Author Archives: Karla Jo Wasion

I love Jesus and His Church. His Word is Truth, His heart is good, and His return is sure.

Exodus 11: The Last One

“There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any person or animal.’ Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.” (v. 6-7)

This was it. The negotiations were over and there would be no further discussion. God’s last blow to Pharoah would bring him to his knees (for a minute) and the Israelites would go free… every single one of them.

{What we, you and I, must wrestle with is the fact that God hardened Pharoah’s heart so that he would not let the Israelites go. To help with your wrestle, I recommend this article by Tim Mackie, Chief Education Officer for the BibleProject.}

The relationship between God and Moses fascinates me, and puts a longing in me. God told Moses every detail of what was going to happen. Be real, when was the last time God told you every detail of what He was about to do? Me? Never. He’s given me blurry glimpses of things I didn’t quite understand, and given me words to speak to others that usually only made sense to them, but that’s it.

I want what Moses had with God, but I really don’t want the assignments Moses had from God. Perhaps that’s why I get blurry pictures and words I don’t understand. I want the good part but not the hard part. Something to ponder for later.

What I keep staring at is that even under the threat of death to his firstborn son, Pharoah decided he would not let the Israelites go. The hardness of his heart was complete, and was a danger to all of Egypt. Perhaps he thought there would be more chances, more room for negotiating. More time.

And that’s the thing. We all think there’s more time, more wiggle room when it comes to the things of God, especially salvation and eternity. I’ll lay down that sin soon, but not now. I’ll consider following Jesus, but not right now. Later, when I’ve got my shi stuff together. Someday, one day, maybe tomorrow I’ll think about all of that.

But there will always be a last time for God’s mercy, because there will always be a last breath we take and we have no idea when that will be.

Pharoah would find out that this was the last plague, the last chance, the last time Moses would make an offer, and the price of ignoring that last one would devastate an entire nation.

How many has there been for you? How many times have you heard or felt the call of God in your life? How many times has God told you to lay that sin down? How many times have you felt the urging of the Holy Spirit to turn around and come back to God?

I pray that we all heed whatever God is putting before us quickly. Before it becomes the last one.

Exodus 10: No Compromise

Pharaoh said, “The Lord be with you—if I let you go, along with your women and children! Clearly you are bent on evil. No! Have only the men go and worship the Lord, since that’s what you have been asking for.”  (v. 10-11)

The eighth plague was promised if Pharaoh did not let God’s people go. By this time, Egyptian officials were advising (begging) Pharaoh to let the people leave so they could go worship their God, because Egypt was being destroyed. So an attempt at compromise was made.

P: Who will go?

M: Everyone, plus our livestock

P: Ha! No. Only the men can go.

M: Cue the locusts!

(You have to read the chapter to get more than my fantastically detailed cliff notes.)

Twice Pharoah tried to compromise. But God was after all of His people, and their belongings, because He had no intention of letting them remain in slavery in Egypt.

I think we, you and me, make our own attempts at compromise, if we’re honest.

Always trying to hold back some control over something. Surrendering all, but not. Trusting Him with everything, but continuing to hold that one thing that helps us feel like we’re keeping a part of us that we just can’t imagine living without.

But God doesn’t compromise. We’re doing that dance all by ourselves. He bought the whole of us with blood and He won’t settle for just the parts we’re willing to hand over. The blood of Christ that paid for our freedom wasn’t a deal being made, it was a no-compromise takeover for the keys to death and the grave so that we could come out of slavery and worship our God.

Pharoah wanted to hold back the women and children, because he knew it would bring the men back to him.

So what might happen if we woke up and realized that our holding back parts of ourselves or our lives from God is being influenced by an enemy who thinks it will bring us back to him?

And what if we have a God who won’t compromise? What if He is ready and willing to bring in the locusts in order to set us fully free? (If your life has ever been hit by something that felt devastating, but resulted in setting you free from something, then you know that I’m talking about.)

The thing is, there is no Pharoah controlling our freedom now. It’s just us, holding the choice to give everything, to leave our bondage fully, or keep trying to compromise with an uncompromising God.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes, it feels like all of life is my very long Exodus story.

Tent Pegs

We raised our kids in Illinois. After years of apartments, we finally bought a home. We both had jobs, we had a church home, our kids had friends and school. The relationship dynamics in our family were a trainwreck on fire, but there we were, firmly planted.

Then my husband lost his job. He worked off and on, trying to find a steady job in an unsteady job market.

Then my son left for college in Texas. A couple of years later his sister joined him in Texas and my nest was empty and that was that.

In 2008 the housing market crashed with a bang.

Then, I suddenly lost my job that I had been at for 8 years, due to a missed deadline. Total fluke. Total confusion as to why I would be let go.

Now we had no income except unemployment, and a mortgage that was now upside down, meaning we owed more than we could have gotten for the house if we sold it, because of the crash.

Tent pegs. This was the picture God was giving me. A large tent held in place by firmly planted tent pegs, and now, one by one, those pegs were snapping out of the ground. Why? Because it was time for us to move and we weren’t going to move as long as the things we trusted in were holding our tent up.

God had begun to plant the seed that He was calling us to move, but we kept brushing it off. We had jobs, a home, deep roots right where we were, so it would be foolish to just pack up and move. We weren’t young and carefree anymore. We had stuff.

So one by one, the tent pegs snapped. And then one day we had packed what we hadn’t sold off into a u-haul truck and set out for Texas. No jobs, no community, just faith that God was calling us there and would take care of us.

This July will be 13 years since the day we pulled into Waco, and so much has happened since then. Kids married, grandkids have come, kids have moved away, we’ve finally bought another home, and here we are. And I find myself asking God, what are our tent pegs now, in this season of our lives, and are they keeping us from what You have for us?

Tent pegs. They hold the tent in place, but more significantly, they are what we trust to hold the tent in place.

They become our reasons, then our excuses, for staying in a place, even a place that has become unhealthy or barren. Because change is hard and scary and we’re a cautious, even nervous, people.

A house. A job. Friends. Family. A church. Provision. A place in the community. A ministry. Deeply rooted tent pegs. Things we trust in to keep our world spinning in familiar directions at a familiar pace. Things we can’t imagine leaving because they offer us comfort, purpose, belonging, and safety.

Tent pegs are good, until they become our excuse to stay when God may be calling us to go.

So what are your tent pegs? What holds you here, wherever here is? What would your reasons be for not dropping your nets, or selling all you have and giving it to the poor, or getting in the boat? Leaving that job, that town, that state, or that church? I’m not talking about irresponsibly leaving on a whim. We’re all grownups here and we know that’s not how it works. I’m talking about hearing or sensing the call of God to pull up stakes and follow Him into something new, even if it’s scary. Even if we can’t figure out how it would work. Even if we don’t understand it, and can’t control it. Gasp.

He sends us. Leads us to new places to work, to minister, to live and to reflect His image. The question is would we go? Or would we assume that it wasn’t God calling us because why would He take us from this place where we have invested and worked and ministered? Why would He take us from our land of provision, ministry, community, and maybe even family? Why would He call us into something, and then call us out of it?

Maybe…

– Because He has plans we know nothing of, sees what we can’t possibly see and knows what we can’t possibly know.

– Because we gave our life to Him and called Him Lord and said we would follow Him.

– Because He has no need to be concerned that we won’t find another job or a place to live or any other thing we need. He knows what He can do, and He asks us to trust what He can do.

What are your tent pegs? Are they keeping you from following God to the next place?

Naked & Ashamed

I was sitting at a table lost in thought, minding my own business, when a woman walked by right as I looked up from my bible. Her body language, the hair she used to obscure her face, the sweater pulled around her, I noticed all of it in a nano second as the Holy Spirit whispered “she is ashamed and afraid of being exposed.” And that began thirty minutes of playing connect the dots until what God wanted me to see began to emerge. So hang with me and I’ll see if I can re-connect them here.

Shame…

  • Genesis 2;25 – “Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.”
  • Genesis 3:7 – “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.”

Sin had opened their eyes to their nakedness. They had always been naked, but they had neither the realization of nakedness, nor the shame of it. This was now the condition of their disobedience. Naked and ashamed.

  • Daniel 12:1-2 – “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.”

Shame will be the condition of every person who is bound for an eternity without God (hell), because the condition of Adam & Eve’s disobedience now follows their children.

  • Romans 10:11 – “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”

Shame wants us to hide, not just ourselves, but hide our sin.

So I speak to the Beloved, to the children of God – shame has no part in you. Guilt, ok. Conviction, absolutely. These things will move us toward God, toward repentance.

  • 1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
  • James 5:19: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”

Confession is a weapon against the feeling of shame. It isn’t easy by any means. Hard stuff to come out of hiding and let our sin be exposed, but that is where the cleansing comes, where we find healing.

There just isn’t any other way but His way, and everything is so much better His way.

Naked…

  • Zechariah 3:4 – “Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.”
  • Galatians 3:26-27 – “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
  • Revelation 7:9 – “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.”

So to the one who is head down, face covered, trying to disappear in your shame – Jesus covers you. Clothes you with clean garments, robes of His righteousness; in fact, you are clothed with Him.

  • Isaiah 1:18 – “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

He has not left you naked and ashamed, He has made you covered and forgiven. Walk in the truth, my friend.

Exodus 9—There’s Always A Price

“Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every man and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.”

“But those who ignored the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field.”

“Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields—both people and animals;” (Exodus 9:19, 21, 25)

I think this will be short and sweet. Maybe. I mean, I’m not really known for that but anything can happen, right?

God warned them. He was going to send a hail storm the likes of which had never been seen before. In fact, His exact words were “I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt from the day it was founded till now.” That’s pretty clear.

Some people brought everything in from their fields, either because they believed this God would do what He said He would, or because they weren’t willing to risk it. But it was the others that caught my attention today.

“But those who ignored the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field.”

There is a price to pay for ignoring the word of the Lord. But the price isn’t just paid by the one who refused to believe God. The slaves and the livestock died because of someone else’s unbelief or defiance against God.

When a husband or a wife chooses to ignore the word of the Lord concerning marriage, the whole family pays for it.

When parents choose to ignore the word of the Lord, their children pay a price.

When church leaders choose to ignore the word of the Lord… you get the picture.

The people around us can’t afford the price of our rebellion, our unbelief, or our offense with God. We are not our own.

Think about it…

Is there an area of your life that is ignoring the word of God? If so, who is likely to pay a price for it? Is that okay with you?

Short and sweet. I think I at least came close.

You Are The Witness He Left

Mark 5:17-19

Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him.  Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.

Go. Tell people.

The woman at the well. She went. She told people. “Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,  “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.” John 4:28-29) 

When Jesus left this earth He gave His last command to His disciples – “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19)

Go. Tell people.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

Jesus leaves witnesses, and those witnesses have a story to tell.

“As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Peter and John – Acts 4:20)

This is what I know: we are the witnesses of our generation, our time on this earth. We are the ones who are to go, to tell someone. I also know that when I do that, it’s like a B12 shot to my soul. Gratitude and joy come rushing in at the retelling of God’s goodness in my life, whether it was many years ago, or yesterday. It stirs the waters of faith that have become stagnant – in me, and in those who are hearing my witness.

This is what I don’t know: Are we the Peters and the Johns of our time, who are compelled to speak of what we’ve seen and what we’ve heard? Are we stirring faith and tapping wells of gratitude because we are witnesses of the goodness, the power, and the faithfulness of God? Are we going and are we telling anyone at all what God has done right in front of us and in us?

Or have we found a comfortable spot in our religion that allows us to curl up and be theologically sound, but not theologically active? Are we observers more than we are witnesses? Do we see the joy in others and wonder why we can’t find it in us? Do we summon up the acceptable gratitude of “thank You for this food”, but we have lost that thing in us that weeps at the knowledge that God rescued us from eternal death and gave us abundent life? Or that He healed our heart in ways we didn’t even know it needed to be healed? There’s been financial provision, healing, doors opened and doors closed, prophetic words given, relationships restored, sin overcome, strength when there was none, comfort when it was needed, and the small, still voice of God even when we weren’t listening for it. So many ways that God has been with us and for us – years ago and yesterday.

We are the witnesses that He has left for our day, in our generation. Where are we going and what are we telling?

If you’d like a place to start, start here! Leave a comment and witness to something God has done or spoken in your life.

I’ll go first. Over the past year I have sensed a fire in me growing stronger, and an increased desire to join God in whatever He is doing around me. Little by little He has been showing me doors that He is opening for me to walk through. At work, a small group of us are now meeting every week(ish) to talk through the Word of God, and grow in unity and compassion for one another. He also opened the door for me to volunteer as part of the Discipleship Training School staff at my church. As I have prayed for God to stir in me, to move in my life, to lead me to where He wants me, I have watched Him answer that prayer, and as I recall it and speak of it, joy is welling up! I serve a God who speaks, who hears, and who moves in me, through me, and for me!

Go. Tell someone.

The Fig Tree and the Church

Matthew 21

“Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!”  Immediately the tree withered.”

He cursed the fig tree and I found that curious. But He and His disciples moved on, so I went with them and left that figless tree standing there, cursed and withered.

A few days ago I came across it again and this time I studied it. Squinted long and hard until my vision cleared and now I have to get the words out before they drift away.

The fig tree had leaves, and from a distance it looked like it was a good tree. But when Jesus moved closer to the tree, it became apparent that the tree had no fruit. No figs on the fig tree is no bueno. But why?

Leaves on a fig tree appear with the fruit, or shortly after the fruit. If the tree has leaves, it should have fruit. So the tree had the appearance of bearing fruit from a distance, but there was no fruit. And that is what preaches in this story.

In John, chapter 15, Jesus told His disciples that every fruit bearing branch would be pruned, but branches that did not bear fruit would be cut off. He also told them that bearing much fruit would glorify God and prove they were His disciples. And finally, He said He had chosen and appointed them to bear fruit that would last.

Our fruit bearing is connected to our prayer lives, to God’s glory, and to the authenticity of our relationship with Him. I dare say, fruit matters.

But I keep coming back to one thing: the fig tree had the appearance of bearing fruit, because it had the leaves. But when Jesus drew near, fruitlessness was obvious. Nothing can hide from Him.

And now there are questions scrambling around in me.

What are the leaves that give the appearance that I am bearing fruit? The things that make me look good, but aren’t bearing anything of value? What glorifies me from a distance, but doesn’t actually glorify God?

But it isn’t just me. It’s all of us. The local church that makes up the global Church. Can we ask the same questions as a congregation? Are there leaves, but no fruit? Are we busy doing things that have no impact for the Kingdom? Do we look the part, but Lord help us if Jesus comes near?

The fig tree is but one of a number of lessons Jesus taught regarding outward appearance with no inward substance. In one in particular, He didn’t speak in a parable, didn’t use a word picture. He said what He said.

Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:22-23)

Pleanty of leaves, but no fruit.

Father, forgive us. Have mercy on us. Heal us.