I WANT THE CROSS!

Every year when Easter comes, I think about the cross...if I can make it through the Passion of the Christ, I try to spend time reflecting on what Jesus did at the cross...

The other day I thought about something...
Jesus died so that He could be raised from the dead.
COOL!

Wait, hold on, He died for my sins? The wages of sin is death, right?
So, Jesus died so that I wouldn't have to die...right?
But everyone still dies...
Ok, Rachel, really? What about John 3:16? It says that anyone who believes in Him will not perish (die) but have ETERNAL life..
Very Metaphysical...

What about this...?
"Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it." Luke 9:23-24


And, this...
"For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!" Phil. 3:9-11


It seems that about every 6 hours over the past few weeks I have been hearing these two verses. And I must admit that I often wrestle with how they are worked out in my life...

Jesus loves me, THIS I know.
Jesus died on the cross for my sins.
Jesus died so that He could be raised from the dead...in power!
Jesus died so that I could live...but...
Jesus died so that I could die?
Jesus was raised from the dead...so that I could be raised from the dead...

WAIT, I'm dead? How am I dead...I'm writing this blog...
 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthian 1:18

Let me work through my thoughts...

• Jesus died to the POWER of sin (ultimate death, separation from God, immorality) ...
• His resurrection showed that JESUS IS MORE POWERFUL THAN SIN!
• When, I accept Jesus as my LORD, I have to die to my sinful nature...
• I, in essence, lose my own personal sovereignty and give Him control...
• In return for my "death" to sin, Jesus gives me the same POWER OVER SIN!!
• The SAME power that RAISED CHRIST from the dead...
• DWELLS...resides and has AUTHORITY...in ME...and you (if Jesus is your Lord)

COOL! (for lack of a better word)

 

 So, I have to choose to walk in submission to the authority of Jesus Christ...

That is the key to victory...

I have to be so..."into who HE IS, that I step away from who I am..."

(thank you, Steve Axtell)

 

I find myself in a crux...I know what I am to do...but I am SO quick to forget...

 

How do I deny myself, take up my cross and follow Jesus daily?

What does that look like?

 

My prayer must become...I WANT THE CROSS... I want to live in the victory of death to sin... I must choose to EMBRACE Christ's deliberate decision to lay His life down...and lay mine down... in meekness (controlled power)...submission to the greater Authority ... Christ in me...my HOPE

• I must serve instead of looking to be served
• I must deny my need to be "right"
• I must deny my "right" to be heard or get even
• I must choose to stand firm on TRUTH not on societal norms
• I must be willing to be a peacemaker even when I'm the brunt of the attack
• I must be willing to prefer my brother/sister even when they despise me
• I must be willing to suffer for the sake of being right before God...rather than men...even when those men are my brothers...
• I must be willing to walk by faith, not by sight...
• I must be willing to become less so that Jesus and His LOVE may be put on display and become more!

 

...I WANT THE CROSS! Oh that each day would be lived out embracing a lifestyle of submission to His authority... Teach me, Jesus...help me walk this out...

Why Do We Hide?

Genesis 3:1-10 (The Message)


The serpent was clever, more clever than any wild animal God had made. He spoke to the Woman: "Do I understand that God told you not to eat from any tree in the garden?"

The Woman said to the serpent, "Not at all. We can eat from the trees in the garden. It's only about the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, 'Don't eat from it; don't even touch it or you'll die.'"

The serpent told the Woman, "You won't die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you'll see what's really going on. You'll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil."

When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she'd know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate.

Immediately the two of them did "see what's really going on"—saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves.

When they heard the sound of God strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from God.

God called to the Man: "Where are you?"

He said, "I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked. And I hid."

So I read this passage this weekend and something struck me. I have read this story probably a couple hundred times and discussed many more times. However, I never thought about this fact...

Prior to eating the fruit from the tree of good & evil, God saw Adam and Eve as they were...but Adam and Eve saw themselves as God viewed them...as His children. In the instant that it took to crunch into that apple (or whatever kind of fruit it was), they saw themselves...as un-God-like...They realized the vastness of God...they realized how BIG He is versus how small they were... I think that "naked" must be both literal and spiritual here. In their nakedness, they saw their human-ness. They recognized that they were no longer immortal, but finite...while God is infinite.

Perhaps, as we look at this passage and we consider our need to hide...the fact that we often run from God...we see that we are much like Adam and Eve. Deep within our soul, we know that God is separate...He is holy...there is an other-worldliness to Him...

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I have a special love for the Chronicles of Narnia. I love the mystery, the whisper that we were created for another world... I envision that Adam and Eve walked through the Garden of Eden in the cool of the day, just as Lucy and Susan walked with Aslan. Their was a deep companionship, an understanding of the authority Aslan had given to them alone...no other creature was as priviledged as the sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve.... no other creature was as priviledges as Adam and Eve...they walked with God...they saw His Face, His Voice was the most familiar Voice. And in the instant of recognizing their nakedness...they suddenly understood all that they had lost... Intimacy with Creator God...

Why do we hide? Because we see our own nakedness, our own sense of insignificance...we recognize our shortcomings and our inability to be whole in our own selves... and we look for ways to cover up...to hide...in hopes that God will not see us...will not see our lack.

But we forget, we fail to recognize...God has always seen us as naked...and yet He loved us. Just like a father who holds his infant for the first time...suddenly he realizes the power that he has to either protect or harm his little one...there is an intrinsic love that washes over a father and a mother...they recognize their world is not just about themselves anymore...God loves us more than that...

Anticipating Rejection...

**I wrote this a few days ago and chickened out before posting...more to come...this is a journey in transparency...

An open rebuke

is better than hidden love!

Proverbs 27:5 (NLT)

A couple of years ago, a friend of mine quoted this verse to me...little did he know that verse would stick deep into my soul and cling to me like barbed wire... Of course, this verse is talking about care-fronting someone with the truth, even when it is inconvenient and uncomfortable...even if it puts your friendship in jeopardy.

However, there is a personal application that seems to be what causes this verse to reverberate through my core. For me, the meaning has a lot more to do with the "hidden love" part. I have never liked confrontation, when I was an RA in college and I had to confront people, it was VERY tough...but I would eventually work up the nerve and approach that person. Life is full of loving confrontation...alas, confrontation is unavoidable...especially if you really care about someone...sommetimes you just have to gently and lovingly point out their blindspot, for their own good. I have found that confrontation usually ends in one of two ways...

The first possible ending is that a friend or loved one will have an open heart and mind, they receive the rebuke and all is well again.

The second is probably the thing that everyone fears most about confrontation...rejection. Oh, rejection, the m'lady of the ages... the root word is a verb: to reject...defined as follows
1. to refuse to accept, acknowledge, use, believe, etc

2. to throw out as useless or worthless; discard

3. to rebuff (a person)

We all know that it much easier to reject (a verb) than to be on the receiving end of the noun, a state of being...and situation to be experienced...called rejection. Rejection, the act of being not accepted or acknowledged, being thrown out and made to feel useless or worthless...being discarded (or even disregarded as not a viable option)... We have all had ideas rejected. We have all had our resume or experience disregarded as non-applicable. We have all had our vulnerability thrown back in our face... Rejection is a place no one wants to visit and many people who do visit rejection find it difficult to return to assertiveness...

Ok, enough of my philosophical ramblings about rejection..I'm sure you get the point, it hurts and no one wants to be rejected, period. Hence the reason many people avoid confrontation.

So the first option is acceptance, the second option is rejection. Is there a third option? Quite possibly so. I have experienced that upon occasion, someone initially will reject the person that is confronting them, but eventually, after processing the information...they come to the conclusion that, yes, there is truth to their friend's assertion. Which brings me closer to my title...

A couple of years ago, another friend of mine made a very blunt statement (which is typical of her brutally honest, loving self)...she said (and I quote).

"Rachel, you tend to anticipate rejection."

Period. That was it. She did not even pose it as a question! And I, of course, immediately agreed with her. She is someone I trust dearly and we happened to be chatting about matters of the heart and I was trying to analyze myself (something I tend to do overly frequently). And it soon became something I was comfortable saying about myself...YET, I never took the time to process the concept of what it means...to anticipate rejection...

Lately, I have been doing a lot of people watching...  I have noticed that most mature adults, especially those is committed healthy relationships, tend to trust people more easily...they tend to be vulnerable...they tend to let others know what is really going on inside of them...and they tend to do it as easily as taking a breath. I have found myself asking the question, how DO they do that? Please note that I used the words mature adults and healthy relationships (I am not so naive as to think all adults do this with ease).  But, I'm learning that vulnerable and open communication and trust are a must in relationships.

Don't get me wrong, I am very good at giving people a glimpse into me...when it is necessary. I work with people...it is my passion...helping people find themselves, helping them find the Lord...helping them connect with His purpose... that is what I LOVE to do. However, in recent years, I have noticed (when I allow myself to be aware) that there is a vast difference between the things I know about others and what I allow them to know about me. I will share, but in a vague way, leave-it-to-your-own-interpretation kind of way...in a way that helps others, not in a way that helps me. There is a great divide...a chasm between my heart (the dreams, longings and desires that I keep locked away inside) and living up to the expectations and needs of others. Not a problem, you say? Well, boundaries are good, but hiding...not so good. There! I said it...I hide. AND, I think I hide because I am anticipating rejection...

According to dictionary.com, to anticipate means...

–verb (used with object)

1. to realize beforehand; foretaste or foresee: to anticipate pleasure.
2. to expect; look forward to; be sure of: to anticipate a favorable decision.
3. to perform (an action) before another has had time to act.
4. to answer (a question), obey (a command), or satisfy (a request) before it is made: He anticipated each of my orders.
5. to nullify, prevent, or forestall by taking countermeasures in advance: to anticipate a military attack.
6. to consider or mention before the proper time: to anticipate more difficult questions.
7. to be before (another) in doing, thinking, achieving, etc.: Many modern inventions were anticipated by Leonardo da Vinci.
–verb (used without object)
9. to think, speak, act, or feel an emotional response in advance.


When I looked it up, I realized how very much I do anticipate rejection. Anticipation is actually, and usually, a positive experience, something that intensifies pleasure. However, when juxtaposed with the word rejection, it is anticlimatic.Big words...I know :-) Basically, somewhere in between the concept of anticipating and the concept of rejection...there is a major fleeing sensation...a need to run for cover...and most accurately can become a deep sense of impending doom.  Alright, drama queen, get to the point, right?
 
It is a powerful and ugly action too.What is absolutely ridiculous about this whole thing is that...I can say with full confidence that 99.9% of the time, people LOVE me. It's really bizarre because I can still remember being the new girl in kindergarten, I remember hiding. My first day of school, we went to recess and the other kids wanted to play with me but I turned my back to the playground, pressed my face against the chain-link fence and cried, the entire time! (Before you feel sorry for me, I did eventually make friend and I loved recess).  Then again, in 7th grade, the worst  school year ever, I had a girl named Angel (the antithesis of her name) who tormented me for months...she loved making fun of my face. Even in high school, I'll never forget when I took a friend with me to summer camp right before my senior year and she asked me why I was so different outside of school... You see, outside of school/society, I was the darling...everyone in the church world loved me... I was known for talking too much, etc. But at school , I made it my goal to be invisible...oh, I was always present...in fact, I was even involved in leadership all across campus... but I never let anyone into my heart. I gave and gave and lived to meet others expectations...to the point of pain.
 
Interestingly enough, I've often wrestled with the opposing question, "Do people only  love me because of what I do for them?" What if I stopped being the "yes" woman...the to "go-to" person for everything (which I truly enjoy by the way).
 
I don't know if I am making any sense here...but I'm getting to the point...perhaps the area that has suffered the most from this anticipating rejection problem has been .... drumroll, please...trumpets (dundududAH)...my love life! Or, perhaps, more aptly put, my lack of a love life.  I have always, ALWAYS heard this phrase (most often from men I admire)...
 

"Rachel, you are such an amazing woman...a gem, a treasure, a precious prize... (insert your own flattering remark)...you will make some man an amazing wife someday..."

 

And I think to myself...why thank you...why not you? Well, that was back in the day when I actually allowed myself to have close male friendships :-) Let's call that long season, the season of the broken heart... I'm sure this may sound like bitterness, but I assure you it is not... it was once...now what you hear in my voice is a questioning, uncertainty...why?

 

Let's back up, I always received those kinds of compliments because I was everything to these men...basically a third arm... I knew their thoughts and would finish their sentences... I loved them...genuinely, as truly as a friend could...because that's what I am supposed to do as a sister in Christ... but my feelings almost always transitioned into more... I made the mistake, once, of actually telling one of these dear men how I felt...and I will never do that again... he was the first of several heartbreaking friendships...platonic, one-sided friendships.

 

I am not still nursing those experiences, but they have been my reality, thus far, in my 26 years... I so wish that things were different, I wish that I had been able to experience godly Christian men in a way that still leaves my heart open...vulnerable.  However, in recent years, I have dealt with this anticipated rejection...by hiding. Avoiding getting to know people, avoiding any real connection, trying to be invisible...while all the while...

 

HOPING Mr. Right...would SEE ME! and PURSUE me!

 

Haha, I know, what an oxymoron. Hiding, while hoping to be found. Wanting deep within my heart to know and be known...but hiding for fear of being rejected...for fear of being found wanting, not enough.

 

Ok, so let's bring it to the present...I was watching the Biggest Loser...a very inspiring show. But, let's face it, people get on the show because they are phyiscally in a drastic state of disrepair... Here was the beginning of my epiphony...most of these people had significant others... Now, don't judge me for confessing my next thought..."If these overweight people can have people who love them...why do I believe the lie that no one will love ME that way?"

 

To be honest, I am not quite sure the answer to that question. I have not been writing this so that people will feel sorry for me. Nor have I written this so that I will get some matchmaking help (although...nah) :-) No, I am writing because I want to quit hiding... I want this cycle of anticipating rejection to stop...I want to be free from this LIE once and for all...

 

Because, there is one more relatioship that this is effecting. It is the most important relationship of all...my relationship with God. For the past few years, I have often shared with confidants that I feel a certain sense of split personality when it comes to my spiritual life. I connect with God in a very real way whenever I am helping someone, when I am praying for people and ministering to them. But, when it's just me an Him, I feel MYSELF ( not Him) pulling away. Because no matter how much, I know the concept in my head...that God LOVES me...I still wrestle with feeling like I want to hide....feeling like intimacy with the One who knows me best...is impossible.

 

Somehow, I feel like being painfully honest and thinking out loud will help me get free. Let me clarify something...I love the Lord and I am certain that He loves me...but something is missing. Something is in between His heart and mine...something I am hiding behind... AND I'm not sure what it is... Plus, I know that I am not alone...I know others have felt this way before...or may be feeling it now...I want my journey to not hiding...to being vulnerable...to help you too!

 

So, this brings me to my thought about hidden love...if I love someone and hide it...it hurts worse than if I openly rebuke them. Who does it hurt? I don't want to hide anymore...I want to love with arms wide open... But for once, the girl with an answer for everything...is without one :-)

 

What about you? Are you anticipating rejection? Have you in the past? How do you stop anticipating...and starting being open?

Learning from Mr. Obama

i·de·al·ism
NOUN
1. belief in perfection: belief in and pursuit of perfection as an attainable goal

2. living by high ideals: aspiring to or living in accordance with high standards or principles

3. belief that material things are imaginary: the philosophical belief that material things do not exist independently but only as constructions in the mind

Ah, idealism. It is a malady that most of the free world is born with. I guess the good news is that it slowly dissipates with age (in most cases, at least). Some are simply carriers of this disease, while others are life-long sufferers :-) I am an idealist in every sense of the word! Everything I do is tainted with idealism...give me a day in a new setting and I can tell you what needs to change. I get all pumped up over causes and frustrated when I cannot fix them.
 
I am a young person. No, I'm no longer in high school or college, but I am still relatively young. My youth has blinded me to my own idealistic insanity on multiple occasions...usually, to my own detriment. They say hindsight is 20/20...I don't know if that's always true, seeing as how I've made the same mistakes a couple times. However, with each passing year, my impulsive and idealistic self is learning to make wiser, more pragmatic decisions.
 
When I was in AP US History and then again in Government, good old Mr. Burns left a couple impressions on me. One, he made sure I was registered to vote, even though I was not quite 18. He made certain that ALL of his students understood their duty as citizens of the United States...to VOTE, to simply show up at the polls and make one's voice heard. He also made certain that we understood the basic Bill of Rights, the Constitution, etc. He laid out a thorough understanding of the requirements for running for public office...which as a younger American, I felt were a little steep, especially when it came to age!


I used to believe that what the White House needed was youth...a fresh perspective...someone who could see things the way they could be, not so much as they are! No, I did not vote for Mr. Obama. However, I was slightly tempted to vote for him due to his age, his fervor and the "freshness" that he could bring to the Oval Office. I did my research, I studied the facts, I looked at the issues. Here's what made my decision not to vote for him... He kept promising change...ALL OVER change...but he never outlined a plan for any of his proposed changes. It sounded great on paper...every idealist in America wants REAL change. But ideals were not convincing enough...


Now, Mr. Obama is the 44th president of the United States of America. He and Michelle and their beautiful daughters are a lovely family. I love that they set a nice model of a healthy African American family.  I tend to disagree with most of his politics but he is my president and I refuse to bash him.

That said, I think that watching Mr. Obama's leadership, we can see the quintessential young, idealistic leader. He is led by his own set of ideals...in many ways, I see his Utopian ideals and I understand why he does what he does. However, almost every initiative that I have seen set forth from the White House is impulsive and reactionary...the result of youthful, inexperience... Yes, in a day and age that idolizes youth, I DID just say that.

I once heard a wise (older) someone say, you eat an elephant the same way you eat a mouse, one bite at a time. Perhaps, one could swallow a mouse (I'm not sure why anyone would want to, but it is feasible). BUT imagine trying to swallow an elephant? HAha... yeah... not gonna happen.

Age teaches one to pace oneself...to choose battles wisely...to focus on the essentials and not to major in the minors. As much as we would ALL like to be heroes and do something that changes everything...we simply CANNOT. We humans are finite, we have limits...

Most leaders have boundaries and time parameters within which to work, presidents have four years to leave a legacy (occasionally, eight...if we're lucky, this one won't). What I've seen Mr. Obama do is take the helm of this massive ship called the United States of America and try to go in too many directions. He has tried to conquer the economy, health care, foreign policy, energy...what's next? The problem when you try to do everything...you don't do anything well. And often you create more problems.

What I'm beginning to realize is that a good leader see the whole picture and holds hope for change in multiple areas. Perhaps he or she plants seeds in various areas, but he or she picks a few specific things to focus on. Then, that leader builds a team of experts who then work with said leader to make an incremental plan for change...

There's an old church joke that goes like this. How do you move a piano from one side of the stage to another? (Every pastor knows, you can't simply move the piano...WWIII would be imminent with a swift resignation pending ;-) You move it an inch per week...then everyone will insist it's always been there.

I can see where this has already been happening in the ideals of our nation over the last 30-50 years...people do not look at government or history the way they once did. But there are still enough people in this nation who look at the USA as a sovereign nation that they are proud to represent... those people do not take kindly to instant change...in EVERY area. Frankly, I'm somewhat glad for our president's impulsive idealism because if he were older and wiser, those who oppose his politics would not know what hit them.

To my fellow young leaders, learn from our president...don't try to lead solely by your emotions and ideals, let those guide your decisions, BUT look at the bigger picture, assess the situation and your own skill set, then choose a few important areas upon which to focus. Build a team. Make a plan for change...a plan is vital...that plan can be tweaked, but without a WRITTEN plan, you'll end up the same place you started. Then, begin to implement that plan, in stages...a time-released change.

...without a vision the people perish...
...there is wisdom in a multitude of counselors...

Sound familiar? A great place to learn wisdom is in the Scriptures...start in Proverbs...

DON'T Panic! Just be faithful...

I've always despised movies like Left Behind. Now before you pounce on me, let me explain...

I believe that Jesus is SOON to return...His return has been iminent for centuries...yet the fact that He has not yet returned makes it all the more possible that He could return today!

What I do not like about these movies is that it puts people in a panic...people are not excited to see Jesus return, they are afraid that the world is going to end...they are afraid of being left behind...they are afraid of the tribulation...they MIGHT be afraid of hell (if they believe it exists...don't get me started...but yes, I do believe it exists).

For believers, the end times should not be a point of panic...it should be our greatest, most blessed HOPE!!! After all Jesus promised He would come...and we would be WITH HIM...eternally! But if He chooses to wait until after we have passed on into eternity to return to earth, we will BE WITH HIM...for eternity :-)!

For non-believers, i.e. people who do not consider Jesus to be Lord, who discount His existence, people who have never heard of Him, people who have known Him and yet intentionally rejected Him...those people have no hope in Christ's return! This saddens me deeply... But let's be honest, even if the world does not end in our life time, these people will DIE...WITHOUT HOPE! They will be eternally separated from our Father...from Jesus, Our Great Redeemer! As long as they live, and we live...and we walk together on this earth...we have the opportunity to offer the HOPE THAT WE HAVE IN JESUS!!!

If you have been paying attention to current events, you may feel a tinge of panic. If you are American, you may need to question yourself, "why am I panicking?" Your reaction to events certainly triggers a slow yet impending doom to everything we've ever known in our comfortable American society...unfortunately a large percentage of our population is clueless to what is going on. The impact that these flippant and impulsive decisions that our American leadership is making does not seem to weigh in with many people who are more caught up with Hollywood, FB & Twitter, etc. than they are the bigger picture. Here's the reality, if you're paying attention to these events in light of Scripture...there is an even bigger impulse to panic... anyone laying the newspaper side by side with the Word of God can see that we are in mid-labor...

I have been wrestling with panic...My Bible is becoming accustomed to being open to Matthew 24, Ezekiel 38 & 39, and Revelation...

The other day, I sat, reading and praying...talking to the Lord about the situations in our world...asking Him, what do I do? I felt so led to look at Matthew 24, where Jesus listed wars and rumors of war, earthquakes, famines and pestilences of many kinds as signs of the end times (and His return)... but He said, these are NOT THE END...

Matthew 24:4-8

 Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you,  for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.

What I find most interesting is that in Matthew 25, the VERY next chapter, Jesus shares 3 parables. 

The first parable is of the 10 virgins (5 foolish & 5 wise). This parable has always SEEMED to be about Christians vs. Non-Christians...but what I've realized in recent years, all the virgins here represent Christians (at least in my humble opinion)...they are ALL waiting for the arrival of Bridegroom (Jesus). Non-believers are not waiting for Jesus to return (NEWS FLASH)... So, since they're all Christians, I found myself asking...what makes some wise vs. foolish...IT WAS THE OIL! Now, I'm not a famous theologian, but I know that oil is often used to symbolize the Holy Spirit... Some of the virgins ran out of oil before the Bridegroom arrived and it says that they wasted their oil running around doing foolish things and not savoring it... hm, now what I see is that the Holy Spirit...intimacy with the Holy Spirit...is pretty valuable...and must be maintained so that our LIGHT does not go out...

The next parable in Matthew 25...one of our FAVORITE parables...the story of a master who is going away and gives 3 servants varying amounts of money to manage for him while he is away... you know the one I'm talking about, you've probably heard as many sermons about it as I have... Long story short, master comes back and the two servants that he gave the most money to had invested it and doubled it...

23 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

Then to the third, who had done nothing with his money except to burry it (out of fear), the Master says,
"You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate,  why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

“Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

So moral of the story, Master (Jesus) has given his servants (that's us, Christians) treasure to manage while He is away, to grow and cultivate and develop and invest.. what is that treasure? Is it our gifts? OR is it the gospel...the GOOD NEWS!!! I say the later...the treasure represents the gospel...the Kingdom of God...the good news that ALL OF HUMAN KIND can come to know our Creator...can be sons and daughters of a LIVING GOD...through JESUS! What kind of response will we get when Christ returns? Will He call us faithful? Or will He send us away?

The final parable is that about the Sheep & the Goats. Keith Green wrote a great synopsis of this parable...check it out. Basically, Jesus compared the Final Judgement to a shepherd separating his flock, the sheep enter into the Kingdom and the goats...not so much! The only difference between the two...one group was religious and did not care for the broken and lost members of the world...the other group was not so religious but did care for the broken and the lost....

So at the end of my studying, I'm left an impression

...Jesus' return is imminent

...He is coming back for a people who fit the following description...

1. They have maintained a rich intimacy with Him through the Holy Spirit

2. They have been faithful to establish HIS Kingdom (not their own) and to share the GOOD GOOD News that Jesus loves the ENTIRE WORLD...and that they can know Him too...

3. They have lived their lives loving & serving the broken & lost

What do I do with this? Well, first, I am choosing not to panic...the world will end someday, I may be priviledged to see Jesus return, if not I will be with Him. I must be faithful to maintain intimacy with Him and draw others to Him...every day... in everything I do.

My resolution...

1. Quit politics (honor & pray for my leaders, obey as long as I'm not disobeying Jesus)

2. Pray often, without ceasing...stay close to the Spirit...

3. Invest in everyone and every opportunity that He brings my way...so that all will SEE JESUS...on that day!!

BE READY, LIVE FAITHFUL!!

wait for it...

Have you ever noticed that part in a song where there are no words? The instrumental soliloquy? You know, the part where the musicians get solos and the music builds and everyone gets excited... For those of you who are "non-musicians"...this is the part where the soloist usually jumps off the drum cage and the guitarists head bangs and jumps around a lot....and the drummer goes insane!! yeah that's the part that always gets me!

:-) Yeah I know, sweet pic...andy barron took it (hilsong united concert)

Musically, it's the climax...the best part of the song...but I always end up trying to put words where they do not belong...

Seriously, the BEST part of any song is the instrumental part...but I can't seem to let it be...without serious effort ;-)

Why am I going on about this? Well, I was thinking about it this morning...it is a great comparison to THIS season of my life...my lifesong...I'm in the middle of a bridge...I should be dancing...and in some ways I am...but I'm in such a hurry to get back to the words...the next verse...I always am! Hurrying that is...

God keeps saying to me...be still...be still...be still...I'm about to do something REALLY cool...just wait. Wait for it, wait for it...wait for it.......wait for ME.........

Waiting :-) I'll try not to make up my own lyrics and put them where they're not supposed to be! I'll let Him play the song the way He plays it best :-)

Why are we SO quick to complain in DAILYness?

So, this morning, I awoke to a nice coat of ice and snow ALL over my car. Mid-March Madness, I guess. Anyway, I found myself grumbling as I scraped my car to go to work....and day dreaming about living on the West Coast where it's sunny & 70 all the time.... :-) ah, soon enough!

Then I got in my car and headed to work. Of course, with the snow, a 15 minute drive turned into a 45 minute drive due to accidents all over the place (it's not that much snow, people, drive...come on!) Mumbling and grumbling about bad drivers and snow and Fridays... I turned on my radio...and realized I could have been waking up to this:



Quake, Tsunami Hit Japan; Waves Moving Toward West Coast

 Really, people? Why do we complain so much??? It's like an automatic response to inconvenience...like complaining will make it go away...or make us feel better.

I'm ashamed of my own lack of gratefulness. Lately, it seems like everything is just on hold...every ounce of work and effort I put into life comes back around  to...WAIT...just hold on... and deep in my heart I know that is a good thing...that God is at work in me and at work on my behalf. BUT instead of trusting Him and resting and being grateful...I whine...

My mom used to read the book  "Wendy & the Whine" to me on a daily basis (at least it seemed like it ;-) Why? Well, like most little girls...there were moments in the day when I would let out the most ridiculous whines...ugh. Did the book cure me? Mostly. I was scared of  "The Whine." But as I'm admitting, I occasionally am still visited by Monster Whine!

Now, I'm reminded of a verse that God has been trying to instill in me for a year now...

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV, ©2011)

Rejoice always,

pray continually,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

OR

 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (AMP)

• Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always);
• Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly];
• Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].

Yeah...OUCH! So...what will we do about that verse? That's a TALL order...
Do we just ignore is and stay focused on Jer. 29:11?

What about what Jesus also said in John 14:15?
"If you love Me, you will obey what I command."

There's no wiggle room there...

So I guess, our response to 1 Thess. 5:16-18 should be:

1. Do NOT complain...ever

2. Instead, Pray persistently, in every situation!

3. AND...be GRATEFUL...for everything!! (even fleas)

**THIS is God's Will!!**

 Ok, got it...

now, help me, Jesus!!

I SO want to honor You!