We are like Rome

I've been reading A Voice in the Wind, a book by Francine Rivers. As I read it, she describes Rome which has become a den of immorality. They tolerate nearly everything. Homosexuality, Beastiality, bloodsport slavery, and all kinds of degredation, believing in a multitude of gods, or no belief at all. 

Jews and Christians are the exception who are either enslaved, crucified or sent to the arena to be fed to the lions or enslaved as gladiators. As a contrast to the degredation of Roman society a Christian, Jewish, slave girl serves her masters as she would serve Christ with not only obedience, but joy. Her character speaks for her as she never criticises and only shares about her faith when asked. The story has many more layers but this part of it has stood out to me as I ponder what is happening in our country. 

Like Rome, our government is exerting more control and many have become critical of any who do not fall in line with liberal views. We as Christians, however, are missing the mark. I would encourage people to read this book as it will speak to you about where we as a country are headed and how as Christians we should handle our response to the coming persecution. 

There are pockets of places in the U.S. that are more tolerant of Christianity, however, there are more places that tout lawlessness, immorality, tolerance of blood sport, and riotous living. Our cities are experiencing murderous activity like never before. I live in a city that a few years ago saw maybe one murder per year and now we are seeing at least one a week if not more. Nothing will change these trends but a spirit of revival as we as Christians repent of our own lawlessness and wicked ways and embrace the love of Christ. We must exude HIS love to others. Only HIS love and mercy coupled with a people who portray morality without judgment will bring the world to a place of acceptance of a loving God who has sent HIS son as a sacrifice to take our place in the judgment of humankind. Every knee will bow and every tongue confesses that Jesus is Lord. 

This is a long quote, but it spells out what we must do. 

Unity Through Humility
Philippians 2

Therefore if there is any [a]consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others.

The Humbled and Exalted Christ
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it [b]robbery to be equal with God, 7 but [c]made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Light Bearers
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
14 Do all things without [d]complaining and disputing,[e] 15 that you may become blameless and [f]harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.

Praying in the Name of Jesus

 Over and over again we hear about praying in the name of Jesus. And even Jesus said if you pray these things in my name it shall be done. But what does that really mean? What does it mean to pray in somebody’s name? What did that mean to the Hebrews of Jesus' time?

In order to really get a handle on this we have to know what the name meant to people in that day and time. A person’s name was given to them to reveal a person’s character. Methuselah’s name meant Judgement will come or When he is dead it shall be sent. Methuselah was Noah’s Grandfather and he was Enoch’s son. If you do the math, Methuselah lived 969 years and he died the year of the flood. The Biblical flood was God’s judgment on mankind for the rampant sin that had become commonplace. Another cool math fact: Adam was still alive when Noah was born. So if we wonder why or how all these stories can be accurate, they were told firsthand for hundreds of years.

Another telling tame was Abraham’s name which God changed from Abram to Abraham. Abram means exalted father. Abraham contains the added meaning of multitude to the name. God had promised Abraham he would be the father of so many that they would be numbered as the stars or grains of sand. He not only fathered the Israelites but also most of the Arab nations through Ishmael.

Jacob’s name meant supplanter. He supplanted or took the place of his brother Esau who was older than him. Although they were twins Jacob was the younger and he made a deal with Esau for his birthright. He even managed to fool his father into giving him the firstborn blessing.

Later God changed his name to Israel, which means struggles with God. this happened after Jacob wrestled with the angel of the Lord one night. He was wrestling in order to keep God with him and be blessed by Him.

Ruth’s name means friend. Ruth very much exhibited her character as a friend to Naomi through her faithfulness. Ruth was the grandmother of king David, a man after God’s own heart. Jesus‘s name means salvation. His character was definitely exhibiting what it means to provide salvation through the sacrifice of his own life for ours. God definitely puts credence on names. Names are important.

When people were talking about a name they were talking about the character of the person. Jesus said in John 14: 13-14 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

So what does it mean if we are to pray in the name or character when we pray in HIS name? Whatever we ask in HIS, or Jesus's name shall be done could mean whatever we ask in his character, it shall be done. Does that change what we are asking? What would Jesus do is definitely something we should consider as we go to pray with the confidence that it shall be done.

When Jesus was praying in the garden of Gethsemane he prayed Matthew 26: 39 Going a little further, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” So if in Jesus' character we pray for something to be done even believing it is in the character of God, we have to be of the understanding that nevertheless, Thy will be done needs to be part of that prayer. Our absolute trust in God will see answers that follow God‘s character. We can have full confidence that God will answer when we pray in His character or name.

TO OBEY IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE

We are finding ourselves in a world full of  turmoil and confusion. Sometimes it is difficult to discern which way we are supposed to go. Some clarification can come when we make sure we are staying under the protection of the authorities in our lives. 

If we stay under the protection of authority we are freeing up the hands of God to work in the lives of those who are in authority over us. If we do not we are tying God's hands and getting in the way of God's perfect will. 

More importantly, if we pray for those in authority we strengthen the umbrella of protection. Those in authority are in direct line  of fire from the enemy. They are our protectors, but their position makes them open to attack. This is why praying for those in authority is so important. Our prayers form a barrier of protection for them, while their placement over us in our lives provides protection for us. 

Do Not Dispair

I will admit, I did not initially take this pandemic seriously. I heard as did many others that a few

years ago we had the H1N1 virus. 2008-2009. The CDC reported that as many as 12,469 people died in the U.S. No one shut down the nation and so far we do not have that many deaths.

We do need to take this seriously, we need to seek and promote comfort and peace among others and as Christians, we have hope in Christ that we can take comfort in and share with the world. 

We must take this pandemic seriously.

The facts of how things have skyrocketed in Italy, Spain and China tell us how bad it can get. Here is some documentation on the 2009 pandemic.

"The study, co-authored by 9 members of the CDC Influenza Division, used an improved modeling approach which resulted in an estimated range of deaths from between 151,700 and 575,400 people who perished worldwide from 2009 H1N1 virus infection during the first year the virus circulated. A disproportionate number of deaths occurred in Southeast Asia and Africa, where access to prevention and treatment resources are more likely to be limited. "

According to the CDC from April 2009 to April 2010 there were about 60.8 million cases of the swine flu with 12,469 deaths in the United States.
Unlike COVID-19, swine flu targeted the younger population, who health officials said had little to no existing immunity. Nearly one-third of people over 60 had antibodies against the virus, making CDC experts believe these people were likely exposed to an older version of the virus earlier in their lives." (CDC.gov) For the complete article click here.

However, things are different this time. Even though I was skeptical about the seriousness of the virus, I took it seriously enough to stay home when asked. I didn't hoard food or toilet paper. I was wrong to be skeptical. Tonight the President reported that we will be lucky if we only see 100,000 to 200,000 deaths in this country. He extended the length of time to stay sheltered at home until April 30th for now and said we will try to get the economy going by June after previously hoping to see it ramping up again by Easter. It was an optimistic view, but it is not to be.

We can promote comfort in God's word. 

Phillipians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Deuteronomy 31:8 "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 

2 Timothy 1:7  "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

The world needs the love and restoration of God more than any other time in many years. We are not acting Christlike if we are promoting division and deriding those in authority. We need to be there for the comfort of each other; both our brothers and sisters in Christ and to those who do not have a relationship with God.

Watching the i-heart concert this evening I saw many health workers at the end of their ropes. One woman was on her way home from a 13-hour shift taking care of just 2 critical patients by herself sobbing as she related what it was like in the hospital. In Germany, a government official already committed suicide because of the despair he felt about the pandemic.

Share our hope with the world.

Our country has many benefits as far as the ability of our medical system to handle this pandemic in relation to what other countries can do. Beyond that, as unemployment goes up, the suicide rate will also go up. People will become desperate and find themselves despairing over how they will live. We as servants of Christ have a mandate to convey the hope that God can provide. Our assurance will be a light that could encourage those who do not know Him who saves us to seek Him for themselves. Jesus said:

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

It is our duty and calling to be salt and light to the brethren as well as those who do now have a relationship with Christ. Don't live for tomorrow and encourage others to find ways to be thankful for what we do have and where we can look for help. I've lived for 65 years 60 of which I have known God as my savior. I've seen miracles where I did not see hope, but I have also felt pain and sorrow. The difference is we have someone whom we can go to with our cares.

God has given us promises we can rely on. 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 begins by talking about plagues, and ends with God's power to heal and restore our land.

"If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

"We all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

Before we help others we need to get our own house in order. I pray God forgives me of my sins both known and unknown. Help me do better and be better. Help me to be there for those who don't know your eternal hope.

How Do You Love?

This is a question asked of a panel at church. People who are in ministry or not. Each one shared how they try to share the love of God to others in their lives. We were encouraged to think about how we love and to love our neighbors as ourselves and in so doing fulfill the law of love found in the Bible.

It has been almost ten years to the day; May 31st when my Mother died. My mom and dad had always been there for me and they both died within 3 months of each other. My mom especially had been a rock in my life. As a military family, we were close. We didn’t have the luxury of friendships that lasted throughout childhood. We had each other. This caused me to be very dependent on the friendship of my mother. I had friends, but she was always the one I looked to for wisdom for life’s problems. She was the person with whom, I wanted to share the good, the bad and the ugly things of my life. God gave me a year to prepare myself for her loss. She had pancreatic cancer and usually people who hear they have that die within 6 months, but she lasted a year. She had given so much to all of us. To my Dad, me, my brothers, grandchildren, the community she lived in. She and my dad were both involved in education and in so doing they gave even more of themselves. In her later life, she worked as a teacher’s assistant, while my dad worked as a bus driver for years after he retired from the Air Force. Even after my mom was beginning chemotherapy, she would go to the elementary school and volunteer to read stories to the kids.

These people were my examples of parental love and the love of God. When I lost them I examined my life in a way I have never done before. Richard and I had tried to be involved in formal ministry throughout our married life. We counseled for Operation Blessing with the 700 club in Tulsa, we did Christian clowning, we tried to plant a church at Lake of the Ozarks, and we joined Sonshine Ministries, a counseling ministry. We applied to be house parents at a crises center but were not chosen. (We did work as a respite for those who were chosen.) We looked into joining YWAM and other ministries that were evangelistic in nature, but we couldn’t seem to make anything work as we were raising our children. We both felt God had a calling on our lives, but we came to realize that our calling was much like the calling of my parents; loving, mentoring, and guiding our own children. When I lost my parents my time for raising children was over. It became a transitional time for me in many ways.

After losing my parents, I was laid off from a job as a graphic artist and had been substitute teaching. I liked being a graphic artist. I’m an introvert and was very fulfilled working with artwork in my cubical; while listening to music. But the loss of them and my job, made me reconsider everything. How could I go on working in a place where I never made any kind of difference in the lives of others? How could I live the rest of my life without honoring what I had been given in life? I knew because of Richard’s past how blessed I had been and I could no longer excuse myself from doing what was comfortable. I felt a real NEED to show the love I had been shown by God and my parents.

This calling is not something I took lightly. I took it to prayer because a change of career at this point would take at least two years of additional college. I had just completed a bachelor’s degree in advertising and writing. I spent some time in prayer because I knew I wanted to be more for God than what I was currently doing. I wanted to do something that would make a difference in the lives of others. This is when I decided to go into teaching. I knew there were so many kids that did not have the luxury of parents like I had. I would have to get a Master’s degree to be able to teach. It would be more expense and a big time commitment. I wanted to be there for those who did not have someone in their corner. I felt like this was the way that God would have me love.

This has not been an easy journey for me. I have had to rely on God in a way I had never done before. Not only because my best friend had died, but because I was putting myself in a position that was so out of my skillset. I taught Special Ed for four years then the 2015-16 school year was the most difficult of my life. I was not certain I would be able to stay in teaching even though I had been doing it for 5 years. I ended up in the hospital with heart problems. I believe it was due to the stress of the school year. I don’t believe I had been relying on God the way I should have been. I tried to change jobs, but in so doing I put myself in God’s hands. Putting yourself in God’s hands can be equally terrible and awesome at the same time. Though I had a very difficult year, God did not see fit to move me. I thought if God was going to keep me in the position I was in, it must be for a reason. I humbled myself and took extra training. I made apologies. I did the work I needed to do and tried to learn what God wanted me to. I participated in a C.S. Lewis Bible study at church. It was awfully thick reading but there were some things in it that spoke to me in my situation. I feel like it and some of my training gave me the different mindset I needed. Last year was better. I had more students come to me for help and just to hang out and talk. Something must have changed in me to enable that to happen. Learning to love the way God wants us to love isn’t easy.

This year was totally different. I felt like I had learned things that gave me the tools I needed for success in the classroom. It has been difficult because God is putting me in places that have not been comfortable for me. But to live is Christ, right? To die daily may not be comfortable. And yet….I am blessed. From the last year of misery to this year, I’ve been given classes that will give me a chance to share in a setting that inspires me. I went from a year of defeat to a form of triumph in that I get to teach journalism, debate, and reading. It will mean more work, more learning, but it will also put me in a situation to share more with the students. This work of love is hard work. It’s not working to get God’s approval or even the approval of my parents. It is a work that is born out of thankfulness; gratefulness for what I have been given. I will never be able to love enough to repay what I have been given, but I want to leave behind something that will last longer than the artwork I had been doing in the cubical. That can only be done through how we interact with others. God is good.

Submission

Submission is a discipline that our Pastor, Adam Stoddard spoke on today. He is on a series that is going over the different inner and outer disciplines as spoken of in the Bible and in the book, The Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. The thing about submission that I feel many people don't get is the fact that if it isn't something you have "chosen" to do it isn't submission, it's servitude or slavery. So if a husband is trying to get his wife to submit, it isn't submission he is going for. He is trying to bend her to his will.

People "choose" to submit to the will of God or to the will of a person. They choose to submit themselves to the premises of the Bible. This is the very reason why submission can be celebrated. It is born out of the freedom of choice. 

I choose to live my life as I think Jesus would. As a wife, I don't always feel like doing housework, cooking meals or running errands, but if my husband needs me to do this I choose to be a helpmate for him. This is submission. My husband does not compel me to submit, if he did, it wouldn't be submission, it would be forced servitude. Submission requires something of us, our willingness. 

Go Out Into the World and Preach the Gospel

I was glad to hear our Pastor, Adam Stoddard encourage the church in going out to share the gospel; but better than that share that we don't have to become missionaries to a foreign land in order to do what God wants us to do. For so long, "The Church" has make the laymen feel like they just weren't very good Christians if they didn't go out on the mission field, or somehow become part of the "formal" ministry. Maybe many of you youngsters haven't felt that pressure, but I did for many years.

Richard and I tried to go to YWAM and get involved in some other ministries formal or not, in order to feel like we were really doing something for God. But for the last few years, I found myself sharing with those I came in contact with at work or at school. I determined within myself if my faith was not worth dying for it wasn't worth living for. And my faith is worth dying for, for me.

I have people warn me. "You better be careful what you say at work...you know separation of church and state, and I say, Let them throw me in jail! My kids are grown and I am prepared to pay whatever price I must. We as Christians have been way too careful for way too long. As a result we are watching the decay of humanity in our country. People no longer respect authority, whether it is their parents, the police or government officials. We are about to pay the price for that by the degradation of society.

We as a people need to wake up and go out into the world and share the gospel...(the good news). It's not  hard.  You just share what God has done for you. You don't need to know lots of scriptures, although that would be good, but it is not necessary to be a witness for God. We need to quit getting into the mindset that we have to roll over and let people stop us from what we know we are supposed to do. Sharing the Love of God, and how His love for us has changed us is the thing that will turn our nation around. But in order to do this, we cannot live in fear. We must step out of our comfort zone and get used to being comfortable in sharing the Love of Christ for the world.