A Test Without A Curve

One of the very great misconceptions there seems to be among people who believe in God is that He will let them in to heaven if they have been relatively good.  There is this false idea that if a person has never committed a murder, robbed a bank or assaulted anyone they will make the cut.  The problem is that this notion compares people to each other instead of to God's standard, and God doesn't grade on a curve.  You have to attain a perfect score to pass the entrance exam into His kingdom.  

"That's impossible!" You may think, and I am glad you recognize it if you do.  The Bible says that "all have sinned," (Romans 2:23), and that "there is none righteous, no not one," (Romans 3:10).  We can't make it on our own merit or achievement.  That is why God sent His perfect Son to come and  pass the test.  God doesn't curve our grade, but He gives us the right to claim Jesus' test score as our own if we simply ask.  

Jesus is the only one who ever earned a perfect 100%.  He lived on earth as a human with all of our desires and temptations, but never gave in to one of them.  He suffered, bled and died the death that we deserved for all of our rebellion against God's perfect nature.  He gave himself as our substitute so that we could have our life stamped with His perfect score.  The only right answer to our test is, "Jesus."  All we must do is receive the free gift He is offering based on His performance, not ours.  

Will you admit today that all the good you have ever done will never add up to a perfect score?  Will you give up the deception that if you are good compared to other people He will let you enter on your own merit? Will you trust His sacrifice of perfection as the only way to be accepted by a Holy God?  "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them."  (John 3:36)

Your perfect score was ruined by sin long ago, as was mine.  You can't ever bring your score back up to 100%. There will always be points missing.  You can't make them up. There's no extra credit.   Jesus wants to come into your life, change your grade, and begin making you more like Him, but He is waiting for you to invite Him in.  God doesn't grade on a curve, and Jesus isn't a party crasher.  He won't sneak in the back door.  He will only come in if you ask him to.  

jmhuyett

No Cheap Imitation

What comes to mind when you hear the word imitation?  Does it bring to mind something fake that is only a representation of something real?    Do you think of cubic zirconia, or the seafood package labeled "imitation crab?"  There's nothing wrong with these things, they are acceptable as what they actually are, but we don't want to be fooled by their appearance.  Not all imitation is a cheap attempt to replicate something that cannot be manufactured; there is a kind that is genuine.  When someone inspires us, we want to be like them.  We may adapt our appearance, speech or behavior to gain the qualities that draw us to them.  While it is important to be ourselves, people often do adopt characteristics that they learn from others that they admire.

When I was a girl my mama used to tell me that imitation was the sincerest form of flattery.  I certainly had my doubts about that.  When younger kids would "copy" me I found it bothersome and annoying. No doubt there is a type of imitation that is meant as mockery, but there is also a type that should give the one being imitated a sense of responsibility to be a worthy leader.  After all, what are imitators but followers?  In the Bible we find statements like, "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children."  Ephesians 5:1 and, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ." 1 Corinthians 1:1.  As a child I was too immature to realize that being imitated is an amazing opportunity, but now that I am seasoned I am beginning to understand that God uses this type of relationship to build His Kingdom.

On Thursday I was teaching a children's Bible class when a little girl in kindergarten got my attention and told me that she plays church at home.  I wanted to affirm her for having a heart for the things of God, but wasn't at all expecting what I heard next.  "I pretend to teach like you."  I don't think that child could possibly know what an encouragement her confession was to me.  It is too easy to become discouraged as a teacher when you have kids who are putting all there energy into disrupting the class and trying to prevent the message from being clearly delivered.  To know that there is one child there who would actually go home and play out the act of teaching is enough to keep me going for a while.  

I wonder who she teaches and what her message is.  Does she set up her dolls and tell them about the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus walking on water, or the parable of the talents.  Does she remind her class over and over that Jesus died in their place so their sins could be forgiven if they believe on Him?  Maybe she has a little brother or sister she can teach.  I remember telling the kids a couple of weeks ago that they can practice telling their pets the good news so that they will feel more confident when they have a chance to share with a person.  To hear that one of the kids is really practicing at home is such a blessing.  At five or six years old, God is preparing this little girls heart to teach, and I believe He is going to use her.  He already has!  As often happens the student has opened the eyes of the teacher.

I can't go back and undo the messes I made in my past by allowing imitation to frustrate me, but from where I am I can become the leader God created me to be.  I can embrace the opportunity to show others how to be like Christ.  I must continually point the way to Him, and be an imitator of God, so that when others see something in me they would like to become they will understand that it's really Him in me.  It is a great responsibility, but also a great privilege and joy.  "For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?"  1 Thessalonians 2:19

One Star

There's something about me that you may have figured out on your own by now, but I'm just going to come right out and say it...  I love Jesus!  He's the best!  There's no one on earth that compares to Him.  There are plenty of famous people out there, but in my book He is the only one who really is a star.  Who else biologically has God as their Father?  (By the way, about God and Jesus, you can't really be crazy about the one without loving the other as well, and the Holy Spirit too.  Their a package deal; an inseparable trio if you understand me.)  Who else came to live without sin and die an undeserved death to pay for the sins of the world?  Who else conquered death and rose to life never to die again?  Who else went to heaven to be with the Father and sent the Holy Spirit to live inside those who believe?  The fact that the Holy Spirit lives inside of me makes it impossible not to be smitten with the Father and the Son.  I hope you're not shocked by this disclosure, but there it is.  

Really, what had me thinking about this today was a video clip of a young girl who performed on The X Factor, and was told she was a star.  She stood before a multitude of people with such great confidence and used her talent so well.  I liked her.  She didn't seem arrogant or conceited, but rather she sang boldly without any apparent doubt in her ability.  She just seemed to connect with what was inside of her and let it pour out.  She said that she sings from her heart, and it showed.  It reminded me of how I feel when I sing for Jesus.  I don't know where her confidence comes from.  I do know this... The reason that I can sing or speak in front of anyone at all is because I know that God lives in me, and I want to bring glory to Him.  I won't deny that I appreciate a sincere pat on the back as much as the next person, but I couldn't do what I do unless He had called me to do it for Him.  I don't have confidence in myself.  I was born and raised with very little esteem of the flesh and bones that are Juanita Marie, but the closer my relationship with Almighty God becomes, the more I realize that I can have confidence in what He will do in and through me. 

There are many people out there that inspire me, people I admire, but the reason is not what they have done so much as who they are pointing people to.  They love Jesus like I do.  Their sphere of influence may be larger, but we have the same core.  It is sad to see people who are living with empty fame and success because they are missing the the One that would make them really shine.  You see we can't really be stars.  What we can be are mirrors that reflect the brilliance of God to the eyes of the people around us so that they see Him.  Any other type of sparkle is merely glitter and paste that will eventually crumble and disintegrate over time.  It will flake off and it will fall to the ground.  God's kingdom will last forever and those who have reflected His light will forever be a part of it,  but you can't reflect the Father without believing in the Son and receiving the Holy Spirit.  Knowing that the Holy Spirit is living in you and will reflect the Father to the world through the work of His Son on the cross is definitely a source of confidence. 

Wherever God calls me to shine here on earth, whether it be in a small sphere or a great realm, I want to shine with the light that the Holy Spirit reflects back to God.  I want to bring Him glory, honor and praise, and I want everyone around me to be able to see Him when they look at me.  I have the awesome privilege of being used by God to help lead people to worship Him.  I am weak.  Sometimes I am distracted about playing or singing the right notes, sometimes I am distracted by the people in front of me, but those moments when The Spirit takes over and I feel like He is using me the way a skilled musician plays their instrument: that is indescribable.  Everyday I get caught up in trying to get things done right, or how the people around me are being affected, but I want to strive for a life of being used by God and showing people His magnificence. 

Stair Steps In The Dark

Have you ever stood at the top of a stair case in the dark and wondered how you were going to get to the bottom without falling?  I have a staircase in my house that has three entry points.  From the top it comes straight down from a hallway on one side, and down from a landing in front of two bedrooms on the other side.  The two descending sets of stairs meet at a landing before descending the final stretch to the bottom.  The catch is that only two of theses points have a light switch.  At night, a descent from my bedroom on the hallway side is often navigated in the dark.  Ironically, I want to see the stairs so I can gracefully walk down them, but I can't turn the light on until I reach the bottom, then I can flip the switch and see each step clearly after I've come down them.

As I prepare to find my way down the stairs in the dark it is quite difficult to determine where the edge of the first vertical drop is.  I approach it slowly.  There is no guide rail on that top section.  I can put my hand on the wall for balance, but there is no indication where the decline begins.  I slide my foot forward and begin to tap with my toes feeling for the place where there is no more floor.  I inch a little farther and try again.  Eventually I will feel that the step is in front of me and I will ease my way down it, because I can't see how far the drop is.  When I get to the landing my hands become more useful because there is a half wall which acts as a railing, and sometimes there is a light on in the living room which dimly lights the way.  That first step at the top is the most difficult though; it is the hardest to find.  

I was explaining to a friend yesterday how I feel like I am standing at the top of a dark staircase in my life.  There is somewhere I want to go, but I am unsure of where the first step is.  I'm sliding my foot out and tapping.  I'm pondering my options, and I am praying for God to show me where it is and help me to step correctly.  Maybe I have actually been looking for the third or the fourth step in this process, while the first is closer and more gentle that I expected.  You see I have a project I want to do.  The Lord, my Father God, through the Holy Spirit has put several messages in my heart, messages that are consistent with His Word, and has enabled me to construct songs out of them.  While it is possible that these songs are just for me, I have a conviction that they were meant to be shared, not hidden.  I would like to do a recording project to allow these songs an avenue to circulate and impact lives in a positive way, bringing glory to The God who initiated them in my heart.  The problem is I have no idea where to actually start that process, but still I am taking a step now by asking you to begin, if  you know The Lord and if you will, to pray with me about what comes next.

There are a few places I am getting hung up.  The first dilemma is where to do the recording.  Should I search out a professional studio, should I ask my son, Cody, to do it at home with our private equipment, or is there another option I am overlooking?  The next question is should I do a very simple recording with my limited guitar skills and my voice only, or should I invite other musician friends to participate in a band format?  I know the music because it's a part of me, but everyone else would have to invest in learning it.  I have a certain simple style. With other musicians involved that would be developed into something more complex.  At the very least I would like for my son, Austin, to play piano on a couple of *public domain songs, which will add something familiar to the selection of new material.  In fact it would be nice to have each member of the family participate in some way.  The third issue is, of course, money.  Where is the funding for this project going to come from?  We shouldn't need anything we don't already have if we do it ourselves and keep it simple, but should I get help from people with experience?  In other words, should I trust God to supply the means, or trust that He already has?  I don't want to let pride stand in the way of doing God's will, because He will use the weak to show Himself strong.  He can work through my limitations to show how good and powerful He is.  I need to leave all this in God's hands, believing that He has a plan.  I have to have faith that He will show me the first step.  Just because I cannot see it doesn't mean it isn't there, but just because it is there doesn't mean I have come to it yet.  So, I keep tapping my toe in the dark waiting to feel the edge of the step in front of me.  I pray that when God shows me where it is I will have the courage and energy to move forward without fear or hesitation.   In the mean time I will keep practicing the music and asking Him for guidance.

*not subject to copyright.

This House

1997

This morning I was walking down from the barn to the house, when for some reason I started to think about our very first visitor here.  Uncle Rod was the first person who came to see us at our new place sixteen years ago.  I think he was really excited for us until he got here.  His first visit turned into an inspection, as he walked from widow to window with a candle, to show us how drafty and in efficient our house was.  I know he was just concerned for us.  It was October and we had a seven month old son to think about.  I remember being overwhelmed and hurt by all of the issues he pointed out that day.  Soon my sister came to visit, and though she held back her opinions that day, I found out several years later that she had also been rather shocked and disappointed by our choice. She only mentioned this after many projects had improved the conditions and she could express appreciation for that.  We bought our house knowing that there were things we needed to change, but we saw the potential more than the problems, and we made the investment intending to do the work.

2014

How much more does Christ look at me and see my potential more than my problems?  He could have looked at me and said, "What a mess!  I am going to invest in someone who has it more together,"  But He invested in me!  I'm not saying He chose me instead of someone else, just that He didn't turn away from me because of my pathetic condition. He put His Holy Spirit in me as a down payment, guaranteeing that He would do all the necessary work to turn me into a presentable dwelling.  Ephesians 1:13-14 says, "In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."    He's working in me, but He's also using me as I am in the meantime, just as we moved into our house and began replacing windows and insulating rooms one at a time.  The fact that our house needed work didn't make it any less ours.  We had bought it and we were going to live in it.

  

Our house still isn't finished, and it never really will be.  There will always be things that need to be repaired or updated here.  In the meantime we stay here, and we work with what we've got.  Friends come over and we enjoy time together even if the staircase still doesn't have carpet or baseboards.  We have a warm place to sleep even though some of the rooms need new paint.  We enjoy meals together here regardless of the kitchen cabinets being old and stained.  Like I said, there will always be things that we want to change here in our house.  Though the housework goes on, the good news is that someday the work on my heart will be complete.  I know I use this verse a lot, but it's one of my favorites, "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."  (Philippians 1:6)  Completion!  What a thought!

What about you?  Has God begun construction in your heart and life?  Have you ever thought you were too much of a mess for Him to consider?  You're not!  In fact, Jesus says in Luke 5:32 "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”  There's not a mess too big for Him to fix, but He gives each individual the choice to stay as they are or allow the work to begin.  We can't do the work on our own, God has to do it, but He waits for us to invite Him in.  "For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'" (Romans 10:13)  Did I forget to mention that there is an excessive cost to this project?  Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."   The price is high, but God paid it through the death of His Son so that He could offer this to us as a gift.  Death had no power over God's perfect Son in whom there was no sin, and He rose to life on the third day.  We can call on Him!  He is alive!  He's ready to get to work in each of us as soon as we will open the door of our heart so He can make it His home. 

Why I Believe In God

This week our pastor began a series giving his reasons for believing.  The first sermon was called "Why I Believe In God."  There are other topics coming up like "Why I Believe the Bible," "Why I Believe In Jesus,"  and the list goes on.  One of the observations he made was that there are three aspects to belief:  experiential, biblical and logical.  He explained that his belief occurred in that order.  He believed the message and had the experience of the Holy Spirit working in his life, then he began studying the scriptures, and finally he began to see why it was logical.  He also told us that this happens in varying order for different people.  He knows someone who first found belief in God to be logical, then they studied the scriptures and finally experienced the work of God in their life.  I had to ask myself the question, "how did this come about for me?"

I was raised in the church.  That's kind of a funny expression.  When I said that to one of my young children several years ago, they thought it meant I lived in a church building.  Being raised in the church really means being brought up in an environment with followers of Christ.  The church is made up of people, not bricks and wood and mortar.  I went to Sunday School, and I was taught stories from the Bible.  I was four years old when I put my faith in Christ, and He began to work in my life.  He was there for me through many difficulties and trials as a child, and I know I couldn't have made it through them without Him.  I am not sure whether to say that my first step was biblical or experiential, but the experience was probably the stronger of the two at the beginning. 

When I was a teen I went to a camp where I made a commitment to read the Bible everyday whether I understood it completely or not.  I still practice this though, I admit, there are days when I neglect it.  The truth is there are still times when I read and it goes over my head.  When things are familiar it is easy to read them without really thinking, but sometimes my eyes are opened to truths that I have been missing.  Listening to the messages of those who are more mature has been an important part of my understanding.  The greatest discovery, probably in my early twenties, was that of grace.  The concept of undeserved favor with God was something that I had never really grasped.  I always felt unworthy, and rightly so, I was, but to discover that God wasn't angry with me because of my failures was amazing.  To understand that not only was salvation through faith in Christ free, but so was the love and acceptance of God the Father.  This is about the time the biblical aspect really began to strengthen my faith and the "stories" began to come together.  

As far as logic goes, I don't have any fancy argument or scientific explanations to give, but there is evidence all around me. When I go for a walk in the spring and the earth is turning green and the flowers start to bloom, I know that God has it all in His hand.  When I stand on a mountain and look out across a valley to ridge upon ridge of magnificence, I know that God created it.

When I hear people argue that it all began as a random occurrence of chance, it breaks my heart.  I gave birth to four babies.  They are all miracles that could have only been designed by the awesome God.  If someone were to look at my children and deny they had a mother because they had never seen me, that would be ridiculous, yet there is an infinite God who gave new birth to my spirit, and people will say that He doesn't exist.  I'm not sure why my personal belief in my Creator and Savior would be offensive to anyone unless they serve another god, but my motive for wanting them to know Him is that I don't want them to be lost to eternal separation from the creator of all things good.  Here on earth everyone has the chance to catch glimpses of Him in creation, after life on earth they will either be in His presence where all is perfection, or His presence will be taken from them completely which is hell.

More  important  than  my  desire for  men  and women, boys and  girls to be saved,  is God's desire.   2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." He wants people to know Him and trust in the work of His Son on the cross.  He has given me a gift, along with all of His children, and He has instructed us to share it with the world. Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20,  "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”     The things that Jesus commanded us are to love God and to love one another.  (Matthew 22:36-40)  Anything we perceive as a rule we have to follow is really just an instruction to help us love.  God tells us what His character is like and then instructs us to be like Him.  (Leviticus 19:2) (1 Peter 1:15-16)  

Everyone is different, but we were all created by the same God.  Some believe in their Creator and others do not. I see the fingerprints of God all around me.  I hear His echo in the voices of His children.  I have seen Him change lives.  I have heard Him speak directly to my own heart when I have needed direction or comfort.  I don't just believe, but I have a relationship with Him. He is my Father.  He is my Savior.  He is My Creator.  He is my Friend.  He is my God!

The Rear View Mirror

The other day I was driving along the country road that takes me over the mountain toward town.  As I was passing the boarding stable on the right and approaching the farm on the left, I realized that my mirrors weren't set right.  I began to adjust them and was having a difficult time of it.  As I continued along I began to consider what a blessing it was that I hadn't run off the road or crashed into something.  My attention was focused so much behind me that I really wasn't watching where I was going.  It was by the grace of God that I was still on the road and hadn't hurt anyone.  I began to think about how life is like driving a car, and it's best to keep our attention focused on where we are going with only occasional glances at where we have been. 

It can be all to easy for that scene in the rear view mirror to distract us as we navigate this life.  Sometimes it's regret that takes our eyes off the road in front of us.  We get so caught up in the "should of, could of, would of," which we can't change, that we miss the now we could be excelling in.  Guilt over choices made in the past can plague us in the present if we allow it to.  There is no reason to dwell in the past; we must live in the present and look to the future with hope.  An occasional glance in the rear view mirror can remind us to make better choices now, but we don't have to continually beat ourselves up over them.  1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  If God sent His perfect Son to die in our place so that our sins could be forgiven (John 3:16), then who are we to hold a grudge against ourselves.  Paul says in Philippians 3:13-14 "...But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Another thing that can trip us up is camping out on fond memories and becoming discontent with our current situation.  This can harm relationships.  We can become so preoccupied with how things were that we find ourselves frustrated during a rocky spell, and rather than working our way through to the smoother road ahead, we get stuck.  Unfortunately many people abandon the relationship when, if they would just buckle their seat belt and endure the bumps, they would find what they're looking for a few miles down the road.  Sometimes you even have to get out and push, but it's worth the effort to keep moving forward.  I realize that this isn't always the case, and would not encourage a person to continue suffering actual abuse, but often the things that tear people apart are not so one sided.  It's ok to remember "the good old days,"  but not at the expense of the better days ahead.  Colossians 3:12-17 gives us some equipment and procedures to help us on our way.

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

When we keep our eyes on what is behind us instead of looking out ahead, we run the risk of getting off course and having a wreck.  There is one place it's always wise to fix our gaze.  Hebrews 12:2 speaks of "looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."   Whether the road is clear ahead or there are obstacles to overcome, whether the past is filled with mountain tops or deep dark tunnels,  there is only One who can take us into eternity filled will life abundant and free.  Let's keep our eyes on Jesus, and if you have never looked to Him, why not start today?

Special note:  Sometimes we need to reconcile things in our past, but it can be dangerous to try and do that alone.  If there are things you just can't leave behind you, please seek counseling.  I recommend finding a Christian counselor who will be straight with you about what God says in His word.