Hand Prints on the Windows

Every now and then I go on a cleaning spree. Don't get me wrong, I do my best to keep my house livable and germ-free on a daily basis, but every now and then I go into ninja mode and the house will be spotless from top to bottom. Heaven forbid anyone come in tracking an extra muddy footprint, or decide that they are suddenly hungry and head to the kitchen to start a new cooking disaster. During this all-out ninja mode, my vision is better than a hawk's and I can spot a crumb from a mile away, buried in the carpet even.

I recently went all-out ninja mode, and thinking I was done, settled down into a chair at the kitchen table. Do you know what I saw? I saw hand prints. There were nearly half a dozen smeared hand prints all over the glass window! Do you think I became unglued? If it had been any other mess, any other smudge or speck of dirt, I would have; but these were finger prints. Hand prints. The tiny hands of my children and before I had the chance to lose my cool, I had been propelled backwards into the past, many years ago.

You see, a very good couple that we knew had lost their little boy. We don't know why; he was just sick with a fever, threw-up and passed away in the blink of an eye. It was a tumultuous time for them and everyone around them. Right after, I used to wake up in the middle of the night because I could hear a child crying, but when I went to check on my own babies, they were each fast asleep. The crying would continually echo in my ears. As awful as I felt, I could never begin to imagine the pain that sweet couple had to endure.

There's a few things I know about their story. I know that after they left the hospital that night, they did not go home. They stayed with family, or perhaps friends. They didn't return home for weeks. And when they did, the first thing that precious mother saw when she opened the front door, was a sliding glass back door covered with her son's smudged hand prints.

I'd never be able to wash that back door, and suddenly, I couldn't even wash my own window. Would you?

But God Wants Me to be Happy!

Deep inside of each of us is a desire to be loved and accepted for who we are. We desperately seek this attention from our own parents, family members and significant others. We develop friendships with the hope of obtaining a connection with someone who would never abandon us, even after they know us at our absolute worst. This unrealistic expectation from others who are simply human is just setting us up for heart break, because people are not, nor will they ever be, perfect. At some point, relationships have to evolve to be more than just about ourselves. We have to give the exact same that we are hoping to receive. Often times, this lack of unconditional live will force us to turn to the one person that has never failed to give it. God. Jesus. He loves us. We know this because while we were still sinners, He died for us. Romans 5:8. Yet, we've grown to expect this love at all times because God always gives it. We believe we deserve it, no matter what we do. It's okay for me to fudge the truth a little; God still loves me. It's okay for me to leave my spouse for another because God loves me and wants me to be happy. God loves me just as I am. And yes, it's true that God loves everyone, but it's not about whether or not God loves us. The real question is, do we love God?

Do you reciprocate that love that was so freely bestowed upon you?

John 15:9-11 says "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."

If you love God, then why do you continue to sin? When you refuse to keep his commands, do you remain in God's love? If you choose to walk away from doing the right thing then you have rejected God's love. Christ died for you, while you were still in sin. Don't remain in it. Don't return to it. It's not about you or your happiness. It's about your salvation and whether or not you'll be living with Christ for eternity. God knows that something better and something happier awaits you in eternity. He wants to be with your forever. You see, this life is not enough. Don't throw away eternal happiness for a fleeting moment of temptation here. Don't think you're entitled to God's love, even though you have it. Think about this: Do I love God?

I can trust Him

When the person who should have been your protector, leader and best friend hurts you in unspeakable ways, it leaves a scar on your soul. You loved them and trusted them and they discarded that love and trust like a piece of garbage. They trampled over you without a second glance. You don't just get over it. It eats you alive from the inside out. The fire inside consumes you but you never die. The pain never ends.

Denial comes first. That person couldn't possibly have treated you so. They would never hurt you like that. It wasn't real. You try to lie to yourself and it works for awhile. It might've worked forever, except that you're not hurt just once. It's repeated. Over and over and over, you are given a fresh reminder of the evil that was done to you, because it's happening again.

Then one day you wake up and denial is no longer a viable option. The wound has been reopened one too many times to deny its existence. Everyone can see the open sore oozing blood, but no one really does see it. They don't want to see it. They can continue to deny its existence by simply closing their eyes. They don't feel it. They don't have to look at it.

I stood in a crowded room and screamed. No one heard. I pointed to the wound and begged them to see. They looked the other way. I was alone.

Not really, though. I had Jesus. He was with me and He heard me and He saw the evil that had been done to me and He looked me straight in the eyes. He wiped away all my tears and I knew that He was the only one that would never let me down. He loves me and He protects me and He leads me. I can trust Him.

What the Lord Really Requires Part 2 - Act Justly

Previously, we discussed what the Lord really wants from us. Turn to Micah 6:6-8.

With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed you, O man, what is good, And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Today we are going to take a look at what it means to act justly.

The word "to act" imply behavior. It's something that you do. You have to do, you have to behave in such a way that is justly. Justly means honestly and fairly. It also means in conformity to fact or rule and it also means as deserved. Let's take a look at some examples in Scripture.

First let's look at the story of Zacchaeus. Luke 19:1-9. Zacchaeus was a tax collector. Tax collectors were seen as sinners because they often cheated and collected more money than was required. They made themselves quite wealthy through such dishonest gain. Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector and was quite wealthy, however, he repented. Verse 8 reads, "But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord!" Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." When Zacchaeus repented, it wasn't just a "move forward" philosophy. It wasn't just a "I'll stop cheating" decision. He went back and made his past actions right again. He didn't just repay what he took - he multiplied his retribution.

Next, we have the story of Ananias and Sapphira, a dishonest couple. You can read their story in Acts 5:1-11. Members of the church had been sharing their possessions and giving money to the apostles. Ananias and Sapphira wanted in on some of the attention received. They had a plot of land and sold it. They decided that they didn't want to give all the money, but they wanted the church to believe that they had given all of their money. They lied to the apostles and said that they had given all that they had earned from the sale. Ananias ans Sapphira wanted the praise of men and thought they could fool men. But God cannot be fooled. Verse 4b says "You have not lied to me but to God." Ananias and Sapphire died as a result of their lies.

Psalm 106:3 - Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right. When you act justly, you do what is right. You are honest and you are fair. When you do what is right, you obey God. You conform to the rule of God. James 1:22 says, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

"justly." Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. 26 Jun. 2013. .

What the Lord Really Requires Part I

Have you even been handed a long list of "dos and don'ts"? Do not steal. Do not covet. Those are a couple from the ten commandments. Perhaps you've heard "do not drink" or "do not gamble". Be this. Be that. You can't do this and you can't do that. And then the reactions are priceless: Well, then I'll never be a Christian! This is not what Christianity should be about! That type of thinking is reminiscent of the Pharisees.

God is pretty simple with his requirements. Let's take a look at the story of Naaman. He was a very powerful man, yet he suffered from leprosy. He took the advice of a servant girl and sought out Elisha, a prophet of God. Let's read 2 Kings 5:9-12.

So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed." But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel?" So he turned and went off in a rage.

Naaman was upset because Elisha didn't do what Naaman had imagined. He imagined some mystical, magical performance and when he didn't get what he had imagined, he was ready to walk away from a cure. How quickly do we dismiss the simplicity of God's commands because it doesn't look like Hollywood?

Let's continue reading in 2 Kings 5:13-14.

Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed.'!" So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

How simple, yet, extraordinary. Let's look at Micah 6:8b. "And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Look at Matthew 22:37-40. "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. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

That last sentence is what really explains it. All the Law and the Prophets hand on these two commandments. If you love God and you love your neighbor, then you won't steal from them. You won't covet what they have. If you love God, then everything else will fall into place. If we love God, then we will keep His commandments. So, instead of trying to keep tallying the dos and don'ts, just concentrate on loving God. Concentrate on acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly.

Over the next few weeks, I will post blogs that explain exactly what those three things mean.

Waah Waah Waah Waaaaaaaaaaah

It's hot! It's cold! I'm hungry! I'm thirsty! But everyone else has one! It's not fair. Why me? Complain, complain, complain. God hates complaining. If you really want to ignite God's anger, then grumble away. It's what the Israelites did throughout the Old Testament. Start in Exodus 14:10. The Israelites have just left Egypt and have come to the Red Sea. Pharaoh and his army are chasing after them. Take a look at verses 11 - 12. "They said to Moses, 'Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians?' It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!'" These people had just witnessed ten terrifying plagues in Egypt. Moses has spent time showing the power of God to Pharaoh and at the first moment of fright, the people freak out. God saves them, of course, and uses Moses to part the Red Sea. The Israelites cross safely and Pharaoh's army is swept away. The people rejoice in song, but almost immediately they return to their complaining.

This time, it is about water. Exodus 15:23-24. "When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, 'What are we to drink?'" They did not ask for water. They did not ask for anything to drink. They simply complained that there was nothing to drink. All we have to do is ask. God will provide. The same applies today. Matthew 7:7. "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." My children complain about being thirsty all the time. "I'm thirsty!" And I respond, "That's a complaint. Don't complain. Ask." Then I get, "May I have a drink?" All we have to do is ask. Just a few verses later, in verse 11 it says, "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Sometimes we go without because we didn't ask!

God provides, despite the complaints. The complaints don't go away; they get worse. Look at Exodus 16:3. "The Israelites said to them, 'If only we had died by the Lord's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death." Doesn't this sound a little dramatic to you? Oh, "If only we had died!" God responds by providing manna and quail. The Israelites had grumbled against Moses, or so they thought, as he was their leader, but in verse 8, Moses makes it quite clear that the grumbling was really against the Lord. It says, "Moses also said, 'You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord." Consider what Moses just said. When we complain and grumble against our leaders, we are really grumbling against God. Who are you to complain about what God gives or doesn't give?

You would think, that after all that God had shown, that the people of Israel would trust the Lord to provide for them, but they don't. In chapter 17 of Exodus we again see the people complain about being thirsty. Exodus 17:3-4. "But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, 'Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?' Then Moses cried out to the Lord, 'What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.'" How quickly they forget! How quick do we forget? Look back at verse 2. "So they quarreled with Moses and said, 'Give us water to drink.' Moses replied, 'Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?' When we complain and argue, we reveal a serious lack of faith in God. Why would we put Him to the test after He has already demonstrated His mighty power and His love by providing previously? Do you really trust the Lord? If you do, then silence your complaints!

In the book of Numbers we begin to see God's wrath come down on the people for their complaints. Numbers 11:1. "Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp." Complaining is displeasing to the Lord. The complaining doesn't end though! Numbers 11:4-6. "The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, 'If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost - also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!" God heard them and He sent quail. Look at verse 19 to see just how much quail he sent. "You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, but for a whole month - until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it - because you have rejected the Lord, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, 'Why did we ever leave Egypt?'" Notice that God's anger doesn't come from them wanting meat - it comes from them complaining about leaving Egypt. They had cried out to God because the yoke of their slavery was so heavy and now they spurned the gifts God had already bestowed upon them. We need to quit complaining about how great the past was because it wasn't. But God did more than send them more quail than they could stand. Look at Numbers 11:33. "But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the Lord burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague." God does not put up with complaining or arguing. You need to watch your tongue.

Philippians 2:14 says, "Do everything without complaining or arguing." EVERYTHING. Easy times, hard times, whatever it is, don't complain. Rejoice because God is all-knowing, all-powerful and He's got everything under His control. Trust Him.

The Blame Game

Today I wanted to share with you an audio done by Iron Disciple. It's message is directed at the men, but I think the ladies can learn a few things from this as well.

http://www.irondisciple.com/blaming-your-wife/

You and only you are responsible for your actions. When you make a mistake, admit it. Nobody's perfect and no one expects you to be. The Bible even says that we all fall short of the glory of God. If it weren't so, then we wouldn't need Jesus. But we do. We need Him. Acts 4:12 says, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."