Tag: christian

Lament: The Path to Resurrection Hope

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Photo by MART PRODUCTION

Most of us walk into church carrying things we don’t quite know what to do with. We pray, we sing, we greet one another—but underneath, there are losses we haven’t named, hurts we haven’t voiced, questions we don’t know how to ask. We carry grief in our bodies even when we don’t have language for it. Scripture gives us a word for that. It gives us lament.

Loss doesn’t arrive politely. It doesn’t knock first. It doesn’t wait for a convenient moment. Sometimes loss is sudden. Sometimes it’s slow. Sometimes it’s not even the loss of a person—it’s the loss of a future, a dream, a sense of safety, a version of life you thought you’d have. And when loss hits, most of us don’t know what to do with it. We try to be strong. We try to keep moving. We try not to fall apart. But Scripture never asks us to pretend. It gives us a different way. It gives us lament.

Lament is telling God the truth about our pain. It’s the honest prayer we pray when life hurts and we don’t have answers. Lament is not complaining. It’s not losing faith. It’s not getting stuck. Lament is how we bring our real pain to a real God who really listens and never leaves. Lament is faith with dirt under its nails—faith that’s been on the ground, faith that’s cried in the car, faith that’s been awake at 3 a.m., faith that’s holding on to God with one hand while wiping tears with the other. Lament is not the opposite of faith. Lament is an act of faith. If you didn’t believe God was listening, you wouldn’t cry out. If you didn’t believe God cared, you wouldn’t bring Him your pain. If you didn’t believe God could do something with your grief, you wouldn’t bother praying at all. Lament is faith refusing to go silent.

One of the most powerful moments in Scripture happens at a graveside. In John 11, Jesus arrives at the tomb of His friend Lazarus. Mary and Martha are devastated. Confused. Disappointed. Hurt. They had sent for Jesus days earlier, and He didn’t come in time. When Jesus arrives, He doesn’t stand at a distance. He doesn’t offer explanations. He doesn’t tell them to “trust God more.” He steps into their grief. And then comes the shortest, most honest sentence in the Gospels: “Jesus wept.” He knew resurrection was minutes away—but He still cried. Because lament is not about the outcome. It’s about the moment. It’s about love. It’s about presence. It’s about entering someone else’s pain before you try to lift them out of it. Jesus wept because love weeps. This is the God who meets us in lament.

As we move toward Easter, we’re spending intentional time learning how to lament. Not because lament is a detour, but because it’s part of the road. There are no shortcuts through grief. We don’t get to resurrection by skipping the tomb. We can’t celebrate resurrection without first naming what needs resurrecting. Lament matters because you can’t heal what you won’t name. Because God meets us in the places we’d rather hide. Because Jesus Himself lamented—love enters pain before it lifts pain. Because lament forms us into people who walk with God in the real world. Because Easter is for people who know what loss feels like and need God to make things new. Lament is not weakness. Lament is discipleship.

If lament is so important, why do so few of us practice it? Because most of us have been taught—explicitly or implicitly—to rush past our pain. Pressure sounds like: “Be strong.” “Don’t cry.” “You should be over this by now.” Pressure makes grief feel like a problem to solve instead of a wound to tend. But God doesn’t meet us with pressure. God meets us with compassion. He doesn’t rush grief. He doesn’t set a timeline. He doesn’t say, “You should be better by now.” He says, “I’m here.”

Six months after my daughter died, I told a friend I was still struggling—still sad, still waking up in the night, still wrestling with guilt and questions. She said, “I thought you would have gotten over it by now.” She wasn’t trying to be cruel. She was just living in a world that had moved on. Her life was normal again. Mine was still in the wreckage. But while people moved on, God didn’t. God wasn’t waiting for me to “get over it.” He wasn’t disappointed in my tears. He wasn’t frustrated that I wasn’t “stronger.” God sat with me in sackcloth and ashes—holding my hand, wiping my tears, not rushing me out of the pain but choosing to be with me in it. This is the God who meets us in lament.

Photo by Christophe Leclaire

Romans 12:15 says, “Weep with those who weep.” Job’s friends, before they got it wrong, got it right. They sat with him in silence for seven days. Sometimes the holiest thing we can do is sit down next to someone and stay. Not to fix them. Not to rush them. Just to be with them. There’s a story I love about a man who fell into a deep hole. A psychiatrist walked by, wrote a prescription, and kept walking. A pastor walked by, prayed a prayer, and kept walking. Finally, a friend walked by, saw the man, and jumped in. The man panicked: “Now we’re both stuck!” But the friend said, “It’s okay. I’ve been here before. And I know the way out.” That’s presence. That’s compassion. That’s what makes lament possible.

A few years ago, I got a call from the mother of a young man in my youth group. He was very sick—multiple complications, on life support. She asked if I could come. As I drove to the hospital, something inside me tightened. It was the same hospital, the same ward where my daughter had been when she passed. Grief has a way of collapsing time. I prayed in the car: “Lord, help me. I don’t know if I can do this.” But I walked through the door. I spent the day with the family. And the next day too. I prayed with them. I listened. I cried with them. I held her hand in her hurt and confusion. And here’s the part that still humbles me: I was more blessed by that experience than I can express. God took my pain, my loss, my broken pieces—and He used them. Not because I was strong. Not because I was healed. Not because I had answers. But because God had sat with me in my own ashes long enough to shape compassion in me. And then He let that compassion become a gift for someone else. This is what restoration looks like. Not forgetting the pain. Not pretending it didn’t happen. But letting God redeem it.

So what do we do now? We tell God the truth. Not the polished version. Not the “I’m fine” version. The real version. God can only meet us where we actually are. We let God be close to our broken hearts. We don’t have to pretend. We don’t have to be strong. We don’t have to rush. We let God sit with us in the ashes. And we let lament soften us and send us. We stop asking why this is happening and begin asking what God is forming in us through this loss. Then we let that compassion move us toward others.

Lament doesn’t erase the loss. It doesn’t make the pain tidy. But it keeps us moving toward God instead of away from Him. It keeps us tender instead of numb. It keeps us connected instead of isolated. It keeps us hopeful instead of hopeless. And in all of it, God is close. God is compassionate. God is transforming us. God is restoring us. And God is giving us one another. Lament is how we bring our real pain to a real God who really listens and never leaves. Lament is not a detour. And God meets us right there.

Please help me share the good news of Jesus and how He can change your life, and our world!

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Come back and visit at ListenLearn.Live Ministries

The Lies That Bind, The Truth That Frees

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Photo by AHMED AQEELY

We all want freedom. Real freedom. The kind that lets us breathe without fear or pretending. But most of the time, the thing holding us back isn’t someone else. It’s the lies we tell ourselves — the ones we repeat so often they start to feel like truth.

Jesus said, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). He wasn’t giving a slogan or a threat. He wasn’t handing out a weapon for people to use on each other. He was inviting us into freedom — the kind that only comes from Him.

People love to quote this verse. Sometimes they use it to “call someone out” or to justify being harsh. But Jesus wasn’t talking about blasting people with “truth.” He wasn’t talking about winning arguments. He wasn’t talking about exposing someone else’s flaws. He was talking about Himself — “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). When this verse is used out of context, it becomes a tool for judgment. When it’s used the way Jesus meant it, it becomes a lifeline.

Most of the lies that keep us stuck aren’t loud. They’re quiet. They sound reasonable. They sound like coping. They sound like survival. “I’m fine.” “It’s not that bad.” “I can handle it.” “They’re not that bad.” “I’m not that bad.” “This is just who I am.” “It could be worse.” These lies feel small, but they shape everything. They keep us from facing what’s real. They keep us from healing. They keep us from growing. They keep us from God. We don’t just tell these lies — we build our identity around them.

Nobody wakes up one day and decides to hide. We learn it. Somewhere along the way, someone rejected you when you were honest. Someone made fun of something real about you. Someone taught you that being accepted meant being “good enough.” Someone told you to hide the parts that might make people uncomfortable. So you learned to protect yourself. You learned to show only the parts that felt safe. You learned to keep the rest tucked away. You learned to manage your image so no one could hurt you again.

But here’s the truth: you cannot be fully loved where you are not fully known. And the version of yourself you’ve been protecting — the edited, filtered, careful version — becomes a cage.

I remember being a kid and telling my mom I was nervous about my first speaking role in a school play. My stomach was in knots. My hands were shaking. I was convinced everyone would stare at me and see every flaw I had. She gave me the classic line we’ve all heard: “Just picture everyone in the audience in their underwear.” It sounded ridiculous, but the idea behind it was simple: if you could see everyone else as vulnerable as you feel, you wouldn’t be so afraid.

There’s a silliness to it, but also a truth. If we could see people as they really are — no pretending, no posturing, no hiding — the whole playing field would level out. All the pressure would fall away. All the lies we tell to protect ourselves would lose their power. Imagine the freedom we’d feel if everyone showed up as their real, unfiltered selves. No masks. No roles. No “I’m fine.” Just people being people.

That’s what it’s like with God. He already sees every part of us. He’s the One who made us (Psalm 139:13). He’s the One who counted the hairs on our head (Luke 12:7). He knows every secret we’ve tried to bury (Psalm 139:1–4). He knows the thoughts we wish we didn’t think. He knows the fears we hide behind jokes and busyness. He knows the lies we tell to make ourselves feel safer. And He loves us just the same (Romans 5:8).

We don’t have to pretend with Him. We don’t have to perform. We don’t have to hide the parts we’re afraid people won’t accept. God isn’t shocked by our humanity. He isn’t disappointed by our weakness. He isn’t surprised by our struggles. He sees us fully — and loves us fully.

The lies we believe about ourselves are really lies about Him. Lies that say we have to hide. Lies that say we’re too much. Lies that say people will leave if they know the real us. Lies that say we have to earn love. But God speaks a different truth.

Photo by Min An

The lie says, “Hide so you won’t be rejected.”
The truth says, “Come into the light so you can be healed” (1 John 1:7; Ephesians 5:13).

The lie says, “You’re too much.”
The truth says, “You are mine” (Isaiah 43:1; 1 John 3:1).

The lie says, “If they knew the real you, they’d leave.”
The truth says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5; Psalm 34:18).

The lie says, “You have to hide the real you to be loved.”
The truth says, “You are fully known and fully loved” (Psalm 139:1; Romans 5:8).

Every lie we tell ourselves is really an identity lie. “I’m fine” becomes “I don’t need help.” “It’s not that bad” becomes “I can manage this alone.” “This is just who I am” becomes “God can’t change me.” “I have to keep people happy” becomes “Their opinion defines me.”

But here’s the truth: your identity is not found in the world. Your identity is not found in people. Your identity is not found in their expectations, opinions, or conditions. Your identity is found in Christ — and Christ alone (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3). And that is the only identity that cannot be taken from you.

People change. Opinions change. Reputations change. Circumstances change. Jesus does not (Hebrews 13:8).

Choosing Christ as your identity is the hard part. It means letting go of every other voice that has tried to name you. It means letting go of what people think, what people expect, what people assume, what people demand, what people say you should be. Their opinions are not your truth. Their expectations are not your identity. Their labels are not your name.

Only Jesus gets to tell you who you are. And when you choose Him — when you root your identity in Him — the lies lose their grip. The fear loses its voice. The world loses its claim on you.

That is the freedom Jesus was talking about. Not freedom to do whatever you want. Freedom to finally be who you were created to be. Fully known. Fully loved. Fully free.

Please help me share the good news of Jesus and how He can change your life, and our world!

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Come back and visit at ListenLearn.Live Ministries

“Don’t Judge Me” — A Phrase Worth Retiring

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Photo by Nathan J Hilton:

I hear the phrase almost every day now — from family, from friends, from people at work, even from people at church. It shows up in casual conversations, serious conversations, and everything in between. I was having conversations with friends in their homes and communities recently, and before they shared something personal about their lives — the kind of car they drive, the school their kids attend, the neighborhood they live in — they would pause and say, almost automatically, “Don’t judge me,” and then tell me the detail.

It wasn’t said as a joke. It wasn’t said lightly. It was said as protection. Protection from being measured. Protection from being misunderstood. Protection from being reduced to a single choice.

And it made me wonder why this phrase has become so common. Why do so many people feel the need to guard themselves before they’ve even spoken? And what does Jesus actually mean when He says, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1)?

Because I’m convinced we’ve misunderstood both the phrase and the Scripture — and in doing so, we’ve missed the freedom Jesus offers.

The New Testament uses the word “judge” in two very different ways. If we don’t separate them, everything gets confused. The first kind is discernment — the ability to see clearly and tell the difference between what is healthy and what is harmful. Jesus encourages this when He says, “Judge with right judgment” (John 7:24). Paul says something similar when he writes that a mature believer “discerns all things” (1 Corinthians 2:15). Discernment is not harsh. It is not about ranking people. It is about wisdom, clarity, and truth.

The second kind is condemnation. This is the kind Jesus warns against in Matthew 7. It is the impulse to measure people, to assign worth, to assume motives, to reduce someone to a verdict. James speaks strongly about this when he says, “Who are you to judge your neighbor?” (James 4:12). Condemnation is not about truth. It is about superiority. It is about deciding someone’s value based on your own standards.

Jesus illustrates this difference with the image of a person trying to remove a speck from someone else’s eye while ignoring the plank in their own (Matthew 7:3–5). His point is not that we should never help someone see clearly. His point is that we cannot help anyone if we refuse to see ourselves honestly. Condemnation blinds us. Discernment requires humility.

When my friends said, “Don’t judge me,” they weren’t afraid I would point out sin. They weren’t afraid of moral correction. They weren’t afraid of discernment. They were afraid of condemnation — afraid I would measure them, place them somewhere on the invisible social ladder, or decide who they are based on a single detail.

This fear is not limited to one culture. In many parts of the world, people feel pressure to present a certain image — to appear successful, respectable, educated, or strong. Social media has made this even more intense. We are constantly aware of how others might see us. So “don’t judge me” becomes a way of saying, “Please don’t lower my value in your eyes.”

But beneath that fear are deeper roots. Some people say it because they feel exposed. Some say it because they have been judged harshly before — by family, community, religious leaders, or society. Some say it because they fear being misunderstood. But underneath all of these is the same truth: we fear judgment because we have learned to tie our worth to human perception.

When worth is fragile, judgment feels dangerous. When worth is earned, judgment feels threatening. When worth is comparative, judgment feels crushing.

This is where Jesus offers a completely different way to live. In the world’s system, worth is assigned by perception. In God’s kingdom, worth is given by love. Scripture shows this again and again. We are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). That means our worth is built into us before we ever speak, act, succeed, or fail. It is not something we earn. It is something we receive.

We are also known and loved by God long before we perform for anyone. Psalm 139 describes a God who sees us, forms us, and understands us completely. Nothing about our story surprises Him. Nothing about our weakness disqualifies us. Nothing about our past lowers our value in His eyes.

And for those who follow Jesus, there is an even deeper truth: we are free from condemnation. Paul writes that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Jesus tells the woman caught in adultery, “I do not condemn you” (John 8:11), and then invites her into a new way of living. He does not excuse sin, but He refuses to define people by it. He lifts shame instead of adding to it. He restores dignity instead of taking it away.

Jesus frees us from the world’s verdicts. He frees us from the fear of being measured by human standards. He frees us from the pressure to prove our worth. Choosing to follow Him is choosing to live in that freedom — to step out of the world’s system of comparison and into God’s truth about who we are.

This freedom is not abstract. It changes how we see ourselves and how we move through the world. When our worth is rooted in Jesus, we no longer need to chase approval. We no longer need to defend every choice. We no longer need to hide parts of our story. We no longer need to fear being misunderstood. Our value is secure because it rests in the One who made us, loves us, and calls us His own.

Keeping our focus on Jesus keeps us grounded in this truth. When our eyes drift back to the world’s standards, fear returns. But when our eyes stay on Him, confidence grows. We remember who we are. We remember whose we are. And we remember that no human opinion has the authority to define us.

When our worth is secure, it doesn’t just change how we feel — it changes how we live. When we know our worth in Jesus, we make decisions that don’t always make sense to people around us. We choose generosity over status. We choose forgiveness over revenge. We choose humility over self‑promotion. We choose faithfulness over convenience.

These choices can look foolish in a world that measures worth by success, wealth, or image. Paul writes that the message of Jesus looks like “foolishness” to many (1 Corinthians 1:18). But when our worth is secure, we no longer need the world to validate us. We are free to live differently. We are free to live faithfully. We are free to live without fear of being judged by human standards.

Here is the challenge — and it may feel uncomfortable: it is time for followers of Jesus to stop saying “don’t judge me.” Not because people won’t misunderstand us. Not because the world suddenly becomes kind. Not because judgment disappears. But because the phrase reveals something deeper: that we still believe human perception has power over our worth.

Jesus has already removed condemnation. Jesus has already secured our identity. Jesus has already declared our value. We do not need to fear human judgment because our worth is not in human hands. Instead of saying “don’t judge me,” we can say, “My worth is in Jesus. I am free to live faithfully, even if it looks foolish.”

We say “don’t judge me” because we fear condemnation — the world’s kind of judgment that ranks and reduces. But Jesus offers a different kind of judgment: discernment that sees clearly and restores gently. When we root ourselves in His truth, we no longer need to fear being exposed or misunderstood. His discernment frees us. His lack of condemnation heals us. And that is the kind of freedom the world is desperate to see.

Please help me share the good news of Jesus and how He can change your life, and our world!

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Come back and visit at ListenLearn.Live Ministries

Reach Out!

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This morning, while clearing out old drafts, I came across this post that for some reason never got published. While it may seem out of date, I wanted to bring it forward. We may have come through the pandemic, but we are still feeling the effects of a very changed world. Changed for many reasons that I don’t think I need to name. This blog was written on a bad day of work, virtual schooling, endless laundry, and wriggly children, but the basic premise remains the same.

During challenging times, I call upon the Church to reach out to their communities, and for communities to reach out to the Church.

January 21, 2021

Today was a challenging day. It kind of reminded me of the book Alexander and the terrible horrible no good very bad day. One of the days where it seems that Murphy’s proverbial law was reigning supreme and whatever could go wrong did. The best I could do was to make a late day cup of coffee and step outside for a few deep breaths and to enjoy a stolen moment of quiet and calm.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  1 Thessalonians 5:18

While I was outside watching the clouds roll by on a mostly rainy day, I began to think of how other parents might be handling this world we are living in today. If we’re lucky, we’re still employed, we may have children either completely or partly virtually schooled from home, we are more than likely under some kind of COVID-19 protocol that limits our ability to interact with friends and family.  We are struggling to be a parent, employee, teacher, principal, housekeeper, chef, caregiver, peacemaker, friend, wife, husband, son, daughter, brother, or sister. While some of this is a natural response to who we are, a lot of it is a result of circumstances far out of our control, and certainly never expected or planned.

In the middle of thanking God for his incredible provision to my family during this time, it occurred to me that knowing everyone is in the same boat, doesn’t really make it easier. So many parents are struggling right now to find balance, to be the best they can be, and to try and keep everything under control in an incredibly chaotic time. Families need help in what seems to be a groundhog experience of Alexander’s very bad day.

I want to issue a challenge, more like a suggestion really. I have been reading and hearing stories of churches and church families that have begun outreach ministries to their communities with the sole purpose of providing support, resources, and relief to families who may be on the brink of exhaustion. They are turning their fellowship halls into virtual classrooms staffed by volunteers who want to help. They are providing virtual tutoring services from their homes, counseling services, lunchtime meals on wheels and after school bible studies. The church is uniquely positioned to provide support and resources during this time, “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.“ Philippians 2:1-4

I have continued to believe that God, during this pandemic is capable, and desirous of bringing about revival in His church. While we may feel limited in our ability to evangelize the world, He is not limited by anything. “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2

Parents, I encourage you to reach out to your churches and ask for help. Churches, reach out to the parents in your congregations, find a local school and ask where there is need. We are so much better together than we are divided. We can accomplish so much more when we work together than when we’re fighting one another. Our children need us, our communities need us, we need to stop looking outside for someone or something to fix what’s broken. We have what we need to care for each other.

Please help me share the good news of Jesus and how He can change your life, and our world!

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Come back and visit at ListenLearn.Live Ministries

 

Christian Begins with Christ

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Being a Christian begins with remembering who God is, and what he has done for you.

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.” Deuteronomy 7:9

I have been wrestling with how to share Jesus with those who are struggling in dark times, when they have lost hope and see no way forward. My knee jerk reaction is to tell them that Jesus is the hope they are looking for. Jesus is the answer to the problems of our sin sick world. Jesus brings healing, restoration, joy, and freedom. My words fall flat as blank stares, filled with pain, look back at me. Are these the same faces that Jesus observed as he ministered across Judea?

“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;  therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:35-38

This week I listened to a message about praying for laborers (Matthew 9:35-38). The need is so great in our world, people are lost and hopeless. The harvest is indeed plentiful, you can see it in the faces of those who come to the church for food, and clothing. You can hear it in their voices as they share their troubles, hopelessness has a tone. It is the dull drumming of a world that has become deaf to the needs of others. It is the endless cries for help we no longer hear. The overwhelming need of people today across the world can easily become a cacophony of noise so overwhelming that we choose to tune it out for fear it will overwhelm us. The world needs a savior.

The world has a savior, Jesus.

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10

“ I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Jesus came to seek and save the lost, so that we may have life abundantly, that we may have peace in tribulation because he has overcome the world.

We cannot overcome all the hopelessness that exists in the world today. We cannot fix everything that is broken, we cannot fill every need, and we cannot be the savior of each hurt person we meet. When we turn our focus on who we are and what we can do, we will drown in a sea of despair. Without Christ we can do nothing.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

Apart from Christ we can do nothing. Everything begins and ends with Him. Trying to fix the world, fix my community, fix my family, fix my neighbor out of my own broken jar of clay is like trying to bail out my boat with a bucket full of holes. It may feel like I am helping, and I am working hard, but the boat is going to sink, taking me along with it.

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.” Deuteronomy 7:9

God is who he says he is. He is faithful and steadfast in his love for us. We are not called to save the world; we are called to obey him… How do we do that, you ask?

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

Being a Christian begins with remembering who God is, and what he had done for you, and loving others as he loves us.

“We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” 1 John 4:19-21

The world doesn’t need another savior. We are loved, redeemed, saved for this life and all eternity. We have been given all we need (2 Peter 1:3) for this life to live how He has called us, to be Christ to those who need us, to love others as He loved us.

I challenge you (and me) to approach each day with the knowledge of who God is and his love for you. Then, from that over abundant fountain of love pour out onto those around you. approach everyone you meet with God’s heart; serve the needs of the people He puts in front of you. It is not our job to save the world, Jesus did that already. It is our job to meet people where they are, love them as they are, and walk with them to the foot of the cross.

I pray that today that the Holy Spirit will give us an opportunity to meet the needs of someone. That he would divinely appoint opportunities for us to share Christ’s love with someone, and that we would respond with the same love that Christ first showed us.

Please help me share the good news of Jesus and how He can change your life, and our world!

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Come back and visit at ListenLearn.Live Ministries

Prayer is a Privilege

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According to Oxford dictionary the definition of prayer is, “a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God.” I’ve also read, “In the Bible prayer is worship that includes all the attitudes of the human spirit in its approach to God…This highest activity of which the human spirit is capable may also be thought of as communion with God, so long as due emphasis is laid upon divine initiative. A man prays because God has already touched his spirit.”

A man prays because God has already touched his spirit. When someone asks you to pray for them the Spirit has moved, and is stirring your spirit to respond. A request for prayer is not random, coincidental, lucky (or to some unlucky), it is not an obligation, or chore, it is a divine appointment. Knowing this, why are we hesitant about responding?

We’ll say, “I’ll remember you in my prayers (later)”, “I’ll be praying for you (later)”, “I’ll lift up you and your family, situation, struggle, etc., (later)”. Then we go on about our business, hoping to remember to pray for them the next time we make time, to go before the Lord. The best way to remember what you have to do, is to do it before you have a chance to forget it.  When someone asks us to pray for them, it is the Holy Spirit moving them, and giving us the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus to that person, in that moment.

Don’t waste this precious gift of appointed by the Spirit, that is practiced by the Son, and glorifies the Father. Every time someone asks for you to pray for them, they are placing their hearts in your hands. Clasp it tightly, weave your fingers together, and bring them before God in that very moment. Honor the movement of the Spirit in your life and do what Jesus would do.

How many times have you told someone you would pray for them, to later forget. I know, life gets busy, we get distracted, there are a dozen reasons that we can give, it’s happened to most of us. We need to believe that those moments are precious gifts. They are Spirit lead appointments that were (are) orchestrated for us to demonstrate the Father’s love for others.

Recently I have been walking with a family through the worst of times, they were losing a child. This young man was one of the teens from my youth group for years. I had gotten to know this young man and his younger brother, my heart was broken for them. There was nothing I could do to fix, repair, replace, restore their hearts. All I could do was pray.

A couple weeks ago I received a call, “Pastor Betsy, please come!” I went. Walking into the hospital that day I knew what was awaiting me, I knew what was awaiting this family, as I had walked this road myself with our own daughter many years before. I prayed walking toward the building that the Holy Spirit would give me the strength to walk through the doors, the ability to speak life and love into their lives, to check my own emotions at the door and be fully present with them. And He did just that.

The Spirit moved that day, I was able to be there as a friend, pastor, and sister in Christ. This was a divine appointment, and although it was heart breaking, there was no other place I wanted to be. I had the Spirit appointed privilege to be present as this family prepared to say goodbye, and their son joined Jesus in eternity.

Every opportunity to lift up a person, a situation (which is almost always about people), is an opportunity to be Christ to someone, for someone, on behalf of someone. Jesus often went off to pray, (Matt 14:22-23). He demonstrates for us the importance of interceding with and for others, in Romans 8:31-39 we read that Jesus is at the right hand of God interceding for us. Jesus is He who is perfect but also knows fully what it means to be human. So, He is the perfect advocate for us to the Father. He intercedes for us continually (Hebrews 7:23-25).

What does this mean for us? It means that to be a disciple of Jesus Christ we ought to do what he does. Prayer is an opportunity for us to tangibly advocate and intercede on behalf of our brothers and sisters. Prayer is an opportunity for us to be in relationship with our creator (that’s mind blowing in and of itself). God created the very voices we speak with, their tone, their resonance, their tenor, he wants to hear from you! It brings his heart joy when we come before him with our praise, with our fears, with our troubles, and especially on behalf of others.

He doesn’t care about fancy words, or pithy statements. He doesn’t care what language you speak. He doesn’t care where you are; in your car, shower, on your knees, in the middle of a shouting match with your kids. He wants to be an acknowledged presence in your life that you can turn too at any point in time.

I shared with you recently about my monthly dinner with some of my sisters in Christ and the wonderful conversation we had. At the end of that dinner, as the dining room was filling up, we didn’t actually notice we were so engrossed in our conversation, we prayed. Each one of us, praying over the others, about what we shared, to know Jesus more, to grow in his grace and love. We prayed, and we called on his name, and when we were done, we noticed that this little dining room had gone quiet. People who had been waiting for us to leave so they could sit, just stared. We apologized for taking so long as we quickly gathered our things, “no don’t rush on our behalf, really we can wait till you’re done.”

Prayer also changes those around you. When others see you stopping your life to lift up a brother or sister to the hands of the Father, they take notice, they take account, they get convicted, seeds are planted, and they are changed.

Prayer is a privilege, a divine appointment orchestrated by the Holy Spirit for the benefit of many. Don’t miss your opportunities to partake of God’s Sovereign plan for your life and the lives of those around you.

Please help me share the good news of Jesus and how He can change your life, and our world!

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Thoughts From the Car Wash

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I was talking with a group of friends on Monday as we had dinner, and one of them made the comment that they are starving to better know and understand God’s word. In fact, I believe the comment she made was that she is ‘ravenous’ to know more.  Which is ironic in that it was also how we approached our incredible BBQ dinner from Smokey Mo thank you very much!

As I drove home that night I continued to ponder her words and the depth to which her soul was crying out to know Jesus better, to know the living word better, to be filled with the Holy Spirit more completely. Nothing in this world is going to satisfy her, she wants only our Lord. I was convicted by her words, how many of us walk through our day to day lives, hungry for something but we can’t figure out what? Feeling like we’re missing something, longing to be satisfied but nothing in this world can fill us, so we search on in vain for something to fill a hole we can’t quite identify.

This morning, while sitting at the carwash, I pulled out my devotional and took advantage of the fact that no one was going to get their car washed at 7:30 in the morning, so I had the lobby all to myself. As I read through the message, I began thinking about how much I want to want God more than anything else. Truly I want him to the absolute center of my life and being. I want to know him more each day, I want to be all he wants me to be. It reminded me of how we feel (or at least I felt) the very first time we have a real crush, or a first love.

In those beginning days and weeks, we are obsessed with getting to know them, wanting to be near them all the time, talking on the phone, spending every moment together, being whatever they want you to be. We are so consumed (or at least I was) by the person that we lose ourselves in them. Talking for hours, never getting bored, thinking of them all the time. Imagining ways to make them happy and how to please them. A feeling so all consuming and compelling that nothing else matters, not family, or friends, or school, or anything else in all creation is as important as they are, then I thought about what Jesus said is the most important commandment, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38) We all have the capacity and desire to love like that, it’s what or who we chose to love that usually throws us spinning off course.

Unfortunately for most of us, the ‘love’ soon fades, people are flawed, broken, unable to return or maintain that kind of love with one another. We’ll get tired, conflicted, other pastures look greener, we feel neglected, or taken advantage of. Sometimes we’re the ones neglecting because the feeling that was so powerful at first has somehow lost its power.

We wonder where we went wrong, often try too hard for too long to keep the relationship afloat, ultimately it doesn’t. There is only one thing that can fulfill that level of all consuming, relentless, audacious love…God, in the person of Jesus Christ. People will let us down, wander off, get bored, lose interest, and move on. Jesus never will. He returns our imperfect, flawed, broken, misplace, selfish love with his perfect, all fulfilling, all-consuming love. He will never get bored, stray, change, forget, wander off, let down, or disappear. He is obsessed with loving us, we are his joy. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3) We are the reason he went to the cross.

I don’t know about you, but I want to love Jesus like that. Like my first crush, completely obsessed with knowing him, showing my love, being who he wants me to be, and living to please him. Only then can I fulfill my purpose in life. That’s why I was created, that’s why you were created, and it is only when we are fulfilling that purpose in our lives that we can be whole.  Not when we are obsessively trying to please creation; man, woman, children, job, school, country, or world, but only when our only concern is HIM and his purpose for our life.

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9-11)

The Jesus shaped space in our hearts cannot be filled by anything else, nothing! No matter how hard you try to convince yourself…you will never truly be happy unless Jesus is in His rightful place in your life.

Please help me share the good news of Jesus and how He can change your life, and our world!

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Following Christ isn’t Convenient

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It’s Saturday morning, you have a laundry list of ‘need to do’ items, right behind that is your list of ‘want to do’ items, then of course, there is the actual laundry to do…the phone rings. You’re in the middle of sorting dirty laundry and you grab your phone, you recognize the number and you have just a moment to decide if you answer or if you let it go to voice mail. Do I have time today to take the call, do I have time to talk or visit, or fulfill whatever request may come from the other end of the phone. In a split second you can think of 101 different legitimate reasons to swipe down, and just one to swipe up. 

“We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and canceling our plans by sending us people with claims and petitions. We may pass them by, preoccupied with our more important tasks, as the priest passed by the man who had fallen among thieves, perhaps – reading the Bible.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together)

Christianity, being a Christ follower will always be inconvenient. It will be rare for the Lord to bring someone across your path where it will be easy, convenient, comfortable, and timely to serve as Christ to that person.  Christ calls us to step out and step up and be him in a broken and weary world. 

He sent his disciples out into the world to share the gospel under resourced, with little direction, to share the Gospel, “As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The Kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. ‘Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts – no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep…I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.” Matthew 10:7-16

He is going to send us out where we don’t want to go, with little in hand, to places unfriendly. Jesus said a great deal about what it will cost us to be his disciple. He didn’t mince words, and he didn’t sweeten it up, he told us it would be hard and take everything, and yet, we keep making excuses. 

“As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:57-62

“Large crowds were traveling with Jesus and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:25-27

You swipe up, answer the call, stop what you are doing to lend a prayerful hand to someone in need. Then something incredible happens – from the depth of your weariness you receive the grace needed – to provide more than requested,  and demonstrate Christs love to someone who desperately needed it. You miraculously had the right words to say, the needed resources to provide, and the time required to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

The laundry is still there, your list of ‘to dos’ still needs to be done, but God allowed you to enter into the midst of the beautiful, the graceful, and the merciful. There will always be more to do in our lives, laundry, dishes, work, school, family obligations, shopping, and cleaning. Once we can accept that the endless list is endless, and there will always be more to do, we can let ourselves off the hook and focus on doing that which will make the most difference in God’s kingdom…spoiler alert…it’s not laundry. 

God cares about people and while Jesus told us that he knows what we need and that our Father in Heaven will provide for those needs, he is calling us to care about people like he does. When we do that, when we love his people the way he loves us, we get to enter into his kingdom, here on earth and our inheritance in heaven.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink: When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for on of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'” Matthew 25:34-40

I get it, it’s challenging to weigh the needs of our lives and our family’s needs in this world against what we’re called to do and be as part of Christ’s kingdom. At the beginning of the article, I stated that we’ll have 101 reasons to swipe down and only one to swipe up. Well, I was wrong there are two reasons to swipe up the first is easy, WWJD (What Would Jesus Do), the second, well…if it were you on the other end of the phone, in need, weary, distraught, in need of assistance – wouldn’t you pray that someone answered?

Please help me share the good news of Jesus and how He can change your life, and our world!

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Come back and visit at ListenLearn.Live Ministries

Something WAS burned in the Fire!

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“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword” Hebrews 4:12

During Monday Bible study, we read through Daniel Chapter 3. This was the second time that this group of amazing women read through this portion of God’s story. For many of us, we had read through before that as well. It is one of those great biblical stories that encourages us to live fearlessly in the face of opposition, secure in the knowledge of a sovereign God who is always with us.

This week something else stood out, that I had not noticed before. In my understanding of the story, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were thrown into the furnace, and miraculously remained unharmed. In fact, the King observed that there were four in the fire not three, and one looked like a son of the gods.

“Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.” Daniel:21-23 (bold added by me)

The King, in his anger, had these three bound from head to toe and thrown into the fire. This wasn’t an ordinary fire, the furnace had been heated seven times hotter than normal, so hot, to get close meant to die. The ‘mighty men’ tasked with throwing them in died from the super-heated flames. But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn’t die, even as those tasked with throwing them in burned, they remained unharmed. There is a lesson here as well for those who try to harm God’s people, but that’s not my point for today.

“Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” Daniel 3:24-25 (bold added by me)

As I read this, I was absolutely dumbstruck. So much is made of the fact that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were unharmed, unsinged, and untouched by the fiery furnace, “And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them.” Daniel 3:27 It was truly miraculous!

However, is it possible that in our excitement of God’s intervention, we missed something important? These three men were bound from head to toe and unable to walk, they were thrown into the fire. But the King saw them unbound, walking around in the midst of the fire with a fourth who has the appearance like a son of the gods. Not only was Jesus in the fire with them, but he also allowed those flames to burn away what bound them.

Let me say that again, Jesus was there in the fire with them, protecting them from harm, and removing that which bound them. God didn’t just save them from the fiery furnace, he freed them as well. Just as Jesus sacrifice on the Cross saves us from the condemnation we deserve, death; it also frees us from the destructive and oppressive hold that sin has on our lives.

“Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” Romans 6:13-14 (bold added by me)

This is a wonderful story of salvation, a story of obedience and faith. It is an example of living and ‘even if‘ life, with our eyes firmly focused on Christ. It is also a beautiful example of what God will do for those who, ‘love him and are called according to his purpose.’

God has saved us through Jesus Christ. Part of that saving is for eternity, but it is also so that we can live free from the bondage of sin, in this life. The Apostle Paul says, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1

Christ didn’t sacrifice himself so that we could return to the lives we lived before, being bound up by the ills of this world. He sacrificed us so that not only will we spend eternity with him as co-heirs, we get to begin to enjoy that freedom, love, grace, peace, patience, kindness right here right now. The bonds of sin have been burned away! Make sure you don’t allow yourself to be bound up again.

Please help me share the good news of Jesus and how He can change your life, and our world!

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To the Unbeliever in 2023…rev

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Hindsight certainly is 20-20, we’ll find it to be more so the further we are from it.

My dearest friends, my hope by this note is not to provide any new insight, but to give you something to consider sharing with your non-believing friends and family, as we begin a new year. It is not a treatise per se but an invitation. An invitation to consider not just the person of Jesus Christ, but the life he has provided and called us to live.

This is my letter to unbelievers in 2021.

Friends, consider for a moment your current belief about God, life, death, afterlife, what is out there, and why are we here? Regardless of where you currently stand on these subjects, I believe that they are rooted from some place deep inside you, that you probably can’t explain. CS Lewis refers to this in his book Mere Christianity, as the Law of Human Nature. That each one of us is working from a common set of internal beliefs of right and wrong, and that if we did not have those that life would be chaos. All arguments large or small stem from a belief that one person is right and the other wrong. If you have not read this book, I would highly encourage it. Lewis is one of the great apologists of the last century as well as an incredibly gifted writer and speaker.

This moral coding that is found inside all of us recognizes that there is more to life than a coincidental smashing together of atoms. It understands there is more than the here and now, we have a purpose and it’s bigger than ourselves. From this common understanding comes all things.

For example, in cultures across the world we have an uncanny level of hero worship. We make movies, television shows and books that highlight the individual sacrifice of one man (or small group of men) for the greater common good of all. Where does this come from, “For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.” 1 Peter 3:17-18

We read books and tell stories of heroes who are part God and part man that can both save and destroy the world. “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.” Genesis 6:4

We place in high regard those, who against all odds, band together for a common cause to make the world a better place. “Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve[a] that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.” Mark 3:13-15

We love an underdog story, “Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” 12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”” 1 Samuel 16:10-12

We idolize heroes, believe in the supernatural, cheer for the passionate, and identify with the underdog. What has this got to do with you? None of the stories are original, they all stem from scripture. Even before that they stem from that common core which we received from our creator, that believes in the nobility of righteousness, sacrifice, honor, and love. There is nothing new under the sun and we all are imbued with the same quest to be more than we are.

Since we know that in us is a common bond of understanding that gives us each a desire to be more, and to understand our purpose, why do we then settle for less?

In today’s culture we glorify those who hunt ghosts, seek to prove that aliens have visited from outer space, claim inanimate objects have magical properties and that we can know and understand our future by what the stars tell us. However, it’s taboo to believe that there is a sovereign God who created the universe. We believe in the supernatural but only so far as we can possess, control, or comprehend. We believe in the supernatural so long as it is small, and we can keep it in a box where it doesn’t really affect our daily lives.

In scripture we find talking animals, visitors not from this world, spirits reaching out from the grave, so called magicians and astrologers who can perceive the works of God but not understand them.

“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:8-10

Dear ones, how can you continue to put your faith, trust, hope, and expectation in the created and not the creator. Inside each of us there is a longing that cannot be filled by anything but God; money can’t, power can’t, people can’t. Nothing created by God can satisfy, only God himself can.

The problems of the world are caused by the human propensity to seek to fill that void in themselves with the things of this world, which will never work. It is in that inability to be satisfied by what we have that drives us to seek more and more, nothing will ever even put a dent in that desire. There is only one answer to your longing, it is God.

If you find yourself beginning this new year longing to know more, be more, understand more, I encourage you to find a Bible and read the book of Matthew. It won’t take long and is easy to understand. Read it with an open mind, an open heart. I think you will find that it will speak to you in unexpected ways, and I will pray that the Holy Spirit moves, and you come to know who you are, how you are loved, and most especially the creator who sacrificed himself to bring you, and everyone, out of slavery to this world and closer to him.

If you remain unconvinced, I will ask you to consider one question. If you are right, and there is no God, and I am wrong. I have lived a full and complete life, truly happy with my decisions, loving my fellow man and working to spread love and peace in the world. When I die, that will be remembered of me. However, if I am right, and you are wrong, and there is indeed a God in heaven. You will not only have wasted your life chasing after things that will never make you happy, but you will also lose your eternity in the process.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” John 3:16-21

Let God surprise and bless you in this new year!

Please help me share the good news of Jesus and how He can change your life, and our world!

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come back and visit at ListenLearn.Live Ministries