Notes from the Margins

Do you write in your Bible?  

I was flipping through the pages of my Bible today, reading some of the margin notes and decided that today would be a "Notes-from-the-Margin" kind of day.  What I love about the margin notes is that they cause me to read the passage they are next to, so that I can remember why I wrote what I wrote.  So the margin notes, while not inspired, are pushing me to the Word, causing me to remember and praise the Lord for what He has taught me and continues to do in my life.   Here are some of the margin notes, mostly from sermons at Harvest, from my Bible. Feel free to look up the passages...

• Elohim - plural word that uses singular verbs (hmmm...evidence of the Trinity in the grammar...Genesis 41:16)
• Religion without obedience is worthless (I Samuel 15:22)
• At the precise moment you are in the trial, God is present (Isaiah 43:2)
• Fear is believing that something is stronger than Jesus (Luke 8:22-25)
• Sanctification is the process of forgetting about ourselves (Luke 10:25-37)
• Greed says, What you give me, God is not enough and it's not good enough (Luke 12:13-34)
• Jesus is found innocent and condemned to die - if He was found guilty He would not have been worthy (Luke 23:13-25)
• The way I live reflects the One I follow (John 3)
• Fellowship is common participation in God (Acts 2:42)
• Commitment plus the Holy Spirit equals boldness (Acts 4:31)
• Holiness is the best thing God has to offer and the #1 tool He uses to accomplish holiness is suffering (Acts 12)
• Justified - declared innocent despite guilt (Romans 5:1)
• Repent - Stop, turn around, head in the opposite direction (Mark 1:15)
• To the Pharisees - I am a new way of thinking - you can't just incorporate me into your old way of thinking! (Mark 2:21,22)
• To know the scriptures is to know the power of God (Mark 12:24)
• Failure to invest what I have entrusted to you is a great wickedness (Luke 19:26)
• Repentant people recognize sin for what it is! (Psalm 51)
• You don't need to forgive yourself, you need to believe in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:1)

Okay, so the list could go on and on but here's the point: there are some pretty brilliant truths that come from the teaching of God's Word.  When they come out of your pastor's mouth, write them in the margins...they will continue to bless and encourage you way beyond any particular Sunday morning...

You are loved!

Stand Firm

 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

Exodus 14:13,14

Fear not.

Stand firm.

See.

Three things Moses told the Israelites to do as they stood watching the world renown army of Egypt barreling down on them, chariots and swords a-blazing, with the Red Sea lapping the shore behind them. There was no where to go. Be killed or drown - it was over.

Rewind a few weeks and things had been pretty crazy in Egypt. God was striking the Egyptian people and their gods with plagues that only He could fashion. Then the day came when Moses told the people to get ready to leave, because it was going to happen for real this time. Not like the nine times before where Pharaoh changed his mind.  

So the people followed Moses' instructions and in the blink of an eye, two million of them were on the road to the Promised Land. Until Pharaoh did what he always did - changed his mind. Only this time, the people were hemmed in by the Red Sea, and their previous owners were pretty angry. They were fueled by the death of their sons and now Israel was standing at death's door.

But God.

But God had brought this calamity upon Egypt because He had a plan. God had been the One with the instructions. He was the One in the bright pillar of cloud they were following. God was going to keep His word...and Moses knew this. Moses had met with God in a desert and had stood before the preeminent world leader and told him his prize work force was done serving him. He had returned ten times to warn of the consequences of disobedience and he had been the one to lead them out on that fateful day. So Moses stood before the people and over their angered and panicked shouts, he told them to do 3 things:  fear not, stand firm and see.  

Fear not. Moses was confident that fear would not produce anything good that day, and he was confident that fear was not necessary because his confidence was not in their ability to defend themselves but in the One who had already revealed His power, His plan and His provision to Moses. So Moses knew he'd have once chance to speak to the people before the show began and he kept it short: fear not, stand firm and see.

Stand firm. Here's why they could stand firm: because the people of Israel had already stepped out in faith and followed God out of Egypt. Standing on the shores of the Red Sea was not the time to change course. Moses told them in two words to be confident in where the Lord had led them. The key was that when God instructed them to get ready to leave, to kill a lamb and smear the blood on their doorposts, to get moving out of Egypt, these people had obeyed. The key was knowing what God wanted and doing it.  Because they had obeyed God, they were in quite a mess and Moses charged them, quit looking at the mess and look at your God.

See. Actually it was, "See the salvation of the Lord."  Boom. Mic drop.  Moses' confidence was in the God who led them into the storm, who led them to the shore of the sea, who hardened the heart of Pharaoh and sent the army. Moses looked at the people and said, watch this.

God moved from leading Israel to protecting them. He moved from the front of the line to the back.That bright cloud, which then turned into fire at night, stood as a barrier between the army and the people. Then it says this: 

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. (v. 21,22)

Not sure I've seen those two words before: all night. Moses lifted his hand and God sent a strong wind that blew all night. Don't miss this picture - the army, driven by their anger and loss, is trying to get to the people, God is standing as a barrier, the people are watching a strong wind stir the waters and by dawn, the salvation of the Lord appeared in the form of dry ground. Must have just picked up the mic because, boom, it was just dropped again!

The story goes on and for sake of time, I'll let you check it out yourself but, friend, don't miss this truth - when we are following the instructions of God and adversity comes, we must stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord.  He is not absent, nor does He ever abandon. Yes, sometimes He walks you into a valley, but have confidence in His word and in His promises. Stand firm and see. It's coming and when it does, it's going to be awesome! The question you must ask yourself today is, am I doing what God wants me to do? The answer to that question will either cause you to get back into His word or give you the courage to stand firm.

Poking the Bear

"Therefore encourage one another 

and build one another up as you are doing."

I Thess. 5:11

I've been poking the bear lately.

Here's what that looks like for me.  As in anyone's life, good things happen, as well as bad.  My focus has been on the bad.  Actually, not necessarily all bad but things that I can mull over in my mind and make bad.  I am assuming they are bad and then I mull a while longer...until my husband gets home.  Then I start talking and he becomes the bear I am poking.  So instead of me simply corroding my own thoughts, I am transferring the negative to him, with my own spin on it.  Not good.  Not good for me and certainly not good for him.

My new motto that I am saying to myself these days is, "Knock it off, Kristen."  I'm saying that a lot lately, as I am trying to take my negative thoughts captive.  I am sure this is shocking to my readers who think every thought in my head is scripture, but it's true.  I can have negative spirals and the problem is that when I go down, I can pull those around me down with me...and I've got to knock it off.

When our thoughts turn negative the impact on our life is great, but there is also a ripple effect that we don't realize.  Before we know it, we've got our children complaining and the bear is waking up angry.  So telling ourselves to knock it off is not enough - we have to replace those thoughts with righteousness.  It's as simple as put off/put on.  Put off the negative thoughts - even if they are true thoughts - conversations that hurt, actions that offended, conversations that went poorly.  And put off the negative assumptions - these are the lies that we create and believe in our imaginations.  We must replace them with things that are pure, lovely, righteous and true.

So where do we go?  Scripture, of course!  I Thess. 5:11 is a verse that comes at the end of a discourse on the return of Christ and the trouble that comes before the rapture.  Because we are not children of the darkness, we will not be overwhelmed at the troubles.  Our hope is in the Lord and we can have confidence in His return.  In the meantime, we are to encourage others and build each other up as the struggles and trials increase.  This verse is a great reminder that the ripple effect can be positive.  Instead of poking the bear, I can use my words to encourage and build up, not incite and frustrate.

So here's what the put off/put on process looks like.  First, I have to repent.  I must confess to the Lord that I have been in a negative mood and it has become sin in my life.  Then I have to go find the bear and ask his forgiveness, as well. (If you scratch him behind the ears while you do this, it has a better effect.) Then I need to "knock it off" when it comes to my thoughts.  What am I thinking about?  What can I replace those thoughts with?  Meditating on the Word, reminding myself of the gospel, praying for others, counting my blessings, doing the ABC's of God's character are great options.  And then I need to use my words to encourage and build up...purposefully.  Speak kind, tenderhearted and forgiving words.  Think the best of others.  Let the Lord do what I cannot do, and live within the grace He so lavishly supplies each day.

Before you know it the bear is asleep and in his happy place again.  So thankful today that the Lord has equipped us all to walk in the light and for the transforming affect that light has in me!

One Verse for Life

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, 

just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:32

It's hard to pick just one verse to be a favorite, isn't it?  My favorites change, depending on what is going on in my life and what the Lord is teaching me.  But when it comes to instruction, when it comes to knowing God's will there is one verse that rises above them all - Ephesians 4:32.  This might be because it was one of the first verses I ever memorized (thank you, AWANA) or because I use it in every counseling case I've had.  If you really what to know what God wants you to do, this is a great starting place.

Be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving.  I am confident that if I chose those three words every day for the rest of my life, I would have a good life.  Let's do some quick defining:

• Kind - having or showing a friendly, generous, and considerate nature
• Tenderhearted - having a kind, gentle or sentimental nature
• Forgiving - to be ready and willing to stop feeling angry or resentful toward (someone) for an offense, flaw, or mistake

The call, then, is to a life of friendliness, generosity, consideration, gentleness, sentimentality and free from anger and resentment.  Sounds like a pretty good life, doesn't it?  But this verse does not only give us what to do, but why - because God in Christ has forgiven me.  God has exampled kindness, tenderheartedness and forgiveness towards me.  And if you've been forgiven much, you tend to love much.

A person who chooses to respond to life in this manner will be a walking testimony of God's love and goodness.  When tempers flare, they will have a calming effect.  When sorrow overwhelms, they will give comfort.  When frustration boils to the surface, they will gently point to eternity.

By now, I am sure you are thinking of the one circumstance in your life that deserves your anger.  Someone has hurt you, gossiped about you, cheated on you, maligned you, undercut you.  You're hard work hasn't paid off and God feels far away.  An illness has knocked you off your feet.  There are things in life that deserve anger, frustration and punishment.  

Ephesians 4:32 is consistent with scripture.  Let's see what Romans 12:14-21 says:

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 

Be of the same mind toward one another; 

do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly.

 Do not be wise in your own estimation.  

Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. 

Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 

If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 

Never take your own revenge, beloved, 

but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 

“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.  

“But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, 

and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; 

for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”  

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

In other words, God wants you to be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving - and trust Him with the consequences. Can you possibly incur a greater judgment than God?  And we must keep in mind that the wrath meant for us was taken by Jesus.  That, in and of itself, should humble us to a different response when we have been sinned against.  In all things, it is God's will that you be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving.

At work, be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving.  At home, be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving.  At school, be KTF.  With your children, be KTF.  With your spouse, be KTF.  With your in-laws, be KTF.  At church, be KTF.  At the grocery store, be KTF.  

I have often told my counselees that when I die, if my children choose to write "Kind, Tenderhearted, Forgiving" on my tombstone, then I will have lived the life to which God has called me.  So what are your kids going to put on your tombstone?