Mary Did You Know

For the life of me, I cannot hear the Christmas song, “Mary Did You Know” without tearing up. It hasn’t always been this way. Years ago, I even portrayed Mary in a Christmas play and kissed my baby (doll) at just the right moment in the song. (“When you kiss your little baby, you kissed the face of God”) I thought the song was beautiful, but I didn’t fully appreciate the sentiment of it. 

It wasn’t until I was expecting my first child, our son, that this song really touched me in a special way. We were singing it in our choir’s cantata, and I began to think about my own little boy who was yet to be born. With all the joy and happiness surrounding his coming birth and all the hopes and dreams I had for him, I couldn’t imagine having to give him up for anyone. I also couldn’t imagine my son bearing the weight of the whole world on his shoulders: The Savior of the world.

When we read what the angel Gabriel said to Mary in Luke, he actually speaks wonderful things about her son’s future: “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:31-33

Wow, what an amazing future for her son! Furthermore, when the shepherds came to worship Jesus, they told everyone what the angel had proclaimed to them out in the field, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you: he is Christ, the Lord.” Luke 2:10, 11 But Mary didn’t have much to say considering the matter. For verse 19 says, “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” I don’t blame Mary! I would have been speechless too. How could this be? She was just a simple girl. Now she had given birth to the Savior of the world!

Mary did not know in the beginning what amazing things her son would do: Walk on water, heal the blind, deaf and lame, calm a storm with just 3 words, raise the dead. Did she consider that her son would save her family, her descendants and even herself? That he had walked where angels trod, that he would rule the nations, or that he would be heaven’s perfect lamb sacrificed for the entire world? All the power of the Great I Am wrapped up in a little baby.  It was far too much to comprehend. 

Mary was a Hebrew girl who had found favor with God. She must have honored and loved God to have found such favor that she would be the mother of the Son of God. Mary had most likely heard about the prophecies concerning the Messiah. Now God had told her through his angels that this miracle that had been prophesied throughout history was becoming reality, and it was physically starting with her.

Being a mother, I want the best for my children. I want them to be successful and happy. When I sing this song about Mary being the mother of the single most important person in history, my heart gets weak and my throat closes up. To imagine Mary cuddling her sweet baby who would be the Savior of the world, THE one true and living King of Heaven and earth, it’s difficult for the words of the song to come out. So, since becoming a mother, I cannot get through this song without tears in my eyes. 

Listen and imagine the enormity of the words. The power of the Great I Am!

That I May Know Him

More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord... that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings... Philippians 3: 8, 10

A I was studying the book of Philippians, these verses seemed to leap off the page right into my heart. I started using Kay Author's “The New Inductive Study Series” to study books of the Bible. The study on Philippians and Colossians is titled, “That I May Know Him.” (Side note: if you want to know a book of the Bible backward and forward, in and out, these studies do that! They are not about Arthur's insight, but about the insight you receive when you really study the scriptures for yourself.)

I chose this one first because I want to know more about God Himself. Until we truly know who God is, how can we love and serve him whole-heatedly? When I read this verse, I found myself asking, “Is knowing Christ Jesus more important than anything else? Anything that I may have to give up in order to do so? It was to Paul. Obviously so. Paul gave up everything to know Jesus and by knowing Him, to serve him with all that he was.

Most Christians would say that they already know Jesus. Being saved is the most important step in knowing Jesus, but it isn't the final step. As Christians, our heart's desire should be to know all that we are able about our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus. In relationships, whether it be a friendship, marital, sibling, etc..., we don't feel close to a person if we don't take the time to get to know them. How is it any different with God?

The Lord put a desire in my heart a few years ago to find out more about who He is, His character and His attributes. He lead me to a Bible study called “Knowing God by Name” by Mary Kassian. By this time, I had been involved in and lead several women's bible studies at church. I decided to do this one for myself over the summer. I was so moved by it, I wanted to share it with others. Out of all the studies I had done, I have never gotten so much out of any of them as I did this one. I learned so much about God that my heart and perspective were changed. I grew to love Him more and be awestruck by Him more than I ever had before.

I was a little disappointed however, when I had the fewest number of women in this class out of all the studies we had done. Now, I know that things come up and some people who may have wanted to be there were not able. But the numbers did tend to suggest something. Other studies were more about how we could change or how God could help us. This study was strictly about getting to know our Father. It seemed that subject wasn't as interesting. What I would loved to have told them is that our lives and we, personally, do change for the better when we get to know God better! There is immeasurable value in knowing God.

It seems to be the unfortunate and unintentional truth of Christians today to stay so busy that taking the time to get to know God, takes a back seat to nearly everything else. I heard our pastor say yesterday that many people only go to church when there is nothing else on the schedule to do. Church often takes a back seat to other things. I am not legalistic and I know that sometimes things come up, but when it becomes a habit, we need to ask ourselves have these other things become idols?

What about our time spent at home? Do we let sleep, tv, social media, household chores, etc... squeeze out the time that we need to devote to learning about God? I once heard a pastor say that whatever you can't give up to spend time with Jesus is more important to you than He is. That really hit me hard because I didn't think I could give up sleep in the morning to get out of bed early to pray, but I didn't want extra sleep to be more important to me than Jesus. (Unfortunately, I have often had to be reminded of this. Those who know me, know I like to sleep as long as I can in the morning! My best sleep is around 5am).

Look again at what Paul said, “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus.” When I look at the list above, it is truly convicting that I would consider any of these things as more important than knowing Jesus. We would never think that! But when we allow them to keep us from reading God's word, from prayer or going to church, that is what we are saying. They have become our idols, because we have made them more important than God. Why waste so much of our precious time on things that have no value? It doesn't make sense. “Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15,16)

I pray that the earnest desire of my heart and yours is the same as Paul's in verse 10 “that I [we] may know Him.”

Only a Dream

Last night I had a dream that felt so happy and light only to wake to a realization that brought me to tears. My sister and I were sitting on the bed in our old room laughing and talking when my dad came walking down the hall. He was smiling and laughing, probably cracking some joke with us. He had a slight limp, but he was otherwise healthy. I joyfully pointed out that not too long ago, he couldn't walk at all. Now he was healed and everything was back to normal, only better.

Suddenly I awoke and immediately realized that my dad was gone. He had not been healed while here on earth. I began to sob. What a cruel dream. I knew my dad was walking, talking and singing in heaven, no longer bound by ALS, but how sweet it was in my dream to have him back with us. To see his smile and hear his laugh.


Change is hard. It's been nearly two years since Daddy died, but the change that his absence has left is permanent. That's difficult to grasp sometimes. Our family dynamic has changed. My sisters and I lost the man that we knew would come to our rescue, if we asked. My brothers lost their closest confidant and mentor. My mom lost the love of her life and best friend. Change is hard. As I write this, I feel like a little girl again who needs her daddy. We didn't have the most affectionate relationship, but my dad could always be counted on. Even as an adult, or maybe especially as an adult, I knew he was there for me when I needed him.


Now that I am older, so many of my friends and family have lost or are losing their parents. It seems to be the stage of life that we are in or are coming into. Grown men, like my husband, who have had close relationships with their dads, feel lost without them, at least at first. Who do they go to now for fatherly advice or a listening ear? A dad is a dad no matter how old you are. The void is never really filled. There are those who have lost their mothers, the heart of their homes. The glue that seemed to hold everything and everyone together. Entire families can feel lost. I know I would feel lost without my mom.


Life changes come in many ways, but none so hard as the loss of a loved-one. That change is permanent. I can think of those whom I know personally that have lost a sister or brother who was not only a sibling, but a friend. Women my own age who have lost their babies, a loss that only a parent could comprehend.


So what do we do? How do we get past the hurt and the emptiness. The sadness and pain? The only way I know is to run to the One who knows our hurts, who feels our pain and wants to bring comfort to our hearts. Psalm 34:18 tells us that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Jesus knows this life is hard. He knows the pain of loss and heartache. Jesus, knowing he could heal Lazarus, wept with compassion at the pain of his friends. Jesus cares for us. 1 Peter 5:7. Psalm 27:10 says, “Even if my mother and father forsake me, the Lord will take me up.” Though parents lost in death haven't forsaken their children, they are still gone. The Lord will hold us close.


In this life, we will have heartache. We will face many changes. We all need God's comfort to get through and wisdom and strength to move forward. Even when we don't understand and are even angry with God, the best thing to do, the only thing to do, is to run TO Him, not from Him. He is our refuge from the storm. Our anchor of hope. Hebrews 6:19

Psalm 18:2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Fear: The Struggle is Real

 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

There are many people in the Bible that I truly admire. Joshua is one of those people. I was excited that our Sunday school lesson Sunday was about Joshua and how the Lord used him to lead God’s people into the land he had promised them. Joshua was one of the two spies, the other being Caleb, who believed God would help them possess the Promised Land. The other ten were full of fear and gave a negative report. They didn’t believe God would or perhaps even could help them. Out of these 12 men, only two made it into the Promised Land: Joshua and Caleb. The rest died in the wilderness.

We had our 4^th graders count the number of times God told Joshua to be strong and courageous in our scripture text 1-9. In just 3 verses, 6,7 and 9, God told Joshua these words 3 times. We aren’t told how Joshua was feeling about his new task of taking Moses’ place in leading this large group of people as well as leading the battles against their foes that would ultimately secure their inheritance. But God knew his heart. From the evidence of these encouraging words being spoken to Joshua 3 times in one encounter, along with commanding him not to be afraid or discouraged, it seems that Joshua may have been a little nervous. God in His loving nature didn’t expect Joshua to be strong and courageous, nor win the battles in his own strength. I love that He encouraged Joshua and assured him that He would be with him. Verse 9 says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Fear is a reality for many people. Fear and anxiety can often paralyze a person. It can keep them in bondage, holding them back from doing things that God is calling them to do. Fear of rejection, fear of crowds, fear of public speaking, fear of failure, fear of not measuring up, fear of being compared to someone else, fear of giving up control, etc...etc...etc... None of these fears are from God. 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. 

I’m not speaking about something I know nothing about. I have been prey to each of these at some point in my life. Some of them still rear their ugly heads occasionally, and I have to resist them and trust God. (Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee. James 4:7) I remember when I was a teenager/young adult when it was time for greeting each other during our Sunday morning service at church, I would slip out the back until it was over, afraid to have to talk to people. I didn’t take chorus in junior high and high school, even though I loved singing, because I was afraid I would have to sing a solo in front of everyone. At 25, my Aunt who led the singing at church wanted me to sing with the praise team. Sometimes I would wait until the singing was over to go into church because I was afraid she would call me up on stage.

As a new mom, I turned down an invite to go out with my husband’s parents and some family friends because I was afraid my baby would start crying, and I wouldn’t be able to comfort him. The woman we were going with also had a baby and he never cried. I was afraid she would be seen as a better mother than I. Worst of all, I was afraid my mother-in law would take him from me, and he would stop crying. Oh the horror! 

I could go on and on, but you get the point. At a defining point in my walk with God, I had had enough. I was at a retreat where we were told to write down something that we were willing to ultimately give to God and place the paper in a basket at the foot of a cross, obviously symbolic of laying it at the feet of Jesus. This was one of mine. I was tired of being timid and afraid. God has helped me so much with this. I do still have my moments, but I don’t let them take me down and keep me from doing what God is calling me to do. I want my children to see me as a confident woman of God. Not in her own abilities but in trusting God to help her overcome her fears. I want them to be strong and courageous and do whatever God leads them to do. I need to be a good example for them. 

Being courageous doesn’t mean you are completely fearless; it means you do whatever needs to be done in spite of your fear. And we don’t have to do it alone. God is with us. We need to be like Joshua and Caleb who trusted God and believed in His ability to give them victory instead of like the other ten spies who feared defeat and didn’t trust God to do what He said He would do. They actually let their fear and unbelief defeat them. By doing so, they disobeyed God, thus never seeing the reality of what He had promised them.

Remember, the first step is always the hardest!

Are We Peculiar?

"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." Romans 12:2

“We have to question a Christianity that has so distorted the doctrine of grace that a simple call to obedience is mistaken for legalism. Challenging people to live the normal Christian life rather than accommodate themselves to sin is not a guilt trip or manipulation.” K.P. Yohannon - The Road to Reality.

It seems that there is a growing trend among Christians that being saved means to acknowledge Jesus, but it isn’t necessary to live a life that is different from anyone else. We can still say what we want, dress how we want and do what we want. It’s nobody’s business. As long as no one gets hurt, it doesn’t matter. This concept contradicts what the Bible says about being set apart from the world. 1 John 3:7-10 is clear about what God expects from people who claim to be His: living righteously and loving others.

Jesus said that we do not belong to this world. (John 17:16) As Jesus was praying for his disciples, he prayed for us too. (vs. 20) Jesus said in verse 19 that he gave himself as a holy sacrifice so that we can be made holy through His truth. He gave his disciples and us a job to do, to spread the gospel. Why then do so many Christians live lives that are no different from the rest of the world? Jesus set us apart for Himself. He wants to use us in awesome ways. Many of us, though, are content to stay right where we are, not willing to let go of worldly mindsets. We are to be God’s witnesses to a lost world. If we don’t act, look or speak any differently than the world, how will anyone be able to tell us apart? Do we want them to be able? 2 Corinthians 5:20 tells us, “We are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us.” Did you get that? God is making His appeal through us! We are his instruments, his mouthpieces. What are our lives saying? Do they match what we profess? In Mark 7:6, Jesus said, “These people honor me with their lips but their heart is far from me.”

Romans 12:2 says that God will transform us into new people by changing the way we think IF we will let him. The problem with many Christians and people in general is that they don’t want to change the way they think. They don’t want anyone, even God, telling them to change their behavior. It’s my life, right? Well, no. If we have accepted Jesus as our savior, we belong to him. We are no longer our own for we were bought with a price. (1 Corinthians 7:23, 6:20)
 
Our Speech
The way we speak affects others. We are told in God’s word to put away filthy language, coarse joking and idle talk. (Ephesians 5:4) We are told to edify and build each other up. (1 Thessalonians 5:11, Romans 14:19) Why would someone listen to me tell them about Jesus when they just heard me gossiping about a co-worker? Why would they want to go to church with me and sing praises to God when they just heard me cursing or telling a dirty joke? Or if I'm alway critical and negative about everyone?
 
Our Bodies
1 Corinthians 6:18-20 says that we are to honor God with our bodies. Verse 18 speaks of sexual sins, and unfortunately the number of divorces among Christians due to infidilety reveals that this is a real vice among God's people. Verses 19-20 clearly tell us that our bodies and our spirits belong to God. How do we take care of ourselves? What habits do we have that are destroying our bodies? How do we present our bodies, which are temples of the Holy Ghost, to the world?

We are an example to the next generation. Why would our daughters listen when we tell them to respect themselves and to value inner beauty over outer beauty when Christian women are preoccupied with appearance and wear clothes that are far too revealing? 1 Timothy 2:9 tells us that we should dress modestly, with decency and good sense.

When we teach our sons to respect women, we need to be respectable women. The only man’s attention that a Christian woman should try to obtain is her own husband’s. Married or single, we still live by the same precept. The way we dress does affect other people, and if we dress provocatively, the attention we get is always negative, whether we realize it or not. Some husbands want their wives to dress in such a manner as to draw attention from other men. Yes, a husband should be attracted to his wife and be proud of who she is. But persuading her to dress daringly so that he can feel better about himself is a heart issue that he needs to pray about. Husbands are to protect and cherish their wives, not put her on display.
 
Our Behavior
Is our behavior Christ-like? If people know we profess to be Christians, they are watching what we do. Ephesians 5: 1 says we are to be imitators of Christ. We should remember that we are Christ’s witnesses in words and in action. How do we behave in traffic with our Jesus fish symbol or cross decal on our back window? How do we treat the forgetful waitress? What kind of events do we attend or which movies do we go see? 

Yes, we are free in Christ. Galatians 5:13, however, says, “For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh…” In Romans 14:13-23, Paul talks about not using our freedom to be a stumbling block for others. Our freedom in Christ is not so that we can continue to sin, but it is so that we can be free from the bondage of sin. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.” 1 Peter 2:24

We as Christians must realize that we have been called to live a life of obedience to God. That, in it-self, will set us apart. Jesus said if we love Him, we will keep his commandments. (John 14:15) He doesn’t call us to live differently because he wants to ruin our fun. He knows what is best for us and for others around us. He wants our lives to reflect his glory. (2 Corinthians 3:18) Who will we, as children of God, reflect: the world and its ever-changing notions of right and wrong or Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today and forever?

“Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”1 Peter 2:9 Peculiar here means different, chosen for God by God. We have been taken from darkness to light. We are children of the light. Let’s live like it!

I'm Not Crazy, Mr. Reid

'“Good Luck,” Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, said of the uphill Republican drive to garner 60 of the 100 Senate votes needed to cut off Planned Parenthood’s money. “We’re dealing with the health of American Women, and they’re dealing with some right-wing crazy.”' Fox News

Well, Mr. Reid, I AM an American woman and apparently I am a “right-wing crazy” too. Why am I crazy? Perhaps I am “crazy” with outrage that tax-funded Planned Parenthood provides on average over 328,000 abortions per year, many of which are gruesome, excruciatingly painful for the baby, late-term abortions. Of which, Planned Parenthood’s own staff has admitted that they actually use ultrasound to make sure they are “crushing” the baby in the right places as not to damage the organs that bring the most demand.

Perhaps I am “crazy” because I believe that the majority of Americans are disgusted by this atrocity. It’s obvious, according to Harry Reid, that the majority of our politicians in DC are not disgusted, or at least not enough to take a stand. Which makes me wonder why on earth do they keep getting re-elected?  Thankfully our Georgia officials are not among this group.

Does it make me crazy because I think it is ridiculous that a program funded by federal dollars is not regulated and monitored more closely? Am I crazy for being alarmed that my government sees nothing wrong with what PP has done that they would continue to force Americans to support them? Am I crazy to dread what kind of people live in our country that would support such despicable practices?

Am I crazy for having compassion for innocent babies whose lives are less valuable completely whole and alive than they are torn apart and sold or “donated” for research, etc…? Is the sum of their parts (a living child) really less valuable than their divided “parts”?

Ok, yes, Planned Parenthood may offer drug screening, cancer screening and birth control. All of which are also available at other centers. Besides these awful "organ harvesting confession” videos, I have seen an undercover video before of PP employees telling pimps how to provide abortions for the underage girls who work for them. PP has no shame. They are an evil entity.

Ok, fine Harry Reid, if I am crazy for standing up for what’s right and believing that life is more important than money or politics, then So. Be. It. I am in good company.

Know the Word

(I actually wrote this 2.5 years ago for a newspaper article, but it still rings true today, with an even greater urgency)

I recently read where some well-known news talk show hosts were bashing the Bible.  MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell recently went on a rant that no one believes “that book” anymore, no one.  “There are no literal followers of the Word of God as presented in the Bible left on earth.” O’Donnell claimed. Then he went on to bash its contents and give his opinion of “one of our most absurdist traditions” of placing the hand on the Bible during inauguration. CNN’s Piers Morgan suggests that the Bible is flawed and needs to be amended to foster acceptance of homosexuality. He then went on to try to prove his theory by bringing up Old Testament laws and punishments. (Of course, he failed to mention the fact that this sin along with many others are referred to in the New Testament as well.) While Pastor Rick Warren (his guest) tried to explain the background of the text he was referring to, it was clear that Morgan had no desire to understand anything but his own opinion.

While these statements angered me, they did not surprise me. People who live in darkness as these two men obviously do, do not know God’s word, believe it, or respect it. We as Christians have a job to do. We have to get God’s word in our hearts and spirits now. We need to value God’s word. As much as these men and many like them devalue it, we need to cherish it and devour it. We need to know the truth and teach it to our children before the likes of these men turn our children from the truth of God’s word. Deuteronomy 6:7 says to “impress them (God’s commandments) on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” It is the most important thing we can do for our children.

God’s word is not just a book. It is Truth and it is alive. “All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16) Many people like Morgan are completely wrong in their understanding of the Old Testament and use this to discredit the entire Bible. I understand how lost people could do that. How can we expect those who do not know the one that the Bible points to, Jesus Christ, to understand if they have not studied its contents, background or history? Even then, it would be the Holy Spirit who would reveal the Truth of its pages to them. 

The problem is that many Christians really don’t know either. Many Christians do not take the time to learn the Bible and probably would not have been able to answer the accusations of Morgan. We as Christians need to be able to give a reason for what we believe. "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." (1 Peter 3:15) 

While I don’t believe in arguing Christianity,("The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:14) I do believe in standing up for Christ and the Word of God. Does that mean we all have to be Bible scholars? No. However, it should be our desire to know as much about God and His Word as we can. We spend far too much time and energy on non-essential things and not enough on what is eternally important, not only for us, but for our children and the lost people all around us. We need to redirect our energies to knowing and living out God’s word.
 
Yes, we as Christians have a job to do. We need to know the Bible, live it, teach it and share it in love and with wisdom.