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Ephesians 2:1-10

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Sermon: March 11, 2023

EPHESIANS PART 4

Sermon for Trinity Christian Fellowship – March 11
All Scripture is taken from BibleGateway.com, NLT

Over the past three weeks we explored Ephesians 1 and its message: that we have been united with all believers in Jesus Christ through the power of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. He took pleasure in sacrificing for us and it was His plan from the beginning to unite us as His family. Because of Jesus, we have power from the Holy Spirit to overcome evil. That is the power of the gospel. 

Today, we will explore more of what this means as we study Ephesians 2. 

Ephesians 2:1-10 is about how we were made alive through Christ. 

Verse 2-3 tells us who we were before Christ. I think as Christians we sometimes forget where we came from. Or if we don’t have a dramatic change then we may not fully understand how bad it was and how in danger we were of turning down a dark path.

Ephesians 1:2: Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

So who were we?

First, we were dead. We had no spiritual life, no eternal life. We were made of simple flesh that was going to pass away one day. 

Why were we dead? Paul says it was because of our disobedience and many sins. He explains that the devil is the one who influences and commands the unseen world – that is likely the evil spirits. He also says that this devil is the spirit that works in the hearts of the ungodly. Those who refuse to obey God.

If it seems like there is an evil authority over some people, it is because there is. The enemy, the devil, is working in this world according to the Bible. 

In verse 2, he reminds the church that they used to live that way – which was following the sinful desires of the flesh. That means that our sinful desires are desires that are influenced by satan. That should put us on high alert.

Do you ever feel pulled to do evil? Do you ever feel like you want to sin? To do things that you know are wrong and that God would not approve of? 

Paul says that they, and by extension, you and I before we knew Christ, used to live that way. We USED TO obey our flesh. It was natural for us to do this.

This is the key word: WE USED TO. 

Let’s look at verses 4-6: But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 

Something amazing happened when Jesus was raised from the dead. When God raised Christ from the dead, He also raised us from the dead! Of course we will die one day, but because we have been united with Christ Jesus by following Him, He will raise us like He raised Christ! 

That is a huge gift and it is because he loved us so much even when we were sinning. He wanted to rescue us. He had compassion on us. We did nothing to deserve his salvation, but it is by His grace that we will be saved and resurrected on the last day!

Why? Ephesians 2:7 says, So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

Remember that Paul is speaking to the church of Ephesus. He is telling them that God will be able to point to them in future ages as examples. WE – Trinity Christian Fellowship (or any other listener or reader!)– are part of that future age! The people of the church of Ephesus, who Paul is writing to, were not Jews! They were gentiles. They were people who were strangers to the gospel of Jesus Christ, to the knowledge of the coming messiah, but were saved anyway! Just like us! God called them and used them as an immediate audience for scripture that continues to teach us to this day. And you and I are just like them. We were strangers to the good news for so long, but we are included in the resurrection! Praise God!

And just in case we don’t fully understand what Paul has said so far about this being a gift from God, not something we deserve, he repeats his ideas in Ephesians 2:8: God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Whenever something is repeated in scripture, we need to pay special attention. This letter repeats the message: Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. We cannot go around and say, “God chose me because I was just a good person and he wanted to save me.” NO. That is not true.

If we seem like good people, it is because of God’s supernatural power working in our hearts to enable us to overcome our flesh and to overcome the influence of the devil. The devil influences the hearts of those who don’t follow Jesus, but we who follow Jesus, have access to the Holy Spirit to overcome that temptation. 

We are NOT GOOD. HE is good, and He is in us. Hallelujah that He is in us!

Verse 10 reminds us that we do good because He planned those things for us to do. We were not saved because of our good works; we do good works because are saved!

Let’s tell the world that He is good and He can do good in all who humbly say yes to Him. Go and tell the world why you are as you are and why you are not as you once were – give the credit to Jesus and let’s make disciples of Phnom Penh and the world! 

Bible, Christianity, Daily Faith, Faith, Jesus

Listen Twice, Speak Once: Part 1

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This is a written adaptation of a sermon given virtually to Trinity Christian Fellowship in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on October 08, 2022. Khmer Translation provided on site.

Listen to this message here.

This week, we had a fire drill at work. It was a practice fire drill with only the teachers so that when we have one with the students the teachers will know how to help them. Our boss gave us each a map of where to stand, and based on my understanding of the map, I started helping to arrange teachers. Then, my boss came along and moved people. I began to playfully, but seriously argue with him about where we should stand based on what the map says. Then he showed me part of the map that I had not noticed, proving that I was wrong. Of course I was wrong. He made the map!

It was a friendly conversation, and he suggested that maybe I should listen more. And he’s right.

I am often quick to voice my understanding of an issue and later find out that I only have some of the information. I need to listen better. And I think that most of us need to listen better.

In fact, scripture speaks of listening much more than we speak over and over again. Scripture even gives warnings, suggesting that we talk too much when we have not listened enough–and when we don’t listen enough we make judgements that are often wrong. And when we make judgements that are often wrong, we become angry very quickly. And when we are quick to anger, we are often quick to sin. So listening at least twice as much as we speak helps prevent us from falling into sin. As many have said, “We have two ears and one mouth for a reason!”

Let’s examine what the scriptures say about this:

James 1:19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. 21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

 So why is it so important to be quick to listen? Not listening is the beginning of a path that leads to sin, and that is dangerous. Not listening is the opposite of humility–it’s related to pride.

Matthew 7:21 says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

It is God’s will that we do the will of the Father. That is how his true disciples will be identified from false disciples. And we have to listen to Him to find out what His will is.

So what is the will of God? James 1:27 says, Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

Caring for orphans and widows, not letting the world corrupt us. Those are clear directions and it sounds a lot like the greatest commandment Jesus gave us in Matthew. 

Matthew 22:36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

How is this all connected? 

We are called to do the will of the Lord. We are called to pursue justice and be merciful. That is love. That is the will of God. We are called to do as He does. And we learn that by listening first with our two ears.

Do you know what else God does that we are supposed to also do? He Listens. 

Even God listens. God spends so much time listening to us, people who are so far beneath Him, who know so much less than Him, who are so much less intelligent and loving and capable than Him. But God is humble and gentle enough to listen to you and I day after day. 

Psalm 116:1-2 I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

 Psalm 34:15 ESV The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.

Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Here, Jesus is telling us to speak to Him–so He can listen. He wants to listen. We should want to listen too!

God is not asking us to do anything He does not practice Himself with listening. He is our greatest model. He listens to His people. And He listens, not just so He can tell us how we are wrong. He listens with compassion.

If God, creator of the universe listens to our cries and responds, how much more must we listen to others and respond. And how much more must we listen to God? How much more grace and mercy do we owe one another?

We do not have all the answers. We do not know what other people are feeling or how they are experiencing or feeling about events even if we were part of the event. We must remember that we have two ears and one mouth for a reason.

There is a proverb, a rule for carpenters when building a house: Measure twice, cut once. If you measure once, or worse, if you don’t measure at all and then cut a piece of wood, it will be the wrong size. You will waste materials and time and money. But if you measure it multiple times and make sure you really understand, then you will be accurate as you cut the wood.

It is the same as listening. When we speak before we understand a situation fully, we will make mistakes. Our decisions will be based on incomplete information. We must listen, ask questions, all to try to truly understand before speaking. 

James 1:19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 

And may we all grow in Godly communication, and through that love one another better.

Next week, I hope to explore the rest of the list: speaking and anger.

Christianity, Daily Faith, eternity, Faith, Jesus

Whosoever: A Call to Wake Up

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This is a written adaptation of a sermon given virtually to Trinity Christian Fellowship in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on August 20, 2022. Khmer Translation provided on site.

Scripture Passage (Ephesians 5:5-20)

Lord, what are you showing me today. 

Last night, I could not sleep. I tossed and I turned. When I finally fell asleep, I had nightmares. It felt like I was having them all night. 

My dream was filled with a combination of people from different parts of my life and possibly TV characters. In my dream, I went to bed, and when I woke up “the next morning,” it was a year later. I didn’t know what had happened. I was terrified. I had been in some kind of unconscious state for one year. It happened over and over again, like a nightmare. And each time I woke up in my dream, another year had passed, and all the people in my life from my past felt more and more distant from and resigned to me.

My life was being wasted because I kept going unconscious. I couldn’t control it. There were moments in my dream where I was in danger. I had no control over who was in charge of taking care of me while I was asleep for a year, and it seemed like different people from my life took turns. The first time I woke up, my teaching colleague from ten years ago was my caretaker. Another time, some friends from college. And usually, it wasn’t even the people in my life I was closest to.

It was a very unsettling dream.

It makes me think though: how much of my life am I letting slip away because of intentional or unintentional laziness, lack of effort, or just not realizing how important each moment is. How far from my life’s purpose am I at any given moment?

How much of your life do you let slip away? 

Are we walking through life like I was in my dream, as a dreamer, unaware of the situations around us – unaware of how we could be doing good and serving the Lord? Or are we awake and alert to what God is doing and what God is asking each of do? 

There are so many moments in the Bible where we are told to wake up. And not just to be awake, but to be alert. To be ready.

Ephesians 5:5-20 explores this more fully, but here is a snapshot:

Ephesians 5:10-14 (NLT) Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper,

rise up from the dead,

 and Christ will give you light.”

We are instructed to be awake. To rise from the dead as Christ will give us light. Well we know we are not physically dead. Paul, who wrote this passage, is talking to believers who are very much alive. A few chapters earlier, he says this to the same audience:

Ephesians 2:2-7 (NLT)

2 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

This is the death we are reminded over and over again in the Bible to awake from. The death of sin. If we have accepted Jesus as our Savior and follow Him, sin should be dead to us. We should be obedient to Christ instead of obedient to Satan. We have the power to say no to those desires that come up in us that are evil. 

The passage also says,

4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

Because of Jesus, we are free to wake up from the darkness and walk with Christ, in holiness. And He wants us to. He calls His people to wake up and look to Him over and over again.

Thousands of years before the book of Ephesians was written, Isaiah 52:1 says:

Awake, awake,
put on your strength, O Zion;
Put put on your beautiful garments,
O Jerusalem, the holy city;
for the uncircumcised and the unclean will not come into you anymore.

And Isaiah 60:1-3 says:

1 “Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see.
    For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you.
2 Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth,
    but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you.
3 All nations will come to your light;
    mighty kings will come to see your radiance.

Malachi 4:1-2 says:

1 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, “The day of judgment is coming, burning like a furnace. On that day the arrogant and the wicked will be burned up like straw. They will be consumed—roots, branches, and all. 2“But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings.[b] And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. 3

Romans 13:11 tells us to wake up”

11 This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

The Lord wants His people to be awake. To be alert. To live life on purpose. To make intentional choices and not just follow the crowd. We have a calling. The rest of the Ephesians 5 passage tells us why we are to do these things:

Paul says, 

7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

This is our job as Christians right now. Each and every one of us. To live as examples for all future generations – and of course for our current generation. 

Remember the love you have found in Christ: His provision, His defense, His protection. Being sons and daughters of the creator of the universe –- these things are gifts from God for you–-but they are not just for you. God wants this for all people. 

John 3:16 (KJV) For God so loved the world. (Not just certain people in the world, but the whole world)
That he gave His only begotten son.
That whosoever believes in Him
Shall not perish but have everlasting life.

WHOSOEVER. 

God does not discriminate. He accepts WHOSOEVER believes in Him.

He wants the young and innocent children.
He wants the greedy businessmen and politicians.
He wants the violent criminals.

Yes, our God is God of grace and mercy. He wants every person to leave behind their life of sin and follow Him. He is ready to accept WHOSOEVER believes in Him.

That includes you. Your best friend. Your worst enemy.

We need to awaken and live in the light so that all of our current generation of people can see what God is doing in our lives, so that they can understand that God can do the same thing in their lives. That is how we change the world. That is how we build the Kingdom of Heaven. That is how we live out the Kingdom of Heaven while still on earth.

Call on the name of Jesus. Cling to Him. Wake up.

New Living Translation Bible. (2022). Bible Gateway Online. https://biblegateway.com

King James Version Bible. (2022). Bible Gateway Online. https://biblegateway.com

Bible, Christianity, Daily Faith, eternity, Faith, Inspiration, Inspirational, Jesus, Travel

Chasing the Sun

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1 Corinthians 1:12 

For now we see in a mirror dimly,
but then face to face
Now I know in part,     
but then I will know fully,    
 even as I have been fully known.

Ever since I was a child, I’ve had a vision of this peaceful, green, sparkling forest. The grass is soft and a deep emerald (green) color. The air is cool and the sun is warm. Birds chirp and sing all around. There are no mosquitoes or snakes lurking underneath the bushes. Crystal water shimmers in the distance. 

I feel light. There is no stress or fear or any physical problem. I breathe easily. 

There are deer around, and when I look at them, they look happily back at me. My heart is warm. I’m happy beyond my imagination.

This is my dream place.

I am always and have always wanted PERFECTION, to live in paradise. I think this is what most people in America want when they retire or vacation. 

Maybe your idea of the perfect place is different from mine. Maybe it involves white sand and clear blue beaches or snowy mountains. 

However, the thing that remains the same between all of our paradise dreams is that we CAN NEVER QUITE CAPTURE IT.

Even if we make it to a tropical paradise, we have to return to our normal lives. Even the person who gets to live in a beautiful place will not appreciate it, and will start looking for a NEW KIND OF PARADISE. 

As humans, we are never fully satisfied. Even if we have the perfect moment, surrounded by our loved ones, it will soon come to an end. Tears will come. So will death. The perfect simply cannot last in our human lives.

One day several years ago, I was driving across the United States. I saw the most beautiful sunset in front of me. It was huge and bright orange. The beauty of that sunset captured my attention. I had been driving in my car for several days, only stopping at night to sleep. (Driving across the United States takes a LONG time… it’s a HUGE country!) I was hundreds of kilometers from my friend’s house, where I was going, but all I cared about was that sunset! 

After a few moments, the sun disappeared. It was hiding behind TALL buildings and clouds. The road was turning, so sometimes the sun was behind me. I kept turning onto different roads, just trying to see the sun again, but no matter how many turns I made, I just could NOT see it again. It was gone. I was not following my map anymore! I was turning onto different streets based on where the sun seemed to be hiding.

I will never forget how beautiful the sunset was that evening. Do you know what else I will never forget? I will never forget that after one short glance at the sunset, I never actually saw it again. 

I call that the day that I was literally CHASING THE SUN. 

While driving on that road, looking for the sun, God whispered a message to my heart”

“See, I’ve just given you a glimpse of my glory. You got to see it for a moment, but you will not be able to look at it for very long while you are still in THIS earthly life. My full glory is reserved for eternity. You will see it when I come and take you home. Until then, treasure the glimpses of my beauty that I show you. Pay attention. I show them to you more than you realize. And always remember that THIS WORLD IS NOT YOUR HOME.”

God used a moment of natural beauty to show me how beautiful He is. 

I realized that all those moments where I had stared into the beauty of God’s creation and hoped for my own peaceful, green, sparkling forest, and those moments where I experienced deep love from other people and felt the warmth in my heart of God’s love… all of those wonderful moments were just small glimpses of God’s glory. They were an appetizer before a meal. They were meant to help me see Him and desire Him! They were all gifts. 

I knew then that I would never capture perfect paradise in this life. I realized that the American Dream and “Happily Ever After” like in a fairy tale was not my calling. Not anyone’s calling. I realized that a life without PAIN and STRESS would not be possible. I realized that perfection was not possible until Heaven.

I didn’t understand before that day where I was chasing the sunset that I was experiencing God’s glory through moments of beauty and that it was a gift.

1 Corinthians 1:12 

For now we see in a mirror dimly,     
but then face to face. Now I know in part,    
 but then I will know fully,     
even as I have been fully known.

The glimpse of God’s glory was partial, but the closer I draw to Him the longer and deeper He will allow me to experience His presence. I desire for the day when I will see Jesus face to face and fully know HIM.

The Bible promises that one day, we will BE FULLY KNOWN by God and that WE WILL FULLY know God. To be known and understood deep in our souls is our greatest desire. It will fulfill all of the longings on our heart. 

Remember that everybody has GOD-SIZE HOLE in their hearts. We are all trying to fill it with something. But when we draw close to Jesus, He will draw close to us. He will KNOW us and He will not reject us. 

But we will still have trouble. We will not be able to be perfect or find perfection. But when we are “face to face,” we will be in complete relationship with God. We will be known by Him and know Him fully. That is what will fill the God-sized hole in our hearts.

Let us pursue Jesus. Let us trust Jesus to satisfy our souls and understand that nothing will fully satisfy us until we get to Heaven and get to know Him FULLY.

Chasing the sun that evening changed my life. What beauty is God showing you?

International Travel, Singleness, Travel

TODAY, I PUT ON PANTS.

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It may not seem newsworthy, but do you remember the excitement of field trip day? The disappointment when you find out where you’re going. BUT the anticipation the night before REGARDLESS of where you’re going. It doesn’t really matter in the end because you still get out of class. You can’t sleep. You can’t eat. Or you can’t stop eating. You know your crush will be there. You get up early even though you’re sleep deprived. You shower. Put on makeup. Or gel your hair. Whatever your version of vanity is. Your cutest, but casual-est outfit. “This old thing!” Your lipstick. 

You know your destination itself won’t be much. A play like you’ve gone to every year since 6th grade. A museum. Another museum. The zoo. You are way too excited for the monotony of this field trip. And yet, you don’t care. You are just giddy to get out. To get out to DIFFERENT. Something new. Anything new is stimulating when compared to the wrong shade of blue lockers you face every day as you walk from the bus lot to first period.You take a selfie. You take five. 

You walk too fast or too slow, all for a purpose. I walked slow. I saw my friend Egypt in the hallway. She left five minutes before me. She turned left in the hallway to find a stairwell leading outside. I was told to be there five minutes after her, so I waved goodbye and good luck and took a picture of HER happy dance as she trotted down the hallway. She was excited for field trip day too.

Egypt tasting freedom for the first time in nearly two weeks! Me, realizing it was too early to actually leave my apartment.

I paced back and forth in my apartment, waiting until it was my time to leave. My friend, Jen, who was scheduled to leave at the same time as me texted me a few minutes early. “You leaving yet?” I checked my eye liner in the mirror. Smiled. Pulled my government issued mask over my nose and texted back, “Now.”

Masks: The new lipstick!

As I entered the hallway, I had a choice to make. Left or right. When I arrived here 12 days ago, it was nearly midnight and I took the elevator. This time, we weren’t allowed to take the elevator. We were told to walk to a stairwell and only use the stairwell. I didn’t know for sure where the stairwells were exactly or which stairwell was closest, and I definitely wanted the one that the furthest away. 

You see, this IS the field trip. Getting dressed up. Looking out the window. Seeing your quarantine partners doing their happy dance, 12 feet apart, as they each take their turn. 

View out my sun closet window. The anticipation is almost too much!

Now it was my turn. I exited my room and watched as my door shut for the first time. Ever. I heard the electronic click. Can I get back in? I should try. I entered the code as shown, and it unlocked. I smiled and let it close again.

I turned right. 

It appeared to be the furthest away from our destination. I walked slowly but quickly. Quickly enough to feel the freedom. Slowly enough to make it last.

I met Jen at the door. We stayed six feet apart but chatted as we approached the field just outside our building. A Korean man with a mask waved at us. His eyes smiled. He asked our names and then directed us to sit, very far apart, not facing one another, under the covered seats. “How is your quarantine going!?” he asked. Jen responded that she liked quarantine. She “thrived” in it. It’s her third quarantine. Then, I spoke.

“I’m grateful I get to do this in my own apartment!” A pause. Silence. A thumbs up from the Korean man in a mask.

I continued. “And I’m excited to be out here! I’m wearing pants for the first time in two weeks.”

There was laughter. (I do wear pants, just mostly pajama shorts but it’s all about the story, right!?)

Then Egypt approached with a giant smile on her face. Her field trip was more than halfway over. She did another happy dance. Slowly. But with glee. With freedom in her eyes. She’s on day 13. “How was it?” “Great,” she probably said.

Aren’t her smiling eyes the best!?

Jen was supposed to go next, but I was closer and they did not want our paths to cross due to possible infection, so they let me go first.

This time there was a chair. Probably wise.

As they shoved the stick down my throat, I gagged. I think the staff in full PPE laughed and jumped backwards. Then they put a stick up my nostrils. I made noises to help. It wasn’t painful. It was… pleasant. Pleasant like the end of women’s exam. The experience itself is miserable, but when it’s over, you’re so glad it’s over, and you know it means that you don’t have to do this again for a long time. That is the kind of pleasantness I felt during this COVID TEST field trip. 

Jen getting her Covid test!

Freedom is coming soon.

My happy dance! Look, I’m wearing pants! (And a cute shirt my aunt Victoria gave me!)

I hope it’s negative!

Curious how I spent quarantine? Stay tuned. It’s coming.

I hope.

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Daily Faith, independence day, Uncategorized

A Declaration of Independence: Be Free

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I have been studying the beginning of my faith these past few days, not the beginning of my personal walk, but the beginning of God’s recorded faithfulness: Genesis and Exodus. It’s quite timely that this morning, on our great nation’s Independence Day, I walked, so to speak, with the Israelites through their own independence from bondage in Egypt and into their first years as a baby nation. I got to see the formation process of their first set of laws, their first official leaders, and their first ruler: God Himself. 

I wanted to breathe in the knowledge of truth and just sit and soak in the verses surrounding the Exodus from Egypt and learn more about these roots from the Spirit of God. In some ways, it parallels the exodus of many of the people groups in the Americas from their motherland for the purpose of religious independence. Though the details are far from identical, the craving for autonomy and freedom transcends time and culture.

So what stands out to me most from my reading of the foundation of the nation of Israel? Well first, they were an oppressed people and they cried out to God. Additionally, their women were faithful even when their lives were in grave danger. The midwives were instructed by Pharaoh to kill all the boys upon birth, but the women “feared God,” didn’t follow this order, and were blessed with their own families as a result. When the rulers of the day wanted to annihilate Israel, their faithfulness led to their expansion (Exodus 1:20-21).

Something else that stands out to me occurs while Moses was on the run: God saw Israel, and He was “concerned” about them (Exodus 2:25). Now this word, “concern” seems to be a bit downplayed in this translation. Not to get too theological, but… well just bear with me as I get a bit theological!  The Hebrew word here for “concern” is Yada, which means to know, to be known, to deeply respected (Strong). It is the same word used to describe a sexual union between a man and a woman in the covenant of marriage (side note: the word for sexual relations when not referring to a man and a woman in a marital covenant is usually a totally different word with entirely different implications… totally worth looking into–something, by the way, I learned at Dannah and Bob Gresh’s Sexual Theology and Healing Training Master Class last week and highly recommend attending in the future! Visit purefreedom.org to find out more!). It is the same word used to describe the relationship between God and His people throughout the whole Bible. It is the highest form of relationship. In their agony, they were seen. They were known. They were understood. And they were rescued!

Finally, I am keen to mention the relentlessness of God’s heart. After rescuing Israel, God is relentlessly concerned with their well being. Something I didn’t realize before was that He reminded them of what He had done for them and offered to make them His “own treasure (Exodus 19:5).” They agreed to it! God did not force Himself on Israel! They cried out to Him. He heard them. He delivered them. Then, He OFFERED Himself as their King. They responded. “Everything that Adonai has spoken, we will do (Exodus 19:8).” And friend, He will not force Himself on you. (And neither should we try to force Him onto others.) But He will relentlessly pursue you when you’ve EARNESTLY said yes to His invitation.

He repeatedly instructs Moses to remind the people not to touch the mountain where He was located because it would kill them. Over and over again, he reminds Moses to remind the people. He had ongoing compassion and care for them. 

Then, He gave them a series of ordinances that were quite liberating! Remember that they had been in bondage, with no will of their own for hundreds of years. This was their constitution. It freed them to live in a society that was not lawless and oppressive towards even the least of them. 

And in this constitution, He gave them a day of rest! After hundreds of years of slavery, do you think they struggled to take a day off? I imagine they were quite addicted to productivity. I know how I get when all I do is work, work, work! It can be hard to force myself to turn my brain off and rest. And this new ruler required rest for everyone! Even the slaves and cattle! He even justifies the sabbath rest in Exodus 23:12, “You are to do your work for six days, but on the seventh day you will rest, so that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and also the son of your handmaid and the outsider may be refreshed.” Everybody wants Saturday off, and God started that! He made Saturday a required day off. (So why do we go to church on Sunday? Oh dear… that’s another, for some reason, controversial topic for another day, but please do look into it!)

He freed them from bondage, slavery, oppression, and violence and gave them a united identity, a set of laws to keep order and to protect all life and innocence. He ascribed value to the individual, including women and children! He took them from a nation with a bounty on their male infants and made it an offense punishable by death for anyone who hurt a pregnant woman, ending either of their lives (or causing severe harm) (Exodus 21:22). 

God declared their independence from the ways of an oppressive world, and in return they pledged allegiance to Him alone. 

Now that is a God to whom I want to pledge my allegiance! And I get to! We non-Israelites were invited into the family of God and declared spiritually and eternally independent from wickedness under the blood of Jesus. Through the blood of Jesus, like the Israelites through the blood of the passover lamb, we too have been emancipated. 

So today I ask you to look deeply into your relationship with God (and I invite you to ask Jesus to come into your heart and lead you in all your ways if you do not yet have this relationship) and ask yourself–Have I yet been declared independent? And if so, am I living in the freedom for which I was set free (Galatians 5:1)? 

Be free. Set others free.

Happy Independence Day! We have much to celebrate.

References:

The Bible. Tree of Life Version, Baker Books, 2015.

Strong, James. Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009.

Daily Faith, Uncategorized

Intimacy and Eternity

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I wrote this some time ago as an introduction to a book that has not yet been fully birthed. I don’t know when it will be, but it is time to stop storing up the words the Lord has laid on my heart in the depths of a computer file.

*

Many years ago I spent almost the entire summer seeped in the Word of God. It was the first time I had ever yearned for knowledge of God in such unquenchable amounts. I woke up in the morning, sat at the kitchen table with the sunlight pouring in over my books, and read the Bible. I started in Genesis and used the New International Version.

Prior to that summer, I had never read much beyond the creation and only parts of the new testament. But something happened while I finally sought to know the God who I had adamantly chosen to believe in and follow—I became genuinely interested in every word that dripped from His mouth (His Word, His Book). I had heard the Bible stories and read them in parts over the years, but I had never absorbed the narrative as a whole. I had never followed the lineage of Adam, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the rest. I had a very cursory knowledge of His-story.

That summer, I ate up the text, falling more and more in love with the author of creation daily. I would sit there, many days, until sun set. I realized that this Book upon which I based my life was… get this… interesting! Raunchy! Raw! And dare I say… feminist literature like no other! (Please put aside all modern associations of the word “feminist” and think only of the word as I use it here in terms of equally valuing women and holding them in high esteem, not degrading them or calling them lesser than men.)

What I experienced that summer was deep, intense intimacy with The Lord. It was the first time I had such intimacy despite being a Christian for nearly the twenty years prior.

And it led to years of spiritual disappointment. Yes, I said disappointment. Over the next several months, I didn’t have the kind of time I’d had over the summer to spend time in the Bible and in prayer. I tried to spend time in the mornings and evenings with Him, but I was just so busy—being a high school English teacher—and I was tired. I was also busy with ministry and emotional recovery from various issues.

I remember my pastor telling me that the time I had in the Word that summer was a gift and that it couldn’t always be like that, but I was miserable without it. After so many years knowing that my relationship with God was not what it should be, I had finally captured it. I had experienced extended intimacy with the Lord, and I thought that it was supposed to be like that all the time. It should be like that all the time. Nothing less could satisfy my soul.

*

Over the years, I began to understand that God gives us times of refreshment, times in deep waters to fill us and prepare us for drier times. He prepares us. The two years following that intense summer, and even the year prior to that summer, was filled with trials and attack on so many levels. In retrospect, I don’t know what I would have done without that time to let my roots run deep.

What I experienced was a glimpse of the Creator, an eclipse, a moment or rather, a series of moments of intense in depth eternity. I chased that experience for years until I realized that I could never actually recapture it. But what I discovered was that the more I paid attention, the more I could experience other glimpses and in fact if I could be seeped/soaking in His essence every moment, I wouldn’t miss it. I wouldn’t yearn for it, I wouldn’t groan for it.

*

You see, the earth is broken. The garden of Eden was closed down… for now. While eternal intimacy with the Almighty is within reach for all those who believe in the Son, Jesus Christ, until we are in Heaven, we will never fully dwell in His presence. That is the ultimate brokenness in which we live. Darkness, sin, disease, despair, isolation, loneliness—all of these are temporary gaps in which we temporarily dwell, and in which we develop a hunger and thirst for eternity. Through the pits, we glimpse the glory and goodness. And if we are careful, if we watch closely, if we pay attention, we will see glimpses of His presence all around of us. The rocks will cry out. The earth is filled with his glory.

*

Please share your thoughts with me on this topic or similar experiences you have had!

Follow me on IG or FB: @gracefulpersistence

Daily Faith, Repatriating, Singleness, Uncategorized

The Hole in our Hearts

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My Youtube Video Link: The Hole in Our Hearts 65460943_611211712704970_5449716742982991872_n

comedy, fiction, humor, romance, short story, Singleness, snow, Uncategorized

Chapter 7

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Chapter 1    Chapter 2    Chapter 3    Chapter 4

*
A Note from the Author

Before I begin chapter 7, let me share that I realize my fragmented experiment with narration in chapters 5 and 6 didn’t quite work for many of you. I was going for almost a “How I Met Your Mother” narration style. And since those chapters didn’t really alter the plot, let’s just pretend they were a sort of dream sequence, like the Halloween episodes of “The Simpsons.” Or that they didn’t happen at all. 

Chapter 7 will be a direct continuation from chapter 4. Thank you for bearing with me as I sometimes succeed and sometimes blunder in my very experimental adventure through novel writing.

*

Chapter 7

With a silly grin, he made his way back up the hill and plopped down next to me in the snow. “I’m Chad,” he said extending his olive toned hand. “Perhaps an introduction is warranted given how intimately we have recently become acquainted.”

“Well, I do need a name to use when I tell all my girlfriends about that little ditch predicament you, sir, just found yourself in.”

“As do I. As do I.”

“To tell all your girlfriends about my little ditch predicament?” Flirtation activated.

His grin widened. “Indeed, but of course,” he corrected, “to tell all my boyfriends about your ditch predicament.”  Flirtation aborted.

Horror crossed his face. “That’s not what I meant. Girlfriends. Girlfriends. That’s what I meant.” I stared at him, soaking up every moment of his adorable descent into awkward embarrassment. To help the situation, I remained quiet, studying him intently, one eyebrow raised.

“Not that I have a ton of girlfriends.”

“Of course not,” I grinned. Awkward flirtation back in session.

“That would be bad.”

“Very very bad,” I replied, feigning seriousness. I wondered how uncomfortable I could let him get before it crossed from flirtatious banter into flirtatious cruelty. A little further. I waited for more explanation.

“Yea, just a few—actually one—just one.”

I sighed. Oh well. Flirtation aborted. Again. I guessed this wouldn’t be my Hallmark romance ending after all.

He must have noticed the disappointment cross my face and it made him realize his latest verbal blunder.

“I mean none. No girlfriend.” He was shaking his head back and forth.

He’d made a pointed effort to emphasize that he was both single and straight. And of course awkwardly adorable.

Flirtation reactivated.

I decided to end his torture and smiled wide.

“Relax! I understand. Straight and single.”  Nope. I just had to keep it little uncomfortable. It’s what I do. With that, Chad finally laughed.

With a sense of humor.

My mental man list was well on its way.

And chivalrous for picking me up out of the snow.

And strong. Check, check, and check. Boy crazed Carolyn may have grown up but she could never stop being boy crazy. Or rather, man crazy as her age would have it.

“I’m Carolyn,” and we shook hands, left hands, to preserve what feeling I still had of my crushed fingers.

“So, what brings you here, Carolyn?”

“Honestly? It was the only plowed exit I could find, and I really had to pee.”

“And have you had any success in that department?”

“Nope.”

“I have something that might help.” If we weren’t talking about using the bathroom, this would have sounded like a shady conversation.

“A bathroom?” I asked enthusiastically.

He grimaced. “Even better.” I was intrigued.

“Even better than a bathroom… I’m hooked.”

“Visualization. Close your eyes.”

A few butterflies buzzed in my stomach, subduing the urgency to use the bathroom; I closed my eyes.

“Now imagine you are sitting in a green field full of flowers. You hear the birds chirping. The breeze blowing… and the subtle sound of a waterfall—” I punched him as hard as I could in the arm and instantly recoiled from the pain.

I’d accidentally used my crushed hand.

His laughter was ruthless but was was offset when he immediately reached for my injured hand. I tentatively let him take it and he examined it gently.

“Doesn’t feel broken. Maybe deeply bruised.” Maybe he was a doctor after all.

“Are you a doctor?”

“Would you be impressed if I said, yes.”

“Not really.” I smirked. I totally would.

“Well it’s a good thing I’m not.”

“Good thing. So what do you do Mister—”

“Cook”

“What do you do Mister Cook?”

His smile widened. “I’m a fighter, actually,” clearly impressed with himself.

Liar. Not that kind of strong. I shook my head.

“What, you don’t believe me?”

A laugh escaped, but I stopped myself. “I absolutely, positively… do not believe you.”

He laughed again.

“I’m actually a Firefighter and Paramedic.”

“That explains how you could carry me up the hill so easily. That was impressive.”

He shrugged.

“But it doesn’t explain the tumbling down the hill…”

“Ice,” he accused.

“Right.”

“So how about you, Miss—” he waited for a response.

“How do you know I’m a Miss?” I teased.

“Well if you were a Mrs., I doubt you would be driving alone, in the snow, in the middle of the night alone.”

“A bit presumptuous are we?”

He shrugged unapologetically.

“How do you figure?”
 “Well, my Mrs. would not be driving alone at night in the snow.”

“How very traditional.”

He looked a bit offended, but not too offended, at my accusation. “And is that wrong?”

Not at all, I thought. Not one bit. But the strong independent woman in me had to at least put up a little fight.

I looked intently into his eyes trying to read as much as I could from them. He looked back into mine, refusing to break eye contact. Tension steadily rose, and I could feel the heat in the pit of my stomach. He had sharp features. Symmetrical. Severe dark chocolate eyes and short, well-groomed hair to match. There was definite chemistry in the works. In fact, I couldn’t help but think what a perfectly romantic moment this would be for a kiss, but that would be a bit premature even for boy crazy Carolyn. A bit, nontraditional. I gave him a tight smile. Just a little rope for the poor guy.  I’d almost forgotten his question when I became suddenly aware that he was still holding my hand. Or maybe he was holding it again. I wasn’t sure. The warmth radiated between us.

I allowed my facial expression to soften further.

“Traditional is okay.” I smiled and nodded. I quite liked traditional actually.

“Really?” He said, pleasantly surprised.

“To an extent.”  I was strong and independent, sure, but it didn’t change the fact that I wanted a strong guy. Even a protective one.

“Well I’m a traditional guy… to an extent.” He was trying to impress me. It was kinda cute.

Our gaze still intent, I gave another tight smile and he did the same.

He looked forward, breaking the tension.

“So Miss Carolyn, what do you do?”

“I’m a teacher.”

“Ah a caretaker… how very traditional.” Now he was teasing me.

“Ha. Yes, suppose it is traditional, but I’m more like a zookeeper…. or ringmaster… or a cat wrangler.” Really, I could go on forever with the metaphors.

“What grade?”

“5th”

“That must be fun.”

“Circuses are fun.”

We locked eyes again. The smell of his cologne permeating my senses. I’d never been so attracted to a smell before. I inched in closer, again drinking in his scent, very aware that I had a problem. A I-cannot-resist-the-smell-of-a-well-groomed-clean-shaven-masculine-cologned man problem.

I knew it was too soon, but I wanted him to kiss me.

Our gaze deepened.

My feelings were conflicted.

Kiss me.

No, it’s too soon.

Look away, I thought.

Break the tension.

Say something.

I think he’s actually gonna kiss me.

“Chad?” I couldn’t contain myself any longer.

“Yes?”

“I really have to pee.”

That broke the tension.

 

fiction, romance, short story, Singleness, snow, Uncategorized

Chapter 4

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Chapter 4

I know what you are probably thinking.

This dude is going to carry her into his festively lit living room, the pop of the fireplace crackling about, the smell of pine incensing her nostrils. He will set her down gently on the living room couch and help her stretch out her injured leg across the table, which he will first, with one swift brush of his arm, sweep all things to the ground to clear the way. He will tell her to relax and be still and that he will take care of her wounds. He will then disappear into the kitchen to gather gauze and other such first aid supplies.

While sitting alone in the candle lit living room, she will look around and notice pictures of him in a white lab coat, with a stethoscope around his neck, in a remote Southeast Asian village, surrounded by smiling, clearly impoverished children, one of which will be sitting on his shoulders and pulling on his ears while laughing hysterically. He will, of course, be wearing a smile as wide as his heart, revealing his brilliantly white and unnaturally straight teeth.

A superstar of Doctors Without Borders. An adventurer who just happens to be living in this town to help his ailing grandma and sickly cousin but maintains close ties to his international connections and is ready with an overnight bag and passport at a moment’s notice.

Then, in crashes the missing puzzle piece to his extravagantly humble life, the damsel in distress school teacher with a latent travel bug and freshly renewed passport, ready to be whisked off her injured feet and superimposed into her very own international edition of a Hallmark romance.

The End

***

But that’s not what happened.

As I was “drinking in the scent” of his perfectly cologned neck, en route up the hill, impressed by his strength, grace, and chivalry, the brute dropped me flat on my wider-than-I-would-care-to-admit-but-still-not-cushioned-enough-to-dull-the-pain-derriere and then proceeded to, himself, tumble down the hill into the very ditch from which he had just pulled me.

Fantasy abated.

The weight of my own body against my tailbone sent shudders down my legs, stopping along the way to mingle with the pain already settled in them before releasing itself into the atmosphere and allowing me once again to form cogent thoughts.

The first of which was concern for the durability of this guy’s neck, but my concern was pacified when, as soon as he landed, his arms sprouted into the air and gave me two enthusiastic thumbs up. Still laying on the ground with arms in the air, he exclaimed to me with spirited reassurance, “I’m fine! I’m good! Everything is good here.”

His house had better smell of pine, I thought.

*

Chapters 5 and 6 have been omitted. Please move on to chapter 7.

If you have become a consistent reader, please drop me a comment!