Five Loaves, Two Fish, One Boy

Wanna know what one of my all-time favorite stories from the Bible is?

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand.

I've read this story a gazillion times. As a child, I colored pictures of loaves & fish in Sunday school. As an adult, I've written and taught about it. I've heard dozens of sermons preached on it. Yet, despite its sweet familiarity, there is mystery about this amazing event. In fact, I think the older I get, the more mystery there is. When you really study the scriptures and try to imagine the reality of the events of that day, it's kinda hard to wrap your mind around the details.

The story of Jesus feeding the five thousand is found in all four gospels (Matthew 14, Mark 6 and Luke 9), but for this post I'm going to use the one from John 6:1-15. Why? Because this is the only book that tells us where the fish and loaves came from.

"...Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee and a great crowd of people followed him..." v. 1-2

That crowd wasn't just a couple hundred people. It is estimated there were 5,000 men, plus women and children, bringing the total to between 10,000 - 20,000 people. They'd all heard about Jesus and were following him. Some believed he was the Messiah. Others were simply curious, while still others were out-and-out doubters. But there they all were, way out in the country, because of Jesus.

In the crowd that day was a boy (v.9). I'm going to imagine he was 9 or 10 years old. I remember my own boys at that age. Rambunctious. Happy. Adventurous. I think the boy in our story was having a blast running around with his friends that day. His parents were probably in the crowd of onlookers, but he was too busy to really pay attention to what this guy Jesus was saying. In fact, he was so busy having a good time he forgot to eat the lunch his mom packed for him.

By afternoon, our boy starts to get curious about Jesus. He's heard his parents talk about the miracles Jesus did, and he'd like to see one. He inches closer to where Jesus is sitting with his disciples and overhears this conversation:

"Send the crowd away so they can go find food and lodging," the disciples said to Jesus. 

"Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" Jesus asked Phillip. He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

"Eight months wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" Phillip replied. 

"You give them something to eat," Jesus tells the disciples.

I image the disciples turned to one another with "What in the world are we gonna do now!?" looks on their faces. They probably had a couple bucks between them. How could they possibly buy enough food to feed everyone?

This is when the boy might have tugged on Andrew's cloak, sneaking a peak at Jesus. "I have some fish and bread you can have."

I can almost imagine Jesus winking at the boy and the boy grinning broadly.

"Have the people sit down," Jesus said.

Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. 

Amazing!

Five-thousand-plus people ate their fill, with 12 baskets of leftovers! Don't you know that boy's life changed that day! He had a front-row seat to one of the most awesome, miraculous events to ever take place. Out of a crowd of 20,000 people, God saw that kid, whose name we will never know, and said, "I'm going to use him for My glory, for My purpose."

There are so many lessons in this story. Here are some I've been pondering lately:

• When God created those 2 small fish, he knew he would feed a multitude with them. 
• When the boy's mother baked the 5 loaves, she had no idea God would use them in a miracle. 
• The boy chose to give his lunch to Jesus. 
• Other people in the crowd most likely had food, but they chose not to give it to Jesus. 
• There were people in the crowd who had done terrible things, yet Jesus fed them. 
• I can't feed the 5,000 on my own. I just have to bring my loaves and fish to Jesus and let him do the rest. 
• God sees you. He already knows. He already has a plan to use you for His glory. Trust him.

Blessings,

~Michelle

Why I Believe in God and Christmas

I woke up this morning with a grateful heart. Grateful that I know the true reason for Christmas. Grateful that I know the God who came down from heaven to dwell among men. Grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ.

Why all this gratitude?

Yesterday while I was reading news clips on CNN's website, I came across an article entitled Seeking the Truth About Jesus. Always curious what "the world" has to say about my Savior, I clicked on it. The article itself was okay. I disagreed with the author on some major points, but what struck me more were the comments that followed. So many were negative. Some were downright rude and ugly. The majority of posters, it seemed, had no belief in Jesus Christ or the Christmas story at all.

But one comment in particular grabbed my attention.

It was written by a man named Ed. Ed's very lengthy post declared that God does not exist and that he can prove it. Reading on, I found that Ed had no such proof to backup his claim. What he did have, however, broke my heart. Ed said he had searched for God, begging God to reveal himself to Ed, for ten years. At the end of those ten years, God still had not revealed himself to Ed. Therefore, Ed's conclusion is that God must not exist.

Let that sink in for a moment.

Ed, like many, many others out there, wanted solid, tangible proof that God exists. What exactly he wanted, I don't know. Did he expect God to appear right before his eyes? Did he think heaven should open up so he could see the throne with God seated on it? Sure, those very things happened to different people in the Bible, but very few people out of all the people that have ever walked this earth have had encounters with God like those.

So, if God doesn't reveal himself to us in order for us to believe in him, why do so many people believe anyway, myself included?

One simple word answers that question: Faith.

The disciple named Thomas didn't have enough faith to believe that Jesus had been raised from the dead. He wanted proof, much like Ed. Only after he touched Jesus' hands and feet did he declare, "My Lord and my God." (John 20:28) But it's Jesus' words that are very telling, and very hopeful to me. They are words I wish people like Ed would take to heart: "Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

The apostle Paul wrote that, "We live by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7)

The author of Hebrews wrote, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1)

I wish I could talk to Ed and share with him my "proof" that God does exist. I'd take him to a mirror and let him behold the wonder of the human body. I'd show him pictures of the two amazing creatures that grew inside my womb and who are now these incredible young men. I'd drive him to a mountaintop or to the beach and let him "see" God in the wondrous beauty. Id' take him to a zoo to see the vast number of different creatures, and then I'd buy him lunch at the supermarket where an abundance of vegetables, fruits, nuts and meats give evidence of a Creator who put thought into each item.

Paul wrote it plain and simply in Romans 1:20: "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."

The pure and simple truth is, I believe in God. Not because I have seen Him, but because I see EVIDENCE of Him all around me! I don't need to be convinced of his existence. The proof is everywhere I look! I believe He came to earth in the form of a baby, born to a virgin. I believe he lived and died and lives again.

My heart is full this morning. Of truth. Of gratitude. Of peace and joy.

Merry Christmas, One and All!

Unbelief vs. Heart Trust

Yesterday I finished reading through the Bible for the second time in my life. I have to admit to feeling proud as I wrote the date down in the back cover. It wasn't pride in myself or my insignificant accomplishment though, but rather pride in being God's child. Pride in His Word. In how amazing it is that God, the Creator of everything, felt it important to communicate with us, with me. He made sure we had his Story in written form to pass down through the generations. I have so many memories of my Mom and my Grandma reading their Bibles. In the ten years my Grandma lived with our family -- while she was in her 90's! -- she read through the Bible about a dozen times! I'm happy to continue the family tradition.

So this morning I started over in Genesis.

"In the beginning God!" Genesis 1:1.

You really don't need to read anything beyond those four words. They say it all! In the beginning God was there. He's always been. But seeing that God didn't end the conversation there, I kept going.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

That very first verse of the Bible, in my opinion, is the point of a persons faith decision. If you believe that very first verse, you're more than likely going to believe the rest of the book. If you don't believe it, however, you set yourself up for a life of questions, doubt, and plain ol' unbelief.

I've always wondered why people don't believe in God. I realize my Christian upbringing and heritage play a huge role in what I believe about God. But I am an intelligent woman. I've asked the hard questions about God, about Jesus, about the Bible. The answers I get from folks who don't buy into it, however, simply leave me unsatisfied. All you have to do is look around you and see God's handiwork. Humans are far too complicated to have just evolved from globby gook. And even if that were a plausible answer, where did the globby gook come from? Some will answer that it has always been, like I believe God has always been. Really? I'd much rather believe an all-powerful Creator has always existed rather than believing globby gook always existed, wouldn't you??

I kept reading through Chapter 1 today. I came to verse 27:

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."

Wow! We are created in GOD'S own image! We look like our Father! How cool is that?

But after reading those words, I felt really sad. Why? Because I thought of all the people who deny God, their Father. They deny He created them. That would be like my son telling me I wasn't his mother. That I didn't carry him in my womb and give birth to him. I remember that day so clearly (with each of my sons). I celebrated with joy in my heart that I had a son. But he doesn't remember that day, so he has to take my word that I'm his mother. He has to come to a point of belief that I did indeed "create" him.

Imagine how God the Father feels when his children deny him. 

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16

If you have any doubt in your mind that you were created by a loving God, who knew you before you were born, who made you in His own image, I hope you'll go back to Genesis 1 and start your faith journey over again.

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Lessons From Lazarus

One of my all-time favorite stories from the Bible is about Lazarus. Not only is it mind-boggling that he really, truly died and was raised to life again, but there are so many, many powerful nuggets of truth sprinkled all throughout John 11. 

Let's dive in!

"Now a man named Lazarus was sick." (John 11:1)

We don't know what was wrong with Lazarus, but it was obviously pretty serious. One thing we do know about Lazarus is that he and his two sister's were counted among Jesus' friends. Back in Luke 10:38 Jesus is a guest in their home. In Mark 14:3 and John 12:3 Mary is found pouring out an expensive jar of perfume on Jesus to anoint him before he goes to Jerusalem. And when Jesus is told that Lazarus is sick, he says, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep." (John 11:11)

Let me stop here and ask you a vital question: Are you a friend of Jesus? Is he welcome in your home? Would you give him your best? Does he call you friend? If you answered 'no' to any of those questions, I hope and pray you will do what you need to do to change your answers to YES before another minute passes!

When Jesus finally makes his way to Bethany, Mary and Martha are understandably upset. Their beloved brother is dead. They know, too, had Jesus been there, Lazarus could have been healed.

"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." (John 11:21-22)

Martha believed Jesus was the Christ (v. 27). She knew he had power to do something amazing. But what?

When Mary arrives where Jesus is, her tears move him so deeply that he himself weeps. (v. 33-35) To me, the two simple words of John 11:34 -- "Jesus wept" -- are two of the most beautiful words in the entire Bible. Jesus already knew he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, so his were not tears of mourning. Rather, they were tears of compassion. He loved Mary and Martha and Lazarus so much that their pain became his pain. The depth of their love and loss moved him to the point of weeping.

Friend, my heart tells me that Jesus still weeps with us when we hurt. I believe His love for us still runs so deep that he feels our pain in his own heart. I find that truly, truly comforting.

Finally, Jesus goes to the tomb where Lazarus' body was buried and he does the unthinkable. He asks for the stone to be moved away from the entrance. Martha is horrified. "But Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there for four days." (v. 39)

Funny how Martha's faith from just a few verses ago has now slipped. Isn't that just like us humans? We say we believe something, yet when it's tested we aren't so certain anymore. Yes, Lazarus was dead. His body would have already started to decay. I can't imagine the odor that would have come out of that tomb.

But God is a God of the impossible.

Back in John 5:25 Jesus declared something that Martha, Mary, you and I should never forget:

"I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live."


Do you get it?!

Not even a dead, decayed, stinky, rotten, maggot-filled body can be prevented from hearing the voice of Jesus! Death cannot separate us from Him! (Romans 8:38) So, if even Lazarus heard Jesus say, "Lazarus, come out!" (v. 43), it isn't at all crazy to believe that YOU and I can hear the voice of Jesus calling to us! Calling us out of sin. Calling us out of unbelief. Calling us out of eternal death.

"Take off the grave clothes and let him go." (v. 44)

Can you imagine how cool it would have been to be there to see Lazarus wrapped up like a mummy, walking out of the grave?! And don't you know he had some a-mazing stories to tell?

Wow!

Who knew we could learn so much from a dead guy!

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This week's Prayer Shout Out Countries are:
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Be Not Afraid, Only Believe!

There is a story in Mark 5 that speaks to me on several different levels. It's about a father who comes to Jesus because his little girl is sick. Really sick. So sick, in fact, she dies before Jesus has a chance to heal her.

I'm a mom of two amazing young men. Though they aren't little boys anymore--they're 21 and 18--I still worry about them. About their health. Their future. Their choices. Recently our younger son called to tell us he was sick. He's going to school in Oklahoma, so there wasn't much I could do except pray, sympathize and advise. Thankfully it wasn't the flu and he got over it in a few days. But worry, worry, worry plagued me, thinking of all the terrible things that could go wrong with him so far away from home. So far away from me. 

Jairus, the father in the story in Mark 5:21-43, was worried. His little girl was sick. He held an important job in the synagogue, so he had probably already sought help for her. Priests, doctors, healers. Nothing worked. She was still gravely ill. When word reaches him that Jesus is nearby, he hurries to find him. Now, mind you, Jesus wasn't too popular with the religious leaders. Only two chapters before this some were plotting how to kill Jesus. So it's a big deal that Jairus went to him. What I find beautiful is that even though Jesus may have been Jairus' "last resort" Jesus still said, "Sure, I'll come to your house and put my hands on your little daughter." (Is Jesus your "last resort"? He'll come to you whenever you ask!)

On the way to see the girl, however, a woman who had been bleeding for twelve long years also seeks out Jesus. She is so ashamed of her condition, all she wants to do is touch Jesus' clothes as he passes by without making a big scene. But something amazing happens when she does. Not only does her bleeding stop, but Jesus recognizes that healing power left his body. "Who touched me?" he asks. I think he knew who it was but wanted her to boldly admit, right there in front of everyone, what had just happened. She does and is "freed" from her suffering. Awesome!!

The delay, however, is devastating for Jairus. Some men approach him while he's waiting--no doubt impatiently--for Jesus to finish with the woman. They tell him not to bother Jesus anymore. His little girl is dead. 

Oh no!

I can only imagine how awful that must have been for Jairus!! Here was Jesus, with power he'd just witnessed, standing right next to him, on their way to the house....but now it's too late. His precious little girl died before the One who could heal her had a chance to touch her. How Jairus' heart must have broken in that terrible, soul-rending moment.

But God is a God of the brokenhearted. Ignoring the men who brought the bad news, Jesus looks Jairus in the eye and says some of the most beautiful, wonderful, hopeful words I have ever heard:

"Don't be afraid; just believe." (v.36)

Jairus didn't have to fear death. Jesus conquers death! 

The woman with the bleeding didn't have to fear sickness. Jesus conquers every disease known to man!

I don't have to fear for my boys. Jesus knows them by name and has a plan and a future for them!

"Be not afraid, only believe." (KJV)

Jairus did believe. They continued on to his home where Jesus took the girl by the hand and told her to get up. She did. 

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This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:

USA, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Moldova, Sweden, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Ireland, South Korea, Cook Islands

Faith: What's it all about

Merriam-Webster defines faith as a "firm belief in something for which there is no proof."

Obviously the faith I'm going to talk about today is the faith we have in God. Yet faith, in my opinion, is not just a religious word. I think we all practice faith, in one way or another, on a daily basis whether we believe in God or not. We put our faith in a lot of things, including people, money, jobs. A lot of non-religious people put their faith in science. When discussing evolution vs. Creationism with a non-believer I learned that they have just as much faith in their beliefs as I have in mine. They can't "prove" it anymore than I can, but they sure believe it.

Faith in God, however, is different. To have faith in God, you have to come to a place in your life where you accept certain things about yourself and about the world around you. Things that you will never, ever be able to fully understand but you believe them anyway. Take our human bodies, for instance. There is absolutely no way I can look at the complexity of my body---from my brown eyes that see in beautiful color to my ever-beating heart keeping me alive---and not fully and completely understand that there is no possible explanation for it other than a thoughtful, brilliant Creator. I can't go to the grocery store and see the mind-boggling variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, meats, fish, etc. and not wonder at the imagination of the One who created so many different kinds of yummy things to eat. I can't go to the zoo and look at all the crazy, beautiful, interesting animals and creatures and not know Someone had to have designed every single one of them. I look at the earth with so many kinds of trees and plants and rocks and minerals, fresh water lakes and salty oceans, breathtaking mountains and beautiful deserts.

Could all of that be here just by chance?!

The answer to that question lies in one word: Faith.

From the beginning of time there was a plan in place. Read Genesis 1 and you get a true vision of that plan. God created the earth and set it up with everything we could ever possibly need or want. In the same way an expectant mother prepares for her precious baby, God prepared the earth for us. When sin entered the world (Genesis 3), God once again had a plan.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

Faith gives us the assurance that all of that is true. Hebrews 11:1 tells us exactly what faith is:

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

Hope and certainty. I can't see God, but I can see his handiwork all around me. Does my lack of visual contact mean he doesn't exist? Absolutely not! It simply means my eyes have not been allowed to see him yet, but Revelation 21:3 tells me I will one day. That's hope. The evidence he gave us on earth of himself is certainty.

If you keep reading in Hebrews 11, you see example after example of men and women who lived out their faith. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham. Can you imagine the amount of faith Noah had to spend years and years building a huge ark when the only water he'd seen in his lifetime probably came from springs, rivers or wells? Noah had hope and certainty. Hope for his future and certainty that God had asked him to do a specific job.

Faith comes down to one simple question: Do you believe what God says or not?

Noah believed God. I do to. My faith is firmly planted in the Word of God. The Bible is God's communication with us. It tells us his story. It tells our story. Some people will call me foolish and ignorant because of my belief in what many refer to as an "ancient book of fairytales." Let them. Only one opinion matters:

God's.

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This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:
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Immanuel, God with Us

Christmastime is a wonderful season for our family. We enjoy being with one another celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But for many people, Christmas is not a happy time. In fact, it's extremely painful and difficult to get through, and many would almost rather forget the whole thing completely.

Just this morning I heard about a tragic car accident involving a Texas A&M football player on his way home for the holidays. He swerved to avoid a buzzard in the road and ended up hitting an 18-wheeler head-on. My heart aches for his family, especially because of my own two college boys who drove home last week. Instead of planning Christmas celebrations, this family is now planning a funeral. 

Last month a young friend of mine suffered a terrible loss. Her twin sister died suddenly from complications from a disease they shared. This will be my friend's first Christmas in 20-something years without her twin by her side. 

Years ago when I was home from college our telephone rang very early on Christmas morning. A friend was calling to say her husband, John, had died after a long battle with cancer. I'll never forget the feeling of sorrow filled with inexplicable wonder that John was spending Christmas with Jesus! I'm sure that even all these years later his widow and son remember losing him on Christmas day.

It is that kind of world---a world where bad things happen even at a wonderful, joyous time of year---that needed Immanuel.  

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel--which means, "God with us." Matthew 1:23

God with us. 

I find that truly, truly amazing. 

God loved us so much that He willingly came to dwell among us. He left the perfection of heaven, was born as a human infant, and lived a very normal, unremarkable life until the time came for him to be revealed as the Messiah. I imagine in those first 30 years of life Jesus the man experienced situations very much like those I've listed above. I imagine he lost people he cared about, including his father Joseph. He no doubt had people in his circle of friends and family who suffered from illness and died. Tragedy and sadness are part of life in a fallen world, even for Christ.

Yet Jesus was Immanuel. He knew that although bad things happen, there is hope. There is a promise of something better. He looked into the future and saw Revelation 21:3-4 come to pass:

"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

You and I did not get to experience Immanuel when he lived on earth two thousand years ago, but we will someday soon!

Merry Christmas! May the joy and hope of Immanuel be yours!

What Makes a REAL Hero

Heroes are hard to come by these days. I can't name a celebrity, sports figure or politician that I would consider a "hero." A hero is defined as: A person who is admired for courage or noble qualities. I think there are more everyday heroes that go unnoticed than there are heroes who make the cover of People or Time magazine. Our military, police officers and firemen are everyday heroes. So are people like the group of citizens who risked their lives to save an injured motorcyclist by pulling him out from under a burning car. They didn't know a camera was catching the whole thing on tape. They just knew a life was in danger and they sprang into action. They did what was right and good. That's heroism!

In Daniel 1-3 we meet four men who had everything. Looks, wealth, brains, royal pedigree. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were young men--boys, really--when they were kidnapped by the Babylonians. King Nebuchadnezzar wanted these young men to serve him, but first he needed to turn them into Babylonians. He tried to erase their Hebrew-ness---the thing that made them who they are at the very core of their being. He ordered them to study Babylonian literature and learn the language. They were to be trained for three years, eat from the king's own table, and after that they would enter the king's service. King Neb even had their names changed to Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

What makes these young men heroic in my eyes is their steadfast resolve to remain faithful to God no matter what. To remain the men God wanted them to be, not the impostors the king wanted them to become. It would have been easy to just blend in and not rock the boat. It would have been smart to simply appease the king, assuring themselves a comfortable life in their new home.

"But Daniel resolved not to defile himself..." (1:8) 

When they were offered choice foods from the king's table, it took courage not to eat it. Think of how rude and offensive that would be to the king! But it was Babylonian custom to give the first portion of food and drink as an offering to idols, as well as using animals that were considered unclean by Hebrews. Daniel asked the chief official over him and his three friends if they could just eat vegetables and drink water instead. And you know what happened? After ten days these four men were healthier than the others who'd eaten the tainted food. God honored their courage. (1:8-17)

When Daniel needed divine help in interpreting the king's weird dreams, he went to his friends and asked them to pray. (2:17) Their faith saved a lot of lives, because the king was planning to execute all his seers and wise men because they couldn't figure out the meaning of the dream. But God gave the answer to Daniel.

When King Nebuchadnezzar made a giant golden image, our four heroes refused to worship it as ordered. It wasn't because they wanted to be difficult or disobedient to the king, but because they knew there is only One who is worthy of being worshipped. The punishment for disobeying the order was death by fire. Read Daniel 3 for the whole amazing story, but in a nutshell God once again honored their courage to stand up for what is right and good in God's sight. Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego were tossed into the fiery furnace yet came out without one hair singed. Even King Neb was impressed! (3:28)

After Darius the Mede took over the kingdom and institutes an ego-building decree---that no one could pray to anyone but him for thirty days (6:7)---Daniel finds himself thrown into the lions' den because he refused to stop praying to God. Three times a day he was spotted at the window of his house, kneeling in broad daylight, praying and giving thanks to the Lord. He didn't attempt to hide or pray in secret despite the inevitable punishment. God sent an angel to shut the mouths of the hungry lions (6:21) and protected his servant Daniel. Why? Because of courage.

The courage to do what is right.

It isn't always easy being a Christian these days. More and more we are ridiculed for our faith in Jesus Christ. More and more we are mocked, called names, belittled. But like Daniel, Hannaniah, Mishael and Azariah (I won't use their Babylonian names here), we have to remain steadfast in our resolve to be the people God has called us to be. To say, without apology, that we are followers of Jesus Christ. We aren't trying to be difficult or intolerant or any of the other things we are accused of being, but we hold firmly to the truth that is the Word of God. Jesus said in Mark 8:38: "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

I'm sure our heroes from the Book of Daniel didn't set out to be heroic in their faith and actions. They simply refused to disobey God. That's a powerful lesson for me. I don't know that I'll ever be a hero to anyone, but I know I'll do my best to be faithful to my God every day of my life. 

Because He is the ultimate Hero! 

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This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:

USA, Latvia, France, Romania, Israel, Canada, Germany, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Russia, Philippines, Singapore, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago

Jonah's Second Chance

Our pastor, Joe Champion of Celebration Church, has been preaching/teaching on Jonah the past few weeks. Awesome stuff!! He calls the series "Is Your Grateful Dead?" (Click the link, then "Media/Online Sermons" to watch them!) Jonah, like a lot of us, had issues with being grateful. And, like a lot of us, Jonah had to learn some life-lessons the hard way. Today I want to take a good look at Jonah's great adventure---from hearing from God to time spent inside a fish---and see if I (and you!) are more Jonah-ish than we care to admit.

The Book of Jonah isn't very long--just four short chapters--but we can learn a lot from Jonah. We can look at what he did--and what he didn't do!--and take away some pretty important life-lessons.

• #1: Jonah knew God in a personal way. God spoke to Jonah in the very first verse of the book. He asked Jonah to go to Nineveh and "preach against it, because its wickedness" had come up before God. Obviously Jonah knew God's word well enough that the Almighty himself had confidence in Jonah's abilities to turn an entire city to righteousness. But what was Jonah's response? He ran away! From God! Can you imagine? And because we read that Jonah ran away (v.3) we know he knew exactly Who spoke to him. He knew it was God. And yet he went in the opposite direction of where God wanted him to go. I think a lot of us can relate to Jonah's poor decision making. 
• #2: Jonah had to go through a storm. Have you ever had a "storm" come into your life? I have. It's not fun. It can be pretty scary too. Storms are unpredictable. They tear things apart. They destroy. God uses storms to get our attention sometimes. Pastor Joe said, "Storms serve God's purposes for our good." (Romans 8:28) As a storm survivor, I completely agree. If God hadn't sent the storm that caused the men on the boat to throw Jonah overboard, he would have gone on to Tarshish and totally missed the amazing thing God was planning for him in Nineveh. And not only did God use the storm to change Jonah's life, but the lives of the men on the boat too. (1:16)
• #3: Jonah prayed from inside the fish. Not only did God bring a storm into Jonah's life, but he also brought provision--in the form of a giant fish. (1:17) Like Pastor Joe said this past Sunday: "Our provision just might stink." Man, is that true sometimes!! But it is provision nonetheless. God needed Jonah to spend time in the belly of a stinky fish to think things over. To get the right perspective. To listen. You might feel like you're in the belly of a whale right now. Nothing is going right. Your marriage is in trouble. Your finances are in trouble. Your kids are in trouble. Whatever it might be, you find yourself just wishing God would command the fish to vomit you out and be done with it! (Nice image, huh?) My advice as one who once felt like I was inside the stinky fish (and sometimes still do): Keep praying!! Don't give up! God IS listening! He DOES have a plan!
• #4: Jonah got a second chance. Jonah 3:1 says: "Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time." How many chances does God give us? I think the number is infinite, to be perfectly honest. Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:16 that Jesus' patience is "unlimited." God loves us. He's our Father. But like a good Father, he has to discipline his children sometimes. Without discipline, children run wild and usually end up in trouble. Jonah was no different. He was running away to Tarshish instead of going where God told him to go. So God had to discipline him. And what was the result? 
• "Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh." (3:1) As someone who has "run away" from God at different times in my life, I know how good it feels to finally be obedient. To surrender to the will of God. But wouldn't it have been so much better if Jonah had just obeyed God in the first place? I think that is the lesson we all need to learn from Jonah! And look what happened because Jonah was obedient! A city of 120,000 people was saved! (4:11)

Are you a Jonah today? Have you heard a word from the LORD but ignored it or even ran away from it? Are you going through a storm? Are you ready to be obedient? God is there, every step of the way, waiting, watching, guiding if we'll let him. Pray! Listen! Obey!

One interesting thing to note about Jonah's story. It ends very abruptly. Chapter 4 tells us that Jonah got a little full of himself. God wasn't going to put up with it and puts an end to the story. Don't let that happen to your story!

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This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:
USA, Brazil, Russia, Australia, Israel, Bulgaria, Germany, United Kingdom, Poland, France, Malaysia, Sweden, Italy, Georgia, Ukraine, Ghana

My Name's Michelle and I'm a Christian

In my last post I shared the basic beliefs of the Mormon religion and how they differ from Christianity. Today I'll share the same type of information in the same format about the Christian faith and tell you why I am a Christian.

First, a brief history. The Christian faith was founded by Jesus Christ around AD 30. Jesus, who fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 that foretold of "Immanuel" which means "God with us," is also called the Christ, the long-awaited Messiah of the Jews. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus is talking to his disciple Peter and says, "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." At the age of 33, Jesus was crucified on a cross, was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day. Eyewitness accounts of these events are recorded in the Bible's New Testament. If one believes these events to be true, accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, then that person is a Christian. Although there are various Christian denominations, belief in several key elements is essential. They are:

GOD has always existed. He is not a created being. He does not have parents. He is the Creator of everything. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) God exists in three forms: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness..." (Genesis 1:26)

JESUS is God, Immanuel. His mother was Mary, a virgin, who "was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 1:18) Because Jesus is God, he created Lucifer (Satan) and all the other angels. Jesus did have earthly brothers and sisters through Mary and Joseph, but he is the only son of God. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) Jesus' death on the cross is the complete atonement for our sins. "God presented him a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood." (Romans 3:25) We are saved by his blood, not by our works. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

The BIBLE is the Word of God. Many books have been written on Christianity, but only the Bible is accepted as the Word of God.

The CHURCH are people who believe in Jesus Christ (see above). It is not a building, although we do call buildings where we meet "churches." There is no one denomination or group of people who can claim to be "the one true Church." (See John 3:16 again)

HEAVEN and DEATH. Through various scripture we understand that God the Father exists in heaven with Jesus sitting at his right hand. There are numerous descriptions of heaven throughout the Bible. All who believe in Jesus (as described above) as their Lord and Savior will go to heaven after our earthly bodies die. "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43) Those who do not believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior will not enter heaven (John 14:6) but will spend eternity in the lake of fire. "If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:15) We will be like the angels according to Jesus in Matthew 22:30: "At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven."

I am a Christian because I believe all the above. I believe in a Creator God because there is simply no other explanation for why we exist. Humans are far, far too complex to have "evolved" from some glob of goo. Animals, insects, creepy crawlies. There are so many, many different species that there is no possible way they just happened. Go to the grocery store produce department and take a look at all the different kinds of fruits and vegetables and nuts and berries. Can you honestly, intelligently say they simply appeared on earth with no help from the hand of a living, thinking God?

I am a Christian because I believe that God loved me so much he willingly came to earth to take the burden of my sin onto his shoulders and be the Sacrifice needed to make my heart pure again. I am a Christian because I believe God has power over death and that Jesus was indeed raised from the dead. I believe the tomb was and is empty.

I am a Christian because I believe God promises life after death. Jesus said he was going to prepare a place for us and that we would be with him. (John 14: 1-4)

My name's Michelle and I am a Christian.

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This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:
USA, Russia, United Kingdom, South Korea, China, Australia, Ukraine, Germany, Uganda, Canada

Thomas and His Moment of Truth

I can't remember a day in my life when I didn't believe in Jesus Christ. I was raised in a Christian home with Christian parents, attending church anytime the doors were open. But like a lot of people, I had questions about the Bible. About church. About God. Unlike a lot of people, however, I never strayed from my childlike faith as I went seeking answers. I've shared on this blog before how I surrendered my all to the Lord at the age of 28 and I've been walking with Him ever since. I would say that May 23, 1992 was my "Moment of Truth". 

Do you have a "moment of truth"? A time when you knew that you knew that you knew Jesus was exactly who He said He was?

Thomas did. 

Thomas, also called Didymus, was one of Jesus' disciples. (Matthew 10:3) We don't know a lot about Thomas. The Bible doesn't say what his occupation was when he encountered the Messiah. My guess is Thomas may have been present when John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus "the Lamb of God" (John 1:29) or heard about it from an eyewitness. He was probably there when Jesus gave the 'sermon on the mount.' Mark 3:13 tells us that Jesus went up on a mountainside and "called to him those he wanted, and they came to him." Thomas was one of those chosen.

Can you imagine being hand-picked by Jesus?! Wow! What an honor!

But like the rest of us, Thomas had faults. He was clearly a very passionate person. When news reaches Jesus and the disciples that Lazarus is dead, Thomas says, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." (John 11:16) That's some serious devotion to a friend. 

While Thomas is remembered more for his doubts than anything else, he is the one who asked the question that brought some of the most beautiful and memorable words from Jesus' lips. Jesus had just shared that he'll be going away soon but promises the disciples they'll be with him one day. Thomas, voicing what was on everyone's mind, says:

"Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" 

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:5-6) 

Thomas was there when Jesus was arrested. And he was there when Jesus was crucified. He saw his Lord--the one whom he had put all his faith in!--die on a cross. He watched them carry the body away and seal it in a tomb. Oh, the grief the disciples must have experienced that day. Everything they had believed in...was it all a lie? Look how Thomas reacted to the death of Lazarus. He was devastated by Jesus' death.

When the resurrected Jesus appears to the disciples in John 20:19, Thomas is not with them. Where was he? My thought is he simply needed to be alone. Locked in a room with a bunch of other grieving people probably got to him and he had to get away for a while. It sure was lousy timing, because that's when Jesus appeared!

I wonder. Did Jesus pick that particular moment to appear because Thomas wasn't there? To give Thomas--and us!--a lesson in faith?

When he returns to the room, the others are excited and rush to tell him they've seen the risen Lord! But Thomas isn't buying it.

"Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."  (v. 25)

One week later his world changed!

Though the doors are locked, Jesus came and stood in the room with them. Imagine the hushed excitement. Imagine Thomas' reaction. Stunned, I'm sure. When Jesus approaches him, he invites Thomas to "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

"Thomas said to [Jesus], "My Lord and my God!"

Thomas' moment of truth arrived that day. His Lord and His God stood right in front of him. Our moment of truth will come a little differently. Jesus knew Thomas believed because he'd seen, but... 

..."Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Thank you, Lord! I definitely believe!

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This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are: 

USA, Ukraine, Netherlands, Russia, Brazil, Canada, United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Philippines 

Note: Thanks to Pastor Joe Champion of Celebration Church for the awesome sermon series "Moment of Truth" March 2008. 

Mary and Martha: Friends of Jesus

I am blessed to have a sister. Kim is a few years older than me, and although she probably thought I was a pest while we were growing up, we had a lot of good times together. But even though we're sisters, we are very different from each other.

The Bible tells us about two sisters: Mary and Martha. Their brother was Lazarus, the very same Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead (John 11). But before that amazing event took place, Mary and Martha were simply friends of Jesus. He came to their home. He ate their food. He talked with them. He laughed with them. What a wonderful thing, being friends with Jesus!!

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way [to Jerusalem], he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary..." Luke 10:38-39

Like my sister and me, Mary and Martha were very different from each other. They had different ideas of what needed to be done, of what was important.

"She had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made." (v. 39-40)

A few years ago as I was reading this passage, God opened my eyes to something. Something that would change my entire outlook on 'serving.' Martha was a doer. Food needed to be prepared. Dishes cleaned. Floors swept. She wanted to do these things for her Lord Jesus. And yes, they needed to be done. But notice what Luke, the author, says about Martha:

  "...she was distracted..."

That's not a good thing. Because when we are distracted, it means we're missing something important that's taking place elsewhere. What was Jesus saying in the other room while Martha was in the kitchen? She'll never know! 

But Mary "sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said."

Mary was doing exactly what was right. How do I know? Jesus said so.

"[Martha] came to [Jesus] and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" 

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (v. 40-41)

How many of us are so distracted by "doing" for the Lord that we neglect "listening" to what he is saying? (Picture me inching my hand up, embarrassed.) 

How many of us get so caught up in all the many ministries we're involved in that we forget the "one thing" that is needed, which is time spent with the Lord?

In the margin of my Bible I have written: "Jesus wants ME, not my works for Him!" It is dated August 16, 2000. 

Serving the Lord is important. Work has to be done. Meals have to be prepared. Churches have to be cleaned. Volunteers are needed in every church, every week. The famous "80/20" ratio is not proof that people are spending more time listening than working. It's actually proof of the exact opposite in my opinion. (In case you don't know what I'm talking about, studies show that 20% of church members do all the work while 80% don't do anything at all.)

I think Martha took Jesus' words to heart. The scriptures don't tell us what happened next, but I imagine Martha looked into Jesus' beautiful face, saw his love for her, and fell at his feet, ashamed. And I imagine Jesus reached down to lift her up, wiped her tears away and said, "Come, daughter. Come and sit with me." And I imagine they ate cold meat and bread for dinner, which was just fine with Jesus. 

Jesus was their Lord--"Yes, Lord," [Martha told him], "I believe that you are the Son of God, who was to come into the world" (John 11:27)--but He was also their friend--"Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus." (John 11:5) He wept when he saw Mary's tears over her brother's death (John 11:35). Martha opened her home to Jesus. Mary sat at his feet and listened. They loved him. They served him. They trusted him.

It's a beautiful thing to call Jesus friend!

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This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:

USA, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Russia, Netherlands, Brazil, Germany, United Kingdom, Ukraine, France, Sweden, Guyana

The Rich Man and Lazarus

A rich man died this week. Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computers, lost his battle with cancer. He was only 56 years old. Far too young to die in many peoples' eyes, including mine. I'm not that far behind him age wise. What an amazing mind he had! Such creativity and brilliance. His legacy will live on for ages.

But one question lingers in my mind as I think about Mr. Jobs.

Where is he spending eternity?


I've read that he embraced Buddhism several years ago but also that he wasn't necessarily a 'practicing Buddhist'. Obviously I don't know for certain what, if any, faith or spiritual beliefs he had. I haven't read any articles in the past few days that give a definitive answer about it. Which is telling to me.

There is a story in the Bible that speaks to us about life and death. It's found in Luke 16:19-31. It's about a rich man and a poor man. It's about heaven and hell. It's told by Jesus, who would certainly understand these things better than anyone else.

"There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus...longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table...The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side." (v. 19-22)


Already we can make some assumptions about how these two men lived their lives. The poor man didn't have much material wealth to show for his time on earth. But clearly he  lived his life in obedience according to God's word because he is now receiving his reward: A life in heaven. The rich man, however, is in hell. He had everything the world can offer, but no amount of money will ever buy a ticket out of hell.

The rich man goes on to ask Abraham to send Lazarus down with a drink of water because "I am in agony in this fire' (v. 24). But Abraham makes it clear there is no going back and forth between heaven and hell. "...between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us." (v.26)


What you do on earth matters! How you live the life God has given you matters! Your choices matter. Your heart-beliefs matter. Your words matter. Your actions matter. We are only given one chance to get things right. One life to live and be the person God intended us to be. We are created by God and for God's purposes, not to fulfill our own ideas about what our lives should be.

There is no question Steve Jobs was a brilliant man. His ideas and inventions have benefited millions of people, myself included. But if he didn't acknowledge God and accept Jesus as his Savior, none of those things matter. He'll be remembered on earth as a great man, but his eternal life will be lost.

Now don't misunderstand this post. I am not saying Steve Jobs is in hell. I have no idea what his last months, weeks, days of life were like. I'm sure he contemplated life-after-death in the quiet moments when he knew his body was dying. I hope he sought spiritual guidance and found the Truth that is Jesus Christ.

It's too late now for Steve Jobs to change his mind if he didn't. It was too late for the rich man in the story too and he wants to warn his loved ones.

"...I beg you, father [Abraham], send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment." (v. 27-28)


I wonder, does Steve Jobs wish he could send a warning to anyone? His family. His friends. The world. You.

He can't, but like Abraham told the rich man, we already have the warning! It's called the Bible!

"They have Moses and the Prophets, let them listen to them." (v. 29)


Are you listening??? Please do before it's too late. I don't want to look over the great chasm from heaven and see someone I love in hell. ='(

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This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:
USA, Russia, Paraguay, Latvia, Germany, Ukraine, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia, Brazil, Hong Kong, India, France

The God Who Sees Me

Do you ever wonder if God can see you? I mean really see you?

I do. There are days when I feel like I'm invisible to God. Like I need to jump up and down and wave my arms and say, "Hey, God, here I am! Remember me? Hello???" Usually those are days when things aren't going well in my life. When life's problems are just too heavy to carry alone. Days when I definitely need to know there is a God who loves me, who's watching over me, working things out for my good even when it doesn't feel like it.

I need to know there is a God who sees me.

There's a woman in the Bible who knew what it felt like to be invisible. We don't know her name, but we find her story in Luke 8:42-48. The fact that her story is in the Bible tells me God definitely saw her. God knew her name. And she was so important to Him that He wanted her remembered through the ages.

"As Jesus was on his way [to attend to a sick little girl], the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her." (v.42-43)

Imagine the shame this woman suffered for twelve long years. In those days disease and illness was seen as punishment. 'Surely she must have been a terrible sinner and done something really bad' was the mindset. She was no doubt shunned because of this. She'd spent every penny she had trying to find a cure for her sickness but no one could help her.

I think a lot of us are in the same boat as that woman. We may not have a physical illness like she did--though many of us do--but a lot of us have other issues we're seeking cures for. Emotional issues. Relational issues. Financial issues. Sometimes we spend a lot of money searching out cures. Sometimes we spend a lot of time looking for a cure. Too often we spend a lot of ourselves searching for a way to fix things.

Those are the days when we ask, "God, can you see me?!"

Hagar, the mother of Ishmael, asked that question. In Genesis 16:7-13 we find her scared, hiding, alone. She's run away from life and is feeling invisible. But God saw her. Just like He sees you and me when we are scared, hiding, alone.

"You are the God who sees me," Hagar says in verse 13.

Jesus wanted us to know He sees us too. In Matthew 6 he's teaching the crowds. This passage is part of what's called The Sermon on the Mount. Notice what he says in verse  30:

"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers--most of which are never even seen--don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?" (The Message Bible)

Think about all the millions and millions of acres of National Forest in the US. Or the jungles of South America. Or the African and Australian plains. Miles and miles of land where no one lives and not many people venture. Yet beautiful wildflowers grow there. No human eye will ever see them and take pleasure in them, yet God sees them. They were created for His enjoyment, not ours.

You were created for His enjoyment too! Even if you feel invisible to the world, you are not invisible to God! God sees you. He loves you. He has great plans for you.

The woman with the bleeding issue was tired of being invisible. She was tired of being sick. And she came to the understanding that there was only One who could heal her.

"She came up behind [Jesus] and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped." (Luke 8:44)

Imagine how her life changed in that moment! Imagine her joy of not being invisible anymore!

There is only One who can heal you. From your physical issues. From your emotional issues. Your relational issues. Whatever is in your life that is too hard to handle on your own. Whatever is in your life that is making you feel invisible to God.

Make no mistake. God does see you!

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This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:
USA, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Denmark, Croatia, Malaysia, Turkey

Confessions of a Bible Literalist

I don't like labels. Especially when that label is put on me by someone else. Usually the person/people labeling me have never met me or truly don't know me very well. Sometimes someone who thinks they know me slaps a label on me that doesn't really fit. I try not to label people anymore because if I don't like it done to me, then they probably don't either.

So when I began to hear the phrase "Bible literalist" being thrown around a few years ago, I thought, "Uh-oh, I bet some people will call me a Bible literalist." Why? Because I firmly....FIRMLY!...believe the Bible must be taken as God's word and instruction to us in how to live holy lives that are pleasing to Him. And that means recognizing that the historical accounts, parables, poetry and Apocalyptic scripture revealed in the Bible are not just interesting stories that you can take or leave, but are words that God himself needed us to read and understand.

Why is it important to read the Bible literally?

Let me explain.

Let's start in Genesis. Genesis was written by Moses. He tells us that "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) How could Moses possibly know this since he wasn't born yet? How could he know that God created the sun and moon and water and plants and animals and people in six days? How could he know God rested on the seventh day? (And yes, I'm talking literal days!) Moses knew these things because God told him! God obviously instructed Moses to make a written record of Creation so that all mankind would know it didn't just happen because of some goofy cosmic explosion a ba-zillion years ago. (Picture me rolling my eyes here.)

From the very get-go, God wanted us to understand His authority over everything. He created it all. It all belongs to Him. To believe anything less than God's power to do the amazing and impossible is to put Him into our little human box of little human understanding. And if God can fit in that box, then He is not God. 

Moving on.

"Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all creatures that move along the ground." Genesis 1:26

The Bible makes it perfectly clear that Adam and Eve were the first people God created. Humankind came from them. Sin also came from them. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:22 that death came through Adam because he sinned. How did Moses know all of this? God told him. Yet there are those who believe that God created other people outside of the Garden, apart from the line of Adam. Sorry folks, but there is nothing biblical to support that theory. Not even Cain's story of living in the land of Nod. No where does it say he found his wife in Nod--that she was a Nodite (ha!). It simply says he had a wife, who, as we understand biology, had to have also been his sister or possibly a niece. The Hebrew word used in Genesis 4:17 is "ishshah" which means "woman/wife/female." Josephus, the Jewish historian, wrote that according to tradition Adam and Eve had 33 sons and 23 daughters. .Incest, as we would call it, for procreation had to take place then and after the flood. Apparently it wasn't sinful in God's eyes because it fulfilled the "be fruitful and increase in number" command. It obviously became sinful--depraved--later and God made it clear in Leviticus that it had to stop. (Note: Even Abraham and Sarah were related to each other; she was his half-sister. Genesis 20:12)

However, the most important reason I take the Bible as it is written is this:

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell us about Jesus. About his life, about his arrest, about his crucifixion, and about his resurrection. If I can't take the Bible literally from the very beginning--from the creation story in Genesis 1:1 and moving forward!--then why on earth would I take it literally when it comes to the account of Jesus' life and death on the cross????? Why would I believe that God came to earth as a man, died a horrific death on the cross as the sacrificial Lamb, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven if I can't accept the rest of the Bible just as literally? That God really did send a flood that covered the earth? That the Israelites really did walk through the Red Sea on dry ground? That Lazarus really was dead in the grave three days?

Jesus often taught in parables, but Jesus also quoted the Old Testament as the Word of God. In Luke 4:16-21 he read the prophecy about the Messiah from Isaiah and announced that "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." (v. 21)

Jesus took scripture literally! Because he fulfilled scripture literally! How can I go out into the world and proclaim Jesus' life, death and resurrection in one breath and then turn around and say the rest of the Bible is just a bunch of stories that you may or may not believe? Why would I hang my deepest, heartfelt hope on the promise that one day I'll be with Jesus in paradise just like he told the criminal on the cross next to him (Luke 23:43) if I can't accept that God allowed innocent children to die when the angel of death killed every firstborn in Exodus 11?

I will never fully understand God or everything that is written in His word. All I can do is read, read, read and pray, pray, pray for as much understanding as God is willing for me to have. And that's what I'm trying to do.
     So, if you want to call me a Bible literalist, go ahead. I can think of a whole lot worse things to be.
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This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:
USA, Germany, Russia, Spain, Ukraine, France 

The Father of Lies

There are some things that simply cannot be ignored. One being the fact--the FACT!--that we have an enemy in this world. His name is Satan. The Devil. What you believe about him will put you in one of two categories:

1. Winning Warriors.
2. Vulnerable Victims.

I refuse to be a victim!


Jesus has known Satan from the very beginning of time. If you understand that Jesus is God and God is Jesus, then you also understand that Jesus created Satan. But God didn't create Satan for evil. Satan chose it. He was given the same freewill that you and I have. Satan willingly gave up his place in heaven because he was jealous and wanted all the glory that is given to God for himself. He took a bunch of misguided angels with him and now he's trying to take as many of us down as he possibly can.

Why?

To spite God. To outdo God. To say, "Haha, God, you lost that one!"

(See Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:11-19 for further reference)

How do we know Satan is for real?    


Well, first and foremost, Jesus himself spoke of Satan.

"I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." Luke 10:18

When speaking to the Pharisees in John 8:42-47, Jesus said:

"Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."


Satan has been telling us lies since Adam and Eve lived in the Garden. What makes us think he isn't still telling us lies today?! It's arrogance on our part to believe we are somehow smarter and more enlightened these days to the point that we can't be deceived by Satan. That is utter foolishness! (Titus 3:3)


Job 1 and 2 gives us a chilling account of what Satan is up to every single day:

"One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the Lord, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." (1:6-7; also 2:1-2)


Paul says in Ephesians 6:12 to "Put on the armor of God so that you can take a stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."


Peter warned us in 1 Peter 5:8, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith..."


When we go up against Satan, he gets mad. Recently I've experienced some of his attempts to derail me from what I firmly believe God has called me to do. Next week I'll begin leading a ministry at church that I know Satan isn't happy about. I know he'll try to mess with me and my family because of it. But I cannot and will not let that stop me. Like the little saying I have posted on my blog's sidebar says, I want to "Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, the devil says, 'Oh crap! She's up!'"


So, what's it gonna be? Winning Warriors with Jesus and Truth on our side or Vulnerable Victims with Satan and his many, many lies.

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This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:
USA, UK, France, India, Netherlands, Australia

Male and Female: God's Plan

I remember having this thought years ago: There are only two kinds of people in the world! Male and female!

I know, I know. That's not an earth-shattering revelation. It's not something news worthy or even new. It's actually a very silly thought but I had it nonetheless. Because I was truly, truly astounded by the simplicity of that statement. With all the millions and billions of people living on earth, from different countries, speaking different languages, with different colors of skin and physical features, there are actually only two true differences. 

Male and Female.

I find that rather fascinating, actually. It begs the questions:

Why did God only create two genders? Why did God create genders at all?

To find the answers, you have to go to the beginning. Genesis 1:26-27 says:

"Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

The story continues in Genesis 2, with verse 18 saying, "The Lord God said, 'It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

None of the creatures God had created thus far were suitable to be Adam's helper. Not a monkey. Not a horse. Not even "man's best friend." 

"The Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man and he brought her to the man." (v. 22)

I positively love that God brought the woman to Adam! God didn't just drop her in the Garden and let "fate" decide if they were meant to be together. God had a specific plan in mind. A specific purpose for creating them male and female and bringing them together. We already know that God cared about Adam's loneliness--"It is not good for man to be alone"--but obviously pro-creation wasn't going to happen if Adam and Eve didn't become "one flesh" as Genesis 2:24 says. Do you know what that verse means? It means Adam and Eve had sex in the Garden, folks, and it was okay with God! Why? Because that was part of the plan! God's perfect, free-from-sin-and-shame plan for sex between a man and a woman. 

But one chapter later we see everything change. Sin entered the perfect, shame-free world. Man forgot Who was in charge and did things their own way. They didn't acknowledge God the Creator. They didn't believe that there is a greater plan and purpose for our existence than merely satisfying our selfish wants and desires. Every day people twist and distort God's plan. Or ignore it all together. 

The recent controversy over Chaz Bono's appearance on Dancing with the Stars is in the news. I don't have anything against Chaz. In fact, my heart aches for her. And I do say "her" because she is, was, and always will be a her. No amount of surgery to remove, add or inject will ever change that. God created Chastity Sun Bono as a woman and she will die a woman. And that's the simple truth Chaz is fighting so hard against. That God created her a woman and not a man. I can't answer the question of why Chaz wants to be a man. I have no clue what her life has been like, the influences that played a role in forming who she is. I haven't walked a mile in her shoes and I have no business casting stones in her direction. 

But what I do know is this: "male and female He created them" for a reason. 

And you know what God thinks about His creation?

"God saw all that he had made"--including a little girl named Chastity Bono--"and it was very good." (Gen. 1:31)

God created you, whether male or female, for a reason. But if God is not Lord and King in your life, you will have totally missed the whole purpose of your existence. 

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This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:

USA, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Ukraine, France, Canada, Latvia, Finland, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, Romania

That It May Go Well With You

I like it when things are going well, don't you? When everyone is doing okay. When there's enough money in the checking account to buy groceries and gas and pay the never-ending bills. When no one is sick, the cars are running just fine, and there's something to smile about each day.

Like you, however, I've had plenty of times when things weren't going well. I can rattle off a list as long as the next person of times when things were just plain bad. Money problems. Kid problems. Marriage problems. Health problems. Car problems. Problem problems.

This morning I read the following verse in Jeremiah 7:23. It brings a sense of peace when I think about the truth of it:

"Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you."


God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the Jews. It's not the first time He said those words though. In Deuteronomy 5:16 He said the same thing to the same stubborn people (race, not individuals) when giving Moses the Ten Commandments:

"Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you."


Paul reminded us of this commandment and promise in Ephesians 6:1-3. Obedience was just as important to God in the New Testament as it was in the Old Testament.

The theme of these verses, however, is not making sure your life runs smoothly and everything is hunky dory. That is a by-product of the real lesson here. Obedience, I believe, is at the heart of God's words. Obedience to Him. God definitely wants things to go well with our lives! It's His desire. But we are not puppets on a string. God won't make us do anything. We have free will. We have the choice to obey Him or not. Sometimes God allows unpleasant things to come into our lives to teach us and to test us. If we are obedient and trust Him, we'll get through them. I know this for a fact because I've lived it over and over. 


I remember when I finally understood that God wanted nothing more than obedience from me. It came as a bit of a shock. I mean, a good Christian is taught that we need to tithe and help the poor and use our talents to further the kingdom of God. We're encouraged to serve here and help there, say this and pray that. And I was trying to do it all. I certainly wanted God's blessings on myself and my family. But one day as I was reading God's word, He made it perfectly clear to me that He doesn't want my time, my talents, my money. He doesn't want my good works or even my sacrifices. 


He wants--nay, demands!--my obedience to Him. 


To His call on my life. To His way of doing things. To His timetable. As Pastor Rick Warren says in his book The Purpose Driven Life, it's not about me! Life is not about me and my wants and wishes. It's not even about me using the gifts and resources God has blessed me with to His glory. Living the Christian life is not about how much time I spend reading my Bible or how many times I attend church each week.


It's about God and my obedience to Him! 


God created me for a specific reason at this specific time in history. He put me in America in a Christian family with all the blessings and privileges that come with being an American. I can live out my life doing what I think I'm supposed to do and have a perfectly good life. But I will have completely missed the whole point of my very existence if I am not obedient to God! 


Do I want life to go well with me? Absolutely! 


How do I make sure it will? God himself gave me the answer!


"Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in ALL the ways I command you, that it may go well with you."


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This week's Prayer "Shout Out" countries are:
USA, Malaysia, Netherlands, Romania, United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, Ukraine and South Africa.

Why We Need Living Water

Here in Texas we are experiencing the worst drought in recorded state history. At this writing we haven't had significant rain since 2010. Today's high of 105 degrees will mark 69 days of tripple digit temperatures and tie the record set in 1925. Things are dying. Our yard looks awful. Dead, crunchy lawn instead of lush green grass. Droopy trees dropping their dried up leaves. No flowers to speak of. Wild animals are having an especially hard time finding water. Rivers and lakes are drying up. Lake Travis is less than 50% full. Even wells are drying up. Several small towns have completely run out of water. It's sad and scary. A severe drought really makes you realize how much we need water!! That wonderful, wet commodity we all take for granted most of the time.

Texas' drought reminds me of a person who does not know Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Why?

Because we humans need Water. Living Water. Let me share some scripture to explain.

In John 4:1-26, we find Jesus traveling. He's tired and thirsty so he stops at Jacob's well in Samaria. Now, good Jews like Jesus weren't supposed to associate with Samaritans, but when a woman arrives at the well, Jesus asks her for a drink of water. She is suprised he speaks to her at all. His words to her are important:

"If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." (v. 10)

The woman thinks he's speaking of regular ol' water. She hasn't got a clue who Jesus is and doesn't understand what He means when he says, "Everyone who drinks this water [from the well] will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (v. 13-14)

That kind of water can't come out of your faucet and you can't buy it in a bottle. It doesn't even come down from heaven in a cloud. Notice that Jesus said "I give" when speaking of this water.

So where can you find Living Water?

Jeremiah 2:13 answers this question.

"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water."

God is the spring of living water!

"Then the angel showed me [John] the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life..." (Revelation 22:1-2)

"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." (Jesus in John 7:37-38)

The parched Texas landscape is crying out for water, but I sincerely believe the need for Living Water is far, far greater. There are too many dried up souls in need of it. The Samaritan woman at the well drank of the Living Water that day. She went back to her town and told everyone she knew--and probably some she didn't know--everything Jesus had said to her. (John 4:39-42) I imagine her entire life changed that day!

Are you thirsty? Is your soul dried up and parched? Does you spirit feel like a desert?

I know where you can get some Water! Some Living Water so you'll never thirst again!

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This week's Prayer "Shout Out" countries are:
USA, Germany, Ukraine, Australia, Spain, Ghana, Hungary, Israel, South Korea and Lithuania

Change: The Good, the Bad and the Amazing!

"Change" is one of those words we've heard a lot in the past few years. A certain politician promised change was a'comin' if we elected him president. Hmm. Me thinks the change he brought ain't so grand. I sure hope change does come in 2012...but that's a whole 'nother blog post.

Change is in the air at our house this week. Both our sons are leaving home and are headed for college. Oldest son moved into his dorm today and youngest son will move in Saturday. Our nest will be empty! I have mixed feelings about it all. I'll miss the boys more than they'll ever know, yet I'm also massively proud and thrilled about the young men they have become. I can't wait to see what God does in their lives in these next years!

But the honest truth is I'm not one who embraces change easily. I like my comfort zone, thank you very much. When hubby lost his job in 2008 from a company where he'd worked for 23 years, our world was absolutely rocked by change. We didn't know which way was up or down. We were completely lost. God's goodness and faithfulness got us through and beyond that change. It hasn't always been easy, but I firmly believe it's been positive in the long run.

The most important change a person can go through, however, doesn't come by way of politicians, bosses or parents letting go. It comes when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. The Apostle Paul wrote about this change in 2 Corinthians 5:17:

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

God is in the business of change. Unlike a politician who promises change, God will absolutely deliver! The Bible is full of stories about lives being changed and made new. You simply canNOT have a real, true, bona-fide encounter with Jesus Christ without being changed!

The Magi changed their allegiance after they saw and worshipped the Christ Child. (Matthew 2:12)

Peter, Andrew, James and John changed careers when Jesus called them.  (Matthew 4:18-22)

Matthew and Zacheaus, both despised tax collectors, were changed by Jesus' friendship. (Matthew 9:9-12 and Luke 19:1-10)

The woman who had a bleeding disease was changed just by touching Jesus' cloak.  (Matthew 9:20)

A woman who was most likely a prostitute--Mary Magdalene--was changed and freed from a life of sin by Jesus. (Luke 7:36-50)

Nicodemus, an educated and religious man, was changed and born again after speaking with Jesus. (John 3:1-21)

Lazarus went from being dead and buried for three days to being alive! (John 11:1-44. I love Jesus' words in v. 44: "Take off his grave clothes and let him go!")

And Paul, who was originally known as Saul--a man who murdered Christians!--was completely made new by an encounter with Jesus Christ. He went from killing Believers to spreading the Gospel message himself. (Acts 9:1-19)

On and on. Story after story. One life after another, all revealing the life-giving change found only in Jesus Christ.

Everyone can experience that change! It wasn't only for people who lived thousands of years ago. It's available for you and for me! There is no sin too great that can't be changed and forgiven! There is no life so messed up that change can't come and make things new again. There is no faith so small--as small as a mustard seed--that God can't work with.

Ask! Believe! Live a changed life today!

This is one change I highly recommend!