In The Face of Evil

It was supposed to be a fun evening. Costumes and film marathons.  For one town, it ended up anything but fun.


This past week, we couldn't believe what we were hearing.  A crazed man in Aurora, Colorado had opened fire in a crowded movie theater, killing and wounding many people.  He apparently had plans to do more, setting up explosives and booby traps in his car and apartment.  How scary.  What is this world coming to?  It's enough to make a person afraid to go anyplace.


It seems like every time we turn around there is another psychotic person that is hurting or killing innocent victims.  We can  easily get depressed and cynical about life.


And yet...this is what life, here on earth, includes.  Pain.  Suffering.  Senseless death.  We wonder "Why?"  There is no answer.  We don't know...and we may never know, this side of heaven.  We do know that in the midst of the suffering there is also something else.  Hope.  Hope that can take away all of our fears.


Over two thousand years ago the same things were going on.  There were insane and barbaric men in those days also.  They got some maniacal thought in their head and acted upon it.


One man was so jealous of a completely innocent person, that he couldn't stand it.  The more that he thought about another person taking away his power, he became more and more obsessed with keeping what he had.  He would stop at nothing to make sure that he didn't lose what was rightfully his.


This man was a king.  He had heard that a baby was born that was also a King.  He stewed and thought about it...for about two years...and finally snapped.  He ordered all young male babies two years of age and younger to be killed.  Soldiers obeyed.  They went from town to town, slaughtering innocent little boys.  How horrible.  Can you imagine their poor families?  I'm sure they were thinking, "What is this world coming to?  It's enough to make a person afraid to go any place."


Yet, unbeknownst to King Herod...and those poor families....there was Someone waiting, A tiny Boy that would hold the answer to those questions in His outstretched Arms.  He was safe and protected in Egypt, waiting for the time when He would come and save His people.  Save them by dying on the cross to take their place.


So when we look at television news, or read the newspaper and see the tragedies that are out there, we can know.  Perhaps the tragedies are in our own families.  Maybe we are living in the aftermath of a death, or sickness.  Yet, we can know.  We can know that Jesus is waiting for the time when He will come again and bring us all to Him.  At that point, we will have no more sorrows...no more pain to endure, for He will have all of the answers to all of our questions. And you know what?  The questions probably won't even matter anymore.  

Reflections In The Storm

Please watch this video and be blessed.
http://vimeo.com/16404771

Isn't she PRECIOUS??  Her name is Mary Margaret, and she is six years old.  What a great teacher she is!!

Although this story is not word for word from the book of Jonah, in the Bible, it covers all of the main points and is a great rendition.  Here are my thoughts on the story.

Jonah thought of himself as a true man of God.  But as soon as God gave him a command, what did he do?  He began to overthink things.  He thought about them so much that it affected his sleep.  In his thinking, he began to shift the focus on God's request.  Instead of thinking of the Ninevites, he began to  think about himself....  "They'll laugh at me." ?It's so far!" "They'll hurt me!"  Instead of it being about God and His command...it became about Jonah.

The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became.  He became so scared that the only way "out" he could think of, was to run away.  He was willing to give all that he had to get on that ship.
Once in the ship, Jonah thought he was off scott free!  Now I can have a new life for myself...I can do what I want!!  I don't have to do anything I don't want to do!  After a time, the ship was far from shore.  Then the wind began to blow.  God sent a storm to shake Jonah up.  At first, Jonah slept through the storm.  He was unaware of the chaos that he was in.  When he finally realized what was going on...he recognized the Hand of God.  He saw how his decision had not only affected him...it affected those around him.  The sailors had lost precious cargo, because of him.  They were in danger of losing their lives.

He knew he had a decision to make.  He admitted out loud to the sailors that the catastrophe was his fault.  He told them to throw him overboard in order to save themselves.  It wasn't them that God was angry with..it was him.  So they did as he asked.  Immediately, the sea became quiet.

Down, down, down he went..as far down as he had ever been.  Then, just when he thought he couldn't get much lower, a sudden whoosh took him up and he found himself in a quiet, dark place. It stank like the inside of a...big fish!! Jonah hadn't quite learned yet.  Still focused on himself, he began to think, "It's so dark in here!" "What will become of me?" "Maybe God will still hear me!"  He began to slowly look away from himself and look..up.

He turned to the LORD.

He thanked God for saving him.  He began with an attitude of gratitude. He repented of his sin. And then what happened?  Nothing.  Jonah prayed and did not see any difference in his situation.  Jonah kept praying. For three days he prayed.  Finally God saw that Jonah had changed, and He had the big fish spit Jonah out on dry land.  Right away, without a glance at himself, Jonah thanked God and obeyed Him when He was told to go to Nineveh.

Jonah was bold as he told the Ninivites to repent and turn to the LORD.  Can you imagine the reaction of the Ninevites?  Here was this smelly and dirty stranger telling THEM how to live their lives!  He definitely got their attention.  Maybe what he said was right. They looked at their lives and knew they were doing wrong.  They repented, and God was pleased.

Back to ole' Jonah.  He had climbed on a hill and waited.  While he sat there, he probably began thinking of his visit to Ninivah.  Wow!  How bold he had been!  He wasn't scared at all!  He had put his life on the line!  He sure was a brave guy!  Whoo Hoo!  God was gonna give it to those Ninivites!  He was going to punish those horrible, sinning people!  He waited...and waited...and waited.  And then what happened?  Nothing. God didn't punish them at all!  By this time, Jonah was all focused on himself once more and began to complain. "I feel like a fool!" "All MY work was wasted!" "God isn't going to destroy Nineveh!

Then God reminded Jonah.  "Jonah, will you never learn My Love?  My Love is great.  It is greater than My anger..and it is for all My creatures.  God is a god of second chances, and third...ad infinitum.  God tells Jonah to love as He Loves.  Then he will be a true man of God.

How we are like Jonah!  How often do we think we are good Christians.  Our relationship with God is "fine"!  Sure, we aren't perfect, but God doesn't care...He knows that!  Has He put something on our heart that we should do? Maybe we don't want to do it.  When the feeling won't go away, perhaps we take off in the opposite direction, trying to ignore that persistent "nagging" Voice.  Maybe we can drown it out with other things.  Maybe if we party enough we can make it go away.  Maybe if we find the right person, they can silence the knocking on our heart's door.

We may find ourselves in a low place.  Lower than we have ever been.  Our actions have caused us pain..and perhaps others, too.

We turn to God, thinking maybe He will still hear us.  And then what happens?  Perhaps nothing.  Is God listening?  Yes He is.  He is always listening.  He is waiting.  Maybe He is waiting for us to quit looking at ourselves and look up...to Him.  The more we focus on ourselves, the more frightened we become...the worse our imaginations can make situations become.

Our brokenness can be a great witness.  Sure, we might have scars and look like we've spend 3 days in the belly of a big fish, but we can get people's attention!  We can show them by the change in us, that God is the god of second chances..and third..ad inifinitum....

We have to be careful not to change our focus back on ourselves and get upset at God for not punishing others.  Just because we think they ought to suffer the wraith of God, doesn't mean He thinks it should be done.  Will we ever learn His Love?  His Love is greater than His Anger.  We must obey the LORD and love as He Loves.  Leave the outcome to Him...and be grateful for His second chances.

Dancing With The Wind

The winds woke me up.  It was 3:30 a.m. and the gusts were approx. 55 mph.  I was safe and snug in the house, but outside the storm was raging.  Tropical Storm Debby was approaching.

By noon, the rains had let up, but the winds were still fierce.  I sat and watched the branches of the avocado tree through the window.  The branches would rise and fall with each gust.  They would float up as high as possible, and then dip down low.  The next thing you know they were being yanked sideways, back and forth.  Yet in all of their movement, they seemed to have almost a graceful quality.  Almost like an elegant dancer.  They seemed to go where their partner led them...up high, down low, then side to side.  The branches didn't move on their own...they gracefully followed where they were led to go.

I began to think about how those branches were formed.  They were made to bend and sway.  They were designed to have a 'give' to them.  If they were too stiff, they would break at the slightest storm.  The branches that were dead were easily broken.  They had no 'give' at all and snapped.

God formed us in a similar way.  He made us to be able to 'bend' in life's situations.  Many times we are advised to be flexible.  Don't expect too much, or depend too much on other people or circumstances.  We can be disappointed.  This is good advice.  Like the branches we need to relinquish our will.  Do you ever see a branch stubbornly refuse to move in a breeze?  No.  Lean and yield to each situation that God may place you in.  Let Him lead you.  Take His Hand and let your Partner guide you in every step of the Dance He has designed for you.  Without your knowledge, your dance will be poised and graceful.

Be careful that you aren't a dead branch.  If you don't have the Spirit of God flowing through you, you can become dead and brittle inside.  You will break under the slightest pressure.  Keep the Spirit alive through the Word and Fellowship with other believers.

Then dance...dance with the Wind...the Breath of God.

The Transformation

I had to do something.  The smell was really getting intense.....  Those three black bananas had to go!!

I hated to throw them away...one banana, fine...but THREE?  I would feel guilty...knowing they could be put to good use.  I checked the recipe...yep had all of the other ingredients.  Banana bread for tomorrow's breakfast!!
As the shortening, eggs and sugar were mixing, I began to peel the bananas.  They were so gross to the senses..  Gooey, smelly and ugly...yuck.  I added the bland flour, soda and salt with a little bit of flavoring.
Into the hot oven it went.  After a few minutes the strong smell of the rotton bananas began to change...ummmm!  To look at it, you couldn't tell that anything good was happening, it still looked like batter.  But your nose can tell you...something's different.  By the end of the hour, you're ready to climb into the oven to eat it, it smells so good!!  Then you see the change that those three rotten bananas have gone through...into a beautiful, golden loaf of bread.

I began to think about that transformation process...and how it related to life. 

Now work with me here...don't be offended and think I'm comparing you to a decaying piece of fruit!  But...there are a few similarities. 

We may not be considered a piece of fruit...but we are rotten.  To the core.  God's Word says that "We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind."~Isaiah 64:6.  Inside, we are all like that black banana...full of sin and corruption.  Left on our own, we are disgusting.  To look at us...no one would want us, we would be considered an article for the garbage pail.

But then Someone picks us up.  Someone Who thinks that we are not destined for the trash heap.  As preparations are made, unbeknownst to us, He begins to take away our peeling.  It is not a pretty process.  Inside, what He finds is raw material.  Soft and moldable.  It has been neglected and left to rot, not knowing it's potential. He adds some other seemingly bland material to our lives.  Material or events that by themselves wouldn't mean a thing.  But when He mixes them together, something begins to take place.  A little flavoring of life is added to make the end result more appealing.

Then suddenly we are thrown into the fire of a hot oven.  Events take place that can't possibly be good for us.  It's so uncomfortable.  How can this be a positive thing? 

But then, a fragrance begins to slowly emerge.  The fragrance of change.  To look at us, no one could tell there has been a change, but something is definitely happening. 

We remain in the fire...and we begin to notice a difference in us.  We are growing. All of the events and circumstances that have happened to us have 'mixed together' to form us into something different.  We have a Master Chef that is keeping a watchful Eye on our oven.  He knows the exact moment that we should be removed from the heat.  Once we are, the results are amazing.  What was once a repulsive piece of produce is now a new creation.  Our Master Chef has made a new thing in us.  He has created a new heart in our innermost being. 

2 Corinthians 5:17 states, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"  Christ does the transforming.  In the same way that the bananas can hang on their hook for a month and 'wish and wish' to be changed...it can't happen.  For two reasons...one, bananas can't wish, and two...they can't change by themselves either.  It takes the Hand of the Master Chef to mold and mix and bring His new handiwork into being.  We just have to be willing to go through the peeling process and to go into the fire that is necessary, to grow.  We have to resign our 'will' and give it to the Father.

We will have to go through this transformation a number of times.  But know that each time, God has a plan and the end result will ultimately be for our good.

Surrender your life and see what the Lord can make of you.  It will be a pleasing sacrifice that He will turn into a beautiful reward.                             

Resting in the Father's Hand



Daddy and I (age 1)

 Remember the song, 'Put Your Head On My Shoulder"?  Here's a variation:

My mother used to tell me about a rather strange little habit I had when I was a toddler.  Apparently I used to love to lay my head in people's hands!  Yes, weird I know...  People would hold out their hand, and I would lay my head in it!  The above picture is an example.  It's a picture of my dad waking up to see me wheeling over to say "Good morning".  He put out his hand over the side of the bed, and I promptly placed my little head inside.  I guess I must have felt sheltered in knowing that I was safe and secure with his large hand holding me.

As I grew up, I moved away from my penchant for palms.  I forgot about my dependence on my daddy's hand.  I loved to be cradled in his arms if I was hurt or sad...but the older I got, the less I seemed to 'need' his secure hold.

Isn't that how it is with our Heavenly Father?  When we first come to know Him, we rest in His Hands, knowing that He is our Fortress and Protector.  Then we tend to grow away from Him...little by little..  New interests take over.  We get caught up with life, work or activities.  Our lives are filled with overtime and paychecks.  We may have a stack of bills and not enough money to pay them.  We worry and fret. Before we know it, we've forgotten how it felt to be held by our Father.  We've lost consciousness of how safe and secure we felt in our salvation.  Questions may begin to invade our brain..."Am I REALLY going to heaven when I die?" "Does God REALLY love me?"  "I don't see Him working in my life.  Maybe He has left me on my own."

Did God leave?  No.  He's still in the same place.  He hasn't moved an inch.  I once heard this analogy that made so much sense to me.  They said to light a candle.  The candle represents God.  Now turn and put your back to the candle.  Can you see it?  Look over your shoulder.  Is it still there?  It didn't go anywhere.  Who turned away from the Light?  We do.  God doesn't move...we are the ones who do the moving...away from Him.  He is just waiting for us to turn around so we can see Him.  He's just waiting for us to draw near to His Warmth, and place our head...our hearts into His open Palm...to give us a place to rest. 

Jesus tried to let us know how much He cared about our burdens.  Matthew 11:28 states, "Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."  The Father speaks through 2 Corinthians 6:18 of His longing for us to turn to Him. "I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters."  He wants to be the Daddy that we run to, when we are sad.

Place your heavy, tired head into the open Palm of the Father.  He will cradle you and relieve you of the weight of the world that is on your shoulders.  Rest in your Father's Hand.

The Practice

                        

prac·tice

   /ˈpræktɪs/ [prak-tis]

noun

1. habitual or customary performance
2. habit; custom
3. repeated performance or systematic exercise for the purpose of acquiring skill or proficiency

You've heard it said..."Practice, practice, practice".  "Practice makes perfect".  "Practice what you preach".  "Put your faith into practice".

The term 'practice' will never be just a routine word for me anymore.  It will always remind me of someone that gave the word 'practice' a whole new meaning. 

I am a member of First Baptist Church of Palmetto, FL.  We have been blessed to have an associate pastor by the name of Joe Choate for many, many years.  He has been an inspiration to countless people. 

Joe carried our church through a very difficult period of time.  For over three years we were without a senior pastor, and Joe stepped up to fulfill the job on a "temporary" basis.  He preached almost every Sunday, and led countless services and pastoral duties...all while dealing with recurring cancer.  He knew that God had given him that job, not because it was necessarily something he wanted to do...but because he was a faithful servant that obeyed. In the same way that Joe knew he could count on God to always be by his side, God knew He could count on Joe to step up and do what was needed.  They had a relationship with each other that was fed by prayer.  Joe could always talk to his Father...and his Father could speak to him.

When Joe's cancer came back for the second time, he told the congregation that he needed us to pray for him.  He needed the prayers and we needed the practice.  This became a recurring mantra of sorts around the church.  He often teased us about it, but there was an underlying truth to the banter.  He did need the prayers...and he knew we needed to practice at the art of praying.

Practice at praying??  How odd that may sound.  But when you think of it...he had a point.  The dictionary says that practicing is a habit or systematic exercise.  We exercise our muscles to make them stronger...we exercise or 'practice' our prayer life in order to strengthen it.

They say that it takes about 21 days, or about three weeks of doing something on a daily basis to become a habit.  What is a habit?  It is an acquired behavior pattern that because of repitition, becomes almost involuntary.  Why would Joe want us to practice at praying?  Because he knew we need prayer ln our lives.  We need to work on our own relationship with God on a daily basis, until we don't even have to think about it.  That way, our prayers don't always reach God's ears when we are in trouble.  It's more of a connection...of the heart.  A connection that we foster daily.  If we are in a relationship with someone, we have to have communication.  If we don't talk to our spouse or significant other every day, that intimacy will be disturbed...or shattered.  The same thing goes with our relationship with God.  Joe knew that.  He tried to encourage us to avoid that spiritual scenario.

On Sunday January 15th, Joe met his Heavenly Father face to face.  We thank God for his life and for all that he shared with us, here on earth.  We will miss him terribly.  Our love and prayers go out for his grieving family and friends, that God will envelop them with His Peace.  We pray for them, because they need the prayer....and we need the practice.

Practice makes perfect.

The Anniversary

                                       


Thirty three years ago today I asked a question that changed my life.

I had gone to visit my sister in South Carolina.  I was about to turn 19, and up to this moment, was a relatively happy young woman.  I was going to junior college, after having graduated from high school the summer before.  Living at home with my parents...my life seemed to be fine.

Then I went to South Carolina.  My sister and her fiancee' were getting ready to go to church, and asked me if I wanted to go along.  I liked church...hadn't gone on a regular basis for a few years, but I thought, sure, why not?

I looked up to my sister, Patti.  Still do.  She was such a happy person. Unlike myself, who was very introverted.  Painfully shy...I found it very hard to speak to people I didn't know.  We went to church, and I watched, as during the service they participated in the Lord's Supper.  I observed Patti, as she ate the bread that represented the Body of Christ.  She had a look of ultimate peace upon her face.  I quietly thought, "I want that.  I want peace.  It was if I knew there was something missing in my life.  I was happy...but I didn't have joy.  I wanted it.  So quietly, I prayed, "Can I have it?  Please God, take over my life and give me that peace."

At that moment, I knew something was different.  It was like I could not get enough of trying to know God on an intimate level.  I got my Bible out, that I had received when I was 8 years old.  I had tried to read it before, but didn't understand it.  The words made more sense now, but the translation was a bit difficult.  My grandfather gave me a Bible that was easier to understand.  I found a church in the area, and began to attend and learn.  Things started to make sense.  It seemed like the more I sought to learn about God, the more I knew Who He was. 

That was thirty three years ago.  The journey still continues.  I still have that same peace that I received that first day of January in 1979. Unbeknownst to me at the time, but it was the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in me.   It was not only the first day of a new year...it was the first day of the beginning of a new life for me...a rebirth.  That's not to say that I haven't gone through tough times.  I have gone through more than my share...but through it all, I knew that I wasn't alone.  I had Someone that held my hand through it all.  Someone who held me up when I couldn't go on under my own power.

And that shy, young girl who couldn't talk to people?  I was slowly transformed into a brave woman, who has no qualms about speaking, and at times even singing in front of a large crowd.  I couldn't do any of that changing on my own...it was a supernatural metamorphesis.  It was God.

2 Corinthians 5:17 states that if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation.  The old has passed away and they are a new person.  It may sound like an impossible trick, but I have experienced that on a deep and personal level.  It's not a trick, it is true and very real.  And it began with a question. 
"Can I have that peace?"

The answer was a resounding, "YES!"  If you ask the same question, it is guaranteed you will get the same answer.  Luke 11:9 states "And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."  Notice that there are no conditions.  It's not dependant upon how much money you have, or how good you are, or what religion you are affiliated with.  It says simply to ask.

Do you feel something missing in YOUR life?  The answer lies in a simple question.