A Fan or Family?

My husband is off on Fridays, which is our weekly date day.  We usually walk the three-mile path at Memorial Park and then head to our favorite breakfast spot, Barnaby’s.  We have become such regular customers on Friday mornings that they know our names and what our order will be. In fact, they will automatically put our order in when we walk in the door.  We know their names and they know ours.  Sounds like the theme song of the old television show, “Cheers!”  It is a comfortable place to be, feels like being with family. But, are they family, or are we just fans? 

Being a part of a large church can be daunting at times.  On a given Sunday it seems like there’s a new sea of faces walking past me in the hallways.  There are so many people that I only know by face and some I know only by name.  Since my husband is the mission’s pastor many people know our names and our faces, but unfortunately we don’t have a clue when it comes to knowing who they are.  That is one of the reasons I teach a Bible study each Sunday and mentor young women one-on-one.  When I interact personally with the members of my class or those I meet with in a mentoring relationship, I get to know them on a deeper level.  When this happens, we move past the superficial stage of greeting one another as we pass by in the hall, to a heart to heart connection.  We become family. 

Jesus said, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.”  In this scene found in Luke 13 Jesus answers the question, “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?” He goes on to explain that many will be trying to get in the kingdom of God who were simply fans of Jesus, but never truly got to know Him as family.  Those, He explains will not be able to enter heaven.  

Our Facebook culture loves collecting “friends” as fans rather than investing in real lives.  The people who walked the streets in Jesus’ day had seen Him walking past them and had heard His teaching, but they never committed to following Him.  They never took the time to truly listen to what He was teaching, nor did they seek to get to know Him personally.  They were fans of Jesus and when that final day comes for them to enter eternity they will assume that just knowing who Jesus was will be their ticket in to the doors of heaven.   Their assumption will be completely in error!  My heart breaks for the enemies of Jesus and the complacent fans of Jesus, for they will be left out of His forever family because they did not invest in a relationship with Him. 

Jesus is the only way, truth and the only way to life everlasting.  Just knowing His name is not enough.  Believing that He is who He says He is, and confessing with your mouth and your life that He is Lord is your ticket in to the doors leading to a forever family in heaven.  (Romans 10:9-13)

Yesterday I had the joy of witnessing an adoption. As the couple stood before a judge an attorney asked questions validating their commitment to the two precious girls they were seeking to adopt.  Once the judge was convinced of their investment in and commitment to the girls, she proclaimed them an official family!  Quite a celebration followed.   What a picture of standing before the Father, a righteous Judge with Jesus our Defender proclaiming us righteous members of His eternal family.  It is only through faith in Christ alone that we will enter the doors of heaven.

Proclaimed an official Family!

 The door of heaven is narrow for a reason.  You go through the door alone, not in a group and not as a fan.  It is a personal relationship, a committed friendship, and an investment in the One who gave His life in order to open the door to His family. Revelation 3:7-8 tells us that Jesus has laid an open door before you.  What is keeping you from walking through it?  Drop the bags of doubt, fear, and complacency because they won’t fit through the narrow door.  Just come as you are, the real you, leaving the status of fan for the new status of family, where the Only One who matters will know your name, your face, and your heart. 

Forever in the Family,

Nancy

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”  John 14:6-7

Everybody Has a Story

Over the past few weeks it has been tempting to just focus on my trouble, my schedule, my challenges, my family, and my stuff!  But, this week the Lord opened my eyes and gave me a glimpse into the stuff that other women are experiencing.  Just this week I have had the opportunity of listening as five different women opened their lives up and poured out all kinds of stuff.  Their stuff is really the stuff that their lives are made up of – it is their story! Woven through each of these women’s story was the thread of courage. 

The first woman’s story I heard this week dealt with a family divided by divorce.  It was not her divorce, but a close family member’s divorce.  As she told her story I saw the hurt in her eyes, yet the strength to press on through it.  “Divorce is like a death and one must be given time to grieve such a loss,” I told her.   She was beginning to take hold of the courage Jesus offers to face the stuff of her story in order to receive healing, learn the lessons and grow in her walk with Christ.  Have courage to face your story.  “It was good for me to be afflicted, so that I might learn your decrees.”  Psalm 119:71

The second woman’s story is a story of mental illness and deception of the evil one. This woman loves Jesus and has sought to hide God’s Word in her heart in order to dwell on His truth in the midst of such dysfunction.  Looking at this beautiful and talented woman you would never in your wildest dreams imagine her story.  Despite a family falling apart she has had the courage to not only face her story, but to also step out of such a broken story and grab hold of the truth of the One who pulled her out of a pit, so that she now sings a new song, a new story.  Have courage to allow the Word to change your story.   “He brought me up out of the pit . . . He put a new song in my mouth.” Psalm 40:2-3

I was sitting in a room waiting to speak to young moms about mentoring, when one of the mom’s was asked to come to the front of the room and tell her story of courage.  I was blown away with this woman’s transparency as she shared about the moment when everything changed in her life.  She shared how she had lived in fear and shame because of a secret sin. She had become an alcoholic, despite being a new mom.  She had tried to hide her addiction, but after reaching rock bottom, reached out for help where she finally found freedom.  Her freedom was found she said, “in Christ alone!” What courage to stand before a room of young moms, your peers, and share openly about a hidden stronghold.  When she shared her story everyone’s heart connected with hers.  Every one of us could relate with her story of fear, shame and hidden sin.  I am thankful today, that she had the courage to share her story, so that others would be encouraged to reach out, tell somebody, and get help.  Have courage to tell your story!  “Come and hear all who fear God and I will tell of what He has done for my soul.”  Psalm 66:16

I had the joy this week of having lunch with a single woman who had adopted a child, rescuing him from a life of poverty and dysfunction.  Her son is now in middle school and doing quite well.  She shared with me her own story of growing up in a loving godly family where she was taught how to live out her faith.  She lived by the truth that God had blessed her to be a blessing.  So it was with this attitude that she had recently invited a young woman to live with her and her son.  She said that she wanted to model before this young woman what a healthy godly home looked like.  She wanted to nurture this young woman, not be her roommate.  She is treating her like a mom would treat her daughter, so that one day this young woman will know how to nurture and love her own family.  Have courage to pour into someone else the blessings you have received from living your own story.  “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”  2 Timothy 2:2

Lastly I was approached by a grieving rookie empty nester, whom asked me to pray for her in this new chapter of life. She was unsure what to do with this new status now that all her children had left home.  I have been an empty nester for nine years and I insured her that she would eventually learn to love this new chapter of life that lies open before her!   I reminded her of all the life experiences and wisdom she has stored up over the years and that now she was able to pour all that out into new opportunities of ministry and mentorship.  Have courage to step into the next chapter of your story.  “For I know that plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.”  Jeremiah 29:11

As you can see we all have stuff!  The good news is that God weaves a beautiful story of grace and truth from the stuff that our lives contain.  The Lord never wastes anything that He allows us to go through and in fact our messes become our ministries!  Take the courage Jesus offers, step out of your own stuff, and share your story with others.  You will be amazed at how many people will relate with what you share and will in turn have the courage to tell their story!

“What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in  your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.”  Matthew 10:27

Take courage!

Nancy Taylor

What’s Crouching At Your Door?

 “Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?  If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?  And if you do not do well sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”  Genesis 4:6-7

A few years ago (November, 2010) I wrote a posting on this blog, called, “Help! I am stuck in my lesson and I can’t get out.”  Now, in 2014 I find myself again stuck in my lesson!  Each week as I begin studying for the lesson I am to teach on Sunday I pray, asking God to allow me to apply whatever I am learning to my life first before I teach its truths.  God is always faithful to give me plenty of opportunities each week to apply what it is I am studying.  At times I literally feel like I am living out what I am about to teach. 

Two weeks ago I finished teaching through the book of Romans, which ends with Paul’s instructions to:  

• Be alert to those who would cause division among you.      
• Turn away from them.
• Be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. 

His promise to us when we follow these instructions is that, “the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.”   (Romans 16:17-20)

This past week I began studying and teaching through a new series.  While in Kenya on a mission trip I noticed that just about every home, church, and school had a gate that guarded its entrance.  As I noticed the gates, Jesus’ words in John 10:9-10 kept going through my mind: “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved, He will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy.  I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”  (NIV)  It was then that I decided I would like to do a word study on gates.  I looked up the words gate, door, gateway and doorway in my concordance and was amazed at how often these words were used.  So, I asked one of our volunteer photographers on our trip to take pictures of any gates she saw.  After the trip she sent me a CD of fifty-one pictures of gates!  So I began to study gates as well as its synonym, door.  The first verse listed was Genesis 4:7, which I have been studying for a couple of weeks: “ If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?  And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at your door; and its desire is for you, but you must mater it.”  (NAS)  Needless to say, sin has been crouching at my door and testing me to see if I will give in to it or master it.

A dog outside a gate in Kenya. (Photo by Peggy Bain)

Recently I have found myself dealing with a conflict that has caused me much grief.  I have had to be alert to someone trying to cause division and am seeking to turn away from them.  In my study of Genesis 4:7 I hear the Lord’s voice speaking directly to me:  “Nancy, you can either choose to bless or to curse, to extend grace or be offended, to love or to hate.  Are you going to obey My voice or are you going to give in to your natural instincts to become angry and say something you shouldn’t?”  At this point I am holding my tongue and seeking to do well.  Mastering sin is not easy and in fact it is impossible on our own! 

This morning as I was having my devotions the next-door neighbors dog began to bark incessantly.  Usually the dog will bark as he sees his master pull out of the driveway leaving him behind.  But, after a minute or so, he quits the barking and goes back to his patio, curls up and goes to sleep.  But this morning it was different.  His barking was beginning to make me angry!  I tapped on the window hoping to quiet him down.  But his barking continued and even became louder and more urgent in its sound.  I got up and walked over to the other window to see if I could find the cause of his barking.  I discovered a possum lying on top of the fence right above where the dog was barking. 

The possum was frozen in fear.  Then out of the corner of my eye I noticed the dog’s master walking toward the dog and the possum with a long stick.  He took the stick and nudged the possum from behind several times causing him to sliver quickly out of the situation.  The dog quit barking immediately and followed his master back inside the house.  As I went back and sat down again to finish my devotional time I reflected on what I just witnessed.  The possum found himself stuck in my lesson!  You see, that possum was like the sin that crouches outside our door trying to lure us into ungodly behavior.  The dog sensed an intruder in his yard and he was alerting his master to the evil that was lurking on top of his fence!  The master calmly comes in with a stick to shoo the evil possum away.  The dog couldn’t do it no matter how loudly and urgently he barked.  The evil would only retreat when the master came and used His presence to send him packing. 

What a visual of Genesis 4:7!  There has been an opportunity for me to open the door to sin these past few weeks.  I have been praying daily and seeking His guidance through reading and praying His Word.  I have cried out many times to the Lord about this situation, just like a barking dog.  After resisting the enemy’s temptation to be angry and sin, my Master Jesus has come in and shooed that crouching possum of sin away!  I am learning that our part in mastering sin is to be alert to the temptation, cry out to God in prayer asking Him to lead us out of the temptation and into His powerful presence by taking up the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.  I cannot master sin on my own, no matter how loudly I bark.  But, if I keep barking and keep seeking my master – The God of peace will soon crush Satan under my feet!  (Romans 16:20) 

If you find sin crouching at your door today, cry out to God and take hold of His promises!  Be alert, get help, and step away from the door of tempting sin.  Your Master, Jesus, will step in and bring you into His pasture where you will find a life full of peace.   

Keep Barking!

Nancy 

Bless the Lord – It’s My Birthday!

I woke up this morning a year older!  With all that is going on in our world I was tempted to just skip my birthday and write another posting about trouble!  But then I recalled the words of truth that says, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:18)  So today I am celebrating my birthday by giving thanks and choosing to set my eyes, heart and mind on all the good ways in which the Lord has satisfied and blessed me. 

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

And all that is within me,

Bless His holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

And forget none of His benefits;

Who pardons all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases;

Who redeems your life from the pit,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;

Who satisfies your years with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

Psalm 103:1-5

I am eternally grateful for not only my birthday, but also my re-birthday!  I was born again some 48 years ago and after a prodigal experience the Lord led me back into His arms and I have enjoyed His glorious riches ever since!  He truly does restore the years the locusts have eaten!  I am thankful for Jesus and salvation.  I have a hope for eternity and I am enjoying even now the riches of His glorious inheritance.  He pardons all your iniquities, heals all your diseases and redeems you life from the pit. 

I am celebrating 58 years of life today.  You could say it is my second anniversary of my 29^th birthday!  As I wrote that I realized that I have a son who celebrated his 29^th birthday this past January.  So, I will continue my birthday thanksgiving list by giving thanks to the Lord for my children!  I have two wonderful children and the blessing of having a daughter-in-law as well!  Each one loves the Lord, loves people and they all have jobs!  Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget none of His benefits!

I have been interrupted several times while writing this post with telephone calls wishing me a happy birthday.  My mom called at 5:30 am, my daughter while I was on the treadmill, followed by a call by her boyfriend and then from a dear friend.   After the calls a knock at my door revealed a beautiful flower bouquet from my son and his wife! These were wonderfully welcomed interruptions. I am thankful for family and friends who have brightened my day and my life.  He has satisfied my years with good things. 

My husband has been so excited about the birthday gift he got me that it was even delivered about a month early.  This morning he opened the box to reveal my new kayak!  I had told him I would go fishing with him if he bought me a kayak.  We live in a condo, so where will I put a kayak?  Well, it is a special kayak that folds up to the size of a large suitcase when stored!  I love it and am looking forward setting out on an early morning in my kayak to spend time on the bay with the Lord . . . and William of course!  So, today I am very thankful for my husband, who loves to give me good gifts, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle.

My birthday, being in early September, historically brings hurricanes into the Gulf.  I have spent a few birthdays either gathering hurricane supplies or driving north in hopes of escaping the high winds and storm surge.  Today there are a few clouds overhead, but I am choosing this day to focus not on the storm, but on the blessings. Proverbs 15:15 says, “All the days of the afflicted are bad, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.”  Instead of looking at the storm that brews overhead and the storms that are brewing all over the world, my eyes are fixed on a continual satisfying feast of good things with which the Lord has filled my life. Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name!

It may not be your birthday today, but I invite you to celebrate with me the good things the Lord has brought into your life.  If you join me, I promise a continual feast.  Let’s party!

Birthday Blessings!

Nancy