god

Culture’s War on the Biblical Family

It’s time to get real. The enemy has been in the business of causing division and strife within the family since creation. Eve, knowing what God had said about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was still deceived and ate from it, believing that she would be like God in wisdom. Adam, also knowing the word of the Lord, still ate when Eve offered him the fruit. Thus sin entered the world, and Adam and Eve were removed from the perfect Garden of Eden to face the consequences of their actions. Then we read about Cain and Abel where Abel gives an offering pleasing to God, but Cain’s offering was less pleasing than Abel’s so Cain murdered his brother. Jacob and Esau were rivals since birth, yet Jacob, being younger, gained Esau’s birthright and become the father of the nation of Israel. Skip ahead to the modern age and now we have homosexual and transgender families paraded around our culture as lampposts for the modern family. Divorce has become expected rather than being the exception. Movies, television shows, schools, social media, businesses, and news media have normalized these kinds of families to where we have become numb, or even worse, afraid to speak out. We have become complacent and think that this is just how life is supposed to be. What we forget is that mankind, since creation, has had the gift of free will.

Eve chose to eat the fruit knowing God’s warning, and Adam chose to follow his wife instead of God. In Genesis 4:7, Cain was warned by God that sin was at his door desiring him, and he must master it. But instead Cain chose to kill his brother. In Genesis 25:23, the Lord revealed to Rebekah that she had twins in her womb—two nations—and the older (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob). As they grew up, Esau became the hunter, but Jacob was peaceful. One day Esau came home famished and desired the food Jacob made. Jacob asked Esau for his birthright first, and Esau swore it to him (Gen. 25:31-34). Therefore, Esau had no regard for the blessing given to him. He chose to give away what was his over his temporary desire for food, and in the end he became the nation of Edom, separated from Jacob’s family, the nation of Israel. In everything, there is a choice. As the church, we can choose to remain silent about what has happened to the biblical family, or we can stand up for what is right, knowing that it can cost us dearly on earth. As Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth or rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Do we treasure the spiritual well-being of our home and the church over the riches and stature given to us in this world by remaining silent?

The main problem is that the church does not know how to defend the biblical family because it doesn’t know what the family is supposed to look like. We spend more time engaging with the world and its message rather than the truth of God’s Word. The average Christian can quote John 3:16, Jeremiah 29:11 and Philippians 4:13, but can he or she recall what Ephesians 5 says about marriage? Will a Christian woman say that a wife is commanded to submit to her husband as the church submits to Christ (Eph. 5:22-24)? Will a Christian man say that a husband is supposed to love his wife as Christ loved the church, giving Himself up for her (Eph. 5:25-30)? Will a Christian woman adhere to Paul’s instructions to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:9-15?:

“Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.”

In addition, after writing about the proper order within church gatherings, Paul instructs the church in Corinth (a letter that would have been read at other churches as well) about women: “The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church (1 Cor. 14:34-35).” If we say we adhere to Scripture, why do we overlook these passages? These passages also imply that husbands should understand the Word of God in order to be able to provide answers when asked. In 1 Corinthians 14:37-38, Paul makes an important statement: “If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment. But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.” He is referring to everything written to the Corinthians about the proper order in the church, including his instructions about women. Although Paul writes the letter, the message is from the Lord and is a commandment to be obeyed.

Will leaders in the church adhere to Paul’s message to Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:4-7?:

“He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”

How many times have we heard of pastors’ kids going off the rails or becoming estranged from their parents? Scripture tells us that if a leader in the church cannot manage his own home, he should not be a leader. And that brings me to probably the most controversial point—there is no mention in Scripture of female leadership in the church. Older women should teach younger women (Titus 2:3-5) and mothers should teach their children (Proverbs 1:8), but Paul is clear that a woman should not teach over a man (1 Timothy 2:12). It violates the order of submission within the church and home. The church has become disobedient to the Lord in that area, which has led to many women trying to be the spiritual leaders of their own homes. Yet there are plenty of roles for women in the church. Scripture talks about spiritual gifts being given to all members of the church, including women. We also know of prophetesses in Scripture such as Anna in Luke 2:36 and women who supported Jesus’ ministry and early church ministry (Matthew 27:55; Luke 8:2-3; Luke 10:38-42; Acts 16:13-15; Romans 16:1). The Lord created men and women and loves both equally; however, each one has his or her proper roles in the home and in the church.

The enemy knows all of these things and has used our culture to normalize what is not from God. He has caused the people of God to fear man more than fearing God to the point where not only has marriage been targeted but also our children. Innocence has been stripped away to normalize sexual behavior and deviance among children. If we cannot get our homes straight and back on the spiritual track to obeying God and His Word, the church will also fall apart. Each home is a mini church where the husband/father leads the home in truth, and the wife submits to him out of obedience to the Lord, and the children submit to their parents out of obedience to the Lord. The world will hate us for it, but Jesus already prayed to the Father on our behalf even before we decided to take the name of “Christian”:

“While I was with them (the disciples), I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that Scripture would be fulfilled. But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them in the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” John 17:12-23

Jesus spoke these words to the Father right before He was arrested and later crucified to take away our sins, even the ones we are now committing in the church. If we, as the church, want to be presented to Him as holy, spotless, and blameless when He returns (Ephesians 5:27), we must ask for forgiveness and remove the sin that we’ve allowed in the church. We must ask God to help us restore our families and our churches according to His Word and His order for how can He work through us if we have chosen to follow the world? It is our time to choose.

©Lauren Demuth

Restoring the Garden

Weeding. For those of us who have done gardening or any kind of landscaping, we know it is not a pleasurable task. Rather, it can be downright frustrating. We try our best to get plants to grow that we actually planted, but it always seems the weeds grow better, faster, and stronger. It can be hard to keep up, especially after a good rain. Sometimes we just let them grow and get used to them to the point where they don’t bother us anymore. They become part of the garden, and we give ourselves excuses for their existence. “I just don’t have time.” “They’re not really that big.” “I’ll get them in the fall or winter when everything else dies.” But do you ever notice how a lot of weeds tend to persist even when most of our desirable plants have died off? I believe everything about creation shows us who God is, and He even shared truths through parables, using aspects of creation, like planting seed and farming, to help us better understand Him and the choices we make. Paul captures this clearly in Romans 1:20:

“For since the creation of the world [God’s] attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” (NASB)

The “they” in this verse is referring back to verse 18 where Paul talks about “men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” Such people, and really all of us, are without excuse just by the evidence of God in creation. This is even more true since we also have His very Word. He is gracious to remind us of Himself even in tasks like gardening.

While there are noticeable weeds in the garden, there are also those that aren’t so obvious, specifically the ones that are embedded in the good plants. These ones take more time to spot and are more delicate to remove because there’s a chance the removal can damage what is good. But if they aren’t removed, more harm can come to the good plant. The nutrients meant for the good plant also get used by the weed. And any gardener–whether new or experienced–knows, if you don’t get the root, it will come right back. Some roots go straight down and are easy to pull whereas others spread and can harm multiple plants.

Our spiritual life is also a garden. The good plants are from seeds that get planted by the Word of God and His truth, and the weeds are the different parts of our lives that try to choke out the truth. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus explains to His disciples that the seeds sown among the thorns “are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mark 4:18-19). I must confess, it has been a difficult past few days because the Lord revealed to me that I have many weeds in my garden that I didn’t realize existed. I’ve been busy trying to help others with their spiritual gardens while mine was filled with weeds. Even worse, the plants I thought were producing fruit were unfertilized flowers just wilting away. The Lord has brought this to my attention before, and I would clean things up for awhile, but the worries of the world and other people’s approval and my pride became my focus rather on tending the garden. In our spiritual life, tending the garden is year-round, 24/7 work. While the process isn’t pleasurable, and maybe sometimes it hurts to get rid of weeds that look beautiful (not all are thorny), the reward is eternity with God which outweighs all the work. As the church, we have the opportunity to help each other pull up weeds with words of truth, but we also can’t neglect our own spiritual garden. In the end, each of us is accountable for its condition. Will it be full of fruitful and beautiful good plants, or will it be full of weeds with mere remnants of what is good? 

© Lauren Demuth

Worthy of Our Calling

As I continue to read through the New Testament, and especially in Paul’s letters, this particular phrase keeps popping up: “Walk in a manner worthy of your calling.” What does that mean? Let’s look at some verses (NASB translation) with this instruction:

Ephesians 4:1-3 – “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Philippians 1:27-28 – “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.”

Colossians 1:9-12 – “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.”

1 Thessalonians 2:9-12 – “For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.”

2 Thessalonians 1:3-5 – “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.”

2 Thessalonians 1:6-12 – “For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed. To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Lord is so good to us that He doesn’t leave us wondering what “walking in a manner worthy of your calling” means. First, this command is given to the church as a whole. As the body of Christ we should be walking in a manner worthy of our calling in order to glorify God in this world. Second, it is also an individual command because as you read in each letter, not everyone is acting as a Christian should. Each Christian should examine oneself to see where his or her standing is with the Lord and make the changes needed to be worthy of the calling of being a believer in Christ. In each of these passages, Paul explains how we should live. Sometimes it’s easier for me to take it all in with a list so here’s a list based on what we’ve just read:

A Christian walks in a manner worthy of his or her calling by:

  • Demonstrating tolerance for those within the church in love, humility, gentleness and patience
  • Diligently preserving the unity of the Spirit in peace
  • Standing firm in one spirit with believers
  • Striving with other believers in one mind for the faith of the gospel
  • Trusting in God rather than being afraid of opponents of the gospel
  • Bearing fruit in every good work
  • Increasing in the knowledge of God and His will
  • Strengthened with God’s power to be able to attain steadfastness and patience
  • Joyously giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be part of His kingdom
  • Accepting exhortation and encouragement from those with spiritual wisdom and discernment
  • Persevering in the midst of trials for the sake of the gospel
  • Having faith in the midst of trials for the sake of the gospel
  • Suffering for the gospel knowing that God will deliver retribution at Christ’s coming

We could easily add to this list with other passages from Scripture, but notice how all of these actions are important as a BODY of believers. The love we have for one another and how we treat one another should be a testament to the world. But if church looks like the world, what distinction is there? Are we willing to be set apart for God’s kingdom knowing that it may make us a target of suffering in one way or another? 1 Thessalonians 2:12 struck me where it says “so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” Not only are we called into a kingdom beyond anything we can imagine, but we are also called into God’s glory. The God who created all things with a word calls us to share that glory. The God who came down to a sinful world to save His people as only He could calls us to share that glory. The God who died and took every sin upon Himself as the perfect sacrifice calls us to share that glory. The God who raised Jesus Christ from the grave to give every person the opportunity to spend eternity with Him calls us to share that glory. It feels impossible to be worthy of such a calling. How can we be? And that’s just it. We can’t. On our own, we are unworthy. But the love and sacrifice of our amazing, incomparable God has MADE us worthy because HE IS WORTHY!!! What other god would give itself to meager people? What other god would allow those people to share its glory? NONE! That is why Yahweh is the Lord of lords and King of kings who created humanity–because of LOVE. He WANTS us to be with Him even after all we’ve done. Even after all the slander to His name. Even after all acts of disobedience and defiance. He is still worthy above it all. He is still glorified above it all. He is still love above it all. He is still forgiving above it all. He is still extending His hand above it all. But make no mistake, God is a jealous God who will not tolerate lukewarm devotion. We cannot love God and be friends with the world (James 4:4). If we say we’re willing to give it all, we need to mean it with our lives because He is worthy of it. And as Paul indicated in 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, we want to be counted by God as worthy of our calling when Christ returns so that the name of Jesus will be glorified in us and us in Him. On that day, we will no longer be able to ask these questions: Did I diligently study God’s word of truth to know Him and understand His will? Did I treat brothers and sisters with all humility, gentleness, peace and love to build them up and be an example to the world? Did I persevere in faith in the midst of trials? Did I stand up for the Lord when everyone else around me fell silent? Did I put the Lord first above all else in my life?

Sometimes all of these questions and thoughts seem overwhelming. How can we ever achieve them? One thing that the Lord has reminded me lately is that He’s already overcome everything. Everything we have faced, are facing, or will ever face, the Lord has overcome it with His death and resurrection. He will return, and He will reign, and we will forever be with Him if we are faithful believers. What happens in our lives until then will either glorify God or not. We are not perfect so we will have difficult moments and failures and setbacks. But then instead of getting down on ourselves and getting stuck in a pit, we have the choice to ask, “How can I glorify the Lord in this?” In other words, we can choose to take the eyes off of ourselves and circumstances which is just a moment in time and focus on the God who is eternal.

Let’s encourage one another and exhort each other as the body of believers so that we can glorify the King of kings in a world that desperately needs to know and understand the love of our Savior. May we demonstrate that love to each other so that it overflows into every aspect of our lives, bringing others to the saving grace that God has given as a gift for them.

©Lauren Demuth

Growing from Impatient Children to Grateful Disciples

Jesus often taught His disciples using lessons from everyday life. He used what they understood to provide a launching point into the wisdom of the kingdom of God. I believe He still uses this method of teaching today as we live out our lives—as long as we have ears to hear.

Last week I decided that my son and I were going to visit my mom. My son had been asking for awhile to visit, and my mom mentioned the idea so I was on board. Then I thought it would be a good idea to tell my son (a 4-year-old) three days in advance that we were going. My motive was to give him something to look forward to and to build an excitement as we counted the days. But that’s not exactly what happened. Each morning he’d wake up ready to go to Gigi’s house, and then the tears started as I told him not yet. I kept reminding him that we ARE going, just not today. When the day finally arrived, I couldn’t wait to get in the car and drive just so I didn’t have to hear him ask me over and over when we were leaving. We arrived and had fun at a nearby park, and then I made the mistake of telling him plans in advance again. “We’re going to get pizza and then go to the store afterwards.” He wanted to look at toys at the store so instead of enjoying time eating delicious pizza, all he wanted to do was rush and get to the store. As I’m sitting with my son and mom, I tell her (paraphrased here), “He has no concept of time. It doesn’t matter when I say it will happen, he thinks it’s right now.” And then I heard the Lord do a little “Ahem” in my ear. He was pretty much saying, “You know you do the same thing, right?” I even said out loud at the table, “OK, Lord, I get it” and had to laugh.

The next day I was being good and NOT telling my son in advance that we were going to the zoo. I just said, “What do you want to do today?” He replied that he wanted to go to the park. Then I had to open my mouth and say, “Oh there’s a playground where we’re going.” Do you think he wanted to see the amazing animals in the zoo when we got there? All he kept saying was that he wanted to go to the playground. I told him that we will get there eventually, but we’re going to see some awesome animals on the way. When it became clear that the time was getting closer for the zoo to close and the tram had too long of a line to wait, we walked as fast as we could to get to the playground. We bypassed so many neat exhibits and rushed to get there that we couldn’t quite enjoy our crazy walk (uphill almost the whole way!). We finally arrived, and of course, he was blissfully happy just to play on the playground with other kids (it seemed their parents had a similar story to tell).

I kept saying to myself and to my mom that I’m just not going to tell my son anymore what we’re doing until we get somewhere. That would be easier, and maybe that’s for the best sometimes. But I know that God was showing me how we often are with Him. We look at children and think that they’re so impatient and have no concept of time, and then we mistakenly think we’ve grown out of this way of thinking. Too often we are just the same with God. He doesn’t have to tell us what’s coming next, but He often gives us directions whether it’s in Scripture or in our individual lives. And why does He do it? To make us impatient? No! Just like I was motivated by love for my son to see him excited and full of joy and hope that something amazing was about to happen, God our Father loves us so much that He wants to give us hope and a glimpse into the beauty of what’s to come. But instead of rejoicing , knowing that His goodness and blessings are coming our way, all we can focus on is “Why is it not here yet? I want it, and I want it now!” And we miss everything else around us and the beauty of the journey to get to that blessing. Maybe God is trying to shape us before we get there. Maybe we’re not ready for it if we had it right now. The truth is He doesn’t have to show us at all, but because His love is so extravagant He WANTS to show us His blessings in our lives. He WANTS to give us hope. He WANTS to build our faith as we trust that our Father is honest, pure, true, and holy. He KEEPS His word.

In Matthew 7:7-12, Jesus talks to His disciples about the Father’s goodness:

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

The Father is kind and generous to give to His children who ask Him! But notice it doesn’t say He gives the good gift right away. Could He do that? Sure! But too often this is the expectation, and instead of rejoicing in anticipation and praying for God to prepare us for what He has in store, we get frustrated. Sometimes we get angry. I can say that because I’ve been there. “God, You said that this business would be successful, but nothing is happening!” “God, you said I would have another child, but it’s been years!” In reflection, this anger demonstrates my lack of faith. Yet the Father has been so gracious to teach me all of these things so that I can stop being an impatient child and learn to be a grateful disciple—one who trusts the word of the Lord God of the universe even when I can’t see over the mountain in front of me.

Just like I kept telling my son, “Just wait, we’re almost there,” He’s saying the same to each one of us: “Just wait, your blessing is coming. Trust Me, I am not leading you astray. You may have a journey to get there, but keep your eyes open for more blessings on the way. Keep your focus on ME and not on the blessing itself because you’ll miss more of what I have for you. I want to give you LIFE! Trust that My timing is perfect because I created time and am outside of time. You are in the best hands because I am IN all and THROUGH all and ABOVE all things. I AM.”

©Lauren Demuth

Revelation- The Message of Hope

Satan is the antithesis of hope. What a better way for Satan to get the church to take its focus off the hope of Christ than to distort the message of hope that encompasses the Book of Revelation. Rather than lead us to the hope of Christ’s victory, we have allowed Satan to use it to cause division in the body of Christ. The church has been split based on different theological and eschatological viewpoints of Revelation. Arguments have been fought within the church, within our families, and among friends. I’ve had this experience in my life. I grew up in Pentecostal circles and was raised with one viewpoint. When I studied the Word more on my own and with other Christians, my viewpoint changed. I even took a class in college on the Book of Revelation. But honestly, with all the hostility and divisive outcomes, this book left a bad taste in my mouth. That should’ve been a clue that this effect was not from God but rather the evil one, for God’s Word is truth and light and anything contrary to that is not of God.

So why am I writing this today? My family and I recently started engaging in Passion City Church online as part of our church and worship time. A few weeks ago we watched a sermon by Louie Giglio about Revelation, which was actually one sermon out of a series of sermons. My first reaction when I saw what it was about was, “Ok, here we go again. I would rather watch a sermon about something else.” But I decided not to change it, and I am so glad I didn’t. I got to hear Revelation taught as a Bible study without theological viewpoints or debates. It was just purely the Word of God illuminating the truth and hope of Christ. Now I’ve been a Christian for most of my life, and I’ve read through Revelation quite a few times, but in the midst of hostility and division, I forgot about the message of hope. That is the whole point of Revelation, that in the midst of all the chaos of life and times that seems unbearable, Christ already has the victory! We will get to be with Him, and we will finally be able to be in the presence of the Almighty God. My soul was stirred up after that sermon, and I decided to watch all of them from the beginning to the last one today. What struck me after each message was that it was all about Jesus, every time, straight from the Word of God. There was no debate about “the rapture” or who the 144,000 are. It was all about Jesus, His sacrifice, what He is preparing for us now, and how we will rule and reign with Him as sons and daughters of the living God. That’s why Satan has twisted it and gets us to focus on all the things that WE have chosen to divide us rather than listen to the words of Jesus as He communicates to John amazing scenes from heaven that all the forefathers would have wished they could see. We have such a privilege and honor to get a glimpse of what happens around the throne room of Yahweh. Louie Giglio is a great speaker, but I have no doubt in my mind that the Lord God anointed this series of messages because if there is any time in history that people need to understand the hope of Christ, it’s now.

With that said, I highly encourage you to check out this series: Revelation Series

As a Christian, it will leave you encouraged by the Word of God and emboldened to share the Word with others. If you aren’t a Christian, it will be the message of hope in this dark world that this is not the end of it all, but greater things are in store for those who choose to follow Jesus Christ.

I pray that you will be blessed, uplifted, encouraged and refreshed as the Word of God comes to life and the greatest hope of all time is declared.

Thank You, Father God, for the gift of Your Word which shines the light of truth in this sinful world. Thank You for this Revelation of Jesus Christ which is not simply a message of hope but THE message of hope for all nations, tribes, and tongues that all may know Your ultimate love for us and Your power against the spiritual darkness that permeates our world. We look forward to a new heaven and earth where we will be with You as THE light and where we will finally see You face to face. Thank You for the riches of Your kindness, mercy, and grace. Help us to endure trials and tribulations for the sake of Your name that You may be glorified. Refine Your church with the refiner’s fire so that what is not of You is burned up and what is of You remains so that we can be Your bride you are molding us to be. May our oil be full and lamps lit so that we are ready for the day You, the bridegroom, come for us, Your bride. Forgive us of our sins and heal us so that we can be made whole again in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

©Lauren Demuth

Being Content with Our Daily Bread

The Lord’s Prayer is one of the most memorized passages of Scripture. I can’t even count how many times I’ve read it in devotions or prayed it out loud in gatherings. I recently decided to start reading through the New Testament again from the beginning and in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, the authors share this prayer. In Matthew 6, the prayer is part of the beatitudes and is preceded by Jesus’ teaching to pray in secret rather than be like the hypocrites who pray loudly and openly to be praised by men. In verses 7-8 Jesus also teaches not to use repetitious words thinking that more words will make God hear us, but He explains that the Father already knows what we need before we ask. Rather He presents this simple prayer, which we know of as the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13):

“Pray, then, in this way:

Our Father who is in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

[For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]”

Luke’s account of the Lord’s Prayer in Luke 11:2-4 is more concise, but the essence is still the same. When we pray it is to the Father who is holy and in heaven. Our desire should be for His kingdom to come and for His will, not ours, to be done. We also ought to pray for our DAILY bread (to this point I will come back to). Then we are instructed to ask for forgiveness, and notice the passage says “as we also have forgiven our debtors.” We ask for forgiveness once we’ve already forgiven others. Matthew 6:14-15 expounds on this point: “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” That part of the passage is a blog post topic for another time, but it’s important to remember. Then lastly we ought to pray to be kept from temptation and delivered from evil because we all fall into sin and the enemy would like nothing more than to draw us away from the Lord.

Back in April, I wrote a blog post called “The Measure of Contentment” where I shared about my sin of pride and how I was placing my contentment in the wrong things. I was called by the Lord to follow a path, but I made the task my focus rather than the Lord. It led me on a journey (which I’m still on) of what it means to be content in the Lord. I know the Lord promised success if I followed Him, but I began to realize that His timing and mine weren’t the same. The worldly idea of success would creep in, and I would wonder when I could start providing again. I would compare myself to others and wonder why I couldn’t be more like them. But when I recently read the Lord’s Prayer again, it clicked: “Give us this day our DAILY bread.” The world says to make as much money as possible and save it, invest it, etc. We tend to get to know people by what they do and judge (whether we consciously realize it or not) by what others earn for a living. But the prayer that Jesus shared as the way to pray didn’t say, “Pray for loads of wealth for the future.” Rather He said to pray “Give us this day our daily bread.” Is it wrong to be wealthy? No! The Lord can and has used wealthy people to further His kingdom. But the reality is we aren’t guaranteed tomorrow. James 4:13-15 says,

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’”

Only the Lord knows what will happen in our lives, and Jesus is teaching His disciples, who will become the leaders of the church, to pray for the Father to give them what they need for each day. Not for the next week or next year or next ten years. Today. And that’s enough. When I let this sink in, my prayer started to change from “Lord, help me to provide for my family” to “Lord, I pray that you will provide for what we need today.” And He has! I don’t have to worry about the future because the Lord already knows. I just have to be faithful to do what He’s called me to do and not compare what He’s given me to the tasks He’s given to someone else. We are a BODY of believers who all have been called to do different things for the Lord, as Paul talks about 1 Corinthians 12. The body is not made up of the same part (which would look monstrous) but multiple, unique parts with different functions. The beauty is that when we are obedient and content in Him, all the parts of the body function properly, and we become the church– the bride –that He has called us to be.

The world is going to call us foolish for not saving up as much money as possible or for not diving into every social media outlet to gain followers, customers, or people to approve of us and what we do. And to the world we are foolish—and we should be honored by that:

“For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.’

Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, ‘Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

When Jesus tells His disciples to pray “Give us this day our daily bread,” He is telling them to live in faith day-by-day, confident that the Father already knows what we need. And the “daily bread” is not going to look the same for everyone, and that’s alright. Our eyes shouldn’t be roaming around (or scrolling through people’s pages) to see what others’ “daily bread” looks like. We are accountable for our own faith and for our own fruit before the Lord God, and in truth, praying for our “daily bread” is freeing because that means we know that the Lord will take care of us each day until He calls us home to be with Him. Each day may look different from the last, but He already knows what we need. And that is enough.

©Lauren Demuth

The Measure of Contentment

What does being content mean? Too often I think “when I get to this certain place, I will be content.” That’s wrong for two reasons. First, it completely negates the present time, and second, it doesn’t turn out to be true. Any time I’ve gotten to “that certain place” it doesn’t satisfy like I think it will. Now you may already be thinking, “Lauren, you’re supposed to be content in the Lord.” And you would be right! But again, I have to ask myself, what does that mean? What does that look like for me to be content in the Lord?

This has been a long process for me, not because the Lord hasn’t been wonderful. He’s shown me boundless love when He speaks, disciplines, comforts, provides, and leads. When I’ve allowed myself to face the truth, the root of the problem is me, namely, my pride. I’ve let this sin reside in me for a long time, but it’s been conniving, masquerading itself as high achievement and determination to excel. To want to excel is not wrong in and of itself, but when it’s never enough, there’s something out of place. This may sound juvenile, but I loved being a student because I was graded. I could see a physical sign of the outcome of my efforts. Those achievements gave me a tangible sense of worth, whether I consciously realized it or not. I just had to know that I was doing everything right because failure wasn’t an option. While striving for excellence can be admirable, it made me afraid to fail at anything. It made me not want to try things that I wasn’t good at. School is where I felt safe so I got a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree all while seeking approval from others in various ways.

But next came being in the real world, and instead of striving for excellence out of my comfort zone, I settled for jobs where I knew I couldn’t really fail. The Lord was gracious to promote me at times, but it wasn’t until I finally pursued teaching (the first time) that I was tested. However, instead of relying on the Lord for guidance and understanding, all I could see was failure after failure. Eventually, I let my anxiety break me to a point I never thought possible, especially as a Christian. That anxiety and depression turned to shame and guilt, which only made it worse.

My pride was saying that I shouldn’t have failed, that it wasn’t an option. But that was a lie. Failure is a part of life that pushes us forward to success if we allow it to. I just couldn’t see that yet. Thankfully, the Lord God blessed me with a family who encouraged me but also didn’t sugarcoat the fact that my pride was truly my downfall. By the grace of God, I slowly climbed out of the pit as I held on to His extended hand. The Lord opened another door for teaching shortly thereafter, and although I was apprehensive, I followed where He led, and He blessed me. There were certainly challenges along the way, but I was able to apply what I learned before and try new things.

However, the Lord has a way of not letting me get too comfortable. I could probably stay in the same routine for the rest of my life if the Lord let me, but another opportunity came up to have a family business. It started growing while I was still teaching, and it got to the point where I had to choose. After much prayer, I chose to quit teaching and focus on the business where I could also be home with my son. The Lord opened the floodgates, and we were getting so many orders that it was hard to keep up. It became a full time job, and old pride was right at my doorstep. “Keep going, you’re helping your family by spending all your time here.” “This is your worth. Look how much you’re making.” So I kept pushing and soon it became my main focus. Work longer. Please your customers. Make money. This is your value to your family. Such thoughts and actions led to strife, and once again, discontentment. It was the same story with different clothes on: pride masquerading as high achievement with the drive to excel at all costs. It wasn’t until I finally stopped and spent time with the Lord about it that He showed me my pride was getting in the way, and I was not acting Christ-like. I also had a lot more to learn about business because even though it looked like I was making X amount of money, I really wasn’t making much at all. But instead of telling me to give it up, the Lord directed me to stop using that outlet for business and use a different one, making smarter and better business decisions along the way. The idea of practically starting over was daunting, but it was a clear message.

I worked and worked to get everything ready, but I was pursuing it at my pace to meet my schedule. Looking back I can’t help thinking, do I ever learn? When I thought I was done, I found out that I had to go over everything again in more detail…and I had to rely on someone else for help. I’ve never liked doing that because I want to do things my way and my pace. As you can see, pride was still hanging around. Another month and a half goes by, and I’m finally ready to reopen, but not much has happened. With all my efforts and hours of connecting with customers and trying social media outlets, I’ve only had a raindrop of orders. Then I hear myself asking God, “Didn’t you tell me to do this, to make a change? Wasn’t this supposed to be successful? I’ve worked so hard, why isn’t this working?” When I finally stopped to listen, He spoke a very clear message: “You have made this your source of contentment.” And then I understood.

Like past times in my life, I get going on what God leads me to do, but then I turn the task into my measure of contentment. I allow what’s good to be overtaken by pride. Pride leads me away from the Lord and turns into strife, frustration, anger and discontentment. Now that I know what the problem is, the Lord has told me to write all of these things so that I can now strive to understand contentment, not only to be accountable for my actions but to also have His truth in the forefront of my mind.

So what is God’s truth regarding contentment? Two passages have been circulating in my mind. The first place to start is in Philippians. Paul and Timothy are writing to the church in Philippi while Paul is imprisoned for the cause of Christ. They encourage the church to remain faithful and bold for the cause of Christ even in the midst of suffering as Paul has experienced and to be united in love and humility rather than become selfish and vain. Paul describes Christ as the ultimate example, writing, “Although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (2:6-8). As Christ is our example, contentment begins with selflessness and humility. He could’ve lorded His power over everyone and everything but chose contentment in the imperfect form of humanity to fulfill His purpose, spurned by love for us. In chapter 3 of the letter, Paul also encourages the Philippians to not listen to those who say they need to be circumcised in the flesh but reminds them that their righteousness comes from God through faith. They should remain steadfast and press on. In the final chapter, the church is encouraged to “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (4:6-7).

Contentment has no room for anxiety because it is built on faith, believing that God will take care of things we need. It may not always be the time we expect or in the form we want, but He will hear and answer. In verse 10, Paul expresses his joy that the Philippians were able to provide for his needs, but then he continues saying, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (4:11-13). Contentment can be found in the poorest and richest of circumstances when the Lord is at the center of it. Contentment can’t be based on financial circumstances because those can change at any moment for any reason. In both situations, we must have faith in the Lord. In poor circumstances, we must have faith that the Lord will provide for what we need. In rich circumstances, we must have faith to be generous to further God’s kingdom and to use it for His purpose. This brings us to the next passage.

In Matthew 6 Jesus is speaking to His disciples about how to be different from the world, namely to focus on the eternal rather than temporary physical and emotional gains. He gives instructions about fasting in secret so that only the Father sees rather than man and about storing up treasures in heaven rather than on earth (vv. 16-21). He addresses the contrast of light and darkness, and more explicitly states in v. 24, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” In researching the word used for “wealth” (Greek: mamona), it has a negative connotation of worldly wealth. The idea of being a servant is complete devotion to something. As servants of the Lord, we can’t truly be devoted to God and to something else. Does God bless people with wealth? Yes! We can read about a number of people throughout Scripture who have used their wealth to honor the Lord. But in this passage, it’s a matter of where our devotion and faith lie. Are they with the Lord or with the world? Jesus expounds on His statement in v. 25, “For this reason (referencing back to v. 24) I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” In verses 26-30 He continues to talk about how the Lord provides for nature in many different ways so how much more will He provide for us who are made in His image! Therefore, ““Do not worry then, saying ‘What will we eat?’ Or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own”” (vv. 31-34).

Looking at this passage in terms of contentment, it boils back down to faith. Do we let our emotions, our anxiety, sway with what we see in the world? Or do we remain devoted to the Lord, trusting that He already knows what we need? Are we living in a state of “what will happen tomorrow?” rather than “how can I be content right now?” Another point to think about from this passage is how much value we have to God. Jesus elaborates how the birds of the air are fed, lilies are clothed more beautifully than Solomon, and the grass is clothed even though it will easily and quickly be burned up. We are His children for whom Jesus (at the time He’s speaking in this passage) is getting ready to sacrifice Himself. We already have immense value without having to earn it. In this passage Jesus is not only teaching truth to His disciples, but He’s preparing them for what’s to come. Some of them left their livelihoods and families to follow Christ. Later on in His ministry, Jesus tells His close disciples to take nothing with them on their travels and other times to bring what He tells them to. In every circumstance, they are being asked to have faith that God will provide the right people in the right places to give what they need. Is this not an example for us? The only way to be content in all circumstances is to seek the Lord and His kingdom first, have faith that He already knows what we need, and trust that whatever the outcome may be, the Lord’s will is best. Faith, of course, is always tested. Will we fail sometimes? Yes. I know I have many times. Jesus’ closest disciples did too. But that wasn’t the end of their ministry, and it won’t be the end of ours either. Rather, may those failures refine us to become better servants of Christ devoted wholly to Him.

~~~

Below is a quick contentment check I created while writing this post to help me when pride wants to come knocking. I plan to print it out to help keep me straight. Feel free to click on this link to use it for yourself or create your own and even add to it.

My Contentment Check

Am I:

  1. Acting out of selflessness? What can I do for others in the Body of Christ? (Philippians 2)
  2. Basing decisions in faith (not anxiety) while maintaining devotion to the Lord? (Philippians 4; Matthew 6)
  3. Basing my contentment on financial circumstances? Remember, contentment can be found in poor and rich circumstances alike with the Lord at the center (Philippians 4; Matthew 6)
  4. Focused on the present rather than the past or future? (Matthew 6:34)
  5. Embracing that the Lord values me without having to earn it (Matthew 6:30)

©Lauren Demuth

Why Would God Tell You That?

Is that a question you’ve heard before? Or maybe it was implied by someone’s response to you sharing what’s been on your heart. You felt confident God was calling you in one direction, but those around you couldn’t understand it or thought you’re behavior was irrational. “Certainly God wouldn’t call you to leave what you know and go somewhere foreign.” Or “God wouldn’t call you to quit your job and start something new”. Or “God wouldn’t ask you to go into debt by going back to school”. Or [insert your situation here]. Seeds of doubt get planted, and you begin to wonder if you really heard God.

I think all of us have had at least one moment like that in our lives, and most likely more than one. It’s what we do in that moment that counts, and prayer is the best way to start. How many times in the Bible was God patient enough to encourage those who doubted what He asked or who felt inadequate to complete the task. Moses is the first person who comes to mind, and he helped to free the Israelites from slavery, gave them the Law from God and wrote the Pentateuch. There are numerous examples of God telling people to do things that we might call crazy, like Hosea being commanded to take a harlot as a wife to demonstrate Israel’s unfaithfulness to the Lord, or Noah building the ark, or Abraham leaving his country (especially at an older age) to wander in the wilderness where God led him. But one person stands out especially in this season of Christmas, and that person is Mary.

Many of us have grown up hearing the story of the nativity, and Mary being chosen by God to give birth to the Messiah. What is less taught is how all of this was counter-cultural in their day. According to scholars, Mary would have been a teenager, and Scripture tells us she was betrothed to Joseph. While in our culture, we would view this as an engagement but not an official marriage, in ancient Israel, they were viewed as husband and wife already. In the famously deemed Ten Commandments of the Law, the seventh commandment is “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14). But there was much more detail to the Law than the Ten Commandments, especially regarding unfaithfulness. Leviticus 20 is just one chapter devoted to the consequences of the sins of sexual immorality. Usually the result was death. John 8 demonstrates that the practice of stoning an adulterous woman to death still occurred in the first century AD. This practice from the Law is written in Deuteronomy 22:23-24, “If there is a girl who is a virgin engaged to a man, and another man finds her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city and you shall stone them to death; the girl because she did not cry out in the city, and the man, because he has violated his neighbor’s wife. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.”

With this in mind, imagine Mary, a young virgin who is betrothed, winds up pregnant. A virgin getting pregnant would be seemingly impossible, so what would be the alternative thought? Adultery, most likely. Matthew’s account makes it clear that even though Mary and Joseph were betrothed, they had not consummated their marriage yet. Therefore, a pregnancy would’ve been viewed as unfaithfulness. Mary knew the Law, but when she was told by the angel Gabriel that she was chosen by God and that she would become pregnant through His power, she responds, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). How incredible is that! Knowing that this choice could result in death according to the Law, she trusts in the Lord. Even more, she praises the Lord for regarding a humble person as herself and exalts the Lord for His magnificence (Luke 1:46-55-The Magnificat).

Joseph’s response also demonstrates his exemplary character, and no doubt why God chose him (as well as being of the lineage of David). Matthew describes Joseph as a “righteous man” (Matt. 1:19) and says that “not wanting to disgrace her (Mary), planned to send her away secretly.” While some may find it harsh that Joseph would essentially divorce her, he was actually giving up his right to bring her before the court and have her stoned as the Law states should happen for an adulterous woman. Rather, he was willing to protect her and put the shame on himself. But thankfully, the Lord sent an angel to deter him from this decision and explained to him what happened. Just like Mary, Joseph didn’t question what was told him, but Matthew 1:24-25 says, “Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.”

If there was any time to doubt that you heard from God, the situation these two faced would be at the top of the list. Everyone knows that they haven’t officially consummated their marriage. Everyone knows that the Law says an adulteress would be stoned to death. But the Lord orchestrated everything perfectly. Since Mary was betrothed, the decision was up to Joseph, who God knew to be a righteous man who wouldn’t harm Mary. He knew Mary would fulfill the task because she was a faithful woman of God and considered God’s choice to be a blessing to her. The story of the birth of Christ is one of hope and amazing love, and it all began with faith that what God said was true and would be fulfilled.

God knew what the Law said—He wrote it! He knew what He asked of Mary and Joseph would not line up culturally. But God is above culture! God is above all things! God speaks to us if we’re willing to have ears to hear and understand. If you know that God has called you to do something, and you’ve gone before Him in prayer (this is important!), have the faith of Mary and Joseph who said, “May Your will be done, Lord.” Their faith resulted in the birth of our Savior who has redeemed us and saved us from our sin.

Even if you feel alone in your decision, the Lord will be there to guide you and provide for you along your journey. Let’s pray together:

Father, we thank you for the truth of Your Word, that it is a lamp to guide us when we falter or doubt. You’ve chosen many people before us to fulfill Your will, and we thank you that we can learn and be encouraged by their faithfulness. We have the blessing to see promises fulfilled that not many of them saw. Help us to hear your voice and drown out the world that seeks to discourage and destroy us. We desire to be a light instead, walking where you tell us to go even when we can’t see the end. Thank you for the gift of Jesus Christ, and the salvation and forgiveness You’ve given us so that we may lead others to Your kingdom. May we not fear the unknown but rejoice that You have chosen to regard the humble to exalt Your name. Give us Your strength and peace even when we feel alone, and remind us that You are always there. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.