Fellowship Is Not Friendship

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NKJV)

In the life of the believer, fellowship in not just friendship. It is that deep spiritual, emotional, and intellectual connection we make with those people God places in our lives. Fellowship with our spouse, our family, and our friends is that blessing of God which helps to sustain us during the darkest moments of our lives when God seems far from us. They are God’s manifested grace, mercy, and love to us when we walk in that isolated place we call “loneliness”.  Fellowship is powerful and we need it.  We were never meant to walk through this life alone.

We can rejoice in God’s choices for us. He has ordained our associations and the places of our habitation.  We should not lightly esteem, or walk away from, those whom God has given to us. Fellowship, with the Father and with others, brings healing and wholeness to our hearts. In marriage (and in our fellowship with others) that “threefold cord” with the Holy Spirit is not quickly broken.  We can walk confidently into God’s plans for our lives because He upholds us and gives others to us as help for our journey. We do not have to “go it alone.”

Fellowship is imperative and precious.

It is worth our finest efforts.

Never let go.

“Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NKJV)

Copyright © 2011 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

You Can Triumph

For when we are tempted to think that we do not have what it takes; that God has somehow not given us enough to walk into His call on our lives; a reminder that He has provided us the same “equipment” that He has given to others. The choice is ours as to how we will use what He has blessed us with.

Equipment 

Figure it out for yourself, my lad,
You’ve all that the greatest of men have had,
Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes,
And a brain to use if you would be wise.
With this equipment they all began,
So start for the top and say “I can.”

Look them over, the wise and great,
They take their food from a common plate
And similar knives and forks they use,
With similar laces they tie their shoes,
The world considers them brave and smart.
But you’ve all they had when they made their start.

You can triumph and come to skill,
You can be great if only you will,
You’re well equipped for what fight you choose,
You have legs and arms and a brain to use,
And the man who has risen, great deeds to do
Began his life with no more than you.

You are the handicap you must face,
You are the one who must choose your place,
You must say where you want to go.
How much you will study the truth to know,
God has equipped you for life, But He
Lets you decide what you want to be.

Courage must come from the soul within,
The man must furnish the will to win,
So figure it out for yourself, my lad,
You were born with all that the great have had,
With your equipment they all began.
Get hold of yourself, and say: “I can.”

Edgar Albert Guest

Good source if you like Edgar Albert Guest: http://sofinesjoyfulmoments.com/quotes/edguest.htm

Copyright © 2011 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

The “Health And Wealth” Gospel–Part 1

(Author Note: This is not meant to be an exhaustive treatise on the subject or any excuse for those who call themselves Christian and manipulate others for their own financial benefit and gain. Enough said.)

“And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant, which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” Deuteronomy 8:18 (NKJV)

There are very few topics that generate more heated and angry discussions in Christendom than that of the so-called “health and wealth” gospel.  I have heard passionate arguments on both sides of the fence. Like all, I have struggled with it, but ultimately I am left with: what was God’s original intent before sin came into the picture and made a mess of things? How did He manifest this intent in the lives of His servants?

No matter what we believe on this subject, we would probably all agree that there was no poverty, lack, or sickness in the Garden of Eden and there will be none in Heaven. If we start with the premise that what God created as “good” at creation is also His perfect will, then we must at least consider that God does not want us sick or broke. From there it is likely to get sticky. To the best of my knowledge, poverty and sickness are part of the curse of the law that Christ redeemed us from.

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Galatians 3:13-14 (NKJV)

There are many that hold fast to the view that wealth is evil, citing the well-known “truth” that “money is the root of all evil.”  But is that what the Scripture really says?

“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 1 Timothy 6:9-10 (NKJV)

Money itself can not be evil. It is an inanimate object. It is the sin in our own hearts that makes wealth problematic: the love of money. I believe that the root of our strong beliefs and emotions about wealth are likely two-fold.  We are afraid of the greed and envy that we suspect (but are usually not willing to admit) is hiding in our own hearts and we have seen the abuses of wealth by others. Thus, I have one question: should that be our motivation for behavior and our standard for belief? Do we pattern our lives, as Christians, on what we fear in ourselves and what we despise in others or, should we pattern our lives on what God has said in His Word?

Clearly God does not have a problem with wealth, per se. Look at Job, Abraham, Joseph, David, Solomon, and others. None of these men had problems paying their bills. Their wealth was not the central focus of their lives. It was, rather, a by-product of something else: their relationship with the Living God and their faithfulness and obedience to His commands. God blessed them, and just as we find great joy in blessing our children with gifts and provision, how could we say that our loving Father would do less?

I can’t speak for any others, but as for me, I have always been afraid of money and wealth. I did not despise it. I was terrified of the responsibility of it. I was afraid of other people’s greed and envy if they thought I had it.  I was afraid of the visibility that came with money. I was afraid of what I perceived as its seductive and destructive power. Easier to be “average” and just bump along like every one else with just enough to get by.  Like many, I had the attitude of: “just us four and no more” when it came to considering God’s financial blessing in my life.

Like a hammer, money is only a tool. It is a convenient and portable medium of exchange for something that we value more than that piece of green paper we call the “dollar.”  A hammer can be used to pound nails and build a house or it can be used as a weapon to kill. The hammer can only do what the hand that is wielding it makes it do. It has no will of its own. Likewise, money can be used for good or for evil purposes depending on the heart of the one who is using it.

We are commanded in the “Great Commission” to go into all the world “making disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19 NKJV). Practically speaking, we are not all able to go to the mission field in a far away country, but there are many fine mission organizations that are doing just that. It is a fact that each one of these organizations require money (and other things) in order to do the job that God has called them to do. And as I was often told as a child: “Money doesn’t grow on trees, you know.”  We can, by extension, be a part of the work these mission groups do with our financial support. As we sow into the work that they are doing, we then share in the spiritual blessings that result from our financial partnership with them. Like it or not, money is the international means of exchange.

What if the whole point of wealth and money is not about us? What if the only point of wealth is to advance the Kingdom of God and establish His covenant on the earth (as noted earlier in Deuteronomy 8:18)? By espousing poverty (in its various forms and degrees), do we actively thwart God’s intent? Do we cause the Gospel to not go forth where it should go because we have discerned the purpose of wealth incorrectly?  How can we possibly be a blessing to others if we have nothing extra to give? As the old adage says, have we “thrown the baby out with the bath water?”

We knew someone many years ago, who by any standard would have been considered wealthy. He was a committed Christian with a heart for the advancement of the Gospel and was very generous in his support of it. When others would question him about his obvious wealth (and the visible results of it), all he would say was: “When you are an irrigation ditch for the Lord, even the evaporation amounts to a fair bit.” That was usually the end of any discussion on the subject.

God gave R. G. LeTourneau multiple inventions that resulted in great wealth. He was eventually able to sow ninety percent of his income back into the propagation of the Gospel, living on the other ten percent. Even on that ten percent, he did not have trouble paying his electric bill. His inventions are still in use today, and there is a university which bears his name that is training young men and women to use their God-given talents and abilities in service to God.

When we look at others, we view them through the lens of our own soul. We often ascribe to them the motives that are lurking in the dark corners of our own hearts.  It is obvious to all that there is no shortage of examples where wealth has been misused, even within the church.  The issue here is not whether or not you have money.  It is only an issue of whether or not money has you.

Wealth, in and of itself, is not the end game. The use of our wealth (in whatever amount God has blessed us with) must be about stewardship. Stewardship is about what we do with what God has given us. I do not know why God gives some “one talent”, some “five talents”, and others “ten talents” (parable of the talents: Matthew 25:14-30); that is within His sovereign will and I am not intelligent enough to figure that out.  I do know that we cannot judge whether someone has been a faithful steward of God’s financial provision by the car they drive, the house they live in, or the clothes that they wear.  It is impossible to know how obedient they have been to God’s command for stewardship on outward appearances alone. We can not see their heart.  We cannot judge the intent of their actions. We can only judge whether or not we have done what He has asked of us with the financial provision He has entrusted to us. We can only judge whether we have a “love of money.”  We will only give an account before God’s great throne of judgement for our financial stewardship.

My husband has a standard set of questions for others when the subject of wealth and money comes up.  He is especially vocal when the subject involves criticism of those within the ministry that are wearing, driving, or living in an example of what others would call wealth.  He asks: “Why should it only be the rock/rap stars, business tycoons, actors, and sports stars that are allowed to have that level of financial blessing? Why do we believe that Satan treats his servants better than God does?  Why would anyone want to be a Christian if the only benefit is “fire insurance” for the life hereafter? They can be broke and sick without the Gospel. The Gospel means “good news.” Most Christians aren’t living like there is much of that good news in their lives. Why isn’t the world saying about us: ‘Man, those Christians really know how to live’?”

It is time for those of us who profess Christ as our Lord to examine our hearts and make the Gospel and the Great Commission top priority with our financial resources. It has been estimated that only between five to twenty percent of church-goers tithe (depending on the source of your information).  What could be accomplished for the Gospel if we were at least obedient in this alone?

I do not believe that God is opposed to wealth and the enjoyment of His manifested financial blessings. He is, however, opposed to greed and envy. He has a specific purpose for wealth: the advancement of His kingdom to all corners of the earth.

The question then becomes: how much do we value the Gospel? What do we think it is worth in comparison to the other things that we value in our lives? Do we value the “Great Commission” and our obedience to fulfill that mandate more than whatever else we spend our money on?

Where else but in God’s economy can we take something with no ostensible value, like a piece of paper money, and exchange it for something of eternal value, like salvation of the lost? If we are not faithful with the $10.00 He gives us, why would we think He would ever give us the opportunity to be faithful with larger amounts? It is time to be faithful in the small things like money, so that He will trust us with true riches.

That’s my “two cent’s worth.”

Time to go in search of my Kevlar vest.

“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?  ‘No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.’” Luke 16:10-13 (NKJV)

Helpful Link: http://www.bible.com/bibleanswers_result.php?id=161

(The “Health And Wealth” Gospel, Part 2–Health, to follow)

Copyright © 2011 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

The Donut Problem

I do not know the origins of this story. I found this during a random search of the internet under the general topic of “Christianity”. Likely it has been around for a long time, but I had never heard it before. It would be difficult to find another story that so clearly describes the gift of redemption. I hope that you find this story as thought provoking as I did.

Donuts For The Class

There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States. Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course in his or her freshman year regardless of his or her major. Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.

This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going on to seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor’s class.

One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him.
“How many push-ups can you do? “

Steve said, “I do about 200 every night.”

“Two hundred. That’s pretty good, Steve,” Dr. Christianson said. “Do you think you could do 300? “

Steve replied, “I don’t know. . . I’ve never done 300 at a time.”

“Do you think you could?”, again asked Dr. Christianson.

“Well, I can try,” said Steve.

“Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it,” said the professor.

Steve said, “Well. . . I think I can. . . yeah, I can do it.”

Dr. Christianson said, “Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind.”

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. No, these weren’t the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson’ s class.

Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, “Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts? “

Cynthia said, “Yes.”

Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut? “

“Sure.” Steve jumped up from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia’s desk.

Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, “Joe, do you want a donut?”

Joe said, “Yes.”

Dr. Christianson asked, “Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut? ” Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle. Steve did ten push-ups for every person before they got their donut. And down the second aisle, till Dr. Christianson came to Scott.

Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship. When the professor asked, “Scott, do you want a donut? ” Scott’s reply was, “Well, can I do my own push-ups?” Dr. Christianson said, “No, Steve has to do them.” Then Scott said, “Well, I don’t want one then.”

Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn’t want?” With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten push-ups.

Scott said, “HEY! I said I didn’t want one!”

Dr. Christianson said, “Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don’t want it.” And he put a donut on Scott’s desk.

Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow. Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry.

Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, “Jenny, do you want a donut?” Sternly, Jenny said, “No.”

Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, “Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn’t want? ” Steve did ten. . . Jenny got a donut.

By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say “No”, and there were a lot of uneaten donuts on the desks.

Steve had to put forth a lot of extra effort to get these push-ups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face. His arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push-up and make sure he did the full ten push-ups in a set. He couldn’t bear any longer to watch all of Steve’s work for all those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so that Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely. Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row.

During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry that Steve would not be able to make it. Dr. Christianson went on to the next person, and the next, and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

Steve asked Dr. Christianson, “Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?”

Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, “Well, they’re your push-ups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want.” And Dr. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, “NO! Don’t come in! Stay out!” Jason didn’t know what was going on.

Steve picked up his head and said, “No, let him come in.”

Professor Christianson said, “You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten push-ups for him. “

Steve said, “Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut.”

Dr. Christianson said, “Okay, Steve, I’ll let you get Jason’s out of the way now. Jason, do you want a donut?”

Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. “Yes,” he said, “give me a donut.”

“Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?” Steve did ten push-ups very slowly, and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.

Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row, then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve’s arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. Sweat was profusely dropping off of his face and, by this time, there was no sound except his heavy breathing. There was not a dry eye in the room.

The last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, “Linda, do you want a doughnut?”

Linda said, very sadly, “No, thank you.”

Professor Christianson quietly asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn’t want?” Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push-ups for Linda.

Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, “Susan, do you want a donut?”

Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. “Dr. Christianson, why can’t I help him?”

Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, “No, Steve has to do it alone, I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut, whether they want it or not. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve, here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push-ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes.

“Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Susan can have a donut?” Steve very slowly finished his last push-up. With the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said. “And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, ‘Into thy hands I commend my spirit.’ With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, he yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten.” Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile. “Well done, good and faithful servant,” said the professor, adding, “Not all sermons are preached in words.”

Turning to his class the professor said, “My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not His only Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid. Wouldn’t you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it laying on the desk?”

Author Unknown

Edited by Susan E. Johnson

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” John 3:16-21 (NKJV)

Copyright © 2011 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

Valentine’s Day: How To Ask And Have

In honor of Valentine’s Day, a few poems to make you smile, and just for good measure, one totally unrelated poem. For those men who, for the first time, will tell the object of your affection that you do indeed love her, she has been waiting patiently to hear those words. Take courage, the time has come “to ask and have”.

How To Ask And Have

“Oh, ’tis time I should talk to your mother,
Sweet Mary,” says I;
“Oh, don’t talk to my mother,” says Mary,
Beginning to cry:
“For my mother says men are decaivers,
And never, I know, will consent;
She says girls in a hurry to marry,
At leisure repent.”

“Then, suppose I should talk to your father,
Sweet Mary,” says I;
“Oh, don’t talk to my father,” says Mary,
Beginning to cry:
“For my father he loves me so dearly,
He’ll never consent I should go;—
If you talk to my father,” says Mary,
“He’ll surely say ‘No.’”

“Then how shall I get you, my jewel,
Sweet Mary?” says I;
“If your father and mother’s so cruel,
Most surely I’ll die!”
“Oh, never say die, dear,” says Mary;
“A way now to save you I see:
Since my parents are both so conthrairy,
You’d better ask me.”

by Samuel Lover

On Taking A Wife

“Come, come,” said Tom’s father, “at your time of life,
There’s no longer excuse for thus playing the rake.—
It is time you should think, boy, of taking a wife.”—
“Why, so it is, father,—whose wife shall I take?”

By Thomas Moore

The Lost Spectacles

A country curate, visiting his flock,
At old Rebecca’s cottage gave a knock.
“Good morrow, dame, I mean not any libel,
But in your dwelling have you got a Bible?”
 ”A Bible, sir?” exclaimed she in a rage,
“D’ye think I’ve turned a Pagan in my age?
Here, Judith, and run upstairs, my dear,
‘Tis in the drawer, be quick and bring it here.”
The girl return’d with Bible in a minute,
Not dreaming for a moment what was in it;
When lo! on opening it at parlor door,
Down fell her spectacles upon the floor.
Amaz’d she stared, was for a moment dumb,
But quick exclaim’d, “Dear sir, I’m glad you’re come.
‘Tis six years since these glasses first were lost,
And I have miss’d ‘em to my poor eyes’ cost!”
Then as the glasses to her nose she raised,
She closed the Bible—saying, “God be praised!”

By unknown author

The Kiss

“What other men have dared, I dare,”
He said. “I’m daring, too:
And tho’ they told me to beware,
One kiss I’ll take from you.”

“Did I say one? Forgive me, dear;
That was a grave mistake,
For when I’ve taken one, I fear,
One hundred more I’ll take.”

“‘Tis sweet one kiss from you to win,
But to stop there? Oh, no!
One kiss is only to begin;
There is no end, you know.”
The maiden rose from where she sat
And gently raised her head:
“No man has ever talked like that—
You may begin,” she said.

By Tom Masson

Copyright © 2011 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

Only One Life

“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;  strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”  Colossians 1:9-14 (NKJV) 

Only One Life, Twill Soon Be Past

Two little lines I heard one day, Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet, And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life,’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave, And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years, Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill, living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore, When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way, Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep, In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife, Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn, And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone, Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, “twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call, I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last. And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be, if the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.

C.T. Studd

Copyright © 2011 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

Why Should I Care?

Several days ago, my daughter was giving me a difficult time about all the effort I have been putting into this blog. I had been telling her how excited I was that I now had five “subscribers”.  In her usual direct way, she asked me: “Why do you care, Mom?”  She recently started her own blog.  A number of her friends at school also have blogs, primarily as a vehicle for their college essays and other writings. I have been “bugging” her (nicely, of course) to start a blog and do the same (which she finally did over Christmas break).  She succinctly told me that she did not care if she had any subscribers or even if most people read her posts.

I was forced to think about it. Why did I care? Why should I care? 

Initially this blog started out in obedience to what I felt God was leading me to do. The concept of writing about my thoughts and feelings and putting them in a format where others, and who knows what others, could read them, was terrifying.  By nature, I am a very private person. I have internalized my stoic Scandinavian and Germanic heritage well.  Strong emotions expressed by those I don’t know make me extremely uncomfortable.

In the beginning, I hoped that no one would read this blog. If I could have fulfilled the task without the risk of anyone reading what I had written, I would have been happy.  Each post was a lesson in trust and faith. What if someone blasted me for what I had written, as I have seen in the comments section of other blogs? What if they called me (or intimated that I was) an idiot? How could I survive having to admit that I agreed with them?

With each post, I noticed a surprising thing happening. I began to care. I began to care that, not only what I had written was the best that I could write, but I began to care that others read it. I took a bold step (for me) and had this blog linked to my Facebook page and my meager list of “friends.” As each new post popped up for everyone to read, I waited to see if anyone would “like” it.

One of my daughter’s good friends has been a real inspiration to me. He considers himself called to be a writer (and I would agree with him). Through his blog I have watched and read as he has honed his craft. The honesty and courage with which he has revealed himself, and what is in his heart, through his writing has been a real encouragement to me (he is also reserved). I began to believe that if he could do this, maybe I could too.

Which brings me back to my daughter’s question: Why should I care?  I realized that I care for a couple of reasons.  When you put a lot of time and effort into something, you hope that someone will appreciate your efforts. But more importantly, I wanted to effect change and bring encouragement. I wanted to take my experiences and have others know that God would lead them through, no matter how difficult the circumstances.

A little over ten years ago, my father put together two three-ringed binders of essays that he had written. These essays are my family history in anecdotal form.  As I was writing the post about music, I went searching through his essays to clarify my facts.  I began to read and was amazed at what I found. I had forgotten what a precious gift these essays are. With his usual sense of humor he had related stories of his growing up years, how he met and married my mother, and his thoughts on a number of his life experiences.

My father is getting up in years and it is an unfortunate fact of life that he will not walk on this earth forever. When he slips from his mortal body to walk into the arms of His Savior, I will have him with me every time I read his words. His personality jumps off of every page. This legacy is a wonderful blessing to me and will be passed down to my daughter and to each generation as a reminder of their heritage.

I believe that deep within every one of us is the desire to make a difference, a desire to leave something of eternal value.  So much of what we do in our every day lives doesn’t accomplish this.  Through out history it is the written word that has survived.  Clearly, the written word is important to God. He gave us His Word as a compass and guide for our lives. His Word will survive for all eternity.  It is His Word that communicates to us His thoughts, His character, and His plans for us.

Do I believe that anyone will really care what I have written ten years, fifty years, or one hundred years from now?  No, I don’t. I am not a writer, nor do I pretend to be. What I do care about is that what I write here will be what I feel He has led me to write. If I do that, if I am obedient to what I believe He has asked me to say, then it is my desire someone will be helped to see their life experiences in a different light; that they will be encouraged to hope and keep walking forward into this marvelous adventure that is the Christian life.

It isn’t so much that I believe I have something important to say. It is that I believe He has something important to say.  And for whatever reason, He has chosen this imperfect platform as one of the small ways in which to do that.  That is why I care.  It is a very humbling revelation.

“The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of a fool pours forth foolishness.  Proverbs 15: 2 (NKJV)

Copyright © 2011 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

Light Shining Out Of Darkness

Light Shining Out of Darkness

God moves in a mysterious way,
     His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
     And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
     Of never failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs,
     And works his sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,
     The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
     In blessings on your head.

Judge not the LORD by feeble sense,
     But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence,
     He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
     Unfolding ev’ry hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
     But sweet will be the flow’r.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
     And scan his work in vain;
GOD is his own interpreter,
     And he will make it plain.

William Cowper (1772)

My Soul Thirsteth For God

I thirst, but not as once I did,
The vain delights of earth to share;
Thy wounds, Emmanuel, all forbid
That I should seek my pleasures there.

It was the sight of Thy dear cross
First wean’d my soul from earthly things;
And taught me to esteem as dross
The mirth of fools and pomp of kings.

I want that grace that springs from Thee,
That quickens all things where it flows,
And makes a wretched thorn like me
Bloom as the myrtle, or the rose.

Dear fountain of delight unknown!
No longer sink below the brim;
But overflow, and pour me down
A living and life-giving stream!

For sure of all the plants that share
The notice of thy Father’s eye,
None proves less grateful to His care,
Or yields him meaner fruit than I.

William Cowper

All that Is Gold Does Not Glitter

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.

J.R.R. Tolkien

Copyright © 2011 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

To Dance For The King

“Let them praise His name with the dance; let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp. For the LORD takes pleasure in His People; He will beautify the humble with salvation.” Psalm 149: 3-4 (NKJV)

There has been much discussion within  various denominations over the years, as to whether or not it is appropriate for a Christian to dance. I grew up in a fairly liberal Baptist denomination where dancing, while not encouraged, was not particularly discouraged.  I have memories of a few awkward high school dances where I stood along the wall while my fellow classmates were doing their best to imitate the popular dances of the 1970s.  I don’t recall having much fun at those dances. It seemed to me like so much wasted time and effort as people gyrated in the dark in hopes of having a good time.  I am sure that many of my classmates would have disagreed with me, but these dances always left me feeling socially awkward (which I was) and dissatisfied when all was said and done.

I have had some experience with dance since then. My daughter began her ballet training at age 3 with Ballet Magnificat in Jackson, MS.  I did not know then that ballet would play such an important role in her life, or that God would call her to it. I only knew that, from the first time she could pull herself up to stand, she stood on her toes. I have a picture of her doing an arabesque in her crib at age eighteen months or so; another premonition of what was to come, although I did not recognize it as such.

The director of Ballet Magnificat attended the same church as we did at that time. Kathy Thibodeaux saw her dancing and playing in the nursery one Sunday and spoke to us about bringing her into the studio for ballet classes. They were offering a one week summer ballet workshop for three-year olds and we felt it would be a great way to see if our daughter had any interest or aptitude.  The rest, as they say, is history.

God’s original purpose for dance was to worship Him. There are many examples in Scripture of dancing before the Lord. In fact, King David was severely criticized by his wife  as he danced with abandon in praise to God, and she paid a tremendous price for it.

“Then David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod. . . Now as the ark of the LORD came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.  So they brought the ark of the LORD, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.  And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts.  Then he distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, both the women and the men, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed, everyone to his house. Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, ‘How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!’ So David said to Michal, ‘It was before the LORD, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the LORD. And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.’ Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.” 2 Samuel 6: 14, 16-23 (NKJV)

David’s dance before the Lord, honored and pleased Him. And yet we have not, until recently, included dance as part of our worship services.  Like the other creative and performing arts, we have largely abandoned dance to secular influences; its purpose has become to entertain, entice, and seduce.

About three years ago, we took our daughter to see a ballet performance of “Carmen”.  My husband has always enjoyed the music and, as this ballet was performed by a premier Russian ballet company, we felt it would be a wonderful gift to our daughter.  We paid the added price for premium seats so that Hannah would have an unrestricted view of the stage and the dancers.

We found that this was not a traditional rendering of the story, but a contemporary one; not totally unexpected, but somewhat of a disappointment. In fact, most of the music that we enjoyed was not even in evidence.  The storyline of “Carmen” is one for the mature anyway, but we felt that since our daughter was an adult, and this was a classical ballet company, it would be treated with some measure of finesse and discretion. To say that we were incorrect would be a gross understatement.

The first act of the ballet wasn’t too bad. We didn’t particularly enjoy their interpretation of the story, but this was more of a stylistic difference, as the dancing was superb.  The second act however was completely different.  As the second act opened, the male and female principal dancers entered the stage in nude body tights. We knew that this did not bode well, and we were right. They proceeded to dance in a way that almost anyone would have considered pornographic.  We sat there in shock and disbelief at what we were seeing, not quite knowing what to do. What we should have done was to get up right then and walk out, but we were in prominent seats and were hesitant to stand up and leave in the middle of the performance (always considered to be extremely rude in dance world etiquette).  Hannah shut her eyes, as did I, and then, in what seemed like an interminable amount of time, the act finally ended and we walked out of the theater.  We were not alone.  We saw others getting up to leave as well.

For me, this is a prime example of what the dance world has become. It doesn’t seem to matter which of the dance genres we are talking about, the rapid slide into the sewer seems to be evident everywhere in dance and in the wider world of the arts. Age doesn’t seem to be relevant either, as many dance schools across the country are teaching very young girls to dance like pole dancers at a “gentlemen’s club”.  The competition circuit for dancers is rife with this practice.

As our daughter was considering where to continue her dance training in college, this became a primary concern. There are many highly regarded dance programs all over the country, each training dancers with excellent technique, but few with much respect for modesty or propriety.  After much research and prayer, Hannah narrowed her choice down to Belhaven University located ironically, in Jackson, MS, where she had began her dance training. In fact, when she was taking classes at Ballet Magnificat, Belhaven’s dance program was in its infancy, offering only a dance minor, with their dancers taking class at Ballet Magnificat. Now a full-fledged, highly regarded program, they are training dancers to change the world of dance. They are teaching them to honor God with the gift of dance and in all that they do.

We must restore dance, and all of the creative arts, to what God originally intended– a vehicle for worship. Christian dance companies are now being formed all over the country and are beginning the process of restoring beauty, grace, and worship to dance.  I am pleased to hear that churches in many denominations are including worship dance in their services with increasing regularity.

As in all endeavors, the secular dance world should be taking their lead from the church.  As Christians, we should be setting the standard in the dance world, not the other way around. We need to be impacting our culture through the arts, not taking our cues from culture as to what is acceptable.  As Christian dance companies seek to maintain the same technical and artistic proficiency as their secular counterparts, the dance world will begin look to the church for excellence, innovation, and leadership.

The creative arts are a gift from God and were meant to be an avenue for the expression of our worship to Him. When we don’t use the arts to worship Him, the worship inherent in these arts defaults to the enemy. There is no neutral territory in this, or in any area of our lives. It is time for us to take an unyielding stand for righteousness and return the arts to their original purpose: an expression of deep, heartfelt worship. While I am not advocating that all artistic expression must be overtly Christian, there is no room for cultural tolerance or acceptance for that which does not honor Him. God did not suggest that we worship and honor Him in all that we do, He commands it.

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

Christian Ballet/Dance Company Links:

Ballet Magnificat; http://www.balletmagnificat.com/

Ballet Emmanuel; http://www.balletemmanuel.org/

Ad Deum Dance Company; http://www.danceaddeum.com/

Copyright © 2011 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

Think It Over

Just a bit of humor to end up the week:

Two minister’s wives were sitting on the veranda of a Canadian house, chatting to each other as they mended their husband’s trousers. “I can’t understand,” said one of them, “why your church is always prosperous, while ours is not.”  “Well,” said the other wife, “if you were an observant person, you would have noticed that I am patching these trousers on the knees while you were putting patches on the seat!”   The rest was understood!

Copyright © 2011 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved