Be Filled
A few weeks back Taelyn attended a week long, daytime, VBS (Vacation Bible School). The kids had such a great time. At the end of the week the kids each received a take-home CD. The CD was loaded with all the wonderful catchy tunes that the kids had learned that week. It was the kind of music that sends thousands to their feet, and raises the arms and wiggles the hips of even the most conservative of worshippers.
Tae and I love to sing. Sing out loud. When we are in the mood, mostly while driving, we like to belt it out. There are times however, that we just don’t feel like singing.
As I drove him home at the end of Friday, the last day of VBS, Tae’s eyelids were droopy and his head started bobbing. He was nearly asleep in his car seat and I didn’t want him falling asleep at that hour. I quickly pressed play on his new CD and turned the volume full-up. Before I could even adjust my rear-view mirror to peek, I heard Tae’s little voice singing along.
When the song had ended Taelyn said, “Mom, I don’t even want to sing, but I just can’t stop myself.” I smiled and thought to myself, “ Now that is the power of the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit nudges you to do the things that glorify God the most. His power is most evident when you find yourself doing those things when don’t even feel like doing them.
Sadly, many Christians live their lives void of this power, and therefore, miss out on the true abundant life. Now to be clear, all true believers have the Holy Spirit, but not all believers are filled with the Holy Spirit; our sin prevents it. Yet, God commanded His children to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The use of the verb “to be filled” implies that it is not by one’s own doing, but that God does the filling.
So how do we allow God to fill us up with His Spirit? GOOD QUESTION, I’m glad you asked.
The Holy Spirit will have more power as you begin to make good choices. The spiritual disciplines are, by God’s design, a way to put yourself in a posture that allows Him to fill you. When you spend time praying and fasting, praising God and reading His word – you are spending time with God. The more time you spend with God the more likely you are to want to become like Him. When you want to become like Him, you begin to give up some of the sin-filled practices.
When you make the decision to resist sin and spend more time with God you will experience a spiritual detox. With your old nature gone, there is more room in your heart for the Holy Spirit. That’s when you will see His awesome display of power first hand.
The Holy Spirit’s purpose is always, first and foremost, to glorify and give evidence to Jesus as the Messiah. In addition, He was sent by Jesus to purify you. As the Spirit has more room in you, you might begin to find yourself leaping tall buildings with a single bound. No wait – that’s a different superhero story. 
You will begin to find yourself doing things quite out of character – your character that is. Just like Taelyn, singing when he didn’t even feel like singing, you will do things that glorify God even when you don’t feel like doing them.
Rather than praising and giving thanks to God only in the good times, you will praise Him for the difficult times as well. In place of being impatient with your children, you will find yourself sitting a spell, laughing and being silly with them. Rather than criticizing your husband, you will shower him with words of encouragement. Instead of dreading the weekly call from your mother-in-law, you will find yourself calling her first, and feeling joy in your heart while chatting to her. Now that my friend, is the power of the Holy Spirit.
While you cannot fill yourself with the Holy Spirit – the amount of filling will be in direct proportion to the amount of space you are willing to give up in your own heart. So how willing are you?
Shalom Aleichem
~dl.
Don’t Tell Me That!
It’s cherry season in Kelowna and cherries are one of Kelly’s favorite fruit. Last week we were invited to a friend’s house to pick cherries from their tree. Kelly quickly jumped at the chance, packed a ladder, grabbed the biggest buckets he could find, and off we went. You might have thought Kelly won the lottery by the look on his face. He had a huge smile as he spotted the tree; huge and drooping with cherries.
Picking and eating, Kelly spent the next hour humoring himself by spitting the pits at the birds who were contending for ‘his’ fruit. I humbly suggested Kelly not eat the fruit until we had taken it home and washed it, because our friends had sprayed their tree. Of course Kelly found no wisdom in my words.
Arriving home, content with his harvest, Kelly washed some of his cherries, placed them in a bowl and settled down in front of the television for a feast. While he ate, I picked through the rest of the cherries to discard the rotting ones, and that is when horror struck me. The bowl of cherries was crawling with worms! Worms that reared their ugly little white heads, and appeared to stick their slimy tongues out at me in taunt. I screamed, and to Kelly’s dismay, I yanked the bowl out of his lap. After I explained my actions, Kelly groaned and said, “ AHHH – I wish you never told me that.”
The truth is, even when sprayed, cherries sometimes have worms. It’s one of those things that you don’t really want to know, but once you know, you feel obliged to tell others.
I don’t mean to compare God’s instructions to a bowl full of cherries with worms, but I couldn’t help but laugh the other day as I shared a truth from the Bible with a friend. As I told her about a passage that I had read that morning, my friend covered her ears, groaned, and exhorted – “Don’t tell me – I don’t want to know!” Oddly, I understood exactly what my friend was experiencing.
There are things in the Bible I wish God never said, or at least wish I didn’t know. Things like;
- I’m supposed to be a submissive wife.
- I’m supposed to love my enemies and pray for them.
- I am to honor those who have authority over me: prime ministers, corporate authorities, pastors and yes, parents, even if I don’t agree with them. (Note to wives: husbands are included in that list too.)
- I am to give away ten percent (at least) of my hard earned money to the church, ie: people that I don’t know all that well, so that they can use it in whatever way they deem best, at the same time, I am to deny myself of the pleasures in this world.
Oh and by the way, I am to do all this with joy in my heart and not complaining!
I have a counter-will issue. Show me a rule and I’ll break it. Show me a line and I will cross it. Once, while wrestling with God about what He was telling me I needed to do, I stamped my feet and shouted at Him out loud, just like a little girl might do, “I WISH I NEVER KNEW THIS”!
Sometimes it seems the Bible is taunting – or is that daunting? Maybe both! Living in ignorance to God’s instructions can at times, seem easier. Just as I felt obliged to tell my husband about the worms in his cherries for obvious reasons – the writers of the Bible can be credited for their strong warning to us. Likewise, we have an obligation to tell others the truth, in an act of love!
A person can, unknowingly, pop a cherry full of worms and become ill from the maggot infested fruit. Once you know at least you can make an informed decision.
Just as easily, not knowing the truth can lead us into some dangerous situations. God’s hedge of protection over us can only be found within the walls of His divine will. When we step outside those walls we are on the enemy’s turf. Obedience = Protection.
If you are in Christ, no doubt you have had an experience like I have; where the Word from God’s own lips, as tough as it was to hear, transformed my thinking and saved me from certain destruction.
Will you share God’s word today – even if it isn’t the most welcomed message!
Aleichem Shalom.
~dl.
It’s never gonna be the same without her.
Last week we said ‘good-bye’ to our friends. Well actually, we didn’t get to say ‘good-bye.’
We met our neighbors seven years ago this May, when we moved into the home we are living in now. Taelyn was just six months old at the time, and our neighbors were expecting their first child. Taelor, our neighbor’s new baby girl, was born that July.
Taelor and Taelyn have been like brother and sister ever since. Living on a quiet street, our homes were close enough that the two little ones could begin their mornings together. It was not uncommon for the duo to play side-by-side the entire day through. Frequently they would get angry with one another and stomp off declaring, “I never gonna be your friend again.” Just as often they could be seen hugging each other, or rolling on the ground while sharing a belly laugh over something silly.
Over the last several months, since Christmas, we knew our neighbors had plans to sell their home and relocate to a different part of the city. A few weeks ago their goal solidified and a sold sign went up.
Even though Taelor’s family plans to stay in Kelowna, we realize that our busy family schedules may prevent us from staying connected. We have been preparing Taelyn, as best we could, for Taelor’s departure. Kids, of course, have no concept of time, so life went on pretty much “as normal” for the two small friends.
Our last day as neighbors was last Sunday. It was a day filled with drama and a lot of emotion. It seemed every couple of minutes, the two children were at odds with each other. As much as, we, the parents, tried to encourage them to enjoy their last hours together, the kids seemed bent on being angry with one another. The day ended with Taelor in tears at her house, and Taelyn sobbing in his room. While we were away from home the next day, Taelor moved out and we didn’t get to say good-bye.
When we came back home that day, Taelyn burst into tears (again) as his new reality set in. Filled with emotion, Taelyn shared his grief over the situation, “I shouldn’ta been so mean yesterday,” he said, rubbing his red little eyes, “and I wished I woulda never said she was mean.” Tae’s bigger concern, however, was, “It’s never gonna be the same without her.” Of course there was extra drama involved because Taelyn is only seven, but he thought life here in the neighborhood would be miserable from now on.
I wanted to help Taelyn to understand that the people in our lives will often come and go. Circumstances change. There is a transition time as we move from one normal into a new normal. During that transition time it is natural to be sad, but we can’t ever place our hope in people or our circumstances for our sustained happiness, because “things” change.
As difficult as change might be, during the transition times we are more likely to give God our full attention. It isn’t that He only shows up just when there is stuff going on in our lives. He is always there. But God longs to be the center of our attention, not an afterthought. When our eyes are turned away from competing distractions, God uses those moments to our full advantage. He wants us to know that every single situation that comes our way, is God ordained to work out for our good, because God has a plan for the way He wants us to live.
What we need the most is to know that when everything around us is changing, God is as constant as the air we breathe. His character never changes. God never moves away. Nothing can remove His steadfast love from us.
Getting to know God’s character is the only way you can begin to place your trust Him and be ready for those transition times. Has life changed for you? Do you wonder if “it’s ever gonna be the same?” Open your Bible – Get to know the only ONE whom you can trust to satisfy all of your needs. He loves you unconditionally.
Aleichem Shalom
~dl.
The Avalanche of Unforgivness!
DANGER! WARNING – KEEP BACK – EXTREME AVALANCHE CONDITIONS!
I can’t help but wonder why people take risks when the warnings are urgent and the consequences are so severe. Perhaps they are uneducated and therefore oblivious to the impending disaster. Maybe they just believe it will never happen to them. Whatever their rationale, the choice to ignore the warning signs can inflict devastating and wide spread consequences.
I live in an area that is a winter playground for many, and it’s now avalanche season. For the third time in two weeks, we have heard news reports of several people dying, and many more injured, when they were struck by an avalanche.
Police, and search and rescue teams, had hoped that with the back-to-back incidents and easy accessibility to weather reports, people would weigh the risk factors, educate themselves, and avoid the consequences.
Avalanches can be surprising, awe-inspiring, beautiful and deadly. They can sweep trains off their tracks, crush buildings, uproot trees and bury people. Some avalanches have even covered entire houses with people still inside. Most avalanches though reported to strike without warning, are human-caused.
Regardless of the repeated warnings, people are still not getting the message.
I feel for the families who have had to suffer, because of the poor choices made by some thrill-seeking sledders and snowboarders. So many innocent people could have been spared heartache and pain, if these snow-sports enthusiasts had heeded the initial warnings. My friend, it is that way with unforgiveness. The only way we will ever be able to prevent ourselves from being buried alive by unforgivness, is to heed Jesus’ warnings in the first place.
In my last blog, I promised we would begin mapping out the steps to forgiving others. It has been critical for me to educate myself, so I can avoid the consequences. Let me ask you, if you knew for certain that you were about to be buried alive by an avalanche, would you even take the first step onto that dangerous slope?
It starts with trust! If we don’t believe God is for us, we won’t trust that His ways are what is best for us. This morning, I had a ten minute conversation with my seven year old on “why” we have certain rules in our home. In the end, it all boils down to this one thing; we have rules so “we” stay safe. God has given us moral guidelines for the very same reason. He never issued a single command that didn’t have our best interests in mind. When we sin, we are choosing to ignore His warnings. God will never force us to listen to Him, nor will He prevent us from experiencing the consequences of our choices.
I have wasted far too much time and energy inflicting pain on others, because I was imprisoned by my own unforgiveness. For this reason, I humbly share with you what Kim and I learned as we wrote Radical Love ~ Forever changed. The first step toward unforgiveness, is becoming offended!
From the book, Radical Love ~ Forever Changed.
Offended = Sin
“When you blame anyone for what they did to you, you are the one who sins!” Your response may be, “What? When someone hurts me, especially if it is intentional, they aren’t to be blamed?” This may be the toughest truth to swallow. Friend, we so desire you to know – you need to know – there are few things more damaging than for you to be set up to feel the sting of an offense, and then remain there.
We will look at Matthew 24:10 – 13 (NKJV) for proof.
“And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound , the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end he will be saved.”
What Jesus is saying here is so important. Keep in mind that the people whom Jesus was talking about were the people in His church, the people who call themselves His followers. He was talking about Christians, and was speaking of the signs of the end times.
The word offended translates from the Greek word “skandalizo” and means;
1. to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall,
2. to entice to sin,
3. to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and
obey,
4. since one who stumbles or whose foot gets entangled feels annoyed; to cause
displeasure or make indignant.
The bottom line is that many will be hurt. What do those hurt people do? They hurt more people. They betray one another, they hate one another. And, they are inside homes and inside our churches. The word many in this passage refers to a very large amount; a vast amount; the majority! Who are they that mislead others? Who are the ones doing the deceiving? Who are the ones leading many astray? The offended. Jesus even called them ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing.’ Do you see the danger?”
Radical Love – Copyright 2009 – Property of For the Sake of ONE Ministries.
As long as we are alive people will be difficult to deal with. Some people will be bent on intentionally hurting us, some people will hurt us and not even know they have done so. The “absolute” is that the potential to be hurt is unavoidable. We are often blindsided and hardest hit by those we love and respect the most. As natural as it seems, becoming offended is the beginning of a spiritual and emotional, but no less tragic, avalanche. So can we choose not to be offended? Stick with me for a couple more minutes, ok?
All avalanches have three ingredients: snow, a sloped surface, and a trigger. Ideal conditions for an avalanche include unstable or uneven ground, where the snow is under tension or stress. As little as a 10% slope is all that is required for a severe slide to occur. When someone steps on an area of weak snow, it triggers an avalanche, in an instant, un-suspecting victims are buried alive.
Becoming offended has three ingredients: pride, a weak self-image, and a trigger. It takes so little, but when we are under tension or stress, we are vulnerable and at great risk. We will react out of pride or a sense of entitlement, when we lose sight of who we really are. Our pride can trigger a spiritual avalanche, and before we know it, we are buried alive beneath the weight of bitterness, anger, hurt, hate, fear, resentment. We may even start seeking revenge. As U2 sings in their song, Peace on Earth, “And you become a monster so the monster will not break you.” Because of unforgivenss we are cloning more monsters. There are times when I have been a monster. How ‘bout you?
My friend the stakes are so high. There are the physical manifestations that present in anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, heart disease and even cancer. These killer diseases are at an all time high. It’s human-caused – the slide of which has been strong enough to sweep Christ followers off their tracks, crush marriages and uproot families. Some unforgiveness avalanches have covered entire churches, with people still inside.
How can you tell when you are at risk?
Pride entices us. The enemy taunts us. Becoming offended seems like the most natural thing.
When it’s pride, there is a sense of entitlement, and/or self righteousness. Thoughts come to mind like, “I do not have to put up with…..,” or, “I’m sick of hearing about…..,” or, “I will not let them get away with……..” I am learning that it’s my pride talking when my thoughts start with “I.” These thoughts will be self-centered.
When it’s the enemy trying to derail, he most likely will be spewing words of judgment and/or condemnation. Thoughts come to mind like, “You can not trust…….,” or “it’s your own fault for……..,” or, “If you don’t do something about…….” I am learning that when the enemy is talking, my thoughts usually start with “You.” These thoughts will also be self-centered.
These are triggers that lead us to believe that becoming hurt is natural, but it is a trap!
Condemnation tears people down. There is no condemnation in Christ. Two thousand years ago, Jesus warned us of the consequences of unforgiveness. He urged us to forgive, not out of His anger or judgment against us, but out of love and a desire that none would perish. When God speaks to us about our issues, He does so in a loving manner, to convict us. Conviction builds us up. It inspires us to want to take action, to trust that we can be made better at loving God, others and ourselves. I am learning that when God speaks to me, my thoughts are focused on what He can do, and are usually others-centered.
Can we choose not to be hurt? Have you noticed times when you are less affected by the things that others say and do? I sure have. Usually when we are at our optimum, we are more willing to let things go. We will be at our best when we are grounded in the truth of our identity.
Of all things said here it is this I hope you remember - you are accepted, forgiven, redeemed, holy, blessed, a beloved child of the Almighty God. If we had a heart knowledge of who we are in Christ, the effects of our identity would be unstoppable in this world.
Here is one action step you could take today: Turn to the book of Isaiah, chapter 43, and write down everything that God says about you. Then record the promises God made to you. Ask Him for faith to help you believe. If you don’t own a Bible, here is a link to Isaiah 43.
It is much easier to avoid the avalanche in the first place. However, we cannot go back and undo what has already been done. I can assure you, God has the greatest search and rescue team. I know because He rescued me. If you are still buried beneath an avalanche of unforgiveness Jesus, through His Holy Spirit, wants to rescue you too. I’m so blessed that we are on this journey together. Until next time……
Aleichem Shalom
~dl.
Forgiveness. Have you opened your gift?
In my last blog, Understanding Forgiveness: Part One, we caught a glimpse of God’s “Abundant Pardon” toward us. To summarize, there is nothing you have ever done, nothing you are currently doing, nothing you ever will do, that God cannot forgive.
Though God’s mercy is abundant, forgiveness is a transaction. In an ordinary business deal, a transaction is complete when payment is made in exchange for the delivery of goods. It is the same with forgiveness. Jesus paid the price. He died on the cross so that you could be forgiven and reconciled with God. However, you must receive that forgiveness or the transaction is incomplete.
In my senior high school years, I had a special friend. I wanted to do something really significant for him. I decided to buy a gift for his birthday. I knew the gift had to be something useful, but I also wanted the gift to absolutely “wow” him. I wanted this gift to be something he would never have the means to acquire for himself.
I had no money, but I did have a part-time job. I asked my boss if I could work extra hours on evenings and weekends. My boss agreed, and for the next twelve months I worked as often as I could. In addition, I saved my birthday money, and any extra cash that came my way.
I spent all my free time window shopping and pouring over catalogues, trying to decide on a suitable gift. Near the end of the year I found what I considered to be the perfect gift. It was a power tool. I don’t think I have ever been so excited about buying a gift for anyone. I was ridiculously giddy as I made my purchase.
Long story short, I wrapped the gift in beautiful paper, planned a special dinner, invited guests and carefully thought out what I would say when I gave the gift to him. For months I had been imagining the look on his face, as he opened my special gift. Now the time was finally here. I was shocked, no, devastated by what happened next. When he opened the gift, he showed no signs of enthusiasm. He was completely apathetic. The gift remained at my house, in the half opened box, with the wrapping torn to shreds. Eventually I gave the gift to someone else. I guess he was not able to see the value of the gift.
His response however, did not negate the facts.
That gift cost me a lot more than cash. It was bought and paid for, even though he never took it out of the box. The gift was meant for a specific purpose. It was supposed to benefit him, and if used as it was intended, it could have brought him and many others, great joy.
Sadly, as the gift remained in the box it was rendered useless!
I cannot help but see the parallel between my story, and God’s. The gift God gave us, was far more valuable than the one I chose to give my friend. Forgiveness came at a great personal cost and extreme sacrifice. It came beautifully wrapped in precious human frailty, which was later torn to shreds. Regardless of our response to it, the gift of forgiveness for our sins has been bought and paid for. It’s up to us whether we take it out of the box or not.
For many of us who call ourselves “Christians,” we have often received the gift of God’s forgiveness with apathy or total rejection! It’s apathy when we lack joy in our lives and do not praise God continually, for what Jesus did for us, regardless of our circumstances.
It is rejection, when our lives remain unchanged by the power of His forgiveness. In speaking about the times to come, Paul describes such people to Timothy in this way, “men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, ungrateful, haters of good, …..reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure, rather than God. These people have a form of godliness, (think – church goers, professing to be followers of Jesus) although they have denied it’s power” (those church goers remain unforgiving, unloving, exactly as they were before they met Jesus.) 2 Timothy 3:2-5.
When we are apathetic, or reject God’s forgiveness, we are rendered ineffective, because Christianity hinges on the power of forgiveness.
The transaction of forgiveness is made complete with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, God’s ultimate power tool. When the Holy Spirit lives in us we have all the power we need to live completely different lives. The Holy Spirit enables us to live in obedience to God’s Word, no longer chained to our former thoughts and bad habits. Along with forgiveness, we receive both understanding of who God is, and reconciliation with Him. Forgiveness brings great joy and eternal life, to anyone who accepts it.
So what about you? Have you taken the gift of forgiveness out of the box? Are you walking in obedience, leaving behind your former ways? Have you noticed an increased desire to praise God, regardless of your circumstances? Do have the joy of Christ in you?
You can’t give something away unless you have it to give. Forgiveness is a gift that is meant to be passed on. In my next blog I will begin defining the steps of forgiving others. For now, I hope you will spend some time with God, making sure you understand the value of His gift to you.
Aleichem Shalom
~dl.
