DEAL OR NO DEAL ??



Look at those shoes! I have happy-dancing-feet that I was able to find a bunch of shoes that are really cheap, really-really cute, and really-really-really comfortable. I got a great deal, and I consider this exercising good stewardship over the finances the Lord has provided. I’m pretty sure my hubs likes the fact that the money I spent on my little shoe-tribe would have bought only one or two pairs in stores and/or magazines.

Isn’t it fun to feal like a deal maker, to be able to manage and control an “agreement” to get what you want? What a power surge! In some circles, that’s called “haggling.” I don’t attend garage sales, but many people do, and haggling is often part of the process. My 95-year-old father has spent a lifetime haggling. He’s made some really great deals, from buying unusual antiques to wheedling freebie replacement boxes of waffles from the company that made the grevious error of producing broken and/or smashed waffles in his beloved breakfast stash.

Yes, definitely, the more I think about it, making a deal is a control issue. It’s usually harmless fun. But now I’m thinking of the flip side, the harmful side, i.e., the phrase “make a deal with the devil.” Many people, usually unbelievers, unknowingly are making daily “deals” with Satan by allowing him to influence their minds and hearts to the “lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life” (1 John 2:16). I’m thinking Satan is always really pleased with the deals he’s making, and that includes making people think they’re the ones in control of these deals. People are haggling with Satan, ignoring the Lord, trying to get the most stuff out of life, and forfeiting their souls in the process. Satan loves haggling.

On the other hand, I’m pretty sure that the Lord God does not love haggling. He has never once considered allowing anyone to “make a deal” with Him regarding salvation. He will never accept our offers, our deals, of our own good works or our own righteousness in exchange for heaven. That’s because He has accepted ONLY the work of His Son on the Cross, through His own blood, obtaining eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12), purchasing eternity for us, a one-time offering for sins (Hebrews 9:28). Now that’s a power surge!

My Jesus, my Lord, my lips stumble to speak words that express my heart’s gratitude that You allow no deal-making. Otherwise, You would not be my sovereign Lord, You would be like me, and clearly, You are not (Psalm 50:21; Isaiah 55:8). I know that You have forgiven me for my pre-salvation sin of trying to trick You into letting me into Your heaven. I thank You for daily reminders in Your word that I’m to trust You, not to haggle with You to get things I want. At the end of this life, all the shoe-bargains will be meaningless. Thank You for keeping my perspective properly aligned. With my first breath in heaven, all that will matter is being with You and seeing Your glory (John 17:24). Come, Lord Jesus.

EVERY PERFECT GIFT



As a wee child, even though I bore a super sweet curly-headed resemblance to Shirley Temple, it was a clever deception.  I was always a stingy child. It probably started when my parents had the audacity to bring home a squalling noise-factory they referred to as my “brother.” As this brother grew older, the folks expected me to share (!) my toys and my room and my desserts with him. Even if mom gave me bigger toys and bigger slices of cake, I still felt deprived somehow. It took awhile before I began seeing this brother as a person to be enjoyed. And I failed to appreciate mom for being Mom and not my personal Mrs. Santa. Sadly, I think the need to hold onto what was MINE grew roots deep into my brain, because I feared that things were temporary and could be taken away at any moment.
Somewhere a few years ago, I saw a drawing/cartoon of a little girl holding her well-loved teddy bear (or maybe it was a doll?) tightly in her hands. In front of her was a smiling Jesus, and He was holding a really big teddy bear in His hands behind His back. The message is that all she had to do was release her raggedy beloved bear to Him, and He would replace it with something so much better. She look suspiciously at Him.

It’s true that sometimes we (meaning me) like to hold onto things tightly. Even though we/me understand fully that sometimes He certainly might have something much better in mind for us/me, there’s a stingy, untrusting fear that maybe He doesn’t have our/my best interests at heart.

I recall some instances in my life when I put on my big-girl pious hat, offered Him my trust, and loosened my grip on some object/circumstance, expecting to receive something better. And He did indeed give me a tremendous gift. 

He offered me ... His empty hands. He offered me Himself. He offered me an opportunity to worship and praise Him, not just a gift. Apparently, He thought I needed a change in perspective. So I remained “giftless” for a season. It was then that I learned to trust and love Him more, because there were no competing affections. I learned that temporary earthly stuff was diddly squat compared to eternity with my Lord and Savior.

My Jesus, how I thank You for the times of “giftlessness.” I thank You for gently showing me that Your grace is sufficient for me, that You alone are sufficient. I thank You for causing me to remember Thomas, by showing him Your empty hands, that were not really empty. Those crucified hands showed that You, my Lord and my God, lovingly died for sins, among which is greediness for gifts. You are my gift, and because You secured eternal life for me on the Cross, I’m assured of sinless adoration of You. How I look forward to that moment when I see You face to face, my perfect Gift.

NOTHING TO FEAR

 

Look at that worried little face.  Sad, isn’t it?  Don’t you just wanna cuddle him and say “don’t worry baby, everything will be alright”?

Have you ever heard the story about a guy who was terrified of monsters under his bed?  He spent many years and many dollars being treated by a psychologist, but it was no good.  He was still afraid of monsters.  One day, he went into a bar and told his fearful woes to the bartender who promptly told him, “well, just cut the legs off the bed!”

Problem solved!  I wonder … can all fears be dissolved that easily?  Well, one way is to consider that not all fears will necessarily materialize.  As a wise old fortune cookie once said, “fear is interest paid on a debt you may not owe.”

But seriously, how does one “cut the legs” off of fear?  Especially in today’s world, with many national leaders sporting dubious hairdos and formidable rhetoric, and volcanoes, and freakish activities on airplanes, and asteroids with murder on their minds, and people’s “identity” du’jours, and the threats of becoming cashless, not to mention no more cursive writing, oh my, I can feel my nerves tightening up and my gut dancing an evil jig and …..

Okay, hold it right there, knock it off.  What’s needed here is not a contemptible collage of catastrophes, but rather a superlative soliloquy of Sovereignty.  In other words, the Big Picture.  I love to sit and ponder Daniel’s perspective.  He wasn’t freaked out by who was the king (Daniel 2:20-22).  He understood potential terror, because he stood in the middle of it (Daniel 3:13-27).  Through everything, he proclaimed God’s sovereignty. The apostle Paul certainly endured circumstances that will (probably) never be ours (2 Corinthians 11:23-29).  But to the end, he proclaimed the Kingdom of God (Acts 28:23).

Jesus repeatedly told His disciples to “fear not, it is I (literally, “I Am”).  He is all that’s needed for the Big Picture.

My gracious, loving, and omnipotent Father, thank You for giving me the proper perspective:  don’t look under the bed, but look up, towards You.  Rejoice and don’t be anxious, why?  Because my Jesus is near and so is Your peace! (Philippians 4:4-7).  I’ve read the end of Your Book, and You win, and it’s permanent, for all eternity.  As I walk through this life and trip myself up on circumstances, please help my unbelief, instead fixing my hope on You.  How dinky and unimportant things on this earth appear when I lean into Your secure arms and believe Your promises. 

 

WHAT YOU LOOKIN' AT?

If you’ve ever been owned by a cat, you can identify with that sometimes creepy feeling that comes from a kitty unblinkingly staring at you with its intense guilt-and-fear-inducing glare, and you swear that kitty must be an alien subversively implanted in your house, like “pod people,” only cute, and with fur.

In a somewhat related way, decades ago, my 3-year-old brother once had a one-sided conversation with another small child in the grocery store.  He was installed in the cart seat when I heard him sternly say, “you quit looking at me, boy!”  Sure enough, another kid in a cart seat was looking at my brother.  No clue why, just staring him down.  And little brother repeated his demand, “quit looking at me!”

Yessiree, there’s just something about being stared at that automatically makes us defensive and on-edge, saying, “what are you looking at?”

In His ever-perfect timing, the Lord brought these instances to my mind while I was reading in Luke 22:61 about Peter’s three-time denial of Christ right before the crucifixion.  “And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.” He then remembered the Lord’s prophecy, causing him to fall to his knees and repent.  He didn’t have to ponder why Jesus was looking at him.

Tell me, have you ever felt the Lord “look” at you?  I have.  For instance, in moments of weakness, I’ve denied knowing Him by not taking opportunities to introduce him to others.  And then I see Him “looking” at me with His words -– “whoever is ashamed of Me … whoever denies Me” (Mark 8:38; Matthew 10:33).

My precious Lord Jesus, as I walk with You through this Easter week, I marvel at Your finished work on the Cross.  Everything You did glorified Father God by Your obedience to Him.  I see how important it is that I not only be looking at Your words in Scripture, but that I humble myself to be looked at by You, that You tenderize my sometimes stubborn and weak heart to be obedient to You, to be repentant of my sins, knowing that You are faithful and just to forgive me.  I know why You are looking at me.  It is to prompt me to obedience by pointing others to You alone for forgiveness of sins and to be reconciled to the Father. How I look forward to an eternity spent with You under Your merciful and loving gaze.

AM I BOTHERING YOU?

Over the last few years, my husband and I have become caretakers for my parents.  Their common refrain is, “I don’t want to be a bother!” They’re sure that they’re depriving us of a much more exciting life. They think they’re doing us a favor by trying to do things themselves (like driving!) instead of asking us. They don’t always tell us when one of them has taken a tumble, or spent several days searching for a lost object, or botched a recipe. They want to appear as strong and independent as possible. As much as we try to help them understand that it is a privilege, a gift from God, to care for them, they still worry about being bothersome to my husband and me. So now I sabotage their worry by walking in the door bearing groceries and start right off by whining to them, “you’re right, you guys really ARE a bother, we could be extreme sporting in his-and-hers barrels over Niagara Falls!” Thankfully, despite weak eyes, ears, and knees, they still have a strong sense of humor.

You know what just occurred to me? I wonder if sometimes I have that same mindset towards God, of not wanting to be a bother to Him by prayer, petition, intercession, or fellowshipping. Do I ever think that I’m doing Him a favor by not telling Him when I mess up, because I suspect He’s probably busier with more important things, and because I want to appear strong and independent? Do I really think I’m making His life easier by trying to handle everything myself?

My loving Father, You already know everything about me and my life, so why would I even consider holding anything back from You, the Creator of all things? Is anything a bother to You, too difficult for You? No. I thank You that I was given the right, through belief in Christ, to be called Your adopted child (John 1:12-13). In this Christmas season, and every day thereafter, I thank You for the scriptural reminders that my Jesus reconciled me to You (Romans 5:10), gifting me with bold and confident access to You, through Him, in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:18, 3:12).  It is a privilege and a gift from Youto care for me!

Every day, You regularly call Your children to draw near to You. What a relief, and how I praise You, that because of the gift of Your Son, I know that I can never a bother to You!

FAKE NEWS, MR. ROGERS, AND ITCHING EARS

My hubs and I don’t have cable, nor do we subscribe to a newspaper.  We get our news from a limited regular-tv supply, not to mention the invaluable social media daily tsunami.  Most of this is ignored, and rightly so, because we’ve become aware recently of something hilariously labeled as “fake news.”  Apparently, somebody out there achieves great self-glory by spreading false information in such a way that people actually believe it to be true.  The icky fake people must be in a constant state of helpless giggling as they consider the potential gullibility of total strangers, passing on this creative “journalism” as truth, thereby causing their victims to not care about actual true truth at all.  Therefore, I took it upon myself to discover that one “ground-zero” person who is at the bottom of all this.  And now, after months of excrutiatingly thorough work, there will be a one-hour t.v. spectacular where I’ll share with you who’s responsible.  But you don’t want to wait that long, so here ya go --

It’s Mr. Rogers!  You thought he was deceased, didn’t you?  Nooooo, he’s still alive, skulking in back-room tobacco shops, wearing camouflage overalls, scribbling incendiary fake political commentaries, endorsed by the Russians who pay him in chocolate cigarettes and vodka, and …

Wow, this is really fun, I see why people do it.  I sit here grinning to myself that gullible people will be reading this on social media, commenting with shock-face emojis, and sharing it with all their friends.  What a power surge!

Ok, enough of that.  Because right now, I’m thinking of the whole fake news issue from a different angle, and it’s giving me wheezes.

Just as there are sneaky people with questionable motives spreading false information to the undiscerning public, there are also people passing themselves off as biblically literate preachers and teachers, taking advantage of many gullible itching-ear people who actually prefer this fake news instead of the Good News, the true gospel.  And why would these fake teachers want to do this?  Because of the one self-glorifying individual behind it all, and it’s not Mr. Rogers.  It is the ground-zero “father of lies” (John 8:44).  He’s the one who, from the beginning, purred, “Indeed, has God said …?” (Genesis 3:1).

Fake news/gospel says:  “God is love (and nothing else depressing), and He loves everybody because you’re all so sweet and adorable.  You’re definitely going to heaven, whatever that is, because you’re so good.  And the more money you give and the more niceness you show to others, the more you’ve earned your place in heaven.  Jesus is one road, AND so are Buddha, Mary, and reincarnation!  It all works out in the end, so don’t worry, be happy!”

Good news/gospel says:  “God is love (and holiness and everything else awe-inspiring).  And He says that no one is good, no not one.  We are all disgustingly dead in our sins.  The one true God arranged for our salvation by faith alone, through His grace alone, NOT our own good works.  The Lord Jesus Christ is the only Way and the only Truth, and only He accomplished our salvation on the Cross, reconciling us to God.  And only by genuine on-our-knees repentance before God, do we receive forgiveness for our sins, and freedom from our sins.  It’s a narrow road.  Only those who come to Christ, and know Him personally, will see Him as He is, to live with Him eternally.  We’re justified, sanctified, and glorified.  Buddha, Mary, and reincarnation are hopelessly inept and incapable.  If you depend on them, you have much to worry about.”

My God and my Savior, how I thank You for Your true words in Scripture, and through the Holy Spirit, giving me discernment, and the desire to exercise that discernment, keeping me from being a woman of itching ears.  I don’t want to believe things that only make me feel good about myself and ignorant of eternity.  I want to treasure in my heart Your words that convict, encourage, comfort, and keep me hand-in-hand with You through eternity.  I praise You according to Your excellent greatness (Psalm 150:2).

WHO CAN KNOW?

 

If there’s one thing that I definitely know about life, it’s that there are many things I don’t know, such as, where I put my glasses or cellphone that I just had a minute ago. I don’t know how to do taxes. I don’t know why my computer freaks out. I don’t know why cats are sometimes insane. And I’ll never know why my husband thinks that bacon-wrapped brussel sprouts are tasty, when everybody knows that chocolate-wrapped fruit is heaven sent.

And speaking of heaven ... because my earthly life is stuffed to the brim with mostly mundane daily trivia, and occasional life-altering surprises, the older I get, the more I’m inclined to be eagerly looking up. And at the same time, I feel very sad that hoards of people don’t know, don’t want to believe, what happens after they die. Simply put, they don’t want to know or believe God, who He is, and His promises (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

I myself used to have a shaky belief in a generic “god” out there, but he (or she or it) must certainly be apathetic about earthlings. I sorta knew that Jesus existed, that He was a good guy. But I didn’t spend any time in the Bible, because I preferred to read anything other than Scripture. Mostly, I believed in reincarnation, that I alone decided the course of my own life (and future lives). And I was pretty sure that everything somehow all worked out in the end and every single person would live in a paradise of his/her own making. I knew the Bible said that Jesus had resurrected, but somehow it was easier to believe in self-reincarnation than God-ordained resurrection. I sneered much.

Then one day, in His perfect timing, my God saved me. And I know why. Because He loved me first (1 John 4:19). He turned my twisted self-oriented thinking into straightforward faith in Him. He humbled me and caused me to see my sinful nature that rebelled against His perfect holiness, caused me to confess and repent of sin, caused me to crave His Word alone, and caused me to know Who His Son really is. He gave me an anchor-solid understanding that Jesus wasn’t just a nice fella who was born, did nice things, died an un-nice death, and maybe resurrected.

I also began to see myself in Scripture, that I had been like the “religious” people who “sneered” when hearing of the resurrection (Acts 17:22, 32). I had been like the disciple Thomas who refused to believe what he hadn’t yet seen (John 20:27-30).

In my suddenly pervasive reading of Scripture, it became clear that the Lord Jesus spoke of resurrection often. And not just His own resurrection, but His promise to raise up every believer (John 5:28-9). He wanted me to know, without any doubt, that I could trust His promises because I could trust Him. My soul soared to read His words, “I go to prepare a place for you, ... I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3). He has promised that I will be caught up together with other believers in the clouds to meet Him in the air, “and so we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). What comforting words!

Knowing a few facts about Jesus in my head just wasn’t enough. I had to believe, to know in my heart that He is the only Way to heaven, He is the only truth, and He is the eternal Life (John 14:6). I will be resurrected, in God’s perfect time (John 6:40, 47; 1 Corinthians 15:22, 44, 49), to live with Him eternally.

I’m not to trust or believe in my own allegedly wise eyes, “but in God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:9). Jesus said, “He who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).

My God, I know that You keep Your promises and You do not lie. My Jesus, You and the Father are one. I can, and I do, believe Your promises to me. This Easter, I fall on my knees and thank You, that You died on my behalf to reconcile me to my God. And I celebrate Your resurrection, oh-so eagerly looking forward to The Day when all in Your church will be with You eternally, to the glory of God.

I believe all of this, and I know there is no ? to eternity. 

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

Upon a Time, there was a kindly crazy cat lady who generously fed and housed feral kitties on her back deck.  Eventually, the lady thought it would be in their best interests if they were captured and taken to a real home with food, shelter, and love.  So the elaborate cage was installed, and one by one, the two babes (and their mama) followed the tempting treats into the cage, and off they went to a better life.  Now they frequently send postcards of their days on the beach.

 

However, the last kitty, named Bernie, has steadfastly refused to enter the cage.  He knows there’s food in there, but he’s too “smart” to humble himself, accept help, and enter into a new and comfortable future.  He says to the lady, “I’m quite happy, thank you, with my independence.”  Even in sweltering summer and frozen-tundra winter, and low food supplies, uncouth beasts, and gross diseases, Bernie says he knows best and chooses to do what he wants, regardless of the outcome for himself, or the other ferals he will soon lead astray.  Yessir, Bernie is just too smart for his own good.  He will wind up starved, cold, and alone, and he’ll pass on fatal diseases to others, but hey, he still has his pride!

And as He is prone to do, the Lord showed me myself, both before, and during, my salvation.  He is very diligent to explain in His Word that every single sinner is born with chronic “wise in their own eyes” syndrome (Judges 21:25; Proverbs 3:7, 26:12; Isaiah 5:21; Romans 12:16).  That’s why nobody comes to God on their own, because their Tyrannosaurus pride obscures their spiritual vision, and they’re unable to see or love God.  He loved me first, humbled me to see Who He is, and drew me to Himself.  Yes, I am saved, but I’ve discovered that dismantling of self-sufficient pride continues to be a lifelong project.

Motivation is key – why do I want to be humble, when being self-sufficiently prideful and conceited seems to be more fun?  Well, do I love God and want to please Him?  Or don’t I?  Well, yes, I do want to please Him.  Even though there are times when my own self seems more important than my own God, in no way should I believe that my earthly accumulated intelligence supersedes His divine and perfect wisdom.  Listening to Him, and not me, is my foremost motivation (Job 15:8).  Dumping my pride will also prevent me from taking a physical and/or spiritual “tumble” (Proverbs 16:18) and dragging someone else along with me.  If I’m to be fruitful to others, I must first be humble (Philippians 2:3-4).  If others are offering me their own fruit, I must be even more humble.

My Father, it’s obvious that You detest haughty eyes (Proverbs 6:16-17), and that You love humility (Isaiah 66:2, James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:6).  You caught me and humbled me, when I was still too “smart” for my own good.  My Jesus, You were born to die, and You humbled Yourself on the Cross, for my benefit and God’s glory.  You are God’s perfect gift, and indeed, You are the gift that keeps on giving, all year long.  Your endless mercy and grace is what keeps me from wanting to display feral pride and instead, being daily grateful for all Your provisions.  Because of this, I indeed feel very “merry” every Christmas, and every day in between!

 

MURDER, SHE WROTE

Cute little guy, isn’t he? Happy face, bright smile, dainty little feet?  He told me his name is Gerard.  Yeah, he looks cute, but I must confess that I have a great ... unlove ... for buggers, for just about anything remotely resembling crawling-creeping-many-eyed creatures. My husband’s particular un-love is something called “bore-bees” because they bore into deck wood, thus causing said deck to implode like a bad soufflé. And being the manly man that he is (much like Rambo), he’s highly protective of his deck, charging after them with a can of spray in one hand and his tennis racket of death in the other, sending them sailing to smithereens.

I know ... ecology, food chain, global stuff ... sorry, just play with me here. I enjoy griping about bugs, and I enjoy setting them “free.”  Sorry, bug-huggers, I do. If they infiltrate my castle, they’re buggy-toast. I zero in on them with a shoe, or a fireplace shovel, or a rock-hard stale pop tart, if necessary. BAMMO, off to buggy heaven they go, thus rendering my abode creepy-free. (But never fear, Gerard still lives outside, free to hop to his heart's delight.)

There really is a point here, more than just mindless joyful destruction of critters who probably really do have a reason to live … outside my house. As He’s prone to do, the Lord has caused me to consider this:

What if I expended as much energy, creativity, and single-mindedness to sin-murder as I do in bug-murder?

What if I actually walk with the Spirit, live in such a way, that I’m putting to death the deeds of the body (Romans 8:13)?

What if I consider the members of my earthly body as dead to [everything] that amounts to idolatry (Colossians 3:5)?

Just as bugs are seldom as cute as the little guy above, so are my sins not cuddly and adorable. They're nightmarishly hideous and deserve to be thoroughly slaughtered.

My Father, once again, You have graciously lobbed your Word at my heart with the same tenaciousness that I should exhibit towards my own residual creeping sin. And even more, I’m thankful every day that You, my Jesus, were my personal sin-bearer (1 Peter 2:24), reconciling me to my God (Romans 5:10) for eternity.  And the reason for murdering my sin daily, taking up my cross and following You, my Jesus (Matthew 16:24), is to be a fruit-producing, light-bearing ambassador for You, drawing others to You. Just as I want my home to be creepy-bug-free, so should I desire my life for You to be creepy-sin-free.  I praise You, my Father, for Your divine power to live as You would have me do, honoring You (2 Peter 1:3-4).  You truly are a compassionate God.