Let us speak to Your Heart

Water, Water Everywhere

By: Billie Evans

(Living For Gods Grace)

Water.  It covers 75% of the Earth.  It comprises 98% of of the human body.  It is a strangely simple thing, with just two hydrogen atoms and a single oxygen atom.  In chemistry class, I remember learning that it is a miracle molecule since its molecular weight implies that it should be a gas at room temperature.  Yet, it is not.  Because of the internal structure and bonding ability, it is a liquid.  Science would tell us that without it, there would be no life.  None.  I love science because it always points me towards the Creator.  To me, it’s easy to see that water was designed.  It’s properties are not an accident.  

Jesus’s focus on water in John chapters 2, 3, and 4 are awesome.  In chapter 2, Jesus turns water into wine.  The science part of my brain gets excited thinking about what this means on a molecular level.  Pure water is a simple monochromatic substance.  Sure, well water has minerals dissolved into it that come from the surrounding rocks and earth, and these minerals give water its flavor.  But well water is still, by chemistry standards, uncomplicated.  Wine, however, is a very complex substance.  While still mainly composed of water, it has thousands of compounds that come from grapes–sugars, tannins, alcohol, etc.  We understand then that Jesus created something from nothing on a chemical level.  The atoms and molecules necessary to make the wine are simply not present in water.  Science confirms that this act of kindness to the wedding party was a miracle. 

Likewise, in chapter 3, Jesus tells Nicodemus that “no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.”  Right–baptism (death and resurrection) in water and Spirit.  I get tingly thinking about this.  Water, yet again, gives life.  My primitive mind wonders, “Is the Spirit of God dissolved between the molecules of water?  Does his Spirit dwell in the spaces between?”  I long for the day when all these questions will be answered!  Life (spiritual birth) begins in water.  

And of course, chapter 4–Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that he is the living water…water that will lead to eternal life.  Humankind has always known the life-giving property of water.  But  to drink of water that gives eternal life, that is truly amazing.  In the same way that our physical bodies require water, our Spiritual life is sustained by the living water, by Jesus.  This living water satisfies more than an icy Gatorade after a sweaty marathon.  I appreciate this imagery.  

We are made of water.  We require physical water to live.  A Spiritual birth is facilitated by water.  And Jesus, the living water, provides an everlasting Spiritual Life.  Behold, the genius of God, our Creator.  

Intimacy

By: Allerey Jackson

(Spiritual Self)

What do you think about when you hear the word intimacy? I would imagine some of us think of a close relationship, romance or a friendship. However, it is not the first thought people typically have in relationship to the Lord. Jesus used very intimate language when speaking about his relationship with His disciples. “I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you (John 15:15).”  “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent (17:3). I believe Jesus here is referring to a very intimate knowledge.  It is interesting because people typically think of eternal life as time without end. Obviously, enteral life carries that meaning. However, here it appears that Jesus is also talking about a quality of life. “Eternal life is to know (John 17:3) Him, but this isn’t a surface intellectual knowledge. Moreover, this is not the kind of knowledge simply obtained by study or a book. This is knowledge that must be attained through relational engagement. If you look at David, Paul & John they all had intimate relationship with the Lord. These relationships were marked by personal interaction, supernatural encounters, calling and an overall purpose beyond this earth. 

Therefore, the question is will you engage in relational union with the Divine? This is the type of union where you become one. The call is to go from simply praying to Jesus to becoming one with Him. 

Many times, the Lord desires to engage with us, but we are too busy, or we can’t block out the noise. The voice of the Lord is not found in the noise but in the stillness. “Be still and know that I am God (Psalms 46:10).”

Learn to still your mind and soul. Furthermore, start just by simply committing 15 minutes a day to being still. Meditation does not simply belong to the New Age but is taught in scripture. The blessed man is the man who meditates on His Word (psalms 1:2 & Joshua 1:8).  During a time of stillness, you can meditate on the Lord through peaceful music or visualizing a verse. Also, sometimes it is good just to picture the beautiful face of Jesus. You become what you continually gaze upon. Whether that is the craziness of your life or the beautiful face of Jesus. 

1,2,3

By: Billie Evans 9/1/20

(Living For Gods Grace)

We’ve been talking a lot about the Temple in our daily Bible study.  I can appreciate the descriptions in 1 Kings 6 much more now as an adult than I could as a teen reading these passages for the first time.  I’m not sure why?  Perhaps it’s because I have traveled more?  Whenever I see a European cathedral, I can’t help but think about how wonderful the Lord’s Temple must have been.  Solomon’s Temple took seven obsessive years to build.  We understand from 1 Chronicles 22 that David spent what must have been decades collecting materials to dedicate to the construction.  Thousands of people contributed to the construction.  All the Isrealites were proud of it.  The ornate carvings, the lilies, the cedar, the stones, the gold.  Wow!  It was the best structure human hands could produce.  
After many years of disobedience, God allowed his people to be taken into captivity.  Interestingly, Solomon prophesied about this when he dedicated the Temple to the Lord.  But God, since He loved his people, disciplined them.  Part of the discipline was the removal of the place where they could connect intimately with God.  I wonder if the Babylonian invaders regretted tearing the Temple down?  If they understood the significance of its destruction?  I wonder if their hearts broke when they obliterated something so…beautiful.  
The people mourned for it after its destruction by the Bablylonians.  After seventy years in captivity, God allowed His people to return to their inheritance in the Promised Land where they rebuilt God’s earthly dwelling place.  The second Temple, the Temple that Jesus knew, wasn’t nearly as magnificent by worldly standards.  But our God’s presence was still there.  His people still approached Him and offered their sacrifices in its courtyards.  But the Romans demolished the second temple in 70 AD, approximately 40 years after Jesus walked the earth.  
A third Temple exists.  It is not a physical location, per se.  It is our bodies and hearts.  Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:16 says “you yourselves are God’s Temple and God’s Spirit dwells in your midst.”  He continues in 1 Corinthians 6:19 to remind us that our “bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God.”  I must ask myself three questions:
1. Do I, with joy, obsessively set aside the resources (daily reading of the scriptures, prayer, meditation, worship) to prepare my heart to be constructed as God’s holy Temple?  
2. Am I committed to the daily and lengthy practice of making my heart the beautiful Temple and home our God deserves to dwell in by ridding it of my evil and worldly desires? 
3.  Do I feel God’s Spirit at work within me?

Lord help us accept our fate

By: Deborah Evans                                                             9/11/20

(Living Our Best Selves)

Our sinful nature was inherent since the days of Adam and Eve. Often, it’s easy to feel the need to question the Lord for our life outcomes. Why me Lord, why am I not getting what I ask of you Lord? One area of sensitivity is one’s inability to conceive. Children are blessings in this world and there is often the coined phrase—‘God willing’—we will be blessed with child.

So, when a good person/people are not able to bare children, who can/should we turn to. The Lord of course! The how we turn to the Lord I feel is significant and ultimately the key to obtain The Lords blessing of conception.

I am not better than anyone else, nor would I ever claim to be. I remember wanting a child so bad since I was 15. I did shameful things that I am not proud of and yet was still later blessed with a child. So, in reflection I am grateful, accepting and understanding of how the Lord decided to bless me and not bless me with children.

I would like to reflect on the Bible in 2 Samuel 12. Here we learn that David’s son born to Bathsheba was not allowed to live. David sinned with Bathsheba while she was married to another and she conceived. The Lord frowned upon this sin and took the child but still forgave David. David repented and wept and fasted while the child lived but then when the child died, David accepted his fate. After the loss of the child, the Lord still blesses David with a son-Solomon.

The reason I want to reflect on all this is because in the times of the Old testament there was a clear and undeniable understanding that The Lord had/has authority over us to decide when and if he will bless us with children.

One thing that I feel is also significant is that we need to truly accept God’s will in our lives. David knew that God could have saved his child, but God did not, that didn’t stop David from fasting and weeping while child was alive and then accepting his fate after and eating as though nothing had happened. David continued to follow the Lord and chose not to question his fate.

 David was meant to be great and he was notably a recipient of God’s favor.

One thing that I can say from personal experience and witnessing people close to me struggling to conceive, is that there is no doubt in my heart that The Lord is a father of miracles and wonders, a God of only good. I feel that there are many sensitive and emotional areas in life, but as long as we believe and keep our faith, I KNOW the Lord will get us through them all. His plans for us are great and truly can be beyond our wildest dreams, I think that David knew this, and his undeniable faith and commitment expressed this.

Life is tough and the topic of conception can be an extremely sensitive one, I cannot fathom what it would be like if I did not have my daughter but I do understand what it is like to have trouble conceiving as she is my only biological child and I wanted a hand full but have gone through many miscarriages after her. The issue of not having conceived in 16 years, is out of my control and as much as it hurts sometimes, I must remember to trust the Lord. This does not mean that I am going to quit praying on the matter or that I am going to stop seeking the Lord to bless me once more. I am just going to accept the many children he has brought into my life to love instead and accept his decisions for my life.

Hanna’s story in the Bible is a beautiful one. I encourage anyone who has struggled with conception to read 1 Samuel and open your heart to the power of the Lord. Never lose hope, Hannah was constantly provoked by her rival for not having children and she wept about it, but she also prayed and decided to seek the Lord on the issue. She vowed to give her son to the Lord for all his life if The Lord would decide to bless her with a son. The Lord heard her and after all the time that had passed of her not having children, the Lord opened her womb. The Lord opened her womb and blessed her with a son, a son whom she weaned and gave to the Lord, his name was Samuel. The Lord continued to bless Hannah and she conceived and had 5 additional children. Never lose hope, our lives are in the Lords hands!

Peaceful Slumber

By: Priscilla Gonzales 10/01/2020

(Living Our Best Selves)

I cried myself to sleep last night. I am sure we have all been there at some point or another in our lives. Pain is something that we have all endured, whether it be emotional, physical or spiritual. Part of enduring the pain is also overcoming it. Being able to bounce back from the lows and enjoy the highs. My reason for being sad is because we are wanting something that we cannot have. I say we because I am not alone in my pain, although sometimes it feels as though I am. I should also not say cannot as there is still a possibility of us being able to have what we want. We must also never forget that “all things are possible through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). As I was lying in bed many thoughts were flowing through my mind that I could not control. Then I paused for a moment, halted my thoughts and quickly focused on God. The first word that came to mind was BLESSED. Then I began to think of all the things that God has blessed me with; family, friends, career, loving husband. The more I thought of these things, the more my tears stopped flowing down my cheek. Sometimes we focus on the negative things in life that we forget about the positive. We lose our focus in life and in God. We often need to compose ourselves and bring us back to stabilization. This is all part of life and it is okay to cry; it is inevitable. The most important thing to understand is that we must NEVER forget the love and blessings that God has given us and will continue to provide. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in1everything1by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let1your1requests be made known to1God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). The last thing I did last night was pray and I was able to drift into a peaceful slumber.

Food for Thought

By: Billie Evans 10/01/2020

(Living for Gods Grace)

We’ve spent a lot of time in the Old Testament during our family Bible readings the last few months.  Of course we can’t avoid the amount of blood.  It’s on nearly every page.  Animal sacrifices to cover our sins, war, death, murder. The scriptures are dripping in it.  When we finally get to Paul in Romans chapter 6, we can fully understand what he means when he says “the wages of sin are death.”  All this is meant to remind us of our fate if we do not choose to reconcile with our Creator and live a life in response to his holiness. I’ve also noticed how much time is spent on food related topics.  
I’m fascinated by the story of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob for lentil soup.  I love Debbie’s lentils, so a part of me understands where Esau may have been coming from when he “despised his inheritance.”  Of course, there are all of the food related regulations found in Leviticus.    David and his men eating the consecrated bread when they were on the run from Saul, comes to mind, too.  God provided manna, literally “bread from heaven” and quail to the Israelites when they were wandering in the desert must have been quite a sight to see every day.  And Jesus’ first miracle when he turned water to wine.  We can’t forget that!  I also love how God told Adam and Eve in Genesis chapter 2, “you are free to eat from any tree in the garden…”  Our kids love the story of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who did not want to defile themselves by eating the king of Babylon’s food (unclean meat?), so they received permission to just eat vegetables and water.  After ten days, the four of them looked better than the other young men that had eaten the king’s food.  “To these four young men, God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning.  And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.”  Because of their faith and devotion to God, they were blessed.  
Reading these passages is different for me now.  I suppose there are many reasons…maturity, age, experience.  Perhaps it is because I’ve been a vegetarian for more than three years now.  (In many ways, it wasn’t a choice.  When I eat meat, it causes my digestive tract to bleed.)  When I eat, I’m reminded of the joy that God gives us by allowing us to enjoy our food–It is one of the purest human pleasures we can enjoy, and we should enjoy it.  When I eat, I’m reminded of the creation, and the blood that was required under the old covenant to cover our sins.  When I eat ,I try and take the time to remember the blood of Jesus that permanently erases our sins.  Because of this sacrifice, we can truly enjoy life, including eating many delicous foods!

The Contract/ My Contract

By: Billie Evans 11/01/20

(Living for Gods Grace)

Our kids love to read.  Well our 16 year old does and our 6 year old is learning.  Every morning during our family reading, Jocelyn uses my big study Bible.  She refers to it as her Bible now.  And Four, our kindergartener, holds my old travel Bible, which is the size of a postcard, and pretends to follow along.  They bring Debbie and I such joy in these moments.  I know our heavenly Father feels the same emotion.  
Our journey through the writings of the Old Testament prophets has brought a lot of insights.  I shouldn’t be surprised, right?  In that old travel Bible, I highlighted Jeremiah 24:4-7.  It stood out to me.  Perhaps it is because this Bible, while well worn, doesn’t have a ton of highlighting and notes (it’s just too small)?  As a lawyer, I love the contract language:  “They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.”  At its most basic, a contract is an exchange of promises.  God promises the Israelites he will be their God.  The Israelites promise God they will give Him their devotion.  Wow.  .  
My favorite part is in verse 7.  “I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD.“  As a part of this contract or covenant, God is giving us the means to hold up our end of the deal.  He gives us a heart that we can know who He is.  That is both awesome that we can know our Creator and a fearful thought.  To be able to know our God can only bring good things.  But it is fearful because if I know my God, my sin and shortcomings come right into the light and show me that I am doomed without him, which should keep me right where I should be:  in the covenant relationship with Him.  
I want to be in this light, so I now pray for a heart to know Him and for my wife and children to have the same heart.  And we know that God will give it to us because He is faithful.  What a wonderful promise.  It is a contract our God will never breach.  I just need to uphold my end of the contract.  I pray that I am ready. 

 Layers, Layers, Layers

By: Billie Evans 12/01/20

(Living For Gods Grace)

My dad does a lesson for our kids every Sunday morning.  For the last few months, he’s been focusing on the miracles of Jesus.  I love seeing their reactions as they begin to understand both Jesus’s power and his infinite capacity to love us.  Recently, we studied the healing of the paralytic man in Mark chapter 2.  There are so many layers to this story ready to be peeled away.  
First:  Jesus had the power to heal a paralyzed man.  Even with the advances in science and discovery that God has allowed us 2000 years later, I sit and marvel at this.  Only God could achieve this and it only took his words to accomplish it.  That is true power!  
Layer 2:  Jesus forgave the paralyzed man’s sins.  He had to prove to the  teachers of the law that were present and skeptical of who he was that he could heal both the body and the spirit, so he did this first.  As wonderful as it was to witness the paralytic man’s physical healing, the real healing was to his soul.  His sins were erased.  It may have seemed backwards to the crowd that was present, but what we experience with our heart and spirit may have been lost if he had healed the man’s physical infirmity first.  I’m curious, here in the moment, if I miss spiritual lessons from God because I’m too focused on witnessing the physical? I need to slow myself down and be ready to feel God’s Spirit at work inside me. 
Layer 3:  Jesus was moved by the faith he witnessed.  If I read too fast, I miss the point, though.  The paralytic man’s four friends heard that Jesus was home, and they were desperate to get him to Jesus.  They fought through a crowd and broke through a roof in order to lower him down to the feet of Jesus.  What a sight that must have been.  I wonder what the homeowner thought?  “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”  It wasn’t the faith of the paralyzed man that caused Jesus to act, rather it was because of the faith of his four friends that caused Jesus to forgive the man’s sins.  How wonderful that our faith can cause God to act on behalf of others!  It reminds me of the all the desert times that I knew my family was praying to God to help see me through challenges.  It also reminds me to never stop praying, in faith, for my family, loved ones, and enemies that God will intervene in their lives.  Yes, our faith can move God to act on behalf of others, in both physical and spiritual ways.  
Lord, be with us all.  Increase our faith and understanding of you.  Forgive our sins and heal our bodies and our spirits as only you can.  In Jesus name, Amen. 

 Puppy Love

By: Priscilla Gonzales 12/01/20

(Living Our Best Selves)

I felt like I had been missing something in my life, I felt an emptiness that I was unsure of how to fill. With COVID this year we had to put our trying for a baby on hold until things got a little calmer. My husband knew I had so much love I needed to give and no one to give it to. It began to overflow and made me feel sad and alone. Until one day. I had pressured and pushed my husband until he finally gave in and we got ourselves a new member of the family. A puppy whom we named “Cooper”. Let me begin with the day that he arrived in our home. The second day he was here, I noticed that he was infested with ticks. I began to panic, and I hate to say it, but our first thought was to return him. After much deliberation with my husband, we decided that being with us was the best option for him and we can provide him with the loving home that he deserves. It was not his fault that he had ticks and if we returned him to the unfit home in which he came, we knew things could end up much worse for him. After having to take out the ticks one by one, cleaning our home from top to bottom, our clothes, his new blankets, taking him to the vet, buying flea comb and shampoo. We were finally able to get rid of them once and for all. I did not know what I was getting myself into when we adopted Cooper. We have had to make him a designated potty area for him in our backyard, vaccinations and neutering, food, clothes, grooming, vet visits, medicine, treats, toys, crate, bed. The list goes on and on…BUT out of everything that we have provided him in these past few months, nothing compares to the love and memories he has given us. Looking back now and everything we have been through with this puppy; I can honestly say that he has been the best decision we ever made. Through all the grief and worry, it was well worth it, and I pray that we have many years to spend with him as I cannot imagine my life without him. I thank God every day that he has enriched our lives and blessed us with this amazing puppy who will forever be a part of our family. I look forward to the day that he will meet our baby for the first time. That will be the happiest day of my life. I believe that the day will come. Through Christ all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

Awake My Soul

By: Billie Evans 1/25/21

(Living for Gods Grace)

I love my wife.  I love her passion and her kindness.  I REALLY love her resolve.  Many nights, she wakes up at 3 or 4 am to get her personal quiet time with God.  This often mean sitting and praying in the quietness that can only come in these hours.  Other times, she meditates in the darkness.  My favorite, though, is when she sings.  There are nights I wake up to the sound of her singing praise and worship songs.  To me, it’s like hearing a choir of angels.
This week, we had our “bonus child” with us.  A sweet teenage girl from my home church.  She’s a blessing to us all.  Debbie took a night to guide her in meditation and I know they were both blessed by the experience.  
We read Judges with the kids last week.  They were both excited when we got to Deborah.  I wonder if Debbie’s mom was moved by the Spirit of God when she named my dear Debbie?
“Wake up, wake up, Deborah!  Wake up, wake up, break out in song!”

Word Nerd

By: Billie Evans 2/2/21

(Living for God’s Grace)

We have two young kids so we get a lot of questions about vocabulary during our family Bible studies.  Whether we like it or not, Debbie and I have to be word nerds.  (I actually like it but don’t tell anyone.)

We were reading Proverbs again this week and I stopped us to discuss the meaning of a word.  
For the Lord detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence.  Proverbs 3:32
Confidence…meaning to be brought into a close, trusting relationship.  How cool would it be trusted by God?  Genesis 3 tells us that the Lord would walk in the garden during the heat of the day. I presume this was to talk and have a relationship with his creations.  It’s a wonderful thought.  Also, James 2:23-24 says, “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend.”
I want to be God’s friend. Much of Proverbs centers on choosing wisdom over foolishness.  It’s a choice.  It’s a choice that requires work and discipline, but it is worth it, even more so if it means I will be trusted by God and can be his friend.  We are doing our best to learn about God’s wisdom so we can in turn impart it onto our children.  I’ll die a happy father knowing my children are friends of our God, our Creator.  

Its a Know Know

By: Billie Evans 3/2/21

(Living for Gods Grace)

Our family recently read Proverbs again for our morning Bible study.  I’m always surprised by the insights God provides.  I didn’t notice that before.  How many times have I said that to myself?  God really does reveal knowledge in his own time. 

I remembered my organic chemistry professor when we read 25:2&3.  “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.  As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the heart of kings are unsearchable.”  Dr. E used to tell us, as scientists, we should see ourselves as kings.  God’s entire creation lies before us and it is an honor to see His glory through the unraveling of the mysteries of nature.  I’ve  taken this to heart.  I know not everyone has the desire to be a scientist, but we all can marvel at the great works his hands have produced.  My brother-in-law often reminds me that just spending a little time outside every day is rejuvenating, and I can’t help but agree.  This world was created for our enjoyment…all the way back to the Garden of Eden.

I’m reminded of another truth:  the more we know, the more we know how little we know.  As a scientist, I love knowledge.  Too often though, my breed marvels at their own “discoveries.”  In our quiet moments, though, most of us will admit that a single answered question births three more.   The more we know…Some lose heart at this notion.  But we shouldn’t. 

Because it is the same with our Creator.  Every day, if we are looking, if we are seeking, He reveals himself more and more to us.  The more we understand the vast love and generosity of our God, the more we understand that he is too awesome and wonderful to fully comprehend…and that’s ok. 

Life Flows Like a River

By: Billie Evans April 1, 2021

(Living for Gods Grace)

In literature, a flowing river is often symbolic of life.  We see it in Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain’s masterpiece that connects American culture and social challenges to life on the mighty Mississippi River.  If you haven’t read it, I recommend it, particularly in these times of social unrest in our country.  I remember as a boy the first time I saw the Mississippi River as my family crossed it at Memphis, Tennessee.  It seemed like it took minutes to drive over the bridge because of how vast it is. 

Our God is an artist. 

He is The Creator.  He is the one who inspires us to see the restorative power of water.  As Christians, we experience our spiritual rebirth in the watery depths of baptism.  In this baptism, we put to death our old ways and are raised back to life as we emerge from the water as a “new creation”.  (See 2 Corinthians 5:17).  indeed, Jesus tells us he is the living water in John 4. 

Recently, our family had the opportunity to explore Niagara Falls.  It is one of the most impressive pieces of creation I ever expect to experience!  For those who haven’t been there, here are a few facts that describe its magnitude:

• At its peak flow, 700,000 gallons of water flow over the falls every second.  If that sounds like a lot, that is roughly 50% of the natural flow because of diversion of the water for electricity generation. 
• The vertical height of the fallis is 176 feet. 
• Four of the five Great Lakes feed into the Niagara River.  Together, those five lakes account for 20% of the world’s fresh water.  (all info from niagarafallsusa.com)

God made this. 

When we were there, my heart kept going to this passage:  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen,the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. Isaiah 43:19-21
God does this for us. 

He makes dramatic and overwhelming provisions for us, living water for us to drink in the midst of the wilderness and wastelands we find ourselves dwelling in.  Feel the mists caressing your cheeks.  Hear his name in the rumble of the falls. He is calling for you.  Will you answer?

Taking Up My Cross

By: Billie Evans May 2021

(Living For Gods Grace)

I’m struggling.  This is a concept I want to talk to my kids about.  It isn’t easy because it is in direct contrast to our glitzy American ideals:  If you work hard, you can have it all.  Every desire of your heart will be fulfilled.  If it sounds like a fairytale, it is because it is.

We are not promised a Hollywood story.  What we are promised is suffering.  Jesus said leading up to his death, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters — yes, even their own life — such a person cannot be my disciple.  And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”  Luke 14: 26, 27.  His followers, who were familiar with crucification, understood what the cross meant.  It meant suffering and death in the most gruesome and dehumanizing way possible.  Jesus pointed his followers to this reality.  To follow him, we must love him more than we love anything else in this world.  We must love him more than our spouse, children, parents, jobs, our worldly dreams…everything.  To follow him, we must be prepared to suffer the most vicious physical death imaginable. 

From a certain perspective, this sounds like a terrible proposition, yet Jesus led the way for us.  Before he was taken prisoner, he prayed in the garden on the Mount of Olives.  “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”  I can’t help but compare this prayer to what Jesus told his followers in Matthew 17:20.  “...Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you.”  Was Jesus lacking in faith?  Did he not believe enough that he couldn’t remove the metaphorical mountain before him?  No! No! No!  He understood that he, both literally and spiritually, had to take up his cross.  Some suffering absolutely cannot be avoided.   

So, where does this leave us?  What am I supposed to teach my children?: 

When we suffer in this physical life for the Lord and his glory, we are blessed in our spiritual life, which is the only life that really matters.  Consider what Jesus’ brother wrote to us, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.  James 1:2-3, 12. 

Everything negative does not come from God because God is only love.  God is only good.  When we are challenged by negativity, we must persevere by taking up our cross and enduring, just as Jesus did for us when he died for our sins.  When we do, we fulfill our purpose and gain exponentially in our spiritual life.  Remember what Paul said.  “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.  Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.  I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”  Romans 8:16-18. 

My children, when we are struck by grumpiness, when we are sick, when we are tired, when school/work is too challenging, when people are mean to us, when we are lonely, when our family and friends ridicule us for our faith, take this up on your cross with a joyful heart for the glory of God.  When we do this, even though our physical body suffers, our spiritual body thrives!  Even though God is all powerful and will deliver us in his own time and in his own way, some suffering cannot be avoided because you have set yourself on God’s path and the enemy is against you.  When we endure such suffering with a right heart, we point the world to God’s great, saving love for us all.  We can be like Joseph and endure great suffering in order for God to bring life to many.  (Genesis 50:20).

My daughter, my son, let’s encourage each other every day to take up our crosses with a smile that Jesus would be proud of.  Let’s be who God wants us to be.

Renew Your Mind

By: Allerey Jackson May 2021

(Spiritual Self)

Too many people live their lives compartmentalized. We’ve been created with a body, soul & spirit. However, many times we focus on passion, ability & gifting to accomplish our goals. This leads to missing that a healthy inner life can lead to any success. Scripture tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1-2). The renewal of the mind can bring about true transformation. We can actually learn how think divine thoughts (1 Corinthians 2:16). We’ve been created in the image of God. But with the fall we’ve accepted a fallen thought process. The Holy Spirit desires to reconnect our mind & souls back to the divine flow. We see in Corinthians that those that are joined to Christ are one in spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17). The Lord desires that we learn to reunite with Him so that through our oneness we can flow the life of the spirit into all aspect of life. How do we unite with Him? Like any relationship we must spend getting to know the Lord. We must spend time stilling our minds so we can connect with our spirit. Because it’s in the spirit where we’re connect to Christ. During these still times we need to set our focus on Jesus. One of the best ways to do that is to picture the face of Jesus. As we picture His face the Holy Spirit will take us into deeper encounters with Him. Also, during these still times meditate on scripture. One good way to meditate on scripture is to picture what’s being described. Also, it’s helpful to even place yourself in the setting being described. A great passage to do this with is Psalms 23. I encourage whoever reads this to start taking basic steps to still your mind and connect with Jesus.

Now arriving at Gate 7…

By: Billie Evans June 2021

(Living For Gods Grace)

Summer is here. With that comes the busy travel season, even more so, perhaps, as we emerge from quarantine.  I’m reminded of the many times I’ve traveled by airplane.  Arriving at the gate is the first part of the journey, however, it is never the final destination.  It is an accomplishment, though, and not a small one!  We can’t continue our journey if we don’t make it to the necessary junctions.  
In the same way, Paul talks about our spiritual journey. 
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.  Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:10-14.  
Such an interesting concept:  To know God, we must commit to the same difficult path that has been blazed for us by Jesus.  
All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.  Only let us live up to what we have already attained.  Philippians 3:16 & 16.
But we have both “arrived” and will be “arriving” as we make this commitment.  We must keep our eyes on the journey ahead and not on what is behind us as we endeavor to become the creations that God designed us to be.  With each stop we make in this life, we shouldn’t take for granted our growing faith, rather we should press onward with the Spirit, continuing our development by reaching for perfection—with the grace of God—until we reach our final terminal:  the Gates of Heaven.  
With each stop on your spiritual journey, are you  claiming your victories and celebrating your progress while you continue to prepare to meet our Creator one day in his holy city, Zion?

Practice Makes Perfect

By: Billie Evans July 2021

(Living For Gods Grace)

I’ve been talking to the children lately about repetition.  They are both young and Debbie and I want to do our best to raise them to be independent.  That’s the goal of any parent, right?!  My day consists of conversations like: “Dad, can you help me brush my teeth?”  “Dad, can you help me find my…?”  “Dad, can you do my chores for me?”  Sometimes, I laugh. Sometimes, I cry a little on the inside.  Sometimes, I react in frustration.  Lately, I’ve been trying to respond more in a constructive manner:  “Keep trying, kids.  Someday, your hard work will pay off and you won’t need help from me in this task anymore.”  We then, often, do the task together.  In those moments, the kids and I teach each other the patience that comes with repeated practice.  I’m learning to be a better dad by encountering these situations over and over again, while they are learning how to grow up by mastering new tasks. 

We read Psalm136 this week.  My Bible has typeset it as a “call and response”, so we usually read it that way with our children handling “His love endures forever.”  It is very powerful for me to hear their response.  I love the way God set this repetition onto the Psalmist’s heart.  He wanted him to know that His love survives all things and is present in all times, whether His creation, slavery (literal or to sin) and our deliverance from it, and in the wonderful gifts he provides for us in this life.
Today, I’m going to practice this repetition.  In my heart and out loud.  My family may think I’m a little crazy, but that will be nothing new.
-When I get a frustrating email from work.  His love endures forever.

-When my children remind me how hard it is to be a parent.  His love endures forever.
-When I realize I’ve fallen short of being the husband, son, or Christian I desire to be.  His love endures forever.  

His love endures forever.

Free Indeed

By: Billie Evans August, 2021

(Living For Gods Grace )

We live in troubling times.  The entire planet seems to be teeming with social and political unrest.  I feel bombarded with news stories of police killing citizens; citizens attacking police; men killing their wives, citizens plotting to overthrow their governments. Perhaps that has always been true for humanity?
Such turmoil is of internal origins.  We have to look inward for change.  One of the issues I’ve been dealing with forever is that I can’t change anyone.  I can only change myself.  In changing myself, I might be able to change those around me and in turn, change the world. 

But in some of my oldest relationships, I’ve been stuck in a rut.  But not just any rut: it’s the kind of gorge that generates negativity not only in my own heart, but in everyone around me.  As a dad, husband, son, brother, friend, I can’t have this.  I can’t be a slave to wordly patterns.

I love the story of the Exodus, the “Exit Story.”  The Israelites were literally being freed from slavery in the most dramatic way possible so that no one could question the power of God or the power of His name.  But we see that there was a second deliverance in Exodus 12:31-42.  God put on the hearts of the Egyptians to give the departing Israealites (around 600,000 men plus women and children) gold, silver, and clothing and whatever they asked for.  A reparation, if you will.  In doing this, they plundered the Egyptians, something that normally occurs with only total death and destruction.  Something else interesting happens in verse 38.  Many other people went up with them…Besides the 600,000+, other people, probably Egyptians left, too because they had witnessed the power of God firsthand.  Let’s think about that.  When God freed the Israelites, He also freed the slave owners.  Both the Egyptians that gave whatever goods were asked of them and those that joined the Israelites were freed from their bad behavior.
In the same way, I need to pray that God shows me the path of deliverance from my own worn out and bad behavior.   I need to pray that He frees me from this self imposed bondage.  In doing so, those around me may in turn be freed. 

Hymns for the Heart

By: Billie Evans 11/05/21

Our kids love to sing a few songs at bedtime.  They both choose one after we have completed their nightly prayers.  In this period of COVID, we haven’t had the same opportunity to sing the old hymns, so I often take the time to teach them “new old ones,” so that they know them.  For some reason, it makes me feel like my dad, who used to lead singing at our small church growing up.  It also allows me to tie the scriptures we are learning during our morning Bible study to music, which we all love. 

One of the recent songs they’ve learned begins, “I will enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart.” They love it because of the fast pace and I suspect because of the rhythmic clapping that goes with it.  But it makes me think of so many things as we enter the holiday season this month.  The gates:  God lives inside of us.  His Spirit dwells inside us by choice.  He has thrown open these doorways so that I may know Him and that He may know me.  My heart:  In a sense, I get to be the interior decorator of this palace that He chooses to call his home.  What am I choosing to adorn this heart of mine that has become his palatial dwelling?  Daily, I must choose only his goodness.  Thanksgiving:  We talk a lot about gratitude in our family and how it is important to not take big and small blessings for granted.  The older I get, the more I realize that I must be thankful for both the good times in my life and the bad times.  Without the challenges of this life, we have nothing to compare the greatness of God’s love for us.  Yes, we have to be thankful when we suffer because in those seasons, we begin to develop a deeper appreciation for the suffering that Jesus was called to endure on our behalf because of that great love He has for us. 

Lord God, thank you for everything.  Teach me to make my heart the dwelling place worthy of your presence.  In Jesus name, Amen. 

Winter Time

By: Billie Evans 12/2021 (Living For Gods Grace)

The winter months are upon us.  They snuck up on me this year.  When I was a kid, there was a time when I’d look forward with eager anticipation.  Perhaps, I’m getting old as I wax nostalgic?  I can’t help but think of my grandmothers, MomMom and Grammy (or Grambo).  They both passed away some time ago now, but I feel them with me always, maybe because I enjoy telling my children stories about them.  I can’t eat a dill pickle without thinking about my feisty Grambo or a slice of apple pie without remembering my precious MomMom.  I love to share about our drives to Massachusetts every November to see Grammy and the anticipation of the massive Thanksgiving meal she prepared (one plate was never enough).  Or the trip to the Holy Lands with MomMom not too many years ago where we were able to see some of the sites we’ve only been able to read and dream about. 

They were both so loveable and taught me so much about life.  I miss them dearly, sometimes so much it hurts. 

What is it about December that does this to us?  Do I think about God with the same sense of longing? 

We are taking our time reading through the Psalms as a family in the mornings during our study time.  Psalm 68:6 reads, “God sets the lonely in families.”  I am so grateful for my earthly family.  To be a husband, a father, a son, a brother, an uncle, a nephew is a tremendous blessing.  I often pray to be the best family member I can be.  But families and their dynamics are complicated, right?  But we are also adopted into a spiritual family.  Hebrews 2:10-12 (quoting, in part, Psalm 22) says “Both the one who makes holy and those who are made holy are of the same family.  So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.”  That’s right, we are Jesus’s brothers and sisters.  In this thought, I find tremendous joy. 

Jesus, in this holiday season and in every day, please keep my eyes on you.  Let your Spirit and grace be upon me.  Let me look forward to the day when we will be together in Heaven.  What a glorious family reunion that will be when I am reunited with those who preceded me in death, and we finally get to meet face to face.  I can’t wait.   In your name, Amen.  

Order and Disorder

By: Billie Evans January, 2022 (Living For God’s Grace)

With each new year, it’s natural to take stock of what has passed and what is to come.  We remember the ups and downs of the closing year and look forward with hope to the new year.  Each year is a new creation, in a sense, lying before us. 

In chemistry, we learn about the concept of entropy.  It’s the idea that the universe and everything in it moves from order to disorder, ever expanding as complex molecules are broken down into simpler ones.  I love this idea because in it we see the miracles of God.  Only God can create order from disorder.  Life itself, each birth in fact, is order from disorder as one cell becomes many.  Interestingly, death follows the law of entropy as our complicated bodies decay over time into simple molecules.  I love studying science because God allows our feeble minds to have tiny insights into the intricacies of his majestic creativity.  As we say in science, “the more we know, the more we know how little we know.”  We truly know nothing compared to our wonderful Creator!

Our spiritual bodies, our souls, seem to follow the same miraculous concept.  When we begin to grasp the goodness of God, when He enters our hearts and we put our old self to death and arise anew through baptism, we experience a miracle.  God brings order to the  disorder inside us.  When we learn to trust God, when we distill away the temptations of this worldly life, when we feed our souls daily with the spiritual food God prepares for us, we are a new creation. 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come.  The old has gone and the new is here!”  2 Corinthians 5: 17.  See also Romans 12:2 and Psalm 51: 10-12.

Lord, bless today and every day in this new year that you have made for us.  Please grant me a willing heart as your creative Spirit works daily inside of me to produce goodness.  Help me be the man you designed me to be.  In Jesus name, Amen.

A Lawyers Look at Contracts

By: Billie Evans 2/2022

(Living for Gods Grace)

When I first started studying the law many years ago, I was struck by how much modern American law is rooted in Biblical concepts.  Every first year law student has to take the dreaded Contracts course.  My old man made me watch The Paper Chase with Timothy Bottoms the summer before I left for California, which scared me out of my mind.  What exactly is a contract?  At its heart, is it simply an exchange of promises.  I promise to do this and in exchange, you promise to do that.  Of course, we lawyers have complicated the idea of a contract with our Representations and Warranties, Termination Rights, Assignment Clauses, Effective Dates, and the like.  

We see this play out over and over again in the Bible:

• In Genesis 17, God tells Abraham that He will greatly increase his numbers, i.e. give him a large family, if Abraham will walk before God faithfully and be blameless.  God promised to give Abraham and large family that would become a nation and Abraham promised God that he would obey God and be a good man.  They exchanged their promises and sealed their contract with Abraham’s circumcision.  
• In Exodus 19, before Moses went upon Mt Sinai to get the law, God said to the people if you will obey me fully, I will be your God and you will be my treasured possession.  The people said they would do everything the Lord says and a contract was formed.
• And my favorite.  In Act 2, Peter says if we repent and are baptized, God will give us the gift of the Holy Spirit.  It is a powerful exchange of promises between us and God.  Why wouldn’t I accept this offer?  

What I love about these Agreements is they are simply structured.  We don’t have any carve outs to our performance via Reps and Warranties, there aren’t any effective dates since God’s promises are good now and forever, and we have no need to negotiate Termination Rights or Assignment Clauses because God has no intent to end his relationship with us.  

There is no one I’d rather strike a deal with because He is good and his faithful love endures forever.  Have I upheld my legal obligations to the Lord?

---

Patience,Patience, Patience

By: Billie Evans March 2022

My family is constantly working to be better.  This year, they helped me make a list of five things they’d like me to work on:
1. Patience 2. Enjoy the bedtime routine with the kids. 3. Be mindful that my jokes can hurt if ill-timed. 4. Be self aware. 5. Plant seeds for the Fruits of the Spirit to Bloom

Notice any patterns?  The list has bookends.  Patience is #1 and incorporated into #5 as a Fruit of the Spirit of God.  I guess I have an issue being patient!  1 Corinthians 13 says that love is patient.  When I am working with my kids, whom I love, I am learning to try and discover where patience intersects love.  I want to be able to say, “I live on the corner of Love St. and Patience Blvd.”  In order to do that, I need to celebrate slow incremental growth, right?  On a thousand mile journey, every step forward matters.  My kids will not mature overnight.  No, that will only come with time.  If I can remember that with every life goal–whether it be to sit and pay attention during morning Bible study or not to talk back to their parents–there will be milestones along the way, each worthy of celebrating progress, then I will learn valuable lessons, too, along the way.  Especially about patience and persistence. 

I pray for patience all the time.  What I didn’t realize is that my kids would be the ones to teach me.  Proverbs 20:24 says, “A person’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand their own way?”  If we commit to the path that leads to God, eventually we end up where we need to be.  It just takes a little encouragement and a healthy dose of patience. 

But, I’ve been thinking a lot about Jesus and his path to the cross this week.  He must have known from an early age what God the Father required of him.  As Paul says in Philippians, the Son was obedient to the Father, even in death.  Jesus’s path led to the cross, a cruel death, even for the worst kind of person.  Yet, Jesus patiently waited for the moment with anticipation.  And when the moment came He patiently awaited—three hours—to die.  How?  I cannot begin to fathom this kind of perseverance, but I’m praying for it.  Often.  In my own suffering, which pales by comparison, how can I find the joy in the waiting for changes that have not come yet and may not arrive in my own lifetime?  I have no answers. But I must continue forward keeping my eyes on Jesus with the full expectation.  

The Paradox of the Death Penalty

By: Billie Evans April 2022

(Living for Gods Grace)

I am against the death penalty.  At least the American version of it.  Debbie and I recently watched “Just Mercy” with Michael B. Jordan and Jaime Foxx.  It is an interesting true story about a lawyer representing death row inmates, some of which were innocent.  For many, perhaps this story is all too real.  Death penalty research can be divisive.  My understanding is that the statistics can be used to prove both that the death penalty is a deterrent to crime and not a deterrent to crime.  You know what they say about statistics.  
At any rate, America seems to have executed too many innocent people so it causes me to want to take a pause.  But it’s more complicated for me than that.  When I was a young man, I remember debating the issue with my dad.  What he said has stuck with me ever since.  If we put someone to death, guilty or not, there is finality to it.  We may rob that person of the chance to come to accept the power of forgiveness through Jesus.  In the depths of my heart, it is hard for me to argue against that.  
But the topic is still more complicated for me. I find that I am a paradox.  As we approach the Resurrection Day season, I’m reminded that Jesus was innocent.  Jesus faced capital punishment at the hands of the Romans.  He willingly walked to the cross, a form of death that is the complete opposite of the “cruel and unusual” that our American constitution is supposed to protect us from.  I find myself grateful.  Grateful Jesus died, even though he was completely innocent, so I could appear blameless before my Creator.  
Thank you, Lord!  

From Winter to Spring

By: Billie Evans. May 2022

(Living for Gods Grace)

At work, I am the “subject matter expert” for my department supporting  a company wide software launch .  That makes me sound like someone who is technically sophisticated, but I am far from it!  To say the least, it has been a bit of a rocky take off.  In a meeting this week, I was reminded of a Shakespeare quote (from Richard III), “Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this sun…”  The meaning of this line, as I understand it, is that the hard days of winter are nearly over.  The season of heartache and pain is ending.  

How appropo is this statement when we apply it to our acceptance of Jesus’s sacrifice?  When we are buried in the watery death of baptism and rise again a new creation, we are born into the spring time of life, no longer prisoners to the harsh winters of slavery.
I can’t help but think of my wife, Debbie, in this context, as well.  When my first marriage ended and I began to seek a new partner, I prayed to God, “Please provide me with a wife that loves you more than anything else in this world.”  Over and over again.  When I first met Debbie and encountered who she is, I heard the Spirit speaking to me.  She’s the one for you.  From day one, her love of God, which is above all things, was at the forefront of every conversation and her every action.  I loved it.  I still love it!  I am reminded how dramatically God answered this desperate prayer for me.  Everyday I am grateful to be married to MyDebbie, who shows our family how to love God from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to bed (Proverbs 31 10-31).  Thank you, Father, for answering my most desperate prayer.  I know you love me, dear Father.  

Share with how God has answered your prayers!