It's a 'faith thing'

She’s only 6 and her question to me was, “I want Jesus to live in my heart. How can I know He is there?” Exploring the subject of knowing God’s Presence with a child is fun! I told her it was a ‘faith thing.’ Her little eyes told me that wasn’t enough, so I asked her if her Mom had any cans of food in their kitchen. Of course they did, so I followed up by asking her about what you find inside a can that is marked ‘corn.’ You don’t find green beans, right? She giggled. The thought of beans in a can of corn was silly. Even she knows that she can have ‘faith’ that the can holds what the label says. It’s not a perfect illustration, but it’s a start to help a child understand the concept of trusting God.

We all practice faith in hundreds of ways every day. We flip the light switch fully expecting the lights to come on, even though we can’t see the electricity flowing into our homes. We put our money in the bank with faith that we will get it back. We say, “I do,” to the person we love, believing they will keep the covenant. In each situation, our faith could be disappointed because it is not a perfect world. But when it comes to the promise of the Presence of God, there is no possibility of failure! Ah, but that does not mean that He will exempt those who love Him from walking through valleys, deep and dark. He does say, "I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20, The Message)

There is something that little disciple will come to know all too soon. There is one thing that will certainly drive her to the arms of the Savior; suffering! She will, as she matures, discover that there is pain in life. People fail to keep their promises. Bodies break down with age and/or disease. Plans unravel when circumstances beyond our control or anticipation intrude. Unexplained sorrows are part of the human experience. In those times she will have the choice, as each of us does, to trust God more deeply and find the comfort of His Spirit. The Word says that our suffering in this sin-broken world, creates an opening for God’s grace to pour into us. "Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." (Romans 5:1-5, NIV)

Are you asking, “How can I know He’s there?” Has the pressure of life made you wonder if God has abandoned you? He has not! Sometimes our walk with Him is a ‘faith thing!’ We trust Him, even when we cannot see what He’s doing or even sense that He is there. "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." (Hebrews 11:1, NLT)

Here’s a word from the Lament of Jeremiah. Jerusalem was destroyed. The Temple was rubble. The people of the Lord were captives of a pagan nation. The prophet’s heart was broken and it seemed, to every appearance, that the Lord God had utterly forsaken him. May his faith inspire more in us.
"But there’s one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They’re created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over). He’s all I’ve got left.

God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It’s a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God.

It’s a good thing when you’re young to stick it out through the hard times.


When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face. The “worst” is never the worst.

Why? Because the Master won’t ever walk out and fail to return." (Lamentations 3:21-31, The Message)

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Natalie Grant sings "Held"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-hJ87ApWtw

Two months is too little, they let him go
They had no sudden healing
To think that providence
Would take a child from his mother
While she prays, is appalling

Who told us we’d be rescued
What has changed and
Why should we be saved from nightmares
We’re asking why this happens to us
Who have died to live, it’s unfair

This is what it means to be held
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive

This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was that when everything fell
We’d be held

This hand is bitterness, We want to taste it and
Let the hatred numb our sorrows
The wise hand opens slowly
To lilies of the valley and tomorrow

This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was that when everything fell
We’d be held

If hope if born of suffering, If this is only the beginning
Can we not wait for one hour
Watching for our Savior

This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive

This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was that when everything fell
We’d be held

Held – Christa Wells
Performed by Natalie Grant

You're Beautiful - Just the way you are

What is it in yourself you intensely dislike: your temper, the way you look, your personality, some chronic physical weakness, a handicap? You have likely prayed to be changed, healed, delivered... right? It is right and good to ask our Father for these things, but there are times when He will not take what we think to be a curse from us because it is that thing keeps us faithful to Him and/or provides for greater ministry opportunities.


At that very point of 'weakness' God has an opening into your life to do His greatest work in you and through you. I asked a friend who's been struggling through a severe time of testing recently, "How's are you doing?" I wasn't just being polite. I've prayed for him regularly and trusted God with him for freedom. His reply showed amazing spiritual insight. I'll paraphrase his reply -- "Jerry, God's presence is nearer to me now and I am discovering so many new things." As we talked for a few moments, he told me how he still wants to be healed, but that he is much more ready to trust how God works in the middle of the problem, too!

Paul was extraordinarily used of God. Because of his gifts, he was subject to pride, which could have destroyed him so the Lord gave him another ‘gift,’ that kept him God-aware and Spirit-reliant. Here’s what he told us about that: "I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:7-10, NLT) It is useless to speculate over Paul's 'thorn in the flesh' (NIV) but whatever it was, he disliked it enough to pray long and hard for healing. God said, "No! That thing is my gift to you to keep you leaning hard on my grace, not yourself.” Suffering, as much as we hate it, can be God’s leash that keeps us from running headlong into soul destroying situations.

Remember Jacob, the patriarch in Genesis? He wrestled with a heavenly messenger at the ford of Jabbok all night long. The encounter left him a changed man and limping! His limp reminded him of God's Presence!

We quickly develop illusions about our self- sufficiency, our 'deserving-ness,' our abilities - when our bank account is full to overflowing, our health is good, our kids are doing well, and no besetting sin is apparent. “What a good guy I am. God must surely bless me with more because I deserve it.” While we may not actually utter the prayer of the Pharisee, "God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican” (Luke 18:11 KJV) but we easily slip into thinking something like it, don’t we?

Self-righteousness stinks. It turns the fragrance of Christ’s grace into the stench of human religiosity. It turns us from child-like prayers of faith, to manipulative schemes to get our own way. It robs us of love and empathy and turns us into harsh judges who readily condemn others. “Why can’t they just get it right?” with the implied clause, “just like me.” We lack grace both inwardly and outwardly.

Go back to that thing in your life you would like to be rid of, that makes you feel pain, that drives you to your knees. Prayerfully consider, with the help and insight of the Spirit, whether God is giving you a 'gift' to keep you close to Him. Thank Him that He is greater than your weakness and present Him with your 'problem,' inviting Him to remove it or use it -- in keeping with His eternal purposes. “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” As you discover more about Jesus and His wonderful love for you, watch His joy begin to fill your heart and mind.
________________________________

Days will come when you don’t have the strength
Wondering if you ever could be loved,
If they ever truly saw your heart
They’d see too much

You're beautiful, You're beautiful,
You are made so much more than all of this.
You're beautiful, You're beautiful,
You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His.
You're beautiful!

I'm praying that you have the heart to find
‘Cause you are more than what is hurting you tonight
For all the lies you've held inside so long
And they are nothing in the shadow of the cross

Before you ever took a breath
Long the world began
Of all the wonders He possessed
There was one more precious
Of all the earth and skies above
You’re the one He madly loves
Enough to die!

You’re beautiful, You’re beautiful
In His eyes!

- Mercy Me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6pS5HCkgPI

Conceit of Competence

Are you a conceited Christian? Most of us begin our faith walk with God in desperation; our cry like that of an infant. “Oh, God, help me!” In a short time, when we’re back on our feet, doing good, the temptation comes ‘round to start believing how great we’re doing. Unconsciously the focus shifts from 'I serve at the Lord’s pleasure,' to 'Lord, do this, please.' Yes, I am writing autobiographically here. Perhaps that is one reason God lets my path take me through dark valleys and difficult days. He needs to remind me to trust Him- wholly.


Ben Patterson, a fellow pastor, mentored me with his writing over the years, sharing authentically and transparently, his journey of faith and ministry. His conceit was revealed to him during a life trial.

• "For 6 weeks I was totally out of commission. During that time I crossed a frontier in my prayer life... toward the end of my convalescence, I had a conversation with the Lord that went something like this: 'These times of prayer have been sweet. I've actually had time to pray for every single person in this congregation, every day. It's too bad I won't have time to do this when I get back to work.' The Lord's reply was quick and blunt. 'Stupid, you have the same 24 hours when you're well as when you are sick. The trouble with you, Ben, is that when you're well, you think you're in charge; when you're sick you know you're not.' " - Leadership, Winter, 2005

Do you ever mistake activity for genuine work, doing things for accomplishing something real? The conceited Christian will quickly burn out, grow disgusted and ill-tempered - not because God asks too much of him, but because he does not ask enough of God! Convinced of his own competence, he takes charge, and charges after his own agenda, not the Lord’s. Listen to how many times the personal pronoun “I” creeps into your conversation. If you or I are convinced that we are getting God’s work done, all by ourselves, ugly things start to happen in us, around us, and yes; because of us! Failing to seek God's ability, we become frustrated by our inability. The Bible turns us again to His sufficiency!

Take a look: "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for He grants sleep to those he loves." (Psalm 127:1-2, NIV)

We need to know this:
Whatever callings and gifts we may have, they are of little use and less effect apart from the grace and power of God!

God called Moses to greatness while he was a failed prince and fugitive murderer, living in exile, tending a flock of sheep on the backside of the desert. The LORD told him to go back to Egypt and to prepare the people to return to the Promised Land. It was a tough assignment! He wondered how would he inspire a people enslaved by a powerful nation to leave behind the lives they had formed for centuries in the land of Egypt? Creating a new vision for a nation is a daunting challenge! Knowing that there was no 'up side' for the king to release his work force, Moses could see no earthly reason that the Pharaoh would let Israel go. So, Moses refuses the commission of God, at first, proclaiming himself unfit and unable. After, God shows him His power, he surrendered himself to the will of God, asking a question that intrigues me: "Who should I tell these people has sent me? What's your Name?" The LORD reveals His majesty saying, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ (Exodus 3:14, NKJV)

We who would do God’s work in this world need to go to that place of commissioning again and again. We are sent by “The Self-Existent One, The One Without First Cause.- the Great I AM!” He asks much of us; our very lives! He requires that we use the gifts He's given to us diligently, and that we press on to do His work and His will. BUT, He doesn't not leave us without resources, orphaned, or desperate. Jesus promised to be with us, by the Spirit, "day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20, The Message)

How are you responding to God today?
Are you living in the conceit of your own intellect, education, skills, or charisma?
Are you trying to get Him to help you do your work, OR are you letting go of control and putting yourself at His disposal to do His work?

Thank God for the resources you have, then place them at His command. It’s amazing what God can do with us. Let’s let Him.

__________________________

Oh Lord, You're beautiful,
Your face is all I seek,
For when Your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.

Oh Lord, please light the fire,
That once burned bright and clear.
Replace the lamp of my first love,
That burns with holy fear.

I wanna take Your Word
And shine it all around.
First help me just to live it, Lord!
And when I'm doing well,
Help me to never seek a crown,
For my reward is giving glory to You.

Oh Lord You're Beautiful-- Green, Keith
© 1980 Birdwing Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing; Admin. by BMG Music Publishing) / BMG Songs, Inc. (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing; Admin. by BMG Music Publishing) CCLI License No. 810055

The right message?

The schoolyard game of ‘telephone’ can produce strange results. A phrase is whispered into the ear of one child, who then whispered what she heard into the ear of another. After the message is passed through 20 people the person who last heard it states what she heard. Is it the same as the original? Generally not. It gets garbled in transmission! Sometimes I feel like God’s Word is treated like that. He gives a perfect Word to us, but when we transmit it to others we run it through our filters and preconceptions until what they receive is nowhere near what He says.

When Dad died from cancer and then my Mom was diagnosed, I started to hear some of the strangest messages purporting to be a ‘from the Lord.’ Using isolated Bible verses and often not so sound methods of interpretation of the Word of God, well-intentioned Christians declare: “God is going to raise you up.” Usually that is accompanied by some condition: ‘if you repent of your hidden sin,’ or ‘if you have enough faith to receive your healing,’ or ‘if we can get enough people to pray for you,’ or ‘if…’ Being a lover of His Word, I am equally appalled and angered by the widespread abuse of the sacred text. When people mangle His Word, they do not create faith. They create confusion and diminish the glory of God!

A very strange paradox is that the very people who claim to ‘love God’s Word,’ and who hang onto the 1611 translation of the Bible called the ‘Authorized’ or ‘King James Version’ – so called because it was authorized by King James of England as the first widely distributed English translation of the Bible – are often guilty of the worst misinterpretations and misunderstandings of the Bible. Frequently they fail to account for the vast changes in the English language over 4 centuries and do not take advantage of the benefits of Bible scholarship that have allowed us to understand the Text more accurately in terms of context and nuance. Thus they read the text with good intent but do not ‘rightly divide the word of truth.’

Take that verse as an example. The KJV says - "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15, KJV) So what is the first thing commanded in that verse? It means that God likes it when you hit the Book, being a real student, right? Well that’s a great idea, but that not really what the word ‘study’ meant back in 1611. The meaning of study back then was ‘work hard.’ A little digging into the text reveals that the actual command is ‘to be diligent, to work hard!’ So, newer translations give us the verse more accurately: "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15, NIV)

Love the Word of God and like the ancient Jews who were called ‘people of the Book,’ handle it with care and reverence. Before you run off to tell somebody what God said after you read one verse, out of context, and with little understanding; take time to listen to the Spirit and to learn how to understand what God says. If you are a student of the Word, you will find that the Truth you find there is challenging, comforting, convicting, and never failing.

Here’s a word from the Word. Receive it with joy and submit your mind and heart to the Author of it.

"Remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.  You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.


All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.


It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work." (2 Timothy 3:14-17, NLT)
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Balloons, A Stuffed Bear, and Red Roses

I made a sweet trip yesterday with my little brother, Eddie, age 10. If you're a regular CoffeeBreak reader you know that my Mom is very ill with lung cancer, confined to her bedroom. Her illness is made all the more difficult to understand by the fact that she is still parenting the little ones that Dad and her adopted. Eddie is the youngest, the most active, and the most sensitive.

"Hey, buddy," I asked him, "would you like to go and get a Valentine gift for Momma?" So, off we went on Sunday afternoon.
"Should we buy flowers?" I queried. "Well, yeah, but red roses are classic and I want something different" he responded. We chatted about the merits of red roses for the day, an interesting topic to discuss with a 10 year old. We ended up with a huge three-part balloon array that spells out "I LOVE U" and a bouquet of pink roses mixed with other flowers. Just as we were leaving, he spotted a little stuffed bear with a red heart on it's chest in a mug decorated with a heart and a message of love. He determined it was a must-have for Mom! I had to hide my tears from him as he nearly burst with excitement, anticipating sharing his gift with his Mom, whose illness he seems strangely unable to comprehend.

$19 billion will be spent on Valentine's Day gifts according to a story I saw on CNN. Men will outspend women, but I don't think many gifts will carry the same sweet joy and pure love that we carried home for the net sum of $35 yesterday! Love can't be bought with a balloon, a rose, or even a diamond. Pity the person who thinks it can. But, a gift can't hurt, either. I hope that you'll take time to make Hallmark richer by choosing a card that reflects your personality and relationship. (Or, if you're creative, even better, make your own!)

For the record, here's a little history about Valentine's Day.
Thanks to the American Catholic website.

• "The roots of St. Valentine's Day lie in the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, which was celebrated on Feb. 15. For 800 years the Romans had dedicated this day to the god Lupercus. On Lupercalia, a young man would draw the name of a young woman in a lottery and would then keep the woman as a sexual companion for the year. Pope Gelasius I was, understandably, less than thrilled with this custom. So he changed the lottery to have both young men and women draw the names of saints whom they would then emulate for the year. Instead of Lupercus, the patron of the feast became Valentine. (There are three Valentines, each a martyr for their love of and work for Christ.) For Roman men, the day continued to be an occasion to seek the affections of women, and it became a tradition to give out handwritten messages of admiration that included Valentine's name.
  
  There was also a conventional belief in Europe during the Middle Ages that birds chose their partners in the middle of February. Thus the day was dedicated to love, and people observed it by writing love letters and sending small gifts to their beloved. Legend has it that Charles, duke of Orleans, sent  the first real Valentine card to his wife in 1415, when he was imprisoned in the Tower of London."

Does not all that just warm your heart?

I'm glad for the changes that time has brought! Whatever else you might do today, I hope that each of us will make it a day of authentic love for others. Remember, too, that Biblical love is costly and other-centered.

Here is a word from the Word for this Valentine's Day.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.


Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.


Love never fails." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, NIV)

"We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters... Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions." (1 John 3:16,18, NLT)

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Love divine,
all love excelling,
Joy of heav'n,
to earth come down!
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling;
All Thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, Thou art all compassion;
Pure, unbounded love Thou art.
Visit us with Thy salvation;
Enter ev'ry trembling heart.

Breathe, oh breathe,
Thy loving Spirit
Into ev'ry troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit;
Let us find that second rest.
Take away our bent to sinning;
Alpha and Omega be.
End of faith, as its beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.

John Wesley

© Public Domain