This and That

I am in the midst of the second week of "The Summer of Fun" around here.

You see, starting in the fall, my family is going to be experiencing a milestone--a transition, if you will, which is going to change things around here quite a bit. And while it will be a good development (I believe all stages of life have a sweetness) it will also mark the end of an era that I have found to be particularly sweet. And in an attempt to savor the very last drops of sweetness in this current cup of mine, I have declared an all out extravaganza of fun and activity this summer.

Basically I'm going devour my kids all day, every day. I tell you this so you will understand why this post is going to be a few random, mostly underdeveloped thoughts strung together. You are just going to have to forgive me. I've been up to urgently important things, like reading piles of library books, and making up ridiculous knock-knock jokes. (Oh, if you only knew!)

But my mind hasn't completely given up the contemplation of Scripture over the past few weeks, and in that vein, allow me to present the following for your consideration:

******************
You know that verse, 2 Thessalonians 3:10, that says, "For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat."

I heard someone railing against the 'welfare state' in our country and using this verse to condemn it as unbiblical. Well, let me just say, I ain't taking a position on politics here, but a little bit of proper context seemed to me to be in order.

You do realize that Paul was addressing this statement to the church, right? Not the government. He was saying that church members must not be allowed to loaf around and sponge off of their fellow saints. Apparently some of the Thessalonians believed that Christ's second coming was so imminent that they gave up working and caring for their everyday responsibilities. Paul was having none of that, and said so. I don't think he had any kind of 21st century American political agenda in mind.

And by the way, all of that loafing led to some other problematic behaviors, as Paul goes on to list in verses 11 and 12. "For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread."

Busybodies. Every known one of those? Bet she didn't have enough work to keep her busy!

***************************************

I've been increasingly discouraged lately. I hesitate to blog about it, because it is so very negative, and I hate to fill this blog up with criticism. But I can't escape the awful realization that so many of my fellow Christians are by and large biblically illiterate and lack even the most basic level of discernment.

There, I said it.

And to add salt to the wound, I am specifically talking about people who have grown up in church, or have spent a majority of their life involved in church.

Now, before you go thinking what a snob I am and feel offended, let me add this: I have been there. I grew up in the church. I played the role of sweet-christian-do-gooder for a while. Not very well, I'll be the first do admit. But still, I do have some empathy for church attenders who don't know that much about Christianity and the Bible.

It's just that my empathy is starting to wear thin, and I'm thinking "Come on people! Do you believe this stuff at all? How can you believe the amazing, overarching message in Scripture and not be serious about it?"

Christian friends of mine tell me from time to time that they are not smart like me, and they just don't know as much as I do. Well, let me tell you something. I'm not all that smart! And I wasn't born knowing the things that I have come to understand. I have just taken the time to study and read and question and challenge and discuss. I've asked the hard questions and remained dissatisfied until I got an answer. I mean, if you understand that the God and Creator and King of the universe bore a curse, and became sin, and died in your place, how can you really be content without exploring Him and His revealed Word to the fullest understanding possible? It is quite simply the most fascinating topic in, well, the universe.

*****************************

So, I went blueberry picking a few days ago, and now my fridge is full of blueberries. I'm going to make a real, homemade blueberry pie tomorrow, and I an PUMPED!

While reading in quest of a great blueberry pie recipe, I happened upon this scintillating cooking tip: Cake batter cooks well in a waffle iron.

Are you imagining the possibilities? Cake batter waffles surrounded by a topping bar. Think of it! Ice cream and syrups and chopped nuts and whipped cream. I'm going to have to think of an excuse to throw a party.

*****************************

And finally, credit goes to my dear husband for pointing this one out to me.

In Romans 8:16 we read "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,"

This is not only an internal assurance for each and every Christian that we indeed posses a true faith, but it is also a legal requirement for establishing the truth of a matter.

Deut. 19:15

"One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established." (emphasis mine)

In the Romans verse, Paul is describing the two witnesses that will testify to our adoption as sons of God. The first witness is the Christian, and the second is the Holy Spirit. And by the testimony of these two--the truth of the matter is established.

Weeping at His feet

Luke 7: 37-38

"And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil."

This passage is amazing in several ways. But before I get into that, let me help you to picture this scene a little better. Jesus has been invited to dine at the home of a Pharisee. Yes, that would mean that his host belongs to the group of people that Jesus at one point compared to whitewashed graves, beautiful and clean on the outside, but full of filth and death on the inside (Matthew 23:27--its a pretty brutal description, nothing sweet or nice about it at all.) It was the custom of the day that people be allowed to enter the home and watch a meal like this take place. But this woman who came to see Jesus would not have been welcomed into such polite company AT ALL. She is described as a sinner, and it is pretty safe to assume that she was a prostitute. No righteous man would have had anything to do with her, even to touch her would have been a disgrace.

The guests would have been reclining on couches, so you can picture how she could be standing behind Him and weeping at His feet, and wiping His feet with her hair, kissing them and then anointing them with oil.

Let's take a look at her for a moment, I want you to really try to imagine this encounter. Imagine the guts it would have taken for her to enter a house where she KNEW nobody wanted her. The host apparently knows what kind of woman she is, because as he is witnessing her weeping, he thinks that Jesus must be a fraud to let her touch Him. The Pharisee reasons that if Jesus were aware that she was a prostitute, He would never let the woman touch Him, and because He is allowing her to touch Him, He must be ignorant of her circumstances and thus a fraud. Don't think for a moment that the Pharisee and the other guests would have felt compelled to hide their disgust at her presence. I'm sure there were plenty of meaningful looks and rude comments spoken just loud enough for her to overhear.

Not only does she ignore the fact that she is unwelcome, she goes right up to the table and stands behind Jesus, weeping, wiping His feet with her hair, and anointing His feet with a very expensive fragrant oil. Talk about making a spectacle of yourself! There is nothing subtle about this encounter at all. This woman was obviously overcome with powerful emotion. The Greek word used to describe her kissing Jesus feet is kataphileo, it means to "kiss earnestly." This was no polite peck or two, this was a passionate display. She wept so openly and so hard that she had to use her hair to dry off His feet for goodness sake! This wasn't a stray tear that she could pretend wasn't there by discreetly rubbing her eye! (Come on, you know you've done it.)

Think about that fragrant oil for a moment. It would have been a very rare, and very expensive oil. Even the alabaster jar that held the oil would have been luxurious and costly. So how do you suppose this woman paid for such expensive oil? Imagine for a moment what she had to do to earn the money that bought it. Remember, she is a prostitute. Do you think that Jesus was unaware of what she had done to pay for this oil? No way. He was acutely aware of every humiliation, every dashed expectation, every cruel rebuke, every haughty glare, every snide remark, every dismissive gesture, ever degradation, every shameful and disgusting experience this woman had ever encountered. And He let her weep at His feet, and pour out her anguish and shame with her tears. Can you imagine? Right on the feet of Jesus, the Holy of Holies, the High Priest, the Perfect Lamb. What a moment that must have been for her. What a moment it would be for any of us.

Why was this woman so moved? Because she got it. She saw who Jesus was, she realized what his love and approval meant for her, and nothing else in all the world mattered. I don't think anything could have kept her away. There is more to this encounter between Jesus, the Pharisee and the sinful woman that I haven't even covered. I encourage you to look it up and read it for yourself. But right now, I just want you to think about one thing. Do you have the guts she did? Are you willing to risk the disapproval of those around you in order to "weep at Jesus feet?"

I'm not trying to make you feel guilty here, I actually think guilt is a cheap and ineffective tactic that is way overused--the whole making Christians feel guilty for not being better Christians bit. Rather, I want you to consider this: Jesus tells the Pharisee that the reason this woman loves Him so much is because she has been forgiven so much. In other words, she is aware of how vast her sin is, and she is in awe that it has been forgiven. So here's the question for all of us--Do we realize how vast our sin is? Are we in awe that it has been forgiven?

*****************************************

This is a postscript--My husband wanted me to be sure and emphasize that we SUSPECT this woman was a prostitute. We don't know that with 100% certainty. But according to the footnotes in my Bible, and the fact that a prostitute would have been referred to as a "sinner," I think it is a pretty safe assumption. But, just in case, I don't want to mislead anyone!

Another Divine Appointment

I had a strange morning today. I gave a stranger a ride home. I don't usually pick up people walking on the side of the road. In fact, I am probably more paranoid about picking up strangers than your average person, because my husband and I wasted a lot of time and money trying to help someone that we picked up on the side of the road several years ago. But that is another story.

I had been at a friends house and was leaving her neighborhood. As I pulled up to a Stop sign, waiting to pull onto a busy road, an older-middle-aged woman walked up to my window. She was well dressed, in slacks and a stylish sweater. She had on lipstick and jewelry, I could even smell the perfume she was wearing. She asked if I was heading toward a certain neighborhood. I could see that she had been crying. In fact, she was wiping tears off of her cheeks the whole time I talked to her.

I was not heading in the direction she asked about, in fact I needed to be somewhere in the opposite direction in 25 minutes. Plus, I am not the kind of person who gives rides to strangers.

Here is where the story gets interesting. All of this was happening, literally, right across the street from my church. I could see that there were several cars in the church parking lot, and I knew that our church secretary was there as well. I tried to talk the distressed woman into walking across the street and getting help from someone inside. She didn't want to do that. I asked her if I could call someone, and she only cried more and said "no." I tried to ask her if she was in trouble, or if she needed some help, but she just kept saying that she wanted to go home.

At that point she left the side of my car and started walking back down the road. It was 77 degrees and sunny, and based on the place she had asked me to take her, I knew she had a long way to go in the heat. I thought for a moment, but decided that she was probably a woman who was stranded and in real need of help, and not some scam artist or dangerous person. I mean, she was very well dressed, she was even carrying a nice black leather purse. I think it was the lipstick and nice perfume that made up my mind. It would be like my mother or my mother-in-law being stranded and needing help from a stranger.

I pulled into the parking lot of my church, and walked inside. One of the secretaries was standing right there. I asked her if she could ride with me, and I briefly explained what was going on. She grabbed her purse, hopped in my car, and we drove down the road and picked up the distressed woman.

She was very glad to have a ride. As soon as she got in my car, Debbie, the secretary from church, asked if she could pray for her. So as I started driving, she and Debbie held hands and prayed. Then she told us a little bit about why she was stranded and needed a ride.

She told us that she was married to a very mean and controlling man, who treated her very badly. They had been going to marriage counseling, and she said he just lied about everything. She said she just couldn't take it anymore, and walked out. I assume that meant she had just left the marriage counseling and was trying to walk home when I picked her up.

We let her talk for a while, she was still crying, and giving us some more of the story. I'm not going to give you all the details, that is not what is really important. Debbie asked if she had a church home, and she said no. Then she started crying some more and saying she wouldn't go to church with her husband. Debbie wrote down our pastors name and phone number. We gave it to her and told her that she certainly did not have to come to church, but that she could always call if she needed help, or just a person to talk to.

When we got to her house, I asked her if I could pray with her again, and she let me. I don't really even know what I prayed about. I just wanted her to know that I cared, and more importantly, that God cared. I helped her out of the back seat of my car. She cried some more, thanked me and gave me a hug. I can still smell her perfume on my shirt.

I have no idea if she will ever call our pastor, or go to any church. But I have been praying for her all day. I sincerely believe that I was supposed to give her that ride today. I mean, what are the chances that all of that happened randomly? Right across the street from my church? That Debbie would be standing right there when I walked in, and would be able to ride with me so I wouldn't be nervous about giving a stranger a ride?

I wonder if I am supposed to be learning something from this. This is the second older woman in distress that I have encountered recently. Maybe God just wants me to remember that underneath the nice, socially acceptable facade that people present, there are real hurts and needs. Believe me, I spend a lot of time around people who seem perfect. People who seem to have it all. Women with nice black leather purses, stylish sweaters and lipstick perfectly applied. But every once in a while, people will let you see behind it all. Maybe I'm just supposed to remember to keep looking.

A Tight Rope

The Christian life calls for such a tightrope walk sometimes. Where exactly is the line between works and grace? Or, how do we strive toward heaven, without disregarding the here and now? Where are we supposed to draw the line between enjoying the blessings God has given us, and indulging in excessive luxury? Is it OK to spend time playing tennis, when I could be using that time to disciple a young believer? All of it calls for balance, right? Well, I think there are some things that leave no room for balance, but rather, are clearly meant to be all consuming.

I read these verses the other night.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."


I don't think that leaves much wiggle room. I don't see any indication that we are supposed to take a balanced approach to "these words." This section of scripture is found just after Moses has been recounting to the Israelites the commandments, statutes, and judgments of the LORD. I think it is safe to say that our modern equivalent of those things is the Bible.

Here is how I would break down these verses.

*Love the LORD your God emotionally, practically, actively, with all that you are, and with all of your mind, perspective, and thought life.

*Make these words a part of your heart, as in, part of your emotional understanding, part of what is inside you that drives and motivates you.

*Teach the scripture to your children!!!!

*Talk about the scripture in your home, with those closest to you, with those you love, as part of your everyday life. To me this means regularly, all the time, as a matter of habit. (when you sit in your house)

*Talk about and live according to scripture as you go about your daily business, your routines, your errands, your job! (when you walk by the way)

*Even in your recreation, and times of rest, seek after and love God! (this would be my take on "when you lie down")

*Make it part of the action of your hands: all your works, your accomplishments, your dealings, for me this would include housework, changing diapers, taking care of home and family.

*"frontlets between your eyes"-This one is convicting. Think about what you spend your time looking at, watching, absorbing. TV? Not much of it would be acceptable if we truly looked at it through a veil of scripture, would it? Another way of looking at this-do your frame your opinions (view things) based on what God says, or on what man says?

*God's word should be what we build our homes and home life upon. Our family life should revolve around it. We should be a home and family that proclaims the truth of God's Word in our daily living, our private family time, and our "gates"-the things the world sees when they observe us.

Listen, I am not perfect at this. But, I get the fact that my relationship to God is not subject to being balanced with other things in my life. It is not part of my life, it is my life. It is not part of what I believe, it is the basis of everything I believe. It is not a thing that I participate in, it drives and directs everything else that I do, every part of my life.

That makes me strange in today's culture. Even among many other Christians. The idol of a balanced life has unfortunately crept into our idea of religion.

God does not want us to be balanced. Not when it comes to Him: all your heart, soul, strength. Doesn't leave much else...

The First Commandment

Matthew 22:36-40

"One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

I have been thinking about this verse since last night. I've been be-bopping around a lot of blogs lately, and let me tell you, there are some strange ideas about God and Christianity out there. This post is inspired by a comment I read on another blog. I'll just leave it at that.

Here's the thing: Jesus identified loving God as the FIRST and GREATEST commandment. That is God Himself pinpointing for us what our life ambition should be. It is the center that all the spokes in our lives should revolve around. Until you get this commandment, all the rest is irrelevant.

You can give away everything you own, you can give all your spare time in back breaking service to others, you can preach and study until you are mentally and physically exhausted, you can advocate social change and sign petitions, you can forward "Christian" emails, you can write letters to congressmen, you can drive a hybrid car, or better yet ride a bicycle, you can even praise and worship in church, but until you love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind, you are accomplishing nothing.

Here is why. Only when your actions are a reflection of God's glory are they pleasing to God. Until then, you are acting out of self-righteousness and pride. That is blunt, but true. It may not look like self-righteousness and pride, but make no mistake, that is exactly what it is.

Notice that Jesus said to love God first, and then to love your neighbor second. We are incapable of loving our neighbor in any real way unless our love is a reflection of God's love. Until it comes from the overflow of loving God fully, there is an awful lot of YOU involved in your motives and actions. Not only that, but you will wear out and give up if you are trying to love your neighbor in your own power.

Most people are not all that lovable when you get down to the nitty gritty. I am including myself in that statement. We all have fallen short of the glory of God, we all disappoint each other, we all fail and make mistakes. None of us is perfect.

And if you make the mistake of thinking that you can learn to love God by serving your neighbor, you have it all backward. You must serve your neighbor, not in order to love God, but BECAUSE you love God. It's a big difference. One is self-motivated, the other is an outpouring of God's grace in a practical way.

And if you take away God's grace, you take away all the good news.

Light in a Dark Place

Esther 2:7

"Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This girl, who was also known as Esther,"

The name Esther, and Hadassah, are translated as "star." I have always preferred the translation, "Light in a Dark Place."

What a great name meaning! It never occurred to me until very recently that my name, Hadassah, could actually be a literal translation of what God had in store for my life. Now, please don't get me wrong. One thing that is neat about stars is that the sky is full of them. They do not shine into darkness by themselves. And I don't think that God has any intention of making me shine by myself. I have been so encouraged lately to find so many women who share the passion that I have for God.

But I do want to be a light in a dark world. Even in the sky that I am placed in right now, surrounded by other lights, I see an awful lot of darkness. It doesn't take much looking around to see it. Off the top of my head right this instant I can think of women I know who are struggling with homosexuality, adultery, eating disorders, substance abuse, depression, abandonment, anger, jealousy, and divorce. And I'm only thinking of the women in my circle who do not know Christ. The Christians I know are struggling with some pretty scary things themselves.

There is a big difference in the two groups though. One group has real hope and the ability to overcome those struggles. The other, well, I hope that they can get help. But really, unless they let God fill up the voids in their lives that those problems are either a result of or the motivation for, chances are that they will end up replacing one problem with another.

That is why it is so important for us to be light in a dark place. There is darkness all around us. If you can't see darkness around you, I would suggest that you either aren't really looking, or that your world is much too small. Light is useless if it does not shine into the darkness.

Matthew 5:14-16

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

John 1:4-5

"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."

John 3:19-21

"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

John 12:36

"While you have light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."

Ephesians 5:8-11

"For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them."


Psalm 119:105

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."


Ever since God began to shine His light into the deepest parts of my heart, I don't think it is even possible for me to hide my light from the world. Part of the reason I have been writing this blog is because if I did not have a chance to get this out there, I would be unbearable to be around. I really don't want to talk about anything else besides God and what He is doing in me and for me.

But I realize that most people do not appreciate having God shoved down their throats. I think it is much wiser to be pleasant to be around, and able to engage people on a variety of subjects. The light of the Lord always shines through in every situation. But it is often not because I am talking about it specifically.

For instance, when I was visiting a large city this summer, my husband and I met up with some of his old friends. They are not Christians. After spending several enjoyable hours together, one of them said to me. "I admire your faith, I can tell that you have something real going on inside of you, I think its really neat." Now, we had not talked about anything even remotely religious. Just chit chat. But the light shone through me. I just can't hide it.

Light in A Dark Place. I want my light to keep growing brighter. There is so much darkness around me that needs the light.