ²⁴ The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. ~1 John 3: 11, 16-18, 23-24

And this message of love is carried through into the new testament. In fact, John references its consistency and persistence, stating that "this message has been with you from the beginning." That message is the command to love one another. And further in this chapter, it is even stronger. For we ought to lay down our lives for them. We ought to give them what they need. Our love must go beyond our words. This directly relates to God's response in the previous passage to those 'foreigners' among the Israelites. The Lord, as an example for His people, 'gave' what was needed to the 'foreigners'.

Then I cannot help but believe that God would have us protect and love and give to the immigrants, the foreigners among us, instead of creating laws that make life even more difficult. If we follow His example, we would welcome them, giving them not only the rights and responsibilities of every U.S. citizen but a place in our hearts, considering them as native-born.

I know that many of us may not be in AZ, and may not have the opportunity to love our friends from other countries. However, we are all in a position to love as Jesus commanded, not just in words. What is needed is not always land or possessions. What we might need to give to those around us might be a smile, an encouraging word during Finals, a brownie, an unexpected word of praise, a 'thank you', an invitation to coffee. What do those around you need? Pray about it, and you might find that an e-mail or a facebook message might work.

Make a place for the foreigner, for the friend, for the enemy in your heart today. Remember, "this is the message we have heard from the beginning, you should love one another" (1 John 3: 11).