Truth + Culture = ???

My heart is full to overflowing today! Shaunti Feldhahn spoke at the women's event I coordinated this weekend - I absorbed some transformational information! It was a tremendous occasion that I will not soon forget. Wow - it will take me some time to process everything! Hmmm, where to start....

I guess I will start with how Shaunti's writings influenced me prior to the conference this weekend. I read For Women Only several years ago and found it interesting; later I completed the Bible study based on the book. At the time, I thought it was great information and I've attempted to apply part of the guidance in my marriage. I read Shaunti's two fiction books last summer. These titles are The Lights on 10th Street and The Veritas Conflict. Interestingly enough, the fictional books had an enormous impact on my thinking - particularly The Veritas Conflict.

I started reading Veritas about the same time I started my graduate ethics course for psychology. Among other things, I learned about the philosophical foundations of professional ethics. Normative ethics is one area of study which can be further delineated to three major ethical theories: utilitarianism, deontological, and natural law. "Each of these theories explicates a unique method that people can follow to determine how they ought to act in a given situation" (Lloyd & Hansen, 2003, p. 28). Ethics are rooted in a philosophy (or more than one); and it is necessary to understand one's philosophy prior to making ethical judgments.

Since most of you are neither looking for a lecture on ethics nor philosophy, and since I'm not an expert in either, I am going to cut to the chase here and focus on the theory of natural law. Natural law ethics considers God as Creator of the earth and God as the One with a plan. In a nutshell, God provides a basis for right and wrong; humans need God to know right and wrong; and humans need Godly motivation and guidance to choose right. I choose to make judgment calls on situations I face based on a personal relationship with Christ and the revelation He provides within this intimate relationship. To do this, I must believe Him and receive Him all the time.

Back to Veritas, the main character is a young woman entering college for the first time. As a believer, she is faced with rigid opposition to her faith in God for the first time. The novel chronicles her experiences in the classroom and how she learns to effective apply her Godly philosophy in a secular environment. Also, the novel is a spiritual thriller in that it incorporates the idea of how the spirit-world may be interacting with real people in real time. Anyway, I was mesmerized by the process Shaunti presented for engaging in a debate. After dining with Shaunti Thursday night, I asked her permission to share this process.

1. Get analytical and determine the assumptions behind the statement or question (these may be spoken or unspoken). Do not answer the question until you know the assumption.
2. Question the assumption by working backwards to find an intellectual inconsistency.
3. Provide a logical, yet ridiculously extreme conclusion.
4. Always speak the Truth in love.

This is the process I attempted to use in my February 27th blog entitled "Help, I'm Stuck in a Pit." I know it is a process that takes practice. As I read about this process in Veritas, I actually took notes - from a work of fiction! That is some transformational fiction reading, my friends!

Believers in Christ receive revelation from God in relationship with Him. Truth is unknown and is misunderstood by those who are not seeking God and not in relationship with Him.

Enter culture.

Culture is all that is around us influencing our belief systems; our interpretations of what is normal, acceptable, and ethical. The application of God's Truth in every day living has always been counter-culture; however, because the USA was founded on Christian values, and because these values have slowly eroded, many Christians in America have been lulled to sleep. They have ceased seeking God's Truth falsely thinking it is unnecessary, and/or they have mixed God's Truth with cultural relevance creating a new version of truth that is not reflective of God's Truth.

Shaunti Feldhahn applies this phenomenon to the differences between how men and women think and act. Shaunti is an analyst - not a psychologist or counselor. She is bringing practical applications of credible scientific research to the average person in laymen's terms. Let me tell you: Shaunti's message is extremely counter cultural. This weekend my eyes were further opened to the deceit of our culture and its impact on me and my family. The deceit is evident at every turn - from the home to the church to business, media, and education.

The deception of the devil should come as no surprise. Our response to it should be the focus here. If we ignore the deceit, then our homes, marriages, families, and children will continue to be destroyed. Jesus instructed believers to always be ready for His second coming. To ignore the deceit our culture is engaging in is to leave people unprepared for Jesus' arrival.

How should we respond? We must first voraciously seek God's Truth. Then, we must know God's Truth better than our culture. And finally, we must apply God's Truth in relationship with one another. This weekend inspired me to do this first and foremost in my home with my husband and my sons. I must also seek, know, and apply God's Truth in my work among college students. And, I can not stop the flood of words and ideas pouring from my mind. The enemy and his deception is much closer than we often believe, but the enemy does not seek to be recognized as such, so we must be actively vigilent. Keep seeking, my friends!

"You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31b-32, NLT).

Worms or Blessings in Leadership

As 2009 began, my thoughts centered around my plea to the Lord to just get me through June 13th. I really don't like to live this way, but the first half of 2009 promised to be extremely busy - a good kind of busy. In January, I started my 12th (out of 13) master's course in the process of earning a degree in Educational Psychology. In February, I started teaching at MVNU for the first time: University Success Strategies and Reading Success Strategies. In the meantime, the first of each year means heavy duty planning for an annual women's event at MVNU that I coordinate. All of this is on top of being a wife, mother, and my other "3/4-time" job at MVNU. Somewhere in there we had a doctor's appointment for Tyler that led us to schedule surgery for him on March 23.

My class ended last Friday - PTL! The retreat begins this Friday. Oh, and Tyler turns 9 on Friday, I turn 39 on Sunday, and Steve turns 42 next week. Next week is Spring Break for me and the boys. Because Tyler will be recovering from surgery, we will spend the whole break laying low at home - ahhhh. I will start my "final integrative project" at the beginning of April, complete my teaching responsibilities in mid-May, and (hopefully) submit my project by mid-June (which equals GRADUATION!).

Clearly I have not been seeking for things to fill my time - which makes writing this blog all the more odd. I did not decide one day to write a blog. I had been reading several blogs for a few months. During that time, I wondered whether I had anything to blog about. Then, without my seeking it, I believe the Lord just started filling my head and heart with stuff - His stuff. It had to go somewhere... so why not a blog? At first, I responded to the Lord with, "I'll know this is from you if you provide a name for this blog." He gave me Acts 6:7 which led to "Pebbles, Ripples, Circles."

Sometimes I wonder if this is my blog or God's blog - I am seeking for it to be God's blog. I have this fear that my pride or my ego may get in the way of God's plans. 1 Samuel 16:7 reminds me that God knows my intentions, or my heart:

"The Lord said to Samuel, 'Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't make decisions the way you do! People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at a person's thoughts and intentions" (NLT).

I wrote on Sunday that I planned on keeping my March 1-15 verse for March 16-31. I may do that, or I may memorize 1 Samuel 16:7. Somewhere in my past people have judged me for receiving attention, so I get a little paranoid about taking such an outward position like that of writing a blog. It is safer to fly under the radar, but God doesn't appear to desire that for me. The Lord doesn't make decisions like people... He knows the heart. There is freedom in God's plan rather than man's plan!

God does address the human ego. In Acts 12, Herod Agrippa I is featured. From his example, we know that there is great danger in accepting praise that belongs to God. When Herod Agrippa I accepted the adoration of some Jews who were trying to make peace with him, the Lord punished the leader with an awful death. Herod Agrippa I died from worms that ate him from the inside out - that is simply disgusting!

Tomorrow afternoon I will head to the airport to pick-up our event speaker: Shaunti Feldhahn. From that point on, I will be swimming in details, people, and responsibilities. Pray for me - that the Lord will strengthen me under pressure, that He will be glorified in all things, and that I will give Him all the praise and honor through my thoughts, words, and actions.

To live, or not to live... in a box.

Before I write anything, I must point you toward Beth Moore's blog in regards to the Scripture Memory Challenge. For all the folks who complete the challenge, Living Proof Ministries is going to host a free event in Houston (well, "free" if you don't count travel, accommodations, and food - ha!). Go read about it, if you're interested.... I just may go - if I complete the challenge. Houston in January sounds mighty nice for an Ohioan! Oh, and by the way, I am sticking with 2 Timothy 1:6-8 for March 15-31 because I need more time and this is not a legalistic kind of thing....

Back to Cornelius....

The Jews thought salvation and the Holy Spirit were only for them. Gentiles were considered anyone who was not a Jew. In Acts 10, God spoke to Cornelius (a Gentile; a Roman army officer, no less) and Peter (a Jew and an apostle) in some sort of separate vision or dream. God told Peter to include the Gentiles in preaching the Gospel. God told Cornelius to send some guys to find Peter and bring him to Cornelius' house.

This series of events is quite out of the box for both men! Under Jewish law, Peter was not allowed to be in relationship with Cornelius, a Gentile. Act 10:28 (NLT) reads, "Peter told them, 'You know it is against the Jewish laws for me to come into a Gentile home like this. But God has shown me that I should never think of anyone as impure.'" In spite of their differences, Cornelius and Peter both obeyed God and personally related with one another - though Peter needed some divine prodding.

I love this verse of divine prodding: "If God says something is acceptable, don't say it isn't." Acts 10:15 (NLT).

A party at Cornelius' house most likely included eating impure food and rubbing shoulders with impure people - by Jewish standards. Peter preached a simple sermon and many Gentiles were saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter experienced these Gentile conversions first hand - in relationship with them. This was very significant for Peter because, prior to this event, he did not know that Gentiles could be saved and filled with Holy Spirit.

Acts 10: 15 is repeated in Acts 11:9, "If God says something is acceptable, don't say it isn't."

As I look at this verse, I see two assumptions:

1. If some things are acceptable, then there are some things that are not acceptable. In our relativitic culture, where people believe they are free to come up with their own versions of right and wrong, it is a good reminder to know that God does have some ultimate guidelines set up with our best interests in mind.
2. God is not all about telling us what not to do (this is a double negative, I know). Many unbelievers are turned off by Christians and their rules. As a parent, I have a much deeper appreciation for "rules." My rules are enforced for the purpose of protecting my children. At 2 years of age, they don't understand that when cars hit children, children die. At 6 years of age, they don't know what molest means and that it can happen in the bathroom at McDonalds. At 10 years of age, they don't know what pornagraphy is; that it is addictive and that it can ruin relationships for a lifetime. Someone has to guide kids through these life issues. Such issues are a very real part of life for all of one's life.

I choose to rely on God for guidance believing with all of my heart that His guidance is meant for my protection.

Peter obeyed God and overcame his cultural understanding of impurity. God sent Peter to Cornelius because Cornelius was sincerely seeking God and Truth. God did not deny Cornelius the opportunity to know Him - He sent Peter to help. Peter needed to know and experience the fact that God had salvation and the Holy Spirit in mind for the Gentiles, as well as the Jews. Like most of us, Peter had to see it with his own eyes to believe it. All of this was possible because Peter and Cornelius obeyed God and entered into a relationship with one another. Peter and Cornelius needed each other to understand God's larger plan.

Obeying God may mean getting out of the cultural box we are so familiar with in 2009. I do not write these words with ease - such moves are hard for me. Am I willing? Yes. Will God guide me? Yes. I believe that through simple willingness, God will accomplish great things outside of the box.

Why me.... Why now?

In Acts 9:36-41, Peter raises Tabitha from the dead. Tabitha is not a well known woman of the Bible, yet she receives some attention in Acts. Verse 36b reads, "She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor." As a result of her kindness, "the room was filled with widows who were weeping and showing (Peter) the coats and other garments Dorcas (i.e., Tabitha) had made for them" (Act 6:39b, NLT). These verses stand out to me today in light of the current verse I am memorizing (and I must say this one has been a bit harder for me):

"This is why I remind you to fan into flame the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hand on you. God did not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So you must never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord.... With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the proclamation of the Good News" (2 Timothy 1:6-8, NLT).

Tabitha/Dorcas had the gift of helping through making clothes for needy people. In using her gift, she became known for it and people paid her respect. God used her to illustrate his power over death in the Book of Acts. I think this is fairly simple, yet it can be quite difficult.

"Fan into flame the spiritual gift God gave you...." I have taught spiritual gifts classes on several occasions. According to the assessments, my gifts are clearly leadership, administration, and wisdom. For several years, I just left off the wisdom gift because I really did not understand it (scholarly of me, huh?). I have known of these gifts in me for a long, long time - late elementary school - though I could not articulate them until my early 20's. I had many opportunities to fan these flames throughout my years in school, but following college the opportunities dramatically decreased. I experienced a number of incredibly disheartening work scenarios between 22 and 27 years of age - ultimately leading me to give up trying to serve in a professional capacity. Tanner was born in 1997 and I devoted the next 8 years to being at home with my boys and volunteering for my church. It was a season of life I am very thankful for now.

"God did not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline...." During that time following college, I lived in fear and timidity. Rather than seeking out opportunities to use the spiritual gifts God gave me, I sat back and I wondered why I was so unfulfilled. I wanted to serve God in an official ministry capacity, but the doors were closed. As I moved on to motherhood, I found fulfillment in leading and administrating at home and at church. The Lord used those opportunities to re-light the fire within me. Then, through another seriously disheartening life-event, my fire to serve was nearly extinguished. I have spent the last three years focusing on pursuits other than ministry - family, work, and graduate school. I would characterize this time as peaceful, challenging, and rewarding. As I approach the end of my master's degree, I feel the Lord re-lighting the fire within me. I suppose it was never completely gone.

I really have no clear idea what the Lord has in mind for this rekindled fire, but the next phrase of my memory verse states this:

"You must never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord...."

Why is it so hard to share Christ with others? When I take my Bible in public places, like the local coffee shop, I feel self-conscious. Why is that? I am tired of feeling this way, and I think that maybe Christ is strengthening me for "such a time as this" (Esther 4:14). Without the ever-present reality of Christ in my life, I would be absolutely nothing! He has revealed in me a Truth that is eternally powerful and purposeful. He is the only part of my world that equals satisfaction guaranteed. How do I know this? I know this because the longer I seek God, the more of Himself He reveals to me and the more I believe Him to be The Truth. Do I have perfect understanding of all thing? No way. Am I always comfortable and happy? No. Is there a burning sense of purpose in the depths of my being? Yes! And, nothing, NOTHING, except for God can touch those places within me.

Is there something special about me? Well, it depends on who you ask.... But truly, I am more similar to you than different. You and I are equally special in God's eyes (as a parent with two boys, that truth is more real to me now). What He did for Tabitha/Dorcas, for Mary, for ______, He will do for you and for me. There is a deep place in every human being that was created by God, and it is a place only He can fill. For some people, that place is empty and they are searching to fill it with something. For some believing people, that place is half-full because there is just so much to do in a day/week/month/year.

I think God wants that place to have a fire in it - where His Presence can fill it completely. God doesn't struggle with making fire, like the folks on Survivor. All He needs is the desirous heart of a person seeking Him. Need an example? Stay tuned to hear about Cornelius, or better yet, read Acts 10 & 11 to prepare. Also, March 15 is tomorrow.... I need a new verse.

A Tribute to My Grandma

Grandma,

I grew up hearing stories from your childhood and watching both you and Grandpa care for me and the whole family. I just need to tell you how thankful I am for the Christian heritage you’ve given me. It is the most powerful influence I’ve received and it is the most important influence I desire to pass on to my children. Much like salvation, I did absolutely nothing to earn or deserve a Godly heritage. It is purely a gift; a “pearl of great price”, that I would not give away for the world!!!

Some time ago I was reading in the Old Testament and I came upon the 10 Commandments. This piece of Scripture is so common that I did not expect to experience anything new in reading it. As a relatively new parent, however, Exodus 20:5 boldly stood out:

“You shall not bow down to other gods or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of their fathers to the third and fourth generation.”

How interesting, I thought, and I prayed a prayer of thanksgiving for the beautiful heritage given me. At the same time, though, I questioned God about the fairness of it all. I have many Christian friends who were not blessed with generations of believers and from their perspective this Scripture probably isn’t so appealing. So, I just journalled those thoughts and waited for God to reveal His truth in His time.

He did teach me some new things in this area. I was reading a book by Beth Moore entitled Breaking Free: Making Liberty in Christ a Reality in Life. Beth talked at great length about the positive and negative impact of our families upon our lives. I must share an illustration she powerfully used. It is an excerpt from It’s Always Something by the late Gilda Radner:

“When I was little, my nurse Dibby’s cousin had a dog, just a mutt, and the dog was pregnant. I don’t know how long dogs are pregnant, but she was due to have her puppies in about a week. She was out in the yard one day and got in the way of the lawn mover and her two hind legs got cut off. They rushed her to the vet and he said, “I can sew her up, or you can put her to sleep if you want, but the puppies are okay. She’ll be able to deliver the puppies.

“Dibby’s cousin said, ‘Keep her alive.’

“So the vet sewed up her backside, and over the next week the dog learned to walk. She didn’t spend any time worrying; she just learned to walk by taking two steps in the front and flipping up her backside, and then taking two steps and flipping up her backside again. She gave birth to six little puppies, all in perfect health. She nursed them and then weaned them. And when they learned to walk, they all walked like her.”

As I look at my life, my habits, my strengths and weaknesses, and even my physical characteristics, I see my parents and I see my grandparents in many forms, even in the way I walk. I see generations of faith in God for provision, strength, guidance, and purpose in pursuing active Christian ministry. There is one significant thing, however, I do not see…. I see absolutely no negative effects of your childhood upon your life, my mom’s life, or upon my life. Your were orphaned, abused, and separated from your siblings, which by today’s standards, would give a person every “right” to be officially messed up. I see that your faith in God carried you through a very difficult childhood and fully healed your wounds. Unlike the dogs in the illustration, your children and your children’s children were taught how to walk correctly in light of the transforming power of Christ. The truth of Psalm 103:17 outshines the statistics:

“From everlasting to everlasting, the Lord’s love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children’s children.”

My Christian heritage could have been severely limited by your perspective of life had you not given your life fully and completely to Christ for healing and transformation. Where we humans see a whole lot of hopelessness, God sees generations of faithful, fruitful believers who will impact His world and bring Him tremendous glory. The transformation can begin in any generation no matter what the circumstances.

Knock, Knock.... Who's There?

So many disturbing situations are swirling around us these days - in the world, in our country, in our communities, in our churches, and within our families. It is difficult to process so many troubling things at once and I frequently find myself feeling overwhelmed. I enjoy hearing how my believing sisters and brothers deal with uncertainties and stress, so I thought others might benefit from my approach.

As I came before the Lord this morning (i.e., in the parking lot, remember?), I journaled my troubling thoughts. A scripture from yesterday's sermon came to mind:

"The Lord said to Samuel, 'Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't make decisions the way you do! People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at a person's thoughts and intentions'" (1 Samuel 16:7, NLT).

I have no doubt that the human worldview is tremendously skewed by the prevalent culture - it always has been. More and more frequently I have found myself at such a loss in attempting to understand the whys, whats, and hows of things around me. When I stop thinking in my own power long enough to seek God, I find myself dumping those unanswerable issues at His feet. I have this mental picture: The current "stress" (you can fill in the blank) is knocking at the door of my soul. Hopeless thoughts like to reside in my soul and plague me with uncertainty, doubt, and questions. These stresses are dying to get in the house and have a little party. Unfortunately, sometimes I invite theses stresses in as guests - they come in the form of gossip, worry, talking too much about troubling circumstances, and even discussing politics. Once these stresses are in, they wreak havoc causing me greater worry, anxiety, anger, you name it.... Recently, however, I have been asking God to answer the door when I know these visitors are nearby me. When God answers the door, He is like the protective daddy meeting the daughter's latest suitor at the door while cleaning the shotgun....

My God always answers the door for me when I ask Him. When he shoos away the unwelcome visitors, He also guides me in how to keep the visitors away. His instructions always require some responsibility on my part. Today He guided me to:

1. Separate myself from the disturbing conversations (or other forms of input) and pray.
2. Be a Spiritual leader as the Lord guides me and encourage believers to pray and seek God.
   
3. Practice using the spiritual gift of wisdom God has given me.
4. Carry out my responsibilities gracefully with power, love, and self-discipline.
5. Keep memorizing 2 Timothy 1:6-8.

While on this earth, we will never be immune from evil visitors. They masquerade as worthy pursuits - sometimes appearing spiritual and sometimes appearing quite pleasurable for a time. There are many questions we face on earth that have no answers... yet. Evil is trying hard to hide Truth, and some people are blinded from Truth by evil. As God's children, whom He dearly loves, we do not need to understand all things. God will answer the door for us. God will keep the unwanted visitors away - as long as we don't sneak back and invite them in.

Next time you know an unwelcome visitor is knocking at your door, ask God to answer the knock - He knows exactly who's there.

Keeping it Real; Keeping it Short

I am home this morning to research and write about "transformational leadership," so I must keep this very short, but very real....

A reader emailed me this week and commented on feeling uncertain about the kind of Bible she uses; wondering if other Christians would look down on her because of her choice. This confession struck me to the core, but I have experienced similar judgments. I once painfully sat through a workshop outlining which ladies Bible studies were suitable and which were not if one claimed to be a part of a particular denomination. WHAT? As long as Bibles and Bible studies are presenting salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and keeping Jesus as the focus, then I believe the Holy Spirit can and will speak to ears and hearts seeking Truth. Personally, I prefer to stick with Bible study teachers that I know a bit about and trust, but as far as their denominational affiliation goes, God is blessing many! The enemy is not our believing brothers and sisters.

Look at Saul in Acts 9. Saul was the last person the apostles thought they could trust because, "he was eager to destroy the Lord's followers" (Acts 9: 1, NLT). Yet, Saul (later to be renamed Paul) is exactly who God had in mind to take the Good News to the Gentiles, kings, and Israel. Jesus' followers had to listen closely and obey blindly to participate in this plan as it was definitely "out-of-the-box." The study notes in my Bible say, "Beware of people who insist that you must have a particular type of conversion experience. The right way to come to faith in Jesus is whatever way God brings you."

Our relationships with Christ are similar - we are each created uniquely in God's own image. He will meet us and teach us in unique ways. Our responsibility is to diligently seek Him as best as we know how today. From that starting point, He will gladly take our humble offerings and multiply them beyond our wildest dreams.

Jesus loves you as you are today - will you receive His love and uniquely seek Him?