You may wonder why I did two days today. Well, we got two days behind over the course of the 40 days and I was compelled to continue on today! So...
Day XXXIX: As You Go
Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
God entrusts us to reach the world and help take his kingdom message to the planet. Us?
Yes, us. Not angels, us.
One of my personal favorite and very true quotes:
"It's not your ability, but your availability."
"Jesus begins his last word to his guys by reminding them that he's the boss. All authority in heaven and on earth is his. That's a lot! So what he says goes, and what he says is "Go.""
Jesus calls us to make disciples. "Not pew sitters, disciples. Not retreat goers, disciples. Not people who just buy Christian CDs and books, but people who obey Jesus Christ. The law of nature is like produces like... You and I can't produce disciples if we aren't disciples ourselves, and the level of commitment of those we influence is seldom higher than our own... If you and I want people to follow Christ, we have to live and breathe the grace and truth of Jesus."
I work with middle school ministry. I have had the most wonderful opportunity to share my life with my students. Our words and our actions make profound statements about what we believe. My girls are impacted by me and my decisions. If I am not rooted in Christ, they will not see Christ in my life. Let's get rooted!!
Day XL: The Next Step
Matthew 16:24-27
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done."
"Jesus calls us to make choices about him, about ourselves, and about how we live. If it doesn't shake us up from time to time, we must already be dead!.. Let God change your identity, and you'll never be the same."
Yes, Satan will always be scheming and distracting us from Christ, but if we are aware and on guard we will know how to respond to danger (1 Peter 5:8).
Making a decision for Christ isn't a one time thing, it's every day. We see this as Demas and Paul near the end of their lives. Demas' heart shifted from Christ to this world. He allowed the devil to get a foothold(Col 4:14, 2 Tim 4:10). Paul, however, plowed through life's struggles and strained through daily obedience because he was looking for the age to come.
2 Timothy 4:6-8
Paul's Last Words before he was martyred in Rome.
For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Where will you stand on the day of judgement? How will you prepare for the Kingdom? We are in the womb of eternity, let's GO and make disciples!
November 19, 2009
November 17, 2009
Day XXXVII: A Fork In the Road
"Jim Elliot experienced the grace of God, and that grace worked deep into his soul. He wanted more than anything in the world for his life to count for God... His passion was for God to work through him in a powerful way, and that God would get the glory for it all. Elliot realized that ministry consists of a series of moments of crossroads in people's lives. In these moments, they make choices.... Elliot prayed: Father, make me a crisis man. Bring those I contact into a decision. Let me not be a milepost on a single road; make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me."
Jim Elliot had radical commitment to radically different leader, Jesus. This is different than a political cause... like that in the Middle East. Those suicide bombers are radically committed to killing people... just goes to show that radical doesn't mean much. But wait.
"A radical commitment to Jesus Christ is different: It combines zeal with compassion, conviction about the cause with kindness. Jesus said some really hard things to those who opposed him, but he reached out a hand of love to everyone, even those who despised him... [Like Jesus, the Apostle Paul's] toughness was awesome, but so was his gentleness... That combination of zeal and compassion is what makes us different form political zealots around the world."
Matthew 18:1-6
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
"I think that Jesus means that real spiritual strength comes from enjoying being loved by our Heavenly Father, having a simple heart of trust in the Father, and not being concerned with power and authority... If we have that kind of simple faith, God will use us in incredible ways, but if we are plotting to get power and recognition, God will oppose us (see 1 Peter 5:5)."
Jesus clearly displays how we should relate to people and how we should be more concerned with furthering the Kingdom that ourselves. There are some people in my life that pang my heart because they oppose God so much. They chase after empty endeavors in search of truth, but end up where they started: empty, hopeless, lost. These relationships are some of the most trying, but the most rewarding. The love for these people and the passion for the furthering the Kingdom are woven together in passionate prayers and humbled service. It's amazing how God orchestrates our friendships to teach us more about him and his image in us.
"The paradox is that we have the greatest impact for God when we don't care about fame, power, and approval. This is really good news for you and me. You see, this means we don't have to have a certain profile of ability for God to use us."
My personal favorite quote on the topic:
"It's not your ability, but your availability."
We are just called to be faithful in Christ in accordance to who we are in the body. Your spiritual gifts are made for a distinct purpose and your position is not important. In listening to him, he will use us and communicate his love and grace.
"You and I can be a fork in the road for people. As we live the grace and truth of Christ, it will ooze from every pore. When people met Jesus, they faced the truth about God and the truth about themselves. At that moment, they had a choice. Jesus never forced them to decide one way or the other. He simply loved them and pointed the way. In the same way, you and I have the unspeakable privilege to tell people about them. We don't have to push. We just need to be clear. We don't have to force a decision. They will make one on their own. God is in control."
Knowing God is ultimately in control is relieving, but sometimes extremely hard for me. Some days, I want to push my own agenda. However, it is in the spontaneous moments when the largest impacts are made. It's in being last and loving every person, all the time. We all know that can be a challenge in it self... but when we trust, oh the reward that is gained!
Psalm 56:3-4
When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?
So will you be a fork in the road or just a mile marker?
Jim Elliot had radical commitment to radically different leader, Jesus. This is different than a political cause... like that in the Middle East. Those suicide bombers are radically committed to killing people... just goes to show that radical doesn't mean much. But wait.
"A radical commitment to Jesus Christ is different: It combines zeal with compassion, conviction about the cause with kindness. Jesus said some really hard things to those who opposed him, but he reached out a hand of love to everyone, even those who despised him... [Like Jesus, the Apostle Paul's] toughness was awesome, but so was his gentleness... That combination of zeal and compassion is what makes us different form political zealots around the world."
Matthew 18:1-6
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
"I think that Jesus means that real spiritual strength comes from enjoying being loved by our Heavenly Father, having a simple heart of trust in the Father, and not being concerned with power and authority... If we have that kind of simple faith, God will use us in incredible ways, but if we are plotting to get power and recognition, God will oppose us (see 1 Peter 5:5)."
Jesus clearly displays how we should relate to people and how we should be more concerned with furthering the Kingdom that ourselves. There are some people in my life that pang my heart because they oppose God so much. They chase after empty endeavors in search of truth, but end up where they started: empty, hopeless, lost. These relationships are some of the most trying, but the most rewarding. The love for these people and the passion for the furthering the Kingdom are woven together in passionate prayers and humbled service. It's amazing how God orchestrates our friendships to teach us more about him and his image in us.
"The paradox is that we have the greatest impact for God when we don't care about fame, power, and approval. This is really good news for you and me. You see, this means we don't have to have a certain profile of ability for God to use us."
My personal favorite quote on the topic:
"It's not your ability, but your availability."
We are just called to be faithful in Christ in accordance to who we are in the body. Your spiritual gifts are made for a distinct purpose and your position is not important. In listening to him, he will use us and communicate his love and grace.
"You and I can be a fork in the road for people. As we live the grace and truth of Christ, it will ooze from every pore. When people met Jesus, they faced the truth about God and the truth about themselves. At that moment, they had a choice. Jesus never forced them to decide one way or the other. He simply loved them and pointed the way. In the same way, you and I have the unspeakable privilege to tell people about them. We don't have to push. We just need to be clear. We don't have to force a decision. They will make one on their own. God is in control."
Knowing God is ultimately in control is relieving, but sometimes extremely hard for me. Some days, I want to push my own agenda. However, it is in the spontaneous moments when the largest impacts are made. It's in being last and loving every person, all the time. We all know that can be a challenge in it self... but when we trust, oh the reward that is gained!
Psalm 56:3-4
When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?
So will you be a fork in the road or just a mile marker?
November 2, 2009
DayXXII: Be a Doer
James 1:22, 25
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says... But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
I grew up with the phrase, "You know what you should have done..." Now, we just joke about that phrase. However, this statement really brings me to the state of my heart: being critical. Instead of what someone else ought to do, what should I be doing.
The Pharisees focused on what one ought to do, they even wrote an entire manuscript about it: the Talmud. The Pharisees would do right, but not always with the right purpose. They failed to do God's law. They failed to be righteous on the inside, despite their outward appearance. They were hypocrites.
When I think of that phrase from my childhood, "You know what you should have done..." I think that phrase is missing the point, just like the Pharisees were missing the point.
Matthew 23:23
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former."
God knows our hearts and desires to affect every aspect of our lives. "His truth gives us direction about loving God and honoring him through forgiving those who have hurt us, reaching out to the lost, serving God, and how to handle our time and money. The word of God...challenges our hearts, our motives, our wallets, and our schedules. In fact, if the truth of God doesn't make a difference in these areas, we really aren't doers of the word at all. We're not even really good listeners."
Therefore, it is imperative that we dive into the word:
observe, interpret, and apply the truth.
Observation: What does the passage say?
Interpretation: What does it mean?
Application: What does it mean in my life?
"Application moves our feet and hands."
This October, I was jumping up and down with a sixth grade girl who just accepted Christ. We talked about what it meant to follow Christ and how to stay strong and persevere. She had always just flipped to a Bible passage and never read a book before. She was so encouraged to find that when you read a book, the context and the concepts help us understand the reality of what it means in our lives. Oh what an awesome moment! A life changed!
By applying God's word, we are strengthened, filled with joy, and continually desire more: more truth, more relationship, more.
James 1:19-27
19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says... But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
I grew up with the phrase, "You know what you should have done..." Now, we just joke about that phrase. However, this statement really brings me to the state of my heart: being critical. Instead of what someone else ought to do, what should I be doing.
The Pharisees focused on what one ought to do, they even wrote an entire manuscript about it: the Talmud. The Pharisees would do right, but not always with the right purpose. They failed to do God's law. They failed to be righteous on the inside, despite their outward appearance. They were hypocrites.
When I think of that phrase from my childhood, "You know what you should have done..." I think that phrase is missing the point, just like the Pharisees were missing the point.
Matthew 23:23
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former."
God knows our hearts and desires to affect every aspect of our lives. "His truth gives us direction about loving God and honoring him through forgiving those who have hurt us, reaching out to the lost, serving God, and how to handle our time and money. The word of God...challenges our hearts, our motives, our wallets, and our schedules. In fact, if the truth of God doesn't make a difference in these areas, we really aren't doers of the word at all. We're not even really good listeners."
Therefore, it is imperative that we dive into the word:
observe, interpret, and apply the truth.
Observation: What does the passage say?
Interpretation: What does it mean?
Application: What does it mean in my life?
"Application moves our feet and hands."
This October, I was jumping up and down with a sixth grade girl who just accepted Christ. We talked about what it meant to follow Christ and how to stay strong and persevere. She had always just flipped to a Bible passage and never read a book before. She was so encouraged to find that when you read a book, the context and the concepts help us understand the reality of what it means in our lives. Oh what an awesome moment! A life changed!
By applying God's word, we are strengthened, filled with joy, and continually desire more: more truth, more relationship, more.
James 1:19-27
19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
I want to be a doer, not just a hearer.
November 1, 2009
XXI: True Worship
Romans 12: 1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.
Every single thing we do to honor God is worship. It is a lifestyle.
When our life is honoring God, our actions and our words intersect. We intersect with God. Our lives are authentic. We have one life: not a home life, a church life, a school life, a work life, etc. One life.
In John 4, Jesus calls us to authentic worship. "Worship is turning your mind's attention and you're hearts affection to God. It's declaring, by word and deed, God's great goodness, power, and mercy."
So what about worship music?
"Worship songs bring us into the presence of God. Sometimes that experience is wonderfully comforting, but sometimes God chooses to shine his light on sin in our lives." When we are singing worship songs, allow the song to be: a spotlight on your heart, the cry of your heart, a benchmark of your integrity, and translated from lyrics to your lifestyle.
The other day, I was at church singing the song by ANTHEM, To Do Your Will. I just stopped. I thought about Jesus following the Father's will. He asks our Father to take away the unbearable, excruciating pain of the Cross. Jesus knew this reality that following the Father's will was the crucible of choice. In Matthew 26:42, Jesus prayed "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." I sat in silence while voices harmonized around me. I wanted that to be the cry of my heart and the action produced in my life. I knew that at that moment, God tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Now, Jessica, listen. Just listen. I want you to reorder your heart. I want to be in the center. I know you want to do my will, but you have to give up yours right now." That checked my integrity and caused me to come to back to the Cross.
Sometimes, just listening to the lyrics and the voices is more powerful than singing or lifting our hands high. Hearing a thousand voices reminds us of what God has done and yet to do... Listening and Following Jesus is a lifestyle, a life worth living.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.
Every single thing we do to honor God is worship. It is a lifestyle.
When our life is honoring God, our actions and our words intersect. We intersect with God. Our lives are authentic. We have one life: not a home life, a church life, a school life, a work life, etc. One life.
In John 4, Jesus calls us to authentic worship. "Worship is turning your mind's attention and you're hearts affection to God. It's declaring, by word and deed, God's great goodness, power, and mercy."
So what about worship music?
"Worship songs bring us into the presence of God. Sometimes that experience is wonderfully comforting, but sometimes God chooses to shine his light on sin in our lives." When we are singing worship songs, allow the song to be: a spotlight on your heart, the cry of your heart, a benchmark of your integrity, and translated from lyrics to your lifestyle.
The other day, I was at church singing the song by ANTHEM, To Do Your Will. I just stopped. I thought about Jesus following the Father's will. He asks our Father to take away the unbearable, excruciating pain of the Cross. Jesus knew this reality that following the Father's will was the crucible of choice. In Matthew 26:42, Jesus prayed "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." I sat in silence while voices harmonized around me. I wanted that to be the cry of my heart and the action produced in my life. I knew that at that moment, God tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Now, Jessica, listen. Just listen. I want you to reorder your heart. I want to be in the center. I know you want to do my will, but you have to give up yours right now." That checked my integrity and caused me to come to back to the Cross.
Sometimes, just listening to the lyrics and the voices is more powerful than singing or lifting our hands high. Hearing a thousand voices reminds us of what God has done and yet to do... Listening and Following Jesus is a lifestyle, a life worth living.
October 31, 2009
XX: Grow Up
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
- Hebrews 5:11-12
The writer of Hebrews wants us to grow up, to mature in our faith. In essence, he is saying "Friend, I'd like to teach you a lot more, but you just aren't ready for it. I want to give you meat, but you are a spiritual baby. Yes, I know you've been a Christian for a while, but you haven't grown. You're still a baby in the faith. Instead of always being fed, you should be giving out truth and grace to other people. In fact, you've forgotten what I taught you before. You need to hear the basics to get it right."
If a respected teacher of the word said this to us, we would feel ashamed and appalled... but we would probably feel like he was rebuking us with corrective criticism... wanting us to be growing, imparting God's word on others, responding to sin with greater hate for it in our lives...
"One of the things that demonstrates how far we've come is how we respond to sin. Those who are stuck as infant Christians get as close to sin as they can, or they dive right in. God's holiness judges the sine of the world -- and the sin in your life and my life. Yes, we're forgiven, but God still hates the sin in our lives. Don't we hate it? If we do, it will break out hearts when we sin, and we'll be incredibly grateful when we experience his forgiveness. He loves us even when we are still infant Christians, but he doesn't want us to stay that way. Peter tells us there is a primary reason people fail to grow spiritually."
2 Peter 1:5-11
"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
I read this passage and thought, guilty as charged.
There was a time in my life where I tried to explain my faith to a friend, but I didn't know God's word well enough to completely explain my faith to her. I said some foolish comments because I didn't get in my Bible enough. I didn't let God overflow into my whole life, just part of it.
While explaining my faith in the One True God, I was missing the point. God was showing me that I needed to get to know him more. He still taps me on the shoulder and reminds me, "I want more. More of your time. More of your energy. More of you... More of me in you."
There are times when I am persecuted when I want to dive into my Bible more and get to know God more and more. And share him more and more. This is something, I continually work on because God never stops revealing himself to us and never stops showering us with grace, calling us into a more intimate relationship with him.
- Hebrews 5:11-12
The writer of Hebrews wants us to grow up, to mature in our faith. In essence, he is saying "Friend, I'd like to teach you a lot more, but you just aren't ready for it. I want to give you meat, but you are a spiritual baby. Yes, I know you've been a Christian for a while, but you haven't grown. You're still a baby in the faith. Instead of always being fed, you should be giving out truth and grace to other people. In fact, you've forgotten what I taught you before. You need to hear the basics to get it right."
If a respected teacher of the word said this to us, we would feel ashamed and appalled... but we would probably feel like he was rebuking us with corrective criticism... wanting us to be growing, imparting God's word on others, responding to sin with greater hate for it in our lives...
"One of the things that demonstrates how far we've come is how we respond to sin. Those who are stuck as infant Christians get as close to sin as they can, or they dive right in. God's holiness judges the sine of the world -- and the sin in your life and my life. Yes, we're forgiven, but God still hates the sin in our lives. Don't we hate it? If we do, it will break out hearts when we sin, and we'll be incredibly grateful when we experience his forgiveness. He loves us even when we are still infant Christians, but he doesn't want us to stay that way. Peter tells us there is a primary reason people fail to grow spiritually."
2 Peter 1:5-11
"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
Peter knows that "thankfulness for our forgiveness and glad obedience are the signs of someone who is growing in his faith... When we feel his love and we want to honor him more than anything in the world, our desires change. Our lifestyles change... If you can't make God's truth a high priority, you need to reschedule your time."I read this passage and thought, guilty as charged.
There was a time in my life where I tried to explain my faith to a friend, but I didn't know God's word well enough to completely explain my faith to her. I said some foolish comments because I didn't get in my Bible enough. I didn't let God overflow into my whole life, just part of it.
While explaining my faith in the One True God, I was missing the point. God was showing me that I needed to get to know him more. He still taps me on the shoulder and reminds me, "I want more. More of your time. More of your energy. More of you... More of me in you."
There are times when I am persecuted when I want to dive into my Bible more and get to know God more and more. And share him more and more. This is something, I continually work on because God never stops revealing himself to us and never stops showering us with grace, calling us into a more intimate relationship with him.
October 28, 2009
Day XVII: The Crucible of Choice
Father, You are so merciful and loving. You love us when we don't even deserve your love and grace. Jesus died the most painful death for the sins of this world. He followed your will when it was too much to bear. Father, I want to be reconciled to you and follow your will -- even when it is excruciatingly hard and my will desires otherwise. You came to save those who were broken -- you were and are the light of this world. I desire to draw nearer to you and shine your light before men. Continually refine me: humble me, use me, mold me in your image. Amen.
October 27, 2009
Day XVI: God's Curriculum
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your face develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its works so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4
So currently, its the second round of midterms. There are some classes I hate studying for... namely Biochemistry. If the two subjects, biology and chemistry, at a molecular level were not complex already... Now to take this one step more, I don't find the time studying for the BBMB exams "pure joy." So let me ask you, "is James nuts? Did he lose it after writing only one verse? No, he had a much clearer perspective on the value of testing... He had God's perspective."
God's curriculum is different, but the methodology is the same. "God's method of instruction is to impart truth, followed with an affirmation like an answered prayer, and then test us to see if we really believe him. Just like school, the test comes after the classwork is done and the examples are finished. Then we find out what we know -- and believe."
His curriculum for us includes:
Here's a news flash: "God may have a different curriculum than we think he does. In fact, he almost always has a different curriculum than we think we does."
Isaiah 55:8-9 depicts how God has greater plans than our own.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.
In Isaiah 50:10 calls us to trust in the unchanging character of God.
"Many times the tests God gives us are not only for us. God uses them to get the attention of those around us, too... Sometimes we recognize the tests before they happen. Most of the time they are pop quizzes that catch us when we're not looking. The tests come in all shapes, sizes, and times, and God uses them to produce character and faith deep in our hearts. That's his curriculum. Don't place hookey from his school."
All quotes in this post that are not the Bible or followed by another person's name are from David Nasser's A Call to Die
So currently, its the second round of midterms. There are some classes I hate studying for... namely Biochemistry. If the two subjects, biology and chemistry, at a molecular level were not complex already... Now to take this one step more, I don't find the time studying for the BBMB exams "pure joy." So let me ask you, "is James nuts? Did he lose it after writing only one verse? No, he had a much clearer perspective on the value of testing... He had God's perspective."
God's curriculum is different, but the methodology is the same. "God's method of instruction is to impart truth, followed with an affirmation like an answered prayer, and then test us to see if we really believe him. Just like school, the test comes after the classwork is done and the examples are finished. Then we find out what we know -- and believe."
His curriculum for us includes:
- "enough joy to encourage us.
- enough love to strengthen us.
- enough success to build our confidence.
- enough suffering to force us to depend on him.
- enough confusion to make us seek his face."
Here's a news flash: "God may have a different curriculum than we think he does. In fact, he almost always has a different curriculum than we think we does."
Isaiah 55:8-9 depicts how God has greater plans than our own.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts."
In Isaiah 50:10 calls us to trust in the unchanging character of God.
Who among you fears the LORD
and obeys the word of his servant?
Let him who walks in the dark,
who has no light,
trust in the name of the LORD
and rely on his God.
In Isaiah 50:11, Isaiah warns us to not try to bridge the gap ourselves, but trust in God to work within us. When we try to make God do things, we are the ones left disappointed: foolish.
But now, all you who light fires
and provide yourselves with flaming torches,
go, walk in the light of your fires
and of the torches you have set ablaze.
This is what you shall receive from my hand:
You will lie down in torment.
"Many times the tests God gives us are not only for us. God uses them to get the attention of those around us, too... Sometimes we recognize the tests before they happen. Most of the time they are pop quizzes that catch us when we're not looking. The tests come in all shapes, sizes, and times, and God uses them to produce character and faith deep in our hearts. That's his curriculum. Don't place hookey from his school."
All quotes in this post that are not the Bible or followed by another person's name are from David Nasser's A Call to Die
October 26, 2009
An Exciting Aside
Way to Go State! :)
Love the camaraderie and unity!
How encouraging to have a passionate coach! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAcKiMy0Gp4&feature=player_embedded
Love the camaraderie and unity!
How encouraging to have a passionate coach! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAcKiMy0Gp4&feature=player_embedded
Day XV: The Risk Of Grace
"Those who drink deeply of the grace of God obey him, and obeying a radical like Jesus Christ always involves some risk... Far too many of us are content with being comfortable in out faith... You and I are only disciples if we follow the example of our Lord in all things, including suffering and the resurrection...
A couple of valid questions are: "Why does God allow suffering in our lives?" and "Why doesn't he rescue us out of it immediately?" Pain produces character in our lives like no amount of pleasure possibly can. Failure and rejection force us to seek God's face just as Moses did. When we go to him in desperation, our ears and our hearts are more open to him than ever before. In that face-to-face encounter, God can expose and purge away impurities in our behavior and motivation. We see our selfishness as never before, and we also experience God's grace as never before. Failure and rejection have a way of stripping us of dependence on our own abilities. We realize we can't accomplish things apart from God's direction and power. As our motives are purified and our faith grows, we are better able to rest in and trust in God's hands. This will allow us to become more useful in his loving hands."
Let's just say, I have and continually experience this process. Sometimes its little things and sometimes its not (sometimes I wonder if I am going through the valley of death like Moses did). However, when I get to the other side of the pain and suffering I always look back, thankful for what God did.
Let's take a step back in time... high school.
Sophomore year: I accepted Christ, broke up with my first boyfriend, and lost my best friend of 13 years to rehab for drugs and alcohol. In this time, I was in the depths, but God's hand was in full control of my life.
He orchestrated a friendship with a girl I met in freshman year gym class. She and I had a relationship that grew around a passion for Christ and the outdoors. In the midst of losing two good friends, he brought me together with someone who would lift me up and spur me on. Today we are still best friends and He keeps doing crazy things through each of us!
Junior year: I broke my collar bone and shattered my shoulder blade. During recovery, I was taught patience and this time furthered my passion. I passionately wanted to get back to sports and patiently followed doctors orders aiding my ability to get back in the game. Not only did I heal, but I came back stronger and faster than before. I learned to persevere.
On God's time, we are molded into faithful disciples. "God is much more interested in our faith in him growing than in our comfort and pleasure." Are you?
Like Pastor Aaron says, "It's not how big our problem is, it's how Great our God is!"
All quotes in this post that are not the Bible or followed by another person's name are from David Nasser's A Call to Die
A couple of valid questions are: "Why does God allow suffering in our lives?" and "Why doesn't he rescue us out of it immediately?" Pain produces character in our lives like no amount of pleasure possibly can. Failure and rejection force us to seek God's face just as Moses did. When we go to him in desperation, our ears and our hearts are more open to him than ever before. In that face-to-face encounter, God can expose and purge away impurities in our behavior and motivation. We see our selfishness as never before, and we also experience God's grace as never before. Failure and rejection have a way of stripping us of dependence on our own abilities. We realize we can't accomplish things apart from God's direction and power. As our motives are purified and our faith grows, we are better able to rest in and trust in God's hands. This will allow us to become more useful in his loving hands."
Let's just say, I have and continually experience this process. Sometimes its little things and sometimes its not (sometimes I wonder if I am going through the valley of death like Moses did). However, when I get to the other side of the pain and suffering I always look back, thankful for what God did.
Let's take a step back in time... high school.
Sophomore year: I accepted Christ, broke up with my first boyfriend, and lost my best friend of 13 years to rehab for drugs and alcohol. In this time, I was in the depths, but God's hand was in full control of my life.
He orchestrated a friendship with a girl I met in freshman year gym class. She and I had a relationship that grew around a passion for Christ and the outdoors. In the midst of losing two good friends, he brought me together with someone who would lift me up and spur me on. Today we are still best friends and He keeps doing crazy things through each of us!
Junior year: I broke my collar bone and shattered my shoulder blade. During recovery, I was taught patience and this time furthered my passion. I passionately wanted to get back to sports and patiently followed doctors orders aiding my ability to get back in the game. Not only did I heal, but I came back stronger and faster than before. I learned to persevere.
On God's time, we are molded into faithful disciples. "God is much more interested in our faith in him growing than in our comfort and pleasure." Are you?
Like Pastor Aaron says, "It's not how big our problem is, it's how Great our God is!"
All quotes in this post that are not the Bible or followed by another person's name are from David Nasser's A Call to Die
October 25, 2009
Day XIV: Too Full to Eat?
My devo partner has been fighting illness, so we are a day off... But no worries, she is feeling better!
-
"You and I are at the banquet table of God's presence and truth, but too often we are so full of junk that we're not hungry. In actuality, spiritually, we are starving to death. We have settled for garbage instead of feasting on the nourishment God richly provides."
In Calcutta, their is a ministry called the House of the Dying. This ministry brings dying people off the street. "Their goals was not to cure these people. It was to give them a dignified place to die." In Calcutta, "70% of the homeless population have lung disease of tuberculosis. When you walk down the street, you find thousands of people coughing up their lungs... Upon arrival, their heads were shaved, and they were given a shower and a bowl of hot food... then replaced their ragged, soiled clothes with clean ones... Lepers came in with their flesh rotting and their nose, fingers, and toes missing... [the ministers] washed these lepers' skin and gave them clean clothes to wear. The job of one of the workers was to stick a syringe into their pus-filled sores and extract the poisonous disease. Each syringe was used for person after person and day after day until it was too dull to pierce the skin. Then it was thrown into the garbage can [containing the soiled clothes, the shaven hair, the jars with coughed up lungs, the uneaten food]."
Taking out the garbage was a heart wrenching task. "The stench was almost unbearable. Can you imagine the disease, ragged clothing, and half-eaten food? I begged them not to ask me to do it. It haunted me forever the first time I took out the garbage. As soon as we walked out the back door toward the dump, children came out of the alleyes and ripped open the bags to get whatever was there. I yelled, 'Don't eat this garbage! It's full of disease and death!' But they were so hungry that they ate the garbage because that was all they could find... I wept as I saw them scramble through the spilled jars of disease, the clothing stained with rotten flesh, and use syringes, trying to get scraps of last night's dinner that a dying person didn't eat."
Disturbing image, isn't it?! But in all honesty, how far are we from this spiritually? Can you see yourself feasting at the dumpster of this world? Many of us are like those kids scrambling for garbage. We elbow each other at the mall, at the theatre, in the back seat, at home , at work, on the net, and at school in our nhunger for food, but the doof we lunge and dight for is rotten and diesaesed - and we eat it. We eat it every time we fill our minds and hearts with sexually suggestive movies or music, every time we make fun of somebody for whom Christ died, every time we value the praise of people more than the praise of God, every time we live to revenge on someone who has hurt us, and every time we try to put things in God's place in our own hearts. We are so full of this junk that we aren't hungry for the food that really satisfies and nourishes."
When I put myself in the place of the man who saw the children rip the garbage open and feast on death, my heart sinks deep. These children are so hungry for garbage they are willing to bargain with death. When we, the children of God, grab onto this world because we are desperately thirsty, we are bargaining with death as well. That food the children eat will not nourish and satisfy, but poison and kill them... just the same way the worls will never satisfy. Only Christ can satisfy. St. Augustine once said, "You have made us for yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you." This means that we need to selectively choose what we want to nourish our bodies.
The more junk I eat, the further I distance myself from the Father. But when I don't poison my body with junk, but feast on the fine, satisfying food of Christ I draw near to the Father.
Jeremiah 15:16
When your words came, I ate them;
they were my joy and my heart's delight,
for I bear your name,
O LORD God Almighty.
All quotes in this post that are not the Bible or followed by another person's name are from David Nasser's A Call to Die
-
"You and I are at the banquet table of God's presence and truth, but too often we are so full of junk that we're not hungry. In actuality, spiritually, we are starving to death. We have settled for garbage instead of feasting on the nourishment God richly provides."
In Calcutta, their is a ministry called the House of the Dying. This ministry brings dying people off the street. "Their goals was not to cure these people. It was to give them a dignified place to die." In Calcutta, "70% of the homeless population have lung disease of tuberculosis. When you walk down the street, you find thousands of people coughing up their lungs... Upon arrival, their heads were shaved, and they were given a shower and a bowl of hot food... then replaced their ragged, soiled clothes with clean ones... Lepers came in with their flesh rotting and their nose, fingers, and toes missing... [the ministers] washed these lepers' skin and gave them clean clothes to wear. The job of one of the workers was to stick a syringe into their pus-filled sores and extract the poisonous disease. Each syringe was used for person after person and day after day until it was too dull to pierce the skin. Then it was thrown into the garbage can [containing the soiled clothes, the shaven hair, the jars with coughed up lungs, the uneaten food]."
Taking out the garbage was a heart wrenching task. "The stench was almost unbearable. Can you imagine the disease, ragged clothing, and half-eaten food? I begged them not to ask me to do it. It haunted me forever the first time I took out the garbage. As soon as we walked out the back door toward the dump, children came out of the alleyes and ripped open the bags to get whatever was there. I yelled, 'Don't eat this garbage! It's full of disease and death!' But they were so hungry that they ate the garbage because that was all they could find... I wept as I saw them scramble through the spilled jars of disease, the clothing stained with rotten flesh, and use syringes, trying to get scraps of last night's dinner that a dying person didn't eat."
Disturbing image, isn't it?! But in all honesty, how far are we from this spiritually? Can you see yourself feasting at the dumpster of this world? Many of us are like those kids scrambling for garbage. We elbow each other at the mall, at the theatre, in the back seat, at home , at work, on the net, and at school in our nhunger for food, but the doof we lunge and dight for is rotten and diesaesed - and we eat it. We eat it every time we fill our minds and hearts with sexually suggestive movies or music, every time we make fun of somebody for whom Christ died, every time we value the praise of people more than the praise of God, every time we live to revenge on someone who has hurt us, and every time we try to put things in God's place in our own hearts. We are so full of this junk that we aren't hungry for the food that really satisfies and nourishes."
When I put myself in the place of the man who saw the children rip the garbage open and feast on death, my heart sinks deep. These children are so hungry for garbage they are willing to bargain with death. When we, the children of God, grab onto this world because we are desperately thirsty, we are bargaining with death as well. That food the children eat will not nourish and satisfy, but poison and kill them... just the same way the worls will never satisfy. Only Christ can satisfy. St. Augustine once said, "You have made us for yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you." This means that we need to selectively choose what we want to nourish our bodies.
The more junk I eat, the further I distance myself from the Father. But when I don't poison my body with junk, but feast on the fine, satisfying food of Christ I draw near to the Father.
Jeremiah 15:16
When your words came, I ate them;
they were my joy and my heart's delight,
for I bear your name,
O LORD God Almighty.
All quotes in this post that are not the Bible or followed by another person's name are from David Nasser's A Call to Die
October 22, 2009
Day XIII: Grace: Cheap or Costly?
"Mercy can be defined as "not getting what we deserve." We are sinners who deserve God's righteous wrath, but in his mercy, he forgives us. We don't go to hell. Grace goes even farther: It means we "get what we don't deserve." Christ paid the debt owed for our sin. Not only did we not get what we deserve, Jesus got what we had coming to us. He then offers us what we don't deserve - forgiveness and salvation" and a relationship with our Creator.
Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Ephesians 2:8-9
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."
Titus 3:3-7
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
"God's incredible grace is rich and free. Yet we often take it for granted. How wonderful that Christ pays for all our sins. However, as sinful people we often take advantage of this. We shouldn't say, "I'll just do what I want... he's paid for it anyway.""
Romans 6:15
"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!"
"Have you ever done something really special for somebody, and that person really appreciated it? How did the giving and thankful response affect the relationship? It brought you closer together, didn't it? Have you done something wonderful - even sacrificial - for someone, but he shrugged and hardly even acknowledged your efforts? How did that reaction shape the relationship? Sadly, that's the way many of us treat the grace of God."
I love to make art and do so through: card crafting, note making, bracelet beading/macramé, painting, etc. Often, I make little things to give a friend. It is amazing the amount of time you may put into a Christmas card or a painting.
I will never forget giving my friend a painting of her horse. She put hours into training this horse that she loved dearly, but was too sick to go on. So in memory of this horse, I spent hours laboring over a painting. I wanted to add some final touches, but time was running out. So I let it dry, wrapped it up and sat, almost holding my breath as she opened it on her birthday. She held the painting and cried. I knew deep down she cherished that horse and in turn, my painting. I knew she loved what I had made... it was one element in one of many solidifying our relatively new relationship. How different it would have been if she pulled it from the tissue paper, shrugged and said "Thanks, I guess."
"When we take God's grace for granted, we cheapen it. Cheap grace is the sterile doctrine of forgiveness divorced from Jesus himself. It is the teaching of Christian freedom that is neat and clean, separated from the blood and agony of the cross. Cheap grace is often without obedience, right doctrine without passion, the shell without the substance. In this teaching of the free gift of grace, forgiveness is taken for granted so we don't need to face Jesus with our sin. We feel no deep sorrow over our moral failures, and the deep desire to be delivered from sin is missing. You see, it's already paid for, so it's no big deal. Going along with this misperception of the grace of God is the idea that the Christian life should be effortless. "If God loves me so much and is so powerful," the thought goes, "then he won't ask me to do anything too hard, and he'll give me everything I need." When we feel God is asking us to make a hard choice, we get confused... and we quit the game. If we only signed on for a pleasure cruise, being a disciple of Jesus Christ will be a big disappointment!"
When I was younger, I went to a church that recited "Our Father" and received Communion every Sunday. Both of which are not wrong, but I was coming with a wrong heart. I felt no remorse for my sins and barely new Jesus. I received communion and knew what to say, but just to taste the bread. Oh, how I was missing the bread of life.
Church was a place, not a people when I was younger. Now, I know that is completely false and this is true: the church is the people within the body of Christ, not a building. I know that grace in fact is not cheap, but costly.
"The opposite of cheap grace is costly grace. Our forgiveness and eternal life cost the Father the life of his Son. It cost Jesus the anguish of Gethsemane and the agony of Calvary. The nails were not symbolic; they were made of iron. The whip and the crown of thorns were not theoretical. The cut his flesh and his blood flowed. His death was not just an example to us. It caused a tectonic earthquake in the history of the Universe and in the lives of every person who has ever lived. The grace of God is centered in, and cannot possibly be divorced from, a person. He is the treasure more worthy than anything we have. He is the one we worship and obey because he is worthy."
2 Corinthians 5:14-15
"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."
Therefore, grace is not the real thing unless it makes a real difference in our lives. " We need, Paul said, to be "convinced" that the price Jesus paid rescued us from eternal damnation and gave us hope, life and forgiveness. When we understand even a little of the price Jesus paid, it transforms us. We no longer live for ourselves but for him...When God's grace takes root, incredible things happen in us and through us...
Full commitment to Christ is both a decision and a process. At each moment, we are asked to live completely for him and not for ourselves. We make that choice dozens of times each day. If we are serious about following him, God will take us deeper, ever deeper, into the depths of his heart. There we will have even more difficult decisions to make because the light will shine in the crevices of our hearts and we will find selfishness we never knew existed. The, again as always, we need to focus on the costly grace bought for us by Jesus Christ. We cling to him and let him change our lives... It is an incredible price, and if we grasp it, grace changes our lives forever."
When I was in high school, I finally met Jesus. I am more satisfied than I ever was. I have peace in my heart and my actions are produced by the faith and overflow of Christ's love in me. To serve God is the greatest thing I could ever do with my life. Yes, I stumble and fall, but Christ's love covers all. In high school, I finally realized what grace and mercy meant in my life and for my life. It has and continually transforms my life.
When we love God, we change the way we respond to uprooting sin, loving God, loving people, and desiring to know Jesus. To wrap our minds around God's grace is hard. It's so backwards compared to this world.
Ok. So Grace is insane! But God loves us. Unconditionally.
Jesus came to save the world.
Today, people are starving, being sex trafficked, contemplating life (why live?), being sexually abused, dying, feeling lonely and much more. There is heart ache (Psalm 34). This may seem pretty messed up if God created a world and it was good. Eden was a place when the world was right. Children weren't starving to death and being forced to have sex 8 hours a day. This is what the Bible is about - God reclaiming the World... Revelation! It will be right here again. Jesus said the Kingdom of heaven is here... it's right here. The devil is a liar. He lies to us and he has destroyed the Garden. Bombs and bullets is not going to piece back together our world, only by a changing of our hearts.
Does this make us want to share the Kingdom? You bet it does!
It is the hope for this world. The Bible is about repairing this broken world: declaring war on Satanic lies and developing a loving relationship with Christ.
The best plan I could have for my life isn't the master plan, but the Master's Plan. If you think you have a better idea for your life than God does... check out creation. If God can make a mountain, the ocean, the trees... He even makes the trees change colors. Just imagine what He could do with our lives... If we really gave Him everything.
All quotes in this post that are not the Bible or followed by another person's name are from David Nasser's A Call to Die
Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Ephesians 2:8-9
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."
Titus 3:3-7
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
"God's incredible grace is rich and free. Yet we often take it for granted. How wonderful that Christ pays for all our sins. However, as sinful people we often take advantage of this. We shouldn't say, "I'll just do what I want... he's paid for it anyway.""
Romans 6:15
"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!"
"Have you ever done something really special for somebody, and that person really appreciated it? How did the giving and thankful response affect the relationship? It brought you closer together, didn't it? Have you done something wonderful - even sacrificial - for someone, but he shrugged and hardly even acknowledged your efforts? How did that reaction shape the relationship? Sadly, that's the way many of us treat the grace of God."
I love to make art and do so through: card crafting, note making, bracelet beading/macramé, painting, etc. Often, I make little things to give a friend. It is amazing the amount of time you may put into a Christmas card or a painting.
I will never forget giving my friend a painting of her horse. She put hours into training this horse that she loved dearly, but was too sick to go on. So in memory of this horse, I spent hours laboring over a painting. I wanted to add some final touches, but time was running out. So I let it dry, wrapped it up and sat, almost holding my breath as she opened it on her birthday. She held the painting and cried. I knew deep down she cherished that horse and in turn, my painting. I knew she loved what I had made... it was one element in one of many solidifying our relatively new relationship. How different it would have been if she pulled it from the tissue paper, shrugged and said "Thanks, I guess."
"When we take God's grace for granted, we cheapen it. Cheap grace is the sterile doctrine of forgiveness divorced from Jesus himself. It is the teaching of Christian freedom that is neat and clean, separated from the blood and agony of the cross. Cheap grace is often without obedience, right doctrine without passion, the shell without the substance. In this teaching of the free gift of grace, forgiveness is taken for granted so we don't need to face Jesus with our sin. We feel no deep sorrow over our moral failures, and the deep desire to be delivered from sin is missing. You see, it's already paid for, so it's no big deal. Going along with this misperception of the grace of God is the idea that the Christian life should be effortless. "If God loves me so much and is so powerful," the thought goes, "then he won't ask me to do anything too hard, and he'll give me everything I need." When we feel God is asking us to make a hard choice, we get confused... and we quit the game. If we only signed on for a pleasure cruise, being a disciple of Jesus Christ will be a big disappointment!"
When I was younger, I went to a church that recited "Our Father" and received Communion every Sunday. Both of which are not wrong, but I was coming with a wrong heart. I felt no remorse for my sins and barely new Jesus. I received communion and knew what to say, but just to taste the bread. Oh, how I was missing the bread of life.
Church was a place, not a people when I was younger. Now, I know that is completely false and this is true: the church is the people within the body of Christ, not a building. I know that grace in fact is not cheap, but costly.
"The opposite of cheap grace is costly grace. Our forgiveness and eternal life cost the Father the life of his Son. It cost Jesus the anguish of Gethsemane and the agony of Calvary. The nails were not symbolic; they were made of iron. The whip and the crown of thorns were not theoretical. The cut his flesh and his blood flowed. His death was not just an example to us. It caused a tectonic earthquake in the history of the Universe and in the lives of every person who has ever lived. The grace of God is centered in, and cannot possibly be divorced from, a person. He is the treasure more worthy than anything we have. He is the one we worship and obey because he is worthy."
2 Corinthians 5:14-15
"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."
Therefore, grace is not the real thing unless it makes a real difference in our lives. " We need, Paul said, to be "convinced" that the price Jesus paid rescued us from eternal damnation and gave us hope, life and forgiveness. When we understand even a little of the price Jesus paid, it transforms us. We no longer live for ourselves but for him...When God's grace takes root, incredible things happen in us and through us...
Full commitment to Christ is both a decision and a process. At each moment, we are asked to live completely for him and not for ourselves. We make that choice dozens of times each day. If we are serious about following him, God will take us deeper, ever deeper, into the depths of his heart. There we will have even more difficult decisions to make because the light will shine in the crevices of our hearts and we will find selfishness we never knew existed. The, again as always, we need to focus on the costly grace bought for us by Jesus Christ. We cling to him and let him change our lives... It is an incredible price, and if we grasp it, grace changes our lives forever."
When I was in high school, I finally met Jesus. I am more satisfied than I ever was. I have peace in my heart and my actions are produced by the faith and overflow of Christ's love in me. To serve God is the greatest thing I could ever do with my life. Yes, I stumble and fall, but Christ's love covers all. In high school, I finally realized what grace and mercy meant in my life and for my life. It has and continually transforms my life.
When we love God, we change the way we respond to uprooting sin, loving God, loving people, and desiring to know Jesus. To wrap our minds around God's grace is hard. It's so backwards compared to this world.
Ok. So Grace is insane! But God loves us. Unconditionally.
Jesus came to save the world.
Today, people are starving, being sex trafficked, contemplating life (why live?), being sexually abused, dying, feeling lonely and much more. There is heart ache (Psalm 34). This may seem pretty messed up if God created a world and it was good. Eden was a place when the world was right. Children weren't starving to death and being forced to have sex 8 hours a day. This is what the Bible is about - God reclaiming the World... Revelation! It will be right here again. Jesus said the Kingdom of heaven is here... it's right here. The devil is a liar. He lies to us and he has destroyed the Garden. Bombs and bullets is not going to piece back together our world, only by a changing of our hearts.
Does this make us want to share the Kingdom? You bet it does!
It is the hope for this world. The Bible is about repairing this broken world: declaring war on Satanic lies and developing a loving relationship with Christ.
The best plan I could have for my life isn't the master plan, but the Master's Plan. If you think you have a better idea for your life than God does... check out creation. If God can make a mountain, the ocean, the trees... He even makes the trees change colors. Just imagine what He could do with our lives... If we really gave Him everything.
All quotes in this post that are not the Bible or followed by another person's name are from David Nasser's A Call to Die
October 21, 2009
Day XII: Death... And Your Good Clothes
I will finish this post later... exam week.
Colossians 3:1-17
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:1-17
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
October 20, 2009
Day XI: Bought & Paid For
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
We live in an all about me culture. But when we follow Christ... we are reminded that is not all about me. Jesus bought me with a price. Without Jesus, I was headed for "eternal destruction. The ransom to get me out was high - exceptionally high. I could never pay it, but Jesus did. Today, I am not my own. I belong to him. That means that every moment of my time is his, everything I own is his, and every step I take is his."
To be his:
We need to recognize that Christ has set us free. His grace, love, and mercy washes over us. But to become his bondservant, we must release our grip on sin and realize that all we have is a gift from God: our bodies, our strengths, our material possessions, our relationships, our everything. Therefore, we should "Hold things loosely"(Dale Bynum) because God loves a cheerful giver... not a hoarder.
Oh boy, is this something I continually learn. I was the youngest of three. As a child, everything was mine.
This past week I was convicted of how small things can get to us. I came home and my watercolor paints were laying open by the sink, not where I left them. They looked wet and I was just a smidge away from finishing my large painting. I would finish with just enough black. My first reaction was someone used my paints. I was a little frustrated. Oh, how tiny that was.
And then, I stopped. Oh, Jesus. These are not my paints. And what would it have mattered if they used those paints? Those were a gift from you. My money is really yours, used for your needs. Forgive me. Oh, I am so selfish. Teach me to share all to those in need, for everything I have, is yours.
So needless to say, I am continually learning this and my selfishness is being revealed and changed. It's actually very freeing to know that all this is not mine. "When we realize that all our possessions are a gift from God, we are much more openhanded and generous with them... it is a joy to use every possession and every minute to honor him and help people. It is much easier to give away something that I realize does not belong to me in the first place."
All quotes in this post that are not the Bible or followed by another person's name are from David Nasser's A Call to Die
- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
We live in an all about me culture. But when we follow Christ... we are reminded that is not all about me. Jesus bought me with a price. Without Jesus, I was headed for "eternal destruction. The ransom to get me out was high - exceptionally high. I could never pay it, but Jesus did. Today, I am not my own. I belong to him. That means that every moment of my time is his, everything I own is his, and every step I take is his."
To be his:
We need to recognize that Christ has set us free. His grace, love, and mercy washes over us. But to become his bondservant, we must release our grip on sin and realize that all we have is a gift from God: our bodies, our strengths, our material possessions, our relationships, our everything. Therefore, we should "Hold things loosely"(Dale Bynum) because God loves a cheerful giver... not a hoarder.
Oh boy, is this something I continually learn. I was the youngest of three. As a child, everything was mine.
This past week I was convicted of how small things can get to us. I came home and my watercolor paints were laying open by the sink, not where I left them. They looked wet and I was just a smidge away from finishing my large painting. I would finish with just enough black. My first reaction was someone used my paints. I was a little frustrated. Oh, how tiny that was.
And then, I stopped. Oh, Jesus. These are not my paints. And what would it have mattered if they used those paints? Those were a gift from you. My money is really yours, used for your needs. Forgive me. Oh, I am so selfish. Teach me to share all to those in need, for everything I have, is yours.
So needless to say, I am continually learning this and my selfishness is being revealed and changed. It's actually very freeing to know that all this is not mine. "When we realize that all our possessions are a gift from God, we are much more openhanded and generous with them... it is a joy to use every possession and every minute to honor him and help people. It is much easier to give away something that I realize does not belong to me in the first place."
All quotes in this post that are not the Bible or followed by another person's name are from David Nasser's A Call to Die
October 19, 2009
Day X: Rubbish... What does that mean?
Are you afraid if you give Jesus your life He won't let you succeed?
If you are an American like me, worldly success isn't too terribly out of reach. If we want success, we have opportunities and the ability to achieve it - if we really want it. But, stop and ask yourself this question: Are you going to be a success at what doesn't matter? Or are you going to succeed at what is of eternal significance?
In Philippians 3:7-8, Paul states, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ..."
Paul had it all. He had popularity, prestige, and power.
"Paul was the brightest young star in Judaism... When he walked in the door, people stopped and stared. They listened carefully to every word he said because they realized he was going somewhere fast, and they didn't want to be left behind. That kind of popularity and power is pretty intoxicating...to experience. But something happened to Paul. He met Jesus."
When Paul met Jesus he realized that "it was all worth less than nothing... The promise of the world is an illusion... We thought those things would satisfy, but they can't. We thought they were treasures, but they are "rubbish." They are, indeed, waste, when we compare them to "the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."
In Philippians 3:7-8, the word "consider" is used three times.
"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ..."
When we consider somethings, "we carefully reflect; we work at understanding; we pursue the hidden truth. Illusions don't die easily. Paul has to take time and effort to search the Scriptures and compare the real truth to what he thought was truth... Paul had tried the first way: doing everything in the attempt to measure up to God's standards. But his struggle to be good only revealed the sin in his heart. His righteousness was a gift from God, bought by Jesus, and gratefully accepted."
Every time, I put confidence in the flesh and try to go at something alone, without God, I stumble. I cannot do it alone. Like Paul, I find contentment in Christ (Philippians 4:12-13). When "we 'consider' the truth and that truth shatters our illusions, it sinks deep into our hearts and changes our lives. Suddenly, the things that seemed so important become nuisances and Jesus consumes us."
There are things I have been consumed with. Consumed with a relationship with a guy. Consumed with academic performance. Consumed with athletic performance. Consumed with my time, my life, me. But, when I am consumed with Jesus... he uses me, heals me, refines me, and gives me a zeal for Him. What is better than contentment in Christ?
If you are an American like me, worldly success isn't too terribly out of reach. If we want success, we have opportunities and the ability to achieve it - if we really want it. But, stop and ask yourself this question: Are you going to be a success at what doesn't matter? Or are you going to succeed at what is of eternal significance?
In Philippians 3:7-8, Paul states, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ..."
Paul had it all. He had popularity, prestige, and power.
"Paul was the brightest young star in Judaism... When he walked in the door, people stopped and stared. They listened carefully to every word he said because they realized he was going somewhere fast, and they didn't want to be left behind. That kind of popularity and power is pretty intoxicating...to experience. But something happened to Paul. He met Jesus."
When Paul met Jesus he realized that "it was all worth less than nothing... The promise of the world is an illusion... We thought those things would satisfy, but they can't. We thought they were treasures, but they are "rubbish." They are, indeed, waste, when we compare them to "the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."
In Philippians 3:7-8, the word "consider" is used three times.
"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ..."
When we consider somethings, "we carefully reflect; we work at understanding; we pursue the hidden truth. Illusions don't die easily. Paul has to take time and effort to search the Scriptures and compare the real truth to what he thought was truth... Paul had tried the first way: doing everything in the attempt to measure up to God's standards. But his struggle to be good only revealed the sin in his heart. His righteousness was a gift from God, bought by Jesus, and gratefully accepted."
Every time, I put confidence in the flesh and try to go at something alone, without God, I stumble. I cannot do it alone. Like Paul, I find contentment in Christ (Philippians 4:12-13). When "we 'consider' the truth and that truth shatters our illusions, it sinks deep into our hearts and changes our lives. Suddenly, the things that seemed so important become nuisances and Jesus consumes us."
There are things I have been consumed with. Consumed with a relationship with a guy. Consumed with academic performance. Consumed with athletic performance. Consumed with my time, my life, me. But, when I am consumed with Jesus... he uses me, heals me, refines me, and gives me a zeal for Him. What is better than contentment in Christ?
October 18, 2009
Reflection & Day IX
Day IX: What's your Treasure?
"He is no fool to give what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot
What most people value is worthless... Only what we do for Christ has lasting value.
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. - Matthew 13:44-46
In Matthew 13:44-46, two men come upon a treasure in two different manners: searching for or stumbling upon. In this passage, "the treasure and the pearl are symbols of Christ. Some of us stumble across him. We are going our own way, minding our own business, and somehow, some way we realize, "Jesus is real. He can be my Savior!" Others of us have a tug in our hearts for years. We search for truth by going to every conceivable source of spiritual nourishment. We try astrology and angels; we read Baghavad-Gita and Joseph Smith; we meditate on a hill and read Darwin. We watch Sally Jesse and Oprah. But none of these satisfy us. Maybe we have been turned off by arrogant Christians, so we discounted Christ. But now, we examine the Christian faith one more time - and we see Jesus.
Either way, whether by surprise (though it is never by surprise from God's sovereign point of view) or by careful, diligent search, we find Christ. He is so wonderful that our instantaneous response is to gladly forsake anything and everything to become intimate with him. Nothing else matters because, quite literally, nothing else matters."
I met Jesus by surprise. I came to youth group to listen to my current boyfriend play guitar, but clearly God had other plans. He wanted me to come meet with Him. I came once and I was curious, but not convicted. I knew of Jesus, but never knew Jesus intimately until I accepted him as my Lord and Savior in 2003. The more I get to know Christ, the more I am changed and the more I realize how much God loves us. Oh, does He love us. He loves us. Us.
If we truly desire to follow Jesus, "we can count on two things: encouragement and testing. God will lead us to passges of scripture and godly people to fan the flame in our hearts. Imagine how thrilled he is when you and I say, "God, I will do anything to follow you and honor you!" But he also tests the commitment. He brings failure and pain into our lives, not to discourage us but to refine our desires and burn away the stuff that gets in our way. When we say that he is our treasure, he tests us by either giving us those things that compete with him or he takes them away. You may receive an award or experience great success. At that moment, you have a choice of what to treasure. Or you may be rejected by someone you value or fail in an important goal. At that moment, you can choose whether to value the loss and sink into despair or to treasure Christ and say, "Lord, it hurts, but your love is far greater than my loss." Either way, in success or failure, our true hearts are revealed and we can grow."
I can testify to both of these things. Over and over, people and passages speak to me. There are people God put in and took out of my life to draw me closer to him. As for failure and pain, yes, I have felt that too. I have been grown through trials, used in trials, and been tested. I had one particular sin struggle that took years to overcome. Trust me, I could not do it alone. No way. For years, I struggled with it and it wasn't until He broke me free. I was being choked by that sin and Jesus freed me. His love uprooted me from sin. I still face trials and experience much pain, but Jesus is worth the cost. He keeps drawing me closer and pouring out grace over me. He loves me. He strengthens me and he encourages me.
Luke 18: 27
Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
He continues to do the impossible in my life. I still have some impossibles, but only with Him can they be done.
"When men and women work, men and women work.
When men and women pray, God works." - Jeremy Kingsley
All quotes in this post that are not the Bible or followed by another person's name are from David Nasser's A Call to Die
Reflection
This weekend, I went on a retreat to Hidden Acres. I cannot really put into words what God did this weekend. Yes, He changed lives. He allowed us to grow closer to Him. Many students gave their lives to Christ. As a leader, I feel truly blessed to be a part of middle school ministry. My small group was quite, but after the last session with Jeremy Kingsley... they were moved to speak. God was flowing... overflowing. I can't thank God enough for answering our prayers. For using Jeremy to lead the youth and the leaders this weekend...
Name above all names, You are worthy of all praise!
A few quotes from this weekend from Jeremy Kingsley:
"We do not read the Bible to finish, we read the Bible to change."
"When men and women work, men and women work.
When men and women pray, God works."
"He is no fool to give what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot
What most people value is worthless... Only what we do for Christ has lasting value.
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. - Matthew 13:44-46
In Matthew 13:44-46, two men come upon a treasure in two different manners: searching for or stumbling upon. In this passage, "the treasure and the pearl are symbols of Christ. Some of us stumble across him. We are going our own way, minding our own business, and somehow, some way we realize, "Jesus is real. He can be my Savior!" Others of us have a tug in our hearts for years. We search for truth by going to every conceivable source of spiritual nourishment. We try astrology and angels; we read Baghavad-Gita and Joseph Smith; we meditate on a hill and read Darwin. We watch Sally Jesse and Oprah. But none of these satisfy us. Maybe we have been turned off by arrogant Christians, so we discounted Christ. But now, we examine the Christian faith one more time - and we see Jesus.
Either way, whether by surprise (though it is never by surprise from God's sovereign point of view) or by careful, diligent search, we find Christ. He is so wonderful that our instantaneous response is to gladly forsake anything and everything to become intimate with him. Nothing else matters because, quite literally, nothing else matters."
I met Jesus by surprise. I came to youth group to listen to my current boyfriend play guitar, but clearly God had other plans. He wanted me to come meet with Him. I came once and I was curious, but not convicted. I knew of Jesus, but never knew Jesus intimately until I accepted him as my Lord and Savior in 2003. The more I get to know Christ, the more I am changed and the more I realize how much God loves us. Oh, does He love us. He loves us. Us.
If we truly desire to follow Jesus, "we can count on two things: encouragement and testing. God will lead us to passges of scripture and godly people to fan the flame in our hearts. Imagine how thrilled he is when you and I say, "God, I will do anything to follow you and honor you!" But he also tests the commitment. He brings failure and pain into our lives, not to discourage us but to refine our desires and burn away the stuff that gets in our way. When we say that he is our treasure, he tests us by either giving us those things that compete with him or he takes them away. You may receive an award or experience great success. At that moment, you have a choice of what to treasure. Or you may be rejected by someone you value or fail in an important goal. At that moment, you can choose whether to value the loss and sink into despair or to treasure Christ and say, "Lord, it hurts, but your love is far greater than my loss." Either way, in success or failure, our true hearts are revealed and we can grow."
I can testify to both of these things. Over and over, people and passages speak to me. There are people God put in and took out of my life to draw me closer to him. As for failure and pain, yes, I have felt that too. I have been grown through trials, used in trials, and been tested. I had one particular sin struggle that took years to overcome. Trust me, I could not do it alone. No way. For years, I struggled with it and it wasn't until He broke me free. I was being choked by that sin and Jesus freed me. His love uprooted me from sin. I still face trials and experience much pain, but Jesus is worth the cost. He keeps drawing me closer and pouring out grace over me. He loves me. He strengthens me and he encourages me.
Luke 18: 27
Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
He continues to do the impossible in my life. I still have some impossibles, but only with Him can they be done.
"When men and women work, men and women work.
When men and women pray, God works." - Jeremy Kingsley
All quotes in this post that are not the Bible or followed by another person's name are from David Nasser's A Call to Die
Reflection
This weekend, I went on a retreat to Hidden Acres. I cannot really put into words what God did this weekend. Yes, He changed lives. He allowed us to grow closer to Him. Many students gave their lives to Christ. As a leader, I feel truly blessed to be a part of middle school ministry. My small group was quite, but after the last session with Jeremy Kingsley... they were moved to speak. God was flowing... overflowing. I can't thank God enough for answering our prayers. For using Jeremy to lead the youth and the leaders this weekend...
Name above all names, You are worthy of all praise!
A few quotes from this weekend from Jeremy Kingsley:
"We do not read the Bible to finish, we read the Bible to change."
"When men and women work, men and women work.
When men and women pray, God works."
October 15, 2009
Day VIII: Lies, Nothing But Lies
Satan's number one goal: destroy the Human Race. Everyone thinks Hitler and the Jews was horrible(which horrible is, yes, an understatement)... just imagine Satan's Genocide.
In Genesis 1-3, God created the word and it was good. Eden was heaven on earth. Adam and Eve had everything they could possibly want. The one request God made was that this pair did not eat of a certain tree. As Rick Stanley says, "The problem wasn't the apple on the tree, but the 'pair' on the ground."
"Satan came to Eve and asked a simple question, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'" At first, Eve responded accurately, "No, God didn't say that. he said there is only one tree we can;t eat from." But then she overstated God's requirement: "And we can't touch it or we'll die."
God never said that. Satan saw his opening and exclaimed, "You will not surely die. In fact, if you eat it, you'll really live!" Then Satan compounded his deception. He told her, "If you eat from that tree, you;ll know both good and evil. You'll be just like God!"
Satan's plot was to plant a question in Eve's mind about God's intentions and character. If he could get just one of the people to doubt God, he has a chance of destroying the whole human race. Eve took the bait. She ate the fruit. Sin, misery, and destruction then entered human history.
Satan's purpose is the same today... He wants to destroy us. He uses lies of every stripe to get us to doubt God's intentions and character. We are at war."
Where is Satan working within us and our society?
Temptation, Accusation, Confusion, and Obstacles are created by Satan to keep us from God.
Are you afraid if you truly follow God you will be miserable? Lie!
Lies like this are commonly laced in our society... but fight the lies...
Temptation
"What do most people spend their time thinking, dreaming, and talking about? Possessions, popularity, sex, prestige, and power. What do riches promise but fail to deliver? Happiness, comfort, and fulfillment. Satan has a strong ally today in his attempts to tempt you and me to pursue those things instead of Christ: advertising. Think of all the magazine ads, television commercials, radio ads, and billboards you encounter every day. Everyone of them claims its product or service will do something you must have. But it is the implicit, hidden promise that is so deceptively tempting. Toothpaste promises not just clean teeth but to get you the date of your dreams... Beer promises not just to taste good, but to make you popular (and good looking, too! How does that work?). We are so submerged in the sea of advertising that we don't even notice the subtle, implicit messages. They are lies."
I took an advertising class in high school and it really makes you think about what you are taking in. A lot of time when we are tired or lazy, we want to put in a movie or flip channels on the TV. The ads and underlining messages in movies are most powerful when we are exhausted and looking for an outlet because we filter the messages less.
Accusation
"When we give in to temptation and fall, Satan kicks us while we're down... At that moment, his beautiful mask of temptation is stripped off and he snarls, "See! You're a failure! How can you call yourself a Christian? God couldn't love anybody who is such a screw up like you!" Have you every heard those voices? Have you ever beat yourself up for doing something stupid? Satan wants us to focus on how awful we are instead of on God's wonderful forgiveness and strength. The more you grovel in the mud of self-contempt, the better Satan likes it. The more you focus on self, the less you focus on God."
Confusion
"Satan wants to distort our view of God, to make us believe that God doesn't care or can't help. He uses bad teachings of the Scriptures, cults, some biology professors, and well-meaning friends to get us off track... Some of these sources of "truth" look very appealing... but Paul reminds us that "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light"(2 Corinthians 11:14)."
I have experienced this, especially on UWM Campus while taking Anatomy and Physiology! My professor said Christianity has to be false because men and women have the same number of ribs. If Adam gave his rib to Eve, men would always have one less rib than women. Don't you think a smart, loving creator would have pre-planned this? He is God after all. My professor took evolution one step too far into macro-evolution. All I can say on this account is check your references Professor!
Obstacles
"Satan will put obstacles in our way to try to prevent us from knowing and serving God... You are in a fight whether you want to be or not. You and I experience temptations and accusation all day every day. Often, we are exposed to distortions of truth.... Satan is a liar and a theif. He doesn't play fair. His goal is to keep people from God any way he can... We need to be strong in the word of God so we can fight effectively."
"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
In this passage, Matthew 13: 18-23, what kind of soil are you and how does Satan rip you away from Christ?
For me, Satan can come in my brain feed blatantly or subliminally. I sometimes review words that I spoke and can beat myself up over saying something (after interviews, first impressions, or an out of character comment). In these accusations, it is imperative to forgive myself and always come to Jesus. If I worried about every word I spoke, I would lose sight of Jesus. The Bible does say "Do not worry"/"Do not fear" 365 times. Clearly, Satan's accusations desire us to worry so much we lose sight, but we can't. We must persevere. Persevere through temptation by fighting lies with truth. I find the lies in our sexual laden media, power-prestige-popular driven culture, and the lost's search for peace in pseudo-truth. Peace is found only in the truth. People shouldn't settle for this world. When the self-image comparisons, sexual commentary, the pride and power struggles of this world become integrated into my mind, it is imperative to fight back with truth. To the word, into prayer, revived with truth!
In Ephesians 6:10-13, Paul encourages us in this fight:
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."
In Genesis 1-3, God created the word and it was good. Eden was heaven on earth. Adam and Eve had everything they could possibly want. The one request God made was that this pair did not eat of a certain tree. As Rick Stanley says, "The problem wasn't the apple on the tree, but the 'pair' on the ground."
"Satan came to Eve and asked a simple question, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'" At first, Eve responded accurately, "No, God didn't say that. he said there is only one tree we can;t eat from." But then she overstated God's requirement: "And we can't touch it or we'll die."
God never said that. Satan saw his opening and exclaimed, "You will not surely die. In fact, if you eat it, you'll really live!" Then Satan compounded his deception. He told her, "If you eat from that tree, you;ll know both good and evil. You'll be just like God!"
Satan's plot was to plant a question in Eve's mind about God's intentions and character. If he could get just one of the people to doubt God, he has a chance of destroying the whole human race. Eve took the bait. She ate the fruit. Sin, misery, and destruction then entered human history.
Satan's purpose is the same today... He wants to destroy us. He uses lies of every stripe to get us to doubt God's intentions and character. We are at war."
Where is Satan working within us and our society?
Temptation, Accusation, Confusion, and Obstacles are created by Satan to keep us from God.
Are you afraid if you truly follow God you will be miserable? Lie!
Lies like this are commonly laced in our society... but fight the lies...
Temptation
"What do most people spend their time thinking, dreaming, and talking about? Possessions, popularity, sex, prestige, and power. What do riches promise but fail to deliver? Happiness, comfort, and fulfillment. Satan has a strong ally today in his attempts to tempt you and me to pursue those things instead of Christ: advertising. Think of all the magazine ads, television commercials, radio ads, and billboards you encounter every day. Everyone of them claims its product or service will do something you must have. But it is the implicit, hidden promise that is so deceptively tempting. Toothpaste promises not just clean teeth but to get you the date of your dreams... Beer promises not just to taste good, but to make you popular (and good looking, too! How does that work?). We are so submerged in the sea of advertising that we don't even notice the subtle, implicit messages. They are lies."
I took an advertising class in high school and it really makes you think about what you are taking in. A lot of time when we are tired or lazy, we want to put in a movie or flip channels on the TV. The ads and underlining messages in movies are most powerful when we are exhausted and looking for an outlet because we filter the messages less.
Accusation
"When we give in to temptation and fall, Satan kicks us while we're down... At that moment, his beautiful mask of temptation is stripped off and he snarls, "See! You're a failure! How can you call yourself a Christian? God couldn't love anybody who is such a screw up like you!" Have you every heard those voices? Have you ever beat yourself up for doing something stupid? Satan wants us to focus on how awful we are instead of on God's wonderful forgiveness and strength. The more you grovel in the mud of self-contempt, the better Satan likes it. The more you focus on self, the less you focus on God."
Confusion
"Satan wants to distort our view of God, to make us believe that God doesn't care or can't help. He uses bad teachings of the Scriptures, cults, some biology professors, and well-meaning friends to get us off track... Some of these sources of "truth" look very appealing... but Paul reminds us that "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light"(2 Corinthians 11:14)."
I have experienced this, especially on UWM Campus while taking Anatomy and Physiology! My professor said Christianity has to be false because men and women have the same number of ribs. If Adam gave his rib to Eve, men would always have one less rib than women. Don't you think a smart, loving creator would have pre-planned this? He is God after all. My professor took evolution one step too far into macro-evolution. All I can say on this account is check your references Professor!
Obstacles
"Satan will put obstacles in our way to try to prevent us from knowing and serving God... You are in a fight whether you want to be or not. You and I experience temptations and accusation all day every day. Often, we are exposed to distortions of truth.... Satan is a liar and a theif. He doesn't play fair. His goal is to keep people from God any way he can... We need to be strong in the word of God so we can fight effectively."
"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
In this passage, Matthew 13: 18-23, what kind of soil are you and how does Satan rip you away from Christ?
For me, Satan can come in my brain feed blatantly or subliminally. I sometimes review words that I spoke and can beat myself up over saying something (after interviews, first impressions, or an out of character comment). In these accusations, it is imperative to forgive myself and always come to Jesus. If I worried about every word I spoke, I would lose sight of Jesus. The Bible does say "Do not worry"/"Do not fear" 365 times. Clearly, Satan's accusations desire us to worry so much we lose sight, but we can't. We must persevere. Persevere through temptation by fighting lies with truth. I find the lies in our sexual laden media, power-prestige-popular driven culture, and the lost's search for peace in pseudo-truth. Peace is found only in the truth. People shouldn't settle for this world. When the self-image comparisons, sexual commentary, the pride and power struggles of this world become integrated into my mind, it is imperative to fight back with truth. To the word, into prayer, revived with truth!
In Ephesians 6:10-13, Paul encourages us in this fight:
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."
October 14, 2009
Day VII: Know the Word
I grew up not studying the word, not knowing the word, not having it written in my heart. My sophomore year of high school, I made the decision to follow Jesus. In the beginning, I had no clue where anything was in the Bible. Embarrassed at church, I would look to the person next to me and see about how far into the Bible the verse we were studying was.
I was clueless and I didn't want to be. At Church, I would take vivid notes and read over the scripture again. I wanted to know God more. Years later, I finally started digging into God's word... finally start digging into the life-changing truth of God's word.
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account." - Hebrews 4:12-13
So the question is: "Can you walk with God and not know God's word? That's a good question. Many people believe that God will somehow give them his treasure of wisdom and insight by osmosis. It doesn't happen like that. We have to mine for it, and the mine shaft goes through the pages of Scriptures."
For sometime, I didn't realize that reading the word was enabling me to draw nearer to Christ. They always said to read your Bible in Church, but I didn't know where or how to start. I would randomly flip to a passage or book and start reading. Sometimes, it didn't even make sense. So in the beginning, I got a NLT Study Bible to understand the context, time, place, and significance of passages. Now, I mainly use my lovely NIV Bible and after having more understanding of how the Bible is applicable to me, I can read passages and understand how they applied to my life. And when I don't, I ask, seek, knock.
"The Bible is the blueprint of life. The writer to the Hebrews said that the Scriptures are "living and active," not dead and buried like some us think they are. God's truth may have been written centuries ago, but it is more up to date than any book on engineering, law, or medicine because it reveals timeless insight about a man's heart and God's character. These don't change. The writer also stated that the word of God is sharp enough to cut through bones and marrow... [God's word] cuts deeply and accurately into the most remote corner of our hearts, and then it heals and changes us."
"The life-changing truth of God's word used by the Spirit of God to transform lives. Do you need to know what is in the heart of God? Do you need wisdom when you are confused? Do you need peace when anxiety threatens to turn your world upside down? Do you need encouragement because you have failed or been betrayed? Of course, you do. We all do. How do we get the faith to believe God in good times and bad? It comes mostly through his word."
Hopefully, you are a student of God's word. I am continually learning. "Becoming a student of God's word costs us some time, energy, and discipline. But it will result in a wealth of insight, direction, and understanding"... it will change your life :)
So, how do we absorb truth?
Hear the Word
10% of what we hear sticks. In Romans 10:17, Paul says that "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." For me, I hear the word at Youth Ministry, College Ministry, Church, through friends (and their lives), through the radio, and sometimes even internet or TV. So, hear it, listen to it, and store it!
Read the Word
25% of what we read sticks. In Deuteronomy 17:19, Moses said, "He is to read [the scriptures] all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees."
"Reading reinforces truth so we can understand and obey God. The pages of the Bible are the source of God's wisdom about relationships; career; parents; dealing with tragedy, pain, and death; purpose; values; lifestyle; and all the principles you and I need to live successfully... You can know his will if you you read his book."
Study the Word
50% of what we study sticks. In Proverbs 2:3-7 Solomon said that "if you call our for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless."
The more passionate we are about knowing God, the more motivated we are to get into his word. I can attest to this. The more I know Jesus, the more I desire to get into my word. Let's get passionate!
Memorize the Word
80% of what we memorize sticks. In Psalm 119:9,11, David wrote, "How can a young man keep his was pure? By living according to your word... I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." By memorizing God's word, we allow the Holy Spirit to use it in our lives. So read it, study it, memorize it!
Meditate on the Word "Marinate"
"Soaking yourself in God's word is 100% effective!!! God wants his word not just to be a "spice" that accents our life, but a daily marinating process that literally soaks into the core of who we are, forever changing our very identity." In Romans 12:2, Pall calls us to "not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
"The truth found in the pages of the Bible are worth more than silver and gold. They hold the keys to success and fulfillment, but these treasures.... require tenacity and effort. Is that effort worth it to you?"
If you have walked through really tough, tough, trials and if you have enjoyed the thrill of soaring on eagles wings, you know that it is worth it. Every time you get into Scripture, listen to what He is speaking into your life and allow God to draw nearer... our lives are changed.
So listen to, read, study, memorize, & marinate on the word :)
Live it out!
All quotes in this post are from David Nasser's A Call to Die
I was clueless and I didn't want to be. At Church, I would take vivid notes and read over the scripture again. I wanted to know God more. Years later, I finally started digging into God's word... finally start digging into the life-changing truth of God's word.
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account." - Hebrews 4:12-13
So the question is: "Can you walk with God and not know God's word? That's a good question. Many people believe that God will somehow give them his treasure of wisdom and insight by osmosis. It doesn't happen like that. We have to mine for it, and the mine shaft goes through the pages of Scriptures."
For sometime, I didn't realize that reading the word was enabling me to draw nearer to Christ. They always said to read your Bible in Church, but I didn't know where or how to start. I would randomly flip to a passage or book and start reading. Sometimes, it didn't even make sense. So in the beginning, I got a NLT Study Bible to understand the context, time, place, and significance of passages. Now, I mainly use my lovely NIV Bible and after having more understanding of how the Bible is applicable to me, I can read passages and understand how they applied to my life. And when I don't, I ask, seek, knock.
"The Bible is the blueprint of life. The writer to the Hebrews said that the Scriptures are "living and active," not dead and buried like some us think they are. God's truth may have been written centuries ago, but it is more up to date than any book on engineering, law, or medicine because it reveals timeless insight about a man's heart and God's character. These don't change. The writer also stated that the word of God is sharp enough to cut through bones and marrow... [God's word] cuts deeply and accurately into the most remote corner of our hearts, and then it heals and changes us."
"The life-changing truth of God's word used by the Spirit of God to transform lives. Do you need to know what is in the heart of God? Do you need wisdom when you are confused? Do you need peace when anxiety threatens to turn your world upside down? Do you need encouragement because you have failed or been betrayed? Of course, you do. We all do. How do we get the faith to believe God in good times and bad? It comes mostly through his word."
Hopefully, you are a student of God's word. I am continually learning. "Becoming a student of God's word costs us some time, energy, and discipline. But it will result in a wealth of insight, direction, and understanding"... it will change your life :)
So, how do we absorb truth?
Hear the Word
10% of what we hear sticks. In Romans 10:17, Paul says that "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." For me, I hear the word at Youth Ministry, College Ministry, Church, through friends (and their lives), through the radio, and sometimes even internet or TV. So, hear it, listen to it, and store it!
Read the Word
25% of what we read sticks. In Deuteronomy 17:19, Moses said, "He is to read [the scriptures] all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees."
"Reading reinforces truth so we can understand and obey God. The pages of the Bible are the source of God's wisdom about relationships; career; parents; dealing with tragedy, pain, and death; purpose; values; lifestyle; and all the principles you and I need to live successfully... You can know his will if you you read his book."
Study the Word
50% of what we study sticks. In Proverbs 2:3-7 Solomon said that "if you call our for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless."
The more passionate we are about knowing God, the more motivated we are to get into his word. I can attest to this. The more I know Jesus, the more I desire to get into my word. Let's get passionate!
Memorize the Word
80% of what we memorize sticks. In Psalm 119:9,11, David wrote, "How can a young man keep his was pure? By living according to your word... I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." By memorizing God's word, we allow the Holy Spirit to use it in our lives. So read it, study it, memorize it!
Meditate on the Word "Marinate"
"Soaking yourself in God's word is 100% effective!!! God wants his word not just to be a "spice" that accents our life, but a daily marinating process that literally soaks into the core of who we are, forever changing our very identity." In Romans 12:2, Pall calls us to "not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
"The truth found in the pages of the Bible are worth more than silver and gold. They hold the keys to success and fulfillment, but these treasures.... require tenacity and effort. Is that effort worth it to you?"
If you have walked through really tough, tough, trials and if you have enjoyed the thrill of soaring on eagles wings, you know that it is worth it. Every time you get into Scripture, listen to what He is speaking into your life and allow God to draw nearer... our lives are changed.
So listen to, read, study, memorize, & marinate on the word :)
Live it out!
All quotes in this post are from David Nasser's A Call to Die
October 13, 2009
Day VI: God's Work
"Rules have their place, but if that's all there is to our Christianity, we become hardened, shallow, prideful, and judgmental. We become tangled up in all our rules."
I can identify with this. When I was new to my faith, I made rules to enable me to grow in God. However, rules can cause us to stumble and are not to be lived by.... remember the Pharisees? If we are not in step with the Spirit, we may miss what God is doing or calling us to do.
So more importantly, we are to give over control of our lives to Christ. All so often, I want to do everything on my own strength. And let me tell you, I have crashed and burned hard. But God still brushes the dirt off me and keeps carrying me and growing me. He gives me the strength, perseverance and hope to achieve my impossibles. He is my all in all and when I lose sight of Him, I begin to stumble... causing me to fall back into his arms. Somehow being broken makes me listen to God extra.
In Galatians 5:16, Paul said that when are to 'live by the Spirit, and [we] will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.' The Holy Spirit works deep within each of us. "The Spirit's work is a mystery, our walk then becomes an adventure, and seeing him at work deepens our passion for Jesus."
And who doesn't love spiritual fervor and being filled with zeal for God? So let's get filled with the Spirit (Galatians 5:19-25) through:
Mystery
Like a farmer prepares a field to produce a harvest, we are to prepare ourselves. Like the farmer, we have no control over the harvest. We can prepare ourselves: "pray, read the scriptures, memorize verses, spend time with people who influence us to be holy, worship and so on. But only the Holy Spirit himself can make the life of Christ flow in our hearts and change our desires. It is a great mystery of faith that God would even want to hang out with the sinners like you and me (well, me, anyway), but he does."
Adventure
God will always amaze us with how he will use us... if we let Him and are willing.
Passion
'I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turn his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live." ~ Psalm 116:1&2
"I'm always amazed that God is willing to use somebody like me. His faithfulness to me makes me love him even more.... The more we experience God's mercy, the more we love him. The more we see his power at work in us and through us, the more we are loyal to him. Passion takes root in gratitude."
Therefore, we can experience the Holy Spirit through mystery, adventure, and passion. By experiencing a closer walk with Jesus, we become more patient and less prideful. "I'm convinced that many of the problems in churches today occur because of this pride." Amen.
Jesus came to "demonstrate the Father's love, to seek and to save the lost. To accomplish those purposes, he overlooks a lot of junk in people's lives - yours and mine." By reconciling ourselves to God by repenting of our sin and preparing ourselves for growth, we open ourselves to be used for God's purpose fueling our passion for Him.
I love when a life is burning hot with Christ. For me, this is when I really become a beacon on a hill... my whole being glows. The other days when I feel distant and I am falling short, I yearn to be close to the Father. God draws me in and furthers me. I know that freedom is in Christ. I see it in my love for people continually growing, my pride being continually humbled, and the peace in my heart despite the whirlwind of this life.
I love this verse: Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. ~ Isaiah 26:8
All quotes in this post are from David Nasser's A Call to Die
I can identify with this. When I was new to my faith, I made rules to enable me to grow in God. However, rules can cause us to stumble and are not to be lived by.... remember the Pharisees? If we are not in step with the Spirit, we may miss what God is doing or calling us to do.
So more importantly, we are to give over control of our lives to Christ. All so often, I want to do everything on my own strength. And let me tell you, I have crashed and burned hard. But God still brushes the dirt off me and keeps carrying me and growing me. He gives me the strength, perseverance and hope to achieve my impossibles. He is my all in all and when I lose sight of Him, I begin to stumble... causing me to fall back into his arms. Somehow being broken makes me listen to God extra.
In Galatians 5:16, Paul said that when are to 'live by the Spirit, and [we] will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.' The Holy Spirit works deep within each of us. "The Spirit's work is a mystery, our walk then becomes an adventure, and seeing him at work deepens our passion for Jesus."
And who doesn't love spiritual fervor and being filled with zeal for God? So let's get filled with the Spirit (Galatians 5:19-25) through:
Mystery
Like a farmer prepares a field to produce a harvest, we are to prepare ourselves. Like the farmer, we have no control over the harvest. We can prepare ourselves: "pray, read the scriptures, memorize verses, spend time with people who influence us to be holy, worship and so on. But only the Holy Spirit himself can make the life of Christ flow in our hearts and change our desires. It is a great mystery of faith that God would even want to hang out with the sinners like you and me (well, me, anyway), but he does."
Adventure
God will always amaze us with how he will use us... if we let Him and are willing.
Passion
'I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turn his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live." ~ Psalm 116:1&2
"I'm always amazed that God is willing to use somebody like me. His faithfulness to me makes me love him even more.... The more we experience God's mercy, the more we love him. The more we see his power at work in us and through us, the more we are loyal to him. Passion takes root in gratitude."
Therefore, we can experience the Holy Spirit through mystery, adventure, and passion. By experiencing a closer walk with Jesus, we become more patient and less prideful. "I'm convinced that many of the problems in churches today occur because of this pride." Amen.
Jesus came to "demonstrate the Father's love, to seek and to save the lost. To accomplish those purposes, he overlooks a lot of junk in people's lives - yours and mine." By reconciling ourselves to God by repenting of our sin and preparing ourselves for growth, we open ourselves to be used for God's purpose fueling our passion for Him.
I love when a life is burning hot with Christ. For me, this is when I really become a beacon on a hill... my whole being glows. The other days when I feel distant and I am falling short, I yearn to be close to the Father. God draws me in and furthers me. I know that freedom is in Christ. I see it in my love for people continually growing, my pride being continually humbled, and the peace in my heart despite the whirlwind of this life.
I love this verse: Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. ~ Isaiah 26:8
All quotes in this post are from David Nasser's A Call to Die
October 12, 2009
Day V: Excuses, Excuses
I was home this Friday & Saturday and I raced with ISU Crew Club at Rockford this weekend. As for Saturday, my accountabilibuddy/devo partner got engaged! So, I will not blog on days 3 and four... but as for Day 5 here we go!
Day V: Excuses, Excuses
I knew by the title, I was in trouble. When we run late or we have to cancel our commitments, we make excuses. "I am sorry I am late I had to...." I have decided no one really cares why I am late, I just better apologize because I just wasted their valuable time. Or when we are a kid and it's time to clean up the table, we magically need to use the toilet or do our homework. Or when God calls us to do something uncomfortable...
"Our struggle with excuses is the test of our commitment to Christ. Make no mistake: in a thousand choices to obey, we are faced with several thousand excuses to turn away. All of them seem 'reasonable.'"
In Matthew 8:19-22, Jesus calls us to follow Him. The cost of genuine commitment requires us to step out in faith. "If we are serious about following Christ, we give up our demands for comfort and we follow him to reach both the rich and the wealthy, the robed and the lepers.... the disciple of Christ doesn't demand or expect comfort. He follows his Lord anywhere and everywhere he leads."
All too often, I am a victim of But Lord, I am too busy. or But Jesus, I don't have time. All too often, we hide behind our excuses. What would happen if I gave God everything always? What would happen if I let Him use me to the extent I could be used?
"We don't want to do what God wants because it requires a little more effort and courage (OK, sometimes a lot more effort and courage!) than drifting along like we usually do. In this pampered culture, we don't want to do anything that requires more from us than we want to give...
[BUT!!!] Every time we say "No" to one our our excuses and say "Yes" to Jesus, we know we must be closer to his heart, sensing his love. What kind of impact did Jesus have on people? Even the hardest sinner knew one thing about him: he loved them. Only the self-righteous religous leaders drew harsh words from Jesus, and that's because they were leading people away from God. To the prostitutes and the other sinners, Jesus was the kindest, most loving person they had ever known. As we know him better, we will be kinder, more loving, more compassionate... different, in a good way."
I have learned to take on less and do a few things well. In that, I am obeying Jesus by giving Him more one on one time. However, I desire for Jesus to infuse my entire life, out of the box. I am often afraid of stepping out there and going at it God's way... but every time I do, I know it is worth it.
I need to listen to God more and me less. Like in Ephesians 6:18, pray continually. Listen continually. Worship through all areas of life. For me, this means giving God my time. My greatest commodity that He gave me.
All quotes in this post are from David Nasser's A Call to Die
PS. This devotional keeps opening doors to listen to God in my life. I have been able to soak in God's word and with His strength forgive others, love more, and be resolved to peace. In the beginning of my senior year, I was going through what felt like the Valley of Death. I went from being with my family and my home church family to being in an apartment. I was yearning for accountability/fellowship and my heart was not at peace... I was seeking and felt dry... but through all times, God provides! Praise God for an awesome accountability partner and drawing people in for fellowship. Prayer Answered!
Day V: Excuses, Excuses
I knew by the title, I was in trouble. When we run late or we have to cancel our commitments, we make excuses. "I am sorry I am late I had to...." I have decided no one really cares why I am late, I just better apologize because I just wasted their valuable time. Or when we are a kid and it's time to clean up the table, we magically need to use the toilet or do our homework. Or when God calls us to do something uncomfortable...
"Our struggle with excuses is the test of our commitment to Christ. Make no mistake: in a thousand choices to obey, we are faced with several thousand excuses to turn away. All of them seem 'reasonable.'"
In Matthew 8:19-22, Jesus calls us to follow Him. The cost of genuine commitment requires us to step out in faith. "If we are serious about following Christ, we give up our demands for comfort and we follow him to reach both the rich and the wealthy, the robed and the lepers.... the disciple of Christ doesn't demand or expect comfort. He follows his Lord anywhere and everywhere he leads."
All too often, I am a victim of But Lord, I am too busy. or But Jesus, I don't have time. All too often, we hide behind our excuses. What would happen if I gave God everything always? What would happen if I let Him use me to the extent I could be used?
"We don't want to do what God wants because it requires a little more effort and courage (OK, sometimes a lot more effort and courage!) than drifting along like we usually do. In this pampered culture, we don't want to do anything that requires more from us than we want to give...
[BUT!!!] Every time we say "No" to one our our excuses and say "Yes" to Jesus, we know we must be closer to his heart, sensing his love. What kind of impact did Jesus have on people? Even the hardest sinner knew one thing about him: he loved them. Only the self-righteous religous leaders drew harsh words from Jesus, and that's because they were leading people away from God. To the prostitutes and the other sinners, Jesus was the kindest, most loving person they had ever known. As we know him better, we will be kinder, more loving, more compassionate... different, in a good way."
I have learned to take on less and do a few things well. In that, I am obeying Jesus by giving Him more one on one time. However, I desire for Jesus to infuse my entire life, out of the box. I am often afraid of stepping out there and going at it God's way... but every time I do, I know it is worth it.
I need to listen to God more and me less. Like in Ephesians 6:18, pray continually. Listen continually. Worship through all areas of life. For me, this means giving God my time. My greatest commodity that He gave me.
All quotes in this post are from David Nasser's A Call to Die
PS. This devotional keeps opening doors to listen to God in my life. I have been able to soak in God's word and with His strength forgive others, love more, and be resolved to peace. In the beginning of my senior year, I was going through what felt like the Valley of Death. I went from being with my family and my home church family to being in an apartment. I was yearning for accountability/fellowship and my heart was not at peace... I was seeking and felt dry... but through all times, God provides! Praise God for an awesome accountability partner and drawing people in for fellowship. Prayer Answered!
October 8, 2009
Day II: Hard Words
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." - Proverbs 3:11-12; Hebrews 12: 5-6
In our culture, people seek to be understood, to be accepted, to be entertained.
In Jesus' day, at the height of his ministry, people saw his miracles and the crowds marveled. When Jesus said "I Am" God, the crowd left(John 6). They liked to be entertained, but they didn't want to molded and changed. The crowd enjoyed the entertainment, but did not care to worship Jesus. Are we more concerned with our happiness or our holiness?
"If we genuinely want to follow Christ, we need to be ready for him to point out those things that come between us and him, the thing or person we cherish more than him." - Nasser, A Call to Die
After being in a manipulative relationship, I truly understand what it means to worship someone more than God. I looked to my boyfriend for things that I should have been bringing to the cross. My heart had a huge chasm in it. Many nights, I would sit in my bed crying. I was torn. I felt God pulling hard on the strings of my heart, but I was so lost... so lost that I reasoned that I loved this guy so much that I couldn't leave the relationship. Finally, I asked God why I was so broken, so down and He showed me through church messages, through a friend, and through a movie that I was being pulled away by this guy. He was causing me to lose sight of my greatest lover, Jesus. So, I left the boy for intimate closeness with Christ. Because I allowed myself to be open to God, I was refined by grace and the chasm in my heart was filled with fullness that only the love of my Savior can bring.
"When [God] speaks, be still. Listen. It's not necessarily audible. It's even louder. It's straight to the heart. God doesn't need your ears to get your attention. Obey. Will it be hard? You bet! You can count on it. But he speaks those hard words because he loves you so much, and he honors your commitment to follow him with all your heart." - Nasser, A Call to Die
God is concerned with our holiness. He lovingly corrects us. As I have experienced and truly believe....Be willing to quickly slay the sin that entangles your heart... this is true freedom in Christ.
Today, I am willing to slay my negative attitudes and selfish ambitions. Come Lord Jesus.
In our culture, people seek to be understood, to be accepted, to be entertained.
In Jesus' day, at the height of his ministry, people saw his miracles and the crowds marveled. When Jesus said "I Am" God, the crowd left(John 6). They liked to be entertained, but they didn't want to molded and changed. The crowd enjoyed the entertainment, but did not care to worship Jesus. Are we more concerned with our happiness or our holiness?
"If we genuinely want to follow Christ, we need to be ready for him to point out those things that come between us and him, the thing or person we cherish more than him." - Nasser, A Call to Die
After being in a manipulative relationship, I truly understand what it means to worship someone more than God. I looked to my boyfriend for things that I should have been bringing to the cross. My heart had a huge chasm in it. Many nights, I would sit in my bed crying. I was torn. I felt God pulling hard on the strings of my heart, but I was so lost... so lost that I reasoned that I loved this guy so much that I couldn't leave the relationship. Finally, I asked God why I was so broken, so down and He showed me through church messages, through a friend, and through a movie that I was being pulled away by this guy. He was causing me to lose sight of my greatest lover, Jesus. So, I left the boy for intimate closeness with Christ. Because I allowed myself to be open to God, I was refined by grace and the chasm in my heart was filled with fullness that only the love of my Savior can bring.
"When [God] speaks, be still. Listen. It's not necessarily audible. It's even louder. It's straight to the heart. God doesn't need your ears to get your attention. Obey. Will it be hard? You bet! You can count on it. But he speaks those hard words because he loves you so much, and he honors your commitment to follow him with all your heart." - Nasser, A Call to Die
God is concerned with our holiness. He lovingly corrects us. As I have experienced and truly believe....Be willing to quickly slay the sin that entangles your heart... this is true freedom in Christ.
Today, I am willing to slay my negative attitudes and selfish ambitions. Come Lord Jesus.
October 7, 2009
Day I: Take Up Your Cross
" Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." - Matt 16:24
This is a monumental "if" statement.
Accepting Jesus is a high cost, but the reward is far greater. Jesus gave us a relationship with the Father, rescued us from eternal condemnation, and washed our slate clean.
Why wouldn't we live for Him? Unfortunately, many people settle for something less.
Today, for me, taking up my cross means
loving people unconditionally:
even when they are just plain mean, even to the point of tears or anger; not turning around and gossiping about what they did against me
giving my time over:
I am a schedule-aholic which can make me miss out on what God is or could do with my life.
humbling myself by telling the whole truth:
I grew up telling stories with zeal to make myself look better (i.e. exaggerating)
and listening more:
people need to be heard!
"The world has yet to see what God will do through one man whose heart is completely his." I want to be used. I desire to lay down my life... Philippians 1:21, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."
I want all in. Here I am. Lord use me.
This is a monumental "if" statement.
Accepting Jesus is a high cost, but the reward is far greater. Jesus gave us a relationship with the Father, rescued us from eternal condemnation, and washed our slate clean.
Why wouldn't we live for Him? Unfortunately, many people settle for something less.
Today, for me, taking up my cross means
loving people unconditionally:
even when they are just plain mean, even to the point of tears or anger; not turning around and gossiping about what they did against me
giving my time over:
I am a schedule-aholic which can make me miss out on what God is or could do with my life.
humbling myself by telling the whole truth:
I grew up telling stories with zeal to make myself look better (i.e. exaggerating)
and listening more:
people need to be heard!
"The world has yet to see what God will do through one man whose heart is completely his." I want to be used. I desire to lay down my life... Philippians 1:21, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."
I want all in. Here I am. Lord use me.
October 6, 2009
Let the Adventure Begin
Tomorrow, my friend and I will take on the challenge to conquer David Nasser's "A Call To Die" devotional. Before beginning the devotional, you must fast from something for 40 days that takes your focus off God.
Hello, Facebook and Gmail! As much as I need to check my mail for school, I am commiting to only checking it in the morning and at night. As for Facebook, I think it makes me more judgemental and create false beliefs about who someone really is. I am making time for God by not Facebooking for 40 days. Can you even imagine the world before Facebook? Just kidding.
After reading the foreword, prologue, introduction and covenant, I am eager to start. The devotional asks us to commit to at least one undivided hour each day and do the following throughout the 40 days: reading, memorizing scripture, praying, and fasting.
To some, fasting may be a crazy idea. However, what God will chose to do with my time, my life, my thoughts during this time will be even crazier, even better than I can imagine. So here's to the adventure!
Just to get an idea of who the author of the book A Call to Die:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ttqJbs7kMQ
Hello, Facebook and Gmail! As much as I need to check my mail for school, I am commiting to only checking it in the morning and at night. As for Facebook, I think it makes me more judgemental and create false beliefs about who someone really is. I am making time for God by not Facebooking for 40 days. Can you even imagine the world before Facebook? Just kidding.
After reading the foreword, prologue, introduction and covenant, I am eager to start. The devotional asks us to commit to at least one undivided hour each day and do the following throughout the 40 days: reading, memorizing scripture, praying, and fasting.
To some, fasting may be a crazy idea. However, what God will chose to do with my time, my life, my thoughts during this time will be even crazier, even better than I can imagine. So here's to the adventure!
Just to get an idea of who the author of the book A Call to Die:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ttqJbs7kMQ
October 3, 2009
Long Awaited Arrival
During the first week of September, I visited Barnes and Noble to order this devotional. I came on the site ready to use my member's card to get 15 percent off. Surely, I did get my 15 percent off and free shipping. As an excited customer, I waited for my devotional to arrive in the mail. The receipt said it would come in 3 to 7 days. After 7 days, I checked the mailbox twice a day. My neighbors probably think I am OCD by now. I did this for two weeks before reviewing my shipping status on Barnes and Noble's website. It said my approximate ship date was September 29. Woah baby! Needless to say, I stopped checking the mail. On September 29, I received the news I had been waiting for: Shipped! I looked at my calendar and counted the days. Ok, my package will arrive between October second through the ninth. I thought, let the mailbox checking begin! Then, I received an email with a tracking number. No worries neighbors, I will only be checking my mailbox once! Currently, my book has traveled from NJ to Panama,IA to Des Moines, IA and by Monday I will have that book in my hands! Oh boy, patience is continually learned. I guess this stems for an excitement to begin the adventure of my first David Nasser devotional. Come along for the ride!
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