Category Archives: Blog

It’s Life or Death

Quiet time with Jesus this morning was fast and furious. Some days it’s slow, quiet, and contemplative. Not today. A few days ago I felt led to return to the book of Genesis. It’s a well read, well underlined, highlighted, circled book in my bible, but I was sure that God would say something fresh from it. I was not wrong. Let’s get to it.

 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:9)

A planting from God in the center of man’s world, from the very beginning. Adam, and all who would come after him would continually be confronted with a choice—life or death, and the loving command of God to choose life.

“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him.” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)

“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.” (John 6:63)

From one end of the Bible to the other runs a continual theme. Choose God’s way and live, or choose our own way and find death.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12)

After four hundred years of silence between the prophet Malachi and the Gospels, God spoke the same refrain. Choose life or choose death.

“For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

But the choice before us isn’t only about heaven or hell. Every day we face small decisions that either breathe life into something or slowly choke it out.

Choosing spiritual apathy will bring death to zeal and passion. But if we will choose the pursuit of God, and zeal for His house, it will bring life to our souls and life to the Church.

Choosing offense and bitterness suffocates forgiveness and restoration—and eventually the relationship itself. But choosing God’s way of grace, mercy, and forgiveness brings life back into our own hearts and breathes new life into relationships that were being threatened with death.

Every time we choose our own way over God’s way, death comes to something. In the center of our existence the choice has been planted, and we must decide the way we will choose to walk. Life, or death.

Jesus or the world. Our own flesh and emotions or obedience to God. Offense that leads to a bitter heart, or forgiveness that heals and restores. The pull of apathy or the call to a “one thing” heart posture, a continual pursuit of the heart and ways of God, and a zeal for Him and His house, the Church.

Choose you this day…

Questions to ask and things to ponder:

  • In the abundance of choices that I make every day, how many of them bring death instead of life?
  • In the big picture of how I live my life, am I choosing life?
  • How can I begin to speak and/or pray life over the people I love?

The Prayer

“Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.” – Luke 1:11-15

Couple of things.

The number of times people were filled with fear when an angel showed up makes me think a lot of us have the wrong idea about angels. They come from another realm, a realm in which they battle demons and stand before the throne of God, waiting to be dispatched as His messengers. I don’t think they’re soft and effiminate looking, playing a harp. But that’s just my opinion. Feel free to have your own.

“… your prayer has been heard.” There are a few possibilities here as to what the angel meant by “your prayer.”

  • Zechariah, even in his old age, was still praying for a son;
  • The angel was referring to prayers that had once been prayed, but are prayed no longer;
  • Or, the “prayer” in question wasn’t for a son at all, but was the prayer Zechariah was praying in his role as a priest. Very likely a prayer for Israel’s redeemer to come.

If it was the first one, well, good on Zechariah for sticking with it.

If the second, what hope that should give us, to know that prayers we once prayed are still before the Lord. Still awaiting His answer. Not dead and forgotten in the heavens, even if so in our heart.

And if it’s the last one, that would mean that God was actually answering two prayers at the same time. Because surely Zechariah had, at one time, prayed for a son. And surely, as a priest, he would have offered up prayers for Israel’s redeemer, the Messiah to make the oh so long awaited appearance. John the Baptist, as we know, was the forerunner to the Messiah. The herald of the redemption that was about to draw nigh.

This entire scene feels otherworldly and full of mystery. After 400 years of silence, a heavenly messenger appears to an aging priest as he prays at the altar in the holy place—and with that, the shift begins. A crack forms in the darkness, and light starts to break through. An ancient prophecy is awakening, and soon the whole world will feel its impact.

More than just words on a page, the Scriptures draw us into the mystery of God’s redeeming plan for creation—into His very heart—inviting us to stand in awe of His power, His wisdom, and His absolute Godness.

He Will Remember What He Has Not Forgotten

In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. – Luke 1:5-7

This is my “short devos based on a couple of verses” phase, in case you wondered. Which I’m sure you didn’t, but one never knows and I think it’s always better to be safe than sorry. I’m pretty throughtful like that.

I like how Luke connects this new covenant beginning with the old covenant, don’t you? He made sure we knew that the priest, Zechariah, was from the division of Abijah. When King David was on the throne, he divided the priesthood into divisions, and Abijah was the eighth divison. He also let us know that both Zechariah and Elizabeth were descendants of Aaron.

Old to new. Seamless. Covenant flowing into covenant.

But do you know the Hebrew meaning of the name Zechariah?

זְכַרְיָה – “Yahweh has remembered”

The Hebrew doesn’t imply that He forgot a thing and then remembered it. It means the time came for His promise, or His prophecy to be fulfilled.

He remembered Zechariah and Elizabeth would bring forth the “voice of one crying out in the wilderness” from Isaiah 40:3.

And now it was time.

There are things I’ve been waiting on, things promised in His Word; things my heart longs to see fulfilled. Somedays, those feel like forgotten things. Like heaven has moved on while my faith filled prayers are in a corner gathering dust.

Today, I am reminded that my Father never forgets and the day will come when He will remember. Because it will be time.

Take heart today, my friend. God has not forgotten, and when it’s time, He will remember. Keep praying.

Where Is My Investment? Where Is Yours?

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. – Luke 1:1-4

Luke addresses Theophilus as “most excellent”, indicating he could have been a high ranking Roman official. We really don’t know much about him, but Luke wrote not one, but two letters to him – the gospel of Luke, and the book of Acts. Clearly, Theophilus is a man that Luke was invested in on a spiritual level. He wrote to him so that Theophilus could have an assurance of the truth he had been taught. Perhaps doubts or confusion had been expressed, which is understandable, since Luke addresses the fact that many people have given their account of what had taken place. No doubt there were false stories, conflicting stories, and even deceiving stories, humanity being what it is and all.

I am intrigued, because I don’t think Luke wrote these historical accounts to this man in the hopes that they would someday become part of the holy scriptures. Apart from being called by God, perhaps without even realizing it, to write what would become two books of the bible, I believe Luke was genuinely attempting to disciple Theophilus to be able to walk in truth.

Luke was a physician. A man of science, if you will. And it is with that mind that he undertook this task to lay out the events that had taken place starting from the birth of the Christ, through His death and resurrection, and then the formation of His Church. He would have been thorough, methodical, and given to the gathering of as much proof as possible. Funny how God did that. Brought in a man who had not been one of the disciples, a man of science, to authenticate and document things of the Spirit.

Naturally, I have questions.

Who am I investing in? Who is benefitting from my own eyewitness testimony of God’s power?

We can all shout about what’s going on in the world around us today. We can tell anyone who will listen how horrible/great we think our government is or how we think the Church is failing by either taking too much or too little a stand in the political arena.

Anyone can do that.

But how many of us are quietly investing in someone else’s walk with Christ? Are we speaking more about what God has done and is doing in our own lives and in the world around us than we are about what the government is or isn’t doing wrong, or right?

We are called to endure. To keep going. To keep speaking the truth of salvation, the good news that we can be saved from our sin and from the wrath that will come. I can only speak for me, but I don’t think getting worked up over the latest political issue is enduring. It’s getting distracted by what we think is at stake, from what is actually at stake. Nothing this government, or this world, does is eternal. Souls are eternal. People are eternal, and they will be eternal in one of two places. With God, or without Him. God’s desire is that they be with Him.

Is that my desire? Is it yours? Where is the bulk of our investment of this life God has given to us?

From One Seed, Many

Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. (John 12:24)

This verse continually comes to mind in the days since Charlie Kirk’s murder, especially as I watch the aftermath happening around the world. Whatever your opinion of the man, you cannot deny that he had an incredible, positive impact in his short life.

I had followed him for a number of years, amazed at his ability to bring truth into every conversation, and to remain unmoved by the hatred he encountered. I have watched innumerable videos of his debates, his speeches, etc., and I found him to be a loving, compassionate man who cared for this nation and the young people who will inherit it. I saw no evidence of the racism and other derogatory terms he has been tagged with by some.

His faith, and his courage to live it in the face of so much opposition is inspiring so many in this nation, and beyond. He inspired people to return to God and to the Church, to be bold with their faith and the gospel, to marry and have children, to work hard, to love their wives and husbands, and to stand up for the conservative values that first formed this country.

For me personally, he has inspired me out of silence. I am not a debater. I believe Charlie Kirk was anointed and called to do what he did and that’s why he did it so well. But I have a voice and I carry the Spirit of Truth within me. I can be bold in the places God has assigned me to go. I can stop staying silent just to keep the peace or not ruffle feathers. I can stop having a passive faith.

Charlie Kirk was a man whose life, work, and faith should be celebrated, respected, and remembered – but not worshipped. We may be on the brink of elevating him to a place that even he would not take himself. So I do offer the warning that many great men have lived and died and should be remembered for their faithful service, but not a single one of them deserves our worship, and they would agree.

What God does with the seed that was Charlie Kirk is yet to be fully seen, but we do know that His Spirit is moving right now in ways we never imagined, both here and around the world. The testimonies are out there. Unfortunately, they are often being drowned out by the finger pointing and raging from those who did not agree with Charlie. But they are there. I’ve heard them. And I think it’s only beginning.

From the death of one seed, may many, many more come to life.

Marriage Matters—What Have You Learned?

“Lord, what have I learned about marriage over all these years?”

Loaded question potential right there.

His answer could be either “not nearly enough” or “quite a lot.” But what I heard back wasn’t either of those answers.

The question isn’t “how much have you learned”, but “how much do you obey what you’ve learned?”

*head goes back* Ugh.

Fine. But for the purpose of this blog post, I’m going to stick to what I’ve learned and we can all just assume I don’t always have stellar follow through. Fair?

And He said to all, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. (Luke 9:23)

Self-denial is the life of a Christian, but it is practiced most vigorously in the context of marriage. In the beginning it doesn’t really feel like dying, you know? When all you want is the happiness of this wonderful creature who now shares your bathroom. And then.

One day you realize they are insanely messy with no rhyme or reason to the way they live their life on the daily, and have an “I’ll get to it when I get to it” code for life. They never turn off lights, have the sleep schedule of a toddler, prefer to talk in partial sentences and let you figure out the rest, and would live on “something snacky” if you let them. And if you tell them they can’t do something it’s a sure thing they’ll do that thing, even if they don’t really want to do that thing. Because, don’t tell them what to do. Besides all that, what makes them laugh one day makes them cry the next day, and you don’t know what day it is, ever (all of that is me, by the way. all me.).

Those are the more lighthearted things my husband has learned about me. There are more, less lighthearted, that we’ve both learned about one another. Things that broke us. Hurt us. Almost ended us.

And this is where the dying begins in earnest. Where the forgiveness, grace, humility, and bearing with one another that the bible talks about becomes the fork in the road. Follow Jesus, or do it our own way. One brings life, the other brings death.

Marriage has taught me how to be kind when I don’t want to be kind. How to swallow my pride and apologize for my snarky tone of voice that they clearly deserved. How to forgive even the egregious, because I was forgiven by Jesus and have no other leg to stand on.

The statement “marriage is hard” is such an understatement. But so is “marriage is good.” Both are true at the very same time, because while we make it hard, God made it good.

Every lesson I’ve learned about following Jesus, I’ve learned in the context of marriage. And one of the most shameful things I discovered is that I was a way better Christian to other people than I was to my husband. Oof. That was hard to admit, but I know I am not the only one who can say it and hopefully by going first, someone else will find the courage to admit it so that it can change.

God has taught me more through marriage than I could ever convey on this page. Surprisingly, or maybe not, is that He has used marriage to teach me more about Himself than about me, or my husband. I’ve learned that He is everything I need. That He is so very good. Faithful. Patient. Full of grace and generous with compassion, and powerful enough to change hearts and minds that we could never have changed on our own.

Think about it…

? What is the hardest thing you’ve learned through marriage?

? What is the best thing you’ve learned through marriage?

? How are you doing at obeying what you’ve learned?

The View From My Comfort

I’ve been sitting here looking out my window and thinking how pretty it looks out there. Everything is green, the skies are clear, and there’s a slight breeze that moves the leaves on the tree in the prettiest way. But I live in Texas and this is July, so I know the truth. Outside of my air-conditioned comfort zone it is hot and muggy, and within minutes I will want to go back inside, because the view of something and the experience of that same thing are often very different.

From my window, I can see the homes of my neighbors and it looks like most streets in middle-class suburbia. But the reality is that behind the walls of the majority of those homes, there is suffering taking place. Illness. Broken relationships. Financial stress. Depression. Suicidal thoughts. For all of us, what is seen on the outside rarely reveals what is on the inside.

As these thoughts creeped in, I thought of what we see when our view is of Jesus, through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The man with leprosy (Mark 1:40–45). The paralytic lowered through the roof (Mark 2:1–12). The woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:25–34). Jairus (synagogue leader) and his daughter (Mark 5:21–43). The Gadarene demoniac (Mark 5:1–20). The centurion (and his servant) (Matthew 8:5–13). The blind men (including Bartimaeus) (Mark 10:46–52). The ten lepers (Luke 17:11–19). The widow of Nain (Luke 7:11–17). The crippled woman in the synagogue (Luke 13:10–17).

In all of these, Jesus viewed no suffering from a distance or from a place of comfort. He didn’t send up thoughts or prayers, or put a check in the mail. Instead, He touched the suffering, wept with them, spoke to them and comforted them face to face.

And one day He said this to His disciples – “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also.” (John 12:26)

We all live in places where there is suffering, and it isn’t limited to the poor or the homeless. In this fallen world suffering comes to both the sick and the poor and the healthy and the wealty. It is no repecter of persons, and we live among them all, carrying His presence with us.

The question is, are we looking at them from our places of comfort, or from our willingness to reach out and touch them? To get face to face with them, sit in it with them, weep with them, share the love of the Father with them?

This is what makes us followers of Christ. This is what makes us missionaries. Not that we went across the world, but that we touched the suffering around us with the love, compassion, and power of Jesus.

Jesus didn’t have these encounters every day. Many times we read of Him sitting in a boat or in the synagogue, teaching. Sometimes He was just with His disciples and sometimes He went off on His own to be with His Father in prayer. All of this was the ministry of the Messiah, and as He went, He encountered the suffering of humanity and He touched it.

When you think of the scriptures and how they describe Jesus, what word comes to mind? For me, it’s compassion. He was filled with compassion, moved with compassion, and acted out of compassion. He showed compassion far more than He showed empathy. The difference is empathy feels, compassion acts.

We are called to serve Him by following Him. If we are going to do that, we cannot continue to just have a view of the world from our place of comfort.

Father, move us from our complacency, from our love of comfort. Give us the heart to desire to touch those who are suffering around us. Give us compassion more than empathy. I pray that You will make my own comfort zone uncomfortable, and that You will give me face to face encounters with those around me who need Your love and compassion.