Grace vs. Bitterness

The story of the Exodus from Egypt is one of the most powerful stories in the Bible. We watch an Almighty God do something that human culture said could never be done. God freed His people from slavery without them having to fight a battle. There was no stand-off. There was no big war. There was no fight. It was simply God fighting for the freedom of His people in a way that only God could. He did more than set His people free; He also proved to the polytheistic Egyptian culture that there is only One God. Each plague was designed to challenge and then belittle each of the main Egyptian gods of the time.  He sent such a powerful message that Pharaoh finally relented and released thousands slaves to go and be completely free from their masters. It was an incredible deliverance, and it fully showcased the delivering power of God.

However, there is a little note in the middle of all of this that I find incredibly interesting. In Exodus 8:22 it says, "‘But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land.'" This is the first notation that the plague would not affect the Israelites. This makes me think that it is possible that God's people had been affected by the plagues up until this point. The power of God negatively affecting His own people? Why? Why were they not protected from these things?

Now, imagine that you are standing at the edge of that great Red Sea. You have just watched all of your friends and family come through that great divide of waters. You are standing free on the other side. The freedom dance is going through the ranks, but you're not dancing. You're standing there staring and wondering, "Why? Why did 400 years pass before God did this? Why did my little brother(s) have to be thrown into the Nile? Why did my father die because he couldn't physically handle the strain of slavery? Why did God not care then?"

It is so easy to point fingers at the children of Israel in the book of Exodus. We call them whiners and complainers. We say, "How could they not have faith?!" But today I ask you, given the same situation would you have had faith? Do we not do the same? Do we not look at the experiences of our life, or even the world as a whole, and get caught in the trap of "Why would a good God, who supposedly cares about me, allow ______."

These are the thoughts that must have been in their minds because the very first thing they faced after they crossed the sea was a place called "Marah." God saw the bitterness in their hearts. He saw that it would destroy them if they didn't deal with that first. He wanted to help them be free of it because He knew the damage it would do if they didn't get rid of it. 

We find this word again in Ruth 1:20, and it has an eerily similar context. Here is a daughter of Israel who was not spared from a horrible famine. She chose to take matters into her own hands and take her family place where there was bread. While there, she lost her husband and sons. When she came home, she had lost her home and lands. She left full and returned empty. She saw all the pain that she had gone through and said: 

 "Call me Mara"

Label me 'Bitterness', because that is all that God has for me. Pain. Hurt. Fear. Anxiety. That is all I have ever gotten from God. You may as well call me what I am. Bitter.

She found herself hopeless and in need. She had been in that place before. She comes across as "used to" having nothing. Her attitude is almost a resigned "It's never going to get better anyway. God just hates me, apparently." But something affected her and helped her change.

You see, there is an antidote to bitterness. It's called Grace. Grace is what causes you to stop in your tracks, mouth open, incredulous. "You value me like that? No one has ever cared about me that way. No one has ever loved me. Why would you do this?" That's what Boaz and Ruth did for this lady.

The "Mara" we meet in Ruth 1 has completely disappeared by Ruth 4. She is, instead, replaced with a woman so full of love that she cares for a baby she has no physical relation to as if he is her own son. Grace changed a woman of bitterness into a woman of love. Grace changed a woman with walls so high she didn't want her old friends to talk to her, to a woman who had a close "family" filled with people who simply cared about her. She learned to love again because of Grace. She learned to praise again because of Grace. She learned to trust again because of Grace. Our last picture of this self-professed woman of bitterness is her with her hands raised in thanks to God. Grace conquered bitterness.

From Naomi's story we see that bitterness-fighting grace can come from God and others. It can be shown to us by our family, our friends, complete strangers, and Christians. It is of course given to us by God, but sometimes He uses the hands of those around us to show it. This means that when it comes time for us to show grace to someone, we need to do so. We are most likely the vessel that God is using to pour grace into their life and draw them to Him.

We can nod our heads to that and say, “Yes, I need to show grace to people.” But then we forget that we ourselves are people. Have you shown grace to yourself? Have you decided to stop holding yourself to an impossible standard. To let yourself make mistakes and learn from them? Self-grace mixed with God-grace deletes bitterness. Not without the work of God can we be free from bitterness, but not without the work of ourselves can we be free from bitterness.

I recently read an incredible analogy from a devotion called “Winning the War in Your Mind.” I would like to share an excerpt of it here:

Let’s say you hate an ugly tree in your yard. You want that tree gone. Finally, you decide the time has come to take care of the problem. So you march into your yard with a small handsaw. You pick an ugly branch and cut it off the tree. You smile and walk back into the house, triumphantly singing. The next day you are shocked to see that the tree is still standing strong. As you stare out the window, you could almost swear it’s smirking at you.

I know. The analogy is absurd. You would never try to kill a tree by just removing a branch. Because the branch obviously isn’t the problem. The tree is the problem. Actually, the root system of the tree is the main culprit. If you don’t remove the root system when you cut down the tree, it could still grow back.

Hebrews 12:15 says this: “ See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

Wait.... you mean that the grace of God isn’t enough? That’s not what it says. It says that you can “fall short” of the grace of God because of a root of bitterness inside. It will cause trouble for yourself and for others to have that root buried, undisturbed, in your heart. I don’t know about you, but I’m not interested in challenging the power of the grace of God in my life. I am not interested in losing Grace because of Bitterness. If I have to choose Bitterness or Grace, I am choosing Grace.

Bitterness is a hard master. We look at those children of Israel and we say, “Man. They had a reason to be angry.” Yes, they did. And you know what? You and I can say that about ourselves. But is it worth it to be angry? Is it worth it to live every day in a cage of bitterness? What are we gaining by it? Division in our family. Frustration at work. Trouble for myself. Defiling of others. That doesn’t sound very good to me.... but what other option is there?

Do you want to be free of bitterness? Do what Moses did... Rip out the tree. Roots and all. (Exodus 15:25) The roots are your thoughts. Let grace cover your thoughts. Choose to be renewed in your mind every day. Challenge thoughts of bitterness by making them view the grace of God. When we do this, “Why am I _______, God? I’ve served for so many years. I’ve never walked away from you! Why is this happening to me?” Becomes “The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart hopes in Him and he helps me. My heart will leap for joy. With my song I will praise Him.” 

Change your thoughts, change your words. Change your words, change your actions. Change your actions, change your future. Through the grace of God we have the power to be free from ANY root of bitterness. We can have a renewed mind, one that isn't affected by thoughts distorted by pain or bitterness. We can be truly free. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed.

The best part of this whole exchange isn’t just the difference in our minds... it is the promise that came IMMEDIATELY after Moses ripped out the tree.... And what was God’s response? “He said, “I am the Lord, who heals you.”” (Exodus 15:26) What is waiting on the other side of this exchange? It is not just a pretending the problem never happened or that the pain wasn’t there. It is not just putting a Band-Aid over the hurt and pushing it way down so that you don’t feel it any more...

IT IS HEALED.

God takes the root of bitterness you give Him and he replaces it with healing. Do you want to be free? Rip out the root. Do you want to be healed? Rip out the root. Do you want to stop struggling with depression from the very real pain in your life? Change your thoughts to God-thoughts and rip out the root! Let the grace of God cover you. Let the grace of a church family help you. Have grace with yourself to just get up and try again every single day. You can be free and you WILL be healed.

Miracles Still Happen

2018 didn't start out as a year of miracles. If you had told me on January 23, 2018, that I would be celebrating all of the miracles God has given me this year, I would have laughed at you.

The year started with great loss, great pain, and even greater fear. I am so thankful, though, that despite all of the darkness, a Light called Hope shone brighter than everything else around me.

The tradition of sending Christmas cards has always been one of my favorites. Not many people do it anymore, but the ones that do still get hung around the entrance way of my house. To me, a Christmas card says, "I'm ending this year positive. I have my family and friends. God has been good to me."

To me, it is more than just a simple "Wishing you a Merry Christmas"; it is a reminder that the year has been a blessed one and that there is joy ahead as well.

This year there isn't a picture in our Christmas card. There isn't a long letter telling all of the things that happened over the last 365 days. There isn't a list of achievements or struggles. It's simply signed: "Rick, Ariqua, and Liam" and that says it all.

Christmas has been called the "Season of Miracles" and I agree with that! I think every day is a season of miracles. If you open your eyes and look, there are miracles all around you.

Here are the big ones I am especially thankful for this year:
We still have Mom Gilliss because of a miracle.
Rick has a new job because of a miracle.
Liam grows within me because of a miracle.
All of my sisters (and my mom!!) were at my baby shower because of a miracle.

Then there are other things:
Every morning I wake up. That is a miracle.
I reach out and grab the hand of my husband who has loved me and supported me through thick and thin for more than 5 years. That is a miracle.
I move both our hands to my still-growing stomach, and we feel the kicks of our healthy, developing baby boy inside of me. That is a miracle.
I have the strength to stand up, start my day, go to work, and take care of my home. That is a miracle.

What a blessed year 2018 has been. The same God Who has been faithful and true through the last 365 days will continue to be faithful and true through 2019. We keep our hope in Him because He is the only Light we can hold onto.

Whatever miracles you are celebrating this year, big or small, are important. Take a moment to reflect today and to give God praise for being with you and for His incredible miracles. Then, start 2019 knowing that miracles still happen!

Joy in the Morning

“For we walk by faith and not by sight.”

If a sentence could sum up the Christian life, it would be that one. Nearly everything about living in Christ is founded on faith and not sight. Believing He created the world. Believing He really came and gave Himself for us. Believing His blood really covers our sins. Believing He loves us and is making us into new creatures every day.

It is very rare that we get to see farther down the path, closer to our destination. Most of our walk seems to be done at night with only the light around our feet for a guide. However, faith keeps us straining our eyes at the darkness, believing we see the pinpricks of stars peeking through. We can see the answer with our eyes of faith before we ever see it with our physical eyes.

I wrote a blog post about peace a couple of months ago. The focus was the miscarriage my husband and I went through after over 2 years of trying to conceive our baby. That blog post changed my life. It was incredible to hear so many people respond with “I went through that too, but was never able to say anything” or “If you can find peace in that, I know God will give me peace too.”

For a moment after I wrote that, I felt like my faith eyes were 20-20. I could see God using my pain to paint a picture of healing. I knew all would be well. About 2 weeks later though, the darkness closed in again and I was left swimming in the most intense depression I have yet faced. April was slipping by and May was coming.... and with it, Mother’s Day loomed. How are you supposed to celebrate Mother’s Day when your womb is empty and God isn’t giving you your miracle?

We attended District Conference and heard a sermon by Pastor Andrus on walking in faith by “preparing the room”. He used my favorite Bible story, the Shunamite woman and her powerful, “It shall be well.”

On the way home, Rick commented that we needed to take that phrase literally and begin to prepare our nursery. We ordered the crib, bought the crib set, and set it all up.

Seeing the room that way made me feel emptier than ever. The depression worsened, leaving me sobbing in the nursery, gripping that crib and spiraling deeper into that darkness. Satan began to whisper, “You liar. You wrote about God giving you peace, but look at you now. You have no peace. There’s only darkness in you.” In moments of grace, God would lift my head and I would cry out again, “Even if the healing never comes, He’s still a good God.”

When Mother’s Day came, I determined to make it through without anyone feeling sorry for me. “No tears,” I promised myself. I did fine until about 9 that night, and then I couldn’t do anymore. The tears fell like rivers down my face. Others had their miracle, where was mine? Why didn’t I deserve to be a mother? Why had God given me my miracle and then snatched it away from me? Why was I still empty?

I am so thankful that when I am weak, He is strong. When my faith is gone, He draws me to find solace under His wings. He bore me up that night and the depression finally broke. On the hardest weekend of my life so far, God’s grace broke through and shone brighter than ever. I slept soundly that night and dreamt of my promised little one again.

Two weeks later, on a whim, I took a pregnancy test. Double pink lines greeted me. We were pregnant. Because of what we had experienced, it wasn’t just joy that filled my heart, but also dread. “God, I can’t make it through that again. Please don’t do that to me again.” God looked past my fears and doubts and allowed faith to bloom.

Weeks slipped by, morning sickness started and worsened. Fatigue took over my body. All of the things that we had missed out on before now became the norm. Hope built up inside of me and we began to share our news with close family and friends.

Week 7 passed. Then 8. Then 9. My ultrasound was set for my first day of week 10. We pulled into the parking lot of the same place we had gone last time. The place they had told me that there was no baby in me, just an empty sac that I would soon lose. The place where everything had fallen apart.

“Don’t park over there; we parked there last time.” Everything inside of me was full of fear. What if this was just like last time? What if there was nothing again? What if this was all fake? What if God made us go through another miscarriage?

We prayed in the lot and went inside. Within moments, we were in the room and the tech was walking us through the procedure.

“How many pregnancies is this for you?”

“Two,” I answered.

“Have you delivered?”

“No, we miscarried at 6 weeks in January.” Just saying the words brought back the fears. She could hear the brokenness in my voice and made her apologies.

She brought the camera down and there was our baby. Heart pumping, hands moving, body stretching, feet kicking. Perfection.

Throughout this journey, my faith eyes have been strong and then been weak. For many of us, we go through seasons of faith, sometimes within hours of each other. The man who came to Jesus said, “I believe. Help my unbelief.” How quickly our human emotions take us from faith to doubt. I’m so thankful that God remembers our frame and that we are only dust. He loves us so fully that He doesn’t withhold His blessings until we prove we are worthy. He showers us in them to prove that He is worthy.

As you rejoice with us over the next few months, I have a request. Please take a moment to reach out to anyone that you know of who is in a dark place. Remind them that the darker the night, the brighter His glory. For it is in the moments when we are in the nursery floor, gripping an empty crib, and begging God to answer, that the promise is already inside of us. Keep turning your eyes back to Him and let Him lift your head again today. There is an answer coming. There is joy in the morning!

God is in control!

The journey began during November of 2015. We were coming up on our 2nd anniversary, the point we had already decided would be when we started trying for a baby. We had enjoyed 2 years of each other, 2 wonderful years of travel, fun, dates, and doing whatever, whenever we wanted. Now we felt ready for the next adventure together… PARENTHOOD.

From November of 2015 until March of 2017, we simply asked God and kept waiting. There were times when all of our attention, focus, and emotion was so caught up in the fact that we were not pregnant that depression would take over our home. If you have never struggled to conceive, I am so thankful that you have not experienced the heartache, the frustration, or the fear that accompanies it.

During that timeframe, I visited a doctor and was told “Good luck! Maybe eventually you will conceive!” I was so disheartened by this seemingly hopeless situation.

In March, a minister friend stayed in our home for a couple of nights. At the end of his stay, we shared with him the struggle we were having, and he spoke the word of faith and healing into us. “God is in control of this. Don’t beg him for it anymore. This is the last time we are going to ask Him, and from here on we are just going to trust Him to give us a child when He is ready.” We felt so much strength and virtue in the prayer that followed that we felt for sure that God would be ready very soon!

Another six months slipped by, and I began to worry that there was something bigger going on. After much prayer and counsel, I went back to the doctor (a different one) and was sent for bloodwork. In November of 2017 I was diagnosed with PCOS. A lifelong disorder for which there is no cure. I had almost none of the “symptoms” that would ordinarily clue you in on the diagnosis. I was shocked, hurting, and a little scared for what my future would hold.

That diagnosis changed my life. I was prescribed and began to take medication 3 times a day. I found through research and a friend that a vegan diet helped this condition, so I went back to being a vegan. Rick stood by my side during all of it. He even ate vegan dinners with no complaint.

January of 2018 came and I found myself completely focused on the lifestyle changes I had implemented. It took a full week for me to realize that I had been nauseous every day and even gotten sick a couple of times. Incredulously, I ordered pregnancy tests. I had had so many negative ones that I really wasn’t expecting anything different.

Early in the morning, I got my first positive test. I felt like time stopped in that moment. I stopped being able to breathe normally. I stumbled to the door and opened it. “It’s positive!” I panted to my half-awake husband. “We’re pregnant!” The joy that filled us both in that moment could never be accurately expressed. You wait so long for something and then it finally happens. We didn’t really know what to do, except hold each other and cry the happiest tears imaginable.

We decided not to wait too long to tell our family, especially since I didn’t know how long I would be able to keep my joy contained. We shared our news on January 14, and our family rejoiced with us.

For one glorious week I woke up every morning and went to bed every night talking to the little unborn child inside of me. Nothing mattered more than the little life inside of me. My world was exactly what I had wanted it to be for so long. Finally experiencing it was the most wonderful experience of my life so far.

I was scheduled to teach the next Sunday (January 21) and as I studied and wrote the lesson, God spoke to me to teach on “Standing on His Promises.” I woke up that Sunday morning, and my worst fears materialized. I was spotting. Immediately, I began to research causes of this new development online. They all said the same thing. “It’s normal. Don’t jump to conclusions. Everything is probably fine.” I tried to ignore my fears as we headed off to church.

I began my lesson and got about half-way through. I was teaching on rejoicing over the fulfillment of God’s promises before it even happens. Talking about our future children, I said, “Rick and I have danced in this altar over a promise that we have yet to see fulfilled.” 

In that exact moment, God spoke to me very clearly and simply said, “I’m going to take this baby from you.” My heart shattered. My throat closed up, my eyes began to fill with tears, and I had to quickly compose myself in order to keep teaching. I finished my lesson and went down to my office, “Surely not, God. Surely I heard you wrong.”

But I hadn’t. The next morning found the bleeding heavier and my fears deeper. I scheduled an appointment for that afternoon and headed back to the doctor.

“It’s too early to tell,” she concluded. “You’re not having the back and shoulder pain typically associated with miscarriage. Just wait a couple days and see what happens. You had a blood clot on your ultrasound, so maybe it’s just releasing and that’s all it is.”

Hope filled me again, and I sent out a faith filled “All is well!” to my parents. I was right. All is well…because God is sovereign.

What happened that night was one of the deepest levels of pain I have ever experienced. I think I could have handled it if it had just been physical pain, but it was more than that. Not only was my sweet baby being ripped away, but the fulfillment of my promise, the answer to over 2 years of praying and trying, and the joy that I had felt over the last week and a half. All of it was being torn in that moment, and the pain was almost unbearable.

If you have ever experienced a miscarriage, you know exactly what I am talking about. What I experienced that night was one of the worst things that any pregnant mother can go through. The night was long, but the miracles were not over.

It was the worst moment, the climax of my baby’s passing, and I began to pray. “God, please just give me peace. Please let me know you are in control. Please give us peace. Please give us peace. Please give us peace.” I repeated the words through constricted throat. Haunting my mind were the pain-filled eyes of my husband in the next room. He didn’t deserve this. He was so faith-filled. He needed God right then as much as I did.

I can’t really explain what happened next, but I am so thankful that it happened. I have seen films and movies where there is an invisible force field that surrounds the base or home of the hero of the story. It keeps artillery and enemies out, and it keeps everyone inside of its invisible walls safe. 

That force field is what surrounded my home right in the worst moment of our miscarriage. Satan’s voice was banished from our home, my own human thoughts of “Why me? What did I do wrong? What is going on?” were sent away, and the incredible peace of God filled our home.

That night, in our weakest moment, we both at the same time experienced peace that passes all understanding. God’s words came back to me then. “I am taking this baby from you.” It was not for many weeks that I realized why He had warned me ahead of time. 

You see, God is sovereign. While He is our Father and kind and loving toward us, He is still God. We are still just His creation. However He chooses to do things is His business, not ours. However, He still loves us. I truly believe that He warned me before it happened so that I would know that the miscarriage didn’t happen because of anything that I had done wrong. He had decided, for whatever reason, to allow this story to be part of my life. God is sovereign, in control, and on the throne, no matter what.

I still trust Him. More than that, I still trust in His timing. I may not have my baby yet, but I choose to believe in my sovereign God. Have I gotten pregnant since the miscarriage? No. Will I have a baby this year? No. Do I know when it will happen? No. But I do know this: The same God that gave me that pregnancy, took it away, and sustained me with His incredible peace through it all, is the same God that will choose the exact moment when my child is conceived. He is in control, and I don’t have to concern myself with the “When” or “Why” of life. I simply trust Him and let Him do His work. I am standing on the promise of “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” I may not always see the path, but I trust that God is leading me down the right one day-by-day.

Whatever you are facing today, let my story encourage you to stand firm on the knowledge that God LOVES you and is doing what is BEST for you. We may not always see and understand, but it isn’t our job to see or understand. That’s His job. Our job is simply this: TRUST. Trust that He has a plan. Trust that that plan is for our good. Trust that He will complete it all. Let that trust be what carries you through the darkest moments and the brightest hours. Let that trust be strengthened by your circumstance.

To close with the words of Paul, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

With loving prayers for all whom this letter reaches, 

Ariqua

The Book of James

Reading the book of James is a little like listening to a sermon with multiple points and no outline. Trying to read it directly after reading Paul's very organized epistles is almost frustrating for me. Nevertheless, each point in the book is powerful and there are key lessons to be learned from this very short New Testament epistle. I have chosen one point from each chapter to focus on for this blog post. Doing this was difficult as there are many verses that beg to be shared. Here are the verses I have chosen:

James 1:2-4: "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

There is nothing more humbling than being tempted. Sometimes, I feel so guilty after facing temptation, even if I did not give into it. It is interesting to me that Satan will bring a spirit of condemnation, even if I did not give into his ploy. Temptation is a great struggle for Christians. We face it just as every other human. We are forced to make choices between right and wrong. We are forced to decide if we will tell the truth or lie. We are forced to decided if we will love or hate. Being a Christian doesn't take away your choices; it doesn't mean you make the right choice every time.

When I read this verse, it makes me ask myself, "How does temptation teach me patience?" I think there are probably several ways, but the first thing that comes to my mind is that it teaches me patience for myself. Temptation forces me to stop holding myself to perfection that I haven't achieved. I am not saying that I face temptations that I am unable to fight (1 Cor. 10:13). I am saying that temptations teach me to have patience with my spiritual growth and to not expect everything to be perfect because I prayed today.

Another way temptation teaches us patience is by forcing us to put down our lust. You may want that position you are applying for TODAY, and maybe if you lied on your application, you could get it. That's a temptation. When we refuse to obey that lust, we force ourselves to wait for something we want "right now", which is patience. It gives God time to bring about his "perfect work" and to leave us "wanting nothing."

James 2:14-18: "What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, "Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled;" notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doeth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, "Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith BY my works."

In chapter 2 we shift gears very rapidly. We go from discussing temptation to discussing faith and works. I love the way the passage above lays it out for us. Sometimes, it helps to just look at an example. When you read the passage above, you can see the ridiculousness of it. "Go! Be warm and filled!" and never give the pour soul a scrap of clothing or food. Remember that the outward expression of your faith in Jesus Christ is found in loving your neighbor as yourself. Would you let yourself go hungry? Would you let yourself be cold?

James 3:17: "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy."

Chapter 3 changes gears again and talks about the tongue. It challenges us to refrain from complaining with the same mouth we use to bless God. It points out the hypocrisy of such actions. Then it finishes with the Scripture above. Do you want heavenly wisdom in your situation? Here's how:

Come to the situation with a pure heart. Give both sides the benefit of the doubt.

Next, be peaceable, gentle, and easily intreated as you handle the situation. Remember, you are not God. You are not "large and in charge." Your lack of self-pride shows Heavenly wisdom.

Finally, be full of mercy and good fruits, don't show partiality, and don't counsel others with hypocrisy. 

If we could remember this Scripture when a friend calls us for advice or to share a juicy piece of gossip, we would be much better off.

James 4:12: "There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?"

I chose this Scripture because it is one of the most over-used Scriptures of the Bible. Almost all groups who are living in sin misuse this Scripture and scream, "Don't judge me!" While I agree that this Scripture is telling us that we are not the ultimate say and that we do not decide who goes to Hell and who goes to Heaven, it must be used in conjunction with Scriptures that teach about certain lifestyles. You can grab this one Scripture and say, "Ha! Only God can judge me!" However, you neglect to notice the rest of the Bible where God states very clearly how He feels about sin. Remember, Hebrews 10:31: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

James 5:8: "Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh."

Finally, I end with a Scripture that called to me as soon as I read it. I, like so many others, am looking at the world around me with apprehension and concern. I am concerned by this election. I am concerned by the state of many countries around the world. I am concerned about the frequent displays of violence and blatant division in our human race. I know that this means that the coming of the Lord is at hand, and that knowledge both fills me with excitement and dread.

As I study the signs, I must remember the Scripture above. "Stablish your hearts." Remember Who is in control and don't let fear influence your decisions. He is coming. He draweth nigh.

Are you ready?

What are the Requirements?

Life has requirements. We know a lot of them up front. Job requirements are listed out and gone over before the job is taken. Legal requirements are explained and understood. Financial requirements are evaluated before a home is purchased or credit is given. Activities have fitness requirements. Rides have height requirementents. Parents have age requirements.

A requirement simply asks this, "Do you have what it takes to be involved?" It asks you to take a look at who you are and weigh yourself against what it will cost. Can you pay that? Can you give that?

Sometimes, we are quick to confirm that we meet those requirements in our pride and desires. We hurry through the roller coaster line without stopping to check height at the gate. We borrow money for a new car without checking our budget to see if we can afford it. We apply for jobs we aren't qualified for because the pay is attractive. As kids, we jumped at the chance to do something with an older group to prove that we could handle ourselves.

If we do not consider the requirements, our decisions can cost us a lot.

There are also things that we are not told up front. We are not told at the beginning of the year how much we will owe in taxes at the end of it. A police officer does not hold up a sign as he pulls up behind you with the amount of money the fine for the ticket will be. Many times, a doctor's office cannot tell you up front how much a procedure will cost you, before or after insurance.

Even in my short adulthood, I have learned to fear all three of those examples. I do not like not knowing what is required of me. I want to be told up front what something will cost.

God asks us to walk by faith, and He doesn't list out what will happen in our lives in advance. However, He is not unfair or unreasonable. He does tell us in advance what pleasing Him will cost.

Micah 6:8: "What does the Lord require of you? To act justly. To love mercy. To walk humbly with your God."

I like to call verses like this "Sum-up Scriptures." They take philsophies and ideas that are lengthily explained throughout the rest of the Bible and just say it. "This is what the Lord requires of you."

On the surface, it looks too easy. In fact, when you consider what God has done to have this relationship with us, it is too easy. However, as my pastor is fond of reminding us, "The harder you live for God, the easier it is." While it takes only a few seconds to read that sentence, a close examination of it is in order. After all, it is God's requirements of us.

Act Justly

This speaks to our outward actions and inward thoughts. It asks us to search us. It asks us to put our own hearts and minds under a microscope and evaluate our motives and incentives for doing what we do. Are we just? Are we fair? Are we honest? God sees every decision we make and every thought we think. He is simply asking us to take a hard look at each one. This other Sum-Up Scripture applies here as well:

Titus 2:12: "We should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world."

Don't get your cues on how to respond from how others act. You don't decide how to respond to a situation because of what your neighbor did. "I'm going to go burn down her house because she burned down mine!" NO! Your actions procede from your heart. YOU choose how you act! Choose to act justly.

Love Mercy

This is where the "others" come into play. Though we search our hearts and act justly, not everyone around us will do the same. We still must respond with mercy. We must treat others the way we want to be treated. We must be kind. We must be forgiving. We must shove the indignation that rises within us back down, remember we are all family, and treat those around us with respect.

I would like to say that this "Love Mercy" command does not mean that you allow people to walk all over you and you never stand up for yourself. That is not "acting justly" to yourself. People's actions should have consequences. Here's a scenario for example:

Friend A and Friend B are close. Friend A develops a drug problem and goes through all of their money. Friend B knows that Friend A is living on the street and gives Friend A money to buy groceries. Friend A doesn't buy groceries. Instead, Friend A buys drugs. Friend B finds out, but says nothing. Friend A then repeatedly comes to Friend B for more money.

Most of us would immediately say, "Friend B! Stop giving them more money! You're just enabling them!"  We would be correct, however, the black and white we see right now becomes more gray when it is our friend or family member who is using us. We struggle to find that balance between MERCY and ENABLING. May I quietly suggest that if you find yourself unable to find the line, ask your pastor for help.

Moving on.

Walk Humbly With Your God

In my twenty-two years of living for God, I have learned this: it's a daily walk. There's never a day that I wake up and say, "Ah, I have arrived!" Until I reach Heaven, there is no day that I don't have to get up and walk.

So first we must walk: a dogged, committed, daily, whatever-it-takes walk.

We must also walk HUMBLY. Our biggest enemy is pride. One of my favorite quotes from C.S. Lewis is this: "Forget your pride. What have you to be proud of?" Too often, we find ourselves getting puffed up about inconsequential things. Too often, we allow pride to come in the back door in forms we do not immediately recognize. 

Competition: I'M as good as they are! 

Anger: How dare they do that to ME! 

Judgmentalism: I would have done it like this!

Self-consciousness: I can't let them see ME like this.

Fear: What if I can't measure up?

Each of these problems stem from pride. Maybe that is why, of all the adverbs God could have used to describe this walk, HE chose "Humbly." Keep your pride in check.

Finally, we must also walk WITH God. 

Not in front of Him. 

Not behind Him. 

Not away from Him. 

Putting your feet where His feet are leading. 

Being involved in what He is involved in (MINISTRY!).

Caring about what He cares about. 

Holding tightly to His hand through it all. 

We cannot get distracted and foget Who we are walking beside. We cannot forget Who brought us this far and will take us farther still. We must keep the main thing the main thing and not allow distractions to pull us away from what really matters.

So, can you meet His requirements? Only you can search your heart and answer that question. Only you can decide to put your hand to the plough and not look back (Luke 9:62). The beautiful thing about serving God is that you are not required to do this alone. Remember, He is walking with you. He is both our lawyer (advocate) and our judge. He will not only defend you, but He will judge in your favor. You must, however, keep walking with your hand gripping tightly to His.

Free from Sin!

Salvation is such a beautiful gift! The way that God covered all bases and made sure that no question we could think of was left unanswered is incredible to me! Every time I read the Bible I find something else about His plan that I hadn't noticed before. I discover another piece of the huge quilt God has made and called "Salvation." The other day, that piece was this passage from Romans:

Romans 6:6-11: "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in he that liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

So many times in my life I have fallen into the trap of believing that I am powerless against sin in my life. I hear Satan whispering to me in moments of temptation, "You are flesh. You were born into sin. You cannot fight this. It is your nature. There is no victory." Satan uses half-truths and forms them into complete lies. In truth, we are born in sin and shapen in iniquity. (Psalm 51:5) It is true that our flesh is naturally attracted to sinful things and that we do not have to learn to lust after evil. (Psalm 103:14) However, God did not just come to this Earth and die to cover our sins whenever we sin. His blood is not just our Bandaid. It is so much more!
When we read the passage above, we can form these equations in our mind:

Dead through repentance = dead to our sinful ways = free to live a new life

Filled with the Holy Ghost = filled with the Power to overcome sin

As Paul states above, if you are dead you are free from sin. When Adam fell, he transferred control of his desires from God to Sin. He allowed Sin to reign as king in his mind and life. The only way to be free from Sin's control is to die. You cannot do enough charity work or memorize enough Scriptures. In order for Sin to lose its grip on you, you must die.

When Jesus Christ became the Living Gospel, he showed us the way to Salvation. His death on the cross, burial, and resurrection are the pattern by which we are saved. Through repentance, we die. Through Baptism, we are buried. Through the Holy Ghost, we are resurrected. If we have followed this pattern, how can sin still reign as king in our minds and lives? It cannot. We are dead, and therefore, we are loosed from Sin's grip.

Buried deep inside each of us is the desire to do and say what is right. If we do not snuff out that conscience, as we call it, it will correct us and chastise us when we do the wrong thing. God uses that voice to help us curb our sinful appetites. We cannot, however, be free from that sinful appetite until we die. While some choose to die physically because they cannot handle their sinful appetite anymore, Christians choose to accept the death of Jesus Christ and die spiritually. As Adam transferred his desires from God to Sin, Christians make the conscious effort and choice to transfer their desires back from Sin to God. It is not an easy task. However, it is completely achievable. As Paul states in the next few verses:

Romans 6:12-13: "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."

In other words, don't yield that control back to Sin after you have given it to God. Believe that you are dead to those ways, and combat Satan's attacks with the Holy Ghost. Use your new life in Christ to be an instrument in the kingdom of Heaven. Idle hands are the devil's playthings. Keep busy doing things for the kingdom and don't give yourself time to obey the lusts of the sin.

Only through God's provision of Salvation can any Christian hope to make that transfer, and only though His renewed mercies are we able to get back up after we fall. I want to encourage you that you are more than just an average, sinful human formed from dust. You have been remade and reborn, and Jesus Christ lives on the inside of you! Walk in purity in His power today!