First Things First (Haggai 1:1-15)

There is so much more to life than surviving in the ranks of the world, so why is it often so hard to break past the daily needs into the fulfilling and exciting parts of life?

The book of Haggai shows us that we can’t break through the surface level survival needs until we have our priorities straight. God must be our foundation because nothing else is great enough to fulfill us.

Haggai was written after the exile (in the second year of King Darius)–there is peace among the nations and the Jews have returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. It was really a sacrifice for the Jews to return to Jerusalem because they were making so much money in Babylon. So not too many returned, and those who did lost their nice houses and nice jobs, and fertile land and all that Babylon had given them. (Hag 1:1)

When the book begins the Jews have stopped trying to rebuild the temple because they are frustrated and are instead just struggling to survive. They say to themselves, “The time has not come for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt” because since ceasing the construction of the temple they’ve experienced even worse poverty. But through the prophet Haggai, the Lord rebukes them saying, “Consider your ways!” He shows them they are focusing on rebuilding their own houses before focusing on building the temple, and that is why the Lord Himself has caused them to suffer (agriculturally, economically, and so forth). He says it’s like they’re putting money into a purse with holes, and exhorts them to get their priorities in order–to first rebuild the temple that He may be glorified. (Hag 1:2-11)

We too, must have our priorities in order. I don’t think it’s uncommon to find ourselves caught up in trying to make a better life for ourselves. Perhaps, some of us have even experienced a similar move toward worse and worse situations in the attempt to pull together the basic pieces of our lives (or ministries). Why? The Lord answers here that it’s because we run to our own houses as His lies desolate–we turn to our own needs before we consider Him who has provided everything.

Fortunately, when Haggai gave this rebuke, the people listened, “obeyed the Lord” and “showed reverence for the Lord.” And as a result, the Lord promised He would be with them and stirred up their spirits so that they would be productive in building the temple! (Hag 1:12-15)

Notice, the promises the Lord gave the Jews were not physical, but of spiritual strengthening. This is so simple: when God’s people demonstrate they love Him more than anything else, He provides them with all the tools to carry out their calling–above all, giving the Holy Spirit: God with us. When the first things come first, the rest are easily carried out.

Many Will Be Deceived

Deception is the number one sign Jesus told His believers to look for in recognition of His second coming–deception not in the world, but among believers, even the elite. Warnings against such deception are also strongly proclaimed by the apostles and appear in almost every book of the New Testament–both as something to come and as a rebuke to those churches in which it had already started. This isn’t a small thing; it’s something ALL Christians are affected by, whether they are interested in theology or not. Christians had better be on the alert, asking the Lord to test and refine their hearts, that they may not be deceived.

So in what areas may we have formed a wrong worldview? What are we sure about that we have never tested? How much of our faiths are based in personal revelation and knowledge and how much from social or church tradition?

It’s so easy to see problems in other denominations, churches, and peoples; we had better also be praying into the refining of our own faiths. Those who assume their theology and traditions are solid are often the same who are being mislead. But the Lord will continue to reveal Himself to those who are hungry for Him and fear His ways.

Review of Once an Arafat Man: The True Story of How a PLO Sniper Found a New Life by Tass Saada with Dean Merrill

Recommended: A thorough autobiography of the author’s former Muslim perspective and re-birth through Jesus Christ.

Saada’s story stretches from silly childhood episodes, to his involvement as a sniper and personal chauffeur to his long time hero Yasser Arafat, and to the supernatural way God pursued him in the midst of it all. Written in casual story-telling language, it’s easy to follow Saada’s personal transgression from hating the Jews and fearing Allah to recognizing Jesus as God and finding love and grace (even for the Jews). As his faith progresses, he is amazed to find Arabs prominently placed in the Bible–not with the same mission, inheritance, and responsibility as the Jews, but with equal love from God (who loves all nations), and with their own unique blessings and promises.

Now the founder of Christian humanitarian organization Hope for Ishmael, Saada has a strong passion for Arab-Jewish reconciliation in the Middle East as each people group discovers Jesus as God and understands their individual role in His kingdom. The final chapters express amazing optimism that peace is fully achievable as every person recognizes and follows Jesus.

This view of peace and reconciliation, while understandable in the context of Saada’s message, wrongfully exaggerates the message of the Bible and leaves out a great deal of God’s story. I don’t see this as making his personal testimony and insight less valuable, but I’d like to counterbalance his argument by reminding readers that while followers of Jesus are called to live peacefully whenever possible, we should not expect peace or reconciliation contrary to Biblical prophecies or to allegiance to our Lord. The Bible is very explicit that at some point all nations will be against Israel (yet to be fulfilled in fullness) and also that a world-wide religious, economic and political system is coming which will superficially be about peace and tolerance, then lead into the violent regime of the Antichrist. So while I appreciate Saada’s idealism that the Middle East can be fully reconciled, we also have to remember that Jesus came to bring a division (Luke 12:49-51), and that many will choose to reject Jesus and the peace He brings. Christians should never attempt to fabricate peace outside of Jesus or without Him, so we should be prudent that Jesus always remain the central focus of evangelism.

I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of the Tyndale Blog Network.

The Positive Side of Illness, Fatigue, and Physical Pain

I wrote this over a month ago in the midst of a physically trying moment and didn’t have the energy to edit it into a post. I’m now 21 weeks pregnant, and have been feeling much better: nausea only in the evenings, less fatigue, and the comfort of feeling our little one move and remembering why I’m doing this.

This is what I wrote ten weeks ago:

I’ve pretty much been sick all eleven weeks of my pregnancy, minus a few great days here and there. I’ve had the flu; I’ve had a long-lasting cough that threatened premature contractions; and the normal pregnancy symptoms (nausea, headaches, fatigue) have been enough to deal with on their own.

But while my tolerances have been stretched, this has also been an excellent opportunity for me to see my spiritual weaknesses and to fully depend on the Lord.

There is nothing like having the areas we most depend on ripped out from under us. I’ve always been physically pretty healthy, and didn’t realize how much I’d pulled comfort and strength from my place of good health. Having almost constant pain lately has been quite humbling. I’ve also become aware of other areas in my spirit that need spiritual transformation, which likely would have gone unnoticed without this ‘forced fasting’.

For the first time, I think I’m understanding the spiritual directive to have joy within suffering–to count it my blessing when I experience trials (James 1:2-4, 2 Cor 12:7-10, Phil 4:11). I’m not sure there’s a way to articulate this concept, but it is certainly a blessing to experience such a joy. I have especially have fond memories of spending hours vomiting with intermittent praises to the Lord, and though I also don’t want that pain again anytime soon, it’s really quite amazing that I’d even think in such a way.

To my friends who are also facing physical trials: I want to encourage you not to pray immediately for healing or a ‘fixed’ circumstance, but to first press into the raw love of the Lord. I have frequently been blessed with sudden immediate healing from the Lord upon praying–there is definitely a place for this and it can increase our faith in a miracle working God. But let the Spirit lead you to pray before you assume you know what’s best. I have occasionally been lead to pray for other things: for endurance and strength to face the trial, for the physical manifestation of the Lord’s love and peace, for wisdom and revelation of who He is, for heart, soul and spirit to be transformed into His nature, for the ability to rest in Him despite the circumstance, and so forth. Sometimes the answers to heart issues are much more rewarding than the healing of the physical issues.

I pray we would not miss out on any of the Lord’s gifts, even when they come in painful packages. There is a time and a season for everything under heaven (Eccl 3).

Why I don’t believe in Santa Claus

As a child, Christmas was always my favorite holiday, not because we celebrated Jesus’ birthday (which we most definitely did), but because Santa was coming, and with him, presents. I just want to be honest: Santa has many of the same qualities as Jesus, plus he’s tangible, comes every year, and gives just the right gift; of course he seems more exciting.

I remember staying up late to listen for Santa and his reindeer on the roof as someone made an imitating sound. I remember my excitement in waking up the next morning to see that Santa had eaten every bit of the cookies and eggnog we left out for him. And, of course, I felt great affirmation that the full stockings and presents meant I had been judged ‘good’ by the one who sees all things.

I didn’t just believe in Santa. My childlike faith caused me to put a great deal of stock into both him, and the ideals he represented.

Then in late elementary school when I was recruited by my parents to be one of “Santa’s elves” and wrap presents, I was heartbroken. I had wanted so much to believe Santa was real and had even defended my position against elementary school rumors. If Santa wasn’t real was the Tooth Fairy? the Easter Bunny? Jesus?

If you’re teaching your children to believe in Jesus, I urge you not to also teach them to believe in Santa without being fully informed of the potential consequences. Certainly having Santa in the home does not necessarily lead to spiritual apostasy (I must say, my parents did a good job raising us to have faith in Jesus and all four of us still love the Lord today)… but do we really want to distract our youth from Jesus Himself?

This article by a Baptist ministry gives a very thorough history of Santa throughout the centuries, while comparing Santa to Jesus and giving verses and commentary to show how dangerous the belief in Santa can be. It is well organized and easy to skim; the history starts in section two: http://www.av1611.org/othpubls/santa.html

This article is a much shorter comparison of the main attributes of Jesus and Santa: http://www.biblebelievers.com/jmelton/SantaClause.html

What do you think? Should Santa be taught in the Christian home?

Review of The Screwtape Letters Audio Drama by Focus on the Family

This is a guest post by my husband, Ben.

Recommended. C.S. Lewis’ classic radio presentation made best-selling book is now available through Focus on the Family in a chilling audio dramatization!

The Screwtape Letters is true classic. Having never read the book, I found this to be a powerful listening experience. It has really changed the way I think about the demonic realm! While I’ve been familar with spiritual warfare for awhile now and am aware of some of the ways the devil schemes against us, this book brought my awareness to a whole new level. The book is fictional and should be treated as such, but it’s possible that reality isn’t too different. It has certainly given me something to think about.

Perhaps the most important thing that can be learned from this book is that the demonic realm has no friends. Those who think Hell will be a party among friends will be sadly disappointed.

In this audio rendition the actors and background music really brought this to life. The only downside was the bonus musical soundtrack. The lyrics were superficial at best, definitely not matching up to the depth and brilliance of C.S. Lewis’ work.

For more information on this product, check out: http://www.screwtape.com.

Wow; it’s been a month!

I’m not abandoning my blog, but have had to put more energy into my personal prayer life in order to maintain a zealousness for the Lord within the sickness I’ve been dealing with in pregnancy. Also, some days it’s hard to sit up and concentrate long enough to write. No, it’s not gone yet. 🙂

To those of you who have emailed me via awaitingtheking.com and have yet to get a response: so sorry! My lack of availability has not been a lack of prayer and thorough consideration for your situations. I’m sure my typical promptness will return at some point. 🙂

Verses on Spiritual Warfare (Part Two: Strengthening Before Battle)

Coming from an athletic family, I like to call these the “defensive” verses. They focus on what to do before the spiritual attack comes–how to “put on the armor of God” so you aren’t shaken when the battle shifts to your home front. It is not, by any means a ‘complete’ list, but rather a sample of the verses I’ve collected through my experiences.

The themes are:

1. Remain in Christ by connecting deeply with Him

Read scripture
Test all things and remain only in Truth
Pray in the Spirit
Be on the alert through watching and praying

2. Stop remaining in that which is not Christ

Battle now against your flesh, so you can battle later against the enemy of this world
If you know you’re in sin (disobedience to God), do everything you can to get out
Sacrifice the things that aren’t beneficial even if they aren’t ‘bad’

Verses on How to Fight the Defensive Battle:

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8).

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12).

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true…let your mind dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

“Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth” (Ephesians 6:14).

“The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light…put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts” (Romans 13:12 & 14).

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:10-13; continue through verse 17 for specifics).

“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18).

“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ” (Colossians 2:6-8).

“Let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:12-14).

“Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38).

“Run in such a way that you may win…I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:24, 26-27).

I’m Pregnant!

I’ve been very sick for a few weeks now, and it was so bad when it started that I couldn’t imagine what could be ‘wrong’ with me. By the second week of pain and nauseousness, I decided to spend a day fasting and praying to draw closer to God, because I thought I experiencing the physical manifestations of a spiritual attack (this does happen to me sometimes). But that night, I had continuous dreams about being pregnant and knew it to be true. One pregnancy test and a doctor’s visit later it’s confirmed: we’re going to be parents! My husband and I are excited! 🙂

That said, it’s been a difficult first trimester. I’ve spent nearly all my time lately either on our couch or bed–or floor, in a few rougher moments. And I’m practically never sick, so not ‘functioning’ like this has been difficult and shocking to me. I’ve done almost no reading, no researching, no meeting of people, no writing (even to journal), hardly any eating (though this is improving slowly)… It’s been a new and exciting uphill journey.

My joy level, fortunately, has been fairly high, so I don’t want it to sound as if this first trimester has been terribly awful. In fact, with so many of my normal activities on hold, I’ve been able to spend many uninterrupted hours with the Lord in pure intercession and worship: singing a great deal in the Spirit, and marveling at the miracle going on in my body. I’ve also felt closer to my family than ever–though we’ve always been a pretty tight-knit group. These are definitely precious times, despite the constant nausea and physical pains. I even think I feel the Lord more powerfully when pain allows me to cry more desperately to know and experience Him.

Verses on Spiritual Warfare (Part One: Recognizing the Battle)

As I was going through the most severe moments of spiritual warfare–this was as I was in the process of fully giving my life to Christ, which was not easily accepted by the devil–I began collecting verses to help me with the battle.

This first section is rather incomplete because the spiritual battle was quite easy for me to recognize; the spirits of darkness were in fact all over our apartment in obvious ways.

What did help me quite a bit was to recognize that there is an absolute line of truth and not-truth (good and evil) in the spiritual realm. Coming from a mindset of New Age philosophy, I had not even considered this ‘black and whiteness‘ as a possibility, but as I started to read the scriptures, that’s exactly what I started to see. And as I continued to spiritually clean our living space, the spiritual battle began to diminish a little at a time.

Verses on Recognizing the Spiritual Battle:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

“For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:5-6).

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)

“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1).

“For men will be lovers of self…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:2-7).

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).

Awaiting the King

The Personal Blog of Theresa C. Shell