by Angela Sanders | Nov 9, 2017
When the kids were growing up, Todd and I talked openly with them about God’s provision and presence. We prayed with them, read them Bible stories, and fully integrated ourselves into the life of the Church so they wouldn’t miss any opportunities to witness and experience these things for themselves, but now that they’re grown, the burden of effort where spiritual matters are concerned rests squarely on their shoulders. All we can really do at this point is remind them of what they already know and, hopefully, saw in us.
My dearest children,
Salvation is free, but fellowship with God takes work.
I wish I could tell you the Christian life was easy and that putting your faith in Jesus for salvation from the consequences of sin was the hard part, but that’s not true. Salvation is the simple, if not easy, beginning of a life with just as many ups and downs as anyone else faces, maybe more. This being true, there will be times you feel close to God and times you don’t.
Although some of that fluctuation can be blamed on the mental, emotional, and physical limitations that come with being human, perceived static in your communication and/or distance in your relationship with God should never be ignored. If caused by sin or apathy, it will only get worse with time, and your pain will only deepen if you don’t address it.
“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).
Where intimacy is concerned, God does not barge. He invites. Just as He didn’t force you to become His child and enter into a permanent relationship with Him by putting your faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection for salvation, He will not force you into daily intimate fellowship with Him.
He expects it, yes. Why wouldn’t He? He is the source of your eternal security, after all. But He will not force it.
Instead, He waits, wooing you with His goodness and grace and allowing circumstances, like sheepdogs, to encourage you back into His glorious presence, the only place true safety can be found. Like the prodigal’s father, God is always available to His children, arms open wide, ready to forgive, comfort, heal, restore, teach, encourage, fill, and strengthen.
But you have to let Him. You have to go home.
Of course, that requires humility. To seek Him, you must admit your own inadequacy and need.
It requires submission. To serve Him, you must deny yourself.
It requires repentance. To live in the light, you must leave the darkness.
It requires focus. To see Him, you must look at Him. To hear Him, you must listen.
It requires obedience. To know Him better, you must do what He says so He can show you how He works.
It requires discipline. To progress, you must make conscious, consistent choices to keep moving in the right direction.
Most importantly, it requires faith, belief so strong it leads to action. Fortunately, He’s ready to provide as much of that as you need. All you have to do is apply it.
That intimacy your soul craves, the almost tangible assurance that God is right there, accepting you, loving you, preserving you for Himself through good times and bad? It’s yours for the taking—Jesus said so (John 14:23)—but first, you must draw near.
Devour His Word. Keep praying. Let the Holy Spirit renew your mind as you walk faithfully the path He points out. Lean into your brothers and sisters for mutual encouragement, correction, and support. When you so strive, the Father will meet you, and the payoff will far outweigh any cost.
by Aaron Hanzel | Nov 8, 2017
“But sin seizing an opportunity…”
Recently I was reminded of what a life of servitude looks like in the church. The examples were people of respect and admiration. Ones heavy at the plow to plant the seed of the Gospel in lives surrounding them. Their intentions and accomplishments holy in the eyes of God, but much like what Paul had encountered with his zeal for holiness, sin entered in.
Sin entering in can be a result of many things. Things like stress, fatigue and lack of support are only a few attacks that quickly become the avenue of self-destruction.
Servitude in Christ begins with the full appreciation and marveling at what Christ has done on the cross. From that demonstration of love outpours servitude and sacrifice. The joy of salvation is the fuel, and the promises of God’s glory are the finish line. Therefore, through the grace of God and fullness of The Spirit, neither sacrifice nor servitude feel like devastating loss to a Christian’s pride or ego.
Does this mean that sacrifice and servitude are easy? By no means! (Winky face) When the lines get blurred and your idea of sacrifice shifts to a self-centered mentality, it’s hard to keep your gaze on Christ. Soon, the war waged against sin becomes heavy and tiresome. Your arms that hold God’s banner high become erratic and feel like a ton of bricks. Two options present themselves:
- Take a break. Place our banner temporarily on the ground until we can get our second wind.
- Continue to press on even if your heart is not in the right place.
Taking a break from obedience
A few years ago, I was working three jobs – two full-time jobs and one on the weekends. All three were low-paying, physically-demanding jobs. I got little sleep and even less of a social life. But, I needed the money. Tithing was the most difficult for me during this time. I needed every cent, and giving 10 percent of every paycheck was a gut punch to my earnings.
My heart was not in the right place when giving my tithe, so I stopped. I learned a valuable lesson through this time. That obedience to The Almighty is not dependent on my ever-swaying mood.
The passions of the heart are always changing and inherently sinful. Which is why Jesus’ commands are holy and timeless, never waiting for us to decide if we are capable of completing any such tasks by our own might.
If we can justify our own sin, we would be capable of adhering to a perfect life, in which case we wouldn’t even battle with self-centeredness in our servitude. But we aren’t capable of doing any such thing on our own and what we are left with is simply obedience. However, obedience does not mean that we should shut our eyes and plunge head on into holiness with our hearts still gripped with anguish and selfishness.
Running blindly
If obedience is not sourced through the grace of God, it quickly becomes fueled by accomplishments. Success in obedience becomes measured in a checklist of tallying trophies.
It is a deadly trap to fall into when we justify servitude with our accomplishments. Suddenly conviction of sin from The Spirit in the life of a new believer becomes words that WE said. The church becomes a place where WE are the heroes of success and attendance instead of the one sustaining our every breath. The Gospel becomes a product we sell and a prayer we teach to pray. Grace looks like a regurgitated routine instead of arms outstretched to everyone we encounter! Blind obedience is casting aside the essence of truth for an ideology that is sinful.
Conclusion
I urge you, do not fall into either of these heartbreaking-categories. Hold tight to the source of your salvation. Cry out to God with a broken heart to receive joy of His good works. Service and sacrifice are not blind ambition but an opportunity to worship and grow nearer to Christ.
“Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.” (Phil. 1:15-18).
The Gospel will be proclaimed whether your heart is in the right place or not. Regardless of which category you find yourself in, pursue a heart of joy in Christ.
As you hold the banner high and look up in worship, do not focus on your hands that hold it, but see past them and marvel at the sheer power and beauty of that which dances in the wind. It is for Him that we have been set free.
by Hannah Hanzel | Nov 1, 2017
Yesterday was October, and today is November. In one swift movement of time, literally overnight, our decorations, anticipations and calendars have changed. Scary ghosts are exchanged for felt turkeys. Candy wrappers are traded in for cranberry sauce. The scent of smoke machines gives way to the crisp smell of apple cider. Change doesn’t often come quite as evidently or as fondly, as this turn of seasons from Halloween to Thanksgiving.
Sometimes change is subtle and takes months, while other times it is abrupt and harsh. We are guaranteed change in life. Our jobs, homes, expectations, dreams, children, spouses and interests can change more swiftly and as unbeknownst as a ship in the night.
Almost two years ago a wave of change crashed against my own little tugboat. I graduated college, accepted an amazing Art Director position, moved towns to a single-bedroom apartment and began searching for a new church all within one month. As I learned to adjust to all of this change, I battled countless insecurities and lonely nights.
The Lord directed me to a Scripture passage that was seemingly irrelevant to my situation… that is until I read with the Spirit’s eyes. The King James Version of Matthew 5:18 reads, “For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”
I stepped back and examined my life. So much had come and passed away. Heartache and joy alike had taken turns in the forefront of my life for months now. I had convinced myself to become content with a life of expectant change and inconsistency. But through this passage, God realigned me with a truth I had been so quick to forget – God’s Word never changes.
In the passage, the words “jot” and “tittle” are used. Being the typography nerd that I am, I did not miss the importance of these words. A “jot” is the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet while the “tittle” is an accent mark above a letter (like the dot on an “i”). You see, even the slightest of these shall not be changed in God’s Holy Scriptures until the day they are fulfilled in the end!
You may be asking, “How does this relate to me?” I’m glad you asked. Beloved, when you change jobs and wonder how you’ll make ends meet; when you lose a loved one and wonder how your heart will ever beat the same again; when you move towns, states or even countries and wonder how you’ll ever recreate normal life; when you face sin, a struggle or pain and wonder if life is worth it… cling to God’s Holy Word.
It is a lamp for your feet, a light for your path (Psalm 119:105), the shield to extinguish the Enemy’s fiery arrows (Eph. 6:16), the profitable source of knowledge (2 Tim. 3:16), the encourager (Rom. 15:4), the piercer of souls (Heb. 4:12), the incorruptible well of guidance (Deut. 4:2), the telltale seed (Luke 8:11), the good news (1 Peter 1:25) and so much more. Blow off the dust of passivity and self-consummation and pick up that blessed arrangement of history, poetry and prophecy.
Through it, we yield, yet are subject to, the almighty power of God. Change will come and go, but the Word of God will stand forever (Isa. 40:8).
by Angela Sanders | Oct 19, 2017
A loved one who shall remain nameless once told me, jaw flexing, smile forced, “Angela, I love you, but I don’t like you very much right now.”
Wow! Talk about shocked! Young and full of myself, I just didn’t get it. First, I thought like came before love. Second, I thought I was pretty darn likable. Hah!
Now that I’m older, though, and have dealt with a lot of human beings just like me, I get it.
The truth is none of us are likable all the time, and like often comes after love if like ever comes at all. Whether it does or doesn’t, though, we Christians are commanded to love (John 13:4, Matt 5:43).
How?
Well, it’s not always easy, especially when you’re hurt or disappointed, you don’t see a deserving bone in the recipient’s body, and/or the last face you want to see and the last voice you want to hear is theirs, but it is pretty simple.
When serious dislike sets in, shove fickle emotion aside and do the following:
Focus on the eternal
Right now is never just about right now. It’s about forever and where each of us will be spending it.
If the person you’re dealing with doesn’t know Jesus, they need to, or they’ll spend eternity separated from God in hell (2 Thess. 1:8-10). To fully understand Who He is and comprehend what He’s done for them so they can put their faith in Him for salvation from the consequences of sin, they need to experience Him in their interaction with you and anyone else who claims Jesus as their Savior.
That means grace; you have to treat them better than they deserve to be treated. That means mercy; you have to show patient restraint, even when justice must be carried out. The best way to do that? Forgive. Whether or not your emotions are ready to do so, believe and act as if they don’t owe you anything personally—nothing, not even an apology. Good feelings may or may not follow, so your resolve must be firm.
If the person you’re dealing with does know Jesus, they may need to experience the conviction, or convincing, of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8) so they can repent of their sin, reestablish intimate fellowship with the Father (Psalm 66:18-19), and get back to the business of serving Him. They won’t, though, if your voice is louder than His.
Don’t plant yourself between a brother or sister and God. Get out of the way by extending at least as much grace, mercy and forgiveness you would extend to someone outside His family. Who knows? It might be your example the Holy Spirit uses to accomplish the very thing you wish He would.
Adopt an attitude of worship
When you can’t do it for them, do it for God. Acknowledge His worth and position by doing the thing He’s called you to do so others will do the same, even when—especially when—it requires humility and sacrifice (Col 3:17, Matt 5:16). Compelled by His extravagant love, love Him back.
Choose your words carefully
“Where words are many, sin is not absent” (Prov. 10:19), but silence can also wound. There’s no harm in speaking the Truth. As a matter of fact, the Bible tells us to (Eph. 4:25), but there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it. Like the Bible says, season your words with salt (Col. 4:6). Use them to preserve and heal, and don’t speak until you can. Remember, the goal is repentance and restoration, not discouragement and destruction (2 Cor. 7:10).
Pray
Nothing syncs a person’s heart up with God’s like prayer. Talk to Him. Listen to Him, and start with you. Confess any thoughts, actions, attitudes or motives that don’t match His, and commit to love. You don’t need to ask for joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness or self-control. If you know Jesus, you have those through the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22). You just need to use them. Promise God you’ll do it and follow through. Then, selfish motives aside, pray for the redemption or restoration of the person you don’t particularly like. Looking for God’s hand at work in response to your prayers will do much for your attitude toward them. It may even transform you from critic to cheerleader.
Let God meet your needs
If we’re honest with ourselves, most of the frustration we experience with others has to do with unmet expectations of a personal nature. It’s not righteous anger we feel; it’s a pity party, one we could skip out on if we would only learn to lean on faithful, unchanging God. When you depend on others to provide things only He can, things like peace, joy, contentment, healing, happiness, etc., you set yourself up for disappointment and give the Enemy a foothold in your relationships and in your heart. Don’t do that.
Bottom line, like is a fickle emotion, here one second, gone the next, and you don’t need it to do what God has called you to do. All you need is a perfect example to follow, and, thank God, in Jesus, you have One!
by Caleb Moore | Oct 11, 2017
A few nights ago, on my way home, my wife and I saw a wreck on the side of the road. It was dark, and no police or emergency responders had arrived yet, so I pulled over to see how I could help. As I approached, I realized that this was no small fender bender but was actually a devastating situation.
A young pedestrian had been hit by a car. She lied there unresponsive while people around her cried and panicked. I have had some basic first-aid training, but this was way beyond my skill set. All I could do was try to calm and console any bystanders.
Thankfully, an ambulance showed up unbelievably quick and took charge of the scene. I made my way back to our car, and as I climbed in, my oldest child was full of questions. I assured him everything was okay, and everyone would be just fine, and that daddy was just trying to help. I tried to use this moment to tell him that we always help people when they are in need.
“What did you do that helped?” he asked. I went a little silent, partly because I was still thinking about the accident and also knowing I had not really helped at all. My wife chimed in and said, “Daddy is really strong and always stays calm when something bad happens. He helps other people stay calm as well. We should be strong like daddy.” I appreciated her kind words, but I knew right away that it was a lie.
I tell my son all the time that Daddy is the strongest. It’s usually in jest when we flex our muscles or when he sees me pick up something that, to him, seems impossible to lift. To a four-year-old, I’m a giant and super strong, but in reality I’m short in stature and would never be picked first to play football.
But still, when we are young, we are all convinced that our fathers are Superman. I love the fact that my sons look up to me, and sometimes we try to reassure them that we are super heroes. But perhaps this does harm in the long run.
I got convicted of this while studying the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus begins his sermon by describing Christian character often referred to as the beatitudes. It begins by saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs in the kingdom of God. Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” The list goes on, and not a single one says “Blessed are the strong.”
Projecting strength and confidence is something we pride ourselves on. We all want to seem emotionally and financially together, even if it is not a reality. It’s unfortunate that this carries over into our spiritual life. We gather on Sunday, and everyone seems to have it all together, everyone seems strong.
But if we are to be authentic in our Christian walk we need to begin to admit the opposite. None of us are strong. I can’t fix a car accident; I can’t protect my family from every storm; I can barely repair our dishwasher let alone provide enough strength and courage to carry my entire family. And most definitely, I cannot save myself from my sins.
Acting like I am strong is the lie I tell the most, and it’s one I believe about myself far too often. This false sense of strength means that I am not seeking God for true authentic strength. I’m essentially settling for counterfeit strength even though God grants us access to the real thing.
As believers, our strength lies in our weakness. The spiritual poverty of the human condition is something that we all share. As believers, we are called to escape this lie and, in humility, turn our weakness over to God, so that He may give us His strength.
In the future, I pray I use such moments not to boast of my strength but to point out what Paul says to the church in Corinth. “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Let us be content in our weakness because, as believers, it always points us to something greater – the authentic strength of God.
by Angela Sanders | Oct 3, 2017
When the kids were growing up, we prayed with them all the time, at bedtime, before meals, when something great happened, when something bad happened, when they needed help, when we heard ambulance sirens. I feel pretty good about that. Looking back, I think we did a pretty good job of teaching them to pray.
However, I’m not sure we did the best job of teaching them what and how to pray, as their prayers sometimes resembled well crafted ‘Dear Santa’ letters than submissive petitions to a holy God who deserves more from us than we deserve from Him. Now, there’s nothing wrong with asking things of God. When we do, we demonstrate faith in His ability to provide. It’s just that we didn’t encourage a lot of “God, Your will be done” in their prayers.
Maybe we underestimated their ability to see the bigger picture. Maybe we were afraid they would love God less if they understood they weren’t His first priority, or maybe we didn’t really understand how to pray ourselves. I’m not sure. Whatever the case, I want to set one thing straight.
My dearest children,
God loves you, but He does not serve you.
Yes, God created you with careful attention (Psalm 139). Yes, He sustains you (Acts 17:28). Yes, He provides good things for your enjoyment (1 Tim. 6:17). However, it’s important that you understand God does everything—EVERYTHING—from providing for your eternal salvation (John 3:16) to wooing you to repentance (Rom. 2:4) to adopting you as His child and making you coheirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17), first and foremost, to prove Who He is and garner the praise and worship due His glory, or divine perfection (Eph. 1:11-12).
This is only right. He’s God, after all!
Yes, God works all things together for your good (Rom. 8:28). However, your greatest good, as an heir to God’s eternal Kingdom as a result of your faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection, is brought about only when your Heavenly Father is glorified, or lifted up, and His Kingdom advances (Heb. 12:28-29).
This will cost you from time to time, just as it cost Jesus, and when it does, the Enemy will whisper, “God doesn’t hear you. God doesn’t love you. God has betrayed you.” Don’t let him get in your head. God has not betrayed you. First of all, He doesn’t owe you anything. Second, He isn’t capable of going back on His promises (Heb. 6:18, Num. 23:19). If ever you expected more than you got, then you expected more than God actually promised you.
God’s saying no in answer to your prayers is not cause for discouragement or distrust, but indication that you’ve not yet discerned and/or prayed according to His will in a matter, as He always answers such prayers with a “yes” (1 John 5:14-15). It means you have work to do, not He.
Sure, we wish things worked differently sometimes, but the very fact that infinite, almighty God allows weak, limited us to participate in His master plan at all is reason enough to praise Him, thank Him for His grace and bow our will to His in prayer and practice. When His plan includes our happiness and comfort? Well, that’s reason to cut loose in a holy happy dance, King David style! Rejoice when this happens, certainly, but don’t despair when it doesn’t.
God can always be trusted to do what serves His glory and, therefore, benefits you in the long-run, even if it’s painful in the moment.
So seek God’s heart, my dear ones. Serve Him over self with love and gratitude. Submit your will to His like Jesus did, in humility and faith. Over time, you’ll understand your Heavenly Father better, grasp the depth of His love for you and appreciate the riches of His mercy and grace. The peace and joy that result will far surpass any satisfaction you might have gained from a single granted wish, no matter how essential His expected “yes” may have seemed.