Embracing Your Inner Stupid

As a child I was a horrible student.

From being painfully slow to learn my ABC's, to falling behind in grade school, to almost flunking my sophomore year of high school I felt that I indeed was hopeless.

Growing up I was always painfully aware that I lacked what so many others seemed to have.  I made dumb decisions, I said dumb things, and often lost sleep regretting my actions of the day.

As an adult I was determined to be different.  To be a woman who others respected.  Really I just became hard hearted.

I remember in my 20's I was proud to say people could call me any word in the book and it would not faze me.

Any word but

STUPID.

In the military I got in a couple of drunken fights over that word.

As a single mother in college I studied late into the nights to earn grades that would wash the pain of that word out of my mind.

But once saved in 1995, cleansed by the blood of Jesus, I found that being teased or even rudely told I wasn't that bright still hurt.

Once again I found myself tossing and turning in regret over something I said or did. I would painfully go over every detail and word wishing I could just take it all back...be different somehow...

CHANGE.

That is until one day in

PRAYER

I had the most awesome revelation!

I       AM      STUPID!!!!

Without the leading of the Holy Spirit and knowledge of the Word of God I say stupid things, I do stupid things, I am a stupid woman.

Can you say

FREEDOM?!!!

In my heart I was rejoicing over the very thing that had caused me much pain, tears, and rage since a little child.

Without Him I am a stupid woman.

My only job in life is to get as close to the Holy Spirit as I can, listen to His voice, and obey.

He will tell me what to do, where to go, what to say, how to think.

It is His absolute joy to lead and teach me how to

BE.

And if I really desire to hear His voice I will hear it in my children, my spouse, my leaders, a sinner, or even nature.

I will desire the pain of every rebuke because I know it's making me like Jesus and I will receive his every encouragement and press on.

I will hear it if it's said sweetly or rude.  I will hear it if it's loud as thunder or a faint whisper.

And here is the kicker folks.  (I'm smiling ear to ear even as I write this.)  YOU ARE STUPID TOO!!!

I don't care what your title is, how long you have been saved, what degrees you hold, or how much knowledge you have.

If you and I insist on doing things our own way instead of intently, DESPERATELY, listening for the voice of the Spirit ALL DAY LONG and, obeying what He tells us to do, we are 

STUPID.

So don't be mad.  Embrace your INNER STUPID (OK now I'm laughing.)  Let the knowledge that you NEED Him drive you into deeper prayer and a quietness of the soul that will enable you to hear Him.

Be liberated in your loud and fervent declaration that apart from HIM you can do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

We cannot go wrong following Him.

He will lead us directly to Himself.

Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the Lord.  Proverbs 8:34-35

 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. Psalm 119:99

 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Gal 5:16

Guard Your testimony...At ALL Times

Anyone who loves Jesus works hard to guard their testimony.

At work, school, the market, or any other public place we are constantly on guard.

We talk right, act right, walk right. The fruit of the Spirit appears to be abundant and ripe for the picking in our lives.

Whether they love us or hate us the unbeliever can clearly see we are Christ's.

At least on the outside.

But what about at home?

When the door is closed to the outside world what do your kids see?  Your spouse?

But you don't understand!  All this being good all day makes me tired.  When I get home I just want to let my hair down.  Be MYSElF!

Our families do not need us to be ourselves (shuddder).  They need to see Jesus in us just as much as this unbelieving world.  Maybe more.   When our families are walking in doubt or going through trials they need to see that there is indeed someone near to them that is strong and doesn't waver in the face of hardship. They also need to see the mercy and compassion of Christ when they are acting like the devil.

What about at church?

Hold on now sister.  At church I am the epitome of a Christian.

Really?  Hmmmm....

Try asking your Pastor, your closest friend, those who work under you in the church, or the new comer who smells funny, if you're as Christlike as you could be.

Are you easily corrected or do you kick against the pricks? Do you give instruction or direction clearly and patiently or are you one to bark out orders?  Are you sarcastic, mean, guarded or suspicious or are you friendly, open, and cheerful?  Are you touchy and easily offended or are you quick to forgive or even overlook a slight?

Do you greet those who are new and treat them as if they are important or do you stick to your circle of friends?  Do you make it a point to make everyone feel welcome even if they are dirt poor and smell like urine?  Or do you only give honor to those who are just like you?

Can you love those of a different color?

The people at church need to see to see Jesus in you too.

Yes, I understand we must all work out our own salvation and, yes, we are each responsible for our own walk with God.  But, we must understand that our insensitivity and lack of compassion could be the straw that breaks the camel's back in the life of a brother or sister that is weak in their faith.

Whether at home, in public or at church Jesus should always shine through you...through me.

Let's tighten up ship and guard our testimonies, wherever we are,  and to God be the Glory!

Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to himthrough whom they do come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.  Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” Luke 17:1-4

From Detox To Detox...

It used to be that the word detox was only used by the health nuts.  Now as more and more people gain understanding of the poison that is in fast or prepackaged food, meat, and dairy and how it can literally destroy your health, that word is fast gaining popularity.

Basically a detox diet is when you stop eating all the junk and choose living healthy food. Thereby gently  purging your body of all manner of poison.

The problem is people think they can detox for a season and then go back to the same old junk food.

Not so.

It does no one any good to cleanse their bodies for a season and then turn around and put the same poison back in.

Can you say heart attack, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and an odd assortment of diseases their is no cure for except to stop taking in the toxins.

Well it's the same in our Christian walk.

Take a typical fast for instance.

We commit a certain amount of time to reject the world and focus on God.  We stop eating, stop watching television or movies, we turn off our phones and social media, we dive into the Word and spend more time in prayer and meditation.  

In other words we stop taking in the toxins of this world and we feed on Jesus.

So why is it once the fast is over we run back to the world as fast as we can.

As it is in the natural so it is in the spirit.

We think we are so righteous having fasted for this or that many days but...

....does it really do anyone any good to cleanse their spirits for a season and then turn around and put the same poison back in.

 Can you say luke warm, disconnected, unfruitful, uninspired, bitter, struggling with all manner of sins, blind, deaf, and utterly without a vision to do the work of the Lord?

A well versed nutritionist would say stop feeding on death and choose life if you would be well.

And if we want a healthy spirit?

Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! Deut 30:19

Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. 2nd Peter 2:8 NLT

Let Go

When I was in the Army all I really owned was what I was issued.

I purchased a few civilian clothes to kick around in, a microwave, and a TV but that was it. 

Why? 

Because I wanted to be prepared to leave fast if and when THE CALL came to transfer to another post or go to war. 

When I got orders to leave packing was easy.

Uniforms went in the duffle bag, civilian clothes and toiletries in the suitcase, grab the television and microwave, lug it all downstairs where all I owned in life fit in the trunk of my small car, clean my side of the room, say goodbye to my roommate, and hit the road.

Fast forward twenty-five years.

Our family recently moved out of the house we lived in for fourteen years.

After six children, an assortment of pets, many purchases, and just as many hand-me-downed items moving was a nightmare.

Honestly most of our clutter went into the garbage. Other things were claimed by strangers looking for treasures in the midst of our trash. Yet we still had boxes and boxes of stuff that I longed to just leave behind.

I missed the days of fitting all I owned in my trunk and rolling, unencumbered by life, down the highway.

Too many things make me feel...

old.

Can a veteran share a secret with you?

Let go.

Get rid of all the clutter and the garbage. Throw it away, sell it, give it away. Everything that isn't necessary for life but you're holding on to...

just in case.

How many compromising decisions are we making just because things that perishes with the using?

How many times have we said "NO" to God because of our desire to own more stuff?

How much of what we own requires hours of our time spent in maintenance, upkeep, or cleaning. Time that could have been spent for the kingdom.

So many of us believe but are bound to this world by what we own.

We've lost a hunger, a drive, to be used by God and the clock is ticking as we grow older and old amid our possessions.

He's calling you.

Let go.

It's all going to burn anyway.

 I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards.  I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees.  I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves.  I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me.  I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire... But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.  Eccl 2:4-11 NLT

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:  Fear God and keep His commandments:  For this is the whole duty of man.  Eccl 12:13 KJV

He's Coming Back Soon...?

Many Christians are declaring that with the shape our world is in Jesus surely is coming soon.  We talk about the crazy weather, the wars, and the multitude of natural disasters as we shake our heads at the wonder of it all.

BUT

There is no frantic study of the Bible or turning off of the television. 

There is no change of life, no lengthening of our time in prayer, no reaching out to the lost or running after those who have turned from the faith.

We go on as before living our lives as if we did not just say...

He must be coming back soon.

The fact that we know this makes the lack of dramatic change in our lives all the more tragic.

Yes, Jesus is coming soon and we need to take a biblical assessment of our lives and repent. 

He will not overlook our willful ignorance, nor our blatant sin, nor our apathy in the face of His coming.

But He is good to have told us in advance the signs of His coming and even now His Spirit is urging us to make ready.

It is His will that we all be saved.


"People get ready Jesus is coming soon we'll be going home!" Crystal Lewis

But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  Matt 24:37-39

Results or Obedience

If you're a results driven person you may find that life can be very frustrating when your labor doesn't bring the desired results.  When you have done all you can do yet you have not met your goals most likely the word

FAILURE

is bouncing around your head.

Let me set you free.

God is not looking for results of your work He is looking for your obedience.

Often times obedience to God does not bring what we would call success.

Let's take Jeremiah for instance.

Called at a young age to be God's prophet he had to call an entire nation to repentance.

While others were speaking positive words of victory and peace Jeremiah was speaking death and enslavement.  The judgement of God.

So yeah, he wasn't too popular.

As a matter of fact Jeremiah was persecuted and hated for speaking what God gave him to say.  Not exactly the results he was probably hoping for.

If it was me I would have thought that as I preached the anointing would be so strong that the everyone within the sound of my voice would begin to wail, rend there clothing, and throw dirt on their heads as they fell upon their knees in repentance.

Perhaps Jeremiah felt the same.  But, instead of repenting, Israel turned a deaf ear.

The end result was that Israel was overthrown by their enemies and taken into captivity to Babylon.  Those who refused to be enslaved were killed.

Our obedience to God does not always have a happy ending but it does facilitate the will of God.  It does bring a reward.

Jeremiah and his scribe were blessed with their freedom while Israel was being taken to Babylon as slaves.  Yet I imagine even this was bitter sweet as God's servants surveyed the burnt ruin all around them.  Jerusalem was destroyed....desolate.

If we look for the results in our obedience to God we will be disappointed.

BUT

If we, like Jesus, just seek to obey the will of the Father we will have peace knowing we simply did

what we were commanded to do. 

...you shall go to all to whom I send you,
And whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces,For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.  Jer 1:7-8

Goodbye Hollywood By Chris Chapman

If you have been wrestling with the idea of limiting the movies you and your family watch I believe this blog will bless you.  Chris Chapman is a missionary in Jakarta, Indonesia.  He is married to his wife Esther and together they have three of the cutest kids.  Even missionaries have to go to lengths to protect their families from the effects of the world.



Goodbye Hollywood

January 23, 2013

Those of you that are familiar with this blog have probably noticed that when I write on a topic I try to be thorough (nice way of saying long-winded;). I never feel comfortable writing on a topic unless I have come to a strong conviction that my perspective is at least on the right track. I have opinions on many topics, but certainty on few. This really limits the topics I can write confidently about. But since my opinions are seemingly endless, I figure that, statistically speaking, some of them must be useful to people out there. Even if their use is just to show what ridiculous opinions people can come up with when they are living and ministering in a foreign country. In light of this profound and dizzying logic I have decided to make another category of posts called “Thinking Out Loud.” People can feel free to quote anything I say in this section of my blog, but don’t be surprised if I turn around and deny I would ever say something so ridiculous. You can show me the post where I said it if you wish, and yet I will unblushingly deny it;) Having laid out the fine print, I can now speak freely!
Why We Gave Hollywood the Right Boot of Fellowship

I have recently been dealing with what kind of entertainment I allow in my life and the life of my family. I will share some of the reasons below why we have kicked Hollywood out of our home. I hope these thoughts help some people who are wrestling over this issue.
I grew up watching hours of television a day. My childhood was a blur of Cartoons like Transformers and G.I. Joe; sit-coms like Three’s Company and Cheers; and of course the awesome action of The Dukes of Hazard and Miami Vice. Nickelodeon, MTV and HBO were all part of my regular diet of entertainment over the years. Not to mention the time I spent at the movie theater watching hundreds of movies; everything from A Nightmare on Elm’s Street to Beverly Hills Cop.
Maybe you are saying, “That is awful that your parents let you watch such things!” In their defense they were not serving God at the time, and I’m sure much of what I watched was without their permission. Or maybe you are saying, “So, what’s your point? There is nothing really awful on that list.” Whichever attitude best describes your response to my childhood entertainment habits, I can say that growing up watching these things is one of the great regrets of my life.
After coming to Christ when I was in high school I became more selective in my choice of movies and TV programs, but not too much more selective. My standard for choosing what and what not to watch was simply “Does it tempt me to sin or not?” Cuss words bothered me a bit, so if the cussing was incessant I would usually choose not to watch. But as long as it was not over the top, I didn’t feel tempted by a cuss word here and there. I forbid myself any movies with sex scenes or nudity, but even then I would sometimes rationalize watching a movie if there were only one or two things that I could fast forward though. Violence, as long as it wasn’t gory didn’t bother me much; after all, I wasn’t about to go out and shoot anyone. Besides if you want to understand the life of a police detective (which is an extremely important thing for every disciple of Christ to understand;) you are going to have to see a few people get shot, that is part of the learning process.
Choosing not to watch anything that directly tempts to sin is a pretty good place to start as a standard for video entertainment, but I always felt I was called to something higher. It is practical for keeping out of obvious transgression, but that is all. The Christian life is not a life of practical convictions, but of holy convictions. Holiness should be my standard. Holiness is not just a negative, but a positive. It is not just keeping away from sin, but also an active and perpetual growth in Christ-likeness. Holiness is not just the absence of sin, but the abundant presence of godliness.
I have recently realized that even though something doesn’t tempt me, doesn’t mean it is holy. In fact, all wickedness and worldliness has a diabolical affect even when it can’t be immediately seen. We live in this world. All around us is darkness, evil and unbelief. We can’t escape it, nor are we called to. Instead we are called to go into the heart of darkness to rescue souls who are lost and dying. In the last few months our church has seen several transvestite prostitutes come to Christ, be baptized and be added to the church. I can tell you, that I have learned things that I wish I didn’t know. There is no getting around it though, if these guys are going to be truly sanctified, my mind is going to have to be dragged through the gutter. That is the messy business of discipleship. There is no avoiding it.
Even in the normal course of life we are faced with this corrupting influence of the world. The immoral jokes we hear at the office, the back stabbing gossip we see our relatives engaged in and the greed we see on Wall Street as well as on Main Street. We can’t help being affected by this. We might not be as greedy as our neighbor, but his greed certainly makes ours look a little less evil, which in turn gives us an excuse to avoid changing. We might not laugh at the jokes around the water cooler, but the punch line sticks with us throughout the day nonetheless. And though we don’t slander others, the slander we hear affects our opinions.
The world is dark, and we have to face it. We can’t stick our heads in the sand if we hope to be a light to the world. But there is a big difference between over hearing immoral jokes and dedicating a half hour to a sit-com that is loaded with them. In fact, the reason we understand the jokes at the water cooler is because they are based on the latest episode of our favorite sit-com. Anyway, I will stop with the examples. If this issue is challenging to you, then you can come up with your own, and if it is offensive to you than I am just going to get myself in more and more trouble.
But what I have finally come to accept is that cuss words and blasphemy have no place in my entertainment, not because I am tempted to cuss and blaspheme, but because my ears are part of God’s holy temple. How dare I subject the Holy Spirit which dwells within me to hear such things through the ears Jesus redeemed with his blood just so I can feel the momentary excitement of a chase scene through London or Dubai? How can I watch immoral behavior as entertainment that I would be dismayed to find in the members in my own church? How can I enjoy watching someone created in the image of Almighty God stabbed in the gut or shot through the head?! The answer is, I can’t.
I have always been very picky about what my kids watch on TV. The Disney channel with its Camp Rock and High School Musical were generally off limits. My 9 year old had no business learning that in high school finding a girlfriend is a top priority. But I have recently become ashamed of the worldly things I did let my kids watch. It is not that the characters in their programs were “bad,” it was just that all of the characters lived like God doesn’t exist. The majority of programs they watched reinforced the idea that people can live without God. I would be upset if the teachers at my children’s school taught them that God didn’t exist, so then how can I let them be entertained by shows that teach the same thing by example.
Some of my favorite shows the last few years have been the Mentalist, Monk and a detective show called Numbers. All of these are “clean” as far as prime time TV shows go. But since there were some adult themes I would pause what I was watching when my kids came into the room. They were aware that when daddy is watching TV, it is things we kids aren’t supposed to see. I hope you see the danger in such a practice. They could only imagine what daddy is watching. So we recently made some changes!
We only allowed the kids to watch 3-4 channels on the TV in the past including the Discovery channel, Animal planet, Disney Junior and sometimes Disney. But now we have decided that none of these met the standard God calls our family to. I hope everyone noticed the phrase in the last sentence, “the standard GOD CALLS OUR FAMILY TO.” As I write I am wondering if I am going to get labeled a legalist. Well, I have not only been labeled worse things, I have also been worse things;) So I will brave it. We got rid of the TV cable completely, because Daddy’s CNN & TNT didn’t make the cut either. We also went through all of daddy’s DVDs as well as the kids DVDs and chucked everything that wasn’t God’s will for our family.
I will wrap this up by sharing the guidelines we use for deciding what entertainment we allow in our home.
1. It must acknowledge Christ. If the characters live as though God doesn’t exist, we choose to ignore their existence as well. This doesn’t mean a program has to talk incessantly about our King, but the characters must live in light of his presence in this world.
2. It must encourage righteous behavior. If it doesn’t challenge us to obey God, why watch it?!
3. It must glorify God. We decided on this one after we watched a “Christian” movie with the kids. The one minute long kiss between the unmarried couple was not acceptable to our kids, or to my wife and I;)
We now watch a lot of Little House on the Prairie, Hermie Wormy and Friends, as well as other movies and cartoons we believe meet our standards. In the time we have been practicing these standards in our home, the atmosphere of fellowship around the TV has become more blessed and uplifting. Whenever the TV is on, everyone is welcome into the room. No more age discrimination;) And it is not just that we are watching better things, but everything in our home is reinforcing what we believe. This strengthens us for when we are each away from home engaging the darkness that rules the world. As a family, we need a place of refuge, we call that place home.
Ephesians 4:11-12
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.
If you feel I am being legalistic in regards to entertainment, no need to post a comment, your concerns are noted. If you feel personally attacked by this post, please don’t, I truly had no idea you were going to read it;)
Gbu,
Chris


http://christopherchapmanblog.wordpress.com/