The "What God Can Do" Index

Who doesn't love a challenge? Crossword puzzles, obstacle courses, Calculus, weight loss goals, memorizing entire portions of Scripture, living on a budget. Challenges can cause us to explore and tap into the potential of the human body, hopefully making us better humans. There is one such challenge that I face regularly and am having great difficulty appreciating, much less meeting. I can fall asleep at the drop of a hat, but returning to sleep once something has awakened me...hardly ever. Therein lies my challenge, my nemesis, the Moriarty to my Holmes. I don't worry. I don't fret. But in the wee hours of the morning, I create. One tiny trip to the bathroom and my brain is fully engaged, locked in "How'bout-this?" mode. On one such occasion this idea occurred to me: 

Create a log of amazing things God can do! 

"What are you talking about?" the still slightly sleepy part of my brain replied. (Usually the parietal lobe; she's late to most of the frontal lobe's soirees.) 

I mean, write an article --not really an article, more like a catalog-- of resources, accounts from people who have received deliverance and been victorious over their challenges like addiction and homelessness. A What God Can Do Index!

So, now that we're fully awake and all of the guests are at the party (as much as possible, anyway), I thought I'd share this list with you as a resource, a What God Can Do Index, as told by those for whom He has done it.

▷God can conquer addiction: 

    Evangelist | Julie Seals "Julie Seals is an Ordained https://www.julieseals.com/ with the Pen-Florida District Assemblies of God. She has overcome Spina Bifida, a 17-year addiction to crystal methamphetamine, the amputation of her left leg, and a life sentence in federal prison to share her relentless passion for seeing people SET FREE from darkness to boldly live out the call of God upon their lives!" Her book will be out soon!

▷God can conquer unforgiveness: 

    Amazing Love: True Stories of the Power of Forgiveness. In short, "Cornelia Arnolda Johanna 'Corrie' ten Boom (April 15, 1892 – April 15, 1983) was a Holocaust survivor who started a rehabilitation center for concentration camp survivors as well as a global ministry to preach the power of forgiveness." [from Biography of Corrie ten Boom, Hero of the Holocaust (learnreligions.com)]

▷God can conquer suffering: 

    Joni Eareckson Tada has an amazing story, from a paralyzing injury to cancer to the same things we all endure in the day to day, but in her book A Place of Healing: Wrestling with the Mysteries of Suffering, Pain, and God's Sovereignty, Joni deals specifically with issues that can lead us to despair and to question the goodness of God. 

    In this category, I also include Philip Yancey's A Companion in Crisis: A Modern Paraphrase of John Donne's Devotions. During the pandemic Yancey looked to a text written by John Donne as he experienced life and eventually the threat of death during The Great Plague in London.

▷God can conquer "impossible" circumstances: 

    Bethany Hamilton, attacked by a shark while surfing, tells her story in Soul Surfer. 

    Nick Vujicic, born without arms or legs, founded Life Without Limbs, "an international non-profit ministry whose purpose is to saturate the world with the Gospel and unite the body of Christ through the life and testimony of Nick Vujicic." (as stated on their website). 

    Elisabeth Elliot lost her husband to tribesmen in Ecuador, but gained a ministry like no other. Her story and the story of her husband, Jim's martyr can be found in three wonderful books: Shadow of the Almighty, Through the Gates of Splendor, and The Savage My Kinsman. 

    And a personal fave: A Matter of Faith: Surviving Life’s Crises with Four Wheels, Four Paws, and a Loving God, by Joan Patterson.

▷God can turn the heart of a self-made man to become God's man:

    Born Again. From Prison Fellowship's website: "Charles “Chuck” Colson, President Richard M. Nixon's White House counsel and hatchet man, served time in a federal prison camp for a Watergate-related crime. After his incarceration, Chuck felt led by God to honor a promise he made to remember his fellow prisoners and their families. That promise grew into Prison Fellowship® and the world's largest family of prison ministries."

▷God can transform gang leaders into Christ followers:

    About Nicky Cruz Outreach and the book that tells his story, Run, Baby, Run.

▷God can enlighten an atheist:

    About — Lee Strobel and his story in The Case for Grace. 

    C.S. Lewis was raised in a religious home, but by the age of 13 had renounced Christianity. In his early 30s, Lewis, after much critical thought made a decision to follow after Christ and became one of the greatest authors and apologists of his time. A 2021 movie, The Most Reluctant Convert, is an excellent telling of his story.

This is such a small example of what God can do, but I hope the resources on this list inspire you and perhaps, challenge you to share your story with others. God walks us through these places as a means to encourage others, strengthen us, and bring glory to Himself. Be blessed today!

You Won't Be Smelling Any Carrots in Here

The Book of Proverbs...aaaand GO! It seems to be one of those books you can't get enough of, or you've had enough without really having much. I'm currently focusing on Solomon's second chapter in this letter to generations. It begins with these words:

My son, if you receive my words,
And treasure my commands within you,
So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;
Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.    (2:1-5)

Do you hear it? If...then... I heard that for much of my life. Whether it was the way things were communicated, or the toxic relationships in which I remained, or the perversion of truth and my reluctance to seek correction, I heard a lot of "If...then..." rhetoric. If you cover for me, then I will cover for you. If you do this, then I will know you really love me. If you do this, then I will really love you. To clarify, there is an element of "If...then..." to our human relationships. It's how we begin to understand justice and social proprieties. We are taught from an early age that if we are nice, then people will be nice to us; if we share our toys, then people will share with us; if we are well-behaved, then we will get a reward. In a perfect world, these may all be true, but I've never met anyone who has spent even a moment in a perfect world. More often than not, "If...then..." serves as a means of manipulation, a way one dangles a carrot before someone in order to get them to do what the carrot farmer desires. 

But that's not God's idea of "If...then..." at all. The One who holds the future in His hands, the One who created all things, the One who knows our innermost thoughts even before we do, the only One who would have the authority to use "If...then..." for His purposes exclusively, is the One who never has and never will --at least, not in the corrupted sense with which humanity uses it.

The "If...then.." of God, the one Solomon explains for us here in Proverbs 2, is one that has more to do with natural consequences than some divine quid pro quo. If you grasp what I'm saying, if you give these things the esteem they deserve, if you strain your ears to catch every word and take copious notes, if you apply what you are learning and ask for understanding, if you are ravenous to gain more, if you read until your eyes are weary and dig until your back is sore, if you would sell all you had to gain more wisdom, then you will have all you need. Sadly, the converse is true as well: if you don't seek wisdom, if you don't seek to know God, then you won't have what you need. Not because God is withholding those things --Jesus came that all might have abundant life-- but because we are not positioned to receive them: inclining our ears, eyes open, pen in hand, the pages of our Bibles worn, Scripture swirling through our brains and flowing from our mouths, knees worn from petitioning the Lord, attending church faithfully and serving the body, applying what we have learned, laying down our lives.

So, if you're hearing "favor for favor" or getting a whiff of carrot, read it again. Proverbs is full of the wisdom of God, She cries out that all might hear and heed her words. A reward awaits, but not because we have been well-behaved, but because we have given our all to the search, and we are well-loved.

Review: The Garden Children's Bible

I was given the opportunity, as a member of Bible Gateway Blogger Grid, to review a complimentary copy of The Garden Children's Bible. This Bible is available from FaithGateway Store and on Amazon.

Okay, so, first impressions. I recall carrying a hardcover, cumbersome Bible to and from church each week --and that's exactly what I did, carried it to and from, and did absolutely nothing with it Monday through Saturday. A) because it was "so nice" I was expected to keep it that way, and B) because it was so heavy, with pointy, rigid corners, I was happy to do so. Sadly, The Garden Children's Bible reminds me of those days. I can see parents oohing and aahing over this "beautiful new Bible," and children receiving the message that it is just that, a relic, a keep-it-nice sort of thing that they are happy to leave sitting on a shelf. Add to that the very thin pages which are difficult to turn and easy to tear, and an 8YO (it's recommended for ages 8 & up) might have a hard time doing anything but turning to the heavier stock pages that contain colorful cartoons and other illustrations. 

On the inside cover, front and back, are opportunities for a child to color, to enjoy the fun artwork of Butch Hartman (think Fairly Odd Parents and T.U.F.F. Puppy). Personally, I think that's great. God's Word should be a personal thing for each of us; children should be taught to "own" it, and if this gives them an outlet to personalize it in a tangible way, a reminder that they should make the truth of God's Word a part of who they are, have at it!

It's important to know that this is a Bible. The text is from the International Children's Bible. It is not a book of Bible stories, so nothing is omitted. From Judges 5:26, Jael reached out and took the tent peg. Her right hand reached for the workman’s hammer. And she hit Sisera! She smashed his head! She crushed and pierced the side of his head! From Song of Songs 1:13, My lover is like a bag of myrrh that lies all night between my breasts. With parental involvement and proper explanation of Scripture, this is totally appropriate for the recommended ages (8 & up).

The Garden Children's Bible contains some of the typical "helps" we see in most copies of the Bible targeted toward older readers. Intro pages at the beginning of each book contain the who, when, and why of its origin and mini outlines of the book for quick reference. There are maps, a dictionary, and a topical index which is organized by virtue rather than being "correction focused;" in other words, the topics are listed as Obeying rather than Disobedience, or Telling the Truth vs. Lying. There is a Why Should I Read the Bible page, which I think is great. There are helpful hints for memorizing Scripture and a Bible reading plan --important, but they do add to the girth of the book. Perhaps some links with more interactive web-based stuff would be better? 

Additionally, there are comic strips based on The Garden cartoon series which teach principles alongside biblical accounts: a cartoon encouraging patience expands the record of Abraham and Sarah waiting for their child of promise, for example. I love this concept, however, I am not so in love with the voice from the cloud giving the characters instructions, the voice they call "The Boss." Is this supposed to be God? Another rendition of "The Big Guy Upstairs?" There are other illustrations, of course, but if you feel a little meh about an illustration of the devil with a pitchfork and a long tail, as I do, skip the graphic for Jude 9. Throughout the text, there are blurbs of wisdom (from The Boss) which I think are helpful: Do the Lord's will and I will punish evil and You are made in a wonderful way, among others. A child can latch onto those brief concepts (or they can latch onto your child) with little effort. 

With the proper parental discipline, enthusiasm, and guidance, I think this can be a fun resource for any child who is a fan of Butch Hartman's work. But I encourage you to prayerfully do your homework when it comes to training a child in the way he should go.

Are You Spreading Gossip or Grace?

When was the last time you really thought about or heard a message on gossip? Let's face it, our society treats gossip as acceptable, and sadly, so do many Christian circles --providing it's about "someone else." In my younger years, housewives craved the latest details on some celebrity's affair from STAR magazine. Today, it's TMZ and paparazzi that seem to keep our 20-somethings riveted to their phones. And prayer requests --yes, I said prayer requests-- become an outlet for some of the juiciest tidbits on others. So, before I dive in, let me just say, I am preaching to myself here. I have found myself listening to things, saying things, and telling myself, "It's not gossip." Well, Girlfriend, if you've gotta take that second to tell yourself what it 'isn't,' perhaps it is. 

Tim Cameron, in his book, The Forty-Day Word Fast, defines gossip as: sharing information with someone about a problem or person when the person we are sharing it with is not part of the problem or the solution to the problem. The Bible says that gossip is sinister, invasive, destructive:

With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape. ~ Proverbs 11:9

 A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. ~ Proverbs 16:28

The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts... The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. ~ Proverbs 18:8,21

There is no middle ground. I only gossip occasionally, or I don't spread it, but I listen to my neighbor talk about her family all the time. Scripture says:

A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much. ~ Proverbs 20:19

Did you catch that? Avoid. Don't even stand there "uh-huh"ing while you think about your grocery list. Get out of there!

And this:

He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. ~ Matthew 12:30

If we are gossiping, or even entertaining or encouraging it with our silence, we are not gathering. Jesus longed to gather Israel together; He calls us to Himself; in Him we are His body (singular). If we are not building others up, encouraging unification in Christ, we are not gathering with Him and therefore, we are against Him.

There is no "innocent" gossip. You might think that because you don't even know the person or because it's some big celebrity who doesn't care what you think gossip is meaningless. [And, just as an aside, all of that gossip about our public officials: what he said, what she did in contexts other than how they serve their constituency? Gossip. If he is constantly tripping up the stairs, what does that say about his leadership? I agree, if he is leading a step aerobics class. If she had multiple affairs, what does that say about her character? Did you have any illusions about her character to begin with? We are to be praying for those in authority. We are to submit to them(!), as their authority was given to them by God.] Gossip is wrong whether it is discovered or not, whether it does any "real damage" or not.

I'm sure the Adversary just loves prayer groups. I'm pretty sure that when he sees people start to gather to "share their requests," he sits back, rubbing his hands together and waits: It won't take long for this to devolve into gossip. And he's right. And it does. The who, the what, the where, the why. Doesn't God already know what's going on? Imagine how our prayers would go if we didn't know all the dirty details! Imagine how God could use those moments to shape our vision and our prayers into fortresses, the places where our desires meet His, the bedrock upon which we come to Him on behalf of this concern day after day in victory! And the negativity that we can breed in requiring and supplying all the info! Tell me just how badly you feel, or Let me give you my opinion about the situation before you pray. We moan and lament, focusing on what we see with human eyes and hear with human ears, inserting ourselves into the issue rather than trusting God to be God. When God does move in that person or situation, we are still entrenched in the natural realm: Well, You know his track record, God, or I'll wait and see if this lasts. We position ourselves to be a part of what the Enemy wants to do rather than what God will do.

Gossip is a habit we develop. If we listen just out of courtesy, if we just say this one thing, if we talk about people we don't know who don't know us, if we share juuuust a little too much in the name of "discussing a prayer concern" (we shouldn't be discussing, we should be praying, btw) we are cultivating a habit. A habit that sets itself up in our innermost parts, that separates good friends, that divides the body, that is antithetical to the oneness and wholeness Christ purchased with His blood at Calvary.

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. ~ Ephesians 4:29

Photo courtesy LuAnn Martin