Silence Before The Shearers

Just a few moments ago, I was audience to a 'war of words' taking place between quite a few folks on Twitter.  At one point, even WITH a scorecard, you wouldn't have been able to tell who was who among the players. Some professed to be Christian, but with the temperatures rising and the 'Haterade' flowing like a mountain spring, you seriously could have fooled me.

Earlier on Facebook, someone made a comment on a friend's page how they were struggling to 'like' Christians over a particular heated and much publicized debate; a debate where the more people weigh in with their opinions on it, the more they seem to fan the flames of hatred. And this person who made the comment was a Christian themselves. 


With social media such a huge part of everyone's lives these days, doesn't it seem that more and more, we feel we can say whatever we want -- Christian or not -- and we always MUST have the last word? That's just how it seems to me anyway.

And then two Scripture verses kind of popped into my head (I say 'kind of' because since I'm not Barbie Bible Scholar, I didn't remember them word for word, I actually had to look them up):

He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet He never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, He did not open his mouth. ~  Isaiah 53:7

Credit

When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted himself to Him who judges justly. ~ 1 Peter 2:23

Credit

As a result of all of this, I got to wondering just what my life would look like if I truly followed Jesus's example here and applied these verses to my everyday interactions with people -- face-to-face and online.


How would your life look, dear one?

Just some food for thought today.

Gone Astray

I'll help the blind walk, even on a road they do not know; I'll guide them in directions they do not know. I'll turn the dark places into light in front of them, and the rough places into level ground. These are the things I will do, and I won't abandon them. ~ Isaiah 42:16, ISV

There are times in life when we go astray and find ourselves hopelessly lost.  

Sometimes, it's physically. I'm what's commonly known in the politically correct arena as 'directionally challenged.' In my younger days, I had a fantastic sense of direction, but those days disappeared along with my flat belly, smooth skin and natural hair color. My favorite traveling companion these days is my Magellan GPS, or Maggie, as she is fondly referred to by me. Although there are days when, thinking I know a BETTER way and don't need her, I give Maggie a run for her money and wind up far from my destination. If it's possible to give an electronic device a nervous breakdown, I'll be the one to do it.

Other times, we may find ourselves lost relationally. What I mean by this is we may find ourselves in a dark and hopeless place in a relationship with someone -- like an exclusive love relationship, a marriage or even a close friendship -- a place where we never intended to go and haven't any idea as to how we arrived there. Or how we'll find our way back. 

And sometimes, we lose our way spiritually. In our walk with our Lord, we choose a wrong path. We subtly veer to the left when we should be moving to the right, and suddenly, we find ourselves quite a distance away from where we need to be with Him. We're out of God's will. We feel scared. We feel disoriented. We feel alone. 


I've been in that place. Actually, as recently as two weeks ago. It's not a pretty place. What are we to do? How do we find our way back? 

ASK for help. That's right, it's as simple as that. 

Have you lost your way? Your purpose? Your strength? Your peace? 

Do you feel as if you've lost your place in God's will and in His family?

Take heart, dear ones. Cry out to the Lord and ask Him to help you. He hasn't moved. He's right there with us. We've just lost sight of Him. He's waiting to guide us back to the right path, the one that leads back to Him. 

He is the Finder of the lost:

lost sheep

lost people

lost minds

lost souls

He has everything we need. If only we would just ask.

I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands. ~ Psalm 119:176

I Have Gone Astray, by Darlene Slavujac Thau

And then....listen. He will answer.  


Your ears will hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left. ~ Isaiah 30:21, NASB

It's my hope that the words and music from this beautiful song by Sidewalk Prophets will encourage, strengthen and comfort you, wherever you are right now. 

And They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love

"A new command I give you.: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another" ~ John 13:35

Credit

Yesterday in my post, The Snarkiness of Christianity,  I ended by wondering what Jesus might be thinking about all the arrogant, self-righteous and mean-spirited attitudes and comments from His followers that have been flying around on the Internet recently concerning the announcement of the new pontiff, Pope Francis I, and about the Catholic Church in general.

I cannot be so arrogant and self-righteous myself to state that I KNOW  exactly what Jesus is or could possibly be thinking.  But I do know from Scripture that Jesus reserved His harshest criticism for those who were considered the religious elite of His day -- the Pharisees and teachers of the law.  These holy men followed Jesus, too. But not because they believed He was the Messiah, but to judge and criticize and condemn every word He spoke and every move He made.

In the Bible, Matthew 23:1-36 is subtitled in one translation as ‘Seven Woes To The Scribes and Pharisees,’ and ‘A Warning Against Hypocrisy’ in another. Jesus admonishes their actions, telling His disciples and the crowd of people following Him not to do what they, the religious leaders, do, because they do not practice what they preach.

Credit

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!”  Jesus says to them over and over, calling them blind guides, blind fools, whitewashed tombs, snakes and a brood of vipers.  These men gave the appearance of righteousness and holiness on the outside, but inside they were unclean and dead. Hypocrites.

Might these same accusations aimed at the Pharisees and teachers of the law by Jesus so long ago strike a chord with many of His people today who are speaking maliciously of other folks who love and serve the Lord? Might these same warnings resonate within them, making them uncomfortable in their sin?

I must say, I am all too aware that while we may be followers of Christ, we are also an imperfect bunch of people.  We make mistakes. We give in to temptations. We fall down. We say hurtful, inappropriate things.  We set bad examples. Most times unintentionally, but sometimes not.  

And to be painfully honest, there was a time when I was what some call a ‘baby Christian’ (someone immature in their faith in Christ) and I would often sarcastically and self-righteously refer to myself as a ‘recovering Catholic,’ as I toggled between looking down my nose at and feeling sorry for anyone who still found themselves ‘trapped by the tradition of guilt and shame’ (my words) within the Catholic Church.

Can you say ‘World’s Biggest Jerk?’ Yes, that was me to a T, my dears. I THANK GOD for His grace and mercy with me over the years. I am thankful for His persistence in pointing out my arrogant stupidity and Pharisaecal attitude, for His help in removing this ugly attitude in me. And I’m grateful that today, God still sends loving, yet stern reminders and lessons whenever I seem about to veer over onto that path again.

May I ask for something here? Could we all just be willing to lay down our verbal swords? Could we all  just be willing to put aside our differences and disagreements on theology and doctrine? Could we – as a people who profess to love Jesus Christ – learn to see one another as beloved children of our Father God and precious brothers and sisters in Christ, united by and with and through the Holy Spirit?

As a matter of fact, in John 17:20-23, this unity is what Jesus prayed for in the upper room after the Passover meal, the night He was betrayed:


“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.  I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as we are one—  I in them and You in Me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.

Credit

Could we -- dare we -- as Christians, humble ourselves and pray this way, too, for our Catholic friends, family members, neighbors, classmates and coworkers and for their pope? Could we -- dare we -- pray for those whose religious denominations and traditions aren't mirror images of ours?

I’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating – we need to be ever so careful about what we post, how we speak and act. The way we live and love.  Others – non-believers, new believers and people of different faith denominations -- are watching us. And they’ll know we are Christians…not by our Christian T-shirts, key chains and car magnets displaying clever slogans; not with our Jesus jewelry and our Bible verse Pinterest boards…but they’ll KNOW, without a doubt, we are Christians by our love.

The Snarkiness of Christianity

Wednesday, March 13, 2013, was certainly a day for the history books. After the siting of the white smoke rising out of the Sistine Chapel's chimney, social media sites, newsfeeds and blogs were all abuzz about the election of the Catholic Church’s new pontiff, Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, now known as Pope Francis I, the pontiff of firsts. CNN's webpage reports that Pope Francis is

• the first non-European pope of the modern era
• the first Latin American pope
• the first Jesuit
• the first to take the name of Francis

As a former Catholic, I was delighted for my Catholic and Latin American friends, as it was such an exciting moment in history and the beginning of a new era for them! However, I was not so delighted, Christian and non-denominational gal that I am, over the many comments made by folks in response to the question posed on various news sites and social media pages after the announcement:

‘What do you think about the election of the new pope?’

I’m certain those who posted this question expected a plethora of responses ranging from hopeful and ecstatic to doubtful and indifferent .

But I’m guessing that the folks who maintain the social media page of a particular Christian organization NEVER expected the many, many negative and damaging comments made by....gulp...fellow Christians.

GASP!! The heck you say?

Yes, my friends. The snarkiness of Christianity came out in a big, ugly way on the Facebook page of  'I Am Second'. The folks at I Am Second describe themselves, as it states in the picture above, as ‘a movement meant to inspire people of all kinds to live for God and for others.’  They place much of their emphasis on humility, encouraging people to serve God by serving others FIRST, while humbly relegating themselves to second place.  That's some great stuff there, because that's what Jesus did. 

I’m not faulting those over at I Am Second for posting that question. I’m sure it was asked with good intentions and in all sincerity, as many of its page members are from the Catholic faith, as well as other faith denominations.  No doubt they may have expected some negativity and indifference here and there. But I truly don’t think they expected the onslaught of finger-pointing, name-calling and mockery that followed. 

Before I began writing out this post, I surfed over to their Facebook page and found that the post in question had been removed. I can’t say that I blame them and I actually applaud them for doing so. I must admit, I was appalled and saddened by the over-the-top mean-spiritedness and arrogance of people’s words and attitudes towards those within the Catholic faith.  So many spoke of the pope and Catholics with the same sneering contempt that one reserves for speaking of crack addicts, child molesters and Adolph Hitler. 

It was a prime example of Christians behaving badly.

And that prompted me to wonder what someone brand new to the Christian faith would have thought after reading such arrogant, sarcastic, self-righteous and hurtful comments.

Or how about someone who is seeking a relationship with Christ; or someone who has never felt the need or a desire for God but who perhaps stumbled upon I Am Second’s Facebook page or was encouraged by someone to check it out? What do you suppose they would have thought about those comments and, more importantly, about the Christians who posted them?

And what do you suppose….Jesus thought about them?

I’ll get to that and finish up in my next post. Stay tuned.

Worship Song Sunday -- You Are I Am, by Mercy Me

'While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said, "why bother the Teacher anymore?" Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe." '~Mark 5:35-36

' "If you can?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."  Immediately, the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" '~Mark 9:23-24

'But when they saw Him walking on the lake, they thought He was a ghost. They cried out because they all saw Him and were terrified.  Immediately, He spoke to them and said, "Take courage. It is I. Don't be afraid." '~Mark 6:49-50

'But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness."  Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.'~2 Corinthians 12:9

'Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I Am!" '~John 8:58

Bridegroom, The Great I Am, by Dee Brestin

Whenever you doubt; whenever you're afraid; whenever you think you have to do everything on your own, in your own strength, remember who He is.....

You are the One Messiah....You are I AM!

The Bible on The History Channel

For the past several days, I've been bombarded by commercials and news show interviews on various channels for a new mini-series set to air on Sunday, March 3, 2013, on The History Channel.  Perhaps you've seen many of them, too, for (insert shofar blast here):

'The Bible.' 

And what better time to do so, with Easter being only about a month a way, right?

Now, I normally don't do this kind of thing here on my blog. But I really do feel as if I should offer a word or two (or twenty) of warning here. Before we all go a'jumpin' on the bandwagon to praise & promote History Channel's showing of this mini-series on our social media pages and whatnot, I'd like to say this:

Please keep in mind that this is someone else's interpretation of the Word of God and the various Bible stories found in Scripture. I have to say that in the past, I've found that The History Channel's shows centering on the Bible and Jesus Christ more often than not have leaned heavily in the direction of debunking Christianity, planting seeds of doubt in viewers' minds about Moses' parting of the Red Sea, Noah's Ark, and worse, the validity of Christ actually being the Son of God. At times as I've watched some of these shows, I've felt what I can only describe as an uncomfortable, 'yucky' feeling, as if any minute, Satan would slither up alongside of me in my seat, asking, "Did God REALLY say/do that?"

The History Channel's website for 'The Bible,' touts it this way:

"The Bible comes to life in HISTORY'S epic new series. From Genesis to Revelation, these unforgettable stories unfold through live action and cutting-edge computer generated imagery, offering new insight into famous scenes and iconic characters."

New insight. Really? It'll be interesting to see just what famous scenes they are speaking of, scenes which will allow us to gain 'new insight'. 

Over the years, I've enjoyed watching movies like 'The 10 Commandments,' 'King of Kings,' 'The Greatest Story Ever Told,' etc. But keep in mind that, once again, this IS Hollywood taking charge here, and to make scenes and people seem more exciting and larger than life, it's certainly not uncommon for screenwriters, producers and directors to take creative liberties and change things up to gain a larger viewing audience or to cater to a particular people.  Personally, just ONCE, I'd love to see Jesus portrayed as a darker-skinned, dark-eyed, Middle Eastern Jew, and not the Nordic and WASPY, blue-eyed, light-haired Savior with the neatly trimmed facial hair and British accent. (Oops -- a much needed addendum here. My apologies to Mel Gibson and company. How I completely forgot about 'The Passion of The Christ' and Jim Caviezel's very non-blue eyed, blonde-haired portrayal of the Messiah is beyond me!)

While I'm no Bible scholar by ANY stretch of the imagination, lately I have found myself shouting talking back to the TV while watching some of these same movies now, with things like, "Whoa, Jesus never said that!" and "Wait a minute -- I don't remember seeing THAT scene in the Bible!" 

I know, I know -- I'm being what my daughter, a huge SNL fan, would call a 'Debbie Downer.' I'm sure 'The Bible's' producers, Mark Burnett and his wifey, actress Roma Downey (of Touched By An Angel fame), moved forward here with the very best of intentions in the making of this mini-series. 

I'm certainly not saying we should boycott this series, nor am I asking anyone to tell family and friends to avoid it like one of the plagues we may see Moses calling down upon Pharoah in one of the episodes. This actually could be a darn fine opportunity to discuss our faith and our life in Christ with those  friends, family, neighbors, coworkers and classmates who normally wouldn't give us the time of day, but just MIGHT now because they've watched this or are at least aware of it because of all the hype. 

All I'm doing here is simply reminding and cautioning us all who profess to follow Christ, to be wise and discerning as we watch these kinds of things, and that the best way to gain new insight into the Bible and for its stories and characters to come alive to us, is to actually READ IT, while asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to you afresh those things that God desires for you to know from His Word. 

Into The Wilderness

"Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan River and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil." ~Luke 4:1-2a

Led into the wilderness

Carried into exile

Placed in a spot

Tailor made for me

Despair, by Rose Waugh, copyright 2004

A vessel emptied and

Waiting to be filled

Silence…….

There are lessons to be learned

In this silence

No longer the teacher

But the student

No longer the scribe
But the reader

Refinement taking place

In the absence of words

Alone…..

Those I thought I knew

Strangers now

Like vapors that have

Disappeared

They are gone, and I am

Afraid…..

A moan

A cry

A sigh

Escape my lips at various times

Echoing back

Among the ruins

The sound of my own voice

A cruel taunt

Cry For Help, by Deborah Nell

And yet….I sense

That I am no longer

Alone

And fear evaporates

Now there is One

Who waits beside me

His nearness…

A comfort

His presence…

My strength

Spirit of the Living God, by Deborah Nell

Although I cannot see Him yet

I know that He is

Here…right here

I sense His love

His peace

His wordless invitation

To come closer– to Him

Because He’s been in this place before

Himself…alone

Temptation In The Wilderness, by Briton Riviere

Exiled while still fresh

From the wild man’s baptism

Spirited into this desert

With droplets of the Jordan still clinging to

His hair

Abandoned by friends with

Fear His close companion as He

Sweats great drops like blood and prays

Alone in a garden dark

So I lean into this Shepherd
This Friend

This Brother
This God Man of hope and compassion

His breath, warm and sweet

Like a gentle summer breeze

Upon my head

His heartbeat a rhythm

Like a sweet symphony

In my ear

The Promise, by Morgan Weistling

Waiting…..
Breathing....

Content now

To sit at His feet and

To wait…

To learn…

In exile

In the wilderness

In silence

No longer alone

No longer afraid

When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. ~ Jeremiah 29:13-14, NRSV

Worship Song Sunday -- How He Loves Us, by David Crowder Band

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither the lower ranks of evil angels nor the higher, neither things present nor things future, nor the forces of nature nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God which rests upon us in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~ Romans 8:38-39, Weymouth New Testament

I have been battling a depression of sorts, off and on lately.  More on than off.  With it comes feelings of emptiness, loneliness, doubt and anxiety. I've had a suggestion or two from some friends as to what might be the cause.  But much of it, I think, comes from the fact that deep down inside, I am still struggling to believe that God truly loves me. That I am worth something in His eyes. 

After all that God has done for me -- the healing of diseases and disorders; the provision I've experienced that I know could have ONLY come from Him; His protection of me when I was in danger (whether or not I was aware of the danger at the time); the gifts with which He has blessed me, tangible and intangible; the times God has revealed Himself to me in supernatural, mind boggling ways; and just the way He has restored my life from what it used to be  -- STILL I struggle.

So it sounds kind of ridiculous to question His love for me, doesn't it?  

Yet at times -- like now -- that's exactly what I do. My mind clicks into overdrive, and I begin to wonder WHY God would love someone like me, how can He still love me after I continue to make such a mess of my life? I allow the brash, loud, lying voice of Satan to drown out the still, small Voice of the Savior.  The Voice that patiently, persistently reminds me that His promises of love to His people of old are mine, too:

I have loved you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3, HCSB)

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing love for you will not be shaken (Isaiah 54:10)


Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That’s how much you mean to Me! That’s how much I love you! I’d sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you (Isaiah 43:3-4, The Message)

See, I am NOT beyond my Creator's intervention. I am NOT beyond the reach of the power of my Father's transforming and amazing love.  No matter how dark it seems in the wilderness, in my pain, in my grief, in my struggle with temptation to sin -- in ALL  of that and more: I am not alone. 

And neither are you, dear one. Abba is there. And He loves you.  He loves me. 

Oh, how He loves us!!