Discovering True Intimacy with Our Savior

Memory Lane

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“Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live.  Teach them to your children, and their children after them.”
— Deuteronomy 4:9

For a God who remembers our sins no more, He is all about some remembering!

In Deuteronomy, the Israelites are standing on the edge of Canaan, about to enter the land promised to them generations before, by the almighty God.

After all they’d endured, after all the years of wandering, after picking up and moving their camps day after day — with plenty of mistakes along the way, mind you — they’d been on quite the roller coaster!  And here they are, finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  The land of milk and honey.  The opportunity to exchange their nomadic ways for a life of wealth, and a chance to settle.

Can you even imagine their emotional state?  Fighting exhaustion, but energized by what lay before them.  Anxious and nervous about the uncertainty ahead, but relieved to finally be there.  My heart races at the thought of it!

While they’re chomping at the bit, Moses is very aware of the temptations that are on the other side of that river, and he is faithful to pause, and to remember.

He reflects on Israel’s history, their journey together, and the LORD’s constant provision in their lives.  They remember the Egyptian army’s attack, and watching the Red Sea part at just the right time.  They remember starving and thirsting in the dessert, and the manna and quail, and water gushing from a rock, that satisfied.

As believers, we’re wise to reminisce, to honor God’s faithfulness in our own journeys, and thank Him for His provision and blessings along the way.

Change is a guarantee, but so is God’s unchanging nature.  So whether I’m staring the proverbial promised land in the face, or whether I’m wandering in the desert, I want to be faithful to pause, and to remember.

Memory Lane is a sweet stroll!

Boundaries

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In Christian circles, there are some clichés that are like punches to my gut.

“Let go and let God!” is at the top of my Please Don’t Say That List.  I’d rather hear you quote the worry verses (Matthew 6:27) before “Let go and let God” crosses your lips.

Another tired expression that is borderline annoying, but probably more biblically grounded, is “God won’t give you more than you can handle.”  People who say that usually don’t know what else to say, and I’d bet their intentions are generally good.  So although not my favorite, I can stomach this one far better than “Let go…”  (I can’t even bring myself to put it in black and white again).

So does God operate within boundaries, keeping a pile of she-can’t-handle-that scenarios over in the corner?

The Bible is clear that our God has the right to govern our universe as He pleases (Psalm 115:3).  He stirs hearts and moves people to action (Ezra 1:1).  He institutes our earthly authorities (Romans 13:1-2).  He makes possible what humans consider impossible (Matthew 19:26).

That doesn’t seem like a God of boundaries.

But over in the book of Job, God is approached by Satan after he’s been roaming the earth (scary, isn’t he?), and gives him permission to test Job.  God is very clear, however, on what the adversary is allowed to do, and what he may not do, in his approach.  “Everything he has is in your hands,” God says, “but on the man himself don’t lay a finger” (Job 1:12).

Restrictions.  God is giving Satan his limitations on how he can deal with Job.  He sees the opportunity for Job to have his faith strengthened, but He will authorize the test only under the condition of protection.  His boundaries are protective of His children.

God expects us to operate within boundaries, too.  Unfortunately to a lot of people, those limitations are perceived as a never-ending list of “do nots” that make a believer’s life boring, and well, restricted.

I don’t know about you, but I’m willing to embrace God’s boundaries for me, knowing He’s simultaneously confining the devil for my protection.

Let’s be glad that the devil is operating within God’s boundaries, and not the other way around!

RLF

 

a testimony

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At church today, Pastor Calvin challenged us to know our testimony, and to be able to communicate it clearly in less than one hundred words.  Sounds tricky, yes?

I don’t know about you, but to me, “testimony” can be so heavy, so overwhelming.  For a long time I thought of a person’s testimony in the context of a formal presentation of “How I Became a Christian.”  And there are certainly times where that full-blown version is appropriate, and maybe necessary.

Several years ago, another pastor lessened my anxiety about testimonies, saying it was really just a story about how the Lord has worked/is working in your life.  That’s true, and it was a little bit helpful, but …

I still wrestled with this idea that ordinary people (like me), with ordinary conversion stories (like me), lacked the ability to relate to – and intrigue – someone who was considering the Christian life.

Let’s just keep it real: when someone (like me) starts their story with, “I grew up in church, and when I was twelve years old …” that is the beginning of a total snooze-fest testimony for me.

Part of a powerful testimony is the change component, right?  Evangelists being paid to share their testimonies seem to have conversions on the heels of a terrible accident, an illness, a loved one’s death, a rock-bottom moment in substance abuse.  No doubt about it, those are the powerful befores and afters that get people excited!

On the other hand, when someone’s been living the Christian life since they were seven, we can all rejoice that they were saved at such a tender age, but don’t you want to know their story didn’t end then?  Don’t you want to hear that they’ve somehow been changed for good along the way?

Don’t get me wrong, I tear up just about every time a little one gets baptized.  Praise be to God, and thanks in large part to praying and diligent parents, those testimonies are real, and no less miraculous than ones that happen to people who are 21, 52, or 87 when they make a life-changing decision about Who’s in charge of their lives.

And that’s the rub: children being baptized is a beautiful thing, but where’s the zing in their story?  Where’s their opportunity for extreme transformation?  After all, when I was twelve and publicly confessed my belief in a living God, I wasn’t exactly living a crazy rebellious life, from whence I would make a supernatural U-turn away from the dark side!

I admit that I’ve often thought of what a boring story mine is, and I’ve wondered how a story like mine, when shared, could possibly interest someone enough to give them a better understanding of the Christian life.

Isn’t that just like Satan?  To trick God’s people — whose stories might not be the dramatic ones you hear at revivals and Christian conferences — into thinking that their stories can’t have an impact for the kingdom?

So, while my story might not be dramatic on the outside, it has everything to do with the work the Lord has done – and continues to do – on the inside.

(Cue the word counter.)

There was a time in my life when I thought that being a Christian – and obtaining the Lord’s favor – was a privilege reserved for the morally superior:  those who followed rules; always made “right” decisions; made their parents and families proud; and were considered “good” people by others.

In my quest to become morally superior (and make no mistake, stumbling all over the place along the way), I landed myself instead on the top rung of the Ladder of Morality, looking down my nose at other people in judgment and self-righteousness.  It wasn’t pretty.

These days, I’m still a work in progress, but the Lord has been gracious to teach me that His love is one that extends to all people, no matter if they’ve followed all the rules, made all the right decisions, won the approval of their families, or carry baggage that exceeds the morally acceptable weight limit.

He loves everyone passionately, and He commands us to do the same.  That’s our (my) challenge every day.

Sigh.  I couldn’t do it in less than one hundred words.  I’ll have to work on that.

In the meantime, be encouraged in your story, no matter where it falls on the ordinary scale.  There are other ordinary people waiting to hear it!

made over

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 I like make-up.  I like a thick, black mascara …

… and I like a deep, red lipstick.

It’s a healthy little pop of drama in the life of someone who has a low tolerance for drama.

For fun tonight, Nikol and I are going to have make-overs by Julie Hewitt. 

Her product line is pretty fabulous.  Check her out sometime.

Being made over every now again is nice.  It’s new.  Updated.  Fresh.  You feel like a million bucks, walking out of that salon, even if it’s just for a fun dinner with the girls.

The greatest make-over we can ever enjoy, of course, is the new life we receive through Christ.  I love that the Bible tells us so plainly, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The Greek word for “new” in that passage is kainos, and it means fresh, unused, unworn, and better yet, unprecedented!  Isn’t that thrilling?  When you become reborn in Christ Jesus, you are novel.  More uncommon, unmatched, and unparalleled than anything you’ve ever been previously, or anything you could hope to be on your own.  Glory to God.

The LORD did some pretty spectacular renewal in the Old Testament, too.  Israel?  Yeah, they had dropped the ball big time.  The nation’s sin and profanation of God’s name was heartbreaking to God (who wouldn’t be, after their antics?), but He still promised good to them: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:26).  He pledged their restoration both spiritually (v. 26), and then externally through prosperity (vv. 29-30).

And, on a side note, He is clear that it’s not for Israel’s sake – goodness knows they didn’t deserve His mercy – but for His holy name’s sake (Ezekiel 36:22).  I love it when He gets in a jab.  In truth, of course.  🙂

So next time you sweep on some of your favorite eye shadow, or purse your lips to spread the glossy goodness, remember God’s goodness in His making us over, one new heart at a time.

P.S.  This is Nikol.  I hijacked Robyn’s blog post because I know she wouldn’t put this in here.  She has an awesome blog herself.  Check it out.

Divine Connections

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Today, two of my very closest girlfriends met each other for the first time at a little coffee shop in my hometown. They sipped hot chocolate and hot green tea with mint, and across the table and through the steam rising out of those mugs, shared a little about themselves, a little about the paths they’ve traveled over the years, and a little about new lessons pressing on their hearts.



And I wasn’t there. (In the spirit of full disclosure, the hot chocolate and hot green tea with mint are technically educated guesses.)



When my alarm sounded this morning, I checked the clock and sighed, wishing I was there to facilitate their introduction. They didn’t know each other, but I have spoken of each friend to the other, as people do about the folks who are important to them, whom they love. Although it was crazy, knowing that two of my favorite people in the world were hanging out together without me, I knew they’d connect. At the very least, they have one mutual friend.



And, as I’d imagined, they had a delightful time, chatting, sharing, and connecting.



I’d like to think they connected because they both know me, but the reality is, they connected because they both know Christ. There’s something about that divine mutual Friend that trumps our earthly connections, hands down.



In 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Paul is very clear that when we as believers accepted Christ – in his words, “were baptized by one Spirit” – we were placed into one body, and we all share the same Spirit. That means that we have the same heavenly Father. As siblings in His adopted family, we share a divine connection to Christ Jesus. That fact alone has some serious ramifications, and that’s another blog post for another day. But people, let that soak in! We are divinely connected – we are heirs – to Jesus Christ!



Later on in the New Testament, Paul’s letter to the Galatians takes this connection one step further. He writes, “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave for free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:27-28). Regardless of our family backgrounds, our salaries, our education levels, or our races, not only are we joined to Christ, but we’re joined to each other.



Having lived in four states over the last fifteen years or so, I’ve often wondered what the day would be like, and when the opportunity would come, where all of my pockets of friends would meet, and mix and mingle. (They’ll all get along, too, because I’m only friends with cool people.)



I think God looks forward to that day too, when all of His children will finally meet Him face to face, and will meet each other, too. Just think of all of us, from all across the world, spanning past, present, and future, meeting together at long last.



That’ll be a glorious day, won’t it? I can’t wait.

Confession

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Confession: I don’t drink coffee. Although there are other reasons, the bitter aftertaste and the possibility of slowly staining my teeth sealed the deal for me. (Call me a snob, but I’m pretty protective about my teeth and general oral hygiene.) I made a decision when I was about 13 that I didn’t have an interest in coffee, and I was going to be okay with that.

Here’s the rub: Coffeehouses are where it’s at! A childhood friend and I have a standing tradition to meet at a coffee shop every Christmas Eve and catch up. Tough conversations happen in cafes, and awkward first dates happen there. Good grief, I know of someone who slipped her phone number to a barista at a local shop, and today they’re married! What is it with the coffeehouse phenomenon?

I’ve read that coffeehouses go all the way back to the early 1500s, serving as the center of social gatherings where the public could read the paper, organizations conducted business, and people exchanged ideas. By the 17th century in England, they were a “social leveler” of sorts, inviting all people into a common place, regardless of social or economic status.

Based on that concept, I imagine that if Jesus were walking around London back then, he might very much like to duck into a place like that, where folks were learning, connecting, sharing about anything and everything, no matter where they’d been, or where they were going. I think he’d order the house roast, black, and pull up a chair. He loves to relate. He loves to visit and catch up. He loves to share, and to listen.

That’s what happens at coffeehouses, and that’s what we hope to do here. Grab a hot beverage, pull up a chair, get real, and visit our coffeehouse. Even though I have no idea what an “Iced Single Venti Mocha, No Whip” is, praise be to God, I’ve discovered steamers, ciders, and hot chocolates that give me something safe to cradle in my hands and sip on, while I connect with people. So, let’s hear it!