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!