I have piles of papers on every flat surface in my home, work that I’ve been up to my ears in doing instead of writing devotionals.  Both are God’s calling, so balancing them is a daily art form.  Then suddenly, Las Vegas.  Like many of you, there’s an unspeakable shock, a deep abiding grief, and maybe you’re like me with a desire to understand, an almost insatiable appetite for information and press conferences, a strange and grim interest in motive as what happened to make a person do something so horrible, and an equally morbid desire to know about the victims as if to give them one last moment on the stage of the human drama visible in the afterglow as they depart the stage in dark silence.  Like many of you, I pray and pray some more.  Pray a lot actually, and the repeated thought I have is that God Told Us.  These are 3 Words of Preparation that Christians can use in their Day-to-Day Christian Living.

What difference does it make that God Told Us?

When God tells us what it will be like in the last days, (for example 2 Timothy 3:1-9) He’s not doing it to depress us.  He’s doing it as preparation.  To make us situationally aware so we can respond as Christians, with level heads and helping hands.  To reach out with the Gospel which alone can save our neighbors.

In the last days, some people dig deep into depravity and seemingly snap or worse, plot to do horrific things to their fellow man.  Reality is that mankind, totally apart from God, knows no end to the evil we can conceive and commit.  Just prior to the visiting of God’s judgment in the Flood, Genesis 6:5 The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.

Because of the rise of wickedness, we’re approaching another Judgment, but not through another flood.  The wise among us live in preparation for that Judgment.

Everyday man’s solutions involve gun control and metal detectors and TSA and withdrawing from gathering.  God’s solutions are different.  God wants us to be situationally aware…to see God’s gracious offer of salvation in the midst of it, and to press on.  Continue.  Rely upon God to rescue us in the near term, if it is His will, but if not near term, the greater rescue into eternity for those who have faith in Jesus Christ.  Situational awareness in both prepares us and comforts us.

The end times bring bad stuff, evil stuff, depraved stuff.  But the man or woman of God pays attention to the preparation God gives us in His Word: 

2 Timothy 3: 10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings– what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Believe.  Know.  Live.  Accept.  Continue.  Teach.  Rebuke. Correct. Train.  Equip. Prepare.

It’s a new normal out there in a depraved world.  You, however, can be situationally aware, prepared for the end times, armed with the Gospel, and shielded by the love of Jesus Christ now and forever. 

Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b )

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This “three word” series is archived beginning July 22, 2017.  

We sure live in anxious times, don’t we?  I know I haven’t been as routine about writing lately and it’s because being “a Neighbor” has meant ministering locally, doing my best to alleviate others’ anxiety through working hard, thinking hard, and yes, praying hard.  How do I keep from letting anxiety get the better of me?  Two pieces of truth:  Sometimes I don’t.  And I always try to keep today’s 3 Words for Day-to-Day Christian Living in mind:  God Offers Peace.

God doesn’t want His people to live in chronic anxiety.  He doesn’t want us worrying over North Korea’s missile tests, Iran’s broken promises in developing nuclear technologies, terrorism, Zika, Ebola, West Nile, hurricanes, tornadoes, or earthquakes.  He doesn’t even want us worrying about what we’re going to wear.  So obviously not anything in between either. 

Matthew 6: 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

God’s response to our anxiety is to remind us to seek Him and there find relief from our burdens (Matthew 11:28-30).  To know His peace.

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable– if anything is excellent or praiseworthy– think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me– put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

God offers peace in place of worry and anxiety. 

We only need to set our minds on God and His Kingdom, delivering in the categories of faith and dependence and God fills in the rest by being with us…which is the safest place to be from an eternal perspective.

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This “three word” series is archived beginning July 22, 2017.  

There are times that I feel like a lonely David in an all-Philistine-world (1 Samuel 17).  There is Goliath.  There’s the Philistine army.  And there are even the people on your own team who stand ready to declare the battle “Over” right along with the Philistines.  Just look at Goliath!  Just look at that army!  Just look at you…who do you think you are, and what can you do against those odds?  It’s times like that in which the lonely Davids of this world center their thoughts on these Three Words of Finality: God Determines Over in our Three Word series.

Far more encouraging than arrogance of “It’s not over until I say it’s over,” the time-stamp of “It’s not over until the fat lady sings” or the bring-it sort of response when Star Wars’ C-3PO blurts out: “Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1” to which Han Solo replies, “Never tell me the odds.” 

Life is rarely as stoic as pride, formulaic as opera, or heroic as film. 

Life comes with its share of discouragement and discouragers, nays and naysayers ready to proclaim why you should give up.  After all, “It’s over.” 

It’s when we’re surrounded by temptations to become messiahs or mushes, that Christians dig deep and remember God is the One who says when it’s over.  The finality of God’s determinations and His eternal justice can keep Christians focused and right on track.

1 Samuel 17: 40 Then [David] took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. 41 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. 43 He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” 45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” 48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. 50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

Look at all the reasons to proclaim it finished, kaput…or just plain over. 

But running to the battle line with God as your defense forms the greatest triumph possible.  God Determines Over!  Knowing the finality of the battle belonging to God provides great encouragement to those of us called to be little Davids in a giant Philistine world.  Press on!

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This “three word” series is archived beginning July 22, 2017.  

When my son was young, I was a carpooling mother who thought she had convinced the kids that his mother had eyes in the back of her head.  Pop my bubble, one day a friend of his shouted from right behind me, “Hey, I’m talking to you!”  I don’t see everything and I guess I don’t even hear everything.  But God does.  God sees everything and that ought to be a word of caution to us.  Actually, 3 words of caution in our Three Words for Day-to-Day Christian Living.

It’s often said that a definition of integrity is ‘what you do when nobody is watching.'” 

Integrity is fast becoming a lost code of conduct. 

Way too many people think they’re able to get away with things done in secret, but there’s one thing they’re forgetting: God sees everything. 

And He doesn’t even need the light on to do it.

He sees every aspect of our lives, those things public and those things that are secret, the things we do for show, and the things we do in a vain effort to impress Him. (Matthew 6:1-18)  He sees all the good things people do and records those deeds in the Book of Life.  He sees all the tears we cry and the restless nights of stress and anxiety and sets a reward in heaven for those who overcome, doing right because it’s the right thing to do.  He sees all the times we fail when life presents us with an opportunity to do what’s right but the pressures arrayed against us keep us silent or put our backs against the wall to say the “little white lie” and take one for the team or just to save face.

And then, of course, there are the evil deeds that God sees which mankind commits in the dark of night, thinking that they’ll get away with something.  The more godless our nation and our world become, the less integrity people seem to have.  The Letter to the Romans describes a downward spiral of sin.  God sees everything and Scripture reminds us that God will not be mocked.

I’m thankful that God does not turn a blind eye to evil.  As a true God of love, mercy and justice, God sees everything, both good and bad that we do. And the beautiful heart of God displayed on the Cross. It’s there that we see the ultimate in love and mercy as the God who sees everything engraved His invitation in the blood of Christ, and in His justice paid the price Himself so that any of us among mankind might be able to come, repent, and find forgiveness in Christ Jesus.

Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:18 )

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This “three word” series is archived beginning July 22, 2017.  

Hurricane Harvey has been bearing down upon the Gulf Coast of Texas between Port Aransas and Port O’Connor, working its way inland, apparently missing the motto “Don’t mess with Texas.”  Or oblivious to it.  Such forces of nature strike fear in people’s hearts and rightfully so.  They can cause untold damage to people’s lives and property.  And with nothing but an act of God to stop it, people turn everywhere in need of comfort and solace, a little bit of peace, and a place to rest their broken hearts.  God Shelters Me are Three Words for Day-to-Day-Christian Living to comfort us at such times.

God Shelters Me?  Ae you kidding me? How can you say that at a time like this?  God could stop it, but He didn’t and He isn’t!

Hard as it is for us to accept, God’s unwillingness to stop “natural disasters” is not at conflict—whatsoever—with either His goodness or His power. 

He’s interrupting the godless bankruptcy of our lives and the futile reliance upon all other things.  And out of His goodness and His power—and importantly eternal perspective—He’s giving us the only thing that will draw our attention away from iPhones, Twitter, and Netflix and toward the only One who can save us in the long haul.  Before it’s too late for the ultimate disaster.

God Shelters Me, maybe not from the rain and floods, but from an eternity apart from Him.  For those who have made God their shelter, Psalm 91 offers this comfort:

Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” … 14 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Read all of Psalm 91 and find your heart and spirit comforted.  God’s promise is not that disaster won’t happen, or come near to you, but God shelters those who love Him.  God is far more concerned with the eternal disposition of your soul, than the temporary condition of your circumstances. If you and I make Him our shelter by faith in Him, the storm may last for a night or even a few days, the clean-up maybe months or years into the future, but your soul will be rescued for eternity. 

That’s why it is so comforting when you can say, “God Shelters Me.”

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This “three word” series is archived beginning July 22, 2017. 

Eclipse fever has come and is basically gone.  This fever lasted a little longer than 4 hours the moon took to cover the sun (https://www.nasa.gov/eclipsephotos), and a lot longer, comparatively, to the maximum 2 min, 40 seconds of totality.  But soon it will be a distant memory and display as “fake news” one reporter’s wishful desire (no matter how noble, happy, or misguided), “Americans have rediscovered their love of S.C.I.E.N.C.E!” (For totality of the foolishness, it must be recited with the same breathless excitement, exuberance, and emphasis on science as to drag it out longer than totality itself).  Hate to pop your bubble, Ma’am, but the eclipse did nothing of the sort.  It momentarily distracted Americans away from Twitter.  But you know what is amazing?  God saw the eclipse in eternity past, He followed it along its fullest path, coast-to-coast, saw simultaneously totality and full sun, from all sides, from all places, and even created it when He made the sun and the moon and placed them in the universe. God Created It.  Three Words to Humble Us.

If the eclipse made people feel small in the universe or feel a spiritual sense as totality occurred, visible to them directly only through special glasses (unless they wanted to ruin their eyes) or through a cereal box or a colander, take a moment to think about how we cannot look upon God and live…until Jesus came, that is. 

Now think about how God could not only watch the eclipse with His eyes with no harm done, but He also had the power and the wisdom to create the heavenly bodies which put on that display for our enjoyment in the first place. 

God Created It all.

That ought to humble us.  Science deniers are one thing.  God-deniers, seriously, you don’t even want to go there.  People who cannot even look at eclipse without a cereal box shaking their fists at the One who put the sun and moon up there.  Good grief!  God Created It!

No warm little pond of Darwin can cultivate such a sense of awe.  Only the knowledge of God’s incredible goodness, His awesome power, His infinite wisdom, and the enormity of His significance can cause us to experience the true humility of our being made from dust.  The humbling words of God spoken through the prophet Isaiah,

I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me.  I am the LORD, and there is no other.  I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.  You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the LORD, have created it.  (Isaiah 45:5-8)

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This “three word” series is archived beginning July 22, 2017.  

She stood in the Health and Beauty aisle and was fixated upon the soap display when I encountered her.  She moved her cart and looked at me sheepishly.  “Sorry,” she said, “too many choices, I guess.”  I said, “I hear you.  Kind of makes you miss the good old days when there were fewer choices, huh?” She nodded in nostalgic agreement and returned to viewing soaps as I turned my gaze toward the myriad of hair sprays thinking about how too many choices is genuinely a “first world problem.”  And then because of the way my mind works, it instantly caused me to think about how God doesn’t give us “first world problems.”  We don’t have too many choices of gods.  We have a failure to distinguish between the one God who is God…and all the things that aren’t god at all.  There is No Other God—a distinction to remember as we consider our Three Words for Day-to-Day Christian Living.

So many analogies, so little time.  Isn’t it amazing what drives Americans to action?  A total solar eclipse today has prompted car trips and planning ahead with purchases of authorized, certified, total eclipse glasses for viewing it as many people go out of their way for what they believe is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.  A partial eclipse isn’t good enough.  There’s a point of distinction, a very narrow path the total solar eclipse will take.  So pack your glasses, fill up your car with gas, endure traffic jams for a moment you hope won’t be occluded by clouds to be present at the very narrowest of paths determined by scientists as the total, total eclipse.

And yet, people rarely plan ahead, travel great distance, endure traffic and headaches, or monitor weather reports to be in the presence of the One God about Whom we say, there is No Other God.  For a vast swath of American culture, they won’t even get out of bed or away from Netflix to attend a worship service to honor God, even though there is No Other God.

Don’t you find that amazing?  In our first world of soaps and hair sprays and eclipses, if it were all to fall away to 1 soap, 1 hair spray or 1 location to actually view the total eclipse, the choice would be simple. 

Why is it so difficult to worship when there’s only one?  It’s like, Hello? Pssst.  It’s not that hard.  There is No Other God.

Maybe we’re so busy creating choices for ourselves and finding other things to worship, adore, and binge-watch that we find ourselves unable to see the distinction that would be crystal clear in any other aspect of life.

“This is what the LORD says– Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.” (Isaiah 44:6)

The choices are gone.  There’s only one.  There is No Other God.

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This “three word” series is archived beginning July 22, 2017.  

Whose strength do you have?  Your own?  God’s?  Aw, come’on, Barb, how is it even possible to have God’s strength?  As we continue to look at 3 Words for Day-to-Day Christian Living, there are 3 words upon which we can rely: God Gives Strength.  In fact, He delights to give strength to the least, the wimpiest, and the weakest among us.  And why?  Because when we are strong beyond our own visible reserves, it’s obvious on Whom we rely.  Our reliance is upon God and He is visible in His strength on our behalf.

The Bible is replete with examples of people whose visible strength and courage could come from no one but God.  Consider as one case in point, poor hapless Gideon.  He was just hanging out in a winepress threshing wheat because he didn’t want his enemies to take it.  God didn’t want Israel to run and hide from the Midianites, He wanted them to have faith and to take them out.  And He wanted Gideon to do it with Him (Judges 6-7)

Judges 6:14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

Excuses.  Excuses.  But Lord….my clan is weak.  I am the least of the weakest.  He was pretty scared and his every response to the angel of the Lord begins with “But” until the Lord says, “I will be with you” (Judges 6:16).

When God assigns a huge task that requires more than human strength and wisdom, He takes a man or a woman whose heart is all-in for God and displays that God gives strength. 

Because in the end, it’s not about conquering Midianites or whatever enemy you might think you have.  In the end, it’s about Him, conquering hearts, reclaiming them from the valley of the shadow of our enemy Death, and from pointless self-reliance.  Sometimes, the battle is too big for us alone. May we be able to say along with King David,

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26)

Are you the least of the weakest, weary from fighting a battle that’s bigger than yourself?  God gives strength!  Or as the prophet Isaiah put it:

“The LORD gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:29-31)

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This “three word” series is archived beginning July 22, 2017. 

Can you imagine never being tired?  I can’t.  I’m tired quite often and the older I get, the more easily tired I seem to feel.  The concept that God Never Tires actually amazes me.  He does all this work 24/7, 365 days a year, eternally… never retires or takes a vacation and never gets fatigued.  And He never tires of working!  Yikes, I can’t even nap because the minute I try, I think, “Barbara, you lazy bum, have you forgotten that you need to do this, that or the other things?”  God Never Tires.  Just think about it!

God Never Tires of loving us.  He never gets fed up with our shortcomings and failures.  He never gets bored with our prayers no matter how many times we’ve said them.  He never nods off when we’re running on the same old hamster wheel of ideas, or worse, complaining.  He never rolls His eyes when we just don’t get it.  He never throws up His hands in frustration at us or decides we’re just so-not-worth-this.

Always loving, always patient, always present, always working, always advocating, always caring, always ready and willing, always preparing for our next moves, always shepherding, always encouraging, always guiding, always informing, always comforting, always holding the entire universe in place, and always knowing the most intimate thoughts of our weary hearts.

As you re-read that list and come up with your own, consider among the Three Words for Day-to-Day Christian Living what an absolutely amazing God we serve!  God never tires.

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. (Isaiah 40:28)

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This “three word” series for Day-to-Day Christian Living is archived beginning July 22, 2017. 

It might seem to you that I’ve dropped off the planet.  It’s been a while, that’s true.  But I should explain that God’s work continues, sometimes behind the scenes or completely underground, even in my “ministry of the sewers” of my hometown.  The work is kind of gross, really complicated, technical, and rather tedious.  It also polarizes a person in the public arena, I suppose.  There’s only so much of me to go around with time and energy.  Which is why I want to focus today on three words to celebrate: God is Good! 

As we continue our series of Three Words for Day-to-Day Christian Living, I’d like to share with you how God has been good to me every single day, and maybe you’ll see that no matter your daily circumstances, God is good to you too. 

God knows our frame.  He knows there’s only so much we can take so He brings friends and encouragement.  He brings information and understanding. 

God is good to give helpers because going it alone isn’t God’s way for us and it isn’t good for us. 

Even when the positions we must take to be faithful…to Him…and to the truth…make us unpopular with a few, God supplies what we need and friends to share our journey of pressing on.  Some friends fall away, but God brings new ones for the steps to come.

God offers His Word as encouragement.  Was it a coincidence that one person said “Keep up the good work!  You’re fighting the good fight!” and then I came home and opened my Bible and a little business card fell out?  On one side it said, “No Regrets” and on the other side it said 2 Timothy 4:7 NASB “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.”  Surely God knows how tired I get and how ministering to people who’ve been devastated by flooding taps spiritual reservoirs of compassion until it’s pretty easy to feel empty.  But my heart is full.  God is good to fill us with His encouragement.

Little winks that it’s okay to get back to this work that I love, writing devotionals… instead of the work I find hard and sometimes unpleasant.  A new song this morning at church proclaimed how “God is good!” Wink. God loves me and gave me refreshment today in creating Scripture displays, things of beauty and spiritual truth, appealing to the aesthetic part of me that really doesn’t like sewers all that well.

Just look at all the communication and celebration from Psalm 145:4-7!  How much gratitude I can have!  A reminder today of 3 little words that can make any day a bigger, better one.  I know who I serve and I know He takes pleasure in reminding me that I’m special because He made me.  That I’m really nothing on my own.  It’s not who I am, but Whose I am.  That seal of ownership never changes no matter how many times I let Him down or fail at a task.  Or how much I complain or look at someone else’s race thinking, “What if…?” 

I am His.   For that reason, I celebrate all He has done…for me…for you…for mankind…for this earth.  We can celebrate all the wonderful ways He touches our lives.  And we celebrate who He is.  Because God is good.  All the time…

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This “Three Word” series is archived beginning July 22, 2017.