Costly Grace

"Most of us live in a rather mindless environment.  Life is too fast, and our contact with other persons too impersonal for much serious reflection.  Even in church we are more often encouraged to join this committee, back that project, or serve on this church board than we are counseled to examine our relationship with God and Jesus Christ.  As long as we are performing for the church, few will question whether our profession of faith is genuine or spurious.  How many sermons suggest that members of a church may not actually be saved, although they are members?  How many teachers of the Word stress that a personal, self-denying, costly, and persistent following of Christ is necessary if a person is to be acknowledged by Jesus at the final day?  
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German churchman of the Nazi era who eventually suffered martyrdom for his opposition to Hitler's policies, called this erroneous theology "cheap grace".  He said, "Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession.  Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ living and incarnate." 
The contrast is "costly" grace.  "Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has.  It is the pearl of great price, to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods.  It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him...Such grace is costly because  it call us to follow, and it is grace because is call us to follow Jesus Christ."  My pastor teaches costly grace.
In Matthew 8:18-22  Jesus is approached by a teacher of the law who wants to follow Him wherever He goes.  Jesus responds a bit differently than some pastors.  Jesus replies to him to not be so quick to promise, he wants no one to come with false apprehensions.  "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Instead of a resounding YES, Come on!  Jesus matter-of-factly states, You will have to give up some of your comforts!  Unlike us, Jesus rejects emotional enthusiasm of joining The Army.  There is a cost involved, know it upfront!  Jesus determines what following him will involve, it must be on His terms.
Then another disciple said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father.  But Jesus said to him, Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."  Sounds a bit harsh at first.  This man has a father who is ill, not dead.  If he had been dead he would not have been with the crowd, he would have been back home.  Loyalty to Christ must come first, it is a radical commitment to claim Christ as your Lord and Savior.
This helps me when I think about my own family and friends that I have witnessed their confession of Christ but yet see them walking with the world.  They needed a pastor to say this will cost you something too.  It cost Christ everything!  True conversion implies radical transformation.
I am really enjoying this expositional commentary by Boice.  The longer I am a Christian the more questions and thoughts I have as I get to know Jesus.  Boice is user friendly and unpacks the stories of Christ in a teachable way.

Coram Deo,
E.W.

Morning Devotions

For our morning devotions this morning we talked about some of the different names of God. 

I AM your Rock

I AM your Advocate

I AM your Creator

I AM your Hope

I AM your Shield

I AM Faithful and True

I AM your Counselor

I AM your Comforter

We each went around and shared what name of God we see Him as the most.  It was a very insightful discussion.  My husband and oldest son choose HOPE (but for different reasons).  The future is uncertain for a teenage boy looking at colleges and career choices.  The future holds great anticipation for Leu as he is an optimist and loves to create and invent.  Mollie felt drawn to God as a Counselor.  She tends to holds her hurts inside and runs to the everlasting arms of God when she feels wounded.  After pouring her heart out to Him she feels loved and hugged by her Lord...I love that!  Gabe said God really comforts him when he feels sick or sad.  And me, He is so Faithful and True.  This name of God for me reminds me of Deuterononmy 4:9

“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children—

God is unchanging, constant, a promise keeper, and true to His Word.  When the circumstances in front of me look hazy and scary, remembering that He has always been faithful and true and He will continue to be faithful and true in my future delights my heart and soothes my worries.  Now that's good news!
 
Coram Deo,
E.W.

The Thinking Pond

Bathe my soul in rich consolations of thy resurrection life...

(From Valley of Vision Victory prayer)

This is where I go to sit with the Lord.  This peaceful little isle is the perfect place to be still and know that He is.  I came here the other day to have a good cry.  My little heart has been very troubled over a broken relationship for some time now and mix in some added pressures of life and well, I need a place to go and sit and think.  No phones, no dogs, no interuptions, just the sound of the waterfall coaxing me to lean on the everlasting arms of the Living Water.  Scripture is written on the benches, Isaiah 40:31

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah speaks deeply to my soul.  Earlier in the chapter he says, "He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength."  Something supernatural happens when we get alone with the Lord.  After pouring out my heart and reflecting on His truth, I sing.  Out loud.  The bible says to praise Him!  Later in Isaiah he states, "Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old, behold, I will do a new thing."  That is a promise.  That is our hope.  I believe God will do a new thing like only He can.  Jesus was resurrected from the dead.  He lives!  May His glory shine itself on my concerns and be not in vain.  Our risen Lord can surely do a new thing with my yoke.

I like it here at the pondering pond.  I like the visual of the rocks that are rough and jagged everywhere EXCEPT for where the water is running over it.  And it didn't happen instantly.  Time plus moving water created those graceful lines in those old stones.  That same Living Water smooths out my rough edges, it washes over me, cooling me, refreshing me.  That is the power of the Living God.  I came teary and weary.  I left renewed and calmed.  So I sing to the King!

Coram Deo,

E.W.

Friendship

In C.S. Lewis's book The Four Loves he writes a striking message about friendship that was just a delightful thought to me.  A friend of his had just died when he wrote this...



"In each of my friends there is something that some other friend can fully bring out.  By myself I am not large enough to call the whole man into activity; I want other lights than my own to show other facets.  Now that Charles is dead, I shall never again see Ronald's (Tolkien) reaction to a specifically Charles joke.  Far from having more of Ronald, having him to "myself" now that Charles is away, I have less of Ronald...In this, Friendships exhibits a glorious "nearness by resemblance" to heaven itself where the very multitude of the blessed increases the fruition which each of us has of God.  For every soul, seeing Him in her own way, doubtless communicates that unique vision to all the rest."

How true to think how different people bring out different qualities in us.  My one girl friend sets me deep into my spiritual shoes by asking what God is teaching me today.  I can count on a rich conversation about Christ and his grace.  Another friend brings out the creative piece of me.  She is safe to dream with out-loud!  Another friend inspires the Joan of Arc in me and I can't help but stand a bit taller when I am in her company.  The list goes on and on too.  Each woman that God has placed in my life is there to be an extension of Himself.  We are His hands and feet and it comes in many layers and colors and ways.

So if you ever get a niggling of comparison, "I wish I were more like her...", tossing around in your mind, remember that you are exactly who God created you to be.  Only you can bring out certain qualities and attributes in others.   That should give us great freedom and relief that we are in fact designed with a grand purpose and we are part of a great fellowship enhancing one another.  I am so blessed with such dear friends in my life and I can love them a bit deeper knowing that I touch another in a way that fully shines that piece of uniqueness that gets tapped into when I am around.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Coram Deo,
E.W.

Sunday

 

Norman Rockwell is one of those people I would liked to have met.  He is an American icon for painting real people in real life situations.  Nostalgic, thoughtful, endearing, and poetic paintings are thoughts that come to mind when I look at his work. I love this particular painting 'Sunday dinner.'  

Of late I have been wrestling with 'Keep the Sabbath holy'.  It has been a good wrestle.  I have challenge myself to keep the day, the whole day, not just the morning, holy.  My shopping needs to get tidied before Sunday as do my chores.  Sunday is a day of rest.  That includes my family and every family on the planet (to the very best of their abilities).  If I go shopping or out to eat on Sunday to a restaurant, what message am I sending to the waiters and cooks?   It's okay for you to work and serve me?  

Jesus says in John 14:21, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who lives Me.  And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."

We are a culture in decline.  It wasn't until the 1960's that everything changed on Sunday's.  Streets used to be quiet, not many cars on the road, stores were closed (just like Chic fil a).  But retail, restaurants and the NFL decided that Sunday's would be 'another day' to do business.  We purposely choose activities and sports for our children that do NOT have games on Sunday.  It is not just another day, it's the Lord's day!  A day to plan for and look forward to.  We can easily get swept up in our modern conveniences and forget to live before a holy God. We must cultivate a comprehensive viewpoint consistent with our faith in Christ or we will look around one day and wonder how we got to be a faithless nation.  


"Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations.  Noah walked with God..."  Genesis 6:9  I pray God will look around at our country and find us faithful through the decisions we make according to His word.


"Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, I have also trusted in the Lord; I shall not slip."  Psalm 26:1  Our integrity is being one with God, integrated into Him. 


Giving thought to how we are going to spend our Lord's day has become a day of anticipation for me.  Not just to celebrate together at church but also to think about preparing a dinner and inviting family or friends over for the afternoon.  I got a couple of one-pot dish cookbooks out of the library to help me prep up my menu on Saturday night so that after church most of the meal is ready.  Why are we so extra hungry after church?


I want our table to be a place of gathering and cherishing the treasure of fellowship for our family.  I don't necessarily know who might come on a given Sunday, but the Lord does and I am curious to see whom he will invite next to our table.


Coram Deo,
E.W.

UNPACK THAT!

"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy."  James 3:17

 

How to think?  How did you come to think and believe what you think?  When Scripture says, "of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45), it becomes apparent at the root of our beings is conviction.  What we think determines who we are and what we do.

Since we are women we have LOTS of ideas and opinions about stuff!  But what (gasp) if our opinions are wrong?  They must be built on something.

Let's unpack what James it telling us about wisdom.  Our thinking should be...

*Pure:  When I come into a conversation, situation, or relationship I should approach it with a humble posture.  My thoughts should be without voices of 'my rights, my time, my voice to be heard.'  There is no room for selfishness when we are aiming for purity.

*Gentle:  When I approach a dynamic I should first pause and reflect.  Gentleness comes from reflecting on a situation first before leaping-give some real thought to the matter, seek counsel when necessary.  Think first of the other person and their heart, how can I be a catalyst for Christ?  Gentleness speaks the truth in love, which is a very brave thing to do!!!!  Gentleness and bravery, who'd a thunk it? 

*Peaceable:  When are you most at peace?  When we rest in God and His Word our very souls are at peace.  Jesus is the lamb of God, that is a picture of peace.  Knowing God is right by our side and that we are not alone is comforting.  The Holy Spirit is our Comforter.  

*Full of Mercy:  "I'll get you my pretty!" insert the Wicked Witch of the West here and you get the OPPOSITE of mercy.  In your heart want to make amends, don't try to be 'right', that just leads to puffed up pride.  Impart forgiveness, abundantly.  Remember that you were bought with a price of God's Son.  Be an extension of His mercy.

*Full of good fruits:  Instead of focusing of the sin or the sinner, see the brokenness of that person who is trapped and in bondage no doubt.  Spiritual warfare is real and true, be a warrior equipped with good fruits.  Anyone can see the wrong or the negative-that is easy.  Strive to take the time to mend and rebuild or mentor and disciple.  We are to invest in each other, not throw up walls and barricades.  Our fruit gets squawshed when we withdraw from one another and distance ourselves so we can 'protect' our hearts.  God our protector, he will take care of us.  "We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed.  But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God:  in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness..."2 Corinthians 6: 3-7.

*Without partiality:  God does not make exceptions.  He favors his creation, for we are made in His image.  He is the judge.  So move over and let him be the Commander of your ship.  Pray that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus (Phil 1:9-11).

*Without hypocrisy:  Have you ever heard the expression, 'There by the grace of God go I'?  I am every woman!  I am Rahab, I am Esther, I am Jezebel, I am Leah...  If you can't relate to someone, imagine walking in their shoes with their luggage and upbringing.  Let love be without hypocrisy.  Don't knit-pic your loved ones away, YOU are not perfect either!  Have regard for good things in the sight of everyone. (Romans 13: 9, 17)

If you just read over verse 17 without unpacking it then you are missing out on some liquid gold.  These are just some thoughts about applying the scripture in our lives.  Thank goodness God is a master gardener and is busy pruning us so that we can walk in righteousness.  On my own, I am a mess!  Messed up thinking, messed up relationships, and messed up living!  Glean from the harvest and may it return to you a hundred fold!

Faithfully Yours,

E.W.

Hey Jude

Delighted my eyes fell upon this verse today and it grabbed hold of my heart...

...keep yourselves in the love of God...

From the little book of Jude verses 20, 21, 24-25 are an encouragement for us all.

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.  Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

O how I love it when He calls me beloved!  Live close to Him with total commitment and courageous abandon.  Carry this with you today, slip it onto a piece of paper and tuck it in your pocket.

His Beloved,

E.W.

A Little Help Matey

Act 1:  Paradise.  My brain often wonders what it was like.  I want the full story, the director's notes, the 'between the lines' scoop.  Adam was in paradise.  He walked daily with God, but yet there was a need.  A need for a helpmate.  Por Favor?  Let's pause here for un momento.  In Act 1, of the story of man,  Adam is flying solo.  His title is Horticulturalist and CEO of all labeling.  Obviously he had to use his noggin to think of names for all the beasts and birds.  As a gardener, he didn't have to fuss with water, usually a great concern for farmers, because mist went up from the earth and watered everything, compliments of God (Genesis 2:6).  Now this is just a wild guess but I don't think he had an insect problem to deal with or the need for much fertilizer or mulch beings that everything was brand spanking new.  Perhaps a little tilling in his organic garden.  BUT YET...something is missing.  He needs a companion, a helpmate the bible calls Eve.

Act 2 enter Eve.  What comes to mind when you hear the word helpmate? A basic definition would be "a helpful companion".  Great!  Someone to share life and the load with.  A small, tiny, insignificant detail or two to mention here:  there was no laundry to do because they were buck naked, there were no dishes to wash, or dinner to make (okay, maybe the occasional fruit salad to spice things up a bit), no kids to raise, no house to clean, no shopping to do, no errands, no appointments, no emails to return, and no oil to change in the car.

The Script:
Adam:  Good Morning God, Good Morning Eve, Good Morning Sunshine!
Eve:  Good Morning Adam!  What shall we do today?
Adam:  I was thinking of picking some wild blueberries today, wanna come?
Eve:  Oh I love blueberries, we can dine over berries and spring water for breakfast!

Even in tilling and tending the garden, there was no canning or storing the fruit.  And what about weeds?  Do you think there were weeds in Paradise.  I THINK NOT!

Back to Eve.  What was her role and how did she fill it?  Eve provided something for Adam that nothing else could compare to.  She was his soul mate, his sounding board, his flesh and bones.  This mystical union was like none other.  She added something to his life that completed him.  Her smile, her touch, her voice, her nearness, her woman-ness.  As wives we share this with Eve.  We are one of a kind in our husband's world.  We have the ability to build them up and embrace them with our love.  Our guys crave this, need this, want this desperately!  Are ya stingy?  Are you withholding?  Are ya hiding behind a wall of excuses?  If so, let me encourage you to pick up your script and read on.  Unlike Adam, God designed us without DIRT!  He just needed a rib and viola, there was woman!  We have been fashioned and designed for great things.  Our sexual nature is not to be a manipulating tool.  We have the power to make our man feel like King of the Hill.  We have the foresight and wisdom to know that Satan wants to devour the spiritual leaders of our hearts and home and to me...THIS MEANS WAR!  I do my part in being a safe oasis to my guy and God blesses the rest.  I want hubby to go out in the world feeling like Top Dog and equipped conquer the darts that fly his way.  I want the fulfillment in his heart to know he belongs and is wanted and respected.  Life is messy.  We all have baggage, insecurities, short-comings and hang-ups.  Shelf that and read on that we are the bride of Christ. 

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is...so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.  Ephesians 5: 15-16, 24b

How will you protect your marriage against the evil surrounding everywhere (billboards, magazine, internet, co-workers, walking in the mall...)?  Defend your turf and understand what the Lord's will is, not to be confused with your will, and take action.  Being a wife is not a passive position.  We are part of the Lord's army, and you girlfriend are a fellow warrior in the battle of protecting your marriage.  Use all the weapons you have been given!

Certa bonum certamen!
E.W.d

Run the Race with Endurance

It was cold this morning.  My eldest starts the car up for me to let it warm up.  21 degrees is cold.  Warmth finally arrived as we pulled into the school parking lot.  On the way to school this week I have been listening to the radio and they are asking listeners what is your 'word' for 2011.  One person said 'present'.  To be present in God's presence.  Another caller choose 'simplify', actually I have heard that a couple of times.  Others have resolved to get fit and others to be in the word daily.  These are great goals.  The tricky thing about new goals is they take time to get into a rhythm.  Just like my car takes time to heat up in the morning, it most certainly takes time to cultivate a new habit and even longer to see results.  Hang on because the good news is that they do in fact come with the daily, rhythmic patterns we set for ourselves.  If you want God's word on your heart you have to practice it over and over again.  If you want to get in shape it will take time to build up endurance and see change in your body and energy level.  Similar to a garden and preparing the ground, planting seeds, watering and weeding and waiting, so it is with our goals.  Squash your thirst for immediate gratification and reach for the bigger picture.  When I feel like wavering I quickly remind myself of what I want to end my day with.  A conversation with self might look like...

"I don't feel like getting out of my warm bed!  I know my day will be so much better if I have my quiet time.  I am holding on to being blessed by spending time with my Lord."


"I don't feel like going to the gym, it's cold outside and I have so much to do.  I know if I go I will have lots of positive energy and feel stronger in my posture and not choosing junk food after investing an hour in a workout."



My word for this year is "Run the Race with Endurance."  Yes I can count, but I couldn't narrow that down to one world.  I want my life to count in God's eyes.  Anything apart from that is noise and waste.  In order for me to run well I have to train spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally.  Ya can't really have one without the other.  For me, spiritually, that looks like quiet time, scripture memorization, and prayer.  Physical and mental are tied into one ball for me.  When I work out I have a huge serotonin surge that keeps my outlook positive.  Emotionally I know I need sleep, I am a terrible sleeper, so I try to stick to my nighttime regime so I am not a walking car wreck the next day.  Now this is just surface and basic, without these building blocks I can't go deeper into my journey.

Hebrews has been an undercurrent in my life.  One of my first devotions I ever wrote, W.I.T. still sings in my heart.  The first 14 verses of Hebrews is my continued life theme:

Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do Not Grow Weary

3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.


Hebrews 12 announces that God has a race set before me.  There are no do-overs.  I won't pass this way again.   What I keep in mind is how I want to end the race.  Working backwards helps me to know what I need to do in order to get there.  How about you?  What are you striving for this year and what steps will you take to get there.


It's a journey, day by day, moment by moment.  Having a vision for yourself is key.  Just like my car takes time to pump out some heat on a cold winter morning so does accomplishing your goals.  Don't be afraid to try, it would be a real let down to do nothing at all.  Poke at the statis quo, it's not for you!


Pro Rege,
E.W.

STOP

It's official.  It's December 1st!  The radio's are all playing Christmas music around the clock, Black Friday has past, but the push is on.  Just think, a week or so ago you thought, boy am I busy, and now you can add Christmas preparations to the mix.  Whom shall you mimic, Martha or Mary or maybe both?  I tend to straddle the line and morph both gals, we'll call her Marthy.  As usual, I want it all.  I want to prepare my heart for advent, but I want mistletoe and frolicking too.  I breeze through the day juggling many things.  The Marthy in me wants to buy a goat for a village in Haiti and I want to get the best deals on my loved ones wish lists.  I want to bake cookies and serve at the soup kitchen.  I want to host a party or two and I want to have devotionals with my kids.  These are all good, noble things but I must, must, STOP!

I need to light a candle, get out my bible and emerge myself in the Light of the World.  He has come, He has done the impossible and wants me to take hold of His glory.  I pondered the angel coming to young Mary and assigning her the responsibility and the miracle of carrying God's son.  She only asked how it was to happen, not about her fiancee' being hurt and confused, not the prospect of being stoned to death, nothing about her anxiety of the magnitude of this circumstance, she simply trusted and laid aside everything else.

We too need to lay aside the pull and tug this season demands and stop to sit at the feet of Jesus.  We make time to allot how much we are going to spend for presents, we spend time marking our calendar for parties and events.  What about making time for Christ in this holiday that is all about Him...Christmas.  This post is to encourage you to light a candle and let the glow of Immanuel emanate in your heart.

William Holman Hunt

Matt. 5:14-16: "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Seeking Him,

E.W.

Two Little Letters

Joseph.  Old Testament Joseph.  Joseph:  self-assured, handsome, wise, a natural leader.  His father made him a coat of many colors.  He interpreted dreams.  This is one of the stories in the bible that I would have liked to have been a part of.  In Genesis chapter 39, Pharaoh sees that the Lord is with Joseph and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand and Joseph found favor in his sight.
What did Pharaoh see?  What set him apart from other men?
Although he lived in an Egyptian culture, Joseph held fast to his childhood teachings of God.  He knew spiritual truths.  His father Jacob had taught him God's Word, including the 10 Commandments and Joseph lived them out  setting him apart from the rest.  There is a little book called Confessing Christ that sums up the 10 Commandments in a fresh way...

Commandment 1-Whom to worship.  The first commandment teaches that there is only one living true God.  What do we think about more than anything else?  What do we like to talk about most?  What do we desire?  What do we worry about or live for?  God demands first place in our thoughts, in our love, and in all that we do.  He wants all of us, not just part of us.

Commandment 2-How to worship.  Worship God in spirit and in truth that comes from within.

Commandment 3-Reverence.  Treasure and value God's name.  To use His name as it is intended.  We are to lift up the name of God, and for it to be found upon our lips to tell others of his holiness, grace, and power.  We are to call upon his name in prayer from hearts that love and trust him.

Commandment 4-Rest.  The principle that one day in seven is set apart for the Lord existed long before the Ten Commandments.  In the very beginning, "God blessed the seventh day and made it holy."  Being in God's image requires us to pattern our life after his.  When we rest from our labors we too will be refreshed.  It is the Lord's day-the entire day is for physical rest, worship with fellow believers, and Christian service.

Commandment 5-The Home.  This commandment delegates to Christian parents the authority and the duty to govern their children.  We are to know God's Word and model its truth before our children.

Commandment 6-Life.  More than taking one's own life or another's life forbids anything that injured our own or another's physical well-being.  Lack of moderation, overindulgence-even in good things-are killers.  Anger and hatred kill.  Christ said we can murder with our words and hearts, as well as with our hands.  We are to be peacemakers who seek to resolve conflicts God's way and love our enemies.

Commandment 7-Purity.  God has ordained one husband and one wife as the basic unit of society.  The marriage bond is intended to be for life.  Satisfaction of secual desire within marriage is a gift from the Creator, to satisfy sexual desire outside marriage is forbidden.  Even our desires and affections must be pure.

Commandment 8-Property.  As the ultimate owner of all, God has entrusted us as stewars with his created resources.  God forbids us to gain wealth through injuring others or to seek to get something for nothing, whether through deceit,unfair wages, deficient work or some form of gambling.  We are to work diligently and conserve our income through thrigt and economy.  We are to do all in our power to promote our neightbors as well as our own material prosperity.  This includes sharing with the poor.  We are to tithe a tenth of our earnings.

Commandment 9-The Tongue.  God is a God of truth.  He requires his children always to speak the truth.  Satan is essentially a deciever.  The word devil means slanderer.  Lying is the chief way Satan advances his kingdom or error against God's kingdom of truth.  He lied in the garden of Eden; he lies today.  We should be alert to guard our neighbor's character from defamation and not gossip.  We are to speak the truth in love.  This commandment urges us to speak the truth that Christ is the Savior for our needy world.

Commandment 10-The Heart.  The inner desires of the heart and not to be discontent, envious or jealous of the reputation or possessions of others.  We are to covet the riches of God's grace.  Loving God first and most of all, and receiving from him all that his wisdom and goodness entrusts to you, be content with that.  Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39)  The essence of the Christian life is to respond to the gift of God's saving love in Christ, then give ourselves entirely to him.  To love him is to want to keep his commandments.

Joseph must have lived his life by these precepts in order to be noticed by the king.  Even though Joseph was in the world, he was not of the world!   The difference between those two little letters meant the marking of a godly man.  He was set apart.  Joseph had no family in Pharaoh's home.  He was surrounded by the world and culture yet did not waver from his faith in God.  He was abandoned by his brother's yet kept his focus on God, he was tempted by Pharaoh's wife who tried to seduce him but fled, he was thrown into prison but did not lose heart.  Joseph was of God's kingdom and God's purposes.  What situation are you in right now but don't need to be 'of'?  Follow Joseph's example and focus, flee, or face it with grace.

Coram Deo,
E.W.

Hold Forth Christ

Jesus is bold.  He makes no excuses for who He is and what He stands for.  He is...


                                                                                              EXTREME
'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:  "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I could wish you were cold or hot.  So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.'  Revelation 315-16.  How would you like to have Jesus as a dinner guest at your next party?  Think He might make someone at the table a little sweaty in the pits?  Yes, Jesus loves you as the children's choir sings so sweetly, He loves you enough to challenge you about your choices and lifestyle.  What do you take a stand for?  This is a warning against indifference, it leads to idleness.  By neglecting our relationship with Christ we become self-satisfied.  Follow Him with your whole-heart!  Refuse mediocrity!
                              RADICAL




                                                                             CHANGE AGENT
"You are the salt of the earth:  but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out..."  Matthew 5:13.  Salt symbolized purity.  We are to be a God-flavor to the world.
                                     STANDS ALONE




                                                                                                             SINGLE MINDED
'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'  Mark 12:30.  Examine your reflection; in the mirror, in your checkbook, on your calendar...what do you see?  Is God abiding in all the nooks and crannies of your life?
      DISCIPLINED


Choose this day whom you will serve!  Challenge the culture!  Your missionary field is all around you.  In order to move forward in your spiritual walk with God we are to examine ourselves and do hard things to align our lives to higher ground.  This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!  He loves you, he celebrates your wise choices, he is quick to forgive and forget, he desires you more than anything.  Be BOLD in your walk, it's worth the risk.


Coram Deo,
E.W.

Proverbs 9

Go get your bible and turn to Proverbs 9.  The beginning 12 verses discuss the way of wisdom.  The last 6 versus, versus 13-18, illuminate the way of folly.  Now check this out; verse 4 (from wisdom) and verse 16 (from folly) say the SAME EXACT THING:

"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here":

And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him.

Both wisdom and folly sit in the highest places of the city, both are offering bread and drink.  How do we guide our children, especially our teens, and ourselves when these two rivals are saying the same thing?

First, wisdom appeals to the mind, whereas folly appeals to the senses.  We are emotional creatures, easily excited or swept up in the moment.  There is a lure about wickedness, we are curious about what appears to be wild or seductive or dark.  The world often portrays itself as 'the good life', living high and free.  It something 'feels' wrong it most likely is.  Thinking clearly and carefully takes more than a second.  That second could be the difference between safety and sin.  The Holy Spirit has a chance to instruct if you take a time out and think before responding.  If you are not sure, ask someone as vs. 9 says:

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;

Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

Second, vs 10 distinctively tells us how to find yourself at the banquet of life and discerning whose voice is speaking:

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

This is how we can help our kids navigate through the tumultuous waters of life.  Know God by spending time with Him and reading His Word!  It will save your life.

Thank you Lord for your Word of life and wisdom and power!

Blessings,

E.W.

Now or Next

Are you feeling the looming onslaught of the holidays hunkering over you?  There are Christmas trees and decorations in the stores, UGGG...I really, totally, emphatically am not ready to switch my brain over in that direction.  If you need a ski coat, you better buy it now because when you go skiing in January bathing suits will fill the racks.  Everything seems to be pushing it's way earlier and earlier into our lives whether we consent to it or not!  Are we in the season of pumpkins or elves?  I need my energy and thoughts to be in the day to day, not pulled to change the radio channel because they have decided to play Rudolph next week!  Don't get me wrong I love Christmas and planning but this is too much!  Am I way out here on my own or is anyone shaking their head YES?


My daughter and I were talking yesterday afternoon (I love homeschooling because of conversations like these) and we were discussing this 'be in the now and today', because tomorrow has enough of it's own troubles (Matthew 6:34).  She said, "Yeah Mom, it's like when you told me to just be 13.  Don't miss being 13 because others are doing things that are not meant for me to do at this age."  I was doing an inward Snoopy dance!  Yes, she is absolutely right!  We are not missing anything by being content in the day that is given to us.  It's like Martha is yelling at us to get up and get busy and Mary is gently patting the seat next to her and inviting us to take care.  We are not meant to lived hurried lives.


So in the face of marketing and sales I say NO.  Does anyone else feel this way?  Sigh....


We went photo shooting yesterday (which is so now!) to soak up the beautiful fall leaves; embracing the beauty of the season.

This burning bush is bursting with brilliance.

The geese were not camera shy in the least!

Have you raked leaves yet?  Be sure to jump in the pile with a big ol' smile!  I love the tiny little flower poking its head in the bottom middle of the picture.

Love this sugar maple.  It is my very favorite of all the shades of fall.

I walked over to this tree with every intention to climb it and take a picture from above.  But the branches were too high, or maybe I am too short, either way it's a cool shot!


Corn maizes, pumpkin patches, hay rides, leaves, apples, acorns, raking, sweaters, stews, bonfires, harvest, scarecrows, foliage, cornucopias; what a lovely time of the year!


Be where you are!
E.W.

Tuning In

Have you ever heard an orchestra warming up before a concert?  Check out this sound:

I love this sound!  It is a 'get-ready' sound.  The instruments need to be tuned, voices need to warm-up, and it is a 'get your focus on' time. Run through the song, make sure the music is in the right order, be ready to go.   I wonder what a great symphony would sound like if they didn't take the necessary time to warm-up?  The music would most likely not go as well as it's potential holds.  Sure, the group would make it through the score, but it might be a bit edgy or tight.

This is similar to our quiet time.  Scripture tells us to meet with God first thing in the morning, before your day takes control.

Mark 1:35 says, "very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, went to a solitary place, where he prayed."  

The mystery and beauty of this is that when you do get up early and spend time with God, your day goes better, you get more accomplished, and you carry with you the sweet fragrance of having been with the Lord. We need to 'get ready' for our day by starting it with our Lord.  Spiritual things first, and everything else will fall into place.

If you are not a morning person and have not started your day tuning in with God, start small and give it a whirl.  Try setting 10 minutes aside to have devotions and prayer.  That 10 minutes in the morning will multiply like the loaves and fishes and you will marvel at the end of the day just what a blessing it was to tune into the Word of God!

Psalm 5:3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.


Meet with your Maker first thing.  Run through your plans with Him and seek to know if perhaps He has something else planned for you that day.  Harmonize your agenda with His.  Life is hard, start out your day the best way you can with by equipping yourself with the armor of God.  


Tuning into Him,
E.W.

Father Abraham had many foibles

Reading through the story of Abraham, the 11th verse from chapter 20 gave me pause for thought.  At this point in the story Abraham has (FOR THE 2ND TIME) told Sarah to tell the King that she is his sister.  Sarah is beautiful, men in high places are pigs (okay not all of them, but you know what I'm sayin') and Abraham is being a coward.  Abe said, "Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place..."  that I will take cover behind the beauty of my wife and pretend that she is my sister so then there will be no trouble with King Abimelech.  'Let's trick the king'...sound like a good plan?  Thankfully for everyone involved God is faithful and 'did not let him touch her (verse 6).  The King was given a vision not to touch Sarah and the King listened!  Phew!


For the record, Abraham and Sarah had the same father but different mothers; a technicality or a falsehood?  Half-sister or not, you don't purposefully let your wife act as a maiden.  The first time he came up with this idea was in Egypt and told Pharaoh she was his sister.  He plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarah.  The Lord protects his girls!


How is it that Abraham willingly accepted the invitation to leave his family and country back in chapter 12 with complete trust, but somewhere along the way things began to unravel?  He left behind everything he knew without a backward glance but now has taken it upon himself to solve the predicaments.  Human solutions vs. God's solutions: when will we learn that God does not need our 'help'?  We need to be where God wants us and tap into the initial excitements and wonder of the journey and keep it in the forefront of our minds.  Waiting on the Lord is a discipline of obedience.  We must believe He is going to do what He says he is going to do!  
Taking into account what we know about God journeying with Abraham...
*Abraham has seen that God will save his wife from Pharaoh's power
* Abraham has pleaded with God to spare the righteous among the wicked in Sodom and was granted his request
*Abraham's wife was again saved from the clutches of another King's embrace


Unknowingly, Abraham is on the precipice of having the long awaited child conceived and he is dabbling in offering Sarah to keep the peace (for the 2nd time!!!)
God is very patient.  What can we learn from his-story?  I pray we will seek his solutions and wait with great patience and endurance.  Stop thinking we are clever and are able to solve and tidy up a problem quickly.  Have you ever notice that God is not on our time schedule?  We could be missing a HUGE growing and strengthening piece of our journey;  Not to mention, a blessing just waiting to unfold because we were steadfast.  But through it all, God looks out for us.  If we plow ahead and make rash choices, He is still going to work in them--Praise God!

What are you wanting done, undone, resolved, fixed, or right NOW?  Stop and breath, say a prayer and wait patiently.  Wisdom comes in the waiting.


In Christ Alone,
E.W.