exemplify magazine April 2010 March 2010
WALKING THROUGH SPIRITUAL DEPRESSION ministry: online! how much information is too much information?
New Testament Apologetics Study
2 Great Giveaways! pages 23 & 59
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features
TIME SET APART P.26 Karin Fendick encourages a quiet escape with your husband. REFLECTIONS ON HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD P.28 Marsha Harwood feature. WITNESS TO THOSE IN PRISON P.38 Interview with Kelli Regan. SACRIFICE OF WORTHSHIP P.68 Lynn Mosher feature. TRANSFIGURING OUR WORSHIP P.73 Jennifer Self feature.
in the word
HE WILL PUT NEW LIFE IN US P.10 A look at Christ’s final week before the Cross. FINDING BEAUTY IN THIS TIME & PLACE P.12 Single Journey Column WOMEN IN THE WORD P. 14 New Column! PURPOSED WORSHIP P. 43 Devotional PREPARING TO DO HIS THANG P. 52 Includes a quiet time plan. THE ANCIENT GATES P. 56 A look at Psalm 24. HER HOPE P. 60 Thoughts on worship in times of sorrow.
giveways
SCRIPTURE STICKIES GIVEAWAY! P.23 Win a 6 Month Subscription! MARRIAGE CONFERENCE TICKET GIVEAWAY! P.59 Win 1 of 3 tickets to the A Woman Inspired Marriage Conference!
©IrisNelson
interactive
CREATIVE WORSHIP FOR KIDS P.18 Let your kids make Jesus smile! HOW TO WORSHIP WITHOUT WORDS P.20 Can we worship without speaking? BOOK REVIEWS WITH DEBORAH P.32 A look at Plain Jayne. CONTINUOUS WORSHIP P. 34 Is it possible to worship continuously? TITUS 2 ADVICE COLUMN P. 37 Ask Christine. CUP O’ COURAGE BRIMMING WITH BLESSING P. 48 In the kitchen fun!
in Exemplify EDITOR’S NOTE P. 4 Kristen Schiffman says hi! MEET THE TEAM P.6 Get to know Exemplify’s writers. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT P.24 A look at what is going on at Exemplify’s web channels.
front
MINISTRY ONLINE: OUCH! TOO MUCH INFORMATION P.42 Should some things be off limits? PRAISING IN THE DESERT: WALKING THROUGH SPIRITUAL DEPRESSION P.44 New Column! A NEW KIND OF HISTORY P.63 Apologetics column.
Unless otherwise noted
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. graphic credits Graphics found on pages 10, 14, 18, 52 purchased via letteringdelights.com 43, 44 courtesy of Iris Nelson 23, 38, 56 sxc.hu all other graphics purchased via Dreamstime.com
As of Late
Join Kristen on the 15th of each month to share what you’ve been learning, loving and listening to
as of late.
exemplifyonline.com/editor 4 Š exemplify magazine
What better month for the theme of worship than this Resurrection Month? As we celebrate the death-defying life of our Savior King , what compulsory praise beats through our hearts! This month we bring you content pointing the way to Life. It is my prayer each of these articles will birth in you an authentic response - a response to His Holiness - that leaves you astounded by the power of the cross & our Risen Christ. I’ve wondered this last week aloud, “What does worship look like? What sizes, shapes, colors and creativity does it run in?” It is with joy I present these pages to you - a medley of worship-filled overflow. I think I have my answer today. What does worship look like? It looks like lives sold out for the glory and renown of Jesus Christ; lives and hearts bowed before the throne of the King of Kings. He is risen. And He is coming again. Be blessed this glorious day.
In King Jesus, Kristen Schiffman
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www.inspiredheartsmedia.com
Meet the Magazine Team Kristen Schiffman Founder & Ministry Director A New Yorker living in Texas, Kristen is just trying to make sense of sweet tea and A/C units. Together with her best friend & husband, Eric, she enjoys sketching out new ideas over Starbuck’s. Kristen’s passion is equipping those in leadership to serve with excellence, encouraging women to get to know God through His Word and challenging women to live out their God-given purpose. Andrea Mitchell Editor-in-Chief/Director of Web Content/Family Columnist Andrea Mitchell is a coffee drinking, Jesus-loving wife and stay-at-home mom of three in constant search of just the right mug for her brew. You can find her at her blog, UnderGraceOverCoffee.com where she shares the love she has found in Jesus, along with the caffeine-laden randomness that makes up the majority of her day. Grab your cup and come on over!
Christy McGraw Director of Social Networking/Single Channel Editor/Columnist Christy is on a journey to becoming a woman after God’s own heart. She delights in books, photography, her family and her friends. Christy has a heart for young women and single women. She also loves emails! thesinglejourney@gmail.com
Christine Johnston Director of Communications/Titus 2 Columnist Christine is a self professed “knitster” who loves watching a scarf come to life. She is the mother of four children, three of whom are full grown and one still making her way through high school. She is married to her high school sweetheart and loves going on lunch dates with him during the week. Christine’s steady and sure faith in Christ, her value of justice and her compassion for that which Christ has compassion on daily shape her Titus 2 calling.
Tara Rachel Director of Ministry Support/ Fiction & Apologetics Column/ Web Editor Tara Rachel is a born-and-bred Southern girl who loves sweet tea, Jesus, and football - and not necessarily in that order. Visit her at Musings of a Future Pastor’s Wife, where she blogs about her day-to-day life as the wife of a seminary student/youth pastor and mom to a precious toddler girl, and the daily truths the Lord teaches her.
the team
Judith Roberts Interview Columnist Judith Roberts has been married to her college sweetheart for four years, and both she and her husband are active in their church. She is a college instructor pursuing her doctorate and hopes to mirror Jesus in her everyday life.
Kara Cox Devotional Columnist Kara is a single, thirtysomething follower of Christ who loves to laugh and makes others laugh in the process. She is devoted to all things Autumn and thinks that pumpkins, fallen leaves and fall TV premieres are a highlight of life. She would also like you to know she is the most extroverted introvert you will ever meet.
Wendy Miller How-To Columnist Wendy Miller is a butcher (of words as she edits her novels), a baker (of birthday cakes and treats for her beloved family members and friends), and a candlestick maker (not quite, but she enjoys crafts of all kinds). She appreciates the outdoors, writing and laughing with loved ones. Wendy’s mission statement is to a live a passionate life filled with compassion, grateful to be called daughter of the Most High God. Visit Wendy at http://thoughtsthatmove.blogspot.com/ or http://wendypainemiller.wordpress.com/. Jenifer Jernigan Faith Applied Columnist Jenifer makes her home in North Carolina with her husband of ten years, three children, and English black lab, Bella. On a typical day, if there is such a thing, you will find her sipping a cup of coffee, home schooling her children, and digging into the Word. A former pit-dweller who has been saved by God’s amazing grace, Jenifer has a burning passion to share with women of all ages His unconditional love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness.
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the team
Amy Bayliss Ministry Online Columnist Amy is a true Cajun princess who is on a mission to minister to women via the World Wide Web. She has a heart for encouraging and equipping women and she does so by utilizing many different venues. Writing, speaking, blogging, pioneering… visit her at amybayliss.com.
Alison Hunt Columnist Alison is a twenty-something single woman living in the now and hoping for the future. Based in North Florida, she an administrative assistant by day, and dreamer by night (literally). She can also be found reading under trees, Zumba-ing, spending time with family, and catching up with friends over coffee. Visit her blog at http://alisonlhunt.blogspot.com.
Brooke McGlothlin Columnist Lover of God and the man I’ve dreamed of since the 3rd grade...mommy of two little boys born just 23 months apart...CEO of the McGlothlin Home for Boys (my house)...passionate about life issues and finding Jesus in the everyday. Director of Clinical Services for a local Crisis Pregnancy Center with a BS in Psychology and MA in Counseling.
Deborah Boutwell Book Reviews Married for 23 years, 2 children (21 & 15 years of age), working outside the home in a Christian publishing house, serving in a small Southern Baptist church in various keys roles, hobbies include reading, writing, needle & thread handwork.
Iris Nelson Photographer Born and raised in Germany, Iris now resides with her husband Mark and Chihuahua Corky, in Arizona. Their grown son Daniel works as a software consultant in Arizona, living close by. Although the move from Germany to the US was not easy, God’s hand was evident. In Arizona, God called Iris back into His flock. Her ministries in the past included leading women Bible studies; leading worship once month with the contemporary praise team. Iris enjoys encouraging women by sharing His Word through the devotional team-blog ‘Laced with Grace’ (www.lacedwithgrace.com), which she ‘birthed’ with a friend from California in 2006.
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Lori MacMath Moving Toward Holiness Columnist Having grown up in the church, Lori knows that her ‘true spiritual journey’ began with an experience with infertility and surrendering to the Lord, allowing HIM to break her and remake her. The smile she wears tells that she is so happy to be on the journey that she is on now. A journey that includes homeschooling 3 wonderful children! Lori is the co~owner of Internet Cafe Devotions, an online daily devotional site for women. She is also involved in several other online ministries. You’ll find her at Heart of the Matter as well as here at Exemplify. Lori is passionate about helping women apply the teachings of Christ to their modern, busy lives. Lori is involved in women’s ministries and youth ministry in her church, Crossroads United Methodist, a plant church in her community. Along with church ministry, Lori teaches classes at her homeschool co-op, keeping her continually connected with today’s young people. She often wishes she could shout from the mountain top that this is all by the grace and mercy of God.
Holly Smith In The Kitchen Columnist My name is Holly Smith from Monument, CO. I am the wife of Chris and mother of Noah, Kylie, Tabor and Sydney. I am a stay at home mom, who very much loves her job as a mom. On the side, I design web pages and marketing pieces. It is a great way to pour out creativity! God has gifted me with a love of all things creative--from painting and wall-papering to scrapbooking and design-work. Also I write a couple of blogs, which you can read online if you want. One is a cooking blog called What Would Martha Cook? It’s about Martha in the Bible not the other Martha. The other is a devotional writing blog called Crown Laid Down. I began blogging in February 2007.
Meet our New Team Members Chrystie Cole Closet Issues Columnist Chrystie lives with her husband and stepson in the beautiful upstate of South Carolina. She is a woman who was once lost, broken, desperate and hopeless. Yet because of a gracious and loving God, she was given a brand new life. She has personally experienced the power of His transforming and redeeming love. As a result, she is passionate about sharing His love with others and ministering to broken and hurting people.
Tracy Knowlton Women in the Word Columnist Tracy Knowlton is a Texan by birth, curious by nature and crazy about her husband of three years. She reads scripture and loves on her dogs, simultaneously. Tracy looks for Jesus in the ordinary, adds in scripture and waits to see what happens. Loving the Lord is her privilege and writing about Him on her blog, JesusWomanWords.com, is her joy. Consider yourself invited.
©IrisNelson
On Saturday, He stayed at the home of his friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus. And with that He spoke to us of the importance of community. On Sunday, He was greeted with shouts of “Hosanna!” And for a fleeting moment He was honored as King among those who would later call for His death. On Monday, He tore through the temple, overturning tables and acting with passion on behalf of His Father’s house. And in this shocking moment He exposed those using godliness as a covering for gain and our need for pure worship. On Tuesday, He taught from early morning until late at night. Teaching the parable of the talents He urged us to live our one life with purpose. On Wednesday, scholars believe He sought solitude and got alone with His Father. And He prayed. On Thursday, at the Passover meal, He washed the feet of His disciples in humility. Holiness cleaning dirt. On Friday, He took our sin as His own and became obedient to death -even death on a cross!
On Saturday, they waited. “As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed. Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.” (Luke 23:55-56) On Sunday, she saw Him. “Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ “ Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. “ (John 20:15-18)
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Today. There is still purpose in His blood, promise in His Word and power in His name. **** Soon. “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. “ Revelation 19:11-16
He Will Put New Life In Us Written by Kristen Schiffman
Hosea 6:2-3 “In two days he will put new life in us; on the third day he will raise us up so that we may live in his presence and know him. Let’s try to learn about the Lord; he will come to us as surely as the dawn comes. He will come to us like rain, like the spring rain that waters the ground.”
Finding Beauty in This Time & Place Written by Christy McGraw
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There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: It was as if I had decided that since life a time to be born and a time to die, was not the way I wanted it to be… mara time to plant and a time to uproot, ried with children….that I would not para time to kill and a time to heal, ticipate fully in it. a time to tear down and a time to I was missing out on so much! build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, I had in essence decided that the world’s a time to mourn and a time to dance, timing was the best timing. According to the world it was time…actually past time a time to scatter stones that I was married. I was getting too old and a time to gather them, to have children. As more time passed I a time to embrace and a time to re- was entering the dreaded old maid status. 30 and single. Could anything be worse? I frain, think not. At least according to the world a time to search and a time to give I lived in. Or the world I thought I should up, live in. a time to keep and a time to throw I wanted to better my knowledge of time away, and I remembered the ever famous time a time to tear and a time to mend, passage in Ecclesiastes. I sought out as a time to be silent and a time to much info as I could about Ecclesiastes 3 and Solomon at the time it was written. speak, a time to love and a time to hate, According to Jamieson and Fausset a time for war and a time for peace. Brown’s Commentary, “Earthly pursuits are no doubt lawful in their proper time Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NIV God has slowly revealed something to me over the last 24 months. It was at times disconcerting because to even think that I was doing this was sad to me. What did He reveal? I was wasting time. His time. My time.
and order, but unprofitable when out of time and place.”
Solomon was learning a great deal about timing. He was learning that with timing as with everything there is an ebb and flow. A time of laughter. A time of sorrow. They all come.
There is a time and a place for everything. I don’t think we understand the fullness I had for all intents and purposes put life of that phrase. My earthly pursuit of maron hold. riage and children is a commendable pursuit. It’s a pursuit many find at the proper I was sitting in one place while life contin- time and place. For me it too is a profitable ued to go on around me. pursuit. I am just not at the time and place for that pursuit to become reality. I was letting my singleness dictate my life.
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More importantly it is what I do with my time and place while I am in pursuit of my biggest dream. First I had to stop putting everything on hold. If I had a dream or an idea I must pursue it. This dream could be anything from a huge career change or place of residence to starting a blog or starting a new email account. Instead of thinking to myself…well what if I do this and miss an opportunity to meet the one or change my last name to my married last name. Yes, my friends, I thought that way at some point. Getting married was just that important that I let everything come under that decision. I have not let the dream of getting married go. I just view it differently now. It is a hope. And while I wait I pursue all He has set before me. My own wonderful and unique path. That path has held such wonderful things. New friends. New volunteer opportunities. New writing and creative opportunities. More importantly all the dreams I put on hold, such as looking into different career opportunities or becoming a part of a ministry my heart loves, became reality. Secondly I had to be joyful and content for where He has placed me. He has opened such wonderful doors for me. I am pursuing some wonderful things. More importantly I am pursuing Him. As my beloved. As my everything. I am learning to, in all things, Praise Him. I started living for this time and this place. And you know what? It is beautiful. He has made it so. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11a NIV
women in the word Written by Tracy J. Knowlton
Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. – Matthew 10:39, NRSV I can’t really explain how it happened, but somewhere along the way I lost my life. It was not the same scenario as losing my keys, or setting down my tea cup and forgetting where I put it. I do things like that all of the time. I did not forget the location of my life. I just lost it. When this lost life began, it could be said that I was off to a good start. My family encouraged me to know the Lord, and the church body knew every move that I made. In fact, I was in church every time the key turned. In response, it became irresistible for me to know something else. Rebellion was a sash that I wore as if I had won it in a pageant.
Even with a lifetime of religion behind me, I knew it without love. I became that pesky, noisy gong, that clanging cymbal. It was not until much later that I found religion including love…much later. In the meantime, I remained on a quest for this love and my burden grew heavier. Remarkably, I wandered around this vast world of the lost, never finding anything to inspire an instrumental change for my heart’s gongs and cymbals. Out of sheer exhaustion, I pitched my tent in places that smelled like, looked like, and tasted like the pleasures I associated with freedom. I associated them with freedom, but what did I know of freedom? There was no freedom in my wandering. I blazed my own trails of despair and hate. This hate was fed by the scars that were left on my heart. Every time that I looked at my face in the mirror, I saw the acts of the lost skillfully carved out on my person. I did not have to hate anything outside of this marred frame. I could hate myself and that was enough to fuel my lost life.
It is funny that I can’t remember when I stopped seeing these signs of a former life. I only know that somewhere along the way, I started seeing a woman delighted at the least similarity to her Father. The scars and the hate were being replaced. I would be remiss if I did not tell you about a Friend of mine. I had seen him around all of my life.
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My family would ask him to dinner and we met him at his house. The first time that I conversed with him on my own, really conversed, I was nine years old. This same year, I was at camp and there was a preacher who did an altar call. Bravely, I walked up to this man and recalled every detail of my Friend that came to mind. This same year, I was at camp and there was a preacher who did an altar call. Bravely, I walked up to this man and recalled every detail of my Friend that came to mind. There are moments that I remember and many more that I forget. That day was one that I still hold as a true moment in my life. I have never doubted that I was changed that day, even in my most lost moments. At only nine, then at nineteen, and again at twenty-nine, I knew that this decision would shape my days to come. Also, I finally understood why everyone wanted my Friend around all the time; and I did – want him around. This is why I cannot explain how we lost touch when I went to college. I just lost touch. I was busy wandering through miles of death, consuming them like a greedy child. I was surprised to find my Friend again. He showed up on the bathroom floor one night. Although this seems unlikely, it was convenient because that was just where I was, crying. What he was doing there, I still cannot say. I was glad to see him.
In that place, my voice was heard and my tears were counted. Then, as with most good friends, he talked me down and walked me out. I could not be sure of every detail, but I remember thinking that my hope was well placed. Obedience. A fight. A breakup. I quit. I moved. He changed me.
In return, my Friend, Jesus, took a girl’s life and made it disappear, and He created something new in its place. This was only the beginning of the many gifts that Jesus gave me. I found out that my Friend is a generous giver. Despite knowing this, I did not expect the gift of a person. No one gives people, but my Friend, Jesus, did. I was in seminary, busily tracking the winding words of Paul, in Greek, when I was given my earthly best friend. This person became my husband. My husband almost begged me to write. I could not imagine that I had anything to say, and I was right. I had nothing to say. This new creation, however, could not stop her fingers from telling of Jesus’ love, his steadfast nature, and his generosity. I wrote and wrote of Him. That brings me here. When I was approached about writing this column, I could feel my finders twitching with excitement. You and I have much in common. We shed old lives, we obey, we accept gifts and we are created anew. What an amazing journey!
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Please, join me each month to discuss all of this and more, as we become women in the word.
Siesta Fiesta Cookbook available today! To order yours today visit Crown Laid Down
Last year, Holly compiled a 328 page cookbook from ladies all over the country, who participate on Beth Moore’s LPM Blog. ALL the proceeds went to building water wells through Life Outreach International in honor of Beth Moore and the Living Proof Ministries staff. So far we have sold 650 books and sent a total of $2,709.64 to build clean water wells. . Another order of books is going in, if you’d like to support this awesome ministry! Click here for details.
Get to know Him through His Word.
Visit the Exemplify Devotional Channel today. exemplifyonline.com/devotional/
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Make J esus Smile:
Creative Worship for His Kids
Written by Andrea Mitchell
From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise. Psalm 8:2 18 Š exemplify magazine
One of my favorite things to see and hear is a child worshiping God. Whether it be singing and clapping along to music in church, or praying earnestly with their hands clasped and their eyes screwed tight with thankfulness for little things like fish crackers and toes, witnessing a child praise God is a beautiful sight to behold. I love that their adoration is pure. There’s nothing for show about a child expressing their thanksgiving to God. They do what comes naturally to them, free from worry or inhibition. “He (David) was dancing for the LORD with all his might.” 2 Samuel 6:14, CEV That is how I want my children to worship. I want them to have the freedom to express themselves in the way they know best. That expression of faith doesn’t always come in the ways we expect. We readily accept singing and praying as valid ways to praise God, but our creative and imaginative King has given us so much more! God declares His love for us in the sunrise and sunset. In the morning dew on the blade of grass. In the song of a bird outside our window or the coo of an infant in our arms. He paints pictures, writes songs, whispers sweet words to our ears. If God can express His love for you and me in more ways than we can count, it makes sense for us to express our love for Him with creativity. Not all of us are singers or musicians, but each of us has unique gifts and abilities that we can use to shout our acclamation of His great love for us. We need to provide our children with opportunities to be creative, to worship God with gladness, to worship Him with all their might, and we need to allow them to do that in ways that are meaningful to them.
If your children love art, have them create something in their favorite medium. They could paint or draw a picture, make a clay model, or create a collage depicting how they see God. Even the youngest of artists can make a picture for God’s fridge! If your children love playing with their camera, have them take pictures of God’s beautiful creation. Then help them put together a scrapbook or album, either on paper or in a digital format to tell the story of creation. Teach them to use a simple photo editing software so they can make their own creations for your computer’s desktop or to email to loved ones. Older children can pair their favorite Scripture verses with their photography.
Talk with your children about sharing their gifts with those in need. If your children have a knack for making things, work with them to create gifts for others. Budding seamstresses can use easy templates and patterns to make mittens, scarves, and even bags. Or how about creating a piece of jewelry with beads that help tell the story of Jesus’ redemption of us (see here for simple instructions)? Does your child love to move? Play some music and have them worship in dance. Help them discover how different ways of moving their bodies can tell a story. If your child loves music, give them some instruments to make a joyful noise with! If they are currently learning an instrument, ask their teacher for level appropriate praise music your child can learn to play. Make a CD or video of your child playing to share with family, or for your child to listen to in the privacy of their room. “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:19, NIV If your child has a way with words, give them the opportunity to express themselves. Armed with plenty of pens and paper, your child can write any number of things in worship of their King – poetry, songs, short stories, even love letters. Help those who are too young to write on their own as needed. You will be blessed by the sweetness of their thoughts! These are just a few examples to get you started. Brainstorm with your children to find other creative ways to worship God together. And Parents don’t be afraid to use your own gifts in your worship time! Children learn best by example – if they see you worshiping creatively, they are more apt to do the same. Let us teach our children to worship in spirit and in truth. With freedom and abandonment. With great love and great joy. Let us teach them to make Jesus smile. Hallelujah! Praise God in his holy house of worship, praise him under the open skies; Praise him for his acts of power, praise him for his magnificent greatness; Praise with a blast on the trumpet, praise by strumming soft strings; Praise him with castanets and dance, praise him with banjo and flute; Praise him with cymbals and a big bass drum, praise him with fiddles and mandolin. Let every living, breathing creature praise God! Hallelujah! Psalm 150, MSG
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How To Worship Without Words Written by Wendy Miller
“When I worship, I would rather my heart be without words than my words be without heart.” –LaMar Boschman
I like to talk. Because of this I tend to think of worshipping God in terms of singing to Him, encouraging brothers and sisters in Christ and verbally expressing my gratitude for Him. But sometimes actions really do speak louder than words. I’m going to present several ideas of how to worship our Father without words.
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Fast from speaking An excellent place to start—stop talking. I’m sure you’ve heard of fasting from food before. There are all kinds of diets recommended for the believer who wants to pray instead of eating every time they feel a hunger pang. What about the temptation to talk? Have you ever thought about taking a vow of silence for a day (my husband would love this to be a regular thing around our house inhabited by four females)? By ceasing to speak for a day you put yourself in a ripe position to be able to evaluate the necessity of words. Choose a day when it’s logical to actually go through with this (a weekend, a day off or a time when you’ve prepped loved ones of your mission). Then, instead of when you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all—even if you have something nice to say don’t say anything. At all.
Take the undesired seat Make conscious decisions to place others before yourself. It’s too easy to do this with words. We think we are honoring God by flinging out flattery, but often we do it to seek validation and acceptance. We often do it to feel good about ourselves. Our actions can speak volumes about where our heart is with God. Say you get to a gathering where a bunch of women have planned to listen to a longawaited speaker. You have the best seat in the house in your sights. You head for it and wait…you have just encountered an optimal time to let someone else have it—to put someone else first. Or here’s one I face every night at dinner. I plop the meals on each plate. My daughter comes to carry the plates to the table asking which plate is for me and which one is for Dad. I have a choice—give Dad the smaller, soggier por-
Laugh and smile
tion or take it myself. Soggy isn’t so bad.
Medical studies have proven smiling and laughing more has significant health benefits. Laughter really is the best medicine sometimes. How is this a form of worship, you might ask? I believe our God is a God of laughter. He meant for us to delight in Him and one another. What is the best way we demonstrate we are joyful and delighting in something? Facial expressions…
Read His Word
laughter. Another time laughter and smiling can take the place of words is when words would be inadequate. There are precious times in life when a simple hand squeeze, an eye-creasing grin, or a pat on the back provides far more comfort or reassurance than faulty words might. Look for those times in your life. You’ll know them when you encounter them. Most likely your Spirit will be tugging on you to be silent and your lips will already breaking out in a smile.
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One of the best ways we can worship without words is to commune with God through His word. His Word is living and active. More than anything else (besides the Spirit) it has the power to breathe new life into us and guide us in the way everlasting. Reading the Bible is a form of worship. When we open the pages and allow the words to penetrate our hearts, we are communicating to God that we trust Him and we believe Him. Silently scanning the pages of the Bible, we turn our lives over to the One who created us.
“Therefore, since we are receiving a king� dom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.” Hebrew 12:28
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how to column
Participate in a service day by volunteering I’m a huge fan of volunteering. There have been few times in my life when I haven’t lent my services to a cause (three of those times were following the births of my daughters— they were my immediate cause). Why do I believe so much in volunteering? The Bible provides that answer. Numerous times when the word worship is mentioned in the Bible guess what one word frequently accompanies it? Service. It’s one thing to have a heart for God and to go around telling everyone how much you love Him. It’s something else to dedicate your time, talents and focus helping others. I want to continue to be a something else kind of woman.
Listen to wisdom A loving rebuke. Your Spirit leading you down a new path. A decision to sacrifice something you’ve held too tightly to. God works wisdom into our lives in various ways. Are you paying attention? Acting obediently in response to wise counsel is a form of worship. Ultimately it’s another expression of trust. When we move forward in our lives in a way that glorifies Him more, we are worshipping Him. I blog and in my experience blogging I’ve come across some wonderful people. One person has had a huge impact on what I blog about. She informed me that she prays before she writes every single post. This is something I now do. I listened to her godly wisdom and allowed it to impact the way I live. “Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” Luke 4:8
Utilize your gifts Let go of anger and bitterness— forgive These have shown up on several of my howtos. I probably don’t need to explain why in great detail. How productive can we be for the kingdom when we are riddled with frustration and bitterness? When we allow our minds and attention to be consumed by hurt or past pain we are stunting the growth of the kingdom. Lay it at the altar. The hurt and the pain. Doing so is a form of worship. It’s one of the most significant ways we can demonstrate trust. God, so and so hurt me horribly. I choose to forgive them not just today, but every day. Show me what that looks like. Help me walk on in life. Take this weight from me. Forgive me for my lack of understanding. I trust you. The above can be communicated without a single word. A tear. An open Bible. Hands raised. Our Lord knows our hearts. Let it go.
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Okay, so we’ve already concluded no talking allowed, right? But I didn’t say anything about expressing your gifts musically, financially, artistically or through writing. God has equipped His children with beautiful gifts of all kinds. He celebrates when we exercise these gifts. He claps. He cheers us on. If we are intent on utilizing our gifts for His glory, then we couldn’t ask for a more devoted cheerleader. Playing that guitar—worship. That charcoal painting—worship. Calculating funds for a non-profit—worship. Writing that letter—worship. Every time. Every single time we use our gifts, we invite God to an intimate party alive with opportunities for us to worship Him. There are thousands of ways to say that we love God. And we should by no means shy away from verbally expressing our love when the time calls for that. But when silence would glorify Him more, how do we respond? How do we worship without words? We let our smiles explode into laughter. We take a back seat. We study His Word. We volunteer. We let go. We listen to wisdom and we utilize our gifts. There will be a time words are needed, but for now let’s show by our actions, that we believe our God is the Most High God.
“I can safely say, on the authority of all that is re� vealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven.” – A.W. Tozer
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In Case You Missed It... What’s happening around Exemplify’s web channels... 24 magazine February 2010
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25 magazine February 2010
February 2010 magazine 25
marriage column
A Time Set Apart Written by Karin Fendick
“My beloved speaks and says to me, “Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.’” Song of Solomon 2:10 (Amplified)
In early March of last year, my husband and I felt the need to find a place to hide-a-way. We don’t have children underfoot, and we are the only occupants of our country house, yet the call to “come away” was echoing in both of our hearts. We needed to disconnect from normal and reconnect with each other and our God. After some online exploration I discovered an adults only resort in a provincial park a five hour drive away. The idea of a private Jacuzzi in front of a warm and crackling fire appealed to our romantic natures. There was a beautiful view of the still snow covered lake from the enclosed porch of our cabin. In the silence we were able to quiet ourselves and spend time with our Lord, for in His Word He calls to us, “Be still and know that I am God.” There was a kitchen stocked with all the tools we needed to prepare meals together. We’re so used to sleeping in a queen size bed we nearly lost each other in the king! How appropriate, since getting lost in our King was the purpose of the trip!
This was the view of the still snow covered lake from the enclosed porch of our cabin. In the silence we were able to quiet ourselves and spend time with our Lord, for in His Word He calls to us, “Be still and know that I am God.” We spent time in worship, in prayer, in reflection and also joyously drew closer to each other as man and wife. I’d like to share a few key points that made this a successful retreat: • We purposed in our hearts even during the planning process that this would be a time set apart for God and each other. • We prayed that we would not be tempted by the distraction of television, and instead brought alone some teaching dvds we hadn’t had time to watch at home. • We cooked together, sharing the work and the fun of creative meal preparation. • We gave each other quiet time alone with the Lord. • We talked. • We listened. • We learned yet again that the best way to love each other well is to love Jesus more. Do you sense the Lord calling you away together? Even if you can’t travel, you can experience His refreshing and peace by following the steps above. May you be blessed as you fall in love all
over again. 26 © exemplify magazine
I’m a covenant keeper.
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Reflections on Hearing the Voice of God Written by Marsha Harwood
Hearing the voice of God is something that’s reserved just for the super saints like Moses or high profile spiritual leaders like Billy Graham, right? Why would God want to speak to ordinary me? He’s got bigger and greater things to do than speak to me. My quest for answers to these questions began roughly 25 years ago. I wanted to hear from God but never knew how to discern if it was His voice or my own selfish desires. As I continued on my faith journey I felt as though I was deaf and dumb, unable to hear direction from the Lord, and unable to know I could speak up and ask Him to speak to me. My life kept going in circles and lacked clear direction because I was merely following each new “spiritual movement” or functioning out of my own power. In the 90’s I was on the leadership team for a women’s ministry. We would have a yearly planning retreat, sit around on plush, cushy furniture with our notebooks and day planners, brain storming for the next year.
One year we did something different. We traded the nice mountain lodge for a stay in a monastery. Yes, the Monks were kind enough to let us come and stay overnight in the guest quarters, with one stipulation. We had to take a vow of silence expect for 1 hour when we were allowed to come together and pray together – not talk with one another, but pray. We each had our own little room with primitive furnishings, very stark and plain. A chair with no cushion that slid up to a small wooden desk, and a mattress on what was more like a rack laced with rope. We were also allowed to walk within a certain area of the grounds, alone of course. Our goal was to be in search of silence, to put away all the noise and clutter in our minds. Just be still before God, searching for Him in the silence, then listening to what He had to say. It was during this retreat I first heard Him speak to me. 28 © exemplify magazine
Follow me..
Hanging on the wall in my room was a cross and a plainly framed calligraphy of John 10:27. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” I came away knowing I had heard Him speak directly to me and He used John 10:27. What I came to realize was the more time I spent in solitude in His Word I was able to recognize His voice. And His voice always says, “Follow Me.” It is never, I want you to do what so and so is doing, it’s “Follow Me.” By keeping my eyes on Him, this deaf and dumb lamb doesn’t stray from her Shepherd. Good news! We don’t need to check into a monastery to hear His voice. Here are 5 ways I’ve heard God’s voice. • First and foremost He speaks through His Word. • Next, He speaks to us in our own quiet thoughts (that are always weighed against His Word. He never speaks contrary to His Word!) • He speaks to us through nature. Consider Psalm 8. • He speaks through the counsel of wise friends and spiritual leaders. (2 Chronicles 20:3-20; Proverbs 1:5; Proverbs 11:14) • I continually hear His voice echoing into my soul through those defining moments of life: births, deaths, losses, abundance, failure and triumph, just to name a few.
He speaks through His word.
Of all the spiritual practices used to hear the voice of God, being in the Scriptures is first and foremost. The Bible is a “living and active’ book (Hebrews 4:12); I’m not to merely know the principles it contains, but I’m to connect with the Person it proclaims. From the beginning of time He has used the spoken word, the written Word and incarnate Word so we could become acquainted with Him and know Him intimately. His primary form of communication with us has not changed. It is us who have changed. We’ve allowed technology, other books and forms of print besides the Word of God, and even Christian speakers to replace our need for hearing from Him. All of these things are good, but there needs to be boundaries set so we can hear directly from God in a personal, intimate way. What we take in through technology, printed word and speakers has been pre-digested by someone else. They have heard the voice of God in their personal walk with the Lord and they are sharing it with us. That is not to say there’s no place for those things in our lives. I’m thankful you are using technology to read this article. But reading online or in book form can never replace our time alone with the Lord.
By being in the Word I find myself becoming intimately acquainted with Him and I begin to know and understand His truths and recognize His guidance in my life. During my times of silence before the Lord, He has used His Word and His Spirit to both convict me of sin and to tell me I’m His cherished possession. When I am reading His Word, listening to it being read on a CD, or even singing Scripture songs, I find myself in a place where I can hear the voice of God. There is no new revelation, no new word from the Lord, only that which is already contained in His Word. By being in the Word I find myself becoming intimately acquainted with Him and I begin to know and understand His truths and recognize His guidance in my life. Being in the Word involves engaging my mind in an attempt to understand and apply the truths contained within its pages. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”
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Being in the Word of God will permeate my life and I will begin to see how it intersects with every area of my life. “Let the Word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your heart to God.” Colossians 3:16 Being in the Word of God will produce fruit in your life. • Loving God with your mind, not just your fickle, emotional heart. • Learn how to internalize what He’s teaching you through His Word. • It puts you in a place where God can instruct and correct you. • Grow in your ability to defend and express your faith. Do you desire to hear His voice, to become more intimately acquainted with Him? Here are eight tips to help you. ‘ROAM’ for Understanding Its Principles ‘MAPS’ for Heart Intimacy with the Person Read a book of the Bible using a different translation than you are used to using. Meditate – ‘ponder’ the truth into your heart Outline a chapter to understand the key principles that are contained within it. Affirm the truth aloud – Read it aloud so you are actually hearing it spoken to you. Analyzing a paragraph will help you in digging deeper for the meaning. Pray Scripture back to God. Replace pronouns with your name and personalize your prayer. Memorize a key verse to internalize a core principle; having the Word dwell within you. Sing the Word to God in worship. Make up a tune and turn the Word into a praise song.
feature article
What if I don’t hear His voice? There have been times in my life when I felt I was clearly and audibly hearing the voice of God. Other times it’s gentle whispers or silence – I don’t hear His voice at all. In those quiet seasons of life we must trust Him to guide us through the unknown. By keeping close even when He seems silent, we will gain strength by re-reading and meditating on the Words we found to be true before. He does not change. His silence is for a reason. Look at the life of Joseph (Genesis 37-50) or Job and read through the Psalms. • Does the silence mean He’s not present or too busy for me? No. His word faithfully proclaims He will NEVER leave me nor forsake me. (Hebrews 13:5) I am never alone, not even in the darkest of hours. • If I don’t hear God’s voice, can I still trust Him? A resounding YES! King David exemplified trust in his relationship with the Lord regardless of whether or not he “felt” his presence. (Psalm 42:8,9,11) • Those dark times of not hearing His voice are necessary for my growth. The cold and barrenness of winter allows for a time of pruning, trimming back the unfruitful branches of my life, thus making my fruitful branches even more fruitful in another season. A period of darkness is necessary for our bodies to rejuvenate every 24 hours. Periods of darkness in our spiritual life also have the promise of renewal. (1 John 3:2,3) • Sometimes I can’t hear God’s voice because, well, to be perfectly honest, He’s not saying what I want to hear! That’s when I need to pull back, examine my life and see if there is sin interfering in my ability to hear from God. (Psalm 46:10; Psalm 139:23,24) Be patient and listen close. God whispers in your soul and speaks to your heart. Whatever He’s saying, it’s about what brings Him glory.
30 © exemplify magazine
How do you reflect on the voice of God? Share with us at exemplify@me.com.
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31 Š exemplify magazine
The Book Nook with Deborah Boutwell Review of Plain Jayne by Hillary Manton Lodge
When Jayne Tate is informed that she needs to take a break from her job as a newspaper reporter to deal with some personal issues after the death of her father, she decides to investigate the Amish lifestyle instead. She thinks there is a story there, amidst the beautiful farms, handcrafted furniture, quilts, and aprons. Instead of heading home to her mother, she jumps on her motorcycle and heads into Amish country. Selecting a name from the internet of someone that builds Amish furniture, she hopes to find an avenue into a personal story with an Amish family. She finds her story and more as she is invited into their plain world. “The idea of a utopian society, working off the land and truly caring for each other – frankly, I had a hard time buying into it. Even if it did work, what was their secret?” Luke Burkholder owns an Amish carpentry business in the town outside an Amish community. He had left the corporate world to be closer to his family and settled into woodworking. He stayed because of his family even though they no longer acknowledged him as their son or brother. Jayne and Luke quickly develop a friendship over coffee. He agrees to be interviewed and arranges for Jayne to meet an Amish family that invites her to spend a few days with them. Jayne trades her motorcycle for a horse and buggy and her jeans for a cotton dress and dark apron. Martha and Gideon, parents of 8 children, allow Jayne to become a part of their family for a week. She must learn to bake without all the modern technologies, learn to clean, and take care of children….all things that she never had a desire to do before.
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© svilen001 / sxc.hu
She also learns the truth about some important questions.
Let’s not forget about Levi… this is a romance novel after all. He is there, helping Jayne and others. He sees both sides of the Amish life and offers insight that Jayne never expected to find. He helps Jayne as she returns home and reconnects with her family.
Do Amish kids cow-tip? How do they date? How do they stay connected to the outside world? How do they worship? How do they have such forgiving hearts…. and yet…how can they not forgive those closest to them?
“There were moments I’d missed, moments I’d never get back. I always thought I was fine with that. Now…I wasn’t so sure.”
“How could Gideon be so gentle, so gracious, so forgiving of Mike the hoodlum and yet refuse to have a relationship with his lawabiding, talented son?” Plain Jayne is a sweet tale of a modern girl mixed into the plain life of the Amish. It’s sometimes a humorous look at the dependencies modern technology has caused us to have….like – where to recharge your cell phone or laptop…what to do when someone steals the family buggy? But it goes deeper when it delves into the relationship between father and son, mother and daughter, man and woman, God and His children. Jayne’s attempt to uncover this mysterious lifestyle leads her to uncover some truths about herself. She likes to bake pies. She likes children. She likes to cut quilt squares and would love to figure out what to do with them next. She wants to know her family better.
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Back in the real world, Jayne goes about reinventing herself with a pantry full of food that she can bake a pie with and a wardrobe that will impress Sara, the Amish teenager that dreams of being a fashion designer. Yea…you read that right! Which brings to mind….what do Amish kids dream of becoming and what happens when they set out to make those dreams come true? Let’s just say…. there is a sequel there due to release this fall, Simply Sara. “I felt myself moving toward the ideals of the Amish: simplicity, family, faith. I craved the way I’d felt at the farm – for the first time, I didn’t feel my life was spinning out of control. Since then I’d restructured my own life, repairing my family relationships and reconciling with a God I’d ignored for too long. I was learning to quilt, bake, and make my apartment mold resistant.
Jayne finds that slipping on an apron and holding pieces of cut squares of material have a way of putting everything in “a state of rightness”. Hillary Manton Lodge has done a wonderful job with her debut novel. I look forward to many more of her stories and the development of some of her characters from this novel into stories of their own. It’s a great ride…whether on motorized or horse-powered two wheels! I’m giving away my copy of Plain Jayne along with some other surprises (local made Amish items) at my personal blog. You can find out a little more about Hillary at her website.
In worship, God imparts himself to us. –C.S.Lewis Each morning as I drag myself into the shower, I stand there, just God and me. While the water flows I surrender it all, each day. I stand there humbly and I face God stripped of the things that often compete for my attention. I stand in the shower and worship. It’s not flashy worship. There are no sound checks, no lighting to worry about, no big screens with fancy power points, it’s just me and God. Then the distractions come. Sometimes there is a knock on the door, sometimes the phone rings; sometimes it’s my own doing. My mind moves from worship, the honest, real place I was, into my world where often worship ends and the day begins. Recently, I was brought to a verse in Jeremiah 29.
“You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV) Brother Lawrence eloquently puts it, “We are made for God alone, who can only be pleased when we turn away from ourselves to devote ourselves to Him.” What a beautiful thought, but he was a 15th century monk! He clearly didn’t have the demands of a family and a job. He didn’t have a Blackberry buzzing in his pocket. Life was simpler for him. It was easier for him to worship. Right? I doubt it. While he lived the life of a monk, he was bombarded just as we all are with distractions of daily life and the distractions within his own head, and yet he pursued a continual conversation with God. Continuous worship! Most days I struggle to get out of the shower without a distraction; when was the last time I consciously pursued the words of the prophet Jeremiah and sought God with ALL my heart? If worship is giving of myself to God, ALL of myself: my thoughts, my emotions, my actions, then I clearly have to step away and look at how I worship. Worship, true worship requires every part of me. It IS, after all, what we were created for. 34 magazine February 2010
We were, each of us, uniquely created to worship God. American Heritage Dictionary defines worship as, “the reverent love and devotion accorded a deity, an idol, or a sacred object and the ceremonies, prayers, or other religious forms by which this love is expressed.” Worship as defined is an expression of love towards something sacred. There is nothing in the definition that limits where or when that worship can take place. What privilege worship is! Often in the midst of the noise of life, I forget to see it as the privilege it is.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into His wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV) We were made to worship. But if you and I are constantly distracted, how in the world can we move into a place of “continuous worship?” For each of us the answer lies only in one place: in Him. We were formed as unique creations of the Father; therefore, our worship is unique. Just as no two of us are alike, neither will our worship be. We long to continuously worship and, because worship is a verb, it’s going to require action and movement. A movement toward holiness! Baby steps perhaps, but nonetheless, movement in the direction of continuous worship, knowing that there will never be an end to this journey. Worshiping God will never be complete, nor should it ever become complacent or stagnant. Worship begins when I seek God with my whole heart. Every part of my life should be an act of worship. Real worship, true worship, continuous worship should not be confined to a Sunday service (although that is a wonderful form of worship within a community of believers). We are temples of God, constantly moving and journeying through this life; therefore our worship should be and can be done wherever we are, not being contained to a set time or particular place.
Written by Lori MacMath
Continuous >>> 35 magazine September 2008
Worship
moving toward holiness column
THAT sounds wonderful, but how?
Continuous Worship
How in the world can we move into a continuous worship relationship with God? When was the last time that you just sat in worship? There are numerous life demands and countless distractions that we are faced with every day; it’s clear that we are going to have to make a conscious effort to NOTICE that opportunities to worship God are ALL around us! That is GOOD news! We won’t have to so much seek the opportunities to worship, but rather notice the opportunities that God so graciously places on our daily path, each of our paths being uniquely created just for us.
What an amazing God! What we’ll begin to notice is a change. We will cease going through the “motions” of cultural worship and begin to live a life constantly devoted to God. As we move towards a “continuous worship” with the Lord, HE will impart Himself to us. Then the real transformation begins, because we won’t be able to sit still. We can’t help but live lives that constantly want to serve and honor God, not because we have to, but because we want to. What a beautiful thought! Join me this month as we journal our journey towards continuous worship. (The journal is available for download here) It’s not a onetime deal. It’s going to require work and commitment. Think of it as sort of a “Spiritual life plan.” This journal is just a guide as to where you can begin to find ways to worship in your distracting days. Baby steps. Many of us have come from a culture where worship has its time and place, but the question that continues to penetrate my mind is a challenging one: If I’m not worshiping God, what am I worshiping? What replaces God when I’m not worshiping Him? The rubber meets the road here. It’s personal: it’s between you and God. (He already knows where you are and rest assured He is thrilled that you are turning your eyes toward Him.) Are you ready to move toward an experience of continuous worship? The Continuous Worship Journal can be found in PDF form here.
36 © exemplify magazine
Ask a Titus 2 email
Christine @ exemplify@me.com
Dear Christine, I have been a Christian for about 7 years. I love the Lord. But I have a problem. It seems that when everyone else is praising God they all look so happy and peaceful while I don’t feel much. I know I am saved and I sense the Lord in other areas of my life - can feel His peace. But I can’t help thinking there is something seriously wrong with me. Or that I’ve outsinned His grace. What should I do? - S.
Dear S. -
I have been saved 25 years now and to be honest it took me a long while before I felt much during the praise and worship time at church. During those early years I spent a lot of time thinking I had somehow disappointed God and that was why I felt empty during that time. I get the feeling you may do the same from your letter. Time has shown me many things. In this situation I have would have to say the reason I felt so little during praise and worship is because I had a lot of issues that were standing in the way. I had such a skewed sense of who God was. I thought everything was dependent on my behavior during the week that praise and worship sometimes became a time of worry for me. I would go over all my sins...all my shortcomings... all the things I could have done better during the week... you get the picture. Praise my God that all the while He was mending me and making me into the woman of God I am today. For me there was so much unbelief in God’s goodness it was hard to let go and praise Him for His very being. Romans chapter 5 tell us that we are justified by faith through Christ Jesus. We are offered an overwhelming grace when we accept Him as our Lord. Time has been His tool. He has slowly changed how I think by revealing Himself to me one day at a time. As I learned who He was through all of the situations and trials in my life I began to see Him as He truly is not how I perceived Him to be. This, in turn, made my time during praise and worship a pleasure rather then something to be avoided. Surrender yourself to Him. Embrace His grace. Believe me, He will do the same for you. 37 © exemplify magazine
In Him, Christine
spotlight on...
Kelli Regan: Witness to those in prison Written by Judith Roberts
Š Wam1975 | Dreamstime.com 38 Š exemplify magazine
“Our goal is to present the gospel to people incarcerated in prison systems and abroad: to lead them to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ; to bring hope in what seems to be a hopeless situation; to disciple them through the teaching of God’s Word and to prepare them for living a Godly lifestyle.” – Christian Life Prison Ministry Mission Statement As required of our justice system, those who commit crimes are punished. They have food, and they have shelter. But how many of them have friends and family who love them enough to visit them? Those who rob, those who steal, those who rape and plunder and commit all sorts of crimes, should be punished. It’s how our society works. But what happens in prison? I talked with a woman, “Amy,” who is now in her midthirties and spent some time in prison about a decade ago for drug use. “They didn’t help me with my drug problem,” she told me. “There was no rehabilitation process.” Amy thankfully got her life on track after prison and is married with four children. She is a sophomore college student and works part-time to help pay her tuition. She’s one of the lucky ones, though, who turned her life around after making a mistake. There are also those who minister, like Kelli Regan, one of the volunteers with Christian Life Prison and Recovery Ministry in Bensalem, Penn., right outside Philadelphia. Kelli and other volunteers visit and witness to prisoners about the saving grace of Jesus Christ and help to equip them with the skills necessary to become productive members of society following release. “Our Friday night couples’ Bible study was trying to find a mission project that we could do,” Kelli said. “We were looking for a way to reach out to those in the community who were neglected by most people. We tossed around lots of typical, ‘safe’ ideas like a food pantry, women’s shelter or homeless shelter. 39 © exemplify magazine
But none of the ideas really stuck. Then, out of the blue, someone — who happened to be my husband — said, ‘How about prison?’ You could have heard a pin drop. “But when we started to think about it the idea seemed strangely right. From the beginning we felt like doing this was a God thing. Within days one of the women in our Bible study talked to one of her patients — she’s a chiropractor — about our idea. Turns out the patient had contact with someone in prison ministry in our church.” Within a few weeks, Kelli and the Bible study group met Bob Sofronski, director of CLPM, and soon after, they made their first visit to prison. “I was incarcerated myself in 1997-1998. I was addicted for 20 years,” Bob said. “When I was released, I went back to the same jail and the same chapel where I got saved. I’ve been going back there for 10 years.” CLPM visits two different prisons on a regular basis and different institutions when called. “We all pitch in as we can,” Kelli said. “Bob holds the ministry loosely and encourages others to step up and get more involved as they’re comfortable — sometimes with a little nudge. During our time in the prison, where we lead Tuesday night worship services, I help as needed. Sometimes I might share something I wrote on my blog. Sometimes I lead prayer. Sometimes I sit on the side, pray for them and try to be an encouragement for the inmates. Every week I greet the inmates as they come in and welcome them.” Bob said that couples like Kelli and her husband Dan are encouraging to those around them. “For a husband and a wife to be in the ministry together – whether in prison or in church – is very inspiring for lots of people,” he said. “The guys in prison want that relationship. They want to be back in marriage. Kelli writes, she prays with them. She’s been a big help with the ministry, bigger than what she realizes.”
He added that not all people are called to this ministry, and women visiting and ministering to men in prison need to be aware of what they wear, how they dress, and how they act. “The guys tell us they’re praying for (Kelli), and they ask about her,” Bob said. “She’s a really cool woman. The guys will let you know if you’re called to this. They respond to her.” Kelli said she was nervous at first but has become more at ease with prayer and time. “From the beginning Bob told our group that the inmates will let you know whether they accept you or not. I have been amazed from the beginning; they’ve all been very supportive and accepting of us, because we sure don’t come from the same background as they do,” Kelli said.” As a woman going into that environment, I’m careful how I act, but the men have always been very respectful of me. Strangely I feel very comfortable among them.” For those interested in prison ministry, Kelli suggested joining up with an existing prison ministry. “I think the easiest route would be to join up with an existing prison ministry,” she said. “That’s what we did. Once we put out feelers among our collective contacts, we’d located a local prison ministry within a week. Luckily for us they were willing to take on newbies and helped us grow along the way. Starting a prison ministry from scratch is a huge undertaking. I suppose it’s possible, but quite difficult for someone inexperienced and without contacts. “Bob talks a lot about the warfare that exists in and around the ministry. Go in with eyes wide open and fully ‘prayed up,’ as he likes to say. The enemy does not want to give ground.” Since 2004, Bob said about 70 people have asked to participate in CLPM, but they only have about 14 volunteers.
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“We’ve had a few people contact us. We met with them and let them know about the warfare with prison ministry,” he said. “We’re taking back from the enemy. Scripture says that God restores what the enemy has stolen. He attacks our family and us. We prepare them for the warfare they’re about to face.” In the two years that Kelli and those in her Bible study have worked with the prison ministry, she’s had an opportunity to move into a leadership role and led worship in front of about 90 men in a maximum security prison. “The energy in the room during a worship service is infectious,” Kelli said. “The men are passionate, prayerful and full of praise. In the beginning I enjoyed just going and soaking it all in. Since I don’t have any prior experience with leading worship or music ministry, I didn’t really see how I could contribute past just showing up. Honestly, as a shy person, that limited public exposure was fine with me. Looking at my complete lack of credentials, one has to chuckle at God’s sense of humor to bring me into this. “The first time I led the prayer I was a nervous wreck. But the Holy Spirit worked through me in such a powerful way. The men really responded. God’s presence in the room felt very real. It was one of the most amazing spiritual experiences I’ve had.”
Embracing our call to grow the found.
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Ouch! Too Much Information! ministry online...
Written by Amy Bayliss
My boys didn’t like being used as an analogy in this instance. It offended them even though it was something I thought others could relate to. I scrapped that piece and from then on I sought permission from them, my husband, cousin, uncle or anyone else that I may dare to use in my writings or talks. I quickly discovered that I had to be more sensitive to those I have the highest responsibility for. God may call us to share our life’s most intimate details for the benefit of others, but when it comes to sharing it online we do have to be more careful. What is posted here does not just stay here and it lives on forever. It is not like having a one on one conversation with someone you are mentoring or speaking among those in small groups. We must consider the repercussions to the other person or persons when deciding what to write about and use as examples. When in doubt, pray and then ask the person. If it is something God has truly laid on your heart to use in ministry then He will be sure to prepare the other person’s heart to be humbled and used as an example. If I’ll never forget the time I wrote a post about the smell of my they decline then pray for God to give you another analboys’ rooms. I went into messy detail about stinky shoes and ogy or another way of driving your point home. He is stale smelling carpets. I emphasized that no matter how often I not void of ideas. He is the master of them. Just ask. washed the sheets and blankets or how well I febreezed, the smell just seemed to linger. I made sure to ask my boys’ permission before writing I made sure it was all in good humor and I was positive that other moms would appreciate my candor. Then I tied it all up with a pretty bow by giving an analogy that was sure to convict the hearts of many. The problem was that even as I belly laughed while reading it to my husband and then sighed a sigh of pure revelation as I got to the end, I noticed that my little men all sat quietly and sad nearby. I questioned each of them and discovered they didn’t appreciate the piece near as much as I did and they were afraid that their friends might read it and think that they were gross.
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this today. They are older now and apparently being “smelly” is now a cool thing to be. Who would have ever guessed? But God knew. He knew back then when He taught me that lesson that I would one day realize that I was like those smelly socks and all the smiles and Hallelujahs in the world couldn’t febreeze over it. What is also important is that I had peace in my home and my children know that I value their emotions and thoughts. It has only helped us to grow stronger and it actually increased the expanse of the ministry that God gave us. So be sure to pray and talk to your family before posting the dirty laundry on the internet. It is a most pleasing aroma to God when you do so.
devotional
Purposed Worship Written by Kara Cox
I’ve been involved in worship ministry at my church for almost 17 years. It’s a passion of mine, and I’ve enjoyed being a vessel God uses to usher His people into His presence. Over the years I’ve been the worship leader, in charge of all of our weekly services; I’ve sung for our youth group; I’ve lead worship for women’s retreats. But today I did something I never expected to do: lead worship for a funeral service. I am one of those people that can’t help but cry with those who cry. Most funerals are tearful, but this one was particularly sad, the death being tragic and unexpected. People were sobbing all over the chapel. To my left, a lifelong friend was letting her tears flow freely, in front of me, a woman’s shoulders shook as quiet sobs spilled over. I knew this was going to be one of the most difficult experiences of my life: me, a seasoned worship leader. I prayed for strength. I don’t often expect to hear praise and worship songs at a funeral; most of the time I expect somber songs or hopeful songs about heaven. But what the minister, and the family, wanted was something joyful, something worshipful. My mouth was dry, and my friends leading with me were as nervous as I, but we made our way through the crowd to the front of the chapel. I closed my eyes as my friend Sam started to strum the chords of one of the favorite worship songs of our beloved friend. I couldn’t look at anyone, fearful I would start to cry. I’m trading my sorrows. I started off: hearing my best friend’s harmonies blend with my voice helped. I’m trading my shame. I’m laying them down, for the joy of the Lord. I’m trading my sickness, I’m trading my pain. I’m laying them down, for the joy of the Lord. I dared to look now, to see if anyone was startled by such a song of hope, of triumph over sadness and sickness and shame. People were still crying, but I caught out of the corner of my eye my deceased friend’s brother, and he was worshipping. In the midst of overwhelming sadness and grief, he was worshipping. My heart leaped with joy. God is good. Instead of worrying about tears or the lack of preparation or the nervousness of being in front of such a large crowd I finally turned my focus to the One who was so worthy of the worship. And at a funeral, I praised. I magnified. I glorified the King of Kings and Lord of Lords: the Maker of my friend whose life had been cut short, the only One truly deserving of glory and honor and praise, all the time, even in life’s darkest moments.
Trading My Sorrows, written and performed by Darrell Evans, copyright 1998 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music
My view of worship changed today. I knew in that head knowledge sort of way that worship was supposed to be an always, anywhere, in every circumstance part of our lives in Christ. But today, finding myself in a place I had never considered worshipping the Lord, it became heart knowledge. It became flesh and blood, soul and spirit reality to me. David knew this truth when he penned this psalm, “I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.” Psalm 34:1 (NLT). At all times. On a Sunday in church, on a Tuesday morning running errands, on a delicious Saturday afternoon walking through a park, on a Wednesday at a funeral, God is worthy of praise. I think about my friend’s brother, sitting there, worshipping through tears of sorrow. That was a sacrifice of praise, the likes of which I’ve never experienced. His brother died tragically, so he could have sat there stone cold, angry at God for what had happened. I wouldn’t really blame him if he did. But there was no anger or resentment in his expression, though he didn’t try to deny the hurt, pain, and grief he was feeling. He came into God’s presence broken and real, and I can only imagine the joy it brought our heavenly father. I’m easily inspired to worship when I see God’s awesome creation; A brilliant sunset, a star studded sky, the vast ocean. It comes easy then, almost like a knee-jerk reaction. No doubt, my worship in these instances is sincere, but the ease of it flows from me almost unconsciously. There is nothing easy, quick or unconscious about worshipping God in the midst of overwhelmingly difficult situations. It requires purposeful focus, intention and a desire to see God magnified in any and every circumstance. I think of David’s Psalms: how so many of them were penned when he was going through difficult and agonizing situations. If it had been me, and I was being hunted down by King Saul, would I have been able to worship like that? If I had lost my son, would I be able to wash my face, eat and worship the Lord? My God is deserving of worship whether he paints a masterpiece in the sky or walks us through the shadow of death. “I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.” Psalm 34:1 (NLT).
He is worthy.
closet issues column
Praising in the Desert: Walking through SpiritualDepression
Written by Chrystie Cole
44 magazine February 2010
Last fall, I traveled to the Grand Canyon with my husband and a few others for a four day long backpacking adventure. As we embarked upon our journey, it was impossible not to notice the barrenness of the land surrounding us on all sides. The little vegetation that was there was dense and full of thorns. The ground was dusty and cracked. Riverbeds, where streams once flowed, were merely stagnant puddles, offering little life to anything that happened upon them. Pesky little mice were the only real evidence of life and, unfortunately, they were in abundant supply. Besides the brilliant shades of red dirt and dust that made up the canyon walls and some magnificent sunrises and sunsets, there was very little color to be found. The canyon was truly magnificent, but it was a dry and barren land. There have been times in my life when my spiritual life looked much like this picture of the Grand Canyon, seasons that were scarred by vast chasms of emptiness, and colorless, joyless living. I’ve walked through seasons of intense spiritual depression: spending days, even months on my knees crying out to God, begging Him to restore me to the joy of my salvation and echoing the words of the prophet Elijah, “I’ve had enough, Lord. Take my life…” (1 Kings 19:4 NIV) Walking through spiritual depression is much like hiking through the Grand Canyon: trudging the dry, barren road with perseverance and clinging to hope, until light begins to break through the darkness and I begin to see evidences of life once again. During times of spiritual depression, I feel like a lost sheep, crying out for my Shepherd and listening for His voice, but finding only silence. During times of spiritual depression, the enemy attacks me viciously with his lies, slandering God’s character and casting doubt in my mind of God’s promised presence.
In those moments, when I seem to have lost my way, when I can’t hear the Shepherd’s voice, I am vulnerable, weak and desperate for any sign of God’s hand in my life. But often, the darkness is so overwhelming that it blinds me to the fact that God is still there, that he is in the midst of the darkness. And the devil taunts me so loudly that he drowns out the still, small voice of my God who is calling to me and reassuring me of His presence. It is in these moments that I pour over God’s word, seeking His light and truth to lead me out of the darkness. Invariably, I find myself in the psalms. I love the psalmists because they are passionate, intense and raw. They are full of emotional struggle, vulnerability, depression and despair. But they are also full of joy, thanksgiving, and passion for God. The psalmists are real and relateable in their human struggles and they give me hope. Probably no one psalm resonates more with me in times of darkness and despair than Psalm 42. “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’…My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon – from Mount Mizar… I say to God my Rock, ‘Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?’ My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’…Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 42:1-3, 9-11 NIV
closet issues column
Sometimes spiritual depression is born out of my reaction to external circumstances in my life, like the death of a loved one, rejection, financial difficulties, loss of a job, or going through some sort of change in life. Sometimes it is the result of my own sinful choices and tendencies to veer off course and to seek life from the things of this world. And sometimes, I am just spiritually exhausted from trying to live in this world on my own strength, knowledge and resources. Whatever the reason, spiritual depression is one of the loneliest and most painful things I have experienced as a Christian. And to make matters worse, it is almost always accompanied by a sense of failure and the feeling that if I were a “good enough” Christian, that if I just had enough faith, I wouldn’t have these struggles. The cry of the psalmist, “my tears have been my food day and night,” I know too well. As much as I do not enjoy or desire the desert experiences, it has been during those seasons that my faith has grown and been refined and that my dependence on and desire for God has increased exponentially. What I love about the psalmist in this passage is that he lays himself bare before God, coming before God exactly as he is. He doesn’t try to dress it up or pray rote, eloquent prayers. He doesn’t mask his fears, doubts, or agony. He is raw, real, and passionate. But then, in the midst of his despair, the psalmist takes an unexpected and beautiful turn – he chooses to turn his mind toward God. He chooses to put his hope in God. He chooses to fix his gaze upon God. And, in spite of his despair, he chooses to praise Him. Oh, how I love this psalm, because it reminds me that I can come before God broken and hurting, full of despair and even self-pity. I don’t have to pretty it up. I can bring myself to Him – the good, the bad, and the ugly – and lay it all at His feet.
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And because it reminds me to look up! It reminds me to choose to remember my God. It reminds me that I can choose to praise Him regardless of how I feel. Praising God has been my lifeline during these seasons, because it takes my focus off my problems and reminds me how big my God is. It doesn’t necessarily change my circumstances. The spiritual depression doesn’t magically disappear. But it does change my heart. It reminds me of how amazing my God is and it gives me just enough hope and joy to keep moving forward. Praising God in moments of darkness and despair has been some of the sweetest, most intimate moments I have ever had with my Savior. Praising Him through worship music. Praising Him through reciting scriptures aloud. Praising Him for His past faithfulness. Praising Him for His current provision. Praising Him for my eternal salvation. Just praising Him! Can’t you just imagine the rejoicing that goes on in heaven, when one of God’s children chooses to praise Him in spite of their struggle, in spite of their circumstances, in spite of the enemy’s taunting?! Imagine the angels, worshipping in unison as your praise reaches the heavens, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty.” Praise His name!
You know you’re a weary woman if... you packed your cell phone & a take out menu in your child’s lunchbox this morning. Yeah. It’s about time to overcome that weariness..
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In the Kitchen with Holly
Cup o’ Courage Brimming with Blessing Written by Holly Smith
48 Š exemplify magazine
Imagine with me this scenario: you are preparing meals for an enemy, who has destined you and your extended family for the grave. He is completely unaware that you are actually in the camp which he has already destined for death. In fact, his pride and joy at being invited not only once, but twice, to dine with you and your husband is immeasurable. He is both giddy and unassuming. So what do you prepare? Are you more or less likely to spend extra time caring about preparations for an enemy? How are you feeling about this whole situation? This scenario is exactly what Queen Esther faced (you can read Esther’s story in its entirety here). She chose to prepare and fix two meals for her husband, who makes her feel less than confident, and for Haman, who has placed all Jews, including Esther, in mortal danger–and with his own money. Queen Esther begins by asking her uncle Mordecai and all her people, the Jews, to fast from food and drink for three straight days–morning, noon and night. On the third day, Esther initiates the preparations for the banquet she would host. er invitation to the king could easily have ended in death, depending on how he felt toward her at the time. If he felt edgy that particular day, he easily could have sentenced his wife to die. But rather, he extended favor by putting forth his gold scepter. The invitation is accepted by the king and Haman, so Esther begins to prepare the meal for her husband and her enemy. They sit to dine and the king asks Esther what she would like, even up to half his kingdom. And Esther’s reply is that she want to do this all again tomorrow. She then prepares a second meal for her enemy.
POTATO © Tea | Dreamstime.com
Let’s now press the pause button…how did Esther feel about preparing the meal and sitting down with her enemy–twice? Did she make an extra effort to prepare or not? Perhaps she thought of King David’s words in Psalm 23 (The Message), “I’m not afraid when You walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure. You serve me a six-course dinner, right in front of my enemies. You relieve my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing.” In courage, Esther issued the invitation. By courage, she prepared it. And clothed with courage from head to toe, Esther sits to sup with her enemy. The ones she loved most had fasted for three days, as she had fasted herself, and the LORD infused wisdom and strength, wrapped in courage into this young woman named Esther. He showed her how and when to carry out each course of each meal. I asked some friends to share about when they prepared a meal for an enemy and whether they prepared more carefully or less or the same. I also asked how they felt. Here are their responses: “Yes, I have a few times. I don’t think I prepared or decorated any differently but I do remember wondering if they might feel differently about me afterward. They didn’t, but it made me feel good to be serving them for His Name’s sake.” “I worked extra hard, hoping to make some difference in their opinion of me. I was uncomfortable at first, but as I began to pray, I felt God’s unexplainable peace. It did not change their opinion.”
“Knowing he was coming, and wanting to avoid any sort of negative comment and/or put down, caused huge anxiety and bitterness as I cleaned my home and ‘went all out’ preparing food I knew he favored. It was never good enough, however, to escape scorn and ridicule…not enough salt, too much ‘this,’ not as good as my mother-in-law’s, ‘guess Judy didn’t teach you anything about cooking’ and the inevitable selfish comments and behavior. All of this from a man who professes to love the Lord and is a ‘religious church attender.’ During the time of preparation, I would be short-tempered, impatient, wanting everyone to be on top of things. By the time I sat down after hours of preparation I was usually unable to eat. I would brace myself for the comments and rude remarks directed at myself, my husband, my children, my mother-in-law. My focus would be defending my children and intervening if they became the target of his abuse.” Can you imagine? Have you ever felt this way before? It takes a God-infused wisdom and courage to face some people, doesn’t it? Of course each of these scenarios did not leave their lives or their loved ones’ lives hanging in the balance. Queen Esther’s real-life story is an extreme. However, I believe, in reality, Esther planned more carefully, paying attention to every detail–perhaps she even listened to the advice of the head of the kitchen, as she listened to advice when she won her husband’s heart. And I believe she was not feeling angry at all. Rather, I think the Spirit of God hovered over her as a guard. I believe she felt courageous and fully at ease. She was secure, confident and even quietly courageous–a God-infused response.
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I want that in the face of my daily battles. I want to be quietly confident, courageous and secure in the face of my enemies. I want to live God-infused every day, like it matters. I want to make quite a wave–affecting many– in light of the small drop of courage I release into the ocean of each day’s possibility. Don’t you? Like Esther, we need to take our invitation to our enemy seriously, carefully and confidently–even courageously. It makes all the difference in a life, a day, a people and an eternity. With that being said, here are two courses Esther may have chosen to prepare–rich foods, comfort foods, expensive foods, which call for careful, even tedious, steps in preparation. I think you will enjoy them!
Shrimp Scampi
Chocolate Mousse
3 T. butter 2 T. minced garlic 1 1/2 pounds peeled, de-veined shrimp 1/4 c. dry white wine 1/2 c. tomato sauce 1 1/4 c. heavy cream 1/2 t. basil 1/2 t. oregano 1/8 t. thyme 1 1/8 t. Italian hot pepper flakes 2 egg yolks salt to taste white pepper to taste 2 T. finely minced parsley (optional) 12 oz. angel hair pasta (plus 2 more T. butter for pasta)
4 1/2 (1 ounce) squares semi-sweet baking chocolate 1/3 c. water 3/4 c. sugar 4 egg yolks 2 t. brandy flavoring (or 2 1/2 T. brandy) 3 c. heavy whipping cream 1 egg white
Melt butter in skillet. Add garlic and sautĂŠ for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add shrimp and cook for one minute over medium-high heat, tossing with a wide spatula, until shrimp are bright pink all over. Do not overcook shrimp (makes them chewy). Add white wine and tomato sauce (still med-high heat) for one minute. Turn heat down to medium-low. Add 1 cup of cream, basil, oregano, thyme and hot pepper flakes. Beat egg yolks with remaining cream and add to sauce., stirring until sauce is thickened. Do not boil. Add salt and white pepper to taste. Cook pasta according to package directions. Then drain and add 2 T. butter and stir. Pour sauce over pasta and enjoy! Serves 4-6.
Melt chocolate over hot water in the top of a double boiler. Place water and sugar in small saucepan, cooking over medium heat until sugar is dissolved (stirring frequently). Pour melted chocolate into blender or food processor. Blend, slowly adding in sugar/water mixture. Continue, while adding egg yolks, one at a time. Add brandy flavoring. Process until smooth. Set aside and let cool. In a separate large bowl, blend egg white and whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in cooled chocolate mixture with a spatula. Spoon into 8 individual serving dishes. Garnish with chocolate shavings. Chill 2 hours. Serves 8.
faith applied column
Preparing to do His “Thang”!
Written by Jenifer Jernigan 52 © exemplify magazine
Webster’s Dictionary defines faith in the following way… “belief and trust in and loyalty to God; complete trust.” I don’t know about you, but I have a very hard time trusting someone that I do not know and especially someone I cannot physically see. If you and I are to flesh out our faith, our trust in and loyalty to the God of the universe, then we are going to have to know Him on a more intimate and real level. How can we come to know God in more real and intimate ways so that we are able to flesh out our trust in Him? The answer: by digging into His Word and unearthing the beautiful Truths He reveals about Himself. When I first came back to the Lord after my many years of wilderness wandering, a precious godly lady said to me in her most lovely southern accent, “Honey, you gotta get in the Word so you can do this thang for the Lord. Start havin’ them quiet times. Get to know Him more.” My heart so desired to start havin’ them quiet times so that I was prepared to do that “thang” for the Lord, but I had no idea what I was supposed to do or how I was supposed to do it. You, precious one, have “a thang” to do for the Lord. And in order to do that “thang” you need to be prepared and ready. This month let’s focus our efforts on fleshing out our faith through daily quiet times with the Father. First of all, what exactly is a “quiet time”? Very simply, it is a daily time of personal fellowship with God through His Word and prayer. Why should we have a quiet time? Let’s look at several reasons why we should have daily time with God.
1. We need fellowship with God; that’s what we were created for. Adam and Eve experienced a perfect relationship with God in the Garden, walking and talking with Him daily. They had this daily communion with God until they sinned, causing their perfect fellowship with Him to be no more. Sin caused there to be separation between man and God (Genesis 2 & 3). But, Praise the Lord, Christ died on the cross, bridging the gap between man and God so our fellowship with Him could be restored (1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 John 1:3-4). 2. Jesus set the example for us to follow. Scripture tells us that Jesus, in His humanity, needed time with the Father. Especially in times of business, Christ made it a priority to spend time with God. He knew that the more He’d be giving out, the more He had to be allowing God to fill Him up. (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16)) 3. We can’t be healthy, growing Christians without daily fellowship with God. Time with God is an absolute necessity for the growth and maturity of every believer. We can go without food for several days, but if we go on for too long we’ll eventually become weak and sick. The same is true in our spiritual life; if we aren’t feeding on His Word, allowing it to fill us up, we will become weak, sick, ineffective Christians. God’s Word is food for our souls. (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4; 1 Peter 2:2; Hebrews 5:14) 4. We are cleansed when we spend time with God in the Word. (Psalm 119:9; John 15:3; Ephesians 5:26) Spending time with God sheds light on our sin, giving us opportunity to confess and repent.
faith applied column
When we aren’t having a regular, daily quiet time, we are missing out on the privilege which we were created for and rejecting what Jesus died on the cross to make possible for us. We are ignoring the example Christ set for us to follow. Not spending daily time with God will cause us to remain weak and powerless Christians. We will not experience daily cleansing and refreshing, because we will not have allowed God’s Word to shed light on our sin. We’ve looked at why it’s important to have daily time with God. So, how do we do it? First, we’ve got to have the right attitude. Spending time with God is not so that we can check it off a list and tell our friends in Bible Study we did it. Rather, it’s to have fellowship with God and get to know Him more. We may appear, to our friends, to have it all together and be on the right path, but God knows our hearts and our motives (1 Samuel 16:7; 2 Chronicles 25:2). Come to God with an expectancy to hear from Him (Psalm 63:1), a reverence and awe for Who He is (Habakkuk 2:20), a willingness to obey (John 7:17), and an alertness of body (Isaiah 50:4). Set aside a specific time each day to spend with God. Don’t give God your leftover time; give Him your best. I am a firm believer in spending time with the Lord first thing in the morning. Spending time with God first thing in the morning prepares us for the day ahead. Throughout Scripture we are given examples of men and women who rose early to spend time with God: Jesus (Mark 1:35), Abraham (Genesis 19:27), Hannah and Elkanah (1 Samuel 1:19), Job (Job 1:5), and David (Psalm 5:3, Psalm 119:147, Psalm 143:8).
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I do understand that mornings don’t always work; the point is to set aside a specific time to be with God. Think you are too busy to fit God in? Take a close look at your daily schedule. I can almost guarantee you that there are things you do each day that aren’t necessary and could be replaced with time with God. I don’t want to sound too harsh, but we can make all the excuses in the world not to spend time with God and that’s exactly what they are, excuses. We will do what is important to us and if God is important to you, you’ll spend time with Him. Pray and ask Him to show you a time that the two of you can meet together; He’s always available: are you? Next, choose a special place. Jesus had a special place He went to often that was away from the “business” of everyday life (Luke 22:39). Choose a place where you can pray out loud without disturbing others. Make sure the place you choose has good lighting so you can see what you are reading. You’ll also want to make sure it’s a comfortable place (not your bed, though: you might get too comfy and fall asleep). Lastly, follow a simple plan. Don’t make it complicated; if you do, you’ll get frustrated and quit. You’ll need a good study Bible, notebook for journaling, pens and highlighters, index cards for memorizing Scripture and a hymnbook or praise music if you’d like.
The Quiet Time Plan 1. Be still before God (Psalm 46:10). Be quiet for a few minutes, allowing yourself to get in the proper mode and mindset of reverence. 2. Pray. Begin and end your time with God in prayer. Ask God to give you new insight into His Word and reveal to you new truths (Psalm 119:18; John16:13). P- Praise the Lord. Praise God for who He is and what He’s done. Pray His Word back to Him (Psalm 145-150; Revelation 4-5; 1 Chronicles 16:25-29 & 29:10-13; Psalm 50:23, 67:3; Hebrews 13:5). R- Repent. Confess your sins to God (Isaiah 6:5). Along with confession, comes repentance. Repentance involves turning from your sins and following God’s way (Psalm 32 & 51; Proverbs 28:9, 13; 1 John 1:9). A-Ask for yourself and others. Make your petitions known to God and intercede on the behalf of others. God loves us, wants to bless us and give us what we need (Matthew 7:7-9; Mark 11:22-24; John 14:13-14; Hebrews 4:16). Be specific in your prayer time. It may be helpful to have a prayer journal and pray specific Scriptures based on the needs of those you are interceding for (1 Samuel 12:23; Job 42:10; Romans 15:30; Ephesians 1:15-16). Y- Yield yourself to God. End your prayer time with a time of personal recommitment to God. Reaffirm the Lordship of Christ in your life and pledge your submission and obedience for the day to Him (Romans 14:8-9).
3. Read a section of Scripture. Read slowly; don’t get in a hurry or try to read too much at one time. Re-read the passage over and over until you get a clear picture of what’s going on. It may help you to understand better what you are reading if you read the passage aloud. Reading aloud will also help you to stay focused. 4. Meditate and memorize. Stop and think about what you are reading. Ask questions of the text. Who is involved in this passage? What is going on? When is it happening? Where is it happening? Why is it happening? How does it apply to me? Use your index cards to write down verses that speak to you and begin memorizing them (Psalm 119:11). 5. Write down what God has shown you. When God speaks, write it down. When you have questions, write them down. Write down what’s going on in your life and how God is working. Later you can come back to these writings and reflect on what God has done for you (Psalm 102:18). This might all seem overwhelming to you right now. Please remember that the main purpose in having a quiet time is getting to know Christ more. I pray this will be a help to you in the fleshing out of your faith so that you are prepared to do that “thang” for Him!
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k The Ancient Gates
Since the very first time I read Psalm 24 I’ve had a fascination and a curiosity about those ancient gates and doors. Where do the gates lead? Who should open them? I wonder what those ancient gates looked like. What I did not understand was how they necessarily related to worship. More specifically, how the gates related to my personal worship and relationship with God. According to Matthew Henry’s Commentary, this Psalm was probably written when David was bringing the Ark of the Covenant to the place he prepared for it in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6). The Ark of the Covenant literally represented God’s presence. I think it is pretty interesting that David prepared a place for God. He did not just saunter up to the Ark and say “What up, God? How you doin’?” No, he built a place. The earth is the Lord ’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths. Who may climb the mountain of the Lord ? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. They will receive the Lord ’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior. Such people may seek you and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob. -Psalm 24: 1-6 (NLT)
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In the first two verses David lays the foundation of God’s authority and power. He then goes on, in verses 3-6, to ask who may seek God in his holy place and be in his presence. In that day in time if you were ceremonially unclean, you could not even touch the Ark of the Covenant without being struck dead (2 Samuel 6: 6-7). There was serious concern about to how to become clean so they could worship God. It really tilts my brain when I think about how through Jesus’ death and resurrection I am able to be saved and have the spirit of God living inside me. I think about all of the ugly places in my soul, the dark corners I like to ignore, and realize that Jesus still saved me. That does not excuse me from living a sanctified life though; that knowledge only compels me towards purity of heart and intimacy with Jesus. I can never be clean enough, but still God lives in me. Are you thankful for the immense mercy we receive from God on a daily basis? I am. Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory? The Lord , strong and mighty; the Lord , invincible in battle. Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of Heaven’s Armies— he is the King of glory. -Psalm 24: 7-10 (NLT)
After reading through Psalm 24 several times, God began to reveal the true significance of the ancient gates and doors in respect to my worship of him. In the remaining verses of this Psalm David commands someone to open up the gates so they can bring in the Ark of Covenant. The gates were the way into the prepared place where the Ark would be set. Let’s think about literal gates and doors for a moment. Do you know the first thing I do when I have unexpected company at my house? I shut the doors to the messy rooms! Gates can also be used to let people in and out, to shut off old gardens or even protect places from intruders. What about gates and doors we have set-up in our souls? I have a feeling some of us use doors to hide our messy places. Some of us might even use them as a means of protection from what we fear. Does anyone have a safety gate around their life plans? {Notice I use the term ‘us’ because I am talking to myself as much as I am talking to you.} Read Psalm 24:7-10 again and let the power of those words really soak in. God is calling us to throw open our gates and doors to prepare every place in our soul for his presence. Imagine having a soul and spirit fully inhabited by God. God is the King of glory.And about those life plans you so dearly want to protect? Open the gate and see what happens when God’s glory is what you want the most. What about those things in your life that you’ve hidden behind closed doors? You think your dark places are too dark? Let the King of glory enter that gate; when the light shines into the darkness, the darkness disappears. He is the King of glory. How do we practically apply this to our lives? It’s simple; the preparation comes by spending time with God through prayer and reading your Bible, but you also need accountability through friends or family. There is nothing like having a friend that will get into your junk and love you just the same. Expect the King of glory when you pray and read your Bible; he will come.
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As I sit here writing to you right now, it is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten season which lasts 40 days ending on Easter. Traditionally, it is a time of fasting and prayer in preparation for the celebration of Easter. This year I am spending my 40 days preparing those spaces I’ve shut off with gates to be wide open to the King of Glory. I do this in hopes the gates will always remain open hereafter. I think it is very fitting that this edition of Exemplify Magazine is published on the eve of Easter this year. Check in with me at my blog for an update on what happened over the last 40 days and where I am now.
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Her Hope Written by Brooke McGlothlin
60 magazine
Š exemplify magazine
There’s
a woman
I
know; faithful, servant,
humble are the words she lives. doesn’t know.
He
Her husband
“I
am the man who has seen affliction
under the rod of
doesn’t see her for who
she really is under grace, under blood that
“He
saves.
away…”
He
doesn’t take joy in hers, doesn’t
know peace like hers – doesn’t know.
has made my flesh and skin waste
(3:4)
And yet
she worships.
A
His wrath…” (3:1)
“He has walled me about so that I cannot escape…” (3:7)
few weeks ago
I
saw her in church.
raised, face lifted up to the mighty to save…the
One
One
Arms
who is
who is mighty to
“[T]hough I
call and cry for help, he
shuts out my prayer…”
(3:8)
give her strength and joy each moment of her life…the
One who is her lover, her husShe adores Him and it
band, her soul mate.
“[H]e bent his bow and set me as a target for his arrow.” (3:12)
shows.
And I began to ponder worshipping in sorrow versus worshipping in joy. I
Engaged with Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer God in union sweet, union deep, union grounding me in Truth that helps me see. I could stay for hours in that place. It refreshes me and is the only place I can go to feel perfect peace. Soul peace. live for it
–
worship.
“[M]y soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is…” (3:17) But he ship.
knew the true meaning of wor-
“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The
steadfast love of the
Lord
ceases;
That place that’s carved out for the broken heart and contrite spirit. The place where we won’t be despised… but received.
His mercies never come to an end;
The
Great is your faithfulness.
broken-hearted.
I
have lived there,
never
They are new every morning;
stopped by for a visit, tried to leave and had the door slammed in my face.
Day in and day
Savior to visit me in the moments. The little moments? Where I’m tempted to scream, argue, force, gossip? They are the ones that matter most. And yet I act as if I need Him more in the big ones. No, it’s in my parenting – creating a picture of Father God for my children that will last a lifetime. It’s in my marriage – ambassadoring Christ and leaving my lap a safe place for him to lay his head. Those are the areas I cry out for. Those are the areas that can cut me deeply…keep me on my knees with need.
‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul,
out my soul bleeds for the
The author of Lamentations was no stranger to sorrow… 61 © exemplify magazine
‘therefore I will hope in him.’” (vs 21-24) Sorrowful worship is hopeful worship. Poured out, emptied before the One who breathes life and breath and being. Nothing to bring. Nothing to give. Only the opportunity to step out of the raging storm into the peace of
He is. Whose team we play on…this God who is mighty to save. The author of lamentations was struck down, afflicted, poured out and left feeling totally abandoned by God. But he made a choice. recognizing who
“But
I call to mind, and therefore I have hope…” In the midst of his pain, in the midst of his temptation to give up…give in… he chose to recall God’s character. And it gave him hope. this
What
are you going through today, my
friend?
Where do you feel abandoned? Where have you been hurt, struck down, afflicted, poured out? What has the power to cut you deeply…keep you on your knees with need? Do you feel hopeless? The
answer is worship.
The place where we call to mind this great God we serve. Mighty to save. Wonderful. Marvelous. Blessed forever. King of kings. Lord of lords. I AM. Rescuer. Redeemer. Restorer. Beautiful Savior. Wonderful Counselor. The Way, the Truth and the Life. I heard a pastor say, “Glance at your problems, for certainly they are real. But gaze upon Jesus, for in Him is the power to soothe the wind and the waves.” An old hymn says it this way: Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face. And dim,
the things of
Earth
will grow strangely
In the light of His glory and grace. A few weeks ago I saw my friend in church again. This time she wasn’t alone. Beside her sat another…the one her heart loves…the one she has prayed for time and again. And I see her hands raised, face lifted up to the One who is mighty to save. Worshipping in sorrow and worshipping Her eyes stayed on Jesus…her hope.
© exemplify magazine
in joy.
The words of the LORD are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times. You, O LORD, will keep them. Psalm 12:6-7a
A New Kind of History Written by Tara Rachel
Hello Exemplify readers! I hope you’ve had a wonderful month! Are you ready to step on the next stone in our Apologetics study? As you know, last month we discussed the ancient manuscripts comprising the Old Testament (if you missed this article, hop over to the March issue and catch up to where we are now). This month we’re covering the ancient manuscripts of the New Testament. Quick review: Why is it important to study the ancient texts that make up the Bible? Perhaps some of you are wondering, “Um, hello? Isn’t this apologetics? Shouldn’t we be looking strictly at Scripture?” I cannot stress enough how important it is to know the history of our Bible, especially when conversing with people of other faiths or intellectual nonbelievers. Remember, everything presented here is to give you more tools in your toolbox. In the coming months we’re going to cover pages and pages of Scripture as we really dig into the Word to discover what God has to say about Himself and His perfect plan for salvation.
The New Testament Now that we know about the ancient texts of the Old Testament, let’s look into the New Testament. There are over 5,300 ancient manuscripts of the Greek New Testament available, and over 25,000 manuscripts altogether. This record number gives it the largest representation out of all the works of antiquity (Lightfoot, 33; Geisler, CA, 308; McDowell, 34).
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Once again, I marvel at how God sets certain things in place. What do you think some reasons would be for such a large representation of manuscripts? I can imagine there is such a large number of manuscripts because of the rapid spread of the new Church in the first, second, and third centuries; new believers throughout the Roman Empire and beyond would need copies of the Word of God in order to study and grow. What a beautiful plan of the Father’s! He met a need then – having copies made to spread to His Church – and what a need He has met now – resounding proof that the New Testament is a fully legitimate ancient text to refute any claim brought forth from a critic. The New Testament manuscripts are divided into two categories: the uncials and the minuscules. Uncials are the earliest and most thorough of the ancient manuscripts. These were written in all capital Greek letters with no spaces or punctuation (Lightfoot, 35-36). You may have seen an example of this writing before. For instance, the beginning of Paul’s letter to the Philippians would look something like this in uncials (only in Greek instead of English): PAULANDTIMOTHYBONDSERVANTSOFCHRISTJESUSTOA LLTHESAINTSINCHRISTJESUSWHOAREINPHILIPPIINCLU DINGTHEOVERSEERSANDDEACONSGRACETOYOUANDPE A C E F R O M G O D O U R F A THERANDTHELORDJESUSCHRISTI There are three major uncials from which we have an almost entire copy of the New Testament. The first and oldest is called the Codex Vaticanus. It dates from about 325-350 A.D. (Geisler, CA, 306) and is located in the Vatican in Vatican City. It contains almost the entire Old and New Testaments, with only a few scattered missing verses here and there. The Scriptures are written on vellum leaves (Lightfoot, 36-38).
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The second and equally important manuscript is the Codex Sinaticus. It dates to about 350 A.D (Geisler, CA, 306). The Codex Sinaticus has an interesting history. It was discovered in the mid-1800s in a monastery at the foot of Mt. Sinai by the scholar Tischendorf. Tischendorf had made it his life’s goal to copy and preserve all ancient manuscripts he could find. While searching through the monastery’s unkempt library, he came across a basket of loose parchment. Upon reviewing it closer, he realized the parchments were much older than anything else he had studied in the library. He asked the librarian about the papers and the librarian said the monastery was slowly burning all the old parchment in that basket. Tishcendorf’s interest in the papers sparked interest throughout the monastery, and the remaining papers were preserved. The monastery eventually gifted the papers to the Russian Czar. Britain later bought the manuscript for about $500,000 in 1933. Though portions of the codex are often on display, its home is in the British Library (Geisler, CA, 306). The Codex Sinaticus is a complete copy of the New Testament and almost a complete copy of the Old Testament (Lightfoot, 43-53).
Minuscules are manuscripts that are written in smaller, more cursive-like handwriting. These documents did not begin circulating until 900 A.D., so they are generally considered not as important as the uncials. Minuscules are portions of Scripture or individual chapters. Very rarely has a large minuscule been found. They provide good insight and testimony for the uncial codices mentioned earlier (Lightfoot, 34).
There is an excellent site, www.codex-sinaticus.net, that allows you to digitally page through the manuscript. If you have some spare time and would like to see the manuscript in its entirety, stop by there and check it out! The last of the big three uncials is the Alexandrian Manuscript (also known as the Codex Alexandrinus). It dates to around 450 A.D. (Geisler, CA, 306) and has almost an entire copy of both the Old and New Testaments. It is also on display at the British Library (Lightfoot, 39-41).
There are more codices for the New Testament, though some not a complete as the three main uncials previously mentioned. There is also a great work of translation for the New Testament. It is part of the Latin Vulgate and was translated by Jerome. Jerome completed a Latin translation of the New Testament before he moved to Bethlehem to do his translation of the Old Testament (Lightfoot, 70-71). 65 Š exemplify magazine
There have been many discoveries of loose papyri throughout the years, but most of these are fragmentary and not even complete chapters, much less complete books. The oldest papyri piece we have known to date is a section from the Gospel of John. It is only 5 verses and dates to 114 A.D. It was discovered in Egypt, which gives us a nice clue into the timeline of when the Gospels were written and how long it would take for it to reach Egypt. It is called the John Rylands Papyri for its discoverer and the library in which it now resides (McDowell, 38).
Two other papyri findings of worthy note are the Bodmer Papyrus II and the Chester Beatty Papyri. The Bodmer Papyrus II contains the earliest complete copies of the Gospels of John and Luke, the earliest copy of Jude, and the earliest 1 & 2 Peter. It dates to 150 A.D (McDowell, 39). The Chester Beatty Papyri dates to around 200 A.D. It is a collection of codices, three of which contain almost the entire New Testament (McDowell, 39). It also contains Greek versions of Genesis, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Esther, Ezekiel, and Daniel (Lightfoot, 117-118), and complete copies of all the Gospels and Acts (Lightfoot, 120).
One of the first arguments you will hear regarding the ancient manuscripts of the New Testament is that there are discrepancies among the miniscules; therefore these cannot be inspired by God because they are imperfect and not continuous and unchanging as His word claims to be. How would you refute such a question if presented to you by a nonbeliever? What the textual critics (especially those who lean to the side of atheism) fail to disclose is that the “discrepancies” they find are minimal. For example, they might be a misspelled word, or, in later manuscripts, punctuation differentiations. Then they will use these discrepancies to “prove” that the Bible is not inspired, and that if men can make mistakes in the copying and translation, then they can make enough changes to change the meaning of the passage. It can be daunting hearing arguments like this, but remember this: God, like everything else He has ordained, chose to limit Himself and work through His people. That includes the preservation of His Word. When you have human, fallible men, spelling and punctuation mistakes are going to be made. But each manuscript, however, states the same thing in matching passages. There might be a misspelled word or two, but the overall message of the passage is the same. Those minute mistakes, while imperfect, do not change the meaning of the words and passage, and that is what is important, and what textual critics cannot argue against. I’m not trying to sound harsh against textual criticism. We need people who go through the education and training to become textual critics so we know which manuscripts are true and valid. However when people have an agenda to prove – Christians and atheists alike – the truth can sometimes be lost in the manipulation. The Importance of Dating So why are we bothering to look at all these old, dusty documents? Why are they important? We know the Word of God is our ultimate authority. It is our first stop and anything that disagrees with God’s Word should be scrutinized using His Word. Many of us live by the phrase, “If the Bible says it, I believe it.” 66 © exemplify magazine
I believe we are wise to consider the contributions history and science have made to supporting the Bible, and that is why is it important to study the dating of the ancient manuscripts. We pointed out last month that the dating of the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls preceded the life of Jesus. This is important because critics will often say that the Old Testament has been changed after Christ lived in order to point to Christ. Having Old Testament documents that pre-date His birth proves that the text could not have been changed to show Him as the Messiah. The scholars can attempt to argue that Christians have tried to change the Bible, but they won’t argue with their own scientific dating methods. But what about the New Testament? If manuscripts regarding Jesus written before He was born were controversial, the controversy grew exponentially for anything written after He was born. It is important to have manuscripts dated as close to the time of His life as possible, because the closer to His life you are, the less time you have for memory loss or for the truth to get distorted. Our oldest complete copy of the New Testament dates to around 325 B.C. While that might seem like a long time from the life of Christ, it’s actually a short period when you look at the magnitude of the entire New Testament. But even if the full Testament dates to 325 A.D., the loose papyrii, much like the Dead Sea Scrolls, date much closer to His life and, though incomplete, match up with the complete copies dated to a few hundred years later. Let’s take the Rylands Papyrus from the Gospel of John, for example. History and biblical scholars agree that John was the last of the four canonized Gospels to be written, and most likely written between 70-80 A.D. Critics will push the date back to 90 A.D. and into the 2nd century; however the fact that there is no mention of the destruction of the Temple (70 A.D.) could mean it was authored even before that event. 67 © exemplify magazine
The Rylands Papyrus of John was, as mentioned previously, found in Egypt and dates to 115 A.D. That means there needed to be enough time between the authorship of the Gospel and the scribe’s copy found in Egypt to allow for travel from Israel to Egypt and for the copy of the Gospel to be written. This is extremely convincing evidence that the Gospel of John was written within a few decades of the life of Jesus, and if John was written last of the four Gospels, then the others could have been written within 15-25 years of His death. We will discuss more reasons, such as the rise of Gnosticism and the need for new believers to have Scriptures in their churches, in future columns on why dating the Gospels and the New Testament is so vitally important. This concludes our overview of ancient manuscripts comprising the Old and New Testaments. Of course, we have barely scratched the surface of ancient biblical manuscripts, but this should give you enough information to participate in a well-reasoned conversation regarding the authenticity of the ancient texts. I hope and pray that this has encouraged you today, and that you have a greater understanding of the history behind the Bible, and the manuscripts we have today that testify to its historical significance and accuracy. Join us next month as we cover some of the most puzzling questions about the Bible: How was the Bible compiled? Who decided that the 66 books in the Bible were divinely inspired? How do we know other books shouldn’t have been included? Any questions? Please email them to exemplify@me.com. Please put “Apologetics” in the subject line so they will be forwarded to the correct place. For footnote information, please see the Apologetics Column in the February issue for works cited.
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Sacrifice of Worthship “You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.” (Matt. 4:10 NLT)
Written by Lynn Mosher
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What is ‘worship’? How does the Bible define it? Combined, the Hebrew words for ‘worship’ mean to bow down to royalty or God, humbly beseech, do reverence, do obeisance, and so on. The Greek words combined mean to prostrate oneself in obeisance or reverence, honor, adore, venerate, praise, minister to God, serve, and so on. Our English word for ‘worship’ comes from the Old English word ‘worthship.’ To worship Almighty God is to bow down in reverence to Him because He is worthy, to acknowledge His divinity, to bow in humility and obedience, to bow to His will, His plan, and His purpose by relinquishing one’s own agenda, to bow in service to Him with one’s life, to honor Him as the One True God. Do you seek God’s face just to worship Him? Do you seek the Lord’s Presence or His presents? Do you seek His handout or His hand? If I asked you to answer, without thinking, what you love the most, what would be your immediate response? Your spouse, your children, your grandchildren, your house, your bank account, your investments, your career, your physical appearance, your morning Starbucks? Jesus asks you, “Do you love Me more than these others?” (John 21:15 TLB) First place in one’s heart should be reserved for God alone, as scripture says, “What does the Lord your God require of you except to…love Him, and to worship Him with all your hearts and souls?” (Deut. 10:12a,13a TLB) Matthew Henry said, “Those cannot worship God aright who do not worship Him alone.”
What is a sacrifice of worship? According to the English definition, sacrifice means, in part, an animal or possession offered to a deity especially for homage, or the surrendering of something prized for something considered to be of a higher or dearer value. It is that which costs you something in order to obtain something greater, that which is given out of a heart of humility, love, pain, grief, suffering, lack, abundance, or obedience. 69 © exemplify magazine
The prophet Micah asked, “What shall I bring to the LORD, the God of heaven, when I come to worship Him?” (Micah 6:6a GNB) Whatever the gift that a petitioner brought to the Lord in the ancient temple, the heart had to accompany it; otherwise, God rejected it. God said to Judah, “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me [unless they are the offering of the heart]?” (Is. 1:11 Amp)
How lavish is your worship of the Creator’s worthship? What is my favorite lavish gift of worship in the Bible? It is this… The New Testament relates several from-the-heart, sacrificial worship gifts of expensive oil given to the Lord. According to one in the book of Mark, before Jesus’ betrayal, as He reclined at the table at Simon the leper’s house, a woman broke open her beautiful, alabaster passion box, full of the extremely valuable, perfumed oil of spikenard. As she lovingly poured it upon Jesus’ head, it probably trickled down His cheeks, seeped into His beard, and gently dripped upon His shoulders, saturating His garment. In Eastern culture, the garment of the bridegroom is saturated with rich perfumes. This woman lovingly poured out her precious possession upon the heavenly Bridegroom which permeated His garment. Almost as prophetic words, the Shulamite woman says of her beloved in the beautiful Song of Solomon, “While the king is at his table, my spikenard sends forth its fragrance.” (SOS 1:12 NKJV) Don’t you know that throughout those long hours of His agony in the garden, during His betrayal, and in the courtyard of His judgment, and until that garment was removed, Jesus breathed in that sweet, sacrificial aroma of love poured out upon Him? Maybe this scripture echoed in His Spirit, “The odor of your ointments is fragrant, your name is like perfume poured out.” (SOS 1:3 Amp)
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As some of the disciples were indignant at what they perceived as this woman’s expensive waste, Jesus defended her, “Let her alone, why must you make her feel uncomfortable?” “She has done Me a most gracious service.” (Mark 14:6a Phillips, Mark 14:6b Weymouth) The most gracious sacrifice of worship from the heart is one that glorifies the Lord with all of one’s life. A heart that is humbled and repentant before Him will “offer up [those] spiritual sacrifices [that are] acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ,” as “a sweet-smelling sacrifice.” (1 Peter 2:5 Amp, Phil. 4:18 NLT) Is your worship a gift of a sweet-smelling aroma of sacrifice? Do you worship and praise the Lord even when your world comes crashing down around you? When a job is lost, when the bank account is empty, when an event rips apart the family, when a spouse dies at an early age, or when a spouse’s libido finds another outlet, do you still praise the Lord? A true, sacrificial worship gift costs us the surrender of our hearts, for we sacrifice our emotions to glorify the Lord. It costs us the surrender of our lips, for we sacrifice our praise to God when all seems lost. Whatever it costs, it must come from a loving and willing heart.
Is your worship a sacrificial gift of worthship to the Lord?
Since the year 2000, Lynn Mosher has lived with fibromyalgia and other physical conditions. During this time, the Lord placed the desire in her heart to write for Him. Now, armed with God’s purpose for her life and a new passion, she reaches out to others to encourage and comfort them through her writing, giving God all the glory. She lives with her husband in their empty nest in Kentucky. On occasion, the three offspring, who have flown the coop, come to visit, accompanied by a son-in-law and three granddaughters. Visit her on the web at Heading Home.
70 © exemplify magazine
Worship the Lamb
“In a loud voice they sang: “
Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power
and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”” 71 © exemplify magazine
Revelation 5:12
When President George W. Bush was campaigning for his second term in office, he visited a town very near to ours. We excitedly planned to make a day of it and go to hear him speak, hoping to get close enough to get a glimpse of this important man. We left early in the morning and stood in long lines until they allowed us entrance to the area where he was to speak. We pushed close to the front so we could be right there when he made his appearance. Many hours, boring speeches and lengthy songs later, there was word that his bus had arrived. The crowd of thousands of people cheered wildly, and we craned our necks for what seemed like an eternity in anticipation of his arrival. Finally, he made his way up the walkway, right past our family. People from both sides of the walkway were extending their hands as far as they could in hopes that he would acknowledge them. In the confusion, my 2-year-old daughter simply did what everyone else was doing and added her tiny hand to the mass of those thrust before the President. When he started to pass her, he stopped, took her little hand, kissed her on the forehead and then was gone. Amazed, I turned to the person beside me, who said, “He shook my hand! He shook my hand! Did he shake yours?” I had to answer negatively. I had completely missed probably the single opportunity of my life to shake the hand of a President because I was distracted. Legitimate distraction? Of course. Exciting experience? You’d better believe it. However, I had failed to touch him myself.
Diverted Attention or Delighted Adoration? Just as Peter focused on Moses and Elijah rather than the transfigured Christ, we’ve all been hindered in our worship by distraction at some point. We go to our secret place of prayer and the telephone rings. We start to read our Bible and we get sleepy. The song leader announces the hymn and we begin to daydream. We notice our surroundings, what people wear, how long the sermon was and even criticize the selection of hymns. We leave the church service or our quiet times having never worshipped because we were too easily distracted.
Responding with Familiarity or Reverencing with Fear? If one has been a Christian any length of time or has simply grown up in a Christian home, she runs the risk of becoming too familiar with Christ and the Gospel message. We give all the pat answers, know all the clichés and speak “Christianese” fluently. The danger is this all becomes commonplace and superficial, and we fail to see Jesus for Who He really is. The disciples had walked with Jesus day in and day out, they’d seen His miracles, they’d heard Him teach and they had developed a familiarity with Him. In their minds, Jesus had become more of their “buddy” than their Lord. Preoccupied with the Messenger or Praising the Master? Some Christians have never learned to separate Jesus from human messengers. They would get just as excited to see Billy Graham visit the church service as they would to see Jesus sitting bodily in the pew. They hang This is exactly what happened to the disciples: Peter, on to every word the preacher says, not because those James and John. Jesus took them up on a high moun- words point them to Christ, but because they accept tain away from all distractions and was literally meta- everything that particular man says as truth. No man is morphosed before them. He was no longer the simply worthy of worship no matter how respectable or how clad son of a carpenter that walked with them every influential in bringing you to Jesus. day, but now his very clothing was ablaze with light! Extolling Emotion or Exalting Christ? One would think that this miraculous change would get the attention of the disciples! Yet, they became Some time ago, I was speaking with a friend who predistracted with another miraculous but comparatively fers a much less demonstrative type of worship service. She confided that she had been to a church like mine insignificant appearance, that of Moses and Elijah. that emphasized freedom in worship, but she preferred This may seem a little silly to us. How could they treat her own church. Her words were, “It just seemed so Jesus with such a cavalier attitude? How could they shallow. I prefer something deeper.” Sadly enough, I miss the point so entirely? However, the same pre- knew exactly what she was talking about. I know peovailing characteristics of their experience on what ple who have taken their “worship” to the extreme and has become known as the Mount of Transfiguration, used it to achieve selfish means. Maybe they made a abound in our own worship today. We would all im- show of worship trying to show others how spiritual they mediately concur that Christ is worthy of our best wor- were. Someone may sing a solo and they are so moved ship and praise, but sometimes our hearts are far from emotionally that they feel that they have experienced worship when they are actually extolling the emotion our minds on this point. rather than Christ. They might say,
72 © exemplify magazine
desserts
Transfiguring our Worship By Jennifer Self
“I just cried the whole service!” or “I just felt like lightning bolts were going right through me.” Though these may be legitimate byproducts of worship, they are in no way its ultimate goal. Exalting Christ and lifting Him up should be the focus of our worship and our purpose in everyday life. Content to Stay or Challenged to Serve? Peter’s immediate response when he saw Moses and Elijah and the transfigured Christ was to camp out there awhile. He wanted to build homes and just live in that atmosphere. If you’ve ever been in a service where God’s presence was keenly felt or had a time of genuine worship in your own devotions, you know this feeling. It’s perfectly natural to want to feel good and to want to remain in an atmosphere of blessing and joy. However, if the disciples had done that, no one else would have ever witnessed the Savior’s power. If we worship Jesus as we should, our response is not to stay, but to go. Yes, we need to take time to worship, but that worship should inspire us to show a lost world what we have just seen. The disciples had met men that had been dead for centuries, they had seen Jesus metamorphosed before them, and they had heard the voice of God. However, I especially like the verse in Matthew’s description of this event that reads, “And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.” Isn’t that what He wanted all along?
73 magazine September 2008
Jennifer Self is the abundantly blessed wife of her beloved husband, Jeff, and mommy to the three children God has given them. She spends her days keeping their home, homeschooling, reading, writing and enjoying life as queen of her domain. She will forever remember the day that she was a girl in rags who was transformed by the love of the King of Kings. She blogs to encourage other women in their Godgiven roles and relationships at http://joyeverafter. blogspot.com/and shares her experiences in teaching little ones about our great God at http://weeology.wordpress. com/.