Surprise!

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:21

My husband (in orange), the kids and Uncle Jeff

Good morning, dear friends!

Friday night was a fun night.  It's always a fun night when you can surprise your kids.

Uncle Jeff, my husband's brother, popped in for a surprise visit with us.  He was only staying Friday night, and then was leaving to return to the US early Saturday morning.

And we didn't tell our kids he was coming.

My boys, who were playing outside, saw him first.  My daughter was in the office when the doorbell rang, and we encouraged her to go open the door to see who was there.

I should have filmed it. Her shock and then joy were so beautiful and genuine.

That's one of the reasons we wanted to keep it a surprise.

I love surprises.  I love planning the surprise parties, or in being the "distraction" while plans and preparations are made.  That moment when the surprise is revealed, and shock gives way to tears of joy on the surprised guest, are just priceless to me.

Imagine hearing knocking on the other side of the door, and going to open it, and finding Jesus on the other side.

That would be a surprise indeed.

This verse in Revelation has been such a blessing and a promise to me, for several reasons.

1.  I am not the one doing the knocking.  Jesus is.  Romans 3,11 reminds me, "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." I did not go looking for Him.  He has always been on the lookout for me.

2.  He came looking for me with a purpose in mind.  I have done many days of knocking on doors for evangelism, but I do not make it a habit to go around knocking on people's doors for no reason.  Why do I knock on a door?  Usually I am seeking entrance to the other side.  I have business to attend to, or people to visit.  Jesus came and knocked, because He desired to do business with my heart, and to enjoy restored fellowship with Him.

3.  Jesus was calling and knocking. "If any man hear my voice..."  I had never really thought about this before, but Jesus did not only knock on my heart's door.  He called out to me.  His desire to see me open up to Him was so great that he knocked and called out.  This was not a hesitant rap, a second's pause, and then "I guess there's no one there."  This was an insistent knocking and calling.

4.  Jesus did not force His way in.  He could have barged into my life, giving orders and taking over by force. Instead, He waited for me to open to Him.

5.  There is a promise to be had here! "I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me." Jesus is offering me sweet fellowship with Him for all eternity.  All I have to do is say "come on in" to Him, and He does the rest.

Perhaps you have been following this blog, hearing about my blessings and burdens here in Boves, France, but you do not have the joy of knowing Jesus personally, and enjoying sweet fellowship with Him.  I urge you today to make your peace with God, and ask Jesus to come into your life. He is standing outside your heart's door, knocking and calling out, waiting to come in. The writer of Hebrews warns the listeners, "Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." (Hebrews 3:8)

To know more about knowing God personally, click on the tab at the top of this blog entitled, "Home Away from Home."

I am so glad that when Jesus knocked on my heart's door, I opened up and invited Him in.  I have never regretted that decision, and I enjoy sweet fellowship and blessing from that time until now, with the promise of His fellowship for all eternity.

 Is He knocking today?  Will you answer?

In Denial

"...And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Luke 22:32

Good morning, dear friends!

Am I living in denial?

Webster's dictionary defines being "in denial" as "believing a statement that is saying that something is not true or real."

How many times, have I allowed my flesh and Satan to whisper these words to my heart:

"God doesn't really love you."

"You thought you were forgiven, but how can God forgive you?"

"How can you call yourself a Christian, after what you just did?"

In my readings through Luke this week, I came to the passage that I had been dreading.  Do you ever find yourself coming to a passage in the Bible, and imagine talking to the characters, hoping that if you could just persuade them, the writings would be different?

"No, Eve!  Don't eat it!"  "David, get off the roof!"  "Don't run away, Jonah!"  

Or, in this passage for today, "No, Peter!  Don't say it!  Don't do it!"

Unfortunately, the ink is already dry, history has been written, and what was done cannot be undone.  Life does not give take backs, or do-overs.

Peter denied the Lord.  Three times.  One time could be viewed as a misunderstanding, or a moment of weakness, or desperate fear.  After two times, one might wonder if Peter's devotion to the Lord was really all that he had claimed earlier that same night, when he said, "Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death." (Luke 22:33)

But, three times...

As difficult as it is to read of Peter's denial of the Lord, I wonder how many times a day I by my actions, or words, or attitudes, deny my association with the Lord?

Do I allow sin to keep me from living faithfully to honor the Lord each day?

Do I allow my daily fellowship with the Lord to grow cold, through apathy or busy-ness?

Do I allow my will, desires or plans to take first place over the Lord's will for my life?

Am I living in denial, of the very Christ whom I claim to love?

After Jesus's ressurrection, there is such a sweet restoration between Peter and Himself.  I am so thankful that God brought closure to this part of Peter's story.  Peter could have been left struggling with guilty reminders of his denial of the Lord, but Jesus reconciled Peter to Himself three times, once for each denial:

"Lovest thou me more than these?" (John 21:15-17)

This statement brings to mind another question:  What are my "these," and do I love Christ more than I love them?

Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us to "Lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Instead of living in denial of my Lord, I should live daily denying my flesh its sins and weights, that keep from walking closely and faithfully with the Lord.

I can't "deny," that's the better idea.

I Have Prayed...for You

"But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Luke 22: 32

Good morning, friends!

Are there any more comforting words to hear from a friend's lips than these:

"I'm praying for you."

There have been many times during our travels in the U.S. when we have been assured of prayers for travelling protection, for blessings in our ministry, for financial needs, for comfort and encouragement in difficult times.

Sometimes I want to help others in difficulties.  I want to offer words of encouragement, acts of service, a financial gift.  There are times when this is just not possible, because of distance, lack of wisdom or lack of means.  I offer others that assurance that, while I may be out of options, my God is not.

Imagine, however, being told by Jesus that He has prayed for you.

Wow

Jesus was entering into the most difficult hours of His life and ministry here on earth.  His days had not been easy up until this point in His life, but the next hours would try His obedience to His Father in a way that nothing else had.  He knew who was leaving Him (Judas), who was coming for Him (the Roman soldiers) and what would happen in the next few hours.

His friends would abandon Him.

His closest supporters would deny Him.

His "enemies" would triumph--temporarily at least--over Him.

He would suffer physically atrocies in Him.

He would have the sins of the world placed on Him.

His Father would forsake Him.

At this critical moment in the meal, with all these thoughts weighing on Him, Jesus cares for Peter.

"But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not..."

Didn't Jesus know that Peter would deny Him?  Of course, because two verses later, Jesus tells Peter what will happen: "the cock shall not crow this day, before that thous shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me." (Luke 22:34).

Still, Jesus reminds Peter, "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not..."

There is a promise in this verse.  Peter's faith did fail him, at least for a time.  He did deny the Lord.  He hid fearfully with the other disciples.  He did forsake the ministry (at least temporarily) and return to his fishing boats.  In the same way that Jesus announced He would fall, Jesus also reassured Peter with these words:

"...and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." (Luke 22:32)

"Converted" in this sense is not referring to saving grace, but rather a change of heart.  "When you come to yourself, Peter, strengthen thy brethren."

Notice Jesus says, "when," and not, "if."

Proverbs 24:16 has long been an encouraging verse for me: "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief."  For me, the emphasis in this verse is always on the part where he "riseth up again."  A just man may fall, but he will not stay down.

Jesus also gave Peter a job to do.  It's as if Jesus is saying, "When you come to realize what has happened, don't stay down.  Don't quit. I'm giving you a job to do.  Remember when your faith was weak, and use this to help build up the faith of others.  Strengthen the brethren."

Jesus praying for Peter must have been an amazing comfort to him in the days to come.  His faith was strengthened, and went on to serve the Lord for many years afterwards.

When I am tempted to quit, to fail in my faith, to walk away from my responsibilities, to stay discouraged and wallow in self pity, may I remember that Jesus prays for me as well: "he ever liveth to make intercession" for those he saves. (Hebrews 7:25)

May my faith not fail, but if I do, may I trust in the Lord's promise to raise me up again, and continue on living for the Lord.

Sibling Rivalry

"But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief as he that doth serve." Luke 22:26

Good morning, friends!

I am a mom of three children.  Anyone with children knows that at some point in their childhoods, their children are going to fight. I'm sorry to shock my single friends, but the cat's out of the bag.  It's true.

For years I have listened to ridiculous arguments about what causes sibling rivalry.  Some claim it is an attention-getter.  Some state it is the natural byproduct of the instinctive "pecking order," with one child or another seeking dominance because SOMEONE has to be the leader.

I do not wonder anymore about WHAT causes sibling rivalry.  The real cause?

Having more than one child.

At some point or another my children have discussed among themselves and in accusations to us, "So and so is your favorite!  You love (this child) more than you love me. You let him/her do things you never let us do."

(To be honest, my favorite child is the one who NEVER brings up this discussion again.  EVER)

The only thing worse than seeing this discussion among children in the same family is hearing this same discussion coming from adult lips.

"The pastor likes you better because he lets you..."

"The pastor's wife spends more time with you than..."

"Why was SHE asked to sing a special song?"

"Why did they let HER lead the Bible study?"

Worse yet, I bring these same thoughts to the Lord:

"Why don't I have (this blessing)?  Why don't I have this talent?  Why can't I lead someone to the Lord?  Why don't I..."  The list goes on and on.

Sibling rivalry, grown-up style, in the family of God, is a very sad thing indeed.

There are many sad occasions in the last days of Jesus's life here on earth.  As I am reading in Luke in preparation for Easter, I have arrived at the chapter that describes the last supper He had with His disciples.  What should have been a sobering time, a prayerful time, a watchful time, became a moment of dispute and tension among his disciples.

(Ah, sometimes the holidays just bring out that something special in folks, don't they?)

In Luke 22 we read about Jesus confiding again in His disciples that one of them sitting at the very table with them would betray Him.  That should have been enough to give them pause.  Any one of them could have been guilty of the betrayal that Judas accomplished later that evening.

Their discussion that followed however, was also a telling betrayal, of all that Jesus had been attempting to teach them:

Which disciple is the greatest?

Jesus's response to the disciples is a gracious rebuke.  Using Himself as the example to follow, He instructed them:

"For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth." (Luke 22:27)

When I think of all that Jesus gave up when He left heaven to come to earth, I am amazed again at the depth of His love for His creation.  When I think of Jesus's humble attitude here on earth, submitting to unjust treatment and unfair laws--He who is King and Lord over all--I am astonished at His servanthood.

Jesus continued, "And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

Jesus reminded them, as I often do to my children, that they are ALL His favorites.  ALL of them will one day inherit eternal life, ALL of them will rule and reign with Him, ALL of them will enjoy eternal favor and blessing, because they "continued with (him) in (his) temptations." (Luke 22:28)

Every blessing that they enjoyed, came first because Jesus loved them enough to come, and then die, for them.

The next time I am tempted to ask the Lord if He is playing favorites with His children, may I be reminded that everything that I am, and have, is a gift from His hand.  Jesus is the one who makes any good thing that I am able to do possible.

May I silence that childish "Who is the most loved?" voice in my heart, once and for all.

Giving All

"...but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had." Luke 21:4

Good morning, dear friends!

As a missionary wife and mom, I would like to thank all of our supporters who faithfully give to the Lord in order for us to stay on the field.  I cannot tell you the number of times we have been blessed by the generosity of God's people, sometimes in very extravagant ways.  I am always humbled and touched by your giving.  Thank you for making God the Lord over your giving, and blessing us in return.

As I was reading in Luke 21 this morning, my attention was drawn to the short anecdote of Jesus observing the widow giving her offering in the Temple.  I cannot help the tears that spring up in my eyes when I think about her act of devotion to God:

This widow literally gave her all.

The setting is very telling.  Jesus had been teaching in the Temple, and answering difficult questions from people not seeking the truth but seeking to trap him in a lie.  He observing the giving of the rich men who were hoping that their generosity would not go unnoticed by God and man.  

Then this woman came and gave her gift to the Lord.  It wasn't anything at all compared to the offerings of those before her in terms of financial worth, but it represented everything she had to live on.  Quite frankly, she gave out of her own "personal lacking" to show her love and thankfulness to God.

The phrase, "cast in all the living that she had" is an interesting one to me.  This widow put EVERYTHING she had in the offering.  There was not any left for herself.  She did not have a Plan B, an IRA, a "rainy day" fund.  She literally gave her all to God.

Many years ago, as I young Christian, I remember during a missions conference the main speaker talking about giving our lives to Christ.  He took the offering plate off the altar, put it in the aisle, and then stood in it.  This is the offering that pleases the Lord, he reminded us.

How many times do I give my "extras," or even worse, my leftovers, to the Lord?  Do I put myself in the plate, or do I give of the overflow, like the Pharisees?

May God help me to be mindful of my giving today.  May I give to the Lord, to my family, to my friends, to my neighbors, to my responsibilities, so that my living is all an offering to the Lord.

May I give my all to God.

Children's Discovery Bible Club March 2015

"And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:  And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying..." (Matthew 5,1-2)

Good morning, friends!

This week's Bible club fell on a busy weekend.  We were just finishing up our two-week winter break, so there were some kids absent, but all in all it was a good time!

We also had another first time guest.  We praise the Lord for our children being willing to invite their friends and for their parents letting them come as well.








As usual, club started with snack!  Today's snack was an American favorite:  Rice Krispie Treats!  It's so much fun introducing the French kids to American desserts!  One of our kids' moms also made a chocolate chip cake that was very yummy!

Damaris taught the lesson this week. It was more of a challenge for her since she had been battling a cough all week long.  This week's "mountain peak" was the Sermon on the Mount.  Damaris made the bridge from Christmas and Jesus's birth to Jesus's teachings on the mount.

Damaris had the children to draw a straight line on the chalkboard to represent our best efforts to live and obey God's laws.  Then, she took a ruler and held it up to the lines to show that our best efforts will never measure up to God's perfection.

 Our actvity today was acting out the Golden Rule in small groups.  First, the children had to act out a scene where they were not obeying the Golden Rule.  Then, they replayed the same scene by acting out the Golden Rule.  Here are some videos of their scenes.

 We also started to prepare our Easter program.  The children are learning and acting out a poem that begins with Palm Sunday and ends with Jesus alive again after Easter.

Thanks so much for your prayers!  See you in two weeks for our next club!

Unexpected Appointments

"And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.  And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." Acts 8:37

Good morning, friends!

They happen when you least expect them, don't they?

I was taking care of an errand yesterday with my youngest son Joshua on the way to invite some kids to Bible club for this Saturday.  We stopped at the house of the Grandma of two girls that have been coming, to return something we borrowed, and then we were to carry on.

I was invited in for coffee, Joshua went out to play with the girls, and I was able to share the gospel with a woman that I had really just met for the first time.

When I returned home I mentioned to my husband why we were gone so long:

"Divine appointment."

There is no greater joy than knowing that I was in the right place, at the right time, and God used me to say the right things (at least, I HOPE they were the right things.)  So many times, when I am placed in unusual circumstances, I only think of what I should have said AFTER the fact.

Yesterday, with the Lord's help, the words were there.  Hopefully, I have created a new friendship that will one day be an eternal one.

I have always loved reading the story about Philip and the Ethopian eunuch mentioned in Acts 8.  Until preparing for this blog, I don't think I had ever paid much attention to the context of this passage.  Philip was travelling in Samaria after the persecution that arose after Stephen's death.  Sad, difficult days indeed for those involved.

There was also the encounter with Simon, who tried to buy the Lord's power and blessing with money.  Discouraging.

"Then the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip..." (Acts 8:26)

Philip left, met with this eunuch who just "happened" to be reading in Isaiah 53, a passage that talks about Christ's sufferings.  The eunuch had one question in his mind:  "Of whom speaketh the prophet this?"

Talk about a golden opportunity!  How sad it would have been if Philip had decided that he was too tired, or too discouraged, or too busy to go.  I'm so glad he did. I'm so glad that the eunuch trusted Christ, and was baptized.  I'm so glad that he "went on his way rejoicing." I'm so glad that Philip was in the right place, at the right time, until the moment that the "Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip."  What a day for rejoicing!

My encounter yesterday was an unexpected blessing to me, but not unknown to God.  He put me in that place, at that time, to meet a need that I couldn't have even known about ahead of time.

May my heart be always ready for divine appointments, whenever they occur.  May I keep my heart clean, my walk with the Lord fresh, so that I will not quench the Holy Spirit and speak His words only.

When the next "rendez-vous"comes, will I be ready?