When the Lord brings someone into His family, the transaction that takes place isn't one that makes sense to human logic. It's often hard for people to see through God's eyes but this can be especially hard when talking about restoration. It is easy to believe that once a human had gone so far one way they can never go back. It's easy to push away the people who are different and who's sin has marked their lives openly. But God is so clear that this is not what He would have us do. He tells us not to let the sons of foreigners joined to the Lord ever be able to say that they are cut off from the community of God's people. But, how often do we see churches where cliques reign and if you aren't "in" then you're definitely "out." Or how common is it to believe that one decision you made will determine the rest of your life? The eunuchs were looking a their lives realizing that once they died their lineage would end. Quickly the memory of them would fade and no one would even know they existed. In a culture that prized genealogy this would have crushed them. But as they cried out to God, He answered them with a promise. He promised that if they chose to live for Him, doing what pleased Him, He would give them a place to belong and "an everlasting name that shall not be cut off." The Lord does not just restore what seems humanly possible. He does the impossible and gives what no man could ever give. He doesn't just restore what could have been, He offers a life only possible when the One offering it is the God of the universe. In this life He offers is holiness, joy, and communion with Him. God's restoration of the individual goes so far as to say that their sacrifices and offerings will be accepted. In God's eyes, he foreigners who loved Him were no different than those born into the nation of Israel. What an incredible gift it is to be part of a house of prayer that is open to all nations!
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Thursday, June 8, 2017
Isaiah 37:16
Isaiah 37:16
“O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between
the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth.”
As a general rule, I don’t think the church believes in the
God of the Bible. If we did, shouldn’t the world look different? If we really
did believe in the Lord of hosts, should we be panicked at the thought of war?
We read about the God who holds the whole world together by the power of His
voice but as soon as something in our life seems to fall apart we throw a
tantrum. We trust Him to keep earth spinning but refuse to trust Him to have
total authority in our lives. For example, I’ll go to bed tonight without
bolting my bed to the floor and strapping myself down to my mattress. I’ll do
this confidently trusting that the Lord will continue to keep the universe
perfectly spinning so that gravity doesn’t completely change over night.
Nothing in me ever doubts that God is the best one to do this. But, when it
comes time to do Kids Club and that one kid whose hard to love shows up I
rarely remember to ask God how to show this kid the love of Christ. I live as
if He can’t possibly know how to handle the smaller details of life. Written
out it sounds so foolish but everyone has this basic testimony at some point in
their lives. As soon as the problem gets close to our heart we stop trusting
and start acting in our own strength. This leads to the next problem which is
that we don’t give Him the praise He deserves because He isn’t living through
us. When we do it in our own strength, we get the glory. He dwells between
angels who give Him glory continually but even that is not enough to convince
our rebellious hearts to bow down in adoration. God is supposed to reign on the
throne of our hearts unchallenged but all too often I’ve allowed people,
dreams, desires, etc., to take His place as rightful King. Though He
undoubtedly deserves all of my devotion, if He is not wanted He will not force
Himself onto the throne. Robotic devotion is never something the Lord desires,
our hearts have to be willingly handed over or they will remain trapped by the
world forever. He is God alone. Not buddha, Muhammad, the iPhone 7plus, or any
other idol made by hands. If this God is the one in whom we have out our trust,
what does this change? Saying that you believe in Jesus Christ should be the
most loaded statement you can possibly make. In that decision should be your
life and being. I’m not saying this as someone who has figured it out but I do
know that knowing God changes everything. And if He hasn’t radically changed
your life, then you don’t believe in the God of the Bible.
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Isaiah 19:19
Isaiah 19:19
"In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border."
It wasn't until recently that I even tried to read any book in the Old Testament. I thought that they were all completely irrelevant and too hard to understand. And while I still think parts of it are hard to fully understand, I now see how the Old Testament is relevant in today's world even though it was written thousands of years ago. The books that I've read recently have been about how faithful God is despite the Israelites regular relapses into complete rebellion. Through those stories the Lord showed me a little bit more of how deeply He loves His people. My own tendencies to stray were revealed each time the Israelites walked away from God. He never let them down or broke His promises and yet again and again they tried to do things their own way. In Isaiah 14 it says that God "will still choose Israel." Still. Despite their failure and sin, even though they don't always choose Him... He chooses to call the Israelites His people. But even more than choosing the ones He has already chosen, He loves to rescue the lost. God loves to redeem those who seem completely out of His reach. In Isaiah 19:19 we are told that there will be an altar to the Lord in Egypt. If you don't slow down and really consider the gravity of this statement, you'll miss out on something beautiful. A land that was never, by human standards, supposed to love the Lord now has both an altar and a pillar dedicated to Him. The altar showed their hearts attitude towards God. They were devoted to the point of spending something in their worship. The Egyptians understood that the cost of worship isn't free and built an altar to worship the Lord. But their devotion didn't stop there. Often as American christians we play a game where we say we love Jesus at church on Sunday's and Wednesday nights but nothing in our life actually changes. None of our co-workers or friends see any genuine devotion in our lives. The Egyptians in this verse understood something that thousands of years later we still have a hard time grasping. If your love for Jesus is real, if He really is your Savior then the world will know. Before anyone crosses the border to settle into your life they'll see the pillar and know that there's something different about you. This pillar proclaims that you have a purpose. It shows that there is genuine worship in your heart that isn't ashamed of Who it's devoted to. As the Egyptians turned to the Lord in worship, it affected both the public and private aspects of their lives. Reading this while in Ignite is both encouraging and convicting. It shows that the Lord is able to soften the hardest hearts but also that my life needs to be lived for Him in every single part of my life, not just the public and not just the private.
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Isaiah 5:2
Isaiah 5:2
"He dug it up and cleared out its stones,
And planted it with the choicest vine.
He built a tower in its midst,
And also made a winepress in it;
So He expected it to bring forth good grapes,
But it brought forth wild grapes."
It's common in our culture for people to say that we just need to find ourselves, to discover who we are and then we can be happy. Once you love yourself you find a god who fits into the mold of what you want him to be to satisfy your needs. Really, this is a completely self centered way to live and does not lead to true life. Living that way is missing out on mind blowing realities of who God is. In Isaiah 5:2, and the verses just before and just after it, the heart of the Lord towards His people is revealed. Isaiah uses the picture of a vineyard to show the Israelites how God cares for them. They were planted on a hill that was known for being fruitful. The Gardener cleared out all the stones that could choke out the roots of the vines. His heart is for them to thrive, not to wither away slowly. He didn't choose just any vine to plant in this carefully prepared land, He planted the "choicest vine." Nothing the vine did was deserving of this care and yet the Gardener sees this vine and calls it His own. Then the Gardener builds a tower to keep His vineyard safe and a winepress so that the good fruit that is grown doesn't go to waste but can be made into something lasting. Everything God could do to set up this vineyard to succeed was done. There is no reason why this vineyard shouldn't produce good fruit. And yet the last line of this verse tells us that the vineyard produced wild grapes. It's clear that the Gardener is not at fault, He did everything on His side to ensure that the vineyard would thrive. So, the responsibility falls on the vineyard that failed to produce good fruit. On one hand, this verse shows the beauty of the Lord's care for His people. On the flip side is our failure to live a life worthy of that. Our works don't save, so the fruit produced is not to earn a spot in the vineyard but to reflect the mercy that allows us to be there.
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Isaiah 58:11
Isaiah 58:11
“The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul
in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and
like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”
Honestly, I don’t have some well thought out string of words
for this verse. But, this verse is wildly good and so comforting during this
weird season of life. The day I turned 18 one of my first thoughts was “oh
gosh, now comes a lifetime of having to make all my own decisions. No thank
you.” Then I realized something great. As humans our whole life is made up of
daily, little decisions that affect the course of our whole life. But there
were big decisions in my near future that I so dreaded that weren’t ever mine
to make. Instead of just trying to pick what I think will work best, I can let
the Lord direct my life along His perfect plan for me. If He is the One making
the decisions, I’ll never have to worry if I’m where He wants me to be. I can
live in the peace that comes from being in the center of His will. I love that
this verse doesn’t sugar coat that being in God’s will does not mean life is
easy. There will be droughts and times where exhaustion threatens to take over.
But, during those times is when the Lord gets to be everything we need. During
the seasons of confusion and drought His love is so clearly seen in the way
that He carries us through what we think is impossible. The first rain after a
drought always brings a ton of growth. No one can deny the change that’s occurred
but if there wasn’t a season of drought, there would be nothing to contrast the
growth to and it wouldn’t mean as much. I guess my point in all of this is that
the Lord is in the drought just as much as He is in the seasons of intense
growth. The drought does not mean that He has abandoned or forgotten about you
or wants you to be miserable. His love is still perfect, He is still in
control. But, often a drought is needed before the rains come.
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Deuteronomy 30:1-6
Deuteronomy 30:1-6
“Now it shall come to pass, when all these
things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you,
and you call them to mind among all the nations where
the Lord your God drives you, 2 and you
return to the Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that
I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all
your soul, 3 that the Lord your God will
bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again
from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you. 4 If any of
you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from
there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring
you. 5 Then the Lord your God will bring
you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will
prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. 6 And
the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your
descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul, that you may live.”
In this passage there are two little words that are repeated
so much that they stand out despite their initial insignificance. The first
word is “all.” In these 6 verses it’s repeated 8 times so clearly we need to
pay attention to it. I know its obvious but “all” really does mean exactly
that: all. All of the blessings and curses the Lord had promised would come to
pass depending on whether the Israelites chose obedience or disobedience. If
they disobeyed they would be scattered, but when they called on the Lord He
would gather them from every single nation to which they had been scattered.
God promised life if they loved Him with every part of their heart and with the
entirety of their souls. He doesn’t ask for part of us but for every single
part of who we are to be completely surrendered to Him. Our God is not a God
who does things in pieces. He finishes what He begins (Philippians 1:6) and not
one of His promises is not fulfilled (Joshua 21:45). Since Easter just passed,
the fact of just how far the Lord went to save us is fresh on my mind. He paid
the ultimate price by giving up His life to pay for the sins of the world. He
went all the way in order to save us. In light of a God who goes all in, how
could we do anything but go all in as well?
The second word that’s repeated over and over again is the
word “will.” I just talked about how the promises of God can be trusted and in
these verses are about 8 different promises that the Lord gives His people if
they just turn to Him with their whole hearts. He promises to bring His
repentant children out of captivity and have compassion on them. They don’t
have to re-earn His love; He has been waiting for them to return so He can once
again be their God. Obedience to God’s commands brings life and liberty, but
our sinful natures still want to rebel and do life our own way. What a slap in
the face to a God who loves us and desires that we would live! The Lord has so
clearly been impressing upon my heart that complete obedience is vital to
living the life He has planned for me. To not obey is to miss out on His
perfect plan for my life.
Monday, March 27, 2017
2 Samuel 11:11-13
2 Samuel 11:11-13
Okay so if you don't know the context of these verses, they make absolutely no sense. Basically, David was being a dumb guy and he didn't go out to war when everyone was supposed to. Instead he sent all his men out to fight and stayed home. In verse 2 of chapter 11 we're told that David got out of his bed one evening and went walking on the roof. Now honestly what on earth was he doing? David was definitely not in the place that he should have been. I don't know how he rationalized staying home from the war, but I'm sure he was convinced in his own mind that it was a good idea. That night he saw a woman bathing and long story short he ended up getting her pregnant. Instead of owning up to his mistakes, David tried to hide them. He called the woman's husband home from the war and tried to send him home to her to cover up his sin. Potentially he could trick the man into thinking that the baby was his and ta-da! David's mistake would go away for forever. Unfortunately for David, God doesn't let us hide our sins by covering them with bandaids. Uziah, the man who's wife David got pregnant, was probably one of the coolest guys in the Bible. He got a night off of war but he chose to stay uncomfortable to be in unity with his fellow soldiers. What a guy, honestly. Rest is needed, we all get tired and need a day off. But, Uziah knew that his day off was when the rest of the army got to go home. He didn't quit early and enjoy a night at home even when he could have. The self control that that must have taken is insane.
Mark 1:35
Mark 1:35
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still
dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed.”
Its pretty well known that I don’t like mornings. My poor
family had to deal with it for almost 18 years as each morning I would wake up
and glare at anyone who tried to have a conversation with me. My mom once told
me that everyone had decided to not talk to me for the first hour after I came
out of my room. Yikes. Honestly, it’s the dumbest thing. I mean, what reason do
I really have to wake up and immediately be mad? The Lord’s mercies are new
every morning and that alone is reason to have a good attitude about being
awake. But if I’m being totally honest, I think the biggest reason why I hated
mornings so much was because of their focus on me. I didn’t want to wake up, so
I snoozed my alarm as many times as possible. I didn’t want to face the
responsibilities of that day so I stayed in bed until I absolutely could not
avoid getting up. I didn’t want to be real with people so I used social media
as a way of escape before I even got out of bed. The list could go on, but
that’d be boring. My point is that my mornings were so filled with self that I
could never just enjoy the life the Lord gave me. The joy I should have had
wasn’t there simply because my eyes were on myself and not my Lord. Doing a
devo every day was a habit before Ignite, but it was never ever done early in
the morning. Ever. And considering that in my house, 7 people live together,
“desolate place” is a foreign concept to me. No matter which room you’re in, at
least one other person could walk in at any second. However, since being in
Ignite, the Lord has been changing my heart towards mornings. While I still
don’t like them and would rather start my day later, I now see value in being
up early in order to spend time with the Lord. For any reason other than being
with Jesus, I still think being up early is dumb. But like I said, there is
value in waking up to spend time with the Lord before your day starts and the
benefits of that far outweigh the cost of losing some sleep.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but
one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone
who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain
a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not
with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline
my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I
myself should become disqualified.”
Yikes. Where do I even start? Okay, so I’m gonna do my best
to break this down in a way that sort of makes sense but honestly who knows how
this will go down. First things first. We’re all running a race. For
Christians, the race is run on the path that God chose for us. He set up the
track and the dates of the race, all we have to do is show up and stay on the
path. Now, running isn’t passive or lazy. When we run, it has to be a
whole-hearted effort. No half-hearted running allowed! Correct me if I’m wrong,
but, to run a race and not try to win is a waste of time. It doesn’t make any
sense to enter a race and then not give it your all and try to win the prize.
For Christians running the race, what is the prize you’re trying to obtain?
Paul tells us that our goal is not a perishable crown made by human hands but
an imperishable crown in heaven. I think the coolest thing about these crowns
is that they aren’t going to stay with us in heaven, we get to throw them back
down at the feet of Jesus, giving Him all the glory and honor for what He has
done. Because, while we may be given a crown… it wasn’t really our strength or
efforts that allowed us to obtain it. So, to keep it for ourselves makes no
sense. Okay and then we’re told that Paul doesn’t run with uncertainty. He
knows the steps he has to take, the obstacles he’s going to deal with, and
what’s waiting for him at the other side. The fact that Paul kept running the
race is pretty incredible, honestly. Life for him was kind of awful a lot of
the time. And yet he saw the eternal perspective of his sufferings in a way
that allowed him to have joy and peace that couldn’t be explained in earthly
terms. He knew how to be uncomfortable and still have joy. His life preached
the gospel whether he was comfortable or uncomfortable, safe or unsafe.
1 Timothy 4:8
1 Timothy 4:8
“For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is
profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that
which is to come.”
Honestly this verse is just so practical, its amazing and a
bit ridiculous. So last night 3 of the guys were working out and yeah, that
effort is going to profit them. Their bodies will be stronger and healthier
because of the work put in to build up muscle and the endorphins that kicked in
made their moods temporarily go up. The effects of working out are ones that
you generally want. But, when they’re old men sitting in their rocking chairs
on the front porch, is the exercise they do now going to serve them? Probably
not. As much as they hate to admit it, by that time their bodies will be weaker
and not able to do what they do now. But what I do know is that these guys
aren’t just seeking to build up their physical bodies. They are seeking the
Lord and storing their treasures up in heaven before they ever think of working
out. So, while the physical exercise is good… the godly character they are
building is the more profitable thing. Those 75 year old men will still be able
to draw from the spiritual lessons they’re learning right now. So what does
this mean for my life? I don’t really like working out so its not like there’s
some huge danger of that becoming an idol in my life. But, there are plenty of
other things that I love doing that require time and energy to be good at. For
example, I love painting. But if I don’t do it regularly my ability to do it
well goes down. I have a choice to make. Take the time I have to pour into
painting or take that time to draw closer to the Lord. Again, I am not saying
that having hobbies is sinful. But motives behind these things can be. So if
you work out, do it in a way that honors the Lord. When I paint, it needs to be
to honor the Lord. Because, if these things are done for the sake of me…
they’re pretty much useless.
Friday, March 17, 2017
Philippians 3:11
Philippians 3:11
“…If, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from
the dead.”
The longer I do daily IBS’s the more I am convinced that the
essence of the simple gospel is the most important thing. I’ve always known it,
but complex doctrine definitely interested me a lot more than simply knowing
Jesus more. I would do random word studies for fun or read different peoples’
opinions on certain doctrinal issues just to see different sides to things.
While there is nothing wrong with knowing these things, it is so easy to get
caught up in the details that you forget who they point to. Its almost like
using a microscope to look at Van Goh’s “Stary Night (is that how its
spelled?)” Yes, you’re going to learn a lot about the tiny little brush strokes
and how the paint blends together but you’ll never experience the beauty of the
full picture. What a tragedy to never just sit back and enjoy the beauty and
splendor of the big picture. In Philippians 3:11 Paul and Timothy are saying
that there is no price too high for the sake of following Jesus. Not that there
is no price too high for Calvinism, arminianism, old earth theology, or any of
the million other things the church divides over. “Any means” is a statement
that covers everything. It includes leaving home, your comfort zone, family,
friends, job security, etc. “Any means” includes persecution and tribulations.
Resurrection from the dead is Christianity’s war cry because if the victory
over death has already been won, no other victory is impossible.
Philippians 3:10
Philippians 3:10
“…That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and
the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death…”
This verse has two aspects to it. In the first half you see
this incredible victory that was given to Christ when He resurrected. He
defeated death once and for all, not just for Himself but for humanity. No
longer is death and end but merely a beginning. Death in the law meant
separation for eternity, but through Christ it is the beginning of perfect
communion with God. God is just. This is so evident even in that Christ’s death
is the only substitute for our sin. His perfection is just that: perfect. If
perfection is the standard then the only thing that can be offered in our stead
must be perfect. I feel like this makes no sense, so to sum it up… Perfection
is the requirement. We can’t offer that, so Christ came to offer the only thing
good enough: His perfection. I know I’ve said this a million times, but the
power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us. We belong to that same God!
Okay, second half of the verse doesn’t really have the same mood. But its still
so important! When we suffer for the Lord, we are not left on our own to wallow
in a self-righteous misery. He meets us in the wilderness with words of promise
and comfort. Yes, suffering is inevitable. If we are passionately pursuing the
Lord, we will experience it. But that doesn’t mean that we are being punished
for that time we messed up. Suffering is how we are “conformed to His death.”
When we know what it is to die with Him, we can know what it is to live with
Him. Through death comes true life.
Philippians 3:9
Philippians 3:9
“…And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness,
which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the
righteousness which is from God by faith.”
This verse reminds me of chapter 11 of Hebrews. This chapter
is well known as the hall of faith which is fitting since, well, its all about
people’s faith in God. The second verse of Hebrews 11 tells us that it was by
faith the elders obtained a good testimony, not by their righteous works or
obedience to the law. The God of the Old Testament is the exact same God of the
New Testament, so just as it was Abrahams faith that was accounted to him as
righteousness (Genesis 15:6), our faith in Jesus is what makes us righteous. It
is a humbling thing to have God show you your lack of righteousness. We know in
our heads that there is nothing good in us, but to have that knowledge become a
reality is completely different. Everything in our human nature wants to do it
on our own and prove how capable we really are. We act as if going to church
and doing outreaches is enough to live up to God’s standards of perfection. But
to give up even trying to acquire righteous and taking Christ’s gift of
righteousness instead is the ultimate sacrifice of control. You aren’t just
giving up your ability to be enough, you’re giving up your ability to pretend
to be good enough for God. Once you’ve accepted Christ’s righteousness, all
masks have to be dropped. Deceiving yourself is no longer an option as your own
sin is revealed to you. Pretending to be anything other than what you are with
other people isn’t possible. Being real becomes the only option.
Philippians 3:8
Philippians 3:8
“Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of
all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ…”
Giving things up for the sake of knowing Jesus is something
everyone in Ignite has been learning how to do. We all left our normal lives to
live a radical one for a year(but the idea is that this radical life will never
end). A prime example of giving something up is giving up ownership of our
personalities. I realized today how much we’ve all changed since we first got
here and how much more we’re going to change during our 6 months of field time.
For me personally, I was so sure that who I was is who I would be for the rest
of my life. I acted like God isn’t big enough to change me and mold me into His
image. “Me” became what was normal. But now I have no clue what normal is for
me. I don’t know what personality traits make up “me” anymore. I used to know,
but God has completely stripped me of all of it. When I surrendered my life to
God’s plan, part of that was giving up my right to define myself. I am not what
I think I am or what I define myself as. I am a child of the God who made the
heavens and the earth. I am chosen and accepted only by the power of His blood.
He knew me and set me apart before I was even born in order to love and serve
Him. In light of what he has declared me to be, how dare I try to decide that
I’m something else? To live as anything other than what He has made me to be is
the biggest tragedy I could ever cause. Nothing else would leave me as lost and
purposeless. So yeah, Jesus gets to define me. Not me. Because I just mess it
all up.
Friday, March 10, 2017
Amos 3:3
Amos 3:3
“Can two walk together unless they are agreed?”
Well, the answer is no. Two cannot walk this life together
unless they are agreed. In order for a team of two to function properly, they
have to have a common goal. If they are going different directions, unity will
be broken. This should never be found in the church since we have the same God.
I am so thankful for the opportunity I have in Costa Rica with Abby to get a
taste of what it is to be committed to one person, serving the Lord and just
doing life together. Honestly, I know how I like to do things and I know why I
like to do them the way I do. But, I think a big part of walking in agreement
is realizing that the thing that unifies us is more important than the method
of completing the work we are doing. For example, does it really matter what
craft you do with the kids during church as long as Jesus’ name is proclaimed?
If our goal is to teach a truth about Jesus, the little details should be
things we are flexible on and hold loosely. Yes, serving the Lord faithfully is
what we aim to do, its why we’re in Ignite, but if He isn’t our one thing then
we aren’t serving Him. The vision of what I want or what I think should happen is
something that should never be held with white knuckles. Holding onto my
ideas/vision/methods/etc will only cause tension where it doesn’t need to be.
Being “right” is something I need to be ready to sacrifice for the sake of
unity. We serve the same God, we are heading to the same place, that is enough
to walk unified.
Matthew 18:15
Matthew 18:15
“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him
his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your
brother.”
Every single time field time is brought up, interpersonal
conflict is the next thing to be talked about. I don’t think any of us expected
to always get along perfectly, but I none of us came here thinking “wow, I just
can’t wait to fight with my teammates!” But, considering that we aren’t
perfect, expecting perfection is really not realistic. Looking for sin is
foolish but so is expecting it to not be there. Working through conflict in a
godly way is so difficult because just about all the time, it means dying to
self and putting on new life in Christ. In the heat of the moment, there is
nothing I want less than to give up my rights and be the peacemaker. Especially
if I’m convinced that I’m right. In the flesh, giving up my rights is humiliating
and completely ridiculous. My nature says to stand up for what I want and think
with ever fiber of my being. But man, when I’m walking in the Spirit and I
choose to just do as He says, the outcome is incredible. Instead of the problem
becoming even bigger, it is worked through and unity is rebuilt. Now, I don’t
expect to be able to just start living this verse out perfectly. It would
definitely be nice, but that’s not how life works. But, what I can do is ask
the Lord to teach me to humbly go to the one who has wronged me and work
through the problem before it gets bigger. This cannot be done in my own
strength but in the strength that God offers to those who trust in Him.
2 Corinthians 13:11
2 Corinthians 13:11
“Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good
comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be
with you.”
I like to fight. Arguing is a hobby of mine and if I can
start a debate, I will. For a very long time I only used this ability to debate
any topic imaginable for evil. If you
give me a side, its not hard for me to argue that side passionately. I fought
with everyone about everything and I enjoyed it. My stubbornness is through the
roof at times and it makes me someone that I wouldn’t really like. Even though
I knew it wasn’t godly, my attitude made an appearance as often as possible for
years. But here I am told to live in peace. In one of the psalms (I think) we
are encouraged to seek peace and pursue it. Peace is not something that just
happens, it has to be cultivated and fought for. Wait, fight for peace? That
doesn’t sound right. Bear with me for a second, though. Our nature is to divide
and be at odds with one another and with Christ. Left on our own, we fight.
What if instead of fighting each other and God, we fight against our sin
nature? The victory has already been won, but the daily battles still have to
be fought. Choose your battles. Fight against the temptation to sin and instead
live for the Lord.
Romans 12:16
Romans 12:16
“Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your
mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own
opinion.”
The body of Christ is relationship based. Without relationship,
there is no body. But, as fallen humans we like to mess things up as much as
possible. Because we have an enemy who hates unity, the attacks on the church
are, more often than not, divisive. If the devil can pit us against each other,
he has already won the war. A church united terrifies him, but when its divided
it can’t do much against him. In verse 15 of chapter 12, Paul tells us to weep
with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. Clearly, we must look
beyond ourselves to do this. We have to look far enough outside of self that we
are able to empathize with one another to the point of feeling their joy and
pain in our own lives. Be of the same mind. Love the same God. Have the same
goal. Be unified. Sounds simple enough until you read the next two verses and
think about why they’re there. “Do not set your mind on high things, but
associate with the humble.” Well, there goes any and all ideas of elitism or
Christianity only being for the scholarly. The saving gospel is simple. When we
start to embellish or add fluff to what God has proclaimed to be true, we make
Him out to be a liar by saying that what He did isn’t enough. Associating with
the humble should not be a problem for Christians because we know the truth
that we are all equal at the foot of the cross, we all need Jesus just as much
as the next person. So why is it so hard to associate with the humble? Probably
because we are wise in our own opinions. We fail to remember the magnitude of
our own failure in light of God’s holiness. This generation is not without
hope, the same God who created everything by speaking it into existence is
alive today. Let us pray for revival in this world!
Matthew 20:26-28
Matthew 20:26-28
“Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to
become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be
first among you, let him be your slave-just as the Son of Man did not come to
be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
A lot of the basic principles seem completely backward. How
could being a servant make you great? How could being a slave make you first in
the kingdom? How on earth could giving your life away allow you to gain eternal
life? In an earthly mindset, this is completely backwards and illogical. But,
maybe that’s the point. We know that our fallen minds cannot fully grasp the
mysteries of God, and this just proves it. I am reminded of the verse that says
it is better to give than to receive and how it really doesn’t make any sense
and yet it is shown to be true when we actually live it out. The majority of
these principles go against what our human nature wants, but man, the blessings
that come from denying your flesh far outweigh the initial sacrifice it seems
to be! Our example is Jesus, we want our lives to look like His did. But that
doesn’t mean everyone is going to like us, life is easy, and then we get
rewarded in heaven for living a good life. Press on, my friends. Dying to self
isn’t easy but it is not something you’ll ever regret doing.
Luke 17:7-10
Luke 17:7-10
“And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending
sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘come at once and
sit down to eat’? But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my
supper, and gird yourself and serve me till have eaten and drunk, and afterward
you will eat and drink’? Does he thank that servant because he did the things
that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all
those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We
have done what was our duty to do.’”
Oh man, I see so much humility required to live out these
verses. If I live these out, I don’t live for myself. I don’t get to demand
anything in return for what I do or even feel pride that I accomplished so
much. There is a common saying among Christians, “dead men have no rights,” and
I think that it sums up this verse pretty well. When Jesus died, we became
forever indebted to Him. Accepting Him into your heart is signing your life
away and giving it to someone greater than you are. We can never truly pay Him
back for what He did, but He asks for our heart and that seems reasonable to me
in light of eternity. The only thing we have to offer is our heart and with our
heart comes our life. We are no longer free to live as we please because we are
“slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:18). Slaves have no rights, what their
master commands they do or they suffer the consequences. American Christians
seem to have a really hard time with this concept. We treasure freedom and the
ability to choose what we want so much that it affects our relationship with
the Lord. Instead of being Christians who live in America, we become Americans
who are also Christians. We forget who is really in control and holds
everything together by His power. I know I bring this verse up all the time,
but in Romans 12:1 it says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies
of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to
God, which is your reasonable service.” It is a reasonable thing to become a
living sacrifice, fully submitted to the Lord.
John12:26
John 12:26
“If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am,
there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”
Following is so simple in theory. Kids like to play follow
the leader and honestly its one of the simplest games you can imagine, you
don’t have to be creative or intelligent. There’s no independence or planning
out the next step you’re going to take. You simply do what the leader is doing.
That isn’t exactly how walking with Jesus is, but there are similarities. As
messy humans, we like to complicate everything but in reality, the power is in
the simple gospel, not complex doctrine. Actually, all the basic principles of
being a Christian are simple. Something I’ve been learning the past week or so
is that to simply love Jesus is the most important thing. More than our actions
He wants our full devotion. Out of that devoted love stems the obedience to
follow, but without the love, the following is just an empty action. C.S. Lewis
said, “But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him, everything else
thrown in.” When you follow Him with your whole heart, you get to be a part of
amazing things. Just this last week the girls from Ignite got to see girls we
had never met come to Christ. We were obedient to follow where the Lord led and
because of that obedience, we got to see Him move. It wasn’t our amazing
talents or gifts, but a desire to see the Lord use our obedience. Sure, being
there required sacrifice. We gave up the home we’ve been at for two months and
all of its comforts for smaller rooms, different beds, and earlier than normal
mornings. But, we followed where God led and got to see Him use us in ways we
could never have imagined. Following where the Lord leads is more than worth
it.
Monday, February 27, 2017
Ephesians 5:21
Ephesians 5:21
Personally, it's a lot easier to submit to some people than it is to others. Certain people that I think are better qualified to lead are usually easier for me to submit to. If someone rubbed me the wrong way earlier that day, instruction from them is a lot harder to submit to with the right heart. I know that this isn't how it's supposed to be, but I'm a work in progress. God has been teaching me a lot about how to submit the right way through being in Ignite. Praise the Lord for good old Paul who never sugar coats or allows for exception in his letters to the churches! He doesn't tell the Ephesians to submit when the other person is right, or when they were nice about it, or anything even close to that. The instruction is to simply submit to one another in the fear of God. Not in the fear of man, for "God has not given us a spirit of fear," but in the fear that comes from a loving, respect for our Creator. This submission cannot be one that leads to sin, for then the fear would not be of God but man. For example, if my "one another" is instructing me to go against what the Bible teaches, to submit would be sin. The fear of God forces us to die to self daily, but it also keeps us safe from sin that leads to eternal death.
Galatians 5:13
Galatians 5:13
The American Dream is to have as much freedom and prosperity as possible, to live a nice, comfortable life. But, instead of being content, the drive is always for more. Nothing up until now has ever been enough but maybe the next iPhone, camera, game system, etc will be enough. Looking at this mentality biblically reveals just how weak of a lie it really is. We as believers know that God alone satisfies, but our culture has forgotten this. As 21st century Americans, we have incredible freedom. My American passport allows me to go into most countries freely with a huge safety net to fall into if something goes wrong. I can worship the God I want to worship with no fear of the government. I can go to school, get a good job, and live a comfortable life in a nice house. While there is nothing wrong with enjoying the blessings of the freedom we have, to live in freedom but not liberty would be to miss an incredible opportunity. I am free to worship God, so why not worship with abandon? I am free to have a job, so why not be an example of Christ to my co-workers? I don't want to use my freedom as an excuse to get away with sin. I want it to be an open door for me to glorify God with my whole life.
Friday, February 17, 2017
Hebrews 13:17
Hebrews 13:17
Obeying authority has never been something that comes easy for me. As a general rule I like to do things the way I like to do them, regardless of what the authority says. God has definitely been working on this but it still isn't easy to submit with the right heart. In this verse we are told to obey in addition to being submissive and the difference between the two words makes all the difference. Obedience is an outward act of doing what you are told, following the rules. Obedience is not a hard thing to do. Submission, on the other hand, is sacrificing what you want long term for the sake of someone else's mission. Obedience is an outward action, submission is an inward heart change. So not only are we told to do what our authority tells us but we are told to do it with the right heart. (Yikes. I am terrible at this.) I always say that when I know the reason behind a rule, it's easier to obey it. The writer of Hebrews tells us exactly why we are to both obey and submit to authority. It is because they too are going to give an account for how they handled the position God gave them. Whether you are the leader or the follower, God is the one who put you there. We are told to obey and submit in a way that our authority can rule with joy and not grief. This is the way that, as christians, we should be obeying authority.
Obeying authority has never been something that comes easy for me. As a general rule I like to do things the way I like to do them, regardless of what the authority says. God has definitely been working on this but it still isn't easy to submit with the right heart. In this verse we are told to obey in addition to being submissive and the difference between the two words makes all the difference. Obedience is an outward act of doing what you are told, following the rules. Obedience is not a hard thing to do. Submission, on the other hand, is sacrificing what you want long term for the sake of someone else's mission. Obedience is an outward action, submission is an inward heart change. So not only are we told to do what our authority tells us but we are told to do it with the right heart. (Yikes. I am terrible at this.) I always say that when I know the reason behind a rule, it's easier to obey it. The writer of Hebrews tells us exactly why we are to both obey and submit to authority. It is because they too are going to give an account for how they handled the position God gave them. Whether you are the leader or the follower, God is the one who put you there. We are told to obey and submit in a way that our authority can rule with joy and not grief. This is the way that, as christians, we should be obeying authority.
Ephesians 6:1, Colossians 3:20
Ephesians 6:1, Colossians 3:20
Oh man. If ever an IBS verse convicted me, this one is it.
The command to obey your parents is so straightforward and yet it is one of the
hardest to follow. When I think of good examples of children obeying their
parents my mind goes straight to Abraham and Isaac. I can’t even imagine what
was going through Abraham’s mind when God told him to sacrifice Isaac. For 3
days he walked with Isaac to where God was leading him to sacrifice his only
son as a burnt offering. That Abraham was so obedient is incredible, but what
Isaac did is just as mind blowing. Abraham at least had years of personally
experiencing God’s faithfulness to keep His promises, Isaac was still a kid. Just
because of the age difference, Isaac could have easily overpowered his dad. No
matter how healthy, a 100+ year old is not going to be any competition for a
young guy. Despite all the odds being in Isaac’s favor, Genesis 22:9 tells us
that Abraham “bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.”
There’s a chance Isaac questioned what his dad was doing, and honestly who
could blame him? If my dad told me I was the answer to God’s promise and then
tried to sacrifice me on an altar, I would at least question what he was doing.
Whatever conversation did or didn’t happen, Abraham was successful in preparing
Isaac as the sacrifice. For Isaac, obedience was enough of a reason to get on
that altar. He didn’t demand an explanation or refuse to comply because what
was asked of him didn’t make sense. Isaac simply obeyed the authority God had
placed in his life. If I could go back in time and tell a younger me one thing,
it would be to obey with the right heart. The amount of pain and frustration I
could have saved myself if I had just obeyed would have been worth giving up
what I wanted in that moment.
Romans 6:16
Romans 6:16
Humanity was made to worship. Everything we are longs for
something to fill that God-shaped whole, something to live for, a reason to get
up every day. The list of things we worship could go on forever. Romans 6:16
tells us that we are slaves to whatever we obey. It is a sobering thought to
know that you can be enslaved to the approval of mankind, the fear of the
unknown, or just about anything else you can think of. Personally, it is even
more scary to know that I can be enslaved to something that isn’t necessarily a
bad thing but just isn’t the right thing. For example, loving your family is
not a bad thing at all, family is a gift from God. But, when that love begins
to prevent you from following the Lord’s call on your life, that love becomes
bondage. A passion that God has given you for leading worship is not a bad
thing, until you begin to worship worship instead of the God you are supposed
to be worshipping. Humanity has a need to glorify something, we do it without
realizing that we are even doing it. So, what is the answer to this massive
question of who, or what, am I supposed to bow to? How am I supposed to know which
is the right voice telling me “Obey me! Worship me!” The moment we accepted
Christ as our Lord and Savior, the question was settled once and for all. No
longer do we have to fight to find what it is we are needing to fill that hole.
Verse 18 says “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of
righteousness.” There is now just One voice for us to worship and obey. We are
no longer in slavery to sin but free to live fully for the glory of the Lord.
We have been declared free by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! I do not want
this freedom to be a slave for righteousness’ sake to ever be something I take
for granted or treat cheaply.
Acts 5:29
Acts 5:29
We absolutely should obey God rather than man, this isn’t a
new concept or something hard to understand. God sees the whole picture, He
knows what is actually best for us, and ultimately controls the whole universe.
But, it’s one thing to know that God loves you and wants the best for your
life, it’s another thing to actually be willing to submit yourself to His
methods. His plans are usually the complete opposite of what we want or think
should happen but they are still the best. In Deuteronomy 5:29 God says, “Oh,
that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all
My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children
forever!” Human nature tends to lean towards the idea that God likes to make
rules for the sake of making rules, but this verse reveals so much of His heart
behind His commandments. God does not make rules to restrict us or prevent us
from having fun but to allow us to experience true life. His commandments, when
obeyed as an act of worship, transform us into His image. My mind can’t fully
grasp the concept that following the Lord’s commandments brings freedom, but I
have seen it in my life and in the lives of those around me so it must be true.
For me it is so easy to fall into a legalistic obedience and completely forget
that that is not the point. My legalistic nature flares up even with the
“homework” that has been assigned since being in Ignite. I know that it isn’t
really homework like in high school but an effort made by the leadership to
deepen our knowledge and love of the Lord. Every time I sit down to read an
assigned book or write an IBS, a battle goes on in my heart as to how I am
going to treat this assignment. If my mindset is not one that is desiring to
know the Lord more deeply than before, it becomes an empty action that is only
done to obey what man has told me to do.
Hebrews 5:8
Hebrews 5:8
Over the past few days the magnitude of what it meant for
Jesus to take on the form of man and die on the cross has really been sinking
in. The incredible amount of humility that it took for Him to give up
everything to save mankind blows my mind. Being God, He really could have done
it any other way and yet He chose to follow the Father’s plan. Matthew 26:39
shows the obedience that Jesus displayed. It says, “He went a little farther
and fell on His face, and prayed, saying ‘Oh my Father, if it is possible, let
this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” He knew
the pain and suffering He was about to go through but He was still perfectly
submitted to the Father’s will. There really is no better example of obedience
than Jesus. When I remember the sacrifices Jesus made for the sake of
obedience, it becomes a lot easier to lay down my own life. I mean, look at
what the Son of God sacrificed for me, is anything I give up for the sake of
obedience even a sacrifice? In light of what He did, it really does become our
“reasonable act of service.”
Friday, February 10, 2017
Psalm 17:15
Psalm 17:15
“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall
be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.”
What does my soul long for? Really, what does it long for?
What satisfies me and leaves me feeling full? What is it that doesn’t make me
feel empty? As I look back over the bits of my life that I can remember I have
realized how real the “God-shaped hole” in each of us is. By nature we try to
fill it with things, people, experiences, you name it. History is the story of
mankind trying to fill that hole and failing more times than not. When nations
invade a land to conquer it and claim it as their own, it is to fill some kind
of hole. Whether that hole is lack of security, greed, or a hatred that can’t
be quenched, there is a void that needs to be filled. Men marry multiple wives
to fill the hole that pride leaves or to try to find an earthly love that
satisfies. More recently, polygamy stems from the desire to be seen as
righteous in the eyes of God; multiple wives mean more rewards in heaven. Acts
of terror are committed because of the same hole left by unrighteousness. All
the religions in the world cannot seem to fill that God-shaped hole in each of
our hearts no matter how hard they try. Religion always leaves people more
empty and lost than before and yet we keep trying religion as the cure. Even as
Christians we look to religion to satisfy. If you just go to the right church
or tithe the right amount or sing the right song, you’ll be satisfied. Before I
really started walking with the Lord, I looked to distractions to satisfy. I
would distract myself with reading, homework, TV, etc. But those things are
never enough because they end. The book has a final page in which the story is
wrapped up, you graduate, or the show stops being produced. Things that have
beginnings and endings are never enough to fill that hole. Only my relationship
with Jesus has proven to be something that satisfies because it has no ending.
Yes, it had a definite beginning but because of the eternal nature of God it
will have no end. Not to steal Hannah’s thunder, but there is a song by Bethel
that says “I’m full but I’m not satisfied, this longing to have more of You.” I
am so thankful that my God satisfies in a way that leaves you full but longing
for more.
Hebrews 13:5
Hebrews 13:5
“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with
such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor
forsake you.’”
Honestly, I’m really not sure how to talk about this verse
for 300+ words. It’s so straightforward that there isn’t much to explain. But
isn’t that the nature of God? Yeah, He’s bigger than our finite brains can
fully grasp but His commands and promises to us are so black and white. Its
clear that our lives are to be lived content wherever the Lord has placed us.
This is easy to do when life is comfortable and everything is going good. But
the minute God takes us out of our comfort zones we begin to complain. I am
reminded of the Israelites that I used to look down on for being so stupid. As
soon as God took them out of Egypt they complained because the wilderness
wasn’t any better in their minds. Instead of rejoicing in their new season of
life they looked back on what they knew, wishing they could go back to slavery.
It is so easy to see their foolishness but man, don’t we all do the same thing?
We have been declared free from sin and yet we go back to it again and again.
The question that keeps running through my mind is “is it better to die in the
wilderness that the Lord has led you to or in slavery?” This question hits home
for me. This season of being in a whole new country with new people isn’t all
rainbows and kittens, but I know it is where the Lord has called me. So why am
I having issues being content? Using the Israelites as a mirror I can pretty
much figure it out. Like the Israelites, my eyes have been on what is just
before or just behind me. What they saw was a sea in front and an army behind and
somehow they missed the presence of the Lord that had not left them since they
walked out of Egypt. My eyes have been fixed on my family back home and field
time that is coming up so quickly. Throughout the first 14 chapters of Exodus
the Lord promises again and again that He will rescue them out of slavery, take
them to the promised land, and gain victory over their enemies and yet they
complain about the methods He is using. In Exodus 14:5 the Lord says, “Why do
you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.” It is as if He is
asking them “Did you forget what I promised? Why did you stop following me?”
They had the Lord on their side, and so do I, what more is needed?
Luke 3:14
Luke 3:14
“Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we
do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be
content with your wages.”
The message of the gospel demands a response that affects
every part of who we are. How is it that being raised going to church has
created a cold, religion based group of “Christians?” We act as though going to
church once or twice a week is enough to have a rich relationship with Jesus.
The mentality of Sunday morning Christianity has saturated the way we do everything
from devo time to washing the dishes after dinner. We act as if our heavenly
Father is a vending machine of blessings, just begging us to allow Him to give
us a new job, car, or house or even certain spiritual gifts that we think we
need. We act as if Jesus is a backseat driver instead of the one who made the
car and is the only one who actually knows how to drive it. We have adopted
this false theology that Jesus is along for the ride wherever we take Him when
in reality that is never the way it was meant to be. So where did the church
get it wrong? Should we sing Psalms for worship on Sunday mornings? I mean,
David was called a man after God’s own heart and that’s what he sang so maybe
that’s the magic solution. Or maybe everyone should be in one sanctuary
together because if the message given is good enough for the adults its good
enough for the children, none of that diluted nonsense they teach children in
Sunday school! Perhaps the pastor should wear jeans and a button down so he’s
more relatable to the middle class than if he were to wear a full suit and tie.
Oh I know, the worship leader should probably always fit the mold of being a
young hipster who wears skinny jeans. Or perhaps the scriptures being taught on
should be projected onto a screen, no, wait, that would encourage people to
leave their bibles at home… How, then, will they know where the book of
Ecclesiastes is?!
The church has stopped asking “and what shall we do?” We
have given up asking the question that leads to actual solutions and have
instead started asking “and what will they do?” I understand that not everyone
is called to adopt, but for the sake of using an example from my own life I’m
going to use this. For 6 years now my family has looked different than most.
When we go out to dinner we get weird looks, questions, and comments. The
question we rarely get, though, is “and what shall we do?” The church as a
whole does not ask this question nearly enough when their eyes are opened to
what goes on every day in their own backyards. You may not be called to adopt,
but I can assure you that you are called to do something. Psalm 10:14 tells us
that God is the “helper of the fatherless” and as His hands and feet our job is
clear, we are to love those who are helpless. And yet the foster care system is
still overrun with children who no one will call their own. The church is big
enough, enough people know what Jesus teaches, but not enough people ask the
right question. We turn our eyes away, say a prayer that the ambiguous someone
will love these children, and move on with our lives. The tragedy of this lack
of action in our own life is not something we should stand for. I encourage you
to ask the question that leads to a necessary action.
1 Timothy 6:6-8
1 Timothy 6:6-8
“Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we
brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.”
When I read these verses in the context of the verses around
them I can see that Paul is contrasting two very different groups of people.
The first group is described in verses 3-5. We see that these are very ungodly
people whose minds are so twisted by sin that they actually think that
‘’godliness is a means of gain,” instead of a work of the Holy Spirit in your
life. This strikes me as extremely foolish considering that during this time
period Christians were being heavily persecuted and martyred for simply
worshipping Jesus, so what exactly they were selfishly gaining I’m really not
sure of but I know it wasn’t a comfortable life. The first group are proud of
how much they know but their knowledge hasn’t left their head, therefore, it
just causes them to argue in circles over unimportant phrases, picking apart
each individual word to the point of it having no meaning. Arguments like these
are useless, they generate division in the Church that wouldn’t have existed
otherwise. They suspect everyone of being out to get them and hate them for
their suspicions that aren’t grounded in truth. Paul exhorts us to walk away
from these people, they’ll only tear us down. From personal experience, I can
tell you that if these words describe you the only thing to do is get on your
knees and pray. And if you have someone in your life like this, listen to
Paul’s advice. Self-righteousness is a weed that will grow bigger and bigger
until you humble yourself and allow the Lord to cut it down. The second group
is where I want to be, even though learning this wouldn’t be fun or easy. Being
content where you are at is not something you can manufacture in your own
strength. In 1 Corinthians 7:20-24 Paul is telling the Corinthians to be
content wherever God has placed them. He tells them to be content whether they
are a slave or free and to not obsess over elevating their own status. If they
were a slave they are now free in Christ, if they were free they are now slaves
to Christ. The Egyptians believed that you could take earthy wealth with you
into the next life but we can see their error so clearly in the rooms of
treasure still found in the pyramids. Instead of obsessing over gaining as much
earthly wealth as possible I need to set my heart on storing up treasures in
heaven. There’s a quote that describes this so perfectly, “Only one life,
‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” I have plenty of
food, clothing, and a relationship with Jesus, how blessed I really am!
Friday, February 3, 2017
Hebrews 6:12
Hebrews 6:12
“…that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who
through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
I am extremely impatient when it comes to just about
everything. I don’t want to wait until April to be in Costa Rica, I want to be
there now. I don’t want to wait another 30 minutes until breakfast, I want to
eat now. I don’t want to wait on the Lord for Him to strengthen my heart, I want
to be strengthened now. I don’t want to wait until I die for Jesus’ work in me
to be completed, I want it to be finished now. The list could go on forever,
but you get the idea. Unfortunately for my very American, instant gratification
mentality, the Lord puts us in seasons of waiting in order to teach us
something we couldn’t learn if He was a vending machine of blessings. The
season of waiting that He has called me to right now is not a season of
relaxing before the next thing but one of actively pursuing Him in order to be
ready for the next step. Moses had a similar season in Exodus 4. God had taken
Moses out of His homeland, Egypt, and brought him to the land of Midian. As a
parallel, God took me out of Bakersfield and brought me to Antigua. It was in
Midian that Moses’ identity was changed from the inside out and he became a man
who knew the Lord. For 40 years he lived as a shepherd serving his father-in-law
and Exodus 2:21 tells us he “was content to live with the man.” It took 40
years for God to finish teaching Moses what he needed to know before the next
step, and yet here I am struggling to patiently wait through the next 2 months.
After 40 years God called Moses back to Egypt, not to go back to his old life
but in order to proclaim that the great I AM is God alone. That is my job, my
reasonable act of service, here in Ignite, once I am back in Bakersfield, and wherever
God calls me after that. There is no greater purpose than to proclaim who the
Savior is. Moses knew the promise. He knew that God had promised to bring His
people “up out of the affliction of Egypt… to a land flowing with milk and
honey (Exodus 3:17).” It was not Moses’ job to rush the fulfillment of the
promise or convince everyone that it was true, his job was to be a willing
servant of the Lord and speak truth to Pharaoh and the Israelites. It is not my
job to rush God’s promises, either. They will be completed in His timing and
not a second sooner. So I have a choice. I can sit here and waste a good
portion of my time here not being content to sit and learn or I can be thankful
for this time of preparation before the next step. We all know what the right
answer is, but actually living it out is difficult.
Revelation 1:9
Revelation 1:9
“I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation
and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called
Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
I don’t know about you, but I need fellowship in order for
my walk to be strong. As soon as I start to isolate myself I fall into sins
that previously had no hold on me. The devil knows that when I am alone I am weak
and vulnerable, but together with my brothers and sisters in Christ I can stand
with them against his lies. If he can keep us distant from the body of Christ,
he can keep us distant from the Lord. On the flip side of that, if he can keep
us focused on the people around us in an unhealthy way he can get us to a place
where we feel okay but end up becoming stagnant and eventually backsliding in
our walk. The devil will attempt to convince us that we are the only one
struggling, that no one else would understand where we are coming from. I came
to Ignite in this mentality and yet again and again when I open up about
something, someone else understands exactly what I’m going through. It is so
encouraging to know that the other girls here can empathize with me but even
more encouraging is knowing that Jesus Himself understands. Hebrews 4:15 says,
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,
but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Part of the beauty
of having a human high priest was his ability to sympathize with the spiritual
needs of the people he was serving. This ability to put himself in their shoes
would make it possible for him to be compassionate. Jesus, then, is the perfect
High Priest; He knows exactly what we are going through and yet He never gave
in to temptation. So when He says that there is always a way out of temptation,
a way to flee from sin, He is speaking from experience and not asking us to
blindly trust Him.
Colossians 1:11
Colossians 1:11
“…Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious
power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy…”
When I think of why
Jesus died I have to consciously decide to go beyond the obvious “for our sins”
answer. While that isn’t wrong, there is so much more to why He died. Through
the death and resurrection of Jesus we have been promised an inheritance in
Heaven. Romans 8:14-17 says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,
these are sons of God. For you did not receive the bondage again to fear, but
you received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The
spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and
if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed
we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” I am blown away by
what being in Christ means in our life. Through His power we can walk in a way
that is worthy of the gospel, pleasing to the Lord. This is not possible
through works and sacrifices but through the condition of our heart. Psalm 51
tells us that God does not desire that we would sacrifice but that we would run
to Him in our brokenness. Abraham sacrificed but we are told that his faith was
accounted to him for righteousness, not how religiously he obeyed the law. Throughout
the whole Bible the truth that we cannot please God in our own power is so
clear, it has to be a work of God in our hearts. Despite our sin, we are given
the privilege of having a personal relationship with our Creator through Jesus.
Exodus 6:7 tells us that God desires for His people to know that He alone is
their God, the One who rescued them from bondage to lead them to the promised
land. According to Ephesians 1:19-20, we also get to live in the same power
that raised Jesus from the dead. It was not possible that death should hold
Jesus in the grave (Acts 2:24) because God’s plan for life was always going to
win. Because we know who wins, we endure trials with joy. The seasons of
waiting can be patiently endured because we know that He who promised us an
inheritance with Christ is faithful.
Luke 21:19
Luke 21:19
“By your endurance you will gain your lives.”
Yesterday, class 12 hiked a volcano together, the analogies
that I could pull from today are basically limitless. But, the one that stuck
out to me the most was the one I liked learning the least. In the days leading
up to the hike I was completely set on getting to the top no matter what. Then
I realized what “no matter what” actually meant. I had no clue how strenuous it
would be and how endless the path would feel. The monotony of putting one foot
in front of the other for hours on end quickly bored me, partially because I
was so focused on the path that I rarely stopped to look around me. And if I
wasn’t fellowshipping with anyone, it just got worse. Life is a climb and at
times its completely exhausting. At some point, a decision must be made to finish
the climb no matter the cost. I am so thankful for the common goal that we all
shared, and through that unity we were able to encourage each other to press
on. Philippians 3:12 says: “Not that I have already attained, or am already
perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus
has also laid hold of me.” My goal as a follower of Christ is to spend eternity
worshiping Him, whether that is on earth or in heaven. While He keeps me on
earth I can worship but my sinful nature will always find a way to mess it up
somehow. It is so sweet to know that through all my failures, His grace covers
me so that “for whatever reason we may call upon Him(Deuteronomy 4:7)!”
Luke 8:11-15
Luke 8:11-15
“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those
by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the
word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones
on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these
have no root, who believe for a while and in the time of temptation fall away.
Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out
and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to
maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard
the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.”
When I first read this, name after name pops into my head of
people that I know that Jesus could have been describing. Countless members of
my family have heard the simple truth of the gospel and have not believed, I’ve
seen people at school or church who are at first so eager to walk with Jesus
and then fall away when it gets hard. And then there are those who hear the
gospel and believe but quickly their career, school, or significant other
becomes their god again. I am so quick to point my finger and say “they need to
hear these verses taught in church next Sunday.” Very quickly I turned into the
Pharisees who condemned the woman caught in adultery but did not repent of
their own sins. But God is so faithful to correct me when I’m wrong that this
didn’t last for very long. When I read the verses over again, really praying
through them, I realize that each of the different soils describe me at one
point or another in my life. The one who hears and believes but has no root is
exactly how I was for a good portion of my childhood. I went to church and knew
the answer to every question, but I had no real roots. I share a room with my
sister who is two years younger than I am, and man, she used to annoy me so
much. For anyone who has ever shared a room for any length of time at all, you
can imagine the fighting that happened between two very different people who
refused to give up their way. I can remember my parents telling me to die to
myself and be the peacemaker which I knew were the right things to do, I just
didn’t want to. I had the knowledge, but no roots. Therefore, no growth or
fruit was being produced. Verse 15 talks about keeping the word and bearing
fruit with patience. If you are having to exercise patience before there is
fruit, then time is passing in which God is working but the fruit of that just
isn’t showing yet. Psalm 27:13-14 are the verses I have to choose to rest in
during this season of growing.
Friday, January 27, 2017
Wisdom
Ephesians
5:15-17
“See that
you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because
the days are evil. Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of
the Lord is.”
I used to
think that God was complicated and that His word could not be understood. I
used this as an excuse to get away with doing whatever I wanted to do, whenever
I wanted to do it. One huge area in my life that I did this in the way that I did
my homework. In my head I knew I was supposed to do it diligently as unto the
Lord, but in practice I only did it to cross it off the list of things I had to
do in order to not get in trouble. Procrastination was my specialty and I never
did anything until I absolutely had to or it wouldn’t get done. In the same way
that I treated English assignments in high school, I have been putting off
doing the daily IBS (Inductive Bible Study) verse until the very last second.
When you add my procrastination and short attention span to our insanely packed
schedule, I never find enough time to do it the way it’s supposed to be done. My
desire is to take advantage of the time I have here and to use it wisely, not
to foolishly waste the opportunity I’ve been given. God’s plan for me is to
know Him more fully, and that is going to mean sacrificing time and/or sleep.
So instead of waiting until the very last minute to do IBS, I am going to start
getting up 30 minutes earlier in order to have time each morning after doing my
own personal devos to do IBS. I am going to ask the other girls if any of them
would like to commit to this with me in order to keep each other accountable to
redeeming the time.
Wisdom
2
Corinthians 1:12
“For our
boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves
in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by
the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.”
When I read
this verse I am reminded of the song “Simplicity” by Rend Collective. This song
is all about the simplicity of having a pure love for Jesus and the way it
compels us to sing of His love. When everything else is stripped away, we are
able to go back to our first love: Jesus. Webster’s Dictionary defines
simplicity as: the state of being simple. That didn’t really mean much to me
until I read the definition for simple: easy to understand or do; plain and
unadorned, as clothing or food; having nothing added: the simple truth; free
from affectation (calculated or elaborate pretense; an artificial manner). When
I was first applying for Ignite a large part of why I wanted to be here was
because I just wanted to get out of my hometown and have a once in a lifetime
experience. I’ve been here less than 3 weeks, but God has shown me that the
sole reason He brought me here was so that I could know Him more, everything
else is just a tool He will use to teach me to seek His face. As I go out to
serve the people of Costa Rica in a few weeks, my prayer is that Abby and I
would operate in simplicity and godly sincerity. It is only when we are resting
in His grace and mercy that we will be able to pour it out on the kids we will
be working with.
Wisdom
James 1:5
“If any of
you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without
reproach, and it will be given to him.”
We are told
that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed we can tell a mountain to move
and it will move. Its common among Christians to act as if God doesn’t really
have enough wisdom to know how to run their lives, so we take control and try
to do it our own way. I am so guilty of doing this! I am way too quick to run
to the world’s wisdom or even my own “Christian wisdom” when I have a problem.
And yet God assures us in James 1:5 that He will give us His wisdom “liberally
and without reproach” if we just ask it of Him. I say this all the time, but,
I’ll say it again. When we ask God for something He has promised to us He won’t
just shrug His shoulders and say good luck. Again and again in my own life I
have experienced the truth of this. Often with one of my siblings and friends I
am completely lost as to how to react to certain actions. But, the times where
I’ve stopped and asked God for wisdom before I do anything, He has shown me
ways to de-escalate the situation instead of making it worse like my flesh
wants to. Going to God for wisdom is humbling, it forces you to admit that you
can’t figure something out on your own. Saying that asking God for wisdom is
one thing, but doing it is another. The application for James 1:5 is found in
the very next verse. In all decisions, I need to ask God for wisdom in faith,
not doubting that he will be faithful to give it liberally. The next time I
have a decision to make and the time after that and, by God’s grace, for the
rest of my life I will not lean on my own understanding but I will trust in
God’s wisdom above my own.
Wisdom
Psalm 111:10
“The fear of
the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do
His commandments. His praise endures forever.”
Earthly
wisdom stems from self-preservation and the worship of self. But through a
healthy fear of the Lord, the simple become wise. The fear that believers are
to have is not the same fear you have when you narrowly avoid getting in an
accident or a dog growls at you. This fear is “the beginning of wisdom.” It
isn’t a fear that cowers in the corner but one that knows that it needs to stay
submitted to the Lord’s voice out of love. When I am in that position of
complete submission, I know I can boldly go into the presence of God expecting
Him to speak to me. In my flesh I do not want to obey His commandments, they
all go against what I feel like doing. And yet He promises wisdom to those who
fear Him. So how does this apply to my life? I cannot rely on my own wisdom any
longer. I cannot act like me running my life will ever end well. When my heart
begins to wander and worship anyone other than God, my first reaction needs to
be to go before the Lord and repent. He is so faithful to give us the strength
we need when we need it. The Lord will be praised forever, whether I choose to
bow to Him in this life is up to me. But man, I cannot imagine a better way to
live this life than to live it doing what the Lord tells me to. Right now, I’m
living in Antigua, Guatemala because this is where God has called me. To obey
the Lords command to “go” and to choose to praise Him the whole time is such a
sweet adventure.
Wisdom
James
3:13-17
“Who is wise
and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are
done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in
your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not
descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking
exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from
above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy
and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.”
These verses
are packed with conviction and encouragement; funny how those two so often go
hand in hand. Wisdom and meekness cannot be separated, the perfect example of
this is found in Jesus. Jesus had all the wisdom, and yet it didn’t puff Him up
or cause Him to have any pride in Himself. Philippians 2:6-8 sums this up
perfectly. It says: “…Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it
robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the
form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” Through Christ, our eyes have been opened to
the truth of who we are and who Christ is. Therefore, believers should not be
known as bitterly envious, self-seeking, or boastful liars. Verse fifteen
describes these actions as earthly, sensual, and demonic. When Christians allow
their flesh to rule their lives, confusion and evil abound. This is seen so
clearly when churches are divided based on non-essential doctrinal issues. I am
so thankful that “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more (Romans 5:20)!’’
When we live a surrendered life, Christ is able to transform our minds and
change our earthly wisdom to His wisdom.
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