I guess one more today!

My dear friend, Erica, is going to have a rough weekend. 

Because it is the birthday of her son who only lived 3 days. 

Do you know what their family is asking others to do in his memory?

Bless people.

Don’t you love it?

They want to love others and have the Most High glorified in their grief.

Visit her blog and download the printable and get busy on Saturday showing love to people who need it! 

I can’t wait to do this with my little family! 

Thank You, Jesus, for sweet Seth’s time here. 

Be glorified in our shared grief as we weep with those who weep and bless others through the tears.

I think I’ve told you I like to make it a habit of getting down on my face first thing in the morning and do a couple things in my heart.  First, to “settle the matter of authority” as Beth Moore says.  To make sure I’ve, again, surrendered Who is in charge.  There are a couple of more personal petitions I make, but I also try to ask, “What message does the Lord have for his servant?” as encouraged in the Bible Study I quoted yesterday.  Some days, there is no message.  Other days, there is.  And it might not “flow” nicely.  But, hey, I’m a P on the MBTI, so I’m cool with it. 

All that to say…here’s the quote that is swishing around in my brain.  I didn’t write where it came from when I copied it down, but I’m pretty sure it’s from this book.  And I don’t mean for it to come across as authoritative.  Just some food for thought.

“At the heart of mature masculinity is a sense of benevolent responsibility to lead, provide for and protect women in ways appropriate to a man’s differing relationships.

At the heart of mature femininity is a freeing disposition to affirm, receive and nurture strength and leadership from worthy men in ways appropriate to a woman’s differing relationships.”

What do you think about that one?

Oh my.  Today’s word is very long.  Please, please keep in mind I was not looking for this today.  Here it comes:

Psalm 133: “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!  It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes.  It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.  For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.”

“As a result of the division after Solomon’s reign, some of the kingdom references in the historical annals of Israel could apply to the Northern Kingdom (Israel) or to the Southern Kingdom (Judah).  The priesthood, however, was all-encompassing.  It was established in the infancy of Israel and was dictated by God to be a lasting ordinance…

The idea of Hermon’s dew falling on Mount Zion may have found great significance among the pilgrim songs because it gave imagery to ‘the people of the northern kingdom’ flowing ‘down upon Zion, the center of the southern kingdom.’  During those three pilgrim journeys a year, the wayward, broken streams of north and south came together as one river.  ‘Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!’ (KJV)

The tragic division into two kingdoms also resulted in loss of identity.  The reason the people ultimately took on the name ‘Judah-ites’ (shortened to ‘Jews’) is because the tribe of Judah alone retained a measure of its unity.  We may shake our heads and think what a pity before the reality hits us that Christians split into much more than half.  We have splintered into every conceivable twisted branch of one family tree.

I’m not just referring to denominations.  I’m talking about divisive, unloving, and arrogant attitudes rising up from among those distinctions between blood-bought, grace-taught siblings.  Eugene Peterson points out, ‘The first story in the Bible about brothers living together is the story of Cain and Abel.  And it is a murder story.  Significantly, their fight was a religious fight, a quarrel over which of them God loved best.’  We’re like that sometimes, aren’t we?  At the heart of our interfaith debates is our attempt to prove that God loves us – approves of us – more than our sibling.  But our hearts toward one another can change.  And we have the will of Christ to preapprove our request.

John 17:20-21 ‘My prayer is not for them alone.  I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.  May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.’ [emphasis mine]

Who was this prayer for?  (All who believe in Jesus)

What was the prayer for?  (Unity)

Why did Christ want it?  (So that the world would believe Jesus!)

Zephaniah 3:9 Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder. [emphasis mine]

Instead of criticizing and mocking one another, we want to ‘be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near’ (Heb. 10:24-25, HCSB)

As I’ve shared before, I was greatly relieved and freed when God helped me understand that unity does not equal uniformity.  In both the family of man and the family of God, we can be very different and yet still practice unity.  We can get along and come to love each other even if, in our human nature, we wouldn’t have preferred one another.  I’m not sure many things are more fulfilling in the Christian experience than, in the power of the Holy Spirit, finally having victory over an old area of religious prejudice.

Have you experienced overcoming religious prejudice? 

Nothing is like the holy nod of God: the sense that He is pleased by our courage to go against the grain of prevailing opinions and our own putrid flesh in order to ‘let this mind be in’ us that ‘was also in Christ Jesus’ (Phil 2:5 KJV)

Christ wants believers to be one: black, brown or white.  Charismatic or noncharismatic.  Calvinist or Arminian.  Southern Baptist or Freewill Baptist.  Add a few of your own…

What do we do about all of our very real differences?  I am a visual learner and some years ago as I first grappled with a strong burden toward unity in the body, God illustrated a concept to me through a diagram of a skeleton.  I believe He showed me that among believers in the body of Christ there are spine issues of great importance and rib issues of less importance.

Spine issues compromise the backbone of our faith.  They are biblical tenants of such importance that disagreement may mean one of us is in Christ and the other is not.  Or they mean that one is highly deceived and the other is walking in Truth.  Rib issues, in contrast, do not involve matters that threaten to break the back.  Some of them may be important to us, but they are not matters of eternal life and death.  Differences in rib issues tend to be more interpretive and less heretical…

The goal is to realize that we don’t have to agree on rib issues.  We can still thoroughly love one another even if we remain mystified as to how the other grew that odd rib.  Questions arising from our differences can also cause us to run to God’s Word and see if what we believe is biblically sound.

I have rarely seen a person change their mind about a doctrinal stand because someone shouted at them about how wrong they were. On the other hand, I have seen countless people change their positions because something drove them to the Word of God.  I saw one of them in the mirror this morning. 

Take the ‘unity’ out of ‘community’ and what you have left doesn’t even make sense.  No one in the last century has contributed more to the concept of Christian community than German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  At great expense, he led a ‘fugitive community of seminarians’ in the pursuit of truth during the Nazi regime.  During that harrowing period, he penned the following words:

‘Not what a man is in himself as a Christian, his spirituality and piety, constitutes the basis of our community.  What determines our brotherhood is what that man is by reason of Christ.  Our community with one another consists solely in what Christ has done to both of us.’

As we reflect on such powerful words of a man who lost his life for truth, let’s each think of someone we tend to dislike and feel divisive toward in the body of Christ.  Picture their face.  Recall some of the things that cause you to feel so resistant.

Without saying a name, think of several things he or she is ‘by reason of Christ.’  (Things like: Adored, Sanctified, Justified, Loved, Bought, Forgiven)

Ask Christ to cause you to couple every thought you have toward that person with these truths.  Our first real steps toward unity are not toward those we naturally like.  They’re toward those we don’t.  Jesus’ kind of unity doesn’t exist until two people stand shoulder to shoulder who before stood sword to sword.  Let’s do the hard thing.  Let’s love each other when we wouldn’t even like each other.  After all, eternity is a mighty long time to spend together…”

Stepping Up: a journey through the Psalms of Ascent by Beth Moore, pages 157-160

I’ve been the one to shake with fear

And wonder if You’re even here

I’ve been the one to doubt Your love

And told myself You’re not enough

I’ve been the one to try and say

I’ll overcome by my own strength

I’ve been the one to fall apart

And start to question Who You are

You’re the One Who conquers giants

You’re the One Who calls out kings

You shut the mouths of lions

You tell the dead to breathe

You’re the One Who walks through fire

You take the orphan’s hand

You are the one Messiah

You are I AM!

I’ve been the one held down in chains

Beneath the weight of all my shame

I’ve been the one to believe

That where I am You cannot reach

The veil is torn

And now I live with the Spirit inside!

The same One, the very same One

Who brought the Son back to life!

Hallelujah He lives in me!

Hallelujah He lives in me!

You’re the One Who conquers giants

You’re the One Who calls out kings

You shut the mouths of lions

You tell the dead to breathe

You’re the One Who walks through fire

You take the orphan’s hand

You are the one Messiah

You are I AM!

You are I AM!

– Mercy Me “You are I AM”

Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’  Then what shall I say to them?”

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.  This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.'”  (Exodus 3:13-14)

“The wind blows wherever it pleases.  You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.  So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”  (John 3:8)

We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.

– 1 Thessalonians 2:8

I thought I’d share some verse prayers I pray for our family.  His Word is powerful!

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that our words may benefit those who list (Eph 4:29)

School’s out! 

Hooray!

And, whoa. 

It’s both good and hard.

There are some ways in which I’m very spontaneous.  But I do love our school year routine. 

Fortunately, Caden made some good buddies at preschool this year who live in our area, so we’ll be having plenty of close-by, very-mommy-needed play dates.  We all tend to do better when we’re not sitting in the house all day.  That was a large understatement.

Also.  Dan has taught a 4-H camp the past several summers and this year Caden is old enough to go with him!  Everyone is very stoked.  Except little brother. Who will feel very left out.  Sad face.

I will start teaching one senior class a week at the YMCA in June.  That means we get to go to the pool and water parks this year!!  So much fun.  Dan can also have accountability and work out at the same time with friends.  It will be good for everyone. 

Dan always has lots of plans for around the house.  This summer it’s building a pergola.  Whoa.  Fortunately, his stepdad is a fabulous carpenter and can help us out.  Still.  Big project.

And of course there will be plenty of time with grandparents and cousins!  Ah, summer love.

I was thinking about personalities this morning as I set up an obstacle course for my seniors at the gym.  I think most people who know me know I’m a fan of Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator.  (That was also a large understatement.)  But I don’t know how many people I’ve told why I love it so much.  So here goes.

One of the things that delights me is that there are multiple (16) general types that can come out of it, but each type is so nuanced in itself.  For example.  My letters indicate that I am, in fact, an extravert.  Actually, what MBTI experts say is, “your primary mode of living is focused externally, where you take things in primarily via your intuition.”  So far, so good.  Yes.  I find myself so energized by people.  And I’m very aware of what’s around me.  But not the way that sounds.  Not as in: the colors of a room, what that person is wearing, if the floor is clean, or how far apart your furniture should be arranged.  I’m not focused on what I can see with my five senses. 

I am aware of other things.  How that person is feeling.  Who is in conflict with whom.  Power struggles.  Or, not struggles.  Just…how power is distributed in a particular situation.  I live in a world of ideas.  I have other Intuitive friends who say they see colors around people.  Don’t write me (them) off!  This is for reals, yo.  One friend of mine is one of the most intuitive people I’ve ever met.  And though she doesn’t walk with Jesus, I have seen God use the gift He’s given her to build others (me) up and, in turn, received glory. 

I’ve chatted with wise people about differences between natural abilities, acquired skills, and spiritual gifts.  Won’t go into that here.  Just know I realize all those things exist and work together.

Anyway, the experts say my “secondary mode is internal, where you deal with things according to how you feel about them, or how they fit in with your personal value system.” 

Know how I read that? 

My feelings are very introverted. 

Especially the most deeply-held ones.

I require a lot of time alone with my feelings to sort them through.  And most of them are projected internally, too.  I don’t often find myself raging mad at others and project deep feelings onto them.  I more often find myself taking them on; pulling them into my heart and being sad.

I hope this doesn’t sound like bragging.  Oh, Father, please no.  Just explanation.  Just some things that may come out better if I write them than try to say them.

For example.  I absolutely hate crying in public.  I used to think this was just pride, but now I am starting to see how it’s just very personal.  In fact, I like crying with someone I love.  Even ugly crying.  But usually my weeping is reserved for Him.  His lap and kind touch.  It’s just introverted.

I remember hearing Beth Moore teach on Revelation 2:17b: “To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna.  I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.”  (emphasis mine)

She said, “You don’t get to know.  Because you weren’t there.  I don’t get to know yours.  Because I wasn’t there.  Some of what we go through with Jesus is entirely personal.  You don’t get to know.”

All of this is to say: I love people and get energy from them.  But I don’t always share my innermost feelings.  Especially if I have a sense they won’t deal with them wisely or compassionately.  They don’t get to know.

A kind person asked me once what my definition of a safe person was.  I didn’t even have to think.  I go, “Someone who won’t take something they know about me and use it against me.”

Safety.  Not a right.  And not always a possibility.  Except with our God.  He is perfectly safe.  According to my definition.  Praise Him, He’s also extremely untamable. 

“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in His majesty.”  (Deuteronomy 33:26)

Oh, thank You, God.  Thank You.

You were reaching through the storm

Walking on the water

Even when I could not see

In the middle of it all

Not for a moment did You forsake me

Not for a moment did You forsake me

After all You are constant

After all You are only good

After all You are sovereign

Not for a moment will You forsake me

Not for a moment will You forsake me

You were singing in the dark

Whispering Your promise

Even when I could not hear

I was held in Your arms

Carried for a thousand miles to show

Not for a moment did You forsake me

And every step, every breath You are there

Every tear every cry every prayer

In my hurt at my worst

When my world falls down

Not for a moment will You forsake me

Even in the dark

Even when it’s hard

You will never leave me

After all

After all You are constant

After all You are only good

After all You are sovereign

Not for a moment will You forsake me

Not for a moment will You forsake me

Not for a moment will You forsake me!

– Meredith Andrews “Not For a Moment”

My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God’s Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion.  And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he’s listening.  And if we’re confident that he’s listening, we know that what we’ve asked for is as good as ours.

For instance, if we see a Christian believer sinning (clearly I’m not talking about those who make a practice of sin in a way that is ‘fatal,’ leading to eternal death), we ask for God’s help and he gladly gives it, gives life to the sinner whose sin is not fatal.  There is such a thing as a fatal sin, and I’m not urging you to pray about that.  Everything we do wrong is sin, but not every sin is fatal. 

We know that none of the God-begotten makes a practice of sin – fatal sin.  The God-begotten are also the God-protected.  The Evil One can’t lay a hand on them.  We know that we are held firm by God; it’s only the people of the world who continue in the grip of the Evil One.  And we know that the Son of God came so we could recognize and understand the truth of God – what a gift! – and we are living in the Truth itself, in God’s Son, Jesus Christ.  This Jesus is both True God and Real Life.  Dear children, be on guard against all clever facsimiles.

– 1 John 5:13-21 (Message)

Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?  I tell you, no!  But unless you repent, you too will all perish.  Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them – do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no!  But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

– Luke 13:2-5

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

– 2 Pete 3:9