Joy's Missing Link

In the presence of God, there "is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11, NKJV).

I love this encouraging verse; it shows me that God offers true joy in the midst of sorrow and confusion. However, we often forget a key facet of this truth:

In the presence of God, our iniquities arise, and we see our filth.

In the words of Isaiah, “[we are] undone” (Isaiah 6:5, NKJV). God’s purity and wholeness leave no room for offense, bitterness or insecurity. For that reason, approaching God forces us to face the hard truth of our imperfections.

Isaiah experiences such a “reality check” when called to the Lord’s work in Isaiah 6 and 7. Upon seeing God in the temple, the first thing Isaiah vocalized was regret at his unclean state. Only then did God cleanse him and call him to the people. Even though God called Isaiah to preach judgment, Isaiah found great joy in being used by his Savior.

So, yes, God brings fullness of joy, but is joy our goal? Not really. We need wholeness. Unfortunately, I have to admit that coming before God doesn’t always reveal my sin, because I enter the throne room on a mission of my own conjuring. Later, I expect to experience joy, but I remain unhealed within. 

From now on, I pray that the overwhelming power of God would overtake us every time that we enter into His presence. May we seek healing and forgiveness with no ulterior motives except to draw nearer to our Savior, and only then may we experience fullness of joy.

Too Full to Move?

There may come a time in our spiritual walks where Jesus’ teachings are no longer impactful, not due to any fault of His, but due to our tendency to take life-transformational truths for granted. This is especially true for those of us who have grown up in the church. We hear the stories of Noah or Daniel and the Lions’ Den and fail to realize the weighty importance they hold.

But I have to wonder: Does extensive exposure to the Word of God excuse a lifestyle devoid of a revolution in our thoughts, words and actions?

Jesus speaks about dying to the flesh, but do we really die to pride?

He speaks on uplifting language, but do we really encourage one another?

He speaks on glorifying our Savior with every action, but can others see Christ in our lives on a daily basis?

Sometimes I wonder.

Reading the holy Word of God with fresh eyes provides such a thrill as we uncover new truths in even the most popular passages. May we be renewed day-by-day as we seek to know God more (2 Corinthians 4:16).

“But He answered and said, 'It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."'” (Matthew 4:4, NKJV)

Jesus' Health Insurance

I sit here in the hospital waiting room, waiting for a loved one to return from back surgery. As I look around, I see people from all walks of life, all here for one reason: a need for medical attention. Regardless of their pasts or their home lives, regardless of their incomes or their possessions, every single one of them receives loving care and assistance.

Ironically, this hospital catapults me into deep thought regarding our churches. Shouldn’t the body of Christ operate in the same manner? The wounded and weary should feel welcomed as God’s servants prepare them for the spiritual surgery to come. They should rest peacefully as we surround them with support through the recovery process and ensure that all of their needs are relieved.

Instead, we see Christians spewing hateful words against homosexuals, prostitutes, pimps, drug addicts, abortion doctors and any other person who may violate our “code of conduct.” But I have to wonder: Isn’t this the kind of behavior that Jesus came to dispel?

The Pharisees were ready to stone the adulteress, judge the disciples after they did not wash their hands, and even lead Jesus to His crucifixion (John 8:4-6; Matthew 15:2; Mark 14:53-65). One particular time, Jesus spends time with the “sinners” of the day, and the Pharisees have a fit! Jesus responds brilliantly. He reminds them:

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Matthew 9:12-13, NKJV).

Did Jesus agree with the schemes of the tax collectors? Absolutely not. But He knew that they would never see life if life did not see them. As followers of Christ, we hold the key to peace and wholeness. Instead of hatred, let’s make an effort to show Jesus’ love to all people.

The Parable of the Frozen Hot Dog

The other day I found myself in a very familiar position: scrounging up some lunch. Tired of turkey sandwiches and apples, I finally came upon some frozen hot dogs in the freezer. Not wanting to deal with the grill, I decided to cook one on the stove.

After a few minutes, the hot dog seemed to be done; it displayed the appropriate brown spots and felt warm to the touch. Upon cutting the hot dog open, however, I discovered that the inside remained frozen.

Hungry and desperate for any successful strategy, I decided to slit the hot dog down the middle and turn the heat higher. It finally cooked.

“Why in the world is she writing about her lunch?” you may wonder. Well, oddly enough, this little hot dog an accurate depiction of our lives.

Many times we think we are “ready for public consumption” based upon the cooked outside of our lives.  In a condition of blindness and ignorance, we continue living as if no frozen core exists. However, a healthy dose of introspection just might reveal the ugly truth.

We are tough and raw.

Hard to accept, right? In contrast to the shallow teachings of our modern-day society, Jesus did not believe in skimming the surface of the matters of life. He knew that healing comes from digging deep within ourselves to the very fears and pains we try so hard to hide and from revealing them in their entirety. God inquires us to come before Him with nothing hidden. Sure, He can see straight through our disguises, but He asks us to willingly lay down our secrets, so that we might receive His freedom (John 8:33). If we don’t open up, how can we cook to our full potential?

Also, notice the key cooking element: heat.

While it would have been much easier and quicker to stick the hotdog back in the freezer, I knew what I wanted. I also knew that the end product would overshadow the extra cooking time and efforts completely.

God allows us to suffer in order to develop us into the final product. Can a hotdog cook without heat? However, He does not harm us in the process (Lamentations 3:33). He also does not leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

No, He will not walk away, forgetting about you as you burn to a crisp. He cares. That’s the only reason He places us on the stove in the first place.

Now we have a decision to make: Will we fight God for allowing the heat or thank Him for the opportunity to reach our potential?

You can fight if you want, but it just might leave you tough and raw. 

Live from Louisville 2012: Merited Humility

Lights flash and music plays as thousands of teenagers worship God in a relentless pursuit after His love. Meanwhile, one of the thousands sits in contrast to the crowd, ferociously scribbling on her pad of paper. 

OK. I must admit that I am this girl. God has taught me various lessons on the subject of the Fine Arts Festival, and I couldn’t help but share:

Behind many things lays a root of pride. Whether excessive shyness, arrogant boldness or a variety of other problems, these actions tear us from God. For that reason, it makes me cringe when others refer to FAF as a “competition” where we “perform.” However, knowing a truth in our minds differs sometimes from living a truth from our hearts. 

Two weeks ago, I could easily preach the proverbial lecture on humility, failing to see the pride of my own life. God showed me through Monday night’s service with Tim Ross that I need to stand up and walk out of my pride. Sure, I can talk day and night about denying myself and following Christ, but in reality, I still pictured myself in front of thousands of teenagers presenting my spoken word. I still thought and even dreamed of "superiors" and merit awards. Why?

For my own personal gain. 

“Oh, but Amy,” you may assert, “those things are good. They help you have confidence that God really works through your gifts. Everyone loves awards.”

Does God need justification? Do we really need others’ approval to know that God uses us? If everyone loves awards, does that necessarily mean we need them?

No. When we allow God’s cleansing stream to sweep away all impurities, we recognize our emptiness without His flow. In reality, we do nothing without Him. Acts 17:28 reminds us that “...in Him we live and move and have our being” (NKJV). If that’s so, then we must rely on Him for all of our FAF presentations. He must minister through us.

The Fine Arts motto is “Discover. Develop. Deploy.” Obviously, FAF participants have discovered and wish to develop their gifts, but we often lose the deploy aspect. We think we must set up a specific time to do street outreach or play for the offertory. In reality, the deployment starts here. It starts now. The listeners in the audience, even the judges, need God’s ministry, and we have the opportunity to deliver that message. 

Even with that knowledge, we often find ourselves sucked into the “self-ministry” vacuum, thinking that we must invoke reaction among the audience. We try to measure the “efficiency of our deliverance.” Really, God works, whether visibly or invisibly. We simply need to trust Him. Then, He can use us to greater levels because our flesh has left our lifestyle.  

This revelation transformed my Fine Arts experience this year. Instead of stress, anxiety and chaos, I rested in Christ’s confidence, knowing that I could not fail in the ministerial sense because I never carried that obligation in the first place. God upheld me, and I can now reap those benefits. I invite you to do the same. 

Caution: Deer Ahead

While curving through the back roads of Fayetteville, Georgia, I have experienced many interesting “road blocks.” Today, it seemed as though almost all of them occurred at one instance of time.

These roads rarely span a straight distance, but rather curve side to side, up and down and all around. Speeding may result in a car trapped in the swamp area on one side or slammed against an unforeseen telephone pole on the other. Plus, while people reside directly off of these roads, many locals use them in lieu of the highway; it’s more of a straight shot. On top of that, many bikers ride these hills for their calorie-burning potential. Problems arise when these bikers ride in a “no passing zone” (nearly all of the road, it seems).

On my way home from taxiing my dad, I drove through the roads carefully, as always. Up ahead, I see a biker. 

No big deal, I think to myself. I’ll pass after the next car.

The next car passes, and so do I. I continue ahead, and look! There’s another biker, but this time she rides in a “no passing zone.” I could probably pass, but I would risk entering an accident, so I wait. Then comes a series of hills and turns. Finally, I reach a straight enough portion of the road to pass.  I think I’m past all of the distraction.

Lo and behold, here’s a crazy deer that is running in zig-zags. Now, one cannot take deer lightly in the back roads of Georgia. In an instant, a head-on collision may occur, totaling the car and possibly injuring the driver--and the deer, for sure. I slow down significantly, looking for other deer and glance in my rear view mirror.

Much to my surprise, there is a long trail of cars that has also slowed and watches me for hints as to whether the deer has left. As odd as this may seem, a thought popped into my head:

All of my life, I have known myself to be the leader in a group of people; it’s my natural tendency. As a leader, God calls me to help navigate others through the various distractions that may possibly hinder the group. However, leaders cannot take this responsibility lightly. Any lapse of time without extreme discretion will cause a collision not only for me, but for all of the trailing cars behind me, and it will cause much pain.

Unfortunately, many leaders become very concerned with the group’s progress and lose discretion. They believe the group should continue at full speed even in the presence of a deer. God, however, knows that leading His people takes time. Remember Moses in the desert? It took the Israelites 40 years to overcome the road block of ungratefulness and rebellion.

God cares more about learning in the journey than simply attaining the end result. Take Philip, for example. In Acts 8:26-40, God tells him to head from Jerusalem toward Gaza. On the way, the Holy Spirit has him minister to and baptize a eunuch in the middle of the desert. What a total God appointment! By the end of the story, Philip doesn’t even end up in Gaza, but in Azotus, and the story ends. If God cared only about the destination, He would not have stopped Philip here, but He had higher plans.

Although this may prove extremely difficult, we must give our lives to Christ in complete trust that “His ways our higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). Only then can we follow His lead--even in the presence of a deer. 

Corkball, Anyone?

“C’mon, everybody! Let’s play corkball,” cries Papa at the peak of a nice, summer day.

The family splits into teams as we prepare to participate in this time-honored tradition. Instead of baseball or football, we play corkball. It works like this:

Instead of a bat, we use a broomstick (without the broom head), and instead of a ball, we use the cork from a wine bottle (we don’t drink wine, so I’m not sure how we find the cork). Papa (my grandfather) wraps the cork in white tape so that we can find it when hit into the woods. To play, the family splits in half. One half catches in the outfield (just like baseball), and the other hits with the bat.

However, this game differs greatly from the average American sport. To pitch the cork, the pitcher must “thump” the cork by gripping with the thumb and flicking with the middle finger--not easy. Additionally, the rules differ from baseball or softball. The hitter continues hitting and scoring runs until the catcher catches the cork or until he hits a foul cork. Also, the hitter never runs when he hits the cork; the family keeps track of the runs. However, the outfielders can catch the cork in the air or on the second strike, and the hitter will be out.

Why should I tell you this? Well, I cannot play this game to save my life. I sat with my 10-year-old cousin, Nicholas, on the swing while waiting to hit. The catcher had recently caught his corkball, causing him a wee bit of sadness. In an effort to encourage him, I stated, “Don’t worry. You play this game better than me. I am terrible!”

Unexpectedly, he admonished me with this: “You keep saying that you’re so bad at this game, but if you never try, you will not get any better. Stop talking about how bad you are and go out there and do it!”

Out of the mouths of babes, huh? I can say for sure that I was not expecting this from him. I thought I would encourage him, but he encouraged me. While mulling this over in my mind, I was reminded of our walks with Christ as Christians. So often, we complain to God about the pain we carry or the shadows that darken the doors of our hearts. We cry to him for help, but we do not feel God’s comfort; we do not feel His love or assistance.

Rather than live in repetitive self-pity, God calls us to step out in faith and trust Him with both our lives and our thoughts. While God provides the healing, it requires a personal decision to accept the healing and break the cycle of brokenness that we know so well. Unfortunately, many of us refuse this decision because of our habitually demeaning thought processes.

Later that week, Nicholas’s older brother, Nathan, gave me this advice: “Actions follow thoughts.”
Here’s what the Bible states about the war in our minds:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8, ESV).

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock” (Isaiah 26:3-4, ESV)

Part of trusting in God means living like the redeemed (“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV)). Even though things may not seem to line up right away, we must trust God with our thoughts, leaving room for Him to take action. Otherwise, our doubtful thoughts may materialize into mistrustful actions, as we take our lives into our own hands.

Let’s leave the steering wheel to God, OK? I know He knows where to drive us, and for that we pause and make a conscience effort to think along the lines of freedom. To Him be the glory for our healing and wholeness!

Blindly Following the Leader

Joyful elementary-schoolers fill the air with melodious excitement as they sing together:

“Trust and obey,
for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus
but to trust and obey.”

Bring back memories? As children, many of us learned this chorus and others like it, storing it in the filing cabinets of our memories. We continue to grow up, but we sometimes forget, or even deny, the truths in these catchy tunes.

Personally, I have sensed for many years a calling on my life to foreign missions. Even at a young age, I knew that I was called to all nations of the world. Recently, our church announced the opportunity to minister in India this summer. Oddly, I possessed no desire to go. After years of waiting for an overseas mission trip, I pleaded a long list of excuses before God.

Why? I couldn’t tell you; it makes no logical sense. Thankfully, I opened my eyes to the possibility of participation after a conversation with my pastor and a meeting with my Savior at the throne room.

Believe it or not, this occurred within a 24-hour time frame.

How does this relate to children's songs? Since I made a commitment to this trip, my patience and trust have been tried. Usually, I try to make things happen for myself rather than letting God step in; I work and work in an effort to “do what needs to get done.” For the first time, I have stepped back and accepted the fact that I am not in control of my life—God is.

Consequently, the anxiousness and stress that would have filled every aspect of this trip previously no longer remain, all because of my willingness to “trust and obey.” Because God caught me off guard, He can craft this trip to His agenda rather than my own. It’s a glorious thing to watch as my personal plans fade away to reveal the beautiful butterfly of His perfect will.

God continues to teach me more challenging levels of this lesson, but from unconditional trust comes joy beyond measure. And this joy carries me through this race we call life.

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength” (Isaiah 26:3, NKJV).

It's All a Lie

Lies.

Such a great impact comes from these four simple letters. Can you image yourself in a position where you would willingly listen to and believe thousands of lies on a regular basis? Of course not. We refuse to think that we believe lies because we all know that lies bring consequence; they bring confusion, misconception and brokenness.

In reality, we all live under the influence of these nasty little monsters. We turn on the radio, and the anchor oftentimes fills our minds with lies: 

You must lose weight to be loved. 
You must have a date to be loved.
You must actively proclaim Jesus every second of every day to be a Christian.
You must do good works to be saved.

You must fit in with the crowd to be accepted.

We believe these statements, unaware of the resulting affect on our lives. Perhaps the most difficult aspect of this deception is its foundation. When Satan speaks lies into our lives, he does not choose something completely illogical. Instead, he twists truth into a lie which we will believe easily. For instance, we need to live a healthy lifestyle, but God still loves us no matter our body type. We need to proclaim God’s message to others, but our salvation does not depend on our works.

Fortunately, Jesus tells us that He has come to bring us truth. Not only that, but according to John 14:6, He is the truth: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (NKJV). He has come to give the eyeglasses to the blind, the eyeglasses which reveal a true picture of reality instead of the fuzzy misconceptions that we accept for ourselves.

The truth will set us free (John 8:32). We hear this repeatedly, but the time has come to apply it to our lives. The time has come to ask God to reveal our personal misconceptions. May we leave no stone unturned as we search the deepest alcoves of our hearts.

WARNING: God will answer. He will expose lies and replace them with truth, but you may encounter difficulty and pain along the way. When you live your entire life under the influence of a lie, it becomes a part of you; it manipulates your actions, your thoughts and your emotions. Removing a lie can mean revising your lifestyle completely. Thankfully, God’s grace fills in the gap of deception’s barbarity. Instead of stealing our joy, He gifts us with it. Instead of defiling our value, He creates us in His image. It’s in this moment of personal revelation that the truth will set us free, indeed.

Running from the Darkened Room

A little boy cries out to his mother, “Mommy, I’m scared. Can you please turn the light on? I think there’s a monster under my bed.”

Why do so many children, and even some teenagers, find themselves terrified of the dark?

Simply put, they fear the unknown. In a dark room with eerie sounds and whispering winds, the imagination runs wild. Before long, life-sucking ghouls and slithering anacondas have overtaken the closet.

Have we ever stopped to think that perhaps we dream up issues for ourselves? Sure, each individual faces obstacles, but what about the imagined ones?

For instance, take a typical teenage girl. She wakes up, rides to school, and sits down in the cafeteria. On this particular morning, she takes special care to dress nicely for her English presentation. As she nervously awaits the bell, a peer turns to her and mocks, “Where’d you get that skirt—the dumpster? It looks like it came straight off the back of a homeless woman.”

At this point, this girl has two options. She can continue on with her life free of offense, or she can harbor bitterness and hurt over a flippant comment. Too many times, we pick option two. To make matters worse, we add to the problem with our thoughts:

What exactly did she mean by that? Does she think things like this every day? What if she’s been spreading rumors about me this whole time? I bet she hates my guts. Man, I’m such an outcast. I’m not worth anything. I should just give up on life.

The curiosity of not know the meaning behind this insult drives the girl crazy. Before long, the girl’s list of “what ifs” and “buts” finishes the unknown parts of the story.

As Christians, this assumption leads us to major trouble because we start to behave as if these assumptions were perfectly true. Most of the time, our over-analysis takes our thoughts to irrational levels.

In 2 Corinthians 10:5, Paul tells us to “ [cast] down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (NKJV).

So, we need to make sure that all of our thoughts line up with Christ. Christ says,
“'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,'” says the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8, NKJV).

Not easy. Trust me, I know from experience, but the effort and difficulty of striving toward Christ always outweighs the consequences of living a life without Him.

There’s no doubt that God will help us, but we need to take the first step and desire to take control of our thought life. Until we recognize the problem, the ghouls and anacondas will dictate our every action.

Feelin' the Love

It’s that time of year again: Love-struck teenagers post romantic pictures on Facebook of Valentine’s Day dates and gifts as others post sad statuses of dateless singleness. How is it that one day can bring such differing emotions?

Every person lives a different life with a different background. As a result, this “day of love” brings to the surface many reactions to the past.

To those in relationships:

Most likely, you look forward to February 14, the day when you will express your attraction for your significant other. While this day can strengthen your relationship, remember a few things as you move forward together:

Emotions catch us off guard. Whether a result of sweet words, or kind gestures, we often interpret romanticism as love, only to find out that unity begins to wither away after the romance ends. Keep in mind that only God can satisfy your deepest desires. You can seek acceptance in you partner consistently, but until you find identity and approval in Christ, your relationship will not last; God is the foundation on which relationships must be built.

With that in mind, you must purposefully position several safe-guards in your relationship in order to avoid fatal mistakes. Know your weaknesses and the areas in which you and your significant other face temptation. Specifically avoid these areas. Feelings can overwhelm you with a false sense of passion, leading you to give in to the fleshly desires of a life devoid of self-control.

Go forth in prayer as you celebrate this Valentine’s Day.

To the lonely single:

Cheer up! Do you realize that your loneliness provides the perfect opportunity to draw closer to Jesus? He created you specifically for a purpose, but many of you do not recognize or understand your God-given identity. Adding a boyfriend or girlfriend to the situation simply complicates this process, as lonely people usually look to their partner for approval.

God desires that “all [your] fountains are in [Him]” (Psalms 87:7, NIV). Basically, this means that you only rely on God for fulfillment and satisfaction. Only when you reach this point can God trust you with a relationship. Otherwise, you will encounter prickly situations with a significant other; your spiritual brokenness would hinder relational wholeness.

Don’t fret. God will bring “the one” into your life when He sees fit. Until then (and even after), give your worries up to Christ. He sees you and hears your cries of loneliness.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6, NKJV).

To the sexually abused:

My heart goes out to you. How hard it must be to endure a celebration of love after others have distorted love’s true meaning for you. Know that God cries your every tear. He sees your pain and assumes it as His own. (Psalms 56:8). He did not cause your abuse and hopes that you will accept Him for Who He is:

He will not leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). He will not manipulate you to satisfy His own desires. He will not flee when times turn rough. God is the true Love that holds you when you cry and comforts you in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Trusting His Word may prove difficult, but slowly, God will help you overcome the pain that others have caused.

With every magazine article, Facebook post and television commercial flaunting the love that has betrayed you, remember that only God can hold you up with an everlasting sincerity (Ephesians 3:16-21). Seek out help as you give your life to Christ. I am praying that you will reach safety from the evils that surround you. Do not fear: God will pull you through.

To the happily single:

Having chosen my singleness, I have not forgotten you! Congrats on your commitment to Christ. I know the frustrated feeling of reading yet another magazine article focused on soothing V-day loneliness all too well. Think of this Valentine’s Day as the perfect opportunity for you and Jesus to express your love for each other. After all, He is our Lover, right?

May you and Jesus experience overwhelming closeness as you celebrate the life-long commitment you have made to our eternal Savior and Lord.

Regardless of person or background, God provides this Valentine’s Day with a purpose. Go forth and seek His purposes out as others forget the true Love this love-filled season.

The Letters of an Old Friend

It’s a wonderful thing to hear from a long-lost friend. Whether that is a rebellious loved one or a childhood comrade that moved miles away, unexpected contact never fails to warm one’s heart.

Many of you have lived your life in denial that God loves you, convincing yourself that you are without need of a Savior. A lot of you grew up learning of God’s ways and hearing His truths. I’m here to tell you that no matter how far you stray, God is there. No matter how long you ignore Him, He still loves you.

You can do nothing to separate yourself from the Love of Christ, nothing to extinguish His passion for you (Romans 8:38-39). It doesn’t matter what kind of person you think you are: drug addict, homosexual, pimp or average joe. God is waiting for you to call on His name for help.

You see, you are the long-lost friend. God created you with a purpose, and that purpose has not been forgotten. Don’t think that by straying from Him you have lost the hope of a future with Christ. He has not forgotten you, nor will He ever.

But He is pained.

By rebelling against God, you have caused Him heartache. He loves you so much that your refusal to talk has caused Him grief. The One that created the earth and everything in it wants to have a personal relationship with you. Forget about your unworthiness, for God makes even the lowliest worthy in His sight (Colossians 1:19-22).

Run to Him, and He will answer.