MY FAITH STORY - FROM knowing TO KNOWING!!

I haven’t always loved Jesus.  It’s only as I’ve looked back on my life that I can see the evidence of His drawing me to Himself, even when I was a child.  


There was the Vacation Bible School I attended at a local church when I was about seven.  My parents sent me to give me something to do in the summer. What I remembered was being captivated by a story about Jesus the teacher told using flannel figures on a flannel board (maybe some of you remember those).


Hollywood, believe it or not, produced a story called, Adam and Eve, probably when I was in middle school and I dragged my dad to see it.  I don’t know why the movie intrigued me, I just wanted to see it. 


When The Ten Commandments, with Charleston Heston came out, I talked my cousin, who was babysitting us, into taking my brother and me.  Why?  I don’t know, it just sounded interesting.


I had almost no knowledge about God or Jesus, and yet these three experiences made me feel warm toward God, so that I wanted to know more.  


Sometime in middle school I talked with my dad about going to church.  He and I were most alike in personality, and though he had almost no church experience at all, while my mom did, he was the one I approached to take me on a church quest.  He was surprisingly agreeable.  We attended a few different Protestant denominations and settled on a Methodist church right across a park from us in Union City, NJ. That’s the first church we began to attend as a family.  


From then on, we always regularly attended one church or another, one Protestant denomination or another.  I did lots of things in churches as I grew older.  I sang in choirs, taught children in Sunday school, and Vacation Bible School, and was a Christian camp counselor for a week.  By this time in my life, I knew a lot more ABOUT Jesus, but I did not “know” Jesus in a personal way, though I didn’t know it at the time.  I continued to live my life the way I always had, which was not always very good, all the while doing my Sunday “thing” and serving in my church.


Then I met Jim at the very end of our last year in college.  He had more of a religious background than I did – years of parochial elementary school, high school and then college.  Since we had different backgrounds, and neither of us was particularly wild about going to church at that time in our lives, we stopped going altogether.  We did what we wanted and were satisfied.  About six years passed.


I really can’t pinpoint any one thing that caused me to long for God.  I can only explain it by using the words of the Apostle Paul regarding a woman named Lydia in the book of Acts in the Bible; chapter 16, beginning with verse 11:


Paul and his companions went to the city of Philippi in Macedonia. Because there was no synagogue in the city, they went to the riverside where people had gathered for prayer and they spoke to those who were there.  Lydia, a business woman from Thyatira, was there, and she was a worshiper of God. 


What Paul says next is exactly what happened to me those six years after Jim and I married:

The Lord opened her heart to believe the things spoken of by Paul.

 (Acts 16:14)

Lydia worshiped God, but she didn’t yet know Jesus.  


What was it Lydia believed?  The most important message Paul ever preached – the one he undoubtedly preached to Lydia that day - the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  

Jesus died for our sin.  Jesus was buried.  Jesus rose again on the third day.

If you had asked me before that time what I knew about Jesus, I would have told you those very things – but back then I only knew them as facts to be recited, not truth to be embraced.  


Once the Lord opened my heart to believe, my heart was changed!  I didn’t just believe with my mind, the Lord filled me with an understanding of Who Jesus is and why He came that was personal, and personally applied – a message for ME!  The result was a commitment of my whole being to that truth.  


The first thing I noticed was that I could not get enough of the Bible.  I didn’t always understand what I was reading at that time, but I wanted more of it.  I wanted to KNOW God more and more.  When I read about Jesus in the Gospels, my love for Him grew.  There were tears of gratitude for His sacrifice for me that I had never shed before.  


There were new priorities – in addition to devouring the Bible, I wanted to be in church to hear more about Jesus, to sing about Him, to know other people who also loved Him.  I prayed more, and over time, I just talked to Him all the time in what has become an intimate, personal relationship with my living Lord.  


When I did the same things I did before – singing in the choir, teaching Sunday school, and Vacation Bible School – I had a desire not just to DO something at church – but a desire to SERVE God and His people, to teach His Word so that others could know Jesus too.


I began to notice that I cared a lot more about people than I used to and that my care didn’t just stop with my mind and heart.  I began to think about practical ways to show Jesus’ love to other people – reaching out to an elderly neighbor, visiting nursing homes, going way beyond what was expected in relating to the learning-disabled kids I taught.  And it filled me with a joy I had never experienced before. 


As I’ve got older, I was also far more bothered by my sin.  I’m forgiven, thanks to Jesus’ death in my place.  I still sin though, and sinning grieves me a lot more than it did when I was younger.  I’m still appalled by the things I sometimes think and sometimes the things I do as well, and so I’m that much more grateful to Jesus for loving me and forgiving me, despite my sin.


That is what it’s really like to KNOW and love Jesus – not just know about Him – but KNOW Jesus Himself – as Savior and Redeemer, dearest Friend, Almighty God who is worthy of all worship and praise, coming King with whom I’ll live forever.

I don’t follow Him perfectly, no one does, but I certainly believe the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:6, when he says:

Being confident of this, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

All those years ago now, when Jesus opened my heart to believe all that the Scriptures say about Him – not just with my mind, but with my mind and heart and soul – He began His good work in me, to save me from the penalty of my sin, and to make me more like Himself.  And one day, He will complete His work, and that’s a promise!



If you are reading this blog, consider that it is no accident, but rather Jesus drawing you to Himself.  Maybe you have always thought you “knew” Jesus, but as you read, you realize that you do not know Him in the way I’ve described.  Do you want to?  Then tell Jesus so.  I can tell you there is NO prayer He longs to answer more than that one!  


Get out a Bible and read the gospel of John.  Write down all the things Jesus says about Himself in it and think about them.  For example: Jesus says “I am the light of the world.”  What does it mean that Jesus is the LIGHT of the world? Light illuminates darkness.  Light helps us see when we can’t find our way.  Light can give warmth.  Do you know Jesus in those ways?


Jesus says, “I am THE way, THE truth and THE life, no one comes to the Father but by Me.”   What do you think that means?  What implication does that have for those who say there are many ways to God?  


Talk to Jesus about what you read in John’s gospel.  Ask Him to help you to understand.  Ask Him to help you believe, to go from just knowing ABOUT Jesus, to really KNOWING Him – with all your heart, soul and mind – that you might live your life for Him.  


Dearest Jesus,


I do not know who will read this blog today.  As they read it, will You warm their hearts to recognize the truth about Jesus and create in them the faith to believe all that the Bible says about Him.  Open their hearts to believe.  


As they read Your Word, the Bible, may they really SEE Jesus in all the ways in which He describes Himself.  May they believe that He died to save them from sin and its penalty, that He has broken the hold sin has over them so that now they can say NO to sin, and live FOR Jesus.  Help them to understand that one day, because YOU live Jesus, they will live also.  


And help them to trust in Your promise that the work You begin in them, this very day, You will carry on to its completion, until You call them home, or You come again.  

Thank You, Jesus.   Amen.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

How much do you know about shepherding?  I’m guessing about as much as I know, which isn’t much.  That’s why I found a book I purchased many years ago so enlightening.  While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks, written by Dr. Timothy Laniak, tells of his experiences living with and interviewing modern Bedoin shepherds. The book is intended for pastors who want to be good shepherds of the flocks under their care.  


In addition to wonderful photographs, I’m intrigued by what goes into shepherding.  Dr. Laniak describes what it takes to care for, protect, and guide sheep. Dr. Laniak discovered that sheep know they belong to a shepherd.  He names them, knows them and counts them every day. He says: 


Naming is a powerful, tangible expression of the shepherd’s intimate bond that begins at birth and grows through an animal’s tenure with a flock.


He gives this description of the shepherd’s knowledge of his sheep from watching one of his Bedoin shepherd friends:


The mothers, which number 51 were kept back from the lambs by Falah and Salim, while Nasir began to call them by name, and as each was allowed to come up, Nasir slipped the noose off the young one’s neck and give it to the mother.  He knew every mother and every lamb.  


An astonishing thing was that he called up each ewe and picked out her lamb in complete darkness. . .All through the process of loosing the lambs, calling up the mothers and handing the baby to suckle, he was calling out name after name amidst the din of mothers’ “baaing” and lambs crying for their food.  


To me it was pandemonium; to Nasir and Falah, everyday procedure. . . he could recognize each mother and each baby by the feel with his eyes shut.  All were black, but by feeling heads and backs he knew by touch which was which.  


Amazing, isn’t it?  What intimacy of knowledge each shepherd had of his sheep.  But there is something even more amazing than a shepherd’s love for his sheep, and that is the love of Jesus for His sheep.


Yesterday, in our 21 days of prayer initiative from our church, we read the tenth chapter of John’s gospel.  In it, Jesus calls Himself the “Good Shepherd”.  He says:


I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. The sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. . . He goes before them; and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice.  


I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep and am known by My own.  


And I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.  I and My Father are one.


I love the picture of the Bedoin shepherds calling their sheep by name, and each one responding by pushing through the crowd of sheep to come forward.  To me, all sheep in a flock look the same, and yet the shepherd has a name for each one.  He knows them so intimately that even in the dark he can identify one and match her with her lamb.  


That is how well Jesus knows us – intimately, by name, in a loving relationship, like a Father with His children – or a shepherd with his sheep.  He calls them “My own” and they know Him so that when He calls, they recognize the sound of His voice and respond.  


Occasionally, a shepherd might find himself defending his sheep from a predator.  Jesus’ sheep are unsnatchable – for both Father and Son, who are ONE – keep them safe and secure.  


Sheep aren’t particularly smart, so the shepherd can’t allow them to wander by themselves.  They’ve been known to walk off cliffs if left to their own devices!  Jesus guides His own, as it says in Psalm 23:2; 3b

To green pastures and beside still waters and leading them in paths of righteousness

There is such comfort, peace and assurance in this description of Jesus as the Good Shepherd.  Even in these days of coronavirus insecurity, you can know His peace when you belong to Jesus.


He is the Good Shepherd who gave His life for His sheep.  His life in exchange for yours.  His righteousness in exchange for your sin and its penalty of death.  His life in abundance now, and eternal life with Him forever as a result.  


Who wouldn’t want that?  Want it?  Tell Jesus and watch what He does in your life!  

I’m praying for you.

LIVING UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES OR ABOVE THEM?

This is the start of the third week of social distancing, thanks to Covid 19.  How are you coping with this forced distance from family, friends and co-workers?  I don’t know about you, but I’ve had good days and bad days.  

I had a day last week that was tough.  I’m almost ashamed to tell about it because I am NOT a doctor or nurse on the front lines of caring for the sick and praying I stay well while doing it. That’s tough!  I’m not out of a job because the business that employs me had to shut down.  That’s tough. I’m not grieving over the loss of a loved one to this virus. That’s tough.  No.  I was just having a hard time being in, staying motivated, and finding something productive to do.  I’m embarrassed to admit it, but there it is. 

I can say though that that day really was an exception.  What has occupied more of my time than usual lately and has kept me grounded, at rest and without fear, has been the reading of God’s Word.  I’ve been reading in the Psalms and also in the gospel of John.  We’re doing a 21 day prayer focus in our church too, with a devotional video from our pastor on John’s gospel and a prayer emphasis to focus on that day.  

As I’m reading God’s Word, it has been a longtime practice of mine wherever I’m reading, to look specifically for the words the writer uses to describe God, and to write the words in the margin of my Bible, and then to use those very words to worship God in prayer.  

This week I read these things about God from the Psalms:

He is Judge

Deliverer

Defender

Merciful

Powerful

Our strength

He hears our prayers

He attends to our voice

Rock

Strong tower

Savior

Salvation

The Lord of Hosts (Captain of heaven’s armies)

He rules

And from John’s gospel:

He is Messiah

The Christ

The Source of Living Water

Lord of the Harvest

Sovereign over Creation (turning water into wine)

Healer (with just a word and at a distance)

Lord of the Sabbath

Giver of life

The Son of Man

Sovereign over Creation (feeding 5000)

The Bread of Heaven (who gives life to the world)

The Great I AM

The One Who satisfies spiritual hunger and thirst

The Resurrection

Seeker of the Father’s glory

Giver of the Holy Spirit

A number of years ago a good friend was going through a horrific family situation that threw them into confusion and despair.  One day I asked her how she was doing and she replied:  Okay, under the circumstances.  

She didn’t look upset at all, rather she looked calm and confident in the Lord.  I remember thinking, I know why she’s so calm.  It’s because she really isn’t living UNDER the circumstances, she’s living ABOVE them!

These are days when we could easily live under our circumstances.  We could let fear, uncertainty, what if’s, losses, anxiety, depression push us down so that we can barely get out of bed in the morning.  

Or, we can look at who God is and be lifted up.  Who is this God of ours?

Our God is powerful.  He’s the One for whom NOTHING is impossible!  He is our Healer and Deliverer.

Our God hears our prayers and is attentive to us.  When Jesus prayed, He said, “Father, I know you always hear me.”  He hears us too, always!

When we’re afraid, He is our Rock and our Strong Tower.  We can run to Him because He can’t be shaken and He never changes.

He’s our Savior and our Salvation.  He did for us in Jesus what we never could have done – made us acceptable, righteous, and forgiven in the eyes of God so that no matter what happens, we don’t have to fear the future.  We KNOW Jesus waits for us there and we will see Him face to face.

He is Israel’s long-awaited Messiah.  From Genesis to Revelation He has been God’s plan and the Scriptures testify that He is the fulfillment of all God’s promises to Israel and to all who believe.

He is the Bread of Life and the Source of Living Water.  All who come to Him can be sure they will never be spiritually hungry or thirsty, but completely satisfied in Jesus.

He is Sovereign over His Creation.  Is He the source of the Coronavirus?  No.  The fall of Adam and Eve affected creation as well, bringing sickness, disease, floods, famines, tornadoes, weeds, and all those things that mar creation.  However, God has allowed the Coronavirus – for our good and His glory – that you and I might see our need of Him and seek and worship Him and make Him known.

We can’t fail to be lifted up ABOVE our circumstances in the light of Who God is and what He has done.

I had a tough day last week, and I’m sure other tough days might lie ahead.  But when I feel weighed down UNDER my circumstances, I’m going to look into God’s Word, I’m going to look for God’s names and His attributes, and I’m going to dwell on Him and His majesty and greatness instead.

I hope you will too.

My soul, wait silently for God alone,

For my expectation is from Him.

He only is my rock and my salvation;

He is my defense.

In God is my salvation and my glory;

The rock of my strength,

And my refuge, is in God.

Trust in Him at all times, you people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 62:5-8

PSALM FOR A QUARANTINE

A friend of mine joked this morning in an email about this being day 5000 of social distancing, thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic.  Gave me a chuckle, but it’s really not a laughing matter, is it?  Besides all the folks getting seriously sick, there are fears of the economic fallout for countries virtually shutting down for weeks.  I think of my nephew who opened his own restaurant a year or so ago, who had to shut down and let all his employees go, and my hairdresser who is self-employed.  I know they and many others are wondering how they’re going to make it if things don’t go back to normal soon. 


I was reading from Psalm 57 this morning in my Bible.  It was written by a young warrior named David, of David and Goliath fame, who would later become king over Israel. (I Samuel, chapter 17)


David, just a shepherd boy at the time, keeping his father’s flock, was sent with food for his brothers who were serving with the army of Israel.  Every morning Goliath, a fierce giant of a man, would shout across the valley of Elah, taunting the men of Israel to fight, or at least send a representative to take on Goliath.


When David heard, he was incensed, and replied to those standing near:

What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel?  For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

While King Saul and the rest of Israel’s armies “were dismayed and greatly afraid”, David went out to fight Goliath, armed with just a slingshot and five stones, and defeated him in the strength, power and confidence of his God.


David continued to serve under King Saul.  When David began to earn a reputation in the eyes of the people, King Saul began to be afraid of him.  For years then, David had to flee from Saul’s murderous intentions.  


Psalm 57 was written during this time when he fled into a cave to escape Saul. In verse 1 of the psalm, David describes this time as one of “calamities”.  


In verse 4 he speaks of his soul lying among lions whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword, causing his soul to be bowed down.


David was running from a human enemy out to destroy him, like a lion ready to tear him apart.  Every day was filled with uncertainty.  Would this be the day Saul would find him?  I’m thinking a lot of us can relate as we shelter in place to avoid COVID-19.


David had had the promise of God, and the anointing of Samuel, the priest, that he would be the next king of Israel, but that didn’t make the running and uncertainty any less anxiety producing!  


Or did it?


One of the things I love most about the psalms, and especially those written by David, is that in the same psalm in which David speaks of his enemies and his troubles, he also expresses his faith in the God who is sovereign over all.


In verse 1 David says:

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!

For my soul trusts in You;

And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge.

Until these calamities have passed by.

I love the word picture of God shadowing His own under His wings.  It reminds me of a photo I saw once of a mother bird who was caught in a wildfire.  She was completely burned, but under her wings her chicks had been kept safe.  She was their refuge, as God was David’s, because David trusted in God with his whole soul!


Who or what is your refuge now that things are calamitous?  We’re finding out it’s not in health and job security, right?  It’s not always in government – they’re often as clueless about how to resolve an issue as we are.  It isn’t always in a home, or the security of full grocery shelves.  


David was experiencing calamitous circumstances that could change at any moment, but he chose to trust God who never changes, in whom he could shelter and find refuge IN the circumstances.


And even though David had enemies out to get him, he was confident that God’s truth would prevail.  He says that in verse 3:

God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.

David would be vindicated by God Himself when the truth was known.  


I have decided to only check on the virus updates once a day, you probably are checking yourself.  Have you noticed how much conflicting information there is out there?  Well, only God knows the whole truth about anything. If we seek Him, He promises to give us wisdom for how we are to live day to day according to His truth, even in the midst of calamity and uncertainty.  He wants us to seek Him, that we might know Him and His wisdom Proverbs 2:1-6:

If you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding, Yes, if you cry out for discernment and lift up your voice for understanding.  If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.  For the Lord gives wisdom, from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Maybe you feel like you’re living in a calamitous time.  Ours isn’t a human enemy, but a viral one, that keeps changing the course of our lives every day, keeping us on edge and uncertain.  That’s how David felt too, but he didn’t stay there!


The end of psalm 57 is such a wonderful expression of David’s confident faith in the Lord, a faith that cannot be shaken, even in difficult times.  Verse 7:

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise.

Would you describe the state of your heart these days as “steadfast”?  How did David have a steadfast heart in his circumstances?  

He poured out his troubles to God, and then he shifted his focus to God Himself – the God who he describes as merciful (v. 1), trustworthy (v. 1), a refuge (v. 1), God Most High (v. 2), Savior (v. 3), source of truth (v. 3), exalted (v. 5), and glorious (v. 5).


Wow!  When we look at GOD instead of our circumstances, it inspires trust and peace and not fear.  David knew that and so he sang and gave God praise.  What a great remedy for fear and a lack of steadfastness!  


Feeling fearful.  Turn off the news, turn on Christian radio and SING God’s praises! 

If you’re not usually a church person, now’s your chance to visit without pressure.  So many churches are broadcasting live on Sunday mornings.  Tune into one.   

(My church is Celebration Community Church, Celebration, FL.  You can find live services at 6 PM Sat and 9 and 11 AM on Sunday on YouTube)

In verse 9-11 David says:

I will praise You, O Lord among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations.  For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens and Your truth unto the clouds.  Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let your glory be above the earth.

I’m finding that there are so many opportunities in this calamitous time to sing God’s praises among the people around us.  Use Facebook and texts and emails to share with others just how good the Lord is, so that His glory might be known in all the earth. Suggest they catch your church’s live service on Sunday morning.

Feeling shaky instead of steadfast?  


God is:

Merciful

Trustworthy

A refuge

God Most High

Truth

Glorious

Praiseworthy

Exalted

Tomorrow, let’s begin our day by praising God for all He has revealed Himself to be, and then let’s seek Him in prayer because it’s only in Him that we will the strength and peace we need to face an uncertain future.  

WHO DOESN'T LOVE A GOOD STORY?

Do you enjoy a good story?  I know I do.  If you’ve read my blog, A Lifelong Love Affair, then you know I get most of my good stories from books.  I love mysteries, history, biography.  I love inspirational books, and of course, the Bible and Bible studies.  I especially love stories of people who inspire me.


Sadly, since Jim and I moved here, we spend a lot of time in the car.  Just about anywhere we need to go requires at least a half hour drive, often on crowded highways.  But, long ago we adopted the practice of reading stories on the journey to entertain, inspire, and redeem the time


In the last month or so we read two books while on our long drives: Hero of the Empire, a biography of the young life of Winston Churchill during the Boer War in South Africa.  The other, The River of Doubt, was the account of an expedition to explore an unknown branch of the Amazon River by then former President Theodore Roosevelt.  The author, Candice Millard, wrote them both in such a way that you could imagine being there!  Non-fiction that reads like fiction.


Of course, Winston Churchill was very well known to us as we grew up in the post WWII years, but we knew almost nothing about the rest of his life.  Hero of the Empire follows him through the war between the Boers of South Africa and Great Britain over the control of land occupied by the Boers.  Although he preferred to be in the military, Churchill enters the war zone as a war correspondent so that he can be in the thick of things.


What we found interesting about his young life was his overwhelming sense that he was destined for great things in the future.  That sense of destiny made him fearless to do all he could to insert himself in the heart of battle, engaging in it to such a degree that he was captured and treated as a prisoner of war.  


Churchill was fearless, to the point of being reckless, because of a supreme confidence in the glorious future he believed he had ahead.  In order to guarantee that outcome, as he saw it, he headed off for South Africa, found the place of fiercest battle, and ran into the thick of it, confident that by distinguishing himself, his reputation would one day propel him into a seat in Parliament. 


The other biography, The River of Doubt, is a gut-wrenching account of a very dangerous and almost impossibly difficult exploration of an unknown branch of the Amazon in Brazil, an expedition that included Theodore Roosevelt and his son Kermit, and many others.  


The planning for the exploration, left to others by Roosevelt, was a comedy of errors which left the men lacking the proper boats, food and medical supplies for the journey.  In addition, the river was so much more difficult to navigate than anyone imagined that only half-way through, supplies were nearly totally depleted, and the men riddled with malaria and other diseases that made continuing nearly impossible.


Both stories were adventures of great magnitude and danger, riveting to read, but neither had the impact on us than that of the most recent story we shared together.


Before all the quarantines for the Coronavirus were put into place, Jim and I drove only about fifteen minutes away this time, to see a movie called, I Still Believe, based on the book of the same name.  It tells the story of well-known Christian recording artist and song writer, Jeremy Camp and his wife, Melissa.  


Jeremy was in his early twenties when he enrolled in Bible college in California and met Melissa.  He was drawn to her by her obvious faith in Jesus and immediately fell in love.  During the time they were dating, Melissa was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and began chemo treatments.  Knowing that he wanted to marry her, Jeremy proposed, and they became engaged.  After 6 months, she was declared cancer free and they were married, but only a short time later, her cancer returned.  (There are other details, but I don’t want to spoil the story for you.)


What truly inspired us in this beautiful love story was the faith of this young couple, in telling others about Melissa’s illness and faith in Jesus, in asking for prayer, in trusting Jesus in the hope of a miracle.  And then, Melissa’s faith in Jesus, even when the miracle didn’t come, and she knew she was facing the end of her life.


Since then, Churchill, Roosevelt and Melissa have been circling around in my mind.


There was Churchill, arrogant and self-confident, wanting to make a great name for himself, certain he had a great destiny – and he did.  Britain needed him when faced with the threat of Nazi Germany.  His life is a story of courage and determination in the face of battle.


There was Roosevelt.  He had already made a name for himself by serving two terms as President of the United States when he left to explore the unexplored – and it almost cost him his life.  


When hardships were becoming life threatening, Roosevelt wrote in his diary:

“If I had to die anywhere, why not die in helping to open up to the knowledge of the world a great unknown land and so aid humanity in general, and the people of Brazil. . .”

Personally, when I read Roosevelt’s story, I thought it was foolhardy.  Certainly his courage and stamina and that of his companions was noteworthy – but the story didn’t inspire me.  


The story that truly inspired me was Melissa’s.  Melissa faced death confidently - not to make a great name for herself as Churchill did, or to risk her life for the sake of making an unknown river known, like Roosevelt.  


Her words to Jeremy as she faced the last days of her life were: 

If only one person’s life is changed by my story, it will be worth it.

Like Churchill, Melissa knew she had a destiny.  As she lay on her deathbed, she was confident of the soon fulfillment of all the promises of God for those who die in Jesus and she faced it, not only with fearlessness, but with joy. What Melissa cared about, and what inspires me, is those who would learn about the love of Jesus through her story.

She could have said something similar to what Roosevelt said when facing death in the Amazon:

If I have to die now, why not die in helping to open up to the knowledge of the world my great Savior, Jesus!

Melissa’s story points us to the KNOWN but unseen Kingdom of God, and its true and living King, Jesus.  And that’s what her story inspires me to do – not just on my deathbed, but now in the land of the living. 

If you don't know my great Savior, Jesus, but would like to, just ask me.  




“For see to your calling, brethren, that not many (of you) are wise. . .not many mighty, not many noble. . . But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are mighty. . . . that no flesh should glory in His presence.  But you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God – and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”  I Corinthians 1:26-30

My Beloved Is Mine and I am His

Yesterday was the last day.  For the last ten weeks a small group of women have been studying the Bible together at my home using Nancy Guthrie’s book, “The Wisdom of God:  Seeing Jesus in the Psalms and Wisdom Books”.   What a wonderful study!  We learned so much from her and from each other!  The sweetest thing was the way we saw Jesus in these Old Testament books.  The fellowship of us women as we study and share together is so indescribably precious.  


We finished the study in Song of Solomon.  Quite the book, in its description of love and sexual intimacy.  Written as a love poem that goes back and forth in the voices of a bridegroom and his bride.  We puzzled over God’s purpose in including it in His Word.  Nancy did a good job of explaining the various scholarly ideas put forth by people far more knowledgeable than any of us, about the meaning and intent of the book.  


In the words of the lovers in Song of Solomon, we can see a picture of Jesus and the love that He has for His bride, the church.  That is where my heart landed as I read Song of Solomon.  


I was captured by these comments and the question Nancy asked:

In the Song of Solomon, words of praise extolling the virtues of the bride’s beloved flow freely and abundantly from the bride’s lips, an overflow of her thoughts about and passion for him.  As a member of the bride of Christ, what would you want to tell us about your beloved?

That was the most awesome question!!  To write down and then share with the group the wonder of my beloved gave me so much joy!  My words are inadequate and incomplete, but this is my beloved.


My beloved is beautiful.  Though I have never seen Him face to face, I see His beauty in His character.  My beloved is kind, compassionate, forgiving, full of grace and mercy.  He loves with a self-sacrificing love, a love that demonstrates itself most fully in His willingness to give His life for mine.  He gave His life so that I might HAVE life – eternal, abundant – life!


My beloved loves me unconditionally, fully, and forever.  He has promised to never leave me.  His love for me is such that He’s preparing a home for me where He is, so that one day I will live there with Him and I will finally SEE Him face to face.  And I’ll be with Him FOREVER!


My beloved is always near to me, ready to comfort me with His presence and His supernatural peace, even in the most difficult circumstances.  He always hears me when I speak to Him, and answers with His best will and purpose for my life.


What a love His is!  It is like no other.  No earthly love can satisfy my soul the way the love of Jesus for me can!  


Thinking of Jesus as my beloved Bridegroom was a revelation to me.  I waited for sleep last night dwelling on this aspect of His person.  


Maybe we don’t think enough about Jesus in this way, I know I didn’t!  Certainly I don’t talk to others about Him enough in this way.  If I spoke to you about my Bridegroom would it woo you into wanting to know His love for yourself?  


If you sense that something is lacking in the kind of love this world offers, then you need to know Jesus.  He is the absolute lover of your soul.  He proved it at the cross.


He longs to reveal His love to YOU.  If you want to know Him, you only have to ask Him to reveal Himself.  


Song of Solomon, chapter 6, verse 3:

I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.

An Introvert's Guide to Practicing Hospitality

The area I live in is one of the hubs of the hospitality industry here in the US.  Not far from my home there are hotels and rental condos for every pocketbook.  There are theme parks, water parks, and restaurants.  Hospitality is what is DONE here!  

You need a clean, reasonably priced room – we’ve got it!


You want a clean, luxury room with a ton of extras – we’ve got it!


You want a rental house that sleeps 12, we’ve got it!


You want a fast food restaurant – we’ve got it!


You want a nice, inexpensive meal in a family style restaurant – we’ve got it!


You want a high priced 5 course meal with wine pairings – yep, we’ve got that too!


Hospitality here is done on a grand scale.


I’ve been thinking a lot about hospitality lately since our pastor has been preaching about it.  It’s something I need to think about because the Bible has a bit to say about it.  


Take the following passages from the New Testament for example:

• ·       Romans. 12:10-13  Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.  
  
• ·       Hebrews 13:2  Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

These verses tell us that whether we have an opportunity to serve other Christians or total strangers with hospitality, we are to give ourselves over to it. 


Hospitality is also a desirable qualification for a church pastor as well, as the Apostle Paul says in these verses: 

• ·       I Timothy 3:2   Now the overseer (pastor) is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.
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• ·       Titus 1:8   (A pastor) must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.

If you have ever met someone in the hospitality industry, maybe a waiter or receptionist, who was rude to you, or who ignored you, then you know how important this verse is:

·       1 Pet 4:9   Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

So what IS hospitality?  For this we look to the Webster and Oxford Dictionaries:

·       Hospitality = hospitable treatment, reception, or disposition;  the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors or strangers; the action of receiving a guest or guests and providing them with food and drink.

You probably know people who are really good at being hospitable.  They love having people to their homes.  They enjoy the cooking and preparation that goes into having guests.  They set a lovely table.  They’re good at small talk and manage to make everyone feel welcome.  The more the merrier is their motto!


Then there are others who are also good at being hospitable, but in a much more casual way.  They also love having people to their homes, but they don’t fuss.  The meal is simple, maybe served on paper plates, maybe bought at the local supermarket and not homemade.  They are also good at small talk and make everyone feel welcome.  Even if they were planning for six but four more show up, their attitude is, “Come on in!”  They may add water to the soup, but you’ll never know it.


Neither of those is me.  I’m quiet.  I have a lovely home but inviting a number of people all at once, even if I know them, is stressful.  Even if I’m buying the food at the supermarket.  Just thinking about having people over can cause me innumerable sleepless nights.  Practicing this kind of hospitality is torture for me.


This is the person I am, and the way the Lord made me.  Maybe He made you that way too.  So what is an introverted person to do to practice hospitality, as God intends us to, in a way that suits his or her personality?


Be intentional.


I don’t know about you, but spontaneous hospitality is a real hurdle for me (even more than planned hospitality!).  I’m thinking maybe someone’s response will be negative.  I’m worried we’ll run out of things to say.  I’m worried they’ll stay too long.  If I’m going to practice hospitality, I’m going to have to put those worries aside and be intentional about it.  


If there is a woman I want to know better, I begin to think about making a plan to meet with her and I tell her it’s because I want to know her better.  I might have to encourage myself several times before I actually make the call, send the email, but I will do it if I plan to do so.  Introverts don’t do spontaneous hospitality well, but if we plan it and keep it simple, it can be done, and the reward is worth it.


Look for the lonely.


I experienced so many times of loneliness since we moved here to a new place with lots of new people from all over the country.  I would venture a guess that I’m not the only one who has felt lonely.  


Ask the Lord to help you be aware of those around you who seem to always be alone.  They sit alone.  They go to activities alone.  They’re quiet.  They’re new.  They’re handicapped.  They’re from another country.  They speak a different language. 

Move outside your comfort zone, forget your anxieties, and reach out to someone who would be happy for someone to be hospitable.


Start small (and maybe keep it small)


Jim and I are often been invited to the homes of neighbors where there are a dozen or more people gathered.  It is not at all likely that when I do practice hospitality, I start by inviting six people over, never mind a dozen, even if I know them all!  However, I can start with one friend, or one new acquaintance, or a familiar couple, or two women who maybe already know one another.  Keeping it small greatly reduces the stress so that I can relax and be welcoming and actually enjoy my guest.  I may never graduate to inviting more than 2, but that’s okay, at least I’m practicing hospitality.


Keep it simple.


Who says when we practice hospitality that we need to go all out with our best table linens, flowers, a gourmet meal?  We can start with coffee and scones bought at the grocery store, or just coffee!  Having coffee limits the time we’re together to an hour or so, a good first step in practicing hospitality.  We can invite our guest to a local restaurant for breakfast.  In my community, we can meet at the clubhouse for coffee.  


I have a lovely home, as do each one of my neighbors, but we so rarely invite one another in.  I have to be intentional about inviting someone into my home as well.  Homes are such lovely, welcoming places to share coffee with someone. 


There’s a funny meme I’ve seen on Facebook that says:  I like to leave get well cards on my mantle so that when guests come and see my dusty house, they’ll think I’ve been sick!


So, intentionally invite when you know the house could use a dusting.  Leave the discarded magazines in a disorganized mess on the coffee table.  It will help remind you that hospitality isn’t entertaining, it’s welcoming someone in to share your life and your space and to allow them to share their lives too.


Be Jesus to your guest.


Remember Mary and Martha in the Bible.  When they were practicing hospitality with their guests – Jesus and His disciples – Martha was in the kitchen fussing over the meal.  She was pretty annoyed with Mary for sitting in the other room listening to Jesus.  When she complained to Jesus, He told her that she was worried about many things, but Mary had chosen the ONE thing that was of greater value – sitting at the feet of Jesus.


Forget about the many things that go with hospitality.  Think about your guest.  As Mary did with Jesus, let go of your anxiety to sit and listen.  Really hear what she, or they, have to say.  Ask them about themselves, listen for things for which you can pray for them, be as welcoming to them as you would if it was Jesus you were entertaining.  Pray that the Lord will use that time to build a real friendship.


Ask the Lord for opportunities to practice hospitality and watch for what He provides. 



You don’t have to live in the land of hospitality to practice hospitality, but if we’re going to obey the Bible’s commands to do so, then we have to start somewhere.


Time to get started!


Be intentional.  Look for the lonely. Start small.  Keep it simple. Be Jesus to your guests.