Evidence

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Speaking of how much evidence we have - from science, history, & human testimony - I heard one professor say that, compared to other world views, Christianity has an “almost embarrassment of riches."

His phrase struck me & I’ve been pondering the implications.

When you look at the cosmological argument, the design argument, & the moral argument (three popular topics of question), the evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of a God who caused things for a purpose. Even if all you had was general revelation (i.e., nature, human conscience) it would be enough to support the existence of God.

The God of the Bible not only created everything, but He left enough evidence of Himself in that creation for every human being (using the intellect He gave them) to put the pieces together & conclude that He is. To say otherwise is to deny the evidence & reject the reality that truth provides.

The Christian faith is not blind, as some would argue. The veil of unbelief rests over the eyes of those who blind themselves to the reality of God. We are “without excuse” as Scripture says.

I like how Sean McDowell defines Christian faith. He said, “Faith is trusting what we have reason to believe is true.”

Due to the vast amount of evidence (“embarrassment of riches”) that supports the Christian world view, it is, therefore, unreasonable to conclude that any other view (faith) is plausible.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Women Reformers

(by Lorie Codispoti)

The Protestant Reformation officially began on October 31, 1517, with Martin Luther’s 95 Thesis - though I know the waters began stirring before then with men like John Wycliffe & John Huss.

Most Christ-followers are familiar with the Reformation.

This historical event - whose main tenants had to do with the Bible being the sole authority for the faith of believers, and that salvation is by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ - quite literally changed the world.

The main players included Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ulrich Swingli, William Tyndale & John Knox.

But, what of the courageous & bold women of the Protestant Reformation? Each of these unsung heroes of this movement have their own riveting stories to tell.

These women were formidable advocates of truth, armed with Bibles written in their own language. And, when I say “armed” that is exactly what I mean. They, along with many of the men, went after false ideology and doctrine with great tenacity. A formidable force against the powers of darkness, they were not only wives and mothers, (As if that wasn’t a grand enough task.) but they were also well-educated, theology devouring authors, apologists, ex-nuns and nobles. They took in refugees, organized studies, and taught others how to read & interpret the Bible. Their revolutionary influence added greatly to the spread of the Gospel message.

Some of these stalwarts include:

Katharina von Bora

She was among the nine nuns who escaped her convent and later married the ex-monk, Martin Luther. They both endured public criticism for marrying, and it was difficult for two people raised in monastic houses to learn to live together. However, their strong personalities united and became quite a force to be reckoned with.

Katharina not only rose to the challenge of dealing with her husband’s health issues, but she excelled in managing their household of “six children; Luther’s seven nieces and nephews who the couple adopted; the four orphaned children of a friend who they had also adopted; Katharina’s ex-nun aunt; tutors and students from the University; and numerous religious refugees from all walks of life.” (It’s a good thing they had a 40 room house.)

After Martin died, though poor, she was able to sustained her family through her farm and by renting rooms. She suffered a terrible accident while fleeing with her family from the plague. After three months of debilitating agony she died. Her last words were, ““I will stick to Christ as a burr to a topcoat.”

Wibrandis Rosenblatt

Married and sadly widowed to four reformers. She lived through plagues & witnessed more than half of her 11 children die. She took in refugees & was even exiled at one point herself. Her life was filled with intense hardship & great tragedy, but she never lost sight of her mission and zeal for Christ.

Olympia Fulvia Morata

She was considered a child prodigy, whose professor father made sure she was fully educated in the areas of literature, history, philosophy, theology and languages. She was fluent in Greek and Latin by the age of 12, and became a companion and tutor to the daughter of an Italian duke and duchess. She also frequently lectured at court.

After her father’s death, she was unable to reclaim her position at court, as the duke no longer allowed his subjects to read and discuss Scripture. Her writings were banned in Italy. Olympia married a German doctor and they both fled to Germany. During their exile, her faith grew deeper and she began writing poetry in Greek and Latin. She even translated the Psalms into Greek, and her husband put it to music so they could sing them with other believers.

When their city became a war zone, starvation and disease became prevalent. Most of Olympia’s writings were lost when the city was burned.

She was only 29 when she died of Tuberculosis. One writer notes, “As she was languishing at the end of her life, she would say that God had measured out a certain course of life for her, brief, but full of work and woe, and she did not want to turn ‘from the finish line back to the starting gate.'”

Argula von Grumbach

(Bavarian noble woman and first published Protestant female writer.)

Argula’s affluent family encouraged spirituality and education, and at the age of 10 she began to read the Bible that her father gave her. During a time when lay people were discouraged from engaging with Scripture, she participated in public theological debates. However, after her parents died she was forced to leave court and ended up marrying a man who did not agree with her reformed views and bore him four children (three of whom died before her).

She began writing in defense of Protestant views, including a theological defense of Martin Luther, using 80 verses to support her claims. She closed her defense with, “What I have written to you is no woman’s chit-chat, but the word of God. And I write as a member of the Christian church, against which the gates of hell cannot prevail.”

Argula’s writing became widely distributed and read. Her husband was abusive, and at one point he was encouraged to shut her up by strangling her or breaking her fingers so that she could not write.

“These women were scholars and theologians…They were writers of plays, poems and music. They corresponded with those who were sympathetic to the protestant cause, and with those who were completely opposed to the recovery of the true gospel. They were encouragers, expending their resources, hospitality and relationships to demonstrate the greatness of God through His Word.” (Master’s University)

When I read about the Protestant Reformation, I am not so much in awe of the reformers (though I admire them); rather, I am in awe of the God these brave men and women loved & served.

Reading about their lives encourages and challenges my faith in much the same way as do those I read about in Scripture. These were all ordinary people (in that they were sinners like us), who purposed to use what they were given to shine God’s light into a corrupt world of darkness. It was their extraordinary God that emboldened them to stand for truth and persevere through much persecution and hardship.

The clarion call of the Protestant Reformation was Semper Reformanda. It means “always reforming.”

That tells me that the work of fighting for sound doctrine and biblical truth is ongoing.

Today’s church is still in need of reforming and conforming to Truth, and our love for God’s word should compel us to - like these women - be tenacious.

Armed with the truth of God's word, may we “stick to Christ as a burr to a topcoat” (KVB), and “as a member of the Christian church, against which the gates of hell cannot prevail” (AVG), refuse to turn “from the finish line back to the starting gate.” (OFM)

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

What's In A Name?

(by Lorie Codispoti)

I enjoy naming things - & I name everything. I have names & back up names. I have named everything from the critters who visit our country cottage (which has its own name) to the trees & bushes that surround it. I name our cars. I name our rooms & some of the items in them. I’ve tried to help my children name their’s, but, sadly, they weren't interested. So, I give them (& other’s) ncknames. (I’ve always liked the idea the Catholics have when they add a new name at confirmation. So, why can't we copy the idea & apply it to baptism?)

It’s interesting what we assume about names in Scripture.

For example, did you know that the Bible never names God’s chief nemesis & our greatest enemy? We call him by many names, with Lucifer, Devil & Satan being the most popular. However, if you study Scripture more carefully you will see that these are all simply titles that describe the nature of the adversary, accuser, opposer (“ha-satan”). Our English translations drop the “ha” (article) in front of “satan,” which turns the title into a name. This is misleading. 

Names are a gift.

The naming of things assigns value to them & points to our Creator God, who named the first man (Adam) & tasked him with the honor of naming all the animals He had created. 

The naming of children was a very serious privilege given to parents in the Bible. A name assigns meaning & purpose.

Not long ago I gave a talk on the life of Leah. (She was the unloved wife of Jacob.) 

In Genesis 35 we read that Rachel (The wife Jacob loved.) was dying. Upon giving birth to her last son, with her last breath she named him Ben-oni (“son of my sorrow”). However, Jacob didn’t want the weight of that name on his son, so he changed it to Ben-yamin (aka, Benjamin, “son of my right hand”). Your name is your identity, & in that world the naming of children was not only symbolic, but it was prophetic as your name spoke of the trajectory of your life. 

Whenever we read that God changed a name it was because He was giving the person a new identity. For example, God changed Jacob’s name (“supplanter/deceiver”) to Israel (“wrestles with God” / “triumphant with God”) & that’s how the Jewish people became known as the Israelites. A change of heart signaled a new name.

I’m sure that our enemy has a name; he was an important figure among the heavenly beings. We’re given the names of other high ranking figures (Michael & Gabriel), but for whatever reason, God has not revealed this creature’s name to us. My guess is that he lost not only his elite status when he fell, but was stripped of his “light” bearing privilege and will forever be associated with darkness. We don't need to know his name. His titles give us enough information about who he is and his mission to steal, kill, & destroy.

Here's the good news: God has revealed His marvelous name(s) to us. He does so to offer us an intimate relationship with Himself. 

Moses knew who God was (the God of his father’s) but he wanted to know His name. 

Yahweh!

“ “I AM WHO I AM” (Ex.3:14). This name is related to God’s personal name, Yahweh. So the very first thing that God reveals about Himself in that name is that He is personal. He can see; He can hear; He can know; He can speak. He can relate to the creatures He made in His own image. …when we look at God, we know His name is wonderful. In that name, He reveals manifold things about the excellency of His being and the perfections of His character. And that’s why the saints of old, if we asked, ‘Tell us everything you know about God,’ they would finally say, ‘Yahweh—I AM WHO I AM.’”” (R.C. Sproul)

Throughout Scripture, we read many names for our God. Have you ever studied them? You should! His names give us understanding of who He is. Through His various names we’re given insight into His attributes. His names reveal much about His relationship to us. 

Throughout our spiritual journey God reveals who He is through, among other things, His names. He is a personal God who loved us enough to send His Son to redeem us from the one who was stripped of his light & remains nameless.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Agape

God loves me “just as I am.”

True.

But, God’s love doesn’t leave me “just as I am.”

It can’t!

Why?

Because God’s love is both static and dynamic. Static in that it does not ebb and flow. There is nothing we can do (or not do) that will change His love for us. It’s fixed. God’s love isn’t just part of His character, it’s who He is (1Jn.4:16). His love is also dynamic, in that it is always active and moving in our lives to bring about change. This involves an ongoing process - a work that is continually healing and restoring us to Himself. We call this sanctification, and the goal is for us to become more and more like Christ.

God’s love is so pure and holy (set apart) that it is hard to compare and impossible to fully comprehend.

When Jesus Christ (in response to His Father’s love (Jn.3:16)), volunteered to come and lay down His life for us, there was no word to describe His kind of self-sacrificial love. What His followers witnessed, as they watched the way He lived and ministered love to people, was foreign to them. So foreign that the writers of the New Testament had to come up with a new word for this kind of love.

Agape.

According to BibleProject, the New Testament writers had to redefine their very concept of love. And they did this, not by looking in ancient dictionaries, but by studying Jesus’ teaching’s and His life. That's how we got the Greek word, agape.

To imitate this agape love, we must look to the one who modeled it perfectly by seeking the wellbeing of those who could not return His generosity.

The ultimate test of agape love is to demonstrate it to your enemies, like Jesus did.

(Remember, before we were God’s children we were His enemies. “But God demonstrates His own love (agape) toward us, in that while we were still sinners (enemies), Christ died for us.” (Rms.5:8))

How can we do this?

With the help of His indwelling Spirit.

Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. (Ezek.36:25-28)

We can agape others because He first agaped us (1Jn.4:19)…. just as we were.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Contentment

(by Lorie Codispoti)

“So, where are you going on vacation this summer?” the store clerk asked me as I placed my groceries on the counter.

I barely had time to think of a response before she chimed in with her family’s vacation plans. Her entire persona emulated that of a child as she added, “We’re leaving for the beach tomorrow!” Her fingers danced over the cash register keys as if she was playing with The Beach Boys and singing about Kokomo.

It was in that moment that I began to feel incredibly deprived.

All the way home, I had one question that kept repeating, over and over, in my head: Where are WE going on vacation? “Jamaica, Bermuda, Bahama…?” Nope! We weren’t going anywhere. (Cue the sad music.) We had no plans, and even if we did we couldn’t bankroll anything beyond our backyard.

After my encounter with that clerk all I wanted to do was plan a grand adventure and be giddy about it like she was. This full-on pity party rapidly spiraled downward and the more rotations I took the worse I felt.

As I approached our house I was distracted by a very active squirrel, busily scampering about filling his nest with the abundance of acorns from all our oak trees.

After working himself to exhaustion preparing for the winter months ahead, I think I heard his entitled self turn to the misses and say, “I’m tired of this place. I’ve worked hard and we deserve a break. I hear the acorns in Kokomo are twice the size they are here. Grab the kids and let’s go on a trip before the weather turns. We’ll take in all the new sights and sample the abundant delicacies.”

The sound of excitement was deafening, as the whole family prepared themselves for the great adventure that awaited them.

For Papa squirrel and his family this was the equivalent of a cross-country adventure, and I now found myself struggling with the reality that I had become envious of a tree rat. (I told you - downward spiral.)

Wait a minute!

What’s the matter with me?

I know where this leads. I've been rescued from this pit before.

Do I really want to revisit this dark hole?

No!

I came inside and prayed, asking God to forgive me for being so foolish. I was perfectly content before the enemy baited me with the idea of what vacations were supposed to look like.

The Lord began to remind me of all the fun our family has had over the years by perfecting the ability to staycation (the frugal way of having a vacation while staying at home). It turned my heart around and kept me from falling into the enemy's trap. I was even happy for the clerk and her family. Amazing how applying God's goodness can change your trajectory.

Staycations are nothing new.

People who know how to think outside the preverbal box have been practicing this portmanteau for a long time. While there’s nothing wrong with a vacation in Kokomo, there’s also no need to give up on a great adventure simply because you can’t swing the expense.

For many years our family vacations consisted of local attractions and places we could fit into a day-trip. I can’t tell you how many times “camping” meant setting up the tent on the back deck. If it was raining, we’d move all the furniture in the den, set up the tent, and fill it with sleeping bags and bodies. These were great times for laughing, story telling, and dreaming out loud. Sure, we probably would have jumped on a jet and traveled the world over if our piggy bank would have been a little larger, but rather than fretting over the fact that it wasn’t we focused our attention on local attractions. What we discovered was that fun and memorable moments are limited only by your imagination and not by your wallet.

So the next time someone asks you where you plan to take your family on vacation, remind yourself of what happened to Papa squirrel and his family when they became discontent with what they had and ventured into the Kokomo forest.

The giant acorns were, indeed, quite alluring, but when they arrived they discovered that the Kokomo Forest had an evil secret. The people who managed this forest had strategically planted a fake oak tree and scattered artificial acorns over the top of a well camouflaged pit. It was all designed to entice and lure discontented squirrels.

(I like a good ending, so I’m going to imagine that, rather than becoming squirrel stew, this family escaped and made it back to the little forrest they called home, where they lived happily ever after. )

“And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’” (Lk.12:15)

“Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” (1Tim.6:6-8)

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Living In Between

(by Lorie Codispoti) 

Over the last few years we’ve lost some very close friends to death. It’s been difficult to walk through the pain of losing people you love. In retrospect, you wish you’d of spent more time together, having more conversations, laughing until you can’t breathe, and taking more pictures to record the memorable moments. The older I get the more death feels like a thief attached to a clock whose minute and hour hands are moving like the second hand and there’s nothing I can do to slow it down.

I’ve tasted a little bit of something my grandmother told me years ago. She said that aging was not the hardest part of getting old. She said that the hardest part of growing older is outliving those you’ve experienced life with. Attending the funerals of friends and relatives becomes more frequent and this can leave an elderly person with a feeling of abandonment and loneliness, on top of the reality that the world they’ve lived in has changed and they are now a stranger in a foreign land.

While I understand that there is a silver lining for us christian sojourners, and that our eternal home awaits us with unimaginable joy, the journey is still hard. Having the ability to embrace the unbelievable pain of loss, while at the same time fixing our minds on the irrepressible hope that we have in Christ, is a practice to cultivate.

For believers, grief and hope go together. The two are not mutually exclusive. They coexist in the tension between the already and the not yet.

I love the way Bruce Hillman explains this state: “To live in a state of "already but not yet" is the gift of the faith. …we already possess all that Christ possesses, but the fullness of that is not yet experienced. Hold an acorn in your hand, and you have a whole oak tree, hold a handful of acorns, and you hold a forest. The acorn is a promise, a reality that is not yet realized in fullness but still exists in your hand. To hold the Bible, then, is to hold the universe, salvation, the world to come, everlasting life. To hold to the Bible is to hold in your hand the promises that faith grasps.”

In 1Thess. 4:13 we read that christians do “not grieve as others do who have no hope.” And, before that (vs.17-19), the Apostle Paul informs us that if our hope is limited to this life, only, we are to be pitied because our faith is futile.

So, how do I grieve with hope?

First, I don’t deny the pain. Death is a thief that steals from all of us. It hurts to lose a dear friend. I hate it! But, allowing myself to walk through that pain does more than acknowledging that it’s real. It serves as a springboard to the next part of the process: remembering! (Sometimes you have to go back to move forward.) I remind myself of the realities of living in a fallen world, but I also remind myself of the promises that God has given us for the next one. Our citizenship is beyond this world (Phil.3:20). We have a forever home being prepared for us by our Savior Himself (Jn.14:2-7), and an inheritance we’ll never lose (1Pet.1:3-5). Although our physical bodies will deteriorate and die on this side of eternity, Jesus assures us that He will transform them into incorruptible bodies, like His (Phil.3:21).

This is the essence of a faith secured in a hope that extends beyond what we experience.

We live in the tension between what Christ has already done (He came. He died. He rose again.) and the fulfillment of the promises to come. Death is part of that tension. However, the clock is ticking. Grief, for the christian is but a temporary reality.

The thief has already been defeated, and its funeral is close at hand.

If you like a party there’s a big celebration coming (Rev.19:6-9). When Jesus puts the final nail in the coffin of sin and death, and buries this enemy forever, I won't be sitting on the front row, crying. No! I'll be standing and shouting, “Death, your stinger is gone forever! Our God reigns!”

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev.21:4)

May we live as Jesus lives - in the already, but not yet!

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Curtail Lying

(by Lorie Codispoti)

A friend recently posted a request, asking for suggestions on how to deal with her children lying to her. She received some very caring responses that I hope encouraged her heart.

Reading the thread had me thinking about how we dealt with lying when our children were young. My friend had already been given plenty of good counsel on how to handle her dilemma, so I chimed in with what I thought might help to counter the whole issue from the side of prevention.

Most kids lie - not simply because they don't want to get caught - but because they don't want to expose their sin nature and disappoint their parents and others.

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight. (Prov.12:22)

God hates lying, so to lie about something was one of the biggest offenses in our home. Our children knew it carried the harshest consequences. It was much more serious than the disappointing truth they attempted to cover up.

By way of prevention, we did something early on that drastically (and I mean drastically) reduced the number of times we ever dealt with lying.

Certainly, teach them about trust, respect, and how lying damages relationships, but all of these preferred outcomes are based on one very simple, yet profound, principle … safety. When children know that they are safe to tell the truth - even if it means disappointment, exposure, and consequences - they will run TO you with their offense rather than away from you with a lie.

What if Adam and Eve would have taken their offense directly to God instead of running away from Him? Would they have experienced the same loving God that we do when we resist the temptation to run away from Him, and run to Him instead? I think so!

We have a loving Father, who desires for us to run TO Him when we fail to live up to His prescription for holiness. A Father who beckons His children to come to Him, contrite and fully exposed. We are invited into His very presence and encouraged to lay all our guilt, shame, and remorse at His feet. His throne room is a merciful place where forgiveness is freely offered, and abundant grace is extended to every one of His children. When we know that we are safe and secure in our Father's love even His discipline is received with an open heart.

Create and cultivate a safe space for your children and you’ll discover that lying becomes less and less of an issue. This is how we crush the head of the lier himself.

The goal - no matter the offense - is, and always has been, restoration.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Dream Interpretation

(by Lorie Codispoti)

I’ve known people who have such vividly detailed dreams that their recall reads like an adventurous tale in a storybook, complete with detailed and colorful illustrations.

When I was younger I had a lot of nightmares. I’ve also had a few recurring dreams over the years. But, these days most of my dreaming is lucid and nonsensical. Add that to my current medication - that comes with its very own dream notice - and you’ve got a woman who wakes up feeling incredibly thankful that there is no replay button on the fragmented craziness that just ran through her head.

Dreams can be mysterious and confusing.

My favorite movie line about dreaming comes from a medieval fairytale, where a young man has just witnessed something unbelievable, and in his confusion he says, “Maybe I'm dreaming. My eyes are open, which means maybe I'm awake dreaming that I'm asleep. Or, or more likely, I'm asleep dreaming that I'm awake wondering if I'm dreaming.”

The capricious nature of dreams have fascinated people for thousands of years. The interest to understand them better can be linked to various scientific and psychological fields of study.

The Bible records 21 dreams. (Not to be confused with visions.) Incidentally, only one of the dreamers is a woman, and her dream is a nightmare. (Go figure!) If you do a study on the biblical dreams you will find that each one comes with a clear interpretation. God made sure of that. Some of the dreams are obviously confusing, but not a one of them leaves any doubt as to what they mean.

Do you think we should seek to interpret our dreams?

Many charlatans have set up shop and taken advantage of people desperate to understand what’s behind some of the dreams that plague them. The exploitation of curious dreamers is big business. The practice of dream interpretation is heavily rooted in the occult, and we should be wary of practices that entice us to explore beyond biblical boundaries. It’s part of the indwelling Holy Spirit’s job to help us discern God’s instructions. So if God wants to communicate to us through a dream (which He certainly can and does do), then the interpretation will be clear, direct, and straightforward.

I recently read about a Christian that was troubled by something his late mother left unfinished. He records a dream visitation he had with her, where she instructed him. Another article suggested placing an item from a deceased loved one under your pillow in order to interact with them in your dreams. This, along with idea that we can use a Christian dream dictionary (Yes, there is such a publication.) - making note of the symbols and spiritual connections we have within a dream to analyze and determine the message God wants to communicate to us - is dangerous territory. Besides that, this whole process of interpretation is completely subjective, which makes it very difficult to “test the spirits, whether they are of God” (1Jn.4:1).

Why do we need to spend so many of our waking hours trying to figure out what God might be trying to tell us, when His objective word leaves no doubt as to His message?

God may use a dream to inspire us, guide us, encourage us, convict us, or even warn us of some kind of danger. However, we need to be careful not to over emphasize dreaming as a means of seeking and hearing from God. Prioritizing this method of interpretation is not wise. God has given us His word as His primary means of communication. If you want to hear from God, open and read your bible. He speaks through it every time.

Allen Parr (The Beat) suggests five things to consider when questioning dreams:

1. No scripture suggests that God has stopped speaking to us through dreams. (Joel 2:28)

2. In our day, the most common way God speaks to us is through His word - Jesus is the word. (Heb.1:1-2)

3. God is not the Author of confusion (1Cor.14:33), and will always make the meaning clear. (Ex: Matt.1:20-21)

4. For various reasons, not every dream is meant to be shared. (Ex: Gen.37:5)

5. There are serious consequences for misrepresenting God when interpreting dreams that effect others’ lives. (Deut.13:1,5)

(If you're interested, here's his entire video teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWUyWXLpqHA)

So, with all of this in mind, perhaps the dream I had the other night - about smuggling bibles into the black zone, while riding on a flying bar of soap - would be better suited as a tale for my grandchildren, rather than a message from God that I need to spend time trying to decipher.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

See The Possibilities

(by Lorie Codispoti)

We live in the realm of the impossible.

Each of us walks through circumstances that, no matter how hard we try, they remain impossible to fix.

Perhaps you are facing a serious health issue. Maybe it’s a wayward child that keeps you awake at night. Or, you may be trying to care for a disabled family member. You name it, we all have impossible situations to navigate. Financial challenges, marital issues, legal matters, relationship struggles, job insecurity, addictions, etc. No one escapes the impossible.

However, let's not lose heart!

Chuck Swindoll said it well when he noted that, “We are all faced with a series of great opportunities, brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”

What would happen if we viewed our impossible situation from that perspective?

It’s not easy. It requires something outside of our natural tendency to ruminate on our problems.

If I want to see the possible in the midst of the impossible, I need to start by removing the “im” from the word. This is called surrender. When I surrender my own ideas of how to fix whatever is needed in a difficult situation, I actually open the door for God to work.

While it may be a fearful thing to let go of something, when we willingly surrender our thoughts, ideas, and actions to the Lord it activates our faith to employ all the possibilities that the “im” kept us from considering. By removing the “disguise” (as Chuck calls it), we clear the way to see the “opportunity” that lies before us.

Will it change your circumstance? Not necessarily. But it can change your view, which will most definitely have an impact on that circumstance.

Do you know what Paul said to the Philippian believers after warning them not to put their confidence in themselves? He reminded them that “The Lord is at hand” (Phil.4:5). It’s so much easier to surrender confidence in our own efforts when we remind ourselves of His residing presence in our lives.

But this doesn’t absolve us of our responsibility to do the same thing Paul exhorts these believers to do: “Stand fast in the Lord” (vs.1).

I pray we will also stand fast and be assured of God’s presence as we surrender our problems to Him.

May He give us the faith to believe what Jesus said to His disciples - when they and the rich young ruler realized that none of them possessed the ability to save themselves - “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Mtt.19:26)

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Activate The EXTRAordinary

(by Lorie Codispoti)

“Be very careful then, how you live – not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17)

In Ephesians 5, Paul reminds Christians that, as Christ followers they no longer walk in darkness. And that they were to reflect His light in the way they lived their lives.

God’s word is the blueprint for living the extraordinary life.

It doesn’t take much to be ordinary, as it simply means to be of common rank or ability, and denotes a deficiency in quality. To add and activate the “extra” means to purposefully go beyond the status quo.

Here are four notable characteristics of extraordinary people (not exhaustive):

ONE - Extraordinary people acknowledge that they are ordinary people serving an extraordinary God.

These people lack the ability to be anything but ordinary. They know that going beyond the ordinary means going outside themselves and tapping into the One who holds the “extra.”

Biblical history affords us many examples of the ordinary turned extraordinary by a great and mighty God .

I like Moses because he was admittedly an ordinary man. When God informs him that He has chosen him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt Moses begins to list all the reasons why he can’t do it.

What was God’s response? He encourages Moses by saying, “I will help you…” (It’s not what you know, but Who you know.)

TWO - Extraordinary people are hospitable.

Did did you know that this ministry is so important to God that he makes it a prerequisite for a widow to qualify for church support? (1Tim. 5:10)

Hospitality has many looks, but for most of us our homes are where we practice and develop this ministry.

Winston Churchill said, “We shape our dwellings and then our dwellings shape us.”

I started out like Moses in this area. I gave God all the reasons why I would never be good at hospitality, but He told me the same thing He told Moses: “I will help you.” And the way He helped me was by giving me a mentor. She is a natural at making everyone that comes into her home feel loved. She taught me that the size of your house is not as important as the size of your heart, and that the dinner menu is less important than what you serve up in conversation. I’m so thankful for her investment in my life.

THREE - Extraordinary people have learned to be content.

Paul testified that he “learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” (Phil.4:11)

Note that he “learned” this principle. It wasn’t something that came natural. God taught Paul that contentment is not based on our circumstances.

One of my dearest friends is a mother of seven children. Her husband worked shift work for a number of years, and at the time they live in a tiny two-bedroom house. For 5 years she and her husband slept on sofa bed in living room. When we talked she would express the challenges of trying to homeschool her children and keep the house quiet for her husband to sleep. Over time I have watched her go from wondering how they would make room for another baby, to a heart of joy for the close relationships that were developed by living in such tight quarters. She “learned” to be content in her circumstances because her contentment was not based on her circumstances.

Whatever our situation, the only way to counter discontentment is with a heart of gratitude.

The Paul that said that he “learned” how to be content, is the same Paul who later testifies to his protege’, Timothy, that “godliness with contentment is great gain.” (2Tim.6:6-7)

FOUR - Extraordinary people judiciously guard their gates.

In ancient times, the city gate was the busiest place in the city. (Can you relate?) It served as both entrance and exit, and was the location of most important exchanges (social, business, justice, news, markets, trading, preaching, and even lodging).

In battle, to “possess the gates” meant to possess the city. Therefore, a strong defense was crucial for the protection of the inhabitants. Many gates were flanked by towers and manned with watchmen who stood guard day and night because the gate was the most vulnerable place within the wall.

Consider The Great Wall of China.

History records it to be 4,000 miles long, and wide enough at the top for 10 people to walk side by side. It was built as a defensive fortification that symbolized the great power of the emperor. Each watchtower was heavily fortified with soldiers that were well equipped and highly trained with the finest weapons of their day. Cannons were also mounted in strategic positions.

In its glory days this wall was successfully invaded three times. Can you guess how?

It was not scaled or penetrated, and the enemies were not well armed with the latest weaponry.

Each invasion came at a time when the inhabitants were impoverished and weakened by their own government’s breakdown and corruption. All three times, their enemy bribed the gatekeeper and marched right through the gate. What a sobering truth!

While we may not build literal walls around our dwellings these days, we are charged, by God, to love Him with all our being in both our homes and our hearts. In fact, Deuteronomy 6:5-9 tells us to go so far as to know and bind ourselves to His precepts, and to teach them to our children. We also make it known to everyone who enters: "You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and ON YOUR GATES.”

This kind of guarding requires us to be proactive and strategic. This is no time for passive conformity to ungodly forces that tempt our hearts to stray. We need to arm ourselves with God’s word. In Psalm 118 we read that the Gate of the Lord is righteousness. At the very entrance, our right relationship to God should be known. No matter how strong our enemy appears, God has promised to give “strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.” (Isa.28:6)

No one has ever lived a perfect life, except for the One who modeled it for us. Jesus Christ enables us to live an extraordinary life because He is the One who puts the “extra” in “ordinary.”

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