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Sharing the life-changing love of Christ

Chicken Soup

Posted on October 19, 2013 by lisaepperson2013

I just have to share this…. I am always amazed when God teaches us spiritual lessons through the daily, common tasks of the day. Well, here’s my lesson today…

I roasted chicken this week, so today I was preparing chicken-rice soup. As I was deboning the refrigerated carcass that had been simmering in my crock pot yesterday, I carefully sifted through small handfuls of chicken to make sure every bone and other unpleasing parts were removed. I wouldn’t want my family to choke on a harmful bone or taste something gross! Then I removed my bowl of broth from the fridge. It had a solid layer of fat that I could easily remove with a big spoon. I turned on the heat and now it’s just time to wait until all those yummy ingredients start simmering again, then I’ll add the rice and veggies in the final minutes. Mmmm, I can’t wait! The delicious aroma will soon fill our home!

I couldn’t help but think that is what God does with us. As I watched my hands gently and thoroughly sift through the chicken removing harmful, unpleasant pieces, the Lord also desires to sift our hearts with His delicate fingers, removing any unclean thing that would cause us harm. And just as we remove the unwanted ‘fat’ from the broth that causes long-term problems in our bodies, He patiently waits for the fat to rise to the surface and then carefully scoops it off, leaving only pure and healthy broth. He then adds heat to bring the mixture to a delightful state, which are the trials and suffering that we experience in this life. But those trials aren’t to harm us. They are to season us and make us a pleasing aroma to Him, the Master Chef, and to all those who can catch a whiff of the heavenly scent created by Him!

It’s also important to remember that this ‘perfecting’ process is not a one-time thing. As I’ve been continuing to check on the soup all day- removing more stuff floating around that I don’t want in there, tasting, seasoning, etc.- I’m reminded, and thankful, that the Lord keeps a continual eye on me and never stops doing His perfecting work in my life!

‘Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.’ -Colossians 3:5-10

Open Hands

Posted on October 15, 2013 by lisaepperson2013

Years ago, I observed a dear friend of mine doing something during a praise and worship event that intrigued me. It was not unusual to see her raise her hands and express her exaltation to the Lord, but it was the intentional gesture of her hands that caught my eye. With palms up and open and arms extending forward, she sang. I looked around thinking I maybe had missed the communion tray! Following the service, I asked her about it. She responded, “I wanted to receive all that God has for me!” Wow. Do I come to my Heavenly Father with expectancy to receive from him like that? I remember my first question about doing that was, “Doesn’t that just make me a selfish child to always have my hand out asking for gifts and favor? “

That experience led me to ponder about my relationship with God. And being a mom, I can now better understand his love for me, as his child. My love and desire to bless my children with gifts and good things is not dependent on their obedience, but on my unconditional love for them. Yes, I reward them for being responsible and finishing tasks I give them to do. But those are not ‘free gifts.’ They earned them. As much as I delight in rewarding them, I also love giving them grace gifts- those which are given straight from the heart and motivated by my unconditional love, not as a payment.

I believe God also delights in blessing his children with grace gifts.

^3 ‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, ⁹he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.’ (Ephesians 1:3-10)

I am so thankful for every gift that God has given me through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus IS the gift that keeps on giving. We were given everything we need at the time we received salvation. Now, as believers and followers of Christ, we spend the rest of our lives into eternity unwrapping, discovering, using and enjoying this amazing gift of grace in all of it’s beauty and power!

‘His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.’ (2 Peter 1:4)

‘Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.’ (I Thess 5:16-18)

Here’s a second thing about open hands I’ve learned. Sometimes the burdens of life we hold in our small hands really weigh us down and hurt us. We try to carry around those things that feel like sharp, jagged pieces of shrapnel. But Jesus tells us to cast our burdens onto him because he cares for us. So friend, open your fingers and let the broken pieces fall into his hands and trust him to heal you and do with the shapnel what he sees fit. The deadly ammunition that the enemy shoots at us can be transformed into the very thing that our sovereign Lord wants to use in his plan to teach us and use against the enemy. It’s our choice- will we put our troubles in God’s hands or in the enemy’s hands? Trust God! He is in control and all things are under his authority.

‘Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.’ (I Peter 5:7-NLT)

One of my continual ‘heart checks’ is that I continue to worship the Giver and not the gifts. And I know that He can give and take away for my good, and his love for me never fails. I intentionally try to keep an open hand before Him- to receive what He wants me to receive and release the things He wants me to release. It is very freeing!

Open your hands to your Heavenly Father and be freed, be healed, be blessed and be transformed.

*** Special thanks to Pat and Ryan for being my hand models!

The Sweetness of the Lord

Posted on October 14, 2013 by lisaepperson2013

God is referred to many names in the Bible- each name describing a unique quality of His character. In Exodus 15, He is called, Jehovah-Rapha- which means, ‘the God that

heals.’ While the Israelites were traveling in the desert (that long, 40-year journey from Egypt to the Promised Land) they came to a town named Marah (which means ‘bitter’). There was water there, but it was bitter and undrinkable. Moses cried out to the Lord on behalf of the Israelites because they desperately needed water to drink. God then told Moses to throw a piece of wood into the bitter water. When he did, the waters became sweet! God heard their cry for help and provided for them. Just as the Lord healed and satisfied the thirst of the Israelites several thousands of years ago, He also wants to satisfy our thirsty souls and heal our hurts today.

Does your spiritual thirst need to be satisfied? Do you need forgiveness? Or do you need love to forgive someone else? Has a circumstance from your past made you bitter, discouraged or resentful? Hold on… there’s hope. Let’s start by first reading this passage from Exodus directly from the text:

^{22 ‘}Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. ²³When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah.²⁴So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” ²⁵Then he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet.

There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. ²⁶And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.” (Exodus 15:22-26)

We see that the Lord healed His people. He also told them to ‘do what is right in His sight’ and obey His commands, and He would protect them from disease. When I read this passage, I can’t help but think of that other piece of wood that God used to heal us today- the wood that He used to nail His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to. This was His ultimate provision of healing- eternal and complete, spiritual healing!

‘And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.’ (I Peter 2:24)

God provided the healing, but He also gave it with instructions:

‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’ (I John 1:9)

May the healing touch of that old rugged cross change your bitter waters of sorrow, pain and sin into sweet, life-giving water. He doesn’t just make it non-toxic and tolerable, he makes it SWEET! Drink up and be satisfied!

‘Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!’ (Psalm 34:8)

‘The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.’ (Rev 22:17)

“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” (John Piper, desiringgod.org)

Fun Facts:

Some studies have shown that the type of wood that THE LORD instructed Moses to throw into the bitter waters was from a Mangrove tree. Here’s what it looks like and a little bit of information about the tree:

(The following is an excerpt from ‘Did the Mangrove Tree De-Salt Water?’ from ‘God As A Gardener’ blog):

‘Although there have been many books written on plants in the Bible, few authors suggested that the wood Moses threw into the water at Marah was from an actual tree. Of those authors, only Rabbi Louis Rabinowitz in Torah and Flora (1977) identified a possible source of the wood – a mangrove tree. The Avicennia marina is a species of mangrove tree that grows on the Sinai Peninsula near the Gulf of Aqaba and Red Sea. It is called the gray or white mangrove because of the color of its bark. The gray mangrove is both a pioneer and a relict species. Pioneer because it will be the first mangrove species that populates an area. Relict because it remains in an area after other mangrove species are extinct. The gray mangrove uses two mechanisms to extract salt from sea water. First, leaves have special salt glands that are among the most active salt-secreting systems known. Second, mangroves concentrate salt in the bark and in older leaves which carry salt with them when leaves drop. In normal circumstances, the process of trees extracting salt from water would take days; however, God was in the process as he was in the burning bush that was not consumed. When God is present, natural processes can become supernatural.’

What’s a Lizard Doing in a King’s Palace?

Posted on June 3, 2013 by lisaepperson2013

Years ago, I remember my Pastor speaking about Proverbs 30:28, which states, ‘The lizard you may grasp with the hands,  yet it is in kings’ palaces.’ I thought at the time, “What an obscure verse to base a sermon on!” But as he shared the meaning behind the biblical passage, I understood and was encouraged. But I would’ve never guessed how that message would again resurface in a fun and profound way soon after that service!

I was preparing to leave for my trip to Israel when I was sitting in church listening to this ‘lizard in the palace’ message. The basis of it, was that you never know where God may place you. He might just position you, (as small and seemingly insignificant as you think you are) in the King’s Palace. I immediately thought of Esther. I wondered if, as a young Jewish girl, she ever imagined herself as ‘Queen Esther.’ But there she was, chosen amongst all those beautiful ladies, to be Queen of the mighty Persian Empire! Now, that’s being placed in a position of influence!

Fast-forward two weeks from the sermon; I am touring a miniature model of Jerusalem,

right outside the actual city of Jerusalem. It was a beautifully intricate piece of art, depicting what the Temple would’ve looked like at the time right before it’s destruction in 70 A.D. We could walk all around the temple. We could locate where the Holy of Holies would’ve stood, where the Gentile Court would’ve been, and the covered Portico where all the Israelites walked around, hustling and bustling with their families and friends. I guess the portico would’ve been like our church lobby today- full of activity, people and exuberant conversation.

And then, I spotted an interesting site- the place where the presiding King resided during His stay in Jerusalem. Just as I was taking a quick photo of the King’s quarters, a small gecko runs into the picture! (Oh, how I wish I could locate that photo once again! If I do, I will add it here!) It was an amazing moment. Instantly, I thought of that sermon I had heard two weeks prior. Was this a prophetic sign to me? I don’t know, but it tickled me. It also gave me confidence to know that if that happened to be my journey and I suddenly found myself in a place of great influence, I could trust that God would be with me and that He put me there for a purpose!

I don’t believe things happen by chance, but sometimes we don’t see these opportunities coming. Just as Esther was put in a royalty position at that important time of history, I believe He can choose to do that with any of us at any time. But there’s always a choice to trust God and be courageous…or not.

Esther’s relative, Mordecai, says to Esther, ‘For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?’ (Esther 4:14)

Esther had to make a choice. Thankfully, Esther sought the Lord’s wisdom and guidance through prayer and fasting before taking action. The result was that her patient, courageous and God-led plan influenced King Xerxes to save the Jewish community living in Persia (which were her relatives and herself, as well) from annihilation! I might add, it also led to the vengeance of their enemies (Haman the Agagate and company).

We are not to think of ourselves as bigger or smaller than we really are. Instead, we are to trust in our God who is bigger than any challenge we may face. May God be truly glorified in and through our lives!

The Lord is looking to-and-fro for Esthers of the world who will be courageous and trusting wherever He may place them. The great news is, He will never leave us or abandon us when He calls us to stand for Him!

Lucy

Posted on June 1, 2013 by lisaepperson2013

As soon as I sit down in my recliner, I don’t have to finish counting to ten before I hear the pitter patter of our sweet dog’s little paws come bounding into the room and onto my lap. Once she hears the chair click and sees my feet slip into my slippers, she is there! She’s attentive and ready to settle in as soon as I am.

Our dog, Lucy, knows my voice. She gives me eye contact. She loves to please. She never holds a grudge or asks, “Why don’t you give me more attention?” She’s just thankful every time I enter the room.

Lucy knows that ‘all is good’ when she’s next to Mom. She completely trusts me. And if she disobeys or recognizes that she has displeased me in any way, her tail disappears between her legs and all she wants to do is make things right with me. She doesn’t argue or rebel. She just humbles herself.

She’s the most loving dog; however, she does have an issue with barking. As soon as the doorbell rings, she flies into a tizzy. Her reaction time to my “No barking!” command is getting quicker, but there’s still work to be done.

The spiritual parallels here are stunning to me. However, they aren’t a perfect illustration, by any means. First of all, the depth of my love and compassion for Lucy isn’t even close to the Father’s love for me. Honestly, as cuddly as it is to have Lucy next to me, I don’t always accept her request. Sometimes, I just don’t want to make room for her on my lap. (But I do marvel at how she will persistently wiggle her way in to the smallest spot between the armrest and my computer, which is usually dominating my lap space!) How thankful I am that God NEVER rejects my request to be in His Presence and that He always makes ample room for me right by His side! Also, I wish I had the acutely attentive ears to listen and obey God’s every word and trust Him like Lucy trusts me.

Keep doing your sanctifying work in me, Lord. I pray I will keep my eyes fixed on you, my ears open to your voice and my heart yielded to your holy and loving instruction.

‘Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.’ (Psalm 51:9-11)

‘Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.’ (Proverbs 23:12)

‘Now, you women, hear the word of the Lord; open your ears to the words of his mouth.’ (Jeremiah 9:20)

‘Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” (Mark 4:8-9)

Lucy, celebrating her 7th birthday on Cinco de Mayo!

My Favorite Nickname

Posted on May 31, 2013 by lisaepperson2013

I’ve had many nicknames over my lifetime. My maiden name is McCrady, so I’ve been referred to as Lisa Mac, Little Mac, (my brother was Big Mac!), and McCrazy Legs (something to do with my sloppy gymnastics, I’m sure!). But my favorite, and most endearing nickname, that only my husband is allowed to call me, is (his) ‘rib.’ (Hey, maybe I should be called ‘McRib!’ Now, that’s funny!)

‘Rib’ might sound like a very strange nickname, but if you are familiar with the Genesis two chapter story of how and why God created a woman for Adam, it makes perfect sense!

Genesis 2:19-24:

‘The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.’

The marriage union between one man and one woman was created by God, not man. And while our culture may attempt to redefine its definition, God’s Word will not change what God has already established at the time of Creation.

I love this quote by Matthew Henry, a Christian writer in the early 1700’s:

‘Eve was not taken out of Adam’s head to top him, neither out of his feet to be trampled on by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected by him, and near his heart to be loved by him.’

God knew what he was doing when he put a man and woman together. The two sexes compliment each other and marriage is a beautiful picture of Christ and His Bride, the Church. Earthly marriage is never perfect, and at times, it can be the hardest thing to make work! But this relationship is a context in which we learn and live out the virtues of love, forgiveness and the fruit of the Spirit.

I Corinthians 13:4-7

‘Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.’

Galatians 5:22:

‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.’

I am thankful I have a life partner to take on challenges together. Often, my husband and I pick each other up and ‘watch each other’s back’ when we need a defender or helper. Here’s a simple and whimsical case in point…

Each and every Monday morning, I hear the garbage trucks zoom by and yell in full panic (still in my pj’s, I might add), “Shoot, I forgot to put the trash cans out again!” Then Mike calmly gives me the “I got it” smile.

Yes, in this household, two heads are better than one- especially when someone is married to a scatter-brain like me!

Ecclesiasties 4:9:

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”

If I Were the Devil

Video

The late, great Paul Harvey gave an eerily prophetic message in 1965 about the spiritual battle being waged in our nation.

‘Finally, let the Lord make you strong. Depend on his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor. Then you can stand firm against the devil’s evil plans. Our fight is not against human beings. It is against the rulers, the authorities and the powers of this dark world. It is against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly world.

So put on all of God’s armor. Evil days will come. But you will be able to stand up to anything. And after you have done everything you can, you will still be standing.

So stand firm. Put the belt of truth around your waist. Put the armor of godliness on your chest. Wear on your feet what will prepare you to tell the good news of peace. Also, pick up the shield of faith. With it you can put out all of the flaming arrows of the evil one. Put on the helmet of salvation. And take the sword of the Holy Spirit. The sword is God’s word.

At all times, pray by the power of the Spirit. Pray all kinds of prayers. Be watchful, so that you can pray. Always keep on praying for all of God’s people.’ (Ephesians 6:10-18)
(New International Reader’s Version)

Holy Bootcamp, Robin!

Posted on May 6, 2013 by lisaepperson2013

I believe every blogger probably begins with a burning in their soul to share with the world something that is precious to them. What compels our souls to speak out? So much so, that we know if we don’t, the rocks will shout out? Well, I know what it is for me….

In 20-plus years of knowing my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I have stood upon tall mountaintops and have crawled through dark valleys. But in the past five or so years of my walk, complacency began taking a toll on me. I believe God put me through a month-long spiritual bootcamp recently to get me back into proper shape. He needed to bring me to a deeper trust in Him so I could battle through any future life terrain with more strength, endurance and dependence on Him. This ‘bootcamp’ period had followed a long and painful season of trials and emotional fallout. And what preceded that time, was a season of loneliness. I spiraled downward. My marriage was struggling, as well as my relationships with my kids, neighbors and others. I was just discouraged and angry all the time. I was plain lost. I think I actually forgot where I was going. But it didn’t happen all at once. See, once Satan got my eyes off Jesus, my Hiking Guide, just long enough, I started experiencing spiritual vertigo. I couldn’t make sense of direction anymore. My new comfort was hiding my head under my backpack, hoping I could just sit there for awhile…..

Reality set in regarding how off course I really was. It was time to get face to face with the depth of my lostness. And how could I deal with this, while at the same time, I was seeing the fearful holiness of God peaking out behind that mountain? It was almost too much to bear. I wanted to run. But where would I go? I wanted Jesus. But I didn’t know if I could trust that He’d still be there to lead me. I was the one who left Him. I know what you’re thinking…. “Why did you doubt God’s character? He’s forgiving. Why wouldn’t He accept you back this time?” Believe me, I asked myself those questions many times! I had told thousands of people over the years of God’s amazing grace through Jesus Christ. Would He not extend it to me once again, as well? But my hang-up was not really with God. It was with me. I felt hypocritical and I had to trust that His love for me was still more than my own depravity. I didn’t doubt my eternal salvation in Him, but could I really ever get back to where I was before I got lost?

This is where the character of God blows me away. See, I do think God needed me to go to the edge of that mountain just to get a peak at my lostness on that big mountain. Not so I would fall, but to see things the way He saw them. I do know, as scary as it was, God was gripping me tight. And I promise you, I was clinging to Him with all my might! I hated what I saw in my inner being. I hated how I stopped trusting His leadership in my life and willingly turned and went my own way. But all I could do at this point was trust that greater was He that was in me than the sin that so easily entangled me! He knew my heart. He knew my sin, whether in thought or deed. He knew my desperation to get right with Him again. I just had to trust Him.

God knows how I struggle! I am not under any delusion about the ‘potential’ of my sinful nature. God keeps me in check every day about that. No, He doesn’t throw it in my face. It’s just that now I better understand the depth of His Amazing Grace and how absolutely necessary it is for me to never lose sight of my Heavenly Guide!

One more important step I needed to take was to put down my burdensome backpack that was filled with expectations, bitterness, trials and disappointment. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, ‘Come to me, all of you who are tired and are carrying heavy loads. I will give you rest.Become my servants and learn from me. I am gentle and free of pride. You will find rest for your souls. Serving me is easy, and my load is light.’ The Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 4:31, ^‘Get rid of all hard feelings, anger and rage. Stop all fighting and lying. Put away every form of hatred. ³²Be kind and tender to one another. Forgive each other, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done.’

I will end by saying that God did not bring me back to that place I was before my trials set in. No, He launched me up that mountain to a better place than I could ever imagine! God proved that no matter how big my downfall seems to be, He is always BIGGER!!! ‘You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done…’ (Genesis 50:20)

I am so incredibly thankful that He loved me enough to forgive me and refresh me with a bottle of Living Water at that point of spiritual dehydration. So it’s time to climb some more…but in His strength and power, not mine!

^‘I can do all this through him who gives me strength.’ (Philippians 4:13)

‘Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.’ (Ephesians 3:20-21)