Pictures of Egypt

Part 1
Numbers 11

I am on Facebook and love it. I have reconnected with so many friends and even some family I have not seen in years. I also am on Twitter…but have realized I have more letters in my “tweets” than it will allow so I mostly stick with Facebook. There is a section called, “What’s on your mind?” where friends write how they are feeling that day, some inspirational thought, a prayer request, or something funny! These thoughts appear on my “homepage” and I look forward to reading them…at least most of them! Some are quotes that spurs great thought…others will cause me to chuckle all day…still others will be a request for prayer. But then there are those that are daily complaints about something…their job…people at their job…when is Friday…well you get the picture. Recently, Facebook provided a new feature that allows people to be “hidden.” I guess this is cyber-world’s avoidance of asking “some” people how they are that we often implement in the real world! Personally, I hate to hide people for I really do want to know what is going on in their lives, but sometimes I am influenced by their constant negativity…

It seems to be a natural thing to complain. Perhaps that is why the Bible so often tells us to, “Praise the Lord!” I have to keep my thoughts and complaints in check often for I have a tendency to see the glass half empty…something I am working on…and maybe that is why God led me to Numbers 11 today!

Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when He heard them his anger was aroused. Numbers 11:1a

Hardships? Let’s do some review…not long before, these same people had been slaves in Egypt under a cruel Pharaoh. Along comes Moses and with God’s guidance convinces the Pharaoh to “Let my people go!” and away they went. Throughout this journey to the Promised Land, God had been a constant provider of protection and provision…The “hardships” these people were facing at this point concerned their desire for different foods other than what God had been providing for them since they left Egypt. They were blessed daily with something called manna which in Hebrew means, “What is it?” It was tasty and fulfilling and provided all the nutrients their bodies needed yet, they wanted more.

There you have it! The problem from the very beginning is wanting more than what God provides. Eve had everything a woman could possibly want…yet she wanted more and the rest is history. These people wanted more and were spurred on by a group the Bible calls “the rabble among them” (verse 4) These were the influencers. As we continue reading: The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumber, melons, looks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite: we never see anything but his manna!”

Am I part of the rabble? Am I again wailing? It is easy you know. It is all about focus. God’s promise is all about providing our needs…but not our greeds! While writing this I realize I have everything I need…I am healthy, I have a roof over my head…I am certainly not starving…yet at times I want more. It is my flesh and desire for what the world can give…not relying on what God has given. This scripture is a warning for we see that God gave them exactly what they wanted. (Please read verses 18-20 and 33-34) When we desire more than what God has given us it will lead to our demise.

This is a chilling reminder to me that I need to be thankful for my daily bread and that I need to not become a “rabbler”! It is so easy to focus on things we do not have…but we as Christians are called upon to praise God for the things we do have: His daily provisions for life. It really is about focus…when we focus on what is in Egypt (the world)…things become blurry so put your focus on today and the fact that He is good and well you just don’t know…the Promised Land might be just ahead!

Sorry!!

Dear followers,

I have not posted in a couple of days because I have had my grandsons here and I have been enjoying them. Please check back!

Grace

I Peter 5: 10, 12b

Back in 1975, after graduating from college, I moved to a small Mississippi town to become a youth director. When I got my first paycheck, I needed to open a bank account and, as my daddy had suggested, borrow $200.00 and repay right away with the small amount of interest to establish credit. I chose the bank with great thought…I thought one had the prettiest building so that is the one I chose. I needed a loan officer to borrow the money and there was only one available…his name was Jerry Grace. Eight months later we were married! Having always been clumsy my home pastor kidded me by stating, “You have looked for grace you whole life…now you have found it!” We all laughed! 33 years later, I am still clumsy but this week I finally understood that “grace” I had been looking for my whole life.

I grew up in church and have heard many sermons on grace. I know facts about it: that the word is from the Greek word charis which means gratitude or favor; that salvation is through faith by grace; that I can’t work for my salvation--another meaning of this word: a gift. I accepted His grace for salvation and beyond that every time I blew it, I called upon His grace for forgiveness. This is what I knew and accepted until this weekend.

I was listening to my iPod while walking our dog when I started crying my eyes out. Earlier I had gotten home from a wonderful prayer retreat and was flying high in the spirit…but then got into a silly argument with a family member. (satan always hits the hardest when you are closest to God.) After things settled down, I began to beat myself up. Over-reacting I began to doubt whether or not I should ever be used again to teach God’s word. God began to remind me of Peter and how he must have felt after denying Christ. (Jesus had even told Peter he would deny Him!) But then God then reminded me of what else Jesus had told Peter, “When you return…” Jesus had given hope to Peter for his failings…even before he failed!

Our mistakes and mess ups are no surprise to God… but afterwards He wants us to go on and not give up. Peter didn’t quit and went on to preach his first sermon and 3,000 were converted to Christ. Often however, we focus on our mistake. I Peter 5:10,12b states that, “Christ Himself will restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast…this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.” The writer of these words had personally lived what he said and more than that, understood restoration! What I had never seen was that grace isn't just forgiveness when I blow it…it is also to restore, strengthen, and establish (KJV) me in the faith. Jesus Himself restores us but He doesn’t stop there; we are also strengthened…and if we allow Him He will establish us…which puts permanence to the whole thing! These are grace gifts…and gifts must be accepted.

I am now basking in His restoration! I did teach my class on Sunday and God spoke because I took myself out of the mix and let His word do its work. I am now looking for His strength and desiring to be firmly established so the next time I lose my temper or say something I shouldn’t, I won’t fall apart and give up but will go to Him, confess and ask for the restoration He has promised. I desire to stand fast in this! It might feel a little clumsy at first…standing without falling for me always has been, but hey, that’s why they call me grace!!

I Will Pray for You...oh, really?

Today I am putting the final touches on worksheets and listening guides for a prayer retreat I am priviledged to lead this weekend. As I do this, God has placed it on my heart how important prayer really is...but prayer in its proper perspective. So many times we casually say we are going to pray for something and then go about our lives never thinking of it again. Or, perhaps we want something very badly and "Pray believing, in Jesus name to receive," only to become disillusioned when we don't get what we want. I have been there. In preparing for this retreat, God has shown me that (and I have had head-knowledge of this) prayer is an extension of my relationship with God and is closely related to my worship of God.


Many equate worship with songs and the "stuff" we do before the sermon on a Sunday morning. It is the time we get emotional and heart-opened for His word that day. While on some shallow level this is a part of worship, may I submit, that what the Bible calls worship is much more serious. The actual word itself means, "to be put under the authority of." We see that when we read Isaiah 6. Everything we think, everything we are, all our desires fall down in front of a Holy and Powerful Yahweh. Paul calls it a "living sacrifice!" (Romans 12:1) Only when that is our worship will we be able to respond, "Here an I...send me."


You might be saying, "But what does that have to do with prayer? Aren't we suppose to petition Him for our needs?" Yes, but only after we truly know what our needs are! We have perceived needs from our flesh...but only after we come in line with God's will for our lives, through worship, do we really know what our true needs are. For example, we might think our need is enough money to pay a bill (that's flesh)...but our real need is to become aware of the constant provisions of God and our need is to increase our faith through that bill.(that's spiritual) We often are not wanting our spiritual life to grow in prayer...we just want what we want!! Prayer cannot be separate from worship or it is just a list of "whines." In the model prayer, Jesus states the order...first put God in control...(Thy kingdom comes...) then petitions.

This week I have learned through seeking Him for the words to teach on this important subject, that He is most interested in my relationship through worship...and as my will aligns with His, my prayers become powerful extensions of that. Jesus said while on earth, "My will is to do the will of the Father!" This concept is all over the New Testament: "If we pray, according to His will, He will give us the desires of our hearts." 1 John 5:14 "But seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you." Matt 6:33

Osswald Chambers says it like this:

Worship and intercession must go together, the one is impossible without the other. Intercession means that we rouse ourselves up to get the mind of Christ about the one for whom we pray.

Life-changing prayer is serious stuff and comes after serious surrender of our will to His will. So, the next time you say, "I will pray for you," make sure you really know what you are saying. It is hard work...but in that work...we become one with the Father just as Jesus prayed for us in John 17.

This weekend can be an incredible time with God whether you are at the retreat or not! Pray with me, "God reveal to us Your will for we want to be under Your authority in all things! Amen and Amen! "

If I Lie... Part Deaux

Part two

I got to thinking about what would happen if there were immediate results to lying? If we really did stick needles in our eyes I bet honesty would make a comeback-- big time! The fact is there are not immediate consequences for falsehoods and that makes it easier to fall into the trap. I call it a trap because none of us really intend to lie-- it just comes out. We lie …to make ourselves look better to others…even many churches do this: instead of saying we have 420 in worship…we say we have nearly 500! We lie about how much something cost…and it depends on who we are talking to whether we lie high or low! We lie to get out of trouble. I am an only child and I remember the times I told my mother I didn’t do something when I was the only one in the room. (Lying sometimes goes along with not being very bright in my case!)

Lies.Each time I type the word lie, it sounds uglier and uglier. We don’t like that word…so we say things like: stretching the truth…or being creative. We change the name because we think if we call it something else, it will be something else…but Shakespeare said it best, “A rose called by any other name would still smell as sweet.” Lying called by any other name is still not the truth!

It gets even worse when we lie to ourselves…that is called “justifying!” We know we should not participate in something or that we shouldn’t go a particular place but we begin to lie to ourselves to make it all better! We say, “God will understand…or this is not as bad as …” Or maybe we lie to ourselves about why we don’t spend time with God personally or corporately…”I am just too busy to have a quiet time, “or “I need to sleep, Sunday is my only day off..God will understand.” Will He? Hmmm. We lie to ourselves by saying well things are different now…that’s an old fashioned idea! When we really think about it…we shouldn’t participate in some things…we really do have time we have just filled it with something else…and God wants us to have corporate worship for our good… God is the same yesterday, today and forever! We have lied to ourselves and have begun to believe our lies. Before long we are not even aware of the untruth…it becomes our excuse for sinful behavior.

When we begin to believe our own lies then we begin to disbelieve God…we begin then to believe what the world says about God…because it is easier…because we think it makes us feel better…but does it? Jesus said, “The truth will set you free.” Maybe that is why our confession time in our prayers is so short…we no longer think we have done anything wrong…we have lied to ourselves. But truth brings freedom!

So, what is the answer? Jesus. The one who said, I tell you the truth…the one who said He was truth…the one who cannot lie…the one who said He loved us…the one who sent the Holy Spirit to guide us to all truth. Confess that you want to be a person of integrity for His glory. Ask Him to help you be a truth teller…He will!

Imagine a world where Christians told the truth…all the time. Think it would make a difference? I do. I am going to do some straight talk to myself about my “excuses” then I am going to Him to get cleaned up. Putting my needles away until I need to sew something!!!

If I Lie, Stick a Needle in My Eye

Part one

On the way to VBS this morning, my granddaughter and I were listening to K-Love’s news about the U.S. president’s address to the Islamic people. She listened and was quiet for a bit (which is very unusual) and then said, “Nonnie, did we know that our president’s dad was Muslim?” I stated that he had said that his father was not a Muslim when he was running for office. Then she said, “Nonnie, presidents should not lie to people.” I nodded in agreement. She is 9.

I have thought about this since I dropped her off. What our kids have learned and are learning from recent presidents staggers the mind and as much as I would like to (in the flesh) make this blog all about bashing our political leaders, I cannot stop this nudging in my spirit to ask what my grand is learning from me and my actions. I was shocked to see that she understood a whole lot more than I thought she did about the world situation…I wasn’t aware she knew what a Muslim was…but she does because of the things she sees on the news for about 30 minutes a day. Then the realization hit that she is with me for hours…and I must ask how are my actions affecting her?

Yes, presidents should not lie to people…but more than anything, Believers should not lie to people. In the book of John, Jesus continually repeats the words, “I tell you the truth.” (NIV) If we are to follow Him, we also must be telling the truth. Telling the truth is important; nothing hurts more than finding out someone has told an untruth (lie) but we tend to not think anything about it when we do it ourselves. Let me give an example: Someone calls and wants to have lunch and instead of just saying , “No, thank you,” we make up some excuse of why we can’t go…or even worse, we had previously said yes, but something better came along and we make up a reason why we no longer can go. (How many sick or dying grandmothers can we actually have????) We call them excuses but to our kids they are lies. God calls them lies. “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” (Deut. 20) Lying is not just a commandment; it is for the good of all for lies affect everyone.

En Vogue…a female singing group, has a song which puts a finger of the pulse of our society. Read these lyrics:

Lies, lies, using lies as alibis
Lie's, lies, just a devil in disguise
It's the same game
Played in so many ways
Everyone is the victim too
It's just a waste of time
Made for simple minds
So why do people insist on lies
I'll give my life a different way
Refuse to let myself become a victim
Getting caught you in a vicious web of lies, they can hurt you
And destroy you, you watch out for lies, just a devil in disguise.
The nation's leaders as well as teachers
Practice lies as a way of lie, yes they do
So think before you speak
Cause what you sow you reap
The truth will always come to light
Will we ever learn one day
That telling lies always bring to matters
Misery and sometimes pain
Lies and deceit
Yes it's running real rampant
Communities suffering, 'yo I can't stand it
When we think of lies we tend to think of politicians
But what about the husband who's on a mission
Lying to his wife so he can get it on and get some
Coming back home with a dumb expression
Written on a face that he's guilty as a criminalI
t's time to change your attitude
People do you hear me, don't listen
To a funky rhyme that's kickin' knowledge that we need
We lie about our hairAnd we know we got a weave
Politicians lie about the things they're gonna do
And everybody's tale affects me and you
A smoker lies about the money that he stole
And a dope dealer never tells you how he got his gold
I guess what Debbie T. is really trying to say
When you break it all down we're all the same
I'll live my life a different way
Refuse to let myself be caught up
In a vicious web of lies

Wow! These lyrics illustrate how lies hurt…they hurt individuals, families, communities and the nation. There are no such things as little white lies…just truth vs. lies. Maybe it’s time we resurrect the children’s verse that says, “Cross my heart, hope to die. If I lie, stick a needle in my eye!” If children understand the importance of telling the truth when they watch us will they be disappointed? Stay tuned to part 2 to discuss how we lie…to others, to God, and to ourselves and what to do about it.