Coincidence?

Last week, two interesting headlines appeared side by side in my newpaper:

Opening Up Heaven: Poll finds more Americans expect people from a diversity of faiths to find a welcome

Megachurches evolve while continuing to grow

The first article highlighted a growing trend among Americans to believe there are many paths to heaven. The second highlighted the growth of attendance at megachurches and their evolving methods of spreading their message.

Now this is no knock on megachurches, but I found it interesting that at the same time that we see church membership growth, we also find an increasing lack of solid theological beliefs. Any good researcher would have to do further study to see if it is causal or correlational. That is, is one causing the other? Are churches causing the theological beliefs to change in a negative direction or are people flocking to solid churches as they see many people around them being caught up in heresies? I don't know. I hope it's the latter. Or, it could be purely coincidental.

The poll did find that those who attend these large churches are more likely to tithe, attend worship services weekly, and believe that heaven and hell absolutely exist than the general public. So that's good news.

But I have to wonder if churches, in their attempts to grow and attract more people, are letting some of the foundational truths of the gospel slip to the sidelines. If they are not, they need to at least be cognizant of the fact that America is rapidly becoming a melting pot of religious ideas and if the voice of truth is not carried out loudly and clearly, many wonderful, good-intentioned people will be led astray. It's not enough to get them in the door if you are not going to disciple them and lead them into a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ. A growing church, full of people following their own hodge podge blend of spirituality, is a tragedy of eternal consequence.

Numbers 12

Numbers 12:3 (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)

Apparently, Moses was the most humble man on earth. We know this because he told us so. And, he was not surpassed until Jesus came on the scene.

Now, this humility intrigues me. My first thought was how did he get so humble? Then I realized the answer: 40 years in the dessert.

Moses started out with an amazing resume. God had placed him in Pharaoh's court. He had the wealth, the education, the status, and the visibility to be the perfect leader for the rebellion. He must have also had a noticeable physical presence because he killed an Egyptian slave driver, someone I am sure took pride in being able to defend himself against anyone who might challenge him.

Moses felt like his whole life had led up to this point. He was ready to start the revolution with himself at the helm. But the long awaited revolt sputtered out, leaving Moses rejected and humiliated. So off into the dessert he goes.

Fast forward 40 years and we see Moses begging God to leave him out of the whole "slave-freeing debacle". He'd already been humbled and humiliated once, he couldn't take it again. But it was through exactly that kind of meekness that God wanted to showcase His power.

I love how God works. To the things we think are our strengths, He says, "Nope, don't need that." We make plans, God laughs. We're ready to jump to the front and do something for God in a big way. He says, "Wait a few years. I have to humble you a bit. I've got time." Paul, too, after being instantly converted on the road to Damascus, spent the next 12 years or so relearning everything he thought he already knew. That was why, many years later, he could honestly say that the rich heritage he had been "blessed" with was worthless. God had to spend years undoing all that Paul had spent years becoming.

So often, I want God to do something - NOW. I want instant wisdom, instant forgiveness, instant love, instant fruitfulness, and my frustration is high when He appears to be taking His time. God is showing me that a few years in the dessert may be just what I need.

Stop Complaining - Numbers 11

Numbers 11 begins with the people complaining to Moses how sick they were of manna - the miraculous gift God provided every day to sustain them in the desert.

So God sends quail. He promised them meat they would eat until it came out of their noses and became loathsome to them, because they rejected the blessing He was already pouring out on them.

It goes on to say that while they were chewing the new found bounty, they were struck with a plague and buried for their greed.

There's a lesson in here somewhere!

So here's my struggle - stop complaining. Not forever, of course. I can't make that kind of commitment! But what if I didn't complain today? What if I went just one day without complaining and lived a life of praise instead? What if I put all of my complaints aside, just until I go to bed tonight, and give myself permission to complain later? And what if I make this same commitment tomorrow?

Can I do it? Can I fast from complaining and praise God instead? We'll see!

Believing God for our homeschool year

I simply CANNOT believe we're going on our fifth year of homeschooling. After 4 years, I think I finally feel like I know what I'm doing, but next year, when Chandler hits high school (NOT POSSIBLE) everything changes. So feeling somewhat confident today, doesn't help for long.

So what do I have to show for 4 completed years?
~more books than I know what to do with
~sleepless nights when I woke in a panic that I am ruining my children's future
~flat-on-my-face prayers for strength and wisdom
~true recognition and acceptance of my girl's strengths and weakness
~humility when I admit that what I am doing is not working
~fear that I am doing it all wrong
~repositioned priorities
~heartbreak from time to time

So why then do I do it?

God asked me to. For some reason, He thinks I can do this. I think He's wrong. I've asked Him to release me from this calling more times than I can count. Yet here I am.

This past week, I ran into Hebrews 3:12 - See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.

I've come to see that I am unbelieving. I don't believe God when He says I can do this, through His strength. I don't believe that He will fill in where I am weak, that He will gloss over my failures, that He will teach my children what I cannot.

So that is my prayer for the year. Help my unbelief. Once again, God, I'm giving this back to you. You asked my to do this. I'm trusting you.

I realize this post makes homeschooling my children seem all heartache and no reward and that is certainly not true. In truth, there is much joy as I get to spend all day with my girls molding and shaping their character, seeing them blossom into beautiful young women, growing in their relationship with the Lord. There is the joy I experience when I see them loving learning and grasping something previously beyond their reach. For the flip side of this angst ridden post, see my other blog.

God is good.