Religion is a Hot House

I’ve seen articles lately with concern about the statistics that say religion, Christianity in particular, has declining numbers. I’ve also heard much about “deconstruction” and people walking away from the faith. 

Good for them. 

What? 

No, you didn’t misread what I said. 

Good for them. If religion is defined as that system of man made rules or ideas, doctrines that separate, “turn or burn” ideologies, and people who say they love you, but use shame, guilt, or pressure to get you to conform. 

Good for them. And good for me. 

I walked away. 

Not from God. Even if I had tried, it wouldn’t have worked. He will never leave me. Nothing can separate us. 

I walked away from the system. And I thought I had already done that. My husband and I served on the pastoral staff of a non-denominational church. I thought we would be there forever. We didn’t walk because of any issues with people, despite some of the nonsense that I’ve heard. God said go, and we went. It was hard. That was my family. I loved them, and still do. Amazing people. 

My husband and I are the crazies that said wherever you lead us God. Which led us to the wilderness. We live in the country in an area that the name literally means “in the woods.” Ha. 

Such freedom. Yet hardship. We asked for it, and we got it. Trust God for everything? Okay then. Not easy to do at first, but I wouldn’t have it any other way now. I could go on with a long list of issues faced, including life and death situations, but maybe another time. 

God is so smart. 

Have I arrived? Ha. Where to? 

I keep saying that the more I know about God, the less I know. Exactly where I want to be. 

No more “hot house” for me. That’s what religion does. Focuses on the outside. Behavior modification. Like these beautiful red strawberries. But cut into them and the inside is unchanged. 

I believe the stats aren’t lying. But, I also believe people are finding Jesus. The real Jesus. The Master Gardener. The One that works from the inside out. And we are gathering. Some will be in those same places of worship we’ve always turned to. Some will be in homes. Some will be on street corners and in bars. Some will be in campgrounds, or at beaches. When we’re following Him, He’ll lead us to each other. It’s essential. 

Behind The Scenes

I’m sure most of us can appreciate a beautiful house. We ooh and aah at the subway tile, ship lap, intriguing light fixtures, beautiful colors and wallpaper. (Can you believe that’s a thing again?) How many of us really appreciate a good non-leaking foundation? Do we ask what’s behind the walls? Are the vitals, like plumbing and electrical even on our list of things to take note of?

What about the fixer upper? Good bones are essential. But, like the saying goes, you can put a dress on a pig, but it’s still a pig. So before the pretty stuff comes into play, the dirty stuff happens. 

And that’s where I was today. Right in the middle of the mess. Old termite damage, dirt, nasty insulation, and dust everywhere. 

That’s when God gently nudged me and reminded me that’s where my life has been the last couple of years. I have a good foundation. But I had some wrong belief systems. I had some heart work to do. He showed me a little glimpse of the beautiful dream house, but I had to get messy first. 

In this house, that was old termite damage. Hadn’t been active in years. But until someone was ready to go into the dark under the house, and to tear things apart in the walls, the damage was still there. It wasn’t safe to rebuild yet. 

Sometimes we wonder why we’re going around the same mountain again. Maybe it’s just because we’re strong enough for the next level of rebuilding to take place. Maybe we’re not afraid of the dark anymore. 

From what I’ve seen and heard from many of my friends, I’m not alone. Just mention 2019 and for various reasons we all sigh a little knowing the difficulties it brought. Yet, in the middle of it all, the light still shone through. The little reminders from God came, when we were least expecting it and really needed it. 

So, by all means, let’s dream about the beautiful, but not be afraid to get messy. We don’t have to do it alone. He reminds us He’s with us if we’ll just take a moment to notice. 

Wise Owl

I was asked a few days ago if I was still blogging. Yeah. Kinda. It's been a while. So today I asked God what He wanted to say if I sat down to write. I was reminded that a friend of mine calls me a wise owl. I've always kinda chuckled about it, but thanked her for the compliment. Okay, God, so that doesn't answer my question. Then I was reminded of a scripture that I've been thinking about and the old Tootsie Pop commercial. Some of you may be too young to know what I'm talking about, but the kid wants to know how many licks it takes to get to the tootsie roll center of the tootsie pop. He asks around and finally ends up asking the owl. The owl has the "hands on" approach to the answer. How many of us ask this person and that person and check what our favorite celebrity or preacher thinks about it? I'm not saying those things are wrong, but in the end, what do I say about it? Maybe this is why my friend sees me as the owl. I don't rely on everyone else's opinions, but dig in and find the answers. So, do I think I'm the all knowing, I've got the answers, and everyone else is wrong girl? Quite the contrary. But my answer for me is not necessarily your answer for you. In my opinion, scripture is the final deciding factor. But scripture can't be interpreted correctly without relationship with the author. Philippians 2:12 tells us to "work out our own plan of salvation," as I learned it in KJV, "with fear and trembling." But that never settled right with me. Why fear? God tells me not to fear. Then I read it recently in TPT, "...Now you must continue to make this new life fully manifested as you live in the holy awe of God—which brings you trembling into his presence. God will continually revitalize you, implanting within you the passion to do what pleases him." It's in His presence, or relationship with Him, where you develop that trust with Him in His awesomeness. We work it out together. Yes, we can be blinded by life experiences. We all are.  The more time you spend with Him the more that stuff falls away and the more clearly you see. We cannot put the expectations and parameters of our relationship with Him on someone else. Each of us must figure it out for ourselves. Do you know someone that you think is "doing it wrong?" Do they have a relationship with God? If so, trust Him. He knows what He's doing and they will work it out together. I'm not saying we can't have defined lines of what we believe is right and wrong, especially if the Word is clear about it. But let's not forget that what Jesus said to sum up the law and the prophets in Matthew 22:37-40 TPT, "Love the Lord your God with every passion of your heart, with all the energy of your being, and with every thought that is within you.’ This is the great and supreme commandment. And the second is like it in importance: ‘You must love your friend in the same way you love yourself.’ Contained within these commandments to love you will find all the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.” When we are doing that and trusting God that He is working the relationship from His end, we are able to love like He loves.

Thanks Lori and Kim for the friendship and inspiration.

Here's the commercial in case you're still wondering what the answer is... 

Do You Recognize Him?

If you know me, you know that I love nature! I've spent hours gazing at the night sky...sunrises and sunsets...camping in the middle of the woods taking in every sight and smell that surrounds me. I love it so much that I want to try to capture what I can and share it with others. Yesterday it was an unusually warm day for January in Missouri and I was sitting on the front porch with my book. I noticed what sounded like someone walking around the corner, through the leaves. I was surprised to find that it was birds. Several of them. So I sat, and watched, and listened. Then, of course, I got out my phone to try to get it on video. They weren't really cooperating and as soon as I turned my camera off, in one swift motion they all flew, together, to the other side of the yard. God reminded me of something He's told me before when I've tried to capture a sunset or sunrise and the colors just don't show up the same. He told me then, "I painted that just for you." Wow! .

Sunday morning before church it was about half a dozen cardinals in the tree at the same time. I had never seen more than one "red bird" at a time. I was fascinated! Then this afternoon... It was time to do one of my favorite chores. Wash dishes. I look out the window as I'm making dish water and what do I see? There's a woodpecker on the tree outside the window. Right in my view. So what do I do? (You think I would have learned by now.) I get out my phone to try to capture a video. He goes behind the tree. I hear God chuckle. So, I put my phone away and just watch. The whole time I'm standing at the sink there he is. He's pecking and pooping. No kidding! Four times while watching him I saw the wind carry what he let loose of across the yard. Ha ha!

Back story... I've been in this season of rest. Or trying. Learning how. It's not always easy. I've always known this, but it is becoming more real to me every day, that He is right there to be found, we just have to recognize all the many ways He speaks to us. And these are some of the most intimate moments. In all of the infinite universe He's choosing to connect with me right now. Like a lover's tenderness. That can't be shared with others. That's meant only for you. I'll never stop taking photos or videos, nor admiring those that others take, but I will recognize that sometimes I just need to be still and let Him love me. Stop the busyness. Be present. Allow my soul to be filled in a way that is incomparable. That's how I really get to know the Creator of the universe.

By the way, here's a simple picture of the woodpecker. You can't really tell it's him on the side of the tree, but believe me, I couldn't make that story up.

Imagination

Imagination is a gift from God, but how many of us have been scolded for using it? You know… we’ve been told to live in the real world and not to let our imaginations run away with us. Have you ever wondered what the real world really is? I know I’ve always found myself thinking, “there has to be more than this.” There is.

I love things that spur my imagination. Wendy Alec wrote the Chronicles of Brothers Series of books. The way she described heaven and the way she described Jesus expanded my vision. I believe C.S. Lewis had a huge gift of imagination and shared it with his readers. His writings have been very key in my life. I’m reading Perelandra right now. It’s the second in The Space Trilogy that he wrote. He describes encountering what he called a floating island on a different planet:

“The thing had looked, in that first glance, so like a real country that he had forgotten it was floating – an island if you like, with hills and valleys, but hills and valleys which changed places every minute so that only a cinematograph could make a contour map of it. And that is the nature of the floating islands of Perelandra. A photograph, omitting the colours and the perpetual variation of shape, would make them look deceptively like landscapes in our own world, but the reality is very different; for they are dry and fruitful like land but their only shape is the inconstant shape of the water beneath them.”

            He goes on to describe learning to walk on them…

“It was much harder than getting your sea-legs on a ship, for whatever the sea is doing the deck of the ship remains a plane. But this was like learning to walk on water itself… And then, too, it was so strange, after rolling head over heels down into some little dell, to open his eyes and find himself seated on the central mountain peak of the whole island looking down like Robinson Crusoe on field and forest to the shores in every direction, that a man could hardly help sitting there a few minutes longer – and then being detained again because, even as he made to rise, mountain and valley alike had been obliterated and the whole island had become a level plain.”

Wow! Can you close your eyes and imagine that experience?

Dimensionally different. I wrote a little about that back in 2012 when I was really beginning to see things in a new way. My friend, Daryl Boucher, calls it “higher thoughts and higher ways,” or limitless.  I love when I get to sit and visit with him and talk about things that seem far out there to some people. We hear phrases like kingdom, new covenant, heaven on earth, but are we really open to what that is?  

“This is why the scriptures say: Things never discovered or heard of before, things beyond our ability to imagine – these are the many things God has in store for all his lovers.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 TPT.

The season I’m in is continually asking Holy Spirit in every subject matter, “is this the lower way, and if so, what’s the higher way.” There are things that aren’t “wrong,” yet there is so much more! You see, we’re seated with Christ in heavenly places according to Ephesians 2:6. Outside of time. Outside of this earth system. With all supply. With the mind of Christ. That’s what we’re bringing to earth. We’re aliens.

It’s time to work that imagination. Ask to see the unseen. Be who the universe is waiting for you to be.

“The entire universe is standing on tiptoe, yearning to see the unveiling of God’s glorious sons and daughters! For against its will the universe itself has had to endure the empty futility resulting from the consequences of human sin. But now, with eager expectation, all creation longs for freedom from its slavery to decay and to experience with us the wonderful freedom coming to God’s children.” Romans 8:20, 21 TPT.

Taste and See

"O taste and see that the Lord is good..." Psalm 34:8
If you've been around church very much, you've probably heard this scripture. It's always been one of those that I've heard so many times that I didn't think about it much. About a year ago it really got my attention. How do you "taste" God? Let's think about our senses. The long distance sense, if you will, is sight. As you move a little closer you can hear and smell. You've got to be pretty close to touch. And then there is taste. It's the most intimate of our senses. In fact, it's probably the most guarded of them all. For the most part, you are in complete control of what you choose to taste, and you usually choose what is pleasant to your palette.
So God is suggesting that we bring Him up close and personal and choose to ingest Him. Romans 10:8 says, "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart...” Psalm 119:11 says, "Your word I have hidden in my heart..." John 1:1 says "...and the Word was God." We are meant to be changed from the inside out by inviting Jesus into our heart just like we were told when we were kids.  We must choose to taste before we can truly see that He is good. We "become" and it's who we are, not what we do. Our identity changes.
Kris Vallotton says, "If it's not good yet, it's not the end." If you feel like your vision is lacking, or you're not seeing enough good, you may need to adjust your palette.

I Am Light

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. (Genesis 1:3)

A couple of years ago I was listening to a friend of mine, one of my favorite teachers, Pastor Daryl Boucher. In the middle of message on a different topic he pointed out the fact that God said "let there be light" on day one of creation, but didn't create the sun, moon, and stars until day four. Pretty interesting, huh? It has always stuck with me. And Jesus said, "I am the light of the world." Now we're representing Him on this earth. 1 John 1:5 says, "God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all." So, if I'm created in His image, being Jesus on this earth, then I'm light, too, right? I like to look at it this way... If every source of light is cut off then in the midst of all the darkness we should be the source of light. Like literally. The Divine DNA in me will light the world.