Thoughts

Not long ago I visited Elmbrook Church with a friend in Waukesha who attends there. In his message, Pastor Philip Griffin compared King Herod and King Jesus. Did you know Herod was a possession and power freak? His building projects were lavish, and he killed anyone that he thought threatened his position of power, including wives and sons. Jesus, on the other hand, came in humility, poverty and vulnerability. He had abandoned omnipotence, riches, and position to come and rescue us. No one threatened him; he came because he chose to love us.

Herod followed his own will; Jesus fulfilled Scripture by following his Father's will, so that we might have the power to do his Father's will. "Behold, I have come to do your will," he says. "And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Hebrews 10:9, 10)

Herod, as we have seen, bought his kingdom with the blood of others. There was no other way for him to become great than to kill any and all opponents. Jesus, the only king worth following, bought his kingdom with his own blood. "Both believed there was nothing that couldn't be accomplished by the shedding of blood", Pastor Griffin said. Think on that statement a minute, and you will see the vast divide between our King Jesus and any other earthly king.

We look to possessions, power and position for security and fulfillment. Or, we look to comfort and stability. Or just happy lives. Jesus gave all of it away so he might not lose one of those his Father had given him. Let's follow him in settling in to what God has for us, no more and no less. And rejoicing in it.

Contemplating Christ

It is particularly appropriate, I realized just this minute, that our discussion in Sunday School this week touched on Jesus and the ways in which he relinquished the very things that spark our self-talk: Power, Position, Self-protection, and Self-promotion. This very week we celebrate that relinquishing. Think of it anew: the God who created the universe and the law which sustains it, the one with all power, gave it up for us. Philippians 2 tells the whole story. "Though he was in the form of God, [he] did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." And we, who crave power and control, who want to take on the form of God in the lives of others, who love positions and promotions, are the recipients of the mercy that required that relinquishing. He did not protect himself, though he had the power to do so. Instead, he protected us. Just look in the Garden of Gethsemane.

John 18:7-9 tells us that Jesus stood between the soldiers and his disciples, demanding that they take him and let the others go. "So, if you seek me, let these men go." This is our great I AM, the God of the burning bush, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, bending to the status of created beings, protecting us here, so that he would not lose one of those God gave him.

Meditate on this truth as you celebrate his first coming as one of us; think on this: your life is hidden with Christ in God, hidden in this one who saves and protects you by giving up his own protection. And have this mind in yourself which is yours in Christ Jesus, this mind that relinquishes. This Christmas, maybe we can let go of our desire for power and protection, and hide ourselves in our Savior. Merry Christmas.

Cookies!

The first annual New Hope Christmas Cookie Exchange!

A good time was had by all . . .

Christmas

In the absence of a Sunday School class to review this week, we'll open the blog to you. How about sharing your favorite Christmas tradition or memory?

Self-Conversations

I like to think that when I talk to myself, I'm the only one listening. Woe to me if my thoughts were ever broadcast, even to my dearest friends. I kid myself, though, if I really believe that no one else hears me. Psalm 139 assures me that "He discerns my thoughts from afar" and "is acquainted with all my ways". Admitting the truth that none of my secret thoughts are secrets to God is the first step in changing my thought habits. I need to let the searchlight of God's Word shine into my thought life and show me where I are telling lies to myself, stripping away the veneer of pride, self-sufficiency, self-protection, control, selfishness, bitterness, discontent and replacing it with His truth.

How often do we say, "Yes, I know the Bible says that. No, I don't think it applies to me today in this situation"? We love God's Word so much, yet when it comes to obeying it, we really like to pick and choose, don't we? Can we obey the simple admonitions in Philippians 4:4-7? Can we rejoice instead of complaining and whining, no matter what our circumstances? Can we, really, choose to not be anxious about anything, instead praying and giving thanks in all things? Can we accept God's peace in all the upsets of our lives? Indeed, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Jump to the very next page, to Colossians 1, to see this Christ who purports to strengthen us. Is he able to do it? We're quite a handful, to be sure. You'll find the answer in verses 15-20. And when you've been reassured that he is indeed able, read on to see what has become of us. Oh glorious God that changes self-absorbed sinners into people holy and blameless and above reproach! Soli Deo Gloria!

Jean

Self-Talk 5

Don't we just love to appear important (even if we're not?)? Don't we love being in control? And aren't we "happiest" when we hang out in the inner circle of people, if we ever do? BUT, how do those loves affect our relationships with God and others? It's a good question to ask ourselves, especially when we spend a fair amount of time wishing for things we can't have, like importance, control and popularity.

What does Ephesians 2:6 tell us we already have? Look it up, and you'll find that we are already seated in the heavenly realms with Christ, if we abide in Him. Hmm, looks like importance is taken care of . . . and popularity (what's closer to the inner circle than the Trinity?) . . . and do we really need control when we understand that the Master and Creator of the universe has us in His care?

Now take a look at Philippians 2: Is there any encouragement with being united with Christ? Any comfort from His love? Any fellowship with His Spirit? Any tenderness and compassion? Is there? Wrestle with these questions if you need to . . . they are incredibly important to understand. And if you discover there is, then read on. And if there is any doubt in your mind about God's will for your life, you can rest here, in this passage. It begins with love, not mine but His. And it flows from His encouragement, comfort, fellowship, tenderness and compassion. So, as Shelly Beach says, "take captive your thoughts and wrap them around the truth of the Word of God."

Give thanks

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name! (Psalm 103)

For what do you bless the Lord this holiday? And please don't say "Black Friday"!
Add a comment under anonymous telling us what you are especially grateful for this year.

I'll start: For the Lord's breathtaking love for me, for good authors that challenge me, for earthly comforts and good friends, for fellowship and teaching at a remarkable church, and for my luscious family.

Your turn.

Jean

Self-Talk 4

Here's a piece of self-talk that I am well-familiar with: self-importance. I love to think that I am important in the great or even small scheme of things. It may be my desire to put others down so I look better. It may be wanting the coach to play my child more often than he does. It may even be using the spiritual gifts God has given me to create an image for myself. How insidious Satan's lies are to our fallen minds and hearts. Shelly Beach calls it "stepping into the abyss of self". So true.

How do you promote yourself? Why do you do it? Isn't it interesting how strong our desire is to promote ourselves and how weak to promote our neighbors? Remember the Pharisees. They loved the greetings in the marketplace, they loved being seen praying, they loved practicing their righteousness for all to see. Why? Because they didn't understand that the better reward comes from the Lord of heaven and earth, who sees in secret; they thought the best rewards were the (perceived) accolades of their peers. Surely they didn't understand Psalm 8, which they must have known, and which reminds us of our smallness and God's graciousness in promoting us:
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man
that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower
than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory
and honor (!!!) (exclamation points and emphasis mine).

Because of Jesus' sacrifice, we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession (1 Peter 2:9, emphasis mine). Now that's a promotion I can handle, one that does not require me to perform perfectly, look good, say the right things, even wear the right clothes and makeup. I did not earn it. Jesus earned it for me. Let us, therefore, proclaim the excellencies of him who called us our of darkness into his marvelous light (v. 9b).

Jacob's son Joseph knew all about God's promotions. Reread his amazing story in Genesis 38-41 to see his perseverance in the face of profound rejections, first from his brothers, who sold him into slavery, and then from his employer Potiphar, who had him thrown into prison when falsely accused of impropriety, and finally from Pharaoh's cupbearer, who promised to remember Joseph to Pharoah and promptly forgot. For thirteen years, Joseph served God without self-promotion, and "the Lord was with him, and showed him steadfast love" (39:21) and eventually promoted him to second in command in Egypt. This is the God we serve. These are the excellencies we must proclaim.

Self-Talk 3

Why do we care about what we say to ourselves? you may be asking. Isn't this just a bit too introspective? I don't want to focus so much on myself and my thoughts. We care because what we are saying may be lies. Socrates said that the unexamined life is not worth living. Really? Well, what does God say? In Lamentations 3, we read:
Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord!
Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven:
We have transgressed and rebelled . . . "
And Paul challenges us to test ourselves to see whether we are "in the faith". (2 Corinthians 13:5) Do we walk in faith, or in the lies we love to recite to ourselves?--- lies like "God doesn't really care about me, or He would . . . " or "If I just pray more, God will . . . " or "Obviously God is blessing her life more because she is so much better than me at . . . " The lies really go on and on, and are unique to each of us.

And if we believe Satan's lies to Eve that God is lying, keeping things from us, and impotent to fulfill His promises to us, then we will respond with power, self-protection, self-promotion and positioning ourselves to best advantage. If we don't take care of ourselves, who will? Surely God can't be trusted.

Now I know none of you would actually say those words, but how much of what we tell ourselves daily demonstrates that we don't trust Him? Examine yourself, to see whether you are in the faith, if you are believing what God has said about you and to you, if you believe that Christ's death changes everything. As Elyse Fitzpatrick says:
We won't value or cherish Him as we should until we openly and freely embrace our
wretchedness and our utter inability to reform ourselves. Only then will we fall freely into
His arms of grace and there joyfully exalt the salvation He has purchased with His blood.

Let's begin there. More tomorrow.

Jean

Self-Talk 2

How's your self-talk? Are you noticing it more? Which of these temptations are you most likely to give in to: gagging God, opposing, outwitting, or equaling God? I'm actually pretty good at all of them! And what is the outcome in my life? The desire for Power, Self-protection, Self-promotion, and Position. My family knows it so well. As do my co-workers.

Our desire for power manifests itself not only in our fetish to control things, but in our anxiety for people to be like us; we judge and condemn and scorn people, yes even our friends, who do things differently than we do, who look and talk differently, who believe and live their beliefs differently than us. Our craving for power is so misdirected, for as we see in Ephesians 3:16-19, God has already given us power for the most important thing:
"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

As Shelly Beach says in her book on self-talk, this is what should drive our thirst for power, the life-changing power of Jesus available through the Holy Spirit. Isn't it amazing that we have already been given the only power that matters, the power to know and understand God's stunning love for us?

When we read Genesis 3, we see how our first parents attempted, in vain, to protect themselves after they had turned from God's Word to them: blame, shame, covering themselves, hiding from God. And we laugh when we see how Aaron justified his actions in the encounter with the Golden Calf: "So I said to [the Israelites], 'Let any who have gold take it off.' So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf." Really? we say. And then we run off and fashion our own golden calves. We try desperately to defend our characters and protect our "good" names, don't we? I try to look better than I am by telling half-truths about myself, by hiding behind my silences and "good deeds". All in the name, not of my holy and gracious God, but in the name of my own pride. In what ways do you think and act protectively?

Now look at the early church as they were being flogged and persecuted for speaking publicly about Jesus: "Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ." (Acts 5:41-42) Not a fig leaf in the pack. All exposing themselves to the rage of the authorities in order to obey God and glorify the name of His Son. Oh, that we would be so pride-less!

"Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord! (Lamentations 3:40)

Thoughts?
Jean

Self-Talk

I thought I'd post some thoughts from our Sunday School class yesterday on "The Seduction of Self-Talk" for those who couldn't attend, and for those who did and would like some notes. We looked at where sinful self-talk began, right where all sin began, in the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 3, we see Satan offering several new thoughts to Eve's unsullied mind:

• doubt ("Did God really say you are not to eat of the tree?")
• dismay that God might have lied to her ("Surely you will not die!)
• and, along with it, hope that there are no consequences to our sin
• complaints that God is keeping something good from her ("For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened")
• and a wild expectation that she can be like God ("and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.")

Yes, truly she ate and gained a knowledge of good and evil, one that would have been better left unknown. In reality, in her knowing she became a slave: to her passions, her hungers, her emotions, "passing [her] days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another." (Titus 3:3) And where was Satan after she ate? He had slithered away to craft the next part of his plan: making her awash in guilt and remorse. Isn't it just like our enemy to make us disobey the One who loves us immeasurably, and then to mercilessly beat us up when we do?

And where was God? He was not ignorant of these wicked goings-on. There was an animal being slain at that moment, blood being shed, that the nakedness of our newly-shamed first parents might be covered. For "mercy triumphs over judgment"! (James 2:13b)

Which of your enemy's whispers resonates through your life? Are you doubting God's goodness to you? Do you think God is keeping some good thing from you? Do you whine about the hardness of His good plans for your life? Do you think there will be no consequences to your actions? We must examine ourselves and see where we are believing lies in our deepest thoughts.

Then run to the cross to deposit those lies at our Savior's feet, for Scripture says that "they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony . . . " (Revelation 12:11). Satan wants to draw us away from the Savior's love for us by accusing us day and night. We must be diligent to repel him by running to the very Love from which he is keeping us. Elyse Fitzpatrick offers this rebuke to the enemy: "I do sin and sin grievously, but Jesus Christ was slain as a perfect lamb in my place. Thank you for reminding me of my sin because, although it grieves me, it also reminds me to love [my Jesus] more."

We repent at the foot of the Cross, and then lift our voices in praise to the living God who has said loud and clear: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1)

Blessed are those who dwell in Your house, ever singing Your praise! (Psalm 84)

In the Flesh

How amazing all of Romans 8 is! From beginning ("There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.") to end ("[nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.") it is a litany of the wonders of our salvation. Read it for yourself and marvel.

We have been set free in Christ Jesus from the demands of the law. When I didn't know Christ, I tried to attain heaven through my good works and holiness (according to my definition of it, of course). But here God says that the heart set on the flesh (and its works) is actually hostile to God! Those who insist on gaining heaven in the flesh CANNOT please God. But, since the Spirit of Christ dwells in me, I am not operating in the flesh. Praise God that I am set free from the law of sin and death. And the chapter goes on and on with all the good things that are ours only because of what Christ did at the cross.


Fast forward to chapter 10. We see that Paul is speaking of the religious people (in those days, the Jews). "They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge, . . . being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for everyone who believes." How many zealous for God do we know (ourselves included) who are ignorant of the righteousness they have in Christ? Christ is the end of the law for us--hooray! We can now be zealous in His righteousness. Let's stop seeking to establish our own. Amen and amen.

God's kindness

Here's something interesting and instructive I found this morning in Romans. Remember how we learned that God gave the Ten Commandments for a number of reasons, partly to show his own kindness to us in rescuing us from ourselves? The Ten Commandments surely show us how deeply he loves us, and how fervently he wishes us to love others. They show us his kindness in that he actually cared enough to give us rules to keep us holy and to help us know how to live in imitation of his love. Think of what the world would look like if we took the "nots" out of the commandments and obeyed without them: Thou shalt kill, thou shalt covet, thou shalt bear false witness, etc. Granted, our world often looks like we obey them that way, but that is not the way God gave them. And for good reason. Because he loves us too much to see us destroy ourselves and others. Hear what God said through Hosea, the prophet: When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. . . . I led them with cords of kindness [think manna, water from a rock, shoes that didn't wear out for 40 years, and on and on], with bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them. (Hosea 11:1, 4) The commandments were given out of this rich and bountiful kindness to us.

So here's what Romans said about this: Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (2:4, italics mine). Gulp.

I don't know about you, but I have been doing an awful lot of presuming, and not a whole lot of repenting. I love God's kindness; I love thinking about it, talking about it, singing about it. Following up on it? Not so much.

God loves us, that much we know. But his goal for us is not to bask in the sunshine of his kindness, but to move forward into his likeness. "I appeal to you therefore, [sisters], by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:1,2, italics mine)

I challenge all of us to be led into repentance by his kindness, and dwell there for a good long while.

Thoughts?
Jean

Dust

Am I the only one, or do other women toss and turn at night with regret? Regret over a foolish word, or a wasted hour (or day), or an impulse purchase, or any number of unforgivable sins we humans are so well known for. And how long ought the tossing and turning to last in order for me to feel forgiven, or to forgive myself? How much penance is enough? We really need to resurrect the doctrine of Purgatory . . . we have so much practice residing there, trying desperately to purify ourselves.

And that's where we are wrong. As you tossers and turners ought to know by now, purifying ourselves just doesn't work. As soon as the memory of our misdeed arises, we bounce right back into penance mode, trying to do/say/pray anything good to re-redeem ourselves. No hope.

You know what that says about us? We are full of pride with a capital "p". We do not really want to believe that we are sinners deserving of judgment. We are Americans, after all; we can do this goodness thing on our own. And we can save ourselves too, thank you very much. But we as believers really do know better. It should come as no surprise that none of the above is true. We are wretched and incapable of rescuing ourselves, even if we are the nicest people we know. Psalm 103, my Summer 2010 psalm, reminds me daily that God knows my frame, he remembers that I am dust, even when I forget. And that is why he has compassion on me. (Read it again and again to see what his compassion looks like.) And my pride falls away, because I really do live in the pit of my sinfulness and he redeems me from it (v.4).

James so graciously reminds us of a truth we learned as believers a long time ago: But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves, therefore, to God. . . . Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:6-7a, 10) I like to think of it as "crumbling" before the Lord, falling at his feet, relieving myself of my sinful pride and foolishness, and letting him lift me up. That is the only hope I have.

So tossers and turners, I challenge you to crumble before God before you go to bed at night, and let him show compassion on you. "For he knows your frame, he remembers that you are dust."

Please share what you have learned in the wee hours of the morning, during your own personal purgatories.

Jean

We've been talking about trusting God. For a moment, let's choose to not trust God. Let's believe that we have to figure life out on our own, fix our own problems and, together with our girlfriends, rescue the world. Can you imagine how little sleep we'd get and, more importantly, how many wrinkles? Even with God we often struggle to sleep through all the concerns on our minds.

I spent time recently with a woman who is struggling to solve her husband's health problems, struggling to run the family business without him, struggling to care for an ill relative, all the while worrying that her clean house isn't clean enough. Where is God in all of her struggles? "He is actually not far from each one of us, for 'In him we live and move and have our being'" (Acts 17:27b-28).

I am not minimizing my friend's hardships, rather pointing out that she does not have to bear them solo. Just read Psalm 147 to see the severity and kindness of God. He is so good to the broken-hearted. "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (vs. 11) She is missing the comfort and help that knowing the Lord and trusting his goodness supplies.

We can read many of the Psalms to see how David poured out his complaints to God and there found rest. Psalm 131 is a lovely example, as are Psalm 62 and 130. ("O Israel [and by extension and salvation, believers!], hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption." Psalm 130:7)

When we choose to go it alone, we choose to deprive ourselves of the only hope that is real and the only comfort that is satisfying and complete. Dwell for a time in the Psalms and there find anew the God who can be trusted.

What Psalms have you found particularly helpful in your daily stresses?

There were tears, prayer, and laughter at Sandy Dau's farewell luncheon at the Opelt home in July. Sixteen women attended, ate some great salads and desserts, and listened to Sandy's story of God's work in her and Darrell's lives in the last few months. While we all praise God for providing work for Darrell, we are sad that we are losing such a great couple to Northfield, Minnesota.

(Wondering why Donnette is investigating her hand? She is actually hiding her scraped nose, courtesy of a fall early in the week, from the camera.)

Lydia Brownback, in her little book Contentment, adds this to our discussion on trust yesterday: "It is possible to desire God so much that everything else pales in comparison. Such a yearning rarely happens overnight, but it can happen hour by hour, day by day. Each little difficulty gives us an opportunity to develop it. . . . Each and every time something threatens to steal our peace, we can stop what we are doing and open that raw, painful place to God. . . . We do well to sit with his Word open before us, asking him to reveal himself in our struggle. The more we see, the more we will want. Before we know it, we will find ourselves wanting him even more than we want our problems solved. He himself will be the peace we have been wanting all along." (pp. 56-57)

Isn't that good?

Jean

Having been in a tight place of late, I am confronted by the question "What does it mean to trust God?" Surely I'm not trusting Him when I am expecting Him to do what I want. Nor when I believe that He knows what is best in a given situation, but then again, so do I. Nor again when I tell Him to have His way, and then get frustrated that it's not the way I would have done it. Ever feel like that? We tend to have a very self-centered definition of trust. At least I do.

What, then, is trust? Have you ever noticed that real trust, the kind that lets God do whatever He wants because we know He is good and kind and righteous and smart, hurts? It's ripping out of our hearts the deeply-embedded wishes for our loved ones and handing them over . . . and then watching what He does, with thankful hearts. Ouch. I can't do that without Him, and I suspect, you can't either. Do you trust me? Honestly, Lord, no. You know that I do not. Help me in my unbelief.

It would help if we had an inkling of what kind of God we are attempting to trust. Psalm 103 tells us. All of God's Word tells us, because that's why He gave it--to reveal Himself to us so we might trust Him. When we are struggling with trusting God, we need to run, not walk, to the nearest Bible and hear what He has to say about Himself. Is He a God that can be trusted? Read Job 38-41, and especially 42:1-6. Is He a God who loves our loved ones? Read Psalm 103 (again--it's good!), Psalm 139, and Ephesians 1. Is He powerful enough to help? Read Psalm 29. Does He even want to help? Read Romans 8:31-39.

And then hand it all over. Make the cut, rip it out, and hand it over. Oh sure, it hurts. Surgery without anesthesia always does. But it hurts less than carrying that rock of care and worry around in your head, throat, and chest endlessly.

And be free . . . free to do that to which God has really called you.

What are your stories of trusting God? And what can you add to these thoughts?
Jean Opelt

Welcome!

Hello, blog readers! The New Hope women's committee thought it might be time to enter the cyber-age with our very own blog. This could be an opportunity to share thoughts and words of encouragement from the Lord from our times in His Word, to listen to one another, and to offer prayers for each other. Add comments as you have them. Perhaps God will be glorified in our space here, and we will be challenged and encouraged.

Hebrews 10:24-25 admonishes us: "And let us consider how to stir one another up to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

May that be our ambition as we venture into cyberspace together!

Jean Opelt, for the women's committee