An Audience of One

Just last evening I listened to a sermon online from a prominent pastor that I respect highly.  Hence, one reason why I listen to him—he knows the word and preaches truth.  But today during my prayer time and time in the Word, my thoughts drifted back to the sermon and I couldn’t help but feel that there may be another side to it.  It’s the scripture of 2 Timothy 2:20 and goes like this, from the ESV (all quotes will be from the ESV), “Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.”

The sermon that I was listening to was one from a conference that was designed for pastors, elders and teachers.  He was using that particular scripture to outline for them the type of vessel they are to be so as to be used of God.  They should be the “vessels of gold and silver” set aside for “honorable use”.  It was a good sermon and I don’t think he meant in any way that we, as Christians, are not all vessels to be used of God.  In listening to him, I was injecting myself into the sermon as one who is indeed a vessel as well.  It’s the analogy he gave about being used of God that had me in much prayer today.  Actually, it was an outright verbal conversation with my Father in heaven.

Now, the last thing I want to do is incorrectly exegete this scripture.  I present no ‘new’ spin on it and truly do believe in the correct interpretation of this passage.  But it did prompt me to think about other scriptures that share with us how Jesus himself was a vessel as well.  Actually, THE vessel!  Jesus was indeed one who was set apart for honorable use.  2 Timothy 2:21-26 was written not for Christ, but for us.  But, let me get back on topic.

In Mark 6:34, we’re told, “When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.”  We know that when it’s written, “great crowd’, that it numbered well into the thousands.  You can know this because in verse 44, it’s written, “And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.”  Yep, that’s just the count of men … add in women and children and well, you get the picture.  This was a time where it’s clear that Jesus is a vessel being used mightily because “…he began teaching them many things.”  Think about that–a regular occurrence for Jesus to teach ‘many’.

Now I can wallow all I want in that I am in no way a vessel like that.   BUT, the good news is (sorry, no pun intended), Jesus was also a vessel used in a much smaller way.  Yes, He taught by the hundreds and thousands, but he also taught by the one.  In John 4:7, while trekking through the unpopular town of Samaria, Jesus stops at a well and along comes one! “A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.””  After an in depth conversation with this one woman in which Jesus shared the meaning of many things, He concludes with, “Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”  He reveals to this one woman that He is the Messiah!  He shares the truth to just one … it’s just as honorable a use as is teaching the multitudes.

Here’s my conclusion to this blog post.  I call myself Christian which is to be like-Christ.  I am to be a vessel for honorable use, not as a pastor or elder, but as 2 Timothy 2:24 says, “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth” because, verse 25 says, “they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”  As a vessel, the point is … in kindness and not quarrelsome, in patient endurance and gentleness, I am to teach and correct in order to help people escape from the evil one.  That, my friends, is honorable.   Whether it is to thousands, or just one!

SLAMMING DOORS

Have you ever had a door slam in your face?  No, not literally but figuratively.  Perhaps, like me, you’ve had more than your fair share of door slamming.  But, then again, what’s really fair?  I’m setting out to try, by way of writing, to get my head wrapped around this in a way that’s helpful and not the other way around.

I came up with the title for this particular blog post during a conversation with my husband.  I often will say or hear something and BING, the light goes on and I say to myself, or anyone within listening distance, “Hey … that might make for an interesting blog.”  So it was when trying to explain to my husband how I’ve been feeling for quite some time now.  “What do you do when it feels like everything you try to do ends up with a ‘NO’ door slamming in your face?”

I’m a true believer that my life and destiny remain in the hands of God.  So, in saying that I’m prefacing everything in this post with the knowledge that each and every door that is slammed in my face is a direct result of God’s way of letting me know what is not intended for me or a direction not meant for me to take.  In one respect that’s a very good thing.  Sort of like my heavenly GPS guiding and directing my every step.  I would have it no other way.  After all, who wants to be stuck out in the middle of nowhere and not have someone to help you get back to where you need to be.  For me and many others, slamming doors is one way to keep us on the path we’re supposed to be on.  Remember … the name of this blog is ‘A Pilgrim on the Narrow Path’.  As much as I’m appreciative of this constant guidance, there is a side to it that is just outright hard to understand, and that is, when the door slams, surely there must be a direction one can take other than standing still. Yes? 

Let me share some of the door slamming that has been going on in my life and maybe you’ll see what I mean.  Reach out to varying ministries around the world (I think 6 at last count) to offer my (free) assistance in areas such as web sites, social media, oversight, etc.  SLAM!  Believe it or not, people will not take me up on this.  Start a new medication to treat the Lupus–the first new medication in 50 years.  Seven months later, SLAM!  Try to step out in the realm of media to make testimonial type of videos to help others.  SLAM!  Reach out to the one and only person who can help fulfill one of two things left on my bucket list. SLAM!  The list just goes on and on.  The more I type, the less uplifting I feel. 

Here’s the heart of the matter.  Slamming doors is one thing, what to do when the door is slammed is another.  For quite some time now it’s as if my life has been directed, well, nowhere.  It’s not a matter of my faith wavering, but rather needing direction in my life.  Without a moment’s hesitation I can tell you that it’s my heart’s desire to live past my illness, yet reach others by way of helping them by using the gifts and talents my heavenly Father has given me.  The only place where doors have not been slammed for me is in my local church.  For this I’m extremely grateful.  But, there’s still much I want to do with the time I have left.  Yet I know that it must be what God would have me to do.  If not, it will just be another door slamming in my face. 

As my dear friend, Cyndi, has so aptly put it, “I’m just so incredibly overwhelmed with it all right now.”  It’s hard to explain and I feel I haven’t truly done it justice with this one blog post.  I’m okay with being directed away from a situation or circumstance that would ultimately prove to be bad, or wrong, for me.  However, seeing or finding the right direction, the right answer, the right path … well that’s not quite so clear.  THAT’S what I pray for because to be perfectly honest, I don’t want to look back and see that I missed it.  Why is it so clear to some and so foggy for others?  People often say tritely, “When I get to heaven, I’m going to ask God…”  I used to chuckle at that thought because I always imagined there’s no way that when we get to heaven we’ll even be thinking about such things.  But I’m going to chime in and say, “God, when you slammed all those doors … did I miss it?  Was it clear, yet I didn’t see it?” 

What about you, my loyal readers?  What do you do when God slams a door?  Oh, and there are no open windows nearby either.  For me, while I wait I continue to pray, continue to be in His word, continue to try and focus on others.  And, just as important, be alone with Him and listen.  One foot in front of the other, on the path, eyes straight ahead … and at all costs—avoid slamming doors!

The Pros and Cons of Being a Prayer Warrior

My repertoire, as it were, of friends is wide and varying.  This I like for many, many reasons.  Some are people that live right next door to me.  Others are people I’ve come to know online who are fellow chronically ill people or caretakers of such.  Some are people of like faith in theology and doctrine … although doctrine can vary within that group of friends.  The point being that no two friends are alike.  Isn’t that a blessing?!  But there’s one thing that pleases me most, and hopefully God as well–they all know I am a prayer warrior.

Being what some people call ‘a prayer warrior’ has its pros and cons, although some may argue there can be no cons, or downsides, to praying.  Ah, may I kindly disagree?  Perhaps after reading the point I’m trying to make, you’ll see what I mean.  Yes, indeed … being, and being known as, a prayer warrior has its ups and downs.  Although certainly not an all-inclusive list, here we go with the first–the pros:

• I wish I had a dollar for every time someone said to me something to this effect, “I know you have a direct line to the Man upstairs …” This always brings a smile to my face for one, main reason.  I am seen as a Christian, a child of God, who God listens to.  To be known as a Christian is definitely in the pros column.
• People trust me that when I say, “Yes, of course I will keep this in prayer.” that I will indeed keep that in prayer.  And to lift people before Jesus Christ, who intercedes at the right hand of God, is a humble privilege that can only be a plus.  In the pro column on that.
• One of my favorite memorized verses is the 2^nd half of James 5:16 The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (NIV)  There is power in prayer and to be able to be in that place of trusting God with the lives of so many people as a result of prayer is mind blowing.  That may sound like I’m embellishing but I am not.  It’s a reverent thing when you think about it.  The creator of the universe listens to me.  How can that be anywhere else but the pro column?

And to the part of my blog that some may argue … the cons:

• There are some bittersweet things about being a prayer warrior.  One of the most glaring is the sadness it brings when someone asks me to pray … because they don’t.  Now this isn’t everyone, but certainly a vast amount of people that do want prayer for a dire situation but they either don’t believe in the God I pray to or they have a different idea of what it means to pray.  Many are not Christian believers but they do believe there is power in prayer … at least for those that do believe in ‘the Man upstairs’.   While it’s my pleasure to pray for the situation they are in, I would want all of them to know that giving their life to God in repentance and belief, gives them the same power and ‘direct line’ to God that I have.  It’s a sadness that leads me to put this side of it in the cons column.
• When someone asks me to pray to God, they believe that what I’m asking God, on their behalf, will in fact happen just as they would wish.  While God does indeed hear my every prayer, He answers according to His will for that person needing prayer.  And that will may or may not be what they are seeking by asking me to pray.  I do not fear that what is perceived as an unanswered prayer may somehow ‘tarnish’ my reputation as a prayer warrior.  However, would that I could, I would rather see that God’s good and perfect will for that person is carried out because, ultimately, that’s how God will answer any of my prayers.  People’s possible disappointment would be a con … sort of.
• Answered prayer often doesn’t really change what I would like changed.  That may require a bit of an explanation and does circle around to my first ‘con’. It brings me much joy when I see an answered prayer in a positive way.  Positive, as in the outcome of a person’s situation improving.  However, people tend to just move on and go about their lives not realizing that God … remember–that creator of the universe?  He answered a prayer.  Yet many will tuck Him back into a dresser drawer until the next situation that requires Him.  In the con column for sure on that.

I will always be a prayer warrior because it’s what God has called me to do.  He provides the strength for me to do it…He puts people into my path that need prayer…He provides the answers always…and His will in everything I ask for is always ‘good, pleasing and perfect’. Romans 12:2 NIV.   Being able to pray for people is an honor and a joy.  THAT, my friends, is the crux of this whole blog.  EVERYONE can have that same honor and joy found only in Jesus Christ … the one who hears and answers prayer.

Cursed On The Cross

Many times, the words of others do far more justice to a topic than I ever could.  On this Good Friday … listen as R.C. Sproul tells us what happened on the cross.

Praying you have a blessed Easter weekend.  It’s Friday … but Sunday is coming!

 

Prayer. A Christian’s love language.

Prayer!  It has been on my heart a great deal lately.  To be more precise, how does it affect the relationship between God and His children?  Oh dear, I’m not wording this very well.  I think that’s part of the heaviness I’ve been feeling.  It’s a heart thing, you see, so therefore, not so easy to explain.  I want very much to understand enough about how prayer works and why we are to pray, that I can explain it in such a way so as to glorify God.

As Christians, we are to be like Christ.  That’s what the word ‘Christian’ means.  Read through all four Gospels and you’ll see that prayer was a very important part of our Lord’s life.  He emulated it and even gave us a verbal example of how we are to pray [Matthew 6:9-13].  He instructed us how not to pray as well.  [Matthew 6:5, 6:7-8]  If it was explained to us through word and example by Jesus … well then, it must be part of my life as well.

I don’t have it all figured out yet, and probably won’t until the day I enter into the presence of my Lord and Savior.  But I came across an important passage in my Bible reading today that does encourage me in one of the biggest questions I’ve had about prayer–does it make a difference?  It’s glaringly obvious that it does.  Here, see what I mean:

From Hosea 14:8, from several popular translations-

• “O Israel, stay away from idols! I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you. I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.” NLT (bold and italics mine)

• “O Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like a luxuriant cypress; From Me comes your fruit.” NAS (bold and italics mine)

• “O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit.” ESV (bold and italics mine)

• “O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols?  It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress;  your faithfulnesscomes from me. NRSV (bold and italics mine)

• “Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have answered [him] and will regard and watch over him; I am like a green fir or cypress tree; with Me is the fruit found. Amplified (bold and italics mine)

• “O Ephraim, I do not want to have anything to do with idols anymore!  I will answer him and care for him. I am like a luxuriant cypress tree; your fruitfulness comes from me!” NET (bold and italics mine)

• “Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.” KJV (bold and italics mine)

I am greatly encouraged today by the prophet Hosea, as he speaks God’s word, to know emphatically that God does hear, and answers.  This I will continually remember when in prayer throughout the day.  Thank you, God!

Truth. A Christian’s love language.

It occurred to me, following an earlier post about accountability, that there are many facets of a Christian’s language.  The next one I would like to talk about is truth.  If I had any inclinations that it was going to be easy to uphold my New Year’s resolution of speaking lovingly and honestly about my faith—speaking truth, God’s truth put forth in His word—well then I was even more naive then I thought.

The journey continues and God is showing me some very interesting things … mostly about myself.  Funny how that works.   When Jesus was asked about what the greatest command was, He first replied about loving God with “all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind’ Matthew 22:36 (NLT), but He then follows it with, “A second is equally important. Love your neighbor as yourself.  The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:39-40.  Wow … if one is as equally important, than with ‘all my heart, soul and mind’ is going to have to be a lifelong work of the Holy Spirit in me.  And, He says I’m to love everyone like that?

I must be honest that I have found this command to love, one of the hardest commands to follow.  It’s easy to love my family and friends, but not so much people who are enemies to God.  Those who revile Him, mock Him, simply don’t even believe in Him [their Creator].  I understand that once I was that person yet He loved me enough to save me.  No, not AFTER I loved Him but before I loved Him.  “We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 (NIV)  Well, back to truth and its meaning of a Christian’s love language.

Having love for one another, including those who hate you or mock you or revile you, is what brings you to a point where you don’t want to see them lost.  Oh sure … it’s easy enough to want my family, friends and loved ones not to be lost, but I don’t want anyone to be lost.  And the best way to save a lost sinner while yet in their sins is to tell them the truth.  This is love language.  Many will argue that it’s my truth and not necessarily the truth.  To this, I try to point out as gently and lovingly as I can that the alternative to their truth of no truth (humanism) is God’s judgment and wrath that they will suffer when gone from this wisp of a lifetime.  And they will suffer for all eternity.   I love them that much that I don’t want them to experience that.  I want them to experience the love, peace, joy, hope and all good things that are given to those who truly believe.

So, since I’ve been imploring people via social media—as I had set forth to do in my New Year’s resolution—it isn’t going over very well.  Quite honestly, I didn’t expect it to.  But it’s a work of the Holy Spirit.  I cannot prepare a man’s heart to receive God’s truth but the Holy Spirit can.  I cannot make anyone believe God’s truth, but the Holy Spirit can.  I cannot bring about a transformation in a person’s life, but the Holy Spirit can.  I am only called upon to love them enough to share the truth.  Whether they receive or reject it … that’s between them and God.  It is more important for me to be obedient to what God calls me to do for, you see, that’s what I’ll have to give an account for.  Was I obedient or did I shy away from telling people the truth because I was more worried about offending and less worried about loving?  As I said earlier, God is showing me much about me and my weakness in this area.

Long after this year comes and goes, I will still be proclaiming THE truth to those that have not believed on the Lord, Jesus Christ as the Savior who shed His blood and died on a cross, suffered the wrath of God which we deserved, paid the sacrificial price for all mankind, then three days later, God the Father raised Him from the dead and He [Jesus Christ] now sits at the right hand of God interceding for the elect.  But just like the commercial says, “BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!”  He didn’t just leave it at that.  He gave us His Holy Spirit—the comforter, counselor and advocate.  And so much more!  This is the truth I wish all to know.  There is eternal life with God in a heaven that is described in Revelation 21 and 22.

Truth … it must be proclaimed, it must be heard, and it must be received.  So, if I see you post something on a social media site that mocks, reviles, or insults the goodness and love of your God, creator … know this.  I care about you so much so that I want you to know the Word of eternal life, not eternal penalty.  That is a Christian’s love language.

FOR THE CHILDREN

I lieu of writing something of my own today, I wish to share a recorded poem with you by John Piper.  Today is an ominous day in the history of our United States of America and because of that, I wish to remember not only the 54 million unborn babies, but children who suffer around the world.  This should not be so!  I pray we step out of our comfort zone and do something for these children … even if it be just one.