The field trip

I've had several conversations recently with people about faith and trust. And while it is certainly true that you can't give someone faith and trust and you can't teach someone faith and trust, you sure can be an example for them. 

We can sit in the "classroom" of Bible class and see examples of other people, but to truly gain faith and trust of our own we need to go beyond "the classroom" and go " on the field trip," the field of the reality of life.

It is in the struggles, the raging Rapids, in the muck where we can really grasp onto the substance of faith and trust. 

All aboard the bus. We're going on a field trip. 

Beauty Contest

Beauty Contest

When I was younger I always enjoyed watching a beauty contest on TV. Whether it was Miss America or Miss Universe, it was fun to watch. 

I did not know these young women and tried to pick favorites as they were introduced based solely on their appearance. Then as the field was narrowed down and we, the audience, learned a little more, my field of favorites narrowed too. 

Then came the bathing suit part and the form of the young lady is revealed. 

Then the evening gown competition and you get a glimpse of her grace.

And then there is talent and finally the "question" that is supposed to demonstrate her character.

And finally a winner is chosen. Very often my first choices were not the final winner. 

The older I get, the less I watch these competitions and now hardly ever watch. I have come to realize that my ideas and thoughts of beauty seldom match what the world values.

When I read from the book of Esther, I often wonder why this book which seems very much like a beauty contest is included in the Bible.

I know that God has a plan for this world. I know that God will use anyone for His purpose. I know that God will raise people up at that proper time and equip them for His service. I also know that God loves and watches over His people.

Some background:

1. The Jewish people were living in exile. (God's preferred punishment for these disobedient children) 

2. The King was showing off his kingdom for 180 days.

3. A 7 day feast was given, everyone in the land from the greatest to the least was invited and all food and wine was free!

4. On the final day of the feast the King wanted the Queen by his side.

5. She refused.

6. The King sought the wisdom of council as to what he should do.

7. They advised, he followed their advice.

So a contest ensued to find a new queen.

There are so many lessons in this book. It is rich with application for us, but I will focus for now, on the obvious, the beauty contest.

One definition of beauty is: unity and balance, symmetry and harmony of parts.

In the second chapter of Esther we see that Esther has found favor. 

1. She was attractive enough to be chosen.

2.  She left her familiar.

3. She followed the regimen required of her.

4. She Met expectations. 

5. She was chosen as a finalist.  

6. She Was presented to the King.

7. He chose her by name.

I can understand now why this book is included in the Bible? You see, it is more than a shallow beauty contest. And God could have used another person or even changed circumstances if He had wanted to. But like I stated before, this book is rich with lessons and this lesson in particular may be just right for me. 

1. Does God see something in me that can be used for His purpose?

2. Am I willing to be uncomfortable to be used by Him?

3. Will I strictly follow (be obedient) His requirements?

4. Will I study God's word to His approval?

5. Am I committed to the end?

6. I will face The King

7. Will He know me, will He give me a new name?

My life is not a beauty contest and there is nothing at all shallow about living for God. My soul purpose is to be willing to be used by Him, and to be pleasing in that purpose. 

I know and understand that God's view of beauty differs from mine. But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at just his appearance, For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 ESV)

Help me Lord, to be willing to be used by You. Give me cleansing and purify me of anything that hinders my service. Equip me and build me up in ways that will make me most useful to You. Help me as I struggle with commitment and send encouragers when my faith wavers.

I look forward to the day I see You. 

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. (Proverbs 31:30 ESV)

Window Shopping

Not too long ago my husband and I visited Arizona. We had a great time at the Grand Canyon and sightseeing other places. 

I enjoyed the scenery and the people and places that we visited. And I wanted to purchase some mementos of our travels. In particular, I wanted a rug or two that was woven by the native Americans. So my husband, being the good sport that he is, drove me around to many little stores trying to find what I wanted. We continued to leave each shop disappointed because they didn't have them or they only had the cheap, manufactured ones.

Finally after driving for miles we found a shop that had exactly what I wanted hanging in the front windows. So Bill parked the car and being too frustrated to go along, he waited in the car.

The shop owner was busy with another customer so I looked around and saw a few more rugs. I picked the one that I liked but couldn't find a price tag on it. As a matter of fact I couldn't find a price tag on any of them. 

Once the shop owner was free she came over to me. I asked how much the rugs were. ( Honestly, It didn't matter, I was going to buy one no matter the cost.) 

"It's not for sale." She remarked. 

"What about the others?" I inquired.

"They are not for sale either." She responded.

"Then why do you have them?" I wanted to know.

"They are decor." She stated.

"But then you shouldn't put them in the window. It is deceptive." 

She shrugged and asked if she could help me with anything else. Obviously she had grown impatient with me and my frustration was clearly evident. 

"No, thank you. I only want rugs." And I left very disappointed and gave up the shopping excursion for the day.

I wondered why someone would put things in their windows that weren't for sale. To me that was very deceptive and just used as an allure to bring me to something that I could not have.

All of this reminded me of a young girl that dressed very immodestly and then got very upset when everyone thought of her as someone with loose morals. 

What you portray is what is seen. Perception is reality to the shopper. If you are showing it off, you should expect to have some interest. 

Ladies, the Bible speaks very clearly on modesty. There are many scriptures that speak on the matter. I like these.

FOR HIM and FROM HIM and THROUGH HIM and TO HIM are (ALL) things. Therefore I urge you, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. (Romans 11:36,12:1 NASB) emphasis mine

If you are Godly, you should be Godly ALL the time! It should be your life and your motivation for all you do. 

Lord, I pray that You Examine me, O LORD, and try me; Test my mind and my heart. (Psalms 26:2 NASB) help me, Lord, not to seek attention and interest from anything or anyone that would not bring glory and honor to you. Turn my attention back to remembering that YOU validate me. 

Baptism is commanded

Sin came into the world through the very first people created and rapidly got so bad that God destroyed all the peoples of the earth except for one man and his family. 

It didn't take long after the flood before people, once again, sinned against God.

God sent His laws to His people through Moses. And He made a covenant with Abraham that if they obeyed His Law the people would have life with God.

Salvation means to be saved from eternal death that sin brings.

The Law was hard to follow and obey. People turned away often. But once a year would take an unblemished animal to the priest to be a sacrifice/atonement for their sins. The animal was killed and it was the blood of the animal poured out onto the alter that brought atonement.

Prophets spoke of a promise from God, a better way, a Messiah/Savior that would bring an end to The Law and begin a new covenant.

Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of this promise.

Jesus was literally God's Word that came in the flesh. During His time on earth he prepared followers for the New Covenant, the Way that was coming to them. He chose 12 men to teach specifically and spent three years teaching them what to do after His death. 

Jesus came to die, He is the final sacrifice required by God for sin. Through Him everyone after His death/sacrifice could have full access to God's salvation.

Every Hebrew person up to the death of Jesus only had salvation by strictly adhering to The Law of God. No other people could be saved.

Peter, one of the 12 men chosen by Jesus, preached the very first sermon on the day of Pentecost, just 50 days after Passover. He preached to thousands of Hebrew people that were in the city for the event. 

When He was done telling them about Jesus and Him being their sacrifice, many of the people were sorrowful because of the death of Jesus. They asked, "What can we do?" They wanted atonement, they were repentant.

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. (Acts 2:38-40 KJV)

Salvation now (since the death of Jesus) comes only through Jesus. He was our blood sacrifice. 

Why did Peter say in the very first sermon to be baptized? be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

For the removal of your sins and to receive The Holy Spirit!

Over 3000 people believed Peters sermon that day and were baptized. And scripture says, Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:41, 42 KJV) this is The Church, the group that became known as The Way and soon known as Christians.

No where in scripture is there recorded any conversions ( people being saved) without baptism being part of it. No where!

People argue that Abraham, Noah, Jacob, Moses and even the thief on the cross were never baptized and they were saved. All of these lived and died under the old covenant of the Law. Jesus had not died yet.

Baptism is not a work done by anyone to attain salvation. However it is a vital and necessary part of salvation. Just as stated in scripture,  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Romans 6:4-6 KJV)

Salvation only comes when people believe that Jesus is God's Son that came as a sacrifice for their sin. You have to believe that because there is no other way to have eternity with God than through His Son.

A person, like the first hearers of Peter's sermon, must be sorrowful and repentant of their sin and realize that it was because of their sin Jesus sacrificed His life.

A person must gladly receive the truth and not be ashamed to confess to others what Jesus has done for all.  

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:41, 42 KJV)

Then be baptized. Those first 3000 believers didn't balk at being told to be baptized. They ran into the water to have their sins washed away, just as described in Paul's letter to the Romans chapter 6. They were so remorseful that they wanted/needed/ached to be changed and given freedom from the burden of their sin. 

The first century people that followed and believed got it. They knew how hard it was to live under and follow The Law. Many of them had seen or knew of Jesus. They were truly remorseful. They were heartsick in their sin. This is the part of salvation that most of us do not get or accept. 

I am so thankful, so grateful, so very very on my knees thrilled that God gives me a chance at eternity with Him. I know of the blackness of my heart without Him. I want my sins washed away. I want to die to my sin. I want to be free and cleansed. 

I will not seek an easy way. I will not seek a better way, there is no better sacrifice. I will not follow the deception of twisted scripture by those that would like to please the ears of the multitudes. 

I will pattern my life after Jesus. I will follow the church that He loved and gave His life for, the very church that began with Peter's sermon.

Blacksmith

Iron sharpens Iron

Have you ever seen the work of a blacksmith? 

When I drove school us, every year the elementary would go Pioneer Days. There artisans would replicate skills of days gone by. 

I always enjoyed it. But it was the blacksmith that really intrigued me. He would take a piece of iron lay in into the firepit until it glowed red from the heat. Then using heavy gloves and tongs, he would lift it from the fire, take it to the anvil, pound on it for awhile then lay it back into the fire. He repeated this process over and over until finally the object resembled what he intended. Then he would plunge it into cold water to "set" the iron. 

Now if he was crafting a knife blade or sword he would sharpen the blade using a grinding stone. He would peddle the contraption which would turn the grinding wheel then hold the iron blade against the stone, turning and angling until the blade was sharp enough to shave the hair from his arm. 

It was quite a process. The blacksmith is always very muscular.  He worked long and hard and was always very dirty. It was noisy, hot, and always there were sparks flying.

This verse reminds me of the blacksmith.

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17 NIV)

It is not always pleasant to have good Christian friends. Sometimes they will have to be the iron that sharpens you.

If I get off the pathway in my walk with The Lord, I am counting on those walking with me to get me back on track. 

There are distractions along the way, maybe butterflies, flowers, or maybe another path that looks wider, flatter and easier. Maybe I will get tripped up or have to cross streams. Maybe there will be heavy storms. But I must stay on the path that God has made. It is not straight or wide.

I will need help to stay there, and that help comes from my friends, my blacksmiths. I might need you to be heated with me. I might need hammered into shape. I might need you to leave me cool for awhile. I might need you to grind at me until there are sparks. 

It will be painful. I might not like it. I may hate it. But when it's done. I will be better for it. 

It won't be easy for you either. It will get hot. You will have to get down and dirty. 

But in the end, I will be what I am intended to be and you will have grown stronger too.

Are you up for it. 

Please keep me sharp. Don't shrink back from the task. My soul may depend on it.

God's recipe

One time when my daughter was very small she wanted to surprise us by baking a cake all by herself. So I gave her a recipe and told her to follow it exactly. 

"I can do it, Mommy. Go away." 

I stayed a little longer trying to explain about the oven and being sure to use oven mitts. "Mommy, I can do it."

So I left her to the task.

Hours later for dessert we washed down (with much milk) the flattest, hardest, driest cake ever baked. But we ate it with love knowing that it was baked with love. 

So the next day I asked my daughter to help me bake a cake. We set the oven temp. We lined up all the ingredients. And measured and mixed and baked. It was a beautiful cake.

She admitted that she dumped all ingredients into the bowl and mixed it all up at once then put the pan into the oven without preheating. 

She used all the right ingredients on the recipe, she baked the exact number of minutes, but did not follow the directions. 

Many people do the same with God's word. They want to do it their own way without following exactly. God expects righteousness and obedience. We can only be righteous and obedient by following His "recipe" precisely the way He intended it. 

The Bible is not a buffet, where we can pick and choose the verses that we like and leave the rest.

Mouse traps

Every November my husband and son-in-law go out of state deer hunting. A group of men lease an old farm house and they use it as a hunting cabin. So other than the one month of deer season, the house is unused. Well, unused by humans. 

During the warmer months, the flies invade. And then as cooler weather comes the mice come inside. 

So when the men show up and turn on the heat and stock the cupboards, these critters and pests show up.

Anyway, about a year or so ago my son-in-law took his son. And another one of the men took his son. The boys were about 12 years old. 

The men had hung sticky flypaper to try to capture the flies and also placed several sheets of glue paper mousetraps around the house. During the night a mouse got caught on the glue paper. (Now, in my opinion, I think this stuff is crazy horrible. It traps the critters but then what?)

Anyway the two boys rescued the little mouse from the sticky paper but then they decided to torture it. (I will spare you the details.) but in the end, it was dead!

I was reminded of this when I was sharing with a friend how I overcome bad thoughts and feelings of dread and fear. I shared the verse from 2 Corinthians that says,

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV)

Can you picture it? Thoughts and fears crowd into your mind and then doubt creeps in and your faith starts to waver. But then, you scoop up those thoughts and fears and smash them in your hands. You put a stop to the doubts creeping in by standing up to them. These fears, doubts, worries, what-ifs, are no match to the promises of God. You squash them. 

Take these things captive! You are large and in charge. Doubt and fear come from Satan, the stealer of our joy. He wants us to quiver and shake. Take that power away from him.