Today has the potential to be “one of those days.” I’m 37 years old and have had a hysterectomy, so I’m not going through puberty. So, that is not why I have a teenage style breakout on my face. I have always had problems with my skin. A few years back I started using a line of products that we can’t really afford, but I used them anyway because I can honestly say it is the only thing that worked. I’ve tried pretty much every product throughout my life that a person can buy for their skin. In drug stores and dept. stores and for some reason my skin doesn’t really respond to any of it. Well, I decided a few months back that even though my skin was at an ok place that just wasn’t good enough. I needed “make-up optional” skin as the commercial boasted. I went to the store and bought the entire line. After four weeks of using it, I not only didn’t have “make-up optional skin” I have “make-up unoptional skin.” I tried something else. That was several weeks ago and my skin is awful right now. I decided this morning I will bite the bullet and go back to was I was using before. I thought “Ok. I’ll focus on my hair and really try to take the attention off my face. I spent an extra long time straightening it and decided to spray it (which I don’t normally do). It felt gross. I decided to brush it out to it wouldn’t feel that way. Guess what?? Now my hair looks as if it’s full of dandruff, when in fact that spray that wasn’t supposed to flake did exactly that.

How dare these companies prey on the vulnerable this way! I trusted them and their products to do what they said. I invested my money. I did my part. They didn’t follow through on their part. This is false advertisement. I feel lied to, because I have been. I wish I’d never fallen for all this.

You know what? People feel this way about Christians. I’m reading a book called Essential Church. It’s basically giving the practical reasons that young adults drop out of church. They feel like they’ve been falsely advertised to. We tell them as children that Jesus loves them so much. But as they reach the age that grace counts more than ever we tell them His love is conditional. We tell them to act one way, as they watch us act another. We smile at church so that everyone will think we have perfect families and get into the car and change clothes spiritually as soon as we’re off the church property. We beg them to come to church, but turn our backs on them when they fall or if they decide to leave. We promise them they can make it with the help of God, but they can’t count on us if they need help.

It’s false advertisement. The problem? The advertisement represents who they believe Christ is. No wonder so many young people find comfort in bars and parties and gossip and gods.

What’s the purpose of light?? To give a means to see something. If a mechanic is under the car holding a flashlight so he can the motor of the car to be fixed, does the flashlight suddenly become responsible for fixing the car? No. It just provides the light.

We are supposed to be the light of Christ. To cause a person to see what they need to see.
I am to shine so people can see Jesus. So he through the Holy Spirit can do his thing. But with every false advertisement, I truly believe our lights dim, because God won’t be mocked. His light isn’t going out, but I believe our lights get dimmer and dimmer to allow people to see him. I love it when Joyce Myer says that we are not “Holy Ghost Jr.” I love that. I can be me. I can be real. God is the one who does the changing. I’m the light, I’m the tool. He is the One in charge. Whew. Thank goodness.

John 9
Spiritual Blindness
35Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
36″Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
37Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
38Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
39Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
40Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”
41Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

I’ve told you before I have TMJ. You know, that thing where your jaw pops all the time, and your mouth hurts. It can be triggered by most activities I participate in on a regular basis-caffeine, stress, sleeping with your face buried in a pillow. I used to chew gum and eat ice, but now I know better. Last week it was really bad. It was Chloe’s birthday. You know me…………….party overboard. Decorations that take the time of a 500 guest- list weeding. Food fit for the culinary tastes of any high end event like this. Goodie bags and prizes so each child would hopefully remember this party as a favorite of the 100 million they will attend in their life. I know, I’m kinda dumb. By Saturday post party, every bone in my body hurt. My feet throbbed. Sunday after Sunday school, Mark and I spent the entire day together. It was our 12th anniversary. But before we left I told him I had a dreadful headache, and had for several days. I’m not sure why we describe certain headaches as being in our backs and necks, because my neck isn’t my head, but that IS how I described it. I did feel better after some migraine headache stuff. I started putting two and two together because my jaw and mouth really hurt too. I figured out it was most likely me grinding and clinching my jaw unconsciously over the days that had led up to Chloe’s party. You know I really don’t know why in the world I allow myself to do this. Get so worked up about everything. New American Standard Bible (©1995)Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. <> It’s not just “wow, I shouldn’t do this.” The Bible says “don’t do this.” So, I started really massaging and opening my jaw yesterday, looking like a totally goof. I realized my jaw is really out of line. So, I go to the best medical advice that I can find-the internet. I read some stuff and last night I determined that I will no longer sleep in the same position I’ve slept in for the past 37 years. I’m not going to sleep on my right side on the edge of the bed, with my head buried in a pillow, with the covers pulled over my head ‘cause that (supposedly) may have had something to do with all of this. I lay in the bed on my left side-uncomfortable but determined. After a few minutes Chloe walks in our room and stares at Mark and says nothing, which means she’s sleepwalking. I take her back to her room and make a bathroom trip and head back to bed, turned on my left side. Lay there, uncomfortable. My left arm hurt. My pillow doesn’t feel right. Afraid if Mark turns over he might elbow me. Finally…………….I’d had it. Maybe tomorrow night I can do this, not tonight. I turn to the right side of my bed, fall quickly asleep, and wake up with a tight jaw and headache.

I had to go to the Dr. yesterday for some blood work. While there I asked him “What can I do to relieve tension?” “Well, eat 3 times a day; get plenty of sleep and exercise.” “Oh, never mind then. What else ya got?”

“I just don’t know what to do.” You ever say that. Boy I do. And I often have people who say that to me, and even ask me what they should do.

See, I can find answers to my problems if I look. I can find answers to my spiritual questions and problems if I look. Bible in Basic English
And you will be searching for me and I will be there, when you have gone after me with all your heart. <> The first step is finding an answering-looking for one. Looking through the means you have. I can’t seem to recall one time that a physician called my home and said “excuse me; I just had a feeling you might be sick. Let me give you some medical advice.” I had to call him, or make an appt. God says that when we look for Him we’ll find him. He’s not playing hide and seek and trying to win against us. We often times allow our stress to turn into spiritual lethargy. Been there?? Ya, me too. Just existing. Just waiting for our “check in the mail” or “clean bill of health” without as much as getting up, or opening our Bible, or falling on our face before God. God could do it that way, but thank goodness He doesn’t. If He did, we would continue in our childish thinking.

“I just can’t stop. I can’t change. I’ve been doing it this way too long.” How ‘bout that one?? Ya me too. For me to do the things I know I need to do, to be at my best, will require painful change. Change that will cause headaches, require discipline, determination and a complete understanding that I must totally depend on God. I will most likely be misunderstood by some people. I will be called weak because I haven’t already changed. I will be called a conformist because I am changing. I will probably fail more than I succeed for a while. Earthly odds stacked against me.

But, it is not impossible. Most people don’t like change. They become angry when change is on the horizon. I mean I have and sometimes I do. But I am praying for God to change me. I want change. Did Jesus change anything?? He changed everything. He changed the way things had been done. I believe that is an earthly pattern for our lives. He constantly faced opposition, and struggle. But unlike us, he continued in joy and hope and determination and love. Godly confidence. It’s not only ok to have that kind of confidence, I think it’s necessary.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus <> The same old same old we’ve always done it this way attitude isn’t working. God won’t allow it do work, because He never intending our growing to stop until we meet Him face to face.

I know this seems so overwhelming and impossible. It is. Alone that is. But you’re not alone and I’m not either. God wants us to realize the impossibility of true life outside of Him. Do we?? We will be called rebels and who know what else. But remember………Jesus was too.

Oh how may “hang-ups” do I have?? To infinity and beyond (as Buzz Lighyear would say). So, I ache with a true understanding of all this. I have a real hard time when people act like they really understand, when the really don’t. But Jesus understans better than I do. He didn’t have hang-ups. But he took on earthly flesh so he could understand why we fall prey and give in. He took on sin at the cross and so he understands that guilt and shame that Satan throws at us. He hung on the cross to experience the feeling of complete aloneness when He said “Father, why have you forsaken me?” He understood unanswered prayer when he said “If it’s possible, let this pass.” None of this was coincidence. It was so that he would understand and because he is our lawyer up in heaven against the accuser of the brethern himself. Isn’t the best way to learn by doing? It is for me. It was for Jesus. He experienced every feeling that you have every felt or will ever feel. Every hurt. Every hope. Every prayer. Every need. Every pain. We are not alone.

Dear Famous One,

We call out to you today. We bow before you and ask that with your gentle kind hands you will change us and continue the work you have started. We know that every word you have spoken is for us. We pray that we will be strengthened or softened or formed or broken or whatever you know is best as you do your work in us.

We praise You. We love You. We trust You.

Amen

Saturday we went for a long day trip. To Chapel Hill to hear Adam sing. We had to pick Meagan up at UNCG. We wanted to eat with him, so we had to get there early. We left our house at 12:30 Saturday afternoon, and got home 2:30 Sunday morning. Not kidding. But, it was fun, and Adam did a great job.

During our down time in the afternoon we were walking around with Meagan and I remembered she’d told me she has suffered from heartburn for days. She said she’d taken TUMS, but to no avail. I told her we’d go in Suttons on Franklin St. and get her something stronger. After she took the medicine, she felt better.

I’ve had heartburn before. Sometimes it feels like you’re having a heart attack. I tell you I’ve heard such opposite things on how to treat it. The bottom line sometimes is don’t eat junk food-uh that might be a problem. Cut back on my coffee??? UHHHHH………………..

When you have heartburn you want it gone quickly. You don’t want that feeling. That’s what our sermon was on yesterday in church. “Holy heartburn.” But the point is that we don’t, or Roger was telling us we shouldn’t want to get rid of it. In fact the problem is most of us don’t have it. He’s right. That burning feeling and passion is something that the majority of today’s organized church tells us to quickly take a spiritual Pepto chill pill to soothe and stop any feeling of hotness for God.

Roger said that many people in the church have their heads hung low, dragging from one thing to another, so that their spiritual things-to-do list gets accomplished. All the while they are complaining, miserable, unhappy.

When we forget The Reason we do things, especially inside the church, that makes God gag.

Yesterday in Sunday School we talked about the day of Pentecost. Acts 1:44On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. What Jesus said was “You may want to leave. You may have plans that you think are right, but until you hear and receive from the Father-wait.”

We have taken our relationship with God and watered it down to knowing about Him, without knowing Him. We put in the things we like and prefer and assume that God’s on board. He’s sick of it.
Amos 5 Time to Face Hard Reality, Not Fantasy
18-20 Woe to all of you who want God’s Judgment Day!
Why would you want to see God, want him to come?
When God comes, it will be bad news before it’s good news,
the worst of times, not the best of times.
Here’s what it’s like: A man runs from a lion
right into the jaws of a bear.
A woman goes home after a hard day’s work
and is raped by a neighbor.
At God’s coming we face hard reality, not fantasy—
a black cloud with no silver lining.
21-24″I can’t stand your religious meetings.
I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions.
I want nothing to do with your religion projects,
your pretentious slogans and goals.
I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes,
your public relations and image making.
I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.
When was the last time you sang to me?
Do you know what I want?
I want justice—oceans of it.
I want fairness—rivers of it.
That’s what I want. That’s all I want.
25-27 “Didn’t you, dear family of Israel, worship me faithfully for forty years in the wilderness, bringing the sacrifices and offerings I commanded? How is it you’ve stooped to dragging gimcrack statues of your so-called rulers around, hauling the cheap images of all your star-gods here and there? Since you like them so much, you can take them with you when I drive you into exile beyond Damascus.” God’s Message, God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
So if you are tempted today to use something to quench your spiritual burning for God-don’t. Let God take you today to the place He’s waited a lifetime to show you. He died for it. It’s what you want. Trust me. No, trust Him.