Bury the gods

"Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you, when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.” So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone. “So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.” [Genesis 35:1-5]

What happens after the altar call? What happens after you pray, ask forgiveness of sins, ask Jesus into your heart? Do you just get up the next morning, go about your day, and act like nothing incredible happened?

Jesus saved me over two thousand years ago, for it was His work on the cross that saved me. I had nothing to do with it; it was all Him, a profound and incredibly sacrificial gift from my Savior, to me [and the rest of the world]. But like any gift, it must be accepted and opened. After all, one does not leave a gift unopened, right?

July 17, 1983. I was 12 years old. I had heard my pastor, Dr. Rick Blackwood, preach a sermon that morning from the book of Revelation and I surely did not want to be left behind to experience the horror of the Tribulation. I wanted to experience new life in Christ, even though for the life of me now, I can't remember much before then. So, laying there, in reality looking up at my Holly Hobby canopy bed but spiritually looking way past it, I asked Jesus to save me from my sins, asked His forgiveness, and gave my life to Him. Even now I can hear the angels rejoicing. I was baptized a week later.

After that, my dear grandmother showed me what to read in the Bible that my dear Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Dorothy Pratt, gave me at my baptism. It's white, zipper binding, King James. Type is far too small for me to read now. But thanks to my Memaw and Mrs Pratt, the words from that Bible jumped clear off the page and right into my heart. I carried that Bible and several other Christian books around in a giant suitcase. Why, I don't know.

Through my teen years, I knew God was with me, even though I read a little less each day from the Word, and over time, prayed a little less each day. Then, in college, I got to know other people who believed in the totally unbiblical, false theology of the bumper-sticker movement "coexist." I tried to blend in, because at that time of Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Nirvana, it was not "cool" to be Christian. I did not know about the awesome Christian rock band Newsboys back then. Like Jacob's wife Rachel in Genesis, I yearned to fit in, to follow the crowd, to hoard the societal gods and not stand out; for someone, like me at the time, being painfully shy and scared to death of speaking to anyone trumped anything. I wanted to be the wallflower, blending into the background.

While I know that Jesus did wash me me white as snow and forgave me of my sins that warm July night, the periods of justification and sanctification came much later. These two concepts are sometimes hard to understand, especially along with the concept of salvation. "Salvation" is what Jesus did on the cross according to God the Father's perfect and divine will, the gift that God gave us through His Son (John 3:16). "Justification" is the biblical teaching that, by grace alone through faith alone, God counts believers in Jesus Christ (and only in Jesus Christ) to be perfectly righteous and totally acceptable in his presence forever. We are washed in His blood, we are made spotless because and through Him. "Sanctification" is what God does in our lives after salvation. It is placing circumstances, people, events, etc in our lives and paths so that He can work in us and build our faith. This is the part that Paul meant when he wrote "work out your own salvation" [Philippians 2:12]. This teaching means that we are conformed to the image of Christ in our attitudes, words and actions by the Holy Spirit moving in us through faith to make us more Christ-like. It is putting the "walk" to our "talk."

I went through a time in my life where everything was just hard. I was recovering from back surgery, a recovering victim of domestic violence, had just kicked my abusive ex-husband out, and was filing the separation/divorce papers -- and that was just in the months of February and March! Suddenly I found myself a single mom of two small children, an autistic ten-year-old and a seven-year-old with severe ADHD. Despite all these painful things, the Lord was using these circumstances to pull me closer to Him. I prayed one night, "Lord, I don't know what You want me to learn from all this, but please use it to Your glory, and teach me what You want me to learn."

Much like Jacob in Genesis, I had been living outside of the Promised Land far too long. I needed to bury my "gods" -- anything in my life that drew my attention away from Jesus or did not encourage me in the faith -- under the nearest tree and never look back. New Christians, renewed Christians, Christians coming back to the faith -- we all need to look forward to Christ and not look back.

But how does one do that? It's not like you're going to go bury everything in your house outside under a tree, right?

Perhaps.

With leading from God, and help from church friends, my house was literally cleaned and painted, removing all evidence of pain, violence and non-God-liness from every wall. I cleaned closets out and trashed whatever reminded me of my past life, a life where God was not at the center.

On fancy paper and using decals, I printed out Scripture verses that had special meaning, framed them and hung them on my walls. I surrounded my boys and myself with the Word of God. Phillipians 4:8 came alive for us: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things" became our mantra. I erased all the secular, non-Godly stations from the radio memory buttons and programmed in Christian stations that encouraged and taught my boys and I in the faith. For me, being in the Charlotte, NC, area -- I was blessed to have two: New Life 91.9 and my personal favorite, 106.9 The Light, both also available online.

Its critically important to rid yourself of everything that reminds you or tempts you in the life you had without Christ -- music, books, beliefs, even people who are not good, Godly influences -- at the same time being deliberate about surrounding yourself with things, music, people and places that lift up Christ and encourage you in the walk of faith. To say you are a follower of Christ then to surround yourself with the reminders of your past life without Him is not walking the talk -- and it kills your witness and darkens the Light of Christ which is put there to lead others to Him.

Bury your gods.

~ Terrie

(c) 2013 Terrie McKee

 

 

 

The Truth about God's Love, or, What about Homosexual Marriage?

"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

I typically shy away from political discussions. They can never end well. Everyone has an opinion. However, with the recent events surrounding the United States Supreme Court hearing arguments both for and against homosexual marriage, people on both sides have been quoting Scripture. Armed with the knowledge that even Satan knows his share of Scripture and regularly twists it to conform to his evil plots, I wanted to explore what the Bible does indeed say about the love that God has for everyone, and homosexuality.

First, there are three points that must be made clear before we address these issues: God and Jesus are one; God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow; and the Bible is the inspired Word of God.

God and Jesus are One

God and Jesus are one, along with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was with God long before His precious body graced a manger. "Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” [Genesis 1:26 NIV 1984]. Notice God said "Let us make man in our image." The "us" here are God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is one of the most difficult concepts to grasp in theology; its one of those issues that must be accepted on the basis of faith. We don't have to -- and neither can we -- understand all there is to know about God. Job 38:1-7 responds to this level of understanding:

"Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:

“Who is this that obscures my plans

    with words without knowledge?

Brace yourself like a man;

I will question you,

and you shall answer me.

 

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?

    Tell me, if you understand.

Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!

Who stretched a measuring line across it?

On what were its footings set,

    or who laid its cornerstone—

while the morning stars sang together

    and all the angels shouted for joy?"

 

As he stood in the warmth of the burning bush and being commissioned by God to go to Pharaoh to have his people released, Moses asked God what His name was, so that Moses might tell Pharaoh. "God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” [Exodus 3:14]. Compare this to Jesus' answer when questioned by a crowd about Jesus' origin, from John 8:56-58]. "Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I AM!” (Emphasis added). The Jewish crowd, educated in the full meaning of the name "I AM," knew fully well what Jesus was saying: I AM God. Jesus and God are one and the same.

This concept that God and Jesus are one is crucial to understand the next point.

God/Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow

So, when we believe that God and Jesus are one, we also are required to believe that God/Jesus is the same yesterday (in the past), today (in the present), and tomorrow (in the future). Hebrews 13:8 plainly states, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

The book of Revelation echoes this in three different places:
 
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” [1:8]
 
He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. [21:6]

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. [22:13]

Therefore, what God/Jesus says in the Old Testament, since God is the "same" [Hebrews 13:8], that applies in the New Testament as well. What God said in the Old Testament, Jesus confirmed in the New. Sins mentioned in the Old Testament are sins in the New Testament, for God does not change. The difference is that Christ came to fulfill the law, and He did that on the cross, ergo He created a new covenant, one built on grace and Christ's sacrifice for us on the cross, instead of daily animal sacrifices that did not forgive sin once and for all.

The Bible is the inspired Word of God

All the above hinges on the belief that the entire Bible is the inspired Word of God. God divinely inspired men of faith to write the various books of the Bible. How, we don't know. Like the Trinity, this must be taken on faith. We should praise God, instead of question Him, that He has given us Scriptures to follow. "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law." [Deuteronomy 29:29]

2 Timothy 3:16-17 states, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." This passage says all Scripture -- not just the ones we agree with, not just the ones that don't convict us, not just the ones that make sense. True followers of Jesus Christ treat the Scriptures as a whole -- they do not treat the Scriptures like a cafeteria line: "Oh, I'll have a huge portion of God's love, hold the chastity, and a bowl of love thy neighbor. No, thank you, I don't want the part about tithing or actually being involved in the body of Christ. Do you have any prosperity Scriptures?" No, Paul's letter to Timothy emphatically states that all Scripture is God-breathed (inspired by God to writers in the past) and should be used for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness...why? So that followers of Christ can be thoroughly equipped for doing God's work. If a follower of Christ does not know the Bible, how can that follower hold up with confidence the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God [Ephesians 6:17] against the attacks of Satan?

God loves everyone -- right?

The short answer is, yes. God loves everyone. If God did not love the people whom He created, He would not have sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." [John 3:16]

So what does God not love? Sin. In fact, God is so pure He cannot look upon sin or wrongdoing. "Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing." Habakkuk 1:13. God loves us so much, He sent His Son Jesus to die for us, for the forgiveness of sins, so that we will leave the life of sin and live in Him. Romans 5:6-8 states, "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

In fact, God wants to forgive us our sins. Micah 7:18 praises God for this. "Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy." 2 Peter 3:9 echoes this. "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

The Big Question

Lately I've been reading disturbing articles from churches and "faith-based" organizations claiming that Jesus never condemned homosexuality. This is a tool Satan uses to further his purposes here on earth. God condemned homosexuality in the Old Testament (and if God/Jesus are one, and the same...then...) and Jesus condemned homosexuality in the Book of Revelation.

"Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous  that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” [Genesis 18:20-21] What was this "sin so grievous" that the Lord Himself needed to come down and see, and therefore burn Sodom and Gomorrah to the ground? Genesis 19:4-5 sheds light on this: "Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom — both young and old—surrounded the house. They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." The word sodomy comes from the name of the city Sodom, which was destroyed by God.

Leviticus 18:22 states plainly: "Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable."

Homosexuality as a sin is not just an Old Testament concept. Paul wrote to Timothy that homosexuality is contrary to God's teachings. "We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers — and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me."

Perhaps the strongest case can be made from Romans 1:21-32:

"For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them."

Is there a way out? Of course -- God always provides a way out. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." [1 John 1:9].

Marriage

But what about marriage? Is it for people, any sexual gender, who love one another? God, the creator of marriage [Adam and Eve], ordained marriage to be between one man and one woman. 'The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him'...But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
The man said, 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.' That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." [Genesis 2:18. 20b-24]

Jewish leaders tested Jesus by asking Him about divorce. Jesus answered, “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,' and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” [Matthew 19:4-6]

Therefore what God has joined together....since God cannot look upon sin, He will not -- cannot -- look favorably upon marriage between two of the same sex. No court can legislate what marriage is when God the Judge has already ordained what it is.

In today's world, you can either choose the way of the world, which is the popular, easy road -- a road that leads straight to death and hell. Or you can choose the Way of the Lord, which is difficult and narrow and not popular at all. But at the end, is Life, and Jesus, and Heaven. Jesus Himself said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." [John 14:6] This Way, which is Jesus, is not easy. "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." [Matthew 7:13-14].

As the Joshua passage above states, "But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." [24:15]. We are indeed living in a wicked land. We as followers of Christ must consciously, purposely, choose the things of God in every way -- to live according to what Jesus commands, and in order to not kill our witness to others.

I am sure this particular blog post will resonate with some and condemned by others. Such is the life of a blogger. However, I am not here on this earth to please people. I am commissioned by God to hold true to His word, to encourage others in the Christian faith, and to share His Gospel. I am here to please my Savior Jesus Christ. It bothers me tremendously that Satan is using the Scriptures that the Lord God gave us to further his wicked schemes in this country. But there is hope yet! "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." [2 Chronicles 7:14].

Followers of Christ, do not be saddened if the Supreme Court rules in favor of the homosexual lifestyle. Rejoice! For Scripture tells us that Jesus' coming is near! "Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires...But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. [2 Peter 3:3, 10-13]

But woe to those who continue in wickedness, blaspheming God by twisting Scriptures to suit their own evil purposes.

~ Terrie

(c) 2013 Terrie McKee

Who do you say I am?

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." [Matthew 16:13-16, NIV 1984]

Most churches have mission statements. Some are short and to the point. Others are paragraphs long or have bulletized lists. Some focus on Jesus' Sovereignity; others on social justice. Some mention the inerrancy of the Bible; others state that the Bible is a Holy Text like the Q'uron. It is important to participate in a Bible-believing, Chris-centered church; it is important to know what the church you attend believes, on a corporate level.

But that is not what Jesus asked His disciples.

Sure, Jesus threw out a survey question to His disciples first, maybe to gauge what the people that ate the loaves and fishes thought of him. Or maybe He was setting up a chain of questions to get His disciples -- the ones who needed to know Who in order to teach What and Why -- to look deep within themselves. The questions Jesus asked as followups were intended to take the magnifying glass off the people (the corporate entity) and focus it on the individual.

"What about you?" Jesus asked. "Who do you say I am?"

So...what about you? Do you believe that Jesus was a nice guy, who God allowed to perform miracles? That He was a prophet in a long string of prophets? That He was a Holy Man, the Messiah, but since the world has changed so much He's not exactly relevant today?

For myself, if you answered yes to any of those descriptions, I am so glad that He is not defined by you. Or me, for that matter. He is my Savior, my Messiah, my Peace. But from a purely grammartical point of view, the pronoun "my" does nothing here.

But the hingepoint of Peter's answer is the definite article "the." The little word, "the." It can make all the difference in the world:

"We're going to a ski slope."
"We're going to THE ski slope."
"We're going to see a race in Daytona in February."
"We're going to see THE race in Daytona in February."

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God." Notice he did not say, "You're a messiah, a son of the living God." No, the definite article here is part of a title, signifying the Oneness, the Only-ness, in Peter's statement. Jesus went on in verse 17 to applaud Peter's choice of words, saying “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven."

Jesus said in John 10:27, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." Peter here was given the answer to Jesus' soul-searching question by God, for Peter knew God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

It is not enough to know about Jesus. Before His earthly body graced a manger, hundreds of prophets came before Him. His own cousin, John the Baptist, was the last prophet, the last prophet in a long line of prophets that were all designed to point the way to The Messiah, or Jesus. There have been no other prophets since John the Baptist, for Christ came, died, rose again, and ascended to heaven. And right before Jesus' triumphant return to Earth, He will send Elijah and Moses down to point the way to Jesus again. He will "reuse" these prophets because they first pointed the way to Him, and there have been no other prophets since John the Baptist. You can say the prophets came, they pointed, Jesus came -- no more prophets were needed....until the time Jesus is about to return.

Right now, before Moses and Elijah come down, we as followers of Christ are to be His Light in the World, shining in the darkness and leading people to Christ, as people guide others along a darkened path using a flashlight. After His people ascend into heaven at the Rapture, this world will fall into a dark and evil time -- the Tribulation -- when Jesus' people are with Him but not here on Earth. So Jesus will send down Moses and Elijah to reup their prophet enlistment and preach Jesus...and be killed for it. They will point the way, and thousands will accept Christ. This is the "last resort" to escape hell.

For the followers of Christ today, it is very important, just like the Disciples who were questioned by Jesus Himself, to personally answer the question "What about you?" Jesus asked. "Who do you say I am?" For if a Christian -- one who claims to know Christ AND believes AND follows Him, not just some person who says they're a Christian as if to check off a box on a census form -- cannot answer Who do they say Jesus is, using the definite article the, they need to really evaluate some basic tenants of the Christian faith.

And find a church that believes and teaches Jesus as The Messiah, the Way, the Truth, and the Life -- and focuses more on Him, instead of buzzwords like social justice, missional, and unity.

What about you? Who do you say He is?

(C) 2013 Terrie McKee

Flies

“In that day the Lord will whistle for flies from the distant streams of Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.  They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices, in the rocks, on all the thornbushes and at all the water holes.” Isaiah 7:18-19

When I was a teenager, my family and I lived on thirteen acres of land. We grew most of the vegetables that we ate, and raised chickens. Chickens and cats. I had at one time, fourteen cats, in a pride made up primarily of females and their young. Tomcats would just wander away, looking for females.

Once, one of the kittens contracted feline leukemia. We took him to the vet but to no avail. This terrible disease ravished the young one’s body but still, he hung on. I can’t for the life of me remember his name. But I do remember the flies that would torment this dying kitten. They were big yucky things with turquoise-colored bodies. And on the day the kitten died, but before he struggled with his last breath, the flies were ruthless and relentless as they attacked his body.

I asked my dad about the flies. He said that the flies somehow know when death is approaching, and they swarm the dying animal. It’s a sign, he said, that death is near. He said it was one of those difficult life-lessons one must remember.

The problem is, I forgot.

Until March 12, 2006.

My dad had been diagnosed with lung and brain cancers (two primary cancers) six months prior, right after he and Mom moved in with me and my two boys, eight months after I had separated from my then-husband. It was a time of upheaval and transitions. That weekend, I had come home from work on Friday with a temperature. I stayed in bed most of the weekend, not feeling well. Rooms would spin around if I walked. On the beautiful afternoon of March 12, all the windows were open, letting the warm breezes of an early spring in. I eventually got out of bed and watched tv in the living room.

Mom asked me to take the trash out. I opened the sliding glass door to the backyard, holding the full trashbag, to put it in the trash container. As I did this, I noticed that the wall of the back of the house was swarming with…flies. Big, yucky, turquoise-colored flies. I looked to see what, if anything, could be attracting them to brick. There was nothing. They only swarmed on the right side of the house, the side that Mom and Dad’s room was on.

Suddenly, it all came back to me as though it was a sci-fi effect from a movie. The kitten. The flies. “It’s a sign,” Dad had said, more than twenty years prior, “that death is near.”

Immediately, I went to Dad’s hospital bed in his bedroom. We talked. I asked him important questions like “Are you proud of me?” and “Do you have any regrets?” We talked for at least two hours, and watched a television preacher besides. Two hours later, at eight o’clock, my Daddy died.

After the Hospice nurse had left and the funeral home men had come for his body, I went out on the deck to talk on the phone. As I walked to the end of the deck, then turned around, I dropped the phone: there were no flies. The flies were all gone.

I immediately praised God. He made that little kitten sick, so that Daddy and I could have a seemingly gross and circle-of-life kindof talk that could have been easily dismissed. He made that little kitten sick to bring the flies, so that I would have a sign, from God, that death would visit my home on March 12, 2006. He made that little kitten sick, and brought the flies, and made the flies swarm just one side of my house, so that I would know to get some very important issues square with Dad. God had used flies to tell me that Daddy would soon be with Him.

God can use anything, and most often does, to guide us – if, and only if – we have the opened Spirit eyes to see it for what it is: a sign of mercy from a merciful God.

© 2012 Terrie McKee

Contentment

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8

My husband and I have a large, blended family. His, mine, our’s. I have two boys from my first marriage, husband has a girl by his first marriage, and together we have a precocious, in-to-everything, two-and-a-half year old girl. All this, in a three-bedroom, two-bath, 1200 square feet ranch one-story.

Oh how I dream of a bigger house!

My dream house in on sale right now. Five bedrooms. Family room, formal parlor, formal dining room, playroom, swimming pool, one acre, workshops for the husband’s avid woodworking hobby – even a building outside for a much-coveted depot for model trains. A claw-foot, soaking tub in the master bedroom. And, blessed assurance – an actual, honest-to-goodness laundry room instead of a laundry closet. All this for so much more money than we could possibly obtain via a mortgage loan.

But that doesn’t stop this stay-at-home-mom-of-four from dreaming. In my dreams we host the entire church for a swimming and ice cream social. We host the youth group. We open our doors to the neighborhood for Bible studies. Everyone has their own room and their own space. We have a large Christmas get-together with our respective families. And, in my dreams, I write manuscripts that the nice FedEx man picks up at my door on the way to the publisher. His name is Dave. Ah, the things I could do in this house….

The Lord convicted me one night, though, when I was doing my nightly Bible reading and “happened” across this passage from 1 Timothy: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (6:6-8). Ouch. I had been breaking a Big Ten: covetousness, in my dreams, even as I was not being grateful for the 1,200 square feet of closeness for my family.

In an economy in which so many are losing their homes, I was not being content with what I have: a solid roof over my head (thank you, hail storm 2011 and the subsequent new roof), warmth in the wintertime and coolness in the summer, and food on the table, even if it is rice and beans sometimes.

And, the Lord reminded me, “Why can’t you do Bible studies in your home now?” I reminded the good Lord of the horrible carpet stains (four children, remember, who are all clumsy while walking with sodas and juice), the sofa that has lost all sense of support and also covered in stains (four children), and the tight living room/dining room/kitchen “open floor plan” (which is house code for “if one of those areas are cluttered, the whole room is cluttered”).

Again, the Lord said, “Why can’t you do Bible studies in your home now?” while planting in my brain the understanding that Paul, while writing this passage about contentment to Timothy, was in prison, and not just visiting. Prison trumps stained carpet any day of the week. How dare I remind the good Lord (as though He needed reminding) about the carpet, or sofa, or whatever excuse I could come up with?

So, after asking forgiveness from Jesus about not being content and drooling over The Cottage, as I called my dream home, I’ve been trying to take extra care in cleaning my home, blessing my family, and shining the Light of Christ from inside. I’m planning on opening our doors to other stay-at-home moms in the neighborhood for a Christmas Bible study in the near future. I believe God will bless these actions. Maybe not with a new, larger house. TV home improvement shows may not show up in our driveway with bullhorns and plans to renovate. But He will bless our home with love, with closeness, with food and clothing, and with a laundry closet, instead of a laundry room that would be yet another room to clean. He will bless our home with Himself, which, after all, is the best blessing of all.

© 2012 Terrie McKee

 

 

 

 

Poured Out

“ The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'After you enter the land I am giving you as a home and you present to the LORD offerings made by fire, from the herd or the flock, as an aroma pleasing to the LORD --whether burnt offerings or sacrifices, for special vows or freewill offerings or festival offerings -- then the one who brings his offering shall present to the LORD a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil. With each lamb for the burnt offering or the sacrifice, prepare a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering.” Numbers 15:1-5

In Old Testament times, the drink offering was always poured out onto the altar as a sacrifice to God in addition to the sacrificed animals and grain offerings. The drink offering was always a quarter of a hin of wine, presented to God “as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.” This was not to be drank by the priests, but to be poured out, as God’s drink with the sacrifice.

Sacrifices of animals, grain and wine – the essential building blocks of a Hebrew diet – remind us that everything is God’s. He blesses us with meat, vegetables, and the water we drink. He provides the skills, education and where-with-all to earn money, to provide for our families. All belongs to Him.

Even our very lives belong to Him. We are not our own. In addition to time, talents and treasure, we are to pour out our very lives, die to ourselves, and give God all of us. This act of giving God our very beings and living for Christ – no matter the cost – is also an aroma pleasing to God.

As we live our lives for Him, He blesses us in ways we cannot begin to imagine. It may not be with material possessions, or money, but it will be with things so much more priceless: the peace that passes all understanding, the joy of our salvation, the knowledge that we are close to Him. Being called “a child of the King” is blessing enough. Knowing Christ intercedes for my behalf and knows me by name, is blessing enough.

Living our lives, poured out as a drink offering, means giving God all of us. Paul wrote from prison, “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” [2^nd Timothy 4:6-7]. Paul suffered much as an apostle: floggings, imprisonment, stonings, betrayal. Through all these persecutions, he lived his life poured out for God. He recognized his time to be with the Lord was so near he could taste it. He was willing to give all, to be poured out as a drink offering, as an aroma pleasing to the Lord, for Christ.

Christ did the same for us. “Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.” [John 19:34]. Jesus poured out Himself, to save us from sin. How much more should we give our whole lives to Him, not just a tenth?

 

(c) 2012 Terrie McKee

More Than Conquerers

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39

Sometimes, in the strangest of places and times, I reflect on what has happened in my life. This was true yesterday on the way home from church. I don't know why I started looking back, but that act of looking in the rear-view mirror has stuck with me for a good 24 hours now.

If I looked at this chronologically, I would have to say that 18 and a half years ago I got married, and seven and half years ago, that marriage ended, but not without having two boys, and definitely not without scars. To this day I cannot look my ex-husband in the eyes without feeling uneasiness and fear: fear of being yelled at, fear of being hit, fear of being abused in so many ways. Forgiving him is an almost daily occurance. I will say this: forgiveness should never make the forgiver a doormat, and its not a blank check for the forgivee to do whatever he wanted....again....and again....and again. I forgive him [daily] so I won't be held hostage by feelings and fears. Forgiveness is up to me, and frankly, only through Jesus Christ; repentance is up to the ex, and so far, that hasn't happened.

Eighteen years ago, I gave birth to a son. When he was just 17 days old, he would refuse to be comforted, acting like he was uncomfortable in his own skin. As he grew older, I noticed he was overly fascinated by whirling ceiling fans and obsessively placing toys in orderly lines -- but not playing with them. I learned, through Sam, to trust my mother's instinct: he was diagnosed with ADHD at age four, seizures at age six and a few months later, with high functioning autism. This is what having a child with autism means: You constantly fight battles that parents of typically-developed kids battle, but with twists. "Puberty" takes on a whole other level of fears, doubts and interestingly sick conversations. Sex ed? With a kid who, if I talk about gardening, makes him want to go plant a tree? With a kid who, if I talk about zoos, will want to go to a zoo? Having a child with autism means constantly grieving for the kid he could have been while, at the same time, celebrating accomplishments and milestones that typically-developing kids' parents merely acknowledge with a nodding of the head. Having a child who was diagnosed with autism 12 years ago means for the last 12 years you communicate and interact with his teachers on astounding levels, challenging them to challenge him; putting goals in his IEP for things like counting money, making change, acting appropriately in certain social situations -- only to have to raise the white flag of surrender when he is 18 to declare him incompetent, so you, the woman who spent 30 hours in labor with said child, can legally become his guardian to ensure he will make the right decisions regarding his healthcare, his education, his finances, his life.

People sometimes tell me, "God wouldn't give you a special child if He didn't think you were a special parent." Well I must be pretty special: four children, one with autism, one with severe ADHD, one with diabetes, and a two year old. Precocious two year olds are their own breed with their own special needs. So, while I politely smile and say "I guess" to those people, inside I'm screaming "HOGWASH!" to them. God has used these children to teach me, not the other way around. I am blessed by them; I hope and pray I am a blessing to them.

God has blessed me with a second (and final, last marriage) to my best friend and soul mate. This is also his second marriage too. God has used this second-marriage-for-both-of-us to give us opportunities to learn from past mistakes. Communication between the two of us is extremely valuable because neither of us had good communication in our first marriages.

When I look back on the last years, I am in awe at how God's hand has guided this ship of my life. I believe the night that my ex told me to choose between Jesus and him -- that was a watershed moment in my walk of faith as a believer married to an unbeliever. I chose Jesus -- and the ex walked out. I believe that when I chose Jesus, Jesus has honored and blessed that with the knowledge that the Romans 8 passage provides. Nothing can separate us from the Love of Christ. Not divorce, not abuse, not autism, not fibromyalgia, not migraines, not the death of a parent.

We become more than conquerers when we hold up the Banner of Christ and plant it on the firm soil of a rock-solid faith. We become more than conquerers by telling the storms of our lives how BIG our God is -- not by giving in to Satan's whispers that our storms are too big for our God. We become more than conquerers by having Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Lion of Judah, fight our battles, like the passage from 2 Chronicles 20:17 states: "You do not have to fight this battle. Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. He is with you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Tomorrow, go out to face them, for the Lord is with you."

In looking back, I praise God for hemming me in behind and before. In looking forward to what is in store for me and mine, I know, based on God's faithfulness in our past, that He will be faithful in the future. And surely, tomorrow, I will go out to face anything that God has in store, for the Lord is with me.

Praises to His name.

(C) 2012 Terrie McKee

Do Not Lose Heart: A Devotional of Chronic Pain

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." [2nd Corinthians 4:16-20]

"Take two aspirin and call me in the morning." This commercial little mantra has often been spoken as a way of sympathy for people who are in physical pain. For people who suffer day in and day out with chronic pain, however, such trite comments hurt.

I have suffered from migraines and hypoglycemia since I was six years old. Two herniated discs that called for two major back surgeries, a bulging disc, intense muscle spasms and degenerative disc disease, and severe osteoarthritis in my left knee and all throughout my spinal column -- all that plus fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome keep me more than humble. Physical issues make everyday life just plain hard. I pray sometimes for God to heal me -- so I can sit at the computer and not have my knee in excruciating pain, so I can write and encourage others in His name. Just as Paul had his thorn in the flesh, people like myself -- sufferers of chronic pain -- have to deal with so much just to make it through the day. Every day is a struggle.

As much as my body hurts, the pain draws me closer to reading the Word and praying to God. Though my body is in bad need of an overhaul, it is no small joy to know that an Upgrade will happen one day. Paul writes in 2nd Corinthians, "Therefore do not lose heart." For people who have accepted Christ as Savior, they have no cause to lose heart, though they have mountains of prescriptions on the countertop and doctor visits every other week. Those Christians do not lose heart, for these broken-down bodies are only rental units. There will be a time when we get to trade them in for a Christ-built Resurrection Body, empty of arthritis, migraines, multiple sclerosis, cancer and depression.

But we can have a bit of the Kingdom here. Despite the hurdles chronic pain can daily through our way, for Christians, there is hope and witness here. Non-Christians watch us closely -- much like Job's friends and wife did. "Curse God and die," they said. When Christians, who have the mind of Christ, live as though they are already test-driving the Resurrection Body, filled with a deep and irrepressible joy that can only come from a relationship with Christ -- they become powerful testimonies that chronic pain is "achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."

Second Corinthians 1:3 states, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort." This comfort God provides may come in the form of a get-well card, or a meal provided by a friend -- but it is so much more than that. God IS the Comfort. When we turn our eyes away from the pain and dive into His Word, when we go to Him in prayer for others, when we worship Him in gratitude and love -- He reveals Himself to be much more than the Provider of Comfort. He IS the Comfort.

So what do we fix our eyes on that is unseen? That is Jesus Christ, presenting us with a Resurrection Body, to be able to worship Him on bended knees that don't crack and pop with shooting pain. We fix our eyes on Jesus. We deal with the pain but don't dwell on the pain and we are not defined by the pain. We are defined by Jesus Christ. Who we are in Him is so much more than our earthly bodies can provide.

These are but temporary housing units, shells of what will be received. God promises us as much. "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future [Jeremiah 29:11]. The bodies He has planned for us in eternity are so much better than what we can even imagine. Our role, then, until Jesus calls us home, is to not lose heart, to keep our eyes focused on Him, and to live as walking testimonies to His glory, power and comfort.

Peace.

(c) 2012 Terrie McKee

Commission, Promise, Worship

"Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume." [John 12:3 NIV]

Moses climbed Mt. Sinai, only to stumble upon a bush that was on fire but not consumed. He did not encounter a freak act of nature, but had an encounter with The Living God, who promptly told Moses to remove the sandals from his feet for he was standing on holy ground.

God told Moses that He had in fact seen the misery of His people, who were in bondage. "So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt" When Moses, apparently doing a double take, asks the immortal "Why me?" question, God emphatically delivers a Promise and a sign: "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain [Exodus 3:10-12].

Fast forward a few centuries to a similar mountain. Jesus had just risen from the dead, the Victor over death, and was giving last-minute instructions to his disciples: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" [Matthew 28:19-20].

The same Commission and the same Promise: Go, share the Gospel message which will deliver people from sin's bondage, and the Promise to be with us always. A bold commission, and an equally bold promise, with a Glorious Sign: the knowledge that Christ is waiting for us, at the end of the age, where we will worship Him unfettered by sin's grasp, where we dare to raise our holy hands in praise of Him and in worship.

Like Mary, Christ-centered Christians are not afraid of what others think. Mary poured the oil over Jesus' feet in an unfettered, unhindered, uncontrolled act of worship. It is only when we have been touched by Christ that the Real Act of Worship can begin. We have to be brought out of Egypt to the Mountain of God in order to appreciate what God has done in our lives: Deliverance. And only then can worship be unhindered, free and centered on Christ. We are then on a mission: to share the Gospel with others. May we pray that we do so with unfettered hearts, praiseful hands, and prayer-bruised knees.

(C) 2012 Terrie McKee

Life and Doctrine

"Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity....Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." [1 Timothy 4:12, 16]

We've all the heard the saying, "Walk the walk and talk the talk." This is an important precept for followers of Christ to follow. We may be the only Bible some people will ever see -- is what they hear from your faith-talk consistent with how you live your life?

Paul admonishes Timothy to watch his "life and doctrine closely." Do we talk about God meeting our needs but don't have enough faith to entrust Him with the checking account or tithing? Do we talk about salvation through faith in Christ but walk around with such a low and joyless countenance that people wonder what the big deal is? Do we smile at strangers, knowing that our faces can joyfully present the smile of Christ? Do you say that teaching the Bible is something we should do -- but you don't bring your Bible to church?

We too need to watch our lives and doctrines closely. Do we condemn a man Christ has forgiven? Would we want someone to hold our pasts, sins, and transgressions over our heads -- the very things we have repented of, received forgiveness for, and continue to have thrown in our faces by people with 2x4s sticking out of their eyes? How Christ-like is your life? How biblical is your doctrine?

Paul tells the young preacher Timothy to set an example for believers in "speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." How much more are we called to do that? Do we set the example, or can one not distinguish a Christian from a resident of the world?

Make sure your life dovetails the doctrine of faith you are called to live.