Month: February 2018

Treasure in the Ordinary

Posted on by Paula

I attended a funeral a few days ago for a man who was described as a servant to the community. It was evident that he had made an impact on many people with his kindness and sacrificial love. This funeral was just like most funerals that I have attended, in that those who knew the person who had died, shared stories about the wonderful ways this person had touched their lives and how he had also made a difference in the lives of others.

Yet this service was different than most in that one of the sons who spoke made it clear that though his dad had been a loving and giving person, he was in fact, just an ordinary man with flaws. This man who had died suddenly and unexpectedly was simply a fragile jar of clay, but because he had been deeply affected by the gospel, he carried the light of Jesus. In fact, his life had been so powerfully influenced by the gospel that he wanted others to carry that same treasure. This affected the way he spoke, responded and lived.

As Christians, many of us have a desire “to do something grand for God.” We often find ourselves searching for ways to be used by him to make an impact for eternity. The message that was given at this funeral was a good reminder that we are simply ordinary vessels of clay that the Potter has created for his purpose.

We love when Paul writes in Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) that we are God’s masterpiece, but we must also pay attention to the end of that verse which says, “He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” As we try to grasp the whole idea of that scripture, we might get hung up wondering, “What are the good things he planned for me long ago?” or “Does God have a one big plan for my life?”

It’s easy to start asking specific questions such as, what career God created us for, where he wants us to live, which ministry he wants us involved in, who he want us to marry or if he wants us to marry at all…. It’s always good when we seek God’s counsel in our decisions, but when searching for our purpose, it is helpful to realize that our main purpose is to simply carry the light of the gospel of Jesus and to allow the supernatural work of God to be displayed in us and through us so that others can see God’s power and glory. We can carry out that purpose no matter which career we choose, no matter where we decide to live, no matter which ministry we get involved with, no matter what we decide about marriage…. We are to carry Jesus’ light and bring glory to God wherever we are and in whatever we do.

We don’t have to wait for a huge revelation of some complicated task that God wants to accomplish through us. It is through our ordinary, everyday lives that we proclaim the power of God. People are watching us as we respond to the pressures and difficulties that everyone else faces. Who or what do we turn to when problems and tragedies arise? Are we shaken and beaten down or do we have faith that the one who lives in us will see us through? How do we respond to the person who challenges our patience or the one who continually picks at or belittles us? Do we fight back or do we rely on the power of Jesus to strengthen us and to help us love that person with the same unconditional love that Jesus extended to his own enemies? Are we selfish people seeking our thrill, comfort and pleasure or are we willing to sacrifice our time and resources to help those in need around us? Are we striving to build a name for ourselves or are we living to make God’s name known and to help others see how awesome he is?

We are ordinary, fragile jars of clay, molded by the Potter. We are his masterpieces created anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. As our fragile shells get battered and worn by life around us, the treasure we carry inside shines stronger and brighter. As we allow the power of the gospel of Jesus to strengthen, equip and enable us and we allow the truth and unconditional love of Christ to reign in us and through us, the world can see God’s power and glory. Our greatest purpose is to carry the light of Jesus and to share that light with others. Are you allowing that treasure to shine through you so that the glory of God can be seen and the gospel proclaimed? Are you allowing the gospel to transform you? Have you truly laid down your life for the One who laid down his life for you? Are you living to bring glory to the One who is worthy or are you still living for yourself?

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. ~1 Corinthians 4:5-7

The Light Shines in the Darkness

Posted on by Paula

Today is Monday, and the first thing I will do when I get to work is go through the prayer requests. Over the 10 years that I have worked in a church, our prayer team has prayed for thousands of requests. Every request is important because each one is a burden being carried by someone who no longer wishes to carry it alone.

We have a trustworthy group of prayer warriors who are committed to keep these requests confidential between God, themselves and the person who submitted the request. We are honored to be trusted with these deeply personal requests and have been blessed by seeing God do some pretty amazing things. Women who “can’t have children” have conceived and given birth. Children have been adopted. Addictions have been broken. Jobs have been obtained. Patients who were given no hope have lived beyond the doctor’s prognosis. Doctors have contributed unexplained healing to prayer. Loved ones who have been covered in prayer sometimes for many years, have given their lives to Christ. God has been praised for many, many prayers that were answered in the way we desired.

However, not every prayer we have prayed has been answered in the way we have asked. Though our hearts break as we pray along with those who live with chronic physical pain, suffer mental anguish, deal with hardships and experience tragedy, God doesn’t always choose to end the struggle.

The unbelieving world sometimes looks at our “unanswered prayers” and our tragedies and asks us “Where is this God you talk about?” or “If there is a God, why does he let these terrible things happen?” Even Christians sometimes have a hard time understanding how God can allow a child to have cancer, a Godly man to die unexpectedly, parents of young children to die in a car crash, hurricanes to destroy homes or shooters to go on rampages that take lives.

I have seen many arguments on social media concerning these matters. I have seen many explanations that make sense to me but no sense at all to others. However, I’m not even going to begin to explain what I believe the “why” to these situations are.

What I do know and believe is that God is our Creator. He loved the world so much that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Jesus is Lord and all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. He is God; I am not. God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours. In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

In John 17, as Jesus prepared for his death on the cross to pay the price for our sin, he prayed to the Father. He prayed not only for those who belonged to him but for his future followers as well. In verse 15, he prayed, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”

In Acts chapters 6 and 7, Stephen was arrested and stoned for his faith in Jesus. God didn’t stop the people from throwing the stones, but he did allow Stephen to see the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

God doesn’t always remove our struggles or suffering, but he promises to go through it with us. Over and over, I have witnessed other Christians holding on to God through their difficulties and testifying to the fact that he is giving them strength, comfort and peace to endure. His supernatural power provides what we need while we wait for the day that we will see complete healing, an end to suffering and an end to sorrow.

We believe Jesus words in John 16:33 when he says, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” We believe John’s word’s in John 1:5 (NLT) that say, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” We take seriously the words of Jesus in Matthew 5 when he tells us, “You are the light of the world” and commands us to “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

It is not always clear to us why God allows bad things to happen, but those of us who belong to him know that he will always be with us, that his Holy Spirit dwells in us to bring us strength, comfort and peace and that we have hope that one day, we will live with him, eternally in heaven where there will be no evil and no more pain, suffering or tears. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”

Love is in the Air

Posted on by Paula

I opened my mailbox and found an envelope from my nephew who was just 4 years old at the time. Inside was a Valentine that he had signed all by himself. My heart melted; I couldn’t believe he had thought of me. This small piece of paper totally made my day and made me feel loved.

Once again, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and love is in the air. February 14th is probably the biggest day of the year for giving and receiving cards, flowers and chocolates. These gifts are wonderful, but even greater than the gift is the love that motivates the giver and the love returned by the recipient. Everyone wants to be and needs to be loved.

Think about all of the people who have shown you love throughout your lifetime and all the people you have loved. As great as that love is, there is a love that is even greater.

Love comes from God, and his love is the purest, greatest, deepest love that we will ever experience. It is an unconditional love expressed not because we deserve it or because there is anything lovable about us. It’s a love that is given even if there is no love returned. It’s the love of a God who knew there was no other way to take away our sin and bring us back into a relationship with him than to die in our place.

Romans 5:8 explains,

“God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

I pray that as we celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, the eyes to our hearts will be open to understand how much God loves us, how much we need him and how urgent it is that we share his love with those who haven’t yet grasped it. For those of us who belong to Jesus, I pray that others would see his love through us as we allow him to fill us and transform us to be more and more like him.

Yes, love is in the air. Have you let God’s love into your heart? If so, then look for people who you can share that love with. There are people all around you who need to know that they are loved.

“We love because he first loved us.” ~John 4:19

Look Around in Awe

Posted on by Paula

I have seen many sunrises over the Atlantic Ocean in Florida, but I recently saw my first sunset over the ocean. My son, daughter-in-law and I took a quick trip to Siesta Key on the gulf side of Florida one December afternoon. The white sand on this beach stays cool unlike the sand on the east coast that sometimes burns our feet. Shortly before sunset, we traveled a short distance down the coast to Venice Beach so that I could stick my toes into black sand for the first time. That is also where I saw my first sunset over the ocean. What a wonderful afternoon with so many beautiful sights to see from the sand and shells below my feet to the ocean waves, water creatures, plants, birds and ever-changing sky!

When was the last time you really stopped and marveled at all the extraordinary detail in the world around us? The sky may appear bright blue and sunny with fluffy white clouds or be dark and with gray clouds and bolts of lightning. The gorgeous sunsets painted with yellow, orange, pink and purple fade into darkness illuminated by the soft glow of the moon and too many stars to count.

Have you noticed the wide variety of plants scattered across the earth? There are trees that flower, trees that produce fruit and trees that provide nuts. There are trees with needles or leaves that remain green year-round and trees with green leaves that change to vibrant hues of yellow, orange, red and purple before falling to the ground as the weather turns cold. If we further explore the terrain, we find several types of grasses, vines, cacti, succulents, garden plants and weeds. There are flowers with different shapes, colors and scents including tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, roses, daisies, poppies, sunflowers, mums….

Have you given much thought to how many different animals exist? Our rivers and lakes contain freshwater fish such as bass, bluegill, catfish and trout, while jellyfish, stingrays, sharks, and whales must live in saltwater. Lift your eyes to see owls, cardinals, geese, eagles and a wide variety of feathered birds which can fly. Look hard and you will find the tiny insects including ants, lightening bugs, dragonflies, bumblebees and grasshoppers. Watch the ground for snakes, lizards and turtles covered with dry scaly skin or for furry animals like mice, cats, dogs, horses and deer. Admire the exotic peacocks, majestic lions, giant giraffes and enormous elephants. The list goes on and on.

Every human is a unique creation as well. Our eyes can be different shapes and colors. Our hair may be straight, wavy or curly, course or fine and a wide range of colors.  We can have various skin colors, different characteristics and diverse personalities. We may not look the same, yet all of us are fearfully and wonderfully made.

We have a complex body made up of trillions of cells. Our hearts pump blood which carries oxygen to every cell of our bodies, our stomachs digest food for nutrients and energy and our brains help us speak, move, process thoughts, solve problems and remember important details. We have ears that can hear, eyes that can see, noses that can smell, mouths that can taste, and skin that can feel. Muscles, bones, organs and other systems of the body all work together.

All of creation works together as well. We need plants and animals for food, water to drink, sunlight to help plants grow and clean air to breathe. Of all the planets in our solar system, the earth is created absolutely perfect to sustain life.

The colors, the smells, the tastes, the sounds, the textures and complexities of all creation are too numerous to count. When I think of all of the intricate details, I am in awe of the God who created it. How can one examine all of the beauty and wonder around them and not know there is a God?

Romans 1:20 in the NLT says,

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

As I reflect on God and all that he is, I find it important to realize that he is the creator of everything. He created us in his very image. Praise God for such a beautiful and fascinating creation. Praise him for the miracle of life and for souls that live on even after our bodies wear out. May our hearts be full of wonder and awe and be drawn to our awesome and holy Creator. As we behold the magnificent creation around us, may we worship the Creator who spoke it all into existence and who holds it all together.

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. ~Colossians 1:15-17 NLT