Psalm 91

Tomorrow the CRF team leaves for Kenya. I have enjoyed sharing 40 stories with you and I’m sure I’ll have more to share when I return. Please pray for our safety in the air and for our ministry on the ground. 

For my final story I simply want to share a passage in the Bible. When I first traveled to Kenya in 2009, Psalm 91 seemed to appear everywhere. It was spoken aloud on the radio as I drove to the airport, it was the page I saw when I let my Bible fall open, and it appeared in notes and sermons and seemingly everywhere I looked. 

And so as I return to the country I now consider with as much love as I would a second home, here is this precious chapter of the Bible that seems to fit a long journey so well. 

Psalm 91

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 

Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. 

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. 

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Agape Love

"I love you with an agape love."

his body to be broken on our behalf. Christ loves with an agape love.

A child wrote these words to her CRF sponsor this week. Agape love is the highest form of love. It's unconditional, unfailing, always serving, self-sacrificing. It's the love of John 3:16. It's why Jesus sacrificed his life for us and allowed his body to be broken for us.Christ loves us with an agape love.

And this week an orphan, neglected and forgotten by much of the world, a girl whose first understanding of love may well have been through sponsorship, wrote to her sponsor to say, "I love you with an agape love."

Sponsorship expresses agape love well, reflecting Jesus into the lives of children whose worlds have shattered after their parents died and their homes washed away in the rain and they have felt hungry again and again. It's self-sacrificing and marked by the decision to give of oneself to help another person across the globe.

We cannot love with the fullness of agape love that Jesus has for us, but we can reflect his love like glass windows shining brightly from the sun. And with our fragile flames, we can flood love into the world of a child who will learn about agape love alongside us.

Psalm 100: Joy

The reason I've intermingled a psalm from the Bible with these pictures is because as I remember this night from a few weeks ago, I feel so much joy and I am thankful for God's grace in allowing me to have a strong community and happy memories. The Lord given my heart this joy.

Psalm 100 is one of my favorite joyful psalms, so I thought I would share it along with a few of these happy photos.

Psalm 100

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Three years ago: A Puppy-Less Life
Four years ago: Postmodernism: A Poem
Five years ago: Excerpt of "Because"

Life Right Here

My friend Kelsey has a fancy camera and even fancier photography skills.

Autumn meant that it was time for another roomie picture session, so my three roommates and I dressed in our most "fall" outfits, despite the fact that it was a sweltering ninety degrees outside on an evening in late October. (South Texas, y'all.)

There is something to treasure about living in community.

It isn't always easy.

Let me rephrase that. Living in community isn't easy.

As a college student, I am daily making a home in a small space with girls who see my weaknesses and my sinful nature and my vulnerabilities and me seeing theirs all in turn.

I don't think I've ever begun a new month without lessons and wisdom gained from the weeks before.

More than anything, I appreciate the late-night talks about Jesus. Taking communion with cran-grape juice and rolls from Walmart. Teaching two of my roommates guitar and having "concert/worship" nights. Pulling pranks and making videos. The life-sized cardboard cutout of Elvis Presley we hide around the house to scare each other.

There are things about community that are hard and broken because of the sinful world in which we live... and there are also things about community that are pure enjoyment and innocence and laughter.

Fellowship digs rich wells of communication, expression, and transformation.

Having friends who walk through life with me and stand with me when things are not easy is a gift from the Lord.

Living with women of God means that I see Jesus shined in many different ways. The Bible is opened and there are four different hearts being whispered to by the Holy Spirit.

My burdens aren't carried alone, even when I think they are.

Kendall and I make "road trips" across our small town in order to have lots and lots of Mexican food. She sits and sketches while I write stories. We curl up behind a guitar and sing "Beautiful" by Bethany Dillon and mean the words. There are late night walks and talks and Spider Solitaire.

Kelsey brings laughter and crafts and Christmas lights (okay, "candy corn lights") in the middle of autumn. Because of her presence in the house, there are Styrofoam pumpkins, pine cones, and plastic leaves on every available surface. If a song needs to be sung, her voice is the one singing.

Sammy is the wild card who orders the Elvis cardboard cutout because she knows that's what our house needs most of all. If a prank is committed, she is the perpetrator. If an adventure is to be had, she is out the door with a kayak and bare feet.

No, living in community is not always easy. But it's what I need in this time of my life as a college student. As a young, single woman growing to love Jesus more and understand more about His love, there is nothing that pushes me forward more than sharing a home and a life with other women who are seeking Christ.

There is joy to be found when a school day is hard, through warm tea and worship songs and silly nights. It is a beautiful thing when conflicts are resolved in love instead of anger. When surrounded by community, I'm learning about accountability and vulnerability and transparency.

I pray that wherever I am in my life, I will have a strong community where we challenge and support and encourage each other. It will look different in one place than in another, but in this place, community looks like right here. A day in a pumpkin patch. A two hour discussion about Balaam and the donkey at one in the morning. Guitar strings and snap peas.

I like to daydream about what's to come, but I'm thankful for right here. Right now. Even when it's hard. Especially when it's joyful.

Happy fall.

Two years ago: Broken Words

My Hour of Need

Last summer, some friends and I stood outside as we rehearsed for a wedding. The South Texas air was hot and muggy, the sun glared down on us, and after about an hour of standing outdoors, an uncomfortable feeling began to overwhelm me.

Thirst.

No one had thought to bring water, so each member of our group began to notice the effects of the hot sun, even the bride. I cleared my throat uncomfortably and envisioned a tall glass of cold, refreshing water. It wasn't long before the only thing I could think about was my thirst.

After the rehearsal was finished, we would need to travel for an hour before we arrived at the location of the dinner. Concern hit us, one by one. As pitiful as this may sound, we felt so thirsty that even the idea of sitting in a hot car for sixty minutes longer seemed unbearable.

To end my silly story, staff at a nearby building had mercy on this thirsty wedding party and we were all treated to cups of ice before the car ride to dinner. Overall, I was thirsty for only an hour or so.

I know nothing of what it is like to be truly thirsty.

I know nothing of what it is like to ache so badly for something to drink that I am forced to consume brown, contaminated water - to feed this water to my children and watch them become sick from it - because our thirst is so great.

One in six people do not have access to clean water. Every minute, three children die because of diseases brought on by unclean water.

We can't bottle up the water in our sink and mail it to the thirsty children around the world, but we can do something even bigger.

Christian Relief Fund is working hard to ensure that fewer people have to go thirsty. Wells are expensive to drill - an impossible goal for impoverished communities to reach on their own - but people who can achieve this goal standing up to help. In some places in the world, children must walk for miles and miles to get a drink of dirty water. With a well in their community, everything changes.

Perhaps the best part of drilling a well in a needy community is another kind of water that it brings. Where wells are created, churches are built. People gather around to have both their physical and spiritual thirsts quenched. And, sometimes for the very first time, they hear about Living Water: Jesus Christ.

I am blessed because I do not know what it feels like to be truly thirsty. My moments of thirst have been only minor and brief moments of discomfort. But so many people do understand this thirst. They are waiting for someone to bring water. They are waiting for someone to bring good news about Jesus.

Will you help to bring them both? Donate to CRF here.

"Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." -John 7:38

Three years ago: Be Jealous.
Four years ago: Write a letter to someone you admire.

Why I Don't Dress Modestly for Men

I'm a young Christian woman who seeks to dress modestly. However, when I get ready for the day, I do not choose modest clothing to "keep men from stumbling."

Let me clarify.

I agree that we should serve our brothers in Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:32 says, "Do not cause anyone to stumble." It's important to live like this. But our modesty should be an act of worship to God before it is any response to man.

Something I've found is that modesty frequently becomes more about our relationship with men than our relationship with God. We receive constant reminders like: "Do not cause your brothers in Christ to stumble by how you dress. It is your responsibility to do your part in keeping men from temptation by dressing modestly." However, in the Bible, women are called to dress modestly as worship to God (1 Timothy 2:8-10).

When the focus of anything is man, it quickly becomes entangled in legalism. In Galatians 1:10, Paul says, "Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant." 

When I was a teenage girl, I understood "modesty" as a collection of rules and what-not-to-do's that controlled how I dressed. These rules were stretched and blurred as I walked the line as closely as I could between what was modest and what was not. Modesty became an inner wrestling match between my will and my consciousness of the men around me. "If I dress this way, the lust is their fault. If I dress that way, then it is mine."

Asking the question, "Did how I dress today cause boys to stumble?" without the focus on worship brings about legalism because the standards of man are changing and broken by this world. How I dress can easily become shame-centered this way. "My jeans can only be this tight. My skirt may only be this short."

When the question becomes instead, "Did how I dress today bring glory to God?", every piece of clothing I wear becomes an act of love instead of a source of guilt.

My modesty is first and foremost an act of worship to the Lord and only then it is a way to respect and love the men around me.

It is a precious thing to love my brothers in Christ by how I dress, but it is a far greater treasure to clothe myself first and foremost in worship of God: ethically, modestly, and with righteous deeds.

"This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome." - 1 John 5:2-3

Three years ago: Bounce Houses are the BEST!
Four years ago: Take someone out for coffee.

The Flame

I fell in love with Jesus a few months before I turned fifteen. My life radically changed.
 

Depression and anxiety had ravaged my heart and mind. These struggles did not automatically go away after I encountered Christ, but I did experience a new confidence and joy that changed me.

I eagerly wanted every part of my life to radiate my faith. My high school friends and I memorized chapters of the Bible and held weekly Bible studies and we were so desirous to learn more about the God who made us new. I felt a new and exciting fire.

At times, my zeal tipped over into legalism. For example, I remember studying 1 Thessalonians with a few friends and reading, "Pray without ceasing." We took this at face value and challenged each other to go an entire day without thinking about anything except Jesus. Determined, I took a black Sharpie and scrawled 1 Thessalonians 5:17 onto the back of my hand so that when I rested my arms upon my desk in class, I would remember to pray instead of listen to the teacher. No, this wasn't the healthiest expression of my faith. I was a child sipping milk as I tried to teach myself how to fly an airplane.

But the fire burned bright and I learned so much during those first months and years.

Things were not always easy. There were seasons of drought and desert, when all I felt was an aching thirst that I could not quench... or even worse, apathy where I began to stop thirsting at all. There were storms that caused me to rage and doubt. I strayed and returned; I became impatient and frustrated and stubborn. My emotional highs collapsed and I raged against my old self and even against God.

When the droughts passed away and the rains returned, I learned that my Father is faithful. When the storms stilled, I realized that Christ is more powerful than my worst days. When I stumbled back as a prodigal daughter time and time again, I glimpsed the depths of God's grace.

I'm in my early twenties now and I have very little experience with romantic love. I've never had a boyfriend or even seriously dated. However, I'm at the stage in my life where I am able to watch a few of my dearest friends fall in love and enter into marriage. As I learn from the true and passionate love that I see in my friends and my parents, I cannot help but be reminded about what it is like to have a relationship with Jesus.

My friends who are falling in love for the first time are standing on the heights of the tallest mountains. Their passion is beautiful.

My parents and grandparents have another kind of passionate love that is just as priceless. The longer they experience life together, the further their love is deepened by sacrifice and commitment. "I give my life to you" and "I commit to you even when things are hard" are just as precious as the exciting discovery of new love.

I will admit that there is a different kind of fire for the Lord in me than there was when I was fourteen. Where my faith was once marked by loud and zealous expressions of love, I have a somewhat changing passion now. This passion comes from walking through difficult times as well as happy ones. It comes from broken relationships, plateaus and lonely places, and the increasing knowledge of how vast God's grace actually is. It comes from experiencing valleys and not only mountains.

In some ways, my relationship with Christ is transforming from a new and blazing fire to that of a steady flame. This brings with it the necessity for me to work hard to keep from falling into apathy because I hope I will always seek to be a radical follower of Jesus, but I am thankful.

After all of my mistakes, God's compassion is greater. No matter how far I have run, he has been there. When I'm tired of seeking, still he sings. And now he is teaching me how to experience his love in an enduring, committed way that reaches beyond my changing emotions.

And this love is beautiful.

One year ago: Waging War
Two years ago: The Room
Three years ago: Plus-Sized Mannequins... or Not
Four years ago: Leave an encouraging note on the mirror

Still

Still

Father, I am hurting. It's been a long and weary night.

Fear clawed at my chest and I couldn't see a light.

I doubted and I faltered. God, I was too tired to fight,

So I cling to You and plead for You to hold me tight.

I'm small and insignificant. It's so easy to get lost.

I wander from the path You set, mindless of the cost.

My feet are torn and muddy, my heart within me caught,

But a still voice I recognize whispers what I forgot.

You took a shattered vessel and filled it with Your grace.
A chipped jar of clay, yet You took me from that place.

You lifted my trembling frame and met my broken gaze.

My empty heart is filled with hope as I glimpse Your face.

When the night comes again, and I know it will,

May my shattered heart be restored, redeemed, refilled.

You step into my messy world and command it to be still.

I rest under the gentle sun atop Your grassy hill.

March 19, 2014

One year ago: These are a few of my favorite things.

Surrendering

Surrendering

Jesus, how I've talked the talk

So that people would see

The way I've tried so hard to live,

The big plans You have for me.

But my "talk" is not Your plan.

In fact, You came and died

As a humble man in poverty,

Holes in Your hands and side.

I want to lose it all for You,

In Your Name, for Your will.

So use me in Your way, not mine,

And let my pride be still.

March 22, 2014

One year ago: Just behind the fence.

Three years ago: Interesting Facts About Me

Four years ago: 40 Reasons to Eat (Part 4)

Fellowship of the Unashamed

Several years ago, my pastor at the time, Milton Jones, passed out a sheet of paper to everyone in the church. On the paper was written a creed that convicted me immensely. I used to keep the paper folded carefully in my Bible, but with time I lost track of the little piece of paper and forgot about the poem entirely. I only recently stumbled upon the very same creed that had so deeply touched my heart for Christ as I was just entering my faith.

I'm not sure who wrote this commitment, but it has encouraged and challenged me.

"I am a part of the 'Fellowship of the Unashamed.' The die has been cast. The decision has been made. I have stepped over the line. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, love with patience, lift by prayer, and labor with power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide is reliable, and my mission is clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up, or slow up until I've stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and spoken up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must until He comes, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My banner is clear. I am a part of the 'Fellowship of the Unashamed.'"

Two years ago: Just hope.
Three years ago: I was a strange child.

He is Risen

Creation by my lovely roommate and friend, Kelsey

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.  They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.  In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; he has risen!  Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'"  Then they remembered his words.  -Luke 24:1-8

One year ago: 20 Weird Facts About Emily
Two years ago: Trust in the Lord.
Three years ago: Hypnotized Kittens
Four years ago: Poverty: Education

When the Gospel Calls for Tangible Compassion

In Luke 4:18, Jesus declared that He had come to "preach good news to the poor."  He was fulfilling the prophecy from Isaiah 61, which says, "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners..." 

I grew up in the Bible Belt of Texas, surrounded by church camps and Sunday school and a Christian bubble so impenetrable that it may as well have been made of iron.  There were great benefits to this, such as receiving a strong foundation in my faith, as well as Biblical knowledge that has helped me so much in my personal growth with the Lord.  But there were also limitations to living in the Bible Belt.  "Sharing the gospel" often meant something along the lines of going to the park and talking to neighborhood kids, giving away tracts, and altar calls.  As a young Christian, I understood sharing my faith in less of a discipleship context and more of a "Here is what Jesus did for you; want to pray the prayer now?" context.

I found my faith in Jesus over the summer before I entered high school, and people continually asked me afterward to reduce my experience to a single prayer.  "I understand you know Jesus now, but when did you pray the prayer?"

Looking back, I cannot recall the single prayer or instant when I became saved.  I realize there was an ultimate decision that was made at some point during that summer; I just don't know when.  However, I can clearly remember a transformation in my thoughts, actions, and heart.  I was no longer my own.  I felt both the freedom and calling that came along with that revelation.  Joining the kingdom of God did not come down to a simple recitation or a repeated prayer for me personally, but it changed every aspect of my life, and everything I once valued above all else was turned upside down.

"Good news" was a term I heard over and over again growing up.  Jesus is the Good News, and this is true.  But placing a "Good News! Good News!" tract in the hand of a hungry homeless man on a street corner before hopping back in my air-conditioned car and driving away felt a lot less joy-inspiring than expected.

In forgotten corners and impoverished places, good news can be hard to find.

The United Nations Development Programme reported in 2008 that there are three billion people living in poverty.  Half the planet.  What good news has the hands and feet of Christ brought them?  What gospel has the 147 million orphans in the world yet seen?

Good news comes from Christ alone, yes!  But He has commanded His Body to break chains of slavery, to feed the hungry in His name, and to live out our faith with actions and not only words.

Richard Stearns said, "Christianity is a faith that is meant to be spread- but not through coercion.  God's love was intended to be demonstrated, not dictated.  Our job is not to manipulate or induce others to agree with us or to leave their religion and embrace Christianity.  Our charge is to both proclaim and embody the gospel so that others can see, hear, and feel God's love in tangible ways."

The gospel that is all too often embraced in my Christian, American, comfortable community is missing a chunk of Christ's call to bring good news to the poor.  In Matthew 6, Jesus tells His disciples how we ought to pray.  In verse 10, He prays, "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."  We are not only winning souls for heaven.  The kingdom of God is eternal, but it is also right here, right now.  We have been called to extend revolutionary love and mercy to the earth.

Let us allow the poor to experience the gospel through tangible compassion along with spoken truth of what Christ did for them.

I want to share my faith in boldness and in truth.  I want to proclaim from the mountaintops that my Savior loves unconditionally and paid the price for our sins.  But I also want to live the gospel.  I want to preach with my hands and feet, with all that I am.

In my own town, I don't just want to stand on the corner and share my faith; I want to live alongside people and love without condition.  I pray that they will see the good news of Christ through how I live just as clearly as they hear about Him from what I say.  And when I go to the nations, I want to bring good news with my actions just as much as with my words.

Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, serving the widow and the orphan.  This is demonstrating the good news of Christ's radical love.

Let's share the gospel with both words and action.  Let's bring good news.

"If the gospel we preach is not first and foremost good news to the poor, then it isn't the gospel of Jesus." -Brian McLaren

Two years ago: My Letter Box
Three years ago: Are you alive?

Grace Unimaginable.

Anonymous: So, the Prodigal Son, I get the story and its meaning, but what would happen if the son ran away again once he'd been welcomed back? I've had my prodigal son experience, but I've mucked up and run away again... more than once. Will God still want me back, or have I used up all the grace and all my chances? And how would I go about approaching God again? I don't think he'll be very happy if I do, but I so desperately wish I knew how to maintain a relationship with him :(

First of all, let me tell you without hesitation that you are desired and cherished by your Creator, no matter what you’ve done or how far you have run.

As I read this, I can’t help but see my own thoughts from several years ago at a time when I was feeling completely forsaken and drenched in the consequences of my own mistakes and shame.

An earthly father might not give third and fourth and fifth chances, but this Father isn’t bound by our limitations.  He is the Creator of grace and mercy.  There is a reason He sent His Son for us, and it certainly wasn’t to give conditional love.  Isaiah 30:18 says, “The Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion.”  And a few chapters later, in 43:25, He says, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”
 
One of my favorite songs goes like this: “I could run away, but You would never leave. You would always stay right by my side.”

I have run from God.  I have returned wondering if there was any way His forgiveness could reach as far as I had fallen, but it does.

The good news about God’s love is beautifully simple.

God is holy and righteous and just. We’re all sinners and separated from God because of our mistakes and the brokenness of our hearts. (Romans 3:23)

Despite everything we are, we are loved endlessly by God. (Ephesians 2:3-5; Lamentations 3:22)

Because of His great love for us, God sent His only Son Jesus to die and take the place for our sins, to provide atonement. (Romans 3:24-25, John 3:16)

If you have faith, He will save you by His grace. (Acts 16:31, Romans 10:9, Titus 3:4-7, Ephesians 2:8-9)

Repentance and desire to know the Lord shines so clearly in your words.  He knows your heart and His grace extends beyond all borders.  Do not be afraid to approach Him.  He desires for you to seek Him!  And He loves you so, so much.  His love is bigger than the worst mistake you have ever made.

Deuteronomy 4:29-31 says, “But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.  When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the Lord your God and obey Him.  For the Lord your God is a merciful God; He will not abandon or destroy you.”

I don’t know how to articulate enough how much the Lord desires to have a relationship with you.  You don’t have to enter His presence perfect or with your life all together.  Come to Him as you are, in humility and in tears and in rags.  He desires to be with you, just as you are, and He looks at you with love.

"I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’  I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’" -Hosea 2:23

You have not used up all the grace that is offered.  You are so very loved.  God wants you back, and like the Father in the story of the Prodigal Son, He welcomes you back with open arms.

"And I pray that you... may have power... to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." -Ephesians 3:17-19

I was asked this question via my ask box on tumblr.

Two years ago: Where two or three gather and Oh, Happy Day!
Three years ago: I don't have enough thumbs for this.

Romans: Putting away our idols

I write a monthly Bible study over Romans for my sponsored daughter.  You may print out this Bible study to send your sponsored child as well.

Romans 1:18-32

Everybody in the world has sinned.  Sin is anything you think, say, or do that breaks God's laws.  Because God is holy, sin separates us from him.  This passage is about sin and how sin hurts our world.  God's wrath is anger, but it is a just anger because the world has turned away from God's laws.

Anything that you put above God in your heart is an idol.  Do you have any idols in your life?  I used to have an idol.  It was what other people thought of me.  That sounds like a strange idol, but I wanted people to like me more than I cared about obeying God!  I put my image over God, so it became an idol for me.  Other idols can be gods, carved statues, or things like money, things you own, or even friends.  Having idols is sinning.

God has shown himself to the whole world!  He is our Creator and everything he has made shows how beautiful and holy he is.  God is the only one we should worship.  We need to put him over all other things in our lives.

We live in a very broken, sinful world that has many idols: other religions, wealth, success, sex, and popularity are some big idols.  But you and I know the true purpose and joy of our lives is to worship God.  Everything else is only a distraction from him.  We can enjoy the blessings God has given us, but remember to put God first in your life every day.

Memory Verse:
"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities- his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." -Romans 1:20

Questions:
1.) Have you ever put something in your heart above God?
2.) How would you explain the difference between a blessing from God and an idol?  How does this change the way we view our possessions and our values?
3.) In what ways has God shown himself to the world?

Words to learn:
1.) Reveal: make known
2.) Divine: of God
3.) Invisible: not seen
4.) Futile: useless, not effective
5.) Degrade: to lower in character
6.) Penalty: punishment after breaking a law or rule
7.) Retain: to hold or have
8.) Depravity: bad or evil
7.) Distraction: to draw away attention

Two years ago: Before you bug out, READ THIS.
Three years ago: Recommended Reads
Four years ago: Who does God hate?

Romans: Thankfulness

Feel free to print this Bible study and send it to your sponsored child, just as I do for mine!

Romans 1:8-17

In this passage, Paul gives thanksgiving for the Christian churches.  He also explains how the gospel is the saving power of God and the good news for the whole world.

What are you thankful for?  In the United States, we have a holiday called Thanksgiving, where we take a day to express our gratitude to the Lord for all of his blessings he has given us.  I am thankful for my family, my friends, my school, and my church.  I am also so very thankful that you are my daughter!  I thank God for you every day.

Paul is very thankful that the Christian church is following God and proclaiming the gospel all over the world.  He takes the time to pray for the churches in every nation.  Did you know that in some countries, it is illegal to worship God?  Christians are killed or jailed for praying and going to church.  Let's take the time to pray for those who must struggle every day to stay strong in their faith.

Even in Kenya or America, there will sometimes be persecution for what we believe.  Sometimes it will come by people not liking us or treating us unfairly.  Even if you face hard things because of your faith in Jesus, do not lose hope.  We must not be ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation for everyone who believes!  This means that God gave us the gospel to save us so that we can be his children.  How could we be ashamed of such good news?  Let's be thankful and encourage our friends to stay strong in the Lord.

It is very good to say the gospel over and over again, like Paul does in Romans, so that we will never forget how the Lord has saved us from death.  The gospel can encourage us every single day!

Memory Verse:
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes." -Romans 1:16

Questions:
1.) What are you thankful for?
2.) In what ways can you be bold and unashamed of the gospel?

Words to learn:
1.) Gratitude: being thankful
2.) Persecution: being oppressed or hurt because of your beliefs
3.) Proclaim: announce
4.) Salvation: being saved
5.) Encourage: to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence
6.) Obligate: to commit or bind
7.) Reveal: to make known

Two years ago: The Road Trip
Four years ago: The Dollar

Anna: The Proclaimer

Today is Christmas!  Throughout the month of December, I have been studying about the women whose stories are told in the Bible around the time that Jesus Christ was born.  Their faithfulness and joy were so evident, and their stories reveal the Lord's love and grace.  Over the last couple of weeks, I have blogged about two women of Christmas: Mary and Elizabeth.  Today I would like to talk about Anna.

Anna is not talked about as often as Mary or Elizabeth.  Her story in the Bible is brief, sweet, and often forgotten. 

Anna is one of only ten female prophets mentioned in the Bible.  [Isaiah's wife (Isaiah 8:3), Deborah (Judges 4:4), Philip's four daughters (Acts 21:8-9), Miriam (Micah 6:4, Exodus 15:20-21), Noadiah (Nehemiah 6:14), Huldah (1 Kings 22:14, 2 Chronicles 34:22-28), and Anna (Luke 2:36-38)].

Anna, bless her heart, was eighty-four.  When I think of her, I imagine an elderly woman of frail stature with smile lines that creased across the apples of her cheeks and hair as white as snow.  She had been a widow nearly all of her life.  In Anna's time, women married very young, and Scripture says she was married only seven years before tragedy struck her life and her husband died.  For the rest of her life, Anna never remarried but focused her heart and desires solely on the Lord.

Anna spent all of her time in the temple.  She never left, but instead worshiped the Lord all night and all day.  The sacrifice and physical toll that came from constant fasting, worship, and remaining within the temple courts 24/7 for at least fifty or sixty years must have been great, but Anna allowed the Lord to sustain her physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  She loved and served God with all of her heart.

Preceding Anna's story in the Bible, Mary and Joseph had brought baby Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem in order to present Him to the Lord.  In the temple courts, an old man named Simeon who was filled with the Holy Spirit approached them.  He lifted Jesus into his arms and said, "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.  For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations; a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel" (Luke 2:29-32).  The Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not die until he saw the Messiah, and now He had come.

The Bible says that Joseph and Mary marveled at Simeon's words.  They had been visited by angels; they knew what the Lord had promised them.  However, to have such a declaration from a complete stranger spoken over their son must have been a source of great wonder.

At that very moment, Anna approached them.  She was also filled with the Holy Spirit who was guiding her to the young Messiah.  Anna prophesied about Him.  We do not know her words, but we do know that she spoke about Jesus and joyfully thanked the Lord.

What brings me so much encouragement from Anna was the way she proclaimed the truth to everyone who would listen.  Simeon was a righteous man.  He had the honor of prophesying about the Messiah in the temple courts.  But Anna is made known for her proclamations about Jesus.  She was one of the first to share the good news about Jesus Christ coming to earth with the public. 

Luke 2:38 says, "she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem." 

Anna was filled with hope.  She trusted God with every moment of her day.  She lived among a people who were struggling under the oppression of the Romans.  With desperation and discouragement, the Israelites were crying out to God for a Savior to free them from the yoke of their oppressors.  They were looking for an earthly king, but Anna found great joy in the sight of a child being presented before the Lord, her Messiah and eternal King.

We live in a world of discouragement and brokenness.  We may not be under the oppression of Rome, but we are faced daily with a barrage of sin and hurt and doubt.  So many people on this earth are crying out for a Savior.

Let's be like Anna.  She rejoiced in the hope of the Lord and she proclaimed redemption to anyone who would hear the good news.  Let's thank God for His gift of Jesus Christ, for giving us a child that grew up to be a man who paid the price for our sins on a cross.

Jesus Christ brought redemption to the world.  Let's proclaim this with boldness.

Merry Christmas.

Four years ago: Alone, Yet Not Alone

Elizabeth: One Who Waited

As Christmas Day approaches, I have been studying in the Bible about women whose stories are told around the time of the birth of Christ.  They lived in faith and courage, and there is much to learn from them.  A couple of weeks ago, I talked about Mary, a woman of faith.  Today I will share the story of Elizabeth, Mary's relative and the mother of John the Baptist, a woman who waited in hope.  You can find her story in Luke 1.

Elizabeth is first mentioned in Luke 1:5-7.  She was married to a priest named Zechariah.  Elizabeth was also in the lineage of the priests as a descendent of Aaron.  The Bible describes her as "righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commands and decrees blamelessly."  Elizabeth was also quite old.

There was tragedy in Elizabeth's life.  She was barren.  She lived in a time where a woman's value was often defined by her ability to bear children, particularly sons.  Barrenness was considered a punishment from God.  As a woman who loved the Lord and served Him wholeheartedly, Elizabeth must have struggled with the fact that she had been given no children.  By the time she reached an old age, she must have long since given up on ever having a child of her own.

One day, Zechariah was on duty burning incense in the temple.  As he stood before the altar, an angel appeared before him and said that his wife would bear a son that would be filled with the Holy Spirit before he was even born and who would make ready the people of Israel for the Messiah.  Stunned, Zechariah questioned the angel and doubted God's word.  He was reprimanded and unable to speak again until months later, when he named his son John.

Zechariah was made to be silent until the promise of the Lord was fulfilled.  Elizabeth became silent by choice.

After her husband returned from his service as a priest, Elizabeth discovered she was pregnant and went into seclusion for five months, spending all of her time in prayer before the Lord.  How filled with hope she must have been!  "The Lord has done this for me.  In these days, He has shown His favor and taken away my disgrace among the people" (Luke 1:25).

Six months into Elizabeth's pregnancy, her cousin Mary was visited by Gabriel and given news about her own pregnancy.  Mary was greatly encouraged by the testimony of her older relative.  Gabriel shared Elizabeth's story with Mary when she was troubled, and she immediately rushed to Elizabeth's town in Judea, a journey that was probably the length of a couple of weeks.

The reunion of the two cousins was filled with great joy.  The child in Elizabeth's womb already had the Holy Spirit, but as soon as Mary entered the room, Elizabeth was also filled with the Spirit.  When she spoke in a loud voice, she prophesied, saying, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!  But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her!" (Luke 1:42-44).

Mary had been pregnant for very little time at all, a few weeks at the most.  She almost certainly had not yet begun to show.  Though she waited, not even she may have yet noticed a change in her body.  The immediate reaction from Elizabeth, brought forth by the Holy Spirit, was a confirmation of the Lord's promises to her.

"But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" Elizabeth said joyfully.  She was one of the very first to wholeheartedly place her faith in Jesus Christ, before He even emerged from His mother's womb.  Without hesitation, she called Jesus her Lord.  She recognized Him as the Son of God.

There were many years between the two women.  Elizabeth was elderly; Mary was a youth.  However, both were bonded together through the promises of God, a Messiah to come, and hearts overflowing with thankfulness for the Lord.

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months before returning home to Nazareth around the time her cousin gave birth.  Elizabeth had a son, just as she had been promised.  Everyone she knew heard about the Lord's great mercy, and the Bible says that they shared in her joy.

Just like that, all of the insecurities and disgrace Elizabeth had felt for the entirety of her adult life faded away.  She was loved.  She was favored.  She was an instrument of the Lord, and she clearly felt His compassion for her.

There are times in my life when I feel like I'm stuck, unable to see God's plan for me in a difficult situation.  I've never experienced the cultural disgrace that Elizabeth felt, but I have faced discouragement and loneliness.  

Elizabeth had a gentle faith in God that did not falter.  She served Him, even when she felt as if her dreams were sifting through her fingers like sand.  When promised a son under impossible circumstances, she waited.  She worshiped.  And she was given the honor of being one of the very first to believe in Jesus Christ as her Savior.

If you are in a place of waiting in your life, do not be discouraged.  The Lord's promises are true.  "Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her."  He is faithful to you.  He loves you.  He brings hope.

Wait in His arms and shout with joy about the good news He has brought to earth. 

Two years ago: I'm excited.
Four years ago: Christmas poems