Heartfelt
Faith
Dunamis
When we have made a decision to change for the better, that is a positive thing. Some change takes very little effort. Let’s say we need to floss our teeth at night, make our bed in the morning, or quit watching TV so late at night. Relatively, this kind of change is easy.
Other changes are harder. What about beginning to exercise, losing weight, applying ourselves at work…we may definitely need a kickstart to get going. We will also need some help to keep at our desired goal.
Some changes are almost impossible to implement in our lives without some real help. Breaking any kind of addiction, be it tobacco, alcohol, drugs, or pornography, usually requires some outside help. It is pretty hard to muster up the inner strength to kick these on our own. Some would say we need a miracle, especially if they have had a hold on us for some time.
That’s where dunamis comes in. In the Scriptures, it is one of the words used to describe God’s power. Google says it this way, “Dunamis is a Greek word meaning “power,” “strength,” or “ability,” often used in the New Testament to signify miraculous, inherent, or supernatural power from God.” It is where we get the word dynamite from.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have some dynamite power to help us make those difficult changes in our lives? The great thing is that it is available to each and every one of us. All we have to do is ask. Yes, that’s it. We just need to ask the Lord for help, and he is available to help us with whatever we need.
“But I don’t know him,” you might say to me. No problem, he knows you, and he is just waiting to help you. His hand is stretched out to help whoever calls on him. “But you don’t know what I’ve done.” True, but he does, and he is there waiting to help you make the changes you need.
Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.” Matt. 7: 7-8. When he says you, he means you. The ground at the cross is level; anyone can come, there is no litmus test you must meet. Come and ask for help. He is just waiting to give you his dynamite power to change.
Image by Ivan Thomas. Courtesy of Pixabay.
Unrepentant
The other day, when I was in traffic, the man in front of me was driving a black Jeep. On the back of the Jeep were several stickers with skulls and a few with crossbones, and in the middle of his display was a bumper sticker that basically said he was unrepentant. He was definitely signaling for all to see that he was a bad dude.
I’ve thought about him a lot. Bad? Maybe…but definitely headed in the wrong direction, and that makes me sad. I hate to see anyone defiant against the Lord, and I fear for what his ultimate end will be.
Repentant is a word that is not usually used in secular conversations. It is in the Scriptures, and the Lord has a lot to say about it. Most people think that the word means to be sorry…but that is not it. In the New Testament, it is from the Greek word metanoia, which means to change one’s mind for the better.
In other words, we look at our past sins and misdeeds, and we change our minds about them. We make a conscious decision to go a different way. When we are unrepentant, we are saying we will not change, we will stay the course we are taking.
In the orthodox churches, this past week began the season of Lent, i.e., forty days before Easter. Christians are supposed to examine their lives and see if there is something they need to repent of…some practice, some sin, some habit that has overtaken them. When we are unrepentant, we are saying to God that we are okay the way we are.
As far as I am concerned, there is not a person on this planet who doesn’t have something they need to repent of. During this season, we would all do well to examine our own hearts. We do not want to be unrepentant. Proverbs 28:14 says: “Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.”
The Lord Jesus paid a high price to cover the cost of our sins. Let’s not take it for granted. If he cared enough to put his life on the line for us, the least we can do is take a good, hard look at our own lives and see if there is something we need to repent of.
photo by john hein courtesy of pixabay.
Indifference – the Cousin of Hatred
Indifference – “lack of interest, concern or sympathy.” Oxford languages
Last week, I was at a luncheon. I was standing in a group of women, and one mentioned Savannah Guthrie and what she must be going through. We all agreed that it must be terrible. All of us except for one. The lady said, “But she was so disrespectful to President Trump.” I just stared at her, not believing my ears…and then I said, “What’s that got to do with anything?”
I thought about her comment a lot and realized that the media had done its job. It had caused her to be indifferent to someone with whom she politically disagreed. Lest we think we are immune to that kind of thinking, we should examine our own hearts.
How many times do we ignore or are indifferent to the suffering of those who oppose our political views? What about those who are different than us, ethnically, racially or religiously? We tell ourselves we don’t hate them, but we certainly can’t muster up any kind of sympathy for their suffering either. Our hearts have become stone cold towards them.
When Jesus told us to love our neighbor as ourselves, he gave us a parable to illustrate it. A man was on a road and was beaten up by robbers. A priest and a Levite passed by, and they both did nothing to alleviate his suffering. A Samaritan stopped and helped the injured man. He took him to an inn and made sure he was well taken care of.
Let’s put it in today’s context. A man is walking in a bad part of Tel Aviv at night. He is beaten up and robbed. He is left for dead. A religious person walks by and turns his head the other way. A lawyer walks by and does the same, wanting to get out of the place as quickly as possible. A Palestinian gets off work, walks by, and stops to help the man. He takes him to a hospital and makes sure he is taken care of. He doesn’t leave until he knows the man will live.
Who do you think fulfills Jesus’ command to “Love his neighbor?” Obviously, the Palestinian. He was not indifferent to the suffering of the man, and he didn’t care about his race, religion, or ethnicity.
As believers, we are not called to help everyone in the world. But we are called to care about and not be indifferent to those who are right in front of our eyes. Let us not be taken in by the tribal attitudes of today or the division that is being fostered in the media. We can make a difference if only we will view others with the same humanity we view those in our own circles of reference.
Let’s not justify ourselves and tell ourselves we are okay because we don’t hate them. At least with hatred, there is a level of emotion involved. With indifference, we are devoid of emotion, care, and concern. That should cause us all to take a second look at our stony hearts.
Photo by jhraskon. Courtesy of Pixabay.
Empty Prayers
“I put an empty hand on an empty head and said an empty prayer.”
Several years ago, I heard Dick Mills speak. He shared an episode from his life. He had been ministering in a church. He was finished speaking with the people. He was tired, hungry, and he had no energy. As he was walking out the door, a woman approached him for prayer. He then said, “I put an empty hand on an empty head and said an empty prayer.” As he turned to walk away, the lady was healed, right then and there.
That story gives me hope. There are people I have prayed for over several years. Although I have seen shifts in their circumstances or their personalities, I still have not seen a total answer to my prayers. Sometimes, when I am praying, I feel like I am praying “empty prayers.” The requests are the same, but it has been so very long, and I just kind of mouth the words.
Jesus encourages his followers to pray and not give up. “Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 Amplified.
All well and good but when we have asked for so many years, so many decades, what do we do? Even though it seems like sometimes we are praying just “empty prayers,” we should do just what He said. Keep on asking, keep on seeking an answer and keep on knocking til the door is opened.
The true lesson from Dick Mills’ story is this. The ultimate answer from God does not depend on us, it depends on Him. His timing, His reasons, and His way of doing things. So if you are like me and sometimes you feel like you are praying “empty prayers,” take heart. He hears us. He will answer, immediately, eventually or ultimately.
Temptation
Temptation – we all deal with it. It comes in all kinds of shapes, sizes and types. So let’s look at a few and what we need to do about them.
Obvious:
The easiest kind of temptation to identify is the obvious kind. What are we not supposed to be doing? Most of us have a list of those things we need to keep away from. So how do we do it when confronted directly by them? First, identify it in our minds. Second, make a conscious choice to not indulge in it. And third, turn around and walk away. The Scripture says, “But flee youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:22 It sounds simple, but it can be very difficult. If we make the choice to turn away at the very start of the temptation, we have a much greater chance of not falling into it.
Subtle:
This kind of temptation is much harder to identify in the beginning. It just sneaks up on us and then wham, we are right in the center of it. This kind of temptation usually comes with a thought that flies through our minds; we don’t even recognize it, it is there, and then it is gone. A while later, it comes into our minds again, lingers a bit and vanishes. Again, we take no thought of it. This begins to happen over and over during the day, and at the end of the day, we realize we have been fighting a battle in our minds and have not even recognized it. That thought has come in so many times, that it has begun to take root. Again, we need to Identify it, Reject it, and Evict it. Joyce Meyer said, “Frisk every thought.” I will add, “at the door of your mind.” Excellent advice. The sooner we recognize it, the sooner we can evict it.
Manageable:
This is the kind of temptation that makes the Enemy of our Souls laugh. We realize we have a weak area, but we make excuses or provision for it. We say to ourselves, “Well, I can handle this temptation.” We may be an alcoholic, but tell ourselves we will be okay going to the bar with our friends. The fact that we usually end up drunk at the end of the night should alert us to the fact that we are not okay, and should make a different choice. What about the temptation to only look at porn that one time? “I can handle it.” How many people have been sucked into that addiction? To think that we are somehow stronger than everyone else is a lie straight out of the pit of hell. Again, we need to Identify it, Reject it, Turn around and leave it behind. This one comes with a caveat…and get help if you need it. Some battles cannot be fought alone. “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful, he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide the way out so you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians, 10:13
The Road Ahead
I spoke with the Cartographer and asked him for a map of the road for 2026. He told me that since the road is new and unfinished, he could not send me one. He did send me an Itinerary and I will give you the highlights.
Destination: 2027
Time to Destination: A whopping 365 days…knowing that it takes about 8 days to get to the moon and back, one could travel to the moon over 40 times during this particular journey.
Passport: Required
Visa: Daily visas will be issued for 24 hours each day. Everyone will not necessarily receive one to complete the journey. Advisory: “For what is your life: It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” James 4:14
Vaccinations: None Required Advisory: There are several vectors along the swampier parts of the journey. Fear and Anxiety are the most annoying. Please take along sufficient medication. Isaiah 41:10 seems to calm fear, “Fear not, for I am with you, Be not dismayed, for I am your God.” Anxiety lessens with Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Accommodations: None guaranteed. The new road goes through many places not prepared for tourists. Be prepared to sleep in your car or tent camp. “And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.” 1 Timothy 6:9.
Road Conditions: Varied. The engineers report several long stretches of good highway; however, our trip will take us up several high mountains where there will be breathtaking vistas and hairpin turns. The guardrails will not be up yet, so drivers are advised to keep their eyes on the road. Dangerous areas will be marked with signs.
Weather: Expect every type of weather. There will be lots of sunshine and warm weather. There will also be long stretches of fog, stormy weather, and even a few tornado warnings. Be prepared for every eventuality.
Safety warnings: Will be issued as needed. Previous years’ warnings have included several from Matthew 24. “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass but the end is not yet.”
Everyone is advised to get an Itinerary.
Sending best wishes for a safe and secure 2026.
Valerie and Mike
The Unopened Gift
Several years ago, I lived in the mountains. One Christmas, I was invited to spend it with a wealthy elderly gentleman. I had never met him but knew he had a sterling reputation, so I said yes. He was known for inviting ten people from the surrounding villages to his home each Christmas. When I read the invitation, it said, “Please RSVP with one thing your heart truly desires.”
At that time, the Vietnam War was raging and was in the news nightly. I had such a desire for peace, and so when I sent my RSVP back, I just said peace. As the day approached, I selected what I was going to wear and packed my bag. We were to arrive the night before in time for a late dinner at 9:00.
At about 8:00, I got into the Land Rover and headed up the road to his home. I drove slowly as the roads were covered with snow and ice. Those of us who lived in the mountains were used to driving in these conditions and knew that if we just drove slowly, all would be well. The Rover lumbered along at about 25 mph, and I thought about what the next day would be like. I wondered what the gentleman would be like, and all the time I was imagining spending a night in the home of someone I had never met.
As I neared the top of the mountain, the road ended in his driveway. There was a large gate across the road. I got out of the Rover and walked over to the gate. There was an intercom on the post. I pushed the button and waited. “Yes?” the voice on the other end asked. I stated my name and what I was there for. I heard a buzzer sound, and the gate opened automatically. I got back in the Rover, drove up and parked at the end of the circular driveway.
The home was magnificent, huge by any standard, and it looked like a forest lodge. It was built entirely of wood and stone, and floodlights covered the driveway and front with a soft yellow light. I picked up my bag and walked up the sidewalk. I could see several people inside as I looked in the front window. I rang the doorbell and again waited. Soon, a butler opened the door and asked to see my invitation. I opened my purse and showed it to him. He checked it and crossed my name off the list. “Welcome,” he said. “We have been expecting you. There is only one person left to arrive, and we can begin our festivities.”
I walked in and another servant showed me to my room. I followed her upstairs and down a long hall. She opened the door to a room that was almost iridescent. A candle had been lit, and the walls glistened as the light bounced off them. “Wow,” I thought. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.” I thanked the small woman, and I closed the door. I unpacked and put on my favorite dress and went downstairs.
People were talking in the great room. I looked around for our host, and in the corner, I saw an older man with white hair chatting with one of the guests. He kept looking out the window for the final guest to arrive, but the man or woman never came. After about an hour, the butler came into the room and announced that dinner was served.
Everyone looked for their names on the place cards on the table. I finally found mine and sat next to a younger man and woman. There was one place empty at the table, and the older gentleman would look there off and on. You could see it bothered him that whoever he had invited did not come.
We all then participated in what I would say is the most memorable dinner I had ever eaten. Over the next few hours, we went through several courses. Each course was a delicacy of one sort or another. The gentleman introduced himself, and then each of us introduced ourselves and shared a little about ourselves. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and it took away any sense of shyness I would normally feel in a group of people I had just met.
When we finished dinner, we were told to go pick up our gift by the Christmas tree. We were to take it to our room and open it. He made a point of telling us that our gifts had been purchased specifically for us by his son. When I picked up mine, I walked back up to my room. It was beautifully wrapped, and I wondered, “What could possibly be in there?” After all, my desire was for peace.
I sat down on the bed and slowly pulled on the bow. I pulled the ribbon off the box and took off the lid. There inside, under the tissue paper, were two envelopes. The parchment was delicate, and the writing was in calligraphy. One envelope said, “For the World,” and the other one said, “For you, Valerie.” I opened the one for the world, and inside was a piece of parchment written in calligraphy. It said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men.” I thought about those words for a few moments. Yes, I had heard the story about angels showing up at the birth of Christ and announcing it. Those words were famous, but had I ever believed they were true, that God’s desire for the world was peace and goodwill towards men? I really hadn’t given those words any real thought. The world I lived in was ruled by war and crass materialism. Was there really a benevolent God who existed and wanted good things for men, even though they were so far away from what he desired?
Slowly, I opened the other envelope. There was another exquisite piece of parchment with beautiful writing on it. This one was for me personally. It said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give you.” And sure enough, after I read those words, I did feel a peace come over me. I could not control the world and all of the terrible things going on in it, but I personally could have the peace of God if only I would accept the gift I had been given.
I put my envelopes back in the box. I put my pajamas on, turned off the light, and lay down in the bed. For the first time in years, I realized there was a God, and if I would only accept what he was offering me, I could have his peace. I got back up and opened the box. I took the envelope that was meant just for me and held it in my hand. I lay back down in the bed and put it next to my heart. I remember thinking that I wanted that feeling to last forever as I fell asleep.
The next morning, I awoke late. I had slept longer and more deeply than I had for a long time. I was refreshed, and I pulled the curtain and looked out at the snow. This would be my last day here, and we would all leave after the mid-day meal. I didn’t want to go, but I knew I would have to. I got dressed and went down for brunch. The table was full of Christmas sweets, and people wandered in and out of the dining room, ate, and then went and sat by the fire. Everyone was quiet and reflecting on the gifts they had been given. As I went and sat by the fire, I noticed there was one gift left, unopened by the tree. Whoever had been invited had not come, and had missed out on a tremendous experience, perhaps even a life-changing one.
Over the years, I wondered about that person. Who was he or she? Was it someone I knew? Who missed out on such an important event? I will never know. All I know is that our host was saddened by the fact that this person had not come. His son had purchased a gift just for him or her, and it would never be picked up or opened. As I drove around each year at Christmas time, I looked at the people shoveling their driveways; or skiing along the paths. That person had no idea what they missed out on, and perhaps never would.
What if it had been me, or you? I shudder to think of how my life would be today if I had not accepted the invitation. It was a milestone in my journey to find the Father and get to know his Son, Jesus Christ.
May you open every gift available to you during this Christmas season.
Heart Check
“Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” 1 John 3:15
When I first read these words in the Bible, I thought they were a bit harsh. If you hate someone, you are a murderer? But I have reflected on these words a lot in the last ten days.
I was deeply saddened by the murder of Charlie Kirk. Let me tell you, I didn’t know who the man was. I had heard his name mentioned a few times, but that’s it. What saddened me was that he was killed because of his political and religious beliefs. I was also distressed by some of the reactions to his murder.
It seems to me there are not too many steps between hatred and murder. When we begin to hate someone, we naturally devalue them in our hearts. Their life matters little to us as we allow that hatred to grow and overtake us. Most of the time, we don’t murder them with a gun, but we can certainly assassinate their character with our words. We look at one person killing another and think, “I would never do that.”
But what is the real truth? Once we begin to hate someone, our heart begins to rot. We may think we are justified when we hate another person or group of people but the Lord doesn’t see it that way. He sees hatred for what it is, the antithesis of who He is and who He wants us to be.
Jesus told us, “to love our enemies” and “to pray for them who persecute you.” It is only love that will break the bondage of hatred in our hearts. As we pray for those we disagree with or have hurt us, we begin to see them for the flawed human beings they are. Their value goes up in our eyes. We also begin to see ourselves for the flawed humans we are.
Let us all do a “heart check.” Do we hate anyone or any group of people? If so, let’s ask the Lord to help us change our attitude. We can hate the things people do or say, but we are not supposed to hate them. We want God’s spirit (eternal life) abiding in us. And surprisingly, it is our willingness to pray for them that will usher in God’s grace and free our hearts from the bondage of hatred.
Photo by Mohamedgado15. Courtesy of Pixabay.
Unrecognizable
Have you ever gone to a town where you had visited and something devastating had happened there? You start to survey the landscape and look for familiar landmarks, but don’t see them. The scale of the devastation is so great that the area is unrecognizable. You aren’t sure exactly which street you are on, and it is impossible to find the features you remember. Has that ever happened to you?
If it has, you know that the first thing you do is get out your phone and call up Google Maps. You hope there is some way to get your bearings and find what you are looking for. You desperately search for something familiar so you can orient yourself to your surroundings.
That is exactly how I feel when I look at the culture around me. I feel I am living in a society that is unrecognizable from the one I grew up in. Almost every social metric has plummeted in a negative direction. Just to name a few: criminal behavior has skyrocketed because it is rewarded with a slap on the wrist and a get out of jail free card. Homelessness is accepted as a normal part of society, and few public officials are able to find a meaningful solution to the problem. The benchmarks on the education of our students are abysmal, and yet billions are thrown in that direction with little or no improvement in literacy or mathematical skills.
Unfortunately, I can’t call up Google Maps for help to try to navigate our culture. How do I, as a believer in Jesus Christ, live in a meaningful way in an unrecognizable society? The only thing I know to do is to go to the Scriptures to help me find my bearings. When I read them, I can somehow get a perspective on what I see taking place. When I look at some of the last words that Jesus spoke to his disciples, they open my eyes and help me see the signposts I am looking for.
Jesus said that the last days would be like the days of Noah. Those days were marked by violence and genetic engineering. He also said they would be like the days of Sodom. Those days were filled with sexual perversion and children being misused by unscrupulous adults. Jesus talked about the love of many growing cold, and if that isn’t one of the primary mileposts of our day, I don’t know what is. Man has stopped caring about his fellow human beings, and meaningful compassion is in short supply.
Rather than walking around dazed and confused, each of us can look to the Scriptures for clear direction. We can ask the Lord to fill us with His Spirit so that we may love our fellow man. We can do whatever is within our capabilities to make a positive difference in the lives of those around us. Then and only then will we make a significant impact and the landscape we see will become more recognizable.
Valerie Cullers 