“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” 1 John 3:1-4
This passage has been so heavy on my mind and heart for a while now, it has become so personal and dear to me and I hope it will do the same for you.
Looking into this passage more, I was struck by Barnes’ commentary, which says:
“Behold, what manner of love - What love, in "kind" and in "degree." In kind the most tender and the most ennobling, in adopting us into His family, and in permitting us to address Him as our Father; in "degree" the most exalted, since there is no higher love that can be shown than in adopting a poor and friendless orphan, and giving him a parent and a home. Even God could bestow upon us no more valuable token of affection than that we should be adopted into His family, and permitted to regard Him as our Father. When we remember how insignificant we are as creatures, and how ungrateful, rebellious, and vile we have been as sinners, we may well be amazed at the love which would adopt us into the holy family of God, so that we may be regarded and treated as the children of the Most High. A prince could manifest no higher love for a wandering, ragged, vicious orphan boy, found in the streets, than by adopting him into his own family, and admitting him to the same privileges and honors as his own sons; and yet this would be a trifle compared with the honor which God has bestowed on us.”
A couple my family is close with just recently adopted a brother and a sister from Russia who were just ready to start middle school, after the papers were completed and they were with out a doubt going to be their parents legally (they even called them mom and dad before the adoption process was finished) there were still a few things that had to be worked out. During this few month period they would fly out and see the children in Russia as much as they could. Then finally they were able to come back to America with them, as their children.
“And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” Romans 8:23
This was honestly such an amazing picture of how God has adopted us as children, though we call him “Father” we can not yet go to be with him, but we have complete assurance that he isn’t going to change his mind. When he seems far away, he isn’t, when it seems as though we are fatherless, we have a perfect father who attends to our every need and loves us beyond comparison to any earthly father ever could, for this I am truly thankful. It’s kind of amazing really, that God takes us in as sons and daughters. We are His children, beloved and taken in, once sons of the evil one and disobedience (Ephesians 2) we are now sons of the God almighty, who cares for us specifically, he knows every weakness and each pain and he never disappoints in his dealings with them.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” Ephesians 1:3-6
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4-5
Though we may have imperfect fathers on earth, we have a perfect Father in heaven who has loved us indescribably since the beginning.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Sunday, July 1, 2012
The Strive for "Happiness"
There is very much to be said on wanting to be 'happy', maybe, just perhaps, we are not meant to be 'happy', for it is quite the fleeting thing, the quickest to diminish of all emotions. It is taken by the slightest failings, by the most minor of upsets. Perhaps, I'm thinking, gratitude truly has nothings to do with what we could have and more about recognizing what we do have, for, well, what it is. Rejoicing in the small victories and being captivated in the ability to strive in merely be human. Perchance when we are thankful for the things we know, and for the things we don't (that somehow we often think we ought), that is when we find joy, possibly gratitude has nothing to do with joy, rather in the recognition and contentment in what is. Joy lasts because it rests in reality, truth. Really, sometimes I do believe that at the end of the day, the fact that we still have the courage and desire to remain standing is reason enough for joy.
"O man in depths, rise, do you not know the love of the Eternal One pours through your quenched soul. Though you fail, he fails not. Though you are brought low, has esteemed you to the highest of honor?"
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Jerry Bridges on Faithfulness
"The faithful person is one who is dependable, trustworthy, and loyal, who can be depended upon in all of his relationships, and who is absolutely honest and ethical in all of his affairs. God wants us to be dependable even when it costs us. This is what distinguishes godly faithfulness from the ordinary dependability of secular society." -Jerry Bridges
I was reminded of this quote the other day, when for once in my life I shut down all the assignments and internet pages on my computer and saw it on a "sticky-note." It's honestly one of my favorite quotes and a concept we can all ought to strive for.
Faithfulness.
One thing I am continually amazed by is God's faithfulness, truly through every trial, suffering and heartache, we can fully rely on the fact that God is perfectly reliable, without any deviation in his response to what he has promised.
Yes, without a doubt this is our God, I could go on and on about it, in fact I think I have before. But what I really am wondering is, are we? Reading through what Jerry Bridges says about faithfulness again I cannot help but think of what a high calling that is. To be perfectly dependable and trustworthy, loyal to those around us in a manner that they can rely on us....even when it costs us? We cannot simply compare ourselves to the rest of society and be satisfied in our dependability because it may meet the world's standards. No, it's godly faithfulness that we are called to strive for. So, let us deny ourselves and our wants and seek to be faithful, dependable, and steadfast in what we are currently being called to do...because in the end, don't we all want to hear "Well done good and faithful servant."?
Friday, December 16, 2011
Standing Firm in the Storm
”Trials always change our relationship with God. Either they drive us to Him, or they drive us away from Him. The extent of our fear of Him and our awareness of His love for us determine in which direction we will move.”
-Jerry Bridges, The Practice of Godliness
Trails, suffering, hardships, burdens; they lace through our lives, crushing us, tempting us to just give it all up, drown in depression, and let go of all hope. Mother’s with cancer, parents dying, losing all we have, friendships torn apart, car accidents, illness…these afflictions come and we stand there like Job, with a choice, we can curse God or run to Him.
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.”-2 Corinthians 4:7-12
We have a God of all comfort, all strength, all power, all sovereignty, he does not leave us or forsake us, our hope is in all of heaven and our foundation is on Him who will not be moved. James says we can count it as “all joy,” in our trials all possible hope surrounds us and leads us to see what lies ahead. Such grace is shown to us in these momentary sorrows and we have a grace beyond anything imaginable, a grace that brings not tears to our eyes but wipes away each one, comforting us.
Now, before straying to far, this is not meaning we sit there and expect all comfort and ease, (http://ashleynicolecaptivated.blogspot.com/2010/03/as-he-removes-his-robes-of.html or http://ashleynicolecaptivated.blogspot.com/2011/06/walking-according-to-law.html) rather let us be faithful as He is faithful, we find comfort in our obedience, knowing that He gives us strength.
Where do we begin when trials come our way? We must begin before they come. If Christ is not first and foremost our foundation, where do we expect to stand when the waves of trials come. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “If Jesus be our hope for everything, except one thing, we shall utterly fail, because in that one point we shall come to nought…Beware of mixing even a little of self with the mortar with which you build, or you will make it untempered mortar, and the stones will not hold together.” If our foundation in daily living is filled not fully of Christ and him alone, one mix of our worldly desires or strongholds will quickly crumble under the weight and so will we. Jesus is our all in all, our everything, daily we must trust and rely on Him through prayer, reading his word and obedience.
Secondly, where is your hope? Do you hope in the things to come of a life that will sooner vanish than smoke here on earth? Or are we longing, yearning, even desperate for heaven? Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." If our hope and steadfast longing does not dwell in heaven than we fail to see how our trials here prepare us for the “eternal weight of glory,” that Paul mentions here and the things unseen will seem as something less than those seen. Let us let go of what we so desperately cling to here on this earth, what causes sin in our lives or what you say “I hope I have this before I die…” and exchange it for the thought and true desire for the glory that awaits us as Paul says in Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
Last of all; let us remember what we have been given when trials come our way. Unlike the world who seeks after faulty understanding, we have been given the mind of Christ, we have all wisdom and understanding through him who created and is sovereign over all trials and test in our lives. Let us look at what 1 Corinthians 2:14-16 says,
“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”
The most common phrase that a person who has encountered trials says is, “What do I do now?” Well, as Christians we are given the wisdom and understanding of Christ, God so desires to give his people wisdom, we just need to seek it! When trials come do we first think to what action would please or glorify God first? Let us run to having the same mindset and action of Christ in life’s circumstances, Paul while in prison began to sing hymns, worshipping God even in his trials, how are we seeking to do the same? Our attitudes so affect how we over come in trials, Oswald Chambers said, “We all know people who have been made much meaner and more irritable and more intolerable to live with by suffering: it is not right to say that all suffering perfects. It only perfects one type of person...the one who accepts the call of God in Christ Jesus.” Will we so be those people in trials? Let us strive for endurance and growth in trials, to endure is to never resort to a sinful means in trials, but to overcome in obedience and joyfulness in the Lord.
I leave you with the exhortation in James when it comes to your trials and encouragement to know that no man suffers alone, when we are tempted and tried, know that men before us have so been through the same and overcame these trials and affliction through Christ, and I with great confidence tell you He will do the same through us.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”- James 1:2-4
-Jerry Bridges, The Practice of Godliness
Trails, suffering, hardships, burdens; they lace through our lives, crushing us, tempting us to just give it all up, drown in depression, and let go of all hope. Mother’s with cancer, parents dying, losing all we have, friendships torn apart, car accidents, illness…these afflictions come and we stand there like Job, with a choice, we can curse God or run to Him.
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.”-2 Corinthians 4:7-12
We have a God of all comfort, all strength, all power, all sovereignty, he does not leave us or forsake us, our hope is in all of heaven and our foundation is on Him who will not be moved. James says we can count it as “all joy,” in our trials all possible hope surrounds us and leads us to see what lies ahead. Such grace is shown to us in these momentary sorrows and we have a grace beyond anything imaginable, a grace that brings not tears to our eyes but wipes away each one, comforting us.
Now, before straying to far, this is not meaning we sit there and expect all comfort and ease, (http://ashleynicolecaptivated.blogspot.com/2010/03/as-he-removes-his-robes-of.html or http://ashleynicolecaptivated.blogspot.com/2011/06/walking-according-to-law.html) rather let us be faithful as He is faithful, we find comfort in our obedience, knowing that He gives us strength.
Where do we begin when trials come our way? We must begin before they come. If Christ is not first and foremost our foundation, where do we expect to stand when the waves of trials come. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “If Jesus be our hope for everything, except one thing, we shall utterly fail, because in that one point we shall come to nought…Beware of mixing even a little of self with the mortar with which you build, or you will make it untempered mortar, and the stones will not hold together.” If our foundation in daily living is filled not fully of Christ and him alone, one mix of our worldly desires or strongholds will quickly crumble under the weight and so will we. Jesus is our all in all, our everything, daily we must trust and rely on Him through prayer, reading his word and obedience.
Secondly, where is your hope? Do you hope in the things to come of a life that will sooner vanish than smoke here on earth? Or are we longing, yearning, even desperate for heaven? Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." If our hope and steadfast longing does not dwell in heaven than we fail to see how our trials here prepare us for the “eternal weight of glory,” that Paul mentions here and the things unseen will seem as something less than those seen. Let us let go of what we so desperately cling to here on this earth, what causes sin in our lives or what you say “I hope I have this before I die…” and exchange it for the thought and true desire for the glory that awaits us as Paul says in Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
Last of all; let us remember what we have been given when trials come our way. Unlike the world who seeks after faulty understanding, we have been given the mind of Christ, we have all wisdom and understanding through him who created and is sovereign over all trials and test in our lives. Let us look at what 1 Corinthians 2:14-16 says,
“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”
The most common phrase that a person who has encountered trials says is, “What do I do now?” Well, as Christians we are given the wisdom and understanding of Christ, God so desires to give his people wisdom, we just need to seek it! When trials come do we first think to what action would please or glorify God first? Let us run to having the same mindset and action of Christ in life’s circumstances, Paul while in prison began to sing hymns, worshipping God even in his trials, how are we seeking to do the same? Our attitudes so affect how we over come in trials, Oswald Chambers said, “We all know people who have been made much meaner and more irritable and more intolerable to live with by suffering: it is not right to say that all suffering perfects. It only perfects one type of person...the one who accepts the call of God in Christ Jesus.” Will we so be those people in trials? Let us strive for endurance and growth in trials, to endure is to never resort to a sinful means in trials, but to overcome in obedience and joyfulness in the Lord.
I leave you with the exhortation in James when it comes to your trials and encouragement to know that no man suffers alone, when we are tempted and tried, know that men before us have so been through the same and overcame these trials and affliction through Christ, and I with great confidence tell you He will do the same through us.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”- James 1:2-4
Monday, September 12, 2011
Homeward Bound
Something recent has come to my attention, I’ve come to truly appreciate this little item, that may seem so small but means so much….it’s the “lives in” verses “hometown” information option on Facebook. After recently moving to Santa Clarita to attend the Master’s College I myself changing my residency information on Facebook and noticed that I could put “hometown” and one my profile it comes up as “from.” Later that day a friend came up to my room and talking with my roommate said, “Never call this home, this is temporary.”
“The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.”- 1 Corinthians 15:47-49
Too often we as Christians become comfortable with this world, calling it our home, living in it and sometimes sadly, of it. We do not think to ourselves enough to never call this world home, to remember that it is only temporary, we are not of this world, but rather we are of heaven.
The day that you repented of your old life and proclaimed Christ as Lord, placing your faith in Him for salvation is the day you left this world and became a citizen of heaven. Do we understand the cost of this citizenship? Do we understand the depth of which we have it? We have citizenship on three different levels:
1. Purchased- Christ, on the cross, paid the price for sins, taking on all the wrath God, purchased us for ransom, that we might become citizens with him. 1 Corinthians 6:20 mentions how we were bought with a price, we were bought from this world by Christ to become a part of heaven.
2. Birth- To enter into heaven we must be born again as Christ said to Nicodemus in John 3:3. To be born into citizenship is to have a natural right in it.
3. Adoption- The last level of citizenship is adoption, to be chosen, hand picked for the kingdom. We did nothing in this adoption, we were in no way attractive, and this is not something comparable to a family picking out the puppy at the pound. Rather Ezekiel 16 gives the description of us in verse 5 as those who, “No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.” In this state he chose us and adopted us as sons, to be in his kingdom.
We live in a world we are not apart of, set apart from those in it Philippians 3:19-21 states, “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” So, if our belonging is not here but in heaven, what do we do now? We will be made glorious when he returns, so do we just live here now with the mindset of heaven? No! Rather we strive to live now as citizens! 1 Peter 2:11 urges us “as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” We are to run far from what this world is living for and live for heaven, acting like we belong there.
Spurgeon states that, “If, then, we are thus citizens of heaven, let our walk and actions be consistent with our high dignity.” Let us think through our lives, cutting out what looks of the world, what causes us to call this place “home.” As Christians we are not to be comfortable with this earth, but longing for what lies ahead, perfection, which is Christ likeness, so let us press on toward that goal keeping our mind on heavenly things.
As for Master’s I love it here, I take care of my dorm, care for those around me and follow what I’m called and told to do here, but I look forward and even long for when I can go home.
“Every Christian could have “heaven” as their hometown on facebook.’-Bobby Blakey
“The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.”- 1 Corinthians 15:47-49
Too often we as Christians become comfortable with this world, calling it our home, living in it and sometimes sadly, of it. We do not think to ourselves enough to never call this world home, to remember that it is only temporary, we are not of this world, but rather we are of heaven.
The day that you repented of your old life and proclaimed Christ as Lord, placing your faith in Him for salvation is the day you left this world and became a citizen of heaven. Do we understand the cost of this citizenship? Do we understand the depth of which we have it? We have citizenship on three different levels:
1. Purchased- Christ, on the cross, paid the price for sins, taking on all the wrath God, purchased us for ransom, that we might become citizens with him. 1 Corinthians 6:20 mentions how we were bought with a price, we were bought from this world by Christ to become a part of heaven.
2. Birth- To enter into heaven we must be born again as Christ said to Nicodemus in John 3:3. To be born into citizenship is to have a natural right in it.
3. Adoption- The last level of citizenship is adoption, to be chosen, hand picked for the kingdom. We did nothing in this adoption, we were in no way attractive, and this is not something comparable to a family picking out the puppy at the pound. Rather Ezekiel 16 gives the description of us in verse 5 as those who, “No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.” In this state he chose us and adopted us as sons, to be in his kingdom.
We live in a world we are not apart of, set apart from those in it Philippians 3:19-21 states, “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” So, if our belonging is not here but in heaven, what do we do now? We will be made glorious when he returns, so do we just live here now with the mindset of heaven? No! Rather we strive to live now as citizens! 1 Peter 2:11 urges us “as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” We are to run far from what this world is living for and live for heaven, acting like we belong there.
Spurgeon states that, “If, then, we are thus citizens of heaven, let our walk and actions be consistent with our high dignity.” Let us think through our lives, cutting out what looks of the world, what causes us to call this place “home.” As Christians we are not to be comfortable with this earth, but longing for what lies ahead, perfection, which is Christ likeness, so let us press on toward that goal keeping our mind on heavenly things.
As for Master’s I love it here, I take care of my dorm, care for those around me and follow what I’m called and told to do here, but I look forward and even long for when I can go home.
“Every Christian could have “heaven” as their hometown on facebook.’-Bobby Blakey
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Walking According to the Law
In the High School ministry I serve at we’ve been reading through the Psalms and just finished 119 today on a little thing we call SOTD. It’s so encouraging to see a little over a hundred high schoolers get online to read God’s word and post a comment on what they learned from it, instead of just jumping onto Facebook, Youtube, or any other site. Check it out at:
http://www.churchforhighschoolers.com/!
Anyways back to the main thought for this blog, it’s been awhile but I’m looking forward to what God has planned for this summer in some brainstorms about a blog series on worship and some book reviews from the summer reading list.
But what’s always on the reading list is God’s word, everyday! Today we read Psalm 119:161-176 and verse 165 just jumped out at me. It says,
“Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.”
“Great peace,” that’s something we don’t expect to have in this life, I mean sure people always fight for peace (ironically enough) and search for it through various means but really you can search high and low, striving everyday of your life for peace but never find it unless you are found in Christ. He is called the “Prince of peace,” and we find our source of comfort in Him alone, especially through His word.
How are we doing in reading God’s word?
Are we just skimming though, maybe pondering on it, or not reading it at all? Or are we all about God’s word, hungering for it, studying it, looking for any moment of the day to get back to it?
Peace outside of God’s word is a hopeless endeavor.
In John 14:27 Christ says to his disciples,
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Why does God word bring us peace? It guides us in living upright and righteous lives! Ever notice how the less you sin, the more peace there is among you? The Psalmist does. He connects peace with avoiding stumbling in verse 165.
I love this analogy of walking rightly and not stumbling through loving God’s law, knowing it, studying it and obeying it daily guides us in the way we walk and not to stumble over certain sins.
Last night our church’s college ministry had a beach night and there was a log right in the middle of where everyone was walking or standing around talking. As I went to join in with a group I also ate it tripping over this log, and someone said, “Watch out for the stumbling block!” Unfortunately the warning was post almost eating sand, but someone came and removed the log far away from where anyone could trip on it again.
God’s word opens are eyes to what is causing us to stumble or could potentially cause us to. If someone had warned me before walking over there I would have carefully and thoughtfully walked around it. Proverbs 4:12 says how when our eyes are open to the path before us “when you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble.”
Not only does God’s word point out specific stumbling blocks but warns us that there will be many we are unaware of, if I had kept a close eye on how I was walking I could have kept from almost falling. When you study and begin to better understand God’s word “then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble.” (Proverbs 3:23)
Lastly, God word guides us to helping others to see and remove what stumbles them. We need to be helping out our brothers and sister in Christ, like my friend did in removing the log far from the group in pointing out their sins and helping them to remove them from their lives. Following what we read in Galatians 6:1 that says, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”
We need to be in God word to keep a path of walking that is right and pleasing to God, beginning to sin less and turn to guiding others in a path of righteousness. Donald Whitney said,
“Our bodies are inclined to ease, pleasure, gluttony, and sloth. Unless we practice self-control, our bodies will tend to serve evil more than God. We must carefully discipline ourselves in how we “walk” in this world, else we will conform more to its ways rather than to the ways of Christ."
“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”-Jude 1:24-25
http://www.churchforhighschoolers.com/!
Anyways back to the main thought for this blog, it’s been awhile but I’m looking forward to what God has planned for this summer in some brainstorms about a blog series on worship and some book reviews from the summer reading list.
But what’s always on the reading list is God’s word, everyday! Today we read Psalm 119:161-176 and verse 165 just jumped out at me. It says,
“Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.”
“Great peace,” that’s something we don’t expect to have in this life, I mean sure people always fight for peace (ironically enough) and search for it through various means but really you can search high and low, striving everyday of your life for peace but never find it unless you are found in Christ. He is called the “Prince of peace,” and we find our source of comfort in Him alone, especially through His word.
How are we doing in reading God’s word?
Are we just skimming though, maybe pondering on it, or not reading it at all? Or are we all about God’s word, hungering for it, studying it, looking for any moment of the day to get back to it?
Peace outside of God’s word is a hopeless endeavor.
In John 14:27 Christ says to his disciples,
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Why does God word bring us peace? It guides us in living upright and righteous lives! Ever notice how the less you sin, the more peace there is among you? The Psalmist does. He connects peace with avoiding stumbling in verse 165.
I love this analogy of walking rightly and not stumbling through loving God’s law, knowing it, studying it and obeying it daily guides us in the way we walk and not to stumble over certain sins.
Last night our church’s college ministry had a beach night and there was a log right in the middle of where everyone was walking or standing around talking. As I went to join in with a group I also ate it tripping over this log, and someone said, “Watch out for the stumbling block!” Unfortunately the warning was post almost eating sand, but someone came and removed the log far away from where anyone could trip on it again.
God’s word opens are eyes to what is causing us to stumble or could potentially cause us to. If someone had warned me before walking over there I would have carefully and thoughtfully walked around it. Proverbs 4:12 says how when our eyes are open to the path before us “when you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble.”
Not only does God’s word point out specific stumbling blocks but warns us that there will be many we are unaware of, if I had kept a close eye on how I was walking I could have kept from almost falling. When you study and begin to better understand God’s word “then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble.” (Proverbs 3:23)
Lastly, God word guides us to helping others to see and remove what stumbles them. We need to be helping out our brothers and sister in Christ, like my friend did in removing the log far from the group in pointing out their sins and helping them to remove them from their lives. Following what we read in Galatians 6:1 that says, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”
We need to be in God word to keep a path of walking that is right and pleasing to God, beginning to sin less and turn to guiding others in a path of righteousness. Donald Whitney said,
“Our bodies are inclined to ease, pleasure, gluttony, and sloth. Unless we practice self-control, our bodies will tend to serve evil more than God. We must carefully discipline ourselves in how we “walk” in this world, else we will conform more to its ways rather than to the ways of Christ."
“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”-Jude 1:24-25
Monday, April 25, 2011
All Dressed Up
So there is this weird trend I’ve noticed on my school campus, people all dressed up. And not just “Oh, they look nice,” kind of way but more of a in-between prom and extremely nice dinner dressing. I keep thinking, what are they trying to be ready for? And then today it hit me, “dressed for action.” I should probably mention this is happening in the fine arts area of the school, where theater, vocal, and instrumental classes and performances take place. These people are constantly ready to look nice for ANYTHING that comes their way, they are ready to be performing at any time, because that’s what they are, performers!
But they aren’t the only ones being called to be ready at all times, in Luke 12:35 we see Jesus tell us to be staying “dressed for action.” You may be thinking, “Okay Ashley, but these performers are told what to wear so they can be ready, how am I as a Christian supposed to adhere to dress code?” Glad you asked cause in Ephesians 6 Paul tells us!
He writes,
“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” –Ephesians 6:13-18a
(I’d love to go into detail about each of these pieces to the full armor of God but John MacArthur did a wonderful series on this passage which you can find, read, and listen to at the “Grace to You” website.)
Are you ready Christian? “Ready for what?” you may ask. Performers are ready to be on stage and perform, Christians are ready for battle, spiritual battle that is, in the full text of Ephesians 6:10-20 we see the battle Paul is addressing, here’s what I left out:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places…To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”-Ephesians 6:10-12, 18b-20
There is a spiritual warfare going on both in our flesh and outside! Are we ready to stand and fight?
I end with some encouragement from Charles Spurgeon on the thought of war,
“We are not alarmed because Satan hindereth us, for it is proof that we are on the Lord’s side and are doing the Lord’s work and in His strength we shall win the victory and triumph over our adversary.”
May we not try to fight this battle alone, but like small children who looked towards their parents to be dressed each day, depend on our Father for the defense we need.
But they aren’t the only ones being called to be ready at all times, in Luke 12:35 we see Jesus tell us to be staying “dressed for action.” You may be thinking, “Okay Ashley, but these performers are told what to wear so they can be ready, how am I as a Christian supposed to adhere to dress code?” Glad you asked cause in Ephesians 6 Paul tells us!
He writes,
“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” –Ephesians 6:13-18a
(I’d love to go into detail about each of these pieces to the full armor of God but John MacArthur did a wonderful series on this passage which you can find, read, and listen to at the “Grace to You” website.)
Are you ready Christian? “Ready for what?” you may ask. Performers are ready to be on stage and perform, Christians are ready for battle, spiritual battle that is, in the full text of Ephesians 6:10-20 we see the battle Paul is addressing, here’s what I left out:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places…To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”-Ephesians 6:10-12, 18b-20
There is a spiritual warfare going on both in our flesh and outside! Are we ready to stand and fight?
I end with some encouragement from Charles Spurgeon on the thought of war,
“We are not alarmed because Satan hindereth us, for it is proof that we are on the Lord’s side and are doing the Lord’s work and in His strength we shall win the victory and triumph over our adversary.”
May we not try to fight this battle alone, but like small children who looked towards their parents to be dressed each day, depend on our Father for the defense we need.
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