No Baby, I Like Mine Hot!

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of My mouth"- Revelation 3:15-16 (NIV).

There is a scene in the movie "War Room," where an elderly woman asks a younger woman about her church attendance and her prayer life. The younger woman smiles and says she attends church often, that she doesn't pray all the time, but she assured the older woman she knows the Lord. The elderly woman ended up serving the younger woman room-temperature coffee, because that was the condition of the younger woman's spiritual life. The older, wiser, woman told her a person's spiritual condition was either hot or cold, no one likes lukewarm. Today's Scripture confirms that lukewarm is unacceptable to God; a lukewarm spiritual life ends up being spit out of God's mouth. We don't want lukewarm coffee, lukewarm love, lukewarm service, or lukewarm comfort; we wouldn't tolerate such in our life. Should God be happy, then, with lukewarm spirituality from His children? Occasional church attendance, sporadic Bible reading, skimpy prayer life, and the absence of Jesus in our day-to-day life are examples of being lukewarm. The younger woman, after the first sip of her coffee, raised her eyebrows and asked the elderly woman if she liked her coffee lukewarm. The older woman said, "No Baby, I like mine hot!" Examine your spiritual life. Is it hot? Because, God likes it hot!

Intentional Listening

"Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put My trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I entrust my life"- Psalm 143:8 (NIV).

Sometimes, my prayers, are completely one-sided. I do all the talking. As a young girl, my Girl Scout leader used to plan team building activities for us girls. Trying to build trust, we would rearrange a room of furniture, add a few obstacles, blindfold a girl, who hadn't been part of the stage setup, and then have a fellow scout lead her through the obstacle course using only her voice. The blindfolded scout had to intently listen, little talking, and move slowly. It wasn't designed to see who could get through the obstacle course the fastest, it was all about relational building and strengthening. We learned to listen and trust the voice, did only what the voice said, and we made it across the room. Our lives sometimes feel like that rearranged room. We have to cross unknown terrain and we're just not equipped for the journey. We can't be one-sided in our prayers, or impatient; because, hurrying is not wise, nor the most pain free course of action. We need guidance, which only comes through praying and listening intently for God's voice, then applying His directions. We overcome obstacles when we trust His unfailing love and entrust Him with our lives. It is at our most challenging moments that we need to make a choice: intentional listening or turning a deaf ear. 

Careless In His Care

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you"- 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV).

Do you know how you should live in God's care? Careless; you should live careless in His care. I don't mean dangerously, I mean care-less. I watched an episode of Friends where Phoebe went to run with Rachel. Their running styles were very much different. Rachel ran with visible control of her direction, body, breathing, and appearance. She did not look like she was having fun. She looked like she was laboring. Phoebe, well, Phoebe ran like a child runs. Arms were flailing around, strides were not mechanical, and she was smiling and laughing. She made it look fun, because she was having fun. She didn't fit in with the other runners, which embarrassed Rachel, but Rachel eventually tried Phoebe's approach to running and was excited to find out how much more fun running was when she ran carelessly... all anxiety abandoned. Paul compared our lives to finishing a race: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). We should run our race, as Phoebe ran, careless. Run your race careless in His care. Others will perceive your running, try it, and find out careless is the answer.   

Bugs Anyone?

"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus"- Philippians 4:19 (NIV).

Motion, yesterday, caught my attention. It turned out that the Mockingbird fledglings had left their nest in the shrub outside my office window; all three of them were relentlessly chasing down a parent bird begging to be fed. He didn't feed any of them, no matter how loud they cried or how hard they wiggled. Instead, he kept leading them to bugs and then fly off. At first, I felt sorry for the youngsters, but I eventually caught on: The parent bird was feeding them. How many times have I prayed, thinking God was not answering my prayers; regardless of my crying and wiggling. Here's an example: Our house was robbed in 1986. I can't begin to tell you the emotional prayers that crossed my lips. Then, our adoption came through unexpectedly and a baby daughter was placed in my arms. Amazingly, we had the money for the legal fees: the insurance money from the robbery. Faith boils down to trust: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6). Keep praying; even when it's crying and wiggling. Our Heavenly Father, loves us and provides all our needs...even if it's bugs. 

Pressing On

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze"- Isaiah 43:2 (NIV).

The clouds were the blackest clouds my husband and I had ever seen. We were driving home from North Carolina, having celebrated my birthday, when we ran into torrential rainfall. Cars, transfer trucks, and other vehicles were either pulling off to the side or driving 5-10 miles per hour, emergency flashers going, when it all came to a complete stop. Our phone alarms went off saying I-26 was shut down due to 3' of flooding over the highway. Worry, no fear, began to creep in, but we prayed for God's help. Headlights started coming toward us, as a few cars struggled to get turned around and began driving back up using the emergency lane. They had to move to the side when emergency vehicles came from the other direction, one with a huge rubber raft. Lanes were shifting to accommodate the extra cars, because of the risk of getting stuck in the mud off the shoulder of the road. We couldn't remain there, so we joined in with those trying to backtrack from the flooding and made it to another route, though longer, toward home. The next off-ramp was blocked off due to mudslides. We pressed on, but another ten miles down the road found us at another complete stop; this time for a traffic accident. An hour later we passed the upside down car resting in the right-hand lane. We made it home safely around 1:00 am. The one-hour trip took four hours, but we were safely home. Praise the Lord! Today's verse came to mind. There may be storms, turmoils of all kinds, threatening you right now, but God will be with you. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you" (Deuteronomy 31:6). Press on courageously, trusting in God's strength.

Tripped Motion Sensor

"I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil--this is the gift of God"- Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 (NIV).

"Don't worry, be happy!" The singing carp, a mounted fish, would sing that stanza when you walked by tripping the motion sensor. What did he have to be happy about? He couldn't go anywhere, he was, after all, dead, and was powerless to change his circumstances. Christians, if they aren't careful, will find themselves in that same situation periodically in their life: a relationship or job that's grown stale, not having a job and job prospects seem few and far between, stuck in the same routine for months on end, days mirror images of each other, day after day after day. God did not mean for life to be stale. A stale life is one the devil has had his hands in. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). Take a lesson from the singing carp: you aren't powerless. His is profound wisdom: Don't worry, be happy; of course, Paul put it more eloquently: "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances...I have learned the secret of being content...I can do all this through Him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:11-14). A stale period in your life is a wonderful time to share your faith. What do you say when your motion sensor is tripped?   

Into The Light

"Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy"- Proverbs 28:13 (NIV).

You've made a mistake, you've sinned, maybe on purpose, maybe by accident. If you hide the mistake, maybe no one will every know, and you can move on with your life...like nothing every happened. Darkness cannot stand against light. Even the smallest light reveals the things hidden in darkness, especially sin. When I think of darkness, a dungeon comes to mind; one filled with shackles and bars, cold, clammy, and wet. Any soul found in such a place would have to be malnourished and depressed; a sick soul. I've heard people express true gratitude once their sin was finally out in the open, into the light. The truth had set them free from the enslavement that sin holds over its victims. Confessing our sins, getting them out on the altar before God, allows His mercy and forgiveness to restore, and heal, our soul. How many people continue to hide their sins and still drag around those condemning chains. You know Who has the key to freedom? Jesus. A sin, is a sin, is a sin. Confess it, shake off those chains, and come up out of the darkness into the light. Jesus said He came to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and to set the captive free (Luke 4:18).  

Under His Wings

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing"- Matthew 23:37 (NIV).

Killdeer, a bird about the size of a Robin, are known for their "crippled" act when a predator is too close to their nest of young. They will act like their wing is broken luring the predator away; then miraculous healing takes place and the parent bird flies away. It works, but some have not flown away quickly enough and became the sacrifice for their offspring's' survival. This makes me think of Jesus' sacrifice. Jesus lured the devil away from us, His was only a "crippled" act as well. He could have called armies of angels to fight for Him, but by His death, Jesus defeated death so death has no threat to His children. Where do little chicks run when sudden threat looms overhead? They run for cover, under their mother's wings. In this life we will have trouble, but we have a Protecting Parent; One that has longed to gather us under His wings, if we are willing: "He will cover [us] with His feathers, and under His wings [we] will find refuge; His faithfulness will be [our] shield and rampart" (Psalm 91:4). What a Savior! 

Bumper Sticker Shock

"And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other"- Matthew 24:31 (NIV). 

Have you ever had a valuable coupon that you saved, only to finally pull it out to redeem it, and discover the coupon had expired? You had saved it until you needed it, knowing that it would make a difference, but sadly you had missed the savings you had waited for. Those expiration dates can slip up on you. I saw a bumper sticker, once, that I really liked, even though I don't like bumper stickers as a whole. It said "In case of Rapture, this vehicle will be unmanned." The only person who would read that sticker, in the case the Rapture had taken place, would be someone who had been left behind. That bumper sticker should be a sobering message to those who have not believed and accepted Jesus as Lord; who have not accepted the saving grace only He can give. The Rapture's expiration date will have passed by if a person is reading that bumper sticker. For believers and watchers of that glorious expiration date, we sing along with Louis Armstrong: "Oh when the trumpet sounds the call, Oh when the trumpet sounds the call, Oh Lord I want to be in that number, when the saints go marching in." Forgiveness is the valuable saving we all need; saving, only if we turn the coupon into the Redeemer who issued it. Coupons retain their value until they are redeemed or until their expiration date. Believers, those who have redeemed their Rapture coupon, can confidently say our Redeemer is coming. Are you ready for the trumpet call or will you be suffering "bumper sticker" shock?

Nestled in His Hand

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand"- Isaiah 41:10 (NIV).

There are some scary things we do that are of our own making like parachuting out of an airplane or our first time public speaking; however, life sometimes deals us a hand we have no control over that creates holes in the dam that holds back our fear and anxiety; especially if the consequences are weighty. Most of us cannot identify with these extremes. I'm happy for you, but those who have endured such levels of fear and anxiety emerge from the fire stronger and with a greater sense of God's presence and delivery. The Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, of Daniel 3, could not have been the same three men who emerged from the blazing furnace King Nebuchadnezzar had stoked seven times hotter than usual. Were they alone in that furnace? They were not. "[King Nebuchadnezzar] said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods" (Daniel 3:25). God upheld them with His righteous right hand. Lord, we want to be like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, but fear the fire. Please give us courage when it is needed and faith that, when we emerge, we will find ourselves nestled in Your hand. 

To Give or Not to Give

"We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves"- Romans 15:1 (NIV).

People who always have their hands out target Christians and Christians may feel they're walking around with a target on their back, being milked of their resources and time. The Bible tells us three things: We are called to be generous and to help others, but, we are not required to give in all situations, and, lastly, we should rebuke those who sinfully take advantage of people, or mismanage their resources. Christians are taught to be generous and that more will be given back to us, the measure overflowing (Proverbs 11:24), but, we should weigh whether the request is a need or a want. God intends for people to provide for themselves and their family's needs first, not mismanaging resources and then begging for what was truly needed (1 Timothy 5:8). And as importantly, we are to rebuke those who do not work: "For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat"" (1 Thessalonians 3:10). We aren't to be accomplices to laziness or slothfulness. We've seen brothers and sisters-in-Christ who have a real need and we've jumped right in to help, never doubting if it was the right decision. We need to listen to the Holy Spirit. He'll help us determine need from want.

Solid Foundation

"[T]hen make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind"- Philippians 2:2 (NIV).

I was gifted with a vining rose bush that has become the behemoth of rose bushes. It's a beast. My husband just sent a picture of two early blossoms appearing this morning. That's just a promise of the beauty yet to come. Those two blossoms get some special notice, but the main show is when they all bloom at the same time. The unity is breathtaking. We left up a section of fencing so the vine has a solid foundation to train down. It takes a little coxing to make it stay on the fence at times, a stray vine wandering here and there, but it's a labor of love. You just have to be forgiving of those beastly thorns. Like the mass bloom of rose blossoms, the unity of believers is beautiful: 'being one in spirit and of one mind'. There's love in unity, joy in unity, peace in unity, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in unity. All nine fruits of the spirit bloom from unity. There will always be a stray vine here and there, but we weave that stray back in and forgive any pain the thorns may have caused, plus unity attracts others to take root, or be grafted in, making our joy even more complete. Like the unity of my blooming rose, unity of believers, in spirit and mind, is built upon a solid foundation. A fence for the behemoth; a Solid Rock for believers.