Tag: grace

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God’s plan at the pumps…

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As a retired police officer, correctional officer and administrator of both juvenile and adult criminal populations, my friend Ed is no stranger to confrontation, nor has he ever been shy of its approach. I don’t have space on this blog to tell you how the Lord has used this man in the ministry and not because he’s wonderful (although he is), not because he’s talented (although he is) but because he’s willing.

After leaving the adult prison facility for which he is now Chaplain, he pulled into a 7Eleven Convenience Store for fuel. And then it happened… he noticed the nicely dressed man and his children exiting the store. It was a Wednesday night and Ed figured that they were likely going to church. It was then that God spoke to his heart, “Talk to them.” It was a gentle nudge in the beginning but grew more demanding as Ed argued with God that surely this man would think he was nuts to stop him and his children on a cold winter evening when they were obviously on their way somewhere. But after a brief debate, Ed surrendered to the Lord’s desire…

“Hey are you a Preacher?” Ed asked.

“Why yes I am he replied…”

And then God unfolded the plan.

Ed had been tirelessly working as Chaplain to a new facility of inmates with groups arriving each week needing his attention. He studied, preached, provided counseling and handled the administrative duties of his position as well. His active farm took its toll physically on his body and the pressure was mounting. He knew he needed help but unfamiliar with the location of the prison, and very much understanding the accountability of ministering the gospel “correctly”, Ed wasn’t about to hand the reigns over to just anyone.

But God had a plan.

The Preacher who Ed spoke to at the 7Eleven was a part of ministry team looking for a mission field opportunity in their area. Within a few minutes Ed was invited to meet their team; a doctrinally sound group of believers who have now offered to take on his Prison Bible studies as their mission.

They were looking, Ed was asking and God set up the meeting.

But… if Ed had not being willing to hear the Holy Spirit when He said “Speak.” God’s business would have been undone and Ed would have continued on, worn and tired.

Listen…

God may be just about to bless you.

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A Very Social Gospel

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It was a rant on Facebook yesterday that absolutely made my stomach roll over from a woman that I don’t even know; an attack on God. Through profanity she spewed words of hatred provoked by words of gratitude for which her Facebook friends where posting for November. She isn’t one of my social media “friends”; I came by her post through someone else pointing it out to me, and my first reaction was to shut her down in my mind. She wasn’t someone I would likely have contact with. And I didn’t know if I would even have the words to say that could change her mind should we ever meet. And then as God so often does, she is there in my mind this morning and I’m not shutting her down I’m praying for her; that a friend of God will cross her path today. Or maybe perhaps through this post or face to face, I’ll have the chance to tell her why it is that I and others feel so blessed.

I don’t know why it should surprise me that people turn away from God, look at Israel.  God’s chosen nation, delivered out of Pharaoh’s hand, pillars of fire, manna from Heaven, water from the rock and yet still they murmured. Imagine if they’d have had the tool of Social Media!

SMH, Rather be DOA by the Lord, TISNF, Egypt rocked. BBL, walking in the wilderness S2D.

For you non “Facebookers” – Shaking my head, I’d rather be dead on arrival by the Lord, this is so not fair. Egypt was such fun. Be Back later, walking in the wilderness starving to death.

The Real version: Exodus 16:3 ~ And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

These words came from people who had seen God up close and personal. So there should be no shock when they are spewed forth from someone who may or may not have been raised in a Christian home. Who may work with the murmur-ers, or perhaps is in the battle of a lifetime, and cannot understand why a merciful God would allow it. How do you explain that? How do you explain to someone in 140 characters or less (Twitters maximum post) Who God is, What He Does, and Why it happens?

You can’t. God is beyond what we can imagine, so how could you possible sum Him up in 140 characters? You can however be the link.

My blogs generally run from 500 to 700 words. Too many for a social media post. But with just a few words I can, through the power of social media, draw you into my blog where you’ll read the 500-700 words.  The same is true when dealing with a lost person. If I can just drop a few Words of interest, perhaps they’ll be drawn into a deeper desire to know the Christ of Who I speak. So what are those words? There is no magic conjunction, but there is a commonality.

Christ spoke:

Acceptance to the outcast.

Peace to the broken.

Healing to the sick.

Provision to those without.

His words were circumstance specific. And so must ours be.

To the woman who spewed venomous words I must have the antidote. She spoke hatred, I have to speak love. She questioned God, I must prove Him. That’s how it works. It won’t likely happen with one happenstance visit. But if over time, little by little she sees the love of God working in my life she just may be drawn in to know more about this man called Jesus.

So… would Jesus use social media? He was a very social Guy, so maybe – “BBL BFF. Really! Be ready!

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Unraveled at the Feet of Jesus

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Trying to find a biblical family in the scripture to model your family after is next to impossible. Dysfunction doesn’t even begin to describe it. From the beginning it was filled with disobedience, betrayal and murder. So it should not come as a surprise that our own families are so messed up today, and yet when it happens we’re shocked. And when you couple the fact that those stories of dysfunction were within God’s chosen leaders of the day, who weren’t perfect, but their relationship with the Lord was to be desired; what does that say about us? Few of us have a relationship with the Lord that’s as tightly knit. So we unravel… and our family isn’t what we envisioned, and neither are we.

I can write from the heart of dysfunction. If God were still adding text to the Bible (and He’s not by the way), but if He were, there could likely be the book of Shari. Perhaps many sermons would be preached from my text with a title like “The Diva of Dysfunction.” There likely would not be the intrigue as many books of the Bible entail, but there would be comedy and chaos, heartache and hindrances to the will of God, fractured moments and failed missions. Several trips to the wood shed for certain. But… in the midst of it all you’d find Mercy. And me at His feet… unraveled.

From Heaven I have a feeling my life looks like a tangled mess of God’s intentions. Maybe yours does too. We have to remember that regardless of what we do, God does see the other side.

  • Poor decisions can take us down a wrong path. And though the distance is rougher and longer, God can still bring us to His intended spot.
  • Broken relations were not His plan, but the healing that He provides can make you stronger and more appreciative of the unbroken.
  • Finances may not be your forte, (it’s not mine) but by giving back to Him what we were entrusted with, perhaps that seed will take root and grow in ways we can’t even imagine. Or He may just give us contentment… and that’s okay too.
  • Sometimes family is the tie that binds, and sometimes it’s the tie that gags, but it’s the foundation of the gospel. We are the family of God. And if He can put up with our shenanigans do we not owe our family the same. A man who sought God’s wisdom ask his counselor “When can I stop caring.” The counselor’s reply was “When God does.”

If I wrote an exhaustive list of dysfunctions you wouldn’t take the time to read my blog. So let’s put it like this. You fill in the blank. “Dear God, ________________ is unraveling in my life. And I need you to knit it back together.”

Scripture says in Colossians 2:2 ~ That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

We don’t know the end of our story. But we can be comforted in the knowledge that we are loved and that God’s plan is still on track. That tangled mess that we see, will one day be a viewed as a beautiful tapestry …or perhaps a cable knit sweater.

I hope today finds your life at peace, and wrapped up in the love of God

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Frustrated Grace

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Can you frustrate grace? Apostle Paul said you could. I love his forthright writing. (That’s almost a tongue twister!) But he enforces grace as hard as he enforced the law. And yet as the modern day church, 2000 plus years this side of grace we are continually trying to rebuild works.

Galatians 2:18-21~ For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

A little background on these verses. Just prior to then Paul and Peter had had words. Paul felt compelled to line Peter out regarding his separating himself from the gentiles so as not to offend the Christian Jews who believed to be saved you still needed to follow the ceremonial laws. I fear we have a few laws of our own. The Bible says “Come out from among them” (II Corinthians 6:17) and too often I hear that verse being used as church separation rather than as the way it was intended as a sin separator. The entire verse reads “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”

Before you stop reading for fear I’ve gone over to the all-inclusive side of a one world religion let me clarify that I’m not talking any other faith other than those who have our born of a virgin Savior, Jesus Christ, crucified for the redemption of fallen man, risen the third day and awaiting our return in glory LORD. Now that that’s settled let me continue. We’re still separating ourselves and that ought not to be. I believe in the Baptist doctrine for which I make no apologies, but I have friends of various other denominations. I take each one of my friends as individual saints of God and do not lump them into their denominations, as I hope they do the same for me. Because in truth there are some Baptists I’d rather not be lumped in with. I speak not on any specific denomination this morning because when Paul wrote this there was none, although you can see its beginning.

Why would we want to rebuild what was destroyed?

The ceremonial law. Six hundred and thirteen commandments? I can’t even keep ten. And although I really don’t believe we’re rebuilding Jewish law in the Christian faith I see ideas of man intermingled with grace that to the unsaved, they have to wonder “How much work is involved in Christianity?” The church (as a whole) spends so much time explaining why someone else is wrong that they forget to say why Jesus is right. Peter was so concerned with what the “religious” thought that he hurt the gentile believers, and it’s still true today. We’re still hurting each other. There’s enough false religions out there that we have no need or time to tear down the ministry of another church because we don’t believe as they believe.

It’s really not about what we do, it’s about how we live. What goes on in our churches is seldom seen by the lost because we don’t live the example outside the walls of the sanctuary.

We were created to worship God. When’s the last time you worshiped at work or school. (Don’t try to feed me separation, you can do it if you want to, even if it’s subtle.)

We were told to study the Word. In the words of an old friend, the Word of God is a spiritual “warsh” cloth, it’ll clean you inside and out. When’s the last time you’ve really bathed in the Word.

We’re called to be a witness; to tell others about Christ, not to tell others what others are doing wrong. Jesus said, “I am the way.” He did not say how you dress is the way, how you speak is the way, or how you sing is the way which in many ways we are using to define salvation.

This thought has been on my heart a lot lately. Care to weigh in?

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POW/MIA’s in the Family of God

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Today is National POW/MIA Day; a day set aside to honor the Prisoners of War and Missing in Action. I cannot imagine the horrific pain that families goes through when it’s discovered that their loved one is unaccounted for in a battle zone and they are left without closure as their battle rages on long after the war is over. We need to pray for those families today. I have to wonder if God doesn’t feel the same way about those who are POW and MIA in the church.

The POW

If you don’t believe that the church is a battlefield then you’ve either not been in church or you’re in a dead one. Either way you need to get moving. A prisoner of war has been captured by the enemy in circumstances far beyond their control and held against their will. They’d rather be anywhere than where they are. Not to make light of the real POW’s but I’ve seen many sitting in the pews. They’re trapped in bad marriages, miserable jobs or other poor decisions and they don’t see any way out. Satan has them in darkness and a state of despair, and in truth, “out” is not usually the plan. God usually chooses to take you “through”. They’re not weak, they’re worn; the weak would have crumbled under the pressure. They’re not pitiful, they’re purposed. God has a plan for them and that’s why Satan attacked. In their heart they know there’s a light at the end of that dark tunnel but for right now, it’s nothing but black.

A prisoner of war on many occasions, literally and figuratively was King David. No one would call him weak, he killed a giant while an entire army cowered behind him. But mingled in with all his victories were several vexations. Some brought on by his own sin and at other times because he was doing what was right. We can’t always assume that when we’re in a hard place in our lives it’s because we’ve messed up. Sometimes (as was the case with Job) God is going to use others as a vehicle to move us into a new place. That new place may be the same place with a different vantage point. But God’s got a purpose.

3 steps from Victory.

Psalm 6:1-10

O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed. My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O Lord, how long? Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’ sake.  For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?  I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.  Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.  Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping.  The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.  Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.

  1. Pray  – David was in such a state of vexation that his bones ached. Have you ever been there? I know I sure have. It’s that darkest hour when you feel like you’ve gone as far as you can go. The enemy has beat you down time and time again, but you know that’s it’s not over and you begin to…
  2. Lobby for the cause – God knows the end, He also knows your heart but sometimes I think He wants us to prove to ourselves how much it’s worth fighting for. We have to get to the point that we’re sick of listening to ourselves groan and looking at our surroundings and start making plans to get out.
  3. Know that God has heard – Once we’ve prayed and lobbied for our cause, we need to give the enemy their eviction notice and start living again.

Then we need to get our praise on!

What if you’re one of the MIA’s?

What if you’ve known God but you’ve walked out on Him? You’ve left the church and you’re not even sure where to go. You have to go back the way you came. Grace is amazing. If you don’t know God, then you may not understand grace at all. Grace is simply this… God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. He paid your sin debt and He has the gift of eternal life and a 24/7 phone card to Glory waiting for you, but you have to accept it, he won’t force it on you.

I hope if you’re in a dark hour, you’ll call on God. And call on me too, I’d be happy to pray for you. God bless!

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Mining for Grace

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Colossians 4:1-5 Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven. Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

To think of Apostle Paul penning this letter, or having it written for him, while sitting in prison humbles my heart immensely. He pleads with this Colossian friends to pray that God will open a door for him to share the gospel and speak of the mystery of Christ. And here I sit today on a comfortable couch, not penning but composing the words on a computer, thinking about the day that Christ was no longer a mystery to me and wondering why I cannot muster the yearning within me that was within Paul. I may not want the answer to that question, because the answer may come in very hard place. But like I Paul I do desire your prayers that God would open up doors for me in the ministry. Key words being that “God would open” them, lest at any time Shari gets in the way.

There is a constant awareness in my soul that I am not redeeming the time, a time that grows shorter and shorter. And my speech is not always a seasoned grace. Just as salt season’s food, making it more palatable, and preserving the food; so does grace. Matthew Henry explained it well in his commentary when he said “Grace is the salt which seasons our discourse, makes it savoury, and keeps it from corrupting.” It is the grace of God that speaks to the heart of those we witness to and it is the Holy Spirit that imparts wisdom through us, enabling us to share the gospel of Christ.

But someone has to mine the salt. It doesn’t just magically appear on the table. It requires hard labor, deep digging and refining it into the savory seasoning that makes our food delicious. The same is true about the Word of God. God will gladly give us a taste of His glory, but not without us digging deep into His word and allowing it to season our soul with wisdom. It has to be absorbed into our bodies that we might have it ready to dish out to those we are given the opportunity to witness too. If you read my blog yesterday you know that I’m inclined to shortcuts. There’s not short cut on the wisdom of God either. He gives it to those willing to read and study His word.

Once you’ve had salt on your food and developed a taste for it, it’s hard to go back. It enhances the flavor. The same is true when you’ve tasted the Word of God. You want more! And the awesome thing about the Word of God is every time you taste of it, it has a new flavor and an endless supply. It enhances your life, strengthening your soul for the day to day battles. That’s why it’s so important to share it at every opportunity.

God’s blessed me with a platform to share the gospel from comfy couch in my living room. But I need to walk in the freedom that God has given me and get off the couch while there’s still time. I thank you in advance for your prayers, and I’m praying that God burdens your heart as He did mine this morning to be more like the Apostle Paul and pray that doors open to share the wonderful thing called grace.

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America the beautiful… a tad “too” independent

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Jude 1:4

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

My Pastor preached this verse in a sermon many years ago, under the title “Creeps in the Church.” It’s another one of his many sermons that I am reminded of periodically, as if God is reminding me, “Don’t become one of them, Shari.” Them? The creeps. Antinomians (those who believe grace excuses immorality.) This is not a God Bless America blog,”This is a God Blessed America, and now we’re blowing it” blog! There is an urgency in my soul to tell every Christian I meet not to buy the lies of dead religion. Who told you that church was no longer important? Who told you that your children would “eventually” come back around? The creeps, that’s who told you.

The creeps believe that once you’ve been saved you can live in any manner under grace. And while I am a “once in grace always in grace” believer, I also believe you had to have obtained genuine grace, and once you do, you’ll not live in habitual sin. The Holy Spirit will be will be on you like white on rice, and you’ll know that you should not. But America, our Christian nation, has become so independent in our lives that we think God’s got us covered regardless of our whether or not that life is backed up by Bible principles. We’re not the creeps… we’re the decent people…

We have decent sins.

  • Sunday school is no more important than the quality time I spend with my family on Sunday morning, neither is Sunday Worship, evening Service or Wednesday evening services. (And the children see… God is second, or third, or even further in place.)
  • I don’t want to offend people with the gospel by constantly talking about Jesus. (And you didn’t know that you were the only gospel they were going to get.)
  • I don’t pray over my food, it makes people around me uncomfortable. (And yet God provided the job and the means for us to eat while 10,000 mothers weep because they have nothing to feed their babies.)
  • I’ve done my time in church service, let the young people take over. (See my first point, they’re not there.)

What we’re saying is I don’t need God in my life. We have declared our independence from the God who brought us liberty to live in this place.  We’re not antinomians, or are we? They are adulterous, lying, thieves who justify their behavior by the blood of Jesus. And yet James 4:17 says “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

It’s a sin issue for the creeps and for the “decent people.”

I pray we declare our dependence again on the God of All creation. God, help us to be a blessing to You, You’ve already blessed us.

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To save a nation…

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There are times that I read the Old Testament and it’s more than my stomach can handle. As someone who has never been able to watch scary or gory movies without the image getting seared in my mind, the Bible stories are sometimes almost as vivid. And then there are other days that although I wouldn’t have the stomach for it, I get so fed up with the wickedness of this world that I can totally understand how God could wipe out half a nation.

We find one such case of God’s wrath in the book of Numbers. In the first verse it is said that “Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.” (vs. 1) They had begun to sacrifice and bow down to their gods, at which time God gives Moses the command to “Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.”(vs. 4). I think God is pretty serious about sin to say the least, but there was a hero in the story that stopped God’s wrath by the name of Phinehas.

One of the children of Israel had brought into the congregation of the Lord a Midianite woman while the children of Israel were weeping at the door of the tabernacle because of the state of affairs. God had just laid the charge to slay those who had sinned in this manner against God, and this guy brings a woman into the congregation of the Lord. When Phinehas sees what happened scripture says “And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. (Vss. 7-8)

That act alone stopped the wrath of God.

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: (Vss. 10-12)

I’m not suggesting anyone go to this extreme, but oh that men would be so zealous as to stand up in the congregations of the Lord and say “Enough!” The church in so many ways has linked arms with the world, there is no longer a separation or a holiness. Sin is overlooked and embraced dependent upon “who” it is. Praise God we are now under grace, God no longer calls upon the destruction of a nation He doesn’t have too, we’re destroying ourselves.

This is a somber thought for Monday morning, but I just feel that I needed to remind myself as I go out into the world today that God expects more of me. Just because the world says it is okay does not make it so. I am a child of God, set aside for His purpose saved by His grace. If the Israelite and the Moabitish woman were cast before me today, I’m called to give them grace, not judgment. I want those I meet today to see the love and grace of almighty God in me, but I also want to remember the zealousness of Phinehas who called sin out and saved his people. I have to begin by examining my own life… The other children of Israel were weeping at the door of the church, but Phinehas zealously acted on it and saved his nation.

What can we do… stop “playing” church. Live it!