It's a Boy!

Those three amazing words, whether it's a boy or a girl, are celebrated by parents. We wait with eager anticipation to find out the gender of our child. Both genders bring a unique set of joys as well as concerns. Kevin and I chose to wait until the birth to find out the gender of our children. A very wise older woman once told me that the sex of your child is the last of life's true surprises. Most of the nursing staff in the delivery department was huddled in my room eagerly anticipating the big reveal! When my nurse got out one of each of the tiny little hats, one pink and one blue, she giddily said "We hardly ever get to see the surprise of the sex. It's so exciting!" It struck me funny that people who see deliveries every day are still captivated by the proclamation of the gender of a brand new little person. Could it be because it really does matter? Maybe a person's gender does say a lot about who they are. We live in a society that is trying continually to blur the lines of gender and sexuality when we should be celebrating them! In a recent news story, (I forget about what) the journalist stated that we need to create a unisex society for the purpose of equality. This breaks my heart for so many reasons.

God created two specific and unique sexes for the human race, and they each have very specific strengths and weaknesses. There are characteristics that can be attributed to each one. . .most of the time. Stereotypes are hard. Sometimes people don't cooperate with what our expectations are. Sometimes men are sensitive, caring, and emotional. And there are women who are forceful, strong, and independent. What do we do with that?  God created each of us with a unique beautiful personality. Me for example. As a child, I wondered briefly about my sexuality. Well, I was too young for it to be directly related to my sexuality. I wondered about why I was a girl. I have always been fairly strong, "for a girl." In fourth grade I won the arm wrestling contest for my class at the school fair. I played sports, have a strong personality, am not very emotional, can figure out how to fix most things, and struggle with being merciful. God put me together perfectly for the life He had laid out for me before I was born. He knew I would be married to a man who He would have travelling all over creation. He also knew we would be stewards of a farm that would require a lot of elbow grease to maintain. I am not a girly girl, but make no mistake. I am a girl. And I am so grateful for that.

There is great confusion in society about sexuality, gender identity, family roles, and the value of the mother/father and husband/wife positions. We are confusing God's plan with our desires. This message is for Christians who struggle with these issues. We all have desires we should resist in order to be faithful to God, but not all carnal desires are forbidden.  I have a driving desire for my husband. Convenient for me, right? What are people to do however, who have a burning desire for those of the same sex, or have any desire that is contrary to God's word. Well, let me explain it like this. In my life I have had deep desires to sin against God. I have desired to lie, to take revenge when I, or a loved one has been wronged. And yes, I had lustful desire for men before I was married and am purposeful to guard against it even now. This is certainly not an exhaustive list of my sinful desires. But what we need to understand is that just because we want to do something, I mean really REALLY want to do something, it does not equal it being ok. So just because my sinful desires are not the same as yours, it doesn't mean I don't understand. “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it." 1 Peter 3:10-11. God's direction is not for our heartbreak or pain. All instruction is out of his great love for us.

Don't think that your desire for whatever is contrary to God is unique to you. We ALL struggle with our own sinful flesh. But we must trust that God's plan for us is better than our own plan. I am sorry that some church organizations have made sexual and gender sin seem unforgivable and more egregious than other sin. I understand that those who struggle with sexual sin have been made at times to feel unwelcome. Yes, God warns against corrupting the sexual relationship that He designed. "If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination." Leviticus 20:13a. It is however forgivable. And to those who feel superior to any who struggle with this sinful desire, there is this warning using the same adjective. "Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished." Proverbs 16:5. In order to restore the beauty of the family God created we must be able to speak truth in love without condescension. In order to draw closer to Christ we must resist our fleshly desires regardless of what they are. "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."  James 4:7. That is a promise.

And one last thing.  Our culture has gotten love and sex all mixed up. We can have deep emotional connections with people of the same gender. God endorses and encourages these relationships. But that is very different from satisfying our sexual desires with someone of the same sex or even heterosexually outside of marriage. Love and sex are not interchangeable words but our culture uses them as if they were. Women and men are unique, made for distinct and beautiful reasons. Society would benefit from embracing the design of our bodies and celebrate the strengths of each. God's blueprint is beautiful. Forgiveness of all sin is available at the cross. Let's meet there and help others find the way.

To Those Who Want More of Christ:

We live in the information age. Anything we need to know can be found in an instant. If we need to learn how to do something we can watch a YouTube video. Last summer our riding lawn mower threw a belt. I watched a video and removed the mower deck, replaced the belt, and reassembled the mower deck and had the mower functioning in a matter of a couple of hours.  We have access to 24 hour news, and can receive information from celebrities and politicians via their Twitter and Instagram accounts. But how much can you really learn in 140 characters? We have easy access to information but are a society of superficial awareness. We read a tweet/post/headline and feel we are informed. We nibble on knowledge and feel educated. It is easy for those shaping their message to manipulate followers with thumbnail pictures of the whole story. And the church is approaching our relationship with God the same way.

I am guilty. I have wondered, where is God in times of such turmoil? I have felt equipped to be the defender of all that is right and good. Only to be shown I was woefully lacking in the chutzpah it really takes to stand on the front line for God. So much so, that I did not even know I was lacking! I want to be counted as faithful, one who God will entrust with great and mighty tasks. Many of you may probably feel the same way. What we need is spines of steel, ears for the voice of our Lord, and a heart to bring about His will. What I did not know was, just like society, the superficial stuff is easy. To know the heart of our Lord takes devotion. When we are young the excitement of a new relationship is exhilarating. We know very little about the person but what we know is enchanting. But as we get to know them on a deeper level we find that it is not all so easy. The same is true with God. This may seem as strange to you as it was me, but not everything about God makes us smile. God's word tells us this. "Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter." Revelation 10:9

When we only know the superficial things of God, they are sweet.  We think we want more, to know more of His strength and His vision. We want to draw deeper from the well. But to be counted as the truest of God's faithful we must submerge ourselves in the holy presence of God.  We cannot accomplish this with 140 character snippets of God. I have seen the daily devotion books and apps. They are designed to be completed in about 20 minutes. We cannot reach the level of mighty warrior for Christ that way. I have been involved in conversations choosing Bible studies. The time requirement for the individual study each week is often a determining factor in the choice made. I have also been guilty of not participating in the  studies due to the time obligation involved. I understand that our lives are overwhelmed with legitimate obligations but this is the mentality that prevents us from walking by the very side of Christ.

I have not arrived. I wanted to share with you the keys to the next level. We have to be willing to shed our own flesh. The digestion is the understanding. What God desires of us is the bitterness in our stomach that comes after the honey taste in our mouth. "Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." Luke 9:23. Wanting to be one of Christ's trusted confidants is one thing.  Actually becoming trustworthy of such a position is TOTALLY different. I would really love to run a half marathon. I want to have the disciplined nature to train and achieve the level of fitness to be able to complete that goal. But as of now, I have not dedicated the time or effort to do that. The same  goes with our relationship with Christ.  How dedicated are we, really. Most would say, 'I want to be God's go to person!' But do we want it enough to dedicate our lives to knowing his heart. 

When we go deeper into understanding the heart of Christ we see sin for what it is.  We see the heartache it causes. We deliver blows to the enemy that can often be misunderstood by those who think that God is only love and nothing else. We become enemies of this world and place ourselves in the crosshairs of the adversary. "Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also." John 15:20. This is why so many are not willing to do anything other than nibble on the honey sweet surface of God's saving grace. I want more for the glory of my king. He is worthy and I want to earn His trust. We possess the same fortitude that characterizes the heroes of the Old Testament. Why do we feel like we are any less capable of the greatness they accomplished for God? We can stand with the heroes if we are willing to draw closer to Christ, draw to His side, and put His will above our own. Whose with me?

Epidemic of Anger

I have been away for quite sometime. Diligently listening for the voice of God. He has shared with me a few specific messages but has generally been very quiet . . . until last Friday night. I was sitting at my son's basketball game. I dearly love watching him and his friends play. They play with such determination and heart. Their opponents consist of mostly private Christian schools and other regional homeschool organizations. We have not typically experienced malicious play or poor sportsmanship . . . until this year. It  has gotten progressively worse throughout the season, the cheap shots, shoves, and bad attitudes. Friday night our team was playing a boisterous and angry group. It was a Christian school about an hour and a half from home. I was initially surprised by some the things happening on the floor and in the crowd. But then it happened. A fine young man on our team with exceptional athletic ability but more importantly exceptional godly character received an overly aggressive blow that left him curled up under some chairs. It happens. In the heat of the game sometimes young impulsive people make poor decisions. For that matter, years do not make any of us exempt of making poor decisions from time to time. And yet, I was utterly appalled and aghast when my mind processed what was happening. As this young fellow was very slow getting to his feet rubbing his head with a potential concussion, the opposing fans were celebrating his injury. He had to come out of the game due to the blow to the head, as the parents and friends of the other team cheered in jubilation.

 

 

I was angry. As I search for the appropriate words to describe the atmosphere I am coming up short. I felt the presence of evil in that place adorned with Christian banners. Who revels in the injury of a person you don't know during the course of a game? Who celebrates pain? Who finds joy in suffering? There is one answer. Satan does. I was so angry. As we were driving home I found myself praying, asking God, What is the answer? Why are people so full of rage? And how are we to respond to it? Some might blame the political atmosphere for all the turmoil. But there is one cause, Satan. The spiritual upheaval taking place in our culture is palpable.  

But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. James 3:14-18

Satan is the ruler of worldliness. He orchestrates chaos, hatred, and fear. We can label this conflict or that but all the different stories have the same author. Christians in churches and Christian schools are embracing sin of every kind, living in and loving what is evil. None of us are above being sucked in. At the game, I wanted to engage with those so flagrantly spewing venom and wickedness. I was eager to put them in their place and attempt to make them ashamed of their actions. But I held my tongue. Anger grew in my heart, it had spread to me like a terrible virus. Don't get me wrong, righteous anger has it's place.  There are times we are to defend the honor and sovereignty of our Lord with the same vigor as Christ driving the money changers from the temple. But this was not the time or place. It takes the voice of the Holy Spirit to know when to speak and when to stay silent. I have prayed for Christ to give me discernment to not be deceived, be able to differentiate when to be humble and extend grace and when to defend the honor of our Lord. We must be diligent in moving closer to Christ so his voice is clear. Only the proud will believe we are above being deceived by the Great Deceiver. It will only be by God's grace that we stay obedient. The Bible tells us that before Christ returns the faithful will fall away.

 

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition. 2 Thessalonians 1:1-3

 

Our world is blind to the spiritual upheaval taking place. Evil is hard at work and we can't even see it. It was not simply a game that got out of hand, evil was present. Supposedly they were Christians, representing a Christian school. And maybe they were children of God. Sin is permeating the hearts of Christ's followers and we are being lead astray. We must pray for ourselves. That is not self serving, that is Christ serving. Only by the power of Christ are we capable of resisting the seduction of Evil. There is an epidemic of anger. Self serving and irrelevant anger is of Satan. Righteous anger defends the weak and upholds the righteousness of God. We must know the difference and the only way to do that is to continually strive to draw closer to Christ.