The Baby Knows Your Name

She gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7

One of the things women tell me over and over again is, “I’m not going to pray about that. That’s too small for God.” It translates to, “I’m too small for God.” If that’s you, I have some good news to tell you, now, at Christmastime.

Mary peeked over the side of the manger. She looked into the baby’s eyes. It was a moment when He wasn’t asleep. She saw eternity in His knowing little face. He recognized her. But all baby’s recognize their mothers, right? This seemed different. Or was she imagining things? Continue reading “The Baby Knows Your Name” →

Precious Offense

Coming to Him as a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious…  2 Peter 2:3

The One who is so offensive to the world is so precious to us as Christians.  During this holiday season, I find myself wondering how people can enjoy celebrating the birth of Someone they find upsetting, especially when that Someone means everything to me.

Prophecies are clear in the Old Testament that Jesus would be a stumbling block both to the world and to His own people.  His parents fled with him to Egypt while he was still a baby so that he wouldn’t be murdered by King Herod.  That’s rejection from just about day one.  His very existence was an offense to a hideously immoral king.  Later on, people openly insulted his parentage.  Ultimately, the Romans crucified Him to pacify religious leaders who took great offense to Jesus because he claimed that He was God’s Son and King of the Jews.

Today, people are offended because Jesus’ existence shouts that they need a savior.  Continue reading “Precious Offense” →

Who Am I?

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Who am I? Do you find yourself asking yourself that question? Jesus posed that very question to His disciples. And He knew the answer better than anyone else.

I’ve made some choices in my life, both good and bad, where I’ve found myself questioning who I am. I’ve also experienced changes in my life that made me see another side of myself. (Motherhood, anyone? I find myself saying things that make me sound just like my mother!) We all have an idea of who we are, so when we are confronted with an unfamiliar face in the mirror, it can rattle us. But let me ask another question: Can any of us define who we are? We can have an idea of what we look like and how we act, but rarely do we ever get the full picture. That is, unless we have an unscripted reality show with cameras following us everywhere. Continue reading “Who Am I?” →

Dying Churches

Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? 2 Corinthians 11:28 and 29

Churches die for many reasons. Sometimes they are the victims of ungodly people. But sometimes, they perpetrate ungodliness themselves.

When I was kid, I knew of a wonderful little church that was thriving from the first day their doors were opened. The Word was being preached. People reached out to other people. They were growing fast and it was a fantastic community. But there were a few unscrupulous people in leadership that forced the church to close because it was not yet making the kind of profit they wanted. This sweet church was a victim.

I’ve also seen churches that make victims of its parishioners. How does that look? Members of the congregation give sacrificially on Sunday only to be told that their giving isn’t good enough. The leadership is overly ambitious and pours out guilt when their agendas aren’t funded fast enough. I’ve also seen churches turn into a community center where the name of Jesus is used solely for the purpose of social work. Feeding the flock takes a backseat to respectability in the community.

What I’ve learned is this: Continue reading “Dying Churches” →

Manipulation of the Word

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. James 3:1

So many people know the Bible without actually knowing the One who is the Word. And some people who know the Word can have an unholy agenda and manipulate it.

Church people do it. Politicians do it. Even pastors in the pulpit do it. They misuse scripture. It is such a grievous offense and because of that, teachers, in particular, will be held to a higher standard. This is one of the reasons why I ran from the call to ministry for years. I felt the pressure as one who was called to teach the Bible. I also knew that the criticism that comes with public ministry is significant. That being true, there is a warning not to use God’s Word inappropriately because the Word comes with power. Continue reading “Manipulation of the Word” →

Testing Is For Daughters

“It is for discipline you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” Hebrews 12:7

Are you going through a difficult season and feel like God is mad at you? I’ve been there for years at a time.

Even the most behaved child needs guidance. I think we usually think of harsh pictures when we think of discipline and chastisement. It need not always be that way. Continue reading “Testing Is For Daughters” →

DIFFICULT GIFTS

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial…Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above… James 1:12a and 17a

Have you ever received a gift that you did not want? Have you ever been given a gift that required great responsibility from you?

I became a follower of Jesus at a young age so my spiritual gifts surfaced at this time. It became very evident early on that one of my gifts is discernment. I’ve always been able to see people and situations, especially in a ministry setting, clearly. Motives (both good and bad) were rarely ever hidden from me. Even at age 8, I could often tell what was driving people to make certain choices. This did not make me popular. Kids are pretty blunt and I was no exception.

Eventually, I learned that it was more important to see and listen instead of see and speak. While all of us are all called to cultivate a deep prayer life, it is crucial for those with a discernment gift. If we walk closely with Jesus and know His Word then we will know when to speak up, because timing IS everything. Continue reading “Difficult Gifts” →

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe her. Mark 16:11 (ESV)

Has God ever come through for you, but you found yourself just not believing? Did you know that this can be a huge roadblock ~ keeping you from a deliverance in your life?

After Jesus’ crucifixion, His followers experienced such grief. The very man they saw raise Lazarus from the dead, and many others, the very man who made the blind to see, the very man who saw into their hearts and accepted them, died the most gruesome death imaginable. This lead them to a crisis of faith. Were they imagining things? Was what they saw and experienced real? Continue reading “Too Good To Be True” →

TWO GARDENS

And they went to a place called Gesthemene… Mark 14:32a

Jesus came to earth to die for our sins so that we could be reconciled to the Father. He became the bridge for us.

There are two very important gardens that are mentioned in scripture. The Garden of Eden and the Garden of Gesthemene. In the Garden of Eden, everything was perfect. Well, perfect until man’s sin caused separation from our Heavenly Father. Adam and Eve who walked intimately with God, betrayed Him in the biggest way possible. They didn’t trust that God had their best interests at heart when He made the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil off limits. They decided to trust a stranger who they didn’t know at all and now we are all guilty. Our sin nature makes us that way. Continue reading “Two Gardens” →

HIGH PLACES