Purity and Justice

written December 9, 2006

I apologize for writing so much, but school has slowed down at least a little, so you will have to put up with the free time I have to write. I want to address an issue that I have seen in my life and the Lord has been challenging me on. It is in the area of the movies that I watch. I think we all know that the scripture calls us to be careful at what we put before our eyes. And we all know that watching nudity or a sexual scene is wrong and sinful. I know most of us if watching a movie with a scene like that would turn away at that part or skip over it while watching the movie. Perhaps that keeps us from lusting, I am not totally convinced on that, I know I have seen otherwise in people who would espouse that, but I won’t argue about that, now. I will, however, say that I do not think it is the proper response, regardless. I do not think it is the response that Christ would have, nor even us, if Christ were physically present watching the movie with us.

Several months ago, I was watching a movie that was great, except an unexpected scene where for a moment where there was a woman naked. In this movie, it was very discrete and you could not see anything, but the Lord stirred something in me and started challenging me. Lust is not the only issue; we must also capture God’s heart for justice. After watching the movie, God asked me if I should watch a movie that asked a woman to perform naked, regardless of how discretely they did it or whether I turned my head during the scene. Is this honoring to women? Yes, maybe, I doubt it, but maybe, I could get away from that with out having a seed of lust, but what about justice for the woman, who was asked to dishonor herself for the sake of a movie. For a woman to be asked to perform naked, to be put in a sex scene, to be dressed inappropriately, or to be dishonored in any way is wrong and unjust, and as men we need to stand up and be a covering for our women and stand up against this injustice. Let me put it this way, how would I respond if that woman were my daughter or my wife. I would be angry, and not just a little so, but intensely angry. That anger is righteousness and it is how we ought to respond when we see these things in the world. Why are we willing to put up with a woman being dishonored for the sake of mere entertainment, why not, act as men of God instead?

Since pursuing this stand (I say pursuing, because I am still growing), I have been accused of being legalistic and a weaker brother and more, which is a perversion of the scripture. It is not legalistic to believe in the beauty, the sweetness, and goodness of the scripture, nor is it weak to honor and to protect women and to value them above your desire for entertainment. On the contrary, I think it is scary when we take a scripture like “But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be not filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.” and we “strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel” like the Pharisees so that we can have an excuse to watch a movie. We legalistically say that we are not committing adultery or lusting, but disobey the heart of God in justice and honor. We seek to shape the scripture to our image in stead of obeying Romans 12:1,2 in becoming conformed to the image of Christ. This verse says there should not even be a hint of sexual immorality, and yet we are willing to put up with movies that have course jokes about sex and are lude and disgraceful, which the scripture elsewhere, as well, speaks directly and sternly against.

What do I feel like the Lord is asking of us? Love honor. Love justice. Do not put up with such things. Do not watch movies that dishonor women. If you are watching a movie and these things are in it, do not just turn your head, but get angry with the things that anger the Lord and turn it off. Why would you want to watch a movie that dishonors women that should instead be cherished? Why not instead, make a stand against such things? Men, stop being the weaker brother, and be men who honor the Word and make a stand for honoring women. I am writing this mainly for men, because we ought to not be put to shame in this, but instead we ought to lead out in this and be the first to act, but, women, also to you, I say do not put up with this. Do not watch these things. Also do not watch things that dishonor men. And I would say also do not let a man pursue you, if he is not willing to make a stand on this. If he does not know how to honor women, then how will he honor you? I will also ask for you as women to pray for us, because our culture has really pushed these things and we often need the Lord to take us aside and show us His heart and teach us how to be men. I know I need prayer. Also encourage us to be men in this.

This letter has been mostly about watching movies that dishonor women, but I think this is, obviously, not the only movies we need to stay away from. I want to challenge us to look at the scriptures and see what it says about the movies that we watch and to seek justice and to not put up with immorality for the sake of entertainment. And I want to challenge, especially the men, to be men and to have convictions, to be first in this, and to start taking a stand.

Also, I want to say that I am not saying that I am there yet, but that is not an excuse for us not to encourage each other in the Lord to live life to the fullness. Let us be men in challenging each other to grow in our pursuit of joy and beauty and honor and abundant life.

The ease of murder

I don't know where Mother Teressa was on her stance on the Gospel (I have not heard her say), but I do know she is correct here.

Abortion is Racism

Leading cause of death in African Americans

Abortion linked to Breast Cancer

failed

I have fallen and failed on so many levels in my life, lately. I hope those around me can forgive me. Where is pride? I have nothing I can boast in. I can try to pick myself up and strive to be the man I want to be. Try to falsely prove that I have worth in of myself. Or I can fall into my Lord's arms, into the arms of the only one worthy of praise.

O God, let the sweetness, of your Honesty, Confrontation, Discipline, Truth, and Healing come over me. Let your Love bring out Your heart in me. Let me become less and you become more.

"Deep calls to deep
at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
have gone over me."

Dangerous arguments for the leadership of women

I have been reading and listening to arguments that are made to defend the allowing of women to have authority or over men,. I did this to challenge myself. Is what I believe about the woman's role in the church true? You see, I have no stake on either side; my heart's desire is only to be submissive to the word of God. So I want to know if there is any objective challenge to what I believe. If I am wrong I want to be corrected. And I have no fear to proven wrong, because I trust God at His word.



In reading the arguments for allowing women to lead and have authority over men, it has amazed me and shocked me to see how those who believe that women can lead and have authority argue and defend their position. As I see them present their arguments and lay out support for what they believe, it is the exact same arguments and scriptural presentation used by those who seek to prove that homosexuality is not a sin. (I am debating on whether to present this information; I want to make sure I present it well, so that it doesn't cause people to stumble. It can sound good if you're not being objective with the scripture. It scares me a little. If people are so quick to buy into these arguments when it comes to women in leadership, will they do the same with homosexuality?) I know most who make these arguments for women leadership don't know that they are same arguments that people use to defend homosexuality. And I am not accusing them of going that direction with it at all here. And I know that this error is not intentional, but it is still dangerous.



I also have not read any arguments for women having leadership over men that candidly use the scriptures within the context or meaning within which they are presented. When I read or here the arguments its like a circus act connecting points that aren't there and disconnecting points that are connected. Basically the scripture is interpreted to fit an already preconceived idea, instead coming to the scripture with no preconceived idea and allowing the scripture to define itself. Scholarly and objective presentation of scripture is not used. Because the scripture is God's word, we ought not to be afraid to approach scripture objectively and candidly and allow it to present what it says.



Also in reading a lot on this issue, on both sides, and after hearing the other side presented, I am amazed at how biased and unfair their arguments are. I can say that those who believe that women should not have leadership or authority over men, often present both sides of the issue, and after reading both sides I can tell that they honestly portray the opposing side of the argument, presenting the exact arguments of the opposing side and what they believe. They give a fair presentation of both sides of the issue, not being afraid that doing so will hinder their position. But when I read those who argue that women can lead and have authority over men (now, I am basing this on what I have seen), they will distort the opposing side and what they believe and even state that they believe something that they don't, instead of objectively presenting both sides. They basically build a straw man and tear it down. This is not a fair presentation of the issue. I don't think this is purposeful either, at least I hope it is not. I think they are hearing what the culture is telling them the opposing side is saying or they have heard people who talk who do oppress women, and they hear this instead of really listening to what the opposing side has to say. And so their arguments get distorted. So I do not mean to be harsh in saying this.



I know some might say, I am biased on this issue. What made me look at this issue more and to want to see what both sides said about this, is that I wanted to marry someone who at one time believed that women could lead. I was not about to ask her to do something that the scripture did not ask of her. I wouldn't ask any women to do that. And I was ready to be proven wrong, why should I lose a great woman over this issue? I also hate the idea of oppressing women and would not support something that did that. Like I said before, I had no stake in believing either side.



Honestly, I am shocked by this. I didn't expect to find this. Even though I might disagree with the opposing side, I did expect to find some objectivity. I am not writing this because I want to tear apart the opposing side. I'd rather not be the case. What I have written here is more of an emotional response. I am heart broken and hurt, to see the word of God used in this way, to see faith torn apart, to see such a lack of trust in God. And to see arguments that are so dangerous and that lead people away from scripture and toward things like homosexuality. I don't think its intentional and my I want to be gentle.. Emotionally, I am in a place where I am unsure how respond to it accept to say that it hurts and my heart is broken..

A reason to believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit

“. . . The temptation to want to have signs and wanders, the temptation to want to have gifts of healings are gifts of miracles because they sound neat because they sound like they might make goose bumps go up and down your back, because they might make you real as a Christian is a deadly desire. . . .” - - John Piper

Paul wrote the Christians in Corinth, who practiced the gifts of the spirit and were passionate about those things, and said that they were “carnal”. He also said that they were nothing, no matter how great they practiced those gifts, without love. And in there seeking to do things by their wisdom and experience, he called them “puffed up” and asked them “was it from you that the word of God came” and told them to put away their childish thinking. I think this is a powerful message, both for those who do not believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and for those who do.

For those who don’t believe in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, I think the message here is just because the person who is practicing the gifts of the Holy Spirit (are even the majority of people one encounters) is carnal, it doesn’t make the work of God less real or less important. I know; it has caused me to struggle with what I believe in this area, but my heart and mind are not bound by my experiences or what I see, instead they are bound by the word of God. I should not disbelieve the scripture because of men. And here we see Paul dealing with these same issues as he writes a church who is strong in practicing the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but weak in maturity and faith. So in this letter, I find that it should not shock me, when I see that in my own life, but like Paul instead of running away from these things, I should run to the truth of God’s word, in love. And in love run to build up my brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul instead of rebuking them for practicing the spiritual gifts calls them to bring there focus not on the spiritual gifts, but on love and building each other up in the maturity of the faith; to come closer together to Christ in whose image we are being transformed into from one glory to another. The “love chapter”, 1 Corinthians 13, is about this, to show the more excellent way. And as a warning to those who might despise the gifts, Paul says that we are to earnestly desire spiritual gifts. This is a command for the children of God. “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts”. I cannot harden my hearts, but must be tender to the word of God and what it has to say about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This is especially the case for those who know the word of God and have sound doctrine. For those who know the scripture and have solid, sound doctrine, have a responsibility to be leading out in these things and teaching about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, so that the church might be built up by them.

This message is also for those who do believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit do not make you mature on their own, you must press into the authority of scripture with love and not your experiences. Do not be “puffed up” with pride thinking you are something because you say that you are “spirit filled”. Do not hold it as the highest thing to be attained. Do not be proud, and say this church is great because it is “spirit filled” Or say that being “spirit filled” makes you more mature. You can be very “spirit filled” and yet be rebuked by God for being carnal and unspiritual. The most spirit filled people, the most passionate, the most victorious, the most used by God people, I know are those who submit to God’s authority and to the scripture in love, who know God’s character deeply and have sound doctrine and a strong character from beholding Jesus and who love others deeply and with their lives. And this is regardless of whether or not they have believed in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These are the great men and women of God. No matter how often the gifts of the Spirit are used, they should never surpass the use of the scriptures, sound doctrine, or love, these are the things that make one mature in the Lord. And without them the person is carnal, no matter how much of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are seen in them. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are good and wonderful, beautiful, and amazing, and they should not be quenched, but they are not the center of who the church is. The Gospel is the center or another way of saying it is Christ, who is the Gospel, is the Center of the church. The gifts are not to glorify themselves or to get us focused on them. They are to glorify Christ, and Christ alone.

What ever side we are on this (sometimes I think I can fall in either), we can base our actions on our experiences, or we can base our actions on the scriptures and sound doctrine, having faith in the word of God. The scripture teaches us to pursue the most excellent way and that is to build one another up in Christ through our love for one another by the word, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are a part that. And so let us press into those things build the body Christ.

Here is a link to a sermon series preached by John Piper. I think he does a wonderful job at giving a good beginning glimpse into this issue.
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/BySeries/36/

The Gospel is for the believer

I. The Gospel is for the sinner
Day 1
1 John 1:8
"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

I was talking with someone recently. He was telling me of his struggles in feeling that he had to be a “godly Christian” to fit in at the church he was at. He struggled to perform certain set of prescribed things to fit that image or the vision that the church had. He said that the message he had heard from the church was that God has saved you, so you can stop sinning, when in reality the message of the gospel is that Christ has saved us because we sin. He was telling me that he was now learning about the gospel and how it applied to him as a believer. And as he came to understand this, he began to be able to walk in what the Bible says a godly Christian is to be.
When we base our Christian walk on how well we do or what a “godly Christian” is, we become actors trying to fit the image of what this is thought to be. But when we come to God by grace and grace alone, we are free to be real. Because it is not about impressing men or God, for God does not need to be impressed.

My question is: Are you capable of Righteousness?

Are you real with others or do you act like you are Righteous?

Additional readings: Isaiah 6:1-7, Psalm 16:2, Galatians
Video – Forgive me

Nothing to offer

Day 2: the Gospel is for the sinner, pt 2
I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you."

I asked yesterday, “Are you capable of Righteousness? . . . No, a resounding No, I have no good thing apart from God (Psalm 16:2). I bring no more to him, now, than I brought at the beginning of my salvation. . . . This is the freedom of the Gospel, we cannot earn it, we cannot prove anything, we can only trust in the work that Christ has done.

We must come to understand that our greatest righteousness is like filthy rags. We have nothing to offer Him, He has everything to offer us and He alone gets the glory.

I recently visited my 3 year old niece. Her parents don’t back down on teaching her about the Gospel and the scriptures. They know a child can understand the deep things of God. It’s great to be able to talk with a three year old about God! I was talking with her and asked her if she was going to be obedient to her parents. She had this look on her face of knowing that if she said yes that she would be lying. I told her, “You can ask God to help you to obey your parents, you know that, right.” She looked at me (she was so cute!) and said “Yes”. My niece at 3 years old understood her need for the Gospel in order to be able to obey her parents. . . .We need Him too.

How does the fact that we have nothing to offer God, and God has everything to offer us affect your Christian walk?

Additional readings: Galatians, Isaiah 42:8, Isaiah 61:3b, Colossians 1:29
Video – Who am I

Our hope

II. The Cross of Christ must become bigger
Day 3
God calls us to live in righteousness. The scripture clearly says that as a Christian you must pursue righteousness. I am sure we can all think of several scriptures which show this. But now I’m telling you, that you can’t be Righteous. So where is our hope?


-- The Gospel --


In Romans 7, Paul, like my 3 year old niece, knows that if he is honest, he can’t say, “Yes, I will do good”. Paul is very real and candid here. He talks about his struggle with sin and how although he would like to do what is good, he doesn’t. In this desperation he cries out “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” . . . But he is not without hope. . . . His answer is, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Paul said that he was the worst of all sinners. But he understood that grace touched every part of who he was, it had to or he wouldn’t have had hope. He understood that God came to save sinners. The cross had become bigger for him. Paul was honest and real; he had to have Jesus . . . "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. . . . may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

Paul wrote in Galatians, “Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit are you now being perfected by the flesh?” The Bible says, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

You see, we cannot look at the work of the Gospel as something just done in our past when we were saved, for we are just as much in need of it, now, as Christians as when we first believed, both to realize our forgiveness in God and to enable us to pursue righteousness. Hear this; we never ever outgrow our need for the Gospel. The Gospel not only obtains our salvation, it also produces our sanctification, and secures our glorification.

And this faith looks to a person - Jesus Christ our Lord, the author and perfecter of our faith. This is the Gospel. Jesus is the Gospel. He alone saves us from sin. He is our only hope. Therefore there is no boasting; only praise, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”


Who do you depend on for righteousness?

Is your walk in sanctification by faith or works?

Additional readings: Psalm 73:26, Philippians 3:9, Romans 8
Video – Mighty is the Power of the Cross

Covenant of faith

III. The Romance/ God’s pursuit of us
Day 4 pt 1
a. The Covenant of Faith
1 Corinthians 1:30-31
" 30But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD." "

In ancient culture, when a covenant was made between two men, animals were split in two and both men would walk in-between the animals signifying that if they did not keep covenant with the other person that they should be torn in two as the animals. In Romans 4 and Galatians 3:7-9, Paul refers to Genesis 15, where God makes a covenant with Abraham through faith. In Genesis 15, the animals were prepared and cut in two, but instead of both parties walking through the covenant, only God walks through the split animals. “As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him . . . When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram . . . .” Abraham was not capable of keeping covenant with God, so God was saying that He alone would keep the covenant both His part and Abraham’s part. God here was also saying that if He does not keep His part as well as Abraham’s part, “Let me be torn asunder”.
We have a God who in His love has made a covenant with us. Jeremiah 34:10 says, “’I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of Me in their hearts, that they may not turn from Me.’” (also read Hebrews 8:8-12). The Scripture says in Hebrews 12:2 “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." So now we look to Jesus who alone bore the cross and who alone tore the veil and who alone upholds the covenant of Grace. He is not only the author, but He is also the perfecter of our faith. He alone secures the covenant of the Gospel. We are dependent on work that Christ has done, both on His behalf and on ours.

What did the Psalmists mean when they called God their shelter and stronghold?

Additional readings: Hebrews 8:6-10; Hebrews 6:13-20; Ezekiel 11:17-20; Ezekiel 36:25-27; 1 Corinthians 1; Romans 9:16; Jude 24,25; Philippians 1:6; Luke 4:18,19; Galatians 3:7-9; Romans 4
Video – Amazing Grace

God's pursuit of us

Day 5: The Romance/ God’s pursuit of us, pt 2
a. Washing with the Word/Sanctification
Ephesians 5:25-27
"25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless."

It can be frustrating, not having obtained perfection, to still fail and let God down. Our walk on this earth is not one of perfection, but of being perfected -sanctification. When we become saved, God doesn't take a huge fire hose and blast us with water to get rid of all the dirt. No, instead He comes close and gently washes us with the word. I don't understand why God does this, why we aren't made perfect. I hate the fact that I still sin. But I do know that this is romance, and somehow in all this, the romantic, gentle, loving character of God comes through. So in this walk where I am not perfect there is beauty and intimacy; and I am falling more in love with my Beloved, who washes me with His word.

You see it is Christ who washes us, who sanctifies us, who is the perfecter of our faith. We don’t wash ourselves. When Peter refused this, Jesus said, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” And note here how gentle and romantic this is. Not only does he wash us (a very romantic picture), but He washes us with His word. I think of my wife (if it is the Lord’s will) and how much she will desire me to speak gently to her and how deeply that will touch her heart. This passage is extremely intense and romantic. And that is what Christ does for us. He touches the deepest parts of our hearts in a way no one else can.

“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.” – C.S. Lewis

Isaiah 61:10-11
"10I will rejoice greatly in the LORD,
My soul will exult in my God;
For He has clothed me with garments of salvation,
He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up,
So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise
To spring up before all the nations. "

Jesus is a good Shepherd. Do you trust him in your struggles, failures, hurt, in the valley of the shadow of Death?

Do you believe that He is a God who is with us in the realities of life and in the darkest parts of this world?

Additional readings: Ephesians 3:14-20; Romans 8:28-39; Reading - Our Security in Him ,
Video – At the cross

Strong Tower

IV. Its effect on our lives
Day 6
We have seen that Christ saves us and sanctifies us. So how do we respond?. . . By faith.

Psalm 121
"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in."

We do not look to ourselves for anything. We look to God for everything.

Where is your faith?

Who do you depend on to live the Christian walk, to keep your going out and your coming in, to keep your life?

Who do depend on to fight sin, to minister, to fight the fight of the faith?

Do you believe that He is your strong tower?

Additional readings: Psalms (all of them) J, The Psalms are a good place to learn about faith.
Video – You are my strong tower


Matthew 8:23-27
"And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing." And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?""

To the cross

Day 7: Its effect on our lives, pt 2

a. By faith we turn away from the world and behold Christ.

John cried out, “Behold, the Lamb.” That is what God has called us to do. This is our life. The scripture says “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

We behold Him. We lean on Him. We depend on Him for everything. We leave all else behind, and run passionately to our Beloved, the one in whom we have faith. Since He loved us first, we can love Him. And what does this look like in our lives. Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” This is what it means to be a Christian. It is all about Christ, the Lamb and the Lion. He is our Shepherd and Lord. We follow Him because He is like no other. . . .“We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.”

Hebrews 12:1,2
“Therefore, . . . let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Philippians 3:8-10
"8More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own."

Additional readings: 1John; Psalm 23 Reading – Look into my eyes ,
(Video – Never alone , Reading – more than we can imagine or think of )

Washed

Day 8: Its effect on our lives, pt 3
a. By faith we are washed by His word.
2 Timothy 3:16
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."

If you do not love the voice of your Beloved, then forget it. You’ve run in vain. 1 John says that if we are in Him we will love His commands. This is not a hard thing. As I mentioned before Jesus’ words are romantic. And if we love Christ we will respond to His romance. If we love Him we will obey His commands. Not only this but the scripture also says that the scripture is living and active. It works on us to obey. I think we often have the picture of the scripture as being a persuasive thing, when in reality it is effective. We all know that God’s word doesn’t return to Him void. When I read and meditate on God’s word it changes my life.
I like this quote: “God's Word is like a lion: powerful, living and active. We believe the lion is "caged" when it is used improperly as a pragmatic guidebook, platform for politics, for perpetual therapy, or for phony experience. The Church is responsible to uncage this lion and watch it run and triumph. And it will triumph, for it is the inspired and inerrant Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice.”

I also like how Jesus said that we must come to Him with faith like a child. This doesn’t mean that the father doesn’t teach his child complicated or deep things. What it means is that the child trusts his father and believes him when he teaches him hard and deep things.

b. By faith we are we love others. (Unfortunately, I don’t have time here to go into this more deeply. Although it is vital and must accompany your faith.)

If Christ washes us with His word, how important is the scriptures in our lives?

How passionate are you to love His word? How receptive are you to His romance?

If the scripture is living and active, is not understanding it a reason not to read it?

Are there scriptures that cause you to tremble? Do you avoid them or do you respond with the faith of a child? (read Isaiah 66:1,2)

Additional readings: Isaiah 66:1,2; 1 Corinthians 2:4,5; 1 John
Video - Lion
Video – the Word of God overcomes the enemy

The Good Fight

Day 9: Its effect on our lives, pt 4
a. And by faith we fight the Good fight of the faith
Psalm 144:1,2
"Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; he is my steadfast love and my fortress my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me."

God has made us partakers in work that He has wrought in our lives. The work that God does by grace brings us in to participate with Him in the work that He is accomplishing. When David went to fight, He did it in God’s power, in God’s way, for God’s glory. That doesn’t mean he didn’t really fight. His fighting was real. Battle is very real, in your face stuff. God has called us to put sin to death and to fight the good fight of the faith. And this is real. The fact that God does it, does not mean that there is not a real struggle or a real fight. The message is not “because it is God, we can sit back.” The message is to fight, to “. . . work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” It is because of Him we fight. And it is because He has accomplished the victory that have the confidence to fight. If we don’t fight we don’t have faith in the work that God has done. Faith without works is dead.

It was because David didn’t have any confidence in himself that he could fight. His confidence was in God alone. The scriptures say that the Spirit of the Lord was on David. That is where His desire and strength came from.

And because of this, David did not boast in himself. . . In Judges 7:2, “The LORD said to Gideon, ‘The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, 'My own power has delivered me.'’” In this fight, we must not declare, “My own power has delivered me.” You did not overcome, God alone did. Although He allows us to participate in the work that He is doing, God alone sanctifies us.

God will glorify himself. And yet we so often live in a way where we work to try to bring the glory of God about, instead of resting in grace and simply being faithful and obedient to the One who will bring His glory. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
We can rest in this. God has declared us righteous. He has made us kings and priests. But the Christian life is not "now that we are kings and princes, we walk out in our own strength and work to see God's Kingdome come." It is Grace from first to last. We are not kings and priests by our own strength or righteousness and we never will be. We are kings and priests because of His word. And we stand and press into the kingdom not by our works, but by His word that makes it so. And so we continue to press in by grace. But what a grace it is! And how mighty is our God!
And it is because of His word that we can face the gates of Hell and fight without fear.


Jeremiah 9:22-24
"23Thus says the LORD, " Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; 24but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD."


Do you believe in the work He has wrought in you?

To whom do you give your faith to in the battle?

Do you have faith to go to the battle, are you afraid?

Additional readings: Romans 8; Psalm 73:26; Psalm 20:7; Proverbs 25:14;
Video – My Jesus
Video-Justification in the fight
Video – Unfailing Love

To Him alone be the glory

V. To Him alone be the glory
Day 10:
Revelation 4
"9And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11" Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created."

This is a beautiful picture. The scripture talks about us being given crowns. Here we see the twenty-four elders casting their crowns before the throne and saying “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” They cast their crowns before the Lord, because only He gets the glory. They understand what 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 says “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, ‘LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.’” Don’t miss this, they cast their crowns because they know those crowns are the work of Christ and He alone gets the glory for them. But Christ has also given them the crowns and Christ declares them to be kings and priest and this is very real as well. By His grace and by His word, this who they are. Those crowns are not just for show, they are real and they really belong to the twenty-four elders.

When the day comes, and I am before the throne, I will be overwhelmed by how God has lavished His love on me. I will be clothed with the righteousness and honor of Christ. I will fall down before the throne and cry out, “Oh God you have lavished your love on us. How can I deserve all this, What have I done to deserve even the smallest of your favors? There is nothing good that I can bring to you. Oh to you be the glory, and honor, and power!” And He will say, “My beloved, my good and faithful servant, the one in whom I delight. You have been faithful. . . . This is yours.” How great is our God!

Additional readings:
Video - Sweetly Broken
Video – I can only imagine

Zechariah 3:2-4
1 And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Jehovah, and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary. 2The LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?" 3Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. 4He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, "Remove the filthy garments from him " Again he said to him, "See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes."

pirate

99 Balloons

In Him we live

I was talking with a friend of mine at church, who has a cousin who goes to the church I used to attend. He told me of how much he has seen that is good at that church. We talked about how both church's have their strengths and weaknesses and how we would love to see and longed to see them come together to build each other up. Not based on common interests or ideas, but based on God's word and truth, and a pressing in to build each other up so that each can get closer to that.

God doesn't see denominations or this church or that church. He sees the church. One of the things my friend said that was good. He said that he used to try to get people to come to his church, thinking his church was the answer, but now his focus is to get people to come to Christ.

And so its not about fighing for a denomination or church, but it is about fighting for Truth. Unity comes in submitting to the One we look to.

Lord you know us, sanctify us in Your truth

The best plan

I don't believe that God choses the second best plan. And He has more than earned my trust. And so I can let go of my dreams for His.

Break my plans

never ever

never, ever, ever, ever ,erver, ever stop preaching the Gospel.

responding to a man's pursuit

This can be applied to men as well (and this is a general principle. I know each case can be different. And this is meant to only be a quick thought, not a full treatise about it.):

Often it is said that men should take the initiative to pursue women more. I think that this can often be true. I think one of the reasons that men don’t, however, is because of how women respond when they are not interested in being pursued. If he was her friend, she often pushes him away, and he loses her as a friend. Women, I know not every man has honor. But when a man of honor pursues you, and you say no, trust his integrity. Trust his strength (or at least God’s strength) to be able to continue to honor you as a friend. Just because a man pursues you, that is not a reason to push him away as a friend. When you treat a man this way you are telling him he is not strong. I know for me it makes me feel like I have failed, even if I have done things with integrity, because I have lost her trust in me, as a man. It may not be the end of the world, and even though my faith is not in how she responds, it still hurts. And on top of this, it is a loss of a dear friendship. Women if you want men to pursue you, then treat them like men when they do.

music of the gospel

Quote by Randy Alcorn in Dominion

"You knows the words of the gospel, boy. But you's missin' the music."

"a man who will bring out who she is not just take her"

I was talking with a friend the other day, who had invited a girl to a group event. She is one of those girls that most of the guys find attractive. I told my friend to look after her as a brother. I told him she needed a man who will bring out who she is not just take her. Talking about that with my friend made me think. Do we look for relationships for what we can get out of it or do we look for relationships so that we can serve and build others up. I want to say this to the guys, if you are going to be a husband you have to learn to lay your life down for others (and not just women), or you won’t be able to do this for your wife. It starts now on how you pursue friendships. My relationship with my sisters is not so that I can have a wife, but is to, as a brother, build them up and encourage them in what the Lord has for them. If someday (with much accountability and prayer) building a sister up means marrying them, then so be it, but in the meantime my relationship with my sister’s is not to get my needs met, but to serve.

heroes

My sister is fighting for her marriage. Her husband told her that he wants a divorce. What do you tell those women who choose to fight for a marriage even when they are being mistreated. Do you tell them, "God will make things better? Just have faith, things will be great." Or do you tell them, "I don't know what will happen, things may not be great, but God promises that He is with you, and even in the suffering He will be faithful, and in this you are so dear to Him. Press into Him."

There are stories of women, who have faithfully endured hard marriages for decades and continued to honor their husbands according to 1 Peter 3. There are not only wives in hard marriages, but many men and women in different situations who have chosen to suffer for the gospel's sake. Who are your heroes? I put these men and women, who did not pursue a better life, but instead one of a lifetime of suffering and faithfulness because they trusted God at His word, on my list of heroes.

1 Peter 2:18 says, "Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if , when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you and example so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. Likewise, wives . . ."

I don't know what will happen to my sister or how strong she will be (I don't know if I would be strong enough, myself) and I definitely press into prayer that God will bless her and restore her; but more importantly I pray that God will uphold her to stand on His word. And I pray that instead of running away from the pain, that God will allow me to help her carry it however long it takes.

The war begins . . .

Quote from my pastor

"Some believe that when you become a Christian that sin ends. But that is when the war on sin begins. War on sin is a sign that you are a Christian."

adventure

As I grow older I have learned adventure is not always found where adventure is; I have found that adventure is found in faithfulness, and that more then I could have dreamed.

piano

Thunder

I love the sound of thunder. Thunder, especially the really loud, deep, house shaking, heart shaking THUNDER, fills me with so much peace. For me it’s a faint echo of hearing the voice of God. It reminds me of Psalm 18 and God’s protection over me. “I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; . . . . And I cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And even my cry came before Him, even to His ears. Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundation of the hills also quaked and were shaken, . . . . The LORD thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice, . . . . He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.” I think C.S. Lewis described this feeling well when he describes Aslan’s roar. It’s a strength that both shakes you and gives you unshakable peace at the very core of who you are. When I hear thunder, I feel like a child being held in the arms of my Father.

western philosophy

Written Saturday April 16, 2005

The original church had to deal with Plato's philosophy infiltrating and corrupting church doctrine, now we are dealing with Western culture and philosophy corrupting the church.

Written Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Sexual immorality was used to defeat Israel through Balaam, sexual immorality has crippled the men of the church, today.

I want my life to be spent in this one thing. The cry, "Behold, the Lamb of God"

Beauty

Many years ago I watched this movie and one of the scenes stuck with me. The man had drawn a portrait of the woman he loved. When he drew the portrait, he didn’t hide who she was. The portrait was an accurate drawing of what she looked like faults and all. He showed it to her and explained that he knew her, he could see her faults, he didn’t have some fairy tale vision of who she was, but he loved her for who she was and that love was real. This is more than a fairy tale love. Its deeper and more real. And yes, I do want to love my wife this way, Lord willing, but, honestly, I do not know if God will give me a wife, but I do know that I can give this love to others. And I want them to know that Love.

fun

Beauty

written 2007

In Proverbs 31, King Lemuel sets down to write as he recalls “the utterance which his mother taught him”. These are the words that a mother installed into her son as a youth, and the words that he carried with him as a man. His mother taught him, “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain” . . . “Do not give your strength to women, or your ways to that which destroys kings.” She warns him not to pursue a woman based on outward appearances and pretences, but to cherish incorruptible and satisfying beauty.

As men since we were little we have been hit by the message of the world. It is the adulteress of Proverbs crying out at every corner, “come here this is what is beautiful; this is what will satisfy” (paraphrased). We so often believe these words (“With much seductive speech she persuades him”), and we chase after the lust of our eyes and follow the lures of the adulterous woman, unaware that it will cost us our life, “for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng”. It is as if we are spiritually mad, running after things that have never satisfied us, but only cause us to thirst more. And yet in our thirst, we continue in this madness; we forsake the spring of life for broken cisterns. It destroys men. Proverbs describes its end as death, Jesus describes it as hell. “It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell." Men, if you think a beautiful woman will satisfy your physical desires, you are sadly mistaken. “Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of men.” Our hearts are made for the Lord. This culture has lied to us about what beauty is, it cries out at every corner, and we have bought into it, even in the church. We have let the world cheat us and we have settled for less than what God has for us. It should cause us to weep and be angry.

But that is not the end of this mother’s words, “but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised”. . . “She is far more precious than jewels”. The scripture talks of a woman whose worth exceeds jewels, who is worthy of praise, and is to be honored, and who will also fully gratify all our physical longings and desires. Her beauty goes beyond the imagination of men, is captivating and fully satisfying, and meets the deepest longings of our hearts. It is incorruptible. “Do not let your adornment be merely outward – arranging of the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel – rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” This is not an outward appearance or pretence of godliness, but a deep inner walk with the Lord. It is woman who has a deep trust in the Lord and embraces womanhood.

Men, this beauty is not just spiritual, it is also physically satisfying. God does not ignore the physical aspect to beauty. God is honest about our physical longings. In Proverbs it says,

“Let your fountain be blessed,and rejoice in the wife of your youth,a lovely deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight;
be intoxicated always in her love.
Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden womanand embrace the bosom of an adulteress?”

God commands us to be “intoxicated always” by the love of our wife and to be filled “at all times with delight”. God describes ones wife as beautiful, “a lovely deer, a graceful doe.” This passage is not talking about a young wife with a young body that fits with the world’s description of beauty, but a wife that has grown old with you. She may not have the body of a young woman, but she has the only body that can fully satisfy her husband. The word “fill” here means to have abundance, to be saturated, to have more than enough, to take ones fill. In other words, to have every physical longing filled and to have no need for more. Your wife will fill every physical longing you have. You may be intoxicated by the love of a forbidden woman, but her embrace will never fill your physical longings. “Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of men.” To rejoice in your wife is a command of God to the men, and I don’t believe God will command something He won’t perform. If you find a godly wife, God will satisfy your every physical longing for beauty as well. It will be filled and overflowing. Men, “let your fountain be blessed”! The Lord is faithful; trust Him to fulfill what He has promised. Do not be led astray by the lies of the adulteress; by death.

This is the standard of what should attract us as men as we pursue to find a wife, physical attributes or pretenses should no longer be the standard. And it is a standard by which we are treat other women who are not our wife. It is not only our duty to have this as our standard of beauty, but it is also our delight and exceeding joy, as God transforms our definition of beauty to His, and His passions become our own. Women need this from us, the passion of God through us, declaring to them that they as women are beautiful, more precious then jewels. Oh, how “good and acceptable and perfect” is the will of God and how wonderful is His gifts to us!

I know it can be hard, we are hit by television, commercials, the media, by how women dress in our society, even walking in grocery stores with images (although much of this can be stopped, if we act as men). I grew up in this as well and it is hard for me and I struggle. But if we give in to it then we are not walking in godliness or in manhood, but instead eating the vomit of this world. What does the Bible say about this? “Therefore I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is that which is good and acceptable and perfect”. We must ask God to transform the way we think, so that it conforms to Christ and His view of women. We as men are to demonstrate Christ’s heart and love for the women in our lives. The change must start here with us, and we must pass this on to our sons and other men, speaking to them while they are still young, defining for them what a beautiful woman is and teaching them to deny the world, the adulteress woman.

I do not think we can do this alone. I know I cannot do this alone; I definitely don’t have it all together. I need other men to walk, in honesty and openness, with me in this, to covenant with me to fight; to not look at a woman with lust. To keep me accountable and speak straight words to me when I compromise; the scripture says that we are not even to have a hint of sexual immorality. I need men to be men. God is good and He is faithful and we can give Him our hearts in this.


Women, this is not just for men, it is for you as well. Women are not innocent in their view of men. Be careful to not be lured by the trappings and pretenses of this world. Look to your Father who provides all things.

Gospel for the Believer Devotionals

Devotional Readings:

Day 1: The Gospel is for the sinner

Day 2: The Gospel for the sinner, pt 2

Day 3: The Cross must become bigger

Day 4: The Romance of God – God’s pursuit

Day 5: The Romance of God – God’s pursuit, pt 2

Day 6: Its effect on our lives

Day 7: Its effect on our lives – Beholding Him

Day 8: Its effect on our lives – Washed in the Word

Day 9: Its effect on our lives – The Fight

Day 10: To Him alone be the Glory

Two of my sisters had babies over the Summer, a boy and a girl. Recently, I went to go see my new niece for the first time. That sister already had a girl, who I thought was the greatest neice any uncle could have, so I was a little nervous about seeing this new baby girl. I couldn't see loving her more and I didn't want to have favorites. Funny, fear I know, but it was there. Anyways, I walked in the door and saw my new neice and instantly loved her and knew there would be no favorites. My other sister sent me pictures of my nephew and he is amazing.

Not only do I love them, but a huge hunger to teach them about God and what it means to walk with the Lord stirred up in me. To be there for them and establish a godly heritage. It was interesting, I've heard how father's are changed when they see their child for the first time. I think I understand a little bit of what that's like.

Good Shepherd

In my glimpse on how fleeting life is recently, the hardest thing for me in it was that if I were to die soon, I don't feel like I have done any ministry yet. I took this to Lord and talked with Him about it and I realized my discontentment at feeling like I would be taken before I did ministry was saying that He is not a good Shepherd. No, He is a good Shepherd, how could I deny that. And I know that whether in life or death, in ministry or no ministry, I can trust Him, and delight that His design is good for me.

Prosperity Gospel

Adoption

the kind intention of His will

10And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; 11for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, 12it was said to her, "THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER." 13Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED." 14What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! 15For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION." 16So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.

“16So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.”

Paul associates this verse and concept with God’s name. Paul refers to Exodus 33:19 which says, “And He said, ‘I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion’." Whatever we think about this verse, when Paul associates this with God’s name, it forces us to take this scripture seriously. I hear more people saying what they think or feel, instead of taking this scripture seriously and trying to come to grips with what it is saying. We can’t shy away from it because we are afraid. Paul won’t let us. Maybe you can show me, through the scriptures that it means something different than what I think, but you can’t come to this scripture and tell me that you do not believe it because of how you feel or what you think. And one of the things we surely cannot do is accuse God of being unjust or “making robots”. Paul is very clear about that. Paul writes, “19You will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?’ 20On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, ‘Why did you make me like this,’ will it?”

We can ignore scripture or we can face it like men, believing and trusting God like a child, knowing that what He has to say is good for us. And His purposes in this passage are kind, gentle and good. Read with me, Ephesians 1:3-8; “3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight”

My concern here is not to convince us of a doctrine, but to urge us to have trust in God’s word which is faithful. Instead of running from these scriptures or avoiding it because we do not like it, we must become like children who are not afraid to come close and hear the heart of God. Let the scriptures challenge you and reveal who God is and believe.

Because of some circumstances, I have been thinking what would happen if I had a serious illness that could end in death and how I'd want others to respond. And my hope is that they would put their hope in God. I think it can be easy in these situations to focus on God healing the person, and hoping till the end that that person would be healed. And I don't think that is wrong as long as it doesn't become your hope. As I was thinking what I'd want if I were in that situation, love stirred in my heart. I'd rather die, if those I love ever put their hope in my being healed above their hope in God. You, see, God has been a good shephard for me and wherever He takes me I know He is good, whether it is the shadow of death or a pasture by still waters. I still would say pray for healing, but pray knowing that He is with me, now and forever, and that He is good now even in the midst of it and whatever the outcome might be! He is so good!

I am finding that as I let go of doing great things for the Lord and learn to become less, that the fruit that God produces is more and does not wither.

The deposit of sanctification

If the Holy Spirit is deposited in you as security for salvation, you will be conformed into the image of Christ. If you are not being conformed to the image of Christ you are not beholding Him. You are not known by Him, and you do not know Him.

Gospel

I have been in a place where in some since I have had to look at death and how fleeting our life is. And in it I have looked at what I really want. And this I know - there is nothing I want more than to be with my Beloved. I long to be with the Lord. And in life I want to be poured out as an offering for Him.

"But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I recieved from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."

Father, make this true in me.

Security in Him

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified"

Our security is not based on what we have done but instead on what God has done. He secures our salvation from first to last.

Love of God

A letter written to a friend

You alluded to the verse "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Funny, I have heard that quoted several times in the last few days. I find it interesting what comes after this. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, 'For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." The promise of all things working together for good does not mean we will not face tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword. No, for his sake, for our Beloved's sake, "we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." But what it does mean is that His love breaks through all things no matter how bad and nothing can separate us from the love of our Beloved. It is about being in love. When your in love your deepest hearts desire is not to be separated from the one you love. He breaks through everything and we are swept away in His arms and by His love and that is truly "good".

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things: Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died - more than that, who was raised - who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us."

And indeed our position is secure in Him and He works all things for our good, "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified"

listen to this video: http://miykael-sehleon.blogspot.com/2008/03/blog-post.html#links

---------------------------------------"Smile"

Security

God's Word

God's Word is like a lion: powerful, living and active. We believe the lion is "caged" when it is used improperly as a pragmatic guidebook, platform for politics, for perpetual therapy, or for phony experience. The Church is responsible to uncage this lion and watch it run and triumph. And it will triumph, for it is the inspired and inerrant Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice. (from Redeemer - Waco,TX)

The Gospel is for sinners

Someone from my community group said, tonight, that often he gets the feeling that he is told by churches that the main purpose of the gospel is that Christ has saved us so that we can stop sinning, when in reality the gospel is that Christ has saved us because we sin. This is for the believer as well as for the unbeliever.

sanctification

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
----------------------Ephesians 5:25-27

It can be fustrating, not having obtained perfection, to still fail and let God down. Our walk on this earth is not one of perfection, but of being perfected -sanctification. When we become saved, God doesn't take a huge fire hose and blast us with water. No, instead He comes close and gently washes us with the word. I don't understand why God does this, why we aren't made perfect. I hate the fact that I still sin. But I do know that this is romance, and somehow in all this, the romantic, gentle, loving character of God comes through. So in this walk where I am not perfect there is beauty and intimacy; and I am falling more in love with my Beloved.

United States of America

"Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

-----------President John Adams

Love Leaf

Foriegn Faith

I am learning that faith is something that is foriegn to this world. Hebrews 11 is not a story of men who gained what they searched for here on earth. But they were a people who lived, loved, had good and bad, but trusted in their God. I read about Ezekiel where God came to him and told Ezekiel that his wife would die. Eziekiel did not shrink back but trusted in the goodness of his Shephard. Others lost their life. This is a people who could cry out, "All is well with my soul" because they knew who the designer and builder was. And how sweet it is to know Him whose right hand is wrapped around us at all times.

Women

9Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, 10but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. 11A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. 12But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. 13For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. 14And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. 15But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.

-----------------1 Timothy 2:7-15

1Timothy 2:10 rather by means of good works, as is proper for women

I think it is important to realize that Paul here is fighting against the oppression of women. They have a valued role in the church that only they can fill. No man can fill it. And if it is taken away, it is taken away at great loss to the church, who needs women to be strong. If you read Paul's writings and the rest of the scripture it is very clear that it not Paul's heart nor the heart of God to restrict women. Paul knows that there is a strength and power that God has given women and he is fighting for that. He does not want to see them stripped away of their strength, power, dignity, and influence. He is fighting for Womanhood, something that is vital for the church to be strong. Their strength is being striped away from them, when we don't believe God. It is like stripping the pedals off a flower and telling it that it must be a tree to have worth. Don't underestimate the power of a flower and don't underestimate a woman who is godly, she has the strength to capture hearts and to change the world. God is very clear that He intends a woman to have strength and dignity and influence. When we try to do this in our own wisdom we hinder the beauty that God has given women. In walking in our own wisdom we oppress women and embrace the world, instead of trusting in a God who loves us and cares for us and knows us best. Often these scriptures are approached with such a fear of loosing ones rights that all objectivity is lost, instead of aproaching God's word with confidence that He is trustworthy and what He says is for our good, and that its ok to take an honest and objective look at these scriptures. It is really ok, God is safe. God turns the strength and wisdom of this world over and destroys it with something far greater and more beautiful. He is an amazing God. And His dreams for us are so much bigger than our own. He is truly worthy of our trust.

And as a church we should be at the forefront of defending the honor and dignity of people, and this includes women. As a church we should also be encouraging people to trust and fear God and to believe His word.

For me, I have a huge longing to see women have more of a role and influence in the church and society, and my heart breaks to see the high standing that God has for women being torn down by our doubt and fear and by the oppression of the wisdom of this world. I for one believe in women and what they have to give to the church and society.

Here a site on this:
http://manhoodandwomanhood.googlepages.com/womeninthechurch

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as {we are, yet} without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

-------------Hebrews 4:15,16

Safe

“Aslan’s on the move…”

“Is – is he a man?” asked Lucy.

“Aslan a man!” said Mr. Beaver sternly, “certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don’t you know who is the king of Beasts? Aslan is a lion, the great Lion.”

“Ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he – quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”

“That you will, dearie, and no mistake.” Said Mrs. Beaver, “If there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”

“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he is good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

-------------C.S. Lewis

I wrote this in my 20's

“The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.” The most challenging adventure is to touch and captivate the minds and hearts of students, reaching them where they are. I want to teach because the prize is so great! I have learned that the reward of pouring out you life for others is of much more worth than mere material wealth. You gain delight and joy. Yes, it is a struggle. Yes, you suffer, but you gain delight and joy. As a teacher you impact the lives.

I also want to teach, because so often the children of today have forgotten the beauty, the passion the hidden treasures, and the adventure there is to learn and discover. They are drawn in this society and persuaded to love things that are fading, to love things that do not touch their minds or their hearts. They are taken captive by propaganda and advertisement and live in this instead of beauty and truth. They have forgotten to think for themselves. They have much knowledge but it is not based in thought. They lack learning skills. They lack discipline. They need to be led in the way they ought to go.

I want to teach children how to face this world. I want to teach the truth without bias, so that they might be grounded, to face what ever comes up against them. I want to teach with variety, interest, vigor, stimulating them to seek out knowledge. I want to teach them where they are, how they learn, who they are. I want them to be able to know how to think and learn. I want them know beauty. I want them to live passionate lives.

I am a very simple person. I want to teach because I like beauty.

This weekend I listened to a song that talked about how God never grows weary. Thats good to know when have no strength. God is the one who enables you to run, in all situations. And He does not grow weary.