Woman’s bible study has once again started.  We are studying the book of Daniel together using Beth Moore’s study.  I am looking forward to all it will bring, as the first two weeks have already been wonderful!  It is always good when we can get together to study God’s word.  Last night I was struck by something that happened and have been thinking about it since then.

One of the things we were discussing is being consistent.  That consistency in our walk is what allows us to avoid wearing masks because we are who we say we are, and we can say who we really are, so we can be honest always.  At another point in the evening we were discussing identity.  The fact that the world, and others, often label us so that we lose of our true identity in Christ.  That despite all of labels that might be put on us, our identity in Christ never changes once we have trusted Christ and become a child of God.  Our true identity never changes!

After thinking on this some more I decided these two ideas combined together become an issue of honesty.  Are we honest about who we are to ourselves, to others, and to God.  Last night I shared that we forget two facts, that others are sinners, and so are we.  That because of those facts things come out of others mouths that label us and hurt us, things come out of our mouths that label others and hurt them, and the world does things that label us and are hurtful.  Then when we allow those things to interfere with our perception of who we are in Christ, we stop being honest and began wearing masks to cover up the hurt.

After this, someone else shared, and as part of this they said something that struck me.  They said “…that S word you said”.  That S word?  I thought to myself “sin, you can’t say the word sin?”  Then this morning I thought on that some more.  If we cannot even say the word “sin” how can admit that we commit it?  If we cannot utter the word “sinner” how can we admit we are one?  It is awfully difficult for me to imagine myself telling God “Lord forgive me I know that was a “S word” and I know that you didn’t like it”.  Talk about honesty.  That is the root of honesty in our identity in Christ!  We are only who we are in Christ because He came to die for us, because we are sinners, and because we believe that He did so.  If we cannot be honest about our sin then we are taking for granted the very act that gave us our identity in Christ, and we are wearing a mask even before God.

Even more so then that, if we cannot speak the word sin or sinner how are we going to be honest with a lost and dieing generation about their need for Christ?  If they see us wear masks to cover up who we are, to cover up our “S word”, then how can we expect them to admit they are a “S”ner so that they realize their most desperate need is Christ?  Being completely honest, I would desire that my honesty would allow others to see Christ’s grace shine through me because I am consistent and honest always, never wearing a mask.

When I get excited about something I have to share it.  This has me excited! May 4th 2010 MercyMe will release The Generous Mr Lovewell and this last week they went on a road trip and radio stations played “All Of Creation”, the first single.  Today, January 22, 2010 only it is available on their website to listen to, and it is amazing.  God has once again used these guys to bring a message in song that reminds all of us of why we are here.

In this song we are reminded that there was one moment when hope was born and that we are no longer bound by chains.  With Lyrics like “The reason we breath is to sing of His glory and all He has done” we are reminded that the Lord is to always be the object of our worship.  This song tells us to “lift up our voice and lay our burdens down” and that all of creation will sing together, and that His glory will resound!  Creation will worship the Lord together and praise Him for the hope He gives us and thank Him for taking our burdens, and the words of this song allow us the chance to begin that now.  Let us worship the Lord together.

MercyMe thank you once again for saying “Yes” when the Lord said “Do this for me”, for He is using you in His plan to do more then any of us yet know.  I cannot wait to see what the Lord does through this and through you in the future.  My continued prayers as always.

(This post was inspired by my 9 year old son and his humble act at the dinner table last night.)

Yesterday my son and I were talking about school, as we always do after he comes home, and one of the things we talked about was a very rare yellow slip that came home.  This conversation, unfortunately, didn’t go so well because my son didn’t care for the fact that he was being told how he was in the wrong.  Sometimes when my son is hearing about how he was behaving in a way that was impatient, selfish, or otherwise unacceptable he covers his ears, buries his head, and just plain tries not to listen.  If you are a parent you probably are saying to yourself “I hate that” or “that is disrespectful”.  Well, as a result of continuing to do this as well interrupting and whining, he received a consequence and without going into details, the situation went downhill from there.  Well he was sent to his room and stayed there until dinner.   What happened at dinner inspired me to write this post.

At dinner my son said to me “Mommy I’m sorry. I knew what I was doing and I knew it was wrong so I think I should be grounded”.  I was amazed.  Here was my nine year old not only apologizing but accepting the fact that he chose his actions, he chose his behavior, he chose his response.  He knew it was wrong and chose to do it anyway and now he sat there willing to take the consequence.  In our house being grounded is not fun thing and he knows what the rules are.  He is in his room no TV no computer, only the things that are in his room to do. Plus his favorite toys are all in another room.  So for him, being willing to take the consequence comes with full knowledge of what that will be like.

So I got to thinking about this.  How many of us would be willing to take the consequence for our actions with the full knowledge of what that is like?  Of every action, of every choice, of every thing that we do that we know is wrong every day.  Would we be willing to take the consequence for our actions knowing that would mean full separation from God for eternity?  I know I certainly wouldn’t!  That is why I am thankful to God beyond what I can express for the free gift He gave to me through Christ’s redemptive work on the cross.  Had it not been for that I would have to take the consequence without the ability to choose differently.  By choosing to trust in Christ and believing that He died for me, and rose again to defeat death, I no longer have to take the consequence.  For that I praise God.

The comment has been made, the controversy has started, the conversations about it are everywhere, even on twitter and facebook.  If you don’t know the comment, you haven’t been running in the same circles I do.  It’s the Pat Robertson comment.  One man making one comment about one nation and its people.

So here is my question?  Are you one of those people trying to defend yourself and what you believe against that one comment and in the process tearing down a man?  Here is my thought on the whole matter, a nation does not define the people in it, and one person does not define a nation.

Now that I have stated my thought I will not tear down another believer.  Tearing down another believer only allows the enemy to win the battle, not because he deceives a nation, but because he is deceiving believers into thinking it is ok to attack each other.  Why is it that Christians are the first to condemn each other?  We think that rather then simply stating our own thought, we must tear down the thoughts of another with negative comments, and in the process we become the playground for the enemy by making a spectacle of ourselves and our fighting.  We are not to say whether another is condemned because of what they say, that is the Lord’s job.  What we are free to do is share our own thought on the matter, without condemning another person because of their thought.

However, if what we want as believers is the right to condemn each other for one statement, then we must accept the consequences of that right.  That consequence, anyone can do the same to us, even when we share the gospel, even when we speak the truth, even when we are right.  Is that what we want, a church where believers right to speak freely about their faith is diminished because we want the right to tear each other down from the inside?  If anyone wants that kind of Christianity then I must ask them, how much grace did the Lord give to You?  And with that grace did He intend for you to become a judge of others?  If you think that, ask God to judge you as harshly as you judge others.

The news once again floods our screens, we are all inundated with the views of another catastrophe.  We are overwhelmed with pictures and images from a place torn apart, of lives destroyed by the unexpected.  In our minds a thousand thoughts wander and swirl.  We go through an emotional roller coaster because we know the ones caught in the misery are crying out, but at the same time we are so far away.  We are also thankful that we were spared from being in the middle of it once more.  We must all admit that our minds race form one thought to the other.

Then we must decide if we will do anything, what it will be, and how.  Well for each of us that doing is different.  There are as many ways to help as there are people reading this.  We know that for we are a people that have more then once gathered together to bolster and lift up the broken and the weak.  There is one thing we cannot deny that we can all do.  We can all pray.  I am not talking about just asking God to help Haiti.  I am talking about a praying where we lay ourselves before God and ask Him to pour out the fulfillment of His promises on a people who have fallen.   Job 5:8-9 tells us to appeal to God because He performs wonders and miracles that we cannot fathom.  Right now, that is what Haiti needs, things that are beyond what we can comprehend.

We need to each do what the Lord asks of us as individuals.  But all of us need to be praying, we need to be asking the Lord to do what we cannot, to do the things we cannot even fathom, for He will put into motion things that we cannot dream of.  The prayers Haiti needs are prayers from people who believe this very fact, that God is capable of more, more then we know, more then we see, more then we imagine, more then we can do on our own.  We need to ask the Lord to lay His plans upon not only a hurting nation, but a broken people desperate for something only He can provide.

Who might join me in prayer?  Lord we ask that You, the Lord who is capable of more then we know, would set into motion a process of healing upon the broken nation and people of Haiti right now.  That in this catastrophe You would provide a comfort and peace in great abundance that can only come from You and that Your presence would be so obvious that the people of Haiti would turn to you for their answers so that even now some might come to know you.  Lord we ask that in this time You would allow those who can provide the immediate needs a quick and safe travel to Haiti.  Lord that as each of us consider what we might do to support the people of Haiti that we would have the same compassion that You have, that Your love would show through each of us.  Lord we know that You can orchestrate each detail just right so that the most is done through the least resource, and Lord we thank You that You would even want to be so involved in our lives.  Lord we ask that through all of this You would be glorified so that others would come to know You.  Thank you for even allowing us to come to Your feet and ask that You would lift up those who have fallen. AMEN