Upside Down to Right Side Up

“I’ve come to start a fire on this earth—how I wish it were blazing right now! I’ve come to change everything, turn everything rightside up—how I long for it to be finished! Do you think I came to smooth things over and make everything nice? Not so. I’ve come to disrupt and confront! From now on, when you find five in a house, it will be— Three against two, and two against three;… Luke 12:49-51 The Message  

Jesus is making sure His disciples know His real purpose on earth is exactly the opposite of what they have assumed. They thought He came to establish and earthly kingdom, which if you think about it would mean God would come down to us to live forever. Not so, Jesus came to prepare us to go the Father and live with Him forever. Therefore, Jesus must disrupt and confront us with His true mission so we will not be upset when we see these things happen. Could we find a more perfect description of where we are now?

When I read this I realized that instead of fretting and being discouraged and depressed, even angry over where we are and what’s happening today, we need to realize we area absolutely smack dab in the middle of God’s will and plan for this earth! No one section of scripture could better describe what we are living through. Everything is turned upside down, so much division even in families over how to respond to today’s circumstances. I know I need to seek the Lord to fully understand all this means and what my response should be. I am not to worry about tomorrow or act like one who is devastated by the events of today, or complain as a hopeless victim of these circumstances. I am to concentrate on preparing to live in my Father’s house by being pure in heart, steadfast in hope and actively sharing His truth with others.

Father, my spirit is screaming within me today to stop trying to convince everyone how right I am and start showing that even in times like these, rather than gloating or parading my views, I need to be loving others and parading God’s love and forgiveness. I need to cooperate with God’s plan and not be so full of my own version of the future. Oh, Jesus, just about the time I think I have a pretty good handle on love and righteousness, I realize every time I boast of my view and not Yours, I fall prey to Satan’s lies and tactics. It’s not about what I think, it’s about what YOU think and the truth about You!!!! Forgive me, Father, and help me to stay close to You to hear Your whisper of reminder and correction. I love You and so desire to live in the Father’s kingdom with You!

Charlie Knew Someone Cared

You call out to God for help and he helps—he’s a good Father that way. But don’t forget, he’s also a responsible Father, and won’t let you get by with sloppy living. 1 Peter 1:17         The Message

God loves us and meets our needs, helps us in times of trouble as any good father would, but he also corrects us and hold us accountable for the way we live and respond to Him.

When I read this today my mind immediately went back to my first year of teaching 2nd grade in the inner city of Columbus, Ohio. Charlie, came to my class mid-way in the year. I was told he had been kicked out of several schools and to do my best with him. He was obviously ADHD to the max!  I knew how important it was to be the one in control of my class and determined not to allow him to deprive the others of learning. Trust me he was a challenge for someone who had prepared to teach secondary students and was trying to teach phonics and arithmetic to second graders!!

One day when it was time to go home, it was snowing quite heavily. As the students lined up, I told them we wouldn’t leave until all coats and hats were on and zipped up. We waited nearly five minutes for Charlie to comply, but I was determined to win! I walked them to the door and said goodbye to each until I got to the last student, Charlie. He had taken off his coat and was ready to tell me where to go! Seriously!!!! I stood in front of him and reminded him that he could not leave without his coat on and zipped.as it was snowing and very cold. We stood there for about ten minutes in a staring contest. Finally, I took his coat forced it on him (that was back when you could touch children) He was furious! I told him I cared for him and would not let him freeze on my watch and marched him across the playground holding his hand so he couldn’t remove his coat. I let go once he stepped onto the public sidewalk and turned to go while he cursed me and took off his coat!

As I was preparing to leave for the day, the principal called me to her office and told me I had been reported by Charlie. He stomped into her office and told her to fire me! We both smiled, but then she told me a little more about how Charlie had a very poor home life and had been moved from school to school. I did not expect to see him again.

The next day, to my surprise, Charlies showed up for school and entered the room calmly. As I looked at him, he had a frown on his face but a hint of a smile in his eyes. He proceeded through the next two weeks as my helper and seemed quite happy. Then, his mother moved again, and Charlie was gone! But, I believe Charlie knew someone truly cared about him enough to make sure he obeyed and was safe and warm in the storm.

That’s the kind of Heavenly Father I have. He loves me enough to hold me accountable for my decisions and actions and gives me warnings and sometimes correction to make sure I stay on the right track so I can be safe in the storms of life and spend eternity in the warmth of His love!!

Father thank You for you undying, unconditional love that not only helps me in trouble but warns me and corrects me to keep my OUT OF trouble!!! I LOVE YOU!!!

One in Christ

The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind—
Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
So they might be one heart and mind with us. John 17:21

This is the second time Jesus has said this in this chapter. He is leaving this world and the only Jesus the world will see from this moment on is Jesus in His disciples. It is extremely important that his disciples know and do what He and the Father would do to fulfill God’s redemptive purpose for this world. We are to be one in heart and mind with Him and the Father.

One in heart and mind – what does that mean?  That we all dress alike, that we think alike, have the same taste in food or fun? Does it mean that every Christian is a copy of the other?  That makes no sense when you look at Peter, James and John, or Paul and Barnabas. It makes no sense when you look at different cultures and ethnic groups. Jesus continually calls us to be “one” with Him and the Father, but what does that look like?  We are to be One in heart and mind for the purpose of the gospel and kingdom of God. One in heart in mind in love for a lost world. One in heart and mind in our love for one another. I guess that answers it – ONE IN LOVE – the most difficult but redeeming and rewarding oneness!!

Here we go again, Father. Remind us of what Christlikeness really is and what it looks like – love in action! Jesus, help us to know what love looks like in different situations. Show us when to be gentle and compassionate and when to stand firm and let truth take its course. Show us when to hold on and when to let go. Teach us, Father, how to live and love in the mundane and routine of each day.  I realize today, the cost of love is DEATH!  Death to all things but Jesus and the will and love of the Father for His sheep, both in and out of the fold.  One day and one step at a time is all we can ask. Step into the whirlwind and routine of our daily lives and give us strength to be unified in heart and mind with You.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

If I don’t do the things my Father does, well and good; don’t believe me. But if I am doing them, put aside for a moment what you hear me say about myself and just take the evidence of the actions that are right before your eyes. John 10:36-37

Jesus has been using the idea of a good shepherd to explain who He was, but the Jews weren’t getting it. When He said He and God were one, the Jews exploded and wanted to stone Him! Finally, His last defense was to point to the good things He had done, forgetting what He had said. Even then they refused to believe Him.

These verses shout out, “Actions speak louder than words!”  I may speak about love while displaying disinterest. I may speak about generosity and give sparingly. I may speak about kindness and respond with rudeness. I may expound on discipline and give in to desire.  I may shout out, “share Christ,” and walk in silent fear. Confession comes from the mouth, but action comes from the heart.  If I’m not living it, I’m not believing it!

Lord, this has always been a challenge for one who loves to talk and understands much more than she practices. You know my heart and mind, Jesus, and continue to show me when my walk isn’t measuring up to my talk.  Continue your work in my heart until both walk and talk are genuinely one in Christ. A slight twist on the idea of having the mind of Christ is … Let this heart be in me which was also in Christ Jesus! Help me to grow in heart and mind in YOU!

THE Lord’s Prayer – Joyce Version

‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day [e]our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from [f]evil. [g][For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’] Matthew 6:9-13

The Lord has laid it on my heart to read Psalm 139 and pray the Lord’s Prayer for 30 days. Using the Lord’s Prayer as my model is refreshing my prayer life, and I pray it may be used to inspire your prayer life as well. A friend reminded me of this version that I wrote in 2023

Our Father in heaven, Your name is sacred and holy and worthy to be  praised.

May Your will be done in my life today to bring about Your plan and purpose. May my words and actions be filled with Godly wisdom.

Give me all that I need to live in obedience this day.

Forgive me for putting my thoughts and actions above Yours, for thinking I know better than You. Help me to see people and things through Your eyes, to discern and observe before I jump to conclusions or make hasty decisions.

May I realize You care more about Your kingdom on earth than I possibly can, and Your ways are higher than my ways.

Forgive me for not always being honest with others, in the name of peace.

May I learn to speak humbly but honestly before God and man. Give me the strength to give the same grace to others that I want given to me.

Please, protect me from the temptation of fear, inadequacy, and rejection. Deliver me from the lies of the enemy.

May all I do and say today be powered by the Holy Spirit and bring honor and glory to Your Name!

Only through you, Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit, can any of this be accomplished!!

Amen and Amen!

Participant or Party Pooper-pooper

When Jesus looked out and saw that a large crowd had arrived, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread to feed these people?” He said this to stretch Philip’s faith. He already knew what he was going to do. John 6:4-5

This is the chapter where Jesus feeds the 5,000. He talks about being the Bread of Life – the Manna from heaven. Jesus speaks before the miracle takes place. It sets the backdrop for the miracle. Jesus asked Phillip how he is going to feed the crowd so Phillip would understand the gravity of the situation.  Jesus had everything under control, but Phillip didn’t know that.

Wow!  God doesn’t enter into the possible with miracles, but into the impossible!  Phillip needed to see how ridiculous the idea of feeding all these people was. No place to buy food!  No money for that much food! How many disciples do you think were saying to each other, “Just send them away, hungry!”  Yet Jesus knew all along how this was going to play out.

How often have I missed a miracle because I didn’t allow Jesus to work in my impossible situation?  Did I quit too soon, compromise my desires, or take the easy way out and send people away hungry? All miracles come from God, both great and small but the big miracles come amid the biggest (impossible) needs. If I can’t meet the need with the natural resources He has given me, then He already has a plan in mind for the miracle. But sometimes He just wants me to see how great the need and how awesome the miracle will be!

Father, if I could see with spirit eyes all that is going on around me and out of my control, it might (WOULD) be more than I could handle. Yet, no matter how impossible the problem, the brick wall, the limited finances, or the lack of supplies, Jesus, You know the miracle soon to unfold. I must listen and obey, use the little I have and watch You work to supply the needs. Help me not to be a miracle party-pooper, doubting, giving up and walking away from the physically, emotionally, spiritually hungry, but a praising and expectant participant in Your miracle!!

Pray, Listen, Obey

I can’t do a solitary thing on my own: I listen, then I decide. You can trust my decision because I’m not out to get my own way but only to carry out orders. If I were simply speaking on my own account, it would be an empty, self-serving witness. But an independent witness confirms me, the most reliable Witness of all John 5:31-32

Earlier in this same chapter, Jesus says that He can do nothing independently of the Father. Here He reiterates that same truth, only goes a step further detailing how that works. He seeks the Father’s will, listens then chooses to obey, not to get his own way or use his own wisdom but is always dependent on the Father for orders. When the Father speaks, He listens. What He sees the Father do, He does. Where He sees the Father go, He goes. He is always eager to participate in whatever the Father is doing.

The words that shouted out to me today were: “listen,” and “obey”.  I am to have no agenda other than to carry out the Father’s will.  Listening takes time and discipline as we must clear our thoughts and focus on the Father’s words to us. If Jesus did not speak or act without first seeking the Father’s wisdom and will, how can I do less? Can listening only be done on the quiet mountain, or in a prayer room, or can it be done during the daily battle? Can we become so attuned to the Father, like Jesus, that we hear His voice amidst the chaos around us? Is it possible that once the mind and heart are trained to constantly be tuned to the Father’s voice, listening can become second nature? Not by our might or will power but, by the power of the Holy Spirit living in us, are we enabled to listen and then obey.

Father, I still have many lessons to learn about listening and obeying as I continue this journey with You. My desire is to be like Jesus and show Your love to the world around me. I realize I must choose daily to come to You for wisdom and direction and listen closely before speaking and acting out of my own desires. You have provided the power, but I must make the choice. Help me Jesus!

Understanding Scripture in Crisis

17 Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: “Passion for God’s house will consume me.” 18 But the Jewish leaders demanded, “What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it.”19 “All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”20 “What!” they exclaimed. “It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?” 21 But when Jesus said “this temple,” he meant his own body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this, and they believed both the Scriptures and what Jesus had said.

In John 2:12-22, Jesus and His disciples have entered the temple area during Passover and found profiteers selling animals for their sacrifices. He made a whip and drove out the animals and rebuked those who were selling in the temple court and making a profit. They were angered and asked for a sign if He was so high and mighty, so He responds with verses 19-21. about destroying and rebuilding the temple in three days. The people didn’t understand for sure, but neither did His disciples at that time. It wasn’t until they remembered His words after his resurrection that they fully understood and believed his body was the temple and He was truly the Messiah.

I realized how often in my journey with Jesus that I have read Scripture and missed the point until something happened that would bring a scripture to mind. I remember well the day when we heard screeching tires in front of our parsonage. I held my breath as we ran out the front door to find our 10 year old daughter, Amy Jill, lying in the street. She made it to the hospital but there was no hope in keeping her alive. When we returned home to plan her funeral, I remember lying prostrate, pounding the floor with my fists and crying out to God, “Why?” What had we done wrong that He would take her from us? Were we not good parents? Why did I give her permission to cross the street? The enemy poured on the guilt and I was mad at God for not protecting her.

As I lay there screaming at God, I heard a voice in my spirit say, “Oh, child, I didn’t cause this; I am crying with you. I gave up my child too and I understand your anger and your tears.” It was then I fully understood John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son ….. to live in this sinful world and die an excruciating death so we could see Amy again in heaven. I also remembered the Scripture from Matthew 5:4 that says those who mourn shall be comforted. It didn’t take away my pain, but knowing I wasn’t alone and that God was crying with me and understood my grief gave me courage to allow God to hold me, cry with me and comfort me one minute, one hour and one day at a time. Amy died on October 10, 1989. I know she is singing and dancing and keeping the angels busy in heaven!

What about you? Have you ever read scripture and not fully understood what was being said until you had an experience that set God’s words ablaze in your spirit and you understood clearly what He was trying to communicate.. The problem is, that it can’t happen unless you and I are in the Word regularly, and hiding it in our hearts so the Holy Spirit can bring it to mind at just the right moment. No, you don’t have to grab your Bible and try to read it all in one day so you won’t miss His voice when the unthinkable happens. He is Sovereign and knows what you will need and when. Just spend time in the Word daily and rest in Him. He knows, He cares and He will speak to Your deepest needs and hurts.

Father, I would not be here today without Your comfort, compassion and mercy. I continue to be amazed that You hold me in the palm of Your hand, understand my humanity and see my heart. You dry my tears, heal my hurts and in the darkest night You give me hope and remind me of the future that awaits me when I see You face to face and get to give my Amy an eternal hug! I love You, Jesus. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

Set Apart

 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity.  John 17:23

Jesus wants us to be like Him in complete unity with the Father. Isn’t that our prayer as believers, to be in unity with the Father, to hear His voice and move at His command. I am reminded of the words of a song, “I have one deep supreme desire, that I may be like Jesus.” Like Jesus in His devotion, obedience and unity with Father, God. But how deep does that desire go in my life?

Today as I was meditating, I was reminded that to be like Jesus, to know the Father intimately is to be sanctified (set apart), which takes an enormous amount of focus, discipline, and surrender. I cannot set myself “set apart”, but He sets me apart when I accept His forgiveness and surrender my life to His will. I am set apart to follow His example to be in unity with the Father.

What does it look like to be in unity with the Father and Son and set apart for His work and glory?  It means giving up some innocent pleasures if they deprive me of time and energy to do His bidding.  It means staying in the Word of truth and allowing it to direct my steps. It means treating others the way Jesus would treat them. It means to be “set apart.”  When something is set apart, it stands out because it is different, unusual, uncommon, sometime a bit shocking and even thought provoking, all in a good way.  Would those words ever describe you or me?  Do I stand out in a positive, even convicting way while others around me follow the people-pleasing, follow -the- leader world, or the Sunday go to meetin’ crowd? How much am I willing to be sanctified -set apart- for God? The choice is mine, but the power comes from my obedience to the Holy Spirit.

Jesus, thank You for truth which is not always easy to hear or follow. If this is a truth that I need to heed, don’t let me forget or move on until I understand exactly what You are putting Your finger on in my life.  Help me not to worry about what others think or do, but to be willing to be “set apart” for You! Thank You, Father, for loving me enough to use the Holy Spirit to call me deeper in my unity with You!

Grafted In or Cut Off

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. John 15:1-2

Jesus continues to teach his disciples what true discipleship looks like and what you can expect as a disciple. Throughout this chapter He speaks of fruit-bearing and encourages, yet warns his followers of the rewards for producing fruit and the result of not producing fruit. What shouts at me today is the fact that He says, “He cuts off every branch in Him that bears no fruit.”  The preposition “in”, indicates that they are both “in Him.”  Those who chose to believe but refused to grow He cuts off.  Let that sink in, just because you once prayed a prayer of repentance and believe in Jesus, does not guarantee heaven, at least according to this and other passages in the Bible.  Your eternal security rests in the vine, the source of your salvation.  If you choose to be grafted in and then refuse to grow, you will be cut off.  That’s a scary truth in this passage.

But the question remains, what does the fruit of the vine look like? How do we know if we are growing? So often in the church the fruit that was overwhelmingly emphasized was the fruit of soul-winning. If you hadn’t won a soul in the last year, you were not bearing fruit. But I believe the fruit spoken of here includes so much more.  Galatians tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, kindness, and self-control.  You only obtain this fruit by staying in the vine, in constant communion with the source of life. You produce fruit unto righteousness that looks just like the vine itself. Your fruit includes faithfulness, humility in repentance, continual watering of the Word, acts of compassion, obedience, suffering for Christ’s sake, and self-control in your daily life.

Jesus, we know You are the vine and source of life. Thank You for grafting us into the vine. Thank You for sending the Spirit of truth to teach us what it looks like to be in the vine. Thank You for supplying grace and mercy that we might produce fruit unto righteousness and for pruning us to increase our fruitfulness. You supply everything we need to grow and be fruitful. Thank You for being our Master Gardener.