My sorority reunion was last week in Grove, Oklahoma. Catching up is always fun, but it had been a tough year for two of the other five gals, as one is struggling to keep her business open, and two months ago, “Sharon,” our wheelchair-bound friend, had watched her husband, “Bryan,” choke to death on a piece of steak at her independent living, five-star restaurant. We knew about his death but not all of the facts surrounding his death.

The recently-hired administrator apparently had instructed all the dining personnel never to use life-saving measures.  Only the nurses on duty could do so.  The trouble was, he had fired 30 of them when he took over–in order to save money–and none were on duty.

My friend screamed for help as she watched her husband slump in his seat.  The chef was called but also refused to help. Finally, a porter ran into the restaurant and attempted to pick Bryan up under his arms, but that only caused more problems because of a recently-installed pacemaker.  Within four minutes, paramedics arrived, but it was too late.  The E.R. personnel were able to dislodge the piece of steak.

In the care facility, news spread that Sharon’s husband had suffered a heart attack.  She knew the administrator was trying to cover his hide because of his irrational policy.  Two weeks ago, a scheduled meeting was held to discuss any issues residents had.  My friend attended and asked why they weren’t telling the truth about her husband, that he had choked and not suffered cardiac arrest.  The question was avoided, but the next day, when Sharon tried to watch the YouTube recording of the event, her question had been edited out.  Apparently, residents not present at the meeting were not to know the truth.

My girlfriends and I sat stunned as we learned of the horror our friend had witnessed. She shared that since then, all restaurant personnel have had training in C.P.R. and the Heimlich.  Life-vacs have been purchased and are in each of the five dining rooms. Sharon was grateful for that.  She also has contacted an attorney about the lies being told.  We were grateful for that.

Some of you readers might have a story of someone’s incompetence (maybe even your own) that changed your life forever. The memory of it makes you shudder. The fact is, this is a fallen world.  I picture Satan celebrating when Bryan died, hoping it would destroy Sharon’s faith. It hasn’t worked.  She, a devout Christian, knowing that her husband was a Christian, has found peace, as she is confident that she someday will see him again.

Yesterday, I texted Sharon and asked how she was doing.  This was her response.  “Sometimes, I sob, but I cling to 1 Thessalonians 13,14: Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”

May we all have that kind of faith.

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

If I wake up during the night, I don’t usually look at the clock. But when I wake up later in the morning and feel that it might be time to “get up and at ‘em,” I’ll check the time. One morning I turned my head to see what time it was and I saw 6:35:35. I thought, “Oh my stars and garters, I’m cross-eyed like Clarence the lion on Daktari!“ I hadn’t thought of that TV show since the last time I saw it in 1969. I loved watching Daktari because of my two favorite characters Clarence (the cross-eyed lion) and his adorable cohort Judy (the mischievous chimp). I don’t know why I was seeing cross-eyed other than the fact that I’ve celebrated a lot of birthdays since 1969. Since I don’t sleep with my glasses on, maybe I should buy a digital clock with bigger numbers.

The older I get, the more I appreciate this scripture: “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely” (1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT). Sometimes believers have a tendency to get hung up on what we don’t know rather than what we do know. So why did the cookie crumble that way? Well, when push comes to shove, does it really matter?  The cookie still crumbled and I can’t do anything about it. It’s done, it crumbled, and I’m not God.

If we stay the course and practice living and loving like Jesus, scripture tells us we’ll understand all things by and by. If we focus on things we won’t ever understand in this life, that prevents us from focusing on the things we do understand. When the expert in religious law asked Jesus a question, it was supposed to be a trap; however, it turned out to be one of the most profound impromptu question-and-answer sessions in the Word of God. “’Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?’ Jesus replied, ’You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments’” (Matthew 22:37-40 NLT).

Jesus spoke many times in parables, but this legalistic man’s question was answered in straightforward transparency. Jesus’ answer was so easy, even a cave man can understand it. It’s doubtful there’s one person on planet earth that totally understands everything in the Book of Revelation. However, those two most-important commandments can be seen with perfect clarity through the eyes of a receptive heart. The Good Shepherd’s words recorded in the passage of Matthew can’t be misunderstood, but they can be ignored.

Certainly there are things that have happened in the lives of my loved ones that I don’t understand. However, I do understand that I have finite thinking and my ways are not always God’s ways. I’m not on His level, and that‘s why I use my faith to completely trust Him. Some day I’ll know why things happened as they did, so for now I focus my spiritual eyes on the two most-important commandments and my personal calling. And that, dear friends, is a full-time assignment with a retirement that‘s out of this world.

The Key: Keep focusing on Jesus and, in the end, you’ll eventually know everything you ever wanted to know.

When I was young, I loved reading “Dear Abby,” especially advice on how to deal with a rude neighbor or an inattentive boyfriend or a bratty child.

I, of course, didn’t need Abby.  I had my friends.  “You don’t have to put up with that.” “Try out for cheerleader.” “Get a credit card.” “Just call in sick.” “Stop being so nice.”  “Don’t let your mom know.” “Marry for money; love will follow.” “Stick up for yourself.” “You’re better than that.” “Let’s sneak away to Oklahoma.”  “It’s just marijuana” (one piece of advice I never, praise God, followed). “It’s the thought that counts” (said by a friend, consoling me over the weed eater Dave bought me for my birthday).

I wasn’t exactly a wild child, but I sure did some bone-headed things, and rarely did I seek wise counsel.  (By the grace of God am I alive to write this article.)  How times have changed!  Now that I am older, I am very careful about the advice I receive. Now, I am picky about whom I ask for help.  Now, I make sure my advice-givers are God-followers. To do that, they need to know the Bible.

For good reason, the Bible is called a “lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” My friends who know scripture guide me according to its principles, principles that instruct me about forsaking pride and choosing love. Psalm 32:8 is a reminder of who  should mentor me: I (God) will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.  But let’s face it—bad advice is not in short supply.

My book A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection came out a few weeks ago.  In it, three women tell their stories, women who were advised by our high school counselor that they weren’t smart enough to attend college, much less major in their desired fields.  All graduated with advanced degrees but never forgot the degrading “tip” they had been given.  Only because they had encouraging parents did they forge ahead, ignoring what they had been told.  But what about those who had no such counsel?

The problem with advice, of course, is that well-intentioned people can make mistakes.

There is one story in scripture that reeks of poor advice.  Job, tempted by Satan, is being counseled by his pals and wife as to why God turned against him and forced him to suffer. Not once do his pals admit that they might not really know the answer. They are adamant in their criticism. They are wrong.  Pastor Andy Cook studied Job and recommended we always ask these questions of human counsel:

1.  Is it biblical?

2.  Is it factual?

3.  Is it necessary?

4.  Is it teachable?

5.  Does it acknowledge the imperfections of human counsel?

6.  Is it spoken in love?

I’m wiser than I used to be. I understand the importance of good advice. I now know how little I know, so I am reluctant to tell someone what to do…unless, of course, my answer meets those six qualifications…or it involves a weed eater as a gift.

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

In the ups and downs, little or much, laughter and tears, joy and sorrow — through it all, I‘ve never been or felt abandoned. I’m certainly acquainted with sorrow and grief, but they’re not my friends. I don’t hang out with them, nor invite them to pull up a chair and stay in my heart. I’ve learned how to biblically journey through stuff and experience joy again. I’m just going to go out on a limb like a squirrel with a nut and say that if you live long enough, you’ll have ample opportunity to get burned by the heartaches of life.

We understand the difference between getting burned while removing brownies from the oven, and ultimately being burned up. The following scripture has been a favorite of mine since I was in my early 20s: “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you” (Isaiah 43:2 NLT). Notice there are three “whens” and no “ifs.” So when life runs us through the ringer, we can come out standing up while holding onto the Savior’s nail-scarred hand. Remember, if we never had any trouble, we wouldn’t need any faith.

No matter what season we’re in, we’re not alone. Believers are always cradled in the arms of Jesus. It’s possible to come out of the tough seasons not even smelling like smoke. It’s one thing not to catch on fire, but it’s ramped to the next level to not even smell of smoke after walking through the fire of trouble. “So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!” (Daniel 3:26-27 NLT). These uncompromising boys weren’t kept from the blazing fire, but they were lovingly preserved through the fire.

There are several striking lessons in this Old Testament account but, for me personally,  that Fourth Person that showed up in the fire is the best. The Hebrew boys were in the fire, but they weren’t alone. Jesus was right there in the middle of the heat with them. This is a visual of reassurance for us today that we’re never alone or abandoned in our darkest and hottest hour. When the roaring flames are licking at our soul, the One who died and rose again to make us whole is as close as the mention of His Name.

Jesus is always bigger than our troubles and trials. But it’s our job to lay hold of this truth and tighten our belt of sweet trust in Jesus. So, if nothing is too big for Him, why allow Satan to kick us when we’re up and kick us when we’re down? It’s an unwise decision to side with the enemy and just roll over and play dead with our front teeth missing.  Focusing on Jesus and magnifying His power puts our eyes on the Problem Solver rather than the intense heat of the circumstances. And when the trial is over and times are good again, it’s important to keep that death grip on Jesus because we need Him through thick and thin. My late husband had underlined the following scripture in his Bible:

The Key: “Here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Don’t give up; don’t be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting — for He will never disappoint you!” (Psalm 27:14 TPT).

Keys to the Kingdom

One morning, while it was still fairly dark outside and my mind was fuzzy, I was making my bed by a dim light. Standing by the window, I peeked through the curtains and was confused that I couldn’t see anything. Then my brain kicked in and I realized the shade was still pulled down. Duh! I couldn’t see the reality of anything outside.

As believers, we cannot allow the devil to take advantage of us and pull the wool over our eyes. It’s a good day in hell when our enemy deceives an unsuspecting Christian who’s asleep at the wheel. Satan will tempt us to doubt that God loves us unconditionally, hears our prayers, or is even interested in anything that’s happening in our day-to-day lives. Doubting these basic truths will cause us to lose our trust in God’s unfailing faithfulness.

What the imprisoned apostle Paul wrote to the Church at Ephesus is still the truth for us today. His letter is meant to ground, shape, and challenge all believers in their daily Christian walk. “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called — His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 1:18-20 NLT). The goodness and greatness of God flows through Christ Jesus into the hearts of every Christ follower. If it’s hard for you to believe that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is inside you, then decide right now to believe and accept this vital truth.

When a ripe-for-the-picking believer is lured into questioning and doubting, it’s because he/she has been sideswiped by the devil. Lucifer the Devious can’t be trusted any further than you can throw him because he hates, lies, cheats, deceives, and destroys.  Everything he touches turns to misery. Christians can’t afford to spare one minute listening to his slimy rubbish. “Don’t give the slanderous accuser, the Devil, an opportunity to manipulate you!” (Ephesians 4:17 TPT). Where I come from, we say: “I wouldn’t touch that with a ten-foot pole.” Yep, Eve should’ve just walked away from that trap.

The apostle Paul knew there would be times when believers would face disappointment and frustration in their spiritual growth. He wrote to remind us that most of the progress we make comes little by little. Our spiritual battles are won through the light of practicing God’s Word. Even when we slip and miss the mark, the Lord  helps us to see clearly as we get up and continue walking in His marvelous light. “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” (Psalm 37:23-24 NLT).

We must be on guard against the sly lies and strategies of Satan. Believers have the courage and strength to live boldly for God because all the forces of hell are anemic  compared to the supernatural power that is in us through Christ Jesus. This is a truth we need to grasp, activate, and practice every day.

The Key: Let’s pick up our sword (Bible) and kick some devil.

Recently I was introduced to the word “self-aholic, a word that describes those whose lives are centered around being comfortable and seeking the next “feel good” adventure. In other words, probably too many of us. That term does not describe John Pounds (whom I first read about while researching for another article).

John Pounds, a tall, muscular teen-laborer at the docks of Portsmouth, England, slipped and plunged from the top of a ship’s mast, pitching headfirst into the deck of the vessel. Witnesses were sickened by what they saw, and when fellow workers reached him, he was a mass of broken bones.  Bedridden for two years, his bones healed crookedly. His pain never ceased. Out of boredom, he began to read the Bible.

After some time, John crawled from bed, hoping to find something he could do with his life. A shoemaker hired him, and day after day, John sat at his cobbler’s bench, a Bible open on his lap. Soon he had asked Jesus to be the Lord of his life. Over time, John gathered enough money to purchase his own little shoe shop, and one day he developed a pair of surgical boots for his crippled nephew Johnny, whom he had adopted. Soon John was making corrective shoes for other children, and his little cobbler’s shop became a miniature children’s hospital.

As John’s burden for children grew, he began receiving homeless ones, feeding them, teaching them to read, and telling them about the Lord. His shop became known as “The Ragged School,” and John would limp around the waterfront, food in his pockets, looking for more children to tend.

During his lifetime, John Pounds rescued 500 children from despair and led every one of them to Christ. Moreover, his work became so famous that a “Ragged School Movement” swept England, and a series of laws were passed to establish schools for poor children in John’s honor. Boy’s homes, girl’s homes, day schools, and evening schools were started, along with Bible classes in which thousands heard the gospel.

When John collapsed and died on New Year’s Day, 1839, while tending to a boy’s ulcerated foot, he was buried in a churchyard on High Street. All England mourned.

In my book A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection, I write much about how God uses broken hearts and lives more than He does those who never have suffered physically, emotionally or spiritually.  Last night, I received a text from an acquaintance who was on chapter six and wrote about her life of brokenness that was masked in sarcasm and a “false wall” to hide her feelings. Reading about the multitude of ways I covered my insecurities had given her great comfort as she saw how much she was doing likewise.

Hebrews 6:10 tells us that God “will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” 1 Peter 4:10 is more specific:  “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

John Pounds refused to be a self-aholic.  He did not use his pain or his limp as an excuse; he served in spite of his ailments.  Whatever our “limp” might be (not smart enough, not holy enough, not talented enough, etc.) we need to remember that every one of us has a gift.  The question we need to ask ourselves is this: How am I using that gift to bless others and not just myself?

Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Tucker

My long-time friend and animal lover has pet donkeys. When he and his wife moved here  from the State of Washington in 2002, the donkeys (Paco, Cupcake, Biscuit, and Bullet) came too because they were part of the family. They were meticulously transported in a tractor-trailer rig that was specially built to haul race horses. Although donkeys are generally known as “beasts of burden,” these cute and curious animals never worked a day in their life. They’ve been carefully maintenanced, faithfully fed, lavishly loved on, and provided with toys to entertain them in their pampered life on the farm.

Man is usually smarter than a donkey, but in the Old Testament, we find that Balaam is  three bales dumber than his donkey. As he set off on a journey riding his donkey, “…God was angry that Balaam was going, so he sent the angel of the Lord to stand in the road to block his way. Balaam’s donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road into a field, but Balaam beat it and turned it back onto the road. Then the angel of the Lord stood at a place where the road narrowed between two vineyard walls. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it tried to squeeze by and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So Balaam beat the donkey again. Then the angel of the Lord moved farther down the road and stood in a place too narrow for the donkey to get by at all. This time when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down under Balaam. In a fit of rage Balaam beat the animal again with his staff. Then the Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak. ’What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?’ it asked Balaam” (Numbers 22:22-28 NLT) .

“Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him.” The angel of the Lord said, “Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me. Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey” (Numbers 22:31-33 NLT).

Because of His unfailing love and mercy, God will go to great lengths to get our attention when we‘re heading in the wrong direction and acting dumber than a box of rocks. We shouldn’t be surprised that He’ll use whatever is available to get His point across. God used a meek-and-lowly talking donkey to get through Balaam’s thick skull. God’s bound and determined to get us to stop, drop, and roll in the right direction.

Wisdom comes from the one and only true God. Book smart is certainly beneficial, but it’s not enough to walk the Kingdom journey. We must honestly admit that we don’t know it all, and constantly seek God’s life-changing truths. “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you” (James 1:5 NLT). We need all the wisdom we can get and it’s available just for the asking! Christ followers simply need to acknowledge that we’re not as capable (by ourselves) as we often think we are. “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil” (Proverbs 3:7 NLT).

The Key: Keep your spiritual eyes and heart open to God’s wisdom and leading.

Counterfeit religion is not in short supply.  Too many church-goers have been tricked into believing that they are going to Heaven because they do good works or fake behaviors that deceive.  They are in trouble.  There is no relationship with God.  There is no “new creation” after they claim they accepted Jesus into their lives.  There is no fruit blooming as a demonstration to others that they have matured in their walk with the Lord.

Oh, they go through the motions.  They take brownies to an ailing neighbor.  They bow their heads in prayer and are slightly bothered when someone takes God’s name in vain.  They promise to pray for hurting friends and volunteer at the church food bank.  Their Bibles lie open on their coffee tables, and they host prayer groups in their homes.  Still, no heart change exists.  There is no desire to become holy, even though 1 Peter 1:16b makes no bones about it when he repeats what God told the Israelites:  You shall be holy, for I am holy.

Before you decide to throw in the spiritual towel, please know this:   A pretend Christian is not a struggling Christian.  The latter describes every one of us; we all sin and mess up.  (Thank you, Jesus, that I’m not alone in this.)

But notice the clarity of God’s demand.  There is no “consider holiness” or “think about acting holy” or “hope you find holiness before you die.”  No such luck.  God wants more.  You. Shall. Be. Holy…

If you’re like me, you’re squirming.  Wouldn’t it be better if we were told just to “try a little harder” or “be nice” or “figure out a way to make people like you”?  Asking us to be “HOLY” seems a little too much, don’t you think?

Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter what we think.  It matters what God thinks, and that is the goal He has set for each of us.  We must pray for God to help us resist temptation and choose purity, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas where we are displeasing our Creator, and study the Bible to know what is expected.

Counterfeit/pretend religion deceives.  It keeps us in acting mode.  We play the part well, while hiding the real us from others.

• Our Cheshire grins, saved for neighbors or pew-mates, belie the alley-cat fights dominating our homelife.
• A daily fix of Facebook draws us into quarrels as passions are ignited over differing political opinions or self-righteous, judgmental calls.
• We belt out “Amazing Grace” from the first row of pews but once inside our car, tune our radios to secular music about sex and booze.
• We cry out to God when an emergency arises but completely ignore Him once our prayers are answered.

Counterfeit Christians want the most of God with the least effort.  They desire to keep one foot in their daily pleasures and one foot in spiritual considerations.  James 4:4 addresses such a contradiction: Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Our goal needs to be to draw closer to God. But here’s the awesome part—that’s God’s goal too!  He is waiting with open arms for us to ask for His help to make us holy.  We are not left floundering, hoping we get smacked upside our heads with a halo.  All we have to do is ask with a sincere heart, “Heavenly Father, please teach me how to be holy.”  That’s my prayer.  I hope it’s yours too.

Keys to the Kingdom

Because it’s been so long ago, I can’t remember whose pump organ I played as a young girl. But I do remember the effort and coordination it took to coax the instrument into action and make the thing sing. It had about 17 knobs (stops) that could be pulled out to select the desired sound.  If I pulled out all the stops, it was as full and loud as I could get it (as long as my ankles didn’t wear out). It’s a hoot to play one of these grand old gems. The Beverly Hillbillies was a favorite show of mine and I was always impressed with the delightful music cousin Pearl got out of her pump organ.

All my life I’ve been surrounded by the enthralling sound of music. In the church sanctuary, many of us have sung the lyrics by Judson W. Van DeVenter: “All to Jesus I surrender; all to Him I freely give. I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live. I surrender all. I surrender all. All to Thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all.” That’s quite a bold testimony song that’ll change your life if you truly mean what you sing. All for Jesus means none for Satan — zero, he gets nothin’. Nothin’ from nothin’ leaves nothin’.

As followers of Jesus, we must determine to “go for it” and pull out all the stops as we live for Him and represent Him. The account of Lot’s wife is a good example of a bad example. Her feet left Sodom, but her heart stayed. “When they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, ’Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley’” (Genesis 19:17 NLT). She chose poorly when she disobeyed and looked back — and was promptly turned into a salt shaker. She’d been duly warned, but ignored it. Believers have three choices and we better choose excellently: Get in, get out, or get run over. Mrs. Lot started out in the right direction, but then her loyalty and determination fizzled out. She simply wasn’t all in for God and His plan for her life.

If believers will determine to do their part and live “full-court press,” God will provide all the tools we need to stand firm against the devil. With Jesus living inside us, being a Christian is “no hill for a climber.”  But we have to make the decision that we’re going to love and trust Jesus totally, no matter how tired we get pumping that instrument. We don’t want to quit before life’s song is over because we need to finish what we started.

“Surrendering all” and living full bore is absolutely possible. “I withstand [the enemy]; I am firm in faith [against his onset — rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to my brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world (1 Peter 5:9 AMP).

After choosing Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord, we must make up our mind to never give up, look back, or turn around. “And without faith living within us it would be impossible to please God. For we come to God in faith knowing that He is real and that He rewards the faith of those who passionately seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6 TPT).

The Key: Be determined not to wind up on the kitchen table in a salt shaker.

A Christian businessman was traveling in Korea. In a field by the side of the road was a young man pulling a plow while an old man held the handles. The businessman was amused and took a snapshot of the scene. “I suppose these people are very poor,’” he said to the missionary who was interpreter and guide to the party.

“Yes,” was the quiet reply. “Those two men are Christians. When their church was being built, they were eager to give something toward it, but they had no money. So, they sold their only ox and gave the proceeds to the church. This spring they are pulling the plow themselves.” The businessman, silent for a few moments, said, “That must have been a real sacrifice.”

“They did not call it that,” answered the missionary. “They thought themselves fortunate that they had an ox to sell!”

I read that story and wonder how much I really give up in order to advance the gospel, in order to obey Romans 12:1, where I am told to be a “living sacrifice” to the Lord.  How about you?  Are you content just to tithe and call it good?    But aren’t there other things we are asked to sacrifice?  In Mark 14, we learn of a woman who sacrificed not only her most valuable possession but also her pride.  Could we say the same?

Just a few days before Jesus’ death, we read about a dinner party where an uninvited woman showed up with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume (about $15,000 today), broke the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus’ head. Guests were indignant and harshly rebuked her. “Why this waste of perfume?  It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” I love Jesus’ response.

 “Leave her alone…Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.  The poor you will always have with you and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.  She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

In Lady in Waiting, Becoming God’s Best While Waiting for Mr. Right, Jackie Kendall explains the purpose of the alabaster box in biblical times. When a young woman was old enough to marry, her family would buy this box and fill it with ointment.  When a man proposed, the future bride would break this box at his feet in order to show him honor.

Don’t miss the importance in this story about Jesus.

Amidst the arrogant rudeness of the other dinner guests, she, a lowly woman, cared not that she was being mocked and ridiculed.  Her entire focus was on her Savior. He who would be betrayed by Judas a short time later had to breathe a sigh of relief that someone understood what he had come to earth to do and wanted to honor him for it.  His disciples certainly didn’t.  The high priest didn’t.  Those for whom he had performed miracles didn’t.  Many of us still don’t.

But this woman did. In a few hours, Jesus would be on his knees, weeping that God would stop his crucifixion from happening.  But at this moment, he had an acknowledgement that it was worth it. Someone wasn’t requiring anything from him but wanting to love on him right where he was.

Dear Readers, what is your most treasured possession, your “alabaster box”?  This woman gave all she could.  Could Jesus say the same about my life?  Could he say it about yours?

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

When I’m planning a meal for family or friends, I write out the menu on a little card and then make a grocery list. These lists help to ensure that I cover all the bases. I also keep the menu in sight to make sure I don’t forget to set everything on the table when it‘s time to announce, “Supper‘s ready!” I’ve been known to leave the deviled eggs in the refrigerator only to discover them after everyone left (sad face). Even though the meal time was enjoyable, without the deviled eggs it was “not as.”

One early wintry morning, while a lot of the community was still sleeping, I was not. Darkness still blanketed my property and I had just loaded the fireplace with wood when I was oddly drawn to the piano. I stood, leaning over the bench, and began playing and singing, “My Jesus knows when I am lonely, He knows each pain, He sees each tear. He understands each lonely heartache, He understands because He cares. My Jesus knows just what I need. Oh yes He knows just what I need. He satisfies and every need supplies, yes He knows just what I need.” I don’t know what was going on in the life of Mosie Lister when he penned the lyrics and composed the music to this song, but I would imagine he was experiencing some type of heaviness in his soul. We can all relate.

I don’t know if Jesus made lists and checked them twice or not. He could have. I do know that He covered all the bases before He left His followers to return to heaven. Jesus was speaking to His disciples and one of them asked a question. He replied, “What I am telling you is from the Father who sent Me. I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as My representative — that is, the Holy Spirit — He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid“ (John 14:24-27 NLT).

Jesus accomplished His Father’s will by providing the needed sacrifice so those who believe in Him could have an abundant life now and an everlasting life later. Then there was only one more thing He made sure all believers would have — and that was peace. Jesus pays close attention to every detail of our lives and He knew if we had peace, we could not only survive, but enjoy life in Him. “No Jesus, no peace. Know Jesus, know peace.” I would imagine we’ve all prayed for peace at one time or another. But, according to Jesus’ own words, He already gave us the gift of peace. Perhaps we can liken it to purchasing another bottle of aspirin when we already have two unopened bottles in the medicine cabinet. By faith we have to apply the peace Jesus already gave us. It’s inside of us, but we have to activate it. It’s like when we’re issued a new credit card, we must call the card company to activate it before we can use it. If you’ll get quiet, you will hear the Holy Spirit gently remind you that you have the gift of peace in you.

We need to realize that the activation process is not just a one-time deal. It must be activated every time something/someone tries to steal our peace. From personal experience, I know that the devil can be counted on to do that because, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10 NLT). Don’t let the devil take what Jesus gave you. Stand your ground and keep it because, of all things, you desperately need peace of mind and heart.

The Key: Jesus covered all the bases and gave us His gift of peace.