Julie, Author at Do Not Depart

Beyond crumbling

October 12, 2011 by Julie 3 Comments

Yesterday morning I met friends for coffee to talk about a ministry close to our hearts; we met in an historical building turned coffee shop, perched on a sidewalk lining a brick street that has witnessed centuries of change. I love the sound of the old wooden floors, the aged bricks like faces who once filled the rooms, and the high ceilings that have echoed generations of voices. Sitting in the soft leather chair, I reflected on how much time has passed in the seasoned structure … and yet how little.

road leading to Bema seat w market on right — Ancient Corinth, crumbling after 1000s of yrs ...

When we attempt to reach out to the past, the time we can touch is so recent. Time is only familiar in our own lifetime. Even when I’ve had the privilege of walking on streets that are thousands of years old, I notice they still crumble and decay; they are not everlasting.

God is not simply “historical” or aged or seasoned; He is the Ancient of Days. The God of the universe is eternal and without end. While a name in our day makes us distinct from another person, a name in Biblical times revealed identity and carried the weight of authority and power. As God shared His names in the story of scripture, He unveiled who He is and what He’s like. Like a person’s portrait, God’s names illustrate His character. To know His names is to know Him.

As a result of God’s blessing in his life, Abraham was recognized as prosperous; King Abimelech made a covenant with him to insure peace, since it was obvious that God was with Abraham. After the agreement was forged, Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba and called out to God, using the name “El Olam” for the first time. (Gen. 21:22-34) He acknowledged “The Everlasting God,” the God who is eternal. “Olam” is the quality of being everlasting and unable to deteriorate, change, or crumble.

After Abraham recognized God’s “everlastingness,” God tested him with the call to sacrifice his only son Isaac. Abraham’s greatest test followed his understanding of God’s timelessness. To “get this” about God results in the ability to trust Him in the hardest places, even at an altar where we lay down our treasure. To know that God is eternal and everlasting is to know that He exists before the hardships of our past, beneath the trouble of today, and beyond the possibilities of our future.

Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock. ~ Isaiah 26:4

In other words, be confident and believe in Jehovah the Self-Existent One, because Jehovah is the Olam rock, the Rock who is perpetual, indefinite, eternal, forever.

Someday the old walls of my historic coffee shop will buckle, the aged bricks will crumble, the preserved glass will cease to be preserved, and my body own will wear out and run down. But our God, El Olam, has and will live unchanged forever. We can trust the God with a name like that!

Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. ~ Psalm 90:1-2

How would you finish this sentence?

I can trust El Olam with my __________________, because He is everlasting before, beneath, and beyond where I am living today.

Live ready

September 27, 2011 by Julie 2 Comments

As we’ve been getting to know Mrs. P31, I can’t help thinking about what we aren’t told … What were her heartaches? What losses did she know? How did she suffer? What did she cry out to God about? Did she experience a miscarriage? Did she suffer from a chronic illness? Was her heart ever broken? Was her vineyard stricken by blight or theft?

Every woman’s life will encounter the unexpected, but an excellent wife is prepared.

In just the last few weeks within my “circle of wives,” I’ve heard friends facing surprises like job loss, family illness, husband’s emotional strain, and reject ion by children. As I sat in a waiting room today, a lady came in and sat down to watch the tv showing the national news. A perfect stranger, she turned to me and poured out her fears about family life in the world we live in. She was filled with dread. There’s a lot to dread. There’s a lot to fear. That’s the meaning of the word “afraid” in Prov. 31:21.

The excellent wife “is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet” (v.21). She isn’t afraid of the unexpected occurring, because she has readied her heart and her home for the challenges of life. Sudden changes will come, but she won’t be caught unprepared. Her husband is blessed because of her foresight.

Every woman’s life will encounter the unexpected, so before hardship hits, live ready:

Prepare your heart –

Walk with God. Be in His Word regularly, having a habit of going to His truth for your guidance and help. Hide it in your heart.

Worship God. Practice an attitude of gratitude to the Lord for Who He is and what He does. Don’t wait until it’s hard to rejoice.

Hear God’s Voice. Set a routine of prayer, but not routine prayer. Learn to talk to your Father now, so you go to Him first when trials come.

Fellowship with God’s People. Women who live isolated struggle more when hardship comes. Connect with other followers of God now.

Prepare your home –

Yield your home to God’s values by letting go of the convenient, comfortable, and cultural. God wants our homes to be:

peaceful

orderly

fruitful

godly

If our hearts and homes are prepared, we’ll be free to help our husband when he needs it. We’ll be able to reach out on behalf of our family. We’ll be able to give to others instead of being under our own load. Our heart and faith will be prepared to weather the storms that WILL come as we live out life as our husband’s wife.

Today is the day to prepare for tomorrow. Every woman’s life will encounter the unexpected, so before hardship hits, live ready. An excellent wife is prepared, and her husband is blessed because of it.

Fight the dread, and prepare instead!

Are you always waiting to prepare?
What are you waiting for?
What excuse do you need to confess to God and ask Him to change for a “more prepared” you?

Cross country endurance

September 21, 2011 by Julie 8 Comments

Endurance only happens when there is a challenge, usually accompanied by some pain.

This fall I’m learning so much from cross country. I’m not the runner; I’m the mother of the runner, and as I watch and cheer, I’m observing. Last week a large group of girls gathered at the start, some shooting out fast from the line to take front positions, but they couldn’t sustain it. The winners were those who were committed to their goal, prepared to go the distance, and wise enough to set a good pace.

When was the last time God brought a painful challenge into your life as a wife? As if to work out the P31 gal’s endurance in my own heart in a fresh way, just yesterday the Lord led me to a low place. (You can read the nitty gritty here.) I wrestled between my fleshly desires and my godly ones. A hardship tempts us to cast aside the goal of godliness with excuses like, “That Proverbs 31 wife isn’t even realistic!” The pain suggests we weren’t prepared for something “that disappointing.” We might be inclined to just flop down, burst into tears, and whine out our troubles as if we can not be victorious … aka “meltdown.”

In circumstances that stretch us in life and marriage, we do our husband’s good by resisting the urge to fall apart and striving, instead, to persevere in a godly response. In times of hardship, excellence endures. A challenge involving pain gives us opportunity to do our husband “good” by contributing our endurance.

Oh, Lord, help us be women of excellence who:

commit to the goal of godliness, staying focused on that goal when we are under life’s assault

go the distance and embrace the extra mile it takes to be excellent

set a pace of wisdom we can sustain in our married life

P31 isn’t just a sprinter; she is diligent all day, she makes the most of her available time, she provides what her household needs, and sets her selfishness to do what’s best for her loved ones (vv. 14-15, 18). On the cross country trail, as well as on the marriage trail, there will be women on the course who don’t take their training seriously, and it will show in their lack of victory and in the condition in which they cross the line, if they finish. It was show in their husband’s spirit, freedom, and prosperity. Is he carrying an extra load, or doing life alongside a woman of endurance?

There’s no doubt the course is hard, including challenges that promise pain. We’ll see it on the faces of those around us, and we’ll display it in our own. Marriage isn’t for those who lack commitment to the goal, readiness to go the distance, and wisdom in pacing. The teams that win are teams that endure. Let’s make our husbands glad we’re on their team!

What challenge has God allowed in your life to give you the chance to endure with your man?

Most creative

September 20, 2011 by Julie 6 Comments

In my dark closet corner, there’s a plastic bag stuffed with neatly folded strips of crimson material. It’s remnants of a quilt I began and evidence that I’m a Michael’s craft class drop out. Occasionally, my hand brushes against the sack, and I wonder, “How did I go from being voted “Most Creative” in high school (forget Best Hair, Best Smile ..) to being beaten by a Log Cabin pattern in the back of a craft store? Is there hope for me to reach the bar set by the “Most Creative” wife of Proverbs 31?

I could try to sell you excuses like I’m 25 years older, have a husband to keep up with, children to keep me busy, budget with no line for “craft stuff,” and no extra room to “spread out.” But Mrs. P31 was a gal with similar challenges, and she managed to stock up on supplies and clothe herself to reflect her creative flair … all before Michael’s Crafts and Hobby Lobby existed. Proverbs paints an attainable, even realistic, picture of creativity:

13 “She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.”

19 “She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.”

22 “She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple.”

Mrs. P31 has a willing attitude. Her hands weren’t obligated, resentful, or angry; they were willing. The focus is on her willingness to use her time and talent, whatever that looked like, to provide for her home. It’s not the particular craft or task that made her excellent. Her home must’ve been more beautiful, comfortable, and unique, because she was the woman of the house. How motivated are you to be inventive in your home?

She has a wide range of skills. Before online shopping, P31 had to “seek” supplies and use manual implements. No one does everything, but she was resourceful and diverse. Remember this is a composite of qualities to strive for, not a single example to copy. Are you looking for new ways to enhance your home?

With her willing spirit and scope of abilities, P31 approaches creativity with a godly manner. Unlike a child’s first cross-stitch, with strings and knots hanging, the excellent woman’s work is something worthy to cover the bed she shares with her husband, something noble and elegant, reflecting her character. Maybe your strings and knots ARE beautiful! Does your home reflect your spirit?

P31 might be sad for us at the way our lifestyles often crowd out creativity. The beauty we add to our household doesn’t have to look just like hers, but we can pursue her willing spirit, her range of skill, and her godly manner as make our world more enjoyable and interesting.

5 Ways to Be a Creative Wife

Let your creativity come through in cooking. How long has it been since you made something new?

Has God gifted you with skill to beautify the lives of your family? Write a poem; paint a wall hanging; make a rug; plant a garden; invent a pizza; redesign your bedroom; create a scrapbook.

There’s more than one way to keep a home. Use your God-given creative juices to move furniture, organize the closet, make a lunch note, write on a bathroom mirror, or make a quilt (you go girl!).

If you have children, you HAVE to be creative. Get creative with entertaining children, using voices to read aloud, making a table tent, or helping your tween match an outfit.

Take it from the “Most creative” of 1986 – Creativity isn’t limited to paint and mod podge. How about enjoying the freedom to be creative in how you show affection to your husband? He’ll thank you.

Am I jealous of the P31 wife? Maybe I’m jealous of her “bed covering” … but I’m inspired to know I can pursue her willing spirit, her range of skills, and her excellent manner. My creativity will look different from hers and from yours, and we don’t even have to sign up at the local craft store.

I’m praying your home and mine will be more beautiful, unique, artistic, & CREATIVE … because we’re the woman of the house!

What can you do today to make your home more creative?

No use hiding ~ A weekend riddle

September 9, 2011 by Julie 5 Comments

Do you remember the first time you hid your sin? Adam and Eve first tried in the garden, and we’ve been grasping for fig leaves ever since. Knowing I was born with instincts to hide, my mother chose Numbers 32:23b as the first verse I memorized, “… be sure your sin will find you out.” That truth prevented me from grabbing fig leaves out of my closet more often than I did.

Agur knew what my mom knew: we all have a sin nature and the instinct to hide it.

In Proverbs 30:18-20 Agur presents truth for everyday life that makes sense to young and old. This man mines truth out of daily things like churning butter (v.33) and nose bleeds (v.33). A closer look out of our fig leaf coverings reveals a truth in his riddle not to be ignored. He begins by admitting three things that are too wonderful, even “four I do not understand” (v.18).

“…the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a virgin” (v.19).

Like analogies on the SAT test, these four natural things share something in common. An eagle’s flight in the sky leaves no trace. A snake moving across a rock leaves no trace. A ship sailing on the sea leaves no trace. A man’s relationship with a woman leaves no visible trace. All four conceal evidence that they ever happened.

Like most riddles, a clue is found (verse 20): “This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and say, ‘I have done no wrong.’” We all have a sin nature and the instinct to hide it.

Sin may be easy to conceal when an adulteress cleans up, conceals evidence, and nonchalantly claims innocence, but it doesn’t change the truth. The eagle has flown. The snake has slithered. The ship has sailed. The man has loved. The adulterers have offended. We may try to hide the evidence; we may try to hide our shame, but we can be sure our sin will find us out.

Adultery has many appearances. Perhaps Agur used the eagle, snake, ship, and man, so we wouldn’t fall into the trap of seeing only a beautiful seductress dressed in veils, inviting men to her lair. His riddle leaves me asking:

“How do I commit adultery against God by loving other things and keeping passions ‘secret’ while claiming to be a lover of God?
Does my public image reflect my private heart?
Am I committing spiritual adultery against my Love, then wiping my hands, covering my heart, and presenting false innocence to those around me?”

Lord,

Expose any wicked ways in me. Leave a trail behind me that leads me to confession and real cleansing. Thwart attempts I make at concealing my sin, and help me to be wholly Yours.

Fighting Irenes

August 30, 2011 by Julie 3 Comments

Last weekend the US East Coast experienced destruction by a certain female: Hurricane Irene. We tracked her moves, listened to response plans, and rallied our resources to counter her attack. Usually, sea breezes soothe and refresh, and coastal skies fill with pastel palettes of color, but the beautiful and gentle can turn evil. Once past, peace was restored for most, though some lives were forever changed by Irene.

Sexual intimacy is God’s wedding gift, inviting a man and woman to be freely “intoxicated” in love (5:19). Desires are satisfied “at all times with delight” (5:19) when we drink from our “own cistern” (5:15) and enjoy the spouse of our youth (5:18). Physical intimacy in the marriage covenant starkly contrasts stolen delights outside of marriage. If sex within marriage is the warm sands and gentle breezes of a coastal paradise, adultery is the devastation by a tropical tempest coming ashore.

More subtle, less public, yet equally destructive, an adulteress ravages lives. The tempter (male or female) is not only deceiving, but is deceived (5:6). The appearance of an adulteress may be beautiful; her words are persuasive and compelling (7:21). God’s plan for contentment in sexual intimacy (5:15-19) comes up against the Enemy’s plan to take casualties as men and women fall into infatuation with a cheap substitute.

She (the adulteress/adultery):

flatters her targets, married or unmarried
forsakes her own rightful companion
forgets the marriage/spiritual covenants made

Though she may not seem toxic at first contact, “can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?” (6:28). Death is her own end, and death is what she offers: death of a dream, a relationship, a marriage, a home, a family, a testimony. I’ve listened to many women share their private and painful stories of how an adulterous affair (their own or their husband’s) has broken their hearts and ravaged their homes. I’ve wept with them as they count the high price paid for momentary pleasure. Our Enemy counts his casualties with a smile.

When a man or woman responds to the lust’s lure, “as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life” (Proverbs 7:23). The Enemy doesn’t plan for our contentment; the Enemy, who has always come as an angel of light and beauty, plans to take casualties.

Young couples may think they’re too in love to fall prey. Old couples may think they’re too experienced to fall prey. The truth is that adultery has ravaged many marriages, “many a victim she has laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng” (Proverbs 7:26). Many have fallen. Many mighty have fallen.

If we warmly embrace or coldly repel the one to whom we’re pledged, God sees. If we welcome (with a glance or an email or a smile) one to whom we are not pledged, God sees. He gives us the gift of sexual intimacy within marriage; “a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths” (5:21). God sees how we use His gift of sexuality, whether we honor Him in our marriages or embrace the Enemy’s substitute.

Never has it been so easy to welcome images into our homes, into the palms of our hands, and ultimately into our hearts, all the while under the adulterous deception that it’s private and harmless.

To avoid the snare:

Attend to and invest in your own marriage. (5:15-19)
Avoid and ignore temptation. (5:8)

The Maker of gentle breezes and pastel sunsets designed joy for us in the miracle of sexual intimacy between a husband and wife. The Enemy adorns his lures in beautiful, non-threatening garments, with voices mimicking the gentle surf. Don’t be fooled. “Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house, lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless … For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord …” (Proverbs 5:8, 21).

Passages to explore in Proverbs regarding Adultery: 2:16-19; 5:1-14; 6:20-35; 7:1-17

Proverbs: Letters for Everyday Life

August 22, 2011 by Julie 11 Comments

When our daughter started high school, I was overwhelmed with all I wanted her to remember. Friends coached me on what I “shouldn’t” do as a mom of a teenager… Much to my teenager’s relief, I resisted the urge to hang my head out of the window and shout as I drove away from the curb, “forsake not your mother’s teaching… if sinners entice you, do not consent!” (1:8,10) :) Instead, I began to write a letter to her each week, highlighting and reinforcing God’s truth in practical ways, so she would remember how to live it out in her personal behavior. The letters became treasures for her, and her wise choices became treasures for me. God’s truth is meant to transform our day to day lives.

God has written us letters of wisdom as treasures to take with us into our ordinary days. As we kick off a Scripture Dig study in the book of Proverbs, we find its theme in the first seven verse of the book (1:1-7); the goal is to explain and plant wisdom into God’s people, so they would show the world what restored life looks like. The book begins with letter like mine, from a father to a son. These words of wisdom literature were written first to a Hebrew audience, but extended to all mankind. The “simple,” the young, the wise and the “one who understands” are specifically addressed to give “skill in the art of godly living.”

My husband Jeff with our high school freshman son Jake. Sharing wisdom for everyday life = PROVERBS

Like letters I’ve written for my own daughter, Proverbs is a collection of writings, an anthology. They make comparisons and illustrate consequences of choosing wise or foolish pathways. As a parent longs for a child to cling to wisdom, so the writers of Proverbs call readers to choose the virtuous life among the ordinary, with the hope that extreme examples will clearly show how obedience brings blessing. The characters of the “wise,” “fool” and “simple” are used to impress the point of the joy of the wise and the folly of the fool.

While Solomon was the primary author or collector of these scriptures, he was not the only writer. Authors called “the wise,” “Hezekiah’s men,” Agur, and Lemuel penned some of the collection’s words. The words of the well known Proverbs 31are ascribed to King Lemuel, taught to him by his mother. The Book of Proverbs is part of Jewish Wisdom Literature, along with books like Job, Song of Solomon, and the wisdom Psalms. The ESV Study Bible identifies three characteristics in the Proverbs:

A virtue is commended.
A vice is held up for disapproval.
A value is affirmed

Proverbs puts truth to the test in our regular, everyday lives.

Oh, I’m excited about the days ahead as we open up God’s letters of wisdom and enjoy the treasures He has for us there! While preparing and studying, I could almost hear the Lord with His head out of the “heavenly window” shouting about wisdom of Proverbs …

“if you seek it like silver and search for it as hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God” (2:4,5).

I’m so glad He didn’t hold back! Will you join us as we dig into these treasured letters from our Heavenly Father?

Welcome Forgiveness

October 22, 2010 by Julie 11 Comments

We were ministry leaders when our staff supervisor changed our structure. For no special reason, I was told first and asked to explain to Debbie*. She had been in our ministry longer than I had, and she was older than I was. Debbie listened quietly, but I could see her heart was not quiet.

In the next weeks, her quiet became deafening to me; I knew she was offended. At our meeting with our supervisor, Debbie’s husband came to help her work through the injury. The staff member tried to explain what happened, making it known the change did not come from me, but the damage was already done. Life in the church can be painful. When “Body parts” are moving, we can inflict damage on each other. I confessed my inadequate sensitivity; I asked for forgiveness. It was denied. I felt sick.

For months it weighed heavily on my heart. My Christian sister withdrew from ministry. I noticed she stopped coming to church. Her husband looked sad. I felt responsible.

God was moving in my own family during these months, until He took us to Asia as full-time missionaries. I knew I was leaving behind a damaged sister in Christ, and I felt helpless. I prayed. I hoped. And ultimately I packed up my stuff and my concern, and I left. I never stopped praying God would work in the heart of my sister in Christ. Sadly, much pain in the Body of Christ comes from other Body members. Though the Spirit lives in us, we often default to our flesh, and that causes pain.

Several years later God brought us back to our church for a time of transition. During those few months, I noticed the absence of my one time ministry co-laborer. I remembered how 2 women who once served alongside each other (Phil. 4:2-3) experienced conflict in church life. It didn’t seem right. I knew it didn’t honor God or His name. Perhaps that’s why Paul urged them to get along and “stand firm.” I knew what God wanted. It required crucifying my pride and taking up my cross (Luke 9:23).

Years had passed. I picked up the phone and called Debbie. At her door, I told her I knew I had hurt her years before, doing damage that drew her away from the Lord. I told her I knew she hadn’t been ready to accept my apology before, but I wanted to ask again for her forgiveness, so she and I could be free. I waited. I prayed. I braced myself.

She threw her arms around me and hugged me, tearfully telling me she had wished she had forgiven me and offered her apologies. She wanted to be free of the burden, but knew she had rejected me. She wondered if she would ever get another chance. The Lord made sure she did.

When I left I felt the joy of being forgiven, the joy of reconciliation, and the joy of knowing a stain on the Body of Christ had been wiped clean. I love His name, and I don’t want anything I do to injure it.

Have you been hurt? Have you hurt? Has it been years? Maybe it’s time to go prayerfully knock on that door and be set free!

*Name changed

Sock Shopping

October 18, 2010 by Julie 8 Comments

Outside of our city there’s a store called “The Sock Store.” You know what you’ll find inside. They’re not distracted from their mission of selling socks. A while ago, I went sock shopping, but I went to a store that “has it all.” Ultimately, I became distracted and overwhelmed by the abundant options; I didn’t even buy socks. I did, however, go home with things I didn’t need … and cold feet.

In much of the world today, people have limitless options. Two hundred years ago John Wesley said, “I fear, wherever riches have increased, the essence of religion has decreased in the same proportion.”¹ Where the Church lives in an atmosphere of comfort and excess, the faith focus of members may become diluted. A believer in Eastern Europe admitted, “Some of us are voting for the Communist Party to return to power, in order to help purify the church.”¹ In Western society much of the Church has taken on corporate characteristics, offering a multitude of options to suit varying tastes, requiring little in return, for fear of losing regular attendees and contributors. Much of our accommodation is done in the name of reaching more people, but scripture says not many choose the narrow gate; most choose the wide gate. With so much available, no one wants to go where there’s only “socks,” even if socks are what we need. If it’s available and appears exciting, we want to try it.

Acts 2:42-47 gives a picture of an early church with focus. Believers exercised faith by releasing their grip on possessions, being generous with others, worshiping together, and sharing life. The result was that “the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” When the church maintained its focus of teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer, more people were actually reached. Chuck Swindoll says, “When we commit ourselves to the essentials, our churches will be contagious for the right reasons.”²

The consumer trap isn’t new. Just a few chapters after the beautiful picture of the fledgling Acts 2 church, Acts 5 tells about Ananias and Sapphira = early consumers. They wanted to know, “What can we get out of this? What’s in it for us?” Within 3 hours of each other, their lives were taken, evidence God wanted believers focused on true worship, then and now.

Just like The Sock Store, people need to know the Church is about: worshiping the one true God and knowing His truth. Our goal is that people find the Savior and know Him, instead of getting caught up in consumer traps of shopping for pleasure feeding trends and, ultimately, distracting them from what they need most.

What’s distracting you from what you came to the Church for?

We are giving away a copy of The Gift of Church by Jim Samra. You can read the details of what you’ll find in the book and how to enter by clicking here.

For Further Reading:

1 What Good is God? by Philip Yancey

2 The Church Awakening by Chuck Swindoll

Know Your Goal

Can’t we all just get along?

October 12, 2010 by Julie 13 Comments

Saturday morning I sat on the sidelines of the soccer field, compelled to listen as a woman approached a couple beside us. They spent the 3rd quarter sharing evaluations of local churches, including: opinions about building design, decor, song choice, refreshment availability, relationships with clubs, whether or not the teaching pastors are “good,” and what finally prompted them to “move on” … each time. Little did they know the stranger beside them was praying and preparing about how to blog about “Can’t we all just get along?”

When I’m in countries where followers of Christ are few, I’m impressed by how they gather around what matters. When we’re in places where Christians & churches are common, our inner “consumer” rises up like ordering at Burger King = having it “your” way. But living with the perspective of “this little light of mine” in a dark world quickly reminds us of what core issues unite, and it frees us up to let peripheral issues take a backseat.

As I’ve worshiped in other lands and cultures, I’ve found the primary thing that matters is what we do with Jesus Christ. Just before Jesus announced He would build His Church on Peter, He asked His disciples: “What about you? Who do you say I am? (Matt. 16:13-19) What we believe about Jesus is a first step to knowing if we can worship or work together. When we explored salvation in September, we took talked about who Jesus is, because everything else hinges on that. We have to know who He is to believe what He has done and will do.

Is Jesus God and man?
Is Jesus holy?
What did Jesus accomplish when He died?
Does Jesus live?

This key question brings up two other core questions:

What do I believe about God’s Word, the Bible?
What do I believe about man (myself)?

Sharing common convictions about core values allows us freedom to worship and serve together, just as differences in these foundations limit us. Sandra shared about how the Church began, described in Acts 2:42 with 4 core elements: teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. Breaking of bread is referring to observing the Lord’s Supper, an act of worship. In his new book, the Church Awakening, Chuck Swindoll says, “You can have more than these four, but you cannot have less and still be a church.” Other things shouldn’t diminish the core four. Sadly, peripheral issues are often reasons people call a time-out … or stand on the sidelines of soccer AND church.

At the 4th quarter, the “church talk threesome” decided to get back to the game, but first they shook hands and introduced themselves. They shared all that without even knowing each other’s names. What would people hear if they sat next to us?

We CAN get along if we remember we’re small lights in darkness, and what matters most for the Bride of Christ is: What do we do with Jesus Christ our groom?

Prayer: Graphic Organizers

August 13, 2010 by Julie 15 Comments

Our lives have become broader than ever; we can literally touch people around the world. So much information can become heavy, even a burden, when we genuinely want to pray, but feel overwhelmed with praises to lift up and petitions to remember. We say, “I’ll pray for you,” and we really mean it, but the shear number of needs we know threatens to sabotage our best intentions.

Somewhere in all the needs, praises, concerns, and ever-present confessions, we must return to where Jesus’ pattern of prayer begins: worship of Who God is. We may leave out worship of the One Who hears our prayers, because we are in such a hurry to tackle the mountain of information. Kathy helped us understand Jesus’ index prayer here,when she shared 3 lessons on what we know as the “Lord’s Prayer.”

Here are four ideas to help manage your prayer times and make it fruitful:

Four Square Family Prayer ~ This breaks down concerns into 4 areas, beginning close to home and moving “outward.” Use it 4 days or for a whole week. The exercise of writing new info each week helps you to reflect on God’s power and answers. Write down needs, but also jot down answers and applicable promises from Scripture. Hole punch sheets to include in a Prayer Notebook.

One Month of Praying for People ~ This sheet is specifically designed to help you focus on all of the “others” in your life. Jesus’ prayer in Matthew 6 uses all plural pronouns; isn’t that interesting? Use this tool in your Prayer Notebook to help you manage the bigger picture of the work of prayer.

Letter of Response to My Father ~ This letter writing tool helps us express ourselves in personal letter style to our Father in heaven. Great tool to use once a week, or use it every day for a week to sweeten your prayer life. The notes help to indicate the parts of Jesus’ pattern of prayer.

One Week of Responding ~ 7 Days of response sheets take you through a week, along with suggestions for what to focus on, space to journal, and an inset reminder of the elements Jesus included in the Matt 6 pattern. These 1/2 sheets are ideal for printing off and putting into a binder or carrying in your Bible.

I invite you to find a tool that looks like it may work for you. Like a menu on a fridge or a planner in your bag, these tools are meant to make your prayer life more fruitful and effective as you spend time communicating with your Lord.

We’d love to hear if you plan to try out one of these tools and let us know how it goes. Do you have another great tool you’d like to share?

Thank you to Tara, who designed these for our Women’s Ministry and for others who long to spend time with their Father.

Write … in a Prayer Notebook?

August 10, 2010 by Julie 27 Comments

With more information to process than ever before, people are scrambling to write down what is vital to life. For you it may be a menu, appointments, lesson plans, or chores; if we want to track it, we write it down. What are you tracking?

God established a pattern of writing what matters. Since we matter to Him, He engraved us on His hands. Isaiah 49:16 In Proverbs 3:1-3 we read that His teaching, love, and faithfulness should not be forgotten, so we need to write them on the tablet of our hearts. Do you hear the theme of writing not to forget? It’s just so …. “human” to forget. We are not only forgetful, but we are easily distracted, and easily rerouted. God Himself shows us the value of writing down what matters:

writing down “our days” ~ Psalm 139:16 I can’t wait to see this Book!
writing down our names in heaven ~ Luke 10:20/Phil. 4:3 I want to be sure I’m IN this Book!
writing down His truth to bring us life ~ John 20:31 I’m so glad He thought of this!
writing down what fills our lives & history ~ Daniel 10:21 This one probably has a long reservation list in heaven!

In pursuing the work of prayer, we can take a cue from the God’s pattern and write down what matters most. By having a Prayer Notebook with tools to strengthen our communication and to track the content of our communication, we overcome some pitfalls that cause us to bail out on practicing prayer. The notebook style isn’t important, but using a prayer tool makes a difference. Each year I buy the cheapest planner Wal-Mart has to offer, and I record valuable contact info, dates I don’t want to miss, names of people I need to keep, and then the daily stuff of life as it happens. I write everything what matters most, and it is an invaluable tool to me. It completely changes how productive, reliable, and at peace I am. Let me suggest some tools and some content to include in a Prayer Notebook:

Content: A section for worship/praise, confession, thanksgiving, and requests. You may include a space to journal. Cards to respond to God’s leading.
Tools: Scripture about each focus area, a list of the names of God (use them), “triggers” (photos, cards, bulletins,etc)

My friend Cindy shared an overview of her Prayer Notebook last week, giving invaluable ideas & pictures. Sandra shared yesterday about Prayer Cards. This coming Friday I’ll share several graphic organizers as options for tools to include in your Prayer Notebook.

So what do you write in? A planner? A journal? A lesson plan book? A scrapbook? There’s a lot of information to remember and manage. If we were God, we could write it all on our hand. ;) Tracking our prayer lives in a Prayer Notebook helps us stay focused, recall reasons to give thanks, and stay consistent.

What do you use to help you make your prayer time prime time?

Break the Grip of the Rip

July 19, 2010 by Julie 11 Comments

I knew how to dog paddle when it grabbed me and pulled me away to danger, little match for the water of the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Rip currents surprise unwary swimmers and threaten to pull them from shore and to disaster.

Last week I saw a warning sign posted along the Gulf Coast: Break the Grip of the Rip. If we’re going to swim in the ocean, we need to be aware of potential dangers and how to respond:

Know where the dangerous currents are and avoid them.
Know how to get out of a rip current if you’re in one. (Swim out and AWAY)
Know how to reach out and take a hand of rescue if offered.

Trying to have quiet time with the Lord can be like fighting the rip current of life’s distractions and interruptions. Just when we are enjoying the warm rhythm of God’s truth washing over us, something grabs at us and threatens to pull us away to the dangerous place of drifting without Him. It may look different for each of us, but Satan knows what to use to pull us under and away from our Lord. The solution for facing these Quiet Time Busters is similar to facing ocean currents:

Know what distractions are dangerous and avoid them.
Know how to get away from distraction when it comes. (Turn out and AWAY)
Know how to take help when offered to you.

We can break the grip of the rip, because we have the Holy Spirit to empower us to face things that would pull us from God’s path. As we feed on His Word, we gain strength and wisdom to recognize and resist dangerous currents. As a child I was no match for the rip current, but God sent rescue in the form of an older, experienced, unselfish hand of rescue. We hope we might be that hand here at Scripture Dig, and we pray you will be that for those around you. Look around … someone may need a hand to break the grip of the rip in their lives.

Your distractions probably don’t look very different than mine, so I’ll leave you with my “Alphabet Priorities.” Print them out and put them next to your towel in the morning, so you’ll be ready to “Break the Grip of the Rip” as you dive in.

ALPHABET PRIORITIES
No adoration, no agenda

No Bible, no breakfast

No Christ, no computer

No devotions, no duties

No exaltation, no errands

No Father, no fun

No God, no goodies

No heaven, no housework

No Immanuel, no itinerary

No Jesus, no job

No King, no Kindle

No Lord, no laundry

No Master, no memos

No kneeling, no networking

No obedience, no occupation

No prayer, no planner

No quiet time, no quality

No reflection, no rush

No Savior, no schedule

No trust, no tech

No understanding, no undertaking

No value, no vocation

No waiting, no work

No ‘xpectation , no ‘xercise

No Yahweh, no yoke

No Zion*, no zoe**!

*Zion refers to heaven, the hope and ultimate home for believers.

** Zoe = LIFE!

Click here to read more about overcoming the grip of the Quiet Time Busters in your life.

My Time to Dig ~ Julie’s Sabbath

July 15, 2010 by Julie 10 Comments

If you’re reading this, you know about computers. Odds are, you’ve had to hit “ctrl/alt/delete” when your system is unresponsive or technically stuck. There are times when this describes my life and heart.

One spiritual discipline I have practiced is that of practicing the principle of “Sabbath.” While mine looks different than that God explained to Moses in Exodus 31:12-18, the purpose for me is largely the same: undistracted time to pause and focus on God.

This spiritual habit isn’t for those of Jewish descent alone; for anyone pursuing God there’s value in setting aside time to focus on Him. With all the world’s noise today, we have to carve out space to hear from, consider, and respond to the One we worship and serve.

Resting ~ God showed His own example of choosing to set aside rest time when He paused the 7^th day in Genesis 2:3. When I try to rest it can seem like everything in life is against me. Can you relate? God told Israel to “practice” taking a Sabbath; it provided rest from their work, but it did so much more than that.

Remembering ~ Practicing the principle of Sabbath gives me time to remember who I am and who God is. This habit was meant to endure in the lives of those who follow the One true God. “So the sons of Israel shall observe the Sabbath, to celebrate the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant,” Ex. 31:16. This means I have to resist my fleshly instinct to bend to the urgent and my routine, remembering God’s covenant, instead. If we are believers under the New Covenant, we still benefit from stepping aside from life’s commotion in 2010 to sit quietly at the feet of our Lord.

Refilling ~ We are talking about carving out a day to waste; the intent is not so ordinary are ignoring work. It’s a chance to to spend uncrowded time enjoying and listening to Him. God knows I need time to be with Him and be refilled by His truth and direction. I need regular reminders that I am the beloved of the God of the Universe, the One Who has redeemed me and planned my steps. I have a purpose to fulfill, and His Word shows me how when I listen to it.

Reordering ~ “It is to be a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute,” Lev. 16:31 I must take the reins of my schedule and multi-tasking mayhem and allow God to trump the visible things of life! Simply, I need to slow down, remember my dependence on God, worship Him for Who He is, and listen to His truth. This requires humbling myself and reordering my life God’s way. This is my life hitting “ctrl/alt/delete.”

The world around me doesn’t “do” a Sabbath, but I need to regularly make unique chunks of time for the Lord alone. I have to plan and provide for my immediate world of people, work, email, trash pickup, etc to wait while I go to be with the Lord. It takes a little work to make a Sabbath happen, but the pause it provides is well worth the resting, remembering, refilling, and reordering.

If you want to read more about how I’ve made Sabbaths happen in my own life, a 4 part series starts here, and you can read examples of how it looks here and here.

Another great feature of “ctrl/alt/delete” is that it produces a “black screen,” maybe a first step to some of that sweet time of Sabbath for you with your Lord. Enjoy ….

How do I fit it in ~ Part 2

July 6, 2010 by Julie 14 Comments

It really helps to know your goal in spending time digging into God’s Word, so we don’t set ourselves up for failure by thinking we can do it all every time. Yesterday we looked at making God’s Word physically more easily accessible in our lives. Today let’s think about the Amount we tackle and the value of Accountability.

Efficient Amount ~

Mothers are careful not to overfill a sippy cup or put too much on a highchair tray. If we try to manage too much spiritually while facing limitations physically, mentally, and emotionally, the portion size may determine if we end up in defeat or delight. A wise woman chooses a reasonable size study to tackle, will consider intensity she can manage, and will select topics pertinent to life at hand. Taking on too much for our life stage causes us to give in to temptation to bail out prematurely or leaves us feeling like spiritual growth is out of our reach. With wisdom to choose an amount of study we can manage efficiently in our full days (and nights), we are more likely to be consistent, apply truth to life, reach our goals, and experience longer term spiritual health. Better to give a small child what they can pick up and eat, rather than overload them with what is too much to handle and have them toss it to the floor or choke on it.

Focus on plans with short prison epistles or narrative portions of scriptures.
Use a word study.
Make use of a plan through Psalms and Proverbs.
It’s more important to be in the Word regularly and have the truth in you than to conquer a monumental portion of scripture or heavy theological topic … and give up. If you have young kids around, you might pull out your copy of “The Tortoise and the Hare” to illustrate this principle ;)
If you study topically, choose what you will use and apply immediately, so truth is reinforced in your heart right away … before nursery rhymes or late night feedings or conference calls steal it away!

Encouraging Accountability ~

As a mother of young children is drawn to the park or story time or mother’s day out or MOPS group, we need encouragement and partnership in matters of the heart.

Other women offer insight from their study, and they need to hear what God shows you.
Older women offer perspective as they look back at the season you’re in.
It’s easy to let our circumstances become bigger than they are when we aren’t exposed to lives of others.
Fellowship of other women is essential to refreshment for our souls when we’re tired and discouraged.
Feelings of isolation fade when we meet over God’s truth and in prayer with sisters in Christ, pouring out our dependence on Him together.
God has given us all we need for life and godliness, even in young mother years, so don’t ignore feeding your spirit.
You’re going to need encouragement and wisdom and correction from God’s Word daily, so don’t fall into the trap of thinking you can go without it.

We can be deceived by others who tell us there isn’t time or energy to deepen our walk with God during years of young motherhood. When we’re mindful of our own weakness, it’s prime time to go to His Word with a hungry heart, humble attitude, and eager spirit. What better time to experience the nearness of our Father than when we have young, new lives entrusted to our care? As we draw near to Him, He promises He’ll draw near to us. “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young,” Isaiah 40:11. Even now, especially now, take His hand as you go to His Word and pour out your heart to Him, letting Him lead you and keep you close to His heart. Every season is a great time to make time to dig!

Resources for daily devotions online:

Proverbs 31 – www.proverbs31.org/dailydevotions

Scripture Union – www.scriptureunion.org

Sharon Jaynes – www.sharonjaynes.com/devotions (weekly)

How do I fit it in? ~ Part 1

July 5, 2010 by Julie 18 Comments

You may not carry your devotions in a diaper bag, but you may find it hard to fit in time with the Lord between things like conference calls, errands, and appointments. Simple principles help us make time with the Lord part of our daily walk, no matter what our life’s season. The season of young children, however, seems to have unique obstacles, so we’re going to give some extra attention to those challenges today & tomorrow. Everything seems to be against us when we’re thirsting for time alone with the Lord or feeding from His Word, but have a hungry baby, a teething toddler, and young minds eager for activity and attention. What’s a mom to do when she can’t get to the pure milk of the Word, but finds herself accessorized in sour milk? This season of life calls for a modified approach to getting in the Word and with the Lord, just like it calls for unique approach to just about everything else in life. If a woman will modify her access to the Lord, the amount she tackles, and the accountability in her life, she will enjoy time with the Lord and in His Word as only a young mom can.

Stephanie helped us to address the question of “How much time is enough” that often prompts guilt, and Kathy gave tips for how to make memorization part of everyday life. But your window of opportunity to tackle this question may be passing, so let’s look at the value of Easy Access for Part 1 of the answer to “How do I fit it in?” and tomorrow we’ll look at two more keys to fitting it in.

Easy Access ~

Moms know that to leave without a well equipped diaper bag is a set up for trouble. Easy access to essentials is not negotiable; it’s the same with easy access to tools for her heart. There may be a season when a basket of study supplies may be tucked with a journal and commentary beside a favorite chair in a quiet alcove, but the years of young children will probably not be that season. Instead, it’s best not to be overcome by the demands, but adapt! Increase the potential for satisfying spiritual thirst by making tools easily available.

Keep materials like a journal, Bible, verse cards, or notebook in a wider variety of places such as: car, diaper bag, stroller, bathroom, rocking chair. And if this isn’t your season of life, apply this to your briefcase, desk, or computer bag.
Be flexible with formats of truth: internet, ipod, “flash cards,” CDs, small books, smaller notebooks, music, reading aloud, memorizing with children, to name a few.
Make materials mobile. Don’t be discouraged by interruptions. Pick up the Word and take it with you. Instead of a heavy study Bible suited for your desk or later time of life, use a smaller purse size that goes anywhere.
Pray as you walk and as you drive and as you nurse and as you fold laundry and as you fall asleep. There will be days to spend uninterrupted time in prayer, but during the sometimes crazy days of young motherhood, give yourself freedom to enjoy doing your day with your Heavenly Father who understands “children” can be demanding. :)

Well your sweet moment of time may be slipping away, and you may be hearing the call of your phone, your dryer buzzer, your voice mail, or your 3 year old …. the list could go on, couldn’t it? My kids are waiting for me, too :) so let’s come back tomorrow to talk about more real ways to fit in time with the Lord. He’s waiting, too.