Posts by Michelle

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:9-10 (NLT)

Last night prior to small group, I was reading Romans 12. I was reading from the New Living Translation rather than my usual NIV. As such, it was difficult to skim over words because I “know” them. Each word stopped me in my tracks.

Sometimes, it’s just plain hard to love people. Most of the time, it is difficult to love with genuine affection. It’s easy to smile and say all the right things just like it’s easy to be friendly and more difficult to be a friend. Why is that? A note in my Bible puts it this way “God calls us to real and genuine love that goes far beyond being hypocritical and polite. Genuine love requires concentration and effort. It means helping others become better people. It demands our time, money & personally involvement.”

There lies the rub. Sometimes throwing money at something is easy, but certainly using our time and getting personally involved is more difficult. It’s easy to do so with people with whom we click. However, verse nine doesn’t make that distinction. It says not to pretend to love others. Take a look back at verses one and two and recall that we are to present ourselves as living sacrifices. Loving others is not easy, but maybe rather than mumbling under our breath “God, love them,” we should pray “God, help me to love them as you do.” He is able to help us do this.

Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. – Luke 9:23

My Senior year of high school my Discipleship group spent one weekend in the bush helping a community of believers build a church. We spent the night Friday in tents near the church site and began work Saturday morning. The community had spent the previous week making the mud bricks that would form the walls of the church. Our job was helping to carry bricks from the river ¼ of a mile away to the site and then begin building the church. It was an unforgettable experience. I can still see the joy on their faces as it was being built—the prospect of being able to worship more comfortably when it was raining or hot (They had been meeting under a tree.) That mud brick building with a thatched roof was probably no bigger than my current office.

I’ve been thinking about that church this week as I have been writing and thinking about the International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians this Sunday. My church has dedicated two beautiful places of worship this year. I am grateful for these. I don’t want to take them for granted, but I do sometimes. The contrast between what we have and that mud and brick church I helped build is great. Greater still is the contrast between the freedom that we have to worship and places all over the world where Christians are being persecuted. There are churches without pastors because theirs has been arrested. There are Christians in prisons in conditions most of us would cringe at just thinking about. There are brothers and sisters in Christ who have been completely cut off from the family they had because of their faith, and yes, there are Christians being martyred because they refuse to deny Christ.

In this month of Thanksgiving, let’s thank God for the blessings He has given us. This week, and month as we are thankful, let us remember our brothers and sisters all over the world who face extreme circumstances as they have chosen to take up their cross and follow Jesus.

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
       for his compassions never fail.

    They are new every morning;
       great is your faithfulness.

–  Lamentations 3:22-23

I have a strong dislike of roller coasters.  They make me physically ill-not enough to throw up, though I think that might help.  I still remember my very first real ride (as opposed to kiddie coasters). I don’t remember wanting to go.  I think my family talked me into it.  I think they later regretted it too.  I screamed all through the ride, but it didn’t help.  The experience left me shaken and crying.  I won’t admit how old I was.

I’ve ridden several since then each time hoping it would be different.  If wasn’t.  My body simply doesn’t handle being shaken around.  I don’t like the sudden twists and turns or the slow ride to the top of a hill knowing that once I hit the top, I’ll be helpless to stop the increasing speed that ensues.

I don’t much like these kinds of changes in life either.  I prefer to be right side up, but sometimes my life is not.  I have little to no control over the sudden twists and turns.  One minute, I’m headed in one direction only to find myself moving in a different direction the next.

 One thing is certain in all of it.   Whether I’m being jolted, looped upside down, or anticipating the arduous climb that will plummet me into more twists and turns, God is there.  He is my constant companion whether on the rolling hills or the loop to loops.  The journey of life might shake me to my core, but when the ride is over, I won’t be left shaken and rattled.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Romans 15:5-6

This past Sunday evening, we dedicated the Chapel.  If you were there, you know what a wonderful service it was and what a jewel God has given us in it.  I continue to hear people talk about the sound and how great it is to finally have a place with good acoustics.  The musicians in our midst are bursting with excitement and I have to say that I’m bursting with them. 

 I’m no musician, but I can appreciate good music and enjoy musical imagery.  I’m a little giddy over the imagery I discovered when I did a little looking into the two verses above. If you don’t recognize the verses, I invite you to spend a little time with them.  These are the verses we chose more than a year ago as representative of what our desire for our single adult ministry is.

This afternoon, I was looking at them with http://net.bible.org (a great tool that Keith shared with us over the weekend).  The phrase “one heart” is translated in other translations as “one mind” and “one voice”.  The Greek word is “homothumadon.” Net Bible gives a definition and then the following:

 “Homothumadon is a compound of two words meaning to “rush along” and “in unison”. The image is almost musical; a number of notes are sounded which, while different, harmonise in pitch and tone. As the instruments of a great concert under the direction of a concert master, so the Holy Spirit blends together the lives of members of Christ’s church.”

Again, I’m no musician, but this imagery gets my heart beating.  Each one of us is different.  We bring different personalities, abilities, and life experiences to the table; but when we are unified with one purpose (ie. “to honor Christ by encouraging and serving others”- part of our mission statement) let’s just say the music is heavenly.

I have set the LORD always before me.
       Because he is at my right hand,
       I will not be shaken. 

 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
       my body also will rest secure,
                                                       -Psalm 16:8-9

This summer, I moved into a house with my dad.  After so many years of his being overseas, it’s been nice having him around.  One of the great things about living with Dad is the feeling of security of knowing someone I trust is there.  I don’t see a whole lot of Dad because of the schedule I keep, but I do rest a little better at night knowing someone else is there.

We all want to know that someone has our back, so to speak.  This idea is conveyed in Psalm 16. The phrase “at my right hand” is particularly interesting.  It conveys the idea of an advocate or defender.  The Interpreters Bible notes that “for a man to have God at his right hand means God’s shield hand is next to him [protecting him] leaving God’s sword hand free to fight the enemy.”  No wonder the Psalmist could say “I will not be shaken.” 

The Psalmist ends verse nine with “my body will rest secure.”  I don’t know about you, but I am all for my body being able to rest secure.  Put God before you, and He is also at your right hand fighting with and for you.  You too can rest secure.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: – Ecclesiastes 3:1

Today, as I was driving in the rain, I remembered a quote from a friend in high school. I was pretty down about something one day. Right before a class, Kirsten tapped me on the shoulder and said “rain falls down too.” I didn’t get it. I spent most of class trying to understand what she was getting at. She let me mull that over for a couple of days before explaining. The idea is that rain falls down just like we do in our lives, but when it falls, it washes the old top soil away and brings renewal.

I admit the connection in the analogy is imperfect. However, it has stuck with me all these years and that says something. For some people, rain is wet and miserable and sometimes our lives are like that. We wish we could curl up under the covers and sleep till it passes. The thing about rain is that when it’s all rained out there is a newness that comes. New growth takes place. Even hard devastating rains are followed by rainbows-a reminder of God’s covenant with Noah.

Rain in life is inevitable. Whether you are a fan or not, know that you can trust God in the midst of it. Whether it is a sprinkle or downpour, God is with you. He will sustain you in the midst of every season.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. – Matthew 6:33

Some weeks, I know what I’m going to write well before the writing begins.  Others, like today, I have no idea.  I like these times because they force me to step back from my busyness.  I take my Bible and pen to the library where it’s quiet and I am alone and I seek God.  I ask God for His word for the singles. Most of the time, His word for the singles, begins with a word for me.  Conviction takes place.  Then I spend several minutes trying to talk God out of sharing what He gives me.  I never win.

I’ve been thinking today about Ramadan.  It is a month of fasting for Muslims.  They do not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset.  There is a particular focus on spiritual things during the month as they fast, ask for forgiveness of sins and seek God.  They believe this time of year, more than any other God will be found if they seek him.

This afternoon I began to wonder when was the last time I gave up anything of significance in order to seek God more fully.  We are to seek God each day.  How often do I let other things get in the way of seeking God?  I want to pray for Muslims to find what they seek in Jesus, but my own righteous leaves something to be desired.  Conviction: It’s what happens when we come before God with no agenda other than to seek Him.  I think of Isaiah, who, when confronted with the Glory of God said “Woe to me! I cried. I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”

I invite you to join me in this month of Ramadan (August 22-September 20) in praying for Muslims. Before this, though, my prayer is that we would each go before God and seek Him with a heart willing to receive His Word.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. – James 1:22

 I confess that Amos probably would not have been my first choice in pick for Bible Study material this time around.  However, I am glad our Single Adults are all studying this together.  I don’t know about you, but I have felt conviction on every turn of the page.  Two things have been on my heart lately.  First, am I walking in righteousness?  Second, what does that mean for me as an individual, for us as a community of single adults, for our church, for our country?

I was further convicted yesterday as I sat at a forum on Children and Youth in Houston.  It was a pretty impressive gathering of local leaders from government, organizations and churches.  The discussion covered nine topics such as education, children in poverty, uninsured children and human trafficking.  After each topic, one of our area pastors prayed for that specific aspect. 

Most of the information given was new to me and broke my heart.  However, none broke my heart as much as learning the Houston is the hub of human trafficking in the US.  “In Houston, approximately 600 children and adolescents are victims of this horrendous crime per night.”  The majority of the trafficking revolves around sex trade.  I can’t get my mind around this.

You may know this already.  The reason I share with you today is because I want to be sure that we are doing more than just talking about what we are learning in Bible Study each Sunday.  Our class spent some time one Sunday talking about what we could do in response to our study on a personal level and on a governmental level.  Here’s my challenge.  As you read through Amos this week, ask God to show you one thing that you can do on a personal level and one that you can do on a governmental level.  If you are willing, I’d love to be able to gather some of your ideas and put them together (without names). 

My prayer is that we can encourage each other to do something.  Our class talked about the fact that we can’t help everyone in the world, but we can help the Gonzalez family and maybe give those children a better opportunity.  We can help by investing time and money in organizations like Gracewood that are making a difference in lives of women and children.

One aspect of walking in righteousness is to advocate for those who have no other advocate.  There are lots of ways to do this and I encourage you to follow God’s leading in this.  What will you do?  What can we do together?

But the LORD has become my fortress,
       and my God the rock in whom I take refuge. –Psalm 94:22

One of my favorite memories of growing up in Nigeria is hiking in the surrounding hills and climbing a rock formation.  It was about a twenty minute drive from where we lived.  Gog and Magog  is a pile of granite boulders that someone found a path to climb through the rocks to the top.  It was one of our favorite things to do on weekends.  We would take a picnic out to the hills and climb either before or after.

I have lots of fond memories of this place.  One of my favorites is a time I overheard Mom talking to an out of town guest.  Mom often guided people up and down and had some fantastic stories.  She loved hiking and loved jumping around on the rocks.  This particular time, she was explaining to our guest why she enjoyed climbing Gog and Magog so much.  She said that she wasn’t afraid to jump from rock to rock because they were solid.  Every time she set her foot down, she was reminded of the great hymn that says “On Christ the solid rock I stand.  All other ground is sinking sand.”  Climbing always reminded her that her spiritual footing was secure.

Mom’s message wasn’t shared directly with me, but it has stuck with me all these years.  Whatever is going on with you, rest assured that if you are in Christ, you are standing on solid ground.

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! -Isaiah 49:15

For the LORD is good and his love endures for ever; his faithfulness continues through all generations -Psalm 100:4-5

I have a confession to make. I’m forgetful. This past Sunday morning I was walking to the front of the room and remembered something that I needed to be reminded to do. By the time I walked to the back of the room to get my phone to make a note of it, I’d forgotten what it was I needed to remember. I’ll spare you the excuses and reasoning behind it all and just confess that I am forgetful. This morning, I even managed to spit out the wrong social security number.

I was thinking about this on the way back from lunch today and just had to stop and thank God that He is not forgetful like me. He knows everything about me (Psalm 139) and he is faithful. He is faithful even when I am not. This is good news. It is also a great reminder.

Remembering His Faithfulness,

Michelle