The Heart of the Issue

“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” ― C.S. Lewis

I had messed up, and surprise of all surprises, my offense was perpetrated by my mouth.  My heart was truly in the right place, but my mouth just runneth over.  You may wonder, and rightly so, that if my heart was in the right place, how then, did I offend with my mouth?  Well, sometimes (more often than I like to admit) good intended words, are not thought-out words.  I am the world’s worst for telling people too much information and for digging too deep into their business.  I forget that some people are not complete open books, and flat out do not want to be known thoroughly within the span of a 2-minute conversation.

This though, is not what God has laid on my heart to write about.  It is my REACTION to my mess up that deserves a more critical investigation. You see, I was up all night over it. My angst over my sin came in three spheres.  First, I was concerned that I had hurt this person in some way, offended them or caused them some embarrassment over being questioned so deeply by a complete stranger. This then, lead to condemning myself repeatedly for my impulsive nature and just flat out hating my words and lack of control in this area!!  Just beyond all reason and logic, I was ill with myself.  I mean, how could I?  Am I not studying deeply the book of Proverbs which has much to say on words…Do I not know that where words are many sins are present (Proverbs 10:19), and why then, do I not learn?  Why did I mess up?  Why did I not apply the truth I know, and even teach?  Why, oh why, did I sin?  (Judging by your reaction to my self-recrimination would probably reveal quite a bit about you too; if you are thinking, “Well yeah, Dummy,” this article may be for you J)…  Finally, and this is the kicker, and the most embarrassing part of my torment; I was SO concerned about what this person thought about me, because it is imperative that all must think I am really great, don’t you know…

While it was correct and right to be concerned about offending a brother or sister in Christ; ALL the other stuff was Satan taking me on a merry game of ME.  Think about it… I was upset that I sinned because I knew better!! That is flat out PRIDE.  There is nothing pretty about that.  What, am I above sinning?  Do I never mess up?  What a joke!!!  I still need Jesus as much now as I did during my reckless youth.  As a matter of fact, you could the make the case that I need Him more now.  Scripture says; our flesh continues to deteriorate.  In Ephesians 5:22 we are admonished to lay aside our old flesh “that is being corrupted."  Our flesh continues to be corrupted.  It goes from yuck to super yuck.  That is encouraging, isn’t it?  J

Anyway, back to my soul-bearing; it is quite obvious that worrying over what this person thought was of course, absolutely PRIDE, as well. If I try to present an image of having it all together it is a lie. Guess what everyone?  I mess up.  I still sin. I do really stupid things, and do you know I struggle with being self-focused every SINGLE day?… Bill Stafford used to say, “6 minutes away from Jesus, and there is no telling what I might do."  That is me.  Any true Christ-likeness in my life is, and ALWAYS WILL BE, because I have died to myself.  Christ is what is good in me; never me.   I have a heart of flesh that wants to walk with Him; but I have nothing to do with that, it was given to me.  Anyone who knows me will know this. Yes, I yearn to please my Lord, but sometimes the Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

So what can we learn from this?  Think with me on this:  If we go overboard berating ourselves; are we not thinking too highly of ourselves?  I believe Satan, in his parading as an angel of light, provides us with the deceptive thought of “Oh, we just hate to disappoint God” when in actuality we may just hate to fail.  Sometimes, the real truth is much deeper than the surface….. Let God, by His Word and through His spirit show you, who you are, and what is truly motivating you, so that you may repent and come clean of the real issues. 

Sarah Beasley

Abiding in Him

“What should I do?” “What if . . .?”  “If only I had . . .” “Maybe I should try  . . .” These are the kinds of questions and thoughts that take away sleep and sap energy. It can be maddening and exhausting to deal with such uncertainty.

A few weeks ago, I found myself with very similar thoughts running on a continuous loop in my head and making productive work impossible. Then somehow—by God’s grace—I thought of the truth of God’s Spirit in me. God will show me the answer, I thought. I need to trust that He is in control and will show me what to do. And so it was. The dilemma I was struggling with seemingly worked itself out. I found myself profoundly grateful for sweet people and their understanding ways, but so much more grateful for God’s love and care for me in those ordinary decisions that become so large in my everyday life.

Little by little these days, God is teaching me to rest and trust that he is there, that he will lead me as I submit my will to his. I have been re-reading Abide in Christ by Andrew Murray. It’s an old book, published in the nineteenth century, but its relevance never goes out of date. In a series of thirty-one meditations, designed to be read over the span of a month, Murray discusses what it means to live by Jesus’ word in John 15:

                Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the      neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in           me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing. . . .If you keep my   commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and   abide in his love.

I read this book years ago, and I am grateful that parts of it have stuck with me and that God uses them to guide my thinking. The following passage from page thirty-seven is what I think must have pulled emerged from the nooks and crannies of my mind when I was in that mental stew recently:

                And live, above all, day by day in the blessed truth that, as He Himself, the living Christ Jesus, is your wisdom, your first and last care must ever be this alone—to abide in Him. Abiding in Him, His wisdom will come to you as the spontaneous outflowing of a life rooted in Him. I am, I abide in Christ, who was made unto us wisdom from God (I Corinthians 1:30); wisdom will be given   me.

What a blessing! There is much more I could say about this wonderful little book and what God is teaching me, but I'll save something for another day. Have a great week abiding in Him.

 

--Sherry Poff

In the Potter's Hands

IN THE POTTER’S HANDS

            I recently received the gift of a video of a potter.  He formed a vessel which then seemed to collapse into ruin.  He then took the ruined pot and formed an even more unique pot.  He then said that his real intention had been to create the second pot, that the first was no mistake, but part of the process.  He made a spiritual application, but I didn’t need his.

            For many years I have been intrigued by the verses in Jeremiah 18:

            This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord:  “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.”  So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel.  But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.  Then the word of the Lord came to me.  He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord.  “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.”

            Then in Romans 9:20-21,

But who are you, O man, to talk back to God  “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’”  Does not the potter have to right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?

 I have conceded that God the potter has the right to do whatever He thinks is best in shaping me, that He has a plan for me.  I remember the quote from the Bill Gothard seminar about forty years ago.  “Please be patient.  God is not finished with me yet.”  I could understand that as a twenty-something.   But I have recently been overwhelmed by the thought that I am still not a finished vessel, that I am still on the wheel.  Somehow I thought that when I got to be an (almost!) old woman, then He would be done with His shaping, that somehow I would have arrived at who I am supposed to be.  But I’m not!  As my aunt has emphasized to me about another situation, The story isn’t over!  I think perhaps this present shaping is more painful, yet hopefully more productive, than the earlier.  My story and the story of my children has not been the story I thought was being written.  I don’t know what the future holds.

George MacDonald, in his book The Diary of an Old Soul, wrote,

Thou art making me, I thank thee, Sire.

What thou hast done and doest thou knows’t well,

And I will help thee:  gently in thy fire

I will lie burning, on thy potter’s wheel

I will whirl patient, though my brain should reel.

Thy grace shall be enough the grief to quell,

And growing strength perfect through weakness dire.

                                                              ~~Faith Himes Lamb

           

"Only One Mother"

I remember hearing my mom lament, “The world can be a lonely place without your mother in it.” Her mother—my grandmother—had been in heaven for years, and most of us had gotten back into our routines. But there are some people we don’t forget and never quit missing. 

On this week when we think of our mothers, I am so thankful for the wonderful women I have to remember and look up to still.  I am thankful for friends who help model good mothering for me and for a sister and others who help fill in the gap left by my mom’s passing nearly sixteen years ago.

The longer I live, the more days there are that bear special significance—some happy and some sad. Many people in our midst need special love and attention.  So it is with joy for the mother I had, gratefulness for my own children, and prayers for friends that I offer you this little poem that I remember from my own childhood.

Only One Mother
by George Cooper

Hundreds of stars in the pretty sky,
Hundreds of shells on the shore together,
Hundreds of birds that go singing by,
Hundreds of lambs in the sunny weather.

Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over.

 

 

Exulting in Tribulations

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our  Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we EXULT in hope of the glory of God, AND NOT ONLY THIS, but we also EXULT  in our tribulations…”Romans 5:1-3

The context of this incredible, jaw dropping, how do I really “get this” truth, should not be overlooked.  This letter (my personal favorite) was written to the Roman Church.  We know that the church at Rome (not begun by Paul) was a church that was renowned among Christendom.  Romans  1:8 “your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.”  Paul longed to go there “to impart some spiritual gift to you that you may be established.”(Rom.1:11)  In the meantime; however, God through Paul imparted a spiritual gift to all of us through this letter that has often (and rightly so) been called the constitution of our faith.  The letter, I might add that God used to change one of my favorite spiritual heroes, Martin Luther.

Yes, I digress, sorry.  Ok, so back to the context and interpretation of our verse. Because Paul did not establish the church in Rome, nor had he been able to even visit Rome (at the time of his writing), God through him explains all of the particulars of our faith.  Romans 1, God is evident through the creation and all men are “without excuse”, Romans 2, The Jews are also “without excuse” in that they teach truth they do not live, and then Romans 3, so everyone is “without excuse” and we all need Jesus.  “For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.”  Romans 4, the chapter of chapters in the Bible, explaining and liberating all in that Righteousness comes by faith, by faith Abraham was made righteous.  Not by his works.  So, I did nothing to deserve God’s salvation and cannot lose it.  A gift is not a payment.  Praise Jesus!

Now to our verse, Romans 5 begins with (in Sarah-speak) “How cool is it that we (being the worms we all are) actually have peace with God, and we stand (or live) in this peace.  So, this is something we are naturally so pumped up about that we Can’t stand it, AND because of that continual amazement, we are able to rejoice in our trials.

So, our rejoicing in our trials is invariably connected to our hope in salvation, this link is often overlooked and to our detriment.  What does the fact that I am saved, not by works, and even stay in peace with God, have to do with the fact that:

I am in a terrible financial fix

My child is undergoing very painful trials (albeit some by her own making)  

          Sometimes, I can’t breathe well… etc, etc,

EVERYTHING!  I have peace with God.  He loves me and accepts me.  I cannot lose that.  Our lives are like a blade of grass, so does anything else truly matter?  Think about that for a minute...  Think of the big IF of God not changing a single thing in the trials in your life.  Does it matter?  Truly?  You may say, “does not faith consist of assurance of things hoped for?” (Hebrews 11:1)  Yes, but are these “things hoped for” necessarily given in this life or are the things hoped for more eternal in nature?  God wrote the Bible and His  perspective is always eternal, and does not line up with ours. Our perspective is unfortunately tainted by the here and now.

We know from Hebrews 11 that the “hall of famers” of faith were desiring a better country, a heavenly one (11:16).  Many of them died without seeing the awaited promise of the new covenant (the city they desired) men of whom the world was not worthy…(11:37)  When their earthly circumstances put them through horrors unimaginable to us (i.e., being sawed in two, etc).  They were still desiring the heavenly country.  You don’t see that they petitioned God incessantly for a better deal here.  This is not our home so why should we be comfortable?

You see our lessons from scripture should be: NOT to “hang in there” and then God will give you what you want, which is quite possibly something earthly and passing away.   NO, our lesson is DESIRE the things of God.  Party, as a way of Life, that you are a partaker in the new covenant and so able to “stand” in peace with God.  We have received everything worth having and that my friends, cannot be taken away.

Yes, God wants us to be happy and yes He does answer prayers with exceeding and abundant blessings; quite often, and always for His glory.  My point is, He has already given us more than we could ever sincerely be thankful enough for, why not live in light of what you and I neglect instead of bemoaning the passing away silliness of this world, which is not our home anyway.  J  I am preaching to myself, believe me. ‘

May we all be women “of whom the world is not worthy” and fix our eyes on Jesus, knowing we are given breath to correctly glorify or show HIM, with every minute we are given.  Everything else is incidental……

Sarah Beasley

Shout and Sing

Is it April already?  My stars! Where has the time gone? This happens to me every year.  At first I feel that time is dragging and the whole long school year looms ahead. Then before I know it, spring has sprung and I don’t have time to breathe properly.

But isn’t this a beautiful time of year?  I have violets blooming all over my back yard. Some see them as weeds, but they have lovely heart-shaped leaves and beautiful purple and white blooms. They’re my very favorite! The frothy blossoms of plum and cherry trees are a sight to behold, and bright yellow forsythia shines forth from several yards on my street.  It’s almost too much to appreciate at once. 

Before we know it, dogwoods and azaleas will be putting on a show. The weather will warm up some more, and it will be time to set out all the warm- weather vegetables.  The turning of the seasons is evidence of God’s goodness and His love of beauty.  He is so inventive and imaginative to create so many colors and textures.

I sat down here to write about something else, but this is what is on my mind. So let’s just praise the LORD for his wonderful creation!

“Praise is awaiting you, O God, in Zion. . . .You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it. The river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, for so you have prepared it. You water its ridges abundantly, You settle its furrows; You make it soft with showers, You bless its growth. You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance. They drop on the pastures of the wilderness. And the little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks. The valleys also are covered with grain; they shout for joy, they also sing.” Psalm 65 : 1, 9- 13

Have a great week!

--Sherry Poff

MOST FABULOUS EASTER SO FAR TODAY

If you have nieces and nephews, then you might just understand how completely captivated I am with mine! My sisters do a fantastic job of completely distracting me at any given moment of the day by sending pictures, videos, or summaries of overheard conversations. Easter weekend did not disappoint! In the midst of the cuteness, my oldest nephew's wise words for the day, "This is the most fabulous Easter so far today." It's possible that he was talking about the gifts he received from the Easter bunny, and he cleverly left possibilities open for the day to get better, but I believe his words ring truer than he realizes.

I could take you on an internet journey of the origin of Easter and the hundreds of opinions about why and what we celebrate every year, and you'd probably find a story that validates your years of Easter memories, but I won't. I will, however, assume that most people reading this associate the Easter celebration with our celebration of Jesus' resurrection from the dead. 1 Corinthians 15 clearly teaches that without the resurrection all other teaching is in vain. It is the resurrection that we celebrate, because without it, we would not be raised to newness of life. Being dead to sin is one amazing part of the story, but if that were the end, it would be in vain. Jesus died, and I was crucified with Him (Gal. 2:20), but He didn't stay dead, and neither did I (Eph. 2:5-6). Because He lives, I live! Woo! That's some good stuff!

It's as good as the shivers I still get when a congregation of voices bursts into "...UP FROM THE GRAVE HE AROSE..." after the soft, mournful verses about Jesus' crucifixion. I secretly wish we would sing it more than once a year, because believers have reason to celebrate the resurrection every day. The more I understand what Jesus did for me and in me, the more I can relate to my nephew's words. "This is the most fabulous Easter so far today!" And it just keeps getting better!

~Rebecca Phillips