2001

December - The Ultimate Answer

I'm not good at crossword puzzles, but I do love a good word scramble. It's especially gratifying when the word is difficult and I have to work hard to figure it out. People love puzzles and mysteries for the satisfaction of finding the answer. But there are many more questions than answers in life, and they don't always come as easily as the answer to a puzzle. How many times have you said, or heard someone say, when I see God, I'm going to ask him a whole bunch of questions?

There have always been unanswered questions, which is why there are myths, legends and fairy tales. People invented these stories to try and explain some of the great mysteries of life. One ancient civilization didn't need to invent stories about the answers to life. They looked forward to the fulfillment of a promise that would solve their problems and usher in a new era of freedom and prosperity. That civilization was the Hebrews and the promise was the coming of the Messiah.

Prophecies concerning the Messiah are found in many places in the Old Testament, which is the only Bible the people of Jesus' day would have known. The Jews eagerly anticipated the arrival of the Messiah. Young Jewish girls hoped they would be chosen to bear the child of the promise.

The Jews knew this child would be no ordinary human being, but they didn't know he would be the answer to all the questions anyone has ever asked or will ever ask. In Jesus is the fulfillment of every dream, every promise, every wish and longing of the human heart. "(Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation" and "in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell." (Col. 1:15, 19, NRSV).

When Jesus was born, humankind was able, for the first time, to look at the face of God. The Amplified Bible says it well: "For it has pleased (the Father) that all the divine fullness (the sum total of the divine perfection, powers and attributes) should dwell in Him permanently" (Col. 1:19, Amplified Bible).

The Incarnation was more than just the fulfillment of prophecy, and when we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate more than just the birth of a baby who lived an unusual life. We are celebrating the great God of the universe miraculously focusing all the power and glory of himself into the baby Jesus, his son. If you'll forgive the flawed analogy, it's like the light of the sun shining through a prism to make a rainbow on the wall.

He is the perfect one "who fills all in all (.who makes everything complete, and who fills everything everywhere with himself)" (Eph. 1:20, 23, Amplified Bible).

"For to you is born this day in the town of David a Savior, who is Christ, (the Messiah) the Lord!" (Luke 2:11, Amp.) Thanks and praise to God for the birth of the answer to all questions: he who came "to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:79, KJV). Merry Christmas!

November - In or Out of Focus?

In our youth obsessed society, of which I am a product, it's hard to admit you're getting older. I like to think I haven't aged much; it's just the calendar that's changed. But I can't continue denying the effects of time when I get caught holding newspapers at arms' length. Or when I have to ask my kids to read the small print on the vitamin bottle. I must reluctantly admit I can't always focus clearly anymore.

I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem. It's quite common to get things out of focus. It happens when we get too busy. It happens when we're overly tired. It happens when the circumstances of life pile up so high they obscure our vision.

When things are out of focus, we don't perceive reality correctly. We can think we see something clearly, when it's actually a distortion. Distorted reality can cause us to make wrong decisions or inappropriate comments and - to sin.

There are two ways to keep our focus. One is to get glasses! The other is found in Hebrews 12:2. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down on the right hand of the throne of God. If we keep our eyes on Jesus, everything else will be in focus.

There are many areas of life where we could use this kind of focus. It can be easy to let people irritate us. But if we focus on Jesus first, we'll see that he loves them just as much as he loves us. Sometimes people can get under our skin, but if we focus on Jesus, we might see him living in them, and remember we are both works in progress.

It's tough to get through the drudgery parts of life, especially with a difficult or low-paying job, or a serious illness. But if we keep our eyes on our Savior, we can endure the crosses we have to bear. Jesus' eyes weren't focused on the pain of the moment, but on eternity with his Father.

Verse three of Hebrews 12 tells us to consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, and not to lose heart and become weary. We also suffer opposition from those who are sinful, but if we consider Jesus and what he had to put up with, we can take courage from him and keep going. David endured opposition from sinful enemies, but his solution was the same as the writer of Hebrews: But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign Lord, in you I take refuge (Psalm 41:8). It worked for Jehoshaphat too. At the end of his prayer in 2 Chronicles 20:12, he admitted he and the people of Judah didn't know what to do, but their eyes were on the Lord.

Next time things get out of focus, fix your eyes on Jesus and he'll make everything clear.

October: With a Heavy Heart

The horrific events of Tuesday, September 11, are heavy on our hearts, and our prayers go up daily for all affected. What a dark day for America and the world. One of our prayers is that God will use even this tragedy for his glory and for good. It's encouraging to see the patriotism, the glimmers of hope and the heroic acts that have already come out of the attack. The generosity of the American people has also become evident. As of this writing, more than $55 million has been donated to charities to help victims and their families. It's also encouraging to hear about and receive the help and support of countries around the world. As Joseph said to his brothers at their father's death, "God turned into good what (was) meant for evil" (Gen. 50:20).

Some might ask, where was God when this happened? Why didn't he prevent it? We don't really know, except we have noticed he doesn't work that way. Terrible things happen every day, but blaming God is not a reasonable conclusion. He doesn't bring the evil in this world upon us. Since Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, evil has been present. But so has God.

He was with Joseph in the pit. Even though his situation seemed hopeless, God didn't let him die or be sold to the wrong person. Joseph did time in prison, but he was not allowed to die there. And at the right time, he was released so his family wouldn't starve. Everything worked out in God's timing and for God's glory.

Joseph's life reveals the sovereignty of God. Yes, he does allow evil to exist on this earth, and the evil does sometimes seem to triumph. But God is always on his throne and his love is unfailing.

God was on the throne of heaven on September 11, 2001. He knows what happened. He was there helping, protecting and comforting. He was there crying, grieving and mourning. He doesn't always prevent tragedies, but our great Shepherd is always with us. His will and purpose will stand.

The sovereignty of God, so obvious throughout the Bible and evident many times in the history of humanity, will continue. He is Supreme and reigns over all creation. Our response to his sovereignty is faith and trust.

And perhaps the response of the American people, and many around the world, will be a return to God. Scores of people have turned to him for comfort and help. While it's normal and easy to look to God in a time of trouble, we can only hope and pray that more than a few lives will be permanently changed in his direction. Let's continue to pray God will turn hearts to him and bring good out of what was meant for evil.

September: Whose Idea Was It, Anyway?

Many of us have grown up with the misconception that women are inferior to men. Maybe you’re thinking, wait a minute, I don’t believe women are inferior, but they do have their place. They are supposed to be subject to their husbands; they’re morally weaker than men (didn’t Eve give in to temptation in the Garden?); and, of course, they should be quiet in church. Isn’t that what the Bible says? If you’ve never questioned these beliefs, you probably still think they’re true.

Was Paul the original male chauvinist and do his teachings about women justify their subjugation? Was Paul really saying what we think he said? Was he passing on the teachings of Jesus when it appears he considered women inferior and able to be saved only through childbearing?

The originator of these beliefs was, of course, Satan. His modus operandi is to turn the beautiful things of God upside down and pervert them. His able and influential messengers were, in this case, the ancient Greek philosophers, Socrates, his star pupil Plato and Plato ’s disciple Aristotle. These three philosophers, especially Aristotle, "laid a lasting philosophical foundation for the notion that females are inferior to males" (What Paul Really Said About Women, John Temple Bristow).

In his writings, Paul was refuting the concept of male superiority rather than defending it. All of his letters to the various churches were written to correct wrong ideas or behavior. The Bible translations we have today come from scholars who had bought into these Greek ideas on the roles of men and women. Haven’t most churches taught and acted on the belief that every woman has a bit of Mother Eve in her, and women are therefore the source of sin and deception?

Put yourself in the place of women (for the males in my reading audience). Would you want to worship a God who said you were inferior? Would you want to be part of a church where you were put down, denied opportunities, kept from expressing yourself – talents, ideas, originality and creativity – and told to be quiet in church?

Those who believe this is appropriate treatment of women are accepting a lie. In I Corinthians 11, Paul gave instructions that women should pray and prophesy (speak for God) with their heads covered – they were preaching in church! The admonition he gave in I Corinthians 14:34 had to do with culture. He was instructing women who were used to worshiping God separately from the men and were so excited to be together they wanted to talk and laugh and have fun.

The truth is God did not design women as the inferior gender. Both were created in his image. Women are joint heirs with Christ. Women are co-workers in the gospel. When Paul said in Galatians 3:28, "There is neither male nor female, for we are all one in Christ," he was turning things right side up again, just as Jesus did with his radical treatment of women. Paul learned from Jesus and then taught what he learned. Jesus had elevated women to the equality God intended them to have.

Let’s give up the Hellenistic deceptions perpetrated on us by Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Let’s cling to the Truth, to Christ who loves women as much as he loves men. I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t give my heart or life completely to him if I believed he thought of me as an inferior being with an inferior future.

August: Are You in the Right Place?

I like being in the right place at the right time. It can mean finding money on the sidewalk or a great sale. Sometimes it's life-changing. Kurt Warner, the Christian football player for St. Louis, was in the right place when he made the starting line-up because of another players' injury. A waitress in Nevada was in the right place when, with one pull on a slot machine, she won more than $35 million. (Sadly, she was in the wrong place a couple of years later when she was hit by a drunk driver. Her sister was killed and she is in a wheel chair, paralyzed.)

I've occasionally been in the right place at the right time, but more often I'm too early or too late. Depending on luck is the loser's story. Most of the time success comes not from chance but from hard work and putting yourself on the right path.

Spiritually we accomplish nothing by chance. The growth and good works in our lives happen because of the love of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit. God has a purpose and a plan for each of us (Jeremiah 29:11), but it won't happen if we're off somewhere making our own plans. He wants us to be in the right place at the right time.

Richard Foster talks about being in the right place with God in his book, Celebration of Discipline. He says when it finally sinks in that we can't change ourselves through will and determination, we'll come to the wonderful realization that "inner righteousness is a gift from God to be graciously received."

Since inner transformation is a gift, some mistakenly think we shouldn't do anything at all. But "inner righteousness.is not something that is poured on our heads" (Foster). Some jump into the other ditch, and think they must do everything themselves (been there, done that).

According to Foster, we should stay out of both ditches and on the ridge in between - the place where change can occur. We must be in the right place for God to transform us. And how do we stay on the ridge? By practicing the spiritual disciplines.

Many of us have practiced some or all of them, in some way, for years. They include silence, solitude, prayer, fasting, study, meditation, simplicity, submission and service. There are also the corporate disciplines of confession, worship, guidance and celebration, which Richard Foster discusses thoroughly in his book.

But do we know why we practice them? Is it just to fulfill some obligation or duty as a Christian? If duty is our motivation, we turn the disciplines into law and lose the freedom that comes from practicing them for the right reasons. The entire focus of the disciplines is Jesus. We use them as a way of drawing us closer to his heart. The spiritual disciplines "have value only as a means of setting us before God so that he can give us the liberation we seek" (Foster).

Let's open the door to spiritual transformation by placing ourselves where God can change us. Let's be in the right place, on "the path of disciplined grace," at the right time, now.

July: New Every Morning

Have you noticed how good your morning cup of coffee or tea always tastes? And how the morning air seems so sweet and fresh, even though you've opened hat same window many times and taken a deep breath every day? Each day food tastes good, the smiles on the faces of your family warm your heart and new opportunities appear. When you're thankful, life doesn't ever seem to get old.

That's the wonderful thing about sleep - waking up to a new day. Each day I'm a new person. Each day you've changed into someone else. And we have a chance to start over, even though yesterday we may have made mistakes and sinned.

Today God has given us a clean slate, because his mercy and compassion are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23). God doesn't change, but we do, and we continue to take missteps down the path of life. Every time we sin, we experience the pain and suffering of the consequences of our actions.

And every time we repent and ask forgiveness, we are amazed and comforted at how quickly he responds. His mercy and forgiveness are complete, everlasting and always available.

His mercy makes us new too! God gave Israel a message through the prophet Ezekiel that he would bring them back home from captivity. God did this not because they deserved it, but to protect his name, which they dishonored, and to show how holy his great name is. He told them that after bringing them home, he would do something different with them. "And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart. And I will put my spirit in you so you will obey my laws and do whatever I command" (Ezekiel 36:22-27, NLT).

When we come to the Lord seeking forgiveness, he not only cleanses us and clears our record, he changes us into a new and different person - one who wants to obey and please him. The Holy Spirit keeps us new by continuing to lead and guide us. We feel his gentle reminders like a tap on the shoulder or a finger on the cheek, directing us in the way our new hearts know we should be going.

Not only do we have new hearts, we are God's new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), who are keeping a new covenant (Matthew 26:28, Hebrews 8:8) and looking forward to the new heavens and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1). We will also receive a new name (Revelation 2:17) and sing a new song to the Lord (Psalm 144:9, Revelation 5:9).

For someone who never changes, our God sure seems to like things fresh, clean and sparkling! He's the one who is making all things new (Revelation 21:5). Let's give new praise and thanksgiving to our awesome God each day we draw a new breath!

June: Get to Know Your Father

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet;" said Juliet as she lamented the ill-fated family name of her love-interest, Romeo in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Our names describe who we are, bringing to the minds of those who hear them our characteristics, mannerisms and appearance.

God has many names and each is a description of his character. Andrew Murray says "Each name of God embodies and represents some part of the glory of the Unseen One." In the New Testament, God is most often referred to as "Father," which is how he chose to describe his relationship to his Son Jesus, and to us, his children.

God created in us the need to be fathered, both physically and spiritually. He created earthly parallels with heavenly realities to help us understand a little about him. Without these, we wouldn't have a clue. Our heavenly Father wants us to see him as a father is meant to be: compassionate, gentle and strong. Our true Father has an unfailing love for all people and is deeply moved by suffering. He wants the best for us, but also has perfect standards and judges sin fairly.

Some of us have a distorted view of fathers because of our experiences with earthly fathers. If your dad was negligent, abusive, absent, overbearing, never said I love you, was an alcoholic or had other addictive behaviors, you could have trouble relating to God as a father.

God knows some of us have this trouble, and he's provided the answer - Jesus. By getting to know the Son, who is the exact likeness of God (2 Corinthians 4:4, NLT throughout) we get to know the Father. Jesus "reflects God's own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly" (Hebrews 1:3).

Jesus himself, in John 14:9, tells us when we see him, we see the Father. "' Philip said, Lord, show us the Father and we will be satisfied.' Jesus told him, 'Don't you even yet know who I am, even after all the time I have been with you? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.'"

It is possible to have a healthy relationship with God the Father even if we didn't have a good one with our physical father. First it is necessary to recognize we need fathering by God, then make sure we don't have false beliefs about who He is. We can ask God to reveal himself through his word.

Next we may need to forgive our earthly fathers of anything we feel angry about and bless them for the good they've done for us. But, even if we can't reconcile with our dads, we can go to Jesus and get to know him, and he will reconcile us with our true Father.

God truly is the father to the fatherless and he never leaves us alone. We can't send a card to God on Father's Day, but we can honor and praise him for being our true Father, the one whose love is everlasting and unfailing.

May: Not Just a Number

I enjoy being unique. It's marvelous to think I alone look like me, talk like me and have my own set of likes and dislikes. I have my own inimitable combination of skills and talents. My history is mine alone.

But I also enjoy being part of the rest of humanity. All people have some things in common, even if it's just that we eat, sleep and see the same sun and moon in the sky. I have much in common with all the mothers of the world. I share in the same disasters with people around the world, if only through media reports and compassionate prayers.

This is a bit of a paradox. We're all the same, yet we're all different. For some, being different from everyone else could be a point of pride. We all like to think we're better than others in some way. We enjoy telling our life story to a stranger or pulling out photos of the one-of-a-kind home or wonderful grandchildren.

But it can also be troubling. Feeling different can cause loneliness, especially when going through an illness or a traumatic life experience. It may seem no one else could possibly understand what we're going through.

In God's eyes too, we're identical and unique at the same time. Identical because we are humans descended from Adam and Eve, so all are sinful. Each of us needs redemption through the blood of a perfect Savior. And all are judged by his holy standards. When we stand before our Judge, there won't be a different set of rules for some, as there are for humans.

We're also unique before God. He knows each of us personally, calls us by name and has individual plans for our lives. Psalm 139 reminds us God knows everything about us, even what we we're going to say before we say it! He saw each of us before we were born and watched as we developed into babies. Psalm 33:15 tells us he formed each of our hearts and understands us perfectly.

I'm comforted by this paradox. On the one hand, it's awesome we have the same loving, merciful Lord who died for us all. And on the other, I have a Savior who would have died to save me if I were the only human ever to draw breath.

I'm comforted we are all judged by the same standards. I'm also relieved God treats me as an individual, remembering my frame and that I'm only dust (Psalm 103:14). He knows who I am, why I am, all about my past, my weaknesses and my potential. I'm not just a number to him.

One more paradox comes to mind. God himself is unique - "For I am God - I alone! I am God and there is no one else like me" (Isaiah 46:9). How amazing to know he is also the same, yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

April: Come to the Table

As I sat in the little chapel, waiting for my turn to approach the Lord's Table to take the bread and wine, the tears began to flow. The feeling of being undeserving of the Lord's grace and forgiveness was overwhelming. I had spent several hours the day before in meditation and prayer. I felt I had come to the cross in a way I hadn't experienced before.

I knew I was undeserving, but I also knew not taking the symbols would be turning my back on Jesus' gift of himself. So I prayed a prayer of repentance and stood to face the table. Encouraged by the prayer and propelled by his hand, my desire to be one with the Lord through the symbols of his body and blood grew stronger. I ate and drank and then almost skipped back to my seat. I felt a bond between us of love, acceptance, forgiveness and joy.

This wasn't the first time I had taken the Lord's Supper at a time other than our traditional once-a-year ceremony. But it almost felt like the first time. My experience with Jesus the day before made it all new. While praying and meditating, he had shown me a picture of myself on the cross next to him. I was that crucified thief, agonizing over the truth that I deserved death for my sin, while Christ did nothing to warrant his. As I looked into his eyes, begging him to remember me when he came into his kingdom, I saw his eternal love gazing back. He said, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:42-43, NLT). How could I not want to take the cup and the bread? It was a reminder that I had been given a royal pardon.

BC, or before changes, we believed the Passover should be taken only once a year, just before the Days of Unleavened Bread. As we considered it a memorial, like other memorials, it was unthinkable to take the bread and the wine at any other time. But Jesus didn't say to remember him only once a year, he said, "Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it" (I Cor. 11:25, NLT).

To us, when something is in the past, it's over. It turns into a memory. But to God, the events of history are always before his eyes. As Tricia McCary Rhodes says: "Lord Jesus, you walk today and every day to Calvary...(while the) world goes on, oblivious to the reality of a living Sacrifice being led to the slaughter on their behalf" (Contemplating the Cross).

Jesus' death on the cross is not a memory to God the Father. The living Sacrifice sits at his right hand, making intercession for us. He doesn't need reminders of the blood shed for our sins, but we do.

Jesus has given us a standing invitation to his table. Let us accept often and feel the power of remembering him, not as a distant memory but through the experience of eating and drinking with our living Lord.

March: Time for a Spiritual Tuneup?

I have a confession to make: I like country music. My husband likes to tease me that I lose IQ points every time I listen to it, but even he admits some of it is OK. While driving and at the same time praying about my next article (this one), I heard on my radio, "You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything." I laughed. God used country music to answer my prayer! 

This song asks a question we must all ask ourselves: Do I know what I believe? If we don't, we could be persuaded by every so-called new idea that comes a long (Ephesians 4:14). It's essential to know the Scriptures and be able to give an answer about the hope that lies within us (1 Peter 3:15).  

It's important to know the Christian doctrines too. Charles R. Swindoll in his book Growing Deep in the Christian Life comments, "It is surprising for most Christians to hear that their doctrinal position determines their interpretation and application of scripture." He goes to say, "From them (the doctrines) we draw our emotional stability, our mental food for growth, as well as our spiritual energy and perspective on life itself."  

This might be a good time of year to do a spiritual checkup. Just as we take our cars in for a 20-point inspection, giving ourselves a 5-point spiritual inspection may reveal some areas where maintenance is needed.

1. Am I continuing to read the Scriptures? A Christian must know the word of God. It's the guiding element for every part of our lives (Psalm 119:105).

2. Am I familiar with the doctrinal changes of the Worldwide Church of God? Take the time to read The Plain Truth, The Worldwide News and the many good articles published on the church's web site ( www.wcg.org )

3. Have I taken the time to study church history, starting with the New Testament church, to better understand the background and key players of Christianity?

4. Do I attend church services regularly? Meeting together with the body of Christ helps us stay connected and healthy (Hebrews 10:25) - and informed.

5. Do I take advantage of the wealth of books available to help me with Christian living and mentor me in the faith? It's best to start with trunk-of-the-tree authors such as C.S. Lewis, Dallas Willard, Donald Bloesch and Alister E. McGrath. It's important to watch out for authors who take liberties with Scripture (see point No. 1).

Our spiritual health is much more important than the condition of our cars, but how many of us religiously change the oil while we neglect our spiritual health? Our cars may keep going, but spiritually, we could stall, have a breakdown or end up in a theological ditch.  

Let's safeguard ourselves with regular spiritual maintenance, know what we believe and be ready to give an answer. Just remember the wisdom in that country song: If you don't stand for something, you could fall for anything!

There's something else we all do to feel more valued. We put others down. I doubt if any of us can say we've never done it. It seems to come as naturally as breathing.

I found the following item in the health section of an Internet news service: "It seems beauty really is only skin deep. The department of psychiatry at the University of Innsbruck in Austria interviewed women who used tanning salons to find out what made the tan worth the risk of skin damage. Just about all the women said they wanted to look better.(because) they wanted to think better of themselves, and less of other people.

"The psychiatrists concluded that getting a tan enables such women to devalue other people and thus possibly protect themselves from close relationships."

Jesus knew human nature and his actions often reflected his understanding of how much we need to devalue others so we can think better of ourselves. When he touched a bleeding, "unclean" woman, he showed he thought she was worth the time and attention. When he ate with tax collectors and talked with sinners, he implied their lives were important. Jesus seemed to give extra value to those whom society considered to be of the least value.

Jesus was in the business of valuing people. One Bible scholar, N.T. Wright, says that even Jesus' admonition to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39) lifted up the one being insulted, while at the same time took the wind out of the sails of the aggressor.

In the culture of the time, if someone slapped you on the right cheek, he used the back of the right hand. Only the right hand was used for anything in public. A back-handed slap was considered demeaning and communicated disdain, contempt and inferiority of the one being slapped.

If you then offered your left cheek, the palm of the right hand must be used, which would communicate equality and value as a fellow human being. So even though you might allow the person to finish the beating, at least he would understand you weren't inferior, but rather possessed human dignity.

Put-downs hurt. Insults are demeaning and can do serious emotional damage. Verbal abuse and name-calling steal human dignity. Anything that devalues another is an insult to the image of God in each of us.

The example of our Savior is to give value to others and in so doing, honor God the father. Helping others feel more esteemed and cherished is the best way to feel better about ourselves, now and into eternity.