The Yeast of My Faith

Matthew 13:33

When my children were growing up, I loved to bake for them.  Mountains of cookies and tins of pies and cakes always adorned the countertops.  Their lunch bags rarely held a store-bought dessert, but contained homemade goodies, instead.   But what drew them the most to the kitchen was the aroma of freshly baked bread.  It was a common practice of mine to bake several loaves each week.  A old recipe given to me by a friend provided enough dough for seven loaves and often I would use some of it for cinnamon rolls - a favorite among the men in the household.  When just dinner rolls or cinnamon rolls were in order, I would turn to a sweet roll dough recipe given to me by an Aunt whose baking and cooking skills were touted in our extended family.

Baking a successful loaf of bread requires much diligent practice and adherence to the recipe.  The first time I made cinnamon rolls for my new husband, I unknowingly killed the yeast.  This means that the water I used to activate the yeast was too hot and prevented the dough from rising.  The result was a pan of rolls resembling hockey pucks.  However, my husband ate them, and I am sure he did so just to make me feel better about my unsuccessful attempt to please him.  I was more careful the next time and more determined that I learn everything necessary to make a good batch of dough.

As I mentioned earlier, it is the aroma of bread being prepared that sticks most in my mind.  If you have ever made your own bread, you know that without yeast, salt, and sugar the dough is tasteless and smells like bland flour paste.  It is the added ingredients that give it that wonderfully pungent aroma and delicious flavor.  And it is the yeast’s essence that drew my family into the kitchen where they would wait for that first warm, golden brown slice smothered in butter and jam.

My Mom once told me that, as she was growing up, her mother would heat fat in a pan, pull small lumps of freshly made dough from the ball, and fry them in the fat.  She called them “dough gods”; crispy, golden brown on the outside and warm and fluffy on the inside.  It was a treat in an otherwise poor household that her family looked forward to with delight.

The most amazing process of bread baking is in the reaction of the ingredients.  One of the most essential parts is the yeast for, without it, the result would resemble my failed cinnamon rolls, or a flat and unleavened type of bread.  The word "yeast" in Scripture is often applied as a symbol of sin.  Just as a little yeast in a bowl of flour will cause it to grow into a larger amount, a little sin in a person’s life will also increase and eventually ruin it (Lev. 2:11; Matt 16:12).

However, yeast is also used as a positive symbol of growth.  The leaven that Jesus describes in Matthew 13:33 depicts an agent that is necessary in growing His kingdom.  The yeast, which can be substituted for His Word, was first viewed as insignificant, only affecting a few.  But as it permeated the whole batch, it began to enlarge and spread out and eventually impacted the entire world.

Just as the improper application of yeast in bread making can ruin the whole batch, the wrong use of it in our lives can create a very unpleasant stench to our Lord’s keen sense of smell.  Even our smallest sins will carry a sour and unpalatable aroma to heaven.  We may think that just a little will not hurt.  But in reality, it will seep into every grain of our makeup until it overpowers us, and the result is nothing more than a worthless lump of tasteless and discarded dough.

The aroma that drew my family to the kitchen is the same one I desire to present to the Lord.  I want the yeast of my faith to be a “fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God” (Phil 4:18).

It is imperative that we carefully follow the instructions we are given in the recipe for successful witness.  If I inadvertently, or even intentionally, overheat the water I use to activate the yeast with which I am attempting to leaven others, the result could be disastrous.  If I fail to add the salt of faith , or the sweetness of Truth that flavors the dough, my hearer will be left with a bad taste in his mouth.  God's Word of Truth, His recipe for forgiveness and salvation, cannot be altered or suited to fit the world's perception of the Gospel.  It must be retained in its original purity in order for the aroma of its message to be pleasing to the Lord.   By attempting to add foreign or offensive ingredients, or remove a necessary one, the perfection of the loaf is damaged and He will find it inedible.

If I obediently follow God's recipe for success, as I kneed the flour and break down its components, the texture will become pliable, yielding to the Hands that hold my own and that gently shape it into loaves worthy of His palate.  The yeast of my faith will be proven in the final product.  And as they are placed on His cupboard, their aroma will draw others to do the same, until His pantry is full and His children are fed.

Celebrate with joy, for our Lord, our God, our Savior has come to bring salvation to the world!

Give all your praise to our King Emanuel!

~~~ Merry Christmas Everyone! ~~~

A More Notable Celestial Event

Matthew 2:2 

The world was abuzz Monday night as two celestial events occurred at the same time: a full lunar eclipse during the winter equinox.  It had been over 450 years since both had coincided and everyone wanted to see it.

Although cloudy skies and rain and snow were in the northern hemisphere’s forecast, millions stayed up late hoping to catch a glimpse of the earth’s shadow being cast upon the face of the moon.  The scientific community and the media heralded it as one of the most spectacular events of the last four centuries - a must-see of stupendous proportion - and the world was poised to view it.

I did not expect to be fortunate enough to see the eclipse because of the weather.  It had snowed hard all day and more was supposed to come.  But at the appointed hour, I was drawn to step outside on the chance the weatherman was wrong.  And he had been.  Because we live in clear mountain air and have no yard lights, the scene my eyes beheld was nothing short of divine.

As I lifted my eyes directly above my head, I saw that the clouds had parted and presented a perfect circle of clear sky.  In the center of the circle, the almost-fully eclipsed moon hung on an invisible chain.  It was surrounded by glittering stars, like diamonds under brilliant light that seemed to dance in the cold night air.  I stood in utter amazement, gazing at God’s handiwork with childlike awe.  Praise for our Creator instantly flooded my mind and I whispered the only thing I was capable of uttering at that moment, “Thank You, Lord!”

King David must have witnessed something of equal or greater magnificence as he penned certain psalms and spoke of God’s power over His creation.

“When I consider Your heavens,

the work of Your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which You have set in place,

what is man that You are mindful of him?”

(Psalm 8:3-4)

His eloquence in praising the God of the heavens and the earth defy my feeble attempts.  My camera failed to capture the glory God displayed to us that night.  And, unlike David, my pen is equally unable to describe to you what my eyes beheld, or how my heart swelled as He revealed Himself to this sinful world in such a way.

“The heavens declare the glory of God

the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language

where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.”

(Psalm 19:1-4) 

If I had been able to capture the moon on my camera, it would have looked like the picture above.  But, I must be content to store the image in my mind and tuck it safely away in my heart to be remembered and viewed now and then.

There was a time when another spectacular celestial event occurred.  It happened over two thousand years ago, but drew less attention than Monday night’s display.  There was no media splash notifying the world of its coming; no vast scientific community marveling with excitement and directing their telescopes and cameras heavenward.  Mankind failed to mark off their calendars, or their hearts, the day and hour it would present itself.  Nor did they sit vigil in the cold winter night to view it.  It came quietly and suddenly, and only a few were aware of it.

At the exact appointed time, a brilliant star moved across the heavens and settled directly over the little village of Bethlehem, remaining there for some time.  What is not known, but is greatly debated, is how this celestial event occurred.  Secular scientists and astronomers discredit it as a supernova, or some heavenly catastrophic demonstration.  Some suggest it was a conjunction of planets aligning themselves to create a brilliant light in the night sky.  What we do know, however, is that it happened, and it did so in order to point to the location of our Savior’s birth.

Mankind finds it impossible to believe that the Creator Who formed and fashioned the heavens could, at His whim, move the celestial objects He divinely placed.  Even Christians lack the faith required to believe in an all-powerful God Who is able to place His finger on a star and move it to another location.  Or for Him to simply create another one to be used for His purpose, then hidden among the vast array of the universe.  But our God did so to reform the galaxy into a sign of His presence - the Light that had come unto the world.  The star that hung over Bethlehem, the one that awed the shepherds who were guarding the sheep and drew the gift-bearing Magi from Persia, proclaimed the fulfillment of God’s glorious plan of salvation, creating a backdrop of brilliant light and heavenly design as the multitude of angels sang,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.”
(Luke 2:13-14)

As I pondered the different reactions these two events received, I could not help but feel sadness.  There is no comparing the two.  Yet, even on the eve of Christmas, Monday's  celestial display was seen through the eyes of the world as more significant and meaningful than that which had occurred over two thousands years ago.  Man can explain the eclipse, even its untimely coincidence with the winter equinox.  He is able to reason with science and astronomy, calculate with mathematics, and give it credibility because he was able to witness it with his own eyes.  His belief system is limited by his experience and the shallowness of his skewed perception of reality that is really no reality at all.

“Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.  In Him was life, and that life was the Light of men.  The Light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”
(John 1:3-5)

The man that is able to step out into the cold night air and lift his eyes to the heavens with faith is the one who will witness the Creator’s glory in its full majesty.  Both events described here were orchestrated by the hand of God.  But the second was the one that brought the greater Blessing.  The Magi and the shepherds were given the honor of having had their eyes and hearts opened to see the Light suspended in the sky and to respond to it.  I was rewarded the same way.  What could be seen by others as merely another eclipse was seen by my eyes as the handiwork of God.  Just as He did for the world with the star over Bethlehem, He again did for me as I gazed with wonder at what was happening.  It was a reminder of His power, His great love for mankind, and a brief demonstration of His beauty which He so eloquently displayed in the heavens.

Although the eclipse briefly brought darkness upon the world, it was a short interlude.  As the earth’s shadow moved across the moon’s face, the brilliance of the Light returned to once again shine down upon a dark and sinful world, signifying hope in the promises we hold so dear.

Let us all rejoice this Christmas season in the knowledge that our God once blessed the world with a celestial sign announcing His arrival, and that He continues to bless us with signs of His presence and the promise of His return.  Until then…

May the Light of His Love shine brightly upon everyone, both day and night.

Merry Christmas

Have A Little Talk With Jesus

How often do you pray?

There is a misconception in the church that the employment of prayer has its proper purpose, time and place.  When asked by others to pray for their urgent needs, we comply.  When we have our own immediate needs, we pray for the Lord to meet them.  Our church bulletins usually include prayer lists of those with specific health or financial problems of which we are asked to pray.  But the immensity of this growing list of prayer requests can be daunting and cause us to merely glance at it, perhaps selecting only a few of them to respond to and overlooking the rest.  And of course, we all bow our heads for the opening and closing prayers our Pastor gives before and after his sermon.

“Well, isn’t that enough?” some of you may ask.  The answer to that question depends entirely upon what kind of relationship you want to have with God.

The idea that prayer must always have a definite purpose is one that should be discarded.  Prayer is perhaps the most important tool we have at our disposal to draw us to a closer intimacy with God.  It is the most essential form of communion we can have with Him, a time when we can approach Him and fellowship with Him on a personal level.  At that point, we are face to face with the Lord and He gives us His complete and unwavering attention.  Like sitting down with an old friend over a cup of coffee and merely enjoying each others company, these moments with God enable us to talk to Him about the simplest or the most complex things.  There is nothing happening in our lives that will bore Him or cause His thoughts to wander away from our conversation.  And He is always ready to respond with correction, instruction, or encouragement.  God’s desire for an intimate relationship with us is far greater than our desire to have one with Him.  After all, He created us for that purpose.

The time we spend in prayer is also critical to our Spiritual well-being.  Each moment of every day is the proper time, especially if we want to remove ourselves from the hustle and bustle of our lives and get alone with Him.  Regardless of what we are doing at any given moment, He is available to us.  It is good to follow Jesus’ example of being in constant communion with God.  Many times throughout His ministry, Jesus would separate Himself from the throngs of people to be alone with His Father.  As His disciples slept, He would slip away to a mountain top, the starry hosts displayed in splendor above their Creator, and find solace as He talked with God.  His strength would be restored and the horrible burden that was approaching Him briefly lifted as He poured out Himself to His Father.  In these quiet moments of divine conversation, God the Son and God the Father became One.  This reality is also available to us when we take the time to talk with Him.

The place where we pray is probably the least important.  Because God's Spirit physically dwells within every believer, the opportunities we have to approach Him are limitless.  No appointment is necessary.  No formal meeting place need be designated.  We carry Him with us wherever we go, and it is only our own silence that prevents us from having that intimate moment with Him.

Perhaps one of the most telling and amazing examples of the Lord’s desire to commune with us is told in Genesis 3 in the Garden of Eden.  God’s presence there was literally physical!  He walked with Adam and Eve in “the cool of the day,” delighting in His creation and desiring their companionship.  Sadly for us, their disobedience took away that glorious privilege of being in His physical presence.  But He sent His Son to remedy the rift that had been established between us and Himself, reestablishing the closeness of the relationship He first had with man, and guaranteeing us that one day we would once again be able to physically stand before Him.

Is that not also our goal?  To be in such intimate closeness with God that each thought we have is spoken to, or is directly related to Him?  The words we speak reflecting His very presence and our expectation of His influence and intercession?  If not, it should be.  We should desire, above all else, to have the same unity Jesus had with His Father.  We should not think that prayer requires formality or ritual, a specific place or a time when it is to be employed and draws us near to Him.  However, we should not “be like the hypocrites” Jesus spoke of in Matthew 6:5-9 who “like to be seen by men” while standing in their preferred places in the synagogue.  These self-righteous men desired to be seen as holy and have the attention of others drawn to them.  Instead, our prayers should be humble, contrite, and repentant like the tax collector who stood far off and beat his breast in confession over his unworthiness, begging for mercy (Luke 18:9-14).  They should be full of praise for Him, and drenched in the dew of adoration and worship.  Our prayers should exalt Him above every trial or trouble we experience, seeking His will that they be overcome.  There should be an open intimacy with God unlike any other relationship we have because He knows our hearts and all of the secret thoughts hidden there.

Neither is it a requirement that prayer be eloquent.  Sometimes we are at a loss for words over certain conditions affecting our lives or the lives of others.  However, it can be said that the fewer the words uttered, the better.  The Holy Spirit continuously searches our hearts for these things, and He carries our petitions to God’s ear.  Words are not necessary because the Holy Spirit and God are in agreement, and the Lord fully understands our groaning (Romans 8:26-27).  Whether it be one word, a person’s name, or simply crying out, “Lord!” His ear is acutely tuned into us.  So much so, in fact, that a single thought or the faintest cry is heard by Him (1Corinthians 2:10-11).  They are “divine articulations within the Trinity that cannot be expressed in words, but carry profound appeals for the welfare of every believer,” according to God’s perfect will. (John MacArthur)

So, how often do you pray?  Is your heart so closely knit to His that you find yourself going throughout the day in constant communication with the Lord, nearly every thought focused on Him?  Wherever you are, or whatever you are doing, have a little talk with Jesus from time to time.  In your room behind closed doors, or in public, honor Him by acknowledging His constant presence and converse with Him, either in prayer for yourself or others, or just to let Him know you are aware He is there.

The Lord desires your praise, your worship, and your prayers.  Whether you groan, pour out a flood of words, or just merely want to have a little talk, He will give you His undivided attention.  And He is patiently waiting for you to start the conversation.


Additional reading:

Psalm 54:2
Luke 6:28; 18:1
Romans 8:26; 12:12
2Corinthians 1:11
Philippians 1:19
Colossians 1:35; 4:2
Hebrews 5:7
1Timothy 2:1; 2:8
1Peter 3:7
Revelation 5:8

The Pages In-Between

We know Jesus Christ to be the Author and Perfector, or Finisher, of our faith, but what about all that comes in-between?

All too often we ignore or skip over the work that is fully explained in His Word and being performed in us before it is completed to the Lord’s satisfaction.  Many things that reveal the reason for His presence in our lives cause us to delight in the beginning, but then we want to rush through to the conclusion.  This behavior can be likened to reading the first chapter of a thrilling book, then turning to the last chapter to see how it ends.  By doing so, we miss the entire storyline and have little understanding of the characters and events that bring it to its conclusion.  There is just a beginning and an end with nothing in-between.

The One Who began and will complete a good work in us (Phil. 1:6) is also the One Who will carry us through the middle, and it is usually during that part of the process where we discover we need Him the most.  After we are drawn by the Holy Spirit and repent, His enemy will often bring upon us a full-scale assault.  Angered by our rejection of the world and sin, he may attack us from all sides, relentless and determined to make us weaken and fall away.  Our only defense comes from our Shepherd Who protects us and leads us through the turmoil and trials that often occur during our walk with Him.  It is only by His strength that we are able to endure (Phil. 4:13), and it is only in His Word in its entirety that we are able to acquire His strength.

The pages in-between the beginning and the end tell a large part of the story, and it is from them we can learn the most.  For instance, we learn Who God is and why He came to us the way He did.  Our childlike faith is increased.  Our little knowledge of how we got where we are and where we are going grows as more of God’s wisdom is poured out upon us.  We learn that the shell that once encased our hardened hearts is shattered, turning that heart of stone into one of flesh, making it pliable and receptive to the outpouring of God's Grace.  We learn that nothing we do apart from Christ is beneficial or rewarding. (Eph. 2:8-9; Gal. 2:15-16)  Nor does it honor or glorify Him.  Our own works are just “filthy rags” that offend Him (Isaiah 64:6).  

As we apply all of the storyline on the pages between the beginning and the end, we spiritually mature.  The discernment we are given is reinforced, making us better able to  distinguish right from wrong and to turn away from those who would mislead us.  Our love for the story's Main Character deepens and makes us more fervently desire to serve Him.  And as we learn from the Words written in the middle of the Book, we are better equipped to run the race and finish it well, increasing the anticipation of the prize that awaits us at the end of our journey here, and causing us to yearn for its coming (1Cor. 9:24-25).  There is no end to the understanding we can glean from the pages in-between.

As we slowly read through the divine story God has written for us, we learn He is also our Provider and Sustainer.  If we had ignored the middle of the Book, we would not be as acutely aware of this fact.  His faithfulness to His children is assured as He supplies us with all our needs and often meets many of our desires.  Because of His great love for us, He sustains us in order that His perfect will is accomplished.  Everything God has done and all that He will do is intended to bring us to the final chapter of His Book, and to glorify Himself with its conclusion.

There are many who have made the mistake of only reading the first and last chapters of God’s story of Grace.  The depth of their understanding is robbed of some of the most essential elements that help keep their faith strong and increase their trust in Him.  It may be to their detriment to merely accept so little of its entirety.  There are riches beyond compare to be found between the pages; precious gems of understanding and pearls of wisdom (2Tim. 3:16; Rom. 11:33).  It is a story of mystery and intrigue, of battles and victory, and the revelation told by the Hero of the story of all that is compiled within its pages that will lead us to its glorious end (Eph. 3:8-12).

Not only is our Lord Jesus the Author of the first and last chapters of our new life in Him, but He is also the One Who wrote, teaches and upholds the integrity of the middle of the story before He brings about His finishing work (Heb. 12:1-3).  He tells us in the many pages in-between all that is necessary to sustain us through our life here and what to expect in the next one that awaits us in eternity.

I hope you will not spoil the story by failing to read all of it.  If you have, you know how the story began and how it will end, but you may have missed a very important part of the most divine story ever written.  In-between the beginning and the end is a glorious message of mankind's continued rejection and disobedience and the Lord's  plan to end it. Therein lies all  the hope, the vital instruction and exhortation we need to lead us to a conclusion  of  divine victory, forgiveness, and  eternal exaltation for the God Who wrote it.

It never hurts to start over.  Go back  to the beginning and allow Jesus to fill in the rest of His story in-between the pages.  If you do, I assure you it will make the ending even more satisfying.

A Library of One

Several years ago, I was given the privilege to witness to seven Mormon missionaries who, for fourteen months, visited our pizzeria on a weekly basis.  I was thrown into a bit of a tailspin because I was a bit of a fledgling to the process of sharing the Lord, His Truth, and His Gospel with any intensity.  My feelings of inadequacy were compounded over the limited knowledge I had of Mormonism.  Most of what I knew had been gleaned years before through personal experience and occasional material that was given to me by others more knowledgeable than myself.  So, I began gathering everything I could lay my hands on to educate myself of their religion, doctrines, and beliefs.

The pastor of the church we were attending at the time had a copy of the Book of Mormon.  Borrowing it, I brought it home and began to read.  But there was a glaring problem:  I was only able to get through the first two books before I had to put it down and return it to my pastor.  No matter how hard I tried to simply read it for the sake of educating myself, I was unable to do so.  The conviction I felt was overpowering and the discomfort was enormous.  I quickly acknowledged that there was no Truth in it, only borrowed and plagiarized half-truths from the wild imaginations of men.  In other words, there was just enough borrowed Truth in it to deceive the ones reading it and to make them believe the rest.

The question then became how I was going to inform myself in order to prove the Truth of God to these boys whom I had grown to love.  The solution was easy:  I enlisted the aid of former Mormons who had turned to the True Christ and the wealth of knowledge they had from a lifetime of daily exposure and influence to Mormonism.  The likes of James Spencer, the Tanners, and many others provided me with the ammunition I needed for the Spiritual warfare that ensued.  In fact, it filled a large box.  The beauty of the information that I received  from these wonderful Christians was that every part and parcel of Mormon doctrine was effectively and satisfactorily proven to be false through Biblical support.  Holy Scripture, when laid next to the teachings of Joseph Smith and his followers, burns holes in their concocted story, searing the very pages of the Book of Mormon into a flaming inferno of lies and deceptions.  As the boys came in for their weekly visit and free pizza, I found I was fully equipped with all that was necessary for the task at hand.  My Bible was a constant companion and always within reach.

This story brings me to a very important question.  In light of the market being flooded with “new and improved” Bible versions that are touted as more fitting to today’s Christian society, the growing influence of Islam and the ever-so-tiring debate over the correct interpretation of the Koran, and the infiltration of other so-called “enlightening, sacred writings” of ancient pagan religions - how far do we go to educate ourselves of these things?  Is it necessary that we fill our library with tomes of alternate ideas, philosophies, or theologies in order to gain a better understanding of their origins and the influence they are having in the world and in the church?  Or do we rely solely on the Word of God as presented in the Bible for all the answers?

In 2Corinthians 7:1, Paul makes this declaration:

“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”
(ESV)

“Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit…” indicates we are to remove any influence that does not reflect God’s nature and the truth of His Word, especially false and damning religions.  John MacArthur, in the ESV study notes on this verse, says:

“While some believers for a time might avoid succumbing to fleshly sins associated with false religions, the Christian who exposes his mind to false teaching cannot avoid contamination by the devilish ideologies and blasphemies that assault the purity of divine truth and blaspheme God’s name.”

He further goes on to say that “bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” means to finish that which one first started.  “’Holiness’ refers to separation from all that would defile both the body and the mind.”  We are to seek Christ, to pursue His holiness, and that cannot be found in the writings of those bent on perverting His Word.  By exposing oneself to the corruption they contain is apt to cause it to spill over into the mind of the Christian, making him doubt God’s Word, or add to or take away from its purity.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon concluded his musings over the vanities of life by encouraging his son that the most meaningful thing in life was having a relationship with God, knowing Him, and applying all of His wisdom to it.

“The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd.  My son, beware of anything beyond these.  Of making many books there is no end, and much study [of them] is a weariness of the flesh.”  (Ecclesiastes 12:11-12, ESV)

Solomon was saying that true wisdom, the wisdom required to live ones life for God, is in God alone.  To wander into the dangerous territory of false religions, worldly philosophies, or twisted ideologies puts one in the position of possibly questioning the sovereignty and holiness of God.  “Books written on any other subject than God’s revealed wisdom will only proliferate the uselessness of man’s thinking.”  (MacArthur).  The more we read that is not in line with God’s wisdom and Truth, the more susceptible our minds become to believing it.

In Acts 17, we are told of the Jewish Bereans who lived among those Greek philosophers who were always ready to hear something new.  However, Paul’s account in Acts 17:11 reveals to us that they did not run straight out and consult others with differing philosophies.  Instead, after “they received the message with great eagerness”, the Bereans “examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (NIV)  It was not necessary for these “noble” men to compare Paul’s message with the writings of others that may have contradicted what he was telling them.  They went to God’s Word, and it is there that they found the Truth - “...and many of the Jews believed…” (v12).


We can apply Paul’s exhortation to his protégé, Timothy in 1Timothy 4, to further understand the importance of with what it is we fill our minds.  Paul uses the analogy of physical training and its temporary benefits to the body, but impressed upon him that its value was limited to the body’s endurance or duration.  He encouraged Timothy to avoid all the mental things, the false teachings, “the godless myths, and old wives tales” that lead men astray (v7).  Instead, Paul told him to put more emphasis on the training of himself in the Spiritual exercises that held eternal benefit - “…devoting [himself] to the study, the preaching, and the teaching of Scripture” (v13).  By doing so, he was assured that through this self-discipline he would stay on the path to Godly living.


It is evident to us how rapidly a false message can gain ground in the church.  Many false teachers have infiltrated the sacred confines with their destructive heresies and are leading multitudes away from divine Truth.  The weak minds of the congregants are more than happy to receive a more palatable and appealing message that fails to speak against, but rather legitimizes, their sinful behavior.  These wolves in shepherd’s clothing have spread their false messages to the point that it has permeated the body of Christ like the “gangrene” Paul warned of in 2Timothy 2:16.  Their corrupted gospel lines Christian bookstore shelves and lures the eye with tempting words and phrases that sound so right.  Colorful splashes of Godly-sounding advice and encouragement leap from their covers, prompting the buyer to take it home.  Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life (or Purposeful Drivel, as I like to call it) is one such example.  It all looks and sounds good on the outside, but it is what is found on the inside of the pages, or between the lines, that matters.

I do occasionally read books written by trusted authors, those I know are firmly grounded in God’s Word and have no ulterior motives to pervert it.  There are many fine Christian men and women who write their prose with a strict adherence to the purity of Scripture, and the evidence is in their works.  Each morning I consult the writings of men like Charles Spurgeon and Oswald Chambers, and I am currently anxiously awaiting a devotional by John MacArthur, a well-known and trusted Pastor, to show up in the mail.  These are divinely inspired and validated by God, for they never deviate away from His Truth as set forth in the Bible, and their intention is to instruct us in His Word with His Spirit of Truth, not to deceive us.

I learned a valuable lesson while witnessing to the Mormon boys who visited me each week.  With eager willingness, they would tell me what they believed without my having to ask.  It was not necessary for me to study their book of tales.  The Lord had already convicted me of its deception.  As they attempted to address specific points of their theology, the Holy Spirit through the Word of God supplied me with everything I needed to refute it.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and useful [profitable] for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped [competent] for every good work.”  (2Timothy 3:16-17, NIV, with ESV alternate translation in brackets)

I know there are others whom the Lord has better equipped to delve into the dark world of false religions.  Perhaps it is one of those things that is necessary in order for us to be warned of their deception.  It is clear, however, that I am not one of them.  The Holy Spirit that dwells in every believer will let us know when a false message is being presented.  If you are unable to feel that conviction of unsettled discomfort, I suggest you reevaluate your position with God.  The Spirit of God stands ready to protect us from being “tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” (Eph. 4:14, ESV)  It is good to be informed of destructive deceptions and heresies.  But it is not necessary to attempt to climb to the top of  the mountainous stack of worldly wisdom based on lies, only to find it ready to topple and bury you.

I would prefer to have my library of reading material sparsely lined with the writings of others and at the center of them, standing one well-used Tome from which they have all derived their words.  It is from that Book where we can find all of the answers to the questions that arise, even those that might throw us into a tailspin.

Within the eternal pages of Scripture is the very essence and complete nature and will of our God.  After all, it is a story about Himself, from beginning to end, and nothing has been added to or left out of it.

Looking Beyond the Obvious

When we are called by the Holy Spirit to witness to individuals, we are often blinded by the conditions in which they live and to see only their outward needs.  Many have gone into the mission field with the idea of working to better the lives of poverty stricken nations.  At first glance, the peoples’ overwhelming living conditions strike first at a heart full of compassion, driving the fledgling missionary to insure their physical needs are met.  Water wells are dug.  Houses are constructed.  Trades are taught to bring them an income.  Livestock is donated and crops are planted to feed them.

The same practice is applied even in nations of prosperity and freedom.  Each of them have mean streets crowded with souls that are burdened with poverty, homelessness, addiction, crime, disease, and sexual promiscuity.  And there is no shortage of those who attempt to use ways to assist them out of these conditions.  Foundations are established, drug clinics are built, intercession groups gather, and billions of dollars are poured out upon these communities of damaged people in the form of social welfare.

All of this is altruism at its worst.  Mind you, this does not mean that compassionate generosity for the poor and needy is a bad thing.  What it does mean is that most, when applying a solution, put the cart before the horse.  When we see the deplorable conditions in which others live, our first instinct is to open our wallets, buy them a meal, or hand them our coat.  We only see what is on the surface.  To pause and look deeper would only make us uncomfortable.  So we hand out instead of offering to them something that can not be purchased or materially provided:  a hand UP to Jesus Christ.

Before you draw and quarter this humble author for thinking I am hardhearted towards others, let me say that God will often position us and reveal Himself through our benevolence.  But it should not always be considered by us as our first action.  When Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount before a sea of people (Matthew 5-7), He looked beyond their physical needs and straight into their hearts where their real need was obvious.  Each time He was confronted with illness, physical deformities, or demon possession, He first looked into the heart, searching for genuine faith.  Although it is commonly known that He healed even unbelievers seeking relief and never refused their request, most often He prefaced His actions with questions aimed directly at their heart.  His desire was to first find within them a faith and a trust that would remain, even after the miracle was performed.

Jesus preached for three days before His compassion for 5,000 hungry people, plus women and children, drew Him to increase five loaves of bread and two fish to feed them (Mark 6:35-44); and, on another occasion, with seven loaves of bread and a few fish (Mark 8:1-10), feeding another 4,000 men, plus hungry women and children.  Many came back the next day because they had their fill of bread and fish the day before and wanted more.  But Jesus made it clear to them that His purpose was not to first fill the people’s stomachs with food to sustain their physical lives, but to feed them the Bread of Life that would truly satisfy their spiritual hunger (John 6:22-40).

Scripture is full of examples like these.  “Jesus did many other things as well.  If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”  (John 21:25)  But the miracles themselves were not the primary reasons for Jesus life here on earth.  The physical and temporal needs of the people were secondary.  There was an eternal purpose and one purpose only:  He came to seek out and save those whom had been given to Him by the Father.  As He looked beyond the obvious, His message was clear, “But seek first [God’s] kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.”  (Matthew 7:33)

Jesus words should instruct us as we witness to others.  We should look below the surface of desperation and need in those who are placed before us; never ignoring their physical plight, but placing it secondary to the purpose for which we are sent.  The temptation to satisfy their physical needs first is similar to the one Satan used against Jesus in the desert.  In his human state, Jesus could have succumbed to Satan’s cunning and turned the stones to bread to satisfy His immediate need, but His reply silenced His tempter.  “Man cannot live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:2-4) - and neither can the lost and those dead to Christ.  We may also succumb to the temptation to feed the lost and downtrodden with bread from our own hands, but they will only go away hungry unless they are first fed the true Bread - the Word of God.

I would like to conclude with something that happened to me shortly after giving my life fully to Christ.  Following the funeral of a loved one, a large group of family gathered at a local restaurant for breakfast before heading home.  The restaurant was crammed with hungry people, the atmosphere was loud, making it hard to hear even the person seated next to you, and the wait staff was overwhelmed.  After eating the cold food that I had not ordered, I became a bit cranky and uncomfortable and stepped outside into the rain to smoke a cigarette and wait for the rest of my family.  Seated on the dry cement under the adjoining building’s awning was a clean and seemingly well-dressed young man.  He asked if he could have a cigarette, and after a comment or two about how I should give them completely up, our conversation took another course.

The young man began to tell me about his life as an immigrant and the misfortunes that had drawn him to that particular sidewalk.  He was hungry and looking for someone to feed him.  Although I believe he greatly embellished parts of his story, I felt compassion and the need to meet his physical hunger.  But before I did, in my clumsy, baby Christian way, I fed him first with Christ’s desire for him to give up his old life and follow Him. 

As my family flowed out of the restaurant with bewildered looks while I led the young man back in through the crowded door, I felt an overpowering sense of humbleness.  The reward was not my ability to hand the restaurant host a ten dollar bill, asking him to feed the young man.  Not even in the wonder I felt as he was seated ahead of those who were waiting for a table.  Nor the many thanks the young man uttered before I left.  The reward was in the response I received from my Savior for looking beyond the young man’s obvious outward need of a meal, and  looking inwardly into his heart, instead.  The boy was fed that day to fill his stomach, but the first Bread he received was the one that could give him true life.  In a sense, Jesus Christ was the Appetizer before the meal that would sustain him another day.  I recall this event often, hoping the young man left the restaurant hungrier than he was before he entered it.

When we are called by the Holy Spirit to witness to others, may we look beyond the obvious and search for the real meaning as to why He has placed them before us.  The problems on the surface are only the result of a deeper and more urgent need.  Let us first address it by pointing them to Jesus Christ.  Once they are fed His Bread and led to drink from His bottomless well, the rest will come easily and they will never hunger or thirst again.

If Only

“O could I tell, you surely would believe it!
O could I only say what I have seen!
How should I tell or how can you receive it,
How, ‘til He bringeth you where I have been?”

If only I could find the words that would help you believe.  If the mouth of my heart could pour forth speech soaked in the dew of understanding and carried on the breath of God to the door of your own heart.

If only I could open your eyes wide to the wonders of God.  If you could soar with me to the heavens above and circle the starry hosts on angel’s wings, climb with me to snow-capped heights reaching up with outstretched arms, and walk the green meadows arrayed in verdant hues of splendor.

If only I could reveal to you the strength of our Almighty God.  If you could lift your eyes and feel the radiant sun upon your face, let the heavenly rain cleanse you, and hear the thunder of His voice as He opens the heavens and lets loose His power and might upon the earth below.

If only I could take you to where I have been, to His royal throne where your eyes could behold the majesty and glory of His being, the hosts of heavenly angels attending Him, and His children worshiping and singing eternal praises to their King.

If only I could do these things, then surely you would believe.

Heavenly Ink

 "Go now, write it on a tablet for them, inscribe it on a scroll, that for the days to come it may be an everlasting witness."

Isaiah 30:8

Writing is not a craft I simply like to do.  It is a passion I must do.  And when my ink well runs dry, I long for it to be refilled.

Like bats in a cave, themes and titles of unwritten stories flutter their wings in my mind but are unable to take flight out onto the blank pages that lie before me.  The entrance is blocked by the world with boulders of worries and questions, doubt and shame, and weak faith and trust.  They are workers trapped in a mine, languishing in darkness and desiring to be released into the brilliance of the Light above.

But the words must wait to be rescued by the One who will bring them forth from their prison.  I can not give them life if the life I choose for them is my own.  They must be freed by the Spirit of Truth; sovereign in their originality, and divine in their intended purpose.  It is only then that the words that swirl around the prison of my mind will finally take flight.

In order for the words to gain freedom, I must wait for the empty well to be filled with the heavenly ink that will never fade from eternity’s pages.  In handwritten form, they will pour forth divinely inspired speech.  God will be their Author.  Truth will be their content.   And as they are given life and seen by the eyes of those brought here, there will be found within them a message of hope and an everlasting and unbreakable promise to all those who believe the words.

Drat it! Winter's Here!

Well, our beautiful and warm fall days have finally ended.  In one night, we went from having 65 to 70 degree days to a balmy 35 and dipping well below freezing at night.  The first storm also brought with it a couple inches of snow and cold winds.  And the bears are looking for a place to hibernate.  Looks comfy, doesn't he?

So, in honor of Winter and more snow to come, the blog has been given an appropriate seasonal face lift.  I only wish that I, too, could get one...I'm getting too old to play outside in the snow...my old bones just don't handle the cold like they used to...I'm complaining already - and so is my dog. She's decided it's better to hug the heater than brave the outside.  We're fighting for position.

I know we're told not to wish our lives away, but I wish winter was already over!  Here's to a quick one and the warmth of Spring to come - soon!  I can hope, can't I?

(I wonder if that bear would mind it if I just curled up next to him and slept the winter away?)     :o)

Karen

P.S.  The bears may curl up  and snooze through the winter, but I'll still be slugging along here on the blog... that is, if the snow doesn't bury me.  Keep checking in once in a while, will you?  I may need you to come and rescue me.

Oh! And bring hot cocoa...and maybe a few extra blankets...and a shovel...it'd be nice if you would load your truck with some extra firewood...and...

Stuck in Idle

Psalm 38:15

There are times when I feel as if the mental gears that keep me going are stuck in idle and preventing me from moving forward.  The day to day physical tasks are accomplished with no problem; although, I have to admit that there is a lack of gusto in completing them.  But it is my thought process, the part of me that is the most alive and productive, that is mired down.  It is in these moments that I wonder why the Lord is so quiet, why He seems to be standing to the side with a pensive look on His face.   Truthfully, His silence makes me uncomfortable.

It causes me to wonder if there is something I need to do, something I have been avoiding or delaying.  But then I think, if so, why is He not revealing it to me; why has He not made it obvious?  I mentally fuss about it, pray about it, often lose sleep over it, and even sometimes verbally express it to my husband.  But still, the answers fail to come and it only exacerbates my discomfort and frustration. 

As I have mentioned before, patience has never been a virtue of mine.  I have prayed my entire life for the Lord to give me more.  And God has been faithful in His response.  But during the idling times of silence is when I realize I have not yet reached that pinnacle.  I still have a long way to go before I am able to rest there, trusting that He is still present and still working in and through me.

Sometimes it requires waiting in the silence for God to get my attention.  Because I know He never rests and there is a great deal of work to be done with me, He must downshift my gears and bring me to an idle in order to be heard.  It is then that I realize that He was not failing to speak or reveal something to me.  Rather, His voice could not be heard over the roar of my mind's engine that drowned out His voice.  By going back into His Word and faithfully applying it to any and every situation that brings me to a halt, and realizing there is a lesson of patience to be learned, I become more content. 

If I remember that very important lesson, then being stuck in idle is not such a bad thing after all.  As I impatiently wait to hear God's voice, my mental wool gathering is no more productive than sitting down and doing nothing.  What I actually do with what the Lord will eventually reveal to me while I am stuck in idle is that which will propel me forward.  And the wait that I had to endure will be well worth the silence.

Now that I have that behind me, Lord, I am ready to shift gears.

Keep Your Eyes Focused

Psalm 19:13

Today is a day of questions.  They are some things that have plagued me for a while, or those that have cropped up unexpectedly lately, demanding explanations, answers, and corrections.

The problem is that I want to apply unacceptable answers of my own for some of the questions that trouble me the most.  I can state the over-used excuse that I am under attack by the enemy who tirelessly assaults me, trying to disrupt the fellowship I have with others.  But then, I must admit I am not truly addressing the very basis that caused the question to arise in the first place.  I am only pointing the blame away from myself, perhaps at someone else, and unwilling to admit that it was probably a moment of weakness on my part that caused the response I received.

I have been thinking about this all morning.  Sometimes it takes a great deal of soul-searching to arrive at the proper conclusions to the questions that come to the forefront.  And the hardest thing for us to do is admit that there may be something about us that needs correction.

If, for even a split second, I take my eyes off of Jesus Christ, I become vulnerable and often display characteristics of the “old man” I once was.  I thought he was gone.  Or, at the very least, I thought I had him under control and could rein him in if he threatened to slip out.  It does not necessarily mean that the thing which I may have said or did was wrong, but it was the way I delivered or performed it that revealed part of the old nature of sin within me.  And it can be very subtle.  The enemy may have used that moment for his advantage, but it still does not excuse me for allowing him to do it.  I am the one who faltered and allowed him access to the situation, and it is my fault that it may have momentarily gotten out of control.

The comforting part of resolving the problem of the “old man” is in the length of time it takes me to regain the “new man” within me (2Corinthians 5:16-18).  Conviction is coming more rapidly, now days.  I am more easily able to recognize that, within everything I do and say, the enemy is lurking to take advantage, and I am more equipped to prepare myself ahead of time to deal with it.  I am being changed, transformed into the image of Christ, being made more like Him so that, when these instances do occur, the recovery time is much less (2Corinthians 3:17-18).  Even better is the fact that the conviction of my offense stays with me so that I am less apt to repeat it in the future (Romans 12:1-3).  I am able to give and receive forgiveness more eagerly (Colossians 3:13), and readily acknowledge that others also bear the burden of staving off the “old man” and allowing their new nature full control over their lives.

So, the answer to today’s question is this:  If I remember to keep my eyes focused fully upon my Lord, the fear of stepping into the enemy’s traps and allowing him entry and control over the situation, no matter how brief, will lessen.  It will also eliminate the desire to battle on my own the questions I have, for the right answers to all my questions are found in Jesus Christ.

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
  Look full in His wonderful face,   
  And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
  In the light of His glory and grace.”

The Coming Season

2 Timothy 4:2

Winter is coming.  Just a few more turns of the earth; a miniscule tilt of its axis causing the sun to ride lower in the heavens.

The trees are preparing for their slumber as the sap that gives them life slows in the cooling air.  They have changed their dress.  Green leaves that once adorned their skirts turn to vibrant hues of yellow, orange, and red.  Soon they will stand bare in the crisp fall air, awaiting the blanket of heavy snow that will cover their nakedness.

The wild meadow grasses that grow beneath the forest’s feet have dropped their seeds to the earth below.  Their once verdant crowns, burdened and leaning with life, now stand brittle and stripped.  They will lie down on the wintry earth that encases their tender roots and patiently wait for life’s renewal.

The squirrels are busily gathering.  The fox is donning his heavy winter coat and fat bushy tail to wrap around his nose and protect it from winter’s frost.  And the birds have been teaching their fledglings the heavenly patterns of migration in the brilliant autumn sky.  Calling back and forth to each other, their voices echo between the mountains.  Those that stay behind are feeding to fatten themselves on the fruits of summer for the harsh mountain winter that lies ahead.

All of life is preparing for the coming change of season.  There is a mechanism installed in each of God’s creatures to prepare as one season passes to another.  Man is no different than the lesser creatures.  He has been given the ability to recognize when to toil, when to sow, when to tend, and when to reap.  If he is awake, he will look to the Sun and the life that surrounds him. His storehouses will be bursting with the fruit he has gathered.  His coat will protect him from the bite of winter frost.   As he keeps diligent watch over the habits of God’s creation, he will be prepared for the season that is coming.

When the long, bright days of summer wane into the darkness of winter, man will sleep.  But like the grains that wait slumbering in the earth, and the sap that is stilled and lies resting in tree’s veins, he, too, will awaken from his repose to a renewal of life.  There is a new season awaiting him; a season that will remain.  The Sun will shine once again upon his face, but more brilliantly than before.  The final harvest will be gathered and stored.  The trees will bear fruit year round.  And with all of God’s creation, he will forever rest from his labor…and winter will come no more.