PERSISTING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD

Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.
Will Rogers

Great thought, isn’t it? I try to hang these thought provoking, attitude adjusting signs around the office, mainly for myself and so others can hold me to it. I’m hopeful that it might brighten the day for some and offer some small encouragement to others. This sign has been up for about six weeks. I see it every day, about 36 times, as I go to the first floor. I’m the one that posted it, walked by it about 1,080 times, and still didn’t actually understand it until yesterday. Well, I’ll be a buffalo.

Do your yesterdays take up too much of your today? My yesterdays take up way too much of my time. For that matter, my tomorrows do too! Here’s the thing about yesterdays – they are over! Done. Yesterday is dead and gone. We can’t go back. We can’t do over. We can’t change them.

Oh, how we’d like to sometimes, that’s why our yesterdays take up so much of our todays. Those situations where we didn’t do what we were supposed to do and we did do what we weren’t supposed to do. Those Paulish things. Like when the jaws of life have to be used to remove my foot from my mouth, repeatedly, or when I pass by and over a hurting one, repeatedly. Those thoughts are like records, yep, I’m that old. If we allow them to, those yesterday moments play over and over in our minds. What a waste of a good moment. A moment that can never be gotten back.

How much time do we really waste in our yesterdays? Thoughts of those delightful things of yesterday and thoughts of those regretful things of yesterday? You see, we can waste just as much time on the delightful. What, you say? True, I say. Haven’t you ever had such a delightful experience that you’ve dwelt on so much that the experience gets skewed a little in our minds? I have. What ends up happening is that my mind blows it so out of proportion, that my current day, nor any day to come could ever live up to the unicorns and cotton candy.

Same is true for regretful experiences. Why do those seem to play more often and much louder in our minds than the delightful moments? Shoulda, coulda, woulda’s. Why’s? If’s?

If we are not on our guard, the regretful experiences can outweigh the delightful experiences and the delightful experiences can cause us to be out of touch with reality. It’s really a balancing act. Do we really want to be stuck in the past anyway? The reality is that the past is never as great as it’s remembered and it’s never as awful as it’s remembered.

If I spent as much time on my todays as I do rehashing my yesterday’s today, I’d have more time in my todays to do what I’m supposed to be doing today, without being stuck in yesterday!?!?

In her book Jesus Calling, Sarah Young says:

Rehearsing your troubles results in experiencing them many times, whereas you are meant to go through them only when they actually occur. Do not multiply your suffering in this way!

That’s profound. You see, we do rehearse, don’t we? But, when we are rehearsing, when we dwell, when we dramatize, the time spent on living today is spent on living in a yesterday that’s already been lived and we just can’t be used by God. Why? Because yesterday is our idol, good or bad. We can only have one thing or one person to worship. God.

He’s the One who separated the days. They are not continuous. Every day is a new day.

Together these made up one day. Genesis 1:4
This happened on the second day. Genesis 1:8
This all happened on the third day. Genesis 1:13
This all happened on the fourth day. Genesis 1:19
This all happened on the fifth day. Genesis 1:23
This all happened on the sixth day. Genesis 1:31
God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy. Genesis 2:3

Every day is separate, distinct. Every day different. Every day a new creation. Every day new mercies.

Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day.

Lamentations 3:23

The Lord said don’t look to the past, look to the future. I am the Lord. I made a dry path through the sea. I drew the armies beneath the waves.

But forget all that – it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.

Isaiah 43:18

Forget the former stuff. Move on. Don’t live in the past hurts, past disobediences, past fears, the past waves. Live in today. Live expectantly. Stop rehearsing the past.

I—yes, I alone—am the one who blots out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again. Isaiah 43:25

If God does not rehearse our yesterdays, and He would have every right to – I mean, He’s God, why should we? Our pasts are nothing compared to what our futures can be. Don’t let your yesterday interfere with what God has in store for you today. Onward! Forward! Upward!

This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

This morning the worst-best and I went for a walk. As we’re walking along I’m crying out. Completely heartsick, grieving, seeking answers, begging for eyes and ears to open, asking for the Lord to come and deliver, even so come, right? No, wait — stop. Not yet. We need more time.

As we tromp through the soggy soil, limbs whacking, burrs sticking, briars  briaring, through soaked eyes, I spy something up ahead on the other side of the creek. Tears can be distorting, but Holy cannoli! This simply cannot be happening. It’s a Snowy Owl!!! Do you see it? A once in a lifetime chance. It’s just crazy. I snap the shot. My heart pitter patters as I think about running to the house to call The National Audubon Society. I already have visions of the worst-best gazing into the sun streaked sky in her perfect worst-best pose for the article. Better yet, I’ll call the Peterson of Peterson’s Field Guide to Birds of North America. Peterson’s going to trip.

I try to quiet you know who, and we tiptoe – I tiptoed, she clomped, and we inched closer. Closer, closer, closer. But wait! Something was not right. The Snowy Owl was not moving. My heart sank. My first thought is that it’s dead and frozen into an upright position! Oh no, poor bird. My second thought is that maybe it’s deaf and it just can’t hear us. Oh no, poor bird. Ok. If it’s deaf it must also be blind because it would head out if it saw us. Oh no, poor bird. We keep inching.

I should have known something was not right. The worst-best and I are anything but quiet in the woods, the Snowy Owl had plenty of warnings – slobber sounds, panting, tags tinkling – and the dog wasn’t being very quiet either. We round a stump, catch a side view, and sink in disappointment. It’s not a Snowy Owl, it’s a rotting tree limb. Oh my goodness, we were so disappointed. There goes Peterson’s. No posing for the worst-best for the Audubon article.

Agatha Christie once wrote: “Things are not always what they seem.” Duh! Clearly. My Snowy Owl was a decaying tree limb in disguise. What a goof I am! I was easily confused. Why? Because I don’t know my birds. You see, when I got home and checked out the Field Guide, I learned that the Snowy Owl is actually an artic bird that nests in Alaska, Northern Canada and Eurasia. Shenandoah, we’re not in the arctic anymore. Isn’t that such as life?

I hope you will be patient with me as I keep on talking like a fool. Please bear with me. I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. For I promised you as a pure bride to one husband, Christ. But I fear that somehow you will be led away from your pure and simple devotion to Christ, just as Eve was deceived by the serpent. You seem to believe whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach about a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed. 2 Corinthians 11:1-4

The Bible tells us over and over again that things are not always what they seem. Do not be deceived. Just as Peterson’s Guide must be our authority for birds in North America, the Bible must be our authoritative guide of God’s Word. Afterall, He is the author which makes Him the authority. The Word of God, the Absolute Truth, tells us over and over to be on guard.

Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. 1 Peter 5:8-9

Do we know when Satan’s attacking? If we are in Christ, we should assume that Satan’s always lurking. Are we on guard or are we content?

Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. 1 John 4:1

Yikes! Those are some strong words from The Word. How do we know if the message we’re hearing is really from the Lord? If we know our Bibles, we will know. If we know the heart of God, we will know. If we believe Jesus’s teachings, we will know. If we seek, we will find. Don’t be mislead. Satan is crafty. He uses our lives against us. He uses are weaknesses against us. He uses our fears against us. He uses our lack of knowledge against us. He uses our complacency against us. He uses everything ungodly about us against us.

Do we believe everything we hear or see? Trust but verify. Who said that? Trust what you hear, but verify. Trust what you see, but verify. Verify everything in relationship to the teachings of The Word of God. We are all responsible for working out our own salvation and not relying on someone else or something else to do it for us.

Just like Paul taught the Colossian Church to follow the Word of God, he teaches us too:

Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. Colossians 3:16

Start with the words of Christ. Allow them to live in your hearts and make you wise. Use these words to teach each other. Be thankful. Be on guard. Be a student of God’s Word.

Please, please, please don’t ever take my word for it. We are all responsible for ourselves. Read your Bible. Know your Bible. Live your Bible. Obey your Bible. Check every word you hear against The Word. Things are not always what they seem.

Heard a question the other day while walking in the field with the worst-best dog ever. I came home, played the message again and wrote it down – I had to see it on paper to see if it really was the question I thought it was. Was the question asking what I thought it was asking? It was. It is. And, I can’t get it out of my head…

Do you have the courage to be a Biblical Christian?

That’s the question. Do I, Beth, have the courage to be a Biblical Christian? Do you, _____, have the courage to be a Biblical Christian? This is not a yeah, yeah, yeah question. This is not a pop over question. This is a pray fervently, search deeply, think until you’re thoughtless so that He can fill your thoughts, kind of question.

It’s going to be hard to answer that question though I’m not sure it should be. I’ve been carrying this question everywhere I go for a week, pulling it out here and there, praying for illumination, praying for it to be easy, praying that He would take this cup, and I’m only just beginning to wrap my head around the question, it’s meaning, it’s impact, it’s world changing, life giving potential. To be honest, I keep reading the question and sometimes I simply have to glance away, close my eyes, beg for mercy, and praise Him for His grace.

You see, one minute I’ll read the question and get my brave on. Charge! I’ll answer the question with a resounding, Yes!! I’m in, Lord! I will follow You, wherever You may go! I accept! Send me Lord, into all the world! The Message is a simple one. Jesus is who He is! The Bible says what it says! Seems simple enough, right?

It is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a very special place in my heart. We have shared together the blessings of God, both when I was in prison and when I was out, defending the truth and telling others the Good News. Philippians 1:7

If it’s so simple, why then the next minute, am I trembling in absolute terror of what I may be called to say or do? Worse yet, what I may be called because of what I’m called to do or say. What are you talking about, you say? Speaking Truth, I say. The world has names for those who speak Truth.

But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction in order to get away from the Lord.
Jonah 1:3

The next reading of the question finds me apathetic, indifferent, whatev, laissez faire. No courage needed, because it’s not my problem. Everybody’s on their own. Each has to figure out what following Jesus means to them, what the Bible says to them. Everybody has rights, you know! Here’s where I beg for mercy because that answer to the question is not what He has taught.

I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold, I wish you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out of my mouth! Revelations 3:15

Another reading of the question again leaves me completely at odds with the world, yet, to be honest, when I’m of the world, I’m completely at odds with God. Completely.

Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins. You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passions and desires of our evil nature. We were born with an evil nature, and we were under God’s anger, just like everyone else.

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.  Ephesians 2:1-4

The next time I read it I think, who are you Miss Smarty Pants? I’ve seen what you have done. Who are you to tell others what the Bible says, you’re not perfect, you know. Who are you?

But why me? What makes you think that I could ever go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt? Exodus 3:11

Another reading finds another type of fear. Fear of not being heard. Fear of not being able to say the right things. Fear of coming off wrong. Fear of folks not believing me. Fear of death, eternal death for those I love.

What if they won’t believe me and will not obey me but say, “The Lord did not appear to you!” Exodus 4:1

The Lord said to him, “Who placed a mouth on humans? Who makes a person mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say.” Exodus 4:11-12

This world is a rugged place for Believers. The constant pull to the world. The constant heel-digging to stay out of the world. This is nothing new and it’s nothing we haven’t been warned about from the very beginning. It is also not something we should shy away from. The world is still the world – different time, different place, different issues, but mostly not. We’re no different than the folks of the Bible.

When the world hates you, remember it hated me before it hated you. The world would love you if you belonged to it, but you don’t. I chose you to come out of the world, and so it hates you. John 15:18

People like to say it’s all about the love. That is exactly right! The Greatest Commandment from the Father above.

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. John 13:34-35

Just as I have loved you…Not how the world has taught you to love, but how I have taught you to love.

And here is how to measure it – the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends. You are my friends if you obey me.     John 15:13

Sacrificial love. Give up my life for you love. Carry you through the world love. Lay my coat over a puddle for you love. Stand in front of a bus for you love. Catch you when you fall love. Call me names for you kind of love. My earthly life for your heavenly eternity. That’s what love is. That’s how much I want someone to love me – enough. Enough to warn me of danger ahead. Enough to right me when I’m on the wrong path. Enough to throw me a lifeboat when I’m sinking. Enough to show me the way to eternity.

Love me enough…not judge, not to condemn, but to be honest and speak Truth. Our job is simply to tell others what the Bible says, encourage them to learn for themselves what the Bible says, and to speak of His amazing power in our lives. Then, step back and watch God do His God thing. He’s the love-maker, gift-giver, heart-changer. He’s the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. The Good News isn’t only that God loves us – it is that He died for us, that He forgives us, because He loves us enough!

So, back to the original question:

Do you have the courage to be a Biblical Christian?

Not on my own, I don’t. But, with the example from The Word of God; the Spirit’s working in my life; Biblical examples of those who’ve gone before me; the support and encouragement of friends who love me enough to tell me the truth, friends who love me enough to keep me on the Godly path and have saved me from the worldly way of destructive sin; and a God who expects me to be who He made me to be, a child with access to the same power that rose Jesus from the grave, I must. I don’t know if I have the courage, but I do know that I don’t have a choice if I am whose I say I am. I must get my brave on.

And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give your servants great boldness in their preaching. Send you healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus. After this prayer, the building where they were meeting shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. And they preached God’s message with boldness.
Acts 4:29-31

You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you can grow into the fullness of your salvation. Cry out for this nourishment as a baby cries for milk, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness. 1 Peter 2:2-3

I came across those verses this week in my reading. I can’t read these verses without getting the shimmy going…snap, snap, tap, tap, sing it with me:

I know a man, maybe you know him, too.
You never can tell; he might even be you.
He knelt at the altar, and that was the end.
He’s saved, and that’s all that matters to him.

His spiritual tummy, it can’t take too much.
One day a week, he gets a spiritual lunch.
On Sunday, he puts on his spiritual best,
And gives his language a spiritual rest.

He’s just a fat little baby!
Wa, wa, waaaaa….
He wants his bottle, and he don’t mean maybe.
He sampled solid foods once or twice,
But he says doctrine leaves him cold as ice.
Ba, ba, ba, ba…ba, ba…ba, ba!

He’s been baptized, sanctified, redeemed by the blood,
But his daily devotions are stuck in the mud.
He knows the books of the Bible and John 3:16.
He’s got the biggest King James you’ve ever seen!

I’ve always wondered if he’ll grow up someday.
He’s momma’s boy, and he likes it that way.
If you happen to see him, tell him I said,
“He’ll never grow, if he never gets fed.”

He’s just a fat little baby!
Wa, wa, waaaaa….
He wants his bottle, and he don’t mean maybe.
He sampled solid foods once or twice,
But he says doctrine leaves him cold as ice.

Ba, ba…..Heard that before? Some of you have. Fat Baby was sung by Amy Grant in the early ‘80s. It was also part of a kids Christmas musical, Candy Cane Lane – A Recipe for Life, in the ‘90s. It’s a catchy little tune. I promise, if you listen to it, you too will always get the sway on and break out in song when you read those verses in 1 Peter, or when you open the fridge. In addition to memorizing 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, memorize the words to that song. It’s slightly convicting. How so?

Was it enough just to kneel at the altar?That was just the start, not the finish.
How much can we stomach? Are we one and doners? Once a weekers?
Do we open our Bible on Sunday’s or any other day of the week?
Do we know the Books of the Bible – can we quote scripture – but we don’t know who Jesus is or the character of the God who made us?
Are we spoon fed consumers, like baby birds? Open up, drop it in, fly off. Are we willing to let others do the work of study and just report back to us?
Do we know what we believe? Do we know why we believe it?
Do we treat the Bible like a salad bar?

There’s so much more to Jesus than we can even think or imagine! Yet we are most times content to get just enough of Him to get by. That’s not the way it’s supposed to be. When we do that, we are only fooling ourselves. We will never grow in Christ if we don’t get fed. If we don’t grow we will die. Plain and simple.

I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, since you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, because you are still worldly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not worldly and behaving like mere humans? 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

See what Paul says here? I can’t talk to you as spiritually mature adults, because you’re not. You hear what I say but you would rather listen to what the world says. Then he disses them and calls them mere humans. That’s quite a smack down. Mere humans. What would Paul call me? What would he call you?

We start out on spiritual milk, but in order to grow we must eat solid food. The Word of God is nourishment for our souls – it’s the solid food! As we mature and see our true need for God’s Word, we are nourished by it and the Spirit fills our spirits, we will want more, that’s how we grow up in Christ. That’s how it works.

Accepting Christ’s invitation is not the end – it’s the beginning. You see the expectation is for Christians to mature, to eat solid food, to be nourished, so that we can grow. What’s the big deal you say? Well, let’s think about this for a minute. What does food do for us? It powers us. Food has proteins that power our bodies to function. The Word of God powers our spirits. The Bible has proteins that we need. Actually, the Word of God has power that we simply cannot live without. Not dramatic – just truth!

If we are not living in Christ, we are living for the world. If we are not controlled by God, we are controlled by the world. In order to live out the life Christ has planned for us we must be spiritually mature. Spiritual maturity is not a place you arrive. Remember, we are mere humans, but we must have steady growth.

There is so much more we would like to say about this. But you don’t seem to listen, so it’s hard to make you understand. You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things a beginner must learn about the Scriptures. You are like babies who drink only milk and cannot eat solid food. And a person who is living on milk isn’t very far along in the Christian life and doesn’t know much about doing what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who have trained themselves to recognize the difference between right and wrong and then do what is right. Hebrews 5:11-14

If we want to know how mature we are in Christ, we just go to The Word. Do we know the difference between right and wrong? Are we doing right? Right and wrong according to Biblical standards, not the world’s standards.

He’s just a fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fa-at, fat…
Fat, Fat, Fat, Fat, Fat, Fa-at, Fat…
FAT, FAT, FAT, FAT, FAT, FAT, FAAAAAT…
…little baby…

Are we fat little babies? Do we need to grow up?

“Your own wickedness will punish you. You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is to forsake the Lord your God, having no fear of him. I, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, have spoken!” Jeremiah 2:19

Aaaaahhhhh!! Shriek!!!!!!! Wow! Them’s some powerful words. I don’t know about you guys, but that just scared the begeezies out of me. You’re probably thinking holy mackerel, I can’t believe she just blurted out that scary verse. That can’t be in the Bible, you say? That’s not the God I know, you say?

I didn’t put it there to scare you or shock you. I put it there for the Flag Factor. What’s the Flag Factor? Glad you asked. You see, it started out oh so harmlessly. I’m doing Robert Murry McChayne’s Read Your Bible in a Year studies. I’ve been reading in Genesis, Mark, Job and Romans each day. I want to tell you one thing, I love, love, love Genesis. It is riveting, no kidding! In fact, I’m supposed to read a chapter a day in each of those books, and lately, I’ve been reading all four chapters in Genesis. Oh course, that sets me back a bit, but I just can’t put it down. It’s like a good book?!? Sorry, rabbit hole, Where was I? Ok, right – the Flag Factor. There was a verse in Genesis that had a cross reference in Jeremiah. I started exploring.

I found that the prevailing theme of the Book of Jeremiah is that of national sinfulness and imminent judgment. It’s a book of warnings. I know, I’m such a Debbie-downer today.   The messages of Jeremiah were to convince God’s people to turn from their sin back to Him. Know anyone else with that same message? Jeremiah was written to Israel, specifically, the southern kingdom of Judah and its capital, Jerusalem. Ah, he’s talking to the folks of The Holy City. Jerusalem!  Jerusalem!  The same Holy City that Jesus rode through on a colt on Palm Sunday while the crowds sang Hosanna! Hosanna! We’re a little bit like Israel too, aren’t we? Disobedient to God one minute, singing His praises the next.

Anyway, Jerusalem was destroyed, the Temple was destroyed, and the Israelites were captured and taken off to Babylon. All because of sin. Sin has serious consequences. We don’t like to think about that too much. Jeremiah is a book of messages from the Lord. Jeremiah the Prophet gives the messages from the Lord, issues warnings, and then weeps in anguish for their disobedience because he knows they are working out their own destruction. As I was reading, I came across this verse and couldn’t stop thinking about it:

Blow the ram’s horn throughout the land. Cry out loudly…Lift up a signal flag toward Zion. Run for cover! Don’t stand still! Jeremiah 4:5-6

Lift up a signal flag. It’s the Flag-Factor. Why would you wave a flag? To signal. To advise. To warn. To alert. Jeremiah was one flag waving dude. Change your ways, be obedient to God, because there are consequences. The alarm was sounded because the message was alarming.

But God also gave Jeremiah a message of hope for the captives:

“The truth is that you will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. I will be found by you”, says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and bring you home again to your land.” Jeremiah 29:10

Here’s the beauty of the message – God rescues his people – to give them a future and a hope.  It’s always the same story.  Rescue.  Hope.

So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you keep following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live. Romans 8:12-13

Same message. It sounds much more palatable from Brother Paul though, doesn’t it? More gentile, more lovey, less harsh. Nevertheless, the message is the same. Sin has consequences. Here’s the beauty in the message, God gave us a way out, the only way out.  God sent His Son, they call Him Jesus.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

Don’t you just love the buts…the free gift of God is eternal life, a future and a hope, through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Here’s the question I asked myself – if we as Christians are to build each other up, we are to encourage each other in the faith, we are to help each other stay on the path to the narrow gate, be the flag wavers – how are we doing? Are we sounding the alarm? Shouldn’t we be?  Would we let our children walk into the street if we saw an coming car? No, we would tell them to stop, look both ways, decide whether you have time to cross before the oncoming danger. Stop. Look. Listen. Why would we do that? Because we love them and they could die. Jeremiah loved his people enough to wave the flag. Paul loved his people enough to wave the flag. John loved his people enough to wave the flag. Peter loved his people enough to wave the flag. Jesus loved his people enough to wave the flag, in the form of the cross. Shouldn’t we too love our people enough to wave the flag? To alert. To warn. To signal. To advise. To sound the alarm. Isn’t that what we’re called to do?

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world.” Jeremiah 1:5

Look what the Lord said to Jeremiah. There are so many messages packed into that one verse. We’ll leave all that unpacking for another time. It says what it say. Look at Jeremiah’s response to the Lord:

“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”

Jeremiah 1:6

Jeremiah’s saying “Send Aaron!” We too have many excuses, don’t we? But look what the Lord says to Jeremiah:

“Don’t say that, for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and take care of you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Jeremiah 1:7-8

So, are you willing to signal the flag? To warn? To alert? To advise? Do you love someone enough to do that for them? To save them from the consequences? Are we afraid to do that? Sure we are. But didn’t He say He would be with us? Didn’t He say He’d take care of us?  He, the Lord, has spoken.

It is our job to take care of each other and sometimes that’s an uncomfortable task.   But wouldn’t you want someone to signal the flag for you if you were headed in the wrong direction?   Me too.  If we truly love each other we will signal the flag and we will appreciate it when the flag has been signaled for us.  That’s what true love is.

You know I talk to much, I’ve mentioned that before. But I’m trying a new thing. Not talking as much. It’s been a little hard, but I heard something a while back that stuck with me. It made such an impression on me that I wrote it on a sticky note and put it on my monitor at work, right where I can see it all the time.

Is it…
Unkind?
Untrue?
Unnecessary?

Heard these words in a sermon, you may have heard it too. I can’t remember the sermon title or even what it was about, but I do remember it was used as a measure for words. I thought I’d give it a whirl. I think it’s about what I say and not as much about how much I say – maybe that too.

I’ve considered posting these words everywhere as a reminder to myself. You know, in the car, in the barn, on the bathroom mirror, on my nightstand, on the fridge, the palm of my hand. These words made such an impact on me. I pray the impact doesn’t wan.

Here’s the thing, it already has. Oh sure, I repeat them over and over, but it seems that since I’ve taken up the chore (should it be a chore?) of sticking to it,  I’ve gotten worse at it. You know what I mean? Maybe it’s not that my words are more unkind, untrue, or unnecessary… Maybe it’s that I’m simply more aware of my words – thank you Lord! Boy, when I listen to myself, my conversations, my words, they can sting – sting for those I’m talking about (how could my words be so unkind, so untrue, so unnecessary), sting for myself (who the heck do you think you are, Beth?) – sting for my Lord (that’s His reputation I’m damaging). Ahhhhh!!!! Anybody else out there, or am I alone in this?

You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good works from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart. Matthew 12:33-34

I think Jesus just called me out. Oh sure, he was talking to the Pharisees but my words are sometimes evil. I don’t know all the ins and outs of the Pharisees but I do know they had heart troubles. I guess I’m not much different. I’ve been a Pharisee, unfortunately, sometimes I still am. Not proud. Sometimes I have heart troubles and they are reflected in my words. Untrue. Unkind. Unnecessary. Let’s read on…

And I tell you this, that you must give an account on judgment day of every idle word you speak. The words you say now reflect your fate then; either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned. Matthew 12:36-37

This is just going from bad to worse, isn’t it? By my words, my face, and the flailing of my arms, folks will know exactly what’s in my heart. Even worse, my words seal my fate. Holy moly. Here’s the lowdown friends…it’s all about the heart, it’s always about the heart!

Whatever is in your heart determines what you say. Luke 6:45

The problem is that our hearts have an impact on other folks. The sinful words that flow from my heart may be causing someone else heart trouble – I know, I know, everyone’s responsible for their own hearts, true, but nothing in this world is said or done without having an impact on another.

The tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by hell itself… Sometimes it can praise our Lord and Father, and sometimes it breaks out into curses against those who have been in the image of God. James 3:5-9

Here we go again – called out. The words flash – unkind, untrue, unnecessary. Sometimes. I’m convicted. Here’s the thing. I can’t just change my words, well of course I can, but that’s not a permanent fix. Changing my words only treats my symptoms. I need to change the disease that’s causing my symptoms – a faulty, diseased heart. Here’s the other thing, I am not capable of changing or healing my heart, only God can do that. I am powerless to do the right thing without the Holy Spirit.

For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death…Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace. Romans 8:2

It’s not a measure of our words – unkind, untrue, unnecessary. It’s actually a measure of our heart. Allowing the Holy Spirit to control our mind and make right our heart will allow us to change our tongues. Praise God!

Are we readable? I am. Whatever is in my mind is all over my face. I can have a conversation with you without even opening my lips. Eyebrows up. Frowns down. Wide eyed surprise. Mini eyed suspicion. Big smile. Little grin. Pursed lips. Red faced. Pale faced. Head held high. Head bowed. Nose tilted up. Mouth agape. Tears flowing. Stoic stare. Mischief eyes twinkling.

I can carry on that conversation with the rest of my body too – kind of like charades. Rubber neck nation. Hands on hips. Arms folded. Arms flailing. Finger pointing. High fiving. Toe tapping. Jazz hands. Anxious panting. See what I mean?

What do you say when you say nothing at all? What are some of your wordless communications? Hmmm…where do those actions come from? Our expressions reflect what’s inside. Our moods, our thoughts, our attitudes flow out of our bodies through our minds. Oh, I know, some of us are much better at not being readable. Some of us are more composed. Pokerfaced. Not me. You neither? For some of us, try as we may, we cannot hide what we’re feeling inside. Penny for your thoughts kind of people. We’re not alone.

And Jacob began to notice a considerable cooling in Laban’s attitude toward him. (NLT)

At the same time, Jacob noticed that Laban had changed toward him. He wasn’t treating him the same. (MSG)

Jacob also noticed Laban was not as friendly as he had been before. (CEV)

And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before. (KJV)
Genesis 31:2

Remember this story? Isaac sent Jacob to Laban (his mother’s brother) to find a wife. Jacob worked for 14 years for the woman he loved, Rachel, because of Laban’s trickery – see the tension building? Jacob had a slew of children and as he continued to work for Laban, Laban became a wealthy man. Jacob says hey man I need to make a way on my own and provide for my children. Laban says, oh, don’t leave me, I’ll pay you. What do you want? Jacob asked for the speckled, spotted and dark-colored sheep and goats. Laban said ok. But, Laban again was the trickster. He went out and removed all those he promised from the herd. Jacob continued to take care of Laban’s flocks.

With a little bit of miraculousness involving some shoots and bark, Jacobs flocks increased incredibly and he became a very rich man. Laban’s sons were not happy with Jacob’s prosperity and accused Jacob of robbery. Can you just imagine the looks from Laban’s sons? Daggers. Hands high in the air. Finger pointing. It is at this point that Jacob notices a change in Laban’s countenance, in his mood. Laban wasn’t quite as friendly as he had been – his attitude, his position, his posture, his expressions, his demeanor, his disposition, had cooled considerably, and it was written all over Laban’s face. Jacob read Laban’s face like a book.

Are we just as readable as Laban? Chances are, we are. When I think about that, I make the yikes – ugh face. Why? Because I know what’s in my mind is written on my face and in my actions and I’m not always proud of that. Here’s the thing – it’s not about changing the look on my face or taking my hands off my hips, it’s about changing what’s inside my head – that crazy mind of mine. You got one too. Our brains power our whole bodies. My brain tells me to smile, frown, cry, laugh, clap, dance, point – my brain tells me how to act, based on what’s inside. My mind tells me how to express myself. Does anybody besides me need a good mind renewing – yes, yes you do, I can see it! I’m glad I’m not alone.

So, how do we go about it? We can’t just change. Oh sure, some things we can, but we can’t change our minds without the power of God.

But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or irritate one another, or be jealous of one another. Galatians 5:22-26

Our minds are changed when we allow the Holy Spirit to control our lives. Oh sure, it’s a tug of war sometimes. We want to scowl when we don’t get our way, but we cannot change our body language, our face conversations, our flailing arms, we are powerless to do it alone. Only by remaining in Jesus can we change what we say, by changing what we think. What we think dictates our conversations.

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me.

Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:4-5

If we want our conversations to change – verbal and nonverbal, we must remain in Jesus, under the control of the Holy Spirit. Staying connected to the vine is the only way we can produce the face fruits – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. What’s in our minds is written all over our faces. What’s your face saying?

I’m into the Golf Channel – weird, I know. Oh no, I don’t play golf. Never have. I watch it on TV. I watch golf when I want to relax. You know, when you need something to put you to sleep. I used to be into the Weather Channel, that would definitely relax me and put me right to sleep. But then they started with the weather drama. You know, twisters, hurricanes, tsunamis, would you survive this, would you live through that, shows. There’s just too much action there to relax. Besides, the announcers on the Golf Channel whisper – just so they don’t wake me.

I’ve never played golf. Well, technically. I’ve played putt-putt, but after about the oh, I don’t know, third hole, I’m bored to tears and ready to move on to the next thing. I’m not sure I’d be very good at golf, you know, the hand-eye coordination thing, or simply that coordination thing. Anyway, I was vegging to the Golf Channel the other day and I noticed something. I noticed that every hole is not the same. Of course I knew they weren’t all the same, there’s the dogleg left, the dogleg right, the sand hole, short grass, tall grass, uphill, downhill. But something I really didn’t think about was the yardage – not sure that’s the correct term. Anyway, I noticed from one hole to the next that each hole had a different yardage. Hole 14 might be 487 yards to the cup. Hole 18 might be 187 yards to the cup. See, what I was thinking was you go up to take your turn and you just whack the ball. You hit that sucker as hard as you possibly can. Kinda like a home run. Smack! The roar of the crowds tells you where it has landed. It’s a game of chance.

Well, I have learned through the whisperers, that golf is not a whack and go kind of game. The golfers carry around these little books in their back pockets called yardage books (I had to look that up). Tips on how to successfully put the ball into the cup. You see, the playing of each hole is different for each hole. Why? Because all holes aren’t the same, all golf courses are not the same. These little books have a map of the particular hole and note the terrain of the hole, the yardage of the hole, any obstacles on the way to the hole (sandtraps, bunkers, sprinkler heads, water). In addition to the yardage books, all golfers have caddies – someone who carries their baggage, they offer advice and insight on the course. Most caddies have played the course ahead of time in order to guide the golfers. Caddies also carry yardage books and make their own notes in order to make suggestions throughout the course. Golfers and caddies make notes in these little books based on their experiences in playing that particular course previously. You see, these yardage books act as a cheat sheet for each hole, for each course. Frankly, I didn’t realize how much skill, training, precision and study was needed to navigate a golf course.

I started thinking about life. Unfortunately, I think I sometimes play life just like I thought you played golf – get up there, swing as hard as you can to smack that puppy and watch it soar to the flag – hoping your ball doesn’t get lost in the trees. In fact, I sometimes play life like I play putt-putt – I’m bored after the third hole. That careless, bored approach is not the way the game was meant to be played. As I thought about it, I realized that the game of golf, in some ways, can be a metaphor for our Walk With Jesus. We too have a yardage book. You saw that coming didn’t you? It’s The Word of God. To be honest, we only pull out our yardage book based upon what hole we’re on, sometimes, don’t we? But, that’s not how the yardage books work. You see, the pros and their caddies study their yardage books before the match – they know what is in each book for each hole, for each course. They only pull out their yardage books as quick references because they already know what’s in the book. There’s a lesson there!

It is simply not possible to successfully navigate the course of life without pulling out our yardage book — The Word of God. It just can’t be done. Oh sure, we can get up there close our eyes and hack at life, but untrained, aimless, careless, bored, purposeless swings are very dangerous to ourselves and others – fore!!! Yet, if we are not relying on the instruction of the Word of God, listening to the Spirit of God and obeying His directions, that’s exactly what we’re doing – hacking. Remember the Israelites?

Normally it takes only eleven days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea, going by way of Mount Seir. But forty years after the Israelites left Mount Sinai, on a day in midwinter, Moses gave these speeches to the Israelites, telling them everything the Lord had commanded him to say. Deuteronomy 1:2-3

The Israelites hacked around for 40 years when it was an 11 day journey. They obviously didn’t follow the yardage book – ba dump bump!! Nor did they follow the advice of their caddie (Moses) – ba dump bump!! They were hackers.

Look what the Lord says to Caddie Joshua:

“Now that my servant Moses is dead, you must lead my people across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Everywhere you go, you will be on land I have given you – from the Negev Desert in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River on the east to the Mediterranean Sea on the west, and all the land of the Hittites.’ No one will be able to stand their ground against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.

Be strong and courageous, for you will lead my people to possess all the land I swore to give their ancestors. Be strong and very courageous. Obey all the laws Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them, and you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed.” Joshua 1:-7

Pull out your yardage book, study it, don’t try to play the game your way – look what happened to the Israelites – train and meditate on it, it will guide you. Obeying the Word of God – life’s yardage book, will allow you to be efficient, skilled, precise, purposeful in life. Just like golf takes hand-eye coordination. Reading the Word of God takes heart-head coordination. Read it with your head until it makes a change in your heart.

One gift, from the storehouse of 10,000 gifts that God has given us, is the gift of choice. That’s a pretty significant gift. The ability to choose. Have you ever thought about choice as a gift? One of the most important things we get to choose is what we think about – yep — we get to pick what we think about. I know, I know. I have those thoughts too that just can’t possibly be from me. Maybe not all of them are, but I get to pick whether or not I’m going to allow those thoughts to roost in my mind. To dictate how I feel (or fear), to rule my day – it’s a choice.

So what do you think about? I’ve heard it said that if we look at our checkbooks we will see what we worship. Can that be said of our thoughts as well? Whatever we think about most is what we are worshipping. If that’s the case, I need to be more thoughtful to think about what I’m thinking.

When our minds are racing because our lives are racing – when thoughts fly through our minds like a rolling neon message board – when thoughts flash constantly like a strobe light and we cannot even fully grasp the full thought, let alone put it into context, we still get to pick what we think about.

When thoughts pop into our minds and we terror at the thought of them – they send fear rippling through us – how could we think something like that –adrenaline pumping, horror causing kinds of thoughts, we still get to pick what we think. We get to pick whether or not those thoughts get to linger, get to come into complete thought formation – whether or not those thoughts are put into action. When it comes to our thoughts, we are a most undisciplined people. Oh, don’t act indignant, if we’re honest, it’s true.

I read a quote the other day by Dr. Caroline Leaf, from her book Switch on Your Brain:

As we think, we change the physical nature of our brain.
As we consciously direct our thinking, we can wire out toxic patterns of thinking and replace them with healthy thoughts.

Now I don’t know about the science of it all, but the statement intrigued me. If this is true, I want me some of that! Who wants a toxic brain? None of us do, but here comes the ouch — are our thoughts doing just that? Again, if I’m honest and I look at the ruminations that I allow to roost, I’d have to say, yeah, I’ve got some toxicity going on in there. Check this out…

Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9

Truth. Honorable. Right. Pure. Lovely. Admirable. Excellent. Worthy of Praise. Paul says think on these things. We are to choose to think on those things. What happens when we entertain these thoughts? The God of peace will be with us! Who doesn’t want that?

I’m thinking about my poor brain and the thoughts I have that cause deep toxic ruts on the roadways of my brain because of what I’ve chosen to dwell on, to think on. You’ve heard it said that what we take in is what we put out. Junk in, junk out. Poison in, poison out. So, what are we allowing –if you allow, you have chosen to allow – if you choose not to decide you still have made a choice – what kinds of thoughts are building the highways in our mind? Are those thought highways leading to life or death?

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live! Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life. Then you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20

We have a choice! Will we think about life — peace, kindness, gentleness, forgiveness, amazing love, God the Father, eternity, or will we think about a life of death – hurt, anger, drudgery, fear, worry, struggle, pain, grudgery, hate, temporal life. Now or then?  Eternal or temporal?  Blessings or curses? Life or death? We have a choice!

We are human, we will have thoughts that are downright un-Godly – not all fairy dust and unicorns. But, the awesome thing about the thoughts we have is that we get to pick and choose what thoughts will flash on the jumbotron of our minds.

Choosing to control our thoughts is no easy task but if we are purposeful about what we allow to hang out in our thoughts and if we are purposeful about what we feed our thoughts, the Word of God is a good thought food, we will be given the strength to fix our minds on the lovely things.

There is a time for everything,
A season for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and time to rebuild.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to lose.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for way and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Turn, Turn. Turn. We think we don’t have time for anything but, actually, there’s a time for everything. Read it again. I love these verses. It’s one of the few Bible passages I have memorized. I can’t read them without singing them. The lyrics were written by Solomon. The melody was written by Peter Seeger. The song was sang by The Byrds.

Again, it’s one of those passages we tend to gloss over without sinking our teeth into them. Think a little about the context. Ecclesiastes is kind of like an autobiography – King Solomon’s. Remember, King Solomon, son of King David? He was the man. He had it all. Money, power, prestige, wisdom, God’s favor. King Solomon was the “it” man 3,000 years ago.

Towards the end of his life, King Solomon gave his life the once-over. Solomon was brutally honest with himself. We can learn from him, the wisest man to live. He flipped through the pages of his life like he was flipping through a catalog, looking for the meaning here on earth. Solomon’s scrutiny of his life revealed, in his words, that life was empty and “meaningless.” Way meaningless as he mentioned it thirty four times. Do you wonder how King Solomon, of all people, someone who had everything, could come to that conclusion? Meaningless. I glance at my life. Does it have meaning? Not, is it full, of course it is, it’s jam packed. But, is it meaningful? I glance away.

Solomon found that wisdom, pleasure, work, political power, wealth, possession, all the things we let consume us are, in the end, are meaningless. Believe it or not the Rolling Stones did too:

I can’t get no satisfaction, I can’t get no satisfaction
‘Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can’t get no, I can’t get no

Why is that?

God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart…Ecclesiastes 3:11

There it is. He has planted eternity in the human heart. Roll that around a bit. Because we are eternal creatures, we will never be satisfied in the temporal, in this world. All of this temporal life, every changing season, everything for a time, must be seen in the light of eternity.

Fear God and obey his commands, for this is the duty of every person. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Solomon found that what really makes life meaningful. All the things under heaven must be under the authority of the God above. Life is filled with meaning only when we know God and following His commands, His Word. Eternal life cannot be found in the temporal, only in Him.