Thursday, December 19, 2013

Ponder the Wonder

“Mary pondered all these things in her heart.” Luke 2:19, 2:51

Twice in the Book of Luke we’re told Mary pondered.

Both occurrences followed amazing, wondrous events—certainly worthy of intense mental scrutiny. But why did Luke record this observation about Mary not once, but twice? Seemingly, he wanted us to know Mary was a deep thinker, one given to introspection and analysis.

If we didn’t know this about Mary, we might think she was on autopilot when she accepted the angel’s revelation about the miraculous birth. No, she asked questions and considered the implications. Read Luke 1:34-38.

Afterward, she journeyed to visit Elizabeth and had many months to consider the approaching birth. I’m certain she often pondered the angel’s message, Joseph’s reaction, the townspeople’s gossip, and her engagement.

In Luke 2:19, following Jesus’ birth, Mary pondered the visit of the shepherds— God’s way of assuring her that this baby conceived by the Holy Spirit was indeed His Son, the promised Messiah. After all, angelic beings had made the announcement.

Then, in Luke 2:51, after Jesus had astonished the temple rabbis at age 12, Mary pondered once more her eyewitness seat to history. I feel sure Mary continued to ponder throughout His earthly ministry and as she stood before the cross and the empty grave. A lifetime would not have been long enough to search out the meaning of all she had seen and heard.

So, may I ask? Have you pondered recently? The reason I ask is that pondering is very time-consuming. It’s not a quick process or even an intriguing thought. Pondering takes contemplation. And who has time for that anymore? Especially during the Christmas season.

And yet, doesn’t the miracle of the Incarnation require us to ponder, to “wonder anew what the Almighty can do.” Without the wonder, Christmas would simply be another memorial to the life of a great person. Today, pause and ponder the wonder of all that was made possible for you simply because "God so loved the world."


Sunday, November 24, 2013

Learning from the Little Things

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. John 21:25, NIV

This morning as I sat picking lint out of my hair dryer, I thought about retirement. I can never remember doing this during my years as a working wife and mother. Didn’t I just get a new dryer? And why am I bothering with it now? Don’t I have better things to do?

After all, wasn’t Jesus constantly about His Father’s business (Lk. 2:49)? What do the seemingly endless daily tasks of life have to do with the kingdom of God? I don’t think about Jesus taking time to eat or sleep. One day He prepared breakfast for His disciples (Jn. 21:9-12). Did He often take time to cook? Or bathe or wash His hair?

I spent my working years in “Christian service.” I tend to depreciate my current status as somehow less than what I should be accomplishing for Christ. Why? Because I still live in the misconception that doing counts for more than being.

Maybe you feel like I do. You may be swiping at little runny noses and changing diapers. Or sitting in your car while the soccer practice goes on and on. Perhaps you are caring for a relative’s illness, changing bed sheets and washing pj’s. Some of you are permanent caregivers for elderly parents or aunts or uncles. You wipe drool and repeat the answers to questions that have been asked only moments before.

God’s Word assures us that life’s main purpose is to develop Christ’s character and the mind of Christ. Our attitudes are to become more like His. (See Phil. 2:5, 1 Pet. 2:21.) The fruit of the spirit passage doesn’t imply a single action that wouldn’t first grow out of who we are (Gal. 5:22).

Maybe picking the lint in my dryer isn’t the most important thing in the world, but I did learn a little more patience.

Sunday, October 20, 2013

The Fellowship of the Unashamed


I am sharing the testimony of a black pastor in Africa, written during a time of persecution, which he titled "The Fellowship of the Unashamed." I found it in a magazine twenty years ago and read it occasionally when I need a dose of Christian courage.

"I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made; I'm a disciple of his. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving and dwarfed goals.

"I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on his presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer and I labor with power.

"My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions are few, my guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the enemy, pander at the poll of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

"I won't give up, shut up, let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go until He comes, give until I drop, preach until all know and work until He stops me. And, when He comes for his own, He will have no problem recognizing me ... my banner will be clear!"

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

The Blame Game

Ever played the blame game? On a recent visit with my older son and his family, I overheard Scott teasing his 8-year-old daughter. “Sara, tell him he has a poor cause-effect relationship,” I advised.

Of course, I had to explain what I meant. She caught on to the concept and nailed him with her logic.

That got me thinking about some ill-advised cause-effect relationships I’d established through the years. The most disheartening was the decision to sell our dream home because we thought the backyard trees were causing my husband’s asthma.

The house sold in a week. Unfortunately, further investigating proved that my husband’s asthma attacks had come within weeks of spreading mulch containing rose petals. Sim is highly allergic to roses. Wrong cause-effect but too late to back out of the sale.

Often, we make decisions without thinking them through. Recall the silly song about the man who kicked the dog, setting off a chain of events he could have never anticipated, simply because he was taking out his anger on the wrong “cause.”

Churches fire the pastor because worship attendance is declining. Other factors are rarely considered. Business leaders decide to cut costs by firing the people who do the work (without cutting their own salaries). Airlines sacrifice maintenance to increase revenue. The list goes on.

In our personal relationships, we often jump to conclusions without waiting for the facts to emerge. That’s also true spiritually. If we don’t get immediate answers to our prayers, obviously God isn’t good or loving, right? He must not care! Or we’re just not important to Him in the grand scheme of things.

Let’s resolve to make decisions based on solid, soul-searching, Scriptural principles that have stood the test of time. Don’t get your daily exercise jumping to false conclusions!

Before you ascribe blame to anyone or anything, make sure you have the right cause for the effect. How? Prayer, careful analysis, and intense soul-searching. You can live between the ditches!



Wednesday, July 31, 2013

No Such Thing as White Supremacy!

Recently I visited the historic city of Charleston, South Carolina. I was struck by the proximity of the Boone Plantation to Fort Sumter. Both represent the high cost in human suffering of the War Between the States.

One experience transported me into the mindset of the slaves who were the sources of plantation wealth. In each of nine slave cabins on the property, recorded narrations explained how slaves lived, worked, and worshipped. Then an eloquent African-American woman told the story of slavery through the eyes of a slave. “This is my history, your history, our history,” she concluded.

I learned many things about slaves in the South. By law it was illegal to teach them to read or write. Since each slave was individually owned, families were often split apart when at the whim of a slave owner, husband, father, brother, son were shipped to another plantation without regard to any family ties. In fact, slaves were considered so inferior as to not have feelings for each other.

Workdays in the fields were daylight to dusk. No breaks, no restrooms, no protection from the heat and children worked alongside the parents. If a slave was not as productive as others, he or she was beaten as an example. In short, everything I learned about slavery turned my stomach.

The other experience occurred at Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the War Between the States resulted in a victory for the Confederacy. In fact, the South never lost control of the fort until they abandoned it. And you’ll never guess the ethnicity of the Park Ranger telling the story—a very well spoken African American.

The week I returned from Charleston, our nation celebrated Independence Day. The irony that we are a nation of immigrants, beginning with the pilgrims, seems lost on Congress as they debate the immigration bill. Which Indian tribe decided it was “legal” for white people to live on their land?

Although I know slavery has been (and still is) practiced throughout human history (Abraham had slaves!), I still can’t get my head around it. I don’t understand why some people feel superior to others, much less think they should own them. Friends, there is no such thing as white supremacy. We’re all God’s children, endowed by our Creator with the right to liberty, for “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Cor. 3:17).” In fact, the only One to whom we are slaves is Christ!

If that statement seems incoherent, read my book, When Christ Sets You Free. In it I explain how Christ sets us free to become slaves of Christ!

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Religion Regulates—Jesus Saves

What is the essence of “religion”? Find your own way to God and try to do what’s right.

Basically, religions come in two categories: self-made and self-focused. Self-made religions are mankind’s attempts to explain life, death, and the meaning of life. They may have begun as myths, legends, stories, or an individual’s private revelations. Most are associated with some person's name such as Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy or L. Ron Hubbard.

The other category, self-focused religions, ask personal questions. What is going on internally? Am I at peace? Do I feel good about myself? How might exercises and meditation help me achieve a higher state of consciousness? Examples would be yoga as practiced by Hindus or Buddhism.

Each religion has a code of conduct, a set of rights vs. wrongs, and some established leadership and worship experiences. So, you might rightly ask, how would Christianity be any different?

Ah! Allow me to answer that. The Bible is the story of God seeking man. Every patriarch, king, prophet, and religious leader in the Bible confronted a word from the Lord, which most had not sought and many did not follow. God is portrayed as the “hound of heaven,” moving toward mankind as each of us tries to move away from Him.

The stories in the Bible are about real people with real sinful souls recorded for all time with faults, foibles, and folly. Rather than being about a state of perfection, the Bible is about the heartache of trying to live without a personal relationship with God.

And last, Christianity is about how none of us—no matter how much chanting we do, steps we kiss, services we attend, or good works we perform—can save us from eternal judgment. That’s the good news: Jesus Christ paid our sin debt. Your need for “religion” died on the cross!

Paul explains this in Colossians 2:20-23.

20 Since you died with Christ ..., why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Got a sin problem? Don't try to solve it! You just need a Savior.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

On Dog Collars and Yokes, Part 2

At my YMCA a wall poster advertises a local humane organization. The poster shows a beautiful collie mix saying, “I don’t know why my owner won’t leave the house with me without a leash. But that’s OK. I don’t mind showing her around.”

I discovered the importance of a leash while walking my dog Lily. Two neighborhood dogs attacked her. I used the leash to pull Lily to me until I could scoop her into my arms and rush her to the vet. Very scary!

The leash, of course, was attached to Lily’s dog collar. What if she had not been leashed? In my last post, I talked about comparing a collar to the yoke that Jesus described in Matthew 11:29-30: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Jesus’ listeners would have been quite familiar with the purpose for yoking oxen: to enable them to pull together at the same speed in the same direction. If we live in such a way that Jesus is the “driver” and we are the oxen, we can be assured that we will go in the direction He desires, at the speed He desires, in cooperation (and not competition) with other believers. How freeing to know we are not alone, forging ahead without direction or purpose! Those fellow believers beside me are friends, not foes, helping me get to my destination.

Jesus describes His purpose in yoking us: to learn from Him. In a similar way, my “yoked” dogs learn the path around our neighborhood—which patches of grass they may walk on (or poop and pee) and which they cannot, which persons approaching them will want to stop for a friendly greeting and others who will not. If they hear a loud noise, they look to me to see if they should high-tail it for home. We learn from Jesus by observing His ways and hearing His voice through prayers, sermons, Bible studies, and Christian fellowship.

Note that in this analogy Jesus is behind the oxen rather than in front of them. He leads from behind, yet they can tell from his pulling which direction to go. That reminds me that we walk by faith, taking steps into the unknown (see the post “Leading from Behind,” 3/20/13). The essence of discipleship is listening to the Master’s voice, “This is the way, walk in it” (Isa. 30:21).

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

On Dog Collars and Yokes


Monday night was spa night at the Hasslers. Granted, “the girls” (Lily, 3, and Coco, 1) don’t like spa night, but I try to make it as pleasant as cleaning and trimming ears can be for two malti-poos. Often, they run to Dad, as though he’s not involved in the conspiracy, but eventually, when the grooming is over, they still enjoy a belly rub from monster Mom.

What amazes me most is their excitement when I hold out their collars and re-attach them securely around their necks. Don’t these dogs understand that collars are confining? Don’t the collars sometimes chafe or itch? Wouldn’t life be better if Mom had nothing with which to grab them when they try to scamper away on spa night?

Is it possible my girls see the collars as a security blanket, a way for a stranger to identify them from the attached tags, or even as the vehicle by which I leash them for the highlights of their days—walks around the neighborhood.

Then it occurred to me that I, too, wear a collar of sorts. As a believer, I am “yoked” to Jesus Christ. He told me that in Matthew 11:29-30: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Wait a minute! I thought I had found freedom in Christ! Now I’m reminded that my freedom has limits. If it’s any comfort, we’re all yoked to something. In the case of the Pharisees in Jesus’ day, they were yoked to the 612 laws that had been added to the Ten Commandments. These yokes were strangling them (see Acts 15:9-11).

Others were yoked to besetting sins, evil and immoral acts and debilitating habits. These thoughts and actions were enslaving both believers and unbelievers. Paul told the Galatian Christians, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1).

Would I rather be yoked to Christ or to Satan? You knew I’d find a way to plug my book in here somewhere! To find out more about how Christ sets us free from uncomfortable and confining yokes of the world, pick up a copy of When Christ Sets You Free: Living Between the Ditches series (crossbooks.com).

In my next post, we’ll talk more about Christ’s yoke. Til then, keep living between the ditches!

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Leading from Behind

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it.’” Isaiah 30:21


(This morning’s conversation with God:)

Say what?

No, Lord, Your voice is to be ahead of me not behind me—you know, showing me the Way. Because you go before me, right? You’re the leader; I’m the follower. “Lead on, O King Eternal,” as the hymn says.

You see, I don’t like the implications of Isaiah 30:21. It suggests that I must walk the way of faith, stepping off into the unknown through the leading of the Holy Spirit.

I prefer to know exactly where I’m going, what I’ll be doing, how I’ll know on the front end, and—if it’s not asking too much—the exact outcomes. After all, isn’t that the essence of prayer—being assured of the right path to take?

What’d You say? Of course I’ve read Hebrews 11. Lord, I’ve read the whole Bible! I know that Noah built an ark before he’d ever seen rain. Abraham was told to go to a land You would show him, and Moses wandered around in the desert for 40 years. But these are Bible stories—not real life!

Being a person of faith requires—well—faith. I’m the practical sort; seeing is believing. Faith requires relationship instead of a formula; a Person, not just a book; a Spirit blowing through my life that brings (dreaded) spontaneity and flexibility. Faith means being “at the ready,” and I like to plan my days well in advance.

What’d You say? I thought I heard something from behind me.

“Walk in it.” Yes Lord, one step at a time.

Friday, March 1, 2013

My Friends: Five Deadly Sins, All Defeated by Christ


These women are friends of mine—Pride, Envy, Greed, Gluttony, and Sloth. No, really!

Actually, their names are Pat, Melody, Dee Anne, Karen, and Andrea, but they’ve chosen to play these roles in my church’s Easter drama. This picture was taken at a recent rehearsal.

Since Jesus’ resurrection, Christians have wondered about the three days Jesus was in the tomb. Where was He? What was He doing? The apostle Peter says Christ visited the “spirits in prison,” which scholars believe is a reference to hell (1 Pet. 3:18-19).

Author and theologian William L. Hendricks believed such an event, beyond the borders of history, would be best expressed in poetry and drama. And so he wrote a morality play. The play identifies those “spirits” as the Seven Deadly Sins who serve Death, Hell, and Satan. The setting is a boardroom in Hell.

The play begins with Jesus’ prayer on the eve of His crucifixion: “The hour has come” (Jn. 17:1). The “hour” is the time the Son will be glorified and the enemies of God utterly defeated.

Aware of Christ’s impending arrival in hell, Satan calls a meeting to discuss how His coming will be received. Everyone has an opinion, but Satan remains convinced that he can win over the Suffering Servant. Thus, he uses his vast experience with deception and aggression to try to carve a victory out of sure defeat.

The play is an allegory and not intended to be taken literally. In fact, how Christ defeats Satan is a clever surprise. However, it drives home the assurance that these enemies of God are completely defeated by the crucifixion and then the resurrection of Christ.

Believers need to be reminded of the victory Christ has won for them over sin, death, and hell. These enemies seem to go unchecked in the world today; however, we know the end of the story, and we win!

Want to see the play? We’ve transformed First Baptist Nashville’s fellowship hall into a hellish place! But only from 6:10-6:50 on Wednesday, March 6. Can’t come? Then offer a prayer that God through Christ will be glorified.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Blackout or Light-In?

Was it worth all the fuss? Now we know what caused the blackout at the Super Bowl. It wasn’t Beyonce’s provocative dancing—but some electrical thing-y. Thirty-five minutes and millions of tweets later, the blackout became a light-in.

What would it take to get the world to ask a more significant question? What turned the lights on? I’m not talking about an electric grid or substation but about the creation of light itself. How did the sun, moon, and stars originate, and when did they confer on exactly how to light our planet in such a way as to sustain life?

Myths and legends and scientific theories abound. Some “answers” were wildly mistaken (the sun revolves around the earth). But one source book claims to have the truth: “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Gen. 1:3).

The Old Testament God is often symbolized as light . For example, Moses saw a burning bush. During the plague of darkness in Eqypt, only the Israelites had light. When Moses came down from the mountain with two tablets, his face was radiant from being in God’s presence.

The prophet Isaiah said, “Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God” (Isa. 50:10).

In the New Testament Jesus announced, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (Jn. 8:12).

Wherever Christ is Lord, light becomes visible in human form. We walk in the light (1 Jn. 1:7). Let’s live as creatures of the light, shining in dark places (2 Pt 1:19).

Father of Light, without whom the word would be plunged into darkness, thank You for the light of another day.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Measuring Time


I just finished Mitch Albom's novel, The Time Keeper. I had loved Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven. This latest novel was no disappointment.

The irony is that I read the book because I had time on my hands. A week ago I sprained my back, and I've spent seven days lying down, reclining, and occasionally sitting. I've iced my back more than a polar bear in winter. Albom's book provided some necessary comfort for my boredom. And plenty of food for thought.

According to the author, this is a story about the meaning of time. The main character, Nor, is the father of time. Yet he regrets his discovery. He observes that people fill every waking minute with action, but they are empty. There's always more to do and never enough time to do it in! Once we have a sense of passing time, the simple joy of living between sunrises is gone.

I've been there. Haven't you? I've measured my days by what I accomplished in 12 hours, as though efficiency were the standard of well-used time. Albom puts these words in Dor's mouth: "When you are measuring life, you are not living it."

So why did God limit our days? Albom concludes: "To make each one precious." With endless time, nothing is special. The psalmist asked God, "Teach us to number our days." In other words, hold each day as sacred and a gift. My last seven days have been unproductive but nonetheless a treasure. God's good gift of healing takes time.

Solomon said there is a time for everything under heaven. Albom restates the proverb: "It is never too late or too soon. It is when it is supposed to be."

That's so true. Haven't you wished for something forever, then when it came, you knew the timing was perfect?

St. John described a place where time shall be no more. Until then, I'll live between the ditches of measuring my time, yet knowing it's never too late or too soon.