GOOD ZEAL

Dear Sisters,

Hello! How are you? This morning we’re going to think on our priorities together. As you and I personally evaluate our priorities, we must be truthful with ourselves. I know what I want my priorities to be, but is what I want them to be really the way I’m living? How do we truly measure what’s most important to us? Think about what you think about most, what’s filling your calendar, and where your purse frequently travels. Evaluating it all with you, dear sisters, in light of His glorious Word. Have a blessed, God-first week!

"It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you."

Galatians 4:18



What are you most passionate and zealous about? The Barna Group recently released a study that tracked America’s priorities. They reported, “Family and faith continue to be the most common priorities of Americans, though these have waned in importance since 2006. Meanwhile, other elements such as health, leisure, money, and professional success are more likely to be identified as American’s top priorities.” Over the past few years, family and faith have shown a drop in priority, while health, wealth, leisure, personal comfort, success, financial stability, and lifestyle balance are on the increase. Do you and I identify with these statistics?

In the book of Galatians Paul wrote, It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good (Galatians 4:18a). Paul knew all about being zealous for wrong things and even confessed that to the Galatians earlier in his letter. You have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers (Galatians 1:13-14).

Paul was a zealot for destroying God’s church, and an enthusiast for the traditions of men. The horrors! Yet to the Jews he was a hero! His actions were progressing his career path at rates beyond his peers. His persecution campaign had the stamp of approval from the high priest who provided arrest warrants for any disciples that Paul found in the synagogues.

How clearly we see that Paul was zealous for the wrong things! Is it as easy for us to notice when we’re zealous for the wrong things? When we compare our lives to the world and sometimes even to the church, we may see heroism. Yet, when we make the correct contrast, comparing our lives to God’s Word instead of the world, we may see the horrors of our priorities – bowing down to other gods instead of God who must be our first love (Exodus 20:3-6, Mark 12:30-31).

God’s Word says, Be zealous for the fear of the LORD (Proverbs 23:17b). Be an enthusiast for demonstrating fear, reverence, and piety to God. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10). When we fear God, we’ll get wisdom to choose His priorities and have knowledge and understanding to how the Holy One desires for us to live.

What are you most passionate and zealous about? Remember, it is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good (Galatians 4:18). Look to the Good Book to learn what God says is truly good.

PASSION Step: Evaluate your priorities. Make course corrections as necessary.

That which is striking and beautiful is not always good;

but that which is good is always beautiful.

Anne de 1 Enclos


Grace and peace,
Lenae

THE BATTLEFIELD

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. " Ephesians 6:12

God’s Word is filled with stories about men and women who passionately pursued God and zealously served others. They fed the fire! Here’s Deborah’s story and song on the battlefield as recorded in Judges 4 and 5 after she lead the Israelite army against Hazor. The victory was complete when Jael picked up a hammer and drove a tent peg through the temple of Sisera, the commander of Hazor’s army.

To feed the fire on the battlefield, you must be willing to fight! Deborah sang about the princes in Israel who took leadership in battle and the people who willingly volunteered and were available when summoned (Judges 4:10, 5:2, 9). Are you a willing leader? Do you crusade for justice or retreat from conflict?

To feed the fire on the battlefield, you must know and follow the Leader! When the Israelites went out from Seir, it was not Deborah who took the lead, but God. When the Lord marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water. The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel (Judges 5:4b-5). Do not run before Him, lag behind, or chart your own course. It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him (Deuteronomy 13:4).

To feed the fire on the battlefield, do not allow others to discourage you! Four tribes did not lend a hand in the battle. They stayed among the campfires, lingered by the ships, and remained on the coast, rather than joining the battle they had been called to (Judges 5:13-18). They did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty (Judges 5:23b). Do you get discouraged when others refuse to help, preferring to linger by the lukewarm waters or remain on the coast of apathy? Don’t let their choices put out the fire He has flamed within you. Let His Word and Spirit encourage you, and seek out relationships with God’s people who will urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received (Ephesians 4:1).

PASSION Step: Deborah arose and made a difference on the battlefield the Lord assigned her (Judges 5:7). Will you do the same? If so, how and when?


"We are spiritual pacifists, non-militants, conscientious objectors in this battle-to-the death with principalities and powers in high places. Meekness must be had for contract with men, but brash, outspoken boldness is required to take part in the comradeship of the Cross. We are "sideliners"- coaching and criticizing the real wrestlers while content to sit by and leave the enemies of God unchallenged. The world cannot hate us, we are too much like its own. Oh that God would make us dangerous! "

Jim Elliot

Grace and peace- Lenae

DO WHAT YOU CAN

"She did what she could."
Mark 14:8


She’s said it dozens of times over the years: I don’t have any gifts. I’m not good at anything. And each time this subject pops up in our conversation, I counter the lies with His truth:

God has given you gifts! We have different gifts, according to the grace given us (Romans 12:6).

Use whatever gifts He’s given you! Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms (1 Peter 4:10).

No matter what your gifts, gratefully do your best. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:23).

Lazarus and Martha’s sister Mary (John 12:1-7) was described in Luke as a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town (Luke 7:37). With that kind of reputation, she could’ve duped herself into thinking she was useless to the Kingdom, too. Instead she took the gifts that she had – a passionate love for Jesus and an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume – and anointed her Lord. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head (Mark 14:3).

Using our gifts to passionately pursue God and zealously serve others will not always be received well by those around us. There’s a risk when we serve in out of the ordinary ways, and being His disciple comes with a cost (Luke 14:26-27).

That was Mary’s experience. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly (Mark 14:4-5).

Jesus saw her heart and came to her defense. “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. She did what she could” (Mark 14:6, 8a). Mary’s wholehearted devotion and service to Jesus is her legacy. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her” (Mark 14:9).

If you look around at other people’s gifts, you’re sure to find a gift that’s not part of the way God wired and designed you. That’s OK. He’s not asking you to serve Him with gifts He hasn’t given you! Instead, follow Mary’s example: She did what she could (Mark 14:8).

PASSION Step: What will you do to passionately pursue God and zealously serve Him today? Do what you can (Mark 14:8).

You are not a reservoir with a limited amount of resources; you are a channel attached to unlimited divine resources.

Unknown


Grace and peace,
Lenae

Who's Walking Who?

Hi ladies!!
I hope you're enjoying your summer and have been able to have a bit of a break from the regular routine of school, ministry and other activities.
As you know, many GEMS counselors are travelling to conference in Minnesota this week. Please pray for these women as they get ready to leave their families behind to attend conference. Pray for safe travels, peace of mind as they are away, and that they would be refreshed, inspired, and return with renewed faith.
Because of conference, Lenae has not written a devotional for this week. I've posted a devotional I really enjoyed written by Amy from the GEMS staff blog. (a link to their blog is under favorites to the left of your screen.)

Have a blessed week!

I like dogs. Not a ton, but just enough to find enjoyment in my weekly walks with Amber – my elderly friend’s golden retriever. After four years of strolling down the same stretch of pavement every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, we’ve established a good routine.

Depending on the day, we pass a variety of people as we walk. Some stop and chat, others just smile and nod.

There’s the man who carries his oversized golf umbrella – rain or shine. He walks briskly and offers a quick wave with his free hand.

There’s the middle-aged woman and her mother who, every spring, relinquish their Curves memberships in exchange for afternoon walks together. We usually pause briefly to comment on the weather; they like to gauge how much longer they have to enjoy this tradition before the snow forces them back to the gym.

There is the old Jewish man who walks to the Synagogue with his head down and his hands clasped easily behind his back. He never fully acknowledges our presence, but he always smiles as he ambles slowly along.

The guy who mows his lawn twice a week knows Amber by name, as do the three children who ride their bikes with their dad after school in the fall. We always stop for these people, since Amber relishes the attention they give her.

The elderly gentleman who sits in a folding chair in the doorway of his garage will usually wave enthusiastically over his head, but as the days get cooler he calls out friendly reminders, encouraging me to wear a hat to stay warm.

The lady with the little white dogs we usually try to avoid. Her dogs aren’t too fond of Amber, so she crosses the street when she sees us, offering a knowing and apologetic smile as she does.

And then there’s the older gentleman who rides his giant adult-sized tricycle up and down the sidewalk, the woman who power walks to the grocery store, the guy with the fake flowers planted in pots around his yard, the lady who incessantly shovels her driveway each winter, and the couple that circles their block at the same time each Saturday.

I’ve literally interacted with these people hundreds of times. I can anticipate how they will respond to our approach, and I react accordingly.

Until about a month ago.

I had just gotten off the phone with a friend who was struggling. I was praying silently for her as I walked. I’ll do anything for my friends; I fight fiercely for the people I love, but that particular day I felt incapacitated by my own disappointed with God. His seeming lack of action in her situation left me confused and, I’ll admit, a little angry.

That’s when I saw him coming. For four years I’d heard him make the same bad joke every single time we passed him. I’ve never been able to place him: I don’t know where he lives, I’m not sure where he’s going, and I have no clue why he walks the same stretch of sidewalk week after week.

He started laughing to himself as we approached – already amused at his forthcoming wit. He grinned. I was annoyed. I braced myself as he carelessly questioned, “Who’s walking who?” before busting into a belly-laugh and continuing on his way.

I rallied a smile and opened my mouth to offer my usual courtesy laugh, but, for the first time, nothing came out.

As I walked along rationalizing my frustrations to God, the man’s question had forced me to stop. I had expectations of God. Just like the people I meet on my weekly walks, I had my response prepared, and I was anticipating what God would do. I had completed my part of the routine; now I was demanding to know why He wasn’t doing His.

He wanted to know why I insisted on being in control. Who’s walking who, Amy? Who’s in charge? Who’s following whose lead here, anyway?


Right. How silly of that to slip my mind. Insert an attitude adjustment and a realigned prayer for my friend.

It’s easy to invite God into our plans and request His blessing along the way. It’s harder to ask Him to lead us in the routines of everyday life – not to mention the big circumstances and decisions we face. Are you really, honestly, and truly trusting the Good Shepherd to set a path before you? Or are you projecting your dreams and desires onto Him and asking Him to follow along, just in case you need Him along the way? It’s easy to confuse the two; but God definitely knows the difference! Choose to follow His lead.

"I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths." Proverbs 4:11

HEED THE WARNING SIGNS

"Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

James 4:8


Warning alarms come in all shapes and sizes. There are smoke alarms that alert people to the danger of fire, house and car alarms to warn if a break-in or theft is attempted, back-up warning alarms signal that vehicles are going in reverse, and civil defense sirens warn communities of approaching danger.

Second Chronicles 29 contains multiple warning signs that the fire was extinguished in the Temple and in their hearts. It’s a chapter that details how King Hezekiah purified the Temple in the first month of the first year of His reign.
The doors were closed (2 Chronicles 29:3). Closed doors, closed hearts, closed eyes and ears all indicate that the fire has grown cold. God told Judah through the prophet Jeremiah, “To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it” (Jeremiah 6:10). Open wide your mouth and God will fill it (Psalm 81:10), open your eyes to see wonderful things in His law (Psalm 119:18), open your lips and declare His praise (Psalm 51:15). Feed the fire by opening the doors of your heart!


The lamps were put out (2 Chronicles 29:7a). When we put out our lamps by hiding them under a bowl, we fail to be the shining lights in this dark world that God intends for us to be (Matthew 5:14-15). Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). Feed the fire by shining brightly in your home, your neighborhood, your workplace, and your church!

The incense altar was cold (2 Chronicles 29:7b). No burning incense indicates that there were no prayers. May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice (Psalm 141:2). Leonard Ravenhill wrote, “This much is sure in all churches, forgetting party labels; the smallest meeting numerically is the prayer meeting. If weak in prayer we are weak everywhere.” If you typically prayer for 10-minutes a day, pray for 15. If you pray for an hour a day, pray for an hour and 15 minutes. No matter how shallow or deep our prayer life, we can and should pray more (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Feed the fire by being a woman of prayer!

PASSION Step: Are there warning signs that the fire in your heart has been extinguished? If so, purify it (James 4:8).

The Pharisees minded what God spoke, but not what He intended . . . They were busy in the outward work of the hand, but incurious of the affections and choice of the heart. So God was served in the letter, they did not much inquire into His purpose; and therefore they were curious to wash their hands, but cared not to purify their hearts.

Jeremy Taylor



Grace and peace,
Lenae

YOUR RIGHT ARM

"And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."

Matthew 5:30


I’m attached to my right arm. Literally. It’s my go-to, preferred arm in all that I do. Unless you’re left-handed, the same is probably true for you.

A few years ago my Aunt Caroline needed to make a choice with her right arm. Either she kept her arm and the cancer would continue to spread throughout her body, or she could allow surgeons to cut it off at the elbow and live. She chose the later. Cutting off her right arm literally saved her life.

The same is true for you and me spiritually. Jesus said, And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell (Matthew 5:30).

In his devotional book, My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers writes, “Your right hand is one of the best things you have, but Jesus says that if it hinders you in following His precepts, then ‘cut it off.’ The principle taught here is the strictest discipline or lesson that ever hit humankind.”

Chambers reminds us that just because you can do something doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. There is a time when even good things must be cut out of our lives if they deviate our eyes from being fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2). He writes, “There are many things that are perfectly legitimate, but if you are going to concentrate on God you cannot do them.”

It’s perfectly legitimate to shop, to hang out with friends, to surf the Internet, to text or talk on the phone, to go on vacation, to remodel your house, etc. But if one or all of these things keep us from concentrating on God they need to go! We need to cut them out of our life!

Eugene Peterson puts it this way in The Message, And you have to chop off your right hand the moment you notice it raised threateningly. Better a bloody stump than your entire being discarded for good in the dump (Matthew 5:30, MSG).

Like me, maybe you’ve heard passionate people who really want something badly, say, “I’d give my right arm for ___________________ to happen.” Or, “I’d give my right arm if I could see ___________________.”

To feed the fire in our hearts, Jesus is asking us to give our right arm. Passionate disciples count the cost (Luke 14:26-27, 33) and cut out everything in their life that keeps them from loving God and zealously serving others.

PASSION Step: What seemingly good things need to be cut out of your life so you can be a passionate disciple of Christ?

It is better to enter into life maimed but lovely in God’s sight than to appear lovely to man’s eyes but lame to God’s.

Oswald Chambers


Grace and peace,
Lenae

FIRST LOVE

"Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love."

Revelation 2:4


The church in Ephesus was filled with doers. They did good deeds, worked hard, and persevered. They were people of principle. They endured hardships for the sake of Christ, couldn’t stomach wickedness and sin, and even tested apostles to see if they were men of integrity or imposters. In all these admirable qualities that you may be even be longing for in your own church today, they did not grow weary (Revelation 2:2-3).

Do you think they were shocked when Christ gave them correction instead of commendations? He said: Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love (Revelation 2:4).

When Dr. Helen Roseveare was serving as a medical missionary in Nebobongo a rainstorm in the dry season soaked the few items that were contained in her thatched roof home. She sat “cross-legged on the pillow, with the umbrella over [her] head, an open Bible on [her] knees, a flashlight in [her] hand . . . – and wept.”

Thirty-six hours later while she swept the house, dried out the mats, and mopped the books she felt a voice asking her, “Do you love Me more than these?”

In her book, Living Sacrifice – Willing to be Whittled as an Arrow, she writes, “There was nothing wrong with having pictures on the walls, mats on the floors, or books on the shelves, as long as they were not important in my life. If they began to take the place of my ‘first love,’ they would have to go.”

What or who is your and my first love? Is it financial security, good health, achievements, recognition, or family? Is it hard work in GEMS, good deeds within your community, or perseverance in the church? If the Spirit were to ask you right now, “Do you love Me more than these?” What would the “these” be for you?

If we’ve fallen from the height of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Revelation 2:5a, Mark 12:30), we must heed the course correction that Christ gave to the church in Ephesus: Repent and do the things you did at first (Revelation 2:5b).

To refuse to do so comes with serious consequences. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place (Revelation 2:5b. See Revelation 1:20). To return to your first love is to receive an eternal promise: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God (Revelation 2:7).

PASSION Step: Feed the fire by guarding your heart and keeping Jesus Christ your first love.

Jesus desires your love more than all of your service and obedience combined. Don’t put your work before your worship; give Him your heart.

Anne Graham Lotz