Encouragement from 1 Corinthians

This afternoon, I sat down to spend a bit of time with Jesus.  I opened up my Bible...well, the Bible on my phone.....

Please don't judge me....

..... and started reading where I had left off on Monday....1 Corinthians 12.  I had it set to the Message translation and a whole new thought and perspective from this chapter popped out at me. 

Earlier in 1 Corinthians, Paul spent a great deal of time answering questions from the Corinthian church.  Questions like:  Is it ok to eat food that has been sacrificed to an idol?  Should women wear coverings?  Should men wear coverings?  Should he, Paul, be paid or receive accommodations and/or food for his work?  Should church members marry?  Should they stay single?

And on and on. 

And then at the end of chapter 11, Paul says to the Corinthians, "the rest of your questions I will answer when I see you again in person"....and chapter 12 opens with this:

"What I want to talk about now is the various ways God's Spirit gets worked into our lives.  This is complex and often misunderstood, but I want you to be informed and knowledgeable."

I love this. 

Because this is how it reads to me beginning at the end of Chapter 11 and going into the beginning of Chapter 12:

"Ok, enough of trying to sort out the do's and don'ts, the fine lines, the tit for tat.  I will answer more of those questions later when I see you all again.  What I would like to focus on now is how God's Spirit works in our lives.  When God is at work in our lives, then we won't worry so much about the nit picky questions.  See, we are a body all working together in unity, each part of equal importance and very much needed for the healthy function of the body." (This is my interpretation of what I read.)

I hope I am not reading into this too much, but then, this is my commentary ;)

You know what I found so encouraging about this?  While there are definitely some issues that need to be dealt with, our focus needs to rather be on how to better allow God's Spirit to work inside of you and me so that the body of Christ is functioning at it's maximum capacity.

Paul goes on to speak of the different parts and how to walk in unity with one another....

And then comes the end of Chapter 12....

And it gets better.....

He ends with this...

"But now I want to lay out a far better way for you."

I had to smile when I read that last sentence of Chapter 12, because I knew what was coming next.

Chapter 13

The Love Chapter!

Paul goes from addressing some of the petty issues, to turning the church's gaze towards walking in unity with each other, and then to LOVE!

I love that!  Because how often is my focus drawn towards the petty issues of life?  How often do I get hung up on small issues?  Do they need to be dealt with?  Most likely, BUT they shouldn't be my focus.  Instead, my focus should be on walking in unity with my brothers and sisters and this done on the foundation of LOVE!

Gotta love it!  I hope it encourages you like it did me!  Let go of the small things and grab a hold of the big thing, LOVE itself.  It's amazing, when unity and love become the focus, how quickly those small things seem to not really matter so much anymore.

Blessings!

As Shrewed as Serpants and Innocent as Doves

This morning has dawned bright, early, snowy, and very cold!  And I love it!  Why?  It affords me the time to press into the Word of God, something I do not get to do very often.  Most mornings, if I have time for devotions, they are quick as I hustle around to get myself and three children out the door.  But this morning.....the call came at 5:30 am proclaiming that school had been canceled and just like that, time was given to me to do more than a quick read, but to dig.  Something I love to do :)

What an encouragement I found as I opened up my Bible to begin reading in 1 Corinthians 1.  These words jumped off the page at me:

"Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours"

and then in verse 11:

"For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you.  Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, 'I am of Paul,' and 'I of Apollos,' and 'I of Cephas,' and 'I of Christ.'  Has Christ been divided?  Paul was not crucified for you, was he?  Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?"

First off, I think it is cool that even back in the time of the Corinthians that somebody had people!  You know, my people will call your people?  Well apparently, Chloe had people too!  :D  Sorry, I just found that humorous!  I digress.

Paul opens up his letter talking to the local church in Corinth.  These were not unchurched people.  They were called, sanctified, baptized, saved, Holy Spirit filled believers in Jesus Christ.  They were church people.  And they had a problem.  So early in the history of the church too, so close yet still to when Jesus had walked the earth, when he had died, when He had risen and yet they had a problem.  They disagreed on who to follow.  Same problem we have today, accept today, this problem has been distinguished by something we like to call "denominations".  That's all denominations are.  A group of people who agree with the teaching of a specific leader, pastor, teacher, prophet, or apostle.  We could easily fill in verses 11-13 like this:

"For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you.  Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, 'I am of Menno Simons' (Mennonites), and 'I of Martin Luther'(Lutherans), and 'I of the Apostle Peter' (Roman Catholics) and 'I of Christ'.  Has Christ been divided?  Menno Simons was not crucified for you, was he?  Or were you baptized in the name of Martin Luther?"

As I read through these chapters, I was amazed at how early division came into the church.  It completely mimics the present day church at large.  Even within these denominations there is division.  For example, cause I know this denomination the best, take the Mennonites (and I will add a disclaimer right now.  Please hear me, I am not picking on the Mennonites or on any one denomination.  Just hear me out for a moment.)  There are Conservative Mennonites, Mennonite Brethren, Mennonite USA, and that is just to name a few.  In other words, within each denomination, there are actually more division, each one slightly different based on who they are following. 

Now on the surface, all of us would loudly stand up and proclaim, no matter the denomination, "We SERVE JESUS CHRIST!"  But I think the early church would have said the same thing.  "serve Jesus Christ", and under their breathe would add, "but we follow the teachings, theology, thought process of *fill in the blank*".  Do we not do the same thing today?  "We Serve Jesus Christ", we shout this out boldly, and under our breathe, "but we follow the teachings, theology, thought process of *fill in the blank*."

I am NOT at all saying we should have one global church, cause some might go there with this.  What this passage of Scripture did for me, though, was caused me to ask this question:

What would happen to the Body of Christ if we stopped the division and simply followed Christ?  What would happen if we no longer followed the teaching of a specific teacher, leader, apostle, preacher....all mere men....and instead followed the teaching only of Jesus Christ?  It seems so simple and yet it proves to be incredibly difficult as we all have our own idea of what that means.

So, how can we get to the place that Paul was calling the Corinthian church to, which was unity in the wisdom of Jesus Christ through the revelation of the Holy Spirit and not through the wisdom or revelation of man?  How do we bring the church into unity?

At this point in my devotional time, I stopped, opened up my laptop, and began the process of emailing my pastor to ask him my questions...

And then.......

I stopped myself.....

dead in my tracks.

I shook my head at my own actions.....

and I chuckled a little.

In the midst of my discovery this morning, I found myself falling into the very same temptation the early church fell too.  I was just about to turn to a pastor, a leader, seeking wisdom from a man to help me discern the revelation of God!  Good Grief! (Disclaimer: I talk about this a bit later.  I'm not saying to not seek counsel!  Our pastors are GIFTS to us as are apostles, evangelists, teachers, and prophets.  We need them!)

As I stopped myself, I began to instead, talk to God.  I often forget.  I am His temple.  His spirit lives inside of me.  And the Holy Spirit was given to us as a helper, an advocate:

John 14:26

"But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."

I asked my heavenly Father, "How do we bring the church into unity?  What is the answer?  Because you have definitely given us teachers, preachers, prophets, apostles, pastors, and evangelists for our good.  To teach us, to build us up, to edify us.  We do need them and they are definitely a gift from you!" 

And this is where my Jesus led me:

Ephesians chapter 4:

"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the UNITY of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  There is ONE body and ONE Spirit, just as also you were called in ONE hope of your calling; ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism, ONE God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all."

and then further into chapter 4....

"And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors, and teachers, FOR THE EQUIPPING OF THE SAINTS FOR THE WORK OF SERVICE, TO THE BUILDING UP OF THE BODY OF CHRIST; until we all attain to the UNITY of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.  As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love."

Wow!  In there lies the answer.....

Mere men, praised God He is able to use us mere men!,  are gifted by Jesus Christ to be pastors, evangelists, prophets, teachers, and apostles in order to equip the saints, that's us :), for the work of the service, to build us up, and to call us into unity, BUT NOT TO FOLLOW THEM PERSONALLY!  This is what Paul was saying in 1 Corinthians as well. 

"Paul didn't save you, neither did any of these men!  And you were not baptized into the name of Paul or of anyone else OTHER THAN JESUS CHRIST AND JESUS CHRIST ALONE!"

The answer is so simple and inside of the answer is the encouragement I found this morning. I pray it encourages you as well.  There is hope for unity within the Body of Christ, there is hope for unity within our local churches, there is hope for unity between the different churches dwelling inside of our communities.

Unity in Christ comes from all of us pursuing, not the mere men who have been gifted, called and sent to edify us, (though they are needed, beneficial, and desired inside of the body of Christ) but in the Giver of those gifts.  Unity will be found in our pursuit of Jesus Christ and in Him alone and in our relationship with Him.  My heart cries out to be in tune with His very heartbeat so I may understand His wisdom and His revelation!  It is only through my continued pursuit of Him, learning to listen to His voice, and to know His heart that I will begin to have His revelation revealed to me.  Not because I am anything great, but because He is great!  Each of us have this opportunity to press in deeper and deeper into who He is.  To know Him intimately.

So, I hear the question askers, but what if what He reveals to me is different than what He reveals to you?  Don't worry, I asked the question as well.  I am a question asker to the core....this verse was brought to my mind:

Matthew 10:16

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of the wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves."

And how do we obtain this shrewdness and this innocence?  Only through the pursuit of Jesus Christ.  It is only through His wisdom that He can reveal Himself to us and fill us with His wisdom so we are not tossed to and fro by different doctrines or men.  Just like the people of the church in Berea...they pressed into the scripture, into Jesus Himself, to see if what the Apostle Paul was telling them was truth.  It is only through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit the Jesus is revealed to us.  It us through His revelation to us that we will be able to discern what is from Him and what is not from Him.  It is through His revelation to us that unity will come.

I was impressed so much today, how important it is to press into Jesus.  To rely on Him to reveal Himself to us, to bring us together unified, to send us out to the nations, and to be his light....not divided, but united.

The Importance of Praise and God's Authority in Our Lives

This morning, I came across a well known story found in Exodus 17, and something new popped out at me.  I love when this happens!  It tells the encounter Israel had with the Amalekites, their first battle encounter after coming out of Egypt.  Up to this point, they were not asked to fight, but to flee.  The Bible doesn't mention how the Israelites felt when they were first attacked or knew of the eminent attack of the Amalekites, so before I continue, I add this disclaimer.  I do not claim to be the final word of God.  This is simply what I felt God speak to me personally through His word this morning.  As my pastor often says, chew the meat and spit out the bones.  The Amalekites, from what I understand, were trained warriors.  Their enemy, the Israelites, had been in slavery for 400 years.  The Israelites would not have been trained for battle, but would have been very trained in the art of submission and being dominated.  I cannot imagine anyone who desired to keep a people captive and under their authority, would have equipped them with the knowledge of war.  That wouldn't make sense.  And, at this particular time, the Israelites were in a state of added weakness, physically and mentally.  They were in a dessert, hot, tired, and extremely thirsty.  They had, in fact, just gotten done complaining to Moses about their lack of water and were of the mindset that they were all going to die.  It's not really a great atmosphere to be in if you are about ready to face a well-trained army.  In short, they were weak and unprepared.  They would have had a slaves mentality and in the face of a bigger, authoritative, and trained army; they would have had a submissive and fearful spirit in the shadow of these warriors.  Their first response would have been flight, something they were good at, and not fight, something they had not done in over 400 years.  However, Moses; with all of this knowledge about these people, took a look at the Israelites and took a look at the Amalekites and did the most logical thing:  He called Joshua to him and said, "Get some men together.  Tomorrow we fight.  I'm going to stand up there on that hill with the staff of God in my hand."  The Bible does not suggest any questioning or fear on Joshua's part when He was given this order; he went and did exactly as Moses asked him too.  This seems crazy to me.  If it had been me, I would have had a lot of questions, a ton of doubt, and even more fear.  "You want me to go get who?  They are not trained!  They are weak, tired, complaining....there is no way even the strongest of these men are fit to fight the enemy!"  It's a good thing I wasn't there, I guess.  I would have buried my head in the sand!  Joshua's obedience and unwavering spirit blows my mind!

The next day, Joshua and his men went out to fight and Moses, along with Aaron and Hur, went up on top of the hill.  As Moses stood there, he raised his hand (praise), firmly grasping the staff of God (the authority of God) in his hands.  There must have been times that Moses lowered the staff, maybe out of fatigue, maybe out of pride or self-assurance as he saw the Israelites prevailing, however; these three men began to notice a pattern.  As long as Moses kept his hand raised with the staff of God in it, Israel began to overcome their enemy, but when he lowered the staff, Amalek began to prevail.  The Bible says that Moses' hands became heavy and it became hard for him to hold the staff up.  It became difficult for him to continue to hold the authority of God high, but at this point, Moses understood the importance of keeping it raised, because he had witnessed the Israelites struggle every time he lowered his hand.  Aaron and Hur took a rock and placed it under Moses for him to sit on.  Then, with one on each side, they stood beside Moses supporting his hands.  Moses' hands remained study until sun down and Joshua and the Israelites prevailed in battle. 

WOW!  As I read through Exodus Chapter 17 this morning, so many things stood out to me.  Moses raised his hand.  A hand raised is a symbol of praise.  In his hand, he held the staff of God.  The staff of God was and is the authority of God.  Moses stood, his hand raised in praise grasping onto the very authority of God.  When he grew tired, two of his friends, two of his "brothers" stood beside him and supported him through his weakness.  As I finished reading, I saw how beautifully applicable this is to our own lives.

How often do we walk through a desert in our lives?  We are tired, thirsty, worn out and our spirits begin to complain.  "Where are you God!?  Why have you led me out here.  Are you trying to kill me?!  I would have been better off staying in the land of my oppression."  We begin to doubt, question, and fear what the future may be holding for us.  We cannot see a way out and then, when we just think things can't get any worse, we spot our enemy on the horizon.  We know we are ill equipped to fight.  All the scenarios begin running through our minds.  We can fight and die or we can run and die or we can surrender and die.  Nothing looks promising.  As we contemplate our choices, our leader comes near and begins hand picking the strongest men out of our midst and says, "tomorrow you will be fighting.  I'm calling you up."  Our response, my response, is never one of excitement, but more like, "ya right!" 

Let's shift our attention a bit now to Moses.  We have been in his position too, leading, trying to carry out God's will and plan, walking out the passion He has placed on our hearts, the calling He has led us to.  This might be in leadership of our families or leadership at work or within the church.  We have all been there.  Trying to lead a tired, complaining, and unskilled crew.  We often just want to shout, "Shut up and quite your complaining!"  And we turn to God and say, "look at what you have given me to lead!  What am I supposed to do with them?!"  Just like Moses.  Just as Moses felt he was receiving a little bit of direction from God on how to quiet the people, he sees an enemy on the horizon coming to attack.  In fact, from some of the commentaries I read, it seemed to suggest that through all of this, the Amalekites and been already bothering Israel a bit.  If I was Moses, and in my own personal life when I am feeling frustrated and then see that I am coming under attack again, I do not usually respond with praise and adoration for God's goodness.  I usually say something like, "that's it!  I quit....EVERYTHING!  You have got to be kidding me, right?  When will I ever catch a break!?"  We have all been there, right?  Moses' response?  He gathers the strongest men together under the leadership of Joshua, he stands on a hill, he raises his hand in praise ALL underneath the authority of God which he holds firmly grasped in his hand.  What if we began to respond in the desert of our life, under extreme conditions, and facing the enemy just like Moses did?  Instead of running and hiding, we gather the strongest of men and sharpen our weapon the Word of God.  Instead of continuing to complain, doubt, fear, or question, we raise our hands in praise and we do this all, not with a slave spirit, but with the spirit of Sonship.  We raise our hands firmly grasping the power of the Authority of Jesus Christ that has been given to us, knowing that under His authority we have already overcome!!  That is so good!! 

Before I close out this blog, I have to focus on one more thing.  Moses got tired.  We do too.  Sometimes, in our praise and standing under the authority of Jesus Christ, we still grow weary and it is easy, even after all of the victory we have seen, to lower our hands and lower the authority of Christ in our lives.  The answer was beautifully given to this problem in Exodus 17.  It is imperative to surround ourselves with brothers and sisters in Christ who are there to support us in our weakness, as we would do likewise for them.  Just like Aaron and Hur, it is our brothers and sisters in Christ, who roll a rock underneath us to support us and then they stand and fight with us.  They lift their arms as they lift ours, and together, we praise.  This is so good!

Dear Heavenly Father, this morning as I read Exodus 17, it is so easy to say, wow that is so good.  I'm going to do that the next time I am hurting, struggling, stumbling.  I am gong to lift my hands in praise and rest under the authority you have placed in my life.  However, in the midst of my struggle, I often fail in this area.  God I ask right now, for your strength and for you to bring this section of Scripture rushing back to my mind when I need it most.  I know it is only through you, through my praise of who you are and what you are doing and by your authority that my battles are won.  Thank you for being my awesome Father and for being the final authority in my life!  I love you daddy God!

Doubt

Exodus 4 tells the story about Moses and all his many questions to God about whether or not he should go back to Egypt and if he was capable.  As I was reading it this morning, the thought popped into my mind....Moses asked God, "what if they don't believe me?"  This was Moses' reason to not go, but I had to wonder, was this really the reason, or was it more of Moses' own doubt, his own need for proof of God that really was in the way.  Sometimes we like to put the burden of our disobedience to God's calling on others, because you know, maybe they won't accept us, like us, whatever; but maybe it is really more about us than it is about them.  Maybe it is our doubt about God that keeps us from serving in the capacity He has called us too.

Just thoughts that have been rolling around in the brain of mine this morning.

The Joseph Perspective

Ok, so I don't mean to rehash what I just wrote on last week, so I will make my best attempt not too :)  However, this morning, as I was getting ready to read the Bible for some devotional time, I had a very distracted mind.  A decision I need to make in the next few days that I continue to waiver back and forth on, back and forth on, back and forth on.....it's beginning to make me a little sea sick.....is taking up my emotional energy.  So, as I sat down to hurry-up-and-read-so-that-I-can-get-on-with-my-day-because-it-has-started-out-extra-ordinarily-lazy-and-it-is-10:20-and-I-haven't-even-begun-to-start-on-my-duties-for-the-day-and-I-didn't-figure-much-could-possibly-be-spoken-to-me-anyways-through-Genesis 50.....take a deep breath in.  That was a really long run on sentence.  Verse 20 jumped out at me. 

"Ye indeed meant evil against me;  God meant it for good, in order that he might do as it is this day, to save a great people alive."

It is all about perspective.  So many times, I assume the "bad" things in my life must all be an attack from Satan.  I'm not saying some aren't.  However, I think I may give him a bit too much credit and not enough credit to God for perfectly orchestrating my life.  Sometimes, bad things in our lives, are for our good.  That is a hard one to swallow and there may be some who read this and decide that Melody Wilson has officially fallen off her rocker.  But isn't that what this verse says? 

The thing you did to me that you meant to hurt me with, God meant it for good.  It was God's plan all along.

I can hear it now, because the same questions are rolling around in my head....what about rape?  What about murder?  What about children dying before they have a chance to grow up?  What about.....?  I don't know.  I don't have answers to those questions.  Those hard, gut wrenching, events that break our hearts and our lives in two.  They don't make any sense.  They hurt.  I wish I had a good answer.  I am not saying all of those hard times in our lives are from God.....or maybe they are.....I don't know.  We like to say they are not.  It is easier to wrap our brains around that and to blame Satan for all the bad.  All the gut wrenching events.  All the heart break.

But this verse....this verse....draws me to another perspective.  What was meant to hurt me, God all along meant it for good....and that echoes through my heart.  Meant it for good, God meant it for good.

I can spend countless hours dissecting, ruminating, trying to wind my way through a maze of making sense of seemingly senseless acts.  Broken lives.  Hard situations.  Bad things.  But I wonder, if that pondering is the bigger ploy of Satan.  The event, because it causes pain in my life, provokes me to try to understand it.  It distracts me from the bigger picture.  It takes my mind off of Christ and thrusts it onto the circumstance, my feelings, and onto Satan.  It makes me question a sovereign God, who moments before the hard event happened, I would have been saying, "God is good!  My life is in His hands and He is in control!"  Does God go suddenly out of control when the bad things come?  Is He suddenly now against me and no longer working all things together for my good?

I marvel at Joseph.  He was as imperfect as me.  I know this, because he was human, just like me.  But, somehow, in all of that human nature, Joseph had a way of stepping outside of his situations, even hard ones that made no sense, that tore his heart in two, and instead of spending time trying to unravel the craziness of the event, make sense of it, or even figure out who to blame:  God or Satan, he did something else.  He took his eyes off the circumstances and said, "God has a plan and it is for our good."

That statement doesn't take away the tears or the pain.  It doesn't undermine it or make them illegitimate.  It's ok to feel.  It's ok to cry.  It's ok to not understand.  It's ok to have anger.  It's ok to be real with God about how you are feeling.  Believe it or not, He can handle it.  But I am challenged by this, instead of trying to spend the time figuring it all out, what would happen if I came to that place sooner of saying, "God has a plan and it is for my good."  It doesn't really matter then, whose fault it is that I am in pain or that I didn't get my way, or that my life isn't going as planned, or that something tragic happens because no matter what there is a simple and quiet truth in which I can rest in...."God has a plan and it is for my good."

I am not sure I have my brain wrapped around this idea yet and in typing this I have found no answers.  I can't explain away the bad things in life and I can't say why bad things happen and I know that a statement like, "but God has a plan" doesn't magically wipe away the pain someone might be walking through right now, because the pain is real and hard.  But that verse, leads me to a truth, and that truth sets my eyes on Him.

I am definitely not finishing this posting with happy, giddy, feelings...rather a pondering.  A question and a challenge to myself has been raised.  How will I respond in the face of trial, temptation, and pain.  What perspective will I choose?  Whose face will I decide to focus on?  Whose voice will I listen too?  What will I choose to apply to my life:  Satan's lies or God's truth?

It brings this section of scripture to mind and I will end this posting with it:

Hebrews 11:32-Hebrews 12:3-

 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment.  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.
And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect. Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Saving a Remnant

This morning I was reading in Genesis 45.  It is a very well known story to me.  It is the account of Joseph revealing himself to his brothers in Egypt.  I've heard it a million times, but today it spoke something new to my heart.

Verses 4-8   reads:  "And Joseph said to his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you.  And they came near.  And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.  And now, be not grieved, and be not angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither, for God sent me before you to preserve life.  For the famine has been these two years in the land: and yet there are five years in which there will be neither ploughing nor harvest.  So God sent me before you to preserve a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance.  And now it was not you that sent me here, but God and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and governor over all the land of Egypt."

Joseph seemed to have a deep wisdom filled understanding about his mission to Egypt.  He understood God had sent him and brought him through some very unfair and unjust treatment, put him in jail, and seemingly left him forgotten, but all for a purpose.  God brought him to and through it all to preserve a remnant on earth.  Wow!  I wish I had that perspective!  I find it incredibly easy to feel unjustly treated or like life isn't fair, or feeling like God has forgotten all the hopes and dreams He once placed on my heart.  I often look around and see other's being blessed and walking in the fullness of God's calling on their lives and I wonder, "why not me Lord?"  But not once in Genesis, that I can find or that I remember, did Joseph ever do that!  And though he landed in a very posh environment in the end, we must not forget his unjust treatment from his brothers, being falsely accused, living in jail.....All that stuff wasn't fair!  He could have grown bitter and angry.  He could have screamed out to God:  "DON'T YOU REMEMBER THOSE DREAMS YOU PLACED IN MY HEART AND MIND!?  WHAT ARE YOU DOING GOD!?  THIS IS NOT FAIR!"  He doesn't do that though.  Instead, no matter where he was placed, he put forth his best, gaining favor in the eyes of all those who spent time with him.  That would never have happened if he had complained, pouted, thrown a fit, grown angry and bitter.  And in the end, he was able to look at his brothers and say, "hey, no worries!  I'm not mad at you!  You were just helping God out to bring me to this place so I could save you!"

Again, WOW!  It made me take a quick look at my life.  I've gone through a few things, but nothing like Joseph went through.  Sure, I have felt unjustly treated at times, misunderstood, forgotten, and have felt life is not fair.  But do I complain or do I put forth my best in every situation?  UGH!  Unfortunately, I often complain.  I had to ask myself this morning:  "In my life, through the situations I have been placed in, what remnant is God desiring to save through me and through my life?"  I'm not sure I have the answer for that....and if you had asked Joseph that question when he was thrown into the pit by his brothers or when he was thrown in jail having been falsely accused and then forgotten, I'm not sure he would have known exactly what God was up to either.  HOWEVER, it didn't change how he chose to react.

I found this so challenging.  I don't know what God is up to in my life.  I really don't.  I have hopes and dreams, visions and heart cries that have not been answered.  They seem to be on the back burner and some of them look like the flame has even been snuffed out all together.  But, I do know this:  I believe God is up to something bigger than me through my life.  I believe He has placed me strategically in order to save a remnant at the perfect time.  I believe the hopes, dreams, visions, and heart cries He has given to me have not been forgotten and have yet to be fulfilled.  And I believe the change in my heart at this moment needs to be this:  though I feel often forgotten, I have not been.  And it is this place that God has called me to do one thing.  That one thing is to serve Him faithfully without complaining, whining, pouting, or doubting.  He has called me to put forth my best right where I am at, whether I feel like the place I am at makes sense or whether I feel like it could possibly have anything to do with the dreams I still hold in my heart that look like they will never happen.  Isn't that what Joseph did?  He was sold into slavery and that was the farthest thing from being at a place where his family might fall at his feet like he had seen in his dreams, but he served faithfully.  Then he was falsely accused and sent to jail....he wasn't getting any closer to those dreams he had been given.  In fact, this must have felt like a step backwards, but he served faithfully anyway.  When he did see a ray of hope for getting out of jail when he interpreted the dreams of the baker and the cupbearer, it was dashed because the cupbearer forgot about him for two years, but, again, Joseph continued to serve faithfully.

What a challenge.  Serve faithfully NO MATTER WHAT.  God hasn't forgotten you or the dreams He gave to you.  He isn't stalling or trying to make life hard.  But He is preparing and making a way in our hearts and lives so that HE can save a remnant through us in His perfect timing.

I hope this challenge seeps down from my head into my heart and changes my reactions in life.  I want to be found faithful in every situation so that when the time comes I will be ready to have my life used to save the remnant God desires to save. 

Colossians 3:17:   "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Our Own Worst Enemy

Something has set me on fire this morning and before I continue on with my day, I feel a need to get it out.  It is the issue of hypocrisy.  I hate hypocrisy and I think most people do and I have noticed that people call each other out on it a lot.  I notice it more than I used to, but I believe that is because it is often aired out on social media now.  Sometimes I see it between a Christian and a non-Christian, other times I see it between democrats and republicans, but the one that brings me the most pain is when I see it done between brothers and sisters in Christ. 

See, I can understand why a non-Christian might call us out on issues that look hypocritical.  We say one thing and sometimes do another.  It's the truth.  Non believers see that and, quite frankly, I have not problem with them calling us out.  Why?  Because we have been called to a higher standard and if we talk the talk and don't walk the walk.......then there are probably issues in our lives we need to deal with.  We can't get mad at them for pointing out something that doesn't make sense.  I'm not saying we do not stand up and defend our faith, because we are commanded to always be ready to give an answer.  (1 Peter 3:15)  However, we need to take a serious look at our hearts if we are preaching one thing and walking out another.  They may have a point, and who knows, that God is not using them to call us up to answer that higher standard and to be accountable, not only to the hope inside of us and our personal relationship with Christ, but that we are walking out what we believe, which is a mightier testimony than any Bible thumping sermon. 

As far as democrats and republicans go?  Well, that is simply politics and the only thing I have to say about that is this:  As a Christian republican who stands up for her rights and what she believes in, I am still called to speak the truth, BUT IN LOVE!  Good grief.  Tearing the other side apart from limb to limb will only prove their point.  Yes, stand for the truth.  Yes, be honest about how you feel and where you stand and what you believe in, but do it in love.

And that brings me to the issue of Christians calling each other out.  I hope you hear my heart in this.  I believe in accountability.  We need it.  We need our brothers and sisters in Christ to support us on all sides, even if that means coming to us and saying, "I see you are struggling.  How can I pray for you?  How can I help you?"  That hurts sometimes, knowing that others see our failings, and just because it hurts doesn't mean it isn't good for us.  The most growth I have made in my life is when another sister or brother has come to me and in love called me out.  So, as I continue, understand that I am not talking about helping each other stay accountable in our Christian walk.  What I am talking about though, is brothers and sisters in Christ pointing the finger at each other and blaming, calling each other hypocritical, and airing each other's issues out on the public clothes line of criticism.  You know what?  Let's be honest.  On one issue or another, we are all hypocrites!   Why?  Cause we aren't perfect.  None of us are.  And before anybody says, "Well, at least I don't go around doing or saying...........", I suggest you take a good long look at your attitude.  You may not be a hypocrite in areas that others can see, but I would venture that you may be very hypocritical in your attitude towards others.

Why has this gotten me so hot this morning? Because as I sat and read one more attack someone put on Facebook, I could understand and I could sympathize.......with the attacker.  You know what?  I could understand their lashing out.  I could understand, because I have been there too.  I have been the one with the attitude, pointing my finger, and saying "how can they call themselves a Christian and do that or say that or act that way."  Yep, I have.  And as I found myself sympathizing with the attacker and getting out my finger, I felt convicted.  As my hackles raised a bit, I felt God place me in front of the mirror and told me to take a look at myself.  He reminded me I can be the same way.  Why do I feel a need to call others out on their hypocritical, far from Christian actions and words?  Because, I think they ought to pay for their wrong doings, especially when it looks like their actions have simply been swept under the rug, not dealt with, and that they haven't had to pay.  That is how we all think isn't it?  Isn't that the bigger issue?  We want justice and until we see justice done we hang onto this other persons sin and indiscretion.  We use it against them every time we get an opportunity.  We gossip, we point fingers, sometimes we just blow up in their face.  "You should have to pay for that!  And how can you call yourself a Christian!?"  Church, listen to me!  We have become our own worst enemy!  How often do we stand like the teachers of the law and the Pharisees in John chapter 8 pointing our fingers, blaming, armed with rocks, ready to pelt the living day lights out of another brother or sister?  I challenge myself and anyone reading this, before you open your mouth to blame another brother or sister or spend time ruminating on another's sin, or participate in gossip, go look in the mirror first.  Are you free from sin?  Have you walked out everything you have preached?  Have you ever stumbled?  Have you ever fallen?  The answer will be yes.  And then we must ask ourselves this question:  How much grace and forgiveness did we need in our moment of sin?  How much grace did we want extended to us?

Galatians 5:13-26 addresses it perfectly:  "For ye have been called to liberty, brethren;  only do not turn liberty into an opportunity to the flesh, but by LOVE serve one another.  For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; but if ye bite and devour one another, see that ye are not consumed one of another.  But I say, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not  fulfill flesh's lust.  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh;  and these things are opposed one to the other, that ye should not do those things which ye desire;  but if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under law.  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strifes, jealousies, angers contentions, disputes, schools of opinion, envyings, murders, drunkenesses, revels, and things like these; as to which I tell you before hand, even as I also have said before, that they who do such things shall not inherit God's kingdom.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, fidelity, meekness, self-control:  against such things there is no law.  But they that are of the Christ have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts.  If we live by the Spirit, let us walk also by the Spirit.  Let us not become fain-glorious, provoking one another, envying one another."

And before we get all spiritual and say, I'm not a drunk or a witch or.....let's stop ourselves and read a bit more carefully the part of this scripture that says angry, jealous, contentious, disputing, and strife causing people don't inherit the Kingdom of God anymore then the drunkard or the witch.  Ahem.  I hope you see my point.

Let's stop pointing the finger at others and start looking inward a bit more.  Yep, they may have sinned, but before we got all hot and bothered about their sin and make sure that everyone else knows about it, let's take a long hard look at our own sin and get just as hot and bothered about that and be willing to air out our own dirty laundry as a way of at least being transparent.  If we are really concerned about being  Holy people and a Royal Priesthood, then lets remember that starts with each of us personally. 

It reminds me of John 21 in which Jesus is speaking to Peter and asks him three times, "Do you love me?"  Each time Peter responds with Yes and each time Jesus gives him a task.  As the discussion continues, Jesus says to Peter in verse 18:  "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished;  but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.  Now this he said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.  And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me!'"

Notice, Peters response to Jesus.  It wasn't, "Ok Lord, thanks for sharing with me."  It was this:  "Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them;  the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?"  So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man?"  Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?  You follow Me!'"

Notice, how Peter took the attention off of himself and said, "yeah but what about him?"  And notice what Jesus did?  He looked at Peter and said, "that's none of your business. I told you to follow me!"

I realize this dialogue isn't speaking specifically about sin, but it does demonstrate what we do ALL the time.  We like to take the attention off of what God told us to do and go, "Yeah, but what about them?  What about their sin?  How can they be one of yours and act like that?"  Hmmmmm.  And you know what Jesus says to us, "None of your business.  I said you need to follow me."

As a family of Christ, as a body of Christ, as brothers and sisters, we cannot afford to attack each other anymore.  A house fighting against itself cannot stand strong.  We are all hypocrites.  We have all sinned.  We have all fallen short of the glory of God.  That is why He came.  To Sanctify us and save us from our own depravity.  We are all in the same boat here.  None of us can stand up and say, "I'm perfect and I have already arrived."  None of us can.  People are going to sin.  They are going to fall.  They are going to stumble.  I am going to sin.  I am going to fall.  I am going to stumble.  Our actions may not and will not always match up with our words.  We are on the same playing field and on the same team.  So, instead of beating each other up and killing each other and defeating each other, let's start standing by each other.  I didn't say we would condone each others falleness.  No, we stand to support each other in loving accountability.  What I am saying is, put your rocks down.  That person, your brother, your sister, they may have fallen short AND maybe it doesn't look like justice was done or they didn't have to answer for the failure, but so have you and so have I and how God chooses to deal with that person, is none of our business.  Let's put our rocks down, bring in the dirty laundry, and go stand in the bathroom of our life and look in the mirror for a bit.  Let's turn our gaze inward and when our Heavenly Father gently points out the smudge on our faces, let's get out the washcloth of His Mercy, wet it down with His forgiveness and Grace, and allow Him to make us clean.  That way, when we see our brother or sister stumble or fall, we can understand.  We can sympathize and compassionately stand beside them.  We can pray for them and trust, that just as Christ has dealt with and is continually dealing with our smudges, He will do the same for them.