Sin Flu

Ever since I heard about the swine flu outbreak, and saw the many pictures of people walking around Mexico City with surgical masks on, I have wondered at the extreme measures that people are willing to take to avoid a potentially deadly sickness. Within days of hearing that a new epidemic was underway, thousands of Americans cancelled trips to Mexico. Government officials discussed closing the borders to keep the disease out of our country. Closer to home, even though there were no documented cases of the disease within 500 miles of Coeur d'Alene, a friend noticed that the local Wal-mart had already sold out of painter's masks. Such is the natural inclination for human preservation in the face of a threat to life and limb.

But what about the soul? Where is the concern that it might "contract a disease"? It is a remarkable irony that even though the body is temporal and the soul is eternal, far more energy seems to be spent on insuring the health of the body than on insuring the health of the soul. Unfortunately, there seems to be no natural instinct for preservation of the soul. But in the absence of an instinct, God has graciously given us a "Guidebook for Soul Health" that has much to teach us.

Perhaps the most insidious enemy of our soul is one that we hardly recognize as an enemy: our own sinful choices. We tend to see them merely as little slip ups that we need to try harder to control. But the word of God says that the self-serving compromises that we indulge in (for whatever reason) actually war against our souls. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; (1 Peter 2:11)  What a shocking discovery—to find that the sins that we turn to for "comfort" or to "have a little break" are in reality fighting to destroy our souls! No amount of rationalizing sin will change this reality. As the scripture teaches elsewhere "he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption" (Galatians 6:8) and "When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (James 1:15)

If sin is really a disease that is working against the health of our souls, we need to treat it like we would a disease. What steps do we take when we are concerned about physical diseases? These steps can also help us when addressing spiritual health issues.

1. Avoid opportunities to "contract" it.

What steps are you taking to avoid exposure in your areas of weakness? Isn't this what God meant when He said "make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof" (Romans 13:14) We need to begin our vigilance a few steps back from the point of decision to sin.

2. Begin "treatment" immediately

How do you respond when God shows you sin in your life and heart? God's gracious remedy once we have contracted "sin flu" is repentance; immediate and earnest repentance. Do we wait around to treat a disease, once we discover that it is present? Neither should we hesitate to confess and renounce sin in our lives. Remember, it wars against the soul!

3. Take aggressive steps to prevent "relapse"

How drastically do you act to prevent a "relapse"(falling into the same sin again)? Jesus said that if your hand offends you, cut it off. He was not encouraging self mutilation, but highlighting the seriousness of sin, and the kind of action that often must be taken to avoid it (swift, aggressive, and usually painful) If we feel a little embarrassed taking extreme steps to avoid sin, it is only because we minimize the damaging effects of sin to the health of our souls.

4. Turn to God. He ultimately is the only Healer. 

But what if certain sins seem to have a grip on you? What if the "disease" has spread and there doesn't seem to even be the strength to fight it? If you find yourself in this situation, please listen carefully. You are not alone. This is truly where every honest Christian finds themselves. The steps that are outlined above are not sufficient in themselves to win the battle against sin. This fight is one that ultimately cannot be won by our own grit. "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" expresses the cry of our hearts. But the next phrase in this Bible text points us to the answer, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 7:23-24)

The beautiful truth is that God knows our frame and remembers that we are dust. He never minimizes or excuses our sin, but He understands our weakness and knows that only through faith in Christ can we be delivered from sin's grip.

And how does that work? Let me quote the great 19th century preacher, Charles Spurgeon:

We go to Christ for forgiveness, and then too often look to the law (our own effort) for power to fight our sins. Paul thus rebukes us, "Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" To give an illustration-you want to overcome an angry temper, how do you go to work? It is very possible you have never tried the right way of going to Jesus with it. How did I get salvation? I came to Jesus just as I was, and I trusted him to save me. I must kill my angry temper in the same way? It is the only way in which I can ever kill it. I must go to the cross with it, and say to Jesus, "Lord, I trust thee to deliver me from it." This is the only way to give it a death-blow. Are you covetous? Do you feel the world entangle you? You may struggle against this evil so long as you please, but if it be your besetting sin, you will never be delivered from it in any way but by the blood of Jesus. Take it to Christ. Tell him, "Lord, I have trusted thee, and thy name is Jesus, for thou dost save thy people from their sins; Lord, this is one of my sins; save me from it!" Ordinances are nothing without Christ as a means of mortification (putting our sins to death). Your prayers, and your repentences, and your tears-the whole of them put together-are worth nothing apart from him.

When we are overwhelmed with the impossibility of holiness, let the cry of our diseased souls be only to Jesus. "Heal me, O Lord and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved" (Jeremiah 17:14)

Staying on the Path

This week it finally happened. After months of waiting for an extended warming trend, the ice on our driveway melted enough for us to use the correct driveway path for the first time all winter. To understand this strange statement, you need to know that our driveway is about 300 feet long and has a pretty healthy bend in the middle of it. Without even knowing it, we spent the better part of the winter missing the bend and driving over a portion of ground that doesn't even have gravel underneath it. How would that happen? Why would we find ourselves making ruts in the snow over an area that is not even part of our proper driveway? Simple. The plow that came through after the first big snowstorm in December missed. And since the snow just kept on coming, we never recognized the mistake until the ground started to thaw in earnest these past few weeks and a few huge mudholes threatened to swallow our car.

While many Christians would admit that they have their share of struggles, few believe that they are really vulnerable to getting "off track" or "losing their way". But when Jesus instructed his disciples about the last days, he repeatedly mentioned deception as being a primary danger (4 times in 20 verses of Matthew 24). And He seemed to focus his warning on one particular danger: false Christs (v. 24).

Is it possible that in raising such a concern, Jesus was quietly warning us that the end times will be characterized by teachers who present a "Jesus" who doesn't clearly match the one revealed in the Scriptures? What if the Biblical Jesus here was warning about the teachers of our day who subtly give us a "Jesus" who winks at sin, and acts as if compromise is just part of what it means to walk in "grace" (and not of the true Jesus who speaks of grace as something that leads us to confront and overcome sin, not excuse it - Titus 2:11-12). What if He was asking that we beware of today's Christian books which present a "Jesus" who might enjoy sitting down and "dialoguing" about the morality of cohabitation, or casual drug and alcohol use (saying nothing of the Biblical Jesus who, while He didn't condemn the woman caught in adultery, He did lovingly and firmly instruct her to "Go and sin no more")? What if He was wanting us to watch out for teaching about a "Christ" who just asks for us to obey a certain set of religious rules and then allows us to continue to indulge in a few "heart" sins (Never really telling us of the true Christ who earnestly desires that we enter into a love relationship with Him that involves ALL of our heart, soul, mind and strength)? Or what if the real Jesus in Matthew 24 was warning of the very insidious tendency of his followers to create a personal "Christ" which suits their own fancies — one that excuses pride, selfishness, or resentment; a "Christ" that accepts a small and insignificant place in their day-to-day life and minimizes their particular patterns of sin as being "not all that bad"?

In the sermon on the mount, Jesus clearly taught that the gate that leads to life is very narrow. The well trampled paths, even within orthodox Christianity, may have been blazed by someone who missed the truth! If there is not a hunger in our souls to know the true Jesus, whatever this knowledge costs us, perhaps we don't have Him at all. And this is a sinkhole that we cannot afford to fall into.

So how can we avoid being deceived in such confusing times? Our only hope is to cling to the True Shepherd who promises to lead "in paths of righteousness for his name's sake" (Psalm 23:3) and cling to His word which promises to be "a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." ( Psalm 119:105)

Lessons from the Snow

I woke up this morning to an inch or two of new snow. It's decorating the evergreens around our house and blanketing over the old grey stuff that had been slowly melting since December. But beyond the surprise of another layer of winter, the new snow reminded me of some of the most precious thoughts that the Scriptures give to Christians walking through a fallen world.

The problem with walking through a fallen world is that the dirt and grime of it tends to rub off on us. No matter how much we seek to insulate ourselves, we all are generally affected by the attitudes and values of ungodly people and influences around us. Add to that picture the challenge of keeping our own corrupt hearts in line (hearts which Scripture says are "deceitfully wicked") and it is no surprise that Christians struggle with a certain level of "soul pollution", something that can build up over time. There is a "whole body" cleaning that goes on when a person trusts Christ as his Savior, but Jesus told his disciples that even those whose bodies have been cleaned must wash their feet (John 13:10). By this, I believe that Jesus meant that the sins which fasten themselves to us as we walk through this filthy world, must be confessed and renounced. They are not to be ignored or minimized, but brought to God for fresh cleansing.(1 John 1:8-9)

And this is where the illustration of snow comes in. Snow is used at least 2 times in scripture to picture the grace of God in cleansing sin.

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.(Ps 51:7)

But what is it about snow that makes it such an apt picture of forgiveness? Well, here are a few thoughts to consider:

1. Snow covers up junk
After our area received over 80 inches of snow in December, there was absolutely no evidence that I had a scrap wood pile behind my shed. And the wheelbarrow that had been out by the driveway was no longer even visible. So it is when God's grace cleans our souls. God's forgiveness never denies the truth that we have sinned, it simply treats us as if we did not —all because of Jesus. (2 Cor 5:21) Isn't it amazing that God offers this kindness to ones as unworthy as ourselves. Amazing Grace indeed!

2. Snow is beautiful.
Fresh snow covering every stump and weed (and wheelbarrow) not only hides their ugliness, but clothes them with beauty. There are few scenes as stunningly beautiful as forest meadow immediately after a heavy snowfall. The ordinary becomes extraordinary, and the mundane becomes magnificent. Such is the grace of God in granting forgiveness of our sin. Even Jesus' disciples marveled at the heartfelt expression of worship that the sinful woman performed on Jesus when she washed his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. Jesus commended her and explained that the beauty of her devotion was the direct outcome of God's forgiveness of her many sins. Grace does that.

3. Snow brings peace.
Just as there are few things as beautiful as the landscape after a snowstorm, there are few things that are more peaceful than a quiet place after heavy snow. Even as a child, I remember plopping down to make a snow angel then just laying there enjoying the quietness and peace that the new snow brought to my little world. Road noise was muffled, everything was still. Taking a walk in the woods after a snow is even more striking as all the hubbub of life seems to settle down and melt into the fluffy powder that surrounds me. Similarly, the grace of God in forgiving sin brings peace. The condemning cries of Satan and gentle appeals of conscience are both stilled in the atmosphere of tenderness and reassurance from God. All is forgiven, all is well. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."(Romans 5:1)

So if the grace of God in forgiving sin is so wonderful, why do we so often carry around the deadening baggage of unconfessed sin? There are probably many factors, but part of it is that Christians today have somehow adopted a very casual attitude toward sin. We call it a mistake, or poor judgment or maybe a character flaw or a personal weakness, but hesitate to call it what it really is--a transgression of God's holy law. The truth is that sin is offensive to God. It is rebellion against the One who created us and it sent His Son to an agonizing death on the cross. Sometimes the problem is not that we are minimizing our sin, but that we haven't even stopped long enough to consider our ways. Have I failed God in any way? Are there any "pet sins" that I'm trying to hide or justify? Have I neglected Him or His word? Have my attitudes been right? Is my heart soft toward God and others? When we are finished examining ourselves, the prayer that David prayed can often bring even more light -- light that we desperately need, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24)

I think that when we quietly cover our sin or try to live as if it's ok with God, we not only disappoint our heavenly Father whose name is Holy, we also show that we have forgotten the tremendous blessings that He gives when we unload the burden at the feet of Jesus, acknowledging our failure and asking for forgiveness and the power to change. Our resistance to the Spirit's nudges ultimately only hurts ourselves. God's precious promise that if we will return to the Lord, "he will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:7) Those who ignore this call not only consign themselves to burdened-down lives, but miss out on the most blessed kind of snowstorm.

Substitutions: Why Revival Tarries

Growing up with a mother who is an excellent cook is a blessing. But in spite of her culinary prowess, there was one menu item my mom failed to consistently master over the years . . . biscuits. Somehow, she regularly committed the same faux pas in preparing them. By all outward appearances, the biscuits looked just as they should. However, some unfortunate family member would inevitably be the first to take a bite of a steaming buttered biscuit only to discover that once again my mother had substituted baking soda for baking powder... Now there are some substitutions in cooking that work beautifully, but just ask any of my siblings who decades later still have the flavor of baking soda biscuits indelibly printed on their taste buds---there are some substitutions in cooking that can ruin a good recipe. When it comes to biscuits, the long term effect of bad substitutions is insignificant, but when it comes to the kingdom of God, the results can be disastrous.

As the Christian community has walked through the past 10 months, there has been a growing concern about our country. With a significant presidential election, the unstable prices of fuel and food, and the cataclysmic economic rumblings, Christians are wrestling to find a place to put our feet. Inevitably as we have heard these numerous concerns expressed, most of us have probably heard the well known verse quoted again: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (II Chronicles 7:14)

Is it my imagination, or is this verse not quoted with quite the same confidence and bravado today as it was quoted in years past? How many times have we as Christians claimed the promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14 for our country only to be disappointed with the lack of visible results? Certainly the Word and promises of God stand true. Even if our faith falters, the character and power of God has not changed. Just over 150 years ago, in the midst of similar financial and cultural turmoil, regular people began to pray and God answered by bringing over one million people (out of the 30 million total US population at that time) into the kingdom of God in one year (read more here). Less than 50 years ago, God sent a similar revival that swept Canada and rippled throughout the world (watch a wonderful testimony here). Why isn't God doing similar things today?

At the heart of the problem is a substitution so subtle and yet so significant that it has hindered the hand of God from doing all that He longs to do. In our concern for our country, we have clung to the promise found in this verse, viewing it as a checklist of what we must do in order to save our land. However, God never intended the Scriptures to be a formula for success. They were meant to reveal the heart and character of God and His provision of a Savior for our sins--so that we could know and love Him. All too often we look to God only for the gifts He will give us, not for the loving relationship He desires to have with us. Can we really grasp how He loves us and longs for us to love Him in return?

William Mason put it so beautifully in his devotional entitled "Christ is All":

"We were once stout-hearted rebels against His crown and government! But, O the love of His royal heart! Instead of executing fierce vengeance upon us, for our sins—lo, He came from heaven to earth, with a flame of love in His heart, and matchless grace on His lips—on purpose . . .
-to die for us,
-to wash us from our sins in His own blood,
-to conquer the rebellion of our hearts against Him,
-and to win our affections to Him."(more here)

All too often we live our days in quiet unbelief and rebellion against our Savior, pursuing sin or seeking fulfillment in things that were meant to add joy to our lives but never satisfy the deepest longings of our heart. When we live this way, the Living God, the Creator of the Universe is relegated to a smaller and smaller place, until we are fully on the throne of our hearts. How subtly this happens. We seldom intend to make this substitution, but in the busy daily choices of life we inevitably let the love of family, pleasure, and self crowd out our beloved Savior. And when His love and blessings fail to woo us, His only remaining option is to slowly allow difficult circumstances to catch us off guard enough so that we can hear His still small voice calling us to return to Him. All too often when things get uncomfortable, instead of seeing our own desperate need, we take a verse that is calling us to return to a love relationship with Him and turn it into a checklist of things to do. . . .all the while keeping our heart cool toward Him and holding on to our favorite sins.

William Mason clarifies the real thrust of 2 Chronicle 7:14:

"O for a single eye to look unto Jesus, a humble heart to sit at His feet, and a simple soul to hear and believe every word from His gracious lips, that we may know the love of Christ—constantly know it by a heartfelt sense of it. This, this is the one thing needful—to make poor sinners rich, and miserable sinners happy in time, and joyful to all eternity!

Remember your chief employment. It is not merely to make a profession, and to keep up a form of godliness; but to maintain and keep up a warm, lively, comfortable sense of the love of Christ in your hearts, from day to day, yes, from hour to hour!" (more here)

When we return to God with our whole heart, He can heal our land because He can finally heal us. He can heal our land because the very instruments that He chooses to use to bring salvation and wholeness to a lost and dying world are finally "fit for the Master's use". Unbelievers will then begin to sense their need for a Savior, not because of the persuasiveness of our words, but because of the contrast in our lives. And there is no substitute for that.

Some have called for a day of prayer and fasting on Monday, November 3. We urge you to prayerfully consider setting aside this day, especially in light of the elections on Tuesday.

Wrong Turns

In the early years of our marriage. Tim and I were agonizing over a decision to relocate. Moving would mean advancing toward our goal of going overseas as missionaries; remaining where we were meant putting our dreams on hold. We prayed, read Scripture and even put out a fleece. Finally, Tim made the decision that we should indeed relocate. In spite of several hesitations, we followed the light that we seemed to have and went ahead in faith. For the next three years things seemed to fall into place for us, at least outwardly. Within a few months of our move we had an income, a church and circle of godly Christian friends. In a short time, Tim was serving on the elder board and was even asked to consider coming on staff of our church, one of the largest, growing churches in the area. However, in spite of outward appearances, it became increasingly apparent that our decision to move had been a wrong turn. For all of our efforts to try to push the door open, it seemed that we simply could not move ahead toward the mission field.

In the months and even years that followed we have wrestled with the question as to where we went wrong. We were seeking God's will. We were reading the Scriptures. What happened? Why were we so misguided?

When Christians are faced with such circumstances, it is easy to just wallow in unbelief, to point the blame at everyone else including God, rather than look at ourselves. We come by it honestly--even a cursory look at Adam and Eve in the garden reminds us of that. However, if we are to move beyond our impulse to blame God for our own mistakes in decision making, we must take His Word in one hand and a mirror and the other and begin to look at both. As we have struggled personally with our own confusing experiences, we have come to some conclusions that are helpful in evaluating the past and navigating the future.

1. Anyone can be deceived, even me.
This might be the most humbling step in the whole process--actually admitting that we were mistaken about God's will-- but it is also perhaps the most important. As long as we are denying our part in the mess, we cannot correct our thinking and learn from the experience. The same Scripture passage that tells us that our hearts are wicked also tells us that they are "deceitful above all things" Jeremiah 17:9

2. Mixed motives muddy the waters regarding God's will.
We learned the hard way that it is possible to think that you want God's will while still putting limits on what you will or won't do. In our case, God was asking us to lay aside our desire to serve Him overseas. A career in missions sounds so spiritual and worthwhile but even such a desire can hide all kinds of selfish motives. For both of us, our pure motives were so entangled with selfish motives that it was difficult to discern the" less than godly" ones. We have since learned to ask God to purify our hearts -- to bring us to the place where we have no personal will in the matter. We need hearts that are open to whatever God has for us and desire His glory above any personal benefit . Anything less, and we are opening ourselves up to self-deception.

3. Pride fogs our thinking.
In Obediah 1:3 God told the people of Edom that the pride of their heart had deceived them. Pride is like an iceberg. Far more lurks below the surface than we can imagine. Dislodging it is a slow, painful process. It requires that we repent every time God exposes another facet of our self-centeredness and that we ask Him again to change us. In spite of the difficulty of this fight, it is one of our most significant battles as God warns us in James 4:6-10 that He opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. When we have a proud heart, we don't seek Him or his help the way we should and often find ourselves wandering off.

4. Knowing God and His Word are a tremendous safeguard.
It is possible to think that you are doing the right thing but be mistaken because you lack the knowledge of God and His Word that you need. The Scripture has numerous examples of this. One of the most striking occurred when Uzzah was struck down by God for trying to steady the ark with his hand (1 Chronicles 13:7-10). This priest was trying to do a seemingly spiritual thing but died in the process. What went wrong? The truth was that Uzzah and Ahio were handling the ark in the wrong manner. If they had been carrying the ark using poles as God had instructed, the disaster would never have happened. Perhaps these men thought that God would wink at their methods because their objectives were noble. God's punishment may seem severe to us, but we need to consider who they were.These men were priests. They were the ones who were to bring the Word of God to the people. They should have known and valued God's instructions on how to transport one of the most holy things that God had entrusted to the nation of Israel. - How well do you know what the Word of God has to say about the issues of your life? Are you concerned that you might be ignorant of commands or not really understand God and the things that are on His heart?The Holy Spirit promises to teach us all things but He cannot do it in a vacuum.

5. Oftentimes, the way back is the way forward.
God is a God of second chances, but He is also a God who calls us to deal with past failures honestly and thoroughly. The word "repent" always preceded the word "believe" when Jesus was preaching about the kingdom of God. In order to move forward after a misstep, God would have us go back, acknowledge our failures with all the humility and honesty that we can muster, and then "get back on where we got off". Sweeping such things under the rug (our strong tendency) only sets us up to repeat the mistakes instead of learning from them.

It is reassuring to remember that even with the worst of mistakes, we need not despair. God still is able to work all things together for good and use even our foibles to bring blessing. Whether our wandering is from willfulness or ignorance (or some combination of the two), God's ultimate desire is that the bumps and bruises that we experience along the way will lead us to a closer relationship to Him. He wants us to learn through our mistakes that the safest place to be is as close to Him as we can get.

"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye." Psalm 32:8

– Kristen and Tim Martin

The Hidden Half

We were taking one last hike before the snowfall when one of the kids noticed an odd site. A large chunk of tree had washed up on the shoreline of Lake Pend Oreille. I say "a chunk of tree" because it wasn't a log, and it wasn't a branch. It was probably 15 feet of trunk, with a large tangle of branches on top--or at least they looked kind of like branches... But a closer inspection led us to conclude that the tangle of branches were really a tangle of roots. A lengthy soak in swashing lake water had removed every clod of dirt, exposing the elaborate root system of a "once mighty" pine tree.



I walked along pondering what an unusual sight we had just seen. This tree's substantial (but normally invisible) undergirding was exposed to us for careful examination, raising questions about why it fell, and how it washed up on this lonely beach. I also began to consider what a picture this chunk of tree painted of fallen creatures like ourselves.

I believe that in every life, it is the hidden portion that really determines its health. The half of ourselves that is visible to others might receive most of our attention, but it is in the creases of our soul that true health is either cultivated or diminished. As Soloman once wrote, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23) But how are we to keep our heart? And how is it that our roots can develop into a source of strength, nourishment and stability?

Strong Soil
Jesus once explained that one who heard his words and obeyed them was like a man building his house upon a rock. (Matthew 7:24-27) The durability of the house had less to do with the materials used to build the house, but more to do the stability of its foundation. So we must ask ourselves, "How do I cope when the storms of life arrive and strength is demanded? Where does my heart turn in moments of weakness? What do I do when my best solutions seem woefully inadequate?" More than 30 times God in Scripture called himself a Rock--a source of strength and refuge. More specifically, Jesus is called the spiritual Rock (1 Cor. 10:4) and described as One upon whom we can build. (1 Cor. 3:11) Roots that are grown deep into the Lord Jesus Christ will add stability that we desperately need in these days.

Nourishing Soil
Roots have a way of seeking nutrients from whatever soil they are planted in. They can even be very strong roots, but if the ground is void of nourishment, the tree is hindered from growing. People sometimes form deep roots into nutritionally barren soil. Oh, how deeply we dig our hearts into activities, projects and relationships with hopes of finding some food for the hunger of our souls only to find that in spite of all the effort and energy invested, we are hungry still. Jesus said, " I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." (John 6:35) A heart that quietly looks to Jesus for nourishment will find itself strengthened and satisfied.

In a sense, when we first come to believe on Christ, a root of life is established in our souls. (2 Cor. 5:17) But if that root is not firmly and intentionally attached to Jesus, we can find ourselves weak, unstable and barren. Sometimes an honest recognition of soul barrenness, and the urgent pangs of soul hunger are really a call from God to repent of our foolish outward focus and to draw near to Christ in earnest faith with that hidden half of us. God will do the rest.

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:6-7)

Reaching Back

It was a weird feeling, fumbling through a big box of art supplies that I hadn't even looked at for probably 15 years. But there it all was just as I remembered it. A dusty little box of pastels, a mechanical drawing pencil, some color chips from color theory class 26 years ago, and even the object of my search--a medicine bottle full of pen nibs. I pulled out the nib holder, grabbed the nibs and an old bottle of india ink and made my way back to my graphic design office. It was kind of fun to look through all those old familiar tools but the real reason for the trip down memory lane was to create a pen and ink drawing for a newspaper advertisement. Computers have replaced almost all the need that I have for those art supplies, but there are some things that I can't do on the computer--and drawing cartoons is one of them. So after a few minutes of experimenting with the dipping, drawing and dipping again, it was all coming back to me and within a short time I had the cartoon completed. I was reminded again that sometimes the only way forward is to reach back.

Are there times in the life of the modern day Christian when God would have us reach back and return to some of the simple truths that we have all but forgotten? As years turn into decades, sometimes simple, yet powerful thoughts from earlier times get lost in the shuffle. Slowly but surely, we are molded into the shape of the current evangelical culture (weak as it is). Everything seems to look ok on the outside (especially in comparison to some Christians around us), but inside there are raging issues that most of the latest books from the Christian bookstore seem powerless to address. What about the Christian who privately struggles seething anger? Or one who finds it difficult to develop a real and earnest relationship with God? How is it that God helps a person deal with skeletons of their past? Or enables them to get close to others? How does he empower a Christian to overcome a secret habit?

Sometimes the only way forward is to reach back. When the church at Ephesus was found to have lost their way (Rev. 2:1-5), Jesus identified that their real problem was that they had lost their first love. Although outwardly they seemed to be doing all the right things, their hearts had grown cold toward their Savior. The Lord's instruction for them was to Remember, Repent and Return. That is, Remember how it used to be when they were close to Jesus and how far away from Him they had moved, Repent for allowing their hearts to grow cold towards Him, and Return to the manner of life they had left behind. Jesus didn't point them forward to a new approach to their problems or a new set of hoops to jump through in order to overcome, he pointed them backward to acknowledge their failure to love Him. And to embrace Him again, doing anew the things they had done back when they were close to Him.

The process of turning back to Jesus is not complicated, it is very simple really. It is laying down the self-sufficiency and self reliance and looking to a Person to make us whole and strong again. It is walking by his side through our days, with our Bible in one hand and heartfelt prayers about all that life brings in the other. It is choosing to make loving Him the goal instead of serving Him or even imitating Him. It is remembering again how selflessly and sacrificially He has loved us and responding with a lifestyle of gratitude and wonder.

Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Jude 21

Mirror Moments

It was one of those "mirror moments". One of my children had just done something that made me grimace. Why did this little stunt cause such a response in me? It wasn't that the behavior was so offensive, but that I knew that he had learned that particular behavior from me. Sadly, the apple wasn't falling far from the tree...

"Mirror moments" are one of the bittersweet parts of parenting because they come in two different forms. It is truly a sweet experience when we catch one of our children imitating one of the good qualities or habits that have managed to develop in our lives over the years. Who can help but smile when we see our child bow in prayer when they can't find their favorite book, or display kindness toward a new kid at soccer. But then there are those painful times when we instead find them imitating our faults. "Oh no," we think. "This bad behavior that I've struggled so much with in my life is being picked up by my child!" Many parents see this pattern, feel overwhelmed and then just ignore the whole situation. In spite of how we FEEL at such a time, I'm convinced that these little events are one of the hidden treasures of parenting. God has blessed us with children partly because of the purifying effect of such moments, both for ourselves and for our children.

Now in order to benefit from our "mirror moments" we need to recognize what God is trying to do in them. What is the purpose of a mirror? It is to show us what we look like. When I find a piece of food on my collar on my way out the door, I can ignore the mirror and refuse to look at it any more, or I can be grateful that the mirror has helped me identify a problem that needs to be taken care of. God allows these moments of self-discovery with our children because He dearly wants to make us holy like He is. To do any less than gaze honestly into the mirror is to miss the blessing that God has in such encounters.

But to change, ah, that is is the difficulty. It is one thing to honestly look, but how does "looking" translate into "changing"? This is where another function of a mirror comes into play. What if instead of noticing a piece of food on my collar I notice a cancerous growth on my forehead? In this case, the mirror functions to show not only what I look like, but also whether the problem I discover is something that I can take care of on my own or not. In the case of a spot of melanoma, I desperately need the help of something or someone outside of myself. I have discovered something about myself for which I have no power to adequately address! Isn't this a picture of the sin patterns of our lives? Bold resolutions and creative strategies for change only end up highlighting what an honest look in the mirror should have told us. We are out of our league and desperately need help.

Uncomfortable as it is, this is exactly where our loving Heavenly Father wants us. It is not until we recognize our helplessness that we will look to the only One who can really do what is needed. When we finally turn the mirror away from ourselves and point it toward Christ, we will begin to notice change taking place in our areas of struggle. "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Cor. 3:18 As by the Spirit of the Lord?! Could it be that there is a Divine Physician who can rescue me from the patterns of sin that plague me and my children? Yes! And as we believe this wonderful truth and persevere in believing (trustingly obey), He quietly brings the healing and freedom that we long for.

But how does this all benefit my children who have picked up my bad habits? It is only this. Children don't need instructors as badly as they need examples. As I look to Jesus and allow His Spirit to deliver me from my sin, I will do far more for my child than I would by just confronting them about an area of sin in their life (although this is very important).I will be showing them how to overcome. And thus God allows the "mirror moments" to become a precious treasure to us both.