YOU ARE NOT INVISIBLE TO GOD!!!

In 1943, Abraham Maslow proposed a psychological theory known as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.  It is usually portrayed in the shape of a pyramid with all the basic human sustenance needs forming the base of the pyramid and the other 4 levels forming the rest of the structure.  The theory is that as each level is fulfilled, the human need for the next level is revealed.  Also, until each level is satisfied, a person cannot progress to the next level and reach the final goal of Self Actualization.  I find the 3rd (love/belonging) and 4th levels (esteem) so desired and strived for in today’s world.  Everyone wants to have their existence validated by someone else, you want to matter, you want to be heard and you want to be seen; no one truly wants to be invisible.

Just in case you think I’m getting too scientific or technical, let’s move on to the recent conversations that inspired this writing.  A friend and I were discussing a situation and she made the remark, “We were pretty much invisible.”  Her remark put everything into a neat little package that described her entire experience; Invisibility.  It really didn’t matter what positive events had occurred, her feeling of being invisible overshadowed everything.  In a different conversation, another friend remarked, “BUT don't you like to think that SOMEONE is at least interested or cares enough to ASK? I may not choose to share, but I guess I would like the option!”  INVISIBILITY does not inspire a warm, fuzzy, secure, “all is right with my world” feeling.  Instead, it has the ability to make one feel small, unimportant and insignificant.

So many times in my life I have experienced the feeling of invisibility; walked into a room and no one even glanced my way; talked to the self-important individual who not only monopolized the conversation with his/her exploits but talked past my shoulder, scanning the room for anyone more interesting, exciting or of a greater social standing.  All of these contribute to a feeling of invisibility. 

There are times I have even felt invisible to God.

Now before you think I’ve lost my mind, my salvation and all reasoning, I know God sees and knows all but sometimes it feels no matter how hard you try, nothing works out, no matter how many tears you shed, they were all for nothing, no matter how many hours you spend on your knees, there doesn’t seem to be an answer and you feel you must be invisible.  BUT, YOU ARE NOT INVISIBLE TO GOD!!!! 

You know all those tears you’ve shed and thought no one knew or cared?  God sees and He cares.  Read this precious promise from His Word;

 Psalms 56:7-9 You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?
⁹ When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back;
This I know, because God is for me.

The Word of God contains many more promises to assure you that He knows your name, He knows right where you are, and He hears every prayer; “This I know, because God is for me.” 

YOU ARE NOT INVISIBLE TO GOD!

THERE MUST BE A BETTER SONG

 

In her book, Life is Tough, But God is Faithful, Sheila Walsh reminds us of the movie, Educating Rita.  While I do not recommend this as a wholesome family movie, there is a quote from one of the characters that has echoed through the ages and continues to call out from the heart of man.

Rita is a hairdresser from Liverpool, England.  She decides to better herself and enrolls in a university.  She has a hard time overcoming her background and gaining the confidence to fit in with the sophisticated, scholarly group at school.  Her husband and other family members are constantly berating her for trying to rise above her “station” in life.  One night she is at a pub with her husband, parents and friends.  As usually happens the men drink excessively and begin to sing songs along with the jukebox.  As the night progresses, the songs become more and more vulgar and the men become louder.  Rita’s mother looks at her with tears streaming down her face and says, “There must be better songs to sing than this...”

If this is the cry that you have been screaming but nobody has heard, let me assure you there IS A BETTER SONG; A NEW SONG.

 Psalms 40:3 says “He has put a new song in my mouth” and Psalms 96:1 says, “Oh, sing to the LORD a new song!  Sing to the LORD, all the earth.”

The new song that God will put in your mouth is:

 The world’s greatest Love Song:

            “Oh Love of God, how rich and pure; how measureless and strong”

When your world feels like a war zone, it’s a Peace Movement Song:

“When peace like a river attendeth my way…It is well with my soul”;                                  

“Peace, peace, wonderful peace coming down from the Father above.  Sweep over my spirit forever I pray with fathomless billows of love.” 

A Song of Joy:

            “It is joy unspeakable and full of glory.  Oh the half has never yet been told.”

When you are feeling lonely, it’s a song about Friendship:

            “What a friend we have in Jesus.  All our sins and griefs to bear.”

If you have failed, He gives a Song of Forgiveness:

            “I came to Jesus weary, worn and sad; He took my sins away, He took my sins away.” 

It is a song the angels cannot sing; a Song of Redemption:

“His favorite song of all is the song of the Redeemed.  When lost sinners, now made clean, lift their voices loud and strong.  When those purchased by His blood, lift to Him a song of love.”

He puts a song of Salvation in our hearts:

“O the love that drew salvation's plan, O the grace that brought it down to man
  O the mighty gulf that God did span. At Calvary”

God wants to give you a better song today.  Let him change the old song of pain, emptiness and loneliness to one of Amazing Grace.

“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I’m found; was blind but now I see.”         

MILLENNIALS - QUITTERS OR CHANGERS?

Every generation views life through a different lens, knowledge increases, technology progresses, music reflects current struggles and children just DON’T want to be identified with the ideas of their parents.  This, of course, is not a modern day phenomenon; Genesis 4 tells us the story of Cain, the second generation of humanity.  Adam and Eve were trying to atone for their catastrophic mistake.  They raised their sons to know about God and had obviously taught them that God demanded a sacrifice of worship but Cain had a different idea.  Why offer a messy sacrifice when he had labored and raised some beautiful fresh fruits and vegetables.  It didn’t end so well for Cain but he “did it his way.”

I wonder if the children of the Pilgrims blamed their parents for the long boat ride, horrible winter and hard work in the new land.  I’m sure they did until one group got the idea that they didn’t have to serve King George who after all was thousands of miles away and hadn’t allowed one drop of his sweat to water the soil of the Colonies.  Patrick Henry stood up and declared, “Give me liberty or give me death” and a new nation was on its way to being birthed.  My generation was tired of having to talk to friends attached to a chord, so the cell phone was born and friends were suddenly always online, available to chat.  Our children will resent having to type, and then hit send and technological progress will continue.

In the late 1800’s a group of people decided there had to be more than a liturgy and ritual in serving God.  They began to study, pray, fast and seek God; the result….In 1900, there was a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, people began to speak with tongues as they did on the Day of Pentecost and the Gifts of the Spirit were once again used to bless God’s people.  Everything wasn’t perfect, over the years there has been much maturing take place in the Pentecostal movement, knowledge has increased and after a few dumb mistakes and statements, we’ve all become a little wiser in witnessing and studying the Word.  But now the “Millennial Generation” has come of age.

A new blog by Rachel Held Evans, “Why Millennials Are Leaving The Church” is making the rounds on face book.  To sum it all up, she states, “I explain how young adults perceive evangelical Christianity to be too political, too exclusive, old-fashioned, unconcerned with social justice and hostile to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.”  We are “old-fashioned.”  Well Rachel that’s one I’ve never heard; NOT!!!  Really?  What next-generation has ever thought the past-generation was “hip?”  She accuses us of being “unauthentic” and just offering cosmetic changes in worship with lights, bands, casual dress and coffee shops.  I have to agree with her on this point, we’ve given our children everything for their pleasure and entertainment without any requirements; unfortunately it has bled over into the church.  She wants more compatibility between science and faith, more social justice and outreach to the poor and oppressed, less politics and more of the Kingdom of God.  Of course, Ms. Evans also would like more tolerance and the freedom to make the Word of God a little more palatable when it comes to sin. Pre-Millennials didn’t make those rules; she will have to take that argument straight to The Throne.   God didn’t come to make us more AUTHENTIC, He came that we might be CHANGED from our sinful nature.

I would ask all Millennials who are leaving the church because it just doesn’t measure up and “tick” all their boxes, “Why not stay and be the change?”  Ok, it was pretty ignorant for the pastor to say you didn’t need an education because you had the Holy Spirit to teach you. After goofing your way through high school, did the desire for further education become a burning passion because the pre-millennials said it wasn’t necessary?  As for Science vs. Faith, use that superior education you desire to research and write a best-seller on how Science supports God’s hand in creation and other awesome discoveries.  Social responsibility?  Quit blaming the older generation and volunteer at Soup Kitchen, mentor a group of inner-city kids or instead of buying the latest model of I-phone and I-pad, finance a mission trip to a third world country.  I know of a church in Grand Rapids that make sandwiches and pass them out to the homeless, a man in Missouri who drives every week to the prison to minister to inmates, a couple who took time off work to go to Haiti and help earthquake victims and others too numerous to mention that have becomes the hands and feet of Jesus.  They want to “be the change” and have found a way to help it become a reality.

Every “next” generation knows more than the past generations; now is your chance, PROVE IT!!!  Stop whining and change things.  But, be prepared, don’t expect the opportunities to be neatly packaged and beautifully presented to you.  You may have to roll up your sleeves and get in the game.  There may be some blood, sweat and tears involved.  DON’T FORGET, you will have children that will be “post-millennial” and they will think that you failed them also.  Start preparing your defense and rebuttal now because the next generation is growing up faster than you can even imagine.

I WANT TO BE OLDER OR PRETTIER OR ............

Our cottage at Higgins Lake in Northern Michigan is such a peaceful place, usually, but this week the peacefulness was interrupted by squeals and peals of laughter and children’s voices; it was Grandkid’s Camp 2013.  I was sitting at the picnic table enjoying a cup of coffee, when 4-year old Nathan walked up, looking sad and forlorn.  “Grandma,” he said, “I want to be older.  I’ll never get to be older.”  Putting my arms around him, I asked, “How old would you like to be, Nathan?”  Without hesitation, Nathan replied, “10, I want to be 10.”  Now when you consider that his oldest cousin, Mackenzie, will be 9 years old in a few days, of course he wants to be 10; he wants to be “older.”  Pulling him on my lap, I explained to Nathan that God and Grandma thinks he is perfect exactly as he is now and that God needs him to be 4 years old so that he can learn and grow.  After a few more minutes of cuddling, he climbed off my lap and happily ran off to join a lively game of make-believe.

How many minutes, days and years of my life have been spent wishing I was something other than the person God wanted me to be?  As a 4 year old, I wanted to be 10, until I reached the age of 10, then it was 12, 16, 18, or 21.  From the age of 2, I loved to sing and perform for anyone who would listen.  At 12, I was so excited to sing solo for the Camp Choir in front of about 500 people.  Oh, I had dreams and my greatest joy was being asked to “perform” a song in church.  Finally, I realized that God hadn’t created me to “perform” but to worship and worship didn’t involve being in front singing at the top of my lungs but it involved standing in a pew, lifting my hands to Heaven, allowing the tears to flow as my voice directed the praise to Him.  I had other aspirations, I wanted to be the soft-spoken, sweet lady that everyone loved, confided in and admired.  Unfortunately, I saw things a little too clearly, had solutions instead of patience and could be a little intimidating; so I moved on.  Over the years, there have been so many things I wanted to be different in my life; I wanted to be thinner, prettier, live on the ocean, be creative, and the list goes on and on and on.

The beauty of “being older,” Nathan, is that I finally accepted that I am the “ME” that God created and loves with an everlasting love.  He created me for a special purpose and endowed me with the gifts and talents to be used to fulfill that purpose.  I may not sit and cry with you for hours but if we talk long enough, we may find a solution for your problem.  I won’t be the soloist with the microphone but if you listen closely, you will hear my voice lifted in worship to my God.  I won’t be the fashionista and my shoes won’t be the latest designer style but if you are barefoot, I’ll give them to you.  I won’t have a national ministry and be asked to travel the country speaking at Ladies Conferences but you might find me hosting a group of ladies in my home or leading devotions at the Rescue Mission.  I probably won’t write a “Best Seller” but I can send an email of encouragement, post a scripture on face book or write an inspirational blog.

Before we were born, God had a purpose and a plan in mind for each one of us.  We can only be complete in Him when we embrace and surrender our will to His plan.  Rest in His arms, cuddle for a while and accept that in Him you are perfect, then get up, shout for joy and go join in the game; enjoy being “FOUR.”

IT'S NOT THE MENU; IT'S THE HUNGER

Have you ever searched the pantry, looked in the refrigerator, and rummaged through the kitchen cabinets before concluding you had “nothing to eat?”  REALLY????  NOTHING?????  What about a can of soup, a box of cereal, toast and jelly or scrambled eggs?  Yes, there was plenty of food but nothing that appealed to you at the moment.  The problem wasn’t with the selection of food; the problem was you were not hungry enough.

A few years ago, Steve and I decided to stop at a highly recommended restaurant on our way to Knoxville, TN.  The interior of the restaurant was beautifully decorated and offered a cool, serene atmosphere away from the glare of a Tennessee summer sun.  We were seated and handed leather-bound menus.  I read through the menu several times searching for something among the large selection of soups, sandwiches, salads, and entrees to order, but nothing appealed to me.  I’m sure everything would have been prepared to perfection and served in an appetizing, inviting presentation, but not one thing on the menu made my “mouth water.”  When the waitress came to our table, we apologized, told her we had changed our mind and left the restaurant. It wasn’t the menu, it was our hunger!

Having been in ministry for several years, I have witnessed this phenomenon and even experienced it myself many times.  You may attend a church that offers a variety of music, classes, ministry opportunities, worship services, accomplished speakers, preaching, teaching, and Bible study on the menu. Perhaps you sample them all and leave filled service after service until one day……….  One Sunday or one Wednesday, you enter the sanctuary and peruse the menu.  The music is not the right genre and just doesn’t soothe your soul.  The pastor drones on teaching the same old lesson with a few new stories and as for prayer time; “Come on, get what you need from God and let’s go home.”  Finally, the dismissal prayer is prayed and you leave, unsatisfied.  You just aren’t “being fed.”   Hmmmmm!!!  Are you sure?  There was a full menu offered, an appetizer of worship, singing praise and giving glory to God, an entrée of well-prepared “meat” of the Word and even a lovely dessert of God’s presence around the altar.  Nothing to eat?  Not being fed?  It’s Not The Menu; It’s The Hunger!

Before you apologize and leave the “restaurant” because there is “nothing to eat,” check your hunger and thirst.  Have you been stuffing yourself with so much “junk food” that there is no room to feast on the Word?  Has your thirst been slaked by “flavored water” from the world’s wells until there is no longer a thirst for the Presence of God?  Perhaps it is time to empty yourself of all the unhealthy food you’ve been ingesting and become HUNGRY once again.  IT’S NOT THE MENU, IT’S THE HUNGER!

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

SO MUCH MORE THAN A TRASH PICKER

A few days at the cottage is always so peaceful and relaxing.  But, during this time, I was determined to clear out things that had collected over the past 10+ years.  One day, we took every item out of the garage, swept out the accumulated dirt, threw away broken, useless items, empty boxes and containers and put back those things that were still useful in a neat, orderly fashion.  The pile of discarded items sat at the curb, patiently waiting for Monday’s garbage pickup when a truck driving slowly down the road, stopped.   A “trash picker” had spied something in the pile of rubbish that he wanted.  I watched from the window as an older gentleman walked to my pile of garbage and picked up a rusty old lawn chair, threw it in the back of his truck and drove away.

My heart was stirred and my brain began to whrrr, have I become a “Spiritual Trash Picker?”  Do I sometimes just wander slowly down the road, hoping that someone has cast aside a blessing that will still have a little value?  WHY?  Perhaps I feel unworthy to receive my own personal blessings from God or maybe it is just too much effort to press past the obstacles and into the Glory.  I can pick up a discarded nugget of truth here or there, wait to worship in an atmosphere created by another’s fervent praise and even fill my vessel with the spill-over from my neighbor’s overflowing blessing.  WAIT A MINUTE!!!!!  I don’t want to become just another TRASH PICKER; I want “FIRST-HAND” blessings from God.

It may take a little more effort than just riding down the Road of Life.  Sure there will be obstacles in the way that I will have to go around or stop and remove, it may require some “sweat and tears” and involve asking, searching, praying and  waiting to receive, but the results will be my personal “Daily Benefits”, my own “New Mercies,” the “Abundant Blessings” God has reserved just for me. 

You have been called to be so much more than a “Spiritual Trash Picker.”  You are His precious child, one of the Redeemed; He knows you by name and has blessings handpicked for you, straight from the Father’s heart. 

Matthew 7:11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

ENEMIES BOTH FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC

Today is July 4^th, a wonderful holiday in the United States.  Most people will celebrate it with cookouts and fireworks, watermelon and ice cream.  It’s Independence Day!!!!  

As Americans, we fiercely defend our freedoms.  We fence our yards, defend our rights in the highest courts and shed blood on foreign soil to preserve the freedom given to us by God and established by our forefathers.  

We have a signed and sealed document called the Constitution complete with an attachment called the Bill of Rights which the President and every member of Congress swear to “Protect and defend from enemies both foreign and domestic.”  We are serious about our RIGHTS but sometimes lax when it comes to preserving the FREEDOM that allows us to enjoy those rights.

We have been purchased and set free by the precious Blood of Jesus.  We have a signed and sealed document explaining our freedom and listing our rights as Citizens of Heaven.  Are we as willing to defend our freedom from sin as we are our civil liberties?  We have to be vigilant and on guard every minute to our foreign enemy, Satan. 

1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour.”  

Satan is always lurking around the corner, waiting for an opportunity to snatch another God-given right until link by link we are once again enslaved by sin.

But what about the Domestic Enemies?  Domestic threats are actually more dangerous than those from foreign sources. 

In the United States we have a strong military and a code of law to protect our borders from alien forces that would seek to destroy us.  It is easier to identify and resist foreign enemies.  Not so with “home-grown” terrorists.  They live with us, look like us, speak our language and share our rights.

In our Christian Walk we must deal with domestic enemies, as well.  The Bible tells us that we are not ignorant of the Devil’s devices but are we aware of the devices of those who seek to enslave us from within.  One of the first “plots” we encounter is those who try to replace Old Testament Law with New Testament Law.

Galatians 3:3 “Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”  

We must resist the mindset that says anything we can do or not do contributes to our salvation. 

A second “plot” is the philosophy that because we are free in Christ and under grace, we have been given a license to satisfy any desire our flesh lusts after.  

Romans 6:1-2 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”  

Just as American Citizens cannot yell fire in a crowded building, steal any little trinket that catches their eye, or take the life of the neighbor with the barking dog, Heavenly Citizens must adhere to the Spiritual Law that allows us to preserve our freedom in Christ.

I have read stories of men that were imprisoned when young and then released 20 or 30 years later.  They have become so accustomed to their chains that they have no idea how to handle the freedom they have been given.  They are so terrified that they will immediately commit another crime so they will be incarcerated again where there is no freedom but life is familiar.  

Let us not become so comfortable with Satan’s tyranny that we retreat after being set free from sin.  Let us also be careful not to trade Satan’s Tyranny for Spiritual Tyranny because we are scared of our freedom in Christ or because it is easier to follow the Law of Man rather than the Law of the Spirit.

Whether you are still bound by Satan or have once again become entangled in spiritual slavery, DECLARE YOUR INDEPENDENCE, today.