No sooner had Jesus begun his earthly ministry than great multitudes began to follow him. One day, the Lord entered the Mount of Olives with his disciples. When he sat down, he began to teach them the basic “Rules of Life” for Christian conduct, commonly known as “The Sermon on the Mount.” As I see it, these golden chapters of Matthew, five through seven, are like a companion manual or a primer within the Bible for all of the Lord’s disciples. Want to learn how to live an obedient, happy, and content life as a Christian? Let’s join the disciples as they sit at Jesus’s feet.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

To begin with, you should know that this word blessed means happy, supremely blessed, and well-off. Christ taught his disciples that those who follow these golden principles will know true happiness. It has been said that these eight virtues are the principal graces of the Christian.

Christ lists the first virtue of the Christian life to be poor in spirit.  This speaks of humility. People who are poor in spirit comprehend their standing before a holy God. They see themselves as lost, needing a Saviour. Once saved, theirs is the kingdom of heaven! Throughout their lives, they learn it is a contradiction for someone to profess that he or she is a Christian and not strive to learn and practice humility. The  foundation of all the subsequent principles is laid in this essential virtue of humility.

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”

There is a worldly sorrow and a godly sorrow. Those of us who have brought up children quickly recognize worldly sorrow. It is an insincere sorrow that is concocted only because someone got caught! Complete with crocodile tears, it is a temporary, counterfeit sorrow.   A true godly sorrow leads us to mourn over our sin, and it breaks our hearts to see the sins of others. Sin holds no gratification to one who understands the price Jesus paid for it. It should not bring satisfaction to any Christian who knows of someone who once professed Christ but has turned their back on the truth. That is nothing short of tragic. Christians who keep a close check on their lives and who endeavor to keep themselves unspotted from the world will be glad they did so once they get to heaven. Heaven will be a place of unimaginable joys for the child of God. “…for they shall be comforted.”

“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”

Meekness toward God is a firm belief and trust in God’s goodness and control over any situation. It is the opposite of self-will. This is the lifelong work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.  And truly, those who strive to possess meekness are happy because they are most like Jesus. And they will be happy residents of the perfect world to come. (Incidentally, Matthew Henry wrote a powerful little book entitled, “The Quest for Meekness and Quietness of Spirit.” I’ve read it more than a few times. It’s not an easy read. It’s one of those that when you read a few paragraphs, you find yourself saying, “Wait. What?” So you go back and read it again- but it is life-changing, and I highly recommend it.)

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

Hunger and thirst are appetites that return often. This perfectly describes the sold-out Christian. Matthew 6:33.

And I say “sold-out” because there are Christians that drag their feet. It is certainly possible that they could do more for Christ. They could be more. And undoubtedly they could love him more. Christ spoke of this once when he was invited to the home of Simon the Pharisee. A woman was present who demonstrated her profound love and gratefulness to Christ by anointing his feet with expensive perfume. Now, as is typical of a pharisee, he began to judge her because he knew what kind of sinner this woman was. But the Lord corrected him, stating that though this woman’s sins were numerous, she has been forgiven much. He then contrasted the woman’s great love for Christ with Simon’s lack of love for him, affirming that those who have, in their estimation, been forgiven for just a little, tend to love little. The pharisee was so arrogant that he didn’t even do the basic things typical of a host when receiving someone into their home, such as wash his feet or give him a customary kiss upon arrival. This is a simple story of the connection between forgiveness and love, revealing that those who have experienced God’s forgiveness will naturally express their love for him in any way they can and as often as they can. Her focus was solely on Christ and how much she loved him. This beatitude is so potent. Christ gave his word that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled with those blessings which accompany righteous living. They are especially happy because this grace proves they are a child of God.

“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”

Essentially, mercy is compassionate and kind treatment that goes beyond what is required or deserved. Wouldn’t you agree that the merciful just make the world a better place? They have compassion for others; they are helpful, good, and kind. And God will show his mercy to those who are merciful. Psalm 23 encourages us that as we go through life, we have only to glance behind us and see that goodness and mercy are following us all the days of our lives! God’s Word has many things to say about the blessings and rewards of one who shows mercy, and the Christian should never be unwilling to demonstrate it.

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”

True Christianity lies in the heart. Everything comes from the heart. The heart is like a fountain, the words are the streams.  Jesus, surrounded by the Pharisees one afternoon taught this: “A good man out of the good

treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”

And then he added a kind of, “by the way…”

“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”

The pure in heart have been converted. Their hearts have been changed. They are different. They do not want to continue in sin; nor do they justify it. Not perfect, but learning, applying, and growing. In Psalm 51, a broken-hearted David cried,

“Create in me a clean heart, O God…”

So the “Pure in heart” and only the pure in heart are blessed and supremely happy because one day they will be in the presence of God. They shall see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”

These extraordinary people make everything and everyone calm and peaceful. Never contentious. Never antagonistic or hot- headed. Honestly, where would we be without them! Peacemakers shine because they are so very gracious and discerning. They have a way of bringing drama down to a valid and credible perspective. These beautiful souls make everything serene and are wonderful representatives of “The Prince of Peace”. By means of their gracious and agreeable manner, they very naturally point souls to Christ; so clearly, they shall be known as God’s children.

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

This seems to be the greatest contradiction of all, for how are we supposed to be happy if we are being hurt, rejected, betrayed, and condemned? Well, the main reason is that it proves you

are a child of God! Consider it- the devil does not persecute his own. And the enemies of righteousness are, in actual fact, enemies of Christ! When our Lord presented this principle, he was teaching the disciples that day, and all of us who would come after them, not to center on all of our troubles. It is not the end all for the Christian. Know of a certainty that when you are persecuted (and sometimes at the hands of your own loved ones), rejected, threatened, wronged, and even despised for Christ’s sake, for living the life he has commanded us to live and exemplified for us, you have great rewards in heaven.

Well, just in case the disciples may have been thinking, and or you may be thinking, “But Lord, it doesn’t feel so great to be persecuted right now…”, Jesus gave them great exhortation and encouragement and that is how I’ll end this article.

“Ye are the salt of the earth:” You are saved for a reason. There is much to do. Christ let this small band of devoted followers know that the whole earth would be blessed because of them! Maybe they were thinking, “But what could a handful of salt do? We are so few…”. By living according to the principles the Lord had just presented, their lives- our lives– would have a tremendous impact on the world, for good. Salt has many wonderful qualities, but one of the most effective is its ability to penetrate. When we live as those who:

Walk in humility

Take a stand against sin

Have complete trust and confidence in God

Seek to live righteous lives

Demonstrate mercy and compassion

Keep our hearts and minds pure

And live as peacemakers who add so much quality to the lives of others

Well, that’s penetrating. That’s convicting. That’s convincing!

But Christ was not finished. He presents another metaphor.

“Ye are the light of the world.” This world is in darkness. People often stumble in the darkness, and multitudes lose their way. Jesus Christ is the light. His light is truth. We as believers ought to have a clear and brilliant impact on this world, reflecting that light and leading the world to him.

But how does the world see this light in us? Well, I think we all would agree that the world watches us. They regard us. They know who we are. They see us Sunday after Sunday, Wednesday after Wednesday, taking our family and Bibles to church. They see how we dress, how our children behave, how we walk and talk. They mark us by our good works. They see that we choose to follow Christ’s commandments and never compromise. So we do have a great influence.

So what will be the results of following these principles? Of being the salt and light of the world? There will be those throughout this world who, by observing our love for Christ and the message we bring, will be convinced of the excellency of Christ, and by that, glorify our Father which is in heaven.

What a privilege.

Thank you so much for reading,

Liz

Christ had empowered his disciples to work wonders. Astounding miracles. And these men, who had forsaken all to follow Christ, were undefeated in all of their attempts to do God’s will and be greatly used of him. But the day came, as we read in Matthew 17, when they faced a significant challenge in the form of an unrelenting obstacle.

The ever-present multitude of onlookers was gathered around the disciples in the shadow of a great mountain. The scene was a pathetic one. The center of attention on that day was a desperate father in search of a miracle. He brought his demon-possessed son to the disciples. All watched as, one by one, the disciples approached the tormented child but failed in every attempt to deliver him from his evil captor. They had encountered a situation in which, regardless of the indisputable ability Jesus had given them and independent of past victories, they felt overwhelmed, helpless, and simply gave up.

This was an enormous problem for the disciples. From their perspective, these men loved the Lord. They left home, family, and occupation to follow him. What happened? Despite the victories they had known, it now appeared they were powerless to defeat this particular devil. But even more disturbing, did they do something to cause this?

Well, you know how the story goes. Christ, Peter, James, and John enter the scene upon their descent from a nearby mountain. It is a mountain that is about to become an object lesson the disciples will not soon forget. But all in due time. First, the Lord will publicly rebuke the devil and heal the child. (We can always be confident of the Lord’s compassion and goodness!) As the elated father and son began their journey home, and when the crowd began to disperse, the disciples approached Jesus. They desired a private audience with him. Bewildered and, perhaps somewhat ashamed, they asked the Lord, “Why could not we cast him out?” What did we do wrong, Lord? We thought we were living right.  We try to be obedient and faithful servants…Why did we fail?

Undoubtedly, they had a measure of faith, but it was weak and ineffectual in this trial. Jesus’s answer was concise:

“Because of your unbelief.”

Wait. What?

Hmmmmm…this is not the first time the disciples have had those words directed at them.

Matthew 6:30 “Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?”

Matthew 8:26 “And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.”

Matthew 14:30-31 “But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.  And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him,

and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Mark 16:14 “Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

Luke 12:28 “If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Just to reference a few instances…

The disciples must have been somewhat frustrated to hear that rebuke…again. I mean, these were Christ’s disciples…(not unlike you and I, by the way) if anyone had faith, if anyone throughout Judaea believed, it was these men who left everything to follow Christ! But no one had the time to interject their feeble justifications (“…let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak…”) because Jesus had more to say. And so begins the object lesson.  The One who created the mountain gestured toward it and directed the disciples’ attention there. All the disciples cast their eyes upon that ancient and formidable mount, its massive size and summit commanding their respect. “…for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove;”

Now, there are four key details in this lesson:

Our faith- and the deficiency of it

A mustard seed- and the littleness of it

A mountain- and the magnitude of it

Our Lord-the King of the mountain

Our Faith  

Whenever the Christian faces a trial, the question of his faith comes front and center. Faith, or the presumed lack of it, is a huge concern for any child of God. But faith cannot be turned on and off. It is not something we scramble to muster up in a frenzy when a storm hits.

Faith is a working, growing, living, breathing manifestation of our Christianity. It is an essential, indisputable, integral part of the Christian life. Christians need to be operating in faith every day, way before any storm comes…and, be assured, they will come… Trusting the Lord, asking him to intervene, intercede, precede, and prevent as he sees fit. “…building yourselves up”, as the faithful Jude records, “on your most holy faith”. Which brings us to…

The Mustard Seed  

Some seeds are so very tiny and yet, did you know they are alive?  Our daughter has a little jar of mustard seeds. Each tiny one is not much bigger than the period at the end of this sentence. But every seed is viable, created with the ability to grow, succeed, and live.  Our Lord Jesus takes this occasion to teach the disciples the power of faith, that they might not be so lacking in it the next time, as they were now. Faith, in simple terms, is complete confidence in God. In this case, our Lord gave the disciples his Word that they would be successful in defeating devils. But apparently, this devil was something they had not previously encountered. This was a battle. This must have been a sight to behold. Whether frightened, confused, or perhaps shocked, their unbelief overwhelmed their faith. They had a full commission, among other things, to cast out devils without exception. Yet, this situation, being so much more intimidating and daunting than anything else they had encountered, caused them to distrust the power they had received. To convince them of their weak faith, Christ shows them what they might have done. The faith required in any situation always goes back to our confident assurance that God is aware, he knows, and by his grace we can keep our focus on his Word and trust him implicitly.

The Mountain

Had the disciples trusted Christ before this time? Absolutely. Had they exercised faith and believed his word before? Many times.  The Bible tells us so. They experienced the Lord’s unparalleled authority firsthand. He was Lord over storms, every sickness, science, physics, nature, the devils, and even death!

So what did the disciples need to learn, and what can we conclude from this lesson? 

The lesson is that a colossal amount of faith is not required to live a victorious Christian life. But what is essential is unmixed faith.  A faith that is not mingled with doubt. Faith is the dominating feature in the life of every Christian.  “Now the just shall live by faith…”, Hebrews 10:38. We must place our trust in what we cannot see. This is not blind faith. Blind faith is without evidence or reason. The faith we need is rooted in the Word of God.

The King of the Mountain

To be a king means to have power and sovereignty. To be King of kings is to have ALL the power and sovereignty. What more is there to say? Christ is King over every trial. Over every mountain, over every valley. God’s grace will always be sufficient, even when the outcome is not as we hoped. His will is always good, his plan, always perfect. He is worthy of our trust.

The faithful Matthew Henry sums it up for us: “Those who have been faithful in great trials for the time past, have reason to hope that the same grace will be sufficient to help them still to live by faith.”  Amen.

Thank you so much for reading,

Liz

Nonetheless, the Apostle Paul established a church right in the heart of this sinful culture. He stayed there for about a year and a half then appointed a godly man named Apollos to oversee the church. But the church became a loose caboose! The new professing believers were baptized and added to the church but had much to learn about Christian behavior.

Here’s what was happening: Except for a few solid members, the church at Corinth was straying from the Scriptures. Cutting corners and compromising on the Christian life; it was as if many had their own version of this newfound Christianity and lived as it suited them. Several issues in the church had to be corrected.

One was the place of women. Evidently, some of the women were out of line and were disrupting worship services, which led to division and disunity.

The Lord’s Supper was being perverted by some. To correct this Paul pointed out the true nature and meaning of it. Those of you who faithfully attend this ordinance know Pastor always reads from the book of 1 Corinthians and explains how this church mishandled the Supper.  The gift of tongues had become a source of disorder and confusion in the church. Paul sought to correct their use and understanding of all spiritual gifts by emphasizing how Christlike charity toward one another superseded them all!

The church was even divided about the resurrection of Christ! Paul dealt with this important subject at length in chapter 15.

Moreover, some members were causing division by assuming self-appointed leadership and teaching roles; shrugging off the Scriptures, and submitting their opinions and viewpoints on different doctrines. (We know from the Scriptures that you cannot merge individual philosophy with doctrine. Add to that the Spirit of God NEVER leads contrary to the Scriptures!)

Compromise and division were prevalent in the church and it was becoming unruly. They challenged all forms of authority, not the least of which was the authority of the great Apostle Paul! It was as if they thought, “We know what Paul taught when he was here-but that was then and this is now…”

On top of all this mayhem, the members had issues with each other. Such was their lack of consideration and brotherly kindness that they regularly dragged one another before the local magistrates on petty complaints! Thus, the confusion inside the church was taken out into the public arena, (Cringe!) where, no doubt, observers would be thinking, “And they say we’re the heathens!”

It would be tempting for us to look back and say, Wow! The church at Corinth! What a disaster! ” However, these problems were not unique to that church-(consider the churches Christ rebuked in Revelation) or that century and still exist today! Human nature does not change, so the Lord’s churches are subject at times, to the same… hmmmm, how should I put it? The same encumbrances and impediments. I use these words because the church is hindered and thwarted by those who claim to be saved but whose behavior reveals a life inconsistent with the Scriptures.

So, as would be expected of a good man of God, the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth. Paul had to rebuke certain individuals at Corinth against having a superior opinion of their own perspectives and assessments versus the Word of God thus, he instructed the high and mighty ones to examine themselves and consider their ways. He was shocked at their reckless behavior, maintaining the Lord’s church should be a place of peace; considering its Founder is the Prince of Peace.

Now, addressing the church in person would have been ideal, but Paul was in Ephesus at the time, a city on the west coast of Turkey-about an 8-day journey by sea-350 miles from Corinth.  Additionally, sea travel was dangerous. For these reasons, it was not just a matter of running over to Corinth. Thankfully, there were some sound, faithful members of the church alerting Paul to what was going on and how the situation was breaking their hearts.        The household of Chloe was one, Fortunatus, Stephanus- you’ve heard the names. How would you even begin to write a letter to a church that was divided, immoral, reckless, and worldly? So many issues to address! How does Paul begin?

“Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their’s and our’s: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul opens the letter by addressing it to the church of God, reminding the church that this is the Lord’s church- let me be clear about that. This is not “your place” to behave as “you please”.

Secondly, and very importantly, Paul reminds the Corinthians that they are sanctified (set apart) in Christ now and called to be saints—the pure ones, morally upright and blameless. In other words, those who possess excellent testimonies for Christ. The greatest consideration and effort of a Christian’s life is that we love God above all, which will be evidenced by our obedience in keeping his Word. It is the lifelong work of the believer to seek to do these things. The grace of God and his workmanship in our lives ought to be evident.

Down through the ages the godly saints who have gone before us understood the high cost of compromise. The Bible teaches the implications of compromise are far-reaching.

Compromise, in any form, will do three things:

          A. It will dishonor God, and His Word–

Compromise begins the process of moving away from the Word of God. Which begs the question: Why would a Christian ever want to do that?

          B. It will undermine the testimony.

If a Christian’s life does not demonstrate the beliefs he professes, anything that comes out of his or her mouth concerning spiritual truths is up for debate! I mean, consider the unbelieving world can no longer see Christ, but it does see those of us who bear His name.

          C. Compromise harms other believers, particularly the newly saved.

Newborn believers have so many questions. Everything in their world is new and fresh and full of promise. And how very disappointing and awkward it is for good, solid, seasoned Christians to be put in a position where they have to explain why “Sister Superior” and “Brother Bologna” act like they do when they profess to be Christians!

So when you read the book of First Corinthians you conclude that Paul’s remedy for all of the dishonor, disorder, and disobedience was to get back to the Scriptures; the teaching and preaching of the Word of God.

At the onset of the fresh new year before us, it is a good time for Christians to consider the same. We should know and love the Word of God. Saturate ourselves with it so we do not dishonor the Word of God. We cannot read it enough. Christ said in Matthew 4:4-

“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Amen.

The Word of God is our source of strength and faith. We need its wisdom, its leadership, its instruction in righteousness and comfort. The Word of God will ground you! It reins us in, establishes our goings, and decontaminates our thoughts! It is not everything God knows (To be certain!), but it is everything he wants us to know about “all things that pertain to life and godliness…”2 Peter 1: May the Lord bless our every endeavor as we strive to be faithful to him as we seek to fulfil our life’s greatest purpose in Christ-Called to be saints.

Thank you so much for reading,

Liz

The cousins, older now and eager to join in the conversations, sit close together, and already they are in stitches about something. Johnny, our oldest grandson is gut laughing and dangerously balancing a half-eaten piece of chocolate cake on one knee.  Josh enters with a cup of coffee he will set on a small table beside where he chooses to sit but will not drink it for an hour or two. All our girls come in individually, with coffee or spicy herbal teas in hand, and sit near one another. They begin to chat about how good this one’s hair looks and who among them is drinking mushroom coffee…  I am seated on the couch beside my good husband, leaning on him as I have done all of our married life. Each of us has looked forward to this moment and so the stories and anecdotes begin, though I will hear almost none of them…

I am not a napper and do not even really go to sleep most nights, I think. But in this setting, the same thing always happens–I begin to drift off! Here are the people I have yearned to be surrounded by all at once; to join in their laughter and conversations, I am so inexpressively happy to be right here in the center of everyone- but off I go!  I blame the couch. I think there must be some kind of sedative in it. The talk swirls around me, and I would like to tell you what it is all about but of course I do not know.

I just know I love the idea of it. I am being pulled into that warm, irresistible place of repose, drifting off while the chorus of their voices wraps around me. The last thing I remember hearing is the lighthearted sound of everyone laughing…it would be alright with me if it were the last thing I ever hear. Predictably, one of our girls will say, “Awwww mom, you should go up to bed…”, but why would I want to leave this place? I love the sound of their voices as they speak of good and godly things, heartfelt expressions of love and kindness, and without fail, at some point, hilarious, side-splitting things.  An hour or more passes. My husband takes a big yawn-I detect this because I am still leaning on him. I sit up and look at him. He seems tired now, yet, like me,  neither of us wants to leave this room tonight. We are all here, we are together again. The cousins are still in stitches- for them, the night is young!  From where I am sitting I see Josh still hasn’t touched his coffee. A glance at the big clock on the wall tells me yet another hour has quickly passed. Jen is lying on the arm of the couch now, her eyes are closed and she is drifting off but she cannot resist giggling out loud about something Ashley is saying to Josh. Molly is sleepy and struggling to stay awake, while Madi is ready to pull an all-nighter.  The boys avoid Sarah’s glances as they sense she is getting ready to leave. We all comprehend this because very sweetly she rises and begins to collect the empty coffee and tea mugs for me. Johnny and Carter are holding on for dear life, praying that one of the adults will start another epic story. But alas, Sarah returns with their coats and reminds them it is so late and that they will see everyone again tomorrow. Reluctantly, but dutifully they yield. Everyone decides this is the right time to call it a day. There are hugs, kisses, and I love yous all around as everyone heads to bed one by one…Everyone except for me, that is. I have energy to spare now because I slept the evening away!  I walk around to ensure all the candles and lights are out. The guys have hit the sack, but by the sounds I hear from upstairs, all the girls have gotten their second wind and are laughing unrestrainedly.  I savor the nearness of it and the way their footsteps are once again filling the halls of this home.

I am standing alone in the quiet of the back room. And although everyone has left this place, I can still feel them here. If you have ever read Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s, The Sonnets from the Portuguese, you will have read that there is a name for this feeling; this sense that someone is missing from you.  It is known as the presence of the absence. The same feeling washes over me any time we say goodbye.  Each one of them, a palpable presence, etched on my heart.

My good husband and I endeavored to teach our children that they should always value our time together. Any time together. Sitting down to Sunday dinner times, driving along in the car times, and times on a warm summer night when the air was so filled with the chorus of crickets playing that sweet symphony of sounds so evocative of every summer night you’ve ever known. I wanted our children to appreciate all of the innocent, uncomplicated times when, with bowls of popcorn on our laps we sat and talked and listened to each other, and it was more than enough. We taught them that even in the not-so-good times there were things for which we needed to be especially grateful; the things we took for granted until that very moment. We would say, “Pay attention and look around, because everything matters.” All the odds and ends of life. Be present and understand that we are always indebted to God for all of his goodness to us. I guess I just wanted them to comprehend the value in the average day.

Well, maybe I am far too sentimental for my own good. Some people are not, I know and perhaps they are better off, because life changes and children grow up and friends move away; the holidays and times together come and go and that is just the way of it. But the best thing about all of these relationships is the depth of them. That is what is lasting. The partings are the price you pay for the joys of such things. I take one last look around the back room. The unwrapped presents, remains of wrapping paper, and a cake plate here and there are the only traces of what has taken place for the last four hours. But I savor even this, as I climb up the stairs and head for bed, holding the memory of this night in my heart forever.

Thank you for reading

Liz

Think about this with me for a moment. My good husband preached at a church in the Philippines years ago. The night he preached a 101-year-old woman attended the service for the first time.

She was brought there by a young woman who cared for her soul and invited her to the preaching. My husband guessed the young woman to be twenty, twenty-one years old. That night the 101-year-old woman was saved. And soon after was baptized. My husband spoke with the pastor six months later and enquired about the woman. “Still faithfully attending church and busy serving the Lord!” was his response. 101 years on her own, a lost Roman Catholic, hoping her good works would gain her heaven.  But someone prayed. Who can say how long? But somebody kept praying.

When we think about our own church family, we know each was saved through the grace of God and prayer. Considering the thousands that have walked through our church doors over the 40 years our church has existed and taking into account the names of those God’s people have regularly submitted for prayer all through the years, not to leave out the names we have faithfully asked to be placed on a Revival prayer list or a New Year’s prayer list; it is clear to see God is faithful and prayer is effective when it is fervent.

When my husband enlisted in the US Air Force he was sent to Grand Forks, North Dakota. There was a great church not far from the airbase and a young man from that church began to witness to my then fiancé. That young man told his church about him and they faithfully prayed for him to be saved. Within a few months, my husband turned from Roman Catholicism and was converted. A short while after he knew God was speaking to his heart about the call to preach and he fully surrendered. He was on his way! One problem. There was this “girl” back in New York he was going to marry…(You know girls from New York!) Our pastor confided in me years later he had such high hopes for my husband as a preacher…but this “girl back in New York thing” was so concerning to him! ( I think had I been from Iowa, or Kansas or someplace far away from that menacing East Coast it might not have been so troubling for him…but it was the New York thing…) But the church prayed. We got married and moved up to Grand Forks. I sat under the preaching for a little over a year and was saved. Think about that. Those good people-total strangers-prayed for me.

I can remember families, and individuals, coming into our church here for the first time. A single mother burdened for her grown children, asking on Wednesday nights, “Please pray for all my kids to come to church…” We prayed so hard and saw one after another saved. To say they have been assets to the Lord’s church would be an understatement! Many beautiful, young families with exceptional and adorable children, single guys searching for meaning and purpose in life, who in all reality were only looking for God. Women whose husbands needed to be saved, married couples knowing there had to be more to life, grandmothers bringing their grandchildren. People who had been beaten and battered by life who were searching for one thing: the Truth. We prayed they would find it in Christ and some have. A dying father in another state, who heard the gospel many times and now at the end sought and obtained salvation! We prayed fervently about that. Men and women in Bangladesh, South Africa, Germany-who we will never meet this side of heaven, but we prayed for them and saw them saved. Anyone among these who was saved shares a common miracle-they were prayed for and God delivered them.

Charles Spurgeon once said that we should, “…mind how we pray and make a real business of it. Let it never be a dead formality.”    He went on to approach the church on the matter, knowing first- hand the power of corporate prayer: “Keep up the prayer meeting, whatever else flags; it is the great business evening of the week, the best service between the Sabbaths; be you sure to make it so.”

Sometimes the saints can grow weary of praying repeatedly for the same lost person. We may grow frustrated with them as they make excuse after excuse or continue to accuse our Lord with their absurd reasonings. Or maybe they are apathetic toward what God says is the most important thing they must consider, thinking life and the business of it is far more significant. And yet, I am certain there are those who in great error remain unconvinced that the unsaved will spend eternity separated from God. While these beliefs of unsaved people are exasperating for us, let us never forget that these individuals are presently what we were once, lost. But someone prayed for us. Undeniably, in the end, the choice is theirs. Throughout all the ages, generation after generation, it has always come down to the decision to receive or reject Christ, for in truth he will not pressure you to believe on him. Draw you? Yes. Compel you? Certainly. But no lost person has ever been pushed onto the narrow way. I once heard a young woman give a testimony for Christ when I was in South Africa. In her lovely South African/British-English dialect she professed, “My Jesus is a gentleman, He will never force anyone to be saved.”

We are in the season of giving thanks in America. And who could ever argue that as Americans we have so much for which to be thankful and so many to whom we owe a great debt? And yet, can we ever give enough thanks for salvation? What would be “sufficient” for all Christ has done for us? For the goodness of God leading us to repentance, or for those who steadfastly prayed for us? What do we do when a simple thank you is so inadequate? I thought about that for a while and decided the Bible must have the answer and it did.

Those who received the greatest gift took it to others. Many who gladly took Christ as their Lord turned their then-known world upside down with the message of salvation. And God has always had those kinds of people. Let it be said of us and may God help us to be people who have an effect, who make a difference, that Jesus Christ might receive all the glory.

Thank you so much for reading,

– Liz

It was said of Jesus in Luke chapter four verse two: “And all bare him witness and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth…” Think with me for a moment about the gracious words Christ used with such a diversity of people who, in more than a few cases least deserved it: “Daughter! Be of good cheer.”

“Son! Thy sins be forgiven thee.”

“Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy-laden. And I will give you rest.”

“But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered”

“Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”

“Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?”

“Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”

Gracious, thoughtful, and uplifting words. They are not ingratiating words. Those who use ingratiating words use flattery to seek to bring themselves into someone’s favor. Christ always spoke the absolute truth and we should want to model him. Our friend Charles Spurgeon wrote, “O, there is nothing that can so advantage you, like the imitation of Jesus Christ.” Amen.

Graciousness is a difficult word to define, yet isn’t it true that we all know when we are in the presence of a gracious person? Graciousness is a character trait that goes a long way in our society and people easily pick up on it because it is rare. It is not something high on the list of modern values, and regrettably, it is not always common among Christians, but it ought to be. Within a biblical context, graciousness is the influence of God’s grace on the life of the believer and the reflection of it to others. Therefore, it is selfless and charitable. Gracious people put those with whom they converse at ease, as they walk through life with a composure and awareness that few possess. Consider how Christ was so approachable! Matthew Henry claims his words would melt the hearts of the hearers as they marveled at him! No one- not a child, a centurion, a leper, a blind man, a sinner, a woman caught in adultery, a demon-possessed woman, a scholar, a lawyer, a guilty, crucified, dying thief, or a desperate woman pleading for the life of her daughter and so many others ever felt intimidated by him, and we should follow Christ’s example.

It has been said that the lack of graciousness in our society is generated by fear and anxiety. But I disagree. That philosophy gives too many people an out for bad behavior. I believe pride is the cause of an ungracious and unchristlike attitude. The self-righteous person thinks more highly of himself than he ought to.

“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Romans 12:3

According to the Bible, it just comes naturally for us to think too highly of ourselves, even to love ourselves. A good Christian will be mindful to keep these things in check. And yet there is an opinion of self that exceeds natural boundaries. It is excessive and instinctively breeds arrogance, which leads to indifference to others. There is no need to expound upon the glaring example of an inflated sense of self-importance attached to most social media platforms, so we will limit our thoughts to everyday examples of too much self.

One day our Lord was asked what the greatest commandment was.“ Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

Now these two Commandments are the foundation of all the rest, you see, and to love our neighbor, our brother, whom we have seen, is evidence of our love to God, whom we have not seen, so the worthy Apostle John enlightens us. So gracious Christians will, due to our regenerated nature, be mindful of our attitudes, words, and actions toward one another. Consider the following:

A gracious woman will always think before she speaks:

Christians should tread lightly when it comes to sharing our exalted opinions about a situation in which some distressed or troubled soul may find themselves. Sometimes, regardless of how a person may seem to be managing a problem on the outside, their very soul is on its knees and even truthful things can be overbearing for someone to hear. At other times, an opinion intended to be some kind of help can be very painful or bring about additional suffering if the one offering it is not mindful to be led by the Spirit. Often timing is everything, and yet some things are better left unsaid. We might assume we know the entire scope of the predicament, but in actual fact, we may comprehend very little and consequently, we can draw some pretty

inaccurate conclusions. Put it to you this way. I grew up around a lot of blue-collar workers. My father was a welder, an uncle had his own plumbing business, another worked for the Post Office and one was a Nassau County Police Officer. Hard-working men who labored with other hard-working men who knew a thing or two. It seemed to me from my wide-eyed, youthful perspective that whenever these men got together someone would mention a guy at work who was a “Sledgehammer tongue.” That always intrigued me because, from a young child, I knew what damage a sledgehammer was capable of and this is why. My father was always building or repairing something around the house. One Saturday morning I sat watching him as he used a sledgehammer to break up some concrete in the yard. Sledgehammers are large, heavy hammers often used for demolition. Well, my father missed the concrete in one of the blows of the hammer and smashed his thumb! Talk about a crime scene! And I remember that for months afterward, his thumb still throbbed with pain. It is the same with sledgehammer tongue people. They crush the ones they come down on. Many times unintentionally, yet they take it for granted that what they feel compelled to share just hits the nail on the head. However, it is not always necessary to pass judgment or give a commentary on someone who is facing a challenge. There are times when it just inflicts further embarrassment or heartache. Like rubbing coarse salt in a wound. You know, making a difficult situation worse for someone.

Scott Kuzel, a great friend of ours and missionary to South Africa is visiting with us as I write this. It is early morning and we are sitting in the back room of our home chatting away, solving the world’s problems. I told him the story of the sledgehammer and my thoughts about those who can be sledgehammer tongues. He responded, “Liz, why do you think some people are like that? Is it just because they are rough around the edges?” (Which was such a gracious thing for him to say compared to what I’m about to say so, allow me to apologize in advance…) I replied that I thought there were two reasons. The first is plain old thoughtlessness. Some people just feel compelled to share whatever pops into their little, tiny heads. Truly, they haven’t the slightest idea of the depth of heartache or gravity someone may be facing, and yet, the lack of discretion; the imprudence of some people can be jaw dropping. Surely we have all known people like this. You are experiencing a personal crisis and someone feels compelled to hold you hostage and assure you she knows exactly how you feel because once her aunt had an awful ingrown toenail…(Do you find me in jest?         I genuinely had someone say that to me once when my world was caving in…please insert head-smacking emoji). What in the wide world! Folks like that make you shake your head and move on. But the second reason is some presume to understand the depth of the hurt or apprehension you may be living through and then proceed to spout their lofty ideas about why you are having those troubles. Gasp! This is much harder to bear. I have known people like this, haven’t you? You spy with your little eye from across a crowded room that they are headed straight for you, and, they have a sermon prepared. And you are trapped. And girls, let it be shouted from the housetops: this is just not helpful. Look, for what it is worth here is how I see it:

1. The best people encourage you and love you.

2. The great ones help you to look to the Lord.

3. And the ones who are so sensitive to the Spirit’s prompting, those who understand that sometimes there are just no words– will look at you from across the room and make that beautiful heart shape with their hands and sometimes, that is more than enough.

Graciousness is marked by humility, the foundation of all Christian virtues. Someone has said it is not thinking less of yourself as much as thinking of yourself less. Humility is the correct assessment of self; therefore, this virtue helps us to be intuitively wise in our approach to people.

Graciousness is especially important when you have the upper hand. Where there is an imbalance of power, so to speak. You can tell a lot about a person by what they do when they have the advantage. Some people have tongues as sharp as a serpent’s tooth and they are quick to strike. Often they have an agenda. When you are gracious you quickly recognize when someone is vulnerable and you do what you can to put them at ease. It means you allow others to “save face” because Christians are not vengeful. We do not look for ways to get back at someone or get even, verbally, or otherwise. It should never bring us joy to see anyone else squirm or suffer, nor should we anticipate it even when they have done us wrong. “Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:” Proverbs 24:17

Gracious people are also known for being tactful.  And really, at the core of graciousness is the way we make others feel. That is why a gracious person thinks before she speaks. We carefully weigh our words. Christian tactfulness is the ability to avoid giving offense. It is to be spiritually skillful in situations where other people’s feelings must be considered. It is to use discretion– that strong sense of what is right and appropriate. Someone has said, “It is tact that is golden…not silence.” I just love that.

The Bible teaches that a gracious woman retains honour. Her reputation and dignity remain intact, which speaks volumes of her Christian character. She is an example of the believers in word and conduct. And graciousness leads the way as her own works praise her in the gates.

Thank you for reading,

– Liz

Fall also leads me to recall that we are headed into our fourth winter with our home-grown chickens. It all just seems like only yesterday…It was at the onset of the Covid pandemic when the entire world was upside down, I got the brilliant idea that we should raise chickens. (I say “we” because I knew I would have to enlist our daughter Ashley to help me pull it off.) Chickens, I presumed, cannot be too expensive to keep. I mean, what do they eat? Grass?  Insects? Additionally, we would have the benefit of fresh eggs-people can survive on eggs-and if the economy tanked we could survive on the chickens as a last resort! Well, that was my thinking back a few years ago. I remember it all so clearly now…

One evening back then, I approached my good husband. “Honey, I really need to have some kind of project to do-something more than cleaning, organizing-right now I have the cleanest house in Holtsville…” He looked up from his reading, glasses perched on the end of his nose. “Sure” he breezily responded, “I think that’s a good idea-what do you want to do?” “Well,” I pitched my proposal, “I think it would be an enjoyable venture-an easy project, (Boy-would those words ever come back to bite me!) and a great experience for our grandsons Johnny and Carter if we raised some chickens. Right now the world just seems so unnatural and upside down…I just think we should get back to the simple life, do something pioneering, have something constructive and rewarding to look forward to each day…” Just as easily he answered it would be fine with him, in fact, a clever idea, he thought. He even went so far as to say he would look into either purchasing or building us a coop.  Wow! I was in business!    Now all I had to do was convince Ashley…

I found her sprawled across the couch in the back room on her phone searching for stores that still carried paper towels.

“Ash,” I tactfully approached her, “Would you ever feel like doing a little project with me?” “Sure, of course,” she replied without looking up from her phone. “Well,” I began, “I think it would be a great thing-and really-a good thing for Johnny and Carter if…um…I…we… raised our own chickens?” Without a moment’s hesitation, she sat up straight, looked up at me through squinted eyes, and asked, “Why on earth would you ever want to do a thing like that?!” I was completely shot out of the saddle.

“Well, I thought it would be something we could try, it would be good for the boys, and I mean, we’ll have fresh eggs every day…” I pleaded. She put down her phone and cocked her head, still looking at me through squinted eyes. “Mom, I mean, I don’t know…it’s going to be a lot of work. Like, do you really think you’ll even eat the eggs?” I hadn’t considered that one. “Well, I think daddy and Johnny and Carter will…” Pleeeease say you’ll help me!” I begged her.

Within months we were the proud owners of an adorable little flock whom we nurtured straight from the shell. And as expected the day arrived when they finally began laying. Our grandson Johnny happened to be over at our house and brought in the first freshly laid eggs from the coop. “Hey Grammy! Here’s your first batch of fresh eggs!” “Oh! Great!” I exclaimed, making an admirable attempt to sound enthusiastic over the little brown, speckled things-although the thought had crossed my mind as to whether or not it was safe to eat the very first batch? I mean, would they somehow be like a weird little practice batch? We cracked one into a bowl. You never saw such a big,

orange yolk-I mean-I don’t know what to compare it to-maybe a canned peach? Johnny and I took one look at it and both said at the same time-“There’s no way I can eat that thing…” Johnny quickly added-“And the gross thing is Grammy-touch it-it’s still warm…”        I thought one of us would pass out right there. We put the eggs in a basket and immediately washed our hands. Now what? We both turned and looked at Carter. He said he was game and so I fried up a few for him. Johnny and I stood there and watched him. Carter claimed they were, “The best eggs I ever ate in my whole life!” (But he is also the child who had no moral compunction about climbing inside the coop and combing through the “well-used” hay to retrieve eggs. He even told me he’d like to sleep in there one night because he liked the smell of the coop…) My husband was all for eating the eggs assessing it would be one way to recoup -no pun intended- some of the money he had shelled out-no pun intended- for them.

Well now, fast forward a few years. We are the owners of six enormous, free-ranging, free-loading, Buff Orpington British breed chickens who act like they allow us to live here. I say Guv’na! And Ashley, who was so opposed to the idea in the first place-has taken them under wing– pun intended– adores them and has gone so far as to give them British names-Beatrice, Juliet, Fanny, and so on.  She claims she knows each one by name despite the fact the rest of our family knows they look identical to each other. She adores the things but exploits them by using them to produce satirical videos.  Allow me to explain. She will gather all of them together, call out football numbers-“22-46-37-Hike!” and send a football sailing across the yard. At which point, the chickens (who were born to play Cricket–not football-come on, Ash!) take off after the ball- half running half flying-wings flapping and feathers everywhere. And as she videos them, she will take particular care to zoom in on Beatrice-the one with one short leg who has this weird, half-hop half-flying thing going on.  She also upon occasion sings them to sleep at night through their chicken-wired windows and assures us they all softly “cluck-sing” back to her-and we allllllll believe her…(insert “eye rolling” emoji…)

It may be presumptuous of me to assume there are those among my readers who find they are somewhat tempted to pursue poultry farming. If that is the case, as a friend, may I offer you some unsolicited advice?

  1.Do not build a coop! Unle$$ you are married to Elon Mu$k and po$$e$$ a net worth of $235 billion, a$ it will co$t you a$ much a$ adding a $pare room on your hou$e. You can ea$ily a$$emble  the one$ you can purcha$e online and $ave your$elf the buck$!

2. Do not scramble-no pun intended-to build nesting boxes either. Chickens don’t care about nesting boxes. They only use them in the movies. Even if you put up a blazing neon sign with an arrow above the boxes that reads, “Free Mealworms if you Lay Eggs Here!” they will lay them all over the coop-or under the nearest shrub.

3. Do not waste your money on fancy marketing maneuvers aimed at well-meaning but naïve raisers of chickens. I have tried to convince Ashley that the creatures for which she is buying, “Chicken snax!  With tasty granola, dried cranberries, nuts, and peanut butter!” and feeding homemade banana bread, are the same ones keeping our yard’s population of June bugs, grubs, Gypsy moths at bay. I’m sorry but there’s no possible way our chickens have taste buds!

4. With all the supplies you will purchase regularly for your flock, such as hay, shavings, grain, etc., even if eggs go up to $30 a dozen, it will still be cheaper for you to buy them!

5. Be in the know about the local hawk population for your area, because I can assure you-since you got chickens-they are in the know about you! Find that unsettling? Once I did too. But what I find more unsettling is that Ashley has learned to recognize hawk shrieks and it matters little whether we are all seated at the table and just about to pray over Thanksgiving dinner, or, in the middle of an earthquake, if she even thinks she hears a hawk she drops whatever she’s doing and races off to rescue the flock, picking up some large, blunt object along the way.

6. Of great importance! Get yourself ready for winter. Why? Because your chickens -with their layers of feathers are warmer than you could ever be even if you wore three coats!  And if it so happens to snow nine feet overnight you will not only be the one shoveling the driveway and front walkway up to your house you will also be digging out a path to the coop.  And once you excavate the mound of snow piled up against the coop door and shovel your way through the run- if you haven’t had a heart attack by then-you might have one when you

discover that chickens hate the snow- and they won’t even put one of their creepy looking little claws out to feel the ground much less step out onto it. Their heads may be small but they still have brains. Which may be something you find worth considering as you drag your frozen body back to the house.

7. And last of all, if you have enjoyed the esteem and friendly camaraderie that comes with being a respected homeowner in your neighborhood-those days are over! Sunrise is like an ancient, pagan trigger for all chickens to squawk like they are being chased by a pack of coyotes, the volume of which rivals the local fire department’s siren. And if you don’t hightail it out to open the coop door at the crack of dawn each and every day-rain-snow-shine or tornado-your neighbors will let you know it!

I hope you enjoyed reading about the joys of raising chickens, I’d like to write a few lines more, but alas, we are on our way to the Tractor Supply Store to purchase another 50-pound bag of feed-which should last about two days…

Thanks for reading!

-Liz

(Personal disclosure: What on earth was I thinking by patting a stranger on the back! In an instant it came to me that my good husband often ribs me about my perpetual back patting– as if somehow I imagine that little touch will make everyone and everything okay…funny thing though, both of our girls have told me,  “Oh, but it does mom…”(insert heart emoji!)

We went along, side by side toward the elevators when he stopped, turned to me, and said,  “This is some beautiful day. But it seems I’m at the point in my life where every beautiful day turns out to be just another trip to the doctor…”  I patted him on the back once again. “I know, I know…” I answered as I met his gaze with understanding. “I know how that can seem.” He reached out and pushed the button to call for the elevator. Little could he have imagined the pathos rising within me.  Truly, I understood his meaning.

As we waited I studied him closely. He was perfectly dressed, even his shoes were polished. Beautiful jacket and a neat, collared shirt peeking out from beneath it. He turned to me once more and continued, “But you know, you can never let it get you down. You can’t let it overwhelm you. You have to keep moving forward one foot in front of the other and then, well, at the end of the day, we just do our best knowing everything is in God’s hands.”

My eyes were so filled with tears that I could not answer this person I had never met before, so I just stood there nodding and of course, I continued to pat the gentleman on the back.

The elevator opened, he gestured toward it and said, “Ladies first.” I stepped in, intending to turn to him and make some kind of effort to acknowledge his remarks but when I turned, he was still standing outside the elevator as the doors closed. He gave an almost smile, put his hand up as if to say goodbye, and that was it.

Alone in the elevator I genuinely began to wonder if he was an angel for several reasons. Number one, I still found it hard to believe he could have thrown open that colossal door himself.  Secondly, his appearance was impeccable- not one hair out of place on this gusty day. Last of all his spiritual insight. I mean, this is New York, not some Bible Belt state down south, where even the guy who pumps your gas will slap your car when he’s done and call out, “Okay, y’all-have a great day! Lord bless ya!”  His words were not only meaningful to me, but at that moment-on that day-my heart was so overwhelmed as I was attempting to process an enormous amount of self-talk and speculation and concerns…trying to keep each assailing conjecture in his own lane; endeavoring to decide which thoughts were groundless to begin with! I would imagine some of my readers know the process. It is as if I have to stop everything, call a meeting of all my thoughts, and address them:

“Okay everyone- just calm down, everyone be quiet- I know you all have concerns so I’m going to address them now:

You- fatalist-you’re first. You’re the one who’s always telling me how it’s all over and how there is no possible good outcome-but the truth is you don’t know that! Only God knows the outcome, so we’re not going

there…go to your room and don’t come out…

And you-the weeping prophet-you’d have me locked in my bedroom crying and moaning all day-why even get dressed or eat? Why even bother with anyone or anything? You want me to focus on myself all day long but I want you to know that I have decided that is too high a cost for me to pay-you’re done…

Lastly, I want to address three of you together- doubt, self, and fear– you three gang up on me and are absolutely the worst! You try to reinforce beliefs of hopelessness and despair… but how dare you tempt me not to trust God? The last thing I need in this trial is to listen to any of you-you’re finished!

Well, anyway, I have found self-talk can be regulating as it helps me place my faith in God and focus on gratitude, worship trust, and prayer.

Now, I know the Bible says it is entirely possible for us to be in the presence of angels yet be unaware of such a marvelous thing.  Then again, perhaps he was an ordinary man who just needed someone to talk to at that moment and I just happened to be there. I once read a little quote that often comes to mind, “Everyone,” it said, “is fighting some kind of battle…be kind.” Seems like the words “Be Kind” are emblazoned on everything from coffee cups to tee shirts. Kindness is good. But we could add other words as well: be aware, be in the moment, be thoughtful, be gracious, be selfless, be still…

When I arrived at my floor and stepped out of the elevator, for a split second I thought about turning around and heading right back downstairs to see if I could find the gentleman. If anything only to tell him how powerful his words were to me on that day, and that as a Christian I do believe that all the events of our lives are in God’s hands and, more importantly, that I am in his hands. Nevertheless, appointments must be kept; there is always the tyranny of time, so I hurried to where I was to go.

Later, back downstairs as I exited the building I found the door was a breeze to throw open. Outside the sun was still shining as brilliantly as before but the wind had calmed down considerably, no longer a force with which to be reckoned. That was a relief. The people hustling and bustling exiting and entering that office building wore varied expressions; mostly pensive; as if lost in thought.  Some walked in earnest, some in apprehension.  Everyone bearing some kind of burden, each one headed through the same door to different doorways, which led to different rooms and, doubtless, different outcomes.

It is often a tightrope walk, this life. As for me, my step was lighter-though not one burden I was carrying when I first entered the building had been lifted. However, they shifted position to Someone who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all I could ever ask or think, which made the load effectively lighter. Funny thing, it took the candor of a stranger to remind me and admonish me with that great, sustaining truth; God is faithful. The goodness of God in the life of a Christian is everywhere. We only need to shift our focus to acknowledge it.

“…when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

Thank you so much for reading,

-Liz

The first thing we must understand about this passage is that Jesus was not speaking about salvation. He was teaching with respect to humility; what is more, there never was an equal Master Educator of it! Those who contend that little children can be saved using this as a proof text are wrong. These children did not come up to our Lord concerned for their souls as Nicodemus once did. No one came burdened by their sin debt like Zacchaeus.  Not a one cried out as the Philippian jailor, “What must I do to be saved!” Christ was teaching the disciples a fundamental principle of the Christ like life; the child was the object lesson.

So let us consider the context and the scene.

Now mind you, the disciples, bless their hearts, were debating about which one among them was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven, those who were the saved on earth at that time. Who was, they were desirous to know, the outstanding one-the supreme Christian? They did not ask what spiritual character traits would be considered the greatest, or if the Lord could recommend what each of them individually should work on in order to strive

to be an asset to the kingdom. Peter, James, and John had only just returned from a high mountain where they saw Christ transfigured; his person, his raiment in blinding, blazing light before them. Moses appears on one side-Elijah on the other and they begin to speak with Christ. Peter, for some absurd reason, aligns himself with these three who are conversing and pitches a building plan for the mount. A bright cloud overshadows them and God the Father speaks, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” Matt. 17:5. The disciples fell flat on their faces struck with great fear. When they looked up, Christ alone was with them, and so they began the long trek back down the mountain. Waiting for them at the foot of the mount is a desperate father with a demon possessed son. He runs to Christ and asks for help for his boy, declaring that Christ’s disciples could not deliver. Christ addresses his disciples: “Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.” Immediately the Lord casts the demon out of the boy and he is cured. A few moments later the disciples kind of tip toe up to Jesus apart from the onlookers and ask why they fell so short of the power they needed. Christ’s answer was concise-it was because of their unbelief. Not long after Christ began to tell the disciples of the sorrow and suffering that was before him. The disciples listened and were sorry. Yet, the Bible says at the same time they were disputing among themselves who would be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven! They had just seen Christ transfigured-actually saw and heard Moses and Elijah-and heard the voice of God the Father! They must have been speechless all the way down the mountain! Even Peter! And then-when Christ comes and heals that boy-I mean, should not they have all been speaking of the incomparable Christ? But no…they want to know who is the star among them. Moreover, they are supposing that, surely one or two of them have got to be among the top picks. After all, these are the disciples; the ones who have left all to follow Christ.   Could it be Peter? Christ had just recently given the keys to the kingdom to this most outspoken disciple. 

Judas was the treasurer. That’s a position of trust in the church.  Could it possibly be him?

What about John, the beloved disciple? Who could argue

that choice? And yet, James was the Lord’s half-brother-surely that has to go some distance. Andrew, however, was the first disciple to be called and to follow Christ-maybe in the Kingdom he could have the title of, “Andrew, The Very First One.”

The answer Christ gives to his disciples is really a rebuke as he condemns the very thought of such a question. Had Christ intended to choose one of them as an example he would have. But no. He calls an innocent, little child to him and places him right in the center of the disciples. Right where everyone can focus his attention on this little one. Now picture a child back two thousand years ago. Let us suppose it was a little boy. Typical Bible days clothing. Maybe some rough kind of fabric fashioned into a little tunic. Very likely barefoot, hair all scruffy and windblown-(no hairspray or mousse)…a beautiful, middle eastern, tan complexion. And here he is- the center of attention. This was not an illustration of salvation. This was a portrayal of humility! Christ begins his reprimand: “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted…” The word as used in this context means to turn oneself from one’s current course of conduct. Jesus was not speaking to the disciples about being saved. No. Eleven of them were saved. But eleven of them were a far way off from where they needed to be.  Christ was teaching that one must be converted from thinking way too highly of himself. You must be of another mind; these are not the thoughts of one who desires to be a servant in the Kingdom of God, who serves others in the fear of the Lord. The pride, conceit, and vanity which is so obvious in you must be repented of now.  Our friend Matthew Henry puts in beautifully: “Besides the first conversion of a soul from a state of nature to a state of grace, there are after-conversions from particular paths of sin. Every step out of the way by sin, must be a step into fellowship again by repentance. When Peter repented of his denying his Master, he was converted.”        The life-long responsibility of the Christian is to yield to the Spirit of God and walk in humility toward God and others.

Christ also told them, “…and become as little children.” When we are first saved we are possessed of that genuine, trusting belief in Christ. Whatever God tells us, whatever he wants, we are so willing to forsake all and trust him. I teach a class every Wednesday night to the youngest children in our church.  Among

these is an adorable three-year-old, named Nathan. Once recently,   as I was teaching a lesson about The Lost Sheep-Nathan stood up, looked at all of his little fellow classmates and said, “Kids! We really need to follow God’s will for our lives!” Out of the mouths of babes! So adorable! But so unaffected; so sincere. God wants us, as his children to be governable, and tenderhearted to His Spirit. To be harmless and unoffensive. To be humble as little children, who do not walk around like little elitists; “The child of a gentleman will play with the child of a beggar”, it has been said. Little children are void of arrogance and self-importance. Christ taught that we could certainly learn a lot from just watching a little child.

Now interesting to note, Christ does say that without this attribute, (humility) you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. In other words, unless the professing Christian shows signs that he is Christ’s, unless he has the life which backs up the profession, his faith is not genuine.

So how do we, from the heart, practice humility? Well, first and foremost we need to study the life of Christ and pray that we would be like him. We understand we are not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to, and yet, we should know who we are, recognize the gifts and talents God has given and be thankful. To head toward the other extreme where one professes, as a Christian, to be the most worthless, insignificant, nonentity-void of anything good, useful, or worthy just becomes sanctimony-false humility, and hypocrisy. (I know a man like this-no matter when you give him the slightest compliment it is always, “No! No! Not me! I am nothing! I’m not worthy to walk the Lord’s earth!” etc. etc… He wants people to push back and tell him how wonderful he is. To put it in our everyday phraseology: he is fake news…)  We should:

• Apologize fully when we are wrong-
• Stop worrying about what others think of us and be concerned about what the Lord thinks of us-
• We should be light-
• We should strive to be salt –
• We should be courteous –
• An encourager-
• We should learn to be gracious in every situation and with all people.

Yes- All of these things.  But also, as a Christian:

Be astute-know the Word of God, know how to defend its truths and   principles. But also know how to walk in this world.

Be discerning about the company you keep. “Withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly”. We have every prerogative based on the authority of God’s Word to do so. Not in an air of conceit or elitism-but with discernment and in sincerity, knowing we have a testimony to keep in sterling condition. We should walk in honesty before the lost. Let them see Christ in every word, every action.

Now who was among the disciples that day? We can assume that more than likely there were onlookers, probably the parents of the child our Lord called to him were nearby. Maybe even the father of the formerly possessed little boy. But Christ was preaching to the choir on this occasion. Those who professed to know him. And Judas was among them. One more occasion for Judas to hear the truth. One more opportunity for Judas to examine himself. Certainly, the tenderhearted disciples bore the rebuke and examined themselves, but Judas, so filled with pride and arrogance-he rejected it.

Essentially, Christ was instructing all his disciples that, unless you get over this pride thing fellas, there are some real questions about your authenticity. No one will even come close to the kingdom of heaven if pride is what defines him or her. There is great danger in pride. “It is the sin,” one last line from MH, “that turned the angels into devils.” And truly saved people loathe it in themselves.

The humblest Christians are the best ones for they are most like Christ and well capable to serve him in this world.

Thanks ever so much for reading!

Liz

“Posterity! You will never know how much it costs the present generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make a good use of it and if you do not-I shall repent in heaven that I ever took half the pains to preserve it.”

Posterity. Those who will come after, those who will live in the future. One’s descendants.

Christian parents need to seize some of John and Abigail’s fervor and vision when it comes to the nurturing and upbringing of their children. How both spiritually and doctrinally will they be equipped to face the future? Why doctrine? Because it is the embodiment of all we believe based on the Scriptures.

As Americans, we are aware that these are unprecedented times for us. John Adams, back in the late 1700s, looked forward to times of freedom, liberty, and great prosperity for this infant nation as it leaped out of its cradle and prevailed against the greatest army in the world. He envisioned a republic built on the principles of morality and religious liberty. But as we look around us at the condition of America today, we recall he also wrote: “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”

Here are some current facts about our country:

As new research emerges, the number of people who believe in God is shrinking every decade. Not to bore you with all this data, but we should understand that how much America has declined morally is specifically related to a lack of knowledge or belief in God.

According to the following Gallup polls: In the 1950’s and 60’s 96% of the US population claimed a strong belief in the God of the Bible-

Skip forward to the early to mid-teens 2000’s-the percentage of Americans who claimed a strong belief in the God of the Bible declined to 87%.

Last year a 2023 Gallup poll revealed the following: Only 51% of those polled in the US believe in God as described in the Scriptures.
22% affirmed they do not believe in God as described in the Scriptures but subscribe to some kind of higher power.

The remaining 27%-which is over ¼ of our population-indifferent.

What will the world be like in a few years or less? In Luke chapter eight our Lord made a profound statement concerning the last days, “ …Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Will there be conviction of the truth of anything? (according to Strongs) Any belief respecting man’s relationship to God? Any conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ? Any reliance upon Christ for forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation? Will there be praying faith?

To my way of thinking, the most essential instruction, the most valuable influence parents can contribute to their children’s welfare and soundness of soul and spirit is a strong foundation in the Scriptures; both, by way of the content of the Scriptures and
equally as important for the parent who professes Christ, by way of behavior, conduct and lifestyle. Explaining, teaching, answering their questions. For example, give them a solid and accurate knowledge of:

God. Who is God? He is the Creator and Sustainer of everything. God is holy therefore he is without sin. God is love. He is perfect in all of his ways. He is perfectly good. God is almighty. God is truth. God takes care of us.

Of sin. What is sin? Sin is doing wrong. It is going against what God says is right. It is breaking God’s Law. It is hurtful and harmful, it is destructive. Sin is the cause of every terrible thing in the world. It is why we have disease, sickness, racism, crimes, and evil. But the biggest problem is we are sinful! Sin comes right from our hearts!

Jesus. Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God, the only means of our salvation. He never sinned. He was completely human and completely God. He came to save us from our sins. To bring us to God.

The Bible. The Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God, and is accurate in everything it says. It does not contain the Word of God-it is the Word of God. It is the authority for Christian faith and practice and is the foundation on which believers must build their lives.

Make certain your children have a biblical understanding of salvation and their need of it-yet do not rush them into a prayer. Prepare them for the day they fully understand and will be saved-lay the foundation, line upon line, precept upon precept. Salvation cannot be some watered-down version of redemption- different for children than adults. These truths must be considered. If you, a personal worker, or some teacher pushes salvation on a child or plays into their emotions they will make a false profession. And that leads to confusion. Children are emotional beings. And some children are far more emotional than others. Some are just natural-born people pleasers so of course they want to please mommy, daddy, or the visiting speaker. If they are blessed enough to sit under sound preaching, they will hear preaching and teaching about such truths as the taking away of the saints or Hell. No child wants to imagine waking up one morning to find their parents have disappeared. The thought of going to hell will keep a child wide awake for nights! Truths such as the rapture or the fear of going to hell are incentives for salvation, but it is with an honest and good heart, Luke 8:15,
the heart’s knowledge of our sin against God and our separation from him that convicts us and convinces us that we need to be saved.

I have no doubt you want to have a Christ-centered home. However, attending a great church is not going to assure you of that. A great, strong Bible-believing Bible-preaching church is above and beyond an asset but you have got to do more than just attend faithfully. It is obedience to God’s Word and God’s plan for the structure within the home that brings these particular blessings to your family. Simply stated-when we obey-God blesses. This is a fixed principle in the Scriptures. No getting around it. It is a dominant theme throughout the Bible in the lives of the people whose stories are told there.

So what is your plan going to be? This is not something to take casually for we speak of eternal things. How will you be sure your children will be able to know how to stand in the future? Parents must:

I. Combat cultural influences now– Parents are all about safety these days. Locks on every kitchen cabinet, safety gates, organic everything, BPA-free water bottles, and on and on; but what about battling cultural influences all along the way? You cannot wait until your children are well into their teen years-you have to start when they are young. We are in a battle for the souls of our children in this country now more than ever. There are certain influences that are dangerous and you should be aware of them. Here is how you can protect your children:

A. Know your children-observe them-What are your child’s propensities toward the world? Some children could not care less-while others are very curious and typically they are very easily influenced by the world. Some children never waver from parental guidance, while others seem to be the types born with a clear idea of how they want their world to be operated, and an intolerance for those who disagree! Put up guardrails for your children. It should not matter what everyone else is doing, wearing, watching, or pursuing. You have got to set goals for your children. The Bible should be the Measure, the Standard for what you allow or do not allow in your child’s life-not what another Christian parent happens to permit for her child. This has everything to do with being a hands-on, eyes and ears wide open, godly mother. Don’t worry if you get labeled a “Helicopter mom.” Go a step further and be a Black Hawk mom!
Ignore the negativism the world attaches to the nurturing and protecting of your child. If you desire to raise God-fearing young people you have got your work cut out for you. Attend to it with all of your heart.

B. Know the people they look up to-Think with me: Who are you allowing in your children’s lives as their role models? Are they godly, upstanding Christians? If not, and you are promoting people who should not be endorsed, do not be surprised if they are the same ones who step into your child’s life one day, as the “understanding relative” to counsel them in opposition to your views. I have seen this repeatedly throughout the years of my husband’s ministry and even among our relatives. Some Christians have got to wake up and get over this “family is the end all” thing. It is not our relatives who merit our undying support and allegiance. We as Christians should be known for our authentic expressions of love and kindness, but you will never gain anything by compromising your testimony to please your relatives. And when it comes to your children, it would be naïve to believe, “After all, it’s family-what could go wrong?”
What I mean to say once more is no one should be closer to your child, no one should have more influence on them, and no one to whom your children should pour out their hearts more than you.

As for their friends, some kids can be very inauthentic in front of their friends’ parents, especially as they grow older. You know, Prince Charming when the parents are around and a devil behind their backs. Remember this: Kids need friends-it’s natural, it’s fun-but they don’t need them as much as they need you. Same with their cousins. Moreover, as they grow up friends can change seemingly overnight. Often for the worse. Your child could become disillusioned, hurt, and even begin to question some things for himself if that happens. So, listen to the conversations your children are having with their friends. Be within earshot. I am not implying that every friend or relative in your child’s life is a potential danger, but rather, if you have godly aspirations for your child, you must develop standards to protect them. Again, they do not need to be closer to their friends or their friend’s family than they are to you.

C. Create limitations so your kids are not rushed out of childhood. Permission to wear make-up, use the internet, have a phone, get a job, drive, etc. can change a child’s mind about a number of things, not the least of which is his or her parent’s intellect versus their own! Delaying these activities until your child displays an appropriate level of maturity enables you to use them as rites of passage that mark healthy progress toward adulthood. Pssst. Want to know the first sign of maturity? Respect for you. You are not your child’s friend. (Gasp!) You are the adult in the room. Though your child(ren) may seem emotionally mature and ready to take on the world they are not and cannot. And though it may seem they are making challenging arguments; rest assured-their brains are not fully formed yet and do not reach full maturation until they are in their mid-twenties. So you need to understand who you are dealing with, take a deep breath, and maintain your ground. When your child shows respect for you and your word they are moving in the right direction. However, you should model for them the way you want them to act with you. Even if the answer is still “no,” taking the time to graciously listen to their perspective can go a long way. And when a child/teen becomes, shall we say, disenchanted by your rules or decisions you must always remain calm and respond with the wisdom your years of life and experience have given you. It does not matter what the world says should happen at age 16 or 18. Some parents naively give in to the belief that “Oh, they’re 16-they have to get their permit…”. But why? My question would always be-is there a need right now? “No-but they want it.” So, do we give them candy for breakfast because they want it? As we set up stages and boundaries we give our children something to look forward to. It’s wrong thinking to believe you should give your child everything. Maturity and trustworthiness is a process-not something that automatically happens when the child turns eighteen.

The world’s assault on our children’s innocence is undisguised and blatant. It is increasingly intrusive and explicit-from TV, to music, to movies, and the internet. Children need years of innocence; days when good biblical and moral instruction can be established in their little, tender hearts. What great hope and promise for parents to know we have a Guide, an Intercessor, a Friend, and a Counselor all along the journey. James 1:5 encourages us:

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally…”.

As for me, there is no “if”. I know I lack wisdom for all the perplexities of this life! What a blessing that all we have to do is ask! May the Lord greatly bless your every effort as you bring up your children in His School of nurturing and learning. I wish you a Varsity Letter!

Thank you so much for reading,

Liz