Will You Stand?

There is no better time than today to decide where you stand. I'm afraid that after next weeks election results, no matter which way it goes, our beliefs and freedoms will be shaken.

I wonder how many will stand up for what they believe?

Last night, we took about 20 from our church to see the movie, "I am not ashamed", a movie about Rachel who was killed in the Columbine High shooting for being a Christian.

After watching this tear jerker, I couldn't help but reflect on what kind of a stand I would take in such a moment. I was reminded of Ephesians 6:13...

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

No matter how many times I read it, the word "Stand" keeps jumping out to me.

You may ask, "how can I stand up for what I believe in this evil world that I live?"

"The peace of God transcends all understanding." (Philippians 4:7)

When we come to understand that we have been placed right where we are for a purpose, we will see that we each have the power to impact others. The things that we stand for not only affect us but it greatly affects those standing by.

Stand up for God, not only in how you live your life but Stand even if it means your faith will cost you your life.

Know what you believe and STAND!

BLESSINGS. Laurie

God has the answers!

Last night I taught one of the hardest lessons to our youth group that I've ever taught, "What suicide is and what it is not." While suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 10-24, it is still the most silent topic for many. People don't know what to say or how to answer the unknown questions that arise from suicide.

Depression and Suicide, like many other difficult things in life, are one of those things you want to ask God, "why?" Perhaps you are staring at a "why God?" situation right now, looking for answers but running into a dead end.

I didn't have all of the answers for the youth class last night, but I was able to direct them to the source that does.... the Bible. The Bible is the inspired Word of God and a lamp unto our feet, It has a way of illuminating the answers to our questions.

In Genesis chapter 21, we read a story of a woman and a child who desperately needed some illumination (some insight) on their current situation. It all started with Abraham and Sarah. You see they had been promised a son in their old age, but Abraham was 90 years old and STILL no son! So Sarah decides to take things in her own hands and she came up with a plan; instead of waiting upon the Lord, she suggests to Abraham that he have a child with their servant, Hagar.

That was Sarah's plan, not God's. Eventually, God's plan comes to pass and Sarah does have a son, just like He promised. However, Sarah began to resent her servant, Hagar and the son she had with Abraham. So, Sarah banished them.

What was Hagar to do? She was fearful that her and her son, Ishmael would surely die of starvation. In her moment of searching, she cried out to God and the Bible says He answered...

"Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink." (Genesis 22:19)

What a perfect example of what we need today. Like Hagar, we desperately need the Lord. The answer was right in front of her, all she had to do was open her eyes. I don't know what questions you may have for God, but I do know that He will answer if you call out to Him, and He will illuminate your way if you just open your eyes.

BLESSINGS. Laurie

There is Cedar in all of us!

I have been watching the house up the street from us being transformed. It is currently under a major remodeling and makeover. The entire house has been gutted and each day as I drive by, I can see the transformation happening right before my eyes. This week, the house got some beautiful cedar wood siding put in place. It is gorgeous mixed in with the stone front.

As the workers labored the other day, I noticed the pile of lumber stacked by the house. I also noticed that each piece of lumber was selected carefully before being hung. I couldn't stop thinking about that beautiful cedar wood; how each piece was delicately and carefully selected for this remodel job. Lumberjacks would tell you that the strongest wood usually comes from the trees that have weathered the roughest storms and conditions.

I suppose you could say the same about people. The strongest people that I know are that way because of the strong winds and battles they have endured. Look at Moses; if you could ask him how he became the great man that he was, assuredly, he would remind you of his trials with Pharaoh and the testing that the wilderness days brought him. How about Joseph? Surely his great power and position did not come easy, Joseph had to go thru the pit and slavery first before he saw great things.

Just like that cedar wood, that passed thru all of the inspections to be considered the best and just like Moses and Joseph, God is using the the bumps and the rough edges in us to perfect us to be used for something great!

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10)

I don't know what kind of remodeling or transforming that God is doing in you, but I guarantee you that the rough stuff, the hurts and the troubles that you feel, are the very things that will give you strength for where you are headed.

BLESSINGS. Laurie

Should Christians watch scary movies ?

With Halloween just around the corner, my husband and I have noticed there is not much to watch on TV. All of the blood, guts and scary movies are playing. I use to, back in the day, enjoy watching scary movies. The kind that had you at the edge of your seat. I remember when I was a teenager, going to the theatre to watch the horror shows with my friends, the scarier the better, because we knew going into it, that it was all fake.

But is it?

Now that I am older and a Believer in Christ, I have since changed my mind. The evil depicted in these horror movies may be fake on the screen, but evil in real life lurks around us and believe me, it is very real!

So how do we deal with these movies (and TV shows) that depict the use of magic, witchcraft and glorified violence? If you are a Christian, I believe that God wants you to use wisdom and be smart about the choices you make. I had to make a choice myself, was I willing to allow the evil thoughts and images to dance in my head from watching a movie or could I make a better choice?

"The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly." (Proverbs 15:14)

If you are still intrigued with the scary shows and wonder if it is ok for a Christian to watch, ask yourself this question, "should I watch this at all?" God said for us to have a pure heart and a clean mind. If the show you are about to watch will keep you from maintaining this, it may not be worth your time.

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10) 

I can't tell you if watching the scary Halloween movies are wrong for you, but what I can do is suggest that you apply God's rating to the rating of the movie or show. Paul writes in Philippians that we should think on things that are excellent and praiseworthy; things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable. If you can spend 90 minutes watching ghosts, evil, mass killings, vampires, witchcraft and zombies and walk away feeling all those kind of things found in Philippians, more power to you. But I doubt that you can, I know I cannot.

I have come to know that there is a real enemy who lurks around to steal, kill and destroy. And he uses our mind and what we allow in our hearts and what we allow to be seen by our eyes to haunt and destroy us. I learned a long time ago in elementary school a very important logo, "garbage in, garbage out."

Keep the garbage out by keeping what's on the inside pure and clean. To do this, you may need to change the channel or switch theatres. Evil is not something to play around with.

BLESSINGS. Laurie

What are we teaching?

Yesterday, during my husband's Sunday sermon, he reminded me of the startling fact that 80% of our children in church will leave their faith when they turn 18. 80%? That is 8 out of 10! That leads me to the question today, "What are we teaching?"

My husband also gave wise counsel to the congregation to be careful what we teach our little ones. If sports events, sleeping in or hanging with friends takes precedent over being in God's House on Sunday, could it be that we are teaching our kids that God is not important? Could we be contributing to that 80% statistic?

I've seen too many parents pour their heart and soul into the social and the athletic aspect of their child's life, while the spiritual investment takes back seat. I'm not saying that your child can't have fun, after all, my children all were involved in the school clubs, drama team, volleyball, baseball and football when they were young. But God and church commitments always came first.

I believe that we live in a day and age now that we MUST choose which side we live. Do we live for God or the world? Do we have a foot in or out? Are we hot or cold?

" Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33)

God said that "no man can serve two masters", (Matthew 6:24) . I fear that we allow things to stand between us and our faith. When we allow other things to be more valued than our relationship with Christ, that "thing" becomes our master. We no longer serve God, but we serve those things that come before God. If we allow people or activities to take the place of serving God; then that something or someone has taken the place of who we serve. Whatever excuse we use, the bottom dollar is that when we choose to not be faithful to God, we just taught someone watching us that God is not as important to us as they thought.

The Bible says that our God is a jealous God, (see Exodus 34:14).  For this reason He will not stand to be placed second to anything. Growing up in church and raising my own family in church, I have learned that there is a balance and that by placing God at the top of my list, it not only makes my life seem smoother but my families lives as well. We must stand back and look at what we are teaching our children, not just at what we say but what they see us do.

Here are 4 reasons why it is imperative that we place God first in our busy schedules and lives and not as a back up plan:

1. It will teach compassion. As early as when kids learn to talk, they learn to reach out to people. Take a hurting parent and watch what a child will do; they will either try to solve the problem or they will come alongside and offer kindness or comfort to their parent. Children will follow your lead when they see you caring for those hurting in your church.

2. It will teach a godly work ethic. Everyone knows that we should have a good work ethic, but what about a godly work ethic? Our children need to see us demonstrating what faithfulness and obedience looks like thru how we work for God.

3. It will teach servanthood. The word "giving" isn't just about money. When we are faithful to God, that doesn't just mean with our time, but our talents and treasures too. When we put God first, that means in everything. We teach others by giving back to God what is His, not what is leftover, or a small portion, but what God deserves. He deserves our very best!

4. It will teach discernment. No one knows if someone is being genuine more then a child. They can spot a phony a mile away. When we put God first and seek His wisdom, we are teaching discernment. Even when our motives are pure, kids must learn that not everyone else's are, but the importance is to have the wisdom to know the difference. This comes from spiritual guidance.

There are so many other lessons to be learned from choosing to be faithful to God. These 4 basic teachings may be difficult to spot if we are not putting God first. Yes, I know God is everywhere, He can be with us at a Razorback game, or at a birthday party or in our recliner at home. But today, I am asking the question, "What are you teaching?"

The most effective life lessons are taught when we don't even realize we are teaching. I want to change that crazy statistic, I don't know about you, but 80% is too great of a number to lose our kids to. I want to place God #1 in all that I do and I don't want it to just be something I say, but something I do ...and something that I teach someone who is watching me.

"I say what I mean and I mean what I say". (Dr. Seuss)

BLESSINGS. Laurie

Built on Solid Ground

What would your dream house look like? I always imagined mine to be a beach house overlooking the ocean with an all around, floor to ceiling, glass windows. No matter where you stood in the house, you could take in the beauty of the sunrise or listen to the sounds of the crashing waves.

Beautiful, but, how realistic and smart would that be? Not much privacy from the beach walkers, not to mention the risk of violent storms crashing in all of those windows. What a mess all that shattered glass would be. Its a good thing that not all houses are limited to our imagination.

I guess that's why there are seldom two houses built the same. Even if the same contractor builds them, no two people have the same "imaginations" or plans. "Different strokes for different folks" is the saying and variety is usually well played out. Not just in house building but in the kingdom of God as well.

Look at what 1 Corinthians says that having a variety can accomplish...

"Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, 'I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,' that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, 'I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,' would that make it any less part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where He wants it." (1 Corinthians 12:14-18)

You see, God does not give everyone the same gifts. If He did, everyone would be doing the same thing and something would be left undone. Not everyone can live in glass beach houses while the white picket farmhouses are forgotten. After all, what would we eat if the farmhouses were neglected while we all soaked up the sun and sea?

The point is that God never intended all of us to do the same thing. He has a specific thing for each of us to do, not just where we live or where we work but God has a specific thing that He has equipped each of us to do in the church and His Kingdom.

Not everyone is called to be the preacher. If God calls you to preach, then preach. Not everyone is called to be a teacher. If God calls you to teach, then teach. Not everyone is called to sing in the choir. If God calls you to sing, then sing. Not everyone is called to work with children. If God has called you to work with kids, work with kids. If the teacher is trying to sing while the singers are trying to work with kids, isn't that like trying to use your ear to smell with or opening your eye to listen with?

The body works better when everyone is doing their part, not someone else's part. Maybe you are still back on the beach, thinking that the glass beach house still sounds appealing but you are not quite sure. Not sure what your part is in the Kingdom of God, perhaps.

Take a minute to examine yourself. Usually that means examine your heart, but today I want you to examine yourself, literally. Look at your hands. Now look at your feet. Look at your eyes, your nose, your ears. Think about all of the things that you are able to do with these parts... now how can you offer these gifts, talents and abilities that God has given you to further God's kingdom?

Can you sing? Can you cook? Can you build something? Can you clean? Can you tell others about what God has done for you? Do you like to encourage people? Can you bake, can you fish, can you sew?

 What CAN you do? Do it! And watch God build His House on solid ground, not sinking sand.

BLESSINGS. Laurie

What to do if you dont understand

When we are faced with real life hurts, disappointments and tragedy, trusting God isn't always easy, especially when you don't understand. It is much easier to say, "trust God" when things are going well, but what if your world gets turned upside down and you don't  understand why?

I've had to ask myself that question, in the midst of asking God "why", I've had to make that choice of Whom will I trust for those things that don't seem clear or seem reasonable to me... my own
understanding or God's all knowing wisdom?

God doesn't mind us asking why; He fully understands that we will have questions. He is more concerned with what will we do with His answer, than He is with us questioning Him. I have some friends today asking God the "why" question. Tragedy has hit hard some family and friends near me and even though I cannot offer an answer to the "why" questions, I can encourage you today with 4 things to remember about trusting God when you don't understand...

1. Consider Who God is

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." (Revelation 22:13)

Man is fallible, but with God, nothing escapes His eye. If He can hold the whole world in His Hands, what is your concern or mine to Him? Consider the source and how trustworthy and powerful the Alpha and Omega is. There is no other like Him.

2. You can trust Him

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5)

No matter how scary things may seem, we must decide Who or what we will lean upon for strength. Trusting God does not mean you will not find yourself in uncomfortable circumstances, however, trusting God is saying you trust His ways more than your own. God's ways are much higher than ours and He will make a way. But we have to let God have His way; that means take our hands off and walk in obedience, no matter how uncomfortable it feels.

3. Simply obey

"Obedience is better than sacrifice." (1 Samuel 15:22)

God places so much emphasis on our obedience that He places it higher than offering up sacrificial praise. Even in times of confusion, God is calling us to trust and obey Him. God pours out blessings on those who choose to obey Him.

4. God will lead you

"The Lord said to Abram, 'Leave your native country, your relatives, and your family and go to the land that I will show you." (Genesis 12:1)

Sometimes, God places us in a situation that seems foreign but in a place that we must trust Him for everything. It is during these times that we learn to walk by faith not by sight.

Trusting God even when we don't understand His plan is simply a step of faith. What do you need faith for today? Whatever it is, I want you to know that you can trust God. You may not understand the "why" but you can trust the "Who!"

BLESSINGS. Laurie