Category: Faith

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Made for Community

One definition of community is a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals. Did you know you were made for community? God never intended for us to go it alone. Otherwise, I suppose He could have stopped with Adam.

Pros and Cons

I am an introvert, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need people. I just need them in smaller quantities and fewer doses! I cherish my alone time. And I cherish my family and friends too. That has only been reinforced over the course of the last 6 weeks or so here in Florida. It’s been the best of times and the worst of times…all at once! We have connected with very few people here, and because we haven’t had any company yet, it has been lonely at times in 2020. I miss my people! But on a brighter note, this quiet time has afforded me a chance to do some things that I struggle to find time to do at home. If your inbox has had a steadier stream of email from The Ultimate Gift lately, it’s because writing has been one of those things!

The Family Expands

If, and when, we accept Christ as Lord and Savior, God adopts us into His family. We are His children. And that makes us part of a community of believers, aka the body of Christ. Your family just got WAY bigger!

“so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.”

Romans 12:5 NLT

A Branch of the Family

On a smaller scale, we can have greater access to the community of believers through a local church. Living a Christian life is anything but easy. It’s important for each of us to have support and encouragement along the way on our faith journey. Connecting to a local church can be an invaluable resource as we seek to become more like Jesus. Paul had this to say in his letter to the Romans:

“When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.”

Romans 1:12 NLT

Loosely Connected

Larger churches generally have more programs to offer, but it is also easier to slip through the cracks in such a church. The church we’ve been attending here in FL reminds us quite a bit of our home church. We are well connected at home, but not so much here. And it’s our own fault! We walk in at the beginning of the Sunday morning service and head straight for the door at the end. In our second winter here, we still haven’t met the pastor! Yet, we love attending this church. We smile and say hello to many, but that’s about the extent of our relational involvement.

Downsizing

The following is an unpaid advertisement for small group ministry! So as not to have anyone in the family slip through the cracks, many churches offer an opportunity to connect to other believers on a deeper level through small groups. These groups are generally made up of 8-12 people. We study, we fellowship, we eat, we do life together…on a regular basis!

I was invited to join a small group at my home church shortly after we became members. (Membership is not a prerequisite) Being the introvert that I am, I didn’t say a word during our study time for the first 18 months. When I finally took that step of faith, God used it in a mighty way. I ended up co-leading the group a few short months later and my spiritual growth took off. I have continued to lead various small groups intermittently ever since and feel certain that I get more from those in my small group than they get from me.

The Bottom Line

The point of this post is that God created us for community with Him and with fellow believers. If you are trying to go it alone, I can’t stress enough how important it is to find a church home. Once you take that step, then you may have to take another by joining a small group. That will lead to an even deeper sense of community.

 “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NLT

I will close with a math lesson to summarize the preceding verse:

2 > 1 and 3 > 2

We are GREATER together than we can ever be alone!

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Remember

A Monument to Help the Israelites Remember

“Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me.”

Isaiah 46:9 NLT

Focus Word and Verse of the Year

At my home church, we are encouraged to choose a word with an accompanying verse from the Bible at the beginning of each year. This word and verse are to serve as a battle cry of sorts as we seek to deepen our faith and keep our focus where it belongs—on Jesus.

The Search Begins

When we flipped our calendars earlier this month, my thought process was that it would be fitting to choose a word that had to do with vision in the year 2020. Get it? The search for my verse and word of the year only seemed to lead to a dead end. Or did it?

I panicked earlier this week when I realized that January was nearly over and I hadn’t found my word and verse yet. Was there a deadline? Only in my mind. My husband calls these my “self-imposed” deadlines. He would know! Surely, I can’t start February without having this settled.

I Think I Found It…I Think

Just the other night, I found a potential winner for 2020. And then I lost it! I was using the Bible App on my phone at bedtime when the Holy Spirit drew my attention to a verse that was at least somewhat related to vision. I already had it highlighted, so I simply filed 46:9 away in my brain. I remember thinking that I wouldn’t forget that because the verse after it is one of my favorites—“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) So, the next day I go to take a closer look at that verse on my iPad and literally couldn’t find it. Psalm 46:9 had nothing to do with vision. Now what? I stewed about this the whole day and kept checking verses that I could have confused with Psalm 46:9. But, to no avail. At bedtime that night, I was on my phone and looked at my recent searches. And there it was—ISAIAH 46:9. Oops…I was looking in the wrong book of the Bible!

My word for 2020 is REMEMBER. Apparently, I am deficient in that skill so it seems to be a very appropriate choice! My verse, Isaiah 46:9, states:

“Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me.”

A Lesson That Stuck

The first experience I had in leading a small group occurred about 15 years ago when my whole church participated in the “Old Testament Challenge”. I often tell my students or my small group that you get out of it what you put into it. “It” is either the class I’m teaching or the study that I’m leading. It’s true! I get way more out of the studies that I lead than the studies that I am simply a participant. Why? Because I have to put time into preparing so I don’t look like a fool! So, I remember (LOL) one lesson in particular from that study that fits nicely with this verse. But first, allow me to set the stage.

God’s Plan

After 40 years of wandering in the desert, the Israelites, under the direction of Joshua, were finally ready to stake their claim to the land God had promised them so long ago. Their first obstacle was the Jordan River. God, of course, had it all figured out. So, He had Joshua relay His message to the Israelites regarding what was about to transpire. The priests would lead the way, carrying the Ark of the Covenant. When they stepped into the Jordan, the flow of water would be cut off and the river would stand up like a wall. This would allow the Israelites to pass through on dry ground while the priests stood in the middle of the Jordan riverbed with the Ark.

How’s that for a plan? Of all the ways to get across the Jordan River, I have a feeling that this plan never crossed your mind. Mine either. Look how my verse for the year ends—“For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me.” That explains why this plan never occurred to us!

It all shook out exactly the way God said it would. I wonder how many jaws had to be picked off the riverbed as the people made their way to the other side?

The Story Isn’t Over

Next, the Lord told Joshua to choose 12 men, one from each tribe, and have them take 12 stones from the riverbed where the priests were standing. They were to carry them out and pile them up where they would be camping that night. Joshua did as directed and the twelve men complied. These stones were going to be used to build a memorial. Why do we have memorials? To REMEMBER!

“Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and he kept it dry until you were all across, just as he did at the Red Sea when he dried it up until we had all crossed over. He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord’s hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever.””

Joshua 4:21-24 NLT

Taking Action

That lesson from the “Old Testament Challenge” encouraged each of us to choose a “memorial” of our own to serve as a reminder of God’s faithfulness in the past. Our memorial doesn’t have to be made of stones. The only qualification necessary is that it helps us REMEMBER.

The Point

When the going gets tough, and Jesus promised that it would, it’s easy to get discouraged. The enemy does whatever he can to drive a wedge between us and God, remember? You may be feeling hopeless right now and ready to give up. If you don’t feel that way now, I’m sure your turn is coming. That is, if you haven’t already had yours. It is at those times that it is critically important to look back and REMEMBER. Reflect on who God is and how He has been faithful in the past. Your vision is 20/20 when looking at your life in the rear-view mirror!

“Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me.”

Isaiah 46:9 NLT

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When Doubt Creeps In

Image result for truth vs lies images

That serpent is a crafty one! He has very subtle ways of casting doubt into our lives. I’m fairly gullible, so it doesn’t take much for me to fall for one of his lies. How about you? That snake can cause doubt to form in a heartbeat!

In the book 40 Verses to Ignite Your Faith, by Laurie Polich Short, she shares her insight on some lesser known verses of the Bible. This book had a powerful impact on me and my small group as we studied it last fall. The first verse she shared is set in the garden of Eden and is one I’ve read many a time. In Genesis 3:3, Eve tells the serpent, “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”

You see, the serpent asked Eve a question a few verses earlier—“Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1) Though quite subtle, the enemy was casting doubt about God into Eve’s mind by highlighting God’s restrictions.

Eve took that and ran with it when she responded by building even more restriction into her response simply by adding a few words. I’ll admit that I read both of these verses when reading the book and didn’t even catch the difference until Laurie pointed it out. I’m gullible AND also not very observant! Did you catch it? Eve inserted the words “or even touch it” in her response. Satan simply asked a question, but carefully crafted his words to get Eve to focus on the restrictions God was placing on her. Can you relate?

I believe I am a frequent victim of Satan’s lies. His mission is to drive a wedge between us and our Heavenly Father. One of his tactics is to get us to doubt the goodness of God. The enemy delights in the opportunity to feed us lies that will cause us to question God’s character. He’s so sneaky that I often don’t even recognize it for what it is—a lie. Remember, I’m not very observant!

What is the opposite of a lie? If you said “the truth” you get a gold star! Truth is the antidote we need to combat the enemy. If that’s our weapon, we’d best get familiar with it!

“Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.”

John 17:17 NLT

God’s Word is Truth. Jesus is described as the Word in John 1:1. Therefore, Jesus is Truth!

The more we know the Truth, the easier it becomes to recognize those lies. We all need to be armed when we go into battle with the father of lies. As I write this, I can just hear my pastor saying this familiar saying of his: “Read your Bible. Read your Bible. Read your Bible.”

Our relationship with Jesus is the most important relationship we’ll ever have. Relationships require an investment. The best way to get to know Him better is to spend time with Him. Nothing would delight Him more! Jesus is the Word. Happy Reading!

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Sovereign

The definition of the adjective sovereign is “possessing supreme or ultimate power”. It is a word often used to describe God. Stay tuned for more on that.

It has been a difficult week for several people in my circle of influence—two had their jobs eliminated and one is having his lung surgically removed following a cancer diagnosis as I write this. And that’s just a small sample of the difficulties people I care about are currently experiencing! Life is hard at times, isn’t it? That’s what makes the timing of this week’s small group lesson perfect. We are currently studying “40 Verses to Ignite Your Faith” by Laurie Polich Short. In her book, Laurie gleans much meaning from 40 lesser known verses from the Bible and shares it with her readers. They are verses that I’ve probably read a hundred times and skimmed right past. Here is one that particularly caught my attention this week, considering all that was going on around me:

“He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.””

Ezekiel 37:3 NIV

Allow me to provide the backdrop of this verse. The prophet Ezekiel is standing in a valley full of dry, dead bones and God wants to know the extent of Ezekiel’s faith. You see, the Israelites were being held captive in Babylon at the time. Ezekiel prophesied a bright future for them in the preceding chapter, one where they would be united and strong. No part of that message seemed possible given their current predicament. It is in this valley of bones that God reveals a vision of miraculous hope to Ezekiel. The impossible becomes possible—the bones come to life, representing the bright future He has for the Israelites.

God often reveals His power to us while we are in the valley of despair. In Laurie’s words, “Our places of despair set the stage for hope.” I have been known to say that God does His best work in the valley. That may not quite be the correct wording. Often, I can look back later from a different vantage point and see the magnitude of His work in me while in the valley. It’s much more noticeable than when I’m standing on top of the mountain. It is also in the valley where we have the opportunity to demonstrate that our faith is real.

Ezekiel’s response to God’s question in Verse 3 has become my battle cry this week as I encounter so many who are hurting. I am at a loss. “Sovereign Lord, you alone know” clears the way for the miracles God has in mind. I imagine, if you’re anything like me, you have an idea for how you would like God to answer your valley prayers (and probably when too!). We limit Him when we ask Him to answer in a specific way and possibly set ourselves up for disappointment in the process. God sees the big picture and by acknowledging His sovereignty, we make room for how He wants to answer our prayers. He’s often up to something much bigger than the prayers we pray.

Let’s open the door and witness the unfolding miracle God has for us.

“Sovereign Lord, you alone know!”