The Fatigue of Christmas

I love Christmas but over the years it has become an increasingly stressful time.

I live for all that comes along with Christmas. The gift giving. The tree, the sweets, the decorations. It all brings me joy. And I want to pass that joy to my children.

But for the last 5 years I haven't had a home. My own home anyway. Which means I can't do Christmas the way I would like. My traditions like my life are just being pieced together. Fit in when they can be.

And we're low on cash during this time of year which adds to the stress. Add to that working hard all year and feeling like you have nothing to show for your blood, sweat, tears, ears, elbows and toes. It all culminates on a day like today.

Everyone has their things that make this time of year hard. And it can be tough getting out from under the cloud.

Today definitely didn't help my mood. It was raining and cold and cloudy all day. Many times I felt like I wanted to just break down and cry. Especially when I "broke" my e-commerce store that I haven't made a sale in all year.

So here I am, just sad, thinking about Jesus in the Garden sweating blood asking his father to take his burden away.

I feel all of that. The despair. The distraughtness. The pressure of the life that has been given to you to lead and wanting to be released from that burden.

The fallacy of modern Christianity is the idea that God will magically remove us all pain. Remove the burden. Magically give me a mortgage with bad credit and a stupidly unbalanced debt to income ratio. Magically give me a Sale with almost no advertising.

We often ask God to erase reality but that isn't real. He didn't do it for Jesus, why would he do it for us? For me?

God never promised he would erase our reality. He promised he'd walk with us through it and bring us out the other side.

When Jesus stood before God, God knew that the only way to get to glory was to go through the reality.

Reality is often it's cruelest during Christmas. Where you wrestle with guilt over not getting the right gifts or any at all. Bad profits or no profits. Family nightmares - yes I said it because they truly are. Homelessness. Feeling displaced.

This isn't necessarily a feel good post. But the reality of Christianhood is that life is not. Its icky and sticky and hard but you have to go through all of it to make it to the other side.

Jesus asked for the burden to be lifted while knowing it couldn't. Because sometimes we just need a day off from being strong and need to be able to say, this is hard. Then he gave it all to God and walked his road.

We know the story ends in his resurrection but the journey there killed him. Yet he still walked it.

That's my struggle and my encouragement.

I stand before God asking him to take away a burden I created. Knowing that to make it to my resurrection I have to give it all to God...and keep walking.

Releasing control and following God's plan is the hardest part for me. And there are days I don't think I'll make it. Days like today when I have no money, have made no sales, it's a week from Christmas, I have a ton of responsibilities and am wondering what I'm even doing it all for.

Hearing God whisper just keep walking. Stay planted and just keep walking. Just like Jesus stay planted in the plan and will of God and keep walking through the journey.

I'll make it to my resurrection eventually. When? I'm not sure but it will come. All of life is unsure. But what is certain is that God is with me and has been this whole time and he'll lead me through... if I let Him.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

Sent from my iPhone

Biblical Feminism

Biblical Feminism

This is a LOADED title and maybe it will become a series. We'll see.

But today's post will touch on two things.
Patriarchy and women in the Bible.

People say that the Bible stresses a patriarchal society. I agree and disagree. In today's society men use their power to crush and abuse women and children in their care. When you look at patriarchy biblically what you find is that yes, God did put men over women and children. Not to abuse them but to protect them.

Abraham, I'll be talking about Abraham a bunch today because he was one of the clearest examples of what the man's role in his household was.

Abraham was in charge of his whole household from his wife on down to the child of his maids and servants. They were all from the House of Abraham. He was responsible for their shelter, their food, their well-being and their safety.

That's a huge deal.

Unfortunately a lot of that responsibility has now been put on women when they never were supposed to have that burden.

I do need to stress though that responsibility does not equate tyrannical rule ability. The Bible is clear about how a husband is supposed to treat his wife and children. It says to love you wife as Christ loves the church and gave himself up for it. To love your wife the way you treat yourself. To not bring your children to wrath. God knew he had to lay this out for men and it's no surprise they gloss over these parts because they require selflessness. It also means that when these things don't happen the responsibility rest squarely with the man.

When Abraham slept with Hagar and she had his baby (see Hagar: The Side Chick) the ensuing chaos was his fault and God didn't tell Sarah to fix it though it was her idea, he told Abraham to fix.

And as a woman I'm glad I don't have that responsibility. I feel a great deal of protectiveness over my family. But the level of responsibility my husband feels for our protection, our happiness, our provision is on another level. As it should be. If he is supposed to love me as Christ loved the church I would expect that.

Notice: I don't have a monetary expectation. We teach girls, incorrectly that a man who can buy you stuff is a good provider. But that is not what the Bible says. I can make money but I need a heart protector, I need a burden sharer, I need a person who will protect my secrets. A person I can entrust my life to. Money can't provide that, only character can.

In God's Economy the man being the head doesn't mean that God didn't see value in women. It means that He equates us to His church. Something He loves dearly, cherishes and seeks to protect not rule and lord over.

In fact, in God's Economy we know he saw value in women. Deborah, Sarah, Esther, Rahab, Rachel, Mary, Anna and many others. Strong, powerful women who God entrusted his people, his family line and his Son to. If that's not valued I don't know what is.

And last time I checked there were no weak women in the Bible. They stood up to kings, sacrificed for their families, took leaps of faith as death stared them in the face while the men hide in fear. So stop listening to the interpretation of the Bible and read it for yourself.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

God Does NOT Have a Covenant With the United States

God does NOT have a covenant with the United States

I'll repeat for the Christians in the back. God does NOT have a covenant with the United States. The Church in America is really quite pompous I have discovered as I have gotten older. It bothers me to watch some of these folks talk about the covenant of God and America as if God needs us. He doesn't need us.

The only nation God has a covenant with is the nation of Israel and yet we in the US believe that godly morality resides in the West. As if God changed His mind over the years and moved it to us.

How crazy is that when our country didn't even exist when the Bible was written?

When I was a kid it never quite made sense to me how Israel was across the Atlantic but we were the nation of God. It didn't make sense because it's not true.

We as believers have individual covenants with God. The more believers in one area, the higher the God concentration. Like mass immunization creates group immunity. People at large benefit.

America has seen prosperity and protection because of the people of God who live here. The Bible says blessings rain down on the just and unjust. God blesses His people and those blessings benefit all. That doesn't mean God has a covenant with America and we see that fact more and more becuase as the number of believers goes down in this country the crazier it seems.

Donald Trump or any president for this matter doesn't automatically obtain the presence and protection of God because he's in office. That presence comes from actually having a personal relationship with God themselves and to a lesser extent being surrounded by believers, remember mass immunity.

America has benefited greatly from having great men and women of faith residing in its borders. Unfortunately, we a Christians have not been great stewards of the Gospel. We have started to look less like Christ and more like the world.

For that reason it has weakened God's presence not because He is weaker but because we have diminished Him in our lives.

And every time in the Bible that this began to happen with the children of Israel bad things happened. Oftentimes it was that they ended up conquered. The difference in that situation though is that God promises them He would not let them be destroyed.

America has no such promise.

And that is what is so scary. Many Christians act as if the United States is all powerful because God has made it so. That's hogwash. Even with the Abrahamic covenant God has allowed the children of Israel to be conquered multiple times. So how can we be immune?

What I have as a Christian is that God will never leave me or forsake me. That means that regardless of what is happening in or to my country God will always be with me. It doesn't mean bad things won't happen. It means that when they do God will be there as I navigate through it and will bring me out on the other side.

The US stands at a critical point in its history where it's actions and response will be recorded and judged harshly.

For Christians we have to decide whose side we are on. It should be the Lord's and not this awful ungodly rhetoric.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

Trump is the Modern Day King Saul

It's still incredible to me that evangelicals are saying that God chose Trump. It's incredible for the obvious reasons:

He clearly has broken every commandment there is but especially the two most important ones, Love the Lord your God with all you heart, mind and strength and Love your neighbor as yourself.

But the least obvious is that God never wanted us to have a king (president, ruler, dictator, tyrant, etc) in the first place.

When the Bible says there is nothing new under the sun there really isn't. I'm reminded when the children of Israel asked Samuel for a king. Samuel was distressed and asked, "What for?" Their response back was "because everyone else has one". Not the greatest of reasons huh?

So he went to God with all this and God said, let them have it, they have rejected me anyway. They asked and He ALLOWED them to get what they asked for. They wanted a king, they chose Saul.

I put allowed in all CAPS because the one thing we get horribly wrong as believers is that because it's in the Bible that's the way God wanted it. However, when you read his Word that is clearly not the case.

God didn't want them to have a king because He was their King. They didn't need a human one. But He let them have what they asked for. And King Saul definitely was not God's choice. (If you want to see God's choice see King David.) As you see later in the text Saul was a mess.

The Lord Rejects Saul as King

Trump was a mess from the start and he still is. Of all the people that God would choose it's NOT him. And God allowed him to be revealed for who he was before this election. But just like the children of Israel wanted Saul, God let you evangelicals have your king.

If you want to know how our story ends just look at how Saul's ended. The children of Israel ended up beat down and conquered in battle. And Saul lost everything; relationship with God, his kingdom, his children and his life.

And the TRUTH is that God stopped picking Kings a long time ago. God made his final pick thousands of years ago when He picked Jesus; the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. There was no more need for him to pick because it is finished and Jesus is Lord.

So, all those who want to stay on the Trump wagon be my guest but stop giving God credit for Your ill-advised decision and stop making Trump your god because you already have One and He deserves your loyalty.

Besides history, God will remember this moment. He will ask you, What did you do for the least of these? Did you put other gods before me? Did you seek justice? Did you search for truth or accept the lie? I hope you have a good answer.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

Hagar: The Original Side Chick

Side Chick culture is rampant out here nowadays. It's not only glorified but celebrated.

No women should ever be ok with being on the side. We are all worthy to be the one and only as God intended.

In God's Economy men are one woman men. If you were supposed to have more than one God would have took more than one rib and made more than one Eve.

So even though side chicks are fashionable these days the consequences can be devastating. Take it from the original side chick: Hagar.

Now if you don't know the story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar read up on it here. But in a nutshell, God told Abraham who was a very old man that he would have a child and the nation of Israel would come through that child. His very old wife Sarah didn't see how that was possible with her so she concocted a plan to make God's plan happen. Note: God doesn't need help btw.

So she sent Hagar to have sex with her husband and get pregnant. Which she did.

Now this isn't a traditional side chick story but this isn't unique either. The traditional story is Guy has a wife, he cheats on wife with the side chick and she gets pregnant and has a baby. Hagar's story is more of a lifetime TV movie where couple wants a baby, wife lets husband sleep with lady to get said baby. Surrogate turns out to be crazy.

What is traditional is the outcome. Hagar, the side chick, began to feel like she should be the main chick because she has the baby, the heir, the prophesied child. And she started rubbing it in Sarah's face.

The thing is, she wasn't the main chick. She wasn't Abraham's wife. She didn't have the heir. Sarah was Abraham's wife Hagar was not and the prophecy was with Sarah and Abraham not her.

In today's world this would've been when the side chick would confront the wife and say look what I did for your man that you couldn't. Ouch!

So what did Sarah do, she confronted her husband about it. And what did he do? He chose his wife over Hagar.

The end result, Sarah eventually also has a son. Sarah felt threatened by Abraham's son with Hagar so they are sent away. Now a father and son are no longer together.

This isn't new. It happens all the time. The men almost never choose the side chick. They always side with their wives and because they want to make their wives happy they end up not being in their child's life like they would want to. In God's economy the wife is who they made a covenant with  and have a responsibility to.so it makes sense that the man would chose his wife. And most women don't want a constant reminder of the pain of the side chick relationship. We  don't have to like it but that's the reality.

I chose this three way to highlight because of its present day implications. God made a promise to make Abraham's son's descendants numerous and He kept that promise. Isaac who grew up with his father birthed the nation of Israel. Ishmael who did not birthed the nations in the Middle East. Still today these groups fight over being the legitimate descendants of Abraham.

I can only imagine Ishmael growing up and becoming an angry young man, hating the fact that his younger brother grew up to have the birthright he believed belonged to him. And he and his descendants have lived up to his name.

If this story isn't enough of a cautionary tale I don't know what is. It doesn't pay to be the side chick.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

The Colorism of Jesus

Color is such a big deal in America. It's sickening really. Color is really an American construction that came about because of slavery.

During Jesus day and in most of the world today, except for America, people are classified by where they come from and who they belong to. For example if you are from France, regardless of if you are black or white, you are French. They, your ancestors, may belong to Cameroon or the Ivory Coast but you are a French citizen and therefore French.

It's not that easy in America where the whole point of slavery was to purposely steal, conceal and rob people of that very thing. Taking children from there mother's and selling them away so they never truly know where they come from and to whom 'they belong.

]Histories lost. Identify destroyed. It was purposeful.

Doesn't that sounds familiar? History is now repeating itself as this administration steals children from their parents. The purpose is to strip them of where they come from and who they belong to.

Nowhere in the Bible does it talk about color. That's because in God's Economy it doesn't matter. The concept of White Jesus and Black Jesus have always puzzled me. Because both are fake news.

First, black and white didn't exist during Jesus day. So we are trying to force onto the Bible an idea that was not designed by God and has no place in His kingdom. Man cares about the color of ones skin. In God's Economy there was only one distinction that mattered. Jew and Gentile.

Color had nothing to do with this distinction. It had everything to do with where you came from and who you belonged to. Which means that us Americans are all Gentiles. unless you can trace your family tree back to the line of Abraham you in the same category as this Caribbean American black girl. No one color was superior.

Second, We don't own Jesus. He wasn't a white guy and he wasn't a black guy. He was some color in the middle. But that doesn't even matter. What mattered is where he came from and who he belonged to. That's what made Him important. That's what made Him special. That's what made Him the Messiah.

Family line is what matters in the Bible. Whom you belong to and where you are from. There are whole passages of scripture dedicated to just list who begat who. Jesus himself came from the line of David. He was from Nazareth. He was sent by God. He was born of a virgin. He belongs to the Jews. He belongs to God.

All of this is important because it fulfilled the prophecy. Nowhere does it say this one with caramel skin and this one with white skin or blue or purple because it wasn't important.

Third, Jesus died for all of us anyhow. After the Jews rejected Him He went to tell all the Gentiles or non-Jews about Salvation. When He died he did it for all of us not just some of us. Color has no bearing on your Salvation. If you accept the gift Of Christ you're saved.

I get it through. We all want Jesus to look like us so that we can say we are in the club or have a place to find belonging. And I understand the need to try to erase the whitewashed Jesus presented to slaves years ago so that we can say that Jesus is ours. But the truth is He is yours and He does look like you. He has two eyes, a nose, a mouth, hair, two hands, two feet. He has been angry. He has been sad. He has loved. He has experienced disappointment. He has walked in our shoes and lived this life. He represents all of us.

We need to change our mindset. We are all part of the family of God. You belong to God. Regardless of color and that's all that matters.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

God's Economy - Appearances Mean Nothing

There are a lot of King Sauls in the church today. They look good, they sound good and they even smell good. Cuz that’s what matters to us nowadays, right? Folks who are InstaReady, right?

But their life, their walk with God is foul. And we make excuses for it because they look the "part". Folks out here running around without the fear of God forgetting how the story of King Saul turned out; defeated, chased and at a witch's door step.

Have we learned nothing from when God called David? 1 Samuel 16

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

When Samuel went to Jesse’s house looking for the next king he made the same mistake that we church folks make now. We are looking at what a person has and looks like and not the Jesus that exists inside of them.

That is the reason that so many people missed Jesus, the Savior of the world. He didn't look the part.

I worked for a Christian nonprofit for many years and I have been in church in some capacity my whole life. I have met many different pastors, elders, bishops, reverends from across the tri-state and the country. I’ve seen them on the pulpit and not on the pulpit. The stories I could tell.

I say that to say that those experiences have allowed me to put the appropriate person on the pedestal of my heart. Not the preacher but Jesus himself.

We are all human and we make mistakes and can be selfish. We are born into a sinful world. It's in our nature to do the wrong thing. A accepting Christ and sitting in a pulpit doesn't change that.

So I go to church and listen to sermons not because of the man in the pulpit but because of who the man in the pulpit is talking about.

There are a few preachers that I personally don’t like however if they are a part of a conference I'm attending or have preached a good Word I'm listening. Because I know that God can speak through anyone. Do we forget Balaam and his donkey (Numbers 22:21-35) stopping him on the road to talk sense into him?

I measure that man in the pulpit by how what he says and does lines up to the Word of God. If his sermon is right I listen to that but if his life ain’t right I’m not following him blindly. That is foolish.

Often times we measure God by the man in the pulpit. We say God is good because the preacher is rich or well off. That’s false. God is good regardless of the preacher and his circumstances. God is good! Period. The preacher is blessed because God is good.

David killed Goliath not because he was a good shot but because he trusted in the power and accuracy of God guiding the stones.

How many leaders in our churches exist because they look good and talk good, not because they are good or filled with the Holy Spirit?

Let’s stop saying that everyone in the pulpit is appointed, chosen or anointed by God cuz that isn’t true either. King Saul was not appointed, chosen or anointed by God. God allowed the Israelites to have the leader they wanted just like He allows today.

Nowadays you can get a diploma in theology and not believe a word of the Bible. A relationship with God is not a pre-requisite course. You will know if a person preaching the Word of God is of God if what they say and do doesn’t contradict God’s Word. And the ONLY way to know that, is if you are reading the Word of God For. Your. Self.

If we stopped putting our faith and trust in a man and instead put it in God where it belongs we wouldn’t be so disappointed when preachers show themselves to be flawed human beings.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

How Many of Us are the Rich Young Ruler?

This has to be one of the saddest stories in the Bible. Living in America we have bought the idea that money will solve all of life’s problems. This story however shows how wrong that thinking is.

If you have never read the story of the rich young ruler read it here.

In a nutshell this young man had all that life could offer. He had it ALL and yet.. something was missing. So he went to Jesus and he asked him what must he do to be fulfilled and Jesus said give it all up and follow me.

How many of us are not willing to let go of what we have in order to gain what we actually want? A preacher once said, God cannot bless a closed fist.

We want peace but aren’t willing to follow the source of peace. We want joy but are unwilling to let go of that which steals it away. We want happiness and love but we aren’t will to do what is necessary to have those things.

The deepest part of this story is when it says that this young man left sorrowful. He left sorrowful because he knew that he was choosing to leave behind fulfillment because he could not let go of that which was unfulfilling.

That’s why a person could be the richest man, the sexiest man alive and be depressed. Those things aren’t fulfilling but having peace that passes all understanding whether rich or poor is beyond compare.

Do you find yourself in situations where you know that you can’t let go even though it means misery and sorrow?

Break those chains. Open your fist. Let it go.

What that young man failed to realize is that he walked away from the man that rules the whole universe. So he would have given up his small riches and gained the world.

Don’t be like this young man. Don’t walk away sorrowful.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

Praise Break: Then Came the Morning

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

Just when Satan thought he had fought God and won, then came the morning!

Hallelujah!

The Unlikely Missionary 

DHW

They all walked away, nothing to say

They'd just lost their dearest friend

All that He said, now He was dead

So this was the way it would end

The dreams they had dreamed were not what they'd seemed

Now that He was dead and gone

The garden, the jail, the hammer, the nail

How could a night be so long?

Then came the morning

Night turned into day

The stone was rolled away

Hope rose with the dawn

Then came the morning

Shadows vanished before the sun

Death had lost and life had won

For morning had come

The angel, the star, the kings from afar

The wedding, the water, the wine

Now it was done, they'd taken her Son

Wasted before His time

She knew it was true, she'd watched Him die too

She'd heard them call Him just a man

But deep in her heart she knew from the start

Somehow her Son would live again

Then came the morning

Night turned into day

The stone was rolled away

Hope rose with the dawn

Then came the morning

Shadows vanished before the sun

Death had lost and life had won

For morning had come

Then came the morning

Shadows vanished before the sun

Death had lost and life had won

For morning had come

For morning had come

Praise Break: Your Spirit

Today is Good Friday!

We generally are happy to see Friday come but today is especially special for those of us who know and serve the LIVING God. 2,000+ years ago Jesus died tonight but we don't serve a dead Savior.

We serve a RISEN God

He is alive and deserving of our praise today. So I'm leaving this praise break with you today because the spirit of the Lord came down and dwelt among us and we have life because of it.

We stand in awe of Him today. 

Hallelujah!

Not by might Not by power By your spirit God Send your spirit God You are the fire We are the temple You are the voice We are your song You are our God We are your people You are the light We stand in awe We stand in awe of you Not by might Not by power By your spirit Send your spirit God You called us out Out of the darkness Into your love , into your light Grace upon grace Beauty for ashes You come to us. We come alive We stand in awe of you We stand in awe of you Not by might Not by power By your spirit God Send your spirit God Breathe, come and breathe on us Spirit breathe on us We stand in awe of you Not by might Not by power By your spirit Send your spirit God Breathe , come and breathe on us Spirit breathe on us

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

It Crushed Me

When my husband called me to tell me that we were evicted from our apartment it crushed me. I was at work, 6 months pregnant and stressed out. The sheriff was there and all he allowed my husband to take was his phone and the clothes on his back.

This wasn’t sudden. We had known for months we could be evicted but I thought that God would by some miracle save me from my bad decisions. But when it actually happened it crushed me. I was homeless.

I was the good Christian girl with two degrees and a job and I was homeless. I was ashamed. I was devastated. And my faith was shaken. And those close to me made me feel even worse.

I was at a crossroads in my faith because we are often taught that if we do all the right things God is gonna bless you. Which many interpret as nothing bad ever happening to you.

As I have learned that’s a bunch of hogwash. Pick a disciple, John the Baptist, Jesus. Jesus especially. Goodness does not equal easy street.

I asked, why me Lord? I’ve done everything I was supposed to do. Why?

When I first started in ministry I didn’t wanna do it. I was a reluctant leader. And then a pastor I greatly admired told me I’d be a youth pastor. I vehemently denied it. He couldn’t possibly see that in me.

Shortly after that he passed away. It crushed me because for the first time in my life I had someone who saw something in me. Believed in me and pushed me to be better.

As a result I embraced ministry. I found I was good at it. It caused me to be creative and to go deep into God’s word. But ministry isn’t easy and I wasn’t always supported so my initial enthusiasm waned. My passion became bitterness and resentment and painful. A chore instead of a blessing. But to people I was the picture of good Christian character.

Watching the talk between Bishop TD Jakes and Pastor Steve For Bishop Jakes’ new book Crushed spoke to me on a deep level because I wish I had known as a young, on fire Christian that this faith walk can be crushing. It wouldn’t have stopped me from trusting God but I would have at least been prepared for the hurt and disappointment.

When I was 19, struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide my aunt told me that if Satan wants you dead this bad that means God has amazing things planned for you. It should have triggered the story of Job to me then but now that I’m older I understand that story’s importance in the Bible and to me.

Job was faithful. He did everything right. In the church of today Job should have been fine. However, that is not how it works in God’s economy. In God’s economy because of his faithfulness God used him to show His power. So he still lost it all. His money. His family. His health. His “friends”.

What he never lost was his faith. He knew that God have given it all to him in the first place and He could give it back to him again. But he questioned and that was ok.

Every great figure in the Bible in some way went through trial by fire. From Abraham and Moses to Jesus who paid the ultimate sacrifice. So how did I truly believe that if I was to be great for the kingdom I would experience nothing but easy street?

I needed the crushing. I needed the crushing of my arrogance in ministry. I needed the crushing of my goody-goody attitude. I needed a crushing of my belief that the ministry needed me. I needed to be humbled to be vulnerable. To let go of my anger. To stop making excuses for my bad behavior.

It was painful and still is but necessary.

I never thought I would be thankful for that day I got evicted. It was a dark day. And the days, weeks and months after were darker. But it forced me to deal with my relationship with God and better understand who He is, who I am and recognize His faithfulness even in the midst of my darkness.

Christian life is NOT easy. You can do everything “right” and still “lose”. But this walk with God means you never walk alone and through you lose a few battles victory is already yours. The path may be rocky but it ends with you on top.

Be encouraged. God hasn’t abandoned you. He’s right there and you’ll be better for it. God turns pressure into power.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

God's Economy - 10% is What's Required

God says to tithe.

God says to tithe 10% of what you make.

If 10% of what you make is $15 and you give $15 to further the work of God,

You and God are straight.

I hate that some churches have turned tithing into an auction. Can I get another $100. C'mon we need $100 for the building fund. Take those checkbooks out. I know we have another $100, $100 here. Going once, give to the Lord twice. Sold to the deacon with the puffed up chest.

This has always bothered me. Didn't Jesus shake the tables in the temple for the same reason?

Now I will say this. It makes no sense for people to ask why the church needs money. Churches pay bills just like everyone else and they also do charitable work. However, asking the church to fund a plane purchase is ludicrous. Here's looking at you Creflo Dollar. Churches are supposed to be good stewards of the Lord's money.

Jesus, Peter, Paul all depended on the kindness of others on their ministry journeys because you have to pay Caesar.

However, God NEVER asks for more than you can give. So if you feel led to give more than your 10% please do so. But if you feel bullied to do so don't and find a church that doesn't pressure its members to give more than is required by God.

What not to do? Stop Giving. The person you need to be good with is God not the pastor.

The truth is that God says to give, not because He needs the money but to see if you trust Him enough to supply your needs. He is the one that has blessed you with the resources you have. Where do your priorities lie?

If you believe that He won't let you starve then put your money where your mouth is. Literally.

My favorite passage of scripture on tithing is the widow who brought all she had to the altar (Mark 12:41-44). This is my favorite passage because it wasn't about the amount. That is an earthly measure. What she gave was much more valuable because she gave from her heart. She gave what she had because she loved God.

I can personally attest that when I tithe I never lack, God always provides and I feel blessed because I'm honoring the request of my savior.

Its the sacrifice. Its the trust. Its the faith. For some 10% is nothing and for others its a lot. God requires 10% but what's most important is your intent.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

Conspicuous Consumption

As I was writing the Myth Busters post it occurred to me how much the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus mirrored our current society. Even the man that currently sits in the White House.

If you missed the Myth Busters post check it out below.

Read: Myth Busters: You Can Go to Heaven and Come Back

The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is found in Luke 16:18-31

In a nutshell the Rich Man lived a life of excess to the point of being obnoxious and Lazarus was a beggar who lived his days with dogs licking the sores on his body and hoping to get some scraps from the Rich Man's table.

In today's society we see many - our current president and many congress members included - who live their days, as Eugene Patterson put it, in conspicuous consumption.

The dictionary defines it as

expenditure on or consumption of luxuries on a lavish scale in an attempt to enhance one's prestige.

Did you just get goosebumps like I did, because doesn't that describe them to a tee? The problem is that in our society, that works because we are focused on material things that we give people who are not worthy of prestige and clout and we step over people like Lazarus.

“Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.

Fast Forward: Both men die. The Rich Man ends up in Hell and Lazarus ends up in Heaven.

Wow what a turn of events. Or is it? Matthew 16:19-21 (see italicized above) specifically tells us NOT to hoard our treasures here on earth. Because if that is what you are chasing you will get it. It will enhance your prestige on Earth. You will have houses and cars and cash on Earth. You will have fans on Earth. And when you die you will have nothing.

The problem is that our time on Earth is finite but our life after death is forever. Lazarus died with nothing. He wasn't even buried! But he was carried up by angels directly to Abraham in Heaven. No sores, no suffering, just peace and contentment. The Rich Man died, was buried. He probably had a lavish funeral but he ended up in Hell.

Disclaimer: Not all rich people go to hell.

The question is why? The answer is: Look where he stored his treasures. The Rich Man's goal was to be rich and be known for being rich. That goal was achieved. But none of that matters in God's Economy. The only person whose opinion matters in Heaven is God's.

So how could it have turned out differently for the Rich Man? If he had been seeking to enhance God's prestige and not his own - treasure stored in heaven. If he had given money to the least of these like Lazarus - treasure stored in heaven. If he had lived modestly - treasure stored in heaven. You can be rich and live modestly.

This story made me think, what am I chasing? 

What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? (Mark 8:36)

We often forget that all that we have in this world doesn't go with us when we die. All that we take with us is ourselves and our deeds.

While Lazarus seemingly had nothing when he died he had everything that truly matter. A place in heaven where there is no suffering whatsoever.

In my own life there exists this tension where I seek wealth but I have to remember not to hoard my riches. 

Like I said, being rich isn't a one way ticket to hell. However, using your riches to hurt others, to be pompous and arrogant, to show no empathy for those who have less shows what's in your store house and ultimately shows what you value and what you worship.

We often thing we can pull one over on God. See Evangelical Politicians as Exhibit A. You can convince and even fool other people but God knows you better than you know yourself. And while you can broker business deals and schemes and scams on Earth, you can't pay for a spot in Heaven.

It doesn't work that way. It never has. So make sure you know what you're chasing and what you are chasing it for.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

Myth Busters: You Can Go To Heaven and Come Back

NO YOU CAN'T

We seem to be fascinated with death and wanting to know what it is and where we go and can we barter with God to get into heaven.

We even have movies and books of people claiming that they went to heaven. But that's really impossible. The Bible tells us why in the parable of the Rich Man & Lazarus. (Not that Lazarus, another one. It was a popular name back in the day)

You can read the story in Luke 16:19-31.

In this story we have a beggar, Lazarus and this Rich Man. As is true even today this Rich Man treated the beggar incredibly poorly. Meanwhile Lazarus just wanted the scraps from the man's table while dogs licked his sore covered body. Then both men died. The beggar ended up in heaven at Abraham's side and the Rich Man ended up in Hell.

Side Note: Even as I type this a new post is coming to me so stay tuned.

The Rich Man in hell looks up and sees Lazarus chilling in heaven and asks Abraham if he could send Lazarus to dip his finger in some water so the man could cool his tongue. My how the mighty has fallen.

Abraham tells him straight up: NO

Because not only can you not go to heaven and come back to earth, unless your name is Jesus and your Father is God, you can't go from heaven to hell or vice versa.

So then he tries another track and asks Abraham to send Lazarus back to earth to warn his brothers about their behavior so they could escape hell.

Rant: The unmitigated gall of this dude who couldn't even be bothered with Lazarus on earth is now asking that Lazarus be sent back to earth from heaven to warn his rude family to save them from hell. Even in hell his rich privilege was showing. Boy bye!

Again, Abraham tells him no.

And the reason is interesting but incredibly true.

“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

With all the people who have died and come back how many people are convinced that it is because of the grace and mercy of God? They say: It's a medical miracle or the person is crazy or its a fantastical dream. Because the truth is if we as people hear the Good News of the Gospel of the one who was TRULY raised from the dead and STILL DON'T BELIEVE why would we believe some Joe Smo on a book tour or press junket?

We wouldn't, and that's the point. When we die there is no going back. And if you're in heaven why would you want to?

Could God raise us from the dead? Absolutely! But why? Us being raised from the dead saves no one but ourselves and our world is so jaded we would all miss the miracle. The only time in the Bible we see anyone raised from the dead is when Elijah, Elisha or Jesus himself did it.

God is the only one with the power to restore life once it is gone. Elijah and Elisha were Old Testament Prophets -when they were still doing animal sacrifices for sin atonement, so we are definitely not of that era - who cried out to God cuz they knew they didn't have the power to restore life. And Jesus is fully God and fully man, and since Jesus isn't walking the earth currently I'd say we are out of luck on this one.

So what's my take? Once we die we are gone and that's it. That's why we must take everyday seriously because we are not promised tomorrow. For those individuals who say they came back from heaven I believe they experienced something but it wasn't heaven because once we get to heaven or the other place we aren't coming back. Not even to warn our loved ones.

As an aside, isn't it interesting that its always heaven they come back from? Never hell. I wonder why? Hmmmm. 

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

Worrying Kills

I am a worrier. I wish I wasn't but I am. And my worry can then become overwhelming.

Worrying that I'm not good enough, worrying that I'll be rejected, worried that people are talking about me behind their back, worried that I won't have enough money, worried that my life will fall apart if I make a wrong moved, worried that if I dream that when they don't come true (notice I didn't say if) the disappointment will be devastating.

Worrying...

It can be incredibly crippling. Each an everyday it is a fight for me to not let my worrying about what ifs destroy my present and future.

Worry is useless. Worry saps our strength and steals our focus. It causes us to be more awestruck and dumbfounded by storms than by the one who silences storms with a word.

— Judah Smith (@judahsmith) March 11, 2019

But each and everyday is a what if. Life is a big what if because its a series of choices and each choice has a consequence, good or bad. What I have to remember and what this tweet reminded me of today is that my focus should not be on the potential storm or the storm I find myself in. My focus should be on the One who can silence the storm with a word.

In Mark 4:37-41 when the disciples and Jesus are in the boat and the storm came they were worried. Truth be told we all would be. However, they shouldn't have been. They had been walking with Jesus and seen him do miracles. So why were they still fearful that he would let them die if he had healed others?

I have to ask myself that. Damaris, why do you believe God will let you fall when all He has ever done is lift you up? Why are you focused on the storm - the wind and the waves - and not focused on God, the source of your strength?

My daughter likes to climb. On the couch, on chairs, on just about anything. When she sees me and I hold my hands out to her she jumps to me. She doesn't question whether I will catch her or not, she's fully confident that I will.

I need to have faith like my daughter that when I jump God will catch me because He always does.

I need to stop worrying.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

Wearing Masks

It's March and if you didn't know its my birthday month. Whenever birthdays come around and you get older you get more introspective.

In writing this blog I find that i have been looking at my life a lot and where I've been and how the things I've experienced have affected my today. And although I knew this its become clearer to me over time that I wore a lot of masks.

While some people may call it fake I call it the hazard of growing up churched. You learn all the rules and the things to say at church and in front of church folks but then you separate that from the other elements of your day to day life.

In my case I grew up feeling invisible. And it was a blessing and a curse. When you are invisible you can observe a lot while being unnoticed and therefore you learn a lot but it is a very lonely place to be at times.

We are meant to do life with people but when you are made to feel small or insignificant you then diminish yourself even further. They call it making yourself diminutive.

I often felt invisible because people assumed I was ok. I didn’t talk a lot, I did what I was supposed to do and that was it. And because I wore the mask of "the good christian girl" no one really bothered to dig deeper to see if I was truly ok.

In my family I was the short one. The quiet one. With allergies and no glasses. I was different.

I have always wanted so desperately to fit in but I felt like I didn’t even fit in with my own family. So I created a mask. I became who I thought people wanted me to be.

How many of us are wearing masks?

We try to be people that we think people want us to be in order to be liked and then when they still reject us anyway our lives are shattered.

As I have gotten older I worry less about fitting in or being part of the pack. I still want to be liked but I no longer live my life trying to be the person others want me to be. I can no longer do life behind a mask. It is emotionally, psychologically and spiritually taxing. 

You can’t hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known. You can’t whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public; the day’s coming when those whispers will be repeated all over town.

Luke 12:2-3

When you wear a mask you know that if people like that person they aren't liking the real you and then you become terrified to show them the real you because you are afraid they will reject you. But then you live in constant fear of being found out. See the emotional roller coaster this is?

Now I wasn't living some big secret life like you see in movies but i had created this whole persona of the perfect church girl who has it all together who didn't drink or curse or struggle with sexual desire which wasn't true. The truth was I didn't have it all figured out, but really who does? I drink sometimes. I curse when I get pissed off and I was having sex. Not with a whole bunch of people but I was. I just never felt it was safe enough for me to show those closest to me who i truly am.

The weight of my mask was unbearable at times. The longer I wore it the heavier the weight got but I held on to it until the bitter end because I was always afraid that everything would blow up if I let people see the real, flawed me and then... it did.

The truth will set you free... John 8:32

In the aftermath I know I can never wear a mask again because I had no peace. I have come to terms with the fact that people won't like me or understand me but that is ok. I like me, I accept me and most importantly I have peace, joy and happiness. No secrets, nothing to blow up.

The lie that Satan tries to sell you is that you will never be liked or accepted which isn't true. First, God already loves and accepts you just as you are. Second, there are people out here in this world who will love, accept and get you. We are meant to do life with people so find those people.

If you currently live behind a mask take it off. Set yourself free. 

If you are thinking of putting one on, don't. Its not worth it and its exhausting.

If you recently shed your mask, its hard at the beginning but it gets better.

Take it from me, I've made it to the other side.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

Feeling the Pressure to be Great

I don’t know about you but I live under the constant pressure to be great. To make something of myself. To make money. To have a good job. To own my own home.

It stresses me out.

On a good day I manage to get my kids ready, make my husband his lunch for work, all my blog posts done, get my podcast copy written, post to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram a couple of times, and reward myself with a latte.

On bad days I sleep through my alarm cuz I was up with my sick kid all night. The latte is a necessity but I can only afford regular and forget podcasting. If I have dinner on the table before 9 I call that a win.

In either case the needle doesn’t move. I still make the same amount of money. Live in the same place. And when I look up I wonder what do I do it all for?

Celebrity life is an anomaly that we all aspire to. We want to be balling. We want all the money, the houses, the cars. And we work hard, looking at all the ways influencers do it and yet, I’m not living the life that I see they have on Instagram.

The truth is, what am I Chasing it all for?

I want better for my family, I want my kids to be happy, I want a healthy marriage. I don’t want to be struggling for money. But I wonder while I sit at my 9-5 and write blog posts and campaigns and try to entice ppl to join my mailing list for my side hustle, is it worth it?

Obviously when Jesus was born there was no Instagram but there was the temple where the priests were seemingly living their best life.

That was who the people at the time revered. That’s who the people wanted to be. But all Jesus wanted to be was about his Father's business.

When I look at my life I often wonder is that what I’m trying to do, be about my Father’s business? In God’s economy if I’m meant to own a house, I will. If I’m meant to be wealthy I will be. If I’m meant to be successful I will be. Because what God has meant for you will be for you...

...if you follow His will for you.

I often find myself mad at God for my life not being right and Him countering but are you chasing after me or those things?

It’s a sobering reminder that we can’t do it our way and then when our way fails blame God for not making ish happen.

Life is hard and it’s a struggle. I struggle, daily because I want so much more. But Jesus had no place to lay his head and yet he was content because he was about his Father's business. That's what truly mattered.

I’m not saying to settle for mediocre but when you do life following God’s will you never have to. God gives only the best.

So as I sit here typing this I wonder what am I doing all of this for?

When the answer comes I’ll let you know.

To be continued.....

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

Podcast Episode 8: Let's Talk That NYS Law

If you hadn't heard NYS passed a new abortion law. The response on both sides of the issue has been crazy.

Read: My Thoughts on the Abortion Debate

As a Christian I have always had a problem with the way the Church has handled this debate. In Episode 8 of the Podcast I give my thoughts on how the Church should be addressing the situation. We should be part of the solution not adding fuel to the fire. But that requires us to do some introspection.

No matter what one decides, or which side you sit on, the fact of the matter is we all are free to make our own choices, God still loves us because we all fall short and as a Christian we are to be the manifestation of God's love.

You can listen to this podcast in the player above or in Apple Podcasts, Stitcher & Spotify. Please rate and subscribe.

For more Unlikely Missionary follow me on Facebook at Facebook.com/UnlikelyMissionary.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

Podcast Episode 7: Choose Happiness

How often do we surrender our happiness to others? Every time we allow others to steal our joy or blame someone for why we are miserable we give them power over our lives.

Life is a series of choices, life or death choices. It can be a literal life and death choice i.e. if you have diabetes and choose not to take your insulin or it can be figurative i.e. you allow someone to get under you skin and it changes your whole mood.

Read: God Gave Us the Gift of Choice

In Episode 7 of the podcast I talk about the fact that the only person's actions we can control is our own and that we should choose happiness. I can't control what people do to me but I can control how it affects me and how I respond to it.

I have chosen to be happy.



You can listen to this podcast in the player above or in Apple Podcasts, Stitcher & Spotify. Please rate and subscribe.

For more Unlikely Missionary follow me on Facebook at Facebook.com/UnlikelyMissionary.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

God's Economy - Door to Door Christianity

Jesus never knocked on doors to spread the Gospel.

I know I just got cut off from a lot of church folks but that's ok.

The Bible does tell us to go tell the Gospel (Mark 16:15). I don't dispute that for a second.

The thing is that Jesus effectively spread the Gospel and didn't knock on a single door. 

Doing this always terrified me as a child because I didn't feel comfortable walking up to complete strangers and because I hated when people did it to me. 9 time out of 10 I always left those situations feeling harassed.

Jesus didn't harass people with the Gospel. Instead He did these three things.

1. His Reputation Preceded Him
   If you are a kind, loving person who is living right people will tell other people about you and the God you serve. Your life is your testimony. The way you live your life is a much greater witness then anything you say,
2. He Had Organic Conversations that Led to Kingdom Conversations
   I never outright tell people about Christ. Mostly because, as a kid, I disliked those people. However, if you get to know me you will know I rock with God the long way and what He means to me.
3. Where He Walked He Brought the Gospel with Him
   Jesus walked. A lot. And where He went He brought the Gospel. When you walk out your door the Gospel is going with you because it is in you. If you are ever asked about your faith you should be ready to share it as Jesus was.

Even I don't open the door to those who walk door to door. Our life is our strongest testament of the Good News. We don't have a telling quota, you just have to be willing to share Jesus where you are.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

Just Breathe

When my kids get really upset I sing them a song from one of their favorite shows, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. It goes, "Let's count down to calm down, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1." Then at the end we say, "breathe" and take a breath.

I started doing this with my son when he was still a baby when he would be having a meltdown. The sound of me singing a song he knew always calmed him. Now my son does it with his sister when she is upset and hard to soothe. It instantly calms her just like it calms him.

In moments of my greatest anxiety I find that God always brings an on-time song to my mind and tells me, "Just Breathe".

In the end, its the breaths that we take that help us know that we are alive and remind us that we are loved by God and still within the reach of His grace and mercy.

So I leave with you today this thought,

God has promised to never leave you, nor forsake you and He can work EVERYTHING out for our good. So Just Breathe. It will be alright.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

Podcast Episode 6: Activate Jesus in the Crisis

Happy New Year!

As promised the podcast is back.

In Episode 6 we are talking about activating Jesus in our crises. We often have them. I was in the midst of one when recording the podcast. When our boat of life is in the midst of the storm and we are being tossed to and fro we have to remember that Jesus is in the boat with us and that at His Word the storm will cease.




You can listen to this podcast in the player above or in Apple Podcasts, Stitcher & Spotify. Please rate and subscribe.

For more Unlikely Missionary follow me on Facebook at Facebook.com/UnlikelyMissionary.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW

God's Economy - Heaven Only Knows

Man doesn't determine who goes to Heaven.

I know church folks believe the opposite of this but....

only God saves

only God qualifies

only God determines who goes to Heaven

Now that may not seem fair but you can't go over to someone's house and tell them who they can and can't have over.

Heaven is God's home so He can admit anyone He wants to.

You just have to get over it.

The price of admission is the blood of Jesus and the housewarming gift you have to bring is your belief and confession in the fact that Jesus died for your sins.

Will you accept the invitation?

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW