As Christmas draws near…

I really appreciated Pastor Bill’s sermon this morning. “The Fear and The Blood”. At first glance it seems so unrelated to Christmas. I was really encouraged with another answer to my Christmas question: What is the true meaning of Christmas? We ask this question all the time, and often we come to some sort of cliché answer. I was really challenged by the message this morning: Christmas is nice when we look at it from the perspective of Joseph and Mary, the wise men and the shepherds. But the true meaning of Christmas is only understood when we look at it from God’s perspective. Pastor Bill was right: we need to lock ourselves into God’s view of Christmas.

What are we celebrating?

I asked one of my friends at Bible College what her favorite Christmas movie was. It got me thinking. If I could watch one movie with family and friends at Christmas time which one would I choose and how would it help us to remember the true meaning of Christmas? My mind first raced to the classic “It’s a Wonderful Life”. I love that movie! I thought of the many different movies out there…and then I became intrigued. What about the “Passion of the Christ”? Oops, wrong holiday, I thought, at first. And then I thought again…

Why does “The Passion” seem a sensible choice for Christmas celebration? Is that even celebrating anymore? Does it fit the true meaning of Christmas? To my surprise, I’ve been on a little journey to realize that there could hardly be a more fitting story to watch on video this Christmas.

So often we get the mindset that we are going to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but we stop there…We should also be celebrating the reason He came not just the fact that He did! Christmas is a time to celebrate God’s purpose for sending His Son. To celebrate in this way is to see Christmas through God’s eyes.

Why did God send His Son?

To understand the true meaning of Christmas, we need to see Jesus’ purpose for coming. Ultimately, Jesus came to go to the cross. He came to die. The angel spoke to Joseph saying, “[Mary] will give birth to a son and you are to give Him the name Jesus because He will save His people from their sins” (Mt. 1:21 emphasis mine). He came to save us from our sins, an act that was completed at the cross. In fact, the gospels are full of references to Jesus’ purpose: to go to the cross that we might be freed from the slavery of sin and the hold of death unto eternal life with Him. In reference to His death, Jesus said, “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came…” (Jn. 12:27). Jesus makes it pretty clear that the whole reason that He came was to go to the cross.

My mind wanders further. What is the heart of God behind sending His Son? We all know that Jesus’ death has saved us from our sins and given us eternal life. But do we know why Jesus wanted to give that to us?

Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends…” (Jn. 15:13-14). In other words, Jesus is saying, “I died on the cross because I love you.” “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son…” (Jn. 3:16). Jesus came to earth, a little baby boy, to die on the cross for my sins, because he loves me! And what’s more, He came to have a relationship with me! In Jesus’ high priestly prayer he prays, “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am…” (Jn.17:24). This is why Jesus died on the cross! He wants you. He wants to bless you and give His depthless gifts of love, mercy, grace, peace, joy, and hope to you in a personal, intimate, dynamic, vibrant, and wonder-full relationship with Him! Jesus came simply to love, serve and give to us.

What does this mean for Christmas 2006?

As I said near the beginning, we need to seek God’s perspective of Christmas to understand the true meaning of the celebration. This year as we celebrate, we should be celebrating the full Gospel message and good news. Christmas is more than just a commemoration of the birth of someone we love. It should also be a time to respond to God’s heart for us. Ponder the cradle and the cross. Seek to discover the way that Jesus feels about you in light of the Christmas story and the crucifixion. How can we respond to His heart this Christmas? How can we worship Him and celebrate Him for what He has done for us? How can we understand Jesus better through our Christmas celebration?

As you (the reader) reflect on some of these questions, post some of your answers in a comment. What will you do, in light of Jesus’ heart for you, this Christmas?

Journal Entry: December 5th, 2006

Today in discipleship I was really challenged about my attitude towards Christmas. I had wanted it to be special, especially for me. God spoke to me very clearly through His Word.

"Love is...not self-seeking..." (1 Cor. 13:5).

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:3-5).

Two thousand years ago on Christmas day, Jesus did not have a warm and fuzzy, wonderful and special celebration. Jesus was born in a stinky dark cave and lay in a feeding tough. God was restricted and confined to the body of a baby, helpless, weak, and quite limited. But Jesus did not come to have a "good" Christmas. He came to serve us and show the full extent of His love to us.

What should my attitude be this Christmas?

Selfless love and service of others. I want to identify with Jesus on Christmas day. I want to make others' celebrations special this year with a gift of love.

Father in heaven, use me to pour out your love on people this Christmas. Show me what Christmas was like for you.

The Mountain Path

So long ago,
The day I first began to climb.

Why?

It seemed like the right path to choose.
Now...I am certain.
Beyond the shadow of a doubt,
That this road was made for me,
And I for Thee.

But what of the beginning?
From where have I come?
How could I ever forget,
What the LORD has done?

I remember the agony of those days,
The whip across my back,
Enslaved, in chains
To the Pharaoh of this land.

You rescued me God by your strong and mighty hand,
You revealed your infinite power,
Bringing me up,
Out of his land.

And when I thought I was free,
Truly you did guide me:
To none other than a dead end,
With all this Bible knowledge in my head.

A wall of mountain on the left and on the right,
A sea of despair before me,
And my enemy near in hindsight.

My God, why have you led me here,
With only a hope of dying or drowning in my fear...
Surely, I was better off enslaved in Egypt...
In chains to my sin,
Than to die a freed man in the desert.
Buried in sand.

Y o u B r e a t h e G r a c e t o M e

I cry out to You, God,
Deliver my soul!
I lift my eyes to heaven
In sweet complete surrender!

With the rush of a gale force wind,
the waters are divided.

Despair Anxiety Oppression Addiction Bondage

Darkness Blindness Confusion Pain Suffering

"The Lord is my strength and my
song;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise
Him,
My father's God, and I will exalt
Him" (Ex. 15:2).

Y o u B r e a t h e P u r p o s e t o M e

Suddenly,
Surrounded,
Thousands of people...like me...but different.
The old
Young
Big
Small...

Like a bullet to the brain
Your words sink deep,
Penetrating my soul.
A shepherd's staff begins to form in
My
Hand.

Lead these people?
Lead them where?
For what purpose?

And the Lord speaks:

Show them my ways,
My glory...
This path.
Though the people complain,
and disobey.
Though they quarrel and
Indulge in their selfish ways
When they fight against me,
And cry out for Egypt,
Remember,
You were the same.

I'm still climbing...
Over rocks,
Under tree branches...
I still slip and fall.
I might spend days pressed up against the rock,
Shimmying along a narrow shelf,
With wind blasting in my face�

But nothing will stop me from reaching the summit.
I will always press on
Through hardship and struggle,
Dead ends and impossible conundrums,
I must reach the top...

Where I will meet my God and my Savior,
And speak with Him face to face,
As man with his friend.
Where I will share in unfathomable depths of intimacy,
As a beautiful bride.

The journey to get there is my
Mountain path.

The Key to Relating

Most, if not all, of us have met someone that we struggle to relate with. Whether it’s the druggies at school or the shy guy wandering around on Sunday morning, most of us have encountered someone who seems difficult to talk to. Today I’d like to focus specifically on the key to relating to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

In Jesus’ final week, He spent His time with the disciples, preparing them for the things to come. Jesus comforted them, telling them about the heavenly place He was going to prepare and the Counselor that would come to them after His departure: “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. A new command I give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (Jn. 13:34-35). This new command is the key to relating to our brothers and sisters in Christ. The key to relating to all of our Christian brothers and sisters is simply to love them.

Until these last few months here at school, I had no clue how to do this. I knew that God wanted me to love my brothers and sisters in Christ, but I wasn’t sure exactly how to do that. Was it simply being kind to them or was it something more? Was it merely an attitude or was it an action? These were some of the questions I had. Through a combination of different things, God opened my eyes to several truths when it comes to relating with His body.

Truth #1: We can and should relate to everyone in the local Body of Christ. The apostle James wrote, “My brothers [and sisters], as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?...if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers” (Js. 2:1-4; 9). It is pretty clear from this exhortation that we are not to play favorites. Perhaps the sickest result of the sin of favoritism is cliques. People get together with their favorite people every Sunday morning, at youth and in college and career. Little groups form within the larger body that take away from the unity that should be had and make outsiders feel unwelcome. As a result, people aren’t even acquainted with many people in the church. As a member of the Body of Christ we should value every other member equally. We should be going out of our way to relate to the whole local church body. To ignore the shy person, avoid the opposite sex, or shun the annoying person is no less than sin. We should have no qualms about relating to everyone in the Body of Christ. This is how we truly live in the Body.

Truth #2: Loving the Body of Christ means overcoming our fears. 1 John 4:18, says “there is no fear in love…” This is where those people whom we struggle to relate with come in. Often we avoid them out of fear of not knowing how to relate to them or not having met them. Sometimes we ignore the strangers in our local church out of fear. At some point all of us will have to conquer our fears when it comes to relating to people to obey Christ’s command of loving one another. Find your security in Christ, take a deep breath, and sit beside someone you don’t know on a Sunday morning with the intention of meeting them and getting to know them. If everyone did this, imagine the unity we would have as the Bride of Christ. Maybe try talking to at least one person you don’t know very well each Sunday. If we truly want to love people, than we need to be ready to overcome our fears of people.

Truth #3: To relate well to others through love, you must be connected to the Source. In 1 John 4:7, we are told to “love one another, for love comes from God.” The key here is that love comes from God. If we are not connected to God and living every day in a vibrant and dynamic relationship with Jesus, we cannot love other people. Love comes from God. If we are not abiding in Jesus, His love will not flow through us into other people. Likewise, we won’t be able to relate to people as easily. If you want to be able to relate to God’s people you need to rely on Him as the source of that love.

These are some of the scriptures that God has impressed upon my heart to share with you. The key to relating to other people is to love them. Love is the only language that everyone understands. From my own experience with the body of believers here at PRBI, love from God is the only thing that allows me to relate to both guys and girls, teachers and staff, sports jocks and chess nuts, fashion fanatics and heavy metal musicians. But I still, haven’t answered the important question of how to relate to our brothers and sisters in Christ by loving them.
I believe that it was the practical application of love that I misunderstood for the longest time in relating to people well. One of the easiest ways to relate to people is simply by caring about them as an individual. Naturally, the love that comes from God puts care into our hearts for one another. When you come into contact with any brother or sister in Christ, ask them questions out of a genuine care for who they are and what goes on in their lives. Greet them and ask them how they are doing. If you don’t already know their name, then ask them. Once you are acquainted with a person, the passage of time creates wonderful opportunities. Pay attention to who you see when you go places. Ask them how their day or week was. Ask them about the things that interest them or the people that are close to them. There is no set pattern or formula when it comes to relating to people, but if you ask people questions about their life, who they are, or what interests them out of a genuine love for that person as a brother in sister in Christ, relating to them should get easier and easier.

Another way to relate to people is through sharing your own life or experience with them. If someone asks you how you are doing, then be open and honest with them. Most of the time if, you open up to people a little, they will open up to you. Maybe a story you share will remind the person of something in their own life or experience that they will in turn share with you. Next thing you know, you’re relating well with a brother or sister in Christ. If a story you tell is funny then you are relating through humor.

Probably some of the smallest details that have the biggest expressions are the smile and the greeting. When you walk by someone say hi, good morning, or hey. When they look to see who is addressing them, than give them a warm smile. Smile and greet Christians you don’t know out of love and knowledge that they are your brother or sister in Christ. Greet and smile at Christians you do know using their name. It’s amazing when you realize how effectively this shines God’s love into a believer’s life. If you are connected to God and His love, then you will have it to give to others.

Finally, keep a watchful eye for the needs of others. If you see a need that you can meet, then do it. Show love through an encouragement note. Sit down and pray with the person. If you don’t feel equipped to meet their needs but know someone who is then point them to that person. God’s love can also be given through a birthday or get-well card. Ministering to people in the body of Christ is showing God’s love, building into each member and is also relating with them.

There’s a lot to think about when it comes to relating to people. Feel free to comment on how this applies to you as an individual, share your experiences, or simply relate

Journey to Joy

Another key lesson that God has been teaching me involves joy. In coming to PRBI, I struggled a lot with having the joy that I felt I should have as a Christian. Over the past few months God has been shaping me and directing my heart to more easily find the joy that I long for.
In my Christian Life Development, the teacher said, “Joy is a blessing and gift from God. To pursue joy is foolish because it is a ‘by-product’ of a God focused life.” How true. I can recount a few phases of my life where I sought after joy yet never attained it. Now that I think about it, the joyful moments of my life have never occurred because I was seeking them. In fact, more often than not I was dissatisfied when I sought after joy. Why? Because, joy is merely a by-product. Galatians 5:22 says, “the fruit of the Spirit is…joy.” When we live by the Spirit, in step with God, abiding in Christ, only then does God give us joy as a gift by His Spirit. Why would we pursue joy sooner than God? It’s simple: we are selfish people. If all we care about is how we feel, whether we have joy or feel comfortable, we are focused on ourselves. Our focus is supposed to be on God. For, Jesus is the author and perfect of our faith (Heb. 12:2).
I remember one day this semester when I felt a little discouraged. Life wasn’t playing out the way I knew it should. My discipler came into my room and saw me deep in thought, lying on my bed. “What’s up?” he said.

“Not much,” I mumbled.

“Why do you look so down?” he said.

“Hmm…well…Life just isn’t going the way I wish it would today,” I said.

“How come?” he asked. So, I told him why I was feeling discouraged. I didn’t want to be closed since I had asked him to be my discipler and mentor, however, I didn’t think he would understand the way I felt. I figured that I would listen to his advice regarding my situation and then I would just carry on, and all of this would eventually go away. I was a little surprised with what he said next: “Why is this affecting your joy?” he asked.

“Well, I am usually not happy when things go wrong and there is nothing I can do to fix them,” I said. “It’s like when we sin against God and he is not pleased. Our sin doesn’t bring God joy.” I said.

“If this situation in your life is taking away your joy, then you base your joy on the wrong source,” he replied. “If I base my joy on the things that happen around me then I will be crushed when things go wrong.” And I knew he was right considering that he had endured the painful divorce of his parents among countless other things in his life and childhood. If anyone had had a good reason to be discouraged it was him. “Do you want to know the secret to joy?” he asked me. “It all comes down to what your source of joy is. There are certain things that we should be staking our joy on. Because I am saved from my sin, I am joyful. Another source of my joy is my relationship with Jesus. I take joy from knowing God’s character and His many promises to me. I am joyful because of the future I have in heaven. If these are my sources of joy, then I can rejoice in any situation!” he said.
I knew he was exactly right. I was guilty of basing my joy on the temporary things rather than the eternal things. I was quickly reminded of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians in which he said, “…we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:16-18). God hammered this idea home for me through several other things here. My care group led chapel one day and the theme of our chapel was eternal perspective. In life of Christ, we were lectured on the Sermon of the Mount, including Jesus’ famous words, “…store up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mt. 6:20-21). This was an affirmation that the things I treasure and pour my heart into should be eternal. Again in Philippians, “…our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who…will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21). I was utterly convinced by God’s word that my discipler was right. I needed to focus on Jesus and let Him be my source of joy.
Of course this is easier said than done. I am still learning to keep Jesus in the forefront of my mind as my one true source of joy. As a result of my Gospel of John class, I found two applications that have helped me to remember this. On one wall I have a piece of paper that says, “Redeemed” in big bold letters. Every time I read that I am reminded of Jesus’ wonderful gift of redemption and salvation to me. I think of how He rescued me from the deadly perils of sin and hell. I also think of His love for me in His redemptive sacrifice on the cross. What a phenomenal reason to rejoice! And I will always be able to find joy in this, because it will never change!
Above my mirror on the back of my door, I have a piece of paper that says heaven. It reminds me of the eternal perspective I should keep at all times. It also reminds me of another source of joy that will never change: my future in heaven. These two signs have helped a lot! Compared to before, I have the joy that I should most of the time. The other times I do something stupid like staying up until 3:30 in the morning playing gamecube with friends, miss my time with God and feel too tired to focus on Jesus. But, there have been several times where my friends were all doing something and I was alone, and I kept my joy because it was based on Jesus who was still with me.
This has been my journey to joy over the past few months. What about your journey? Is joy a blessed gift that you find continually in God’s face? Is joy an elusive shadow that you can’t find rest in? What experiences have placed God as the source of your joy in your life? What can you do to remind you of your need to focus on Jesus as the source of your joy?

Day 5: Smart vs. Stupid

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house, and it fell with a great crash” (Mt. 7:24-27).

I’d like to describe what I will call “the stupid syndrome”. Sunday morning I wake up and go to church. After some singing the pastor delivers a powerful sermon. I feel convicted and challenged by it sensing that I have grown as a result of hearing a word from God. I come away from church with joy that the Lord has spoken to me over the course of the morning. I then find something to do (usually with people) to enjoy my day off. After playing a game or two, maybe watching a movie, eating a meal with someone, and maybe a phone call, the day is over and I go to bed. The week goes by and it’s Sunday again. I flip open my journal to take notes and notice my notes from last Sunday. I remember how I’d felt challenged and convicted, and I realize that I’ve done nothing with that conviction. This is “the stupid syndrome”.
I’m sure that all of you can identify with this situation. We have opportunities to hear from God all of the time. In our personal devotions (if you do them), in small groups (if you’re in one), in the Sunday morning service, in Sunday school and in many other things that we do in our life, we have the opportunity to hear from God. Person A doesn’t take the opportunities to hear from God and Person B does take the opportunities. Yet both of them are the same person from week to week, with little spiritual growth, and little reason to rejoice.
What’s missing? Take a look at Person C. Person C goes to church on Sunday morning and opens up the bulletin. “Oh”, he says, “the pastor is preaching on the parable of the sower and the seeds.” Though he has heard countless sermons on this passage he listens intently for the voice of God because he knows that God can speak through even the most familiar of passages. The pastor preaches with ordinary words just as every other Sunday, yet the Holy Spirit brings conviction to Person C about how seldom he shares his faith with those who ask about it at work. The service ends and Person C goes out for lunch with some friends. While eating at their favorite restaurant, one of his friends invites him to get together after the meal. Person C politely responds, “Well, I have plans until 3:00, but after 3:00 I’d love to get together.” Person C leaves the restaurant after a lovely meal and goes home. In the quiet of his bedroom, he opens up his journal to the sermon notes and his Bible to the passage that so powerfully spoke to him during the service. Person C spends the next hour communing with God, meditating on the scripture, and talking to God about his conviction to be a better witness in the work place. By the end of his time, Person C writes on the page of his journal, and the page of his day timer, “share testimony with Steven over lunch break.” The next day at work Person C warmly greets Steven before the day’s work begins. “Would you like to go for lunch?” Person C asks.
What’s the difference between Person A & B, and Person C? The difference is smart vs. stupid.
Jesus says, “everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Person C is the wise man. After hearing God’s word through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Person C takes time to meditate on the words of God and consult God regarding their significance. Person C is not content merely listening to the word. He wants to do it! Person C spent time with God seeking an application. How could he be so foolish as to ignore or forget about the conviction that the Holy Spirit brought to him during the sermon? As Person C searches for a way to put God’s words into practice, the Lord reveals a real and tangible way for him to do it. The next day Person C goes as far as welcoming an opportunity to obey God, by asking Steven to go for lunch with him.
Jesus also said, “everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” Person B sits through the same message as person C and feels the same conviction. However, Person B shrugs off all opportunity to act upon the challenge he receives. He goes home and watches TV for the rest of the day and forgets about everything he heard. Person B missed an opportunity to learn and grow according to God’s will. By God’s grace, he won’t miss the next opportunity.

1. Can you recall a time when you decided that a sermon or Sunday school lesson was already old news – that you’d heard it before, and didn’t bother to really listen for God’s voice? How about a study that you felt you could have taught yourself because of how well you are doing in that particular area? Have you been Person A?
2. Can you recall a time when you felt God spoke to you through a message, devotional, or lesson, yet you ended up forgetting about it soon after? Have you ever felt convicted or challenged to pursue something as a result of a sermon or bible study, and forgotten about it over the course of the week? Have you been Person B?
3. Can you recall a time where God spoke to you, regarding some area in your life, which you took seriously and searched for a way to put it into practice, and finally acted upon what you heard? Has the way you live ever visibly changed as a result of conviction or challenge by the Holy Spirit? Have you ever been person C?

Do you want to grow spiritually and become mature in your faith? Do you want to know Jesus in a more intimate way? Do you want to be used by God to bring glory to His name? Do you want to have a living and dynamic love relationship with God, pleasing Him in each step, through obedience?

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (Js. 1:22).

Day 4: Prayer and Thanksgiving

In my daily devotions I’ve been reading through the Intouch magazine for this month which is centered on thanksgiving. Through my reading I discovered a new level to the power of prayer and more specifically thanksgiving. I was really impressed by some of the many blessings that Charles Stanley suggests are results of thanksgiving. Let me briefly summarize them for you:

1. Praise and thanksgiving readjust our focus: When we praise and thank God we are remembering that life centers around Him and not the world we live in.
2. Thanking God reminds us of our dependence upon Him: Thanking God reminds of the many blessings that we enjoy only because of God’s goodness. In Him we live and move and have our being.
3. Offering praise causes release from anxiety: Thanksgiving in prayer is our access to peace in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).
4. Expressing gratitude refreshes our relationship with the Lord: Almost like catching up with an old friend, we deepen our intimacy with God when we warmly connect with Him in thanksgiving.
5. Thanksgiving refines our spiritual perception: “As we tell the Lord of our appreciation we will gain deeper insight into who He is, what He is like, and the way He thinks.”
6. Gratitude reinforces our faith: When we see how God has answered our prayers, met our needs, protected us, and worked in our lives, we see His character of goodness, love, and mercy which reinforces our faith.
7. Praising God rejoices our spirit: Thanking God brings us joy, deep joy which can alleviate anxiety, impatience, and restlessness.

This week I have focused a lot on thanking and praising God in everything. What a difference it has made! My personal time with God comes alive as I thank Him for the riches and blessings that He has lavished upon me. One of the chief attitudes of my past is this: I would look at my life and always be asking what was wrong in my life and what needed improvement. I would get so caught up in always looking for the weaknesses in my life that I would become self-focused rather than God-focused. Over the past month I have been learning that when I thank God for what He has done for me, and who He is I have so much more joy and have been able to abide in Him and not myself.
There are so many wonderful applications to this too! In fact, I won’t even list them. Instead, I would like you to post one specific way that you can cultivate a healthy attitude of thanksgiving toward God. I’ll share an example from my own time here at Bible College.
In Gospel of John class, we were reading through John chapter 9 where the blind man receives sight. When Jesus reveals His true identity to the man who can now see, the blind man bows down and worships Jesus saying, “I believe.” I was personally challenged to remember what God has done for me. The blind man praised Jesus deeply because of the sight that Jesus gave him. How much greater is the gift of salvation that Jesus has given me! I felt that I had lost that attitude of worship. I had fallen into the trap of basing my joy on the temporary blessings that He was giving me. When those things disappear or when I forget about them, then the joy that they brought also fades. To remind myself to worship Jesus for the eternal gift that He has given me, I printed off a piece of paper that said “Redeemed” in big letters on it and hung it on my wall. Every time I look at it, I thank God and I am reminded of what my greatest source of joy is.
What will you do to develop the practice of thanksgiving to God?

Since this post is focused on prayer and thanksgiving, I thought it would be a wonderful chance to simply pray for each other. Look back to the people that shared a need on Day 2, and write a prayer for one of them that God would meet that need. Let the glory of the Lord rise among us through prayer and thanksgiving.

Day 3: Your Identity

In Christian Life Development here at PRBI, we had one class where we did something called “The Guilt Test”. By the end of the class I was really excited because God had shown me something new that I had never realized before. So I’d like to share “The Guilt Test” with you. It comes from http://www.new-life.net as I later discovered from my CLD teacher. So without delaying it any longer let’s do it! Get out a piece of paper and number it 1 to 24. Below there are twenty four statements. It’s not uncommon for you to be able to identify with a lot of these statements. As you read through the list, put a check on you page beside the ones that you can identify with or have felt before after you’ve done something wrong. For now just ignore the letters beside them.

1. "I don't see how God could do anything with someone like me." (W)
2. "Now I'm going to get it." (P)
3. " I feel I am stained and everyone can see it." (R)
4. "I feel the need to justify my position, to rationalize my wrong away, I feel defensive." (P)
5. "I feel like there is a sword hanging over my head about to fall at any minute." (P)
6. "I feel like withdrawing and hiding because of what I've done." (R)
7. "I feel like God is pointing his finger at me and saying you are unacceptable." (W)
8. "I feel like God is looking down on me with anger and bitterness." (P)
9. "I feel when I pray, that God won't listen to me because I have not listened and obeyed Him." (R)
10. "I resent myself because I have let God down." (W)
11. "I deserve to be punished because of what I have done." (P)
12. "I hurt all over because I am bad." (W)
13. "I let God down and now He will leave me here to suffer my fate." (R)
14. "I feel the Lord is mad at me and will keep me in a childhood state." (P)
15. "How can God ever love a screw-up like me?" (W)
16. "I have not lived up to expectations. I feel as though I will be rejected and abandoned." (R)
17. "I can just imagine God's angry stare." (P)
18. "Mainly I feel completely embarrassed about myself." (R)
19. "I feel I have completely flopped in my relationship to Christ." (W)
20. "I feel like dirt." (W)
21. "I wonder a lot about what others would think if they knew." (R)
22. "I have let God see me weak, I have failed, I am inferior." (W)
23. "I'm afraid of what others will do to me, because of what I have done." (P)
24. "I feel like a step-child in God's family or even an exile." (R)

Okay now that you are finished the test, and you have check marks on your page beside the numbers, look at the letter in brackets beside each number and write it down beside the ones that you checked. For example, if you put a check beside #20, then write a “W” beside it. Once you have finished putting letters beside all your check marks, mark down the total number of “W”, “P”, and “R” that you have. There are eight of each.
The letters represent the various ways that we experience guilt. We experience guilt in three ways:

1. A Sense of WORTHLESSNESS
 "I'm a failure"
 I'm not "competent", "suitable", "fit" or "capable."
 "How can I call myself a Christian?"
2. A Fear of PUNISHMENT
 "Now I'm going to get it."
 "I deserve to be..."
 "God will surely punish me."
 "Now they will be angry with me for..."
3. A Feeling of REJECTION
 Fear of rejection by others
 "God won't love me if..."
 Not being accepted because of what I did or what I think or who I am.
 Loss of reputation, "losing face" before others, shame.

By looking at the individual numbers that you recorded under Ws, Ps, and Rs, you can tell in what area you feel the most guilt. Interestingly enough, all 24 statements above are statements that we never need to think as Christians.
I’d encourage you (the reader) to comment on which one of the three areas of guilt that you identify with the most. Along with your result, post one verse that shows why we need not feel guilty in that way. This test brought me a lot of freedom and joy, as I discovered my own personal understanding of how much God values me, accepts me, and has freed me from punishment. I hope God speaks to you through it.

Day 2: Your Role

“From Him the whole body, joined together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Eph. 4:16)

I love that verse. It paints a beautiful picture of what the church should look like today. Everyone is joined together. Everyone is supporting each other. Everyone is growing building themselves up in love. How is all this possible? In some churches this can scarcely be said. I’ve attended churches where the congregation is divided. Each member supports their own opinion of what is true. The Body seems to shrink and deconstructs itself in hatred, bitterness, and unforgiveness. Why does the Body that Paul talks about seem so untrue to reality in so many local churches?
In many cases you can find two Christians who can’t even live at peace with each other. If two people can’t even achieve unity than how on earth will the whole Body of Christ ever be what Paul describes it as? It seems impossible. Is it? I thank God that I have seen the Body as Paul describes it, in several places. But what makes it or breaks it?
The key is in the last part of the verse. “From Him the whole body, joined together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Eph. 4:16 emphasis mine). Imagine a track and field athlete. He’s at the blocks waiting for the gun. Bang! Microseconds after the gun goes off, the runner’s brain says “Go!” He takes a couple steps and then the unthinkable happens. One of his arms decides that the ears aren’t helping very much in this race so it reaches up and pulls his left ear off. The runner’s left eye is offended by the arm so he decides to leave the body and rolls out like a Ferrari getaway car. When the right knee sees that the eye has left the body, he decides that he’s only going to bend in the opposite direction from now on. The vocal chords don’t know what’s going on because they can’t see anything, so they shake with fear causing the man to bellow as he stumbles down the track. Next the runner’s feet start to feel tired because they are bearing most of the weight while the other muscles slack off. Lastly, the lower half of the runner’s body decides to go right while the upper half decides to go left and the result is the ugliest thing you have ever seen. Can you imagine what this runner would look like running down the track? Do you think that he has a hope of winning the race?
In reality, we, the Body of Christ, are like that runner. The only way that we can succeed and achieve the purposes that God has for us is if each part does its work. This doesn’t just mean do what you want or do what you can do. The principle we need to grasp from this is that each part has a purpose. Each person has a function or role in the Body of Christ, not so they can function by themselves, but so they can function together. When each part of the body does what it’s created to do and works together with the other parts, the body can move and work and grow. Similarly, when each follower of Christ acts/speaks/thinks in the way he or she is created to act/think/speak and works together with the other followers of Christ, the Body of Christ can move and work and grow.
What part of the body are you? What purpose do you serve in the body? Briefly, there are three purposes and functions to every part of the body:

1. We were created for the purpose of functioning in relationship with Jesus (Jn. 17:3).
2. We were created for the purpose of functioning in witness of Jesus (Acts 1:8, Mk. 16:15)
3. We were created for the purpose of functioning in ministry to the Body (Eph. 4)

No matter what part of the body you are, you were created for these three purposes which all fall under one big purpose of bringing glory to God. “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen” (Ro. 11:36). If every Christian remained steadfast in their relationship with Jesus walking and talking with Him every step of the way, if every Christian was a witness of Jesus to the world testifying to His power in both word and deed, if every Christian was a minister to the Body looking for the needs of brothers and sisters and meeting them, what would the church look like today? If every Christian served the Lord with the strength that He provides “…so that the Body of Christ would be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13) what would the church look like? Let me show you:

“From Him the whole body, joined together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Eph. 4:16)

It all comes back to you (the reader) and I. Each of us in our own lives has to pull our weight. Each of us has to be pursuing relationship with Jesus. Each of us has to be serving and supporting our brothers and sisters in Christ. Each one of us has to be sensitive to the needs of others and sensitive to God’s leading in how we can meet them. It all comes back to the individual you and I.
I originally planned this post to be a nothing more than a discussion and a chance to open up and share how God’s been working in your life. Why? Because, through fellowship God can use someone’s comment to meet someone else’s need. In fact God can meet your own need through your own comment as you try and understand what God has been doing in your life.
I’d like to try something different. As a Body can we all take a chance to examine ourselves to see if we are living in Christ? Maybe you are or maybe you need to come back to God in this moment and begin to live in Him again. When you have come to peace with God I would like you to ask God to show you what your needs are. God is always the one who meets our needs, and often He will use others to do it. Finally, I would like you to comment on this post and share your need with the Body so we can pray for each other. I’m hoping that we can all catch a glimpse of the way that the Body was created to function. Maybe you struggle with sin, maybe you struggle with pride, maybe you struggle with being self-centered, maybe you struggle with surrendering, maybe you struggle with loving others or forgiving others, having bitterness, anger, joy or peace. It doesn’t have to be a struggle. Maybe you need to truly feel that God loves you or that He has accepted you or that He will not punish you. Maybe you need to feel free. Maybe you need to laugh. Maybe you need healing or equipping. There are so many needs that we can have that only God can fill, and if we don’t share our needs or seek our brothers’ and sisters’ needs, we miss out on opportunities to be used by God and to have our own needs met. Whether you share it anonymously or by name, please comment on what the Lord reveals to you.

Day 1: The Body

In my time here at PRBI God has taught me so much about the Body of Christ and Relationships. In one of my favorite classes, Christian Life Development, we’ve spent several classes simply looking at the purpose of relationships in the Body of Christ. God has used this class as well as everyday life with people here at PRBI to show me what the church really is.
One of the most influential truths I’ve learned here concerns the purpose of all relationships with all people in general. Paul wrote, "…whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31). As my CLD teacher said, "relationships are something that we do." So the underlying purpose in all relationships is to bring glory to God. Through personal reflection I’ve been challenged to examine my motivations in each of the relationships I am in. Why am I doing [insert activity] with [insert name]? Over the last month this question has been a tremendous blessing.
On several occasions this question has caused me to remember that I am acting for God’s glory. A normal game of pool turns into a wonderful time of fellowship and an opportunity to shine God’s love into a person’s life. After accepting an invitation to skateboard with a good friend, we find ourselves having thrown our boards off to the side because of more important things we needed to talk about. One evening I found myself painting a large prop for the global ministries conference here at the school simply because I wanted to be with the people painting. Soon enough the question came back and I realized that I was doing it for the wrong reasons. When I shifted my focus to bringing glory to God, I very quickly discovered a need that I was equipped to meet. All the glory was given to God.
The principle that I would like to share with you is this: When we act in our relationships to bring glory to God, we begin to see the many opportunities that God has for us to minister. With the proper motivation in a relationship God reveals to us the needs that we can meet. It may be as simple as showing God’s love to someone through a smile and a cheerful greeting. When our focus is to bring glory to God, we begin to develop a genuine care and love for all people. This principle works for both believers and non-believers. Look at what Paul says to the Ephesians: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" (4:29). Does this mean that every conversation has to be a spiritual conversation? By no means! This is the connection:

Attitude	Result
Relationships to bring glory to myself, to make me feel good, to bring me joy and meet my needs	Unwholesome talk coming out of my mouth
Relationships to bring glory to God (1 Cor. 10:31)	Building others up according to their needs (Eph. 4:29)

Maybe a brother or sister in Christ needs the medicine of laughter. In such a situation you could build a person up simply by laughing with them, telling jokes or sharing "hi-larious" stories. Consider a brother or sister in Christ who just needs to feel the love of God. You could show God’s loving-kindness simply by caring for them when you ask how they are doing and what’s going on in their life. Both of these instances aren’t "spiritual" conversations, but they do build the person up according to their need and they bring glory to God because of this.
Another amazing reward of glorifying God comes through our personal relationship with Jesus. When we seek to glorify God in our relationships with others, we keep our focus on Christ. I am sure that at one time or another most of you have made an idol of other people. Idolatry in relationships happens in many different ways. I have made the mistake of seeking joy from others. I have made the mistake of looking to people to meet my needs. I have made the mistake of elevating a relationship in my mind to the rightful place of God. Israel made the same mistakes. The Lord declared through the prophet Jeremiah, "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns that cannot hold water" (2:13). Notice that when we dig our own cisterns, or look for water from relationships, we also forsake God, the spring of living water. However, if we seek to glorify God in our relationships, our focus is on God. We are drinking from the spring of living water, Jesus Christ, while in our relationships we are pointing others to the spring of living water.
Imagine what the Body of Christ would look like if each member’s attitude was to bring glory to God together. Needs met, growth encouraged, unity, an accurate reflection of God’s power to the world, and most importantly, glory to God in the highest! The God whom we serve would be worshipped, praised, exalted, and revered.
Unfortunately, knowing this truth and doing it are two different things. Each and every child of God needs to function in relationship with a purpose of bringing glory to God. I encourage you to humbly examine yourselves before the Lord. What is your motivation in each of your relationships? With Mom, Dad, brothers in Christ, sisters in Christ, boyfriends and girlfriends, non-believers, and strangers. What about the people that you are currently in conflict with? I challenge you to always be asking yourself: Why am I doing [insert activity/conflict] with [insert name]? How would a determination to bring glory to God in all of your relationships help you grow?
If you would like to join me in cultivating a God-glorifying attitude in relationships, then take time each day this week to prayerfully read through Ephesians chapter 4. I would really like to get some great discussion going regarding the Body of Christ and relationships, so please comment and ask questions as the Spirit leads. I’d like to end with this verse:
"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work" (Eph. 4:15-16).

Spiritual Emphasis Week

Hello Everyone!
The last couple weeks I haven't had a chance to post because I 've been really busy with assignments. I had a paper due everyday last week and a midterm exam and this weekend we had a mission conference at the school. This is my last week of school before reading break. I thought it would be neat to have a Spiritual Emphasis Week next week! Everyday next week I will be posting something including things that I have learned from my classes and even some interactive things to get some good discussion going. So mark it on your calendar! I hope it's a good chance for us to grow together as believers.

Peace On the Path

Something I've been learning alot about lately is peace. As I journey closer to Jesus on my Mountain Path there is one gift of God that I love to have - a peace within. When I have peace within I can be going through the perfect storm and still remain calm. But so often I find that peace within eludes me. Sometimes I have been discouraged because I can't even feel at peace while I spending time with God or doing my devotions. By God's grace and with the help of a book I received called "The Peacemaker" I have been learning about how we as Christians can have peace every day as we journey on our mountain paths.
"There are three dimensions to the peace that God offers to us through Christ: peace with God, peace with one another, and peace within ourselves" (Sande 44). The key to God's gift of peace is this: All of these dimensions of peace are intertwined.

Peace with God

Before we accepted Jesus as our Savior and entered into relationship with Him, we were seperated from God by our sin. Through Jesus Christ we are able to have peace with God. Think about the following verses in regards to peace with God:

"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Him [Jesus], and through Him to reconcile to himself all things...by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross" (Colossians 1:19-20)

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand" (Romans 5:1-2)

"But He was peirced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5)

The gift of salvation is the essence of our peace with God. "As [we] believe in Jesus, accept His gracious gift of salvation, and draw closer to Him through the power of His Spirit, the study of His Word, the privelege of prayer, and the fellowship of His church, His peace can fill every part of [our] live[s]" (Sande 45).

Peace with Others

Because of the peace that we have in God through Jesus Christ we are also able to enjoy peace with others (Eph 2:11-18). Peace, often referred to as unity, is the "presence of genuine harmony, understanding, and good will between people" (Sande 46). It is not mearely the absence of conflict. It is God's call on our lives to "live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:18). Peace with others is a result of obeying the second great commandment, "Love your neighbour as yourself" (Matt. 22:39). This peace or unity with others is an "essential" part of being an effective witness of Jesus.

Peace within Yourself

This is the peace that everyone wants to have. Many people strive for a peace within without a peace with God or others. The truth of the matter is that we cannot have peace within if we don't have peace with God and man. Peace within "is a gift that God gives only to those who believe in His Son and obey His commands (1 John 3:21-24). In other words, internal peace is a by-product of righteousness" (Sande 46). Let's look at the Word:

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You" (Isaiah 26:3).

"The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quitness and confidence forever" (Isaiah 32:17; cf. Psalms 85:10; 119:165).

"If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea" (Isaiah 48:18).

These verses clearly show that "it is impossible to experience internal peace if you fail to persue peace with God and peace with others" (Sande 46). My own experience testifies to the truth of these passages. Several times I know that I have not been able to find an internal peace while there is conflict between another person and myself. Two weeks ago I was troubled inside because I had been avoiding a guy because I didn't want to tell him that I had chosen someone else to be my discipler. I didn't want to have to explain why I chose the other guy over him so I avoided him, and I could not find a peace within until I found peace with the guy who was waiting for me to say something to his offer to be my discipler. This principle goes hand in hand with God's Word:

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember thatyour brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift" (Matthew 5:23-24).

Not only do we need peace with others to have peace within ourselves, we are to seek peace with others even ahead of worshipping God. Until recently I always thought that I could have peace with God and internal peace even though I may at odds with a brother or sister in Christ. But I have always had difficulty, wondering why I seldom had the internal peace that I wanted. Now I realize that I all three dimensions of God's gift of peace and intertwined and work together. Now I am practicing peace with God and man, and finding this: As I trust in Jesus my Savior and obey His commands AND seek harmonious relationships with those around me, I also have a peace within. On the mountain path that can be very difficult at times, peace is an amazing comfort, blessing, and gift from God.

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievance you may have against one another....Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace" (Colossians 3:13;15).

True Forgiveness

Over the last little while I’ve been learning a little about forgiveness. A lot of times I’ve thought that forgiveness is just being ok with whatever happened, but I came across a neat description of what forgiveness really is. From a book called, "The Peace Maker", "forgiveness may be described as a decision to make four promises:

"I will not dwell on this incident."
"I will not bring up this incident again and use it against you."
"I will not talk to others about this incident."
"I will not let this incident stand between us or hinder our personal relationship."

A neat little poem from the same source sums it up with:

Good thought,
Hurt you not,
Gossip never,
Friends forever.

This week was spiritual emphasis week here at PRBI. On Friday we had no classes and it was a day of prayer and fasting. In the afternoon we had a time of worship and celebrated communion. Before the communion, we had a time to examine ourselves and step out of the gym with anyone that we needed to resolve something with. It was so cool to see people walk out and then walk back in with smiles on their faces after having reconciled. I was challenged with reconciling with someone this week also. Maybe there is someone in your life who you need to be reconciled with. Or maybe you just need to forgive someone of something that you’ve unintentionally held against them. Whatever your situation is, God calls us to be reconciled to our brother before we offer our sacrifice of worship at the altar and before we celebrate communion. When we forgive others we always find a greater freedom than we had before, and God is pleased because He wants to forgive others, on the basis of His forgiveness of our sin. I just thought that this was interesting and hopefully it speaks to you also. God bless!

Enjoying God’s Gifts

As I was reading for one of my classes, I was really impressed about what the Author was saying. The text I was reading from is called "The Liberated Imagination" by Leland Ryken. Our first assignment was to read about the purpose of the "arts" (music, visual art, poetry, etc..) Going into this I had no clue what it was going to say, but I was pleasantly surprised! The book talks about how the Bible says that pleasure and enjoyment are of God. Solomon writes, "I know there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; also that it is God’s gift to man that every one should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil." (Ecc 3:12-13) He also writes, "Behold, what I have seen to be good and to be fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life which God has given him, for this is his lot. Every man also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and find enjoyment in his toil – this is the gift of God." (Ecc 5:18-19) So the Bible is pretty clear, (there are more verses too), that pleasure and enjoyment are a gift from God.
But not only this, the "arts" are a gift to be enjoyed and take pleasure in! God has created us as creative beings in His image. Just as He delights in His creation, we can delight in our creations. Things like music, poetry, drama, television, and games are all facets of our God-given creativity and are for our enjoyment. In Paul’s first letter to Timothy he says, "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." (1 Tim 6:17) From this verse we can see that our rich creativity is a gift from God for our enjoyment, as long as we don’t put our hope and trust in that rather than God. To elevate the arts, whether music, television, games, movies, or any such thing above God’s rightful place in our lives is idolatry. The freedom to enjoy things as the gifts that they are comes with a responsibility not to worship or elevate those gifts above the One who gave them.
Learning this was very refreshing for me. Most of you probably know that I’d be the first person to tell you that you are wasting your time or that your time could be better used, if you told me that you were listening to music that isn’t spiritual, or watching TV or movies that had nothing to do with God. But just because a form of art that we enjoy using, whether we are the audience or the creator of the art, isn’t spiritual or done as a ministry, doesn’t mean that we are wasting our time! God gave us beautiful and pleasurable things in life to enjoy! In fact, those of us that look at people who take time just to enjoy the beauty of life as wasting their time are very similar to the Pharisees in mindset. This is something I need to learn because until now I have been a little off balance in my perspective.
I’m still figuring a lot of this out, but I thought I’d share it with you, and I hope that it provokes some thought in you as it did for me. God Bless!

Surrendering The Mind

This week while reading from Oswald Chamber’s "My Utmost For His Highest" I was really challenged by the attitude that he had in pursuing God. His attitude is almost a mirror of Paul’s in his letter to the Philippians. Chambers says, "Shut out every other thought and keep yourself before God in this one thing only – my utmost for His highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and Him alone." What an amazing heart!!! That’s hard to do and hard to even want to do! Paul affirms this as his mindset in his second letter to the Corinthians saying, "…we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Co 10:5) Can you image checking yourself on every thought?! Talk about loving God with all your mind! (Matt 22:37) This means rejecting all thoughts of anxiety, worry, and doubt that seek to make a home in our mind. It means casting off every inclination to dwell on people and things outside of a God-focused frame of mind. Maybe this is what Paul was referring to when he said "pray continually." (1 Th 5:17) I can’t think of a greater surrender than this! This must be why Oswald Chambers refers to it as "my utmost". This is a great sacrifice on our part but it’s the only acceptable sacrifice when we consider Christ’s sacrifice for us. We owe Him all of our minds! This, that God may be the Highest and glorified beyond all measure in our lives. Though no one can see our thoughts or know what we’re thinking, God sees every thought, and He wants to dwell in our minds. Only God will know of the glory we bring to Him by the secret and hidden places of our thoughts.

Maturity Modeled for the Mind

I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Phil 4:10-13)

I recently read through the book of Philippians and this chunk of Paul’s letter really stuck out to me. I love how it shows so clearly and in such simple and easy language what Paul’s attitude is. I realize that I need to learn, as Paul had learned, to be content whatever the circumstances. Just like Paul, I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. Usually I am content when I have plenty, but lately I’ve been struggling with being content when I am in need. I can sure understand why Paul calls it a secret! Until now I’ve maybe thought that when I am need I should pray and my need will be met, just like that. But Paul is talking about being in need. God may have a plan for you where he leads you into a place of need. In the same way He lead the nation of Israel into a desperate place of need, trapped at the edge of the Red Sea with nowhere to go! They needed escape! They needed deliverance! And God took them there for the time He would take to meet their need. God could’ve made them wait until the Egyptian army was almost upon them to open the seas, or He could have opened them as soon as they got there. Maybe today you have a need in your life that you want to be able to say that you are content with “being in.” Maybe it’s something that will be met very soon and maybe God will choose to wait a long time to meet your need. And just maybe He’ll change your attitude to realize that you aren’t in need or that you felt you needed something that you really didn’t need. Whatever your situation is today, whatever our circumstances are, we need to learn that secret that Paul sought to share with the Philippians in his letter. How can we be content in need? How can we be content when we are hungry? How can we be content when we feel alone? How can we be content when we have a serious financial need? How can we be content when need to know what we are supposed to do in a certain situation or what path to choose in a road ahead of us?

I’m glad Paul decided to share the secret with us : ) . Otherwise I’d be saying, “This is not fun. This is not fun.” So what’s the big secret Paul? I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Hmm…let’s unpack that. By itself it’s a very nice thought, but without the context you could miss so much! Paul is saying whatever the situation, for whatever reason, for however long it lasts, you can be content! Because, you can do everything through Jesus Christ who gives you strength! Yes! You can be content when you are in need and when you have plenty, when you are hungry and when you are well fed, when you are alone and when you are in fellowship, when you are in serious need of money and the time is running out for it to be paid, when you don’t know what to do in that certain situation or when you don’t know which path to choose in that road ahead of you. Yes, you can be content through all of this, you can do neediness, through Jesus Christ who gives you strength.

What an awesome encouragement! Paul points us straight to the Lord for everything and anything that may have to go through. This week, I’ve got my share of needs, some of which will be met and others of which I will have to continue to live in. This week, you will have your needs some of which will be met and others of which I will have to continue to live in. We’ve got to strive to remember that we can be in those needs and do all the things that God has called us to do, through the strength that He gives us! We must draw near to God to find that strength! We must let Christ in us be the strength and energy that we need to serve our God and bring glory to Jesus. Join with me this week in seeking after the mind of Christ!

Love Song For A Saviour

in open fields of wild flowers
she breathes the air and flies away
she thanks her Jesus for the daises and the roses
in no simple language
someday she'll understand the meaning of it all
he's more than the laughter or the stars in the heavens
as close a heartbeat or a song on her lips
someday she'll trust him and learn how to see him
someday he'll call her and she will come running
and fall in his arms and the tears will fall down and she'll pray

i want to fall in love with you

sitting silent wearing sunday best
the sermon echoes through the walls
a great salvation through it calls to the people
who stare into nowhere, and can't feel the chains on their souls

he's more than the laughter or the stars in the heavens
as close a heartbeat or a song on our lips
someday we'll trust him and learn how to see him
someday he'll call us and we will come running
and fall in his arms and the tears will fall down and we'll pray

i want to fall in love with you

it seems too easy to call you "Savior"
not close enough to call you "God"
so as i sit and think of words i can mention
to show my devotion

i want to fall in love with you

my heart beats for you

-Jars of Clay-

May our attitude be that of Christ - Exploring Oursleves

I just read this really cool article on another blog called "Deep Calls to Deep". Click the link below to read it. It's not too long and it's so neat!

May our attitude be that of Christ - Exploring Oursleves

“Float Her Basket Over the Sea”

This last week I’ve pretty much been listening to one song over and over again. It’s a song called “the orphan” by the Newsboys. It’s a beautiful song musically and lyrically, and this time…I can’t let you just get away with reading the lyrics. The song is full of beautiful imagery about Moses and Abraham that will bring a smile to your face. You can listen to the song by right clicking on the link below and selecting “open”.

The Orphan

And here are the lyrics so you can read as you listen:

maybe I push when I'm meant to be still

maybe I take it all to personal

Jesus, how to reconcile

the joyful noise

the ancient land

the tug from some invisible hand

the dying mother weaving bulrushes

along the Nile

CHORUS:

float her basket over the sea

here on a barren shore

we'll be waiting for

a tailwind to carry her (an) orphan's cry

don't you worry, child

I wrote a lullaby

I try to settle, but I just pass through

a rain dog, gypsy

a wandering Jew

all those homes were not ours

then I slept one night

in Abraham's field

and dreamt there was no moon

the night he died

counting stars

Selah

- CHORUS -

BRIDGE:

building you a home

building you a home

building you a home

we're building you a home

Selah

- CHORUS -

float her basket over the sea

here on a barren shore

we'll be waiting for

a tailwind to bring us your sweet cry

don't you worry, child

I'm gonna sing you a lullaby

So at the beginning of the week I didn’t get the song at all. I figured out that the song was mostly about how Moses’ mom put him in a basket and floated him out into the Nile river, but other than that I really didn’t know what it was about. Especially, when it almost out of no where throws in Abraham. Now I could explain to you all of the awesome imagery about Moses and Abraham, but I am going to focus on the first line of the chorus since that is what really spoke to me this week.

As written in the book of Exodus, Pharaoh decides that the Jews are getting to be too numerous in the land of Egypt and so he decides to kill all of the baby boys. Among the baby boys was 3-month-year-old Moses. When Moses’ mother could no longer hide him from the Egyptians and certain death, she made a basket, placed him in it, and put it in the Nile river.

It was the song above that prompted me to really think about what Moses’ mother would have been thinking and feeling as she did this. She was probably full of anxiety as she hid Moses in her house for fear that the next knock on the door would be Egyptian soldiers come to search her house for the child. She must have loved Moses so dearly and the worst thing that could happen was for him to be killed by the Egyptians. She loved this child so much that she took a huge leap of faith to protect him. It was a sacrifice that was probably harder for her than any other, and that was… to give the child up to the Nile river. Can you imagine having to place your own child or a dearly loved one into a basket and float them out into the sea?

Where this song and this story really hit home for me, is how they apply to my life. I spent this last week thinking about the things and the people that are dear to me. Those things are sometimes things that take God’s place in my life when I’m not careful, be they blessings or not. And so the chorus of this song became a call to sweet surrender for me. “Float her basket over the sea…” Who or what do I love that I need to be willing to let go of? Who or what do I need to place in that basket in faith that I may never see them again? What a beautiful picture of surrender! To put those that I love and even myself in that surrendered position of all vulnerability, is the call I received from this song.

There are so many things that I felt drawn to place in that basket. Like my friends, family, relationships, time, strength, mind, heart, and everything! By doing so, I will be the orphan. It’s scary and challenging at the same time. Can I surrender all of this and trust that God will guide my basket boat safely to shore? Absolutely. God is a trustworthy and faithful God to the infinite degree. Though it seem like a daunting daily task, we are called to be living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God (Romans 12:1). Will you join with me and together “float her basket over the sea”?

Nearsighted or Farsighted?

2 Corinthians 4: 16-18, 5:1-10

¹⁶Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

¹Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. ²Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, ³because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. ⁴For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

⁶Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. ⁷We live by faith, not by sight. ⁸We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. ¹⁰For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

When I read this passage of scripture this last week, I realized something about myself. I am nearsighted. What I mean is that, I often find myself starring at what I can see right in front of me. By the Hand of Providence, I’ve got a lot of things right in front of me that are not fun. Things like trials, testing, and struggles have been put in my path for a very good reason…but these things that are right in front of me are affecting me tremendously physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. I keep finding myself tired, thirsty, slowed, and because of it all, somewhat despairing. Quite the opposite of verse 16, I have lost heart seeing only the outward wasting away and the temporary that is right before my eyes. When hope morphs into anxiety and worry, it’s a good indicator that you need to refocus your hope.

Out of all the verses here my favorite is verse 17. It says that “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” What a wonderful perspective! I realize that compared to the future in heaven that I have awaiting me, my present trials are in fact “light and momentary”. Heaven will be forever and the things I struggle with are temporary. Compared to the awesome joy of every day with Jesus Christ in eternity, the hardships and pain that I experience are an easy and light load to bear.

What Paul is saying is that we need to have this perspective! He is saying: “This is the perspective that we have! We are not looking to the things right in front of us, but we are trusting in things that we can’t yet see!” “¹⁸So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.” (18) In Chapter 5, Paul goes on to give an example of what he is talking about. He describes his longing to live in the heavenly country awaiting him. Like a line out of a popular Switchfoot song, “I want more than this lonely nation.” Paul is trying to clue us in to the place and the One with whom our hopes should lie. When we place our hope in Jesus Christ and in the eternal life ahead of us, then our present struggles become

“light and momentary troubles”. In this time in my life, I need this perspective to survive, and just to make it by ok. I challenge you to look to the eternal glory ahead…the wonderful closeness to God that we will have when we reach that heavenly place! This will be the challenge ahead of me for the next little while! Let’s learn to be farsighted!

Waiting in the Blank

Psalm 13 is a member of the frequently-occurring category of psalm - the lament. Though only six verses, it features all the things found in laments that make us uneasy. It is a no-holds-barred prayer in which the psalmist affixes blame for his dire situation with God. In two verses, the psalmist levels four straight questions at God, all starting the same way: “How long?” It is an emphatic, even impolite, series of questions.

Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann warns against jumping to conclusions. Only to an outsider does this illustrate a failure of faith. On the contrary, it is, as Brueggemann writes, bold faith. Bold faith insists on presenting reality as it is experienced. It refuses to give a polite, edited-for-TV version. Prayers that arise from a contrived faith settle for a contrived god, a god who can’t handle the truth. Laments refuse to settle. They seek God and nothing less. Thus the jarring language.

If the first four verses of Psalm 13 are jarring for their boldness, the last two are jarring for their rejoicing. Like many laments, this psalm takes a 180-degree turn. “But I trust in your unfailing love,” writes the psalmist. “My heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord's name, for he has been good to me” (TNIV).

All attempts to explain this about-face are conjecture. But I would suggest we note something. Between the last line of verse four and the first of verse five, note the horizontal strip of blank, white page. For those of you without Bibles handy, it kind of looks like this:



Now granted, blank strips like this appear hundreds of times in the psalms, separating hundreds of verses. On the surface, this one is no different.

However, I wonder how much time is tucked into that blank strip. Obviously things changed for the psalmist between verses four and five. How long did it take for that change to come? Before the rejoicing began? How many days passed in which verses one through four were the extent of his prayer and beyond that was just an unbounded blank? Maybe that blank space covers months. Maybe it took years before the joyous change in his situation compelled the psalmist to compose those final lines.

We don’t know. Even as these laments ask “How long?” over and over, they seem dead set against giving specifics. They give us only blank spaces. At the same time, this psalm is showing us how to live inside those blank spaces - wide, narrow or in-between. What do we do? We wait. We wait on God. Whether we wait patiently depends on what we mean by “patient.” We are patient in the sense that we refuse to give up on God and settle for second-rate alternatives. In other words, we refuse to dull the pain of blankness with alcohol or mindless entertainment. We refuse to simply distract ourselves with busyness. We don’t want to be numb (despite its appeal); we want what the alternatives can’t deliver: rejoicing. So we endure the blank.

Not that we like it. The blank always sucks. But here’s where the laments prove helpful. Their purpose is not to put us at ease with emptiness and the absence of God. (If anything, they increase our discontent.) Their purpose is, first of all, to give us permission to speak honestly with God about that discontent, even if it’s at the expense of politeness. Second, they remind us that the blank always comes to an end. God comes.

The question is simply a matter of how long. (How long? How long, O Lord? How long?)

Jesus himself gives us an example of faith that, rather than avoiding the blanks, endures them. As he agonized on the cross, on the precipice of the great blank space of death, he cried out in lament, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22). To link our faith to his is, again, simply to trust the blank is not infinite. We wait, looking again and again to Jesus’ resurrection. It is in the resurrection that Jesus binds the blank spaces, puts them under his authority and assigns their limits.

In the resurrection, faith finds boldness and hope in rejoicing.

-Mark Roeda (found on relevantmagazine.com)

Be Still, My Soul

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.

Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, be leaving, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.

-Ka­tha­ri­na A. von Schlegel

Let the Heart Cry Louder than Emotion

God,
It seems like now is one of those moments where everything seems so big that I need to just be still and know that You are God. How can I possibly watch over everything? No matter how much I could try I know I would still fall short of living right in at least one way. Sometimes I wish that I could have it all together for even five minutes. What a beautiful way to draw me close! Not just for a moment but for a lifetime. I keep asking for the gain, the rewards, the growth, and the intimacy with You, and I keep getting trials, tests, dissatisfaction, and pain. And now I realize the beauty of it all. All of the hardships You have placed in my life are designed to make me run to You. I keep having to draw nearer and nearer still just to "do ok" in life, and now I realize that You are answering my prayers. Lord, don't stop! Continue to challenge me and test me and try me! Refine me with the hottest of flames! Though it be more difficult than anything I will ever experience, take me through it...to purify me, to cause growth in me, to strengthen me, to make more like You, to draw me closer in relationship to You, to know and understand Your heart better. I know that You will carry me through every circumstance that You place in my path. For You are a God who leads His people into difficult places...but You go with them. Just as You lead the Israelites to the edge of the Red Sea and seeming death only to have them walk through it with a wall of water on the left and the right. Just as You let Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendego enter into the fiery furnace only to endure the heat with them and bring them out entirely unscathed. And now pondering who You are is giving me that too big for the mind feeling again. I must simply be still and know that You are...God.

Knowing You

All I once held dear, built my life upon

All this world reveres, and wars to own

All I once thought gain, I have counted loss

Spent and worthless now, compared to this

Knowing you, Jesus, knowing you

There is no greater thing

You're my all, you're the best

You're my joy, my righteousness

And I love you Lord

Now my heart's desire, is to know you more

To be found in you, and known as yours

To possess by faith, what I could not earn

All surpassing gift, of righteousness

Knowing you, Jesus, knowing you

There is no greater thing

You're my all, you're the best

You're my joy, my righteousness

And I love you Lord

Oh to know the power of your risen life

And to know you in your sufferings

To become like you in your death my Lord

So with you to live and never die

Knowing you, Jesus, knowing you

There is no greater thing

You're my all, you're the best

You're my joy, my righteousness

And I love you Lord

“Bring Forth the Royal Diadem, and Crown Him Lord of All”

Today I was reading from a book called “The Pursuit of the Holy” by J. Oswald Sanders, and I was really struck by an illustration that he used. The chapter I was reading was dealing with the Lordship of Christ, a term that I’ve heard many times before but never really understood. Sanders deeply challenges his readers to examine their hearts to determine whether Christ is in fact the Lord of their lives.

It’s so easy to put Christ on the throne of our lives in one moment and then replace Him with something or someone in the next. Christ is in fact Lord of all. He has a right to the throne of our lives and our hearts, and doubly so because of His sacrifice on the cross. Both who He is and what He has done demand the position of King, the position of Lord in our lives.

I was challenged to think again about what it means to call Jesus my Lord. I think Christians get so used to throwing that word around that they often forget its meaning. To call Him Lord is to say that you have surrendered everything to Him. To call Him Lord is to acknowledge both His salvation unto us and His continuing sovereignty over us. I can honestly say that I have loosely called Him Lord on many occasions when I wasn’t giving Him that place in my heart.

To bow down and humble yourself before God and submit to Him as Lord of your life is an ongoing battle. It’s a battle to be willing to do this and then a battle to succeed in doing this. It’s also scary too. The thought of losing control and giving everything to God is incredibly terrifying. However, His Word says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Pr. 3:5-6)

With the wonderful promise of a straight path before us, we can trust God as the Lord of our lives. In his book, Sanders tells an awesome story that brings this truth to life:

“The organist in a village in Germany was playing some music of Mendelssohn, and was not playing it very well. A stranger, hearing the music, crept into the church and sat in the dimness of the back pew, where he heard the imperfections of the organist’s performance. When he ceased playing and prepared to depart, the stranger said, “Sir, would you allow me to play the organ for a little while?”

“Certainly not,” was the surly answer. “I never allow anyone to touch the organ but myself.”

“I should be so grateful if you would give me the privilege,” persisted the stranger.

Again he met with gruff refusal. The third time his appeal was allowed, but most ungraciously.

The stranger sat down, adjusted the stops, and began to play the same piece, but with what a difference. It seemed as if the whole church was filled with heavenly music.

The organist looked askance and asked, “Who are you?”

Modestly the stranger replied, “I am Mendelssohn.”

“What,” cried the organist in deep mortification, “did I refuse you to play on my organ?”

That is what we do with Christ when we refuse Him the opportunity to take the instrument of our redeemed personalities, and bring out the harmonies of heaven.”

Wow! Isn’t that awesome?! What a difference it makes when we let the creator of humanity itself be the Lord of our lives. This week, I would encourage you to join me in reflecting upon these questions: Do I have the desire to submit to Christ’s supreme Lordship over me? Am I letting Christ take His rightful throne as the Lord of my life? Am I succeeding in keeping Christ on the throne of my life and everything else off of the throne from moment to moment? May God challenge you through this and bring you to a deeper understanding of yourself and of Him.