It's not about the rules

"This is too complicated.  I'm just not smart enough" I thought as I heard the doctrines and practices of another religion.  My memory is nearly 30 years old yet still vividly clear in my mind.  I was on  a mission trip in another land and touring a famous religious site.  I remember feeling sad at the futility of the practitioners' attempts to find peace with such a  complicated lifestyle.  I also felt relief that I knew that Jesus offered me simplicity and assurance.   

"Simple" came to my mind when I read Mark 1:4-8.  John had a simple message.  He preached forgiveness of sin.  People responded and were baptized.

John lived a simple life.  He had one type of clothing, camel's hair.  He had a simple diet of locusts and wild honey.

John offered a simple promise.  The Powerful was coming.  If they were impressed by the message of forgiveness, The One coming would bring the baptism of  the Holy Spirit.

I imagine life for the average Israelite must have been challenging.  They were a conquered people with the Romans making the laws and collecting the taxes.  Their religious leaders created a system of life full of rules to govern every action of daily life.  In such a rigid life with lots of rules and authorities, the promise of the Powerful must have been very exciting.

John kept life uncomplicated without lots of clothes and a lavish diet.  He knew he had a job for God so he did it.  He must have done it well because many people responded.  He was humble, obedient and authentic.

I have noticed that we live in a world that creates more and more rules.  Too many people think the world will be happier and safer with more and more laws.  With the evils present today, perhaps we do need more laws.

Today I wonder if all the rules make life so complicated that life feels futile.  So we carry over the rule -making into our spiritual life.  We construct doctrines, practices and structures so we think we are coming closer to perfection and God.  Deuteronomy may seem like a book of rules for the Israelites but it's really about love and choice.  God choose them, before they followed the rules, because He loved them.  The rules were about benefits, "so it would go well in the Promised Land."

Today I am reminded that the path to find God is simple, not complicated.  I acknowledge that I am a sinner and ask for forgiveness.  I know that I can only be forgiven because Jesus paid the price for my sins.  Then I need to turn away from the sin so it will go well for me.

God doesn't want me to beg for His affection.  He loved me from before there was me.  I have been chosen, not because I follow rules or beg, just because of His Love.  I make it complicated.  God makes it simple.  He provided The Way, Jesus.

If I want to draw closer to God, I need a clean heart and a simple life.  Then Life will be exciting!

Am I a Messenger?

"This is Jan, from ______________'s office." This is my opening line when I make telephone calls at work.  I use my relationship with my employer to build a relationship with the person I am calling.

When I read the first verse in the Gospel of Mark, I jotted in my journal one of my personal "pearls of wisdom", Life is about relationships.  It's not what you know but who you know.  I've gained more in  life through the people I know than my knowledge and education.  The relationship creates the opportunity.  My knowledge and experience "closes the deal."

Verse one of chapter one in Mark identifies Jesus as God's Son.  It also tells us that this is the beginning of any potential relationship.  The basis of a relationship with God is Who Jesus is and to Whom He belongs.

A few days ago my husband and I were discussing the next section of my blog.  I'd  told him I had chosen Mark.  I wanted the next book to be in the New Testament and I wanted a gospel to get to know Jesus more.  We talked about how Mark was written for the Roman mind.  My first thought of the Romans was they were the pagans, so unspiritual.  Yet they were spiritual because they had many gods and probably believed that the gods controlled everything, nature, destiny, fate and even their own lives. 

I think too many people in the world we live in are also pagan and worship many gods.  Too many people worship these modern pagan gods thinking they keep control of their own life and the lives of those around them when we were made for a relationship with Jesus, The Son of God.

Life, the real Life, begins, continues and ends, with a relationship with God's Son, Jesus.

The second verse in Mark continues to build connection with God through the prophet Isaiah and with the messenger sent to prepare the way for Jesus.  Isaiah has numerous references to Jesus' arrival including the comfort of the coming King who will make the world right.  Mark quotes the verse from Isaiah that describes the role of the messenger (Isaiah 40:3-4).  It starts in the desert and the messenger calls for a straight highway for God through the wilderness. The messenger is to make the path straight so God can come to us but a straight path also makes it easier for me, and others, to come closer to God.

I read the verse prior to and just following Isaiah 40:3 which is a normal study habit for me.  I like to get the verse in a bit of context.  Verse 1 in Isaiah starts with "Comfort..."  This world needs comfort through all the valleys and mountains of Life.  Verse 5 promises that the Glory of God will be revealed to all.  Through it all, God is in control and He will prevail.

I've been known as Dick's wife, Adam's mother's, Jim's daughter.  Occasionally, my husband has been known as "Jan's husband."  He'd been surprised to hear it the first time.  He'd entered "my world" while teaching a seminar at a women's conference.   I'd prepared the way for him.  The women enthusiastically welcomed him because they knew to whom he belonged (me!).  They trusted him because they knew him through me.

Today I ponder: 

The messenger is to make the path straight so God can come to us but a straight path also makes it easier for me, and others, to come closer to God.

In this desert of a world in which we live,

Do others see to whom I belong, the benefits and opportunities?

Do I make it easy for others to know the Son of God? 

Do others know of Him through me so they will also trust Him?  

Does this pagan world see that I believe God controls everything, nature, destiny, fate and even my own life?

Do others know that comfort, real comfort awaits in a relationship with the God who will prevail?

Am I a messenger?

Learning to follow His Lead

"Gracie, you did good.  You have been a good friend."  I was driving her to the kennel to stay while we were on vacation.  She was old and had some health issues.  I had a suspicion her time on earth was short and I wanted her to know she  had accomplished her life work.  She had been my dog, a good dog and friend.

Sadly, my premonition was correct.  Several days later, the caretaker called and Gracie was in trouble.  It was time.   Her time on earth was over.  I couldn't be with Gracie but I had said my last words to her.

I'm not good at endings.  When I read a good book, I'll be consumed by it.  I'll spend all my time reading it but yet when I'm a handful of pages from The End, I'll stall.  I don't want it to end.  I want the experience to go on.

I've finished reading Deuteronomy for several days.  Yet I have delayed my final blog entry.  I have always enjoyed Deuteronomy.  Many shake their heads in puzzlement when I list it as a favorite book of the Bible.

Perhaps comparing Moses' homegoing to my farewell to my dog is a stretch but I started my learnings in Deuteronomy with comparisons of training my puppies and my walk of obedience with God.  The puppies are not really trained enough to get the "Mission Accomplished" speech.  Yet I have hope for them.  I have given the farewell speech to Sunny, Sam, Jessie and Gracie.  It's a good life to be a Sipe dog because we spoil them.  Soon  Mickey and Molly will see the benefit of their obedience to us.  Occasionally I see that look in Molly's eye, looking to me for direction.  It's rare but there!

God led Moses into the next chapter of  his eternal life.  Chapter  34 of Deuteronomy begins as Moses climbs Mt. Nebo just as God told him.  When Moses arrives,  God shows Moses the land, the Promised Land.  Moses dies and God Himself buries him.  Moses was 120 years young, his eyes were not weak and his strength was not gone. No prophet since has known God as Moses did, face to face and done such miraculous signs and wonders and led the people of Israel.

I'll admit that I do want to hear God give me the "Mission Accomplished", but not right away!  I'm not planning a homegoing anytime soon.  I'll stall in this life as long as I can.  I think my eyes are getting weaker and maybe the strength too but I'm enjoying this life that God is directing for me.  I want to learn more and serve Him more.  Reflecting on  Chapter 34 has given me encouragement to finish well.

The good news is that I'm not done with this earthly life, nor am I done with my walk with God. There is another day before me.  New adventures and challenges await!   God has been with me, is with me and will be with me. 

The puppies are still learning to walk on the leash.  They still want to lead the way and rush to a destination, any destination.  I intentionally lead them in the opposite direction and I tell them to "walk with me."

Just as Molly and Mickey are learning to follow me since I have the other end of the leash in my hand, I am learning to follow God when I study His Word.  My study teaches me to glance up at God, just like Molly, to see which direction He is leading, even when I don't quite know where we're headed.

There are 65 other book of the Bible to guide me.  So I do not have an end, I have yet Another Beginning!

Blessed Reminder

"I'll bring bread right away" the waitress exclaimed.  As she rushed away, she turned and added "and water, lots of water." I was with several ladies at a department store restaurant. The special of the day was "Shrimp Diablo".  When asked to describe it, the waitress said it was spicy hot, very spicy hot.  The challenge was made and Gloria and I both proclaimed, "We can handle it!"  She tried to talk us out of it but we had made our decision.

It was HOT, really hot.  So when the waitress came to check on us, she only had to look at our faces to see our predicament.   Today if I saw Gloria, we would laugh that our pride got us into a hot situation because we share this memory every time we see each other.

Whenever I think of Gloria, I remember the greatest blessing she gave me. "I'm going to pray right now for your new special friend."  My friend from across the country was giving me a life lesson and a gift. 

I  had the opportunity to serve on our denomination women's board.  I thought I was there to work and serve, which I did.  Yet through my terms of service I engaged with wise and godly women who gave me thought provoking and promising advice.

Gloria had been a missionary and a pastor's wife.  She knew, by first-hand experience, the joys and fears of a new ministry and the resulting change of home.  I'd just told her that my husband had accepted a call to a church in another state.  I can't remember if I told her that my greatest fear was making friends.  (I like to think I'm a loner but I'm not.  I need a friend or two in my life.)

When Gloria pronounced her blessing on me it gave me encouragement and hope.  She reminded me of who God was and who I was to God.  (He knew me best and knew I was not a loner.)  She reminded me of my future.  There was a friend or two waiting for me because God provides for me.  Gloria also gave me a plan.  When I  got to the new town, start looking for that friend.

I got started thinking about blessings when I read Moses' blessing over the tribes just before he was to die in Deuteronomy 33.   He mentions each tribe by name.  Some of the tribes were just barely  mentioned in half a verse, like Reuben is to live long and prosper.  Other tribes, like Levi, get a lengthier mention with a bit of history, mission and promise.

Too often we think of a blessing just as a thanks to God, like before a meal.  Today I think of a blessing over me as a combination of wish, prayer, reminder, promise and prophecy.  Moses knew the Israelites very well.  He'd seen generations come and go.  He'd heard their complaints, whines and disputes.  He'd seen God provide for their daily needs.  He'd been their shepherd, general and parent.

In his final words, Moses reminds them that, just like his blessing, life starts and finishes with God, His Power, His Provision and His Promise.  Chapter 33 starts with God as King and ends with "there is no one like the God of Jeshurun."

Throughout the blessing Moses tells the Israelites that God has a plan and a future for each one of them.  God cares about each tribe and  knows their name and their personality.  He gives a glimpse into their future to encourage them to follow after God, the source of their blessed lives.

I have used Gloria's blessing over me several times.  When we have moved to a new community, I remind myself that God has friends for me.  I depend on God.

Today I am inspired to live God' blessing over me, to be the God of my life, my details, my fears, my joys, my victories.  God has provided, is providing and will provide. 

There is nothing in this world like God but God.  The world invites and tempts me with so many alternatives.  There is no other who will love, care and protect. 

I am so incredibly blessed.