We Are Family

Judges 8: 18-19 - "Then he asked Zebah and Zalmunna, 'What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?' 'Men like you,' they answered, 'each one with the bearing of a prince.' Gideon replied, 'Those were my brothers, the sons of my own mother. As surely as the Lord lives, if you had spared their lives, I would not kill you.'"

This past Sunday, my husband, Nick, preached the last sermon in the series "Against All Odds." This sermon, like several others in this series, was about Gideon. In the verses above, Gideon was chasing after two kings that had fled. He asked for food for his famished men in two cities along the journey. Both cities refused and even discouraged Gideon in his quest to find these evil kings. Gideon vowed to not only capture these kings, but to then repay the two cities for their unkindness toward him and his army.
The main point that my husband made through this sermon was that the body of Christ should be loving and encouraging toward each other, toward those believers that are struggling, and also toward those that may not yet know Christ. This message really caused me to take a good, hard look at myself and how I treat my brothers and sisters in the Lord. In the verses above, Gideon asked the two evil kings he was pursuing who they killed at Tabor. The two kings replied that the men they killed were like Gideon - they resembled him. Brothers and sisters in a natural family often resemble each other. They have features that are alike which causes other people to recognize which family they belong to. In the body of Christ, we as God's children, resemble each other, because we were all wonderfully saved by grace and we should be displaying common spiritual fruits because of our decision to follow Jesus. There's a very popular song that says "They will know we are Christians by our love."When you are a follower of God, love will be your most prominent attribute. You will strive to love not only those that love you, but even your enemy that may hate you. You will deeply love your brothers and sisters in Christ - wanting them to go farther and continually grow in the Lord. You will love the fellow Christian that is struggling, trying to hold on through their circumstance. You will love the unbeliever, because you want them to understand that their life can become more personally meaningful, purposeful and abundantly awesome by surrendering all to God.
When Gideon realized that these two kings had killed his brothers, he was infuriated and would not stand for the wrong that was done to his family. In the same way that Gideon was righteously angry about the injustice done to his brothers, we should also protect our brothers and sisters in Christ. When the devil attacks them, we should pray and encourage them as we would want to be when we are going through a trial. We should offer help not insensitivity. I wish I could say I've gotten this right every time, but unfortunately there are times I have failed in this.

 In the picture I have posted above, you can see a marathon runner working very hard to finish a race. To the side of the runner, you see people holding signs that encourage the runner to continue. I absolutely love this photograph, because I think it is an example of how we ought to be with our brothers and sisters in Christ and with those we want to see come to the Lord. If you look closely, you will see the sign says, "Go, random stranger, go!" Even though they have no clue who this runner is, they still knew the importance of cheering her on as she completed a difficult race. The Bible compares life to a race. It won't always be easy and many times we'll feel like giving up and sitting down. That's when we need our brothers and sisters the most. Whether we know them well, or even if it's someone we don't know that well - we need to offer our support, help, and encouragement. If we could know the thoughts of the runner in the photo, I have no doubt that she appreciated the support of her "cheerleaders" and pushed herself onward to finish her race. Wouldn't we win a lot more souls to the Lord if they saw us loving and supporting each other than tearing down one another? I pray that we all grab ahold of this and really take a step back to look at our lives and how we perceive and treat our fellow believers, because "they'll know we are Christians by our love..."

Photo taken from http://www.lululemon.com/community/blog/bmo-marathon-cheer-squad/

The Little Foxes

Song of Solomon 2:15 - "Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom."

My amazing father-in-law, Bishop Donnie Hill, preached for us in our evening service this past Sunday. In his sermon, he used the illustration of a vineyard to represent our lives. One verse that he mentioned that I hold near and dear to my heart was Song of Solomon 2:15.
As you can read above, this scripture talks about foxes. Creatures like foxes are notorious for destroying vineyards and gardens. They are a menace to a hard-working gardener, because they like to feast on the produce from the garden - robbing the worker from his reward. I love how the Lord made sure that we knew that it wasn't the bigger foxes that were destroying the garden - it was the little, seemingly insignificant foxes that were causing the damage.
How often in our lives do we allow "little foxes" to destroy us. Bishop Hill stated in his sermon that the way these little foxes spoil the vineyard is, because of their size, they have to jump to catch the grapes off the vine. By doing this, they continually are pulling at the vine and end up doing more damage than a larger fox that can get to the grapes more easily. The little foxes in our lives serve one purpose, and that is to steal the fruit that we bear from the One we bear it for. In the gospel of John scripture says, "He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more." Producing fruit in our spiritual lives is highly important to the Lord. In fact His word says that every branch of our lives that doesn't produce fruit will be cut off completely. It's cut off, because it's no use to the Lord. That's a scary thought to think that I could potentially be of no use to the Lord, because my life doesn't show the characteristics of someone that claims to be a follower of him. God takes this very seriously and, likewise, so should we. What are these fruits? They can be found in Galatians 5: 22-23 - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Does my life show these fruits to the best of my ability? Is there something in me that needs to be cut off so that I can be of use to the Father?
Another reason these little foxes cause so much damage is because they are hard to catch. They are quick little guys that, because of their size, can hide in small burrows that might be hard to detect. I know in my own life, sometimes out of no where an old feeling or insecurity can creep up and, if I don't take care of it right then, can lead to serious damage and destruction. We have to have our eyes open and on constant surveillance for these foxes. They may come in the form of lies from the devil, insecurities, guiltiness from past sin, or seeds of bitterness that we just haven't quite given up yet. No matter what they are, they must be caught and destroyed.
How do you destroy these little foxes? I did a little research on this subject and I found 4 ways to get rid of foxes in a garden. 1 - Cover the garden with a fence. In our lives this "fence" would be prayer, worship, and Bible reading. The fence has to be sturdy and strong and must always be kept in tact. In the same manner, so should our personal relationship with the Lord. 2 - Keep your garden clean. Living a clean life is a characteristic of a Christian. In Psalm 51, David wrote, "Create in me a clean heart, O God." We have to make sure the things we do in public and more so in private exemplify that of a follower of God. Will we make mistakes? ABSOLUTELY! I'm the first one to admit that, but we must pick ourselves up, repent, and allow God to clean us up so that we can keep the foxes out of our garden. 3 - Buy a dog. The people we surround ourselves with should be those that will help us keep our garden/lives at their best for the Lord. A dog protects a garden. It doesn't allow destroyers to come and hurt the growth of the produce. Those that are closest to us need to be encouraging people that will help us reach our goal of bringing glory to God. Sometimes the people we allow in our lives may seem to be a dog that will help defend our vineyard, but in reality they may be a fox also, only out for selfish gain. We must be able to detect the difference. 4 - Call a wildlife control officer. Sometimes, foxes can just get out of control and at that point, it's time to call a higher authority - one that knows more about getting rid of foxes than you. In our times of distress, when we feel that we are about to go under, when we just can take it anymore, all we have to do is cry out to our great God and he will answer us in his loving, compassionate, and gentle way. He will rescue us in our time of need, pick us back up, dust us off, and set us up for growth and beauty again.
I don't know what your "little foxes" are. I know mine and I must keep daily, vigilant watch to make sure they are not consuming that which belongs to my Father. God wants to make something beautiful of our lives for his glory. It's time to kill off all things that don't help us bless him. Don't be fooled, don't be tricked, don't be complacent toward these little foxes - destroy them now so you will have a bountiful life now and in the days to come.

Recipe of the Week: Nutella Cookies

Several months ago Nick and I discovered something we had been missing out on for a long time - Nutella! If you've never tried Nutella, it's a chocolaty hazelnut spread that is super yummy! I like to eat it on toast, an english muffin, and even pancakes. I found the following recipe on Pinterest, tried it, and loved it!! These Nutella cookies have the consistency of a cake cookie. One things for sure though...they are rich! Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Nutella Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup Nutella
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 whole egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Blend all ingredients together. Roll into 1" balls. Place on cookie sheet and flatten with hand or a glass. Bake 7-8 minutes. Allow enough time to cool and firm up.

Against All Odds

"This parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule praying or whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together, told them what had happened, and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.
Initially the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back, a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back, he would shake it off and step up!
This he did, blow after blow. 'Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up...shake it of and step up!' He repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or how distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought panic and just kept right on shaking it off and stepping up!
It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well! What seemed like it would bury him actually helped him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity."
-Author Unknown, taken from "Moral Stories" academictips.org

Pastor Nick has been preaching an awesome sermon series called "Against All Odds." Each sermon has centered around the difficult situations that we face and how to overcome the obstacles that may lie in our path. This past Sunday, Pastor Nick's sermon centered around Gideon. Gideon was called to be a mighty warrior to lead God's people in battle against the Midianites. After much arguing with the Lord about how he wasn't mighty and how God had forsaken them, Gideon finally began the task that God had told him to do. Gideon's army numbered about 32,000. An army that size would seem to be powerful and ready to fight. The Lord spoke to Gideon and told him that 32,000 was too many men. God continued to allow the army to dwindle until it numbered a mere 300 men! Why would the Lord do this? Wouldn't God want a strong, powerful army of his people to win the battle? No. In Judges 7:2-3 the Lord says, "You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, 'My own strength has saved me.' (NIV) God will not share his glory with anyone. No one else deserves it and it will not be taken from God. The Lord wanted to show his people that he was strong and would fight for them. He used Gideon's little army - something that no doubt Gideon was frustrated with - to win the battle and ultimately give God the glory he deserves.

In our lives we face obstacles often. In fact, we face them daily. When faced with obstacles, we have a choice. We can complain and get angry with God for allowing those obstacles to come our way, we can give up and choose not to face the obstacle, or we can use the obstacle to accomplish what should be our goal in life - to give God praise. The mule in the story above, could have allowed his adversary, the farmer, to bury him. He could have gave up and allowed himself to be buried in the well. However, he chose to use his obstacles to obtain his goal of getting out of the well. The truth is our enemy, the devil, wants to bury us. He wants to put us as far into the ground as possible so that we can't fulfill our purpose of giving glory to God. He may use those closest to us to give up on us and bury us. No matter what tactic he may use, we must "shake it off and step up" as the mule did.

God will not fail us, but we will fail if we don't put our faith in him and obey his commands. He deserves our praise, our obedience, and our hearts. Be encouraged today - God's working things out for you!    

The Plate Set Before Us

In a book I am currently reading, the author wrote this statement: "Accept the size of your plate and fill it." The author was spiritually speaking and the quote truly challenged me and caused me to think deeply about my life and it's purpose.
No matter where you are in life, the Lord has a "plate" he wants to set before you. Each person has a purpose, a special job that God wants you to do. Some plates are big and some plates are small, depending on spiritual maturity and/or seasons in life. The further along we are in our walk with God, determines our various positions and jobs. We wouldn't expect a new Christian to become a pastor the day after they were saved, nor would we expect a believer that's been saved for 30 years to not be mentoring, teaching, etc. Another important factor in the size of your plate is where you are in life. Sometimes God calls us to center our focus on a different task that is more direct than broad. No matter the size of your plate, it is important and necessary to the kingdom of God and in obedience, we need to keep it filled.
Every plate has a main dish and sides. Your "main dish," your main job/calling may be teaching, pastoring, mentoring, leadership, behind-the-scenes tasks, etc. Regardless of your main calling, it must be centered around one thing - bringing glory to God. God gives each of gifts as he sees fit, and we are to use those gifts to spread the good news of salvation in Christ and ultimately give God the worship he deserves. Not only does a plate have a main dish, but it also has side dishes that should compliment the main dish. We have our main calling from the Lord, but he also allows us to participate in other jobs or tasks that compliment our main calling - glorifying him. These sides dishes may be our titles in life - spouse, parent, boss, fireman, governor, or cashier. No matter what our "side dishes" are in life, they must not compete with our main calling of brining glory to God. When a side dish takes the place of the main dish - the plate is no longer serving its purpose.
Some people try to overcrowd their plate. Have you ever seen someone, or yourself, overfill their plate to the point where it becomes a mess? The plate is no longer appetizing and the feeling of overeating will cause sickness. Sometimes, we have to learn to say "no." This is extremely difficult for some people because of various reasons. We don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, we want to be involved in everything, or we have the fear of being left out or left behind. Overcrowding your life will only lead to being burnt out. Long periods of burn out can lead to depression and bitterness. Not every opportunity that comes across our path is beneficial to our plate and doesn't compliment our main dish. Because of this, we must pray daily for wisdom and guidance. We must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's direction for our lives.
On the flip side of an overcrowded plate, we must not have a plate that is too bare. Being a complacent Christian equals an unsatisfied Christian. Saying no to the things God says yes to will lead to a life of misdirected purpose and is basically selfish. A bare plate will lead to depression, loneliness, and lukewarmness. Whether your plate is big or small - it needs to stay filled in order to fulfill the plan that God has for you.
We all have things we want to fulfill in life, but it is of utmost importance that our goals match our Father's goals for us. He knows what's best and what's needed most to achieve the greatest life possible. We must trust in his plan and be sensitive to the size and contents of the plate that he has set before us.