Stagnation

A student in my (Aimee’s) youth group made the comment a few months ago in a small group that she felt like her spiritual walk had plateaued. She was sure that she had been growing, and she still believed, and she still prayed, and she was still reading her Bible, but she felt like she had stopped growing and was leveling out. More than this, something inside of her was telling her that this was not good.

 

So our small group talked about it. 

 

Is it even possible to level out? Is it bad, normal, or ok? Should she continue on as usual or did she need to do something different?

 

I’m not going to get into everything that we talked about, mainly because there was a good amount that was very particular to her and may be different for different people. But there were a few things that I shared that I feel are truly and applicable to all people. So I want to share with you …

 

Calm water is deceptive. You may think it’s great, but do you know what happens to water that sits till for very long?

 

It becomes stagnate. It becomes a breeding ground for all kinds of parasites, fungus, and general scum of all kinds.

 

So too, it can be deceptive when you are cruising along thinking that all is good in your spiritual life because things are “calm.” When in actuality it may mean that all is calm on the surface and all hell is breaking loose (perhaps literally) just underneath the surface.

 

Leveling out in your growth toward God is an illusion. There is no happy plateau to be reached in our walk with God. The joy and pain and growth comes in the walk; not in the coasting. 

 

What it comes down to is that either your growing closer to God or you’re not. 

 

Do you understand what that means? Really understand? It means: either your growing closer to God or farther from God. Your growing to look more like Jesus, or your growing stagnate. One or the other. No middle ground.

 

I’m happy to be able to say that the same youth who was worried that she had leveled out in her growth has since then reported that she has broken out of her funk and that she is growing again. Prayer (her own and that of others who care for her) was a major factor in this battle.

 

If you’re growing stagnate, prayer is your best weapon to break out of your own personal funk. Pray and ask others to pray for you. And never allow the enemy to convince you that you’ve topped out or leveled off and you can’t grow anymore. 

 

Growing is a lifelong process.

 

 

 

Confrontation

Let's just jump right in, shall we?!

In today’s society it is totally acceptable to tell someone that they’re fat if you claim that you’re doing it because you’re concerned about their health.

 

In today’s society it is totally unacceptable to tell someone that they’re a sinner even if you claim that you’re doing it because you’re concerned about their spiritual health.

 

Does anyone else see a problem with this besides me (Aimee)?!

 

I’ve even personally experienced this. The negative side of both, unfortunately. 

 

Almost 10 years ago I began putting on weight. It was a mixture of different things all coming together to mean that I packed on almost 100 unnecessary pounds. And I wasn’t even 30 years-old yet (not that it’s ok when you get older). I had a few very well-meaning people come to me near the end of my weight-gain period to tell me that they were concerned about my health. In the last few years I’ve been working on trying to bring my weight back down. It’s a struggle. And it’s slow work. But it’s happening. By God’s grace, His strength, and the support of friends and family, I am mercifully shrinking.

While it wasn’t fun to hear those people tell me that I was getting alarmingly fat, I understood why they did it. And I loved them and respected them for stepping out of that comfort zone that tells everyone to simply accept and not question—I’m sure you know that zone, I know I do—and tell me their concerns.

Around the same time that I was coming to the end of my weight gain period, I made comments about my concern for someone’s spiritual health. The details aren’t important, and since it’s someone else’s life I’m not going to share them here. The point is that there were things I was seeing consistently that were raising red flags in my head. So I said something out of loving concern. 

 

I was told that I was just being a goody-goody, I just don't know how to have fun, I'm a stick in the mud, and so on and so on...

 

Why is it ok to say something when someone is throwing away their physical health with both hands but not when they’re throwing away their spiritual health?!

 

Which has eternal consequences?! Well ... both. Yes, it’s true. You’re physical state is important., but it’s importance lies in your state of heart and mind that is allowing you to throw your health away. Let me try to explain.

 

Paul says that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16 and again in 6:19-20). Jesus Christ died so that you “may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10b). You were “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). God has no desire for us to throw away the life that He has given us to live here on this earth. When we neglect our health because we’re not considering His plans for us, that’s very, very bad.

 

However, God cares most about the state of our hearts and minds. In 1 Samuel 16:7 it says:
 

“The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’”

 

Hence, our physical health matters. But our spiritual health matters more. When we neglect our health for selfish reasons, we're ignoring God's plans, and that's bad. When we neglect our spiritual health for selfish reasons, we're ignoring God's plans, and that's bad. My selfish consumption of food is not better or worse than another’s selfish consumption of anything that takes their attention away from where it rightly belongs: on God!

 

“… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God …” (Romans 3:23)

 

I want to encourage you to talk to people when you’re concerned about their spiritual health. But be warned! It's likely that 9 times out of 10 it will not be received well. At least not at first. I also caution you to do it very carefully and with lots and lots and lots of love.

 

Galatians 6:1 says:
 

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.”

 

 

Remember

Like anyone else who was alive and old enough to understand what was going on, I (Aimee) remember where I was when I learned about what was going on in New York on September 11, 2001. I remember how I spent that day. I remember the emotions that ran through me as I watched everything unfold on the tv. I also, (and perhaps more clearly) remember the lack of emotion as I watched and thought about how unreal it all felt, thought about how helpless I felt, thought about so many things that all I wanted was to stop thinking and so I became numb.

 

I remember. I don’t think that I will ever forget. I don’t think that I could forget if I tried. But as  friend of mine posted on her Facebook page today, someday all of us who were alive and remember will be gone and there will be no one left who really remembers. That’s how life works. That’s how it’s always gone for every major catastrophe and atrocity throughout history.

 

Therefore, how can we continue to say: “never forget”?

 

Someday it will be forgotten. New generations will learn about it, but that isn’t the same thing. Just as when I read about World War 1 or 2, they aren’t my memories. I acquire the information, and I can work to make sure I don’t forget the information. But that isn’t the same.

 

So, why do we continue to say: “never forget”?

 

When we say “never forget,” it isn’t a call to dwell on the past, to focus on the memories, to relive them and shudder. 

 

It isn’t an angry call to remember the harm done to people and to our nation as a whole, to refocus hate on whoever we think the enemy is.

 

It is a call to remember the sacrifices that were made so that today and tomorrow and for the rest of our lives we can live lives that honor those sacrifices.

 

It is a call to remember that in a dark, dark day of our history, people stepped up to help, to serve, to protect, and to comfort. Friends and strangers. Those who were trained and whose who were not.

 

It is a call to remember that even in darkness there is light at the end of the tunnel when we pull together and lean on God.

 

Just as we are to live everyday honoring the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross. That was a very, very dark day. Evil truly believed that they had achieved a victory. And while it was painful, we can now look back on it and see the brightest of lights that is at the end of that tunnel.

 

When we remember Jesus’ sacrifice, it isn’t to dwell on the pain, it isn’t to be angry at those who crucified Him, it is to remember to live lives that honor that sacrifice, it is to remember that with our focus in the right place (on God) we can get through anything, it is to remember and focus on the Light when we pull together and lean on God.

 

 

Thank you, God, for the sacrifice of Your Son.

Thank you, Jesus, for enduring the pain we all deserve.

Thank you, Lord, for creating and inspiring people who risk their lives for our greater good. I suppose it’s just another way that You created us in Your image.

Lord, bless those who still suffer, allow them to see the Light that they might have joy once again.

God you are good.

Amen.

 

 

 

What do YOU think?

I know that I've (Aimee) talked about forgiveness before … but this time I want to ask you some questions about it.

The DJ on the Christian station I was listening to as I headed home was talking a little bit about forgiveness. He said that he was looking at a book about forgiveness on Amazon and that he read a review that bothered him. In the review the woman was putting down the book because she said that we are actually only supposed to forgive those who are sorry, and that the rest don't deserve our forgiveness. The DJ said that he immediately thought of Jesus' words on the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34 and Mark 11:25).

 

The station went back to music after that. When the song ended, a caller was asking what the DJ thought about forgiveness then if he disagreed with the woman’s comments.

 

His response was, "Well, I think that you give up your right to be angry with someone."

 

Personally, all of this really resonated with me. But I want to know what you all think.

 

Do you agree with the DJ or with the woman?

What are your thoughts about forgiveness?

Attack

Recently, I (Aimee) watched as several different friends underwent spiritual attacks within about 24-hours of each other. After the first night, everything that had happened was (obviously) running wildly through my head. I knew that she was ok, but my brain would not slow down. I was exhausted, but God was speaking to my heart and I just had to get up and write it down.

 

So, here's what I came up with ...

 

When we become Christians, we are inviting an attack. When we open our Bibles, when we pray, when we evangelize, when we go to church...

 

We are standing and saying to the enemy that he may attack, but he cannot win. We invite attack not because we are confident in our ability to defeat the enemy or to repel his attacks. We invite attacks because we are confident in the ability and power of our Savior, Who has already repelled the attacks, defeated His enemies, and given us life in Him.

 

We invite attack because we are already victorious through Jesus Christ.

 

It's my hope that this word will encourage you, as you step out into this world and face struggles and temptations. We can take heart knowing that our God is stronger, and that we are already victorious! Own that! Know the truth of it in your head and in your heart and you'll never despair.

 

As Jesus says in John 16:33b:

          "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!

          I have overcome the world."

 

 

 

 

 

dear friend...

 Recently, I've (Sherann) been writing to my friend who's currently out of the country.
I had written her an email in the hopes of letting her know that I was thinking of her and praying for her while she was away. And I was thrilled to hear back from her the following day. 

I  responded back with a greater appreciation for the internet; though it can be both a blessing and a curse, in this case it has been a huge blessing. Okay, so it's not rocket science to know this and i'm always on the internet writing emails to other people, but I had a greater appreciation for our technology. My friend and I were able to connect. 

This caused me to take a step back and look at my relationship with God.  You see, my friend and I use the internet to communicate, but when we have a personal relationship with God, we have direct access to communicate with Him.  Too often we neglect to talk to Him, or we presume that there's a list of "to do's" before we can talk to God or even hear from Him. 
If this is the case for you, let me set the record straight.

There is absolutely nothing you can do (so no one should boast) or should do (faith is not works based), but receive His free gift of grace.  There's no cost to you because the payment has been paid, in full by Jesus.

See, our mediator, Jesus Christ, ("Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant." Hebrews 9.15a) died in our place so that what was once broken (relationship with God and man) because of sin, could now be restored by the covering of Jesus' blood. He paid our debt, ("For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 6.23) which could only be covered by death ("He entered once and for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption." Hebrews 9.12) but now, we have life ("... but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6.23). A life that we get to spend in eternity with God--the Creator of the universe, the God who made the land and seas, the God who created us fearfully and wonderfully. We, don't have any barriers, whether technology or waiting lists to go through.  We, by the grace of God, have complete and direct access to communicate with God because Jesus has become our way for us. ("Through him (Jesus) we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God."Romans 5.2)

Now imagine when you write to a friend and your friend responds back to you. I'm sure you'll experience the same excitement I had when I heard from my friend. And sometimes I wonder (this may just be a tiny scratch on the surface) how God must feel when He hears from His children. I'd say… overjoyed.

soli deo gloria

Real Freedom

Today we talk about freedom. We use that freedom to relax, to hang out with friends and family, to eat too much (for some to drink too much), and to generally just have a good time.

 

There’s isn’t anything necessary wrong with having a good time (the drinking too much part would raise some major concern from me, but otherwise). 

 

Our country as we know it began with men and women who came here so that they could worship God the way that they thought He wanted, rather than worrying about making a king happy by worshipping the way that was dictated to them. Every new group that came was seeking religious freedom. Look it up! It’s true. There were Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Quakers … they were all striving to serve God over and above serving an earthly king. They had been persecuted in their home countries, so they came out here.

 

Our country has changed a lot since then. In both good ways and bad. But today, I want to remind you of Paul’s words in his letter to the Romans.

 

When we (or anyone) are living without God, without knowing His Son, without having His Spirit inside of us. Then we’re dead. We may not know it. Others may not recognize it. We’re zombies; animated flesh without a beating heart or a living soul.

 

When we accept Jesus and we’re baptized, Paul says:

“ … don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Romans 6:3-5)

 

We gain life through His death:

“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” (v.6-7)

 

Without Jesus’ saving blood, we are slaves to sin. There’s no question about this. It’s a fact. The only master we serve when we’re separated from God is sin. And the world is a slave right along with us. A slave has no power to free another slave. Only one who is free has such power (Harriet Tubman had to gain her own freedom before she had any power to help free other slaves).

 

Jesus, being fully God, had the power because—even though He was also fully human—He was never a slave to sin (Hebrews 4:15). He died so that we could live. He died to free us from bondage to sin. And that’s a greater freedom than anything that the world can offer us.

 

Paul says:

“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (v.22-23)

 

The world tries to tempt us with what we can have right now. Immediate satisfaction. Immediate gratification. Immediate maybe, but very, very temporary. And definitely limiting. Because if we choose the world and what it has to offer us right now, then we give up what Christ has offered us for eternity.

 

Today, celebrate the freedom that you have living in America. Celebrate that we have freedom of religion, and freedom of speech, and many, many other freedoms. Celebrate that you can freely gather with those you love without suspicion. Celebrate that you have (or will have when you’re old enough) a right to vote for your leaders, and that your vote matters. Celebrate all those things that make America great.

 

But don’t forget Who it is that really made America great. Who it is that inspired our founders, emboldened them, guided them, and protected them. And remember where your allegiance ultimately lies as you remember who it is that offers you paradise for eternity, instead of just “paradise” for right now.