Lori Stanley Roeleveld's Blog, page 48

The Precise Moment the Battle Turned (Flashover Fiction)

An army of men and women, old and young, stood on a battlefield crying out to God.

“Help us, O Lord!” they cried. “The battle is fierce and many are falling all around. Do you see our suffering? Send us help!”

A battalion of prophets and teachers walked throughout the battlefield. “What are you all doing?” they asked. “Do you not see the battle raging around you?”

“Of course,” the army replied, “and many are falling but what can we do? We’re making as much noise as we can!”

The members of the battalion pointed to the weapons lying at the feet of the soldiers. They pointed at them and indicated their own. “Why haven’t you employed the weapons God has provided?”

I tried using that weapon once. It didn’t work.

No one’s ever shown me how to use mine.

I don’t believe that weapon exists any longer. It was only for a time.

I only use that weapon on Sundays when I can find the time.

I’m not that kind of soldier.

So many others have weapons and they’re better at using them, I didn’t think the battle needed mine.

I used mine once but no one appreciated it, so I’ve stopped for now.

I was skilled in those weapons when I was a youth but now I’m old. It’s someone else’s turn to fight.

Someone said I was too young to be effective in the battle so I gave up.

I was told I wasn’t doing it right by a more experienced soldier so I threw it back down. Why bother if I’m not going to get it right.

Mine doesn’t always accomplish what I want it to so I don’t see the point.

Aren’t those just for you prophets and teachers to use?

I tried to tell the others we should be using them but no one would listen so I figured what difference could I make alone?

One in the battalion fired off a powerful round and the words buzzed around the ears of the soldiers like sniper fire:

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

“Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.” 2 Corinthians 6:2b-10

“Loved ones,” the battalion cried out as one, “Loved ones, the battle is the Lord’s and we are His army. He has equipped us with everything we need for life and godliness! You’re efforts are not lost or unseen. Every soldier on the field contributes to the tenor of the warfare. We depend on the Lord and we rely on one another to live up to His call to us. Now is our time! Will you not employ every weapon God has provided?”

Many just stared back at the battalion as the war raged around them but one old woman began to pray. Seeing this, one young girl turned to obedience and another chose to endure. An older gentleman nudged the young man beside him as he reached for God’s Word. The young man stooped down and chose love and forgiveness over anger and rebellion.

It was precisely in that moment, the battle began to turn.

 

**CHALLENGE: I’m issuing a challenge today to my fellow Christian writers. Flash fiction is a short story under 1000. Flashover fiction is a story under 1000 words that is intended to light a fire. (A flashover is the near-simultaneous ignition of most of the directly exposed combustible material in an enclosed area.) Let every believing writer ignite a fire in the hearts of our readers whether we have many or few. Write your own flashover fiction story and post it on your blog today. Pray. Read God’s Word. Then, right what you hear. Paste a link to your story in the comments here. Let us use every gift at our disposal to awaken as a church and engage with Jesus Christ in the greatest battle of all time – the war for souls. If you aren’t a writer, you can join in the challenge by sharing the flashover fiction stories that inspire you through social media, email, or reading aloud in your home or other circles.

The Precise Moment the Battle Turned https://t.co/4rsfNOL8su #flashfiction #flashoverfiction #amwriting #spiritualwarfare

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) February 17, 2016

Persecution Comes to the Strong, the Weak, and the Fake

In America, we don’t yet have a practical grasp of persecution.

We don’t live daily in fear of our lives so for most of us, persecution is still a conversation we have over dinner tables and in small groups over Starbucks. We revealed our naivete recently by praying fervently for the release of Pastor Saeed Abedini but then stumbling when we learned of his struggles with some unattractive sins. The stumble showed what we don’t understand yet about persecution.

We seek heroes like baby ducks wanting to imprint on a mama, that’s natural. But as Christians, we have One who is our hero and really, we shouldn’t try to make fellow believers try to fit the same bill. Even when they’re imprisoned in the name of Jesus. Even when they hold up under torture for Jesus’ name. Even when they die in Jesus’ name. We sing that all the glory goes to Jesus but in practice, we try to spread it around and that can be a disservice to all.

The persecuted deserve our love, our commitment, our prayers, support, and advocacy but if we make heroes out of the persecuted, we’re sure to stumble again because the persecuted are just like the rest of us – a mixed bag. When ISIS or North Korea or any other terrorist group seeks to persecute Christians, they aren’t ever looking at the quality of our Christian walk. They terrorize the strong, the weak, and the fake so turning the persecuted into some kind of Christian celebrity role models doesn’t serve anyone.

The power behind these murderous persecutors, our true enemy, doesn’t give two cents about any one of us. To him, we’re pawns in his attempt to ruin everything that matters to Jesus. That’s his focus, Jesus Christ. Jesus should be our focus, too because persecution is about Jesus. It isn’t about individuals except as much as they operate under the name of Jesus. We know from scripture that not everyone operating under that name is even truly a Christian so it follows that not everyone imprisoned, tortured, or even killed in the name of Jesus is a Christian, or a particularly obedient one. It’s a dangerous game to make them into heroes simply because someone points a gun in their direction.

Love them. Support them. Serve them. Advocate for them but don’t mythologize them because which of us can stand up to that kind of scrutiny? In the end, it’s an unkindness we do to demand they be role models in addition to surviving imprisonment.

This is the conversation we could be having when we meet. Those who persecute in Jesus’ name don’t discriminate between the strong, the weak, or the fake, but the quality of our walk with Christ will surely make a difference to us when persecution comes.

If you’re faking your walk with Jesus, you might want to get out now. If you’re trying to limp along with one foot in the faith and one foot in the world, do you think that will serve you well when terrorists take you captive? If your faith is strong now in peace and safety, this is good, but are there ways that going deeper will benefit you and the body of Christ in preparation for times to come?

We did the right thing to pray for Pastor Abedini’s release and to pray for his family. We do the wrong thing when we turn our faces from him when we learn he struggles with sin, or to turn our faces from his wife when she cries out for help.

If tomorrow, persecution arrived on our doorsteps and we, along with the people in the pews beside us, were herded off to prisons because we identify as Christian, how would the faith we practice today serve us there? This isn’t a question to play as a game with your youth group, it’s one to ask yourself and prayerfully discuss with God because in a world with Kim Jong Un and ISIS, we don’t need heroes, we need spiritual lives marked by deeply rooted faith, knowledge of God’s Word, obedience, love, and prayer.

If the flag your life is flying is a Jesus flag, you could become a target of persecution at any time. Is the life you have with Christ worth suffering for? If not, then ask yourself some serious questions because persecution could come to you anyway. If it is, then go deeper, for Jesus’ sake and for your own, because that depth will serve you in times of peace and times of trouble alike.

I pray for Pastor Abedini and his family. Not because he’s a hero of the faith but because he, his wife and their children have suffered for Jesus’ name, because they are fellow travelers on the narrow road and have their struggles as I have mine, because Jesus tells me to love and to pray for others, because I, too, have been a recipient of grace.

Are we having these conversations, loved ones? Are we challenging and encouraging one another to live authentically, with love and obedience, in Jesus’ name? Will how your living today serve you and others if persecution comes to your door? If not, what’s stopping you from making a change now?

Don’t waste energy seeking heroes when the only One we need wants to spend time with you and guide you this very minute. Jesus is so real, so revolutionary, so powerful, people murder to stop the spread of His name and He eagerly awaits the moment we ask to go deeper with Him. Make that moment now.

Persecution Comes to the Strong, the Weak, and the Fake https://t.co/C1sDPOc2tC pic.twitter.com/2LJnrf5dcm

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) February 15, 2016

Please God, No More Elves!

I am not a fan of elves, you know, the ones in The Lord of the Rings. When one of the movies in the trilogy is on TV, the scenes featuring the elves are when I take my pee breaks. I’d sooner wed Gimli the dwarf than to have tea with the elves.

Gimli, the Dwarf

One of my favorite literary stories is about the Inklings. This was the group of writers associated with the University of Oxford, England that included C.S.Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Another Inklings member, Hugo Dyson, is said to have responded to Tolkien’s manuscript by”lying on the couch, and lolling and shouting and saying something to the effect of “Please stop! No more Elves.” Despite my abiding love of LOTR and admiration for Tolkien, I probably would have hung out with Hugo Dyson.

People, all people, can grate on one another. I believe one of the surprises we’d find if we met them in person is how annoyed we’d be by some of the disciples, Or C.S.Lewis, Martin Luther, or countless other heroes of our faith. It’s easy to get along with them now – you know – because they’re dead.



But if they showed up at church with us every Sunday, it would get on our nerves the way John always sang the wrong harmony on the hymns,or how Peter always had to tell a long, detailed story before getting to his prayer request,or how Martin Luther was always so down in the mouth and serious.

Heroes of the faith are amazing people until you get to know them week after irritating week, then you start to notice – you know – stuff.

But knowing that kind of makes me more open to the ordinary, annoying people I worship beside week after week. People get on my nerves and I get on theirs. (Oh, I can tell. I see the looks.) It’s sometimes tempting to think that I should go scout out some better people to sit beside but then, God Gibbs-slaps me upside the head and I think how I’d have felt sitting around a table with the disciples.

John always having to make sure we all knew he beat Peter to the tomb – like THAT was the important headline. Peter, who does he think he is acting like he’s in charge? I remember him denying Jesus. And Thomas, my goodness, enough with the questions already! And Joseph of Arimithea, I suppose we’re all supposed to be impressed with his big gifts at the end of Jesus’ life but what’s with being a “secret” disciple! How do you get that deal?

They were human, like the rest of us, with quirks, weaknesses, and unique personalities. I know me. Two weeks of hanging out with them and I’d have been looking into the group of disciples forming in the next town over, asking Jesus for a transfer. And yet, Jesus entrusted them with the gospel as He has all the rest of us flunkies who followed in their footsteps. Of all Jesus’ miracles, the greatest one is the miracle of inspiring us to love one another and the best way to see this happen, is to commit to love one local body of believers,

knowing it won’t be an overnight process, knowing you’ll wrestle with irritation, frustration, and annoyance, knowing you’ll be the source of someone else’s irritation, frustration, and annoyance, knowing that someone will drone on and on and on about the stinkin’ elves, but knowing, also, that the most awe-inspiring moment is the one when Jesus shows up in your midst and love claws its way out of the dirt and natural fertilizer of everyday human interaction, life rising out of the ashes of our fallen human ways.

To become great Christians, we must love grate Christians and acknowledge that sometimes, we’re the grate Christian. We request and expect God’s power for all kinds of everyday miracles. Why not look for Him to work the miracle of uniting the dwarfs and elves sitting beside you on Sunday morning? And you never know, one day an elf may just become your best friend.

Please God, No More Elves! https://t.co/qxZ4gCY6yq Getting along with other Christians #LOTR #amwriting #Christians

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) February 11, 2016

I messed up, so this is my apology post.

I messed up, so this is my apology post.

Friday, I let you in on my internal conversation as I worked through my reaction to another Christian blogger’s choice to swear. I was upset that commenters on her page were bullying other commenters who asked about the Biblical commands to refrain from foul language. In defending their freedom from “legalism,” these commenters made unkind and unloving statements.

In my desire not to be equally unloving, I expressed approval for this writer’s choice to swear. One or two loyal readers called me out on condoning sin and they were right. I apologize for that. It was just poor writing on my part. It wasn’t my intention to convey that I approve of her choice to use foul language but that is what I did so I apologize.

I believe this writer’s motivation is love for the people she’s trying to reach. She chooses to use the language in writing that pops up in her daily speech to avoid hypocrisy. I appreciate her attempt at transparency while still believing she’s made the wrong choice. I admit to occasionally swearing in my speech but because I believe it’s always wrong, I won’t reflect that speech in writing because in writing, there’s always time to think and make the better choice. That’s where she and I differ.

If you’re a regular reader, I hope it’s clear I believe in obedience to God’s Word. While I confess to a desire to be “cool,” since my childhood I’ve chosen obedience to Christ over “coolness.” Still there’s nothing perfect about my walk with Christ. Christian writers wrestle with how to reflect truth and transparency in our work without elevating sin or tripping others up. Envying the popularity of these writers who swear is a sin. As I grow in Christ, I am increasingly able to keep my eyes on His plan for me without comparing myself to others but sometimes, I lapse. Jesus is there with grace for me when I fall and I try to extend the same to others.

Beyond swearing, I was trying to write about Christian bullying. We’re more likely to fall into bullying if we lose sight of our own sinfulness. Swearing is low-hanging fruit. It’s very easy to call someone out for it and we usually should. But, it’s always better to do any correction without the self-righteous indignation that often accompanies the call out. (I believe there are times to look beyond the swearing, especially of new or immature believers, and try to hear what they’re saying rather than focus on pointing out their sin.)

We’re not as quick to call out brothers and sisters who speak equally sinful unkind, prideful, gossipy, complaining, critical, argumentative, selfish, or arrogant words. The correction on these verbal sins isn’t as quick and or as harsh. That’s wrong and unloving and I do believe it’s that double standard that contributes to the backlash of Christian writers who swear.

I enjoy watching Downton Abbey and I get a kick out of Dame Violet Crawley but she’s not a role model for Christian women. Yes, we should be honest, direct, and unafraid of what other people think but we’re also called to speak words that are kind, loving, generous, and full of grace. That’s not how I would characterize Violet’s speech.

Still, Christian women aren’t protesting Downton Abbey even though it celebrates a character whose sins of the tongue are numerous.* It’s messed up for us to condemn someone who swears while laughing and winking at someone who regularly unleashes unkind, critical, self-serving tongue-lashings. If we avoid watching movies that feature cursing for fear of being influenced, why aren’t we concerned about being influenced by Dame Crawley? I don’t believe the answer is to condemn Downton Abbey (which I watch) OR people who watch movies with occasional language. I believe the answer is to spend more time in God’s Word, prayer, worship, and fellowship with Christ so that we can be in this world but be more influenced by Him then by whatever else we encounter.

*I believe the writer of Downton Abbey makes it clear that Violet’s harsh words are most detrimental, in the long run, to Violet.

Yes, we live in a world where there’s been too much compromise on the topic of sin. Yes, we need to be obedient to Christ and be willing to risk disapproval and “uncoolness” to call sin exactly what it is. But the Bible tells us “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” Galatians 6:1.

For me, that means we correct with a spirit of humility, remembering the number of times we’ve needed correction. It means we don’t throw scripture verses at one another like darts or whack one another with them like billy clubs. It means our goal is not condemnation but restoration. It means we respect one another, speak the truth boldly and gently, and trust the Holy Spirit to work.

Overall, I think we’re all too in love with the rapid-fire response to anything. I’m not afraid to confront sin but I try not to be quick to open my mouth. I feel it’s important to take time to a) check myself, b) ask for God’s heart for the person in question, and c) to consider how this person is most likely to hear correction. In my understanding of God’s Word, that’s the direction of spiritual maturity.

God needs neither my defense nor my protection, He needs my obedience and that means being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry whether I’m listening to someone swear or listening to someone be judgmental.

I’m sorry I went so far as to say I applaud those writers for their choice to swear in their writing. That was wrong. I appreciate the readers who responded with concern, your correction makes me a better writer. To the readers who pointed out that Jesus was able to reach people without swearing, I also believe He didn’t walk around calling out every person He encountered on every sinful word they uttered in His presence and that’s what this is really about.

In these days of the Internet, it’s far too easy to assemble a condemning mob. We should stand up boldly for truth but let’s do that with the wisdom of Christ and obedience to His entire Word.

I messed up, so this is my apology post https://t.co/bSudiJOauh #forgiveme #amwriting #Christian

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) February 8, 2016

When Christians Attack – My Sad Truth

This is my sad truth. I know that by my fifties I should have outgrown my desire to be cool, but, I haven’t. There it is.

Probably, growing up as an uncool teen through the seventies left lasting scars. I like to blame Jesus for that but I had plenty of other weirdness going on even apart from my devotion to Him. He is not what made me uncool but loving Him sure didn’t help. I made my choice young to pursue Jesus and not coolness but the temptation sometimes appears on the front lawn of my soul like an outbreak of dandelions, seemingly overnight.

This time I was reminded of my lack of cool by another Christian blogger’s Facebook defense of her practice of swearing. She’s a cool Christian blogger with a much bigger following and she uses language when she feels like using it. Because of this, she’s likely developed a ministry with people I won’t reach with my words so that’s something I applaud. Peace in the valley and all that. I love Anne LaMott’s writing and she curses, too, when the context calls for it. Again, she’s popular and reaches hearts I won’t. Power to her. (I confess my envy and move on.)

I’m certainly not above swearing. I swear sometimes in my daily life. If someone cuts me off in traffic or in an occasional moment of frustration or anger, I swear. Still, I don’t believe it’s the best choice for a Christian, not from a legalistic standpoint but from a heart place. The Bible says that from the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. I want Jesus to so completely own my heart that the overflow isn’t foul language. I want to grow in self-control, in love, and in patience. I’m not there yet but by grace, I hope to improve.

On the flip side, I feel no judgment for others when they swear. We live in a curse-filled world. It’s almost a first language for some people. I can hear past it to what they’re trying to say and that’s usually my focus. I don’t think I have to swear to minister to them. I can be real and authentic without resorting to coarse language. I don’t usually notice foul language in movies because I’m focused on other things. Plus, language is an evolving thing. I use words in everyday language without a second thought that would have scalded past generations. They don’t emerge from a foul place in my heart.

Still, it’s hard for me to imagine the usefulness of cursing in blog posts. Writing isn’t impulsive, each word is a choice. So consciously choosing to curse on the written page isn’t my thing. I’m doomed to be uncool. I’d like to leave just leave the matter there. Some Christian writers curse, others don’t. Some are called to reach one audience, some another. I wrestle with my temptation to coolness but that’s a familiar conversation between God and me. I know the drill.

What bothered me about this other writer’s Facebook rant is that there were statements of judgment made by commenters that anyone who questions why Christians would swear just “don’t get it” and “with human trafficking and poverty, why would any Christian take the time to express concern about swearing.” That sounds like wisdom but it’s a form of Christian bullying. (not by the blogger but by followers commenting.)

A couple of people tried to ask why we can’t care about both human trafficking and refraining from coarse language. The commenters swarmed over them like hungry piranha. Accept our swearing or you aren’t our kind of Christian. That was the message. Meekness isn’t welcome here. We’re bold, bad-mouth believers. That didn’t sound cool it just felt like bullying. I wanted to comment but I had flashbacks to high school days. It didn’t feel like anyone was really listening. I didn’t want to listen either, which is why I didn’t comment.

We need to be careful about bullying behavior in the church. It’s too easy and it’s unloving. Between Christians, bullying can happen by scolding and legalism but it can also happen by mocking and by promoting an exclusive coolness. We need to embrace our freedom in Christ but we aren’t meant to fling that freedom in people’s faces.

In Christ, we’re capable of being passionate about stopping human trafficking AND concerned about what we communicate with our words. One concern doesn’t override the other. God felt both worthy of mentioning in His Word. Cursing others doesn’t just happen through swearing but also by bullying.

I believe the bloggers and writers who choose to curse in their writing are doing it in the name of transparency and out of a love for their readers. They are reflecting who they are now, entirely loved by Christ, and God works through the entirety of their message. And, I believe there needs to be a safe space in the body of Christ for people to come just as we are. Swearing isn’t the worst thing a person can do. If a swearing Christian blogger creates a safe place for others to read about Jesus, I say go for it, woman. But create a safe place and not a place that allows a different version of bullying.

I write transparently about my own struggle to be cool, my fight to be exactly who I am even if that isn’t cool and I believe God will work through my words, too, if I’m faithful to Him and to His design of me. Even if I don’t swear.

And just as I’m tempted to swear or to chase coolness instead of Christ, so I am sometimes tempted to bully other believers into seeing things from my perspective. It’s an ugliness of spirit that emerges from a place of fear or a desire for my rights or impatience with others and really, there’s no place for it in the church because it’s unloving.

I guess, all I’m trying to work out here is a simple message – let’s be careful out there, loved ones. Let’s love one another whether we swear for Jesus or refrain from swearing for Jesus. Let love rule our hearts and our mouths so the overflow is all about Him.

When Christians attack – my sad truth https://t.co/9ryWlzJpcI is there a place for Christian #bullies #amwriting #Christianswhoswear

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) February 5, 2016

Isn’t It Always the Small Things?

A lone gunman ends countless lives.

One rebel group terrorizes a dozen powerful nations.

A single decision derails a solid life.

One mosquito alters a generation.

A lone family member detonates an emotional explosion, rewriting a family’s story.

One wish from a dying boy unites a planet.

A cancer-laden cell.

A missing chromosome.

A wandering toddler.

A single predator.

A rebel voice in a crowd.

A single dose of heroin.

A relentless bully.

A broken heart.

Do you see the power of small things?

There is a sin we don’t name. A crime against our design. A rebellion against the message God’s communicated over and over. From the process of beginning each life with the meeting of a single sperm and egg to the sending of His Only Son to a small tribe wrapped inside a small package, He’s repeatedly emphasized that size is not an indicator of power, of favor, of influence, or of destiny.

Will we stand before Him on that great day when He asks us, “Did you believe the things I told you? Did you act in faith in my Word? Did you trust that I lived in you and through you?” and hold our hats in our hands murmuring, “No. We chose, instead, to believe

The mirror

Our bank accounts

Our location

Our birth certificate

The predictions other humans made over our lives

The whispers of our self-doubts

Our sales

The sizes of the crowds who agreed with us

Our comparisons

The accuser

Our attractiveness

The number of friends we could make

The size of our homes and cars

The length of our years

The grandeur of our church.

We allowed these things to tell us that our smallness stood in the way of Your calling on our lives. We allowed these numbers to overwrite the story You designed us to live and to tell. We allowed these measures we could see to overshadow the message you died to proclaim over us. The message that You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life, that You are the fulcrum on which our lives pivot, not these quantities we count more worthy by our actions, our attitudes, and our dreams.

How long will we ignore the truth? How long will we lead “what difference can one person make?” kind of lives when His truth buzzes in our ears like a mosquito we can’t slap away? To live as if we are powerless, as if our existence cannot have an effect, as if we cannot influence the story is to say God created a multitude of insignificant beings for no purpose other than to squander their hours and slip into eternity like winter moths fluttering around a porch light waiting to succumb to the frost.

You are only one. You are small and you have little. Are you His? Then, you are enough.

One is all He requires to fulfill His purpose for you, in you, through you. Imagine the force of Light Immortal channeled through a single life. Focused. Explosive. Laser-like. Surgical. Imbued with the power to change, heal, enlighten, lead, influence, protect, defend, and guide.

The powers of darkness carpet-bomb this one truth daily because if we grasped it, the world could barely sustain the impact. Every lone soul who believes God over their own smallness contains the power of a thousand suns.

We sit in our armchairs and cry foul against others who muddy their lives on the field before us, those who try, but fall and fail. We cheer each new champion as if God said to watch for One Large Soul who will come and make all the difference that needs to be made. As if God said our calling is to cheer or boo from the sidelines – where is that command?

We fail to see the grander stands. Zoom out now and notice your recliner is on the line of scrimmage and your inertia interferes with those living out the plays. We will answer not only for those sins we committed through our actions but how much more so for the lives we squandered through our LaZBoy theology of believing that size matters. The theology of waiting for the numbers to rise in our favor. The theology of when I’m bigger, then I will believe God.

James spoke the truth. “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” James 4:17.

Do you believe God’s destiny is for you to squander your days believing nothing you do makes a difference? Do you believe the God who sees all doesn’t notice you? Do you believe He has no intention of loving your neighbor, touching your community, moving in the midst of your loved ones’ lives? Do you believe affecting their lives isn’t enough, so why bother with even that small act of love? Or do you believe that small things are only powerful in the hands of the evil one?

We are small, loved ones. Small like mosquitos, grenades, cells, chromosomes, eggs, sperm, atoms, infants, o-rings, choices, bullets, votes, nails, thorns, the human heart.

Small plus God equals a world spoken into being, incarnation, resurrection, redemption, eternal life. Smallness is no barrier to living in ways that change the world.

What are you doing with your small life? It’s the small things that matter, you know. It really is.

Isn't It Always the Small Things? https://t.co/S669oSc4hc The sin we refuse to name #ZikaVirus #amwriting #faith #spirituality

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) January 31, 2016

Are You Tuned into the Main Event?

Humans – we’re always more fascinated with the sideshow than we are with the main event, aren’t we?

There are majestic elephants in the center ring? Ho-hum, we’ve seen elephants before. Old news, baby. We’re dashing down the curtained alley for a glimpse at the bearded lady. The weird and wild feed our ravenous appetite for entertainment and distraction. Is it any wonder that one of the top-running presidential candidates expressed great respect for comparisons to P.T. Barnum? That man understood our reckless hunger for show.

Like every other responsible American, I pay attention to the presidential candidates. I listen to their platforms, check their records, try to glean something true about their characters, and do my best to determine which is worthy of my vote. For me, it’s a quiet process. I appreciate other believers who write reflectively and intelligently about the issues. I do care about our country.

Still, I believe that ultimately, the person who sits in the seat of power of any given nation is not the main event of any given day for the Body of Christ. I respect that God determines which powers will govern and know they have a certain amount of sway over our lives but none of them determines the future of my soul, of our faith, of the church, of Christianity.

The power in the Oval office can change lives but you know what? So can you and I. We’re each more powerful than we know or even want to know. In the old sitcom SOAP, Burt Campbell believed he could make himself invisible with a snap of his fingers. Of course, he couldn’t, but he persisted in that notion. It seems crazy until you compare it to many of us who persist in believing we can escape the notice of the Almighty by routinely pointing fingers at the bigger players on the stage.

I think when we post condemnations of any candidate’s spiritual life, character, or views with an eye to tearing them down, God doesn’t applaud our boldness so much as He wonders why we suddenly believe slander and gossip are permissible just because others are doing it. Christians who spread rumors, scathing, unkind character assassinations, or who act in unloving ways toward other Christians based on their support of certain candidates are simply showing they’re too easily distracted by the sideshow.

When Nehemiah mourned over the ruin of Jerusalem, he had the ear of a great king. He didn’t petition the king to order the city rebuilt, he asked for permission to return and rebuild it. And Nehemiah didn’t rebuild Jerusalem alone. Every family worked on the wall outside his or her home. They didn’t rely on the king for protection but each household protected and rebuilt their section of the wall.

As we scrutinize every word, act, and decision of the men and women running for office are we showing up in the mirror of God’s Word for an examination of our own? Are we depending on some earthly power to make a difference for Christ on earth while we munch popcorn? Are we hoping the White House will love our neighbor for us? The candidates are not the only ones being tested during this election, loved ones. We are, too. This is the main event in the center ring for people of faith.

This excerpt from Running from a Crazy Man reminded me today what matters and helped me rend my own eyes from the side show back to the only thing God’s asking me tonight. Do I have my eyes on the main event or do my actions betray my attraction to the side show?

Parable of the Oblivious Woman

Once there was a powerful ruler.

He enjoyed the favor of many in his kingdom but just as many resented his rule. Those who favored him celebrated him at every opportunity, petitioning the ruler for favors and gloating over the other citizens. Those who resented his rule criticized him at every opportunity, opposing his decrees and raging against him. Daily in the square, crowds gathered to argue with one another, writing bold pronouncements, curses, or praise, on the public wall.

One day, a student noticed an old woman going about her day, oblivious to the division and the outcry. She rose early every morning to pray. She ran errands for shut-ins, bringing them their daily bread and a good word. She cleaned her home and cared for the needy. She corrected unruly children, advising their parents on discipline. She grew herbs for the sick, brewing strong teas for their fevers. Often, she visited lonely prisoners or brought blankets to the homeless. Always, after dark, she lit her lamp and walked again to prayer.

After watching her several days, the student approached her in her garden. “Excuse me, old woman. What do you say of our ruler?”

She replied, “I say he’s a man under God. I pray God’s wisdom upon him every morning and every night.”

“But, are you in favor of him or against?” he pressed.

“I’m opposed to no man who labors for our Lord, and I’m in favor of every man that does His will,” she answered.

The young man cocked his head, “That is no answer.”

She looked up. “If you would continue to pelt me with questions, then you must work alongside me.” And she motioned him to join her at her labor.

Throughout the day, he followed her from task to task, laboring with her as she ministered to others. Often, he opened his mouth to ask her a question, but quickly he would forget that question as she pressed him to bandage a wound, serve the stew, comfort a grieving heart, or corral a wandering child. At day’s end, bone-weary but filled with awe at a day well lived, the student followed her to her place of prayer. When they finished, he touched her arm, “Please, tell me, old woman. Why don’t you concern yourself with our ruler?”

She smiled. “God gives me only so much energy for each day. Which task would you have me leave undone so that I might argue at the wall or debate over this one man?”

“But he’s a powerful man!” he replied.

“Ah, but my God is more powerful still. Some, I suppose, He calls to support or oppose those who rule, but me, He’s given a heart to serve. So, that’s what I do.”

The student prayed through the night. At dawn, he knocked on the old woman’s door. “Good woman, may I join you in your service again today?”

“Aye,” she smiled indicating the wheelbarrow. “Let us begin.”

Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12)

I’ll get back to you later. I’m off to check my portion of the wall.

Are You Tuned in to Tonight’s Main Event? https://t.co/0hMmncWVQV #DonaldTrump #presidentialdebates #amwriting #Evangelical

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) January 29, 2016

Are You Tuned into the Main Event Tonight?

Humans – we’re always more fascinated with the sideshow than we are with the main event, aren’t we?

There are majestic elephants in the center ring? Ho-hum, we’ve seen elephants before. Old news, baby. We’re dashing down the curtained alley for a glimpse at the bearded lady. The weird and wild feed our ravenous appetite for entertainment and distraction. Is it any wonder that one of the top-running presidential candidates expressed great respect for comparisons to P.T. Barnum? That man understood our reckless hunger for show.

Like every other responsible American, I pay attention to the presidential candidates. I listen to their platforms, check their records, try to glean something true about their characters, and do my best to determine which is worthy of my vote. For me, it’s a quiet process. I appreciate other believers who write reflectively and intelligently about the issues. I do care about our country.

Still, I believe that ultimately, the person who sits in the seat of power of any given nation is not the main event of any given day for the Body of Christ. I respect that God determines which powers will govern and know they have a certain amount of sway over our lives but none of them determines the future of my soul, of our faith, of the church, of Christianity.

The power in the Oval office can change lives but you know what? So can you and I. We’re each more powerful than we know or even want to know. In the old sitcom SOAP, Burt Campbell believed he could make himself invisible with a snap of his fingers. Of course, he couldn’t, but he persisted in that notion. It seems crazy until you compare it to many of us who persist in believing we can escape the notice of the Almighty by routinely pointing fingers at the bigger players on the stage.

I think when we post condemnations of any candidate’s spiritual life, character, or views with an eye to tearing them down, God doesn’t applaud our boldness so much as He wonders why we suddenly believe slander and gossip are permissible just because others are doing it. Christians who spread rumors, scathing, unkind character assassinations, or who act in unloving ways toward other Christians based on their support of certain candidates are simply showing they’re too easily distracted by the sideshow.

When Nehemiah mourned over the ruin of Jerusalem, he had the ear of a great king. He didn’t petition the king to order the city rebuilt, he asked for permission to return and rebuild it. And Nehemiah didn’t rebuild Jerusalem alone. Every family worked on the wall outside his or her home. They didn’t rely on the king for protection but each household protected and rebuilt their section of the wall.

As we scrutinize every word, act, and decision of the men and women running for office are we showing up in the mirror of God’s Word for an examination of our own? Are we depending on some earthly power to make a difference for Christ on earth while we munch popcorn? Are we hoping the White House will love our neighbor for us? The candidates are not the only ones being tested during this election, loved ones. We are, too. This is the main event in the center ring for people of faith.

This excerpt from Running from a Crazy Man reminded me today what matters and helped me rend my own eyes from the side show back to the only thing God’s asking me tonight. Do I have my eyes on the main event or do my actions betray my attraction to the side show?

Parable of the Oblivious Woman

Once there was a powerful ruler.

He enjoyed the favor of many in his kingdom but just as many resented his rule. Those who favored him celebrated him at every opportunity, petitioning the ruler for favors and gloating over the other citizens. Those who resented his rule criticized him at every opportunity, opposing his decrees and raging against him. Daily in the square, crowds gathered to argue with one another, writing bold pronouncements, curses, or praise, on the public wall.

One day, a student noticed an old woman going about her day, oblivious to the division and the outcry. She rose early every morning to pray. She ran errands for shut-ins, bringing them their daily bread and a good word. She cleaned her home and cared for the needy. She corrected unruly children, advising their parents on discipline. She grew herbs for the sick, brewing strong teas for their fevers. Often, she visited lonely prisoners or brought blankets to the homeless. Always, after dark, she lit her lamp and walked again to prayer.

After watching her several days, the student approached her in her garden. “Excuse me, old woman. What do you say of our ruler?”

She replied, “I say he’s a man under God. I pray God’s wisdom upon him every morning and every night.”

“But, are you in favor of him or against?” he pressed.

“I’m opposed to no man who labors for our Lord, and I’m in favor of every man that does His will,” she answered.

The young man cocked his head, “That is no answer.”

She looked up. “If you would continue to pelt me with questions, then you must work alongside me.” And she motioned him to join her at her labor.

Throughout the day, he followed her from task to task, laboring with her as she ministered to others. Often, he opened his mouth to ask her a question, but quickly he would forget that question as she pressed him to bandage a wound, serve the stew, comfort a grieving heart, or corral a wandering child. At day’s end, bone-weary but filled with awe at a day well lived, the student followed her to her place of prayer. When they finished, he touched her arm, “Please, tell me, old woman. Why don’t you concern yourself with our ruler?”

She smiled. “God gives me only so much energy for each day. Which task would you have me leave undone so that I might argue at the wall or debate over this one man?”

“But he’s a powerful man!” he replied.

“Ah, but my God is more powerful still. Some, I suppose, He calls to support or oppose those who rule, but me, He’s given a heart to serve. So, that’s what I do.”

The student prayed through the night. At dawn, he knocked on the old woman’s door. “Good woman, may I join you in your service again today?”

“Aye,” she smiled indicating the wheelbarrow. “Let us begin.”

Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12)

I’ll get back to you later. I’m off to check my portion of the wall.

Are You Tuned in to Tonight’s Main Event? https://t.co/0hMmncWVQV #DonaldTrump #presidentialdebates #amwriting #Evangelical

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) January 29, 2016

When It Feels Like Death is Winning

Death, you bloody, cruel, heartless, thief, I see you everywhere these days.

missionary killed in Burkina Faso attack

Crouching in wait, you pounce suddenly on some, stealing them from us before we can turn our heads for one last look at their beautiful smiles, their precious eyes, their gentle hands.

Stalking others, invading from within by relentless disease that drains them from us slowly, an IV drip into eternity, as we shred our hearts between our hands like hats we hold out of respect for their suffering and pain – our own helplessness.

Separating and isolating hurting souls, you woo some to embrace you willingly with seductive lies of escape and rest or crushing delusions that we would be better off without them.

Recruiting others to do your work for you, the numbers on your counter click by the hundreds some days as thousands succumb to you by war, by famine, by gunfire, by sword, in hunger, in thirst, imprisonment, or ravaging assault. Some taken before the eyes of the world and others alone, unknown, unseen, or so you lead them to believe with your slithering falsehoods whispered in the dark.

But darkness cannot hide from the Light.

There is One who sees all.

There is One keeping a count that overrides your pathetic, festering tally.

There is One who reigns.

And one day, He will turn death back on itself and you will fall into your own burning pit where for you, there will be no mercy. You will taste the bitterness of your own deceptions and endure the second death, which those who love Him will never, never see. The grave will open its arms to you and welcome you into its eternal embrace. It will not feel like home – it will feel like hell.

And when He comes, He will bring our lives with Him, lovely, whole, and untouched by you or any other evil this world has devised. Our eternal lives He’s kept safe with Him, an investment against your interest, and we will inherit them as a gift that will never fade or age or die. As even the memory of you is snuffed out with a single one of His breaths, we will enter life forever. For us, there will be more love, more stories, more songs, more time to gather and know the fullness of His joy.

So, listen Death, here’s how it’s going to be until that day.

You will rob me of those I love and one day, you’ll rob them of me and that will be today’s agony. But, I won’t grant you godlike status and my eyes won’t be on you but on Jesus.

Every death that comes will remind me why it was necessary for Him to die on the cross, remind me of the battle for souls, remind me to take myself to my knees before Him and live as the victorious warrior I am in Christ, warring for every soul to choose Him and join Him in the eternal override.

Every death that comes will remind me that He overcame and therefore, I am an overcomer, too. I will snatch joy from the jaws of sorrow, I will rise from my weeping and dance, I will finish my fasting and feast on His Word that says your time will come. I will spread the word from hospital bed to chalk outline to hospice to graveside gathering that for those who choose Jesus, there will be another adventure beyond the grave. Weeping will last for a night but joy comes with the morning.

As every casket closes over those who love Jesus, I will not say good-bye. “See you in the morning, loved one, when we rise,” are the words I choose for this temporary parting. You will not rob me forever and Jesus will sustain me until that great getting up morning comes.

And I will live now. Do you understand that, Death? I will live now. Battered, broken, sorrowing, disease-ridden, aging, aching, worrying, wondering, questioning, fighting pain and pills or prison guards and gunman, I will live until the moment you arrive. I will live for Him and in so doing every one of my breaths will count more than a century of yours because He lives in me.

If you come for me early, all the sooner I will see His face.

If you come for me quickly, He will watch over all I love.

If you come for me slowly, He will give me strength to endure.

If you come for me in old age, I will see every transformation of this old shell as an honor and an opportunity to see Jesus work on this side of glory. I will age gracefully as He provides the grace.

Do you hear His laughter, Death? I hear it, too, and I echo it now, even as you are at work because like Him, I know there is more to the Story and that you don’t appear in the next chapter.

You are a cruel, relentless, heartless thief and that may purchase you some ground on earth but just through that Doorway, Love reigns. That Doorway doesn’t open for you; but when those of us who love Jesus walk through it, we will even forget your name. Love reigns there forever and that is where our adventure will endure.

So Death, when we meet, remember this: You take nothing from me because I already gave my life to Jesus and it’s safe with Him. The joke’s on you.

And loved ones, when death comes for me, remember we only part for a time. The darkness will end like the night. I’ll see you on the morning. Look for me there.

In His Name,

All Who Call on the Name of Jesus Everywhere

When it feels like death is winning https://t.co/F37eG2JYn9 #DStrong #dstrongchina #MLKDay #amwriting #life

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) January 18, 2016

What do you call a Christian on their worst, lowest, most lost day?

When the year is new but it’s the same old you walking into it,

surrounded by the identical supporting cast from 2015 and a plot that feels like an under-budget rehash of last season,

When your mood flickers between grateful and glum depending on the stories flashing past in your Facebook news feed

A friend receives a terrible diagnosis (grateful for your own health)
A neighbor lands a new, prestigious job (glum as you scan the web for new jobs)
An associate asks prayer for an unspoken need for a wayward teen (grateful that your children are safe right now)
A church friend posts an invitation to a marriage seminar (glum that your spouse would never consider going).

When you’re only half-joking with people that you’re taking a sick day out of disappointment for not winning the Powerball

which makes you feel guilty for sincerely wanting all that money

which leads to more guilt because gambling, even one dollar, is throwing money away, especially for you because what is the likelihood that if God wanted you to be a billionaire He’d deliver it to you through the Powerball?

which makes you remember your goal of cultivating true contentment with what you have,

which you could do if you hadn’t just read that blog post about how people don’t have because they don’t ask, or pray long enough or hard enough, or catch onto God’s vision for them, or ask a big God for big things, or pray believing for the thousands of cattle on God’s hills, or fast and march around your prayers like Jericho, or get enough other people to pray, too,

I mean, perfectly respectable looking Christians are telling you it’s practically a billboard of your pathetic faith that you drive an old car that breaks down and wonder where the money for the electric bill will come from if the temperature continues to drop, so which way is God’s way – praying big or fostering contentment with little? Was there some class on pure, uncomplicated faith that other people got but you missed?

Then, the reading in your morning devotions is all about not worrying about tomorrow, what you’ll eat or drink or use to power your laptop, which reminds you that you’re a terrible Christian even after all these years and all this trying because that’s EXACTLY what you were just doing.

That idea (the terrible Christian thing) gets reinforced when you watch a news video about a young couple who started an earth-friendly business that also helps empower people in poorer countries to create their own businesses. Now, you’re not only a terrible Christian; you’re also an under-achieving believer and you turn to ask your husband if the two of you should consider some greater venture in Jesus’ name but he dozed off watching the news – the six o’clock news – so then you think the least you can do is buy some of their product, but you remember your resolve to spend less so, there’s not even that.

And now, you notice the news report that North Korea says they have the H-bomb and can wipe America off the planet, so you remember last year’s resolution to memorize more Scripture just in case “they” come and take away all the Bibles but you stink at memorizing, so six verses into John 15 you bailed on the effort. Maybe you should start again. Maybe you should have started two weeks ago.

And just when you thought you couldn’t feel like a worse Jesus-follower, you see the story about the Canadian pastor kept in solitaire digging ditches all day in a North Korean labor camp. He risked telling North Koreans about Jesus while you pray for opportunities to witness at work but secretly hope they never come because you’re so tongue-tied about your faith.

When suddenly the Holy Spirit says, “Enough! Get outside and look at the stars.”

The air is crisp and the night sky is clear, glittering with Orion and his compatriots. Here, in the dark, you exhale. You think about Abraham under the stars and Jacob dreaming of a staircase to heaven, of Paul shipwrecked on an island looking at the night sky, and childless Sarah on a cool desert night. And the same God sees you, knows your name, writes your story.

They felt lost sometimes. They felt confused. They felt small and wondered where God’s great promise was. God never lost sight of them even when they panicked or wavered or strayed. He knew the story He planned for them would take a lifetime to tell.

God whispers, “Who are you going to let tell you your story? Your mood? The enemy? Facebook? People who only see you in the now? You in your own worst moments? Or Me, the Author and Perfecter of your faith?”

The stars remind you to answer with faith. God writes my story. He is such a Master Storyteller that He’ll even weave the moments of confusion and doubt into the tale in a way that ultimately testifies to redemption and the power of saving grace.

So, when the year is new but it’s the same old you walking into it, stand out under the stars and remember that God lives outside of time. Give Him every frustration, doubt, fear, failure, worry, and stumbling step.

Then watch the God of Abraham, Sarah, of Jacob and Paul, tell a story of adventure, of near disaster averted by patient endurance and a creative, redemptive God who never fails, with your life.

Who are you going to let tell you your story?

What do you call a Christian on their worst, lowest, most lost day? A Child of the Most High God, Redeemed by the Blood of Jesus, Saved for Good Works, Wholly Loved, Full of Eternal Life and Destined for Glory, Friend of God.

What Do You Call a Christian on Their Worst, Lowest, Most Lost Day? https://t.co/aYb0TbZ2ZP #amwriting #faith #failedresolutions

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) January 15, 2016