This Sunday was the hungriest I have felt in a long time during a church service. You can probably guess what the sermon was on - FASTING - The abstaining from food for spiritual purposes. The harder I tried not to think about eating, the greater my desire for food became. Sounds familiar? Fasting is neither fun nor easy, but it is so worth it when we consider Jesus' awesome promise in Matthew 9:16+17: When questioned why his disciples didn't fast, Jesus explained that this was not the right time for them, yet. It would be like "new wine [being] put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."
This implies that the disciples, before Christ's resurrection, were like old wineskins. They could not have handled the glory which God wanted to reveal to his children through fasting. They had to wait until they were made new creations in Christ in order to be ready for this 'new wine'. Unlike the disciples, we do not have to wait, because we were made new when we turned to Christ. Jesus' promise is for us! God wants to bless our socks off through fasting by revealing more and more of Himself to us. That is reason enough for me!
Monday, November 7, 2016
Monday, October 10, 2016
Stripped
Have you ever felt stripped of the things that define you? Most of us have experienced that sudden change of roles: we're laid off from work, move to another city, or become empty nesters. Change is painful!
This has been my experience over the past year. A lot of things in which I found my identity, were stripped away. A change of circumstances made homeschooling no longer feasible; almost simultaneously, my husband lost his job as a pastor, and to top things off, I experienced first-hand how destructive rumors can be. I had arrogantly thought that being a homeschooling pastor's wife defined who I am. It took God stripping me of these things, like a piece of clothing, to realize that these things don't really define us in the first place..
I believe this is also what happened to Joseph when he was stripped of his coat of many colors (Gen. 37:23). This robe was more than a piece of clothing to him. It defined Joseph as the favorite son, which in turn caused this son of Jacob to wrap himself in pride, arrogance, and self-reliance. In taking this coat, Joseph's brothers stripped him of everything he prided himself in: his role, his wealth, and his relationships. Later, he underwent more stripping, when he fled from Potiphar's wife, leaving his garment in her hands and his good reputation in ruins (Gen. 39:12).
God, in His mercy, brought Joseph to a place of complete abandonment from people and without any earthly resources to rely upon. "But God was with Joseph" (Gen 39:21). In the dungeon, Joseph was able to learn invaluable lessons from God. When he emerged, Joseph put on a new garment to stand before Pharaoh. First and foremost he clothed himself with humility, approaching Pharaoh with an "it is not in me" kind of attitude (Gen. 41:16). Joseph no longer defined himself by who he was and what he could do, but by who God is and what He can do.
In the same way, God taught me that my identity does not come from how well I perform as a wife or homeschool-mom, nor does it hinge on my reputation. What really defines and simultaneously frees me is the recognition that I am absolutely helpless without God. Apart from Him I can do nothing (John 15:5).
When we go through seasons of feeling completely stripped of the things that we thought defined us, God wants us to learn to find our value in Him.
"Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5)
This has been my experience over the past year. A lot of things in which I found my identity, were stripped away. A change of circumstances made homeschooling no longer feasible; almost simultaneously, my husband lost his job as a pastor, and to top things off, I experienced first-hand how destructive rumors can be. I had arrogantly thought that being a homeschooling pastor's wife defined who I am. It took God stripping me of these things, like a piece of clothing, to realize that these things don't really define us in the first place..
I believe this is also what happened to Joseph when he was stripped of his coat of many colors (Gen. 37:23). This robe was more than a piece of clothing to him. It defined Joseph as the favorite son, which in turn caused this son of Jacob to wrap himself in pride, arrogance, and self-reliance. In taking this coat, Joseph's brothers stripped him of everything he prided himself in: his role, his wealth, and his relationships. Later, he underwent more stripping, when he fled from Potiphar's wife, leaving his garment in her hands and his good reputation in ruins (Gen. 39:12).
God, in His mercy, brought Joseph to a place of complete abandonment from people and without any earthly resources to rely upon. "But God was with Joseph" (Gen 39:21). In the dungeon, Joseph was able to learn invaluable lessons from God. When he emerged, Joseph put on a new garment to stand before Pharaoh. First and foremost he clothed himself with humility, approaching Pharaoh with an "it is not in me" kind of attitude (Gen. 41:16). Joseph no longer defined himself by who he was and what he could do, but by who God is and what He can do.
In the same way, God taught me that my identity does not come from how well I perform as a wife or homeschool-mom, nor does it hinge on my reputation. What really defines and simultaneously frees me is the recognition that I am absolutely helpless without God. Apart from Him I can do nothing (John 15:5).
When we go through seasons of feeling completely stripped of the things that we thought defined us, God wants us to learn to find our value in Him.
"Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5)
Monday, September 12, 2016
Meeting God in the Mundane
Nothing beats the exhilaration of being used by God in extraordinary ways. The thrill of going to places where that Gospel was unknown and witnessing lives turn from darkness to light has been incomparably faith-boosting to me. While all of us are called to be Christ's witnesses, most of our lives, whether on the mission field or at home, are consumed with mundane chores, meeting every-day needs: washing clothes, wiping snotty noses, preparing food, helping with the homework - and tomorrow we get up and do it all over again.
The recognition from fellow believers that accompanies "doing something special for God" led me to believe that God is more pleased with me if I present a Bible to a nomadic clan in Turkey, or share the Gospel with Muslim girls in Central Asia, than if I live an ordinary life at home. If that were true, Paul would not have called believers to "aspire to live quietly , and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands." (1 Thess. 4:11) Paul underscores this again when he calls older women to "teach younger women to be keepers of the home." (Titus 2:5) He also recommends that the church support widows, whose lives are marked by a steadiness and faithfulness in everyday situations, namely child-rearing, hospitality and every good work (1 Tim. 5:10).
When my husband and I were part of a church-planting team in Berlin, Germany, every team member, at one time or another had what we called a "KLM-day". This meant that that we had come to the point when staying was so hard, we wanted to get on a KLM plane and fly home. What kept us going was not the obligation to a missions organization, but an obedience to God, trusting that He had put us right where He wanted us to be.
Even in my own home I have "KLM-days" sometimes. I get tired of having little time for myself, and feeling like I am constantly working to meet others' needs. What keeps me going is not only an obligation to my family, but an obedience to God who has put me right where He wants me to be.
Believing that God finds pleasure in our quiet lives enables us to see the daily work He has set before us as good, worthwhile and glorifying to Him. It means resting in the fact that God enjoys being with us in our everyday tasks and gives us the strength and joy to do what He has called us to do. Finding significance in our daily lives is all about recognizing this as part of our calling. Meeting God in the mundane can transform any chore into a worship experience.
The recognition from fellow believers that accompanies "doing something special for God" led me to believe that God is more pleased with me if I present a Bible to a nomadic clan in Turkey, or share the Gospel with Muslim girls in Central Asia, than if I live an ordinary life at home. If that were true, Paul would not have called believers to "aspire to live quietly , and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands." (1 Thess. 4:11) Paul underscores this again when he calls older women to "teach younger women to be keepers of the home." (Titus 2:5) He also recommends that the church support widows, whose lives are marked by a steadiness and faithfulness in everyday situations, namely child-rearing, hospitality and every good work (1 Tim. 5:10).
When my husband and I were part of a church-planting team in Berlin, Germany, every team member, at one time or another had what we called a "KLM-day". This meant that that we had come to the point when staying was so hard, we wanted to get on a KLM plane and fly home. What kept us going was not the obligation to a missions organization, but an obedience to God, trusting that He had put us right where He wanted us to be.
Even in my own home I have "KLM-days" sometimes. I get tired of having little time for myself, and feeling like I am constantly working to meet others' needs. What keeps me going is not only an obligation to my family, but an obedience to God who has put me right where He wants me to be.
Believing that God finds pleasure in our quiet lives enables us to see the daily work He has set before us as good, worthwhile and glorifying to Him. It means resting in the fact that God enjoys being with us in our everyday tasks and gives us the strength and joy to do what He has called us to do. Finding significance in our daily lives is all about recognizing this as part of our calling. Meeting God in the mundane can transform any chore into a worship experience.
Monday, August 22, 2016
Encountering the Holy Spirit
"The Holy Spirit must be really chaotic and scary," I decided as a young believer. In my quest to find out who the Holy Spirit was, my youth group leader directed me toward a charismatic church in town. "They will show you," he suggested ominously. That night I found myself in a church, radically different from any I had ever known. People were running, jumping, screaming and chanting in tongues up and down the aisles. A lady standing close by caught my wide-eyed, bewildered look. "This is the Holy Spirit's doing," she explained briefly. Her words was no comfort to me. If I had not been completely surrounded by this mayhem, I would have fled this scene as quickly as possible. Much later I understood that the Holy Spirit does endow Christians with gifts such as teaching, prophesy and tongues, but they are for the building up of the church. What I had experienced was the same chaos which the apostle Paul addressed in the early church when he asked, "If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds?" (1 Cor. 14:23)
Slightly intimidated, I continued my quest for knowing the Holy Spirit. A year later I spent Easter at Camp Obadiah in Australia. After an evening worship meeting I asked the main speaker for prayer, telling him that I desired more of God in my life. "What you want is the Holy Spirit," he clarified. "I will pray for you and then you will fall over immediately. Afterwards you will start speaking in tongues." This seemed like a proven method, when I watched this speaker pray for others. Now he started praying for me - nothing visible happened. Other leaders joined in - still nothing seemed to happen. "Stop resisting the Spirit," they urged. After half and hour, which seemed like an eternity, almost the entire camp had joined in praying. Finally they gave up, deciding I was too resistant to the work of the Holy Spirit. Really?! - If I could have conjured up in myself anything to force the Holy Spirit into action, I would have done so.
From that day on God has regularly given me prophetic visions. This has taught me that the Holy Spirit cannot be put into a box. He has no prescribed method and does what He wants. (John 3:3)
The Holy Spirit is nothing like I thought in those confusing beginnings. Yes, He is unpredictable like the wind, but He is not scary, because He does not act contrary to his own character. This becomes visible in the fruit He brings forth: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal. 5:22)
It has been so worth overcoming my prejudice and fear for the sake of knowing Him.
"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Luke 11:13)
Slightly intimidated, I continued my quest for knowing the Holy Spirit. A year later I spent Easter at Camp Obadiah in Australia. After an evening worship meeting I asked the main speaker for prayer, telling him that I desired more of God in my life. "What you want is the Holy Spirit," he clarified. "I will pray for you and then you will fall over immediately. Afterwards you will start speaking in tongues." This seemed like a proven method, when I watched this speaker pray for others. Now he started praying for me - nothing visible happened. Other leaders joined in - still nothing seemed to happen. "Stop resisting the Spirit," they urged. After half and hour, which seemed like an eternity, almost the entire camp had joined in praying. Finally they gave up, deciding I was too resistant to the work of the Holy Spirit. Really?! - If I could have conjured up in myself anything to force the Holy Spirit into action, I would have done so.
From that day on God has regularly given me prophetic visions. This has taught me that the Holy Spirit cannot be put into a box. He has no prescribed method and does what He wants. (John 3:3)
The Holy Spirit is nothing like I thought in those confusing beginnings. Yes, He is unpredictable like the wind, but He is not scary, because He does not act contrary to his own character. This becomes visible in the fruit He brings forth: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal. 5:22)
It has been so worth overcoming my prejudice and fear for the sake of knowing Him.
"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Luke 11:13)
Sunday, August 7, 2016
You are mine!
My thirteen-year-old son, Daniel, is Southern to the core. He is an accomplished hunter, an award-winning fisherman, and he knows how to hull sunflower seeds in his mouth - something I will probably never master! Recently he decided to give his mom an introduction to some of his favorite country songs. Contrary to my expectations I actually really enjoyed them. One song in particular strongly resonated with me. "He is Mine!" is what country singer Rodney Atkins declares about his teenage son, who comes running to him for safety. Despite the fact that his boy is on trouble with the neighbors for smoking and shooting beer bottles while trespassing on their property, the father embraces and claims him wholeheartedly. "He is mine," he proudly tells them and no action on his son's part could ever change this.
Through his song, this father gives us a perfect example of unconditional love, without condoning a single part of his boy's actions. Atkins clearly reflects the father-heart of God. God is speaking to his children in the same way when He says, "You are mine." (Is. 43:1b) Even when we get into trouble, He still claims us as His own. My propensity is to hide from God in shame when I have sinned against Him. Like Adam and Eve I doubt that He would still want to be with me. Instead, God longs to embrace us as we come running to Him, just as Rodney Atkins displayed in his song.
Nothing that we do can cause God to stop loving us. God claims us completely, not only when we are doing well. Sometimes it takes a Southern boy and his favorite country song for us to really grasp this truth!
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine." (Isaiah 43:1b)
Through his song, this father gives us a perfect example of unconditional love, without condoning a single part of his boy's actions. Atkins clearly reflects the father-heart of God. God is speaking to his children in the same way when He says, "You are mine." (Is. 43:1b) Even when we get into trouble, He still claims us as His own. My propensity is to hide from God in shame when I have sinned against Him. Like Adam and Eve I doubt that He would still want to be with me. Instead, God longs to embrace us as we come running to Him, just as Rodney Atkins displayed in his song.
Nothing that we do can cause God to stop loving us. God claims us completely, not only when we are doing well. Sometimes it takes a Southern boy and his favorite country song for us to really grasp this truth!
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine." (Isaiah 43:1b)
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Planned by God
I was unplanned. My accidental conception has become somewhat of a family joke; after all, how many times have you heard of a husband unintentionally bricking up his wife's birth-control pills into the bathroom wall? Without immediate access to a new supply of pills, my mother became pregnant soon after.
I was unwanted. The day I checked myself into an orphanage I felt completely unwanted. I had no person to turn to and could only appeal to the mercy of the social services system, which was obligated to furnish a minor with accommodation and nourishment.
At that point, I have no idea what possessed me to go to a pro-choice meeting. Curiosity perhaps. At any rate, I was late entering the conference room and all eyes turned on me when the door slammed shut behind me. Grasping the opportunity, I decided to address the main spokesperson by posing the question that troubled me: "What makes you so adamant that abortion is a good thing?" I asked rather bluntly. "Just consider the child," he challenged earnestly. "Imagine a child who was conceived by mistake, is unwanted and ends up living in an orphanage. Wouldn't we be doing the child a favor by not exposing it to such a miserable existence?"
"I am that child," I blurted out. "I was unplanned and unwanted and am living in an orphanage, but I am thankful to be alive. God planned my life, he made me and he desires me. That is all I want and need."
This group of abortionists was so dumbfounded by my reply, their meeting had to be postponed until further notice. One by one they silently left the conference room. What a glorious God we serve who "chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise... God chose what is low and despised in the world, even the things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are." (1 Cor. 1:27-28)
Your own life, or the life you carry inside you, might have been neither planned nor desired by human standards, but you have a God who chose you before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4), who knit you together in your mother's womb (Ps. 139:13) and who calls you His treasured possession (Dt. 7:6). He loves you so much that he is preparing a place to spend all eternity with you (Jn. 14:2).
Praise be to God who gives value and meaning to each living soul!
I was unwanted. The day I checked myself into an orphanage I felt completely unwanted. I had no person to turn to and could only appeal to the mercy of the social services system, which was obligated to furnish a minor with accommodation and nourishment.
At that point, I have no idea what possessed me to go to a pro-choice meeting. Curiosity perhaps. At any rate, I was late entering the conference room and all eyes turned on me when the door slammed shut behind me. Grasping the opportunity, I decided to address the main spokesperson by posing the question that troubled me: "What makes you so adamant that abortion is a good thing?" I asked rather bluntly. "Just consider the child," he challenged earnestly. "Imagine a child who was conceived by mistake, is unwanted and ends up living in an orphanage. Wouldn't we be doing the child a favor by not exposing it to such a miserable existence?"
"I am that child," I blurted out. "I was unplanned and unwanted and am living in an orphanage, but I am thankful to be alive. God planned my life, he made me and he desires me. That is all I want and need."
This group of abortionists was so dumbfounded by my reply, their meeting had to be postponed until further notice. One by one they silently left the conference room. What a glorious God we serve who "chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise... God chose what is low and despised in the world, even the things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are." (1 Cor. 1:27-28)
Your own life, or the life you carry inside you, might have been neither planned nor desired by human standards, but you have a God who chose you before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4), who knit you together in your mother's womb (Ps. 139:13) and who calls you His treasured possession (Dt. 7:6). He loves you so much that he is preparing a place to spend all eternity with you (Jn. 14:2).
Praise be to God who gives value and meaning to each living soul!
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Discernment Training
Discernment is highly valued all over the world. From early childhood we are trained to discern by observation what is acceptable in our society. Moving from Europe to the U.S. I experienced a whole new paradigm of cultural expectations. I did not realize that the average American has a much greater wardrobe than people from other counties. It took me a while to discern why people started offering me hand-me-downs after I had worn my "church-dress" on four consecutive Sundays. My lack of cultural awareness made these kind Christians assume that I was too poor to purchase sufficient clothing to wear a different attire each week.
Discerning cultural cues is important for functioning as part of a society, but in this day-in-age our discernment must go beyond the superficial. This time of rapidly shifting values calls for an increased measure of spiritual discernment. This discernment is marked by the maturity of the Christian to know and act upon God's will so that the believer is not tossed to and fro by the waves of human cunning and deceitful schemes (Eph. 4:12)
Almost daily I find myself in the position of seeking to discern God's will: Interpersonally, I wonder how to advise a friend whose marriage is marked by her husband's hostility towards her faith. Politically, I ask myself how to respond to the current gender issues. In child-training I think about the implications of exposing my kids to stories about friendly dragons, if the Bible is explicit about identifying Satan himself as the dragon.
We need to be able to discern between good and evil in order to know what pleases God and also to expose unfruitful works of darkness (Eph. 5:10), to approve what is excellent (Phil 1:9), and to live according to God's will (Rom. 12:2). But how can we attain discernment?
1. Ask God
It pleased God to endow Solomon with discernment when he asked selflessly (1. Kings 3:9). In the same way we can ask God who transforms us by the renewal of our minds (Rom 12:2). The Holy Spirit will also teach us if we are willing and will guide us to understand that which we already possess, namely Christ in us.
2. Know God
Increasingly grasping this mystery of Christ in us, the hope of glory, is what leads us to maturity according to Col. 1:28. Since Christ lives in us, our hope is set on the glory that awaits us. We will know Him fully (1. Cor. 13:12) and be like Him (1. Cor. 15:51). This transformation begins here and now as we increase our desire to know Him and to follow Him. Christ in us also strengthens us to accomplish this (Phil. 4:13). In Eph. 4:12 Paul emphasizes that our knowledge of Christ is in direct correlation to our maturity of faith. Here maturity is explained as knowing Christ so well that we start looking like Him. Therefore discerning His will results from walking in His footsteps.
3. Know God's Word
The more skilled we are in the word of righteousness, the more easily we will be able to distinguish good from evil (Hebr. 5:14). The word of God discerns the thoughts and actions of the heart (Hebr. 4:12). Knowing, understanding and putting God's word into practice will enable us to discern whether our thoughts and desires match up with God's.
This can seem like an overwhelming task! We need to keep in mind that discernment is not attained overnight but is something we are trained to possess by constant practice in distinguishing good from evil (Hebr. 5:14).
It is my prayer "that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God"(Col. 4:12) and "that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ... to the praise of God." (Phil. 1:9)
Discerning cultural cues is important for functioning as part of a society, but in this day-in-age our discernment must go beyond the superficial. This time of rapidly shifting values calls for an increased measure of spiritual discernment. This discernment is marked by the maturity of the Christian to know and act upon God's will so that the believer is not tossed to and fro by the waves of human cunning and deceitful schemes (Eph. 4:12)
Almost daily I find myself in the position of seeking to discern God's will: Interpersonally, I wonder how to advise a friend whose marriage is marked by her husband's hostility towards her faith. Politically, I ask myself how to respond to the current gender issues. In child-training I think about the implications of exposing my kids to stories about friendly dragons, if the Bible is explicit about identifying Satan himself as the dragon.
We need to be able to discern between good and evil in order to know what pleases God and also to expose unfruitful works of darkness (Eph. 5:10), to approve what is excellent (Phil 1:9), and to live according to God's will (Rom. 12:2). But how can we attain discernment?
1. Ask God
It pleased God to endow Solomon with discernment when he asked selflessly (1. Kings 3:9). In the same way we can ask God who transforms us by the renewal of our minds (Rom 12:2). The Holy Spirit will also teach us if we are willing and will guide us to understand that which we already possess, namely Christ in us.
2. Know God
Increasingly grasping this mystery of Christ in us, the hope of glory, is what leads us to maturity according to Col. 1:28. Since Christ lives in us, our hope is set on the glory that awaits us. We will know Him fully (1. Cor. 13:12) and be like Him (1. Cor. 15:51). This transformation begins here and now as we increase our desire to know Him and to follow Him. Christ in us also strengthens us to accomplish this (Phil. 4:13). In Eph. 4:12 Paul emphasizes that our knowledge of Christ is in direct correlation to our maturity of faith. Here maturity is explained as knowing Christ so well that we start looking like Him. Therefore discerning His will results from walking in His footsteps.
3. Know God's Word
The more skilled we are in the word of righteousness, the more easily we will be able to distinguish good from evil (Hebr. 5:14). The word of God discerns the thoughts and actions of the heart (Hebr. 4:12). Knowing, understanding and putting God's word into practice will enable us to discern whether our thoughts and desires match up with God's.
This can seem like an overwhelming task! We need to keep in mind that discernment is not attained overnight but is something we are trained to possess by constant practice in distinguishing good from evil (Hebr. 5:14).
It is my prayer "that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God"(Col. 4:12) and "that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ... to the praise of God." (Phil. 1:9)
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