The Judas Kiss

We've all been betrayed by someone at some point in our lives. Any time we hand over something close to our heart to be observed by anyone else, we risk that hurt.

A few weeks ago, I was betrayed in just this way. I met this person about four months ago. Immediately, there was a bond; a kindred spirit between us. Even though our childhoods were distinctly different, and have lived completely opposite lives thus far, we have a lot in common in who we are as women, based on how we grew up.

Over the past few weeks, we have shared a lot of spiritual knowledge that had been given to us by the Lord down through the years. Then, one day about three weeks ago, while in the midst of one of these conversations, she used something against me that I had told her about when we first met. (a dream I had when I was 19, and I'm 46 now) 

She then proceeded to judge me my whole life since on that one thing. I carried on with the task at hand but, inside I was reeling with shock. The Lord had revealed to us that we could begin a shared ministry, but something in me that day died.

The day before this happened, the Lord had led me to the scripture in Luke 19, where Jesus was coming to the city of Jerusalem. He stopped and wept over it. Expressing himself in utter heartbreak, Jesus said (paraphrasing) 'If you would have only seen the peace that I bring, you could have had it all. The days will come when your enemies will overtake you, because you didn't realize it was me visiting you.' Later that night, I cried over this woman's religious stance for over two hours. God let me experience a snippet of what Jesus felt looking down at Jerusalem, knowing they had sealed their fate in their unbelief.

Just that morning we had talked about leading a women's bible study group for about 10 women. That night, as I wept, God took the burden from me and directed it into another area. Within a few days, I began a women's group online and, at last count, has 40 members. I feel so blessed at the response so far. As in the case of Jesus, the rejection of a few became the acceptance of many.

I spent Christmas with this woman. All was well~God took my hurt away during the shed tears. She's still in her place of condemnation; that's her choice. God will deal with that. Upon arrival, she hugged me, and gave me a peck on the cheek-a normal greeting for her. When I woke up this morning, the scripture of Jesus in the garden came into my mind. We are told that Jesus was in all ways tempted like we are, and was also hurt like we are. Being betrayed was one of those.  He was betrayed, as Peter put it, by one who 'was numbered with us.' He knows what it feels like, and can comfort us when these things happen.

If we give him out hurt, our pain, our disappointments, unburdening ourselves from the guilt and condemnation that others 'that have walked with us' try to heap on us, then he will move us along into something that is satisfying to us and glorifying to him.

In the background, the originator of the hurt will wonder why, suddenly, their life takes a dive (Acts 1:18), but those who prayerfully seek him will receive the power from on high to keep going. (Acts 2:2)  Jesus said it is necessary that offences come, but woe to those through which they come. I sincerely pray that I am never one of those people.

Forgiveness-A Christian Requirement

I am sitting here wanting-no, needing-to cry. A few minutes ago I relayed a story told to me several years ago by a then-coworker, an incident that he had witnessed. It was about a man who had robbed a well-known big-box store at gunpoint. He got only about $200, and was chased by the store's loss prevention team out into the Texas 110 degree heat. They tackled him in the parking lot, taking the gun, which was not loaded, and wrestled him to the pavement. The man was shirtless, and immediately begged to be let up. He gave the money back, promising not to run. Instead, the four of them sat on him until the police arrived. By that time the skin on the man's back had melted into the asphalt. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital, but it was too late-he later died from third degree burns. Ezekiel 33:15 If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.

The topic of conversation had been about security in big-box stores, and how it had changed over the years. The point that I was going to make with the story never got voiced, for as soon as I said that the man died, the person to which I was speaking spat out "Good! That would teach him a lesson!" I was so dumbstruck that I could not finish. This man claims himself to be a Christian, yet he has no forgiveness in him. (Just for the record, this is not the first time I've heard this kind of poison come out of him-it's just the first time I was directly involved.)

No one knows the state of the thief's mental condition. No one knows why he felt he needed to steal. Maybe for drugs? I'm sure that is most people's first assumption. Maybe he was hungry? Was it a silly, childish dare and he thought he had to prove himself? He was 'cleancut, in his early 30's'-he didn't look like a thief. I'm sure, had this man lived, he would have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and possibly would have served time for his crime, which is what should have happened. The crux of this writing is not whether the man did anything wrong. That speaks for itself. I am taken aback by the attitude of someone who claims they have been forgiven and accepted by Christ, yet finds pleasure in condemning a man that died in the midst of a petty crime. James 1:26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Have we not all robbed, stolen, or murdered one another with words and attitudes of anger and hatred?

Where would the thief be in his life now if he had been shown some forgiveness? Not for the crime, but for the value of his LIFE? Was this man's life worth a measly $200??? For the person who said 'Good' so emphatically, the answer would be yes. It is no wonder the human race need a Savior. With attitudes like that one, everyone would be trying to kill one another. Oh, wait, they already are!!!!

Scripture says plainly that evil begets evil. This video shows it in action. Gary Ridgeway was charged with over 40 murders of women, and sat stonefaced as people condemned him. But knowing he was forgiven caused a very different reaction. 

When are we Christians going to wake up and realize that we are FORGIVEN? Without forgiveness, we are doomed! Why would we want to see anyone in a condemned state? Did we not come from there ourselves?

Jesus had nothing but compassion for those that needed it, and God is just, merciful and long suffering. That means the attitude of condemnation can come from only one other place-the spirit of evil. How can we call ourselves Christian if all we are spewing out is hatred?

Running For My Life

When I was around 8 years old, my mom cleaned for Jamie Clarke, former US Congressman (now deceased) from Fairview NC, who had property a few miles from our house. On this property was a clubhouse, a somewhat dilapidated, plank-sided house full of bunk beds and cubby holes. The Clarke's would bring some of their horses for the guests to ride and to graze the pasture there during the summers.

There were four horses that I remember distinctly: Pete, a brown Tennessee Walker; David, a black quarter horse; Holey Smoke-the most gentle and eveyone's favorite-a brown and white Appaloosa. Then there was Young-un, a giant white mare, several hands taller than her male counterparts. I was warned not to get anywhere around her at any time; no exceptions. She would bite, kick, or stomp any human female that got too close to her. She had been severely mistreated by the woman who formerly owned her. The Clarke's had had her only a few months, and was trying to undo the damage done.

That summer, there was a visitor from Samoa, named Ossi. He could have passed for the brother of Freddie Fender, a country singer popular back then, in the mid-70's.

One of the times my mom was there cleaning, I was out back, looking out through the pasture. Loving flowers even way back then, I spied some purple blooms not too far away. Scanning the field, I saw all the horses all the way at the other end, almost out of sight behind some tall white pines. Climbing over the gate, I thought I could sneak over, check out the blooms, and get back to the gate unnoticed. Oh, how wrong was I!

I was hurrying along the fence, when I heard hooves beating down behind me. I looked back to see a white giant barreling down on me, mane flying and nostrils flared. I began to run as fast as my 8 year old legs would carry me.

As I began to run, I heard a voice call out, and looking down the fence line to the gate I saw Ossi, perched on the gate, leaning over motioning me to come to him, his arm waving in the air.  The closer I got to the gate, the closer the horse got to me. I could hear her snorting and feel her hot breath on my back. I didn't slow down, and as I passed by, Ossi reached out and grabbed me by my shirt and hauled me over the gate in one swift motion. Where my feet left the ground was where Young-un planted hers in her next step. Ossi had literally saved me while I was running for my life.

Back then, I was running from the danger I had gotten myself into. Now, I do a different kind of  'running for my life.'



Therefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author 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. Hebrews 12:1-2

My Prayin' Grandma

I was reading a book last night called "Why Not Women?" written by Loren Cunningham and David Joel Hamilton. The chapter began with a reference in 2 Timothy where Paul reminds Timothy of the faith of his grandmother Lois, and his mother Eunice. That got me to thinking about my own grandma, and how she constantly prayed for her family, including me.

Most Christians in my generation or age group had/has one~ a prayin' grandma. I remember when I was not yet in my teens, Grandma was setting before me the pattern to follow: prayer. I remember her saying about a very sick relative who lived in another state, "I can't do anything for them but pray-the Lord will heal them according to His will."

It's strange how a person can live so long and not realize the impact that some person has had on their life. That's what happened to me just a few minutes ago! As soon as the realization came, I had to start writing it down.

What I learned from my grandmother, mostly in my teenage years, was how to pray with humility and sincerity~just me and God. I learned patience and trust by watching and listening to her talk about her answered prayers. I learned sympathy by seeing her cry when others were in pain. And I learned that if I didn't have anything good to say about anyone to keep my mouth shut.

In retrospect, I am realizing what a giant pillar she was in my Christian foundation. She showed me how to love, how to live, and how to conduct myself in my Christian walk. I am realizing she was a warrior, a fighter for the cause of God and a great believer in her Jesus~her Savior and Redeemer.

Just as Paul told Timothy to remember the 'unfeigned faith' and to 'stir up the gift of God', that is what the Holy Spirit did for me last night. I have been reminded of the unhindered love she showed me growing up. I have the secure knowledge that she said many prayers for me; she travailed for my birth into the family of God.

There have been times in my life when I have been called 'determined' or 'perservering' and I always attributed it to my independence. (Being born on Independence Day seems to ingrain the word as well as the attitude into a person.) No one ever told me that that was what we as Christians were supposed to do. Paul says that when we've done all we can, to stand. Is that not determination~to not let the enemy knock us down, even when we can't see the next step? My grandmother lived it in front of me, and showed it to me in every aspect of her life. No wonder I felt such a loss when she died. Only now, eight years later, do I know the full extent of why.

She was, and still is really, my silent but strong fortress. I see that the path that God has had me walk for the past several years, she gave me the training for. Early in my Christian life, I would not have been able to 'stand' had I not seen her do it in my younger years.

I would hope she would look down as part of that great cloud of witnesses and see the spiritual growth that I've undergone in the last few years, as well as the understanding that came last night. I feel as though I've found the last piece of a puzzle~a puzzle that was started many years ago. I remember a dream I had almost twenty years ago. In it I was riding in a horse-drawn wagon. Everything was monochromatic except the jacket I was wearing. It was red. She was a prophetic dreamer, as am I, so I knew that anything red was almost always associated with Jesus and His shed blood. When I told her the dream, she nodded, smiled and simply said, "Remember, red is for love."

Yes, it is, Grandma. Yes, it is.

Excess Baggage~Cleaning Out the Closet

We all have it. That extra 'stuff' we carry around from childhood, past relationships and other painful experiences. It functions as reminders of the places it came from when something similar comes along and 'triggers' it. But, do we really need it? As a follower of Jesus, do we trust Him enough to let it go?

Just a few days ago, some of my own personal baggage surfaced~ 'stuff' that went all the way back to my childhood. 'Stuff' I didn't realize I had. The subtle, built-in protective barrier I had erected years ago was hindering a particular aspect of my Christian growth, and I could not move forward until I dealt with it. I am so much freer now!

Some baggage is big and cumbersome, and easy to spot. Others are so small that they can become lost~so lost that a person is unaware they have it until someone stumbles upon it. If we are to be true to Christ, true to ourselves, and true to our Christian walk, then the baggage has to go so that we have room for the better gift He has to offer.

For that, we might need to look into our closet~not the closet that holds our clothing, but the closet of our hearts. All of us has a dark, dusty, cobweb-filled corner that we dare not touch because of the painful memories or unforgiveness  that will be there. What do we do about that? Do we just ignore that part of our lives, or put something in front of it to hide the dirt? How can we truly have a clean closet to store our wardrobe (the part of ourselves that we show to the world) if we fail to clean out the dark corners? Only through Christ can we truly shine the light on, and clean out, the dark places in the closet of our hearts.

Jesus~He offers the best house-cleaning service with which no other can compare.

You Have No Power Over Me

Almost everyone knows who David Bowie is~the pop-culture icon with one blue eye and one brown. A few years ago he starred in a movie, along with Jennifer Connolly and some of Jim Henson's Muppets. When my girls were young, they would watch it often. Only recently have I seen the analogy of a spiritual journey hidden in the storyline: how we meet the enemy face to face, to "take back the child that [he] has stolen."

In the movie, Jennifer's character, Sarah, wishes the Goblin King (Bowie) would come and take her little brother, Toby, so she~a thespian wanna-be~ can continue her acting without the responsibility of looking after her baby brother. Once he is taken, she realizes her mistake, and sets out on a journey to get him back through the evil fantasy-land created by the Goblin King. Along the way, she meets a myriad of characters, some sent to hinder her progress, and some of the most unlikeliest of characters that risk 'The Bog of Stench' to help her.

In a very symbolic way, this movie depicts the spiritual battle that goes on in almost every Christian's life at one time or another. We, in our humanistic rebellious state of mind, are greedy, selfish, with no compassion or empathy for others who get in the way of our 'dream.' In turning away the innocent, and shirking our responsibility, we 'banish' them to a 'dark place.' Then, when the convictions hits us of the wrong we have done, we begin a journey to, not only to correct our mistake, but during the quest, realize our own strengths and weaknesses. Those weaknesses can then be used to make us stronger through the leadership of the Holy Spirit and the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives. With God on our side, we can pursue the captor through every type of terrain. (Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?)

Near the end of the movie, when it looks like all hope is lost, Sarah remembers the line she had been rehearsing when the baby was taken. She realizes that it is the key to the whole search, and in speaking it out, will rescue the child, and win the war over the Goblin King. Jesus tells us that He gives us power over the enemy. (Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.) 

Paul tells us we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (Roman 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.)

We have the power of the Holy Spirit living inside us; therefore, we can say to the enemy: 'You have no power over me.'

Is Jesus In Your Boat?

As parents, when our children are very small, we keep a constant, watchful eye on them. As they grow, so does our confidence that they can play, or be otherwise engaged, for longer periods of time without our checking on them. We don't watch our kindergartners as we would our newborns, nor our teens as our kindergartners. We learn (most of us, anyway) that we can trust our children to 'behave' when we're not present, and they learn to trust us to be there when they need us. As the years accumulate, our children mature into young adults that are not 'clingy' or 'needy' as toddlers or infants would be. They learn to have a healthy respect for the dependence and independence they have in their lives.

When my children were babies, my older daughter developed  her independence early on. Then my younger daughter came along a short time later; she cried constantly. She was four years old before she slept through the night, whereas the older had began sleeping through the night at three weeks. She would allow no one to hold her but me; not even her father could hold her more than a few minutes before she would start to cry for me. I'll never know what the problem was but, thankfully, by the time she was eighteen months old, she had 'grown out of it.' But in her early weeks and months, there was definitely a level of insecurity that, to me, miraculously worked  itself out.

That whole scenario makes me look at the story of Jesus calming the storm a little closer. Most mothers, and people in general, would agree that there is nothing more beautiful, or peaceful, than a sleeping baby. I can't help but have the same feeling toward Jesus asleep in the boat, crossing the rough waters during the storm. For Jesus, the tossing water acted as a rocking cradle, while the wind howled a lullaby. Here is the man that had performed miracle after miracle, had throngs of people approach Him for teaching and healing, and besides all that, He spent a lot of nights alone in prayer with His Father. His body was tired-He needed the rest.

But all the disciples could do was worry about the oncoming storm. How many times had they sailed those same waters before? And how long had they been following Jesus when this happened? Surely long enough to know that He would protect them from all harm. But these children didn't want to play unsupervised. Here they were, in their adolescent discipleship, acting like toddlers. The storm would have passed-that's what storms do. The winds that were helping Jesus to sleep would have continued to carry the dark clouds away where they would do no one any harm. He admonished them-where was their faith?-and calmed the storm that would have passed on its own anyway.

Are there times when we 'wake' Jesus to whine and complain about our present condition when, by the very nature of the problem, it will pass? Do we have enough faith in Jesus to know that He will be there for us when we need Him? The lesson Jesus taught them (and should teach us) was that He is ever present, always protecting, even when it looks like He doesn't know what's going on.

So, the question to answer is: Is Jesus in your boat?

Walking With Andy

My husband and I have been on the road since Aug., 2010, spreading the gospel predominately in North and South Carolina, as well as several other states. We started out by being obedient to what God asked of us, which was giving up our house and all it’s furnishings. When our car died a few months  later, things changed dramatically. Our journey got harder, but we didn’t stop-we went wherever God would have us go, and He always provided for the journey. He called us to individuals where we would stay for a short period of time, do whatever work He had brought us there to do, then move us along to the next community or town.

In the last two years, we have been to 32  churches (so far), in 5 states, and stayed in some rather uncomfortable places. Some physically uncomfortable; others spiritually so. Sometimes our peace was not welcome, and we would move on as God directed. Earlier this year, he led us to camp, to have a 'rest', in a local national forest, where we are still staying right now. For the first time in a long time, we have peace and prayer time with the Lord. We rest from our labor without the stress of being under a stranger’s roof. It is wonderful! It gives us a glimpse of what Adam must have experienced while he resided in the garden.

The Lord has put some wonderful people in our life that understand what we’re doing. Not everyone is called to minister to people on the 'street level', but that is where He has us right now, and we have planted a lot of seed, watered some that others have planted, and even got to see some harvest. There are others that call themselves Christian that try to take advantage of us because of what they consider our ‘lack.’ Those are the people that are in our prayers, because they think they are doing the right thing, but it almost always ends up being some sort of selfish motive that has caused them to act, not in their desire to see the kingdom of God grow.

When a person has been on the front line, fighting powers and principalities continually, meeting perfect strangers and taking up residence with them, it can create a loss of identity. In the forest, with no stress, no deadlines, no undisciplined children, no disobedient Christians who think they are perfect, it’s just us and God. We can walk and talk with Him, and are guided by Him without any outside worldly influences. Just like the old song says, we are walking with Andy:

In The Garden

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice,
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.

I’d stay in the garden with Him
Though the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling.

Words: Charles Austin Miles (1912)

The Stoning of Mary

Monday, 27 October, 2008
An Islamist rebel administration in Somalia has had a 13-year-old girl, Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow, stoned to death for adultery after the child's father reported that she was raped by three men.
The Guardian, Sunday 2 November 2008

This is a horrendous crime, and this blog will not do it justice, but after finding it my research, I had to include it. If for no other reason, to make people aware that it still goes on, as well as to exemplify the following observation.

Something like this could have happened to Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was a teenage girl, living in a strict religious society. She was poor, she was unmarried, and she was pregnant. By law, she could have been stoned, but Joseph cared enough for her to hide her away privately, as he was no longer obligated to marry her. It was the visit from the angel that told him what was really going on. (Matthew 1:19-20) Basically, he was told not to condemn her, because God had a plan.

Here in the western world, it may not be so strict as to the actual stoning, as in the case above, but there are still religious zealots that condemn because they think they have the right to. There are many, in the name of religion, that would rather condemn an unmarried pregnant woman than offer her a word of encouragement. Granted, none of them are 'with child' with the Savior, but that does not mean that the life within is any less precious.

Custom, tradition, the law--all these called for the condemnation and murder of Mary--in the name of religion. But what did God say about her? The angel said 'You are highly favored, the Lord is with you, you are blessed among women....Do not fear, for you have found favor with God.' (Luke 1:28,30)

   

So, the very person the people would have stoned for shame and disgrace was highly favored and chosen of God. How many religious people, bent on keeping up with custom and tradition, tear down the very people whom God has chosen for a special work?

Not long after my older daughter turned 18, I had to take her to the emergency room for a panic attack. She could not breathe, her heart was racing, and her skin was clammy. It was not her first, but the worst by far. I had watched her for a year or more, date guy after guy,  only to have them fail after a very short time. But, this guy she had dated for a good while, and now he'd broken up with her. It was her or drugs, and the drugs won.

So, to her, she was being abandoned-again. I had divorced my girl's dad when she was 5 1/2, and even though he lived very close, he was very much an absent parent. The man in my life at the time showed us nothing but violence. She had already been struggling with depression, and this was pushing her over the edge.

She would not date anyone that she had gone to high school with-she knew all the skeletons in their closets. So, standing there in the emergency room that day was the last straw for me. She desperately needed a divine intervention, so I prayed for God to 'send her someone here, but not from here.'

Within 3 weeks, God had sent a young man from 3 states away, in town visiting a brother that he had not seen in several years. My prayer was answered-the two were inseparable. Then in the spring of 2008, she became pregnant. I had several people, spouting their religion, ask if I was upset with her. My answer? 'I prayed it on her; how can I be upset with her?'

That was the best thing that could have ever happened to her. Emotionally, she was sinking fast into the dark world of depression. My grandson was born in December 2008. God used that baby to save her life. There are those that would not agree with me--those same people would have also stoned Mary.

Whether it's a real stone, or negative words out of the mouth, they are meant to kill. But God is about life. That unmarried girl might not look right in the eyes of the religious folk, but to God, she is carrying precious seed. She won't be carrying the Savior as Mary was, but it might be the very thing God uses to settle her so that she can turn to Him.

Let him among you without sin cast the first stone.

Pride and the Law of Gravity

When I was in my middle 20's, I was living in a rebellious state, apart from God, and His will in my life. After being a stay-at-home mom for three years, I was ready to get back into the workforce. I did not have a vehicle of my own, so when I bought a little car I quickly became full of myself, relishing the freedom that it brought.

As spring turned into summer, my new job and new freedom made me feel invincible. But, spiritually, I was crashing. I was so focused on myself, and all the new experiences I was having, that I did not pay attention to the things God was requiring of me. So, one afternoon, being filled with all my 'plans', I loaded up my two very young daughters and headed into town. That was my plan. God's was somewhat different.

At the end of the gravel road on which I lived, two other roads intersected into it, but there were no stop signs on either road. The grass in the fields on either side of the road was fully grown, so I did not see the car turning down the road that I was coming up. In my haste to get where I was going, I had drifted over onto the other side of the road as I made the left-handed turn. I hit the car head-on. I had slowed down enough to stop if I had seen another vehicle, but the tall grass blocked the car from view. But, as I was on the wrong side of the road, that didn't matter.

After making sure my kids were okay, I jumped out, ran around between the cars, wailing about my busted grill. The driver, a man, got out and asked if I was alright, and walked over to look in the window at my girls in the backseat in their car seats. Standing there, thinking how was I now going to get around, I realized how I must look to the passenger in the other car. Guiltily, I walked over and asked the woman if she was alright. I left the accident with a ticket, and a distinct feeling that something inside me was terribly wrong. My selfish reaction to the wreck stayed with me for years. God used that scenario to bring me down a few notches.

After that, my life continued to spiral down, until I returned to the Lord, submissive and obedient, several years later. The pride, the self-centeredness and self-righteousness, that I used to lift myself up, God used to bring me down.

Pride works in the spiritual body the same as the law of gravity works in the physical body. It puffs us up, so that we think we are above others, but like the gas in hot-air balloons, when it runs outs, we come crashing back to earth.

Scripture is full of examples of what pride will do to us if left unchecked. Here are a few:

Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 29:23 One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.

Daniel 4:37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Obadiah 1:3 The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, “Who will bring me down to the ground?”

Matthew 23:12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

1 John 2:16-17 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

So, the thing that we believe is lifting us up is actually the force that brings us back down. Even the law of gravity states that 'what goes up must come down.'

A Door of Hope

Last night I watched 'Hope Floats' with Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick Jr. I know it's been out for a long time, but I had never seen it. In the movie, Birdee (Sandra Bullock) finds out on national television that her husband has been having an affair with her best friend. That brought back a lot of memories for me; my ex-husband had bragged about his 'other women' so much that almost everyone else knew about it except me. I knew exactly what Sandra Bullock's character was feeling.

In the movie, she went back home to start a new life, but I chose to stay and try to make a life with another man. He never cheated, but his anger was out of control and sometimes I wore the evidence of it. Like Birdee's daughter, my two daughters were young, and in their innocent wisdom questioned "why?"  I can't say that I knew the answer; not fully, anyway. I have learned over the years that, in order for the Lord to bring a person to the end of something, they must first go THROUGH something.

Some things the Lord has brought me through: a cheating husband, a cancer scare giving me 3 to 5 years, an abusive relationship, a suicide attempt, my grandmother's death, facing the demons from my childhood and dealing with the people who let it happen. These are all things that are finished and accounted for on God's tally sheet. There are still things yet to go, things that are fresh and recent......

Lately, I have been questioning my purpose, and what it is exactly that I am accomplishing in my walk right now. Unlike the name of the movie, I feel my hope sinking-not rising. Some years ago, the Lord gave me the scripture of Hosea 2:15, when it seemed my world was collapsing around me.

"And I will give her.....the valley of Achor for a door of hope...." What is the 'valley of Achor?' Literally speaking, it is the place the man, Achin, and his family and all that he had, was stoned after he took the 'cursed thing' from Jericho after Joshua's army conquered it. "Achor" is translated from Hebrew as "Trouble." So, the Lord was telling me that out of 'trouble' He would bring hope. There would be a door presented-all I had to do was open it.

But, what is hope? Hebrews 11:1 says hope is the substance of faith. That means it is the ingredient that makes faith faith. What is faith? The same verse says that it is the evidence of things not seen. And what is the evidence of unseen things? The belief that the unseen things will manifest into the seen, from intangible to tangible. As the chapter goes on, the list continues naming the people in our spiritual heritage that believed, even though everything (and sometimes everyone) spoke out against it.

Someone once said, "One with God is the majority." This means that if God has shown us a truth, a prophecy, or something He means to bring to pass, and we are the only one he tells, we must believe it. We must be on the side of faith, not on the side of sight. There might be times when He takes us through such a dark place that we can only see from one day to the next, and barely that. We may feel as though there is no hope.

Paul sums it up in Romans 5:1-5, where we get a glimpse of why things happen to us the way they do. 'Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation works patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.'

So, even if we feel like our world is falling out from under us, that God is so far away, and there is nothing worth pursuing another day, listen to this song, and know that there is a reason He has us where we are.                                                    

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

In the midst of our trouble, God will open a door of hope. All we have to do is walk through it.





Jesus and The Fifth Element

Back in the 1997, a movie was released called 'The Fifth Element' starring Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Ian Holm and Gary Oldman, among others. The movie is science-fiction, set in the future a few hundred years, but deals with that age-old dilemma of good vs. evil. This movie is an allegory of created man, and Satan's attempt to stop God's plan to bring about Jesus as the Savior. The following is an excerpt of conversation between the Cornelius the priest and the president. (The priest represents John the Baptist, proclaiming who Jesus was and trying to convince those around him of it: Matthew 3:11~As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.)

CORNELIUS: Imagine for a moment that this thing is not anything that can be identified, because it prefers not to be. Wherever there is life, it brings death... because it is evil. Absolute evil.

PRESIDENT: One more reason to shoot first.

CORNELIUS: Evil begets evil, Mr. President. Shooting will only make it stronger.

PRIEST: Go with God. Be safe from evil.

CORNELIUS: The goal of this thing is not to fight over money or power, but to exterminate life. All forms of life.

PRESIDENT: So what you're telling me there is nothing that can stop this?

CORNELIUS: There is only one thing...The Mondoshawan have in their possession the only weapon to defeat evil. Four elements... gathered around a fifth... A supreme being, the ultimate warrior, created to protect life. Together, they produce what the ancients called the light of creation, able to bring life to the farthest reaches of the universe. But, if evil stands there...

PRESIDENT: Then what?

CORNELIUS: Then light turns to dark... life to death. Forever.

The Fifth Element comes from outerspace (Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.) to to save the earth from the evil 'Mr. Shadow' coming to devour the planet of all life. (1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour.)

Meanwhile, Mr. Zorg has made a deal with Mr. Shadow to retrieve the stones needed to give him, Mr. Shadow,the power to grow even more evil, or the Fifth Element to save the world. The stones represent the earthly, human form of Moses, and the devil trying to make use of him. (Jude 9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!) Mr. Zorg represents a type of Judas Iscariot, who was 'numbered among them', aligning himself with evil for his own selfish and greedy gain. Mr. Shadow represents the evil that Paul speaks about in Ephesians. (6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.)

In the end, when it is time for the Fifth Element to take her place so that the power can flow through her, she says it is not worth it. She has seen the evil in the human race, and knows they continually hate and kill one another.

Is this how God felt in Genesis 6:5-6? (Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.)

But the cab driver steps in and tells her that love is worth saving, and helps hold her up so that she is in position to receive the power. (1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.) The cab driver represents the love that held Jesus to the cross.

I'm sure the person/people who wrote The Fifth Element did not have the biblical history of the human race in mind when the words were penned. But it is depicted perfectly, from God repenting for the creation of man to Jesus saying 'It is finished.'

It was love that caused our Savior to come and die-to stop the evil running rampant in the world (John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.) We have to have that same love for our fellow man. (1John 3:16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.)

And that is neither science, nor fiction!

Let the Healing Begin

When my grandmother died in 2004 from ovarian cancer, a piece of me died with her. Out of all of my (huge) family, she was the most positive and supportive of my emotional and spiritual growth. For nearly a year afterward, I found myself trying to visit, only to get partway there and realize she was not at home. Many times I picked up the phone, then have to stop in mid-dial, remembering that she would not answer.

She had died in October, and when what would have been her 91st birthday came around the following August, I did something she had always encouraged me to do. And that was to always pursue my dreams, so on her birthday, I started to write. Three weeks later, I had completed a ten-chapter book, a romance of sorts, that I called 'The Healing Garden.' In the story, a garden was used to heal the heroine, and through writing the story, it healed me. By the time the first anniversary of her death came a few weeks later, I was able to let her go.

Listening to Matt Maher, I realized that a garden is an important feature in living for the Lord. It does not have to be a literal garden, although that heightens the experience of going somewhere peaceful where a person's heart and mind can commune with God. After all, was that not part of Adam's job-to dress and keep the garden-so that it was peaceful and serene for his walk with God in the cool of the day?

Six years after writing this (purposefully unpublished) book, I was pleasantly surprised while visiting Charleston, South Carolina. On the campus of MUSC (Medical University of South Carolina) they had just finished building and dedicating 'The Healing Garden' with the very same concepts that I had written in my story. I'm sure there are 'healing gardens' all over the country, but this one had the same name, and was dedicated to those that had died from cancer. It brought a certain closure, because once I wrote the story, I wanted to actually build the garden, but it was not possible for me to do that. God let me see that He had given my vision to others and turned it into a reality.

Tenth Avenue North has captured the healing process beautifully in the following song. Also, I would encourage all who are dealing with the pain of loss to find a garden to walk through. The sights and sounds of God's creation can be soothing as we commune with Him, and let the healing begin.