VELVET COVERED ROCK

A man of quiet strength
Like the depth of the sea,
A soldier in the Lord’s army
Who fights on bended knee
A protector and comforter
Of what’s closest to his heart
A man of honor and integrity
That sets him profoundly apart
The leader of his family
Who guides with wisdom, love, and grace
He gives thanks for each of his blessings
And stares challenges in the face
He is relentless in his commitment
To ensure that he provides
All that is necessary
For his children and his bride
He renders security and refuge
In a world that has gone astray
He anchors us to the foundation we rely upon
Each and every day
He is the father our sons are honored to call, “Dad”
Dedicated to following the Father he now knows
For this man himself, a child of God
Because he is one that his Father chose
A warrior devoted to his beliefs
Rescued in the Truth of the Word
Humble and eternally grateful
To be a part of The shepherd’s herd
A man of gentle determination
Never to give up
Who drinks in his faith daily
From the Lord’s bottomless cup
He knows when to be tough
And when to be tender
He knows when to battle
And when to surrender
His journey’s just beginning
I’m blessed to join the walk
He is my everyday Valentine,
My velvet covered rock.

JESUS LOVED MARTHA…YES, MARTHA

You needn’t be a Biblical scholar to know what is meant if a woman is referred to as the, “Martha-type.”

It generally conjures up images of an exasperated woman standing in her kitchen, overwhelmed at the onslaught of work for her house full of guests, spouting off a complaint to THE guest, who happened to be Christ himself, and imploring Him to do something about her sister Mary who wasn’t helping!

Women are encouraged to be more like Mary…she chose the ‘good portion.’ Our natural inclination then is to assign or imply a ‘bad portion’ to Martha, which would be a disservice, not only to Martha and those who identify with her but to the greater understanding of who she was because of Christ and the depth of her fellowship with Him.

“…Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha…”

Martha was a woman who was discipled by, fellowshipped with, ministered to and instructed by Jesus.  In turn, Martha was a disciple of, fellowshipped with, ministered to and served Jesus.

“… welcomed Him into her home.”

Martha was hospitable. Always welcoming.

“Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”

Martha, in her tumult, took her sharp inquisition to Jesus….‘she went up to Him’ portraying a sense of comfort to share her frustration honestly and seek His intervention.

“Martha, Martha…”

Knowing Martha’s heart Jesus gently rebuked her with few words and a double salutation emphasizing the significance of what He was conveying to her. The ‘good portion’ is Jesus. He would not take that away from Mary.  Jesus exhorted Martha to regain focus of what was the ‘good portion’ whether serving a house full of guests or sitting at His feet. He was addressing Martha’s heart attitude not her works. With a kindred warmth and familial directness Jesus restored Martha and her priorities. Who worthier to set us straight then the One who knows us better than we know ourselves?

“Now Jesus loved Martha…”

He. Loved. Her. This is reminiscent of Peter where after Jesus’ tomb was found empty the angel said to Mary (Magdalene), “Go tell His disciples and Peter…” The Lord purposed the angel to mention Peter by name. What a comfort it must have been to Peter, who was in great sorrow over his failure when he denied Christ three times, to know that the Lord sent for him personally. And so it was with Martha. She is mentioned by name in the scriptures as one whom Jesus loved.

“So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him…”

Again, Martha went to Jesus without hesitation.

“Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Martha believed in Jesus’ power to heal.

“But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

Martha seemed to comprehend the strong connection between Jesus and God even if she hadn’t yet grasp the magnitude. She was willing to put her faith in Jesus that His petitions would bring good to the situation at hand. She had faith in Jesus.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

“Do you believe this?” That is the ultimate question, isn’t it? And Martha was in the presence of the Lord as He asked it of her.

She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

Can you imagine being face to face with the Lord and announcing, “Yes Lord, I believe!” Martha’s faith was actualized.

Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.”

Martha was practical yet curious, she knew it would stink but sought out Jesus’ reassurance. What is most striking is that she is standing next to Jesus at the tomb of her brother. These are not only followers of Jesus, but these are His friends. Close, personal friends, like family. Martha was a friend of Jesus.

“Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”

Martha indeed saw the glory of God as Jesus raised her dead brother to life. It would be the foreshadowing of His own death and resurrection as well as that of His followers. Affirming that He is the resurrection and the everlasting life.

“Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served…”

Martha was a devoted servant of Jesus Christ.

“Martha was a noble and godly woman with a servant’s heart and a rare capacity for work. Mary was nobler still, with an unusual predisposition for worship and wisdom. Both were remarkable in their own ways. If we weigh their gifts and their instincts together, they give us a wonderful example to follow. May we diligently cultivate the best instincts of both of these extraordinary women.” ~John MacArthur

For further studying please consider the following:

Luke 10:38-42

John 11

John 12:1-11

Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur

THANKFUL FOR CANCER…

I remember when we got the results.  The doctor didn’t come out and say the dreaded “C” word.  So me, being me, asked, “Is it cancer?”  The doctor looked at me, rubbed his hand across his mouth and said, “Well, nothing is one hundred percent until we get in there and get the pathology back…but yes, it is most likely cancer.”

There it was.  I couldn’t tell you what he said after that.  The lump in my throat made it impossible to swallow.  The walk from the doctor’s office to the parking lot seemed endless.  When we stepped outside the air swept my face and I gulped down the lump in my throat realizing I had been holding my breath.

That night I found myself somewhere I hadn’t been since I was a young girl…knelt beside my bed, hands clasped, head bowed…praying to God…begging God…to have mercy.  I couldn’t breathe again.

Over the next several days in between doctor’s appointments and testing I would find myself there again on my knees.  In front of the washing machine.  On the rug in the bathroom.  At the kitchen sink.  Asking God for comfort for our family.  Asking Him for strength and grace.  Pleading with God to stay near to us.  Reminding Him that I wasn’t ready to miss my husband.

This ‘thing’ called cancer has carnivorous teeth that plunge beneath the surface like the blade of a sharp twisting knife.  The initial knowledge is disorienting.  It causes us to flinch from the shock and flail in disbelief.  It pushes and drags us to our knees as it tears at our spirit and rattles our minds in the chaos.

The darkness of it is consuming.  From somewhere in the darkness you hear a guttural scream that only you can hear. It drowns out what others are saying as it shatters through the disorder.

It’s as though you are being suffocated.  No one hears the screams.  The voices around you are faint and fading.  This thing stalks you, relentlessly.  You can’t shake it.  It won’t let go.

Maybe your ‘thing’ isn’t cancer.  Maybe it is the loss of a child.  Economic devastation.  Or a natural disaster.

Maybe it is a debilitating accident.  Or a profound disability.

Whatever your ‘thing’ is, it strikes our foundation with blinding stealth and exposes the cracks and chasms of our faith.

In 2007 my husband, thirty-five years old at the time, was diagnosed with kidney cancer.  We were both ‘young’ Christians and we would learn very quickly what it means to have your faith tested.

It caused us to question what we thought we had already answered.

It compelled us to ask questions we would not purposely wade through simply out of ignorance or fear and even perhaps, denial.

Who wants to think about death, right?  But these ‘things’ do not discriminate.  It is the mirror of our mortality.

In my wobbly prayers and petitions through the years since his diagnosis I have learned that surviving isn’t the ultimate purpose.  None of us will survive this earthly life whether it is cancer or not.

The ultimate purpose is glorifying God and becoming like Christ.

There is so much yet to learn, but this we know to be true.

Because of cancer, we are closer to the Lord than we have ever been.  Perhaps the enemy meant for cancer to separate us from Him but it caused us to cleave to Christ.  Coming to the end of ourselves, we found the goodness of the Lord.

Because of cancer, we have grown in ways that would not have been possible otherwise.  It has caused us to mature in every aspect of our lives.

Because of cancer, our marriage is stronger and more intimate.  It was the catalyst to conversations of the most sacred and delicate words two individuals can share.

Because of cancer, we have been active stewards in getting our finances in order.

Because of cancer, our children have been privy to knowledge and wisdom we could not have taught them by any other means.

Because of cancer, priorities arise with clarity.  There is a focused urgency to get on with the things of God and to avoid distractions.  To see the blessings and not take anything for granted.

Because of cancer, we understand that our days are numbered and that it is imperative that we use God’s resources wisely by discerning what and who we pour those resources.

Because of cancer, we understand that every second of every day is a gift to be treasured because they are fleeting.

Because of cancer, our perspective has changed.  Before, vehicles needing repair, sump pumps going wonky or a broken pair of glasses would have seemed significant.  Now, those things are seen through the lens of cancer and become insignificant by comparison.

Because of cancer, our senses have been heighten to absorb our surroundings and allow them to linger whether it is the color of Autumn, the taste of a conversation shared over coffee, the scent of rain, the sound of laughter or the embrace of another.

Because of cancer, we are able to comfort those with the comfort we have received.  Providing a way to reach out and reach in to the lives of others.

Because of cancer, death is no longer a threat.  For those who are in Christ will live for eternity.  Though it can ravage a body it has no jurisdiction over the spirit for those who are in Christ.  It has no victory.  Christ conquered it upon the cross.  This ‘thing’ called cancer has lost its grasp.  Christ bore its sting.

Because of cancer, we are able to see that everything that is allowed into our lives first filters through the hand of a sovereign and loving God for His glory and our good.  Through those fingers the light begins to dance against the darkness causing it to whimper as it is enveloped.

Because of cancer, we are consciously aware of God’s presence in every detail of our lives and our utter dependence upon Him.

Because of cancer, we are learning to surrender our lives into the hands of God and entrust our care to Him as we continue to faithfully abide in doing good works He has prepared for us in advance to do.

Because of cancer, we have not learned how to die but how to live.

This past week my husband had his most recent CT scan.  It has been almost five years.  It was clean.

Words fail to adequately express our gratitude for God’s mercy.

I abhor cancer but I am thankful for what God has done in our lives through it.

THANKSGIVING IN AMERICA: GUEST POST BY AUTHOR ELAINE COOPER

Thanksgiving in Early America

by Elaine Marie Cooper

 

Call of a Coward: A Book Review

Call of a Coward by Marcia Moston

“The problem with promising God you’ll follow Him wherever He leads is that you just might have to go…” 

There is nothing more intriguing than a great story that happens to be true!  That is what Marcia Moston has done in her non-fiction book, Call of a Coward.

It is the stories of saints, like Marcia and her husband, Bob, who have had their faith tested that give us courage to persevere when our own is tested.

Marcia pulls the curtain back to provide an intimate view of what is truly at stake when we choose to follow Christ.  From the beginning the reader feels as though they are partakers on the journey with Marcia and Bob.  Their thoughts and emotions are palpable.  You will share their fears, their challenges, their devotion, their love and their faith.

The scenery is vivid.  Like a motion picture in your mind, her words will find you flinching on narrow escapes, squirming to the adjustments of a new culture, and being drawn into the colorful surroundings and personalities of those they encounter along the way.

You will laugh, you will cry and you will long for more.  I whole heartedly recommend this book.

Call of a Coward is available from Thomas Nelson, Family Christian Store, and Amazon.  It is also available in e-book formats for Kindle and Nook.

Follow Marcia on her blog.  Listen to Marcia discussing her journey to publishing Call of a Coward.

In the interest of full disclosure, Marcia and I are both active members in a writer’s group.

NOTHING TO PROVE

“You will cleanse no sin from your life that you have not first recognized as being pardoned through the cross. This is because holiness always starts in the heart. The essence of holiness is not new behavior, activity, or disciplines. Holiness is new affections, new desires, and new motives that then lead to new behavior. If you don’t see your sin as completely pardoned, then your affections, desires, and motives will be wrong. You will aim to prove yourself. Your focus will be the consequences of your sin rather than hating the sin itself and desiring God in its place.” ~ Tim Chester

As we scroll through the pages of the Bible we see how Adam was intent on proving himself blameless by pointing out to God that it was the woman He gave him that caused him to fall.  Eve then shifted the blame to the serpent.

Jacob and Esau were striving in Rebekah’s womb, which would only be a foreshadowing of the conflict to come, as the battle over their father’s blessing unfolded and each of them attempted to prove themselves deserving.

Joseph was the favored tattle tale of his father and the object of contempt for his brothers.  As we read the narrative we see the tumultuous journey of misdeeds and deception as those involved strive to prove themselves justified in their thoughts and actions.

Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus, was proving herself to Jesus and their guests by steeping herself in busyness and service.  She even scolded Jesus for allowing Mary to sit at his feet while she did all of the work.

An argument broke out among the Disciples as they asked Jesus to determine which of them had proven themselves to be the greatest.

And of course, Satan, who attempted to prove himself to be greater than God.

“If the praise of man elates me and his blame depresses me; if I cannot rest under misunderstanding without defending myself; if I love to be loved more than to love, to be served more than to serve, then I know nothing of Calvary love.” ~ Amy Carmichael

In today’s society, we aren’t much different from those throughout history.  We may have different avenues via technology but the undeniable impulse to prove ourselves hasn’t changed.  This is evident in business, athletics, education, politics, and even in matters of faith.

Does this mean we are not to defend our faith or provide an answer for the hope we have?

That would be a resounding…NO!

“Whenever Jesus did speak, He was completely in control.  He knew what to say and when to stop talking; He was most concerned about God’s honor.” ~ Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Jesus had more opportunities to prove himself against rejection, false accusations, betrayal, misunderstandings, attack and brutality than anyone, possessing the power to respond dramatically, yet He maintained His peace in situations most of us couldn’t fathom.

Discerning whether to speak or not would be to answer the question as to whether we are defending our honor, someone else’s or God’s?  There is a significant difference.  There are times to defend ourselves but they are more the exception than the rule.

Why do we feel compelled to prove ourselves?

Are we easily provoked?  Do we do it because we ‘know’ we are right?  Do we want to protect our reputation?  Maybe we feel threatened?  Or rejected?  Angered?  Treated unfairly?

Is it to be accepted?  Is it for the approval of others?  Maybe we just like the satisfaction of ‘winning’?  Of impressing others.  The applause?  Adoration?

Conversely, proving ourselves also comes in more subtle ways.

Perhaps we struggle with making decisions because we don’t want to upset anyone?  We compromise our convictions to be accepted?  We have difficulty saying ‘no’ because we don’t want confrontation?  We jeopardize our health or relationships by trying to align our performance with the expectations of others?  We strive to ‘do good’ in hopes of negating the ‘wrong’ of our past?

Maybe it defines our worth?  Gives us value?  Or provides us with an identity?

Then, if this wasn’t enough, once you have proven yourself, you will have to maintain the illusion by continually proving yourself over and over or risk losing what you believe you have obtained.

“If you seek first to please God and are satisfied with that you have but one to please instead of multitudes. And a multitude of masters are harder to please than one.” ~ Richard Baxter

For some people proving themselves is distracting.  For others it is exhausting.  But for some, it is crippling.  And yet, there are those, for which it even becomes consuming.

Whatever the outward manifestation is: control, fear, envy, anger, self-centeredness, insecurity, approval, busyness, pride, idolatry…at the root of them all…is sin.

It becomes the worship of people’s opinions.

What we worship…is what we serve.

“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10

We are talking about making other people our standard, instead of God.  He is our standard, a standard for which we fall desperately short and are in need of a Savior who is Jesus.

Does this mean we shouldn’t allow others to speak into our lives?  No.  We need to seek wise counsel.  And be wise counsel.

We need to be humble enough to sift criticism or reproof or teaching, through the discerning filter of God’s Word and accept what can be gleaned through such an exchange.

Be willing to speak the Truth in love not out of our opinions.  Serve others to glorify God not in an exercise of how spiritual we are.

There will be times we need to do as Paul did and know when to lay down our rights and our liberty (indeed we are free in Christ) for the sake of love, service, sacrifice and the building up those who are weaker.

And we are to do these things with excellence because, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.  You are serving the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24

Those who encounter us will find our freedom contagious and rest in our presence, because we rest in the presence of Christ.

“God frees us from sin’s dominion by changing our desires, not by reiterating the law’s requirements.” ~ Elyse Fitzpatrick

As followers of Jesus our identity is not in what others think of us, not even those closest to us, but our identity is in the Lord.  He chose us.  It is not based on any quality in us.  It is solely based on His perfection, His mercy, His grace, His sacrifice, His love.

We belong to Him.  We have been set apart for His purposes.  We are accepted because of who He is, not any merit of our own.  We do not deserve it.  We cannot earn it.  We cannot add to it.  Still, He declares us beloved.

People may reject us for what we do or do not do.  But in Christ, there is nothing we can do to make Him love us more.  And there is nothing we can do to make Him love us less.

We can’t force it.  We can’t work for it.  It isn’t dependent on our performance.  It’s not about how many ‘good things’ we do.  We don’t have to convince Him.  We don’t have to impress Him.  We won’t compete with others for it.

In Christ, we have nothing to prove.

“When you’re secure in who you are and in your calling, you don’t have to talk too much. I see this dignity in a few—not enough—but a few Christian women. They don’t have to defend what they do. They don’t have to say a lot—even times with family members or friends who greatly misunderstand them. They just live the life. In so doing, they reflect the heart and the spirit of Jesus.” ~ Nancy Leigh DeMoss

For further study please consider the following:

Ephesians 6:5-20

Romans 1:21-25

2 Corinthians 12:19

2 Corinthians 10:5

Ephesians 5:10

The Majestic Silence of Christ by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Talking About Idolatry in a Postmodern Age by Tim Keller

You Can Change by Tim Chester

PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO OURSELVES

The Gospel is not just for unbelievers.  It is for Christ followers as well.  The Gospel that saved us, is also the Gospel that sanctifies us.

“Preaching to ourselves is the personal act of applying the Law and the Gospel to our own lives with the aim of experiencing the transforming grace of God.” ~ Joe Thorn

The Gospel isn’t just a means of salvation, immeasurable as that gift from God is.  The Gospel is also how we mature as Christians.

Preaching to ourselves means meditating on the scriptures and actively applying them to our daily lives.

It is not to be a form of self-centered, self-absorbed, narcissistic navel gazing but rather, in all things, it should be done to glorify God and point towards Christ.

Knowing who Christ is and what He has done for us, sets us free by grace to be motivated to change.  We are no longer bound by sins deception of soft pedaling God’s standard, preaching moralism, comparing ourselves to others, blame shifting, seeking false idols or ‘willing’ ourselves to do better and try harder.  It is the Gospel that inspires us to change.  Petitioning God to change our hearts.  The only true and lasting change possible.  All else is false and fading.

“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” 1 Timothy 4:16

Being sound in our faith and practice is applicable to all believers as we are involved in varying ministry.  We are earthen vessels, chosen instruments of God, to bear His name.  It is of utmost importance that we are partakers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, first, before we see to exhorting others lest we find ourselves ignorant or weakened of the Truth for which we proclaim.

God has entrusted earthen vessels, mere clay jars, fragile and easily broken, with the treasure of the Gospel,“…to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7

We are to declare the whole counsel of the Gospel and the center of that counsel must be the Cross.  Calvary.  Where God’s love and God’s wrath collide.  Providing eternal salvation to depraved sinners…like me.

Despite being redeemed saints, believers still sin and need God’s grace and mercy each and every moment of this life.  Learning to saturate each thought with who Christ is and what He has done.  Clinging to Him and the promises of His Word.  Embracing that this, the Gospel, is how we change and conform to the image of Christ.  It sustains a continually teachable spirit.  To serve Christ and others through Him.  It is where we meet and know God.

Over the course of time, preaching the gospel to myself every day has made more of a difference in my life than any other discipline I have ever practiced. I find myself sinning less, but just as importantly, I find myself recovering my footing more quickly after sinning, due to the immediate comfort found in the gospel. I have also found that when I am absorbed in the gospel, everything else I am supposed to be toward God and others seems to flow out of me more naturally and passionately. Doing right is not always easy, but it is never more easy than when one is breathing deeply the atmosphere of the gospel. ~ Milton Vincent

Preaching the Gospel to ourselves reveals our desperate reflection and reminds us of our great need of sanctification through our faith in Christ alone our Savior.  It empowers us to teach others what we have been taught.  It better equips us to reach others as we confront our own issues in light of the Gospel.  It prepares us to tend to the needs of others.  If we neglect our own souls how will we rightly care for others?

We must learn to be diligent in our spiritual check-ups not relying solely on others to preach to us but instead disciplining ourselves with the intimate challenges and comforts that are only found in the Word of God.

“So I learned that Christians need to hear the gospel all of their lives because it is the gospel that continues to remind us that our day-to-day acceptance with the Father is not based on what we do for God but upon what Christ did for us in his sinless life and sin-bearing death. I began to see that we stand before God today as righteous as we ever will be, even in heaven, because he has clothed us with the righteousness of his Son. Therefore, I don’t have to perform to be accepted by God.

Now I am free to obey him and serve him because I am already accepted in Christ. My driving motivation now is not guilt but gratitude. Yet even when we understand that our acceptance with God is based on Christ’s work, we still naturally tend to drift back into a performance mindset. Consequently, we must continually return to the gospel. It means I frequently repeat the words from an old hymn, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” “~ Jerry Bridges

What will you preach to yourself today?

For further study please consider the following:

Romans 8:1

Isaiah 53:6

Galatians 2:20

How The Gospel Changes Us by Timothy Keller

The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges

The Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent

Because He Loves Me by Elyse Fitzpatrick

The Unkept Vineyard by C. H. Spurgeon

Spiritual Depression by David Martyn Lloyd-Jones

The Gospel for Real Life by Jerry Bridges

Note to Self by Joe Thorn