Built to Endure

This post is second in the Psalm 127 series "Live Like a King."

~ ~ ~

Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it …
~ Psalm 127:1 (NKJV)

The Hebrew word used here for "vain" (shâv') is not the same word that Solomon uses 35 times in Ecclesiastes for "vanity" (hăbêl). The latter refers to something merely empty or fleeting. But shâv' is worse than emptiness. Shâv' is desolate, destructive, deceitful.

So [Solomon] was seven years in building [the house of the LORD]. But Solomon took thirteen years to build his own house.
~ 1 Kings 6:38-7:1 (NKJV)

The temple actually took more than seven years to build, because David spent his lifetime preparing for its construction—possibly since the day Goliath's sword was taken to the tabernacle. Solomon, on the other hand, having constructed the temple, apparently spent the remainder of his life erecting a king's palace and building his own house.

We spend our lives building many types of houses: a dream residence or healthy body is a physical house; a career, enterprise, business, or ministry is a vocational house; family and home are houses of legacy. Our intent is creation of something built to endure.

A house may be built to endure the passage of millennia, set upon solid foundations, and carefully laid out with sure cornerstones. Some still stand. Others are dust, having succumbed to neglect, war, or act of God, their creators' efforts now shâv'.

You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
~ 1 Peter 2:5 (NKJV)

Jesus saves souls because He is building a kingdom. His eye detects the potential for beauty beneath rough, scarred surfaces, even when rotten to the core. He recovers outcasts destined for dust and restores them by going right to heart and re-building from the inside out. His rescued treasures become polished gemstones, gleaming lights in a house built to endure for eternity.

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock."
~ Jesus, Matthew 7:24 (ESV)

The Sermon on the Mount ends with an invitation to join Jesus in constructing a house built to endure for eternity. When we live by His words—when we hunger and thirst for righteousness, when we turn the other cheek, when we love our enemies, when we do to others as we'd have done to us—we live like Jesus.

When we live like Jesus, we live like a King, with all the grace, honor, and dignity of the royalty we are.

Our Father in Heaven, please move us to keep Your name holy in our lives and on our tongues. Bring Your Kingdom of Heaven to Earth through us.

Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Urgency

The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" Then they went out of the city and came to Him.
~ John 4:28-30 (NKJV)

Jesus has just disclosed that He is the Messiah (or Christ) to the Samaritan woman. Did shivers run up her spine? Did she gasp? How big did her eyes get?

This is something too big to think over for herself, or mention later to her friends. She leaves behind her waterpot. She goes straight to the men. She conveys to them enough astonishment that they are compelled to interrupt their day and go check out the Jew at the well.

How often do we act with such urgency? We are convicted to make a contact, take action, or pick up a Bible, and we make a mental note to do just that ... later on.

And then 'later on' doesn't come.

I've heard it said that we have more regrets over things we failed to do than for things we did and wish we hadn't. I suspect it's true.

“Don't wait. The time will never be just right.”
~ Napoleon Hill

Comments are welcome and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Choosing What to See

This post is part of a blog carnival hosted by Peter Pollock. You're invited to visit his site and see what others are saying about today's theme: Reflection.

"The way we choose to see the world
creates the world we see."
~ Barry Kaufman

photo courtesy of Kelly Sauer

When looking at clear water or glass, do you see the surface image or into the depth?

We are created to appreciate beauty. When we look no further than superficial beauty—if distortion or ugliness prevents us from looking deeper—we miss true beauty. We know this simple truth, yet how often are we too busy or distracted to look beyond what we see first?

Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But one who fears the LORD shall be praised.
~ Proverbs 31:30 (author)


When facing a mirror, do you focus on yourself, what is behind, or what is ahead?

There is a time to examine the image we present and alter it as needed. There is a time to glance backwards and make ourselves aware of what affects us. But gazing long at the past or at Self provides a limited view that can only hinder us from moving forward with others.

Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
~ Philippians 3:13-14 (NKJV)


When giving a matter serious thought, what single factor most shapes your perspective?

In the movie "City Slickers," Jack Palance's character, Curly, says the secret of life is just one thing—and each person must find that one thing. What is your one thing, that first comes to mind when you are happy, sad, worried? What one thing you look at is shaping who you are?

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
~ 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV)

Lord, as we look back on the year behind, as we look to the year ahead, please allow us to see ourselves, our circumstances, and Your Son as You do. In every reflection, may we see You.

Comments, questions, and respectful disagreement are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments, or e-mail me ~ buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

I AM

"I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the Beginning and the End,
the First and the Last."
... let him who thirsts come.
Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
~ Revelation 22:13,17 (NKJV)

Here is the end of Revelation, of the Bible text, and of the old heavens and earth.

For God, this is as good as the beginning, because He stands outside of time. Unlike mortal humans, who move through time like an unstoppable train on a single track, He is not limited to a single point on a line, in one dimension.

Jesus does not say He was in the beginning and shall be in the end. He declares Himself to simply be both the Beginning and the End, with the emphatic "I AM" which sums up His nature. He is Alpha and Omega, the whole of the matter. He is the First and the Last in a human life, to everyone of every time.

"I am YHWH, and there is no other;
There is no God besides Me.
... from the rising of the sun to its setting ...
there is none besides Me.
I form the light and create darkness,
I make peace and create calamity."
~ Isaiah 45:5-6

There is no other God, no other way to obtain love and light and life, no other means adequate to satisfy the human soul, both right now and for an eternity. Eternity may seem like a long time to those who live by time. But once we step outside of time with our God, we will cease to measure it.

I cannot help but smile that a God living outside of time said three times in the Bible's closing chapter, "I am coming quickly," knowing most of us would think "soon."

I believe it to be the former. I hope it to also be the latter.

Lord God, You are our All in All. You are our treasure, our comfort, our very life. We thirst much. Teach us to drink as freely and fully from Your Spirit as we will drink from the river of life.

I appreciate hearing from you. Questions are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments or e-mail me—my address is
buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com.
Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Image source: freespiritart.com

My Lord and My God

Yesterday a comment was posted to Thursday's Father, Son, Spirit, inviting the viewing of a two-hour video to "aid the quest for truth" on the identity of Jesus. I verified that the video is by Unitarians and sought to prove Jesus human alone and not God. The comment was deleted. I offer not apology but the following apologetic.

My Lord and My God

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
~ John 1:1,14 (NKJV)

In 1985, after 23 years of hearing and reading the Bible—of believing Jesus to be the divine Son of God—I met Jesus the Word of God. The experience of hearing the Word speak with authority was love at first sight. In the 25 years since that day, the Bible has been my first and last authority for faith. It has yet to let me down. It has sustained me through every dark hour. It has lifted me up to pinnacles of love for God and neighbor of which I am otherwise incapable.

And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
~ John 20:28-29 (NKJV)

Having the Bible turn my world upside down made me willing to question everything I'd been taught and measure it against Scripture. When it was proposed to me in 1990 that Jesus being the Son of God did not make Him divine, I readily examined it with an open mind, in search of truth. The texts throughout both Old and New Testament which declare Him God are numerous. The voice of the Holy Spirit has confirmed them repeatedly. The testimony of countless Christians matches what I know by personal experience beyond a shadow of a doubt: Jesus could not do for those He touches the miracles He performs if He were less than God.

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
~ Philippians 2:9-11 (NKJV)

No entity but Almighty God may be worshiped. To Him alone do we bow the knee in prayer, in faith, in worship. To Him alone do we lift up voice and hands to praise, to exalt, to magnify as Lord. Angels refuse such worship and praise. True disciples of Jesus refuse such worship and praise. Yet Jesus accepted such worship and praise not only because He is worthy of it, but because it brings glory to the Father. Those who wish to exalt God do so by exalting Jesus.

For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist... He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him.
~ 2 John 1:7-10 (NKJV)

For as long as I host this blog, it will not welcome or give space to those who masquerade as "Pastor" and declare on behalf of satan that Jesus is anything less than God made flesh in order to deny Him homage.

If I use two of the precious hours Jesus my Creator lends me in quest of truth, I will praise Him for the beauty of His creation. I will search out Jesus the divine Word of God in the Bible. I will bow the knee in prayer to Him Who is Savior of my soul, Lord of my life, King of my future.

Father Almighty, for as long as I draw breath, I will exalt Your Son Jesus Christ as my Lord and my God.

Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com Comments or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
#knowingGod
Art image by Riek Jonker

Reward

Hello from the Festival of Faith and Writing Conference at Calvin College in Grand Rapids. As I depart the conference to head home, I present a writing assignment for which I chose to forsake prose.

REWARD

stark and White
canopy of cloud
blanket of flakes
relic of straw

rich and Brown
sponge of earth
fragrance of soil
promise of seed

drab and Gray
sheets of rain
mirror of puddles
exposure of pebble

pastel and Green
roll of land
scattering of buds
wink of leaf

sharp and Orange
scorch of ray
flame of flora
tickle of pollen

cool and Blue
sweep of sky
feathers of shade
sustenance of spray

mute and Amber
recline of Sol
wave of stalk
flight of dust

ripe and Red
procession of dusk
tribute of leaf
reward of fruit

Glory of Gold
visible shadowing Faith
received obscuring Hope
knowledge fulfilling Love

© 2010 Anne Lang Bundy

Hard Questions

"Judge a person by their questions, rather than their answers."
~ Voltaire

Hard Questions

"Now, O LORD my God ... I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in."
~ 1 Kings 3:7 (NKJV)

But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. And now, little children, abide in Him ...
~ 1 John 2:27-28 (NKJV)

Back in January, Russell Holloway invited me to do Q&A for his blog Bullets and Butterflies. For years I've answered Bible questions from students, family, friends, friends of friends, and now, blog readers. I've long wanted to do something more formal, but didn't feel qualified to offer myself without a sponsor.

I'll admit to knowing the Bible quite well. I've read it since I was a child. Since 1985 I've prayerfully read it over and over, cover to cover and inside out, studying the original languages in Bible dictionaries. I've researched biblical culture, archeology, history. I even peruse the commentaries, though I don't like to give them more attention than the Holy Spirit, Whom I believe to be our first and final Teacher.

But I also can't call myself a Bible expert. As one critic adeptly pointed out, "Anne, you've never been to Bible college like I have. You only read the Bible."

Russell startled me when he issued his invitation to bring on the questions with, "... the harder the question the better ..." I wanted to cry out, "Wait! I don't have all the answers!" I consoled myself with the knowledge that I know the One Who does, and plunged in.

I feel like a little child facing a doctorate exam.

Not because of the four questions I've handled so far—which have been plenty challenging—but because I'm painfully aware of how much I don't know, how much I'm learning, and how difficult my own questions for God are lately becoming. Questions like:

How do I give my kids a sense of how bad sin is without letting them wallow in it the way I did?

Since joy is the fruit of the Spirit like love is, am I doing something wrong if I lose my hold on joy for a time, the way I would be if I hated someone for a time?

I know what it is to release something to God, and have rest in not worrying about the outcome. How do I not do that too much, before lack of worry starts to become unhealthy apathy?

My hardest question is one I've asked it many times over the years. It is not altogether unlike Philippians 1:21-24. God never answers it. He simply wraps me in His love and wipes away my tears, because it comes out something like this:

Dear God, the more time I spend with You, the more I love You, and the more homesick I get to be with You. But I want to come with my arms filled with treasures I've laid up in heaven while on earth, so I guess You better keep me here a while. Is it possible to be a little less homesick?

Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.Image source: helptalking.com

Endures Forever

"Blessed is any weight ... that God has been so good
as to fasten with His own hand upon our shoulders."
~ Frederick W. Faber

Endures Forever

These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:
"I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich) ... Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life."
~ Revelation 2:8-10 (NKJV)

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever...
to the One who remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
and freed us from our enemies,
His love endures forever...
Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.
~ Psalms 136:1-3,23-24,26 (NIV)

As He speaks to Smyrna, Jesus calls Himself "the First and the Last, who died and came to life again." He reminds of His eternal perspective, and that He has tasted death.

Death around us has a way of sucking away the life within us. Suffering, testing and tribulation have a way of narrowing our perspective to "right now" in a way that seems to endure forever.

Psalm 136 declares 26 times that it is the Lord's love which endures forever. Throughout Scripture we see that suffering, testing, tribulation last for a set time—and no more.

The above image hangs above my writing desk, and above that is a single word: ENDURANCE. Whatever we are going through, however long it lasts, we can endure. When Jesus tells us to take up a cross daily and walk uphill, He is asking us to simply follow Him.

Father in Heaven, surely we become weary in well-doing because we do not gain strength from You as we should. You have promised we shall not be tested beyond our ability to endure. Please take us into Your arms and carry us when we become weak. Please give us Your perspective of the eternal and the temporal.

Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
#suffering
Artwork "Road to the Cross" by Brian Jekel © DaySpring and published by the MasterPeace collection

Friday Freelance: S.A.D.D.

"Don't despair. Only the mediocre person is always at his best."
~ W. Somerset Maugham

Friday Freelance: S.A.D.D.

It's January in Michigan. The longitude on the Eastern time zone's western edge brings dawn around 8 a.m. Latitude near the 45th parallel means absurdly few hours of meaningful daylight. Center the two between three Great Lakes, and oppressive cloud cover robs the land of sunlight. Supposedly mild temperatures hover around freezing, but they conspire with the damp and darkness to preserve the snow and S.A.D.D. (Seasonal Affective Depression Disorder).

S.A.D.D. has not dogged me since the early 90's, just after I moved to Michigan. But I'm encountering a surprising number of people with it this year, and it seems to be contagious. If I'm honest, my problem is not a lack of sunshine but of Sonshine. When I was in my groove, prayer closet time was a prominent priority, I was energized for a long day after minimal sleep, and had time to accomplish all the things God put on my heart. Low levels of sunshine were easily dismissed.

I've been operating on reserve strength while prayer closet time has been slowly shrinking, my energy has been diminishing, my sleep has been increasing. I'm left with fewer, frustrated hours to try to accomplish the same as before. Add to that January in Michigan and unprecedented personal challenges, and I've got the formula for a full blown case of S.A.D.D.

But only if I let it take hold.

A merry heart does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones.
~ Proverbs 17:22 (NKJV)

My typical outlook is not just "cup-half-full," but "my cup runneth over." I like long and frequent visits to the stream of Living Waters, letting it fill me and flow through me to others. I'd like to think of myself as liquid Colorado sunshine bottled up in a pint-sized vessel of Holy Spirit, spilling out all over the drab Michigan landscape.

My heart holds a yearning ache for the day I stand in full Sonshine. It is countered by the desire to arrive on that day with arms full of tribute to present before my King. I labor neither from sense of duty, nor to prove myself, nor even for promised reward. Duty pales next to love, my status is secure in the blood of Jesus Christ, and the only reward I seek is to kneel before the feet that were pierced for me and be permitted to kiss them.

I labor as a debtor to grace. Gratitude to my Lord gives me full rest but no leisure. The day will soon enough arrive when eternity stretches before me—without the opportunity I have now.

Here, now, I can do for my Lord on the earth what He will no longer need in Heaven. I can spill out love and life and Light in the dark world that will one day pass from existence.

When a tickle in my throat hints of an impending cold, I attack the germs mercilessly, because I don't have time to get sick. By the grace of God, I've not had a cold in two or three winters.

Lately, I've felt the tickle of S.A.D.D. trying to take hold. Life is too short to spend it weakened by such an affliction. I've started forfeiting some time visiting Facebook, blogs, and Twitter for prayer closet time, until those germs are put down, and I again have more hours in my day.

By the grace of God, I'll not succumb to S.A.D.D.

Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Image from ihatecommuting.wordpress.com
#encouragement

False Sense of Security

"A false sense of security is the only kind there is."
~ Michael Meade

False Sense of Security

Our soul is exceedingly filled
With the scorn of those who are at ease,
With the contempt of the proud.
~ Psalms 123:4 (NKJV)

"But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.' "
~ Luke 16:25 (NKJV)

A recurrent lament in the Psalms is that while the righteous suffer, the unrighteous are at ease. Their prosperity and success seems, well, just not right. True enough that Jesus said in this world we'd have tribulation and trial. But in the face of their ease, must our trials be so ... trying?

Many of those who do not fear God have a cavalier journey through this world. They permit themselves a bit of disquiet (if that) at suffering and infirmity, perhaps spout off glib solutions like population control and euthanasia, and carry on a life at ease. If they harbor nagging doubts about their final destination, they nonetheless live each day as one step closer to a triumphant end where they plan to sing, "I did it 'My Way'."

Those who respect the Lord do not live at ease. We are disturbed by the unrighteousness which brings misery and are often scorned for standing against it. We sacrifice ourselves to make the world a better place but might as well try to hold back the tide. We are continually tempted to use this world's methods of "success." We strive all our lives to understand His Way, then kick ourselves for failing to live up to it.

People of this world are correct to say, "A false sense of security is the only kind there is."

Children of God endure because our security lies in no man or institution of this world, but in the Prince of Peace—King of the kingdom to come—Who reigns even now in our lives.

We may not live at ease. We have something better. We may live at peace.

Father in Heaven, our lives are in Your hands. Please increase our faith in Your Way. Please direct our every step. When we look at this world, please quiet our hearts with the peace which passes understanding.

Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
#discipleship
Photo from upi.com

Days Ahead

"Fear does not exist anywhere except in the mind."
~ Dale Carnegie

Days Ahead
#secondcoming

Upon the upright rises light in the darkness—
gracious, compassionate, and righteous...
He shall not be afraid of evil tidings
His heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.
~ Psalms 112:4,7 (author)

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
~ James 4:12-14 (NKJV)

Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
~ Psalms 119:105 (NKJV)

Our pastor is preaching from Revelation, linking recent events to prophecies going back 2500 years with spine-chilling accuracy.

Countless prayer requests come to me for those without a job in an economy which continues to falter—and for loved ones struggling with illnesses which have ominous implications.

I often speak with people for whom I care, who face decisions with long-range impact.

At every turn are situations shadowed by uncertainty and anxiety for the future. If we only knew what awaits us in days ahead, we might better know how act today. But our Maker reserves to Himself knowledge of what tomorrow holds.

It’s one thing to say we must trust the Lord for the days ahead. It’s quite another to rest in that trust. The psalmist says of the upright (Hebrew yâshâr, meaning "straight" or "erect") that his heart is fixed. He stands tall, without fear, in the face of the storm. Rather than veer away from being gracious, compassionate, and righteous, the upright resolutely stays the course.

We have surely entered the days when darkness will not recede before the Son appears on the horizon. The one who fears God need not fear darkness or whatever may lie there, because the risen Lord is our Light. Amid darkness, sufficient is the Light for the next step.

Heavenly Father, Your Word is living and powerful and reliable. You are all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving. You bid us fear not, be not anxious, have no worry for the morrow. Please make us unmovable and unwavering in faith amid the perils which threaten. Ever open our eyes to Who You are.

Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
sjbrown58.wordpress.com

A Touch That Never Hurts

"Have a heart that never hardens,
a temper that never tires,
a touch that never hurts."
~ Charles Dickens

A Touch That Never Hurts
#powerofwords

"How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?
And how shall I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?"
~ Numbers 23:8 (NKJV)

Death and life are in the power of the tongue.
~ Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV)

If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
~ Romans 12:18 (NKJV)

As soon as I pick up my car keys, I am sure to immediately hear the running footsteps of my eight-year-old Abigail. However much household noise rules or far away she is, that distinctive sound is a magnet for her to hasten to my side and determine where I'm going, how long I'll be gone, and give me at least one 'I love you' kiss good-bye.

She likely got this from me. I do whatever possible to make sure every good-bye and its 'I love you' carries full weight. I most easily lay down pride when it comes time to part company. I am adamant for pleasant farewells, and I sorrow over every disagreeable one.

I do not obsess about death. But between the numerous death aftermaths I've been closely involved with, and my husband's occupation as a police officer—assigned to death investigations—I am acutely aware of how tentative life is. One never knows which words we speak may be the last between us and a loved one.

Another thing of which I'm acutely aware is how inclined my intensity is to take a hard stance, flash a quick temper, use a sharp touch with my tongue. The internet is a place of words offered at keyboard speed, where it is easier to measure each transmission, and double-click the trash can icon on regrets. You who know me only electronically see (as one critic called it) "the kinder and gentler Anne." I try ever so hard to be just as gracious in speech and electronic chats, but am sometimes not. Nearly all of my deepest regrets are of my words.

Is there anyone you've touched with words who has been hurt by them?

With eternity daily in the balance, is there any valid reason to not live peaceably?

Prince of Peace, You've given Your life and blood that we might know peace. I pray that every person who reads these words would know Your peace, and pass it on to as many people as possible, in as many ways possible.

Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Photo from hebrewprincess.sulekha.com

Seven Saturdays

"Life isn't a journey to the grave, arriving safely ...
but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up and worn out,
loudly proclaiming, 'Wow! What a ride!' "
~ Bill McKenna

Seven Saturdays

My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.
~ Psalms 63:8 (NKJV)

I'd love to hear from you today. (Please?)

If you had a week to drop out of life
with all relationships and obligations happily on hold
to do anything you want (humanly possible)
to go anywhere you want (no time travel allowed)
with money, permission, or skill being no obstacle
(you could ride the space shuttle or perform at Carnegie Hall)
and you can keep only something you've created yourself
(do-it-yourself house remodel is a Yes, Porche is a No)
but there's no guarantee of safety ...

What would you spend your seven Saturdays doing?

And be sure to stop back for tomorrow's follow-up question.

Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Friday Freelance: FRIEND Part III

"All's well that ends well.
And if it isn't ending well, it isn't the end."
~Max Lucado, from his book Fearless

Friday Freelance: FRIEND Part III

Those of you who caught Parts I & II know of the recent visit by my friend Gwen Stewart and I to Colorado for the ACFW Writers Conference, and our side trip to the Rocky Mountains—complete with Gwen's abject fear of heights and our drive along terrifying cliffs.

I'd planned to blog only of that escapade and its spiritual lesson, but moments before I posted Part II, I was compelled to add these closing words:

FOOTNOTE: Lest it appear that I paint myself a hero and Gwen a weakling, I shall this Friday tell you of the chasm from which Gwen deftly rescued me.

Here goes.

Gwen calls me intrepid. I had to look up "intrepid," which literally means "not alarmed," and is defined as "characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance."

I like the word "fearless." Speed and heights thrill me. I fondly recall days spent skydiving, rappeling, and doing technical climbs on sheer faces of granite. Emergencies mean someone needs to take action, and if not me then who? I've dashed into a home engulfed in flames protected by only a wet handkerchief over my nose. The one emergency I faced where I honestly thought I was going to die was one I nonetheless ran toward.

I'm just telling you all this so you'll understand that I don't lightly toss around the word fearless.

Two Thursdays ago, Gwen and I spent the morning in Rocky Mountain National Park. We safely negotiated a switchback which presented potential danger and gave me no pause. A bit later I stood at 12,000 above sea level cliff overlooking a 4,000' high chasm which sent Gwen retreating to our vehicle.

Then Thursday night we were safely back down to only one mile above sea level in Denver. We sat in a banquet room filled with some 600 publishing professionals and aspiring authors. Gwen and I were separated by seating arrangements as we listened to the speakers.

I felt out of place. I'm at ease with people from all walks of life, including those dedicated to writing. Yet I found myself overwhelmingly intimidated by a situation thoroughly beyond my ability. I cannot face the portals of publication and simply fight fearlessly or work hard or stand them down. Those gateways are opened or closed by the hand of God. And He's had me standing upon the same threshold for seventeen months.

Which is entirely His right. He bought me and owns me. I'll go wherever or do whatever He wants. No problem.

I guess. Sort of.

But if I'm honest, I'm horribly afraid of at least one thing.

I'm terrified by the idea of being unfruitful.

While I was avoiding eye-contact with my fear, I listened to ACFW President Cynthia Ruchti speak. Then she said something along the lines of, "This was billed as a fragrance-free conference. But throughout this room is the fragrance of all of you pouring out yourselves in offering for our Lord."

Whatever else causes trepidation in others yet brings intrepid out of me, I was immediately terrified by the vast chasm of wasted effort. Overcome by the need to step away from it's edge, I quietly exited the banquet hall and found an isolated corner in which to recover.

I know well that some areas of my life are quite fruitful. I just hate that any hours should be squandered when life is so short and time is incredibly precious. I fear any of my labor being for naught. I can allow how long the journey takes, as long as I see fruitful progress. Lacking that, I feel utterly impotent and diminished.

I returned to my table, still bewildered that I should be there. At the end of the session, I found precious Gwen at my side, her eyes asking what was wrong. She listened to me rant. She held me in her love with her gaze. The chasm became tolerable with a friend at my side to negotiate it with me.

Throughout the conference, I enjoyed the love and fellowship of many friends with no knowledge of my fear. But another dear friend also understood my trepidation without me speaking of it—my agent Rachelle Gardner. She also came alongside me, sensitive to the needs of her client and genuinely caring about the heart of a friend. The fact that she understood so much that went unsaid is testimony to her own tender and gracious spirit.

Gwen emerged from the mountains with new courage to face the journey before her because a friend eased her through terror. She returned the favor to me at the edge of my own fearful precipice. The Lord sent a second angel of His love to confirm His will that I stay the path.

With such friends, I stand ready for the journey the Lord has ordained. I remember that a true sacrifice means one lavishly pours out all for the Lord without thought of waste.

I resolve to prove intrepid.

A postscript (added 10 hours after original post): My intent was to end this piece with the message of how much every single one of us needs every other one of us. It got lost in all else being said. Those words must not remain unspoken: Every one of you is needed.

Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Be Still

“Sit [tarry] in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.”
~ Luke 24:49 (MKJV)

"You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." ... Then they returned to Jerusalem ... These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication.
~ Acts 1:8,12,14 (NKJV)

"Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!"
~ Psalms 46:10 (ESV)

I value efficient use of time. If forced to wait (through kids’ piano lessons, etc.), I bring work with me. Life is short and I intend to cram as much as possible into my years.

I’m beginning to understand the folly in this. “Efficiency” is not on the Fruit of the Spirit list. How many simple pleasures and conversations and opportunities to express love am I missing?

Once Jesus returned to heaven, His disciples might have been tempted to run, or preach, or do anything rather than simply sit. Yet they obeyed Jesus’ direction to be still, waiting and praying for ten days. Had they gone out on their own, they’d have accomplished nothing. Once clothed with power from on high, they were ready to take Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the earth for Christ.

How much more might the Lord accomplish through us if we spend less time doing and take more time to be still?

Lord, You know our impatient and immature hearts. In a society constantly on the run, we struggle to be still for long enough to hear You. Please open our eyes to the value of being still not only in those times set aside for You, but also during available moments our hectic days.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

How Long?

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple... Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." And He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' ... Then I said, "Lord, how long?"
Isaiah 6:1,8-11 (NKJV)

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)

Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. (James 5:7 NRSV)

Inspired by the glorious vision of God asking for a servant, Isaiah boldly responded "Here am I! Send me!" As the prophet understood the burden of ministry laid upon him, he did not shrink back. But he did ask, "Lord, how long?"

Isaiah survived four kings before dying a martyr, sawn in two by King Manasseh. He would come to well understand the renewed strength in "waiting upon"—Hebrew qavah—the Lord. Qavah denotes both to intertwine and to wait with hope. It might be described as lying in wait together.

Waiting undergirds birth, dying, and all the trials in between as the Lord accomplishes His purposes in our brief lifetimes. We wait through many trials: sickness and healing, economic hardship, bad marriages and broken relationships, sanctification from sin through the ever-popular character building.

We are told to be patient until the coming of the Lord. Meanwhile, both the Lord and His people wait—together.

Lord, how long shall You and Your people wait? How long before Your plans and purposes are accomplished and Your promises are fulfilled? Our spirits groan together with Your Spirit. Please teach us to qavah with You. Please renew our strength as we trust Your perfect timing.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2008, Anne Lang Bundy

The Hour is Late

And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve. Now the next day ... Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. (Mark 11:11-12;15-16 NKJV)

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise ... but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise ... both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore ... what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness ...?
(2 Peter 3:9-12 NKJV)

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed ...
Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
(Psalms 46:1-2,10 NKJV)

It is often perceived that Jesus rode into Jerusalem and immediately lost His temper over the nonsense at the temple. He actually slept overnight on what He'd seen there before patiently returning to clean house. Perhaps He gave the money changers and sellers a last chance to repent once they realized the King was on the premises.

The King has left the premises, but He promised to come back. He is giving everyone a chance to repent in the meantime. Some need to repent of rebellion, ask forgiveness, and receive salvation. Some of us need to repent of being lukewarm Christians. Some of us need to repent for doubt which delays obedience.

And all of us can continually ask the question, "What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?" What is Jesus waiting for us to do?

The hour is late. When the King returns, will He find me doing what exalts Him as God?

Father in heaven, thank You for looking at me with love and not condemnation. I do not wish to disappoint You. Please make my heart to be still and know Your voice, to embrace what You ask of me, and to do it without delay. Please make all Your people ready for Your Son's return.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2008, Anne Lang Bundy

To Die is Gain

And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you." (Mark 5:18-19 NKJV)

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. (Philippians 1:21-24 NKJV)

Precious in the sight of the LORD
Is the death of His saints.
(Psalms 116:15 NKJV)

The man healed of his demons desired to remain with Jesus, who had set him free. Paul likewise earnestly desired to depart and be with Christ. Both remained behind as messengers of the Gospel, willingly, for Paul said to live is Christ. He counted his existence as no more and no less than the manifestation of the Lord Jesus.

This man beaten, imprisoned, stoned, shipwrecked, who labored "in weariness and toil," with sleeplessness, hunger and thirst, had good reason to desire death. He knew to die is gain—the receiving of his reward, and the commendation, "well done, good and faithful servant." Yet his great love for others commissioned him to a life of suffering which he did not resist.

In heaven, we will know the glorious presence of Christ. On earth, we have the privilege to be the presence of Christ. It is a worthy reason to wait patiently for the day we look upon Him.

Lord Jesus, how heaven can beckon when You draw us close! One of these days, surrounded by Your glory, when we finally see the hands which took our nails, and touch the face of You who made us, what will our hearts feel? Give us strong hearts, to make Your presence known until that day.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com.
Copyright 2008, Anne Lang Bundy

Last Day

"LORD, make me to know my end,
And what is the measure of my days,
That I may know how frail I am.
Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my age is as nothing before You;
Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor.
(Psalms 39:4-5 NKJV)

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will ..." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." (James 4:13-15 NIV)

Have you ever wondered what you would want your last day to look like? Would you simply eat, drink and be merry? What last actions would stamp your life—what last words would be remembered? What final gift would you prepare to present as you stand before God?

This is the secret of life, to live each day as if it counted for eternity. To brush aside all that is petty, to enjoy the simple, to speak each word with love, to keep every relationship pure. If each day is lived with excellence, excellence will mark the last day.

Ancient of Days, thank You for the brief precious days You lend us. Teach us to number each one as a treasure. Give us the ability to return each one to You.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. © 2008, Anne Lang Bundy

Out of Sight, But Not Out of Mind

"Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt." (Genesis 41:29-30 NKJV)

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NKJV)

It is entirely too easy to be overcome with the moment’s affliction, and forget the unseen—both the plentiful blessings which came before and the incredible joy to follow.

But we walk by faith, not sight. We remember the faithfulness our mighty God has demonstrated innumerable times in the past. We believe Jesus is our Mediator with our Father, and the Holy Spirit is our Counselor, Comforter and Keeper in the present. We confidently wait for the weight of glory, exceeding and eternal, lying in the not-so-distant future.

Holy Spirit, thank You for living in temporal flesh. Give us Your passion for the Son of God. Draw us to the Word and show us more of all we do not see.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. © 2008, Anne Lang Bundy