paravanes:meditations

(c) Deborah Evans If you haven't reviewed it, read the July 22 post for the first part of this story. There are two summary lessons from Hagar's story. Let's take a look at them. As you read, consider how these lessons may apply to you. Lesson 1: Although none of the "power players" in Hagar's environment cared about her, God cared and God acted. This caring and this acting made all of the difference. If you read the previous post, you know the power players in Hagar's life were Abraham and Sarah, her owners. Both Abraham and Sarah used Hagar without concern for her well-being or safety. When Sarah felt Hagar was no longer useful, Sarah ordered her husband to throw Hagar and Hagar's son out of the house. Sarah's husband obeyed. In fact, God directed Abraham to obey his wife Sarah regarding throwing Hagar out of the house. If God cared about Hagar, why did he allow Hagar and Ishmael (her son) to be put out of the house and into the wilderness? God w...

(c) Deborah Evans The best advice I ever received about prayer came from my father. This is what he said: "Pray as if everything depends upon God and work as if everything depends upon you." My father was very well read, so it's possible he found this somewhere, or modified a quote he remembered from someone who advised him. My father passed away over 20 years ago, and this is some of the best advice he ever gave me. Prayer comes first because the disciple always seeks the will and the way of the teacher. Work can show up as: embracing new habits, accepting a new level of discipline, resting-eating-exercising sensibly, learning to speak up, learning to speak less, saying yes to new and different experiences, or in a hundred other ways. Prayer is an invitation for God to change you.  If you want to pray the prayer that works, be ready to change yourself, your perspectives, and your actions.  For prayer to work, your actions must align with the words of your pra...

Habits determine character, and character determines destiny. This truth applies to our time here and in the life that follows and continues forever. If you are struggling with any  habit you no longer want (substances, a short temper, procrastination, sloppiness, lying, the failure to keep your promises, etc.), the five minute prayer for habits and discipline will help you move forward. Practicing the five minute prayer: 1. Set a timer for five minutes. 2. Sit in a place that's quiet where you won't be disturbed. 3. Choose words representing your desire for change. Put these words into one sentence. 4. Repeat this sentence prayer until the timer signals. Resist the temptation to check the timer. Breathe deeply as you pray. As an example, here is the sentence I used: "Lord Jesus, be the ruler of my habits and enforce your discipline."  Choose words that come from your heart. Reduce your words to a single sentence. Repeat your sentence slowly for five minut...

God speaks to those who willingly listen with the intent to follow and obey.

We can see and experience the power of God. What does the power look like? Where does it appear? How can we know it? The power of God is expressed in us when we invite God into the spaces of our regular, daily lives. This means we recognize a gap between what we---in our natural power---can do and what needs to happen for the sake of the good, the right, and for the sake of peace and wellness and progress. When we invite God into the "gap spaces" of our lives, we are asking for guidance, insight, discipline, discernment, and courage. This invitation also means we accept our limitations of understanding and knowledge. This invitation means we are willing to follow a path we may not have originally expected to follow. If we are "spiritual people", this means we don't limit our decision making process or preferences to our natural understanding of ourselves or our environment. We ask God to empower us to move beyond our natural understanding. We acce...

Let's take a final look at the question asked last month. Is it true that a Christian, a true Christ follower, is "once saved, always saved?" The answer is yes. If you have not read the previous posts on this topic, please read them: ICYMI: Here is the original question . ICYMI: Here is part one of the answer . ICYMI: Here is part two of the answer . Why is there some much confusion over this question? There lives within the organized church structure a problem which has existed since the early days of the church: the false confessor, or the person who claims to be saved but is not. This is not new. Read this passage from the single-chapter Book of Jude (written, according to scholars, at or before the end of the first century, AD or CE). : "These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage." (verse 16) Read this passage from the seventh cha...

Here is this week's discipleship challenge question: anything I want, or anything God wants?

image is from cctvcambridge.org I am taking an online course on C.S. Lewis offered by Hillsdale College in Michigan . Yesterday, while listening to the lecture in the second unit of the course, the lecturer pointed out something that seems so obvious and yet gets lost too often when we try to say what is most important about being a Christian. The lecturer, Michael Ward , said the entire point of seeking and serving God is to have our wills conformed to God's will. This seems really obvious, so why do so many of us miss this? Many of us in North America live in the middle of church teachings that suggest we follow God to have a happier, better, more prosperous life. Or, we follow God because we want to make the world a better place. Or, we follow God because Christianity is part of our family tradition. The list of reasons could go on and on. The idea of having our wills conformed to God's will may sound frightening, mysterious, possibly offensive, or perha...

"If anyone wishes to be a follower of mine, he must leave self behind."--Matthew 16:24 From A Lamp For My Feet , by Elisabeth Elliott: "What does this mean? Are these mere words? How can one leave self behind, make himself nothing? The answer will not come in a vacuum. If a man or woman honestly wishes to be a follower, the opportunity will present itself. Christ will say, 'Here is your chance. Now, in this s ituation, you must make your choice. Will it be self? Or will you choose Me?' "

Why would anyone pray for someone who despitefully uses them? You would do it because that prayer is your guarantee against the permanent soul damage that may result from the user's actions. How does this work? 1)  When you pray for that person, your mind and spirit free themselves from responsibility for that person's hostile actions and hostile energy. You have turned that person, and their state of mind, over to God. You no longer try to adjust your behavior to "fix" them and to "keep them happy." 2)  When you pray for that person, you place yourself under God's protection. Your decision to obey this very challenging command is an affirmation of faith in God's judgment of how difficult people are to be handled. Your prayer is an affirmation of your obedience. That affirmation of obedience directs your focus away from the "user" and back to God. Your thoughts are no longer tied to "what they did." Your thoughts are f...

Early in 2013, I switched gyms and worked with a trainer who helped me put together a program that led to a huge increase in my fitness level throughout the year. I also spent some time reading exercise and strength training books and articles. I found several principles about working out and exercising that made it easier for me to understand why I needed do to the things I needed to do. Some of the principles are: “You must become comfortable with being uncomfortable.” “You must do what you do not always enjoy doing.” “You must get enough rest; relax, and reward yourself for accomplishing a major goal.” “What you eat and drink---food---will determine what you are capable of doing.” More and more, these principles seemed to also have a spiritual application. 1 Corinthians 9:24, etc., says it this way: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in t...

“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” –Jesus Christ, from John 6:34 Jesus’ words in this passage are some of the most puzzling ever spoken.  Early Christians were falsely accused of cannibalism because of this passage. Many of us avoid thinking about these words unless we are celebrating Holy Communion—and then we idealize away any literal meaning of these words because they seem incomprehensible and mysterious beyond understanding. Only the Holy Spirit can give true insight into many of Jesus’ words. In fact, during one of His last teaching sessions with His disciples (sometimes referred to as the Olivet Discourse), Jesus told the disciples the Holy Spirit would lead them into all truth. We need a little bit of Greek grammar to really understand this passage. Here we go! The words “eat” and “drink” in this passage are "present active participles". These are action words! The words describe ...

--spreadshirt.com I used to speak regularly with someone who often declared herself to be "blessed and highly favored." When I telephoned her and would ask "how are you doing"? or "how is it going with you"?, the instant answer was always "I am blessed and highly favored!" Her answer came too quickly, almost as if no thought went into the response. I understand what many people teach about speaking only those words that reflect the reality you wish to experience. I think I have a least a little bit of understanding regarding why this type of thinking is so popular. I am not sure it's a good idea, or even biblical, but it is popular. I suppose we all like to think we are blessed of the Lord, but what does it mean to be highly favored? I reflect upon two persons from Scripture (Mary, Jesus' mother and the Apostle Paul)  I would consider to be "blessed and highly favored" of the Lord, but their lives were challenging,...

Psalm 23 (KJV) 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. ***************************************** Am I doubting how, where, and why God leads me? It's tempting to do this, because I have been trained to believe I must plan my own life, plan my course of action, and determine to accept only certain outcomes that meet my standards and my preferences. When the Psalmist David writes "The Lord is my...

"Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." --Deuteronomy 11:18 & 19. In this passage, God is telling His people not to abandon the pursuit of moral teaching, or teaching what is right and honorable and honest and necessary. How often I have heard teachers and coaches and mentors tell young people: "Do what is right, so that you will stay out of trouble!" That is not the imperative of true moral teaching. And that is why the message of loving God and loving what is right has been so badly damaged and displaced. Do what is right because rightness is good and you will become what you practice. Do what is right because that is the only real path to purpose and power and spiritual joy. But who is to say what is right? The God of the Bible is the...

"Take away the love of sinning, Alpha and Omega be, end of faith as it's beginning, set our hearts at liberty." --Charles Wesley,  " Love Divine, All Loves Excelling " On and after Ash Wednesday, conversations emerge about what we are going to "give up" for Lent. Some say they will eat meat less often, reduce the amount of sugar consumed, exercise every other day-- no promises for daily exercise !--, read the Bible daily, be kinder to co-workers, etc. The list is endless. My prayer for Lent is this: Dear God, take away the love of sinning from my heart. I am not very fearful about what used to be called "great, big sins", but there is a part of me that may be tempted to think I am better off doing things my way instead of doing things God's way. There is a part of me that still thinks I know more than does God about what will bring me lasting peace and satisfaction. Thinking in that way may be the clearest picture of sin. As I ...