Life as a Christian Woman

¹⁵ With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.”

¹⁶ When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. ¹⁷ As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”

…………..

²⁴ Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens. ²⁵ Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. ²⁶ But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

Genesis 19: 15-17, 24-26

My daughter has a habit of walking in one direction while looking back over her shoulder. As a result, she also has a habit of running into things. I keep telling her to look where she’s going, not where she’s been, but that hasn’t done much to keep her from running headfirst into furniture, doors, and other people.

It seems like we spend a lot of our time looking back. We talk about “the one that got away” or regret the road not taken. But God doesn’t want us to live our lives like that. We can’t change our past mistakes or sins. We can learn from them, pray for forgiveness, but then God wants us to move forward with our lives.

All of us have regrets. But continuing to dwell on our mistakes doesn’t lead us toward God, it diverts our attention away from His divine forgiveness and purpose for our lives.

Look at Paul. Prior to his face to face meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was a persecutor of Christians, and frankly an all around bad guy. “Saul,” as he was known, struck terror in the hearts of those around him. But after his conversion, he became a force for Christ that still resonates in our world today. He often referenced his prior life, yet he put it into use rather than wasting away in a life of regret.

Lot and his family were told by the angels to flee Sodom for their own safety, and warned not to look back. Lot’s wife looked back, and was instantly turned into a pillar of salt. Why? Well, she disobeyed God for one thing. But it also serves as a lesson. When you are looking over your shoulder, how can you follow God as He leads you?

My prayer today is that we could all free ourselves so well from past failures and keep our eyes focused on the cross and our future.

The past has passed, and the future is God’s!

I read an interesting line in Newsweek Magazine today (June 8 edition).

The article, entitled Let’s Talk About God - A new book redefines the faith debate, is by Newsweek’s religion editor Lisa Miller, and it looks at a new book by Robert Wright called The Evolution of God. According to Miller, it doesn’t attempt to take on the “Is God real” debate, instead looking at how our vision of God has changed throughout history.

It’s an interesting proposition. The line that sticks out to me most, though, comes from a section of the book in which he has an imaginary conversation with a scientist. In this conversation, Write compares God to an electron. An electron, he points out, has never been seen and it’s properties are unknown, but scientists know that it is there because they can see the results of electrons.

As he goes on to point out:

“You might say that love and truth are the two primary manifestations of the divinity in which we can partake, and that by partaking in them we become truer manifestations of the devine. Then again, you might not say that. The point is just that you wouldn’t have to be crazy to say it.”

We know that electrons exist. Any thinking person who has studied science knows that electrons exist and what they do. Yet so many find it easy to believe in electrons, which have never been seen, but refuse to believe in God, when all around us we see proof of His existence.

God is here. He is all around us. He hears us, listens to us, answers us.

Just like electrons… only better.

Tonight several of us discussed the topic of whether God ever changes His mind. We are encouraged to go to God in prayer, but if He has decided that a certain event is going to go a certain way, can we convince Him otherwise through our prayers?

Wow, what a loaded question! The Bible is littered with instances where someone prayed, and God answered. For instance, in Genesis 32 we read:

⁷ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. ⁸ They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’

⁹ “I have seen these people,” the LORD said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. ¹⁰ Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”

¹¹ But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. “O LORD,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? ¹² Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. ¹³ Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’ ” ¹⁴ Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

At first glance, it appears that God “changed His mind” in answer to the entreaty of Moses. But to see the situation this way is somehow limiting to God. The Father knew that Moses would beg for Him to spare the Israelites. So while God threatened destruction, He never promised that He was going to do it. And His threat enforced that Moses needed to warn the Israelites that should they not heed God and repent, God was more than willing to follow through on His threat.

It is important to note that the Hebrew word “Nacham” (pronounced nawkam, and pictured at the top of this article) is often translated into English as meaning “to change one’s mind.” However, the word has several meanings, most of which mean to “change direction.” This is a subtle difference, yet an important one.

The fact is, God knows everything. Nothing surprises Him. He knows the past and the future, and uses it all to His good. He answers all prayer, whether it be “yes,” “no,” or “not yet.” He knows our desires and longings before we do. So do we really believe that when Moses spoke to Him on behalf of the Israelites, God thought to Himself, “Wow, Moses makes a good point. I hadn’t thought of that!”

In Malachi 3:6-7 we read:

⁶ “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. ⁷ Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty.

God does not change. But if we turn from Him, then return to Him, He will return to us. This is not an instance of God changing His mind. This is God being true to His character and who HE is.

¹Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1

Yes, I know. I’ve written on this verse before. I can’t help it. It’s my favorite and beyond that, it is so powerful.

Faith is the cornerstone of Christianity. Today I listened to a clip online of a comedian mocking Christianity, claiming that it is mythology that has created a “beast with horns and a tail that represents a bad guy, but if you pray to the sky it will be alright.”

Faith ain’t easy, folks. I’m sure each and every one of us has doubted. I mean, how can a loving God allow things to happen like hurricanes and tsunamis? How can Adolph Hitler be a creation of a loving God? How can the Creator of All explain cancer?

So many questions, questions for which I have no answer. Oh, I’ve listened to preachers and theologians try to explain it all, but I have yet to hear one that gives an explanation that puts me at ease, that makes me go “Oh, I see. Now I get it!”

We base all on faith. The belief that there is a God, He sent His son to redeem us. We can’t explain it to others, it is a faith based on something indescribable, something inside of us.

Faith is a gift from God, something that we must guard with all we have within us. It is a fragile thing, that can be damaged by unbelief and worldy temptations.

But, oh the day when faith becomes sight!

Bringing in the Sheaves

Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,
Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;
Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves,
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves,

Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows,
Fearing neither clouds nor winter’s chilling breeze;
By and by the harvest, and the labor ended,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Going forth with weeping, sowing for the Master,
Though the loss sustained our spirit often grieves;
When our weeping’s over, He will bid us welcome,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Words by Knowles Shaw, Music by George A. Minor

Remember the old hymn “Bringing in the Sheaves?” That song used to totally confound me! What in the world did farming have to do with church?

I haven’t thought much about that hymn in years. It isn’t sung much in modern churches. But as I was preparing to write today, I was thinking about planting seeds in peoples’ hearts and realized just how much of Christianity can be compared to the various acts involved in farming.

In farming, we till the soil, preparing it for the seed. In Christianity, we pray for hearts to be softened, to be prepared to hear God’s words of eternal truth. If we don’t do this necessary preparation of prayer, we are throwing seeds upon the hard ground.

In farming, we place the seed in the ground, and cover it with soil. In Christianity, we tell our story of redemption, of healing and love, to those who are lost. Then, once we have planted that seed, we cover the seed in prayer.

In farming, we water, fertilize, nurture the soil to aid the seed in it’s development. In Christianity, we continue to nurture the hearts of the lost through contact, testimony and prayer.

In farming, some of the plants, despite water and sun, wither and die. In Christianity, Satan’s control over the lost can be so powerful as to keep someone from realizing the fact of eternal salvation.

And finally, in farming, at the end of the season, we bring in the harvest. In Christianity, we hope to see the harvest of souls when we meet our Heavenly Father.

We may never see the results of the seeds we have planted, at least not here on earth. But imagine the joy when sitting at the Father’s feet, when you come face-to-face with someone who you prayed for, witnessed to. Talk about a happy day!

Now re-read the words to the hymn “Bringing in the Sheaves,” printed at the top of this blog. Makes a lot of sense, huh?

I have a friend who just can’t stop. She goes 900 miles an hour from the minute she gets up until she collapses in sleep.

The other day she commented that she has a gap of time between when she drops her children off at school and another appointment. The gap is too short to get anything done, and she feels lost.

“Not me,” I chimed.

I love those little breaks in the day. I have a couple of “secret” places around town where I can park my car, put my seat back and take a break with God. Whether it’s five minutes or an hour, I have a Bible in the car and use the time to my advantage. Sometimes I just sit and talk to God, other times I immerse myself in study. But the common thread is that I stop, with no noise, no outside interference.

“Oh, I could never do that,” my friend said. “I have to be doing something.”

But does she, or any of us, really have to? Why do we feel like each minute of each day has to be filled accomplishing something. Isn’t spending time with God accomplishing something larger than any shopping trip could?

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the Earth.”   Psalm 46:10

Be still. Stop. Know God. Acknowledge Him. He is to be exalted. Praise Him!

I believe that one of the greatest experiences a Christian can have is to enter into God’s presence. Can you believe that our God, Lord of all, Creator of everything, the Alpha and Omega, allows us to talk to Him? Us! And yet, we are so busy filling our lives with junk that we miss those opportunities, we push our quiet time with Him to the back.

If I had a nickel for every time I have said, “I’ll pray when I get in bed tonight,” and then fell asleep almost as soon as I started that prayer, I would be one rich woman!

Stop… enter into His presence… And celebrate a God who wants to talk with you!

He went out, not knowing where he was going. Hebrews 11:8

I love the book of Hebrews. So much of it deals with living a life based on faith. As Christians walking in faith, we may not know where we are headed, what plans God has for us. But we do know that living a life of faith means loving and being loved by God. It means trusting Him. Faith is not based on understanding and reasoning, it is based in the knowledge of Him, the one who leads us, loves us, and will not fail us.

The phrase “Stepping out in faith” has always fascinated me. As a child, I imagined someone stepping out into a vast abyss, fearless. As an adult, I grew to understand that, while the phrase may not literally mean “stepping” out into nothingness, it means trusting God will all aspects of your life.

And it most definitely does not mean that we are fearless! In fact, we wouldn’t be our human selves if we didn’t have fear.

Living a life of faith is not a constant celebration of reaching for the clouds. It is not one “mountaintop experience” after another. No, faith is rooted in the mundane, daily movements of life. A life of faith must be lived with consistency. You can’t trust God with one portion of your life and omit Him from another. You must learn to come to Him and trust Him in all areas, no matter how small or insignificant they may appear to you.

And a life of faith can only be rooted in prayer. Prayer is our lifeline to God, our “open 24 hours a day” confessional and advice hotline. When we commune with God through prayer, we are building our faith at the same time.

As we come to know Him better, we will be better able to lean on Him, understand His love for us, and rely on our faith in Him.

When you read the above title, you probably start thinking about all the different versions of the Bible that you can buy at your local bookstore:

• King James
• New King James
• 21st Century King James Version
• New International Version
• New American Standard
• Amplified Bible
• New Living Translation
• American Standard Version
• New Life Version
• The Message
• English Standard Version
• Contemporary English Version
• New Century Version
• Young’s Literal Translation
• Darby Translation
• Holman Christian Standard Bible
• New International Reader’s Version
• Wycliffe New Testament
• Worldwide English New Testament
• Today’s New Internation Version

I could go on and on (and on and on!). The 20 versions I have listed are but a few available according to BibleGateway.com.

But while we may have dozens of interpretations to choose from, and the Bible continues to be the most translated book in the world, there are millions of people who have no translation of the Bible in their own language.

As of 2005, at least one book of the Bible has been translated into 2,400 of the 6,900 languages, including 680 languages in Africa, 590 in Asia, 420 in Oceania, 420 in Latin America and the Caribbean, 210 in Europe, and 75 in North America. The United Bible Societies are presently assisting in over 600 Bible translation projects.

Today my daughter brought home a newsletter from school, a magazine called God’s World News Early Edition, specifically written for younger children. As I thumbed through it, I found an article regarding the people of Jamaica. Most Jamaicans speak a language called patois (PA twa). And while many are Christians, none have ever been able to read a Bible in their language. According to the article:

The Reverend Courtney Stewart says that many Jamaican people have never read the Bible. He has hired people to translate it into patois. He wants all Jamaicans to hear God’s good news.

We may think that it is only in the deepest, darkest corners of the world that people don’t have the ability to put their hands on a Bible, but the reality is that this little island nation, where many Americans vacation, most don’t have access to a Bible in their native language.

There are many groups in the process of translating the Bible for different world populations. Pray for them. Pray that their mission will proceed with haste, that all may know the glory of our God!

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 2:52

From the moment we are born, our progress is measured in so many different ways. We are weighed and measured in our first moments of life, and many parents keep a running tab on how much we have grown with a “growth chart” hanging on the wall. As children, when we visit the doctor, we are weighed and measured once again, and our statistics put on a curve, or percentile, seeing how we stack up against other kids our age. Once we reach school, we receive grades to show our progress (or lack of!). When we enter the work force, our job performance receives regular evaluation.

But often we don’t keep tabs on our spiritual growth and maturity. When we are first baptized, we are babies, immature Christians. Unfortunately, many Christians stop at this level, reducing their Christian experience to one hour a week on Sundays. But we are called to study and grow. It is the obligation of every believer to strive for this growth, this spiritual maturity.

Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so. Hebrews 6:1-3

Once we have accepted Christ, we are charged with moving beyond the basics, moving in the direction of deeper knowledge and growth. Even our Lord, as the Son of God, studies the scriptures. Only through knowledge can we train ourselves, preparing ourselves in the battles that we must face, and to speak wisely and informed to non-Christians in our goal to bring them into the Kingdom of God.

When we are new believers, we battle the demons of evil. But the longer we walk with the Lord, the more we should be able to relate to others as Christ did. We will be conformed to His image, but this does not magically happen. While we are “Buried with Him in baptism, risen to walk in newness of life,” the work has just begun!

Take time to evaluate your own spiritual maturity, and look for areas where you need growth, whether through study, prayer, communion with other Christians, or wherever else God may lead you.

We have all heard the phrase “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” (Matthew 7:1). But what exactly does that mean? Does it mean that at no point do we pass our opinion, our judgement on someone? To break it down even further, if we had a world with no judgment, what would be the purpose of our courts? Can you imagine the Olympics without judges (ok, bad example. That might actually be a good thing!).

The reality of God’s word is that we are to judge within His parameters, by God’s standard of fairness. Some types of judgement are both appropriate and necessary. Matthew 7:1 does not stand alone:

Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged. Matthew 7:1-2

Jesus’ statement is not a blanket rebuke of judging, but instead against the hypocritical attitude that we use to tear others down and build ourselves up. We are to be discerning in our judgements of others, not negative.

Jesus tells us to examine our motives for judging others. Often the things we like least about ourselves are the things we judge in those around us. We point fingers at others, yet make excuses for our own bad behavior. In fact, we as a society have become great at excuses. Too fat? Blame McDonald’s. Got a speeding ticket? The cop was just trying to make a quota. Didn’t get up for church? God will understand how hard I work.

Judgement is especially appropriate when we face sin. In Corinthians, Paul says:

It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your job to judge those inside the church who are sinning in these ways. I Corinthians 5:12)

Throughout the Bible we are told not to criticize by gossiping or being quick to judge. However, we are charged with dealing with the sin of others that can hurt. We are not to take revenge.

So before passing judgement, examine your motives. Look inside your own heart, at your own failures and weaknesses. Proceed with caution and love.

We hear an awful lot about forgiveness, don’t we? We are well-versed in turning the other cheek, the parable that Christ told to demonstrate forgiving our brothers.

But I tell you not to resist an evildoer. On the contrary, whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well. Matthew 5:39

But there is another side to the business of forgiveness… the art of asking for forgiveness.

Recently I became aware of a situation where someone repeated something that wasn’t true, without checking it out first, despite the fact that there was a professional relationship between those concerned. It was put in writing and passed around. Serious damage was done to many people, and reputations were on the line. When the gossiper (and that is what he was) found out that his unchecked facts were wrong, he basically said, “Oops” and let it end there. He has not apologized to the many people that he wronged. It would be an act of contrition, one that is desperately needed. There are hurt feelings, damaged hearts, wounded relationships. When repeatedly approached about his need to go to those he wronged, he has claimed that he has already “moved on.” But those he hurt are left wondering “why?”

Admitting that you have done something wrong is hard. Admitting it to the person that you have wronged is even harder. Asking their forgiveness is darn near impossible! After all, it involves humbling yourself to someone. Humbling ourselves to God is easy, expected, understood. Doing it before a fellow servant of God is much, much harder. And yet, we are called to do just that. If we don’t we are out of favor with God, outside the parameters of His teachings.

We are vain individuals. We don’t like to embarrass ourselves, or look weak. And somehow in our world, admitting that you are wrong has become a symbol of weakness.

A few weeks ago I wrote about confronting someone Biblically, according to Matthew 18 (Life as a Christian Woman, May 30). Earlier in Matthew, we are told that that if we are in a quarrel with someone, if our brother or sister has something against us, we must go to them immediately and seek reconciliation.

We hear a lot about tolerance in today’s world. We are expected to practice tolerance, even if it goes against our beliefs or could be harmful to us.

But what exactly is tolerance?

According to Dictionary.com, tolerance is defined as the following:

a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one’s own; freedom from bigotry.

When we break it down, there is one word that we, as Christians, must have a problem with… Permissive. We can be fair and objective within the confines of our beliefs. We can be respectful rather than combative. But we cannot stand by and abide actions that diminish our ability to serve our God.

When we tolerate sin, we undermine our faith. In the Old Testament, Israel was charged by God to be intolerant of any religion that did not honor and worship our one true God. Israel was surrounded by nations that were evil and worshiped idols. But Israel’s leaders defied God and became tolerant of the evil-doers, and eventually ended up incorporating pagan beliefs into their own worship. The upshot is that we, as followers of the One True God, must be completely and totally intolerant of sin. We cannot condone beliefs or practices that remove us from God and His directives for our lives. We should be tolerant of others who hold different beliefs, but we cannot allow that tolerance to diminish our worship.

When we tolerate sinful behavior, we hurt both ourselves and those who are around us. Jesus spoke of this in Matthew:

So if your eye–even if it is your good eye–causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your hand–even if it is your stronger hand–causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Matthew 5:29-30

Obviously, Christ was speaking figuratively. But his words ring strong, that we must remove sin from our lives. Can we be perfect? No, but we must strive for the perfection of God every day. It is easy to tolerate sin in and around us, but when we do that, the sin will eventually destroy us. But it is better to suffer the pain of removing the sin, than to risk judgment. We must regularly search our lives for anything that leads us into sin, and then take action to remove it.

However, there are times when it is better to be tolerant than repressive. In Acts we read:

My advice is, leave these men alone [speaking of the apostles]. If they are teaching and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. But if it is of God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.
Acts 5:38-39

These words were spoken by Gamaliel, a noted scholar of the Law of Moses. He was a teacher of Saul of Tarsus (later Paul), who “learned at his feet.” It was Gamaliel who discouraged the Sanhedrin from putting Peter and the other apostles to death. He believed if Jesus was the messiah, they would be fighting against God. If Jesus wasn’t, then the movement would die out, as others had before (Theudas, Judas of Galilee).

Sometimes we must wait to see what God is trying to say to us. Unless these individuals or groups are endorsing dangerous doctrines (such as child abuse, slavery, or other illegal activities), the better path may be to step back and listen for the voice of God.

But always be on guard. Don’t allow tolerance of others to become tolerance of sin in your life.