Invitation

As I sit at my kitchen table, the third wave of storms have passed through and there is a calm outside, as if nature is anticipating number four.  It's been quite a week with the heat and this rain is bringing relief - not just to the thirsty ground but also to the high schoolers at Camp Harvest, as well as thousands of other campers and vacationers in western Michigan.

And fall is on my mind.  Not just fall, as in cooler weather and changing leaves, but also THE fall, as in, "Welcome, sin and rebellion - you can call our hearts "home" for the time being."  Yes, I know it's strange - rain, heat, summer, fall and THE fall, but it is a true glimpse into the mind of Kristen.

This summer we've been studying THE fall and the consequences of sin on woman's mindset.  Last night in our study one of the speakers went off on birth control and though I wasn't at study (I'm on babysitting duty as my children are counselors at high school camp), I have been waiting for the complaints and concerns to flood my mailbox.  I don't think the women were condemning the use of birth control, although I know several of them would if we gave them the chance. I think the rant was more to inform us that the concept of birth control was birthed out of the feminism movement that said, "I'm going to have sex whenever I want it and no one's going to tell me how many children to have.  My body, my choice."

I found the history interesting and it made me again think about THE fall.  I have this theory - every day we get further from THE fall, we get more corrupt and more wicked.  Think about it just in your lifetime. Think about the television shows you watched as a child and what your children are now exposed to - it's getting worse and worse.  It's not that sin has a worse consequence, but rather it's just that we are getting more and more wicked in our sin.  And that's probably the real reason why every is so angry all the time - will it get better before Jesus returns?  Nope.

Which brings me to this post.  We are going to be studying Genesis at ladies study this fall.  For several of you, you've already heard me teach this, possibly multiple times.  Sorry about that.  Being at a new church in a new area, I really feel it's time to get back to the basics and teach the beginning of things.  Just as this summer's study has poured over just a few chapters and been a real eye opener, the study of Genesis as a whole is life changing.

When I was younger, I loved Genesis because I loved the stories and the history, but the sinful, bad choices of most of the main characters really bothered me.  It was like, Come on, is this the best guy you could find for the job?

Now, with some age and experience under my belt, I see Genesis much differently.  I love it because it reveals the heart of God to redeem sinful man.  Our self-centered, self-protective, self-promoting selfishness only produces pain, hurt, guilt, shame and death.  God produces righteousness in all that He does and believe it or not, He chooses to accomplish His purposes through broken, sinful man.  Genesis starts with perfection and then quickly crashes into what is our reality. But God's involvement throughout the whole book gives hope to the hopeless and life to dead men walking.

So, ladies, consider yourself invited.  We'll be studying on Monday evenings and Tuesday mornings alike, starting September 9 and 10.  Sign up at church so we can get a good count to order workbooks and then get yourself ready to drink from a fire hose.  Genesis is so rich and full of truth, you'll need to make extra space in your head just to hold it all.

I

can't.

wait.

Evidence of Salvation

I noticed the other day while running errands that in general people are pretty angry.

If you don't agree with me, do your own observation.  But my experience was that faces are angrier than usual. Brows are furrowed, tempers are short - even people driving alone in their cars look ticked off most of the time.  The other day Dave and I were driving home and were on an open stretch of farmland.  We came up behind a car and the man stuck his hand out to wave us past him.  Then I realized he wasn't just being friendly but was rather agitated at us.  What had we done?  Apparently, he was having a bad day.

So if someone observed you, what would they see?  Anger? Impatience? Depression? Frustration? Anxiety or worry?  Or would they see joy, peace, patience, kindness and goodness?  Would they see self-control and faithfulness?  I think you see where I am going.  Believers typically should display the fruits of the Spirit.

I was listening to a sermon in the car, again while running errands, and Chuck Swindoll said that if you wanted to truly know if your were saved or not, the evidence of true salvation was a "burning passion for obedience."  Yes, we are called to bear fruit but the true evidence is a God-given, Holy Spirit driven, passion for obedience to the Lord.  He said that when you wake up in the morning, your first question would be (if you were a true follower), "How can I obey God today?"  When faced with a choice of obedience or disobedience, there's not even a discussion.

He also greatly emphasized that this passion was evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.

So, does that phrase describe you?  Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness like Jesus talked about in the beatitudes?  Does pleasing God and living for His glory drive your day?

I will admit, it made me pause and think and I think it should make all of us pause and think.  I work with enough struggling people within the context of counseling at church, that I see that passion and I also see the absence of it.  When faced with that "choice," what does the discussion in your head look like?

Okay - a short blog but hopefully one that makes you think.  Oh - one other note:  let's say you don't have that driving passion for obedience?  What should you do?  Get on your knees and ask God for it.  Confess your sin, declare Him Lord, beg for His Spirit to rule your heart and then live like it.

And then be sure to come to church on Sunday as Dave begins to explain the practicalities of change and obedience from Ephesians 4...(shameless plug)

Love Never Fails (Love- Part 16 - really, it's over now)

"Love never fails:"

I Corinthians 13:8

A young man finally finished his graduate education and was ready to hit the architectural world running. Ever since he was a child, he was a builder.  He loved Legos and K'nex, and found mathematical concepts easy throughout his schooling.  He loved to study structures but especially unfinished ones - he would wander around the city looking for construction sites to stare at.  He found an entry level position at a well-knows architectural firm and began working his way up the corporate ladder until he finally became a senior designer.

So when he was given his first project to design and oversee, he was thrilled to find out it was a suspension bridge - his specialty! The city was looking to update a worn out bridge over a river that ran through the center of town with a modern, wired suspension bridge. And he loved every minute of it - from the design to the bidding to the construction - it was a dream come true.  He was leaving his mark on the city - he would drive his children to the bridge one day and tell them, Daddy built this!  

As the project was coming to an end, concerns arose over the safety of the structure.  It was, after all, a suspension bridge, and the city officials were uneasy that they had made the right decision.  After all, the designer had never overseen a project, start to finish and the bridge would be used by thousands every day.  The architect was contacted and the stability was questioned.

But the architect wasn't worried. He had done the math, he knew what load the bridge could hold, he knew it was stronger than it needed to be and that even in strong winds, the bridge was sound.  Simply stated, it would not fail.  

So the day before the bridge was to officially open, he brought the city officials out to the site.  He ordered 15 semi-trailors, loaded with concrete block and had them waiting to cross the bridge.  He was going to put the suspension to test, but the test wasn't for his benefit - it was for the benefit of the city officials.  One by one the trucks started crossing the bridge, until at one point, the entire bridge was filled with semi-trucks, and guess what?  Just as the architect had known, the bridge easily held the weight and the fears of the city officials were put to rest.  They officially declared the bridge to be safe and opened it to the public.

Long story, short explanation - at the end of the recipe for love, a three word declaration is made:  Love never fails.  The construction of the recipe for love, if followed correctly, is as reliable and dependable as the construction of a suspension bridge that is mathematically sound.  The bridge cannot and will not fail because it is designed with strength.  In the same manner, the love that God has described in I Corinthians 13 is designed to be fail-proof.

Worldly love and godly love are two very different things.  The recipe for worldly love is something like this:  take some warm fuzzies and add emotions, candle light and soft music, a field of flowers to run through and a bit of danger, plus it would help if there was hair to blow in the wind, but it's not required.  Mix together and eat immediately because it gets old quickly and you have to throw the pot away when you're done and get a new pot to mix your love in to get the same effect again.

Godly love looks like this:  a CHOICE to be patient, kind, humble, patient, selfless, self-controlled, holy, protective, trusting, hopeful and faithful.  If any one of these ingredients weakens, the other ones step up and fill in the gaps so that love has no choice but to succeed - it never fails.

I think you get the picture.  

Love is not a feeling but a choice and given the immense example Jesus Christ has laid before us, plus the sacrificial love of the Father to give us His Son, plus the power of the Holy Spirit given to us to enable us to love like Christ, how can love fail?  

Your reduction sauce is ready - it's time to serve it up. There's plenty of it and you are instructed to be liberal in serving this tasty delight.  It should flow from of your words, your facial expressions, your actions, your thoughts, your emotions and your intentions.  It's a high calling but you have an infinite resource to draw from, so get going - make the choice to love your neighbor, family, enemies and friends in the same way Christ has loved you.

And then see what happens...

Ingredient #13 - Faithfulness (Love - Part 15)

"...endures all things..."

I Corinthians 13:7

If I was writing the recipe for love, I would probably throw in as my last ingredient, "endures most things."  I mean, come on, can love really endure all things?  What about unfaithfulness - not just in marriage but friendship has its share of unfaithfulness, doesn't it?  What about sorrow? What about cheating and lying? Stealing?  What about...well, let's go back to lying.  Lying stinks and in a relationship, lying can be the final nail in the relational coffin, so to speak.  Does love have to endure lying?  Does love have to endure distance?  Cold weather?  Being let down?  Moving?  Gossip?  Habitual sin?  Come on, love has to have an end to its rope, doesn't it?

Not according to God.

True, sacrificial, You-Before-Me love endures ALL things.  It loves through good times and bad, it forgives easily and restores quickly.  It doesn't demand its pound of flesh to get even - it endures anything life and relationships throw at it.  It is completely and utterly...faithful.

Love doesn't falter, it doesn't waver, it doesn't trip.  

It doesn't thin out, it doesn't have runs in it and it doesn't tremble. 

 Love stands firm, continues to flow, and provides stability when the ground is shaking.

Love endures all things. 

All.

This has to be true or else the gospel will fail.  If our example is Jesus Christ, then we have to confidently believe that love can and will endure all things.  There is nothing outside the bounds of God's love for us and we know this is true when we look at the cross. I guess I need to clarify - there is only one thing outside the bounds of God's love and that is rejecting His love.  But His love freely flows to us because He paid the full cost of it 2000 years ago.  

If love does not endure all things, then we could lose the gift of salvation. Something might happen and Jesus would finally say, "I am finished! I can't take it anymore!  It's just not worth it!"  But instead, Jesus said, "It IS finished," and at that point, love endured everything that it possibly could endure.  Jesus isn't suffering anymore.  He paid it once and for all (Hebrews 7:26,27).

Within faithful love, we see patience, kindness, trust, humility, unselfishness, protection, holiness, self-control and hope.  All these ingredients bond together in our reduction sauce because of the enduring faithfulness of love - it's always there and it can withstand anything.

As for us, though we are limited, we are still called to endure all things with a love that surpasses understanding.  The world should look at us and think we're crazy.  Without Christ, this love is not only impossible but incomprehensible.  But we can only love this way with our eyes on Jesus.  If we turn them to the world, we will quickly have a faithless love - a love that depends on the other's actions and not on our ability to choose to love.  If you wonder why your love falters, get an eye exam and find out where your focus is spending time.

As love bears, believes and hopes all things, when others let us down, then love endures all things.  We do this constantly to God and guess what?  His love continues on.  

Stop for a moment and go grab a spoon.  You need to taste your sauce...it's hot and bubbly, and has reduced to a thick gravy (sorry, Fred) that will change the lives of those you choose to feed it to...do you have that spoon yet?