26 September 2014
"Justice Would NOT Prevail"

Hebrews 10:30-31
For we know the one who said, “I will take revenge. I will pay them back.” He also said, “The Lord will judge his own people.” It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Trying to exact revenge or give someone a taste of their own medicine is like my children trying to punish each other when they argue. No parent goes for that. A child’s solution is self serving and arbitrary with no consideration for real justice. Only the loving parent knows what each child needs. Parents can fairly and objectively administer proper discipline and punishment if necessary. That’s a parents’ job, and it’s a good thing it’s the parents job and not the kids’ job. The kids would stink at this job.

The Lord will judge his own people... We are his children. Just like I am the mommy of my children, I will judge my own children’s behavior and I don’t need outside opinions, and I certainly don’t need help from the perpetrators. God knows what he’s doing, and he knows exactly what each of his children needs, for he created us all.

So I can confidently leave revenge and payback to the totally and completely capable One True and Living God who sees everything (1 Peter 3:12), knows everything (Psalm 139:3-4), and gives everyone exactly what they need and deserve (Hebrews 12:6).

Trying to exact revenge for being mistreated or giving someone “a taste of their own medicine” is just as foolish as me allowing my kids to incorrectly punish each other when they get in a tiff. Justice would NOT prevail if they were in charge of each other.

Dear God,
Thank you so much for taking care of business for me. It is a relief to know you parents us perfectly and give each of us exactly what we need just like I try and do with my own kids. Sometimes my kids don’t understand the big picture that I see same I don’t see yours. But I trust you because you love me, and I require my kids to trust me because I love them. You are great and greatly to be praised and I just can’t thank you enough for relieving me of the burden of getting even as you don’t ever intend that for me. That is wonderful! I praise you and thank you in Jesus’ name. Amen.

24 September 2014
Patient Endurance

Hebrews 10:36
Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

“Continue” is hard for us to do.

I know that I loved piano lessons when I was a little girl, but it didn’t take long for me to dread practicing for 30 minutes every night while my mom cooked dinner. That half of an hour felt like half of a year! Mom mom would encourage me, “You’ll be so glad when you’re older that you stuck with it, Honey.” Back then I couldn’t even fathom what she meant and pretty soon the lessons weren’t fun anymore because my lack of discipline in practicing. Needless to say I didn’t continue on with formal piano lessons.

But what if I had seen the future that now has that little tinge of regret my mom had forewarned? Imagine what a great pianist I’d be today if I’d had some patient endurance way back when?

In a day and age where bailing is the acceptable cure for whatever one is facing, patient endurance is quickly being replaced by instant gratification. People change who they’re married to, where they work and even who they parent in order to not to bother with patient endurance. Patient endurance not only needs to be reintroduced and taught to society but also extolled. Continuing is a very good thing and leads to fabulous results.

It’s the Enemy’s plan to make us sick and tired of something that is good for us. It is the Enemy who doesn’t want us to see the future. And the Enemy loves it when people buy into the concept of instant gratification and discard all interests in faithfulness.

But God’s will is always good, and I don’t want to fall into the trap set by the Enemy that tricks me into thinking following God should feel like piano lessons. God, who loves me and wants to save me from regret, fairly and gently warns me, “Janys, Keep obeying me, keep up the practice of following me. Patient endurance is what you need. I HAVE seen the future and you’re going to be glad you did!”

Dear God,
Thank you for gently reminding me to “practice!” And thank you that you stick around and guide me through it! Thank you so much for your promises that make following you, obeying you, and being your child the best thing. I love you so much. Help me to plod along faithfully. That is a good thing. Help me to teach it to my kids by example and encouragement everyday. Thank you for our time together, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

22 September 2014
“Ever Try Dr. Skipper?”

Romans 15:4-5
Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. 

God gives patience and encouragement.

Encouragement comes from reading the Bible and patience comes from waiting for all God has promised to happen.

Consider how Abraham, Noah, and others are described in Hebrews 11:13-16...
All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back.  But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland.

Abraham never ever met his grandson’s 12 sons. But as he raised his one son, Isaac, he continued to wait every day for what God said would happen to happen. And living that way makes one patient according to Romans 15:4.

I know a lot of people who pray for patience. But patience is not a consumable good God leaves on your doorstep for you to bottle up to crack open on the days your kids are fussy. Patience is the result of simply living expectantly for God to do what he has promised. That may seem unrelated to living with fussy children, an irritating boss, or hard financial times. But, if I blow up at my kids what actually happened? It may seem like I lack patience, but why did I lack patience with them? A lack of patience is actually rooted in the action of taking my mind off God and expectantly thinking that any moment any one of his promises might be fulfilled right in front of me. The result of ceasing to believe in God’s promises is not having patience because patience comes from God, so that is where my heart and mind must be or my kids will have a mommy that blows up a lot.

Human patience is an “act” and role we play to please others, it’s not lasting when the source is our own will power. Is human patience what people are praying for when they pray to have more patience? No wonder God doesn’t give it to us. It’s not helpful, it’s not good, and it’s not the real thing.

Ever drink Dr. Skipper??? My sister and I used to get a chuckle from 2 family friends of ours growing up that always brought bargain discount 2 liter bottles of soda to share at family parties and holidays. Well, it looks like Dr. Pepper, but after one sip you realize it is NOT Dr. Pepper. You don’t care to finish it, in fact, all drinking Dr. Skipper does is make you anxious to get to a Circle K and buy the real thing. It definitely would have been more considerate for them to spend the extra 10 cents and buy the real thing; the imitation was actually a big waste - no one drinks it!

It isn’t authentic patience unless it comes from God. And it comes from God as wait for him to carry out all of his good plans. It’s worth the extra time thinking about him and his promises because I prefer the real thing!

Dear God,
Thank you for making your Word so exciting and appealing today. Real patience doesn’t just come when I say so, it’s the result of a life spent thinking about you (the things of heaven and not the things of earth) like your Word says (Colossians 3:2). I pray that my kids would benefit today from a mommy who lives like this. I love you and thank you and appreciate the authentic patience you give. And I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

16 September 2014
“Don’t Ignore It”

James 3:13
If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good work with the humility that comes from wisdom.

Prove it... Fact: I can’t just say that I obey God; it must be evident in my life. The Rich Young Ruler made bold claims that he obeyed all the commands since (he) was young. But Jesus pointed out to him the thing that made it evident that this man was more obedient in theory than in practice (Luke 18:18-23).

Doing good work... Fact: Any good work that I do isn’t for show. For if I’m doing obedient-y things to get noticed and praised by others, then that is all the reward I will ever get (Matthew 6:16-18).

With the humility that comes from wisdom... Fact: Jesus is humble because he is wise. People marvel at the humility of Jesus (Philippians 2:7-8), but since he is the only wise God (Romans 16:27) he is able to perfectly and sincerely demonstrate humility for us all.

Conclusion: Being like Jesus begins with obedience. Obedience leads to wisdom and wisdom leads to humility. 

Proverbs 8:33 
Listen to my instruction and be wise.
Don’t ignore it.




Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank you for your example. Help me to be obedient to your Word and your Holy Spirit teaching and reminding me today. Help me to grow wise and develop humility so that I can do good work like you would do it. I want to please you because I love you, and I thank you so much for helping me become more like you. I love you and thank you and pray in your name. Amen.

13 September 2014
“This Isn’t a Checklist”

1 Peter 3:8
All of you (Christians) should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tender hearted and keep a humble attitude.


This is one of those passages that is super tempting to turn into a Christianese checklist. 
*be like minded
*be sympathetic
*be loving
*be tenderhearted
*be humble

But reducing this Bible verse to a checklist makes these behaviors things of my desire and completely based on my own abilities, self-control, and will power. Yet scripture tells me, and I have learned from personal experience, that without Jesus, I can do nothing (John 15:5). So this is not a checklist of things for ME to tick of daily for myself in order to be a “good” Christian.

This isn’t a checklist; it’s more like a “results” list. If we are Christians, aka: “Little Christs,” these behaviors are the result of following Jesus and the way that others will know that we belong to him. But how do I get these “results” if this isn’t a checklist for me to accomplish?

I’m finding that being like Jesus doesn’t come from trying harder or trying to summon more will power. That doesn’t work. Besides, Scripture tells me that Jesus is the one who gives me the strength to do all things (Philippians 4:13), and that his Holy Spirit gives me the ability and the desire to do what pleases him (Philippians 2;13). I don’t need to work harder. I get this strength, ability, and desire to fit this list because of Jesus’ in my heart seeping out of me. And the way he seeps out of my heart is from flooding my heart with HIM. 

How?

My sister didn’t have ANY prior experience with infants when she brought her twins home from the hospital. But our family watched in amazement as my sister did stuff she never ever did before. She changed diapers, walked around with puke on her shirt, slept less, and played on the floor. These were all completely new experiences for her and she did them well. How? How could all of these previously viewed unappealing activities become second nature to this unexperienced new mom? It’s simply because her heart was full to flooding with love for her baby daughters. She thought about them and was with them 24/7. This love completely transformed her behaviors and customs without her having to work at it all.

I’ve done the same thing with my husband and my kids; we all have. We make dinners we don’t feel like eating, watch movies we have no interest in, and let our own personal upkeep take a backseat to the daily schedule. We do it automatically, gladly, and willingly, even miraculously. It’s not a chore and there’s no regret; it’s all done out of the ridiculous amount of love for our families flooding our hearts. It’s who we are: mom, wife, daughter, friend... fill in the blank with whatever is filling your heart.

So I can also store up incredible amounts of love for Jesus and let him filling my heart change me same as I’ve done in all the relationships I love. Start by just saying, “I love you, Jesus.” Or, write it down, sing it, read about him in the Bible, talk about him with other Believers. Doing this always and often allows him to just seep out of me same as motherhood seeped out of my sister.

Then, the afore mentioned “checklist” isn’t a checklist; it’s the description of Little Christs. It’s the product of who I am as a result of the One I love.




Dear Lord Jesus,

Checklists are hard for me to keep; thank you for not reducing our relationship to one. That would be hard for me everyday. But I do think about you and read about you and I do love you so much for who you are and all that you’ve done. Thank you for letting YOU change who I am. I love you, I love you, I love you very much and I just can’t thank you enough. And I pray in your name, amen.

12 September 2014
“Always”

Philippians 4:4
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!




Always means always.




This scripture is not a mandate to be fake and phony. No. This scripture is brilliantly reminding us what we are to truly focus on all the time regardless of our circumstances and situations. My circumstances change, but Jesus does not. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8)). Because he is always the same, my joy in him can always be the same during bad times as well as the good. Always.




Remember, God is telling me to always be full of joy in the Lord - not that I should be full of joy over unemployment, cancer, car accidents, or natural disasters. It is during these times, as well as favorable times, that I can think about the One who has overcome all the troubles I could ever possibly encounter (John 16:33); be joyful about THAT.




1 Thessalonians 5:16 says, “Always be joyful.” Always. And verse 18 goes on to say, “be thankful in all circumstances.” There’s a big difference between being thankful and joyful FOR all circumstances and IN all circumstances. There are plenty of situations and circumstances for which I am NOT joyful. But because of Jesus, wonderful Jesus, I can be joyful during them because I choose to always be full of joy in the Lord, always mindful of how good he is, and always happy that he is always with me regardless of what’s happening to me.




This is how I fix my thoughts on heaven (Colossians 3:2) and concentrate on what is lovely and pure (Philippians 4:8) and avoid getting overwhelmed by trouble that is light and momentary anyway (2 Corinthians 4:17) - I think about Jesus and what he has done, how much he loves me, and how much I love him, and that fills my heart with joy. Always.




Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank you for never changing and always staying the same so that I can always be full of JOY! You do not disappoint, discourage, or fail me, and I am so thankful. Thank you for your love and comfort, for your forgiveness and grace, and for your many blessings in my life. Thank you that I can choose to let this thinking dominate my thoughts and not be overwhelmed by troubles when they come. I love you and praise you and pray in your name, amen

10 September 2014 
“Firm Footing”

Psalm 143:10
Teach me to do your will for you are my God. May your gracious spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.

“You are my God...” People do the will of the god they serve. For the one who believes in money to solve all of their problems and  to make them happy, they will work long hours, cheat, steal, hoard, and become greedy, selfish, and stingy. This is how one serves money; it takes a lot of time to acquire it and a lot of maintenance to keep it. The day they realize they still aren’t satisfied is the day they realize the result of serving their god, money.

And the ones who pour every single bit of time, energy, and resources into their children, a hobby, sport, or craft in order to have a satisfying life shouldn’t be surprised that when it’s all over they are broke in every possible sense of the word feeling emptier than ever. This is the result of serving that god - financial, emotional, physical, and spiritual bankruptcy. 

“Teach me to do your will...” because YOU are the God I serve. I want to do all the things as whole heartedly as a money grubbing, golf fanatic, backstage mom would. But the God I serve leads me to blessings (Deuteronomy 6:1-3), fulfillment (John 10:10), and eternal life (John 3:16). My life will not lead to loneliness, brokenness, or any other disappointing conclusion from serving my God.

“Lead me to firm footing...”  I have fallen off of a ladder before because I literally dint’ have a firm foothold on the thing. It was awful. The fall was so swift and immediate; there was nothing I could do but fall. The result was painful and visible. Living in such a way that isn’t completely based on God’s Word (His Laws, His Commands, His Way, His Plans) is living on unsure footing. There’s no stopping the immediate fall, the destruction on the way down, and the pain that will surely follow. 

Since my ladder incident, I am now extremely careful when I’m on one. Likewise, why not be just as careful about how I live, what I do, and what I say, and even how I say it? I live this way in order to never be on unsure footing  again. That’s how I serve the God I serve. I let him lead me forward on a firm footing.

Dear God,
Thank you for always leading me to right places, good place, places I should be, places of satisfaction and wholeness. I never regret putting my hope and trust in you, I never feel broken from doing your will, and I never have fallen destructively and painfully from obeying you. I love you so much and I thank you for making a way for me to serve you so I don’t have to come up with something else to serve that will leave me empty and hopeless. I thank you that YOU, by YOUR Son, give me a rich and satisfying life (John 10:10)! I love you and praise you, and pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

4 September 2014 
“Wholesome Following”

2 Timothy 1:13
Hold to the pattern of wholesome teaching you have learned from me - a pattern shaped by faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus.

Wholesome teaching... The way we live and continue to live is by following God’s Word. But God’s Word can get distorted by popular books and “Christian” marketing attempting to make Christianity more socially acceptable for everyone. That’s why Paul says to follow him as he follows Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). And that is why Pastor Dean says keep your Bibles open during church and make sure what the pastor says is directly from Scripture and not a manipulative paraphrase. God’s Word is fine just as it is. Content doesn’t need to be added, subtracted, ignored, or touched up (Proverbs 30:5-6). Scripture doesn’t need color, flavor, or flare. Keeping God’s Word just like it is and following it just as it says is what wholesome teaching is. And that leads to wholesome following. God’s Word, as is, is the real deal, good and nourishing for my soul.

A pattern shaped by faith and love...  The more I love Jesus, the more I change my ways. It’s  just a natural side effect of love. I do it for my husband and kids all the time. I love them. I love them so much that I don’t mind making their favorite foods for dinner even though I’m super tired and a bowl of cereal sounds good to me. I don’t mind washing their clothes, running errands, or doing the things they want to do because I love them. It doesn’t enter my mind to hold a grudge because I’m not doing what I want; loving them has changed my preferences. It’s a pleasure to please them because my heart is so full of love for them.

I love Jesus. I purpose to think about him and all that I love about him a lot during the day - same as I do with my family. And the result is the exact same. I don’t mind pleasing him. My behavior, actions, thoughts, and words are shaped by faith and love for him, and I don’t mind one bit.  It is a pleasure to love my loved ones with every bit of me!

Dear God,
Thank you for preserving your Word for so many years so that I can have access, easy access, to it today. Thank you for making your Word so clear, for giving us wisdom, hope, joy, and salvation. You are so good to me and my heart’s desire it to please you because I love you. I thank you so much for your Son and for our time together this morning. I love you so much and I thank you and praise you in Jesus’ name. Amen.

3 September 2014 
“The Un-Modern Modern World”

Galatians 3:28
There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Jesus abolished our societal divisions over 2,000 years ago. Still our culture remains very backwards, divided, slow, and oppressive in comparison to our freedom giving equal loving Jesus.

To this day in our country, even with the 14th Amendment in tact, racial tension is still a huge problem and not getting better. The Watts Riots and Rodney King verdict may have been decades ago by now, but the crisis in Ferguson, MO was just last month! And half of our country likes to complain there is a “War on Women” perpetuated by the other half of the country even though the 19th Amendment was ratified almost 100 years ago now. Clearly, laws do not put an end to factions, laws do not change hearts, and laws do not make people truly free.

Only Jesus does that! He made us all free, did away with all factions, and truly has offered equal rights to be part of God’s family to anyone who is interested.

When Jesus came, he talked directly to women (John 4) and even taught them (Luke 10) even though it was not socially customary to do so at the time. Jesus touched sick people with his own bare hands (Matthew 8) which was a real religious no-no. And Jesus told Paul how to instruct people who are not socially equal...

Ephesians 6:5-9
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.
Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites. 

Live as though you are equals because you actually are equals! We have the same Master in heaven, and he has NO favorites!

God is more modern than the “modern” world. He isn’t distinguishing between us, and Jesus freed us from all distinctions and made the group of Believers one “nation,” a “people” that “belongs” to HIM (1 Peter 2:9).

What the world doesn’t give, and also doesn’t even promote, it can’t take away. God made every single person of every single race, shape, size, culture, social status, and gender one in Christ Jesus. And I love living in that freedom and not being bound and restricted by this un-modern modern world.

Dear God,
Thank you for making me free and that I can be saved by your Son and loved by you same as anyone else who calls on you. Thank you that you have no favorites and you truly want everyone to come to their senses and be saved. (2 Peter 3:9) This shows how kind and wonderfully loving you are, and it also makes my life so rich and full as I can enjoy the freedom I have in your Son wholeheartedly every day. Thank you so much, I love you very much, and I pray in Jesus’ name.    Amen.

2 September 2014 Love and rules go together...

Psalm 119:64
O Lord, your unfailing love fills the earth; teach me your decrees.

I find it interesting that love and rules go together.

Parents love their children. And our love is expressed through emotion, contact, gifts and privileges, and also through correction and discipline. It’s the same love source just being expressed in many different ways.

In fact, God says that if we don’t discipline our kids, then we don’t really love them. 
(Proverbs 13:24) For love to be expressed through correction and discipline means there are rules. Rules and love go together.

God is not a “free spirit,” tolerant, or loose. He disciplines us because he loves us. And for there to be discipline means there are rules. Rules and love go together.

Hebrews 12:10-11
For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

It’s important to keep in mind that discipline is not synonymous with punishment. Discipline is just another word for rules. If a marathon runner is disciplining himself to run a marathon, there are certain rules he requires himself to adhere to prior to the race. It’s usually hard word, but it’s worth it to marathon guy who loves running. Rules and love go together.

Sometimes it’s hard to keep my mouth shut, but I know God’s Word says to not repay insult with insult. (1 Peter 3:9) It’s hard work, but it’s worth it to Believers who love Jesus! Besides, he give us the desire and ability to do what pleases him through the power of his Holy Spirit!  (Philippians 2:13)

I LOVE God! I love everything about him. He is amazing and creative, artistic, compassionate, kind, loving, and full of surprises. I love him! And because I love him, I want to please him. And because he loves me, he wants me to accept all of his love including the discipline (the rules) just like I would require of my own kiddos because I love them to pieces. 

Love and rules go together. Nicely.

Dear God,
Thank you for your great plans and your good will and your “rules” that aren’t burdensome by the fact that you generously pour out your Holy Spirit to give me the desire and the ability to do what pleases you. I want to please you because I love you. Help me to do and say things today that remind me that I belong to you. You are my Dad, and I love you so much. And I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.