My church did something special last night to honor moms. The pastor called a special time of prayer for moms. As I sat there praying and thanking God for the undeserved blessing I have of being a mom to three beautiful children, my heart suddenly turned to grief and I sat there sobbing.

I was weeping for all of the children in this world who have been abandoned by their mothers. These children have every right to celebrate Mother's Day for they were bore from a womb, yet their mothers have given up their right and obligation to be their mother. This breaks my heart.

Even more heart breaking is where some of these children have ended up as a result.

Often times, mothers (and fathers) feel it is best to drop their child off at an orphanage because they can't provide for them. They are making a selfless choice to place them there in the hopes that others will provide for them, raise them and hopefully one day adopt them as their own and provide them with a family. Others drop them off at the orphanage because they choose to not raise a child. This is not so much a selfless act as it is a selfish act. Either way, these decisions are generally seen as loving choices to provide something greater for this child. There is hope. But until that child receives a new mom and/or family, and even still when this happens, there is heartbreak in this child because they have been separated from their mother. Some may even cry out the words of Job 10:18, "Why, then, did you deliver me from my mother's womb? Why didn't you let me die at birth?" (NLT)

However, last night, my tears weren't solely for the orphans at orphanages. No, they were also for those children who are traded and sold by their mothers for drugs, possessions and position. My heart was breaking for those children who are forced into the street by their mothers. Children who are sold into prostitution at young, tender ages. Children who are sold at birth because their mothers are so drugged up they just don't know any better. Children who are forced into slavery because their mothers see them as nothing more than a way to pay for their old age. Children who never have the opportunity to be children and in fact, suffer things that most of us can never even imagine or fathom because it is so sick and disturbing.

As I sit here this morning enjoying my breakfast in bed, my heart hurts. I can hear the whispers of these abandoned children on this hyped up holiday, although these cries may happen every day, crying out, "Curse that day for failing to shut my mother's womb, for letting me be born to see all this trouble." (Job 3:10 NLT)

Mothers, you have been blessed with children. There is no doubt that you love your children, provide for your children and would die for your children. Would you consider taking on more children? Not everyone can take on the path of adoption, but we can all pray for and reach out to abandoned children. We may not be their physical mothers, but we can be their spiritual mothers. Our prayers can change their lives as God unfolds their story and moves in response to your prayers.

The sweetest moment for me last night as I sat there quietly sobbing in church was my young daughter wiping the tears from my face. In her innocence, she had no idea of the complexity of my grief or the reality of what was happening all over the world at that moment in time to many children. A mental picture I will keep forever as I pray for children all over the world.

Happy Mother's Day. May it be a blessed one for you and/or your mother.

Admittedly, I am in a funk. I sometimes get this way after hearing a great speaker, reading a great book or having a conversation with someone in ministry. I have decided though that it is not jealousy, envy or discouragement that runs my heart. At one point maybe this was the case – I wanted my name in lights with all the notoriety that comes along with it, but not now. Now, it is passion that runs my heart. When I hear, see, or speak with someone doing wonderful and miraculous things, my passion switch flips into overdrive and my soul-winning meter becomes even more sensitive.

I have an honest desire to save souls. I have felt darkness and seen it with my own eyes. Whatever struggles we go through in this life or needs we may have are nothing compared to what awaits us for eternity. For many, this is a concept that is so far “out there” that they cannot even grasp it. They are living in the moment and for the moment without a thought to the future. For others, they are so bogged down with their life that they can’t think past tomorrow because they need to survive today. These are people who are the least of these and the most of these. There is no differentiation between a rich soul and a poor soul that doesn’t know Jesus as their Savior….a lost soul is a lost soul.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been spending time reading about some wonderful heroines of the Christian faith. Some of these are women during biblical times, while others are more contemporary women. One of these great women was Corrie ten Boom. Corrie was a Dutch woman living in a concentration camp during WWII. Her family was arrested for harboring Jews. Miraculously, Corrie survived the concentration camp and God called her to do amazing things with her life. She traveled around the world sharing her story of salvation, both in terms of being saved physically from the concentration camp and spiritually by her Lord and Savior. She lived completely by faith and for Jesus.

This week I also had the gift of reading Chasing the Dragon by Jackie Pullinger. A dear friend gave me this book over the weekend and as soon as I read the description, I knew my life would never be the same once I had finished reading it. Jackie, an English woman, lived in Hong Kong as an unassigned missionary and worked with the worst of the worst kind of people. She lived among heroin and opium junkies, thieves, prostitutes, and rapists in the Walled City in Hong Kong. She loved them when no one else did. She shared Jesus with them. She took them into her home and many subsequent homes that were started up around Hong Kong to house recovering drug addicts. She changed hundreds, if not thousands of lives during this time, as well as future generations. Her ministry assisted in bringing down the walls in the Walled City because the gang members, prostitutes and drug addicts became Christians. She walked humbly and lovingly among these people. They loved her, they protected her and they wanted her God, who eventually, became their God.

I also dove into Scripture and read up on the story of Judge Deborah (Judges 4-5). What an amazing woman! Often times, we see a lot of the heroes and heroines of the faith as being single persons. They have the ability to move about more freely because they do not have husbands or families to take care. Not Deborah. We know for sure that she was married and perhaps, she may have even been a mother. God used Deborah to counsel, prophecy and eventually lead the army to beat the Canaanites. Not only was she given authority to instruct Barack to get the soldiers ready, Barack pleaded with her to actually accompany him into battle. Nowhere in Scripture do we see Deborah’s husband balking at the idea that his wife was going into battle and leaving him home alone. The conquest was successful, but it wasn’t Barack or Deborah that received the honors. No, it was another woman who God used to carry out His plan. Jael won the honors for killing Sisera, the commander of King Jabin’s army. Deborah, in her humility, never complained about not being the one to carry out this great feat. She was all business and she knew who her Commander was.

And then there was Queen Esther, a Jewish woman who was an orphan lovingly adopted by her cousin. Esther’s path ultimately led her to being chosen by King Xerxes to replace Queen Vashti as his queen. She had earned the favor of the king with her humility, grace and beauty and she used her trump card when it was “such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14) She used her influence over the king to reverse a wicked order sent out by Haman, one of the most powerful officials in the empire. Haman hated Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, because he would not bow down to him. As a result, Haman ordered that all of the Jews in the region be killed. King Xerxes wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed and wanted to please his associates so he said yes. Mordecai, a fervent prayer, pleaded with Esther to set a plan into motion to get the king to overturn his decree. Esther agreed and risked her life by going before the king without being specifically requested by him. A little trickery later and in the end, Haman was hung on the gallows he had actually built for Mordecai and the decree was reversed. Esther had risked her own life to save her people from death.

Like Deborah, Esther was an unlikely deliverer used by God to save His people. Just like the Pharisees weren’t expecting the Messiah in the form of Jesus, people during Biblical times weren’t looking to a woman as a deliverer. God often uses the unexpected and least likely to do miraculous works. This gives me much hope.

Often times, my funk is caused by tripping over myself. I see such bravery, courage, fearlessness, love, compassion and service in stories such as these that I think that I have little if nothing to offer God. However, because He is so true and loving, he is so quick to assure me that it is not I alone doing these things. No, He is always there with me taking me under His protective wing. All He wants me to do is seek Him in all sincerity, surrender and tell him, “Lord, I am here and ready to serve.” This is my prayer to Him today.

I have a confession to make. Today, I didn’t really want to write. I have had a busy week and a busy morning. I have been writing in my head all week, but hadn’t yet transferred anything to paper. Since I had an unusually busy morning, I was planning on coming home from my meeting and either resting for a minute (I have the unusual opportunity of quiet in my house since I have two kids at school and one with my husband) or getting on the treadmill. However, since I didn’t do my devotional time when I first woke up this morning, I took a slight detour and got out my Bible and devotional, Jesus Calling, instead. And like usual, God always has a way of getting my attention. The very thing that was in today’s devotional was the message I had been preparing in my head all week. One of the sentences in today’s devotional said, “The world’s way of pursuing riches is grasping and hoarding.” Hoarding was the very word that surrounded my thoughts this week.

My six-year old daughter has hoarding tendencies. I don’t know why. She just loves stuff. It is not even as though she needs new stuff or toys or jewelry…it is just plain stuff…anything and everything you could imagine (literally, she might have the kitchen sink up there). And, on top of her hoarding tendencies, she also likes to stuff things in purses and bags of all sizes.

Her room recently looked as though a bomb went off in there. You couldn’t even see the ground. We thought that if there were a fire, she wouldn’t even be able to carve out an escape route. I tried to be the mean mom and tell her that no one was going to clean that room except for her. Well, after a week or two of this, we still didn’t see any positive result. In fact, it was just the opposite. There was now even more stuff. And, I was convinced that her disorganized room was causing her nightmares. So I tried to come up with a solution. I decided to redo her bedroom – fresh paint, new décor, and new paintings on the wall – the whole nine yards. Perhaps, giving her a fresh start would kick start her desire to keep it clean and organized. I also hoped that a clean room would help with her sleeping issues.

I really had to psyche myself up for this adventure. I knew that the paint was going to be the easy part. I was dreading hauling everything out of her room and even worse, sorting through all of it, figuring out what needed to go back in and where to put it when it did. I finally just dove in headfirst. I bought the paint last Friday, came home from the store, and started taking stuff off the wall. There was no turning back.

And yes, painting was the easy part. That went pretty quickly. However, once the paint dried, the madness had just begun. I had to get everything organized and back into her room because it was spilling into the landing and everyone was now tripping over it. As I sifted through her treasures, I was overwhelmed with the stuff she had. Every time I thought I was making headway, I found yet another bag full of stuff. I even found things she had been looking for, but couldn’t find…imagine that. I carried out four large bags of trash.

As I sat in her room organizing, I thought of Luke 12:34, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” I kept thinking that man, this little girl has so much stuff and if she was sitting in here with me, I know she would not be letting me get rid of half of this stuff. And, I was huffing and puffing under my breath at myself because we contributed to her having all of this stuff (although, literally, she is a paperaholic) and because I knew that no matter how many hours I spent organizing this time around, I knew I would be back in here in a couple months doing the same thing again. Clearly, I was grumpy.

However, as I sat there wallowing in my own pity, the Lord kept tugging at my heart. He was trying to teach me a lesson through this mess. Yes, it had to do a little bit with what we hold on to and what we accumulate, but it also had to do with the choices we make in life. Sometimes, our lives and the choices we make in them, to Him, look like a bomb went off. I pictured Him sitting in a room going through my life “stuff” and going through the same kind of emotions.

Sometimes our life choices are jumbled, messy, and complicated. Our choices cause us to clutter up areas of our life that make it impossible to add anything more or good to them. Sometimes because of our choices, we block paths that don’t let us get out of our current situation. Sometimes because of our choices, we can’t see the beauty and blessing around us because we have lost it or buried it under a pile. Sometimes because of our choices, our clutter spills out into other people’s lives and gets in their way. We may not all hoard material possessions, but sometimes our choices and lifestyle are a hoarded mess of bad choices. Hoarders, like any addict, can at some point recognize that they have a problem, but they don’t know how to stop it. Some of us, make so many bad choices that it is almost impossible to get out from under those bad choices.

I recently was assigned a mentee through a ministry that I volunteer with. I haven’t known her very long, but from the brief conversations I have had with her, it is hard to not just stop, shake her by the shoulders and say loudly, “Can you not see that the choices you are making are a part of the problem?” I know at many points in my life, I am sure God wanted to do that very thing with me. At some point, each one of us has to take responsibility for our own actions regardless of what has happened in the past or what is happening in the present. We can’t continually blame everything on everyone else, conduct daily pity parties or blame others for our current situation. It just doesn’t work. Just like an addict has to admit first, so too must we admit that we haven’t made some wise choices. Then, just like an addict, we must make changes. Recovering addicts have it tough. They are virtually told that they have to change almost everything – friends, contact with family, if necessary, jobs…anything that has contributed to their addiction. Why then should it be any different for those of us who have buried ourselves in bad choices? Why does it seem irrational to suggest that a complete do-over is necessary, especially in extreme situations?

Sometimes, we are called to come alongside someone to help with the mess. Initially, it can be even messier than it was before we arrived on the scene. Sometimes, we are called to not intervene, but instead pray for that person. That’s a hard position, especially if you are a person who likes to fix things. Modeling and praying for that person can be exactly how God wants and needs to use you in that situation.

In my daughter’s case, I jumped in and tried to help her out. I cleaned up her mess and put things back in order for her. That’s not always so easy to do. In the case of my mentee, I can’t do that. There are things that are totally out of my control or human capabilities of accomplishing for her. But, I can be an example for her, be a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen. And, I can pray for her.

Proverbs 19:3 says, “People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord.” This Proverb is so true. Not only do we get mad at God, but also we get mad at the people around us. That is a recipe for disaster. It either pushes people away or causes us to just pile on more trouble and drama.

Let your storehouse be filled with mighty treasures that are pleasing to God and used for His purposes. Don’t hoard your troubles or your choices so that they take up valuable space in your storehouse. Don’t block your path to and from God. Even if you have a lifetime full of bad choices, nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37).

I have been doing some spiritual cleaning over the last couple of years. It hasn’t been a spring-like cleaning as a new season approaches. Rather, I have been doing the deep kind of attic cleaning that comes right before a major move. This cleaning has taken me into places I never thought I would revisit, but I have. I’ve been cleaning out the bins of anger, shame, guilt, pride, idolatry and the biggest bin of all, at least for me, forgiveness. Now, this isn’t to say that I have conquered all of these bins, but I have opened them up, taken inventory of their contents and made provision, or requested assistance, for what to do with those contents. It is not an easy task and not for the faint of heart.

This week, I believe I have finally unpacked the final bin of forgiveness. As I said, this one was hard for me. I have really had to pray over whom I needed to forgive and whether or not I needed to go to that person and let them know of my forgiveness. The acts that needed to be forgiven ranged from petty to monumental. Some I have just handed over to the Lord, but others, the Lord has required me to go to. Talk about humbling. And, for a stubborn soul like me, downright irritating at times.

I have wrestled with God about some of the people He has laid on my heart. I have said stuff to Him like, “Seriously, I have to go to her? But, she was the one who did that to me?” or “But, what if they don’t think they did anything wrong? What is their response going to be? Aren’t I just setting myself up to be hurt again?” I really am thankful that God is so patient with me! In His loving tone, He kept whispering to me the words from 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, “And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’”

I have sometimes seen forgiveness as a self-serving thing. I feel better if I extend forgiveness and then the ball is in that person’s court. Or, I think it will make that person feel better so it is a win-win situation for us all. But, because of God and this passage, I realize that my forgiveness (whether I am giving or receiving) is not about me at all. It is actually about God and for God. If I can’t be relieved of the burden of forgiveness, I can’t be fully reconciled with God so there is going to be some road blockage between the Father and I. And since all of my spiritual cleaning is really for my Father, I certainly do not want to create any obstacles.

As part of this cleaning, I have extended forgiveness that has not always been met with the expectation or hope that I wanted. Some have ignored the particular problem all together and turned it back to me (boy, let me tell you how hard that was to swallow) and some, like this week, have been glorious.

The forgiveness that I extended this week was a long-time coming. It had lingered for years and was an act against me that some would say is unforgivable. It was the kind of act that rocked my world and changed my life. It was an act that was wrapped around guilt and shame on my part because had I done some things differently, it probably could have been avoided. For a moment in my life, it defined me. I hated that, I hated the person and I hated myself. So this was a big one and this one name was the last one on my forgiveness list. God was telling me that He needed me to take care of it...now. Colossians 3:13 says, “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Forgiveness clearly is not an option, it is a command, and God was ordering me to do it.

Up until recently, I had no way of contacting this person (I had a great excuse then, right?), but thanks to modern technology, I now had a way to reach out. Great. After much prayer this past Tuesday morning, I prepared my message. It was very simple and to the point. In my message, I extended forgiveness, shared with that person that I know Jesus has forgiven me and shared that Jesus can forgive them too (I did not know whether that person had a relationship with Christ, but I wanted to stay in keeping with 2 Corinthians 5:18-20). I stared at the message for several minutes before I finally just closed my eyes, said a prayer (something to the effect of, “Lord, I will accept whatever response comes.”) and pressed “Send.” It was in the Lord’s hands at that point.

The response I got mere minutes later was nothing what I thought it was going to be, but everything I had hoped it would be. Not only had I released that ugly ball of hate, anger and sadness, but also the person on the receiving end of the forgiveness was able to release their own ball of whatever it was that they had been holding. From the tone of the message, I could sense that this had eaten away at this person just as much as it had eaten at me all of these years.

God, once again, was victorious!

I am happy to report that my attic is almost empty and instead of filling it back up, I want to build it out so it can never be cluttered again. I want it to be filled with life and not junk. My load has truly been lightened!

If you have ever worked with preschoolers or kindergarteners, you know that one of the most coveted things the children want to be, next to the line leader, is the door holder. For some reason, they just love that job.

It's a pretty easy gig. All the child has to do is stand there with his or her back on the door until everyone is through. No thinking whatsoever, right?

Well, sadly, many of us have assumed the position of a preschool door holder in our everyday lives. We really put no thought into what goes in and out of our houses, our family, our neighborhoods, our cities, our nation and our world. We go about everyday just watching stuff go in and out. And, we often feel as though we have no control over any of it.

This is where we have been led astray.

Some of our churches today are failing to harness the power of prayer. I grew up in a Lutheran church and then attended a Presbyterian church up until a couple years ago. Never do I remember ever hearing the church pray “In Jesus’ name” (Jesus specifically tells us to do this in John 14:14). Why? I have no idea really. I can’t figure it out. I can’t figure out why they aren’t paying attention to Jesus’ words in John 16:24, “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”

We, ourselves, have no power. But, those who are believers and followers of Jesus have received the Holy Spirit who gives us His power.  (See John 16:7 and Acts 10:38). How do we tap into the power of our greatest spiritual weapon?

Prayer.

Intercessory prayer.

While it is true that when Jesus died and rose again, He went before us to secure a place for us. He, through His death, interceded on our behalf. (If you have not been saved yet, He is indeed waiting on you). However, just because He has interceded on our behalf, it does not mean that our part in His glory is over. He now mediates for us as our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14) so that we can come into God’s presence.

Perhaps the reason people are walking around complaining about God and how He is not answering prayers is because one, maybe we aren’t praying and two, maybe we aren’t praying correctly. We can’t get what we don’t ask for.

Take a look at Daniel 9:23a. It says, "The moment you began praying, a command was given." What do you think the story would have looked like if Daniel hadn't prayed?

Sometimes our inaction has just as much impact as our action. Have you ever thought about that? By not doing something, by not praying or by not having enough confidence to ask God for something, we are actually effecting God's plans just as much (or more) as when we are doing something we believe God is calling us to do.

In his book, Intercessory Prayer, Dutch Sheets defines intercessory prayer as the following:
"Intercessory prayer is an extension of the ministry of Jesus through His Body, the Church, whereby we mediate between God and humanity for the purpose of reconciling the world to Him, or between Satan and humanity for the purpose of enforcing the victory of Calvary" (page 42).

Our work and our prayers are then only an extension of this ministry. It is not our own ministry and in fact, has not much to do with us at all. What then is our role as intercessors?

The role of intercessors is to plead with God. We are called to intercede for those in our families, our communities, and our country - whether they are lost, saved, sick or healthy, etc. When the Spirit prompts us to pray, we need to take up our case with God directly. Intercessory prayer is a two-way communication. We speak to God and He speaks to us.

Intercessors are often known as prophetic watchmen. Just like the gatekeeper watched over the entrance to the pasture or the guard stood tall on the wall of an ancient city, intercessors watch over the happenings around them always on alert. Unlike the preschool door holder, intercessory watchmen need to be thinking and watching all the time. They need to know who or what is going in and who or what is going out.

What if we all acted on alert to the subtle things going in and out of our homes, our children, our spouse, our schools and/or our neighborhoods? Do you think if we paid more attention things would change? You better believe they would.

Praying for our families and our loved ones is pretty easy. We have genuine emotion attached to them. We care about their well-being. However, what about our communities and our country? Do you really care about them?

The answer should be yes...especially if you are a Christian.

Does it matter whether the President is a Republican or a Democrat? In our worldly thinking it does. However, the control is actually spread among many others within the House and Senate. My point is this; regardless of whether there is a Republican or a Democrat in the President’s office, it shouldn’t matter. Regardless of whether there has been a Republican or a Democrat in office, we always have something to complain about and something is going wrong somewhere. What we need to be doing is praying specifically for those people who are in control. God is bigger than any politician – He created each one of them and He can make anything happen. However, if we become a complacent, complaining people (much like the Israelites as they wandered through the desert), God’s power can’t move. We need, each one of us, to be praying for our politicians whether we like them or not. We need to intercede on their behalf and plead with God for them and for our country.

Some have prophesied that there is going to be a great revival movement in this country…one that is already underway. However, it won’t go anywhere or be as powerful without prayer. When people gather, they need to be praying for those who are there and for those who aren’t there. When you are walking through your neighborhoods, you need to be praying over them. When you are dropping your kids off at carpool, you need to be praying over not only your own children, but also each child in that school, the teachers and the building. You need to be praying over your church leaders, your church buildings, all of the ministries that your church reaches. You need to be praying for people and things you see on the news whether or not they are in your city, another state or another country.

Prayer is a tough topic sometimes because we often want immediate results. If we don’t get our prayers answered within minutes, days or weeks, or in the way we want them answered, we often give up. We can’t continue to give up. We need to pray like we have the faith of a mustard seed – the kind of faith that can move mountains. We need to pray for everything and everyone, especially when the Spirit has laid something on you. And, we need to pray in Jesus' name.

The tulip, daffodil and azalea blooms may have already shriveled up and blown away here in the south, but this week, I had the privilege to witness good old, firmly rooted Southern trees bloom and blossom right before my very eyes.

It all started with a simple email.

My friend, who works for a local inner-city ministry, sent me an email about a month and a half ago. The request was simple enough. Paraphrased, it said something like, “Hey, if you know of any resources or have any of the following items, a young, single mom that we know through the ministry just moved into her first place and she needs help with furnishings and other household items.”

So I did what I am good at, I googled, “resources for low income single moms in Dallas.” A foundation popped up and I sent that contact information on to my friend. And then I did the next thing I am good at, I forwarded this email on to some of my friends and acquaintances. My email said, “Hey, if any of you are doing spring-cleaning and have any of the following items and are willing to donate them, let me know.”

Within minutes an email came that would prove to be a game changer.

I have the privilege of being a small part of my church’s newest campus plant near my home. And I have also had the privilege of getting to know the Director of Women’s Ministry. It was she that sent this game changing email.

This is what her response said, “Let us (the Women’s Bible Study) throw her a housewarming shower. See if she would be open to that.” “Awesome,” I emailed back, “I think she would love this.” Who wouldn’t love a shower thrown for them, right? Although I also had a quick thought, “I don’t even know this girl.”

I emailed my friend and he emailed this young woman. She was completely humbled by the gesture. Step one complete.

Over the next couple of weeks, I kept getting a barrage of questions thrown at me. “Umm, not sure, let me get back to you,” I would say. How in the world did this go from, “Hey, does anyone have any spare things?” to “Hey, we are going to throw you an awesome housewarming shower….and by the way, you aren’t going to know a single person there.” We settled on a date for the shower and I offered up my home for the event. Step two complete.

My mentality was that this girl would be content with anything she gets. I could sense that from her humble responses that she gave me.

However, my peers started throwing questions at me like “Do you know what her color scheme is?” and “Do you know if she needs dishes?” to “What if she gets too many towels?” To most of us, these seem like legitimate questions, right. Certainly it would be awful to give someone purple towels if their favorite color is blue. Or would it? Probably not.

The night of the event arrived. I still hadn’t met Victoria, the recipient of our housewarming gifts. I had no idea what she looked like or what her personality was going to be like. I could gain a sense from our email contact and phone conversations, but other than that, I had no idea.

We also had no accurate idea on how many women would be showing up or how many gifts would be showing either for that matter. We prayed for a great turnout and lots of support.

I attempted to decorate (not my gift), arranged the chairs, turned the music on, and a food angel brought wonderful food for us to enjoy. And then, gifts started arriving. There were gifts sent by women who couldn’t attend the event and gifts arriving as the guests arrived. The tabletop where the gifts were to be displayed was overflowing and only a few guests had arrived by this point. We had to start piling the gifts on the floor next to the table. The packaging was so pretty and festive and many had been completely creative with their gifts (you could tell some of them had done this kind of thing before).

The women, some of whom didn’t know each other, introduced themselves to one another, chatted and looked over the presents. The house began to fill up with women and then, Victoria arrived.

She walked in completely in shock. She was overwhelmed within a few feet of the front door and she hadn’t even gotten to the back of the house where all the presents were yet. She tried to hold back the tears, but they began to flow and she began hugging everyone. She was cute as a button.

The women, each and every one of them, greeted her with a hug and a smile. This young woman was literally wrapped in love by every woman there. Even some of them started crying.

We opened in prayer and then let Victoria get her food first. We all ate and chatted some more. Finally, it was time for Victoria to share her testimony. The women in the room were curious about who she was. And Victoria obliged us all by sharing her testimony.

Looking at Victoria, you would have no idea of the scars she holds from her past. Looking at Victoria, you would have no idea of the darkness she endured for so many years. Looking at Victoria, you would have no idea that she had just turned 24…she seemed much more mature and well spoken than that. But in looking at Victoria, one knew that the Lord had gotten a hold of her and His light beamed from her.

Victoria had a powerful testimony and the women were drawn in. As Victoria put it, “the anointing in the room is so great.” I am not sure why I ever doubt how God can or can’t use someone to share His glory. 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He has called you out of darkness and into His wonderful light.”

On this night, the light was shining both ways. Our light was shining into Victoria to let her know that there are sisters in Christ out there who care about her and her light was shining into us to remind us that we were all called out of darkness at one point.

Victoria then moved on to open her multitude of presents. There was everything you could think of to set up a new home, along with a few gifts for her three-year old son. You could tell that these gifts were purchased with care and donated with love. The one thing that stood out to some of us was the manner in which Victoria opened her gifts. Most of you reading this blog have had a party at some point in your life. Some have had wedding showers thrown for you, housewarming showers, baby showers and birthday parties. We all know the routine. If the gifts are actually opened up during the party, you glance at the card, set it aside, open the gift, “oooh and ahhhh” and move on to the next one. But Victoria, she read each card, out loud, and tried to put the name to a face. She slowly opened each gift and examined it with care. It took a while, but she made it through all of them. She relished in the moment and savored it. Midway through the gift opening, Victoria commented about the fact that she had never had a birthday party before. This was her first party ever and here she was, sitting in a room full of strangers who now called her sister and friend.

Victoria had explained during her testimony how she had been the caregiver most of her life. Her parents were separated and remarried and they had more children with their respective others. At 14, she was raising her young infant siblings, going to school, working a job, and paying the bills. No one was taking care of her – she was taking care of everybody else. Well, that night at the shower, it was time for others to finally take care of her. Ultimately, she knows that God takes care of her every need now, but that shower reflected how sometimes God uses others to show His care and love.

Once all the gifts were opened, the party wrapped up. We then began the task of trying to fit everything into her small SUV. We got most of it in, but not all of it. We then realized that six of us helped her load it, but at home, she would be alone unloading it. Was it even possible for her to get some of the things in by herself? Not a chance, especially since some of the items didn’t fit into her car. Two of the women at the party offered to follow her with the items that didn’t fit and help her carry everything in. By this time, it was gaining on 9:00 pm and these women were agreeing to go into an area of town they knew little to nothing about. Truly servants.

As I cleaned up the house that night, my throat tightened and I remember feeling so much peace and joy in my home. I could feel the enormous amount of love that had been in that place over the last couple of hours. Jesus had been in attendance at that party. He came in the many different shapes, sizes, and ages of the women who selflessly gave of their time to be a part of the shower and a part of this young woman’s life.

As clear as day, I was reminded that God’s handiwork was all over this. He is in the business of providing and putting the right people together for His purpose. We have the light in our hearts, but “we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not ourselves.” (2 Corinthians 4:7)

It all started with an email and ended with His glory. I didn’t even know what to ask for or who to ask, but He did. “Now all glory to God who is able through His mighty power at work within us to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20)

Victoria’s life is forever changed and so is mine.

I have been reflecting this week on Peter and Judas' story in the final hours of Jesus' life. I keep asking myself over and over Why did two of his disciples have to do this to him? Wasn't it enough that the Pharisees and the other Jews called him a blasphemer and condemned him to die as though he was a common criminal?

Take Peter. He told Jesus, "I'm ready to die for you." (John 13:37) Yet, Jesus already knew that Peter was going to deny him not once, not twice, but three times. Why? Peter chickened out at the last minute. He was so afraid that the crowd would beat him or kill him because he was a disciple of Jesus.

I let this soak in.

How many times have I denied Jesus? Was it because I was at risk of being physically beaten by an angry crowd? No. Was it because I was being completely selfish and prideful? Yes.

I remember a time several years ago when I flat out denied Jesus. Someone threw out a comment that we were so blessed. "No," I said, "we are lucky." "Blessed," the man said back. This statement had a more profound impact on me because this was a man who was telling me how blessed I was because of all the things I have in life and he was a man who lived in a pay-by-day hotel. I couldn't look him straight in the eye and tell him I was blessed so I denied Jesus' power and hand in my life and went with the worldly "lucky."

What happened to Peter in the end? Did Jesus cut him off? No. After Jesus' resurrection, we find Peter among the disciples who were holed up trying to figure out what in the world took place and what in the world they were supposed to do now. Jesus appeared to them and breathed the Holy Spirit into them (John 20:19-23). And still after the disciples appeared to be struggling with what to do with their lives after Jesus' death, they returned to their normal life. While some of the disciples were fishing, Jesus appeared again. After catching a bunch of fish, they returned to shore to see that Jesus had prepared breakfast for them. It was during this breakfast that Peter was restored. Peter still struggled with pride even during this conversation. John says that Peter was a little ticked off that Jesus kept questioning his love and even questioned Jesus as to whether the disciple John was going to have to die in order to glorify God too (John 21:1-23).

Peter gives me so much hope! No matter how many times Peter failed to provide the right answer or do the right thing, Jesus kept giving him chances to restore himself to a right relationship with Him. In the end, Peter did do what he was called to do and did, in fact, die a martyr's death.

And then there's Judas. I don't hate Judas. I don't have anger toward Judas for turning Jesus into the religious leaders. Why? Someone had to do it. Someone had to fulfill the prophecy. I actually feel sorry for Judas. Can you imagine walking with Jesus as his disciple; seeing Jesus heal people live and in person; experiencing his teaching? And yet, Jesus said to Judas, "Hurry and do what you are going to do." (John 13:27) Jesus told his disciples that someone was going to betray Him and it would be the one to whom he gave the bread dipped in the bowl. Judas had been a disciple, but he wasn't completely on the narrow path was he?

He was the treasurer and liked to skim a little money off for himself. Remember how he yelled at Mary for using the expensive oil to wash Jesus' feet? He wasn't really wanting to give that money to the poor like he claimed (John 12). Jesus himself said that he chose the twelve disciples (after many of his other disciples had deserted him), but one was a devil (John 6:70-71).

Because Judas was so wrought with despair, he ultimately killed himself. What a tragic end. He played a much needed role in God's plan, but why couldn't he be restored to the Father for his sin? His is a very sad reminder that some who claim to be followers of Jesus aren't really personally committed to Him. These lives are built on shaky ground and when waves of despair or incredible temptations come about, they don't have the power of the Holy Spirit living within them to draw nearer to the Father. How do I know?

I have lived in moments of despair and temptation and failed miserably at times. I have felt so alone that I really didn't want to go on either. But I was either too strong or not strong enough because my fate was never that of Judas. I am more of a Peter....I don't always get it right on the first try, the second try, the tenth try, but I know what the best answer is. 

Jesus....fully Jesus. 

Jesus did so much for all believers that day on the Cross. I can't even imagine the pain. I can only imagine the agonizing minutes and hours of torture He endured for me. I don't follow Jesus because I feel obligated for His sacrifice. I follow Jesus because He was sent to save me. I am done with the denial and betrayal of this world and feel blessed that He chose me to be one of His.

If any of you know my ten-year old son, Spenser, then you know he is capable of something like this.

Earlier this week, he asked me to sign a document. When I asked him what I was signing, he said it was a contract. The contract is an agreement between he and I that I am not allowed to use his name or speak about him in my blogs without his authorization. If I violate the contract, I am subject to penalties. Man, what is he going to be like when he is 15? So yes, I did ask his permission before I wrote this blog!

This past weekend, Spenser and I had the privilege to attend a Mother/Son weekend retreat at Pinecove Christian Camp. Now, we are not big campers (and I actually think I am a little more adaptable to camping than Spenser), but we weren’t roughing it by any means. We had a comfortable bunkroom that we shared with 3 other moms and boys and an adjoining bathroom area that we shared with 4 other moms and boys. We had running water, plumbing and hot showers. We didn’t have to plan one meal the entire retreat. We literally just showed up when the chow bell rang. It was awesome!

What I enjoyed most about the retreat was seeing these boys that ranged in age from kindergartners through sixth graders so eager to spend time with their moms. Sure, they were excited to play with the other boys that were there, but they wanted to include their moms too. I had never played gaga ball before, but let me tell you, it was so much fun. And I loved it when one of the moms was the winner! These little boys and young men were holding their moms’ hands, holding the doors open for them, serving them food and saying, “yes, mam.” It was a mother’s dream. If I could bottle the aches I am feeling this week I would because the aches are so full of memories.

We were blessed to have a wonderful speaker. Carrie Langemeier is the wife of the Pinecove Director and a mother to five beautiful children (three boys and two girls). She was an honest and humble speaker. She embodied the kind of humility that comes only through someone with a relationship with Christ. She was not just standing up there feeding us information on how to raise our boys, she was baring her soul, including all of her mistakes, stumbles, do-overs and successes. She also shared the stage with someone.

That someone was Carrie’s 19-year-old son, Austin. Austin arrived on Saturday to speak alongside her. As her oldest child, he was a recipient of some of her motherly missteps, but most of all, he received her love. The two of them can laugh about it now, but I can relate to some of the heated and tense moments they had together. As Carrie grew in wisdom over the last few years, she became more aware of her mistakes and her personal baggage. She would often share these mistakes with her son – she was real with him – so he could see that “momma makes mistakes too.”  Out of this realness, here was this 6’4” young man of 19 who hugged his mother with love - real love. He wasn’t ashamed to hug his mother in front of a hundred boys, their moms and camp counselors. It was so encouraging.

What I also caught out of the corner of my eye was Carrie’s seven-year old son, Noah. One morning during our time of praise and worship, Noah went up to some boys who were playing with the props from the stage. I am not sure what the exact verbal exchange was, but the other boys responded by promptly returning the props to the stage. Noah was protecting his mother’s belongings – he was guarding her even though she wasn’t actually standing there. Is Noah perfect? I am quite sure, after hearing her speak this weekend, the answer would be “No.” Does he have a heart that loves his mother and more importantly, loves Jesus? I am quite certain the answer is “Yes.”

Mothers and sons have a strange bond. Mothers grow these boys in their womb and nurture them just like our daughters (if you have them), but something happens sometimes. The world today is a “boys will be boys” mentality. I often disagree with this. I think it is okay for boys to be hugged, snuggled and kissed and I also think it is okay for boys to cry and share their emotions. The boys who pull away are sometimes the ones who need it the most. It seems like around the age of 5 or 6, we stop hugging our boys as much. As toddlers, we are always carrying them or tucking them in, but as they become more independent, it becomes easier not to do this. I started thinking about this the last few days. If we (moms and dads) aren’t hugging them, where are they getting physical contact? Probably nowhere. No wonder boys become grabby and aggressive. They just want to touch something or someone. I have a husband who hugs me everyday, often times multiple times throughout the day. With two other (younger) children in my home, there is not a day that goes by that I am not in physical contact with someone. I couldn’t imagine being a boy who no longer receives hugs every day from the age of 5 to 16 or 18 when they get their first girlfriend. Could you image going ten years without physical contact?

Mothers and sons often bang heads. Mothers are growing these little boys to become young men who are going to go on to lead their families, businesses, sports teams, churches, etc. They begin to assert their independence at quite a young age – even if we don’t recognize it. Think about it, the youngest king in the Bible, Josiah, was only 8 years old when he was appointed king and he reigned for 31 years (2 Kings 22:1). I can’t imagine my son at 10 being responsible for a whole kingdom, but yet, I know that through God, anything is possible. Our boys will grow up and go on to live their lives. We need to love them now and not push them away. As they grow and marry, they will be responsible for taking care of their wife and any children they may have. But boys, who are grown to respect their mothers and receive unconditional love from their mothers, will always make sure their mothers are taken care of. How do I know this?

As Jesus was getting ready to die on the cross, he made sure that his mother was going to be taken care of. Even with his death minutes away, he cared and loved his earthly mother. “When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, ’Dear woman, here is your son.’ And he said to this disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from then on this disciple took her into his home.” (John 19:26-27)

Are you growing a relationship with your son(s) that is this intimate?

I am not just writing this blog for others, but I am also writing it to and for myself. I need this word as much as anyone. Mothers, admit that you are not perfect, admit that you will make mistakes, admit your mistakes in front of your son(s), laugh together, cry together, but most of all, love each other. Jesus gave us the best example of a man, who once was a boy, who loved his mother even at the end.

The Lord lay something on my heart this week. Those of you who have known me for any length of time know that childhood sexual abuse is a topic that is near and dear to my heart so it may or may not be the first time you will hear me talk about this topic. However, this time there is a slight twist to what I am about to say. I am prepared for the naysayers, the rolling eyes, the “are you kidding me’s.” But please, hear me out.

Saturday and Sunday, I heard two different pastors at my church preach on Luke 5:12-26. Both of them started out their sermons by clarifying what it meant to have leprosy back in Jesus’ time. They explained what a person had to do if they woke up with a problem with their skin, what happened if the high priest suspected leprosy (be banished by themselves outside the city limits for a week with no human contact), be reexamined by the high priest after that time and if leprosy was the diagnosis, the person was banished into the leper colony for as long as they had it. These lepers lived in complete isolation from their loved ones, human contact, couldn’t bathe, and on top of all of that, they stunk. As my pastors’ quoted, “they were living, walking dead men.” Could you imagine?

As I said earlier, the Lord lay childhood sexual abuse on my heart this week, but the Lord brought me to a different side of the issue based primarily on the passage of the leper in Luke 5:12-16. Yesterday, I happened to come across an article on The Christian Post entitled, “Church Conducts ‘Adults Only’ Services for Sex Offenders, Others.” At first, I thought to myself, Ewww….I would NEVER step foot in that service. Yes, I know, very Christian of me.

As I read the article, I was shocked to discover that sex offenders are today’s “living, walking dead men.” The article reminded me that as a registered sex offender, you can’t and shouldn’t be around children for legal and therapeutic reasons. While that makes sense, have you ever thought about the fact that a registered sex offender can’t attend church because children may be present? I can honestly say that thought has never once crossed my mind. Even as perverted as their crimes are, a registered sex offender who has served his prison time cannot go to God’s house during a normal worship service. Wow.

Registered sex offenders are the ones who are forever required to announce to the world what crime(s) they have committed. They have to constantly yell, “unclean, unclean” even if the Lord has made them clean. While I understand that felons also must disclose their criminal record sometimes, it is not made available to the general population. If my neighbor across the street murdered a child, but did not sexually abuse a child, I would have no knowledge of that information. I could even be sitting next to a murderer, tax evader, or thief any given Sunday and not even know it. Sex offenders wear the “scarlet A” forever. It starts early on during their prison time. Upon entrance to the prisons, sex offenders are given a special numbering system so the entire prison population (not just the guards) knows they are sex offenders. Needless to say, these sex offenders are not treated very well in prison. There is no wonder the suicide rate among sex offenders in prison is extremely high. I did criminal defense legal work for a few years and saw the results of what happened to our sex offender clients firsthand.

On the flip side, I am also not saying that whatever punishment they receive is not justified. But what I have been thinking about is even if a sex offender has repented of his sins, God has forgiven him and he has served his prison time, he cannot be completely integrated back into society. There is no modern day high priest that can call him clean – psychiatrists can’t fill this role. Instead, they truly are modern day lepers.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting that we allow sex offenders unlimited access to children. I am armed with a sex offender app on my phone and check it frequently. I even recently discovered that we have not one, but two, registered sex offenders (in the same house, but unrelated) living on the block behind me. Needless to say, we do not ride our bikes down that street anymore. And, I often have to control urges to run and tell every family on that street and mine that two registered sex offenders live within feet of their precious children. I am human (and an abuse survivor) and I have strong emotions about protecting innocent children. I am also a mother who never wants her children to suffer this kind of abuse by an adult.

But at the same time, how can I ignore the fact these people are the only class of people in the U.S. who really can’t choose to attend church?  This need for this particular church service referenced in the article came out of the church’s prison ministry. How can we truly rehabilitate these sex offenders if they are alienated from the opportunity to corporately worship God for the remainder of their lives on earth? Truly, this is a special need that needs to be addressed for many reasons.

While these sex offenders appear to be monsters to most of the world, they are just one example of the ways in which Satan likes to ensnarl people in his web. Many of these offenders were themselves victims of childhood sexual abuse or exposed to some kind of sexually deviant behavior as a child. Satan planted this perverted seed early on and when Satan’s seeds are left unattended, they tend to grow wild and out of control. Just the way Satan likes it.

Childhood sexual abuse is a real problem. The numbers are high, but likely much higher than we even know because often times, the abuse goes unreported. It is estimated that in the U.S. alone, approximately 3,000,000 children are sexually abused every year – about 1 every 10 seconds. In the five minutes it takes you to read this blog, at least 30 children will have been sexually abused in the U.S. The numbers are even worse abroad. The scary fact is that 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused before the age of 18.

Do these numbers make your stomach queasy? They do mine. They also sometimes keep me up at night. I love my children and would give my own life for theirs. This is a real and present danger and the more children you have or the more you have of the same sex the more likely your family is to have a survivor or future victim living among you. You are at greater risk if you ignore the situation or do not educate yourself. A very small number are stranger-danger incidents. Most abuse is done by someone the victim knows – a stepparent, extended family member, friend’s parent, coach, pastor, teacher, babysitter, neighbor, and boyfriend/girlfriend of parent. Pay close attention to the people your children are around unattended. And, if your children feel uncomfortable around a certain adult, take notice of that. Like dogs, children have an unusual (God-given) built-in radar that can sense things, people included. Don’t put your own denial, love interest or discomfort before your children.

What happens when abuse does take place? It changes the game forever. As children, we are innocent. But once abuse takes place, Satan now has an in. Someone (other than the child) has caused that child’s purity to be defiled. The younger the age, the more likely the child will not remember, but even then, the demonic seed has been planted.

Many live in silence and never say a word. Some are able to open up and the perpetrator is brought to trial. Others seek the help of a counselor or psychiatrist to deal with the pain. Many times when someone opens up for the first time, you will hear him or her say, “I have never shared this with anyone before.” It is unlikely that you will ever see someone wearing a t-shirt bearing the words, “I survived sexual abuse.”

The only person who can “cure” a sex offender or a victim of sexual abuse is Jesus himself. Only He can forgive us of our sins and make us clean. Only He can give us worth and a purpose. And, it is only in His name that the demons flee. I once had a professional who works at a child abuse center tell me, “Unless you have been cleared by a psychiatrist, we do not recommend that you speak in front of a group about your abuse.” I have never received counseling, have never spoke to a psychiatrist, but I have taken it up with the best Counselor of all. He has cleared me, forgiven me and cleaned me – and His time was free – a gift to me.

I pray that churches awaken to the needs of people who have suffered sexual abuse as a child. Therapy is great, but the pain associated with abuse causes many to stumble and fall later in life. Addiction, future abusive relationships, risky behaviors, divorce, trust issues, and homelessness are just a few of the examples of what happens to people who can’t get out from under the pain and sorrow of abuse. A safety net needs to be provided for those who have been abused and those who have abused. Healing needs to take place. These people need to be set apart to be treated uniquely and people are not called to judge them as no sin is greater than the next. We have cancer centers that treat cancer with medicine. We have spine institutes that treat back problems with medicine. However, sexual abuse can’t be treated with medicine. It gets into the soul and soul issues should be dealt with in the church with our Healer who heals our hearts and souls.

I attend a mega church with 30,000 members. If one conservatively assumed that 1 out of every 10 member was a survivor of or currently is a victim of sexual abuse, there would be 3,000 members within my church family alone. As I sat in church this past Sunday, I counted 3 women within feet of me that had been sexually abused as children. These aren’t numbers on a page. They are real people – people you probably know. What about your church?

The leper in Luke 5 took a great risk and broke many laws to come within the city to get to Jesus. He said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” (v. 12) Jesus then did something that was unheard of at that time – he touched the leper and then he was healed. Sex offenders are a part of society that we do not want to touch. I really honestly never thought I would be even saying something like this. But for so many reasons, we do need to reach out to them. We need to help them from committing future sins and crimes, we need to help them from harming themselves and we need to make sure they can get to Jesus to be healed and made clean – just like you and me. I know that by just going to church we are not saved, but what would you do if you were told that you could never attend church again for a sin you have committed?

“Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.” (Revelation 22:17)

One night this week, I actually prayed that God would silence me and that I would be unable to speak. This is slightly adapted from Luke 1:18-22 wherein Zechariah, upon a visit from the Angel Gabriel, hesitated in his faith and questioned the Angel who had been sent directly by God. Because Zechariah didn’t believe, he was silenced until his child (John the Baptist) was born.

My prayer, however, was slightly different. I didn’t ask to be silenced because I doubted, rather I asked to be silenced because sometimes being a messenger of the Word is a messy, messy business and I need, rather I wanted, a break.

John warned believers in 1 John 3:13, “Don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.” Even though we have warnings like this, it hurts when fellow Christians, friends and family are aghast at what you might say or believe.

For example, Christians and non-Christians raked Kirk Cameron over the coals this past week for his comments about gay marriage. He was asked what he believed and he answered, very matter-of-factly. Not once, did he say that he hated the gay community. No, instead, he said, “I think that….” Big difference.

However, our twisted world takes those comments and turns him into a homophobic, bigoted, radical Christian…all in the name of tolerance. The same groups who tout tolerance and freedom are basically telling Kirk (and anyone else who believes the way he does) that they can’t say those kinds of things. And if they do, they are haters and not loving people. Really? Who then is slinging the intolerance now?

The great thing about freedom is one has the right to say what they believe. So, that actually means that BOTH sides will get to say what they believe. Not just one side and not just the other side, but BOTH. I’ll write that again in case you missed it….BOTH.

This is only one example, but there are many. And, I get that people will want to respond to whatever was said, and then someone will want to respond to that and so on. It’s a vicious cycle that the devil loves to dance in. And, his legs never get tired.

Somehow in today’s world we have forgotten what “love” means in biblical terms. The “love” in love one another is not phileo (an affection for; a fondness in the heart), it is agape (a self-sacrificing type of love; purposely seeking the best for one another). Jesus epitomized a life of love (agape) – he sacrificed himself for us on the Cross. However, he didn’t shy away from controversial things or people. Jesus wasn’t sent to save the righteous, but to save the lost sheep of Israel. It is true that he hung around sinners, but he didn’t do it so he could be life-long friends with them at an arms distance. No, Jesus did it because he knew they needed him and he needed to offer them the chance to repent and seek forgiveness once and for all.

Take for instance the woman at the well in John 4:1-42. In a matter of minutes, Jesus had exposed this woman’s past and present sin. He didn’t sit back and say, “Hey, this woman looks lonely. I am going to meet her at the well everyday for a year and just be friends with her. Maybe then, she’ll see how nice I am and want to hear about My Father.” No, it was mere minutes that she experienced the life-changing words given to her by Jesus. And in her boldness, she ran back to her village and exclaimed to everyone what had happened to her and whose presence they were in. She didn’t hide this secret from the people in her village and hope that people saw the change in her. Why should believers today be any less bold than either Jesus or the woman at the well?

Take another example in Matthew 21:12-13. Jesus entered the Temple and was none too pleased. The New Living Translation reads as follows:

Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the moneychangers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer.’, but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”

Can you imagine this scene today? Can you imagine the press coverage that would take place if an evangelical walked into someplace and did something like this today? In the context of Jesus’ time, this was radical.

Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 42:1-4:

Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not fight or shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious. And his name will be the hope of all the world.

However, let us not lull ourselves into a false belief that by loving someone we mean condoning or agreeing with their lifestyle. Jesus did not come to this earth to be friends with people or blindly accept what they were doing. No, he came so that the chosen people of Israel would know who he was, repent of their sins and be blessed with salvation through him.

Matthew 10:34 reads, “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.” The peace that is referred to here is not social or political peace, but it is the peace that is only found in Jesus Christ and a decision about him. Peace in this context is not tolerance, but a radical decision to follow Jesus Christ. Jesus has called each believer to a radical, drop everything decision…just as He called each handpicked disciple. Just as Jesus chose those twelve, He chooses each one of us to be His disciple. It is not a “let me count to five and then make a decision option.” No, instead it is a “if someone has a gun to your head what are you going to decide decision.”

Jesus didn’t go chasing after the rich young man who was sad and didn’t want to sell his possessions (Matthew 19:16-22). He didn’t say, “Oh wait, I am sorry. Did I hurt your feelings? I didn’t mean to tell you that you had to change everything, sell everything, leave everything….I was just kidding. What do you want to give up in order to follow me?” Nope. He let him go away.

Jesus sent out his twelve disciples with these words, “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and as harmless as doves.” (Matthew 10:16) Jesus had compassion on the masses that he spoke to not because they were people, but because they “were confused and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36) Jesus didn’t seek out the massive crowds, they sought him ought, begging to cling to him, begging him to heal. These were God’s chosen people who had lost their way, who now wanted to get back in the game…at least for that moment in time. They had faith.

But, it wasn’t just the chosen ones who had gone astray that clinged to Jesus. We saw the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, but we also saw the story of a Gentile woman. Even after Jesus told her that he was sent only to help God’s lost sheep – the people of Israel, he healed her daughter because of her “great” faith. (Matthew 15:21-28)

The Bible doesn’t belong to a secret club, but it does take wisdom to learn the ways of God. However, it doesn’t take wisdom to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior – only a willingness to repent, ask forgiveness and surrender.

Believers will have hiccups along the way, no doubt about it. We will say things we shouldn’t for sure. But one of the differences between a believer and a non-believer is that we will repent and seek forgivenes. We have to remember that each one of us has a totally different story. Some will preach with such an evangelical zeal because they have been on the ledge of the fiery furnace of hell. They know what that personally feels like. Others, preach from a life of nothing but blessing. Their lives have been so blessed because they have walked the straight and narrow path forever and know nothing else.

We should, no matter what our stories are, have faith. A faith that God can do anything and will do anything. If the disciples, who actually walked with Jesus, waivered and had little faith many times, you can bet that we will too. Life is hard. People will mock us. People will hate us. Satan will plant seeds of doubt in our brain (if we let him). It is ugly. But be reminded, we live in this world, but we are not of this world. Stand firm on your rock. Love others with love (agape) and love them enough to sacrifice your own sense of comfort and possible backlash because you know that if they don’t hear God’s Word (His Word, not a version you made up), repent, confess and surrender, their life will not inherit the promise of the Kingdom of Heaven.