tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523986675188924152024-03-08T12:01:59.026-06:00Don't Look Back.Philippians 3:13-14 "...I focus on this one thing: Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
- This is my attempt to chronicle my daily struggle & desire to look forward.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12257640732520218818noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52398667518892415.post-14303208371545937082014-06-19T11:47:00.002-05:002014-06-19T11:47:48.674-05:00I'm Glad the Bible Isn't Written About MeThe Old Testament is full of historical accounts. Some sections are focused in on individuals & their "life story," while some are pulled back to capture events of an entire people group or nation. In either case, most of the time these accounts include a narrative about failure. They cite instances of rebellion, idolatry, immorality, and more - some in great detail and others in sweeping generalities.<br />
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I recently started reading through the book of Hosea, and so far it has been very descriptive of the sin of Israel at that time. God, speaking through the prophet of Hosea, does not pull any punches when accusing His people of their sin. There was no semblance of any kind of morality, but the biggest issue was that they had completely pushed God out of their lives - both individually & as a nation. They were in over their heads with idolatry - so much in fact, that in chapter 4 it says that there was "no knowledge of God in the land." While reading through chapters 4 & 5 today, I had a few observations about idolatry:<br />
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<b>1. Idolatry Looks Really Dumb</b><br />
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<i><u>Hosea 4:12</u> - "My people inquire a piece of wood, and their walking staff gives them oracles..."</i></blockquote>
Have you ever asked a tree branch a question? How about a twig for advice, or tried to gain insight on an important life decision from a log? Maybe you've begged a stump for healing, or pleaded with it to comfort you in a time of sorrow?<br />
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When I'm involved in idolatry - placing things above Jesus that are of far lesser value - I have convinced myself it's the best option. I truly believe in that moment that I'm pursuing what is most important. If only I could step back sooner & see the futility of replacing Christ with <i>anything </i>else - it's as smart as talking to a piece of wood.<br />
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<b>2. </b> <b>Idolatry Takes a Lot of Effort...For Nothing</b><br />
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<i><u>Hosea 4:13</u> - "They sacrifice on the tops of mountains and burn offerings on the hills..."</i></blockquote>
It's not exactly easy or convenient to climb to the top of a mountain, or set up an altar on the top of a hill. Think about all the detail they must have gone to in order to make sure their sacrifices were "just right" for their false gods. But their offerings simply burned to ash, and the smoke just disappeared into the atmosphere. There was nothing and no one on the receiving end of their effort. How much effort do I put into serving the idols of my heart? And for what eternal gain?<br />
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<b>3. Idolatry is a Conscious, Deliberate Choice</b><br />
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<i>Hosea 4:8 - "...they are greedy for their iniquity."<br />Hosea 5:11 - "...he (Israel) was <u>determined</u> to go after filth."</i></blockquote>
What might start as something innocent, unintentional, or even "good," can easily turn into an idol of the heart if we proceed without caution. Once something takes priority over Christ, our service to that idol is always a deliberate, willful choice. How "determined" am I to "go after filth?"<br />
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While these lessons are true, and the applications are real...here's the danger we can often fall into when reading these accounts of sinful behavior: "Wow, the Israelites were pretty messed up people, look at all that bad stuff they did." - and basically leave it at that. But today, I had this thought:<br />
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What if the Bible described the idolatry of <b>my </b>heart in detail, for everyone in the history of the world to read? What would God say in written form about <b>my </b>heart during the darkest, most selfish times of my life? What would the Holy Spirit inspire someone to record about <b>my </b>motives, even when I might think I'm doing right? Unfortunately it would be eerily similar to that of the Israelites...too often taking advantage of God's unending grace and patience. Too easily forgetting how He was faithful to carry me through the deepest, darkest valleys when I fill my mind with worry and doubt. Too often deliberately choosing to do what I want instead of thinking and praying about what God desires of me as His redeemed child. Would He describe me as "greedy for my iniquity"? Would He say that I am "determined to go after filth"? However worded, it would definitely be ugly, and it would be embarrassing... but it would be true.<br />
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This is why I'm thankful the Bible isn't written about me - as a historical narrative of the specific thoughts & intents of my heart over the years. However, even though our own life stories aren't written down in detail - the Bible is definitely clear about who we are. I truly believe that the sins of Israel (and many others) are not <u>just</u> recorded for us to have an example of "what not to do." They aren't written down <u>only</u> for us to observe how messed up those people were & to try and avoid their acts. Their sins are described to show us <b>who we are</b>. To teach us about the depravity of mankind & the wickedness of the human heart (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+17%3A9&version=ESV" target="_blank"><b>Jeremiah 17:9</b></a>). But the Bible doesn't build a case against us just to leave us wallowing in our misery. It all points to the fact that we're powerless to change our own sinful heart. We can't clean ourselves up. It all points to the cross, and it points to the suffering Servant who took the very punishment for our sins to offer freedom from the idols I too often chase.<br />
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So while I'm thankful the Bible isn't written about my life - I'm also thankful that it teaches me about my sin. What I'm most thankful about, though, is who the Bible <b>IS</b> written about - Jesus Christ, who didn't come to condemn the world (even though He would've been completely just in doing so)...but in order that the world might be saved through Him. (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+3%3A17&version=ESV" target="_blank"><b>John 3:17</b></a>)<br />
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"The Bible is not first a recipe book of Christian living, but a revelation book of Jesus who is the answer to our unchristian living." - Tullian Tchividjian<br />
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<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52398667518892415.post-43020302253305784622014-04-18T11:45:00.003-05:002014-04-18T17:19:12.305-05:00What is "Good" about Good Friday?<b>Good Friday</b> - what could possibly be "good" in connection with a crucifixion? The Son of God - unjustly condemned as a criminal and put to death by way of one of the most horrific, torturous, and gruesome practices probably in the history of mankind. But while the practice of crucifixion itself is horrifying, the eternal effects of Jesus' death are where an unbelievable amount of "good" can be found.<br />
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Over the course of this week, I've been trying to think through the "weight" of the upcoming Easter weekend. It's truly a great celebration in the life of a believer, and it's always <i>the</i> Sunday to look forward to in the life of a church. But to sit & try to think through what really took place...to try to sort through the implications & ramifications of the events of that weekend so long ago...it's something we really can't even wrap our minds around. To contemplate the enormity of what was accomplished by our suffering Savior on the cross of Calvary is an overwhelming exercise of the human mind. But I wanted to at least make an attempt to look at what was fulfilled <i>for those of us who have placed our faith in Christ</i> when Jesus said "It is finished." By no means is this an exhaustive list, but hopefully it will at least be a good framework for understanding.<br />
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<b>Substitution: </b> First and foremost, the death of Jesus was <i>in</i> <i>our place</i>. It was the death we all deserve...but our sinful state was so depraved that we aren't even worthy to pay the penalty for our own sin. So in God's love, He sent a substitute - the God-Man. Because sin has been committed by man, only another human could be our substitute (the debt alone is mankind's). But it had to be a sinless, spotless sacrifice - so this substitute also had to be fully God in order to be the perfect sacrifice. God sent <i><b>Himself</b> </i>to meet <i><b>His</b> </i>own demands to be the substitute for <i><b>our</b></i> sin. <i>"Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, should die for me?"</i> (<b><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Timothy+2%3A5%3B+Isaiah+53%3A5%3B+2+Corinthians+5%3A21&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">1 Timothy 2:5; Isaiah 53:5; 2 Corinthians 5:21</span></a></b>)<br />
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<b>Propitiation: </b>Christ's substitution brought about propitiation. Because of our sin, we were under the wrath of a holy God. God, being just and righteous, cannot overlook or excuse sin. Sin demands a payment, and "the wages of sin is death." But in the death of Jesus as the sinless sacrifice on our behalf, God literally poured out His wrath as He punished & cursed His Son for our sin. So again, in His love, God Himself provided the means by which His own wrath would be appeased. <i>"And on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied."</i> (<b><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+2%3A2%3B+1+John+4%3A10%3B+Hebrews+2%3A17%3B+Romans+3%3A25%3B+Isaiah+53%3A11&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">1 John 2:2, 4:10; Hebrews 2:17; Romans 3:25; Isaiah 53:11</span></a></b>)<br />
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<b>Atonement:</b> Closely connected to 'propitiation,' atonement means to cover, or to satisfy. In the Jewish sacrificial system, the Day of Atonement took place only once a year (<b><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+16&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Leviticus 16</span></a></b>). That was the only day the high priest could enter the holy of holies of the tabernacle or the temple to make atonement on behalf of the people of Israel. There were a lot of specific requirements (almost all of them involving blood - <b><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+9%3A22&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Hebrews 9:22</span></a></b>) that went along with this ritual in order for God to be satisfied with the sacrifice, and for the sins of the people to be atoned for (or forgiven). However, on the cross Jesus presented Himself - and His own shed blood - as the <b>once and for all</b> sacrifice. The one-time, <b>sufficient</b> payment for <i><b>all</b> </i>sins - past, present, and future. <i>"Jesus paid it all - all to Him I owe. My sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow."</i> (<b><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+10%3A11-18&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Hebrews 10:11-18</span></a></b>).<br />
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<b>Reconciliation:</b> The satisfaction of God's wrath & the atonement for sin is the prerequisite to our reconciliation. Our sin created a chasm between us and our Creator. The relationship & perfect fellowship originally established in the garden of Eden was broken with the original sin of Adam and the perpetual sin of mankind. The death of Christ removed that barrier between God and man, and brought restoration to that relationship. Never is it mentioned that God is reconciled to us - rather, we were the ones at enmity with God, and we alone were in need of being reconciled to God. (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+5%3A18-19%3B+Romans+5%3A10&version=ESV" style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">2 Corinthians 5:18-19; Romans 5:10</a>)<br />
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<b>Redemption: </b>We were slaves to sin, and slaves to the law (which only magnifies our sin & offers no way of escape). The substitutionary death of Jesus purchased us from the very <b>slavery</b> of sin & death. He paid our ransom with His very blood. <i>"Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb! Redeemed through His infinite mercy; His child, and forever, I am."</i> (<b><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+1%3A7%3B+Galatians+3%3A13-14&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Ephesians 1:7; Galatians 3:13-14</span></a></b>)<br />
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<b>Justification: </b>This is the legal declaration based solely on what was accomplished by Jesus, in our place, on the cross. It is nothing we can work for or earn. The very moment we place our faith in Christ's work on our behalf, His payment for sin is applied to us personally, and all of our sins - past, present, and future - are forgiven. We are not "innocent" - we are pardoned. Positionally, God no longer looks at us as a sinner, but instead sees us through the righteousness of His own Son. The divine exchange made possible by the blood of Jesus - He took our sin & gave us His righteousness. A one-time act that has an eternal effect. <i>"Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free. For God, the Just, is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me!"</i> (<b><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+5%3A1%3B+Romans+3%3A24-26%3B+2+Corinthians+5%3A21&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Romans 5:1, 3:24-26; 2 Corinthians 5:21</span></a></b>).<br />
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As I mentioned before - in no way is this any kind of an exhaustive list, but all of these glorious truths were made possible & accomplished at the very moment Jesus victoriously proclaimed, "It is finished!" <i>This</i> is the "good" in Good Friday - that what needed to be done, and what we could never do on our own, was perfectly carried out <b>for </b>us. But perhaps the <b>BEST </b>thing about Good Friday, is that Sunday is just around the corner! When Jesus cried, "It is finished," the payment had been made & He knew the funds were sufficient. But when He rose from the dead 3 days later, the check was cleared and sin, death, and hell were defeated forever!<br />
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His resurrection ultimately sealed the fate of death itself (<b><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+15%3A26&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">1 Corinthians 15:26</span></a></b>). It sealed our inheritance, and it gave us a guaranteed hope of new life <b><u>in</u> </b>Him, and eternal life <b><u>with</u> </b>Him (<b><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+2%3A4-9%3B+Colossians+3%3A3-4%3B+1+Peter+1%3A3-5&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Ephesians 2:4-9; Colossians 3:3-4; 1 Peter 1:3-5</span></a></b>). The weight of Easter weekend, then, is so much that the very focal point of all human history is centered on a bloody cross and an empty tomb. It is the basis for not only our salvation, but for any and all forward movement in this life. "<b>It is finished</b>" is a cry that echoes on through eternity and brings victory, freedom, and hope to all who repent and believe in His Name (<b><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+4%3A12%3B+Acts+16%3A31&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Acts 4:12; Acts 16:31</span></a></b>). It is the banner under which the believer lives his life, and it will be the basis of our unending praise throughout eternity. May our minds and hearts be saturated this Easter weekend with these great truths of what Jesus has accomplished on our behalf!<br />
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<i>"Man of Sorrows" what a name for the Son of God who came;</i><br />
<i>Ruined sinners to reclaim! Hallelujah, what a Savior!</i><br />
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<i>Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned He stood;</i><br />
<i>Sealed my pardon with His blood: Hallelujah, what a Savior!</i><br />
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<i>Guilty, vile and helpless we, Spotless Lamb of God was He;</i><br />
<i>Full atonement! Can it be? Hallelujah, what a Savior!</i><br />
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<i>Lifted up was He to die, "It is finished," was His cry;</i><br />
<i>Now in heaven exalted high: Hallelujah, what a Savior!</i><br />
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<i>When He comes our glorious King, all His ransomed home to bring;</i><br />
<i>Then anew this song we'll sing: Hallelujah, what a Savior!</i><br />
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<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52398667518892415.post-3909958234785302012014-02-20T12:26:00.003-06:002014-02-20T12:26:25.405-06:00The Hard Work of Doing Nothing<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">This is a blog post I wrote for my church website in February 2014 (<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://highpointealtoona.com/" style="color: black;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">High Pointe Church</span></a> </span>in Altoona, IA)</i><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><i>-----</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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Am I the only one who ever feels like the Christian life
can be exhausting at times? There are days, sometimes weeks, where I feel like
I’m just spinning my wheels. I feel like I can’t do anything right. I get
beaten down by my guilt & sinful desires. My mind is a frequent
battleground for the war that Paul describes in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+7%3A20-25&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Romans 7</span></a> between the old nature
& the new. I end up either beating myself up, or throwing a giant pity
party. But why does it get this way? How do we get to that point of exhaustion,
and what drives us there?<o:p></o:p></div>
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The last few weeks at High Pointe, we’ve had the
privilege of learning from <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+15&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">John chapter 15</span></a>. We’ve heard sermons on the concept
of abiding in Christ and continued the discussion within our small groups. Personally,
it has been eye-opening, refreshing, and mindset-altering. And in the midst of
saturating my mind with these truths, the Spirit of God has helped me realize
the catalyst that leads to our periods of “spiritual exhaustion.” It’s when we
forget that we are branches & try to act like the vine.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>John 15:5 – <i>“I am the vine; you are the branches.
Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for
apart from Me you can do nothing.”<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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“Apart from Me you can do nothing.” - I think it’s safe
to say that truth is the foundation of any & all Christian growth. We would
all readily nod our heads and say a hearty “amen” while listening to someone
read that verse. We would all agree that “of course we <i>can’t</i> <i>do</i> <i>anything</i> apart from Christ,” – and we’d
probably even try to sound smarter by victoriously adding, “Instead, I <i>can do all things</i> through Christ who
strengthens me!” But for some reason, even though we would all nod our heads in
agreement to this foundational truth…it’s usually the first one that we
practically abandon. <o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the most difficult things in our walk with Christ
is to get our hearts to agree & mesh with what our mind knows to be true. When
it comes to our <b>salvation</b>, our minds
know & understand that what truly took place was a divine miracle of
passing from death to life (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+2%3A1-5&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Ephesians 2:1-5</span></a>; <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+2%3A13-14&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Colossians 2:13-14</span></a>). Our minds
know & understand that it wasn’t based on anything we have done, could do,
or ever deserve – it was truly an act of God & through His grace alone
(<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+1%3A3-6&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Ephesians 1:3-6</span></a>; <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+2%3A8-9&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Ephesians 2:8-9</span></a>). Our minds know & understand that once
we place our faith & trust in Christ, we are forever justified & viewed
by God through the righteousness of Christ (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+5%3A1%3B+Romans+8%3A1%3B+Romans+8%3A33-39&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Romans 5:1; Romans 8:1; Romans8:33-39</span></a>). And we <i>know</i> that nothing
can ever change our <i>position</i> in
Christ. However...when it comes to our <b>sanctification,
</b>for some reason our hearts tend to hold on to some deep-seated desire to
continue to work for that salvation. To try & prove our worth to God. To
dig deep and do everything in our power to “be all that we can be.” Our hearts
try to hold on to the notion that God is disgusted with us when we fail, and
that our good behavior is required to <i>keep</i>
God’s approval. This is the disconnect that causes our disappointment & exhaustion.
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These contrasts of belief & practice are what pastor
& author Tullian Tchividjian calls “self-salvation projects,” and they
eventually give way to legalism & slavery. In his book <u>Jesus + Nothing =
Everything</u>, Tullian says most believers realize that we could never <i>earn</i> our salvation, “…but when it comes
to our sanctification, suddenly we become legalists.” He goes on to say,</div>
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“We
seem to inherently assume that our performance is what will finally determine
whether our relationship with God is good or bad: so much good behavior from us
generates so much affection from God; or so much bad behavior from us generates
so much anger from God … Legalism happens when what<i> we need to do</i>, not what Jesus has already done, becomes the end
game. Our performancism leads to pride when we succeed and to despair when we
fail. But ultimately it leads to slavery either way, because it becomes all
about <i>us</i>...”</blockquote>
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And when being a Christian becomes all about <i>us</i> – when it becomes all about following
our “to-do lists” – that is the very moment that we, as a branch, have broken
off in a futile attempt to be the vine. We subconsciously believe that <i>we</i> are our own life source. We start
reading the Bible as if it was mainly written about what we need to do for God
instead of what God in Christ has done for us. And the whole time we’re
“working hard” to build up our spiritual résumé & impress God, we don’t
even realize how far we’ve strayed from the foundational truth that we were
once saying ‘amen’ to: <i>“apart from Me you can do <b>nothing.</b>”</i> Talk about a definition
of exhaustion – working hard to do <b>nothing</b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So how do we avoid this? What does it look like to “abide
in Christ?” I believe it starts with a daily acknowledgment of the gospel. The
gospel, ironically, starts with us – but it’s not good. As William Temple said,
“the only thing you contribute to your salvation and to your sanctification is
the sin that makes them necessary” (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+3%3A10-12%3B+Romans+3%3A23&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Romans 3:10-12; Romans 3:23</span></a>). Too often, I
fail to daily acknowledge the fact that Jesus brought me out of <i>death</i>. If I could do nothing on my own
to escape my spiritual death, why would I ever think that I could do anything
on my own to become more like Jesus (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+3%3A2-3&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Galatians 3:2-3</span></a>)? “Sanctification consists
of the daily realization that in Christ we have died and in Christ we have been
raised. Life change happens as the heart daily grasps death and life.” –
Tchividjian <u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
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So is sanctification effortless? Does our growth require
no “work” at all? Of course not – Jesus says in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+15%3A10&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">John 15:10</span></a> to keep His
commandments. But the work isn’t focused on <i>us</i>
or <i>our</i> performance – it’s focused on Jesus
and His performance <i>for us</i>. We work
to recognize that <i>He</i> is the one at
work in us & through us (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+2%3A20%3B+Colossians+3%3A3&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3</span></a>). To gain a deeper
understanding of what we already possess in Christ. And perhaps the thing we
need to work the hardest at is to simply stay put; to remain; to <b>abide</b>. To stay attached to the true
vine – our life source – and let <i>His</i>
grace, mercy, and love propel us to then let our light shine before men, so
that ultimately <i>He</i> is glorified
(<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5%3A16&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Matthew 5:16</span></a>). “Practice doesn’t dictate position. Position dictates
practice.” – Judah Smith<o:p></o:p></div>
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When we try to do it on our own, the Christian life will
become exhausting. But when we abide in Jesus, we find true rest. Abiding in
Christ doesn’t mean that we have to work hard to keep a good standing with God
– it means living with the freedom that Jesus has done all the work for us, and
will continue to remind us each day that “It is finished.”</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>“Come to me, all who labor and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you,
and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you
will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is
light.”</i> </div>
<b><div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Matthew 11:28-30</span></i></b></div>
</b></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<br />
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52398667518892415.post-30048001334422401542014-01-30T14:05:00.001-06:002014-01-31T09:05:45.163-06:00The Real State of the Union - Why I Don't Do Politics<i>In no way am I intending to insult or offend anyone involved in or interested in politics. I am simply expressing my own opinion & viewpoint on why I'm not interested in them.</i><br />
<br />
I hate politics. I really do. I don't watch CNN, Fox News, or MSNBC. I don't listen to Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, or The O'Reilly Factor. I'm pretty confident in saying I never will.<br />
<br />
It didn't always used to be this way. In fact, I used to be very interested in politics when I was in high school. But the more I paid attention & the more I learned, the more I realized just how corrupt it is - and it didn't take long for me to entirely lose interest in all things political. The prototypical politician is only concerned first with his or her own agenda & re-election; after that, <i>maybe </i>they skim through the concerns & interests of the people group they represent. To be honest, this is true of any form of government; whether capitalism, socialism, communism, or a monarchy - the inner pride & hunger for power always makes its way to the top & eventually dilutes the well-intended structure that was originally put in place. In all of human history, we have yet to create a form of government where this didn't eventually happen. It's the truth...and it's depressing.<br />
<br />
Human government and politics are broken. While government is necessary to accomplish civilization, cultural order, and to uphold some set of legal code...politics can never truly solve any of our real problems. No matter how "big" or "small" our government becomes, it can never remove injustice (also known as: sin) from the world. In a sermon entitled, "Making Much of His Name," Matt Chandler said the following:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Capitalism
does nothing to transform hearts, it just creates the venue by which we will
oppress & operate in injustice. It doesn’t eradicate oppression &
injustice – it just sets the grid for how our wicked hearts will practice such
things. And the United States – for all of God’s grace on this beautiful
50-state union – is not the light of the world.”</span></span></blockquote>
<b><u>Here's why I don't "do" politics</u>:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>1) America is not the answer.</b> Before you tell me to "love it or leave it," I assure you that I'm thankful to live in this country. I am very grateful for the freedom we have and for the sacrifice of so many to preserve that freedom. But here's the honest truth: America isn't God's program for today. The church is - and not just the <i>American </i>church. Jesus did not institute the church so that we could efficiently spearhead political reform and spread the word about the shortfalls of the government. He instituted the church to make disciples of Jesus and to make His name famous throughout the world.<br />
I didn't watch the State of the Union address - I didn't need to. Things are bad and they are getting worse. But it honestly amazes me that there seems to be so much shock from within the church about the deteriorating morality of our nation - <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Timothy+4%3A3-4&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">2 Timothy 4:3-4</span></a> </span>was a pretty clear warning of that taking place world-wide. It's undoubtedly scary, but it shouldn't be shocking. It should only increase our sense of urgency and our level of seriousness toward making disciples. Here's a hard truth for the most patriotic of Christians: God's plan to save sinners is not dependent on the status of the United States. Whether America thrives as a nation or becomes bankrupt, poverty-stricken, and even overthrown...Jesus Christ will continue to build His church & the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.<br />
<br />
<b>2) Jesus was not a politician. </b>When Jesus was on earth, the political scene was anything but peaceful. The world was far from being free of oppression & injustice. The rulers of his day were just as power-hungry, self-serving, and corrupt as any given time period. In fact, the Jews themselves were often the very victims of political oppression. But in all His teachings, sermons, and talks - He never went on a political rant. He never gave a rousing speech to the crowds that followed him around that they deserved a better king than Herod, or how corrupt Pontius Pilate was as a governor. He didn't bash the Roman emperor during the sermon on the mount. He basically avoided the topic of politics altogether, except to <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+22%3A15-22&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">simply endorse</span></a> obeying the laws of their day. Jesus knew that the Jews were looking for a political savior, but that's not why He came. Their cries of "Hosanna" (Lord save us!) were misplaced. Jesus came to save us from our sin & spiritual death, not from a political system or shortcoming.<br />
When I look at how Jesus handled politics - <i>corrupt</i> politics - it honestly troubles me that some of the most potent, unapologetic <b>hatred</b> that is spewed toward the leaders of our country comes from <i>within the church</i>.<br />
As frustrating as the direction of our nation is becoming, and as irritating as it is to catch any leader in a lie, it's imperative that we remind ourselves and come to grasp with the truth of <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+13%3A1-7&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Romans 13</span></a> - <i>"...</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Rom-13-1" style="background-color: white; font-style: italic;">there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-style: italic;"> </span><span class="text Rom-13-2" id="en-ESV-28253" style="background-color: white;"><i>Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed..." </i>God has put every leader in place for the purpose of somehow, someway carrying out His own sovereign plan in the world & receiving glory. This is incredibly difficult to understand, but it's true. (In his book <u>Spectacular Sins</u>, John Piper does a great job of explaining this truth). Instead of publicly bashing our government officials and worrying about what <i>we </i>want to see accomplished through politics...it might do us some good to privately<span style="color: blue;"> </span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Timothy+2%3A1-4%3B+1+Peter+2%3A13-17&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">pray for them</span></a> and ask God to help us trust that He is somehow using them to accomplish <i>His </i>sovereign will. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Rom-13-2" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">So the "real" state of the union is that the United States of America continues to head down a path of scary, questionable decision-making with many unknown future circumstances. There is little semblance left of any morality. Opposition to Christianity is growing every day. But should this "shock" us? No. It should drive us to the power, hope, and true freedom found in the gospel of Christ. A constant anxiety, anger, and uproar about the state of our government points to a misplaced trust. Politics cannot save souls. Government cannot eliminate sin. A new president cannot fix what is truly broken. </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"The Christian's trust is not in politics. Our hope for the future isn’t in the incumbent or the challenger, but in the God-man who promises that he will build his church (Matthew 16:18) and that his gospel will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations (Matthew 24:14). And his final instructions before taking to the air didn’t include a word about political activism, but focused clearly and concisely on making disciples. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Christian, we have bigger fish to fry." - <span style="font-size: x-small;">David Mathis</span></span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">There is hope for America - but He doesn't live in Washington.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Rom-13-2" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Rom-13-2" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52398667518892415.post-73536931797828572292014-01-08T10:17:00.001-06:002014-01-08T11:07:55.839-06:00Are We A Safe Place for Suffering?<i style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">This is a blog post I wrote for my church website in January 2014 (<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://highpointealtoona.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">High Pointe Church</span></a> </span>in Altoona, IA)</i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><i>-----</i></span></span><br />
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“<i>In this world, one
thing is certain: Everybody hurts.
Suffering may take the form of tragedy, heartbreak, or addiction. Or it could
be something more mundane (but no less real), like resentment, loneliness, or
disappointment. But there’s unfortunately no such thing as a painless life.</i>”
– Foreword of <u>Glorious Ruin</u> by Tullian Tchividjian</blockquote>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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If this statement is true, then it also means that our
churches are full of hurting people. At any given time, there will be someone
that we know that will be going through a season of suffering in their lives. The
church - the body of Christ - should be the one place where one can count on to
find rest. In fact, it should be the <b>safest</b>
place on this earth for a suffering soul to find encouragement, support, and
compassion. But unfortunately that is not always the case, and sometimes the
church can be one of the <b>scariest</b>
places for someone in the midst of a trying circumstance. All too often, we
fail to remember that as a community of believers, we are called to “bear one
another’s burdens” (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+6:2&version=ESV">Galatians
6:2</a>). Instead, we choose to put on a weekly façade of having it all
together and expect others to just do the same. When it comes to following <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+12:15&version=ESV">Romans
12:15</a>, we’re usually pretty good at rejoicing with others…but can be
downright terrible at the second part.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, because it is true that <i>everyone</i> will face some form of suffering during their lifetime,
and that as a church we are also called to “weep with those who weep,” I
believe it is important for us to truly examine if we are a safe place for
suffering. A good place to start is to gain a sense of what NOT to say or do
when we encounter pain in the lives of others.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>1. <u>Do Not
Minimize Suffering</u></b> - “Minimization
involves any attempt to downplay or reduce the extent and nature of pain. Any
rhetorical or spiritual device that underestimates the seriousness of suffering
essentially minimizes it.” – <i>Tullian, <u>Glorious
Ruin</u></i>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“This too shall pass.” Have you
ever heard someone say that? Have you ever said it to someone yourself? This is
classic minimization of someone’s suffering. It essentially dismisses the
situation as anything worth being concerned about, and (whether intended or
not) ultimately causes one to feel shame for experiencing the pain they are in.
In our attempt to comfort a hurting friend, “this too shall pass” tells them to
place their hope in a false certainty that things will get better (which is
never even promised in Scripture on this side of eternity), instead of offering
any source of real biblical hope at all. Using a trite saying in attempt to
“cheer someone up” will be received about as well as using a bucket of cold
water to wake them up from a nap. (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs%2025:20&version=NLT">Proverbs
25:20</a> NLT)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another way we minimize
suffering is by comparing one person’s trial to another’s. While the intent is
to help one gain perspective of their situation & realize that things could
be a lot worse, the reality is that this also does more harm than good. For
example, when our response to a couple’s struggle to have children is, “look on
the bright side – you <i>could</i> have
cancer,” we are not offering any level of encouragement. Instead, we’re only
describing their struggle as unimportant and unworthy of the pain they are
experiencing because things just “aren’t as bad as they could be.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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The book of 1 Peter is written
specifically to believers who are facing various forms of trials and
persecution. Peter mentions some form of suffering around 19 times in the book,
tracing back to at least 5 different Greek words (one simply meaning “unpleasant
experiences”). This shows me that suffering manifests itself in so many
different ways - circumstances that might not seem all that terrible for one
person may be completely heartbreaking for another. It is never our job to
determine what suffering should look like in someone else’s life. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>2. <u>Do Not Use
Scripture With a “Quick-Fix” Mindset</u></b> –I am not suggesting Scripture is
unhelpful, powerless, and useless to a hurting soul. Obviously we know the
exact opposite is true. But my point is this – throwing Bible verses around as
a “quick-fix” method hardens a hurting heart more than it heals (yes, even the
most applicable, hope-filled passages). Unless you have been walking through a
trial with someone on a personal, intimate level; unless you have taken the
time to weep with one who is weeping…lobbing out Romans 8:28 in passing with a
smile is not a source of comfort. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>3. <u>Do Not Avoid
Suffering</u></b> – It’s probably safe to say that this is the category most of
us fall into. We’ve all been there: “I
just don’t know what to say.” So in our attempt to avoid any awkward silence,
we avoid the topic of suffering or the person involved altogether. Let me offer
a source of relief: When I’m in the
midst of a difficult trial, I don’t expect – or even hope– that everyone I come
in contact with will share some profound, mind-blowing revelation to me. I
imagine the same is true with anyone facing difficulty. We don’t have to offer
a perfect, Holy Spirit-inspired message or solution to our hurting friends. But
we <i>do</i> need to offer our listening
ear, our shared sorrow, and our compassionate response – even if that response
is expressed only in tears. Don’t just tell them you will pray <i>for</i> them – take the opportunity to pray <i>with</i> them in that moment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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All 3 of these “methods” reveal our heart when it comes
to helping those who are suffering. When someone close to us is hurting, it
makes us uncomfortable too - so we immediately try to figure out how to solve
the problem. But is this truly motivated by a desire to help <i>them</i>, or by a desire to erase our own
feelings of discomfort? It is much harder & more time-consuming to walk
through the valley with someone, so instead we choose to throw them a
self-proclaimed lifeline. “<i>Here – use
this to climb out of your valley & join me.</i>” <o:p></o:p></div>
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But if the church is the body of Christ, shouldn’t we aim
to follow His example? The gospel is not only comforting to those who are in
the midst of suffering, but it is a guide for those of us seeking to minister
to a suffering friend. Jesus was uninterested in His own comfort when he left
the glories of heaven to put on human flesh. Jesus was indifferent about His
comfort level when he bore the burdens of our sin as a substitute on the cross.
Jesus didn’t just throw us a life-line from heaven & tell us to climb out
of our spiritual death. Instead He humbled Himself by taking the form of a
bondservant, and He met us where we were. (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=philippians%202:5-8&version=ESV">Philippians
2:5-8</a>)<o:p></o:p></div>
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If the King of heaven could humbly step into the world He
created and suffer <i>for us</i>, why can’t
we humbly walk through the valley of suffering <i>with each other</i>? Maybe if we <i>showed</i>
Christ’s love to someone during their darkest days, they would be much more
inclined to then listen to us <i>tell</i>
them about how Christ’s love can be an anchor through their storm. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Are we a safe place for suffering?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52398667518892415.post-87636792857693137072014-01-07T10:03:00.001-06:002014-01-07T10:12:09.422-06:00Don't Be a Hero<i style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">This is a blog post I wrote for my church website in September 2013 (<a href="http://highpointealtoona.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">High Pointe Church</span></a> in Altoona, IA)</i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">-----</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
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“How many times am I going to have to learn the same
lesson?” Ever been there? You feel like you’re plugging along, only to
catch yourself falling in the same area of temptation <b><i>again</i></b>. You find yourself drowning
in worry, stress & anxiety <b><i>again</i></b>. You realize you’re doubting
that God will provide for you <b><i>again</i></b><i>.</i> I don’t know about you, but there are times where I find myself
in these moments, and my heart just sinks. I feel like such a failure, and I
wonder why God continues to be so patient with me. I convince myself that He is
so ashamed and disgusted with my inability to learn from my mistakes & avoid
them. In these moments, it’s almost as if I’m picturing Him as a frustrated
teacher, slamming a ruler on my desk & raising His voice at me, <i>“When are you ever going to learn?!”</i> And
it’s when I assume God is ashamed of me that I seem to distance myself from Him
even more, telling myself the last thing He wants to hear is another
broken-record confession from this slow learner. Am I alone, or can anyone
relate?<o:p></o:p></div>
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While I have often found myself in the midst of that very
cycle, only recently have I realized just how backwards that mindset is! Our
inability to go on a “perfect streak” of following the commands of Scripture
shouldn’t drive us down into a pit of guilt & shame. It shouldn’t cause us
to consciously distance ourselves from God, fearing only to receive a harsh
reprimand from Him. Instead, it should immediately push us to the gospel. But
why <i>doesn’t</i> that happen?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I believe that we get caught up in a “heroes of the
faith” mindset too often. We read & learn about characters of the Bible
like Noah, Abraham, or Moses. We read about them in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2011&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Hebrews 11</span></a> – the “Hall of
Faith” – and see all of the incredible things they accomplished. We focus on
their triumph & forget about their trials, and incorrectly our application
is to “be like them.” But when we place people on a pedestal, and our aim is to
“dare to be a Daniel,” to “be a hero of the faith like Moses,” or to “confidently
slay our giants like David” – we only set ourselves up for extreme frustration
when we can’t live up to the hype. When we read this passage and our
application is focused on joining the “heroes of the faith” by emulating <b>people</b>, we completely miss the big
picture of it all: The <b>Person</b>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The common tie between all the characters of Hebrews 11
is that all of their accomplishments were made possible “<b>by faith.</b>” But what is faith? Was it their will to succeed? Was it
that inner quality to put their heads down, grind it out, and find a way? Faith
is only as good as the object it rests in. We can’t rely on “our faith” if it
only rests in some inner desire to be good. Instead, their faith was an active
trust; securely anchored, grounded, and placed in the subject of the entire
book of Hebrews – Jesus Christ. The Great High Priest, who is <i>better</i> than the angels, <i>better </i>than the prophets, and yes – <i>better </i>than Moses. His once and for all
sacrifice for sin did what the daily sacrifice of bulls and goats could never
do (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2010:11-14&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Hebrews 10:11-14</span></a>). He is the one and only mediator between God and man,
making peace by the blood of the cross. And when our faith is grounded in Him,
we can victoriously claim Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation
for those who are in Christ Jesus.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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So yes, I’m a slow learner when it comes to keeping all
the commandments of Scripture. I fail miserably, and often. But so did Abraham
– he had a lying problem. So did Moses – he couldn’t follow directions on whether
to hit or talk to a rock. So did Paul, the guy who wrote most of the New
Testament – he called himself the worst of all sinners! The thing is, we’re <i>all</i> slow learners, and we’ll <i>never</i> live up to the standard…but that’s
the point! Instead of feeling defeat & shame, may it drive us toward the
gospel & the grace of Jesus Christ! When we catch ourselves in the midst of
anxiety or doubt, we shouldn’t feel like Jesus is rebuking us for “not getting
it” – we should view it as a gracious reminder: that He is faithful in our
unfaithfulness. He is perfect in our imperfection. He is strong in our
weakness. Our identity & position before God the Father is based on the
finished work of Jesus. It is a done deal – just as we can do nothing to earn
it, we can do absolutely nothing to change it. <i>“God accepts us on the basis of Christ's perfection, not our progress.”</i>
(Tullian Tchividjian)<o:p></o:p></div>
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In his book <u>Glorious Ruin</u>, Tullian also gives this
encouragement to those of us who get discouraged when we fail: “God doesn’t give us advice about how to
overcome; in the gospel, Jesus has already overcome! … Jesus is strong, so we’re free to be weak;
Jesus won, so we’re free to lose; Jesus was a somebody, so we can be a nobody;
Jesus was extraordinary, so we are free to be ordinary; and Jesus succeeded for
us, so we are free to fail!”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let’s abandon the defeat & discouragement found in
the “heroes of the faith” mentality, and cling to this hope: Jesus is <b>THE</b> hero of the faith, so we don’t have
to be one.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“…let us run with endurance the race that is set
before us, <b>looking to Jesus, the founder
and perfecter of our faith</b>, who for the joy that was set before Him endured
the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne
of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)</span></blockquote>
<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52398667518892415.post-19858931709217360752014-01-07T09:58:00.001-06:002014-01-07T10:10:34.216-06:00The Hidden Treasure in our Trials<i>This is a blog post I wrote for my church website in August 2013 (<a href="http://highpointealtoona.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">High Pointe Church</span></a> in Altoona, IA)</i><br />
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“The unknowns.” We face them every day. Technically,
that’s a glaringly obvious statement, isn’t it?
Who really <i>knows</i> for sure
what’s going to happen during the course of any given day - even the very next
hour or minute? But I’m not talking about our obvious inability to see the
future. I’m talking about the twists & turns that the road of life takes us
on – the curveballs. If there’s one thing that can truly shake our faith as a
Christ follower, it’s the circumstance that blindsides us out of nowhere that
we have absolutely no control over. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The magnitude & manifestation of these circumstances
can vary, but the amount of anxiety surrounding them always seems to be large.
Trying to sell a house, facing sudden unemployment, working through a marriage
in jeopardy, receiving a devastating diagnosis, grieving the loss of a loved
one & wondering how to move on without them – the list of unknowns we face
can go on & on. The brutal realization that we can’t control or immediately
fix what we’ve suddenly been thrown into can stare you in the face every
morning and never leave your mind throughout the entire day. As hours pass by,
the “why’s, when’s, and how’s” can grow from a seed of worry to a tree of doubt
and defeat. It’s tiring. It wears you down. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Over this last year or more, it seems as if I’ve
continually jumped from one giant unknown in my life to another. Each one
completely different, but all have been a clear test of my faith. Maybe it’s
just my natural instinct as a man, but my first reaction to any predicament is
to immediately search for a solution – to try and fix the problem & make it
go away. But when you are suddenly dropped into a trial that cannot be remedied
with a quick fix, you really begin to learn a lot about yourself. But far more
important than that, I believe that I’ve learned the <b>ONE</b> thing that we are <b>ALL</b>
supposed to learn through the unknowns we face in life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Searching for, finding out, and ultimately knowing the
“what’s, why’s, and how’s” isn’t really the point. I have wrestled with those
questions at some point throughout every unknown I have faced, and I’m always
left frustrated & confused. What God truly wants us to search for, find
out, and ultimately <b>know</b> during our
time of <b>unknowns</b> is what He has
already clearly & completely <u>revealed</u> to us: HIM. Yes, the situations & circumstances
that define our unknowns are important – sometimes <i>very </i>important (and God <i>does</i>
care about the details of our lives) – but here’s a hard truth: finding out the
origin or the end result of our unexpected trial will <b>not</b> bring us satisfaction. When we come to the end of ourselves and
surrender our desire for control of the situation over to God, we will start learning
how to completely trust Him as He reveals His character & proves Himself
faithful. We <i>experience</i> comforting
truths like the ones found in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023:6&version=NLT">Psalm
23:6</a>, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2034:17-19&version=ESV">Psalm
34:17-19</a>, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2043:2&version=ESV">Isaiah
43:2</a>, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2026:3-4&version=ESV">Isaiah
26:3-4</a>, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2011:28-30&version=ESV">Matthew
11:28-30</a>, and so much more! Fighting through that process not only brings a
peace that surpasses all understanding, but that is also when we can finally
“count it all joy when you meet trials,” as <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%201:2-4&version=ESV">James</a>
writes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I can’t help but think of the book of Job; the account of
a man the Bible describes as “blameless and upright, one who feared God and
turned away from evil.” He had everything. 10 healthy children, an
over-abundance of livestock, multiple servants, and unimaginable wealth; so
much that the Bible adds that “he was the greatest of all the people of the
east.” But Job was thrown a curveball – an enormous twist in the road – and he
found himself in the midst of a greater unknown than most of us can imagine. On
the same day, in a matter of minutes: ALL of his livestock were either killed
or stolen, ALL of his servants were killed, and to top it off ALL of his
children were casualties of a giant wind storm. He later falls into great
sickness, his wife and friends hurl insults & condemning words at him, and
some even tell him he <i>deserved</i> worse.
Talk about riches to rags. Talk about facing “unknowns.” (Spoiler alert: things
work out pretty well in the end for Job). But do you know what Job <b><i>never
</i></b>finds out? The “why.” Even though he has conversations with God
Himself, Job is <b><i>never </i></b>told that all of his trials were actually the result of
his righteous life. That Satan accused him of only being faithful to God
because he had great wealth. That God allowed Satan to take everything away
from him <i>except his life</i>, to test his
faith. Those facts are <b><i>never</i></b> revealed to Job. Why? Because if
God would have told him all of the “background info” – the answers to the
“unknowns” – then Job would have never been able to learn about who God is; he
would’ve never realized the power & sovereignty of our Almighty God that
was explained to him by God Himself in chapters 38-41. If God would have given Job
the answer to the “why” of his situation, Job would have never <i>experienced</i> God the way he did, and he
never would have said, <i>“I had heard of
you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.”</i> (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%2042:1-6&version=ESV">Job
42:1-6</a>) God wants to give us <i>so much
more</i> than just answers – He wants to give us <b>Himself!</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Recently, we were introduced to a new song at HPC called Great
Reward by Tim Timmons (you can listen to it <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdryKjubICA">here</a>). God greatly used
this song to solidify what He was trying to teach me through my many unknowns
this last year. Read these lyrics:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>I won’t demand to
know the reasons for my suffering<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>These open hands
will trust Your wisdom beyond what I can see<o:p></o:p></i></div>
</div>
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<i>Help me to know
that You are God, I am not<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Remind my soul
You’re in control<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Praise to the
Father with every breath I take<o:p></o:p></i></div>
</div>
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<i>In joy and sorrow,
all for Your kingdom’s sake<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Be Thou my vision,
Be Thou my hope restored<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Now and forever –
You are my Great Reward<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My prayer is for God to help me change my focus
and purpose when I find myself in the midst of the unknowns of life! Instead of
demanding to know the “why’s, when’s and how’s”; instead of searching only for
solutions and answers, I pray that I will run hard after Christ – our Great
Reward!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52398667518892415.post-90374937482126071532013-04-03T15:59:00.003-05:002013-04-03T20:58:07.465-05:00Forgive and Forget -?Forgiveness is a topic that has been on my mind recently. What it really means to forgive someone. What it really means to be forgiven. What it looks like to move forward after that exchange has taken place. While attempting to think through these things, for some reason I keep landing on this question: what is more difficult...to be forgiv<i>ing</i> or to be forgiv<i>en?</i> At first, that question seems odd, and the answer seems very obvious.<br />
<br />
My initial thought process was something along the lines of, how could it ever be "difficult" to be forgiven? It requires nothing from us to "be" forgiven, and it should give us nothing but freedom, joy, and even relief. I mean, just look at <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%204:7-8&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Romans 4:7-8</span></a>. Or go read through <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2032&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Psalm 32</span></a> - that should provide a pretty clear answer - especially when the heading in our Bibles for that Psalm reads, "Blessed are the Forgiven." Do I even need to mention that verses 3 & 4 even further support the argument? To "be" forgiv<i>en</i> seems to be far easier than to be on the other side of the equation, doesn't it? When forgiv<i>ing</i> someone, <i>I </i>am the one that has to be "ok" with what was done to me. <i>I'm</i> the one that has to "look past" whatever it is that I'm forgiving. How could the difficulty of being forgiv<i>ing</i> <b>ever </b>be compared with being forgiv<i>en</i>?<br />
<br />
But the more I think about it, the more I believe that <b style="font-style: italic;">both </b>can be difficult. It can be very common to find ourselves struggling with either side of the "forgiveness exchange," and I believe it's rooted in a completely false view of what forgiveness actually is. There is a widely-used statement when speaking on this topic - "Forgive and Forget." It's short, simple, and easy to remember...but I honestly think it gives us the wrong picture of how to forgive & what it means to be forgiven. Think about it...when someone deeply wrongs us, even if our heart is completely forgiving toward that person & what they did - do you ever <i>really forget</i> what they did to hurt you? Does it ever <i>truly </i>leave your memory as a human? Or when we deeply wrong someone else...even after we are truly repentant & seek their forgiveness (and they insist that they have forgiven us) - aren't there times where we still think about what we said or did to hurt that person? Do we still wonder at times if they have <i>really </i>forgiven us for what we have done? And then to think about God's point of view - is it even possible for an <b>all-knowing</b>, infinite God to literally "forget" our sins? Is that really what He does when forgiving us - <i>forget</i> our transgressions? Is that what we, then, are supposed to do when forgiving others? Forgive & Forget?<br />
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The answer is no. Because outside of blaming it on old age or amnesia, it is simply impossible for us to completely <b>forget</b> - whether it's something that was done <i>to</i> us or <i>by</i> us. If we think of forgiveness in this way, we will never experience the freedom that is supposed to be gained. Instead of the relief & joy of being forgiven, we will only continue to feel chained to our guilt because we can't "forget" what we did. Instead of the release we gain when forgiving someone who has wronged us, we will only continue to slowly grow roots of bitterness because we can't "forget" their words or actions. Neither party can ever truly move forward this way...to attempt to "forgive and forget" is to never understand true forgiveness at all. Let me try to explain why I believe this.<br />
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Forgiveness between us as humans is <b>only </b>possible because it's rooted in God's forgiveness toward us. So in order to gain a correct understanding of forgiveness in general, it's crucial to first understand how God forgives. Take a look at these verses from another Psalm:<br />
<br />
<b><i>Psalm 103:10-12</i></b><br />
<i>He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.</i><br />
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You know what I <i>don't</i> read in those verses? That God <b>forgets</b> about my sin. But what <i>does</i> He do - He completely and totally <b>removes</b>, or separates,<b> </b>my sin from me when I confess & am repentant. And here's the key - when He forgives us, our sin <b>no longer affects our relationship with Him. </b>Look at the beginning of the passage - "He does not deal with us according to our sins." When God forgives us, instead of "forgetting" our sin - He <u>chooses</u> to never bring it up against us again. He <u>chooses</u> to never deal with us in a way that is directly connected to the sin we just confessed. He <u>chooses</u> to never "repay" us for how we sinned against Him. That doesn't mean we never face the consequences of our sin, but it does mean that He never "holds it against us." To me, this is so much more amazing than if He was able to simply "forget" my sin. How is it an act of true love to not "deal with us according to our sins" if He can't even remember them in the first place? How is it truly grace if He can just wipe His memory clean like some computer? He forgives us in His infinite love and mercy.<br />
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But how can a holy God do this so easily? How can He just seemingly "overlook" sin if He is perfectly righteous? Well, it <i>wasn't </i>easy for Him...and He <i>never </i>"overlooks" it. The only reason He can forgive so freely is because it is based on the perfect, once and for all sacrifice that was made by His Son Jesus Christ on the cross. Forgiveness isn't free - our sin created a debt & demanded a payment. But God, in Christ, has already made that payment in full. It is finished!<br />
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So when we forgive someone who has deeply wronged us...it isn't our obligation to "forget" what happened. When we deeply wrong someone else & have received their forgiveness, we don't have to "forget" the past in order to move on. No, instead we need to view forgiveness the way God does. We <b>separate the sin from the sinner </b>& no longer view them through their sin. When we are forgiv<i>ing</i>, we promise to never hold those words or actions against that person again. We don't use it as a guilt trip on them, or a bargaining tool. We don't let it <b>affect our relationship</b> with that person ever again. When we are forgiv<i>en</i>, we understand that we don't have to keep trying to prove how sorry we really are. We don't have to continually beat ourselves up for the wrong we've done. When we never allow ourselves to move past the sins we've been forgiven from, we are forcing the relationship to still be affected by that sin, therefore hindering the exchange to fully take place.<br />
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So is it harder to be forgiving or forgiven? Well, when we follow the example of Christ, the answer should really be "neither." Because practicing true forgiveness allows us to experience the heart of God. It allows us to free ourselves from bitterness toward someone. It gives us overflowing joy & deep relief when we receive forgiveness from someone we have hurt. One of the most amazing, beautiful, "God things" to experience in this life is the true reconciliation that comes from seeking for & receiving forgiveness from another person. Let's not imprison ourselves by trying to "forgive & forget." Instead, let's pray for the love of Christ to motivate us to forgive the way He does, and to live as forgiven people, because "there is therefore now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!" (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%208:1&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Romans 8:1</span></a>)<br />
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<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52398667518892415.post-69030738665955527422013-03-04T21:56:00.002-06:002013-03-04T21:56:40.991-06:00That's Why My Friends Call Me Whiskers<i>{If you've never seen the "Space the Infinite Frontier" SNL Harry Caray skit, you can either just ignore the title of this post, or enjoy some incredibly stupid humor by <a href="http://youtu.be/vrFUBKCONfs?t=3m40s" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">watching it here</span></a>.}</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
3 weeks ago today, I was sitting & talking with my pastor. I was sharing with him about some recent events that were unfolding in my life, and listening to his counsel regarding the situation. Throughout the day today, one of the things he said kept coming back up in my mind - it was one of the most truthful statements he made to me that night. Here is my attempted paraphrase at what he said:<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"I haven't known you for very long, but I've noticed that you're the type of person who worries yourself sick with hypotheticals and "what if's." You try to think through every possible scenario that might happen and consume yourself with worrying about it. You can't do that to yourself, it does absolutely no good. Read Matthew 6 - if you need to read through Matthew 6 every single day, then do it. But you can't kill yourself with the "what if's" and the hypotheticals."</i><br />
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If I remember right, my response was just a really big smile while my head kept nodding up & down. "Yep." I've only been going to my current church since mid-October, and it's not like I've been meeting 1 on 1 with my pastor on a regular basis...but he nailed it. Either he is one of the most observant people I've ever known, or he is just really in-tune with the Holy Spirit while he's counseling someone (I think it's both). But all of that to say, what he said that night is finally drilling its way through my thick, worrisome skull - and I'm thinking he was serious after all about reading through the passage in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206:25-34&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Matthew 6</span></a> <i style="font-weight: bold;">every day</i>. Because I need it. I am a worrier. I absolutely <i>hate</i> the "unknowns." If I don't know exactly what to expect before a new & different situation, I work myself up over it. I really like to know the "gameplan" and the "how." I'm not good at all with disorganization & chaos; with "winging it." I've never been good at "going along for the ride" ... I like to know <i>where</i> I'm going, and <i>how</i> I'm getting there.<br />
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But that's where I've found myself the last couple weeks. Right smack dab in the middle of a portion of life defined almost entirely by "unknowns." And this is what's amazing to me - these unknowns are a direct result of the incredible answers to prayer my very last blog post was all about - but how quickly my mind can turn 180 degrees! One moment I'm on top of a mountain; praising God for working in ways I could have never imagined...only to find myself days later, worrying about & consuming my thoughts with concerns of all the "unknowns" I'm facing. I really believe this is one of Satan's "go-to" approaches. He hates it when we experience amazing spiritual victories - when we have incredible "God-moments" that we are ecstatic about sharing with others. So he immediately starts trying to place small thoughts of doubt in our minds to completely shift our focus. One minute we are excited about the "big picture" of what God has done & is doing...and the next minute, Satan is whispering questions in our ears about all the small, tiny details that still need to be worked out. "That's great, but what about this; what about that; what about (<i>fill in the blank)</i>."<br />
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But just like every other time I catch myself in whatever my current struggle is...the Spirit of God brings me to a passage of Scripture, and 9 times out of 10 it's one that I would claim to be "familiar" with. Today it was Philippians 4...again. Verses 6 & 7 say this:<br />
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<i>"Do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus."</i><br />
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Because of my worrying, these are verses that God has had to bring me back to innumerable times, but I'm so thankful that He does. Over the past year, though, there are 2 things about these verses that hit me like never before. I finally realized exactly what God <i><b>does </b></i>and <i><b>doesn't </b></i>promise when we pray during our anxiety. It should be obvious because you won't find it anywhere in these 2 verses...but God <i style="font-weight: bold;">doesn't</i> promise to answer our prayers during our "anxiety" ... especially not the way we might want Him to. Sometimes He just wants us to learn to wait on Him; to keep praying; to learn to trust Him. He doesn't tell us to bring our worries & requests to Him just so that he can take a magic eraser to our problems. But what God <i style="font-weight: bold;">does</i> promise to give us is peace. Not just any peace, though...<b>His </b>peace.<br />
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This is what prayer is all about - it's all about me seeking God's heart. It's all about me surrendering <i>my</i> desires & plans to whatever <i>His</i> desires & plans are for me. It's about throwing my worries, concerns, anxieties, and fears at His feet, and admitting that I don't have the faith it takes to fully trust Him with all the "unknowns" in my life - but I want to. And instead of just instantly removing all of the hard things & problems from my life, God instead chooses to calm our souls with His inexplicable peace that cannot be described in any human language. Think about it - if I'm worrying about x, y, and z ... and x, y, and z are still very present after I'm done praying...why would I have peace about that?! How would you be able to explain that to someone? Well, you can't...and that's why the verse says the peace of God "surpasses all understanding." A peace that maybe even comes from Him increasing our faith; a gift of giving us the ability to trust Him more. God never promises to calm the storm - but He <i>always</i> promises to calm our hearts in the midst of the storm if we keep our focus on Him. And <i>that</i> is what will "guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."<br />
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Today I was brutally reminded of just how much of a worrier I am. But as Jesus says in Matthew 6, I can't add a single hour to my day, or a single inch to my height by worrying. So instead of worrying; instead of getting caught up in the hypotheticals & the "what if's" of life ... I'm reminded that instead, I need to bring my anxieties to the throne of grace & ask for the Father of mercies to guard my heart & mind from my worries with His incomprehensible peace.<br />
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<i><b>Isaiah 26:3-4 - </b>"You keep him in <b><u>perfect peace</u></b> whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock."</i><br />
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<i><br /></i>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52398667518892415.post-19782878519443761982013-02-02T18:00:00.002-06:002013-03-04T21:59:08.747-06:00Identity CrisisEvery person has an identity; we all have something about our life that defines who we are. For some people, their identity is earned & obtained by a life of hard work and accomplishments. For others, their identity has been shaped & formed by the perception & observations of other people. In our society, <i>everyone </i>has either earned or been given an identity outside of our name & social security number. "He's a doctor; she's a lawyer; she's wealthy; he's homeless; he's the nicest person I've ever met; she's a jerk & a liar; she's gorgeous & athletic; he's ugly & lazy." Fair or unfair, these are the types of things that people get labeled with as their "identity." Jobs, careers, financial or social status, material possessions, outward appearance, character, reputation, relationships. Unfortunately, these are the lenses through which we look at people.<br />
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That's not only how we view other people, though. Because our society identifies people like this, we also begin looking inward & try to determine who we <i>ourselves </i>think we are. A lot of people probably pick out which category they want to be identified by (career, wealth, possessions, outward appearance) and then spend their life trying to achieve that goal. Some work 80 or more hours every week & neglect their families to position themselves for the next promotion. Some try every "nutritional" supplement on the market & starve themselves in order to reach the physical standard they have in their mind. It becomes very easy for us to be driven by the way we desire other people to identify us.<br />
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I've recently realized that this is something I've been inwardly struggling with for a little while now. Not so much that I'm driven by a certain category previously mentioned...but more in a sense that for the last few months I have felt like a huge part of my identity is now gone. A very significant piece of what I thought was my identity is no longer there, and now I feel like it has left a gaping hole in who I am. When I sit down & think about the question "who am I" or "what is my <i>identity</i>" ... If I was honest, lately I would have to say I don't really know for sure. I don't have a glamorous job or career. I'm really not even proud of the company I work for, but it is a stable job that provides a paycheck & for that I'm thankful. I don't have wealth or any great material possessions of which to brag about or "hang my hat on." There obviously aren't any well-known, groundbreaking accomplishments attached to my name. My feelings lately have been that I'm just a guy...living in an apartment...working 40 hours a week...just existing.<br />
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And it's when I get to the "heights of my depths" so to speak, that God uses His Word to slap me in the face & wake up. Our society makes it so easy to get caught up in trying to "boast" in ourselves; to think that I need to go & "find myself" when in reality - there is <i>nothing</i> about my "flesh" that I should boast in, or find my identity in. The apostle Paul talks in Philippians about how if anyone had a right to be confident in their flesh, or their <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%203:4-6&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">earthly accomplishments</span></a>, it was him. Externally, he hit all the marks. He followed all the rules & traditions. He was in the top tier of society as a Pharisee - a religious leader of that time. But once He met Jesus & allowed Him to change his life, he realized that all of those things <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%203:7-8&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">meant </span></a><i><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%203:7-8&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">nothing</span></a>.</i> At the very least, my identity is this: <b>I was dead & now I'm alive </b>(<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%202:1-6&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Ephesians 2:1-6</span></a>). The moment I placed my faith & trust in Jesus - the moment I confessed my sins to Him & believed that He died in my place to offer me forgiveness and remove the wrath of God from my life - I received my true identity. The only identity that should really matter & shape my life. I became a child of God (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%201:12&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">John 1:12</span></a>). And once I am a child of God, Romans tells me that I am also considered an heir of God - more than that, a <i>fellow heir with Christ! </i>(<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%208:16-17&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Romans 8:16-17</span></a>)<br />
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So what exactly does this mean for me right now? If my true identity is that I am a child of God & a fellow heir with Christ, this means that the last thing I should be worried about, concerned with, or consumed by is the question of, "Who am <i><b>I</b></i>?" The question of "How do people see <i><b>me</b></i>?" Because my life is no longer about me. In fact, it's not even <i>my</i> life.<br />
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<ul>
<li><b><b>Galatians 2:20 - </b><i style="font-weight: normal;">"I have been <u>crucified with Christ</u>. It is <u>no longer I who live, but Christ</u> who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.</i></b></li>
<li><b>Colossians 3:2-3 -</b><i><b> </b>"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and <u>your life is hidden with Christ</u> in God."</i></li>
<li><b>1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - </b><i>" ...You are <u>not your own</u>, for you were <u>bought with a price</u>. So glorify God in your body."</i></li>
</ul>
My life is not my own. My life is hidden with Christ...it's no longer I who should be living, but Christ <i>through</i> me. No matter how people identify, label, or perceive me...my daily prayer & conscious aim should be that instead of seeing <b>me, </b>I can show <b>Christ to them</b>. I need to stop trying to "find myself" - stop worrying about what "my identity" is, and start living so that others can clearly <b>identify Christ</b> through my life. I believe this is exactly what Paul was trying to get across to the church in Ephesus when he said, <i>"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called." </i>To walk worthy of our calling can manifest itself in so many ways (see the <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%205:22-23&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">fruit of the Spirit</span></a>). But staying in the book of Ephesians, Paul gives us a somewhat simple glimpse of what this may look like: <i>"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."</i><br />
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All of these things are a whole lot easier to talk & write about than they are to live out. But one thing I have come to learn is that the struggle is definitely worth it...because as the band Tenth Avenue North says, "We are free to struggle, but we're not struggling to be free."<br />
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<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52398667518892415.post-83094343086458345992013-01-25T08:42:00.002-06:002013-03-04T21:59:25.757-06:00Sore MusclesA little over 2 years ago, I finished P90-X for the first time. All 90 days. It was incredibly challenging, but at the end of the 90 days, I felt great. I was so pleased with the results that I decided I was going to start over from day 1 and do the whole thing again. But about the 3rd week into the 2nd 90 days, I got busy with something & missed a couple days. Then those couple of days turned into a couple of weeks, which then turned into me not doing any kind of <i>consistent </i>workout program at all......<br />
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Until last week. After almost two and a half years, I finally reached a breaking point in my lack of physical activity & started doing P90-X again. I'm not going to lie, the first week was brutal...and when I reached the weekend, every single muscle in my body was sore (Understatement). It hurt to move my legs, it hurt to reach my arm across my body, it hurt to sit up in my bed in the morning. But you know what? I love it. Not because I'm a creepy weirdo that loves pain...but because the pain & soreness in my muscles tells me that the program is actually working! Anyone who works out (or ever has) probably knows exactly what I'm talking about. The soreness is almost like your body telling you that all the sweat & hard work from the day before was actually profitable. I'm thankful for the sore muscles because otherwise I would begin to wonder if I had pushed myself hard enough, or if I need to find a different workout program. The "pain" is there because getting in shape and staying in shape is <i>hard work</i>. The <i>easy </i>thing to do is what I did for the last 2.5 years - nothing! Doing nothing requires no discipline, no effort. It doesn't force me to make time in my schedule every day to make sure I work out. Doing nothing requires...nothing.<br />
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Which finally brings me to the point I'm trying to make in this post. There's something I've been trying to think through the last couple of weeks...and even as I'm writing this, I'm still trying to figure out exactly how to put it into words. This one is totally just me thinking out loud...in writing, I guess. A "stream of consciousness" if you will. So bear with me...here it goes. I wonder if we should be "spiritually sore" sometimes-? I wonder if our walk with Christ some days should give us "sore muscles" from stretching ourselves & getting out of our comfort zones? From cutting out sinful practices & habits from our lives? I don't know exactly what that would "look like," or if that makes any sense, but I've really been thinking about this lately. Especially because I know that the Christian life is not meant to be easy (most of us know this from firsthand experience - and if you don't, you will). But when I really stop to think about it...I think about some of the hard things Jesus said about following Him. The way He urged the crowds that followed Him everywhere to "count the cost" of <b>true </b>discipleship. Things like:<br />
<ul>
<li><i>"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters - yes, even his own life - he cannot be my disciple."</i></li>
<li><i>"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."</i></li>
<li><i>"Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple."</i></li>
<li><i>"Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple."</i></li>
</ul>
These are hard sayings! And basically what Jesus wanted to drive home was the idea of self-denial; Self-abandonment. That's not easy...that's entirely out of my comfort zone. I like to take care of me. I like to put myself first...to make myself comfortable. I like easy. But the life of discipleship that Jesus describes is anything <i>but</i> easy. He even promises that<span id="goog_1307801596"></span> <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2015:18-19&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">people will hate me</span></a><span id="goog_1307801597"></span> for it, and Paul promised Timothy that living a godly life <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy%203:12&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">guarantees persecution</span></a>! After taking a serious look at Jesus' call to follow Him...it appears the life of a Christ-follower involves a <i>lot</i> more than just posting some verses to Facebook, listening to Christian music, getting a Bible verse tattooed on my back, and saying "Praise the Lord" every now & then. Obviously I'm being facetious...none of those things are wrong & any one of those things can spark conversations & opportunities. But I guess I'm coming to more of a realization in my life of what this whole Christianity thing is meant to be. A realization of what Jesus was calling people to - and what He <i>requires </i>of me. There are so many broken, hurting people. There are so many lost, dying people. What am I doing about it? Why am I wasting my life worrying about & taking care of <b>me</b>?!<br />
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If I had to be absolutely, brutally honest...I think the reason why I haven't fully embraced the concept of "self-denial" and getting out of my comfort zone is because it scares me to death. I have no idea exactly why...but it does. It always has. I think I care way too much about what people think about me. I got a very small taste of "ridicule" in high school for being a Christian, and I didn't like it...so I retreated. It's absolutely pathetic for me to think about that now - and then think about how Christ-followers in other nations have to meet in secret because if the wrong people found out they were believers, they would be instantly executed. The whole point of getting out of my "comfort zone" is for me to realize my need for Christ...to rely on the Spirit of God to work through me. We're usually not very good or successful when we do things we aren't "comfortable" with...and I think that's the point. I don't need to be "good" at doing something - I just need to take the opportunities God gives me & be willing to yield to His Spirit & watch Him work through me. Man - if only that was as easy as writing it!!</div>
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Following Christ the way He requires isn't easy. It's not comfortable. It's <b>costly</b>. But my mind keeps coming back to what David Platt says in his book <u>Radical</u>:<br />
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<i>"Based on what we have heard from Jesus in the Gospels, we would have to agree that the cost of discipleship is great. But I wonder if the cost of nondiscipleship is even greater. The price is certainly high for people who don't know Christ and who live in a world where Christians shrink back from self-denying faith and settle into self-indulging faith. While Christians choose to spend their lives fulfilling the American dream instead of giving their lives to proclaiming the kingdom of God, literally billions in need of the gospel remain in the dark."</i><br />
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I don't know exactly what keeps holding me back...but my prayer is going to be for those chains to break. I know this is a weird concept, but I can't think of a better way to put it right now: I need to start getting out of my comfort zone. I want to have "sore muscles" for Christ.<br />
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52398667518892415.post-3972883406837543372013-01-23T10:25:00.001-06:002013-01-23T10:25:22.884-06:00Never???It's 100% impossible for me to describe in words how much God has used music in my life the last 8 months. He has used it in so many different settings - playing & singing songs for worship on Sundays, listening to music during the day while working, friends & family sharing songs with me through Facebook, or even just having the radio on while driving from here to there. It has been amazing for me to see how God allows me to either hear or learn a song I've never heard before that is perfect for what I'm going through, or puts me in a situation where I'm listening to a familiar song & it hits me like it never has. Music can be so powerful, and I believe God chooses to use it in powerful ways.<br />
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Very recently, someone posted a familiar song on Facebook. A really good song, but one that I've heard innumerable times; a situation where I normally wouldn't take the time to listen again. However, I decided to click on the link...it brought me to tears as I read the words of the song while listening to it. I heard the song on the radio again today, and it just about hit me the same way. The song is called "<a href="http://youtu.be/GoYgi0sdOqc" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">One Thing Remains</span></a>" by Kristian Stanfill. The part that hit me the hardest was the beginning of the chorus that says this: "Your love never fails, it never gives up - it never runs out on me."<br />
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Why did this hit me so hard? I thought about it, and I concluded that it's because we all know too well what the very opposite feels like. We have experienced at one time or another what it feels like for love to fail - for love to give up, to run out. This could be the same as the feeling of rejection I talked about in one of my previous posts - but it could also be something completely different. Think about it - not only have we inevitably experienced someone else's love failing us, but we all have been on the other side of this. We have all been guilty of <i>our </i>love failing someone at least one time in our lives...of our <i>own</i> love finally giving up on someone for one reason or another. We have all decided at some point along the way that our love has just finally run out for that one person. To clarify, I'm not exclusively talking about the romantic, feel-good, mushy kind of love, although that definitely falls into this category (it's probably safe to say that all of us have experienced that type of love fail us). But what I'm mainly talking about is the love that we are <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%204:7-12;%20Galatians%206:10&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">supposed to show one another</span></a> as followers of Christ. The kind of love that is supposed to move me to put others before myself.<br />
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Why are these feelings so widespread? Why is this an experience that we all have in common? It's simple, really. The definition of Failing Love is: <b>Human</b>. In fact, to be more accurate, I should really say that the <u><b style="font-style: italic;">antonym </b><b><i>of love</i></b></u> is human. Sin has utterly destroyed our ability to love others the way we should. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%203:10-12&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Romans 3</span></a> tells us that because of our sin nature, <i>nobody </i><b>is</b> good & <i>nobody</i> <b>does</b> good. While that doesn't speak specifically of love or our ability to display it, I would say it makes a pretty good argument for our inability, wouldn't you? You see, it's in our very nature as fallen, sinful people to allow our love to fail someone else - even those that may be closest to us. This doesn't always mean it was fueled by an intention to hurt - but the hurt is a result nonetheless. A failing love that manifests itself in so many ways: from someone you thought of as one of your closest friends talking about you behind your back, to a girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse telling you they love you one day & deciding they are done with you the next - and everything in between. This is why the aforementioned song hit me so hard recently, because the opposite of this is so foreign to us. "Your love <i style="font-weight: bold;">never</i> fails..." <i><b>N</b></i><i style="font-weight: bold;">ever??? </i>Like...ever? Not once? After the experiences we have all had, it's basically impossible to envision a love like this. It's just as impossible to envision myself experiencing a perfect love from someone else as it is to envision myself displaying a perfect love to another person.<br />
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But that's the awesome part - while the antonym of love is human, the <i style="font-weight: bold;"><u>very definition of love</u></i> is <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%204:8&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">GOD</span></a>. Think about that...He's not just a "picture" of what love is like. He's not just a "metaphor" or "example" of love. God <b>IS</b> love...His very essence. It's one of His indivisible characteristics that make up who He is. If His love could ever fail, He would cease to be God. But while God is not just an example of love, He <i>did </i>show us what true love really looks like:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>1 John 4:9-10 - </b><i>"In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."</i></li>
<li><b>Romans 5:8 - </b><i>"But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."</i></li>
</ul>
That is love; this is grace. That the God of the universe - the creator of all things - chose to love sinful, unloving, unlovable people...and sent His Son to die for us in order to offer forgiveness for our sins against Him. And once we place our faith & trust in Jesus for doing so, we can immediately experience His <b>unfailing love </b>& the grace needed to <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%204:19&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">then display love to others</span></a>.<b> </b>Experiencing His love, obviously, doesn't mean that I will never face hard situations or trials in life. In fact, I should <i>count on</i> <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy%203:12&version=ESV" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">just the opposite</a> - because one of the manifestations of God's love for us is that we experience firsthand <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%2012:7-10&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">His strength in our weakness</span></a>. John Piper speaks about this in his book <u>Don't Waste Your Life</u>: <i>"Love is not Christ's making much of us or making life easy. Love is doing what He must do, at great cost to Himself (and often to us), to enable us to enjoy making much of Him forever."</i><br />
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The Psalms are full of incredible verses that speak about God's "steadfast" love...but I believe the apostle Paul describes the indescribable most appropriately:<br />
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<b>Romans 8:35, 37-39 - </b><i>"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."</i></div>
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Once we are in Christ,<i style="font-weight: bold;"> nothing</i> can separate us from His love; <i style="font-weight: bold;">nothing </i>can cause His love to fail - <u>even my own failures</u>, no matter how big or frequent. God's love is not dependent on me - it's dependent on Him...and God <i style="font-weight: bold;">IS </i>love. Unfailing, unchanging, absolute, boundless, constant, inexhaustible, reliable, steadfast love! "Your love never fails, it never gives up - it never runs out on me." ...<i style="font-weight: bold;">Never??? </i>NEVER.<br />
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52398667518892415.post-54918008601125015112013-01-16T22:53:00.000-06:002013-03-04T21:59:49.278-06:00Thoughts on 1 PeterOver the last few weeks, I have read through the entire book of 1 Peter probably 6 or 7 times. Not sure why...but after I slowly made my way through the first time, I decided that there was way too much good stuff in there & I wanted to soak in some more. So I started to slowly make my way through it again..and for some reason after <i>that</i>, I still didn't want to move on from this book. So many different themes can be traced throughout the book, so many familiar verses that become exponentially greater when found within their given context - all contained in such a short letter! So a couple nights ago, I read through the whole letter in one setting to capture more of the flow. Last night, I read it through once more before bed. Today I've read it 2 or 3 times. I know...not normal. But I know the Spirit of God kept bringing me back there for a reason, and He has shown me a very timely theme woven throughout the 5 chapters of this amazing letter. And I'm going to try my best to share that with you...while also trying my best to not make this a 5 chapter letter of my own!<br />
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First of all, it's very clear who Peter is writing this letter to. Not "who" as in a specific church, city, or people group (Jews, etc)...but "who" as in more of a category of people. He <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%201:1&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">addresses</span></a> it at the beginning to "elect exiles of the dispersion" (or those who are scattered), so we know right off the bat that his readers are 1) believers and 2) living all over the place. But the greeting aside - it can be seen clearly throughout this letter that Peter is writing to believers who are <b>suffering</b>. I counted Peter referring to some form of suffering around 19 times in the book...I counted words such as trial, temptations, and all variations of the word suffer. Attempting to use a concordance, I traced these references back to at least 5 different Greek words. Now - I fully admit that I probably either missed or miscounted the uses of these words or the Greek words they point back to. I'm sure if I dug around in some commentaries, I would be able to find the accurate count of all of these things.<br />
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However - <i>regardless </i>of the exact number of Greek words & the English ones they have been translated into, my ramblings on this matter are supposed to make this point: it was not one specific form of suffering or trial that Peter was addressing in his letter. Not all of his original readers were suffering in the same way. While he specifically addresses a few of the different forms (persecution for their belief in Christ {<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%203:14-17;%204:12&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">3:14-17; 4:12</span></a>}, servants treated poorly by their masters {<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%202:18-19&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">2:18-19</span></a>}), he also mentions trials & suffering in a general sense {<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%201:6-7&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">1:6-7</span></a>}. In fact, the Greek word that I found to be used by Peter the most had this statement next to it in the concordance, "Almost always (used) in (the) New Testament with reference to unpleasant experiences."<br />
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What does that mean for me - what does that mean for you? Well, one thing I think it means is that suffering takes on so many various forms. I believe this implies that we should not "compare" the suffering of two (or more) different people. What I mean by that is this: circumstances that might not seem all that terrible for one person may very well be a completely heartbreaking, seemingly unbearable circumstance for another. We should never look at someone's life & tell them that the circumstances or situations they are dealing with aren't "that bad." Different things hit different people different ways, and it is not my job to determine what "suffering" should really look like for someone else. But all of this also tells me how applicable this letter is to me; to us as the church...because we can't read this letter and say, "Well, this isn't applicable because I'm not going through (insert specific trial here)." There's always some kind of hurdle in the road, isn't there?<br />
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Which brings me to what I took away as the main theme of this entire letter. I will say this first - there are various topics or themes that one could probably take away from 1 Peter. But the great part about Scripture is that the Spirit of God helps us & teaches us while we read - and this is the theme He made stand out to me as I read through this book: <b>What is my responsibility in the midst of suffering? </b>I believe this is the theme based on who Peter is writing to, and I believe the answer to this question is very clearly presented. In fact, the answer to this question is also <i>exactly </i>the same as it would be to the very basic question of, "What is my responsibility as a follower of Christ?" The answer to <i>both</i> of those questions is this: <b>Holy living. </b>This is most obviously seen in chapter 1, verses 14-16: <i>"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy' "</i><b> </b>(all of the references of holy living in 1 Peter can be seen <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%201:14-16;%202:1-5;%202:9-12;%202:24;%203:8-9;%204:1-5;%204:19&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Here</span></a>).<br />
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The <b><u>W</u></b><u style="font-weight: bold;">hy</u> of holy living is easy, but it is profound: Jesus Christ gave His very life to enable us to do so. He bought us out of sin - He found us spiritually dead & made us alive. This is so beautifully <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%201:18-19;%202:21-24;%203:18&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">mentioned</span></a> over & over again in the letter. My life is <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%202:5;%202:9-10&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">not my own</span></a>, it is the possession of Christ. The <u style="font-weight: bold;">How</u> of holy living though - that's where we get tripped up. I think this calling usually gets thrown into 2 different categories. The first category is <b>legalism</b>. When thinking of "holy living" or "personal holiness," some instantly tie it to legalism in their heads. They start thinking about all the extra-biblical boundaries others set up for themselves, and scoff at them...so instead, some choose to go and re-enter the slave market of sin that we've been bought from & do so in the name of "Christian liberty." The other category is <b>impossibility.</b> We think of all the great passages of God's holiness, such as <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%206:1-4&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Isaiah 6</span></a>, and we instantly realize that we can never attain such a standard. "Be holy as I am holy" - ?? There's no way...so instead, we give up on personal holiness altogether. But my last pastor, who is now one of my best friends, gave the simplest explanation of personal holiness I've ever heard, and I found it echoed again right here in 1 Peter: choose right. In each daily situation; every turning point in your day - choose right. Man...that seems so much easier to follow than the grandiose thoughts of God's indescribable character, doesn't it? That explanation is pretty difficult to link to legalism, isn't it? Just choose right. Obviously it's not always easy to do so. We are literally at war with our old sin nature. But does it make personal holiness seem like something much more attainable? Absolutely, especially since I have the very Holy Spirit of God living inside of me. So how does this link back to my responsibility in the midst of suffering, or trials?<br />
<br />
<u style="font-weight: bold;">1 Peter 4:19</u><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">ESV:</span> <i>"Let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator <u>while doing good.</u>"</i><br />
<b>NLT:</b> -<i> "So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, <u>keep on doing what is right</u>, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for He will never fail you."</i><b> </b><br />
<br />
My favorite part is that I'm not supposed to do good or choose right just because I'm told to. No, there's a much deeper reason - it's because I can trust my "faithful Creator." It's because I can trust the God who "will never fail" me. At the very <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%201:6-7&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">beginning of the book</span></a>, Peter says that the ultimate <b>reason </b>for trials & suffering is to test the genuineness of our faith. But at the very end of the book, he tells us the <b>result</b> of enduring them:<br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">1 Peter 5:10-11</u> - <i>"And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To Him be the dominion forever and ever."</i><br />
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The result is that God Himself will build both my character and my hope in Him as He carries me through - but the <i>best </i>result is that <b>HE</b><i> </i>receives the glory for doing so.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52398667518892415.post-42872455730786216302013-01-08T11:43:00.001-06:002013-03-04T22:00:01.219-06:00RejectionRejection...we've all been there. At some point in life, we've all felt it. Rejection can take on so many different forms; it can happen on so many different levels. It can be as simple as looking back & remembering yourself always being the last person picked for a game of kickball at recess. It can come in the form of getting laid off from a job, or interviewing for several positions & always getting passed over for another candidate. Maybe you can still remember the person who you thought was the love of your life in high school or college unexpectedly break up with you. It can happen on a much deeper level...parents removing themselves from your life or refusing a relationship with you. Children that act like they want nothing to do with you as their parent. Little or no attention from your spouse on a daily basis - or maybe you have felt the ultimate form of rejection when they decided to just leave altogether.<br />
<br />
No matter what "level" of rejection we have experienced in life, the result is always the same: Pain. Scars. Memories. An erosion of any kind of self-confidence. An increased skepticism to continue trusting those closest to us in life anymore. And even if the rejection I have experienced was just a one-time act, it seems like that feeling is the one that wants to hit me in the face every single morning when I wake up. It seems like <i>that</i>'<i>s</i> the alarm clock Satan chooses to wake me up with - "You weren't good enough."<br />
<br />
Why is the pain of rejection so deep? Why does it linger so long? I believe that it's in our very nature as humans to want to be "accepted." Think about it - we go through life, searching for & longing to belong - to someone, to something. Some find their acceptance within their family. Others find it within sports, where they belong to a team. There are all kinds of places where people find their acceptance - in the military, in any given career, in a marriage relationship, in a church, a band, a book club - the list is almost endless. Is this wrong? Well, I think about what I find in Genesis, during the days of creation - God created Adam...then he decided it was <i>not good</i> for man to be alone - so he gave him Eve. They found their "acceptance" in each other (along with their fellowship with God in the garden). And an even <i>more</i> compelling argument is to look at God<i> Himself</i> - who exists in a triune Godhead - 3 distinguishable persons, yet indivisible in nature. 1 God, 3 persons in perfect harmony & fellowship with each other (or with Himself, I guess) - a "community" existing within the person of God, if you will. And we were created in the image of God - it was in the design of creation to enjoy community with each other; with other people. And this is why, I believe, rejection brings so much pain. It's in our nature to desire acceptance...and it hurts when someone throws it back in our face.<br />
<br />
I think it goes without saying, that this is something I have been dealing with the last few weeks & months. I'll think I've moved past it one day, and then the next day it doesn't leave the forefront of my mind. One recent act of rejection in life can cause your mind to go back through & remember every other form & level of "rejection" you have ever faced, and it can really bring you down low (and that's quite an understatement). And it's in those lowest moments that I feel like nobody in my life understands - for some reason I tell myself that nobody really knows what this feels like, and I wonder if anyone even cares (even though I know that's not true). But it was just the other day that I was going through one of these times, when an extremely familiar verse came to mind, and it triggered a sequence of "connect the dots" in my head.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%204:15&version=NIV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Hebrews 4:15</span></a>. The total amount of times that I've either read this verse, had this verse shared with me, or even quoted it myself is...well, who knows, but it will suffice to say that it's a very common, familiar verse for me. And to be honest, when you're facing something tough & someone shares a verse like this with you, it's very easy to just be like, "ok, that's great...but that really doesn't do anything for me right now." But the other day when this verse came to mind, I really started to think about it. The verse says that Jesus can "<b><u>empathize</u></b>" with me because He was "tempted in every way, just as we are-yet He did not sin." A lot of people can <i>sympathize</i> with one another...it's a nice gesture, and many times it's the only realistic feeling we can have when someone is going through a situation we've never faced. But this says that Jesus has literally, physically faced every possible situation we have & can empathize with us. He understands. He's been there. So how does this relate to my feeling of <b>rejection</b>? Well...when you start to think about it...it's pretty obvious, isn't it?<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2053&version=ESV" style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Isaiah 53</a> - "He was despised and <b>rejected by men</b>..."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%201:1-11&version=ESV" style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">John 1</a> - "He came to His own, and <b>His own people did not receive Him.</b>"</li>
<li><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2027:46&version=ESV" style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Matthew 27</a> - "Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'My God, my God, <b>why have you forsaken me?</b>"</li>
</ul>
<div>
If <i>anyone</i> knows what rejection feels like, it's Jesus. If anyone can truly <i>empathize </i>with feelings of rejection, it's Him. And not only was He rejected by the religious leaders of that day & those who crucified Him...but He is still rejected by billions of people every single day. <i>Nobody</i> has faced more rejection than Jesus Christ<i>.</i></div>
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<div>
But here's the best part. Jesus didn't choose to come to earth & face rejection <b>just</b> so that He could "empathize" with me. He didn't willingly take on my sin & experience God the Father turning His back on Him <b>just</b> so that I can be "comforted" that He "knows how I feel." No, instead it comes around full circle. Jesus Christ chose to be despised & rejected by men, so that He could offer <b>acceptance</b> to the same men that rejected Him. And that's me. That's you.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/John%201:12-13" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">John 1:12-13</a> - "But to all who <i>did</i> receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God..." </div>
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Wow. Think about that - not only can I go confidently to my great High Priest who empathizes with me, "to receive mercy and find grace to help in (my) time of need"...but when I'm facing those feelings of rejection, I can fulfill my ultimate desire of "acceptance" in Him. The One who took my place, who suffered the death I deserved, who still faces the rejection of the very people He came to save...in order to redeem me from my spiritual death and give me His righteousness. Mind = blown.</div>
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Jesus Christ faced ultimate rejection, so that He could offer me divine acceptance.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52398667518892415.post-69178603194939807142012-12-18T13:32:00.000-06:002013-03-04T22:00:24.103-06:00It's the Most Miserable Time of the YearBased on how I titled this post, I'm going to start off right away & say that this will <i>not</i> be me channeling my inner Scrooge, or just complaining the whole time. But there is definitely a reason why I used that title.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to say that the events of my life this past year have caused Christmas to take on a new "meaning," because that is absurd. The "meaning" of Christmas cannot change, and never will change. However, the way we look at it, or the perspective with which we approach the holiday season can <i>definitely </i>change, and it truly has for me this year - mainly in 2 areas. The first area in which I have gained a new perspective, or have just become very much aware of, can be summed up in one word: <b>Pain</b>.<br />
<br />
As a little kid growing up, and even to some degree right up until this year, Christmas day & the entire holiday season leading up to it was the absolute <i>best</i> time of the year. Hands down (well, except for the cold temps & all the snow). But I can still remember the anticipation & pure excitement as a young kid looking forward to Christmas - I always enjoyed helping decorate the tree with my own ornaments, there was significant time off from school, there was the wondering of what presents I might get that year...and the list goes on. Once I graduated from high school & moved away from home, the greatest part about the holiday season became the fact that it was at least the one time of year where I knew we would all be together as a family...the older you get, the less often that happens. Of course the fun of exchanging gifts still remains, but priorities change, and so does the appreciation of "family time." I just always viewed Christmas as...well, perfection. What could be better than guaranteed family time, a great meal where you always eat too much, opening gifts that you probably wouldn't buy for yourself, and watching others get excited over the presents you bought them? Oh - and Jesus is involved, too...because it's really about Him and everything. Right. (<i>Sarcasm intended</i>). But it was a perfect holiday - and how could anyone <i>not </i>look forward to it or get excited about it???<br />
<br />
And then this year happened - heart-breaking, life-changing, faith-testing circumstances took place in the spring. And even though these events are technically becoming smaller in the rear-view mirror of life & time, it seems that the closer it gets to Christmas the more they are becoming magnified in my mind. Instead of anticipating the "perfection" of what Christmas used to be for me, I find myself dwelling on what's different, or missing from my life this year. Excitement has turned, at times, to dread. And because of this, I have become very much aware that the holiday season is undoubtedly the single hardest time of the calendar year for more people than we would probably even know, or would like to think about.<br />
<br />
I'm sure there are countless people who feel a little sense of dread when the temperatures start to drop, the leaves start to fall off the trees, and Wal-Mart starts placing all the decorations on the shelves way too early. People who have been deeply wronged by a former spouse, people who haven't seen certain family members in years for one reason or another, people who are barely living paycheck-to-paycheck and don't have the money to buy their loved ones any kind of special Christmas gifts. There are people who don't even have a permanent home to put a Christmas tree in. And maybe the worst of all, there are parents who have lost children...to miscarriages, illness, or even disgusting acts of senseless violence like we all horrifically heard about this past week. Any one of these situations, and even many others, have permanently changed the perspective of the Christmas season for countless individuals from one of excitement, anticipation, and joy...to a time of year where pain, grief, and hurting are magnified. It's a revolving door that hits them in the back every single year.<br />
<br />
In no way, shape, or form am I trying to downplay the reality or pain of any of the aforementioned situations by making my next statement(s)...because I fall into one of those categories for the first time this year. And the pain is very real. The dread is real. But I have to believe that a very large part of the cause for the heightened angst toward the holiday season, lies in what the focus of the Christmas holiday has become in our nation. It's all about being "happy," right? It's about spreading "Christmas cheer," it's all about the presents we receive (which is basically finding satisfaction in temporary, material things). Take a look at a portion from one of the most popular "Christmas" songs that we hear during the holidays. This is a perfect microcosm of why so many hurting people never look forward to the holiday:<br />
<br />
<i>It's the most wonderful time of the year;</i><br />
<i>With the kids jingle-belling</i><br />
<i>And everyone telling you 'be of good cheer'</i><br />
<i>It's the most wonderful time of the year</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>There'll be much mistletoe-ing</i><br />
<i>And hearts will be glowing</i><br />
<i>When loved ones are near</i><br />
<i>It's the most wonderful time of the year</i><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>"Kids jingle-belling" - What about those who have lost a child? What about husbands & wives who aren't able to have children?</li>
<li>"Much mistletoe-ing" - What about those who have broken marriages? What about widows or widowers? Someone who has just been through a really messy break-up?</li>
<li>"When loved ones are near" - What about those who can't afford to travel to be with their family? Someone who is an outcast of their family, or all their family members are gone?</li>
</ul>
<br />
For far too many people, this is likely the most <i>miserable</i> time of the year. Even though these painful, unfortunate circumstances never really "go away," it seems that we are the most at war with these feelings & realities during the holidays - the time of year when we look around & everyone else appears to be so happy. But my heightened awareness of the amount of people in pain around the holidays has also caused me to have an even more heightened awareness of what Christmas is <i>really </i>about. And that also, can be summed up in one word: <b>Peace</b>.<br />
<br />
You see, my previous view of "Christmas perfection" only included Christ as some sort of peripheral ingredient to the big picture. My happiness was rooted in the material things - the cool decorations, time off of school or work, giving & receiving gifts - and even spending time with family could be thrown in there as a material thing. The fact that Jesus was a part of it all just made it that much better. But in reality, Christ has never been just a <i>part </i>of the big picture - Instead, the entire picture <b><i>is Christ</i>. </b>It's that humanity is sick with sin. Our world is cursed. We are all in pain because we have <i>all </i>experienced the affects of sin one way or another - whether by sins we ourselves or others have committed, or just by the effects of the fall (sickness, natural disasters, death, etc). But Jesus Christ - the Son of God, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%201:1-3;%20Hebrews%201:3&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">who <i>is</i> God</span></a> - was <i>really, literally</i> born as a baby on this earth. He truly <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%201:14;%20Philippians%202:8&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">took on human flesh</span></a>...so that He could live a perfect life, die for <i>my </i>sins in <i>my</i> place, and rise from the dead. Why? Well, <i>not </i>so that He could make my life easy. <i>Not</i> to make my life pain-free, or free of the trials or hard times. But He came to this earth to <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%203:16;%20John%2020:31&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">give me life</span></a>. To give me hope. To give me <b>peace.</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Isaiah 9:6</u> </b>- "For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, <b>Prince of Peace</b>."</li>
<li><b><u>Micah 5:2, 5</u></b> - "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah ... from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days ... And <b>He shall be their peace</b>."</li>
<li><b style="text-decoration: underline;">Ephesians 2:13-14</b> - "...In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For <b>He Himself is our peace.</b>"</li>
</ul>
<br />
This doesn't mean that the pain will disappear. This also doesn't mean that feeling pain, sadness, or heartache is wrong. Jesus knows & understands our hurt - He died for the very sin that caused it. But it does mean that even though my painful circumstances might not change, my perspective of the holiday season can change & I can have peace in Christ in the midst of the pain in my life. So while there are countless people in our world who equate the Christmas season with <b>pain</b>, my prayer is that some will find that the holiday is infinitely more than a day of happiness, gift-giving, and family time; it's about the God of the universe stepping into our world as a peaceful baby - to offer us the only source of real <b>peace. </b>And <i>that</i> is what makes this the most <u>wonderful</u> time of the year!<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Merry Christmas!</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52398667518892415.post-79878232456388908572012-12-12T16:39:00.000-06:002013-03-04T22:00:39.305-06:00SurrenderSurrender...why is this so hard? Why does it feel like the same internal discourse takes place every single day - a discourse that basically replicates the apostle Paul's frustration in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%207:15-20&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Romans 7</span></a>? He begins verse 15 by saying the exact same thing that I say to myself almost every day: "I don't understand my own actions." And he goes on to say that even though he <i>wants</i> to do what is right & he <i>hates</i> when he sins, he still catches himself sinning. I know I'm not alone in this, but it's so frustrating! I understand that there's always a spiritual battle going on inside of us as believers, because <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%206:12&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Paul says in Ephesians</span></a> that we wrestle against "spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places." And I also understand that we will never arrive at sinless perfection on this earth, but that doesn't mean that I just give up & <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%206:1-4&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">sin all I want</span></a> so that I can win the "He Got the Most Grace" award. So how do I truly "surrender?"<br />
<br />
I feel like I need to express, that in no way do I think that anything I write on here is "revolutionary." By no stretch of the imagination do I think that I have discovered, or am introducing anyone who might actually read these posts to any "new ideas" or "new ways of thinking." That's really not even my intent or my hope. In fact, I honestly feel like some of the most helpful things I hear or read come from the most common, well-known truths that I have just "always known" as a Christ-follower. Truths that, for some reason, I thought I could get a fairly decent grip or understanding of & then just move past them in pursuit of "deeper" truths. But this is not the case at all - in fact, these "simple" truths are usually the most important, foundational things that I should be re-visiting & trying to gain a better understanding of on a regular basis.<br />
<br />
Which brings me back to "surrender." It could very well be that I am the only one who had this kind of mindset when thinking about this word, but for the longest time I saw it as a one-time decision. As one of those churchy things we do where we "go forward" at the end of a service to "make a decision." Where we make a public declaration that we are "dedicating our life to Christ." Sorry for the abundance of quotation marks, but anyone who has an extensive church background has probably heard these terms a million times. You see, I did that exact thing years ago at a church camp. While sitting in one of the services during a week of youth camp, I was clearly convicted by the Holy Spirit that my life didn't look like it should as a follower of Christ. So during the speaker's invitation at the end, I went forward to "make a decision to surrender my life to Christ."<br />
<br />
Time out. Don't get me wrong - I'm not bashing invitations, camp decisions, or "going forward" in church. I believe 100% that when the Spirit of God is convicting us of sin or pointing us in a specific direction, we need to act on it - and maybe even talk with someone else about it to affirm it & to gain prayer support, etc. Was I sincere that night when I made that decision years ago? Absolutely.<br />
<br />
But here's the thing - I was subconsciously under the impression that this was all I needed to do to surrender my life to Christ. Now that I have made this decision, I could be sure that my life would look differently in my day to day living...check. But if that's the case, then why hasn't my life looked different <i>every single day</i>? Why are there still days that I fail so hard? Days where I fight so hard against certain biblical commands, or even conviction of my sin? Why can I sing this awesome Sovereign Grace song "<a href="http://sovereigngracemusic.bandcamp.com/track/surrender-all" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Surrender All</span></a>" in tears & with a true desire to chase after Christ one day... only to catch myself wanting nothing but to run the opposite direction the very next day? Well little did I realize or understand that instead of surrender being a one-time life changing decision, it actually needs to be a never ending succession of every-single-day-for-the-rest-of-my-life-decisions. Jesus tried to point this out in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%209:23&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Luke 9:23</span></a><span style="color: blue;"> </span>-<span style="color: blue;"> </span>not only to His disciples, but also to the crowds that followed Him around. No matter what my interpretation of "taking up my cross" is, it's kinda hard to argue and debate about what the word "daily" means there.<br />
<br />
Our salvation is absolutely a one-time decision. Trusting in the finished work of Christ on the cross immediately provides forgiveness of sin & eternal life that <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%208:31-39&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">cannot and will never</span></a> be taken away. And is there a degree of "surrender" involved in salvation? Yes, there has to be in order for me to place my complete trust in someone else for my eternal destiny. But I'm a slow learner - and I'm slowly learning that in order to even have a <i>chance </i>at overcoming the frustrating battle of "doing what I hate" on any given day, I have to give up my attempts to even try at all, and <b>surrender my day</b> to the One who has <u style="font-style: italic;">already overcome</u><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>my sin. I have to make a conscious determination <i>every day</i> to say "no" to myself - my own sinful thoughts & desires, my feelings of doubt, my attempts to be in control of my life - and fix my eyes on Jesus: the One who <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2012:1-2&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">gave me my faith</span></a> to begin with, and the One who promised that His work in my life <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%201:6&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">will not be done</span></a> until I see Him face to face.<br />
<br />
I've come to the conclusion that it's impossible for me to "surrender my life" to Christ. Instead, I have to take it a day at a time. I surrender <i style="font-weight: bold;">today</i> to Christ.<br />
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<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52398667518892415.post-75545829142702704382012-12-04T11:24:00.000-06:002013-03-04T22:00:52.022-06:00Oh, Bother<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've come to the conclusion today that if my inner thoughts, feelings, and "conversations" with myself from the last week could take on a visible, bodily form...people would see me walking around as Eeyore. With a self-fabricated rain cloud directly above only me; following me everywhere I go. Always down. Always pointing out how crappy my life is.<br />
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That's a pretty ridiculous thought, I know. But that's honestly the rut I've been stuck in for the majority of the last week or more. And the sad part is that I've basically chosen to be there. The weekends have been pretty good lately...that is really the only main time I'm around people. I'm able to genuinely have a good time & enjoy being around my friends, family, or church. But then the work week starts up and most days & nights are spent sitting around my apartment alone and just...being Eeyore. And for some reason, the more immersed we are in the "holiday season," the worse it has become. Instead of focusing on the countless things in my life I should be thankful for around Thanksgiving, I chose to keep coming back to the few things that have been ripped away from me this year. I usually put off my Christmas shopping until the last minute anyway, but this year my procrastination has been fueled by new reasons. It's too hard to walk around the mall or a store and see all the happy couples & happy people when I'm over here with my internal frown & rain cloud. "It's not fair."<br />
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Now...this isn't my <i>constant</i> state of mind because I am confronted with much-needed reminders & perspective-adjusters every now and then. But I have definitely allowed these things to consume my thoughts more often than not lately. And that's not good. It's not healthy...and if I am just downright honest with myself, it's sinful (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=philippians%204:8&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Philippians 4:8</span></a>). Are there certain circumstances in my life that just plain suck right now? Yes. And they are truly significant circumstances...but if I were to follow Phil. 4:8 and think on things that are true, one of the things I would see is that I have a loving Savior who has already taken care of my <b>greatest</b> need by providing forgiveness for my sin, and has allowed the wrath of God to be removed from me. A Savior who is <i>always</i> with me - He has not & will never forsake me. I would see that God has placed me in an incredible family where unconditional love abounds. That I have unbelievably great friends who genuinely care about me. Just a few things that could quickly derail the Eeyore train before it gets to full speed in my head.<br />
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This morning I came face to face with another one of those "perspective-adjusters," and I want to share some of it with you. In my other posts I've tried to express or paraphrase things I'm learning in my own words, but today I can't do that with what I read. First of all, I don't want anyone to think that it came from my own head. I was in such a bad place this morning before I read this that there's no way I could have had this perspective myself. Secondly, if I try to paraphrase this or put it in my own words I will undoubtedly butcher it & so I want to just leave you with the same words that God used in my life this morning. The following was a much needed kick in the pants...but at the same time, these words took on the arms of His unfailing love & unending grace wrapping around me & reminding me (again) to keep straining forward. This is from "The Overflow Devotional" by Mike Donehey of Tenth Avenue North:<br />
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<i>"It's complicated to reconcile a God who works through pain. It's tough to trust in a Lord who allows suffering and inconvenience. It'd be a whole lot easier to mindlessly promise myself that Jesus always wants to make life easy, but I don't think that's how He works. If anything, Jesus uses dark colors when He paints. He's into streams in the desert and life out of death.</i><br />
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<i>Just take one good look at the cross and that ought to convince you that the God the Bible speaks of is a God who uses horror and injustice to His advantage. The cross is evidence to our minds, and balm for our souls that our God is a God who brings beauty out of pain. </i><i>Art out of chaos. Beauty out of ugliness. ...</i><br />
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<i>... When we trust Christ, and the mysterious work on Calvary, we trust that He's always up to something good even in the darkest days. In fact, that's probably when He's up to the most good, because that's when the most good grows in me.</i><br />
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<i>So hey, I'm uncomfortable, but if this is the path the Lord has brought me down, then I say, 'Don't stop it Lord. Redemption was born on a far darker day than this one, so bring the chaos. Bring the madness. Do whatever you've got to do to recreate my heart.' After all, it's <b>me</b> that needs to change, not my circumstances."</i><br />
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<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52398667518892415.post-88121610164854135012012-11-25T20:29:00.003-06:002013-03-04T22:01:07.780-06:00What If...Due to the twists & turns I have seen in my life this year, the questions of "what if" have plagued me over the last few months - and especially in recent weeks. Questions such as, <i>What if I would have done this differently? What if I would have said this instead of that? What if I would have been more disciplined in this area? What if... </i>and the list goes on. I continue to catch myself consumed with thoughts of a hypothetical nature; wondering if tweaking a few things here & there in my past would find me in a completely different place in life today. If I could just revisit those days & moments of regret and do them all over again, what would my life look like now?<br />
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And not only the regrets & moments specifically connected to my current situation, but I've also had these "what if" thoughts about some of the biggest failures & sins in my life in general. It seems to be a pattern in my life that whenever I feel like I'm gaining ground in my walk with Christ & experience a true closeness with God, the sins & epic failures of my past start to pop up in my mind & make me feel like the last thing I deserve to do is talk to a holy God...so I tend to stop praying for a period of time and stop reading His Word - and this pattern is all fueled by shame, regret, and disgust with myself. Sometimes for recent sins I've committed, but most of the time this is brought on by the regrets of my past. If only I could go back & just re-live these moments & "do better," there's no doubt I would be in a better place today & everything in my life would be great...right?<br />
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Well...maybe - because there <i>are</i> consequences for our different sins & actions. But then again...maybe not. Maybe if I was able to go back & say or do something differently, or if I went back & made wiser choices in my biggest moments of failure, I would be in a completely different situation in my life. Or, maybe if I did all those things differently, my life would still look exactly the same. Who can really know for sure? But one thing <b><i>is</i></b> for sure: I can't do a single thing about anything I've already done. Nothing. I can't change or take back a single word I've ever said, I can't change or take back a single action I've ever done. No matter how much I consume my thoughts with "what if," the truth is I can't do anything about it. I honestly believe this is one of Satan's most successful strongholds in the lives of believers - looking back. Regret. Memories of failure. If there's one thing that can either bring our walk with Christ to a screeching halt, or prevent us from serving, sharing our faith, etc...it's our past.<br />
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And this is why I titled my blog <i>Don't Look Back</i>...because this is obviously something I've deeply struggled with, and I need to daily remind myself that my focus can't be in the past - but it has to be <i>forward.</i> And the words of Paul in Philippians 3 are so perfect for the "what if" questions that plague all of us. The whole chapter is great of course, but specifically <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%203:13-14&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">verses 13-14</span></a><span style="color: blue;">. </span>Paul reveals that his singular, daily goal involves <i>"forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead." </i>The fact that the apostle Paul is the one who writes this carries extreme significance to me. What was his singular, daily goal when he wasn't known as Paul, but as the Jewish dude named Saul? To track down & <i>murder </i>Christians. He was the most well-known (and successful, at that) persecutor of Christ's church (when Jesus appeared to Saul, He actually accuses Saul of <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%209:4-5&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">persecuting Christ Himself</span></a>). If there was someone who undoubtedly struggled with the "what if" questions, it <i>had </i>to be Paul. But he also realized that there was nothing he could do about them. Instead of dwelling on past regrets or failures, he chose to <i>"strain forward to what lies ahead."</i><br />
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I know what you're thinking...it's impossible to literally <b>forget </b>the past. God kinda gave us this thing called a memory. Warren Wiersbe sheds some light on this idea:<i> "forgetting those things which are behind does not suggest an impossible feat of mental and psychological gymnastics by which we try to erase the sins and mistakes of the past. It simply means that we break the power of the past by living for the future. We cannot change the past, but we can change the meaning of the past. There were things in Paul's past that could have been weights to hold him back, but they became inspirations to speed him ahead. The events did not change, but his understanding of them changed." </i>I know for a fact that this is not an easy thing to do. For those of you who have actually read this far, YOU know that this is not an easy thing to do. But that's why Paul describes this as "<b>straining</b>" forward, and in verses 12 & 14 as "<b>pressing on</b>." It's a <i>daily. struggle.</i> But just as with any other struggle, we never have to do it alone, and God offers grace & mercy to help in time of need (I just need to remember to seek that help more often). I truly believe that if I (or all of us) could remember this one truth, our past wouldn't come back to "haunt" us near as much...and here it is: just as it is impossible for us to do any one or amount of <i>good </i>works to earn favor with God or to affect our standing with Him; the same is true that it is impossible for us to fail so big or so much that it will affect our standing with Him. Once I place my faith & trust in Christ for the forgiveness of my sins, God forever sees the <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%205:18-19&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">righteousness of Christ</span></a> when He looks at me. Wow.<br />
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I heard a song on the radio today that I've heard probably over 100 times, but because of all of these "what if" thoughts that have been chasing me down lately, the song took on such a deeper meaning to me. It's the song "You Are More" by Tenth Avenue North. If you have never heard the song, you can listen to it <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgi-G-dHYkY" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a>. But I want to type out the chorus because it fits so well:<br />
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<i>You are more than the choices that you've made</i><br />
<i>You are more than the sum of your past mistakes</i><br />
<i>You are more than the problems that you create</i><br />
<i>You've been remade.</i><br />
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The "what if" questions don't matter. I can't change yesterday. But Jesus Christ died & rose again so that He could transform my today and tomorrow. Don't look back. Strain forward. Press on.<br />
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<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52398667518892415.post-9758226393352368912012-11-19T22:56:00.002-06:002013-03-04T22:01:22.280-06:00"In This You Rejoice"I recently finished reading through Psalms, and so I decided to start making my way through the book of 1 Peter. Not exactly sure why, or what led me to this particular book...but after I finished reading the<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%201:1-9&version=ESV" target="_blank"> <span style="color: blue;">first 9 verses</span></a>, it was pretty clear that it was not a "coincidence" that I ended up there.<br />
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The first 5 verses are nothing short of amazing. Some of the greatest theological truths & reasons for hope are so tightly packed within this short passage of Scripture! Peter talks about our new birth through the great mercy of God, and the hope we have because of the resurrection of Christ; he talks about the "imperishable, unfading inheritance" we have waiting for us in eternity...and <i>then </i>he caps it all off (or so I initially thought) at the beginning of verse 6 with "in this you rejoice." So naturally, I paused to think about the incredible truths I had just read & was reminded of. What an incredible God - His mercy gave me a chance at new life, a hope for life after death, and an <i>eternal</i> <i>inheritance</i> that is waiting for me! How awesome is that? Of course I can follow the first part of verse 6 & rejoice in that - that's easy! So, being all charged up, I picked up where I left off, finished verse 6 & read through verse 7...and there it was. The "T" word. Trials.<br />
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Ok...so what is Peter trying to say here? Am I supposed to "rejoice" in the incredible grace & mercy of God that is laid out in the first 5 verses...or am I supposed to "rejoice" in trials because they test the genuineness of my faith? Well, after putting this together with <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%201:2-4&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">James 1:2-4</span></a> I'm pretty sure now that the answer isn't one or the other, but simply "Yes." And to be honest, I definitely wasn't nearly as charged up about this passage anymore. I'm not going to lie...the last thing I want to do right now (and over the last 6 months) is "rejoice" in my trial. I just don't want to. This sounds really weird, but one of the first things I think about when I read the word "rejoice" is that little kids' Sunday school song we used to sing as a round back in the day. <i>"Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice" - </i>repeated over & over, with high-pitched little kid voices, while smiling from ear to ear. No thanks. When it comes to my "trial" right now, I honestly want no part of that. For some reason, I'd rather sit & just...pout, really. I find myself choosing to remind myself of how much I have been hurt; how my life looks so much differently now than it did just 6 months ago; how there are things that I had that were involuntarily ripped away from me & that it was "not fair." To be brutally honest, the more I thought about these verses, I literally became angry. Who has time to rejoice when there is so much pain to try & swim through?<br />
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But as I kept reading through these verses multiple times - and even now as I'm writing my thoughts out - I can see that I had completely missed the point of what Peter and James were trying to convey to their original audience. Neither one of them are telling me that I need to rejoice in the trial <i>itself. </i>I'm not being told I need to force myself to be happy that I'm currently going through the hardest situation & circumstance that I've ever faced in my life. We aren't expected to jump for joy when we get an unexpected diagnosis, or when we get a call in the middle of the night about the loss of a loved one...we aren't supposed to throw a party when we find ourselves in the middle of a financial crisis, etc. In fact, Peter even recognizes that trials are <i>hard </i>when he says that "you have been <b>grieved</b> by various trials." He uses the analogy of gold being tested by <b>fire</b> - would it ever be pleasant to stand in a fire? As I was reading a commentary on this passage, I found this statement by Dr. Warren Wiersbe: <i>"To deny that our trials are painful is to make them even worse. Christians must accept the fact that there are difficult experiences in life and not put on a brave front just to appear 'more spiritual'." </i>Even Jesus responded to grief & disappointment by <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2011:17-36&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">visibly weeping</span></a>.<br />
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So if the point is not to rejoice in the trial itself, what am I supposed to rejoice in? Well, it's the end result...that I can't see yet. See, what Peter is saying in verse 7 is that if I cling to God's grace through my trial & remain faithful to Him as He carries me through, I will bring "praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." Wow. Think about that. I will bring praise & glory to my Savior when He returns if I just simply rely on Him to get me through the crappiest times of life. It's all about reflecting the praise back to Him - He wants to be there & help His children through the most difficult points in life...and if we let Him, that immediately reflects the honor & glory right back to Him, where it belongs. When I think again about the analogy Peter uses of gold in a fire - a goldsmith would never waste any of his precious gold by throwing it in a fire if he wasn't 100% sure that the finished product would be exponentially better off. And so it has to be the same with us - God would never allow me to walk through a fire in life if it didn't somehow make me better & bring Him glory. Wiersbe says this: <i>"It has been said that the Eastern goldsmith kept the metal in the furnace until he could see his face reflected in it. So our Lord keeps us in the furnace of suffering until we reflect the glory and beauty of Jesus Christ."</i><br />
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Is that hard to remember & think about in the midst of the flames? Yep. It's a daily struggle. But I'm reminded of the lyrics in a song from Tenth Avenue North that says, "If You promised pain, it can't be meaningless." So...in this week of Thanksgiving...I will try very hard to remember that it's "In <i>this</i> you rejoice" - in the incredible blessings that God has poured out on me through His Son Jesus Christ, but ALSO that somehow through this fiery trial, He is preparing me for something greater.<br />
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<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52398667518892415.post-55067734086146814252012-11-15T08:40:00.000-06:002013-03-04T22:01:39.707-06:00Is it "Un-Christian" to Question God?Before this year, I could look back and say that I never really had to face any sort of tragedy or extreme trial in my life. I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home with godly parents, I have 2 sisters that I have always gotten along great with, and my entire school experience all the way through college was void of any major problems or setbacks. I've never had to face an unexpected death in our family, I've never had to navigate through unemployment or a foreclosure. Before this year, I could basically look back over my life and say that my faith had never truly been tested on a major level. Life had always been ... good.<br />
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About 6 months ago, however, that pattern came to a crashing halt as I was blindsided with news I never thought I'd hear. Devastating, life-changing news. The specifics of the situation don't matter, but it will suffice to say that I've never felt as much like my heart was literally being ripped from my chest as I did in that moment, and in the days, weeks, and months to come. All of a sudden, the path of my easy-going, seemingly picture-perfect life had veered down into the lowest, darkest valley I had ever entered. For the first time in my life, my faith was truly being tested.</div>
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I wanted nothing more than to hand in my test & settle for an "incomplete" grade. I couldn't believe what was taking place in my life, and I quickly began to blame the person I concluded was primarily at fault: God. <i>"How could You let this happen? ... If You are sovereign, how can this possibly be part of Your 'plan' for my life ... Why aren't You solving this problem? Don't You know how many people are praying about this? Can't You see how difficult this is for me? Do You even care?!?" </i>Those are just a few of the accusations and questions I lobbed at Him. Unfortunately, I can tell you that it got to the point where I just stopped praying altogether. I decided that if this was part of God's 'plan' was for my life, I wanted nothing to do with Him or His plan. I wanted Him out of my life forever. (Since this is already a super long post, I will just say that He didn't let me walk away from Him, praise God! He used very dear people in my life to keep me from jumping off of a "spiritual cliff," and for that I am very thankful & do not wish to think about where I would be today if that wasn't the case). However, even once I was back in His Word and seeking His guidance, I still found myself questioning God on occasion.<i> </i>So many "why's" and "how's" and "when's." </div>
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Every time I caught myself in this mode, I immediately felt very guilty. I felt like such a failure of a Christian to allow myself to get to the point of questioning God. I just recently finished reading through the book of Psalms, and time after time the different authors talk about how God is our refuge, He is our Rock, with Him I should never be afraid - you know, all of that Psalm stuff...which was always incredibly applicable & encouraging...but there is one Psalm that stuck out to me the most when I first read it. It was a huge encouragement & it has given me one of the biggest "light-bulb-moments" I've ever had. </div>
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<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2013&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Psalm 13</span></a>. David wrote this Psalm. 4 of the 6 verses are spent questioning God. That's 66% of an entire "chapter" in the Bible. I know what you might be thinking - "Well, David wrote that while Saul was constantly trying to kill him, so that's different." But you know what hit me after reading this Psalm a few times? The Holy Spirit of God inspired David to write down that he was questioning God. (This wasn't the <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%206:3;%2044:24&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">only time either</span></a>). Why would God direct David to permanently record himself questioning Him, and multiple times at that? Are you ready for this? <i>Because He knew that we would do the same thing when we faced trials.</i> <i>And it's ok.</i> </div>
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So are we a failure of a Christian when we question God? Is it "Un-Christian" to do so? I say no ... because even though we are born-again believers, we are still human. I think we might be somewhat numb to the "sin-nature" expression, so I will try to put this a different way. Did you know that it is in our very nature to <i><u>hate</u> </i>God? To resist Him with <i>all </i>of our being? To consider Him our enemy? The first 3 chapters of Romans use the same language! This is the kind of struggle & internal war we have going on as believers! (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%207:15-20&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Romans 7</span></a>) But here's the key to my whole "light-bulb" moment:</div>
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First, I want to be clear & clarify that I'm not "excusing" any sin just because we have a sin nature (I also don't believe David's questioning of God in Psalm 13 was sinful). I'm also not saying that <i>every</i> time something unfortunate happens in my life I should question my all-knowing, all-powerful, sovereign Creator. But what I <i>am</i> saying is this: I honestly believe that sometimes we have to get to the point in life where we are so distraught - so tired of the struggle, so fed up with all the "noise" of life - that we start questioning God. Why? Because that might be the only time we will actually be at the point where we literally have nowhere else to look but Him - where we are willing to let God show us Himself like we've never let Him before. Sometimes it takes a disastrous storm to wreak havoc in our life for us to finally just be still & know that He is God. </div>
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One thing is for sure: every time we question God, He will respond. Sometimes He might give us a much-needed kick in the pants <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%2038-41&version=ESV" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">like He gave Job</span></a>. But other times He will respond with a peace that surpasses all understanding; a reassurance that He <i>does</i> know what He's doing. That He <i>does</i> hear my cries, He <i>does</i> understand my hurt & my pain, He <i>does</i> have a plan through the wreckage - and it's ultimately for my good & HIS glory. The latter is what David heard at the end of Psalm 13, and it is the same reassuring answer I have been able to cling to as well: </div>
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<i>"But I have trusted in Your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me."</i><br />
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52398667518892415.post-91838412096272449282012-11-14T17:12:00.000-06:002013-03-04T22:01:56.477-06:00A Blog? ... Really??<i>"A Blog? ... Really?"</i> - This is what I kept saying to myself every time the idea popped back up in my head. I've thought about starting one of these for a while now, but ultimately kept deciding against it. I usually would end up at arguments such as, <i>"You're too long-winded...you are terrible at keeping things short & sweet."</i> Or, <i>"What do you really have to say that anyone would ever want to read about?"</i> (That was usually the main argument, really). Well...I don't really have a legitimate counter to either of those, but I guess I finally came up with a few reasons to start "blogging" that outweighed the prior arguments.<br />
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<b><u>1. My Current Situation:</u></b> 6 months ago, I started working from home. While the advantages of working from home significantly outweigh the disadvantages, it also means I have zero physical human interaction during my work day. On top of that, I have recently been through some very difficult life circumstances that have left me with endless hours of "alone time." Put this all together, and that means that on any given day I have very little to no human interaction. I feel like creating a blog will give me at least a sense that I'm "interacting" with people. (Don't worry...it doesn't make much sense to me either, but just go with it).<br />
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<b><u>2. Time to Think:</u></b> Based on my previously described situation, I have a lot of time to think. A lot of time. A lot of thinking. Sometimes it's profitable, sometimes it's dangerous, and sometimes it just turns into a giant pity party for myself. I feel like instead of continuously holding everything in every day, I should try & articulate some of my thoughts in this type of forum. This goes back to the <i>"Will anyone even read this"</i> question I keep asking myself. The answer: most likely not. But I have come to the conclusion that this will probably end up being more "therapeutic" for my sake, and if someone else somehow benefits from reading my thoughts one day, then that's pretty cool too.<br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">3. Transparency:</u> I really think this has almost become a bad word for Christ-followers. Church has sadly become a place where we show up and try for 1 day a week to convince everyone around us that we are "Super-Christians" and that we have it all together. I have reached a breaking point in my life where I just can't do that any longer. And if we were all honest with each other, and followed Galatians 6:2 (<i>Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ</i>), we would share our personal struggles with each other & experience true fellowship in the body of Christ as we encourage one another & hold each other up in prayer. This is what I really want this "blog" to be...me being transparent in my walk with Christ. I want to be honest, and I don't know - maybe encourage others to know that it's ok to struggle. It's ok to fail, to question God at times (that's not a typo)...it's ok to not "have it all together." But that's why we have this infinite safety net called grace that we can fall into & that's why we have an incredible Savior who picks us back up & reminds us- not to "try harder," but to look harder at Him.<br />
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So go ahead & start reading my posts ... or don't :)<br />
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<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1