Faith Nuggets

Lately I’ve been staring at the sky a lot.

In the Texas Hill Country, we’ve been blessed with blue skies and white billowy clouds. As I look upward, God has been impressing on me that the gorgeous heaven on which I’m gazing, is my home.  Lately I’ve been staring at the television a lot. In the world in which we live; though dotted with beauty and joy, there is pain, destruction, and sorrow.

We’re Just Visiting Here

If we’re followers of Christ, heaven is our home. Our Heavenly Father adopted us (Ephesians 1:5) when we repented of our sins and confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior. Jesus explained that after He died and ascended to heaven, He would prepare a place for us. (John 14:2) How amazing is that?

We’re Dual Citizens

July 4th, we celebrate our nation’s independence from Britain and the formation of a new nation – the United States of America.  We’re citizens of the USA.  But, as dual citizens and while we fulfill our nation’s citizenry responsibilities, our primary allegiance is to our our Heavenly citizenship.  Paul explains,

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;” Philippians 3:20.

Prior to those words, Paul addressed the condition of the world, “many walk…that are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.” (Philippians 3:18-19) Does that not describe the current condition of our world?

We’re Ambassadors for Christ

While we walk on this earth and live out our dural citizenship, what is to be our perspective and role?  God is clear: we are Christ’s ambassadors.  “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20)  As ambassadors of Christ, we;re to do more than gaze at our televisions or at heaven. We’re to appeal to people to be reconciled to God through Christ.

We’re Stewards of the Mysteries of God

No one would argue that things of the Spirit are a mystery.  But, that’s no excuse. We’re to be close to God, prayerful, hopeful, students of the Scripture so we can discuss and dispense heavenly hope and perspective to those God brings to us.  1 Corinthians 4:1 explains, “Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.”  The apostle Peter reminds us,  “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (1 Peter 4:10) There’s that word again, “steward.” We’re to do more than wring our hands. We’re to do more than gaze at the heavens and wish Jesus would return. We’re on earth for a purpose; to represent Christ, and as His stewards, to reconcile people to God.

Fourth of July provides an occasion for us to celebrate our national citizenship. As we ooh and ahh at the brilliance of fireworks against the night sky, let us be reminded that the heavenly backdrop will one day open to receive us. Let us say a prayer to be faithful ambassadors and stewards of God while on earth.

Heavenly Father, we are in awe when we think of our citizenship in heaven. As we gaze upward in hope, prompt us to be increasingly faithful ambassadors and stewards; fulfilling Your calling.  In Jesus’s name, Amen.

Have you ever missed an event because you didn’t open your mail?

It recently happened to me.  It wasn’t that the mail hadn’t arrived on time. Rather, I had neglected to check my mail box. Actually, I lost the key to the mailbox. Here’s what happened….

At my old office, we had an onsite mailbox we seldom used; where we received primarily junk mail.  We picked up most of our mail at the post office.

Several months ago Hill Country Ministries moved to a new building. But old habits are hard to break. In my mind, the on site mail box was probably empty or full of junk mail. I continued to regularly check the post office for mail.   Then, when I realized I needed to check the onsite mail box, I couldn’t find the key.

One day my secretary questioned me about the on site mail box.

“See if you can get another key,” I responded.

Soon, Joanna appeared with an armload of mail and presented me with a new key. We hurriedly opened the envelopes.  Among them were two invitations  – one to a farewell reception and the other to a luncheon that had already passed. In addition, there were a few bills. I felt terrible. Then, I opened an envelope from Inspiration Point, MN where I had spoken.  As I unfolded a thank you letter from the women’s ministry leader, a love offering fell to my desk. I sat in my chair and read her kind words, thanking me for presenting Biblical truth. I felt badly that I’d been neglectful to send a prompt reply. All because of a lost key. No, all because I’d been too busy to find my key or get a replacement.

Are We Too Busy

I wonder if we ever do the same with prayer and reading our Bibles? The key is to find the time. No, the key is to make the time to do the important spiritual disciplines to which God invites us.  He invites us to check in with Him every day. He invites us to read His Word and find encouragement for our souls. He invites us to grace when we’ve failed. He invites us to hope, to walk by His Spirit, to learn from Him, and to find rest for our souls.

Are We Checking Our Spiritual Mailbox

What’s in our spiritual mailbox? Do we go to it regularly? Or, do we walk by our Bibles? Do we mean to check in with God in prayer, but get too busy?

I know that the mailbox key is important to me seeing invitations, receiving gifts, and paying that which I owe. I know that spiritual disciplines are key to me knowing that to which Christ invites me, to receiving His gifts, and to paying forward that which I owe Him in service to others.

Take the Time

If we’ve missed Christ’s invitation to daily fellowship or most importantly to salvation, today is a good day to open our Bibles, open our hearts, and gladly respond, “Yes” to Him.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-29

I neglected using my key once. I don’t want to do it again – at the office or in heaven.  How about you?

Heavenly Father, thank You for the invitation to come to You to find rest for our souls. Thank You for the invitation to learn from You. Help us not get so busy with the world that we neglect the keys of prayer and Bible reading that open heaven to us.  In Jesus’s name, Amen.

My mother’s voice came to me as I dashed about the house attempting to complete my “to do” list.

Friends were coming to stay with us for the weekend, and all of a sudden, I saw every scuff mark and nail hole on the walls.  “Use toothpaste to fill in the holes,” I remembered Mama telling me. However, after plugging a few holes with Colgate, I remembered that the walls at 3412-58th Street in Lubbock, Texas were white. My toothpaste filler jumped out at me like bright stars.  Now, I had another item on my to do list. Find our house paint and cover the white toothpaste. Since we’d recently done some updates to our kitchen, I knew where the paint was and began to tackle the white spots. A little dab here. A little dab there. But, and this is a huge “but,” the paint wasn’t the same color. Instead of looking at white dabs of Colgate, I was looking a dark blotches of the wrong color of paint. Hurriedly, I tried to blend it; smearing a bit of paint from one Colgate hole to the other. It wasn’t looking so good from where I stood, so I decided to step back. It was worse than when I was close up. I now had a speckled, spotted wall.

There was only one thing to do. Paint the wall; except I had done it to two walls.  “Paint the room….that’s all I can do at this point,” I heavily sighed – with emphasis on “heavily.” At this point, I wasn’t feeling so chipper about how my day was going.  My “fill the nail holes” on the To Do List that I thought I’d quickly check off; had now grown. “Paint the room” became number 17.  And, that opened a whole other list of “to do’s…”  tape off the ceiling, the baseboards, move the furniture, take down pictures, remove the drapes.

Panic started to set in when I realized I could smear a ton of the wrong color of paint all over the two walls and tell our guests that I’m testing colors before I paint my study. So far, this seemed to be the best solution. Or, I could just tell the truth.

Have You Ever So Messed Up

When writing “The Plan A MOM in a Plan B World,” guilt was one of the 18 “land mines” in our minds that I addressed. As a matter of fact, it was Chapter 2, “Languishing in Guilt or Rejoicing in Grace.”  Why is guilt such a parenting trap?  First, because we’re all going to make mistakes. And not only mistakes, we’re going to sin. Some of our sins will be intentional. We know not to do something and we do it anyway. However, other times, we unintentionally sin. We didn’t mean to fill tan walls with white toothpaste; or we did, but didn’t think it through. We hoped we could get by with a shortcut. We hoped no one would notice. We thought we could cover up what we’d done, but we couldn’t.

Have You Accepted Grace

I thought about not telling Keith what I did. But, it’s an unavoidable conversation. Maybe since I’m writing about it in the paper, he’ll laugh. I’m really dreaming now. And, God doesn’t laugh when we go off the beaten path of righteousness. But He is a God of grace. He is forgiving. Hiding, avoiding, attempting to cover our wrongs only digs us in deeper – whether we’re talking about parenting or painting. What’s the best solution? Be honest with God and our kids.  Tell God we’re sorry for parenting sins we committed; or sins we did that negatively affected our children. Then, open our hearts to receive His grace.

I’m about to call Keith and send him a picture of what I did.  I’m so thankful he’s a husband of grace!

“I acknowledged my sin to You; and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’; and You forgave the guilt of my sin.” Psalm 32:5

Heavenly Father, You set the example for us of extending grace. Thank you for Your mercy. Teach us to walk in Your ways and to repent when we fail.

I woke up and couldn’t sleep. A million thoughts ran through my mind.

Then, as I lay there and turned my thoughts heavenward, Jesus’s voice spoke in the darkness, “Peace I leave with you. Peace I give to you, not as the world gives, give I unto you.”

How did His voice “come to me?” Was it audible? No. Did I turn on a light and read John 14:27 in my Bible? No. His words were imprinted on my mind in 1982 when I received a letter from MD Anderson that I had stage 1 ovarian cancer. His words gave me peace during the following weeks while Keith and I visited oncologists and awaited further diagnosis. Praise God, another opinion stated it wasn’t cancer.  But during those weeks, Jesus’s voice was real to me. His promised peace was “out of this world,” as He stated. His voice of peace returned to me as I meditated on Him and His words.

Today’s tip on how to better discern God’s voice is, “Sit in God’s Presence. Silently Wait.”

Sit in God’s Presence

If we’re like most people, when our spirits are disturbed and our minds running rampant, we’re focused on a problem, a person for whom we’re concerned, a relationship, job stress, a sick child, or a million other issues. But by redirecting our minds to God, we open ourselves to His peace and guidance.

Psalm 4:3 comforts us, “Know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Him.”

Psalm 4:4 instructs us, “Tremble and do not sin; meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still.”

Jesus sat in God’s presence. Mark 1:35 records that “in the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.”

The next time worry darkens your emotions like an unexpected storm, take control of your thoughts. Turn them heavenward. Intentionally sit in God’s presence.

Silently Wait

Have you ever stood at the kitchen faucet and placed your glass under it? Was your glass filled at once or did you have to wait for it to become filled with water?

Ephesians 5:18 instructs us to “be filled with the Spirit.” However, Christians often ignore God’s instruction. We’re stressed out, empty, strained, and drained. When we fail to sit in God’s presence and SILENTLY WAIT to be “filled” with His Spirit, stress and worry take a toll on us.

Notice the importance of the word “wait” in Acts 1:4. Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to WAIT for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard from Me.”

For what did Jesus tell the disciples to wait? For the Holy Spirit.

Do we wait for the filling of the Holy Spirit every day? Or, do we hurriedly read a few verses or a devotion; then rush out the door or check our email?  Filling our glass with water and filling our spirit with the Holy Spirit isn’t done in a split second. We hold our glass to the faucet and WAIT for our glass to be filled with water. We hold our spirit to the Lord and WAIT for our spirit to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

One meaningful way I’ve learned to hold my spirit to the Lord is by holding my an empty page of my prayer journal before Him. The empty lines and spaces are like the empty glass. The Bible verses I read and the impressions He places on my heart fill the empty lines and spaces, reflecting what He’s placing in my soul. I hope you’ll join me on the National Day of Prayer for Hill Country Ministries’ Prayer Journaling Coffee.

Jesus knew the stress and strain of this world. His voice comes to us and offers us peace that is out of this world. Will we sit in His presence? Will we be filled with His Spirit?

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Spirit and of Your peace which is not of this world. In Jesus’s name, amen. 

Have you followed the Presidential campaign trail of, “He said…” “She said…”

“Liar.” “No, he lied.” “No, she lied.” Sometimes it’s hard to know the truth. We hear one thing, then another. But, does it have to be that way when we’re listening to God? Do we have to be confused about His voice? Is He still speaking or is He silent?

Instead of scratching our head and wondering, we can open our Bibles and find the answers. We learn that God has spoken and is still speaking.

God Speaks

God Speaks to Us through Creation.  Psalm 19, Rom 1:20

God Speaks to Us through the Prophets. Hebrews 1:1-2, Is 45:19

God Speaks to Us through teachers. Acts 10:34

God Speaks to Us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Matthew 17:5

God Speaks to Us through the Holy Spirit.  John 13:33

In my prior column, we addressed the first key to discerning God’s voice: LEARN His Voice by studying the Bible. Scripture is God breathed, inspired. It’s the breath of heaven put on paper. Consume it. As He breathed it out, breathe it in.

“But in everyday decisions, how can I know it’s God guiding me and not just my thoughts?” we may ask.

KEY 2 in Discerning God’s Voice:  INQUIRE If it’s God Speaking

We have examples in Scripture of people asking God for confirmation if it is Him speaking; His voice guiding them.  Following are a few people with inquiring minds, who checked the “voice” they were hearing.

Abraham’s Servant

In Genesis 24, Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for his son, Isaac. The servant felt the full weight of responsibility in finding the “right” wife for Isaac. This was no small assignment. Genesis 24:12-14 records the servant’s prayer. “O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show lovingkindness to my master Abraham. Behold, I am standing by the spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; now may it be that the girl to who, I say, ‘Please let down your jar so that I may drink,’ and who answers, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’ – may she be the one whom have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown lovingkindness to my master.”

Note – the servant is asking God to lead him to select the right bride and asking Him to confirm it so He will know for sure it’s God’s choice. You probably know the rest of the story. If you don’t, you can read it in Genesis 24:15ff. It’s a beautiful account of God answering a servant’s prayer. Does God care who we marry? Yes! Does God care about our commitments? Yes! Does God guide people today? Yes!

Notice the servant’s response to God “leading” him to the right bride. Genesis 24:26, “Then the man bowed low and worshipped the Lord.” Do you think there was celebrating and dancing in his heart? Yes.

Point: God Cares

He cares who we marry, what job we take and commitments we make. He is a loving God who has equipped us with spiritual ears to listen and eyes to watch for His leading.

Gideon, Peter, Ananias, Philip, the examples abound of men and women like us who discerned and followed God’s voice. We can LEARN His voice by studying the Scriptures. We can INQUIRE for confirmation.

Heavenly Father, thank You that You created us to commune with us. Open our ears to Your Word and leading. In Jesus’s name, amen. 

“I never journaled before, but now, it has changed the way I pray. I feel closer to Him.”  Prayer Journal Participant

I seem to be going in circles.

Have you ever felt like you were “spinning your wheels” in your business, with your family, ministry, or even personal goals?  Perhaps you’ve invested your heart in your marriage or to raise your children or grandchildren; but seem to be getting no where.  No doubt, there are seasons when we don’t seem to “hear” from God or know what steps to take. But, other times, God is speaking, and perhaps we’re not as “in tune” to Him as we might be.

In my “Listen UP!” Conference, I share six points based on the acronym L.I.S.T.E.N. to help us better “hear” from God.  Today, we’ll focus on the first one: Learn God’s Voice.

L earn God’s Voice

In John 10:27, Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” Did we catch that? Jesus says we can “hear” His voice. We have the option to “follow” Him. In case we think His words were meant only for the disciples in His presence, we need to “hear Him out.” Jesus told His followers that He would send the Holy Spirit as a Helper from God to us. (John 14:16-17)  He said the  Holy Spirit would speak to us. (John 16:13) We must remember that God is Spirit (John 4:24) and that He created in us in His image. In other words, He created us to be able to commune with Him and He with us.  “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Lean IN and Learn God’s Voice by Studying His Words

How do we learn God’s voice? We “LEAN IN” to Him. In other words, we study the Bible, His WORD, to know His words. For example, if we read His Words in Ephesians 4:26, “Be angry, but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,” then when the Spirit prompts our heart to work out our differences before we go to bed, we’ll wake with a restored relationship; not an estranged one.  Lean in. Read the Bible with an intent to hear and obey God’s voice.

Lean IN in Prayer

Jesus tells us to ask God for our needs. (Matthew 7:7)  However, an equally important part of prayer is listening to God. When you pray and study the Bible, have your prayer journal handy so you can record what God impresses on your heart. With Bible in hand, you can confirm, “Is this consistent with God’s voice.”  For instance, if the Holy Spirit prompts you to call someone with whom you’ve had a difference of opinion, you may feel it’s no use; they’ve made it clear they don’t want a relationship. However, when you read Romans 12:18, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men,” you know the prompting is consistent with God’s Word. You’re not responsible for how the person responds. You’re responsible to follow God’s “voice” prompting you; confirmed by His Word.

Other ways to Lean IN are to gather with other believers for study, prayer, and fellowship. Lean IN by listening to sermons and praise music. Lean IN by asking God to teach you to discern His voice.

Instead of going in circles or going in the wrong direction, we can Listen UP, learn God’s voice, and follow Him.

Father, thank You that You created us triune beings with a spirit to know, hear, and follow Your Spirit. Teach us to discern Your voice. In Jesus’s name, amen. 

“I never journaled before, but now, it has changed the way I pray. I feel closer to Him.”  Prayer Journal Participant

Did you hear that?

My eyes widened as I listened to the noise coming from the backyard one morning.

“I wonder what it is,” my husband, Keith, replied. We looked in the direction of the backyard as it continued. “Is it an animal crying or is it a bird?” I asked. Neither of us could spot an animal or a bird; but I settled on it being the later.

That evening we sat down to visit; only to be disturbed again by the noise. “I’m sick of that bird,” I confessed to Keith.  I was reminded of when my daddy used the term “sick and tired” to describe a situation he longed were different. Is there anything you’re “sick and tired of”? Perhaps the extra weight you carry that makes you sluggish. Perhaps you’re “sick and tired” of the guilt that weighs your heart. Or, maybe you’re “sick and tired of” the same marital, financial, or family problems you carry from one year into the next.

Keith responded to my being “sick” of the annoying “bird.”

“Are you sure it’s coming from outside? I think it’s mechanical,” he replied, looking upward in the house. I had no idea what he was thinking as he headed upstairs. However, he was correct. The solution to the problem wasn’t quieting a bird in the backyard. It took him going upstairs to find the solution.

New Year Resolution Revolution 

This year, what if instead of flippantly making New Year resolutions to fix what we’re “sick and tired of,” we went “upstairs” for the solution? What if we prayerfully asked our Heavenly Father for His perspective on how we might change or attain goals? As we begin 2016, we might consider:

Is  My New Year Resolution Coming from My Father

New Year resolutions can be earthly or heavenly. A heavenly resolution is a result of prayer when we ask our Father, “What do you want of me?” Or, if we already know an area about which God has convicted us, then our resolution is to follow His voice when He prompts us to turn from sin and toward obedience.

Will I Pay Attention and Obey My Father’s Voice this Year

Numerous voices vie for our attention. Noise can keep us from hearing God’s voice.

To hear God’s voice we need to be still. We need to listen.

I invite you to join me for two upcoming opportunities to become better spiritual listeners. The first is this Monday at noon at Hill Country Ministries, 1127 East Main, Suite 200. I’m holding a New Year Prayer Journaling Workshop.

What Is A Prayer Journaling Workshop

I’ll be sharing different ways to record not only the prayers of our heart that we voice to God; but also various ways to journal… when God speaks to us.

Does Our Heavenly Father Still Speak?

Yes, which leads me to the second opportunity.  Saturday, January 23, 9-12, Trinity Baptist Church is opening its doors to the community for my conference; “Listen UP! 31 points about the Holy Spirit every Christian should know and how to better discern HIS VOICE. I misjudged what I thought was a bird. I don’t want to miss what my Heavenly Father says, and I bet you don’t want to, either. Join me January 4 for the Prayer Journaling Workshop and January 23 for the Listen UP! Conference. Let’s enter the New Year with our ears tuned upward!

“So choose life in order that you may live…by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him;” Deuteronomy 30:19b-20a.

Heavenly Father, thank You that You care about areas of our lives and sins we’re sick and tired of. Thank you for Your solutions. Help us take advantage of every opportunity to tune our ears upward to become better spiritual listeners.