Journaling from July 7 through 25, 2010
Love, what does it really mean? This age-old question has been asked so many times, we’re desensitized to it and yet obsessed with it. We attempt to answer the question in many ways. We talk about love, write about love, read books on love such as where to find love and how to love better. We paint, dance and sing about it. “What is love? Baby don’t hurt me” and “Look’n for love in all the wrong places.” So what is love, then?
We say we “love” something – a person, a car, a job, our pet, a meal, a restaurant, a movie, a song, a book, an athlete, a sports team, an entertainer, a lake, a park, a pair of shoes, an action, an idea, a cell phone… the list goes on. What we are truly saying is, “I really like this person/thing/concept because it makes me happy or doesn’t hurt me or makes me feel special.” We use the word love to describe what we feel towards something that pleases us. Whatever conjures up the emotion that pleases us we say we “love” whatever that is. We wrap self-consuming emotions around love and declare that’s what love is. Yet is that the love God intended?
When we credit something we like as something we love, the weightier meaning of love is given to things that don’t deserve to be the catalyst of true love. I am ever guilty of this. Not understanding the true meaning of love, it’s no wonder we value it lesser and associate it with our comfort, pleasure and happiness. In the Bible, four Greek words to describe four types of love are used; when we read the words in an English translation, many times the words are simply translated to "love" without giving the proper love definition to provide context. Those words are Eros (erotic love, sensual, as in intimate love of a marriage relationship), Philia (love for friends and community, "brotherly" love), Storge (parental love for a child) and Agapé (unconditional love).
This lesser view of the weightier meaning of love impacts our relationships with God and others; we cheapen what love is and seek for it in many of the wrong places and ways because we associate love to our pleasure and receiving rather than our quality of giving.
We read God saying He loves us so much that He sent His Son to pay our debt. Then we read if we ask God for something because He loves us, He’ll listen to our prayers and answer us because He knows how to love us better than we love ourselves. Yet, when we associate the lesser meaning of love to that relationship, we assume God is in the business of making us happy and if He doesn’t make us happy, then He really doesn’t love us. We do the same with others. If they don’t make us happy, then they must not love us.
In 2004, while reading Psalm 136, I was struck that God’s characteristic of love was used to repeatedly describe Him and that “His love endures forever.” In response I wrote:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
God loves us. Of all of His characteristics that describe the uniqueness and awesomeness of the ONE true and living God of all time and creation is His love for us. His agapé love that endures in a continuous state remaining firm under suffering without giving in, forever. His deep love towards the unworthy – that’s all of us. His unconditional love to the point of pain continues in the same state remaining firm under suffering and neglect without giving in forever.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Psalmist didn’t write about God’s almighty power. He didn’t write about His omnipresence, wisdom, knowledge, strength, patience, mercy, forgiveness or any of His other many characteristics that define the One True Living God. Instead, the Psalmist wrote about God’s ability to love, the intensity of His love, the depth of His love and the endurance of His love all woven into the history of how God cares for His people.
Recently, while studying 1 Corinthian 1, that love lesson of 2004 connected to another lesson and God showed me that it’s His ability to Love that causes Him to be who He is. His ability to love isn’t just a characteristic mixed in with His other traits. His ability to love is what sets God apart from everything we think of a god or the God. His love governs who He is and causes Him to be patient, kind, merciful, long suffering, enduring, forgiving, self-controlled, gentle, good and faithful. The depth of God’s love causes Him to love unconditionally; to love someone even when that someone doesn’t reciprocate the feeling.
So how do we know that His love governs Him and His other traits are fruits of His love. Well, if God and His Spirit are one and His Spirit imparts to us the gifts of God and those gifts are manifested as fruits in our lives that prove to us God is with us, then those fruits are what God is – love. Galatians 5:22 now becomes a weightier description of God Himself. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” In 1 Corinthian 13:4-8 we learn what love looks like. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." God’s greatest attribute is that He is a God of emotion and His greatest emotion is His ability to love and love unconditionally producing those actions. He is Agapé.
God could choose to define Himself with His almighty power or His wisdom and knowledge or His omnipresence. Yet, He doesn’t. If He had, then God could govern His actions by His strength or His knowledge or His ability to be everywhere at all times. When you think of God in this way, you get a different picture of God. However, He uses His ability and depth of love to define Himself and His standards and that should be something to grab our attention and respect.
When asked, by the religious leaders, which was the single greatest commandment of God, Jesus said we should love God with everything that we are and then love those around us as ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-40) When you look at that question again, realize that the religious leaders weren’t just asking “of the ten commandments, which is the most important.” They were asking of the entire collection of God given commandments and manmade traditions making up Israel’s Law (some 600+ rules), which single one is the most important. Jesus’ answer was laser sharp… love. Jesus points to the very foundation of God, who He is and what guides His character and standards. He loves others as He loves Himself and He loves others unconditionally. We are to first love God, truly love Him with everything in our being. Then, that love given to God will cause us to love others around us as we care for ourselves.
When I love God completely and I love others unselfishly, this will cause me to live to God’s standards. Jesus says this is the basis of everything God requires us to do. Think about the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5:21 through 6:4. Jesus is saying that our actions reflect our heart. So, if we murder, it’s because we hate. However, Jesus took it even further and said that our actions actually reflect our thoughts. If we even think about an action against someone, are offended by someone or act selfishly towards someone or God, we are no better than the person who acted out those thoughts. Having those thoughts means we have stopped loving God completely thinking we knew better than He, and stopped loving another unselfishly or unconditionally. That is the very basis of sin – not meeting God’s standard. That’s why no sin is greater than any other sin because the basis for each sinful thought and action is to not love God and to think we know better than He does. And He knows our thoughts because he searches our hearts and minds (Psalm 7:9) so our thoughts are not hidden from God.
So God is not calling us to do anything special for Him. He doesn’t need us to do anything for Him. He’s not lacking in abilities, resources or possessions. Instead, since we are created in God’s image and God’s defining ability is to love unselfishly and unconditionally, then we are called to love God and others unselfishly and unconditionally. When we live to love God completely, then we will begin to see others as God sees them. When that happens, we begin to do for that person without regard of reciprocation, appreciation or justification. Jesus says if we love others that love us, what credit is that to us and the quality of our love? (Luke 6:32) It’s when we love others that don’t love us or cannot reciprocate then we are loving for the sake of love itself. Jesus said there is no greater love than to lay your life down for someone. (John 5:13) It also means to set your life – your desires and wants – aside for the sake of another person. Set yourself aside for someone; place no conditions on your love.
Now this love causes us to be patient, forgiving, caring, respectful, showing justice, not being partial, merciful, truthful, being faithful to promises and commitments, being humble, content and kind. When we see ourselves doing these actions beyond ourselves – beyond our human abilities – then we know for a fact that God is in us and working through us because we see His fruits in our lives – the fruit of His unselfish and unconditional love. We start to give to people who are unlovable and undeserving out of an overflow of our love for God and His love for us because we want others to know the truth about God. The impact this unselfish and unconditional love has on the receiving person is life changing because that person knows what you did was beyond yourself.
Now we are sharing in the true ministry of God. Our hearts will ache for the things that cause God’s heart to ache and we will be happy for the things that cause God to be happy. This is the greater meaning of love as God intended. This is the true deeper love we are called to live. It gives meaning to Jesus’ words when he said,
Luke 6:35-36
“Love your enemies and those around you. Do good to them and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great and you yourself will be sons (daughters) of the Most High because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful just as your Father is merciful.”
And John 15:12-14
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then your Father will give whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.”
This life is more than pleasure and happiness. It’s more than cheapened love. This life is about God’s agapé love.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
God calls business people to be a part of His church
I wrote this for my husband Chauncey as we are both business people, we use our skills and experiences for the betterment the church body we serve. This was to encourage Chauncey and I that we too have a place in God's work as He has called us to be. He's blessed us with the ability to manage and make decisions, so we contribute as led.
There is much Scripture that says God has gifted each one of us with talents, skills, abilities and placed us in situations where we are to use those abilities for His glory and for the benefit of His church (bride). Not all of us are thumbs, not all of us speak tongues, not all of us have the same talents and that’s for the best because we each complement one another. Where I am strong and you are weak, where you are strong and I am weak, God places us together so we are a team for His purpose and the work of our calling is shared becoming a joy rather than a burden. This is designed within our relationship to God and to one another. In our weakness, we must rely completely on God to help us overcome. Many times, He helps us through the partners he has placed in our lives.
It goes back to the purpose of Jesus coming to earth – to testify to the truth about God and to God’s truths; His standards and commands (John 18:37). As believers, we are called to testify to what Jesus said and did as He represented God's truths to the world. Our witness comes in many ways, yet mostly it comes by living a life that gives God the credit. If we truly love God, truly love Jesus, then we will live out those truths as a testimony to who God is and His truths. God’s very existence, His character, His truths, standards and His love are on trial with the world who refuses to admit God exists or who He says He is and how He cares for the human race and creation. This is why the language used to describe Jesus' and our purposes describe a trial; the world has us on trial. (Noted in The Truth Project)
So, what does this have to do with God calling busines people or including them or incorporating business skills as part of His kingdom work? Everything. When skills and abilities come naturally to each of us, there is a real reason. God has gifted us with a particular skill. Why? Because He knows the skill is needed to meet a need of His church and His children; the skill is part of a system of operation.
In life, we see many examples of the “shepherd of God’s flock” – the pastor, the spiritual leader – needing others to assist him in the task God has given which is to lead God’s people and to care for God’s people. A wise shepherd will know where his weaknesses are and ask God to provide him a resource to meet that need. Typically it’s in the day-to-day operations of that mission (leading God’s people). Within the mission is a part for each of us as we are called to participate in the great commission of Christ – go out into “the world” telling people the truth of God’s existence, who God is and how He rejoined us to Him. Then teach people who believe God’s truths making disciples/students of Jesus Christ so those people follow the correct leader of life - the Triune God. No one person is equipped to deal with each and every aspect of day-to-day operations and the collective church body is no different.
Think of it this way: a visionary, a manager and a task person are three separate and needed mindsets. A visionary is always looking towards God to understand His will, where God wants us to go. A task person focuses on the details of the role of the mission assigned to him. A manager is someone who can translate the visionary message into tasks, prioritize those tasks and see to it that the tasks are successfully accomplished. A manager is a servant in nature because he clears the road for the task person to do his task successfully. A manager can come along side and coach a person to grow that person’s maturity and abilities. A manager can communicate in both directions so task people fully understand their mission and so the visionary is confident God’s will is being accomplished. Now the visionary can spend his time with God, looking forward to better understand where he is to lead God’s people. Now the task people can focus efficiently on their assigned mission and accomplish it successfully. The manager keeps the effort moving forward. It’s like a person who speaks in tongues to a congregation, without a translator who can translate the message to the congregation so it understands what God is saying, the message means nothing. God could easily skip the translator and give the tongues person the message in a language the congregation understands but, God in His desire to be in relationship with ALL people provides ways for each of us to participate in relationship and His efforts. This participation allows for us to better understand God, His reality, truths and His character. We get to intimately know God through participation where the lessons become practical and real. The process also grows our maturity as "iron sharpens iron" because the process isn’t always perfect and smooth. This keeps us challenging one another, keeps us anchored to God and keeps us from group-think which can lead us astray.
All aspects must stay in touch with each other and with God and THAT is the true relationship God wants us to have here on earth as it mimics His Triune being where God the Father is in relationship with God the Spirit and God the Son; God the Son is in relationship with God the Father and God the Spirit; God the Spirit is in relationship with God the Father and God the Son. We too are to be in working relationship with one another and with God at all times. It is a system of operation as well as relationship.
God told Moses to divide the responsibilities of moving the congregation of Israelites because Moses couldn’t do all of the duties while staying in complete communion with God. No man can. Those duties included a hierarchy for ease of communications – God to Moses, Moses to the heads of Tribes, heads of Tribes to the congregation of each Tribe. People had tasked assigned to them based on their abilities – their gifts given by God. When issues arose and additional people were needed to help resolve issues, God said it was good for Moses to have people assigned as Judges so that burden could be shared and Moses could focus on God and not the issues of man.
In another example, Joseph was a businessman skilled in operations and that’s why he was trusted to oversee Egypt. He was a Godly man who, through his life’s struggles, was matured so his character would match his business acumen. This way, when Joseph was placed in a leadership management role for Egypt, his character was such that Joseph’s work glorified the One True God and God worked through Joseph to protect and sustain His people. The Old Testament is filled with examples of ordinary people being called to participate in this effort of God’s with their specific abilities to meet the need, fill a gap, meet a demand that was void without them.
In Acts, when the church began to grow – which is a good thing as that is our role in the great commission – the Apostles said it wasn’t good (efficient) for them to focus on day-to-day operations of the congregation because those details took them away from what each Apostle was called to do which was to lead the church. They pulled together and looked for Godly men who could manage the day-to-day operations of the congregation. Do you think the Apostle chose only people who were full of wisdom and the Spirit yet didn’t know how to manage their assignment? NO. You gain wisdom from applied experience. You gain operations wisdom from applied and tested operations experience. Now, if you have a person who is filled with Godly wisdom, the Spirit of God and God has equipped that person with the specific abilities you need, isn’t THAT the person God would have you designate as a manager of that operation? Did the Apostle have time to simply wait for a well-intentioned Godly person to learn the task set before him? No. The Apostles had an immediate need and they filled that immediate need with a competent, Godly person. They prayed for those people.
In Acts (16:11), Lydia was a businesswoman. A merchant – a buyer like the buyers from the Limited, Inc. Because she dealt in purple cloth, that meant she was a successful businesswoman; purple cloth was exceptionally expensive and time-laboring to produce, reserved for royalty and the very wealthy to purchase. The Proverbs 31 woman is truly a working woman and there is no designation between working within or outside of the home. These ladies are competent, resourceful, and able to manage operations. They are business women.
Without solid management that keeps an operation moving forward in God’s will – growing, downsizing, coaching, communicating, recognizing, caring, serving – then chaos ensues. Chaos is NOT a trait of God’s. Chaos is a characteristic of the enemy and that is why Godly business people are needed within God’s church; God created the system of business. We are not to turn God’s church into "a business" as the world views business because then we abuse the people we serve to benefit ourselves while abandoning our purpose in the great commission. Jesus spoke about this when He cleansed the temple saying God’s house of prayer was turned into a den of thieves; they weren’t working FOR God, they were capitalizing ON God while preventing the people from connecting WITH God - they were sacrificing the people they served to personally benefit themselves. We are to bring our abilities to the church assisting it in its need to allow the church to move cohesively forward as God directs us to move. This is our calling in God’s church and in our life. This is a tithing to God.
I am not ashamed of the gifting God has given me. I am not ashamed to use my abilities for God’s purposes. I am not ashamed of what God has done in my life. So I will live that out as a testimony to God’s existence, His presence in my life, His character and His truths. God made me a businesswoman and that’s who I am.
There is much Scripture that says God has gifted each one of us with talents, skills, abilities and placed us in situations where we are to use those abilities for His glory and for the benefit of His church (bride). Not all of us are thumbs, not all of us speak tongues, not all of us have the same talents and that’s for the best because we each complement one another. Where I am strong and you are weak, where you are strong and I am weak, God places us together so we are a team for His purpose and the work of our calling is shared becoming a joy rather than a burden. This is designed within our relationship to God and to one another. In our weakness, we must rely completely on God to help us overcome. Many times, He helps us through the partners he has placed in our lives.
It goes back to the purpose of Jesus coming to earth – to testify to the truth about God and to God’s truths; His standards and commands (John 18:37). As believers, we are called to testify to what Jesus said and did as He represented God's truths to the world. Our witness comes in many ways, yet mostly it comes by living a life that gives God the credit. If we truly love God, truly love Jesus, then we will live out those truths as a testimony to who God is and His truths. God’s very existence, His character, His truths, standards and His love are on trial with the world who refuses to admit God exists or who He says He is and how He cares for the human race and creation. This is why the language used to describe Jesus' and our purposes describe a trial; the world has us on trial. (Noted in The Truth Project)
So, what does this have to do with God calling busines people or including them or incorporating business skills as part of His kingdom work? Everything. When skills and abilities come naturally to each of us, there is a real reason. God has gifted us with a particular skill. Why? Because He knows the skill is needed to meet a need of His church and His children; the skill is part of a system of operation.
In life, we see many examples of the “shepherd of God’s flock” – the pastor, the spiritual leader – needing others to assist him in the task God has given which is to lead God’s people and to care for God’s people. A wise shepherd will know where his weaknesses are and ask God to provide him a resource to meet that need. Typically it’s in the day-to-day operations of that mission (leading God’s people). Within the mission is a part for each of us as we are called to participate in the great commission of Christ – go out into “the world” telling people the truth of God’s existence, who God is and how He rejoined us to Him. Then teach people who believe God’s truths making disciples/students of Jesus Christ so those people follow the correct leader of life - the Triune God. No one person is equipped to deal with each and every aspect of day-to-day operations and the collective church body is no different.
Think of it this way: a visionary, a manager and a task person are three separate and needed mindsets. A visionary is always looking towards God to understand His will, where God wants us to go. A task person focuses on the details of the role of the mission assigned to him. A manager is someone who can translate the visionary message into tasks, prioritize those tasks and see to it that the tasks are successfully accomplished. A manager is a servant in nature because he clears the road for the task person to do his task successfully. A manager can come along side and coach a person to grow that person’s maturity and abilities. A manager can communicate in both directions so task people fully understand their mission and so the visionary is confident God’s will is being accomplished. Now the visionary can spend his time with God, looking forward to better understand where he is to lead God’s people. Now the task people can focus efficiently on their assigned mission and accomplish it successfully. The manager keeps the effort moving forward. It’s like a person who speaks in tongues to a congregation, without a translator who can translate the message to the congregation so it understands what God is saying, the message means nothing. God could easily skip the translator and give the tongues person the message in a language the congregation understands but, God in His desire to be in relationship with ALL people provides ways for each of us to participate in relationship and His efforts. This participation allows for us to better understand God, His reality, truths and His character. We get to intimately know God through participation where the lessons become practical and real. The process also grows our maturity as "iron sharpens iron" because the process isn’t always perfect and smooth. This keeps us challenging one another, keeps us anchored to God and keeps us from group-think which can lead us astray.
All aspects must stay in touch with each other and with God and THAT is the true relationship God wants us to have here on earth as it mimics His Triune being where God the Father is in relationship with God the Spirit and God the Son; God the Son is in relationship with God the Father and God the Spirit; God the Spirit is in relationship with God the Father and God the Son. We too are to be in working relationship with one another and with God at all times. It is a system of operation as well as relationship.
God told Moses to divide the responsibilities of moving the congregation of Israelites because Moses couldn’t do all of the duties while staying in complete communion with God. No man can. Those duties included a hierarchy for ease of communications – God to Moses, Moses to the heads of Tribes, heads of Tribes to the congregation of each Tribe. People had tasked assigned to them based on their abilities – their gifts given by God. When issues arose and additional people were needed to help resolve issues, God said it was good for Moses to have people assigned as Judges so that burden could be shared and Moses could focus on God and not the issues of man.
In another example, Joseph was a businessman skilled in operations and that’s why he was trusted to oversee Egypt. He was a Godly man who, through his life’s struggles, was matured so his character would match his business acumen. This way, when Joseph was placed in a leadership management role for Egypt, his character was such that Joseph’s work glorified the One True God and God worked through Joseph to protect and sustain His people. The Old Testament is filled with examples of ordinary people being called to participate in this effort of God’s with their specific abilities to meet the need, fill a gap, meet a demand that was void without them.
In Acts, when the church began to grow – which is a good thing as that is our role in the great commission – the Apostles said it wasn’t good (efficient) for them to focus on day-to-day operations of the congregation because those details took them away from what each Apostle was called to do which was to lead the church. They pulled together and looked for Godly men who could manage the day-to-day operations of the congregation. Do you think the Apostle chose only people who were full of wisdom and the Spirit yet didn’t know how to manage their assignment? NO. You gain wisdom from applied experience. You gain operations wisdom from applied and tested operations experience. Now, if you have a person who is filled with Godly wisdom, the Spirit of God and God has equipped that person with the specific abilities you need, isn’t THAT the person God would have you designate as a manager of that operation? Did the Apostle have time to simply wait for a well-intentioned Godly person to learn the task set before him? No. The Apostles had an immediate need and they filled that immediate need with a competent, Godly person. They prayed for those people.
In Acts (16:11), Lydia was a businesswoman. A merchant – a buyer like the buyers from the Limited, Inc. Because she dealt in purple cloth, that meant she was a successful businesswoman; purple cloth was exceptionally expensive and time-laboring to produce, reserved for royalty and the very wealthy to purchase. The Proverbs 31 woman is truly a working woman and there is no designation between working within or outside of the home. These ladies are competent, resourceful, and able to manage operations. They are business women.
Without solid management that keeps an operation moving forward in God’s will – growing, downsizing, coaching, communicating, recognizing, caring, serving – then chaos ensues. Chaos is NOT a trait of God’s. Chaos is a characteristic of the enemy and that is why Godly business people are needed within God’s church; God created the system of business. We are not to turn God’s church into "a business" as the world views business because then we abuse the people we serve to benefit ourselves while abandoning our purpose in the great commission. Jesus spoke about this when He cleansed the temple saying God’s house of prayer was turned into a den of thieves; they weren’t working FOR God, they were capitalizing ON God while preventing the people from connecting WITH God - they were sacrificing the people they served to personally benefit themselves. We are to bring our abilities to the church assisting it in its need to allow the church to move cohesively forward as God directs us to move. This is our calling in God’s church and in our life. This is a tithing to God.
I am not ashamed of the gifting God has given me. I am not ashamed to use my abilities for God’s purposes. I am not ashamed of what God has done in my life. So I will live that out as a testimony to God’s existence, His presence in my life, His character and His truths. God made me a businesswoman and that’s who I am.
Valerie
On Thursday March 11th, I heard from God while meeting Valerie. Typically, I am always 10 minutes late for most meetings, because I try to do “just one more thing,” feeling guilty that I didn’t get enough “things” done in the first place. However, this day was different. Vowing to leave early, I was going to stop at a Publix Presto ATM or my bank’s ATM, to get money out for my lunch meeting. Plus, I wanted to be 15 minutes early to read the newspaper, since I had yet to read it that day, and chat with the folks at the meeting. The weather was raining lightly as I left the building, so I wanted to make sure I had enough time to adjust for the rain. As soon as I got into my car, it began to pour.
As I was driving east, the rain increased. At about the Fletcher’s Mill area on Newberry Road, I saw a woman on a bike riding east on the sidewalk on the opposite side of the road. She was struggling with the bike in the downpour and the cars were oblivious to her as they sprayed her whizzing by. She had on a purple long coat and what looked like a checkered scarf wrapped around her head, like the kind Arab men wear. At first I thought she was Muslim, because she was covered from head to toe but, then I thought most likely she was a poor black woman because when the poor ride bikes in Gainesville, it’s not for health or exercise. It’s because they can’t afford a car or the bus doesn’t go to their neighborhood or worse, they can’t afford bus fare. I remembered what my friend Roberta told me a few weeks ago about some women in Archer. These ladies walk to-and-from work at hotels near I-75 and Archer Road because they can’t afford a car and the bus doesn’t go that far west.
In that moment, as I glanced in the direction of this woman, I heard God, “Turn around and give her a ride.” Thinking I was simply reacting out of guilt, seeing this woman struggle in the rain while I cruised dryly by in my car, I said that I can’t turn around. I have a meeting to get to and I don’t want to be late; I have to stop at a bank or Publix ATM. Then I heard it even more clearly, “Turn around and give her a ride,” and to make sure I realized this was God and not some sort of imagined guilt trip on my part, God started to give me Scripture so I would know it was Him speaking, and not my imagination. “Do the Word, don’t just listen to it and deceive yourself.” (Paraphrase of James 1:22) “Whoever does this to the least of these, does it to me.” (Paraphrase of Matthew 25:40) And then He said, I would see Jesus in her eyes. There was a pressing in my heart for this woman that I had not felt before – I had heard others speak of the “pressing,” but I never felt it. It’s like the Chris Rice lyrics “Smell the color 9” where others had special revelation but I didn’t, and it was like trying to smell the color 9.
I couldn’t shake this woman from my thoughts as God repeated the Scriptures plus more that I can’t recall now. I repeated my argument with God, “I have to go to Publix or the bank. No time to stop, God!” Then I defiantly turned my car north onto NW 98th Ave rounding the corner near Northwest Baptist Church. That’s when I heard God mention the parable of the two sons. One son said he would do what his father asked, yet didn’t. The other son said no, changed his mind, returned and did as his father asked. (Matthew 21:28-32) That’s when I said out loud, “OK, God! I’ll turn around!”
So on NW 98th Ave, at the entrance to Broadmoor, I turned around. Right before I had turned north on 98th at the Newberry light, I had seen another person walking in the rain with an umbrella, but God didn’t tell me to stop for this person. So after rounding the corner a second time now, heading west in the opposite direction of where I needed to go, I passed that person without a burden to stop – no guilt either. As I traveled west looking for this woman, I thought maybe she went to a house or turned down a street or would decline the ride and I would be off the hook; lesson learned – “obey God” – and no worse for the minutes of “lost time.” God said, “I know the intentions of your heart,” and again “you’ll see Jesus in her eyes.” So now, I felt convicted on top of it all.
Sure enough, there she was on the sidewalk now walking the bike and absolutely soaked wet. I pulled over, rolled down my window and asked if she wanted a ride. Putting my flashers on so I wouldn’t be rear-ended, she said, “But I have my bike,” looking at my PT thinking her bike wouldn’t fit. I told her the bike would fit because I would put my seats down. With that she said, “OK!”
So, I pulled close to the curb, bumping up against it, jumped out with my umbrella overhead and ran around the back of my PT. It was pouring and I quickly realized the umbrella was of no use and slowing me down. So I chucked it into the back seat, popped the back seats to lay them down, popped the hatch to lift the hatchback, helping the lady as we lifted the bike into the back of my car. “It fits!” she happily said. The water was rushing down the gutters over my ankles as I stood in the rain, with my Nine West shoes, my Black & White skirt and jacket. I noticed she had on a purple, winter-wool coat and the scarf was actually a green and white checkered bath towel – the thin, cheap kind. She was poor so the bike was her mode of transportation while I had a nice car. We both jumped into the car, put on our seat belts, and moved back into traffic, so I could u-turn and head back east since we were both heading in that direction. I began to chat with my new guest and learned her name is Valerie. I used to work with her sister at GRU. She lives in Jonesville and was heading to Publix. Not the Publix at Jonesville or by the K-mart, but the one near UF’s Golf Course on SW 34th Street. I found it odd that she passed by two perfectly good Publix stores en route to the one she wanted to go to but, I didn’t question her; we just drove on.
She asked if it was out of my way and I said in fact no; I was heading east to go downtown for a meeting and needed to stop at a Publix to get money from the ATM. I thought, how amazing that God chose this woman for me to assist when I needed to go to an ATM at Publix. That’s when I knew I had truly heard from God.
I asked Valerie why she ventured out in the weather and she replied she was hungry, needed food and thought she would ride her bike east to the first RTS stop, put her bike on the bus’s bike rack and go to her Publix.
Valerie didn’t look directly at me, she seemed a little embarrassed but I kept talking, hoping to make her feel comfortable. When we got to the 34th Street Publix, she eagerly jumped out of the car. After wrestling the bike out of the car, Valerie walked it to the bike rack saying thank you. I went to the ATM, got out my $20 bucks and headed to the Chamber for my meeting. I arrived 15 minutes early, read the paper in the car as planned, I was already almost dry, and my hair wasn’t atrocious. Only God can do that, I thought.
Typical for me, I stayed after the meeting to make sure I spoke with everyone I could; after all, that’s my job. On my way back to the office, for a 2:00 PM meeting, I felt compelled to see if Valerie needed a ride home. I stopped at the Publix, saw her bike in the bike rack, parked my car and went into the store to check for her. One lady behind the Deli resembled Valerie and I thought perhaps that’s the person who helps Valerie with groceries. Not seeing her in the store, I leave now planning to drive back to the office, stopping for gas, but following the bus route in case I saw her. Just as I’m getting into my car, her purple coat catches my eye. She is wearing a backpack loaded down so heavily, I didn’t know how she would ride that bike while wearing it. Valerie accepts my offer for a ride home and we repeat the loading of the bike into my car. We’re experts now.
This time I decided to tell her that God told me to stop for her and that I would see Jesus in her eyes. Still embarrassed, she had little eye contact with me, but chatted more comfortably this time. We talked about kids. She has one daughter, 14 years old in high school but lives with her Dad. I learned the woman who once owned the cooking store beneath my office – before it became a restaurant – used to give Valerie rides to town when she saw her walking. Valerie said there are nice people who help her.
Just as eager as she was to get out of my car at the 34th Street Publix, Valerie jumped out quickly when I pulled into the Jonesville Publix parking lot. She needed to stop at the Dollar General before heading home and wanted to walk from there. After saying goodbye, I had enough time to get gas at the Kangaroo, and make my 2:00 PM meeting back at my office. Again, God’s perfect timing.
As I passed the intersection of Newberry Road and CR 241, I saw Valerie crossing the road… she was talking to herself. My heart ached for her and I prayed that God would heal her, protect her and provide for her. I started to question whether I should have given her a ride, then God reminded me of what I had learned that day.
God chose Valerie to teach me a few things. First, I hear God speaking to me, when I read Scripture. It’s not audible. He just makes the meaning evident connecting it to other Scripture giving me a well-rounded revelation. This time when He spoke, I wasn’t reading, but it was nearly audible and once again, I recognized God because of the Scripture He used to speak to me. Now I will know when God speaks to me when I’m not reading and I will recognize Him by His Word. This just reinforced how critical it is to read my Bible because otherwise, I would have never known God was speaking.
I had just finished reading James – about six months of studying in James – so the lessons God was teaching me through Valerie, were the practical applications of what He taught me in James. I had just finished reading “Same Kind of Different as Me” and the sequel “What Difference do it Make?” Since the books were concerning growing faith while dealing with the issue of homelessness, God knew I would be alert to folks like Valerie. (The authors Ron Hall and Denver Moore cautioned their readers, to not just spontaneously “help” the homeless, as it can be dangerous. They recounted a few stories in their sequel of people who had been hurt or killed just stopping spontaneously to help. The story of Ron and Denver was of relationship with God through Christ and with each other.)
However, God knew my heart and doubts and verified His call to me through Scripture. I had been asking Him to increase my love for Him, my trust and obedience, and my boldness to tell others. He gave me a test on all of these requests through Valerie so I could see where I am with Him on these aspects of our relationship. I learned I wasn’t as serious as I thought I was about God. He also knew I was concerned about being on time to my meetings, getting lunch-money, and looking presentable. All were fulfilled in God’s mercy.
So, what I learned most was how to hear when God is speaking. I also learned my intentions of growing closer to God were not as pure as I had hoped. I learned I am deeply double-minded and selfish, honoring God with my lips – “I submit my life to you, Lord Jesus” – but I really wasn’t submissive or obedient. So I learned about God and myself, where I am with Him truly, and where He is with me. I thank God for Valerie. Consequently, I did see Jesus in her eyes, as Jesus Himself taught me through Valerie. I’m glad I turned around.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Epilogue
On March 13th while jogging in Pensacola listening to my iPod, the Chris Rice song “The Face of Christ” played. It illustrated so many of the lessons I had just learned plus the experience with Valerie. That’s when I knew I had to write down the story of Valerie and share it with my family and friends. Here are the lyrics to that Chris Rice song.
He shares a room outside with a dozen other guys
And the only roof he knows is that sometimes starry sky
A tattered sleeping bag on a concrete slab is his bed
And it’s too cold to talk tonight
So I just sit with him instead and think
How did I find myself in a better place
I can’t look down on the frown on the other guy’s face
‘Cause when I stoop down low, look him square in the eye
I get a funny feeling, I just might be dealing
With the face of Christ
After sixteen years in a cold, gray prison yard
Somehow his heart is soft, but keeping simple faith is hard
He lays his Bible open on the table next to me
And as I hear his humble prayer
I feel his longing to be free someday
How did I find myself in a better place
I can’t look down on the frown on the other guy’s face
‘Cause when I stoop down low, look him square in the eye
I get a funny feeling, I just might be dealing
With the face of Christ
See you had no choice which day you would be born
Or the color of your skin, or what planet you’d be on
Would your mind be strong, would your eyes be blue or brown
Whether daddy would be rich, or if momma stuck around at all
So if you find yourself in a better place
You can’t look down on the frown on the other guy’s face
You gotta stoop down low, look him square in the eye
And get a funny feeling, ‘cause you might be dealing ...
How did I find myself in a better place
I can’t look down on the frown on the other guy’s face
‘Cause when I stoop down low, look him square in the eye
I get a funny feeling, I just might be dealing
With the face of Christ
As I was driving east, the rain increased. At about the Fletcher’s Mill area on Newberry Road, I saw a woman on a bike riding east on the sidewalk on the opposite side of the road. She was struggling with the bike in the downpour and the cars were oblivious to her as they sprayed her whizzing by. She had on a purple long coat and what looked like a checkered scarf wrapped around her head, like the kind Arab men wear. At first I thought she was Muslim, because she was covered from head to toe but, then I thought most likely she was a poor black woman because when the poor ride bikes in Gainesville, it’s not for health or exercise. It’s because they can’t afford a car or the bus doesn’t go to their neighborhood or worse, they can’t afford bus fare. I remembered what my friend Roberta told me a few weeks ago about some women in Archer. These ladies walk to-and-from work at hotels near I-75 and Archer Road because they can’t afford a car and the bus doesn’t go that far west.
In that moment, as I glanced in the direction of this woman, I heard God, “Turn around and give her a ride.” Thinking I was simply reacting out of guilt, seeing this woman struggle in the rain while I cruised dryly by in my car, I said that I can’t turn around. I have a meeting to get to and I don’t want to be late; I have to stop at a bank or Publix ATM. Then I heard it even more clearly, “Turn around and give her a ride,” and to make sure I realized this was God and not some sort of imagined guilt trip on my part, God started to give me Scripture so I would know it was Him speaking, and not my imagination. “Do the Word, don’t just listen to it and deceive yourself.” (Paraphrase of James 1:22) “Whoever does this to the least of these, does it to me.” (Paraphrase of Matthew 25:40) And then He said, I would see Jesus in her eyes. There was a pressing in my heart for this woman that I had not felt before – I had heard others speak of the “pressing,” but I never felt it. It’s like the Chris Rice lyrics “Smell the color 9” where others had special revelation but I didn’t, and it was like trying to smell the color 9.
I couldn’t shake this woman from my thoughts as God repeated the Scriptures plus more that I can’t recall now. I repeated my argument with God, “I have to go to Publix or the bank. No time to stop, God!” Then I defiantly turned my car north onto NW 98th Ave rounding the corner near Northwest Baptist Church. That’s when I heard God mention the parable of the two sons. One son said he would do what his father asked, yet didn’t. The other son said no, changed his mind, returned and did as his father asked. (Matthew 21:28-32) That’s when I said out loud, “OK, God! I’ll turn around!”
So on NW 98th Ave, at the entrance to Broadmoor, I turned around. Right before I had turned north on 98th at the Newberry light, I had seen another person walking in the rain with an umbrella, but God didn’t tell me to stop for this person. So after rounding the corner a second time now, heading west in the opposite direction of where I needed to go, I passed that person without a burden to stop – no guilt either. As I traveled west looking for this woman, I thought maybe she went to a house or turned down a street or would decline the ride and I would be off the hook; lesson learned – “obey God” – and no worse for the minutes of “lost time.” God said, “I know the intentions of your heart,” and again “you’ll see Jesus in her eyes.” So now, I felt convicted on top of it all.
Sure enough, there she was on the sidewalk now walking the bike and absolutely soaked wet. I pulled over, rolled down my window and asked if she wanted a ride. Putting my flashers on so I wouldn’t be rear-ended, she said, “But I have my bike,” looking at my PT thinking her bike wouldn’t fit. I told her the bike would fit because I would put my seats down. With that she said, “OK!”
So, I pulled close to the curb, bumping up against it, jumped out with my umbrella overhead and ran around the back of my PT. It was pouring and I quickly realized the umbrella was of no use and slowing me down. So I chucked it into the back seat, popped the back seats to lay them down, popped the hatch to lift the hatchback, helping the lady as we lifted the bike into the back of my car. “It fits!” she happily said. The water was rushing down the gutters over my ankles as I stood in the rain, with my Nine West shoes, my Black & White skirt and jacket. I noticed she had on a purple, winter-wool coat and the scarf was actually a green and white checkered bath towel – the thin, cheap kind. She was poor so the bike was her mode of transportation while I had a nice car. We both jumped into the car, put on our seat belts, and moved back into traffic, so I could u-turn and head back east since we were both heading in that direction. I began to chat with my new guest and learned her name is Valerie. I used to work with her sister at GRU. She lives in Jonesville and was heading to Publix. Not the Publix at Jonesville or by the K-mart, but the one near UF’s Golf Course on SW 34th Street. I found it odd that she passed by two perfectly good Publix stores en route to the one she wanted to go to but, I didn’t question her; we just drove on.
She asked if it was out of my way and I said in fact no; I was heading east to go downtown for a meeting and needed to stop at a Publix to get money from the ATM. I thought, how amazing that God chose this woman for me to assist when I needed to go to an ATM at Publix. That’s when I knew I had truly heard from God.
I asked Valerie why she ventured out in the weather and she replied she was hungry, needed food and thought she would ride her bike east to the first RTS stop, put her bike on the bus’s bike rack and go to her Publix.
Valerie didn’t look directly at me, she seemed a little embarrassed but I kept talking, hoping to make her feel comfortable. When we got to the 34th Street Publix, she eagerly jumped out of the car. After wrestling the bike out of the car, Valerie walked it to the bike rack saying thank you. I went to the ATM, got out my $20 bucks and headed to the Chamber for my meeting. I arrived 15 minutes early, read the paper in the car as planned, I was already almost dry, and my hair wasn’t atrocious. Only God can do that, I thought.
Typical for me, I stayed after the meeting to make sure I spoke with everyone I could; after all, that’s my job. On my way back to the office, for a 2:00 PM meeting, I felt compelled to see if Valerie needed a ride home. I stopped at the Publix, saw her bike in the bike rack, parked my car and went into the store to check for her. One lady behind the Deli resembled Valerie and I thought perhaps that’s the person who helps Valerie with groceries. Not seeing her in the store, I leave now planning to drive back to the office, stopping for gas, but following the bus route in case I saw her. Just as I’m getting into my car, her purple coat catches my eye. She is wearing a backpack loaded down so heavily, I didn’t know how she would ride that bike while wearing it. Valerie accepts my offer for a ride home and we repeat the loading of the bike into my car. We’re experts now.
This time I decided to tell her that God told me to stop for her and that I would see Jesus in her eyes. Still embarrassed, she had little eye contact with me, but chatted more comfortably this time. We talked about kids. She has one daughter, 14 years old in high school but lives with her Dad. I learned the woman who once owned the cooking store beneath my office – before it became a restaurant – used to give Valerie rides to town when she saw her walking. Valerie said there are nice people who help her.
Just as eager as she was to get out of my car at the 34th Street Publix, Valerie jumped out quickly when I pulled into the Jonesville Publix parking lot. She needed to stop at the Dollar General before heading home and wanted to walk from there. After saying goodbye, I had enough time to get gas at the Kangaroo, and make my 2:00 PM meeting back at my office. Again, God’s perfect timing.
As I passed the intersection of Newberry Road and CR 241, I saw Valerie crossing the road… she was talking to herself. My heart ached for her and I prayed that God would heal her, protect her and provide for her. I started to question whether I should have given her a ride, then God reminded me of what I had learned that day.
God chose Valerie to teach me a few things. First, I hear God speaking to me, when I read Scripture. It’s not audible. He just makes the meaning evident connecting it to other Scripture giving me a well-rounded revelation. This time when He spoke, I wasn’t reading, but it was nearly audible and once again, I recognized God because of the Scripture He used to speak to me. Now I will know when God speaks to me when I’m not reading and I will recognize Him by His Word. This just reinforced how critical it is to read my Bible because otherwise, I would have never known God was speaking.
I had just finished reading James – about six months of studying in James – so the lessons God was teaching me through Valerie, were the practical applications of what He taught me in James. I had just finished reading “Same Kind of Different as Me” and the sequel “What Difference do it Make?” Since the books were concerning growing faith while dealing with the issue of homelessness, God knew I would be alert to folks like Valerie. (The authors Ron Hall and Denver Moore cautioned their readers, to not just spontaneously “help” the homeless, as it can be dangerous. They recounted a few stories in their sequel of people who had been hurt or killed just stopping spontaneously to help. The story of Ron and Denver was of relationship with God through Christ and with each other.)
However, God knew my heart and doubts and verified His call to me through Scripture. I had been asking Him to increase my love for Him, my trust and obedience, and my boldness to tell others. He gave me a test on all of these requests through Valerie so I could see where I am with Him on these aspects of our relationship. I learned I wasn’t as serious as I thought I was about God. He also knew I was concerned about being on time to my meetings, getting lunch-money, and looking presentable. All were fulfilled in God’s mercy.
So, what I learned most was how to hear when God is speaking. I also learned my intentions of growing closer to God were not as pure as I had hoped. I learned I am deeply double-minded and selfish, honoring God with my lips – “I submit my life to you, Lord Jesus” – but I really wasn’t submissive or obedient. So I learned about God and myself, where I am with Him truly, and where He is with me. I thank God for Valerie. Consequently, I did see Jesus in her eyes, as Jesus Himself taught me through Valerie. I’m glad I turned around.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Epilogue
On March 13th while jogging in Pensacola listening to my iPod, the Chris Rice song “The Face of Christ” played. It illustrated so many of the lessons I had just learned plus the experience with Valerie. That’s when I knew I had to write down the story of Valerie and share it with my family and friends. Here are the lyrics to that Chris Rice song.
He shares a room outside with a dozen other guys
And the only roof he knows is that sometimes starry sky
A tattered sleeping bag on a concrete slab is his bed
And it’s too cold to talk tonight
So I just sit with him instead and think
How did I find myself in a better place
I can’t look down on the frown on the other guy’s face
‘Cause when I stoop down low, look him square in the eye
I get a funny feeling, I just might be dealing
With the face of Christ
After sixteen years in a cold, gray prison yard
Somehow his heart is soft, but keeping simple faith is hard
He lays his Bible open on the table next to me
And as I hear his humble prayer
I feel his longing to be free someday
How did I find myself in a better place
I can’t look down on the frown on the other guy’s face
‘Cause when I stoop down low, look him square in the eye
I get a funny feeling, I just might be dealing
With the face of Christ
See you had no choice which day you would be born
Or the color of your skin, or what planet you’d be on
Would your mind be strong, would your eyes be blue or brown
Whether daddy would be rich, or if momma stuck around at all
So if you find yourself in a better place
You can’t look down on the frown on the other guy’s face
You gotta stoop down low, look him square in the eye
And get a funny feeling, ‘cause you might be dealing ...
How did I find myself in a better place
I can’t look down on the frown on the other guy’s face
‘Cause when I stoop down low, look him square in the eye
I get a funny feeling, I just might be dealing
With the face of Christ
Monday, July 5, 2010
1 Corinthians 1:7-25
25 God's foolishness is wiser than man's wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
22 Jews demand miraculous signs (God's demonstration of His power and strength in order the believe); Greeks look for wisdom (God's intelligence to be demonstrated in order to believe).
============================
The Jews demand miraculous signs (Matthew 12:38-42) - the "religious" people of that time.
Greeks look for wisdom - the "educated" and "philosophers" of that time
The Gentiles - the "non-religious" of that time
============================
God loves us. Of all of His characteristics that describe the uniqueness and awesomeness of the One, True and living God His ability to and quality of love define Him. (Psalm 136) His agape' love that endures in a continuous state remaining firm under suffering without giving in, forever. His deep love toward the unworthy - that's all of us. His unconditional love to the point of pain continues in the same state remaining firm under suffering and neglect without giving in forever. (A lesson God taught me in 2004.)
John 3:16 - For God so LOVED the world...
Matthew 22:37-39 - LOVE the Lord your God... LOVE your neighbor as yourself.
He loves everyone so much that He knew us before He created us. Knew our life, our choices, whether we would believe in Him or not, whether that belief would grow into acknowledgement of Him as the One, True God; acceptance, trust, obedience and love. Yet... He still created us "knitting us together in our mother's womb;" (Psalm 139:13) knowing every detail about us even "the very hairs on our heads," (Matthew 10:30) and whether we would love Him or not.
As our parent, He yearns for relationship with us as we yearn for the same with our children. Since we who are evil by nature, love our children, how much more does the very God of love-created love us? (Matthew 7:11)
Yet, God thinks beyond this blink of a life for each of us. He's inviting us to the ultimate life of eternity with Him as He intended life to be. He invites and continues to invite even though He knows who answers yes or no. But, we are His children, so He invites even to the point of pain knowing one of His children will say "No!" defiantly.
His love causes Him to be patient with all of us even to the point of what we think is hopeless hope. We say that's foolishness of God. Is it?
Is it foolish for God to extend patience and mercy to one of His children who ultimately will not choose to be in His family? Is it foolish for God to hold out hope? We say yes now, but that's because we see only this life, only this inconvenience and/or pain caused by the "false hope" extended to someone we judge unworthy.
Yet, God is looking to the day when "every knee will bow, every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord." (Philippians 2:10-11) On that day, everyone will know the truth. Everyone will know and understand God's wisdom, His strength, His power, His mercy, patience, faithfulness and most of all His love. They will know how persistent, compassionate, generous God was during their brief lives here. And most of all... they will realize it's too late to change the outcome of their eternal choice; it's too late to choose an eternity with God because, God in all of His wisdom will respect and confirm the decision each one of His children made while alive on earth concerning life with Him. And in that moment the anguish of each man and woman that said no will be so gut wrenching and awful to witness and hear. Can you imagine watching and hearing your child in ultimate anguish? God's heart as Father will break as His lost children will no longer be in His presence. They will go to be in the place of their choosing - away from Him for all eternity - and everything that is written about that eternal destination will be their home. The anguish beyond human thoughts and words will be known. And yet, we say God's mercy, hope and patience are foolish.
============================
For many are invited but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14). "Few are the chosen ones - the ones who choose to accept the invitation."
He makes the sun rise and the rain fall on the evil and the good. (Matthew 5:45) "He nurtures all creation by giving the things life needs to grow and be sustained; giving to those that accept and decline His offer."
Evil = decliners; those that refuse God's invitation, refuse to acknowledge Him as God. Good = acceptors; those that choose to accept God's invitation and acknowledge who God is.
============================
So, God in His love extends mercy through unbelievable patience and hope now while we are alive on earth so we won't be lost to Him and avoid that day of anguish - the day that starts an eternity of anguish for a life without God and all that God is.
Rose's Paraphrase of 2 Peter 3:9 - God isn't slow as we think being slow is. He's patient, not wanting anyone to perish but for each of His children to turn around from the choices we each are making and to choose Him and His life.
Now that's wisdom!
22 Jews demand miraculous signs (God's demonstration of His power and strength in order the believe); Greeks look for wisdom (God's intelligence to be demonstrated in order to believe).
============================
The Jews demand miraculous signs (Matthew 12:38-42) - the "religious" people of that time.
Greeks look for wisdom - the "educated" and "philosophers" of that time
The Gentiles - the "non-religious" of that time
============================
God loves us. Of all of His characteristics that describe the uniqueness and awesomeness of the One, True and living God His ability to and quality of love define Him. (Psalm 136) His agape' love that endures in a continuous state remaining firm under suffering without giving in, forever. His deep love toward the unworthy - that's all of us. His unconditional love to the point of pain continues in the same state remaining firm under suffering and neglect without giving in forever. (A lesson God taught me in 2004.)
John 3:16 - For God so LOVED the world...
Matthew 22:37-39 - LOVE the Lord your God... LOVE your neighbor as yourself.
He loves everyone so much that He knew us before He created us. Knew our life, our choices, whether we would believe in Him or not, whether that belief would grow into acknowledgement of Him as the One, True God; acceptance, trust, obedience and love. Yet... He still created us "knitting us together in our mother's womb;" (Psalm 139:13) knowing every detail about us even "the very hairs on our heads," (Matthew 10:30) and whether we would love Him or not.
As our parent, He yearns for relationship with us as we yearn for the same with our children. Since we who are evil by nature, love our children, how much more does the very God of love-created love us? (Matthew 7:11)
Yet, God thinks beyond this blink of a life for each of us. He's inviting us to the ultimate life of eternity with Him as He intended life to be. He invites and continues to invite even though He knows who answers yes or no. But, we are His children, so He invites even to the point of pain knowing one of His children will say "No!" defiantly.
His love causes Him to be patient with all of us even to the point of what we think is hopeless hope. We say that's foolishness of God. Is it?
Is it foolish for God to extend patience and mercy to one of His children who ultimately will not choose to be in His family? Is it foolish for God to hold out hope? We say yes now, but that's because we see only this life, only this inconvenience and/or pain caused by the "false hope" extended to someone we judge unworthy.
Yet, God is looking to the day when "every knee will bow, every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord." (Philippians 2:10-11) On that day, everyone will know the truth. Everyone will know and understand God's wisdom, His strength, His power, His mercy, patience, faithfulness and most of all His love. They will know how persistent, compassionate, generous God was during their brief lives here. And most of all... they will realize it's too late to change the outcome of their eternal choice; it's too late to choose an eternity with God because, God in all of His wisdom will respect and confirm the decision each one of His children made while alive on earth concerning life with Him. And in that moment the anguish of each man and woman that said no will be so gut wrenching and awful to witness and hear. Can you imagine watching and hearing your child in ultimate anguish? God's heart as Father will break as His lost children will no longer be in His presence. They will go to be in the place of their choosing - away from Him for all eternity - and everything that is written about that eternal destination will be their home. The anguish beyond human thoughts and words will be known. And yet, we say God's mercy, hope and patience are foolish.
============================
For many are invited but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14). "Few are the chosen ones - the ones who choose to accept the invitation."
He makes the sun rise and the rain fall on the evil and the good. (Matthew 5:45) "He nurtures all creation by giving the things life needs to grow and be sustained; giving to those that accept and decline His offer."
Evil = decliners; those that refuse God's invitation, refuse to acknowledge Him as God. Good = acceptors; those that choose to accept God's invitation and acknowledge who God is.
============================
So, God in His love extends mercy through unbelievable patience and hope now while we are alive on earth so we won't be lost to Him and avoid that day of anguish - the day that starts an eternity of anguish for a life without God and all that God is.
Rose's Paraphrase of 2 Peter 3:9 - God isn't slow as we think being slow is. He's patient, not wanting anyone to perish but for each of His children to turn around from the choices we each are making and to choose Him and His life.
Now that's wisdom!
Rose's Interpretation of James 4:1-12
From the lesson "Am I Double-minded..." Day 6 calls for a summary of what I now thought James was saying to believers who read his letter. I wrote my summary as if James and I were chatting, as if he and I knew one another as friends. This would have been our dialogue:
What causes you to fight and argue with another believer, Rose? And when I says believer, remember that our Father God knows when each and every person chooses Him or not. So a person you are arguing with today may not be a believer in your eyes now but is to God because He looks at the completed person in Christ. So, back to my question. What is causing your argument? Think; this is not a he-said, she-said question. Isn't it because you want something the other person has? You want that perceived benefit of her position of power. You 'covet' that position and think you'll "appreciate" the position more; that you're deserving of it. So, you ask God to help you succeed... over that person. Isn't that what you're asking? You're asking Him to choose between two of His kids that He loves raising one above the other and not for His reasons but your own. So if He answers your prayer, would you use your gain to increase God's kingdom and glorify God? Think Rose. No, you would use it for your enjoyment and think you earned the position. And you wonder why God doesn't quickly answer your prayers; why He doesn't honor your requests.
You tell God you're going to be faithful to Him and honor Him, yet you are concerned with selfish things to make you feel important. That's not Godly. That's being selfish. All you're saying is, "Hey, God. Do this for me and I'll follow you." Then, you don't follow Him. Rose, that's adultery. You're not being faithful to God and the promises you made to Him. You're acting as an enemy of God doing this because you have set yourself up as thinking that you know better than He does.
Don't you know that He knows best? His Spirit searches the intentions and thoughts of each person. God knows exactly what you and any of His kids are truly thinking. And when your thoughts are not aligned with His, yet you come to God with some veiled request that sounds Godly but is really selfish... He knows. You're not getting anything passed God. His Spirit is yearning to align your intentions and thoughts with God's.
Yet, God knows everything about you and still gives you grace - His divine assistance - to carry you throughout your days.
He gives grace to the humble - the humble Spirit within you - and opposes the proud - your prideful selfish self - so your petitions go unanswered until your thoughts are aligned with His.
Now that you are facing this reality, surrender your heart and mind to God. Align yourself with God, and Satan will leave you alone. When you're aligned with God in your heart and mind, then you are close to Him. Humble yourself like a little kid does. Accept the correction. Let God settle the argument within you and the one you're having with the other person. Remember how good it felt when your parent did that for you when you were a little kid? Remember how your daughters used to go from arguing to loving and forgiving when you told them to apologize to one another? Now you go and do it.
Clean up your actions and stop acting like you did before you were God's; stop acting like a sinner. Clean up your thoughts and stop serving two gods - you and God. What testimony about God are you giving by your actions?
When something bad happens to another person, don't be happy about it and say, "It serves her right." Remember, you could easily deserve that person's predicament or worse. You're not better; you're just as rotten as she is. If not for God's generous divine assistance, you would be in the same spot as that person. Better yet, why not consider interceding for that person asking God to draw both of you closer to Him. Now that's living life aligned with God's heart!
When you act so self-righteous, thinking you're deserving of good and that person is deserving of punishment, realize you're judging that person. By the way, who made you judge anyway?
Do you know that person's thoughts; her intentions? Truly, do you know? No, you don't but God does. So why do you think you have the right to judge? Why do you think you know better than He does? If that's the case, where were you when God created the World? Do you know how He measured out the oceans and mountains to perfectly balance the earth so it turns at the proper speed to sustain life? Look at the stars... now tell me their names. Yes, all of their names. Can't do it, can you? God can. Instead, remember that God is this powerful, this all-knowing, this loving without condition. Knowing how awesome God truly is and respecting what He could do yet chooses to forgive and love instead, and changing your life because you understand this, now that's wisdom.
So how about letting God use His wisdom to guide you and your life. Don't worry about what He's going to do for the other person. What's it to you anyway. Isn't it enough that He cares for you? Getting into a right-relationship with God is more than you can handle so simply focus on that.
Besides, you don't even know what the next moment brings let alone tomorrow, next week or next year. So stop bragging as if you know and are in control. Acknowledge that it's by God's grace alone that you live the next moment. Plan, act, move towards the next moment but do it acknowledging that it's by God's unconditional love, faithfulness to His promises and generosity that you get to live that next moment.
After all, you're not as important to life as you think you are. None of us are. You do realize that's a "God complex" and that is the original sin. In the grand scheme of things, we're a pin-prick in all of life.
Even with all of this, God loves you intensely and wants to be with you and you with Him. Now that is God!
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July 8, 2023
Sometime in June, I finished a Kristi McLelland study, "Jesus and Women". In that study, Kristi mentioned that the Jewish people during Jesus's time and before, practiced remembering God in order to remember all that God said and did for the Jewish people. It struck me that this online journal and how I use it, is this very same practice of remembrance. So, in the spirit of remembrance and while traveling in June and through July, I commenced re-reading my journal "Testimony" starting at the beginning. As God's timing is always perfect, the first entry in "Testimony" is a study I created after reading James 13 years ago. In God's sense of humor, our church had embarked on a series with the book of James which I was watching on YouTube or listening to via the church's app, while traveling. Coincidences like this are never dismissed as coincidences, rather I chalk theses episodes up as divine connections of message reinforcement.
According to the date, I wrote a response to the Day 6 lesson on July 7, 2023 while the above response was written July 5, 2010 - 13 years ago nearly to the day. What struck me was, 1) I am still struggling with the very same sin, 2) I am in awe of what God taught me 13 years ago through James as the message was spot-on and powerful, 3) I cannot deny God speaking to me, 4) His Holy Spirit does search hearts (intentions) and minds (thoughts) to reveal things of God and things not of God so we can confess those things not of God to grow closer to God.
With this preamble, here is the 2023 response to Day 6 of my 2010 lesson in James 4:1-10. It is a prayer to God. Upon writing and reading this prayer, I realized it mimics Matthew 4:1-11 and the lesson there.
"I want something, God. I want perfection; specifically for my life to exhibit perfection. A superficial perfection where I look good, my house looks good, my job and what I do look good. Flawless. Not to show You in my life. Oh no. I ask You for this perfection because I position the request as if this requested perfection is for Your benefit, Your glory - that I can display Your perfection in me as some sort of glorification effort for You.
However God, by Your Spirit, You search my heart and mind and know that this desire does not stem from a desire to be one with You. No; this desire is to glorify myself in front of others to gain a level of power over people so they look up to me, desire me and desire to be me, and love me.
My perfection desire is from the pit of hell, God. This perfection desire is also adulterous and covetous of me towards You and You alone, as I wish to steal Your glory for my own benefit.
Lord, thank You that Your Spirit has searched my heart and mind revealing this sin - this grievous sin - to me. Lord, I confess my guilt and sinful desires to You. I know You forgive me however, clean me of this desire and replace it with more of You; a desire - a longing - to be one with You, to love, follow, and serve You and other because of You and what You have done for me.
Amen, Lord. Amen.
I would never know this about me if not for Your Son Jesus and Your Holy Spirit."
Am I Double-Minded? Think Again…
So many times I can become pretty smug about my relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Many times I think I'm God's special kid and that I'm getting things correctly. God taught me this lesson one week as I was studying James chapter 4 and basically corrected my vision of myself. God encouraged me to write this as a lesson so when I need a refresher, I can easily remember what He taught me. I'm not who I think I am and God is more than I give Him credit to be.
James 4:1-12
A "righteous" reality-check to refine the believer and place me in right-relationship with my Father
Read James 3:13 - 4:12
Day 1 ~ James 4:1-2
How does having wisdom pertain to the beginning of James 4? What is Godly wisdom? Read Proverbs 11:2. What other verses come to mind anywhere in the Bible that define/illustrate/give meaning to true Godly wisdom? Read Matthew 11:19b.
Think about the word covet. What are all the meanings of covet? Think beyond the obvious. How am I coveting? If coveting is more than money that can be spent, more than physical items to possess, then change the word to 'spend' in verse (James) 4:3 to 'use' and reread James 4:1-3. Any insight? Read Romans 7:7-12. What other verses come to mind anywhere in the Bible that define/illustrate/give meaning to coveting as it applies to me?
How will Godly wisdom keep me from quarreling, arguing, fighting, acting indignantly?
Day 2 ~ James 4:2-4
Think about the very nature of my prayers and petitions to God. With what intentions are each requested when I want something? Am I asking from the right heart or a covetous heart? Read Mark 7:20-23 and James 1:13-15.
What does Jesus say about asking with the right intentions of the heart? Read Matthew 7:6-12. What other verses come to mind anywhere in the Bible that define/illustrate/give meaning to aligning my intentions with God's desire and will for me? How will that manifest itself when God answers? Read Galatians 5:22-24.
Focusing on James 4 verses 2-4; can I be adulterous without committing the obvious act of adultery as defined by man? How and what causes me to be adulterous to God?
Day 3 ~ James 4:5-6
Any insight on verses 4:5-6? What 'spirit' is James speaking of in verse 5? Read Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 7:18-19 and 13:14; Galatians 5:16-26. Now read James 4:5-6. What is the "image of God"? (Think Trinity) If I am created in God's image and I am now a believer, saved from judgement, rejoined to God through Jesus - bought out of slavery - and God confirmed/sealed that purchase by depositing His Spirit within me, then which spirit is envying intensely in me and why? Now, how are believers/Christians created in the image of God? Read 1 Chronicles 28:9; Psalm 4:4 and 7:9; Romans 8:27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16 and 6:19-20. Any other verses come to mind about God knowing the true intentions of my heart, how His Spirit lives in me and searches my heart, how His Spirit teaches me the truths of God?
Day 4 ~ James 4:6-8
What is the meaning of verse 7, "Submit yourselves, then, to God"? What does it mean to be humble? Humble like a child? Mead Matthew 18:3-4. What does a child do when corrected by a parent? What does a child do when asked to forgive another child? How does he/she act? Now consider what James says in verses 7-8.
Any insight on verse 8b? "Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." What is the difference between 'sinners' and 'double-minded'? Who can see when I am a sinner? Who can know when I am a sinner and double-minded? What are 'hands'? Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Consider, if hands = actions, foreheads = thoughts, doorposts = entering and exiting daily of my house = possessions, then what do hands in (James) 4:8b mean? If heart = base, raw and true intentions, then what does heart mean in 8b? Now read James 4:8b with actions and intentions. Am I a double-minded sinner? Read Matthew 6:24 and 15:16-20.
So, if I submit myself to God as a humble child asking Him to purify my heart and strengthen my actions so my actions accurately reflect the Spirit's longing to be connected to God, will the devil flee? Why?
Day 5 ~ James 4:7-12
Relating James 4:7-8, why is the Author of Life asking me to 'grieve, mourn and wail; change my laughter to mourning, joy to gloom and humble ourselves'? When am I happy and at any time is that happiness inappropriate? Why? What makes happiness inappropriate?
Who is my 'brother or sister'? Is that person a Christian believer or a non-believer? If the person is not a believer then why shouldn't I be judging my brother or sister? Reflect on James 4:4a. Grace. What does God give us generously, frequently, unconditionally? Have we deserved His gift of Grace? Read Matthew 5:45. So now reflect on why I shouldn't judge my brother or sister. "There by the Grace of God go John Bradford." John Bradford 1510-1555
"There for the Grace of God go Rose Fagler!"
Read Leviticus 19:17-19. Who has the right and privilege to judge? Am I capable of judging? Read Job 38:4 through 40:4 Who should I really be concerned with when it comes to being in a right relationship? Read Matthew 10:28 and Proverbs 1:7.
Day 6 ~ Reread all of James 3:13 through 4:12
Write a brief summary of what you now believe the Scripture is saying concerning (James 4:1-12) your life and your life with God.
Day 7 ~ Read Matthew 5:22 through 6:4 with fresh eyes concerning what Jesus was telling people about the truths of God, our hearts, our actions manifesting our heart's intentions and where we should be when in right-relationship with God.
James 4:1-12
A "righteous" reality-check to refine the believer and place me in right-relationship with my Father
Read James 3:13 - 4:12
Day 1 ~ James 4:1-2
How does having wisdom pertain to the beginning of James 4? What is Godly wisdom? Read Proverbs 11:2. What other verses come to mind anywhere in the Bible that define/illustrate/give meaning to true Godly wisdom? Read Matthew 11:19b.
Think about the word covet. What are all the meanings of covet? Think beyond the obvious. How am I coveting? If coveting is more than money that can be spent, more than physical items to possess, then change the word to 'spend' in verse (James) 4:3 to 'use' and reread James 4:1-3. Any insight? Read Romans 7:7-12. What other verses come to mind anywhere in the Bible that define/illustrate/give meaning to coveting as it applies to me?
How will Godly wisdom keep me from quarreling, arguing, fighting, acting indignantly?
Day 2 ~ James 4:2-4
Think about the very nature of my prayers and petitions to God. With what intentions are each requested when I want something? Am I asking from the right heart or a covetous heart? Read Mark 7:20-23 and James 1:13-15.
What does Jesus say about asking with the right intentions of the heart? Read Matthew 7:6-12. What other verses come to mind anywhere in the Bible that define/illustrate/give meaning to aligning my intentions with God's desire and will for me? How will that manifest itself when God answers? Read Galatians 5:22-24.
Focusing on James 4 verses 2-4; can I be adulterous without committing the obvious act of adultery as defined by man? How and what causes me to be adulterous to God?
Day 3 ~ James 4:5-6
Any insight on verses 4:5-6? What 'spirit' is James speaking of in verse 5? Read Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 7:18-19 and 13:14; Galatians 5:16-26. Now read James 4:5-6. What is the "image of God"? (Think Trinity) If I am created in God's image and I am now a believer, saved from judgement, rejoined to God through Jesus - bought out of slavery - and God confirmed/sealed that purchase by depositing His Spirit within me, then which spirit is envying intensely in me and why? Now, how are believers/Christians created in the image of God? Read 1 Chronicles 28:9; Psalm 4:4 and 7:9; Romans 8:27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16 and 6:19-20. Any other verses come to mind about God knowing the true intentions of my heart, how His Spirit lives in me and searches my heart, how His Spirit teaches me the truths of God?
Day 4 ~ James 4:6-8
What is the meaning of verse 7, "Submit yourselves, then, to God"? What does it mean to be humble? Humble like a child? Mead Matthew 18:3-4. What does a child do when corrected by a parent? What does a child do when asked to forgive another child? How does he/she act? Now consider what James says in verses 7-8.
Any insight on verse 8b? "Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." What is the difference between 'sinners' and 'double-minded'? Who can see when I am a sinner? Who can know when I am a sinner and double-minded? What are 'hands'? Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Consider, if hands = actions, foreheads = thoughts, doorposts = entering and exiting daily of my house = possessions, then what do hands in (James) 4:8b mean? If heart = base, raw and true intentions, then what does heart mean in 8b? Now read James 4:8b with actions and intentions. Am I a double-minded sinner? Read Matthew 6:24 and 15:16-20.
So, if I submit myself to God as a humble child asking Him to purify my heart and strengthen my actions so my actions accurately reflect the Spirit's longing to be connected to God, will the devil flee? Why?
Day 5 ~ James 4:7-12
Relating James 4:7-8, why is the Author of Life asking me to 'grieve, mourn and wail; change my laughter to mourning, joy to gloom and humble ourselves'? When am I happy and at any time is that happiness inappropriate? Why? What makes happiness inappropriate?
Who is my 'brother or sister'? Is that person a Christian believer or a non-believer? If the person is not a believer then why shouldn't I be judging my brother or sister? Reflect on James 4:4a. Grace. What does God give us generously, frequently, unconditionally? Have we deserved His gift of Grace? Read Matthew 5:45. So now reflect on why I shouldn't judge my brother or sister. "There by the Grace of God go John Bradford." John Bradford 1510-1555
"There for the Grace of God go Rose Fagler!"
Read Leviticus 19:17-19. Who has the right and privilege to judge? Am I capable of judging? Read Job 38:4 through 40:4 Who should I really be concerned with when it comes to being in a right relationship? Read Matthew 10:28 and Proverbs 1:7.
Day 6 ~ Reread all of James 3:13 through 4:12
Write a brief summary of what you now believe the Scripture is saying concerning (James 4:1-12) your life and your life with God.
Day 7 ~ Read Matthew 5:22 through 6:4 with fresh eyes concerning what Jesus was telling people about the truths of God, our hearts, our actions manifesting our heart's intentions and where we should be when in right-relationship with God.
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