It's a New Year...Welcome, 2012!

In the beginning God created…And by the seventh day God completed His work, which He had done; and He rested (Genesis 1:1, Genesis 2:2)

The past couple of weeks have provided a much needed, restful vacation following a full, busy year. I've enjoyed some down time, and for me that means allowing myself to do some mindless activities. Bay and I have watched a few movies, and read a few new novels, and eaten out a lot...  For me, entering a new year is much like opening the initial pages of a new novel. I can't wait to see what is written and how the story will end. I typically like happy endings…but not every story has one, that's for sure.

More than making resolutions for a new year, I appreciate starting January 1 of the coming year with some kind of action plan.  While not every story has a happy ending, it does help accomplish a "happier" one, when there is a plan.  So, ushering in a new year is generally done with much reflection.  I have my own mini-traditions.  One of those is to get some time alone with the Lord, and sift through the good and the bad of the old year, seeking what life lessons I can walk away with to make the new year a better year (there are some lessons I'd rather not repeat). I like to ask myself a few follow-up questions as I close out the year.  Questions like:  What were some of my personally defining moments of this last year? What did I learn from someone else that impacted me in a positive way?  Is there something I neglected this year - projects, standards, or goals that I did not complete?  How are my relationships?  I tend to need "closure" and this process allows that to happen.

Then, I intentionally check in on the following areas (please note, I did not come up with these questions on my own, but borrowed them from a friend who is much smarter, and more diligent than I):

What do I hope to accomplish in this next year?  Dreams/Visions? Projects?  How do I personally wish to grow?
Are there standards/goals to improve my soul health?  my emotional health?  my physical healthy?  my relationships? my finances?  With these things in mind - what action steps will I take; what books can I read; are there people who could mentor me; events I could attend; classes I could take; podcasts I could listen to…  In other words, what can I do Monday through Friday to be intentional about these things? 

As we're still on the threshold of 2012, this is an invitation to carve out a day alone with God (DAWG), or a half-DAWG, and do a little strategic planning for a happier ending when the pages close on the story of 2012 next December 31. 

Thoughts on Christmas, #2

The Reason-of-Christmas stood before a disheartened woman at a well in Samaria (John 4) and said these words, “If only you knew the gift of God...”  I would love to go back in a time machine to view that scene; a snapshot just doesn’t do it justice.  I’d love to hear the soft, gentleness of Jesus’ voice as he spoke, see the look on his tender face, and observe the openness of his body language.  The words on a page seem so matter of fact.  Yet Jesus saw deeply into the well of this woman’s soul.  He knew her brokenness, her shame, her suffering, her sadness.  He recognized the wounds that had scarred her life; understood her search for satisfaction.  She was so very thirsty; and, Jesus, also knew, he possessed exactly what she needed.

“If only...”  How many times do you think she had uttered those words?  “If only I’d made better choices...”  “If only I’d not gone to...”  “If only I hadn’t picked up that first...”  “If only he’d been...”  How many of us have uttered those words?  “If only...” and life would be perfect.  Not really.  The woman at the well was a contradiction in beginning again.  Trying and failing, at least five times, in the hope of change; but, trying and remaining unsatisfied.  Those words had to have cut deeply as Jesus uttered them.  They were simply a reminder of what could never be...after all, “you can’t change a leopard’s spots (Jer.13:23).”  Have you ever related?  Have you ever told yourself that your situation is an impossibility – it will never change – you will never change? 

HOWEVER, the rest of the sentence tells a different story.  Jesus’ words address the possibility of change...  “If only you knew the gift of God...”  What was Jesus offering her?  John 7:37-39 expounds.  If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”  By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him...would receive (please keep in mind this is not an exhaustive list):

The gift of God - the fullness of the Holy Spirit - all of Jesus, and more, can dwell in me.  There is no hope of change apart from the Holy Spirit who abides inside of us.  Think about what His gift provides for the believer in Jesus:

• He counsels (John 16:7)...in Greek this word is “parakletos,” meaning to comfort, encourage, exhort.  The Holy Spirit is our advocate, our intercessor, our advisor.
• He convicts (John 16:8)...and as a result we avoid judgment, and receive righteousness.
• He guides in all truth (John 16:13)...so we know with confidence that we receive perfect guidance, and what he speaks to us is always truth!
• He sets us free (Romans 8:2)...my chains are gone; I’ve been set free...!
• He gives us life and peace (Romans 8:6)...as in the “abundant life” that Jesus promised (John 10:10).
• He gives us much needed power for victory over sin (Romans 8:11)... “the Spirit of the One who raised Christ Jesus from the dead dwells in me!”
• He offers a spiritual gift, uniquely mine, in which I can serve effectively and glorify God (John 16:14, Romans 12, I Cor 14).

This is the true Gift of Christmas available to any who receive…all of us stuck in the impossible “if only” of life!

Thoughts on Christmas, #1

John 15:22 begins with these words by Jesus, “If I had not come…”  Have you ever thought about that?  Christmas is just around the corner.  The “season” has been in the air since Halloween was over.  Every year, we celebrate a holiday centered on the coming of the Christ child.  But, what if He had not come?  What would be different if there was, in fact, no Christmas?  Let me start a list…maybe you can complete it – this certainly can’t be exhaustive:

1. There would be no New Testament, the Bible would end with Malachi.  Listen to how that book closes…”I will come and strike the land with a curse.”  Everything would end with a curse! 
2. As a result of #1 on the list, there would be no hope.  In fact, where Malachi ends, God’s voice quits.  Between that verse and the first verse of Matthew, God went silent.
3. So…God would be totally and completely through speaking to us…we would never have the opportunity to hear His voice.
4. There would be no hope of a glorious resurrection.
5. No victory over death and the grave.
6. No victory over sin…
7. We’d still be butchering animals on an altar of sacrifice.  Think how many animals would have to die…we certainly are a sinful lot!
8. But then, it wouldn’t matter for us, because there would be no inclusion of Gentiles, so we would remain alienated, doomed to living in darkness.
9. We would have no opportunity for a new identity.
10. No deliverance.
11. No heavenly home.
12. There would be no “Joy to the World.”
13. No Christmas lights…
14. No Christmas music.
15. No gifts.
16. Oh…and, no churches.  We wouldn’t need places of worship, for there would be no one for us to worship.
17. So, there would be no need for worship music.
18. No need for pastors and youth pastors.
19. No need for Bible teachers.
20. No need for going on with life...because “I couldn’t” keep going on without “Christ in me the hope of glory” who helps me do “all things through Christ who strengthens me.” 
21. No need for ___________________________________?

What if Jesus had not come?  What then?

I Am...the One and Only!

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

Thanksgiving?  Over!  Christmas? On the horizon.  Over the next few weeks, our minds will be engaged with the coming festivities.  As, I close this series on the “I Am’s” of Jesus, these three words highlight what the season is all about for me.  Jesus – my One and Only! 

My One and Only...who created the world in which I live.

My One and Only...who gives life and breath.

My One and Only...who is the perfect shepherd, &

My One and Only...who is the perfect lamb of God.

My One and Only...who sacrificed for my salvation.

My One and Only...who redeemed my soul.

My One and Only...who offered me complete forgiveness.

My One and Only...who chose me to be adopted by grace into a new family.

My One and Only...who loves me endlessly.

My One and Only...who prepares eternity for me.

My One and Only...who set me free.

My One and Only...who declares me “not guilty,” accepts me unconditionally, and whispers you are not condemned (“Go! Sin no more!”)

My One and Only...who provides all that I need.

My One and Only...who knows my end from my beginning.

My One and Only...who has a good work ordained for me – a purpose and value to my existence.

My One and Only...who is full of grace.

My One and Only...who speaks truth, gently but firmly.

My One and Only...who sets my feet upon a righteous path.

My One and Only...who offers me an abundant life.

My One and Only...who speaks words of intimacy to me.

My One and Only...who assures me of His presence.

My One and Only...who blesses me beyond measure.

My One and Only...who calls me “friend.”

My One and Only...who heals my broken heart.

My One and Only...who sustains me in his massive, supportive hand.

My One and Only...who knows just what I need, when I need it, and doesn’t always answer yes to my heart’s desires (because my best is always what's put first).

My One and Only...who is at work completing me – thank you, God!

May this holiday season find you daily contemplating your One and Only!

I Am...the True Vine!

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener...

I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:1, 5

As I sit to begin this thought, a bowl of sweet grapes sits in front of me.  Refreshing.  Satisfying.  Sweet.  Good to eat.  For someone trying to eat a bit healthier, fruit is my candy of choice these days.  “Good calories.”  Nutritional.  So, of course, as I type the above passage, focusing on a new “I Am” of Jesus, it’s the word fruit that draws my attention.  I want to be what fruit is to others.  As I begin to unpeel the layers of the onion that is Peg Forrest, what I hope people around me see at the very core are those same descriptive phrases.  It would be my desire that when I’m gone, those who knew me best might say about me such things:  Refreshing!  Sweet!  Soul satisfying!  Her words were “good calories, nutritional” to the heart.

For this to be true, the key, then, is found in clinging tightly to, abiding in, being closely connected to the true vine.  Without that “connectedness,” what I want is not what I will get.   Apart from him, I can “be” nothing; I can “do” nothing.  He is the only possibility for anything good to spring out of my life.  “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine (verse 4).”   

These questions naturally follow:

What does it mean to remain/abide?

How does this look, practically speaking?

Obviously, my research took me to Galatians 5:16-25, because sandwiched in this passage is the “good fruit” of those who belong to Christ Jesus.  I see a couple of repeated phrases which are in contrast to one another:  live by the Spirit (16, 18, 25) vs. gratifying the desires of the sinful nature (16, 19, 24).  These are “in conflict with one another, so that we do not do what we want (17).”   I am a simple gal – so, in simple terms, I find two simple answers to the above two questions.

1)    In John 15, Jesus connects his abiding word as a critical piece to the abiding Christian (15:7).

2)    In Galatians 5, Paul, through the Holy Spirit, reminds the abiding Christian that to be fruitful one has to “keep in step with the Spirit.”  This occurs when the sinful desires are crucified and replaced with the abiding word.  Only then do we allow the life giving spiritual sap the ability to produce what we want to see in our lives:  refreshing, soul-satisfying, candy-sweet fruit!

So, being in the Word and out of the flesh allows me to stay in the abiding presence of the true vine.  Apart from him, there is no fruit.

Connected – nothing is impossible!

I Am...The Spring of Living Water!

I am...the spring of living water (John 4:1-30, Jeremiah 2:13)

The jar on her shoulders, while empty, carried the weight of the world, as the woman struggled with every step toward the well.  She preferred coming during the hottest hours, because she knew she’d be alone.  Better to sweat under the mid-day temperatures, than under the heavy stares and whispers of the other women.  Theirs were the voices she heard in her head, anyway.  She knew what they said, and she beat herself up regularly with the same sentiments.  Her heart carried the same weight she felt on her shoulders...yet, it was just as empty as the jar she sought to fill.  Internally, at her deepest level, she was gut thirsty.  No matter how many times she drank deeply from Jacob’s well, she wasn’t satisfied.  It was this deep dissatisfaction, that kept her searching, looking to so many men to fill the hole in her heart.

As she moved slowly towards the well, her eyes stared at the sight of an individual perched there...waiting.  Her spirits sank.  She didn’t feel like talking.  She kept her head down, hoping to avoid eye contact that might possibly invite any conversation.  The Jewish man apparently didn’t take the cue, asking her for a drink.  What twists and turns their dialogue took, until the moment he asked her to go call her husband, and then proceeded to unwrap her past.  She definitely didn’t want to go there, so she tried to change topics.  Yet no matter what direction she digressed, he followed, and the invitation was still the same:  “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”  Translation:  I am the satisfaction of life you are looking for...drink deeply! You will never thirst again.

Leaving the symbol of her thirsty life behind, the woman ran into town...”Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did (shame – gone!).”  Her next words were even more telling as she declared him to be the Messiah...now, the source of her soul’s true satisfaction.  (See John 4:1-30)

Many of us have found Jesus to be a sufficient Savior.  We’re grateful for the forgiveness of sin.  We’re hopeful for the gift of eternal life.  Yet the secret we harbor is the same as the woman at the well in Samaria.  We hold it inside.  We’re careful to not voice it.  To do so, doesn’t seem very “Christian.”  However, we’re just not satisfied.  We keep stuffing our lives with all manners of possibilities trying to find the one thing that will bring us happiness, contentment...fullness of life.  Yet Jesus came to bring us life and life more abundantly (John 10:10).  Anything other than Jesus is less.  Looking anywhere other than the cross is nothing more than a broken cistern (Jeremiah 2:13).  He is the spring of living water – turn away from anything you search for that you think will bring you happiness.  The guarantee is this:  it won’t.  It can’t.  Only Jesus can.  Anything else is sadly, simply – an idol. 

I Am...the God Who Fights for You!

I am the good shepherd (John 10:11, 14)...Part 4

Not only does a good shepherd lead...

                A good shepherd provides...

                And a good shepherd restores our souls...

                A good shepherd fights for his sheep!

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me;

Thy rod and staff, they comfort me.  Thou doest prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies...  (Ps 23:4-5a)

I really am not certain why Psalm 23 is primarily used as the food for funerals.  It’s a “how to” passage for life!  It’s food for today’s living soul.  It’s reminders for the journey of life, not for the dead.   I don’t know about you, but I need to know right now, today, in this very moment, that I have one who is fighting on my behalf. 

I don’t want to know that I just have a guard at the gate.  I want to know I have a knight in shining armor warring for ME!  Somewhere I came up with this belief system that tells me I am only protected as far as someone is willing to go into battle.  That’s my shepherd, Jesus!  As he leads me (and sometimes to get me to good grass and restorative waters his path leads me through dangerous places – like in the presence of my enemies), he will fight at all costs to protect me.  More than fight, he knows my fearful, anxious heart.  So, he comforts me and assures me of his presence.  I can breathe a whole lot easier when I know these truths:  I am fought for.  I am protected.  I am in his presence – always!  I am comforted...why, then, should I fear?  What can man really do to me?

Over and over again, this truth is lived out in Scriptures.  Some of my favorites:

Exodus 14:14 – “The Lord will fight for you!

Joshua – the battle of Jericho.  The Lord went before them as they marched and sounded the trumpet.  God penetrated the impenetrable walls and brought forth the victory.

David against Goliath - “You come against me with spear and a sword, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Hosts.  The battle is the Lord’s!”

Jehoshaphat – God gave him the marching orders: Go into battle with praise.  Praise confused the enemy and they defeated themselves!  The Israelites never lifted a finger.

When God’s people followed, forsaking all other gods, He tirelessly, endlessly, stubbornly fought on their behalf.  These aren’t fairy tales, or dreams, or wishful thinking.  This is our God – the God who fights on our behalf!

I need to know this truth.  In fact, as I write, it brings tears to my eyes.  Many of you don’t feel you have anyone in your corner fighting for you.  It has left you feeling insignificant and unimportant.  Let me assure you –

You are not only worth fighting for – you were worth dying for!

Fear no evil!  Your God leads.  He fights.  He is with you...always.