House of God

There's a fellow who goes to my church who is a giant of a guy--at least I feel like a dwarf when I stand beside him. He's got some fascinating tattoos and piercings and a giant-sized heart too. All week long he works with homeless and destitute people. He drives a fair bit to get to our little church to sit in a traditional wooden pew within spitting distance of men in suits and ties.

It's human nature to prefer to hang out with people most like ourselves--people who dress like us, think like us, and like what we like. Christians could possibly be the worst offenders when it comes to this. I asked my friend why he chooses to come so far to hang out with people he could easily judge as being "stuffed shirts". His response thrilled me: I feel loved here.

The human race may have descended from one man, but they're an irregular, variable, and quirky lot--just the way God planned it.

You are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple.

(1 Peter 2:5a)

Living stones, not bricks. Each one completely unique, not out of the same mold.

Sometimes we act like His plan is to build His home out of uniform bricks and we try to squish everyone into the same mold. We seem to think it'd be more comfortable and it probably would be more tidy, but it wouldn't have the same kind of allure. A master craftsman knows how to emphasize the beauty of individual stones. The finished product is breathtaking and one-of-a-kind.

There's a special kind of mortar required to hold all these irregular stones together. It's not tolerance. Tolerance is the best idea humans could come up with and it's a noble one, but it's mere cotton candy compared to the real thing. "God's love in us..." (I Cor. 13 MSG) is the real deal. It's something supernatural and amazing, not of our own strength, but of our choosing to align ourselves with His will and His thoughts. He regards each unique "stone" as created in His image and worthy of His love.

You are members of God's family.

Together, we are his house...and the cornerstone is Jesus himself.

We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.

Through him you...are also being made part of this dwelling

where God lives by his Spirit.

(Eph. 2: 19-22)

That "unconventional" stone that's been making you uncomfortable is exquisite in the eyes of the Master. He may have plans to chip away the odd corner, but that's His job and His motivation isn't to make you more comfortable--He wants to enhance the natural beauty of that "stone" and thereby make His home more lovely. He feels the same way about you: you're beautifully unique and an essential part of His home.

Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God

and that the Spirit of God lives in you?

(1 Cor 3:16)

I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters,

by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ,

to live in harmony with each other.

(1 Cor. 1:10)

Good Gifts

This afternoon my husband and I had a quiet, kid-free hour together so we started plotting and planning what we'll get the kids for Christmas. We brain-stormed different ideas, weighing one against another, picturing each of our unique children and trying to imagine what would best suit each one. It was fun. We had a sense of joy driven by an unspoken anticipation of Christmas morning and the moment when they'll open their gifts...

We have a Father who has been planning delights for us before the world was even created. (1 Peter 1:20) He knows exactly what you like. He knows that you're unique, and not quite like any of His other children. He knows the desires of your heart that you've never even told anyone else. Way back when He was dreaming up snowflakes and the Grand Canyon, He had you and the desires of your heart in mind. He smiled as He planned treasures for you.

It's not all "spiritual stuff" either. He created you body, soul, and spirit. He delights in all the parts of you and has blessings that touch every facet of your being.

Sometimes we can't believe that He has amazing gifts stored up for us because we're nursing resentment about the gift we didn't get. Like the monkey trapped with his hand in the jar we need to "let go" so we can receive the good gift planned for us.

Sometimes we have a hard time believing such things about our heavenly Papa because our experiences with humans have taught us not to expect too much... I bless you with knowing the truth about the abundant nature of your Heavenly Father.

Live in anticipation of receiving good things from your Papa. Anticipation is not whining or demanding, but an alert trust that His plans for you are good. When your anticipation meets the longing of His heart to heap blessings on you amazing things happen!

Every good gift and every perfect present
comes from heaven;
it comes down from God,
the creator of the heavenly lights,
who does not change or cause darkness by turning.
James 1:17 GNT

Inches to Miles

"Can I just read one more chapter and then turn out the light?"

"Okay."

"Can I read two chapters?"

Sigh. "I give you an inch and you take a mile! One chapter and turn out the light."

It's a dialogue that's been repeated throughout generations. My parents said it to me and I've said it to my kids. I give you an inch and you take a mile! Perhaps it's because we were created to long for more.

I met a pretty girl with long brown hair and a pain in her heart. I wanted so badly to tell her that God loves her, but how do you do that with a complete stranger? What if I did and she was angry? What if I couldn't find the right words? I begged God, "Please let me tell her that You love her. Please make the way and give me the words."

He did and it was amazing! She didn't yell at me--she simply got tears in her eyes and walked away. I knew Truth had touched her heart. It was enough. I wanted to shout with joy: "Wow!! That was fun! Can I do it again?"

Immediately good manners collided with my heart's longings... You didn't even thank Him for answering your prayer! I give you an inch and you take a mile! However, those thoughts weren't from Him. He was delighted. He gives us a taste of His glory just hoping we'll want more. In fact, He challenges us to press Him for more.

What do you want? Name it: Nations as a present? continents as a prize? (Psalm 2:8 MSG)

Ask and you'll receive. (Matthew 7:7)

He's able to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. (Eph 3:20)

What is your heart longing for? Ask! He dares you... He's hoping the answer will leave you longing for more.

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires.

Commit everything you do to the Lord.

Trust him, and he will help you.

Psalm 37:4-5

Liberation

My father was born in an occupied country. Life was lived as the enemy dictated. Hunger and anxiety were constant companions. All of that was normal, the only life he'd known. He remembers enemy soldiers taking the little food they had and soldiers sleeping in their barn. He remembers huddling with his father against a wall while bombs were being dropped all around. The only life a five-year-old had known until one day...

The best memory, the one that's poignant and stands out above all others, is of the liberation celebration and his first piece of chocolate. A whole bar of chocolate wrapped in shiny gold and blue paper--all his. A smiling Canadian soldier in a green uniform. Music playing. Girls in white blouses and orange sashes. Exuberant joy! A whole new beginning.

Things didn't change overnight. Reconstruction took years, but the atmosphere was transformed by freedom.

We too were born into "occupied territory". Restlessness, dissatisfaction and anxiety are normal. Most live according to the dictates of the enemy. They've heard that a Liberator came and signed a Freedom Proclamation, but they don't believe it. There's so much evidence to the contrary. Collaborating with the enemy seems like their best hope of satisfaction. Some believe, but they don't think they'll experience freedom until "someday" and so they huddle in darkness hoping to survive until the Liberator returns.

Others have seized the Proclamation and claimed it as their own. They are shouting and waving it around, singing songs of freedom. This Resistance band is determined use the weapons provided by the Liberator to push back the enemy, to be part of the reconstruction, and to live according to the truth of the Proclamation regardless of evidence to the contrary until the Liberator returns.

May you be like the little blond boy receiving with wide-eyed wonder the shiny morsel of gold-wrapped truth that Freedom has come. Taste its sweetness. Be revived and celebrate. Declare it to those still sitting in darkness--He has come! Your freedom has been won!

You were dead because of your sins
and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away.
Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.
He canceled the record of the charges against us
and took it away by nailing it to the cross.
In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities.
He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
Colossians 2:13-15

Delight in the Details

I have a friend who's dealing with some big stuff...the kind where healing has been a long time in coming and a sometimes painful process. She recently went out on a date with her husband wherein they'd gone to a restaurant, to a coffee shop and for a walk. When she got home she discovered that one of her earrings was missing--a special one given to her by her husband for their 25th anniversary. You can imagine her feelings--sometimes things have a way of feeling like the "last straw". The next day her husband went back to the city and retraced their steps...no earring at the restaurant or coffee shop. Would you believe it that he found it in a gutter between the two places?

This story reminds me of one of my favorite verses:

"The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand."
(Psalm 37:23-24)

Life is full of big challenges. Sometimes they're the result of our own choices, sometimes the choices of others, and sometimes for no reason that we can understand. We'd love to be zapped out, rescued, "Beam me up, Scotty!", anything! We just want the pain to end. It's pretty normal to wonder at these times, "If God really cares..."

The glorious hope of the Gospel is that He does care. He invades our pain with kindness. While we wait for the answer to the Big Questions, He whispers of His love and delight in the small details of our lives. Rather than abandoning us to the consequences of sin, He sets us free, brings redemption, and heals our broken hearts.

His delight in the small details boosts my faith, renews my hope and helps me hold on. May you be blessed today by recognizing His love in the details of your life. May you be blessed with a desire to seek the face in the Father in the midst of the struggle. May He give you eyes to see His goodness. As you dwell on His loving kindness, may your heart be infused with courage to hang on.

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
His mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!"
The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
to those who search for him.
So it is good to wait quietly
for salvation from the Lord.
Lamentations3:22-26

Through the Eyes of Chirst

I have a poster hanging by my bathroom mirror. It's a beautiful work of calligraphy and it tells me Who I Am in Christ. I read it regularly and it's changed me a lot. It lets me know when I'm feeling down or discouraged because I'm believing a lie. The words on it release me from shame and insecurity.

I am God's child...Christ's friend...free forever from condemnation...cannot be separated from the love of God...can find grace and mercy in time of need...have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit...may approach God with freedom and confidence...

One day I was standing there, my peace disturbed by the actions of someone else, when I felt convicted to read those statements with the offenders name in place of "I". You see, these statements are true of everyone who has received by faith the work of Christ on the cross. With His blood He purchased this freedom for all of us.

_____ is a friend of God..._____ is bought with a price and belongs to God...______ has been justified..._____ is free from any charge against him...______ cannot be separated from the love of God..._______ is hidden with Christ in God...______ is God's temple...______ is God's coworker...______ is seated with Christ in the heavenly realm...

By the time I had read all thirty-three statements in this other person's name, I was humbled and aware of a much greater love in my heart than I'd had before. I'd seen them through the eyes of Christ. I was able to extend grace and honor--and it wasn't hard. My mind had been renewed.

In this case, I needed to let go of an offense. If confrontation had been required, I can't imagine a better way to prepare yourself than by reading this list with the other person's name inserted. Christ has paid such a high price for our freedom. He wants us to know who we are, and He wants us to relate to His other children based on who He says they are, not on how they behave.

Click here to see the full list of statements and scriptures about who you are in Christ. Study the supporting scriptures. Receiving it and believing it about yourself and others will change your life. Knowing that this is what Christ purchased for unbelievers will give you a greater passion to lead others into this truth--He thought we were all worth dying for.

YOU have been adopted as God's child...have access to God
through the Holy Spirit...
have been redeemed and forgiven...have not been given a spirit of fear,
but of power, love and a sound mind...are born of God and
the evil one cannot touch you...are a personal witness of Christ...
a minister of reconciliation for God...God's workmanship....


Therefore, accept each other just as Christ
has accepted you so that God will be given glory.
Romans 15:7

Letters from the Enemy

Have you had a letter from the enemy lately? I have. In fact, they're as regular as junk mail and many are as easy to toss, but once in a while you get one that has a way a grabbing your attention and you think it's actually for you.

King Hezekiah got a letter from the enemy too.* Even though it was written about three thousand years ago, it sounds a lot like the ones I get. The gist of the message is a two-pronged attack. First, will God really do what He says He'll do? (Brings to mind a conversation in a Garden...) Second, is "look at all the times I have conquered in the past". Clearly, in six thousand plus years he hasn't changed his tactics a bit--probably because they often work!

Hezekiah took his letter "to the Lord's Temple and spread it out before the Lord and...prayed." His prayer included an acknowledgment that the enemy has indeed succeeded before, a desperate plea for deliverance, and worship. And that's pretty much what we need to do with the letters the enemy sends our way.

After Hezekiah prayed, God made a promise of protection to him which concluded with these words: "The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven's Armies will make this happen!" How can we lose if we have the passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven's Armies! Sure enough, not even an arrow struck the wall of Hezekiah's city. God sent an angel to destroy his enemy.

If you have any letters from the enemy lying around, I suggest you follow Hezekiah's example. Go before your Father and pray. Strengthen your faith by reminding yourself of ways God has defended you in the past. Encourage yourself with testimonies from others. And praise Him. Always praise Him. You have His passionate commitment that He will come and save you.

They will fight you, but they will fail.
For I am with you, and I will take care of you.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
Jeremiah 1:19

*2 Kings 19, 2 Chronicles 32, Isaiah 36