Ever hear this statement before? “The world is going to hell in a hand basket”. What the heck does that mean? Does it mean we’re just being carried on the arm of the devil straight to hell with him; might seem like that sometimes. But to believe that, you have to throw away all God has said about loving us and not wanting that any should perish. To believe evil is winning is to throw away everything God has said about His promises of strength and life and victory. Proverbs 3:5 tells us to lean on and trust in the Lord; to have our confidence in Him with all of our heart and mind. Most importantly, He tells us not to lean on our own understanding.

In the face of the reality of crime statistics often going down, one incident, like the recent shooting in a theater by someone obsessed with Batman's fantasy world, can throw us for a loop and into thinking we are in that proverbial hell-bound basket. Do not go there! Horror, disobedience, the curse on our bodies and this earth started a long time ago. Heck, Cain killed Abel, for crying out loud…and it hasn't stopped since! But God never gave up on us when it turned ugly -- so don't you. Darkness is only overcome by light. Consuming hatred and venom toward that Colorado movie theater shooter will do nothing but have you enter his sick and evil realm. Pray for our justice system to bring forth what is due him. I would hope that out of all this grief and suffering would come a fierce determination to assure this incident remain an anomaly and not our daily routine. Don’t jump in the hand basket headed for hell. Instead, get a ticket, through Jesus, for His train bound for glory. (Ephesians 5:1-6) Endure the fire…it’s producing pure gold!

“Hold please”. Don’t you hate that when you are trying to get hold of someone to resolve an issue and they press a button that puts you in phone limbo for thirty minutes or so? What do you do? Do you just stop everything and stand there for an hour, 24 hours, 30 days? Do you just wait forever for them to answer the phone—not hardly! Usually, if someone puts you on hold, you hang up and try later.

Are you doing that to God? Does He keep “calling” you, but you put Him on “hold”? “I’ll get to some Bible studying later”, you say. Or, “I’ll focus on You, Lord, right after I finish one more thing”. Have you inadvertently made time your master instead of your servant?

In our country, our awesome, industrious country, we have become slaves to work. Work has mastered us instead of us mastering it. Hard work is good; it has been the bulwark of our success here but it cannot be our God. As crazy as it seems, when you carve out the time with God first, you get more time in return! God’s miraculous power can work through your life, in the rest of the time left in each day in a more powerful, intense manner than you could even imagine. He can get more done than you ever could.

Want more of God? Give Him more of you…and that means your time as well as your tithe and talent. More meetings, more programs, more reports, more being busy doesn’t mean it’s more of God! Steal away with Him; be refreshed in being alone with Him. Don’t bring the crowd or the calendar, just bring your heart. (Song of Solomon 2:10) As you walk with Him in that wonderful place of intimate companionship, just watch how much more than your “busy-ness” that He can produce through you which manifests in His fruit and blessings. Endure the fire…it’s producing pure gold!

You tend to be like who you hang around. Do you hang around God more than you hang around yourself or others? I don’t mean are you a monk that lives in a cave or a cloistered monastery. But do you meditate on His word day and night? Do you pray without ceasing? “But I can’t, I have to eat, sleep, work and have conversations and interactions with others”, you say. Right, but God is saying to let Him be your main companion; let Him be your mentor, your counsel, your guide. Talk to Him; consult with Him all day, every day. Start practicing being “aware” of His presence. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how you will change, slowly, subtly. Little by little, you stop acting like you and start acting like Him, thinking like Him, talking like Him. The end result is the prayer Jesus asked of the Father, “Lord, that they would have what we have; I in You and You in Me”. (John 17:21) God will answer that prayer for you, too, if you let Him. Endure the fire…it’s producing pure gold!

Jesus is fully God, yet fully man? Whaat! God is sovereign, but gave us free will? Salvation is only in Jesus, but you have to work out yours? God is love, but approach Him with fear and trembling? The list goes on and on…the first will be last, you have to die to live, give to receive, saved by faith alone but somehow good works have to be in there…yikes, my head is spinning! Is yours? Don’t even try to go there!

I suggest you stay away from trying to figure God out. When mankind, especially the Christian “church”, tries to figure out the paradox, it comes up way too short and often just ends up with a dogmatic rule on each issue. When opposing dogmatic rules clash, denominations develop. Personally, I don’t think God ever intended for denominational differences. Right from the beginning, Paul warned the new believers who were breaking off into groups and cliques. He pointed out that some were saying, “‘I am of Paul’, and ‘I of Apollos’ and ‘I of Cephas’, and ‘I of Christ’” (1 Corinthians 1:12). Even today, we have the Christian church broken into more denominations than I care to think of. How can that be when God uses terms like unity, one, together, body of Christ, His bride? The early “church” was significantly more unified in faith, teachings and purpose. Once Christianity started teaching “religion”, instead of a “relationship” with God, the heresies started flying.

Jesus was not just another good man or philosopher to come along in the timeline of civilization; no…He is the planned event of God’s promise…He is God in the flesh. And Christianity is not just another religion; it’s a way of life. G.K. Chesterton said, “Christianity got over the difficulty of combining furious opposites, by keeping them both, and keeping them both furious”. Heresy and conflict crouch at the door of those who don’t!

I’m not saying to just lie down and believe anything that flies down the road! What I’m saying is that God is far superior in knowledge and planning and His ways are not our ways, so any attempt at trying to corral His teachings into one way or the other will fail. If we have to choose between love or fear, die or live, give or get, faith or works, we are then open to the false security of legalism with the doctrines of man posing as the doctrines of God. I think Chesterton had it right…it’s both…love and fear; give and get; sovereign God and free will, etc. Because we are not God, these opposites will be tense and furious but, in Him, it is also full of joy and rest. God constantly tells us to enter that rest. Could it be that He really understands the paradox? Endure the fire…it’s producing pure gold!

Did you ever hear people say, “Just come to Jesus and everything will be fine”? After 36 years of passionately seeking Him and still learning His ways today, I know that is absolutely true; but I gotta tell you, it’s not the best comment to share at the front of the journey. Before I knew the Lord and had committed my life to Him, I had what I thought was an orderly plan. I came and went as I pleased. I had the order and deep satisfaction of a life as a military nurse, I was rising quickly in rank, had a secure future and retirement plan and, as a Flight Nurse, was flying all over the world. I was in control of all aspects of my life…lost and heading straight to hell…but I was the boss. Great! Unknowingly flying my own life right into the abyss!

Thank You Jesus that He saw this lost little soul…skilled and gifted yes, but as lost to Him as the lamb who went astray. But God rescued me and when He did, boy, did I have a dickens of a time giving over the “boss” keys to Him! So it seemed a bit contradictory to me that “Jesus is the answer” when my life fell apart after I met Him! Instead of the faith-defying veil of self-built certainty and order that I had previously wrapped myself in, I was then faced with the mystery and contradictions of Scripture along with the vast sea of unknowns that a frail human experiences when faced with the awesomeness of an unseen God. I don’t know about you, but coming to Jesus in the salvation experience threw me for a loop. I struggled with giving up my “power” to control all the things and areas in my life. It was very foreign territory on which to tread in prayerfully giving over all my life decisions to God. My first response to God leading me in directions I had not chosen was painful disbelief, “You gotta be kidding me, Lord!” But slowly and surely He led me away from the military and away from nursing. Not because those things were bad or wrong; He allowed all of those opportunities to help form and shape me, but only to prepare me for what He intended all along…full-time ministry for Him. If anyone had told me that 40 years ago, I’d have laughed and bought another round for the bar!

No, over time, I have found that your life in Christ will often be turned upside down, not made smoother; you will suffer lack not gain; you will have more unanswered questions than answered; and you will have to let go and not cling to all that you once held dear. At first, it felt like God was just going to strip me down to nothing and let me curl up and die, but that was never His intent. The pangs that I felt were just His “holy demolition” going on inside of me. What He has built up, after tearing my junk down, is more stable, effective and prosperous than anything I was trying to construct. Faith in Jesus Christ and a life lived in Him is certainly a “hard-hat” area, but what a wonderful result He has in mind for you. So turn in your blueprints and plans for His blueprints and plans; get on that “hard hat” and watch out for falling debris! But do it all with a secure and faithful heart, knowing that even though “dying to self” may hurt, the end result is life, and that more abundantly! (Proverbs 8:35) Endure the fire, it’s producing pure gold!

Did you ever wonder what Jesus did before God led Him on His earthly ministry? The Scriptures only give us a short account of a trip He went on with His parents when He was a teenager. On that trip, we see He obeyed both God (He was teaching in the Temple) and His parents (He returned to the caravan from where He went missing).

Maybe I think too much, but I wonder what Jesus’ conversations with God were like back then. Did He ever say something like, “Excuse Me, I’m only a carpenter here…I thought I was supposed to be the Messiah!” Or, “What’s up with the Son of God getting all dirty and sweaty?” As I ponder these things, I, of course, come up empty. God is God and often doesn’t explain His ways to humankind. I only have the “little” view of what is at hand and not the “big” picture that He does.

In the military, that point is made every day…we just get the orders, not the explanation. As a young Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, the Wing Commander never showed up at my office door each morning to give me the briefing he got…nope…my job was to follow the Wing Commander’s decisions and not my own version of them. Do you do that with God? Do you do what you want to do because He hasn’t shown you the whole plan; or do you start doubting His wisdom and grace because He has not shared the entire scope of the meaning and value of your recent challenges and trials?

Be careful not to go there. God would not be God without some “mystery” surrounding Him. Not because He is purposely confusing us, but because His “God-ness” is higher than our ability to understand all that He is. After all, there certainly is nothing miraculous or mysterious about the things we can actually explain. But, heh, only a humble heart can admit they are not “God”. Hmm-m…maybe God allows quite a few humbling situations in our lives to get the point across that He is truly greater than we will ever be. Mankind is limited and God is not. How wonderful, really, when a trial comes your way that shows you are not at all in control of the outcome and yet God rescues your sorry fanny anyways.

God is so awesome and kind and good! He has a plan for you, a plan for your welfare and not your calamity; to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). So just let go and Him be God; He is so much better at it than you are! Endure the fire…it’s producing pure gold!

Practice, practice, practice…that’s what it takes. When the Lord tells you to “put on the mind of Christ”, that denotes an action on your part. We have all been practicing all right, but for far too long we’ve been practicing the wrong things. God doesn’t hold us accountable for what we don’t know but what we do know. We all have unconscious or semiconscious thoughts buried in us somewhere, but God is not addressing those (at least not yet, but in due time). It is the conscious thought patterns we need to change and keep changing. How can we ever learn to trust God and thank God and enter into that “peace that surpasses all understanding” that He promises if we don’t change our “stinkin’ thinkin’"? Controlling your thoughts is something only you can do. 

When a negative or sinful thought comes into your skull—reject it then and there. Don’t dwell on it, talk to it or argue with it, because when you do that it means it’s still there! Throw the little sucker out, don’t play with it. You won’t end up void or blank, because when you crucify the fleshy thought and it dies, guess what takes its place if God’s nature dwells within you? You got it, a God thought will take its place; the unrighteous switches to the righteous, and you will be guided out of that darkness into His marvelous light. Let God live in your mind and make the world, the flesh and the devil “homeless” thoughts. (Psalm 20:7, 1 John 1:9, Luke 1:79) Endure the fire…it’s producing pure gold!

You know, when you think of it, fear is a strange little critter. I know a Marine who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and was fearless in doing so, yet freaks out and runs at the sight of the spider. Or what about the lion tamer who is afraid of a house cat; or the husky construction worker who is deathly afraid of a mouse? Fear – what is this thing? Fear can cripple your responses on the one hand or magnify your actions on the other. The fear of infection might stir you to seek medical help; the fear of falling off a cliff might steer you away from its edge; the fear of a harsh discipline might encourage you to improve your behavior. Hm-m, fear...you can flail or sail.

What does God say about it? He does say to fear Him, but in all else He says, "Fear not". Of course, I had to look up the Greek and Hebrew meanings in which those commands were written. When God said to "fear" Him, it means be in awe, caution and reverence. For all else, when He says, "fear not", it means don’t be alarmed or frightened by what you feel, think or see. He can say that with confidence because there is nothing higher or stronger than Him, nor is there anything impossible to Him. So if He is in you, you can tell yourself "fear not" for those things that assail you. And yet, you can turn right around and know that the fear, the awe, the caution toward the Lord, IS the beginning of all wisdom. Endure the fire...it's producing pure gold!

When I was a young girl in high school, I really wanted to date this certain guy. He was handsome, athletic and lots of fun to be with. But he had no eye for me; rather he was smitten with one of my friends. Oh that hurt. I was jealous that his affection was not for me but for someone else. That jealousy was not pure; it was rooted in my own desire to please myself.

God said He's a jealous god, but His jealousy is pure. He has a passionate desire for you; not for His own pleasure but for yours to be complete. Here the King of Kings jealously wants to be the Friend of Friends with you. And yet mankind doesn't often realize that and certainly seeks other suitors instead of Him. God is serious when He says to worship Him only. He wants you to "idolize" Him; because He knows that panting after anything else (idolatry) has always been the downfall of His children.

"But I don't have any idols," you say. That usually means you're referring to the ancient idols…the statues of birds, cats, lions and mythical creatures; or even those of today's Buddha and the myriad of Hindu gods, etc. Well, not exactly. Today, the idols are a bit more subtle and may include people places and things; social and professional status; your own ego or comfort. No statues erected here, but do you bow down daily in reference to these other things? Don't do it…it's a trap. The false gods of old or the new ones of today, either religiously or socially, are false in more ways than one! They promise the world but you still come up empty. If illicit sex, alcohol and drugs could satisfy you, then why do you always need more of them? And why do they constantly destroy relationships and not build them up? God says to drink of Him and you will never thirst again – now that’s satisfaction!

Once you are filled with Him, you will drink from no other well. Take stock of your life and beware of worshiping the false "gods" of today (or yesteryear). Get into and stay in the presence of God. The joy, peace, security, wisdom and direction from God are like no other. Remember, God's commands to have no other gods before Him is not a power-play on His part, it is an offer to come to the only place of true friendship and companionship that will not destroy your life but rather fill your life. (2 Samuel 22:29) Endure the fire...it's producing pure gold!

Did you ever watch the entertainment news reports and see the clamoring crowds surrounding some Hollywood star? They reach out and desperately try to touch them as they pass by or swoon in shock if the star suddenly stops and speaks to them or signs an autograph on their shirt! They go nuts it seems. But is that celebrity their friend? Is he or she someone that knows them by name or calls them for a dinner gathering to just enjoy their company? Hardly! Fans express that much love, that much admiration, leaning toward adoration, for complete strangers. And yet the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and creator of the universe calls us friends! Think on that guys – God actually wants to be your friend... the most famous being of all has chosen you out of the crowd. Even though He knows the worst about you, He still desires to be on the top of your "A-list". And why is that? Because He knows if you let Him come inside you when He knocks on the door of your heart, it'll be the best thing you ever do. Only with Him inside can you change and be with Him forever. Without Him, we remain unrighteous and have no access to Him here or in the final kingdom of God.

But, just as in an earthly friendship, it cannot be forced. You either have constant contact and fellowship that builds your friendship or you don't. It’s hard to believe but God wants you to kick back, relax and enjoy a relationship with Him. Boy, talk about having friends in high places! (John 15:13-15) Endure the fire...it's producing pure gold!