Category Archives: Knowing Him

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July 11, 2017

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Church & Worship, Faith & Hope, God's Promises, God's Word: The Bible, Holy Spirit, Knowing Him, Salvation: A New You, Sharing Our Faith

I BELIEVE

Kandersteg-Lake OeschinenI passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. [1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (NLT)]

When visiting our mountain church last year, we sang one of Hillsong United’s hits: This I Believe (The Creed). I don’t think I’ve ever been more enthusiastic when declaring my faith in our triune God and it was a joy to sing out my belief. Recitation of the creeds is usually not a part of that church’s worship service and it was wonderful to have the whole congregation join in loudly singing a united statement of our faith.

I believe in life eternal; I believe in the virgin birth.
I believe in the saints’ communion And in Your holy Church.
I believe in the resurrection When Jesus comes again,
For I believe, in the name of Jesus. …
I believe in God our Father. I believe in Christ the Son.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, Our God is three in one.
I believe in the resurrection – That we will rise again,
For I believe in the name of Jesus.
[“This I Believe (The Creed)” by Hillsong United]

The Nicene and Apostle’s Creeds are the most universally accepted and recognized statements of the Christian faith and many of us regularly recite one of these creeds during worship. Unfortunately, we may say the same words so frequently that it’s easy to have them roll off our tongues without engaging our brains. Last month, during the Father’s Day service, our pastor exchanged the traditional Apostle’s Creed with a paraphrased version. Using different words to say essentially the same thing made me think about what I actually was declaring. That creed’s source is unknown, it isn’t an official part of our church’s doctrine or worship service, and its words aren’t over 1600 years old as are those in the traditional creeds. Nevertheless, its words are a beautiful interpretation of those ancient statements of faith.

We believe in God, the one who comes before us and goes behind us, creating life and opportunities to love and care for the world. We believe in Jesus Christ who walks with us into real life each day. He is God, yet human like us and experienced all life’s joys and pains and challenges like we do. But his love is so great that not sin nor suffering nor even death could stop it. Today the love of Jesus lives and continues to bring new life to the world. We believe in the Holy Spirit who comes like the wind and blows in and through us to bring God’s power and light to all the world. The Spirit breathes life into us, the body of Christ we call the church, and enables us to follow the way of Christ. We believe in God, who goes before and behind, with, in, and through us, bringing hope and life and newness to the world. Amen [Source Unknown]

What is it you believe? We’re told to be ready to explain why we have the hope we have and our Christian creeds are a good place to start. As we’ve seen, they can be simplified and paraphrased. They answer the simple question, “What does it mean to be a Christian?”

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. [1 Peter 3:15 (NLT)]

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July 10, 2017

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Attitudes & Behavior, Fruit of the Spirit, God's Grace & Love, Holy Spirit, Knowing Him, Peace of God, Prayer, Thanks & Praise, Today: Make it Count, Trusting God

FIRST, LAST AND IN-BETWEEN

Be happy in your confidence, be patient in trouble, and pray continually. [Romans 12:12 (GW)]

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Whatever happens, give thanks, because it is God’s will in Christ Jesus that you do this. [1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)]

daisy fleabane“Let Christ be first in your thoughts in the morning and last in your thoughts at night,” were the words at the bottom of an Our Daily Bread devotion. A great way to bookend our day, it makes sense to have our first thoughts of the morning and the last at night to be of Christ. Nevertheless, I wonder about all those hours between the opening and shutting of our eyes. What should be first in our thoughts then?

I recently met a woman who said she’s been saying a short prayer before she starts any activity throughout her day, be it thanking God for the privilege of having clothes to launder, asking Him for patience while helping her son with his homework, or keeping her awake during a boring business meeting. Her prayers aren’t fancy; they are, however, heartfelt. “Help me… patience please…direct me…give me understanding…make me strong…show me how to share your love… inspire my words” and “Thank you, Jesus,” are all we need to keep Him in our thoughts all day long. One I frequently say is, “Lord, put your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth!” I only wish I used that one more often.

Jesus, as we move through our day, may your Holy Spirit keep our thoughts centered on you—whether we’re in the “ten items or less” line behind someone with a cart full of groceries, on hold while trying to reach a real person at Comcast, struggling to stretch our dollars to the end of the month or sitting in the doctor’s office hearing news we never wanted to hear. Thank you for the privilege of coming to you in prayer.

I need Thee every hour, Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine Can peace afford.
I need Thee every hour, Stay Thou near by;
Temptations lose their power When Thou art nigh.
I need Thee every hour, In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, Or life is vain.
I need Thee every hour, Teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises In me fulfill.
I need Thee every hour, Most Holy One;
Oh, make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee; Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior! I come to Thee.
[I Need Thee Every Hour (Annie Sherwood Hawks)] 

At the same time the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we don’t know how to pray for what we need. But the Spirit intercedes along with our groans that cannot be expressed in words. The one who searches our hearts knows what the Spirit has in mind. The Spirit intercedes for God’s people the way God wants him to. [Romans 8:26-27 (GW)]

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June 23, 2017

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Bible Stories, Church & Worship, Joy, Knowing Him, Nature, Obedience, Prayer, Thanks & Praise

A FRAGRANT OFFERING

Offer the other lamb in the evening, along with the same offerings of flour and wine as in the morning. It will be a pleasing aroma, a special gift presented to the Lord. [Exodus 29:41 (NLT)]

But the internal organs and the legs must first be washed with water. Then the priest will burn the entire sacrifice on the altar as a burnt offering. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. [Leviticus 1:9 (NLT)]

GARDENIAThe gardenias were blooming. The aroma of those beautiful flowers filled the air as I walked that morning and I paused in my walk just to inhale and relish the pleasant scent.

In the Old Testament, the Hebrews were instructed to offer sacrificial burnt offerings on their altars as gifts to God, making a “pleasing aroma to the Lord.” As a vegetarian, I found it difficult to picture how the odor of burned meat could be considered pleasant. That morning, however, I finally understood the verse’s meaning. It wasn’t the sacrifice of meat that smelled good to God; it was the prayers that accompanied the burnt offerings that made the pleasing aroma.

As I breathed in the scent of the flowers, I wondered, “Is this how God feels when He hears our prayers?” I want my prayers to be as fragrant and pleasing to God as the gardenias were to me. Perhaps gardenia isn’t your favorite scent; maybe it’s the aroma of fresh baked ginger cookies or, in my husband’s case, fresh cooked bacon. Either way, let your prayers be as pleasing to God as your favorite aromas are to you! By the way, I have a sneaky suspicion that praise and thanksgiving smell best to Him; whiny complaints probably smell a bit like burnt toast!

O Lord, please accept my prayers as a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. May you always find them sweet smelling.

Accept my prayer as incense offered to you, and my upraised hands as an evening offering. [Psalm 141:2 (NLT)]

And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. [Revelation 5:8 (NLT)]

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June 22, 2017

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Attitudes & Behavior, Church & Worship, Faith & Hope, Fruit of the Spirit, Holy Spirit, Knowing Him, Peace of God, Salvation: A New You, Trusting God, Wisdom & Guidance

THE DAILY BLESSINGS OF FAITH

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. [2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)]

pale purple coneflowerI have a friend who describes herself as being a “Birth and Resurrectionist.” Her idea of Christianity simply consists of church attendance on Christmas and Easter (maybe), with an occasional funeral or wedding thrown in.

Setting aside the promise of salvation and how we will spend eternity, what would our lives be like if our relationship with Jesus and His church was merely a twice a year event? We’d still have a code of ethics, a sense of right and wrong. Yet knowing what’s right doesn’t mean we do the right thing. When we have a relationship with Jesus, we also get the Holy Spirit to guide (and prod) us through our moral choices. Without Jesus, our sense of worth would depend on things like social status, wealth, education and looks; without those assets, we would feel worthless and unlovable. With Jesus in our hearts, we know we’re worthy of God’s love not because of who we are or what we have but because of who made us. Without Jesus in our lives, the blessing of God’s forgiveness would be missing; we’d be burdened with guilt, regrets and even anger. If we had no relationship with Jesus, we’d miss that wonderful sense of peace that comes from Him. We’d always be searching for the next best thing without ever realizing that we have the best thing right beside us. Without Jesus in our hearts, would we be able to love? Probably, but certainly not with the unconditional love about which Jesus spoke. Finally, without Christ, we’d lose our sense of hope and trust; we’d fight our troubles instead of accepting them with the knowledge that God will get us through them. While salvation is the final reward for our faith in Christ, our daily lives are continually blessed for that faith.

Let us pray for those many “Christians in waiting.” May they accept Jesus as their Lord and come to know the joy and peace that can be theirs when, instead of occasionally visiting church, they have a daily relationship with our Savior. May they enjoy the rewards of Christianity that come both in this life and in the next.

Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. [John 10:9-10 (NLT)]

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May 26, 2017

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Attitudes & Behavior, Fruit of the Spirit, God's Grace & Love, God's Word: The Bible, Holy Spirit, Knowing Him, Love & Works, Sharing Our Faith, Wisdom & Guidance

THE SWEET AROMA

Let Christ’s word with all its wisdom and richness live in you. Use psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to teach and instruct yourselves about God’s kindness. Sing to God in your hearts. Everything you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. [Colossians 3:16-17 (GW)]

honeysuckleI’m in the midst of reading a series of seven children’s fantasy novels, The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis. Some of them, like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, I read as a girl but others are new to me. The world of Narnia is a world to which one wants to return again and again and I’m enjoying my visit ever so much. C.S. Lewis, however, was much more than a writer of fantasy, non-fiction and poetry; he was a well-known lecturer, a brilliant scholar and a renowned Christian apologist.

Because of his tremendous faith and knowledge of Scripture, there is much more to his fiction than first meets the eye. Intentionally (and probably unintentionally), Biblical truths and Christian themes are woven throughout all of his writing. Lewis was so aware of God, so steeped in Biblical knowledge, and so in tune with the Holy Spirit, that I don’t think he could have written any other way, even if he’d wanted to do so. His faith emanated from him the same way a honeysuckle blossom emits a sweet aroma. His writing reflects what all of us are asked to do—share Jesus. Lewis’ knowledge of Scripture, his insight into the Holy Spirit’s ways and the enemy’s wiles, his love of Christ, his faith in a God who is good even when life isn’t, and his awareness of God’s presence in all circumstances are evident in his stories and yet there is nothing sermon-like about them. The adventures of the Pevensie children in Narnia brought them closer to a great lion by the name of Aslan and those same adventures can bring the reader closer to someone who (as Lewis suggested) arrived at the same time as Father Christmas, was the son of the Great Emperor, gave himself up to be killed by wicked people, came to life again, and is often spoken of as a lamb.

While we’re not likely to teach at Oxford or Cambridge, write over 70 books, sell 100 million copies of anything we might write or be asked to explain Christianity on a radio show, we are asked to share our faith. If Biblical truths become a part of us, they will become second nature and will be evident in all that we say or do. We don’t have to become theologians or write a best-seller; we just have to emit the sweet aroma of Christ in our lives.

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I see it but because by it I see everything else. [C.S. Lewis]

But I thank God, who always leads us in victory because of Christ. Wherever we go, God uses us to make clear what it means to know Christ. It’s like a fragrance that fills the air. To God we are the aroma of Christ among those who are saved and among those who are dying. [2 Corinthians 2:14-15 (GW)]

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May 25, 2017

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Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Fruit of the Spirit, Knowing Him, Love & Works, Peace of God, Prayer, Salvation: A New You, Sharing Our Faith, Today: Make it Count

OUR LAST LECTURE

Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. [1 John 2:6 (ESV)]

monarch-butterfly

Last Friday, I was blown away when I walked into a restaurant to discover that my family had gathered from both far and near to surprise me with a 70th birthday party. I couldn’t believe how beautifully they had secretly choreographed the entire celebratory weekend. With tears of joy leaking from my eyes and a heart bursting with love, I prayed that they would be as fulfilled in their lives as I have been in mine. Having just finished yesterday’s devotion about last lectures, I couldn’t help but think of the passing along of life lessons. Although I’m in good health, I know that much sooner than later my time in this world will be over. Is there a last lecture I should prepare?

Remembering that my children rarely listened to any of my lectures when they were young, I realized they certainly wouldn’t listen now they’re grown adults. I recalled Randy Pausch’s last lecture and what he considered the most useful weapon in a teacher’s arsenal: the “head fake.” Simply put, the head fake is indirect learning. While thinking they are learning about one thing, the students really are learning about quite another. Perhaps these devotions are my version of a head fake. They aren’t just about finding God in both His Word and everyday occurrences; they’re about how to lead our lives. And, like Professor Pausch’s lecture, while freely shared, they are actually for my children.

Most of us, however, aren’t professors or writers and yet we all have a last lecture, a legacy of sorts, to leave to those who follow in our footsteps. The best last lecture, of course, is the ultimate head fake—a life well lived. We can teach more with our examples that we ever could with our words. Unlike most lectures, however, that lecture lasts far longer than an hour or so. It is ongoing; every time we interact with our loved ones or they observe us with others, we’re giving that lecture. Do we treat people who can do nothing for us with the same respect and dignity we do to those who can do something for us? Is the Fruit of the Spirit obvious in our conduct? Do our actions match our words? In the end, the example of our lives will be far more powerful than even the most eloquent of lectures. If Christ can be seen in us, we will have given the most powerful lecture of all.

Heavenly Father, fill us with your Holy Spirit and guide us so that we are living examples of Jesus. Enable us to walk as He walked, talk as He talked, give as generously as He gave, care as deeply as He cared, forgive as freely as He forgave, and love as largely as He loved.

Live so that when the final summons comes you will leave something more behind you than an epitaph on a tombstone or an obituary in a newspaper. [Billy Sunday]

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. … Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. [Romans 12:9-18,21 (ESV)]

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