New Beginnings (#34/2.7.10)

“Therefore if anyone  is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone; the new has come!” ―2 Corinthians 5:17

“I suppose when we wake on January 1st, the world will look the same. But there is a reminder of the Resurrection at the start of each new year, each new decade. That’s why I also like sunrises, [Sundays], and new seasons. God seems to be saying, ‘With me you can always start afresh.’” ―Ada Lum

Happy New Year.! Happy new twenty-first-century decade! Happy fresh start, second chance, tabula rasa. The words New Year burst with the promise and exhilaration of beginnings―a chance to erase last year’s sins and mistakes as effortlessly as fresh snow covers the earth in purity.

One winter, in order to ring out the old year and usher in the new, I spent a few days contemplation alone at Innisfree, our cozy cabin-in-the-woods. After a meaningful time of communion and confession to the Lord in my journal, I took a two-mile trek around Lake St. Gallen to continue our conversation. Not a soul was there―just the Lord and I.

Here is what I wrote in my journal immediately after that experience:

“O Lord, as I took a late-afternoon walk around the lake, delicate snow-doilies dissolved into teardrops. I had the impression that You were weeping over all the sin in the world and my sins, in particular. As snow mists moistened my face, I felt Your tears cleansing each sin confessed.

Then it struck me. As a sheer, inexplicable act of grace, Your tears had frozen into a blessed blanket of woolen white. All I could see in every direction was white upon white, snow upon snow, grace upon grace, forgiveness upon forgiveness. Not one inch of the world’s mud or my own muddy tracks were detectable. Snow had completely buried the ground and my sin. I was engulfed―nearly blinded―by the white light of Your purity and love!”

When I returned to the cabin, I was utterly amazed to immediately and serendipitously open my Bible to this verse: “‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool (Is. 1:18, NASB).”

The incredible reality is that we needn’t wait for a New Year for new beginnings and fresh starts. When we are born again and receive God’s gift of faith to believe in and follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we have eternal life and are made new―new creations in Him. And we needn’t tarnish our newness.  Sin confessed and repented of is forgiven and forgotten by God.  We serve a God of new life and resurrection, and each day we may begin afresh in His love.

This year, may you experience a truly happy New Year, happy in Jesus. May you experience new life in Him and His resurrection power to overcome your sins. God is faithful, and His mercies are new every morning. Praise Him!

Your Invitation . . . How often do you confess your sins to the Lord? I’ll admit that I can be extremly lax in my confession, and when I am I suffer for it. My sin weighs me down with guilt and I my fellowship with the Lord is stifled. When we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior and become new creations in Him, He forgives, cleanses, and justifies us from all our sin―past, present, and future. God sees us pure, robed in Christ’s righteousness. Still, as long as we live in this world, we will continuously sin because we live our life in our “flesh.” Therefore, we must daily confess those sins which God’s Spirit brings to our attention. Author A. Wetherell Johnson says, “As one matures in Christ, actions that inadequate knowledge did not formerly define as sin, now viewed in the light of increased Bible knowledge, must be confessed as sin before God.”  And author Becky Tirabassi emphasizes that “admitting your sins to God daily will keep your interior life honest and clean before God.” This year, prayerfully consider reading Ps. 139:23-24 on a daily basis, honestly asking God to search your heart, asking Him to show you anything that you have done which offends Him and others. Then open your journal, pouring out your confession to the Lord. See its pristine pages as representing Christ’s purity, absorbing the ugliness of your sins. He took the punishment for your sins upon Himself so that you could be healed from sin and live in freedom (Isaiah 53:4-5). The sooner you admit your sins to the Lord and turn from them, the sooner you will be relieved from the burden of your guilt, the sooner your “bones crushed by sin” will rejoice (Ps. 51).

Book Review for Thin Places

Fellow journal keepers,

I wanted to depart momentarily from my usual Journal Your Journey post to share a book review that I wrote about Thin Places, a touching memoir by incredible author and speaker Mary DeMuth. In this book she reveals the pain she experienced from sexual abuse as a child, along with many other forms of suffering which she endured. Yet her story is one of redemption. She was helped and healed by a loving, compassionate Savior. Now she reaches out with her story of grace to others who have been similarly abused.

I also point you to the poignant story of childhood abuse of our beloved Jan Coates, the author and speaker who has created the Set Free Today website, which reaches countless people with the love and healing of Jesus. Those whom Christ sets free are free indeed. Jan has been gloriously set free from a life of emotional pain. You can read more about her story at this link: http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/1445975/page0/

While I have never suffered from sexual or physical abuse, the Lord has set me free from the pain of suicidal depression, alcoholism, and abortion. Whatever your suffering, God will free you from it if you come to Him. He promises to restore the years eaten by the locusts and give you new life and fresh hope. He will use your past pain for good as you reach out to others with His love, healing, and hope.

Don’t forget to journal your pain, and one day you will journal your joy. Joy comes in the morning, and joy comes in the mourning. Give your grief to God. Writing promotes catharsis quite like no other form of self-expression can. Mary, Jan, and I have all received healing from God as we have journaled about our suffering.

I do hope you will read Mary’s book if you have been abused or if you know others who have. This is a critical topic today, and Mary explores it with great depth and sensitivity.

May God abundantly bless each of you in your healing journey.

Lynn

Gifted author Mary DeMuth has a thin heart—a heart battered thin by childhood sexual abuse and incalculable human cruelty. Yet rather than permit the unthinkable to harden and shatter her heart, Mary has allowed God to stretch it to the thin places of trust and transparency. When I peered into Mary’s heart I saw God’s. With rare authenticity and rich eloquence, Mary takes us to those places in her past once shrouded in silence, where the grace of God has lifted a secretive veil to reveal His palpable presence. Mary sometimes walked a thin line between fear and faith, narcissism and selflessness, materialism and contentment, shame and deliverance, inferiority and God-confidence. But as she did, she always saw God in the thick and thin of her life. He has brought her to a place of depth—a thin-lined horizon of hope, where heaven meets earth and spreads across the infinity of His grace. This is an incredibly moving memoir. I highly recommend Thin Places. For more information: http://www.amazon.com/Thin-Places-Mary-E-DeMuth/dp/031028418X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265575860&sr=1-1

—Lynn D. Morrissey, author of Love Letters to God: Deeper Intimacy through Written Prayer, AWSA/CLASS speaker, soloist, and journal facilitator

What About The Third Line?

Rich Dixon, Author/Speaker
www.relentlessgrace.com

In essentials, unity.
In non-essentials, liberty.
In all things, love.
Augustine

Yeah, but what are the “essentials”?

Yesterday I asked the question Who’s “They”? in the context of our propensity to draw lines and categorize ourselves in terms of we and they. Then I ran across this familiar Augustine quote.

It made me wonder why, as followers of Jesus, we’re so quick to point out distinctions and differences.

How Important is Your Attitude?

Jan Coates, Founder, Set Free Today, www.setfreetoday.com
Jan Coates, Author/Speaker/Encourager, www.jancoates.com

General questions are easy to answer. I have no problem when someone asks, “How’s the weather in Texas today?” It’s not personal and all I have to do is look out my window or walk outside to answer the question. Most days I can say, “Ah, it’s warm and sunny.” Recently, the weather was quite different.

Tornado warnings blasted the TV and radio station programs. High winds yanked mature, rooted trees from the ground and plunged them across the highway. Lightning bolted from the sky. My car shook as I drove to Brenham, TX to keynote a women’s retreat.

My white knuckled fists gripped the stirring wheel as I drove and prayed without ceasing. By the grace of God, I finally arrived at the retreat location. Beautiful women stood on the front porch, flaunting open arms and warm smiles.

These precious ladies helped me unload my car, gave me front-row parking and generously provided love-filled hugs. Within a few moments, we gathered together to sing and praise God. I whispered, “Yep, God, you got me here in one piece (sort of). Oh, thank you, Lord.”

After we prayed, I started the weekend with two deep, soul-stirring questions that I’d like you to ask yourself. So here goes:

1. Is your attitude one of your most valuable personal assets?

2. Did you know that your words and attitude are connected to your heart, mind and soul?

 “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart” (Matthew 15:18).

I’m over 49 and the longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. As a work-in-progress lady, I’m learning that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I respond.

Attitude is more important than “natural” beauty, intelligence and money. Attitude can make or break a relationship, a church or a business. It can barricade all doors to a life filled with freedom.

May I encourage you to trust God by allowing him access to your heart?

When you invite God into all areas of your heart, your attitude will improve.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts” (Psalm 139:23).

Blessings on each of you,

Jan

Confession And Forgiveness

Rich Dixon, Author/Speaker
www.relentlessgrace.com

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. [1 John 1:9]

I’m sorry.

Those words don’t always come easily, and sometimes really meaning them is harder than saying them. But what happens once you’ve mustered the courage to apologize?

In thirty-five years of working with adolescents, I learned that they often perceived “I’m sorry” as a sort of get-out-of-jail-free card. “Why do I have to stay after school? I said I was sorry.”

I can’t imagine how many times I explained that, while I appreciated and accepted the apology, that didn’t automatically eliminate the consequences of a poor choice.

“But can’t you just forgive me?”

“Of course I forgive you. But that has nothing to do with you hanging around until you finish that incomplete assignment.”

“But if I do that, will I still get full credit?”

“No, you know there’s a penalty for late work.”

“But why do you have to punish me?”

And it seemed that no matter how I explained it, they could never quite acknowledge that it wasn’t about punishment. Mistakes have consequences, and sometimes those consequences can’t be repaired or erased no matter how sorry you feel.

Every conversation ended with some variation of the universal adolescent mantra: “That’s not fair!”

A MISTAKE

I’m thinking about this because recently I made a mistake that diminished my credibility with a valued colleague. I didn’t intend any harm; it was an “honest mistake.” Lack of judgment and inexperience resulted in a poor decision.

I wanted to defend my choice, or blame someone else, or discount the seriousness of the offense. But after some rather convoluted mental gymnastics, I had to face the simple fact that I was wrong.

So I swallowed hard, closed my eyes, and uttered the dreaded words: “I’m sorry.”

I wanted that to be the end of the matter. After all, it was an honest mistake, and I said I was sorry.

But my apology doesn’t wipe out the consequences of the offense. Like my students, I needed to fix what I could fix and acknowledge that some damage couldn’t be repaired. “I’m sorry” doesn’t magically restore trust or heal physical or emotional wounds.

I’ve also been wondering about another aspect of this incident: Does my apology entitle me to forgiveness?

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. [Luke 6:37]

I’m not entitled to anything simply because I made an error and confessed. Forgiveness is the prerogative of the offended party. It’s not earned or deserved.

Forgiveness can only be granted by grace. 

Sometimes I forget that. I’m so accustomed to believing that my sins are forgiven through Jesus that I lose sight of the fact that forgiveness isn’t a right. It isn’t automatic, it isn’t free, and I certainly don’t deserve it. And yet, there it is. Each time I go to God and confess that I’ve fallen short, He forgives freely and completely.

So, while I hope my friend forgives my error, when I apologize to God I don’t need to wonder how He’ll respond.

CONSEQUENCES

How many times have you and I had the same conversation with God that I had with my students? How often do we equate His unconditional forgiveness with our selfish desire to avoid facing our own consequences? How many times have we cried, “It’s not fair”?

He turns the page, glues it shut, and grants us yet another new beginning. And then He walks with us through whatever mess we’ve created. He doesn’t magically wipe away the tears and the pain, but He does promise that they won’t be wasted.

He redeems them. He works for good in even our most sordid circumstances. And He never quits, no matter how many times we repeat the cycle.

We don’t deserve those new beginnings, and we’re not entitled to them. But they’re ours, through grace, because He loves us.

Attitude Adjustment

Jan Coates, Founder and President, www.setfreetoday.com

Author/Speaker/Encourager www.jancoates.com

 

 “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart”(Matthew 15:18, The Message).

 Have you ever said something brilliant or even stupid and wondered where on earth those words came from? Want to hear something amazing? Your heart is connected to your mouth. Thoughts and experiences stored in your heart come out of your mouth and directly impact your life and the life of others.

 As a speaker and writer, I love words. In order to better understand the true meaning of words, I have more than a dozen dictionaries (without dust) on my desktop. My favorite is The Complete New Testament Word Study, edited by Spiros Zodhiates, Th.D. This hefty dictionary is an excellent tool designed to help English readers properly understand the full meaning of God’s Word as it was originally recorded in the Greek language. I often refer to this dictionary to help me grasp the depth and fullness of the Bible.

 Case in point: the English word “heart” (from Matthew 15:18) translates to the Greek word kardia. Ah, now you know where the word “cardiologist” originated! Kardia represents the heart as the soul—the seat and center of human life. It denotes the heart, mind, body, and spirit as one, with the kardia (soul) as the controller.

 In other words, kardia is the fountain seat of thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, and endeavors.

 These components interrelate and produce:

 · Positive or negative thoughts

 · Positive or negative words

 · Positive or negative actions

 This is great news. Now you can quit pondering “Should I be negative or positive?” A positive, healthy attitude comes from within. It can’t be bought. It can’t be manufactured. You can’t inject it, transfer it, or swallow it because you already possess it. Moving from survival to stability involves not merely inventing a positive attitude but discovering it deep within. Based on your willingness to be transparent and honestly look in your heart, and then doing something about what you discover, you can transform your attitude while learning how to get passionate about what you do. The old adage “Is your cup half full or half empty?” reflects the relevance of a negative or positive attitude. It’s all a matter of what you see.

 Interestingly, as we change our attitude, we see life differently, and life itself becomes different. There is nothing more hopeful to me than knowing that with a slight attitude adjustment I can literally change the outcome of my day. Ask yourself, what could your day be like if you began it positively?

 Locked behind the bars of a dingy, dark prison, Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns to God (Acts 16:25). Talk about power-filled impact! Even the other prisoners listened to Paul and Silas. Read Acts 16:25-40 and see for yourself the positive effect Paul and Silas had on everyone they encountered during this prison escapade.

 I believe the single most significant decision we can make on a day-to-day basis is our choice of attitude. Attitude is more important than giftedness, skills, and education. It can make or break a home, a ministry, a church, or a business.

 Start today off right with a positive attitude–praise God, get on your knees, and worship Him. Then thank Him for loving you just as you are.

 Your work-in-progress sister in Christ,

 Jan

 

The Butterfly Circus

Rich Dixon, Author/Speaker
www.relentlessgrace.com

Happy Saturday!

I encourage you to grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and be inspired by a 20-minute video:

The Butterfly Circus

A New Thing

Rich Dixon, Author/Speaker
www.relentlessgrace.com

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. [Isaiah 43:18-19]

How long does “new” last?

Just a few weeks ago we celebrated a new year and opened new gifts. And, just like that, the shine disappeared. New isn’t new any longer.

Does it stop being new once you take it out of the box? Do you have to use it, program it, play with it, or wear it before it’s no longer new? Is there a time limit on “new?”

God spoke through Isaiah more than twenty-five centuries ago, proclaiming a new thing as revolutionary as a stream in the desert. To his contemporaries, the prophet spoke God’s promise to end their Babylonian captivity and restore Israel. Just as their ancestors were delivered from Egypt, the prophet foretold that this enemy would be crushed as well.

But Isaiah foretold not only a new thing for ancient Israel but for us as well. God has a different perspective on “new.” Apparently, God’s version of new doesn’t come with an expiration date.

God’s promise was fulfilled in Jesus and a new covenant, a promise that’s fresh every day. When we wander in darkness, God promises a new thing—the light of the world. When we’re thirsty and parched from the desert heat, He provides living water.

I don’t know exactly how that works, how something that’s eternal and never-changing can also be a new thing. But every time I fail and miss the mark, I’m grateful that I can trust the light to show me the way to a life-giving stream in the midst of my personal wasteland.

He’s doing a new thing, in your life and mine, every day. Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

What new thing is God doing in your life today?

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze. [Isaiah 43:2]

Where’s Jesus?

Rich Dixon, Author/Speaker
www.relentlessgrace.com

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. [1 John 4:7-10]

Where is Jesus?

An earthquake devastates an already impoverished nation. Horrific images flash across the television screen. Haiti scrambles to rescue and survive.

I recall similar pictures—terrorist attack, tsunami, hurricane, tornado—and the question always arises.

Where is Jesus?

How Do I Represent Jesus?

Rich Dixon, Author/Speaker
 www.relentlessgrace.com

Am I a Christian?

Yesterday I wrote about labels (What’s Your Label?) from my perspective as a wheelchair user. One commenter observed that labels make it easier to navigate our relationships. Once I know you’re one of “those” I automatically respond in a certain manner. While that may not be right, it’s probably realistic.