READY AND WAITING

My Grandsons are coming in 2 days. I am so excited and counting down the hours. We have lived in Tennessee for a month and we are ready for visitors. Tennessee is 10 hours south of our 2 grandsons and 16 hours south of our 3 granddaughters. Do I miss them? I refuse to allow myself to think about the distance or I would be in tears half the time. Cell phones are great inventions. For very little cost and at anytime, I can reach out and touch each one. Granted it isn’t as sweet as a hug but hearing their little voices and happy squeals of laughter takes off a little of the sharp edge.

I have been preparing for days. The house is clean, there are fresh linens on the beds, the cupboard is stocked with their favorite foods, special events are planned and I have little surprises set aside for each one; all in anticipation of their arrival. I cannot even imagine the disappointment, if I suddenly receive a phone call saying their travel plans have been cancelled. Or the panic that would change to a deep wound, if they never show on Wednesday evening and call later to say a more important opportunity had presented itself. I’m pretty confident that won’t happen because the grandkids are just as excited as the grandparents.

Are we as excited to visit with our Heavenly Father as He is with us? I wonder how He feels when we get too busy or simply forget to take a little time with Him. My imagination pictures this heavenly scenario: God says to the angels, “A new day has dawned; soon my children will be coming for a little chat. The table is spread with all their favorites; I’ve even included a few new and fresh revelations. I have great plans for them today and some surprise blessings that I just can’t wait to shower down on them. I’m waiting in the throne room, they will be here soon.” The day continues without even a hello. “Surely they will stop in for a few minutes to say goodnight.” The week continues and Sunday dawns. The excitement in Heaven builds; today is a special day, almost like a birthday. “I know they will arrive today.” I can see them now, dressed in their finest clothes, my Book in hand, walking into my earthly houses with joyful smiles, excited to be in My Presence.” Many show up, the music swells and the praise ring forth, but how the heart of God must ache for those who chose something more important.

Just as I long to hold my grandsons, read and sing to them, bless them with gifts and share my plans with them, God longs to have a close relationship with His children. By ignoring Him, you are not only missing out on the blessings but you are passing up His love, peace, direction for your life and all that Heaven has to offer. Many years ago, Jesus went to prepare a place for you, it is almost completed and He is getting ready to take those who have been in close communication with Him to live there. Today would be the perfect time to check in with God, let Him share His heart with you, shower you with everyday blessings and give you the peace and comfort you’ve been missing. How devastated to be too busy with more important opportunities to hear His voice on the very day Heaven was waiting to welcome you home. He is just a prayer away and He is waiting.

DEVOURING OUR OWN IS CANNIBALISM

The television ads are becoming nastier, attacking individual characters, full of false accusations and edited sound bites. The Liberals are frantically digging for “dirt” on the Conservatives and the Republicans are accusing the Democrats of destroying the country. Every “stump” speech, interview, or past action is swiftly analyzed to use in the next attack ad. We are in the middle of an intense political season. As the days tick down to November 2 the rhetoric is ramped up. This is to be expected in a free country that regards Freedom of Speech as guaranteed by our Constitution to be one of our most important freedoms.

I have observed on several occasions that most people fiercely defend the issue of Freedom of Speech as long as the speech agrees with their philosophy. How quickly the tide turns, however, when the speech becomes controversial, even if it is declaring a truth. This week we have witnessed two regulars on a popular talk show, marching off the stage in anger because a guest dared to express his personal opinion on an issue. That incident was permissible to most viewers because it was one political viewpoint against another. But what happens when a group turns against its own? If we began to devour our own, whatever the reason, we are practicing CANNIBALISM!
Yesterday, Juan Williams, Senior News Analyst for NPR and commentator on Fox News was fired for making a statement regarding Muslims. Juan is known as a moderately liberal commentator and had worked for NPR, known for their liberal philosophies, for 10 years. NPR accused Mr. Williams of making a bigoted statement regarding a reaction he experienced personally. So much for Freedom of Speech; at NPR, censorship appears to reign supreme. As a country we must be careful to allow speech that does not agree with us in order to preserve our own freedom to be controversial at times. Contrary speech allows us to examine our own philosophies, possibly learn something new and solidify the truth in our own minds. If this is true of a nation, how much more important it is in the Church of God.

As a church are we guilty of devouring our own because they speak, worship or look just a little different than what we have established as “religiously correct?” Just as the United States has a constitution that must stand as the final authority on issues, the church has the Word of God that contains eternal truth. Does that mean we destroy those who may have a differing viewpoint or have not yet attained our superior understanding of the Bible?

The early church narrowly escaped “spiritual cannibalism” due to the strength and wisdom of one of their leaders. In Acts 11, Peter was taken to task for going to Cornelius’ home and eating with him. The problem; Cornelius was an uncircumcised gentile. Peter’s reply was so perfect, “So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?” 

By Acts 15, we find that the Circumcised Believers had formed a Council. The issue: “Unless you were circumcised, you could not be saved!” Again, Peter was called on to settle the dispute. Peter pointed out that God had accepted the uncircumcised by giving them the Holy Spirit, making no distinction between the circumcised and uncircumcised because of their faith. Peter went on to ask, “Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?” Or in my vernacular, “Why are you trying to cannibalize these new Christians who look and act a little different from you?”

Peter’s last statement settled the issue, “No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are. Let’s not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.”

As “mature” Christians, let us embrace those who enter our church circle whether they speak the same language, wear the same clothes, have the same understanding or appear to be completely foreign in speech, dress and interpretation. Listen carefully, you may learn something or realize you are the one in error.

 Maybe their speech or dress is a mask for other experiences of rejection and they were hoping that just maybe that “Love of God” you speak of was a reality. Perhaps they hadn’t heard that there was another way to live and that God’s word held a promise of freedom from the sins of their past. Just maybe a hug and a gentle leading into truth is what they need instead of being met at the door with sharpened knives and a hot fire.

We must always be careful to speak the truth but it must be enveloped with the love of God. Let us not be guilty of Spiritual Cannibalism.

WHAT HOUSES HAVE YOU BUILT?

During the reign of King Saul, the Ark of God was taken into battle and captured by the Philistines. The Ark was important to the Nation of Israel because it was where once a year the high priest would bring blood as atonement for the sins of all the people, and present it before God at the Mercy Seat. It was also where the manifest presence of God rested.

For several years, Israel existed without the Ark until King David made arrangements to have it brought back to Jerusalem. David had a desire to not only bring the Ark home but to build a temple, dedicated to God where the Ark would be housed and all the people could worship. The Bible tells us that instead of David, the privilege of building the temple was given to Solomon, David’s son.

When it came time for David to die and Solomon to ascend to the throne, David instructed his son with these words in the 2nd chapter of 1 Kings:

1 Kings 2:2-3 “Be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. 3And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.”

 1 Kings records further, that when God asked Solomon to request any blessing he desired, Solomon chose wisdom. God was so pleased with Solomon’s choice that He also gave him riches and honor. The years passed and Solomon completed a great temple in honor of the God of Israel. At the dedication of the temple, the Glory of God so overwhelming filled the temple until the priests were unable to minister. What a glorious day for the God of Israel, the Children of Israel and Solomon.

As the story of Solomon continues, we learn about the part that is not so great or pure or holy. Unfortunately, this is the sad side of Solomon’s life that he describes in Ecclesiastes as “vanity and vexation of the soul.”

2 Chronicles 8:11 Now Solomon brought the daughter of Pharaoh up from the City of David to the house he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places to which the ark of the Lord has come are holy.” 

The part I find so striking is not that Solomon built a special house for his wife but the reason for building a house apart from his palace. This verse tells us that Solomon would not allow his wife, who worshiped gods other than Jehovah, to live in the palace because the Ark of the Lord had rested there. His wisdom told him he could not mix the holy with the profane and so another house was built.

What houses am I building? Do I have a house that is Holy unto the Lord, where my thoughts and actions are pure and the praises go forth continually? That is the house I live in on Sunday and in front of my church family and friends. But what about the house I have erected way back in the shadows; the house that is reserved for all the things of this world that I cling to so tightly and visit regularly.

These are the things in my life that I don’t like to bring to church or push aside when I am praying; the things that just don’t mix with the part of my life that is dedicated to God. I fool myself into thinking I can live between the two houses; that the possessions of one need never mix or interfere with those of the other. Soon, however, I find that after a visit to my “special house” I have carried over some “dear” attitude or behavior into that which I have reserved for God. Only now I have polluted the Holy because the profane and holy cannot mix.

 If I want the house I have dedicated to God to remain, I must sacrifice the other house on the altar.

Check your plans, are you building a special edifice just for you to house all the secrets you have buried? TEAR IT DOWN!!! How sad to die as Solomon, having experienced all the wonderful blessings of God yet finding that life ends as vanity and vexation of the soul.

HELP, I CAN'T SEE THE CANVAS FLAPPING!

Our last Saturday morning as Michiganders dawned early. The truck and van were “stuffed to the gills” with all of the important and necessary last minute items that didn’t make it on the moving van. As I walked through the empty house for a final check, memories of laughter, holiday meals, football parties and grandkids camp flooded over me. But, no time to linger, it was now time for the new adventure to begin. A quick stop and a kiss for the Grand boys and we were on the road to Tennessee. I was excited for this new chapter in our lives to begin but I was not looking forward to driving alone for 10 hours. Steve took the GPS in his truck, I had a cell phone. My instructions were to stay on Highway 75 from Saginaw, MI to Knoxville, TN and follow the silver truck with the blue canvas flapping in the wind. Following Steve is never easy. No matter how hard I try, my mind will not allow my cruise control to go over a certain speed and his mind will not allow his cruise to go under a certain speed. I sat my cruise at the top of my comfort zone and fixed my eyes on the flapping blue canvas.

We had agreed to call if we needed to make a pit stop or got separated. The drive was going smoothly; I was listening to music, Michigan football and following the silver truck with blue canvas “flag” at a comfortable distance. The traffic in Cincinnati was unusually heavy. I was unable to change lanes when my leader truck changed and got stuck behind a slow moving camper. No problem, I could still see my blue beacon faithfully waving in the breeze. Suddenly, it disappeared around a curve. Not to worry, I would soon be around the curve and my guide would once again be in my sight. Rounding the curve I felt the apprehension rising; no silver truck. When you are in the middle of heavy traffic, driving 70 miles an hour, there is no place to pull over and no time to reach for the cell phone. To make matters worse, the highway suddenly split. PANIC TIME!!! What to do? Stay on road, follow his word and trust what you know is true. Steve’s word had assured me that I75 was the way to go; I knew that I75 ran from MI to FL and would take me to Knoxville, and I had my cell phone if I needed to make contact. Quickly changing lanes, I took the Highway 75 split, rounded the corner and there it was; a beautiful silver truck with a blue canvas flapping in the wind.

So many times, I have been happily traveling down the highway of life. I have Jesus in my sight leading the way with His Word is lighting my path. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a curve appears, I lose sight of my leader and to make matters worse I come to a crossroad. What to do? If you have ever faced this scenario, before the panic overwhelms you, “Stay on the road, follow His Word and trust what you know to be true.” Don’t pull over, Jesus is still ahead leading the way; if you stop now, the distance between you will only increase. Follow His word! Psalms 119:105 reminds us, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Glance down at your feet, see that little glow; that is His Word still lighting your path. Keep moving in that Light. This is the time to refresh yourself in the Word of God. Grab hold of the precious promises it contains and trust in what you know to be true. Remember you may not see the “canvas” flapping in the wind but you haven’t lost the connection, grab the cell phone of prayer and hit Jesus on the speed dial. He will answer every time. Soon you will round that curve, Jesus will once more appear in your line of sight and you will continue joyfully along the path.

WHAT IF?

What and If, 2 small words when strung together open up a world of exploration and discovery. We grasp the concept long before we can write, recognize or even speak the words; WHAT IF!  Take a few minutes to watch a toddler; their entire world revolves around “What if.” What if I put this bug in my mouth? What if I throw that expensive vase in the floor? What if I wake up in the night and scream? What if I turn my bowl of cereal upside down? And the list goes on and on. As we mature, the “what ifs” mature along with us. A teenager finds a whole different answer to what if I throw this vase in the floor. The answer becomes a statement of, “If, then!”

The “what ifs" continue our entire life. What if I had…., what if I had taken that job, what if we had moved to that city, what if I had married him? There are no answers to these questions because we can never know how our life would have changed if we had made only one different decision. As a Christian we may ask, what if I stepped out in faith, what if I told my neighbor about Jesus, what if I went out of my way to help the helpless? Again, there is no answer until we finally just do it!!!

If no one ever asked, “What if”, think of all the wonderful land masses, inventions and truths that would have never been discovered. The plan is, however, once the “what if” is answered, we are not stuck repeating the action but our exploration moves on. 2 Timothy speaks of people who are, “Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” How frustrating to have a life full of “What ifs” but no “If, thens” that would have allowed you to receive further revelation.

One of the questions I hear many people struggle with in their quest for knowledge is, “What if there is no God?” I suppose there are many things that would drastically change if there was no God. How would I treat my neighbor, if there was NO LOVE? How would I react to the one who had wronged me, if there was NO MERCY? How would I face hard decisions, if there was NO FAITH? How would I handle dying, if there was NO HOPE?

The other night I dreamed a friend was trying to persuade me that my choice to follow God’s plan was foolish. He asked how I would feel if I found out there was no God. I awoke with the answer ringing through my sub consciousness. It is very simple, if I came to the end of my life and discovered there was no God, I would have lived a wonderful, fulfilled life; one of ignorant bliss, but still wonderful. I would still win because I had nothing to lose. On the other hand if my friend comes to the end of life and discovers, he is wrong and there IS a God, he loses big time and for all of eternity.

The way I see it believing in and serving God is a win/win way of life while living for yourself and believing it all ends at death results in an eternal, “WHAT IF.”

IF YOU HAD ONLY WAITED!!!

“Grandma, I want some juice.” “Just a minute, Caleb” “Grandma, I want some juice.” “I’ll be right there.” SPLASH, CRASH, TRICKLE, DRIP, drip, drip….. “Caleb, if you had only waited!” Does this scenario sound familiar? Caleb was having one of those days. Grandma was busy with Nathan, Caleb wanted juice and he wanted it now so he decided to take matters into his own hands with disastrous results. Now Caleb was unhappy, Grandma was frustrated and there was a big mess in the floor. If he had only waited, Caleb would have been enjoying a glass of juice and Grandma would have been relaxing with a cup of coffee in a clean kitchen. How many times has God looked down at the mess I have created and thought, “Susan, if you had only waited!” Most of the time my heart is in the right place, it is just that my mind becomes clouded by my desires and I think I can do it myself.

I have learned a lot about waiting in the recent weeks and months. At the beginning of the year, Steve and I began to seek God’s will for the ministry He has called us too. Doors began to open for us to speak on weekends and we met many wonderful people at several churches. Pastoral opportunities presented themselves, but as we would seek a confirmation from God, the door would close. There were times the waiting became difficult and we were tempted to work the situation out, but past experiences screamed NO and prevented another disaster. Finally, God opened the door to the opportunity he had created just for us. We walked through the door and have already begun to enjoy the blessings. We were asked to accept the pastorate, our house sold immediately, the perfect Tennessee house was available for rent, and life was rolling along on well-greased wheels. Suddenly, we hit a pothole and the waiting lesson began anew.

The owner of the “perfect” house called on Friday to tell us the deal on the house he was purchasing had fallen through so his house was no longer available for lease. How could that happen? Hadn’t God opened the door for the perfect house? Forgetting the blessings we had experienced through the waiting over the past month, I began to fret. Steve and I discussed our other two options during the long drive from Memphis to Morristown. Saturday evening, we again toured one of the choices. I had an unsettled feeling but convinced myself that it would be alright; I could live here. Maybe we could get a 6 month lease; surely I could stand it for 6 months. After a sleepless night, Sunday morning dawned. The unsettled feeling had not left and the thought came to me; “Susan, you know that unsettled feelings are not from God, you need to pay attention.” I made excuses; “I had no other options.” “It was a matter of pride.” “I was disappointed.” The feelings lasted as the church service began. Finally, in desperation, I raised my hands toward heaven and began to worship and praise God for His goodness. My mind cleared and I began to wait.

After church, on our way back to Saginaw, we stopped by the other house on our list for one last look. The living room looked bigger, the sun shone in brighter through the windows, the breeze blew across the deck a little softer and the peace of God flooded my soul. This was the house God had provided for us. Steve looked at me, I nodded and he said, “I think this is the one.” We signed a lease and headed for Saginaw, MI with a song in our heart. Isaiah 40:31 says, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” I am so thankful that there was no mess to clean up this time. What a comfort to know that God is faithful and He will clean up the messes but how much more glorious it is to experience the joy of waiting on the Lord.

DOES A TITLE DEFINE ME?

What is a title? According to Merriam/Webster, one of the definitions is a descriptive name. A title is a word used to describe your current station in life. Titles begin to evolve in your life from birth. Some are lifelong banners, while others are appropriate only for a short time. I began life with the titles daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, and cousin. As I grew so did my title list. Over the years, student, wife, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, mother, aunt and grandmother were added to my resume. The most precious title associated with my name is Redeemed, Spirit-Filled, Child of God. Do these titles define me? I certainly hope so; they are the story of my life.

Every title defines a small piece of the puzzle, when viewed as a whole portrays Susan. They identify all the relationships I have with people who are so precious in my life. I have known women who refused to take their husbands last name or be known as MRS. I love that title; it tells a beautiful story of love and commitment from two different people whom God made one. Mother and Grandmother are two other titles that I cherish. Those titles are a continuation of the love story that began when I became a wife. At 9 years old, I decided to follow Jesus, since then, I have happily embraced every title along the way as a blessing from God.

I was involved recently in a conversation regarding the title, “Pastor’s Wife” vs. “Co-Pastor” vs. “Lady Minister.” Each side had a valid point as to which was the desired title. When I came to the place of surrender where the title was not as important as serving God every day in any capacity, doors began to open miraculously and great things began to happen in my world. I have recently become a “Pastor’s Wife.” I love it! Why? Maybe, because I am married to the greatest, most humble, absolutely wonderful Pastor/Preacher in the universe. Maybe, because this Man of God rejoices in all the things God calls me to do and encourages me to seek God’s will for my life. Maybe because my husband pastors a church filled with precious People of God. Maybe, because, “Pastor’s Wife,” defines exactly the position in which God has placed me.

Does a title define me? Only if I allow myself to become everything the title describes. Choose the titles wisely that you allow to be associated with your life. If a title has been placed around your neck that you prefer was not there, refuse to live by its definition, soon it will fall by the wayside and be forgotten. Every day you may gain and lose various titles, make sure you add “Redeemed, Spirit-Filled Child of God” to your life, live up to its definition and never let it go.