hurt by others

Sometimes when we are hurt by others, even if we have done nothing wrong, we discover that the person that needs to change is ourselves.

Quote by Elizabeth Eliot

"If we imagine that happiness is to be found by furious pursuit, we will end up in a rage at the unsatisfying results. If, on the other hand, we set ourselves to pursue the wise and loving and holy will of our Heavenly Father, we will find that happiness comes - quietly, in unexpected ways, and suprisingly often, as the by-product of sacrifice."

--Elizabeth Eliot

Can there be Friendship after Courtship

Just a quick note, I don't feel like I have written this very well. I hope to someday come back and rewrite it and better explain. I have decided to leave it though, because it is something that does need to be heard, and I hope people will hear the meat of this message.



The scripture exhorts us to treat each other as brothers and sisters and to encourage each other in the Lord. The scripture does not qualify this. In fact, we are called to grow in love. I believe when a courtship ends a friendship continues and grows. It does not end. Courtship is a time of determining God’s will for marriage between a woman and a man, however if that courtship ends, the pursuit of God’s will still continues. And it is God’s will that we continue to treat each other as brothers and sisters in the Lord, honoring each other and growing in love.

I have often been told that after a courting relationship that you can’t be friends. I don’t believe this. It contradicts the scriptures encouragement to grow in love. God has called us to a greater love than the world and a greater wisdom then the world’s. I think it is sad, how couples can treat each other after breaking up. I want to learn how to love my sister, in those situations. Why should I settle for less, knowing that God is with me? Listen, I know this is hard. I really do, I struggle as anyone else does. God’s way is often not always the easy way, but the way faith and trust. But it is always the better way. This requires learning to love with agape love. And agape love is something I don’t think I will ever regret. We could make excuses and say, “Yeh, but. . .what about this” I would say, “Yeh, but we only have this life as an opportunity to live these things out, to show God’s glory and to love each other in these situations. Let us be committed to press in and love each other with an agape love.” I don’t want to waste my life saying, "Yeh, but . . . ". Instead, I want to walk by faith, loving my brothers and sisters. I think we often run away, instead of standing in faith and love, committing our relationships to the Lord and laying our hearts and our relationships at His feet.

I came across this a few years ago:

“Properly define success. As Joshua Harris points out in his article, a courtship that leads a couple to engagement and marriage is not necessarily any more successful than a courtship that leaves the couple wiser but still single. Remember that the purpose of courtship is to seek God's will, not merely to get married. For this reason, a courtship God does not lead to marriage may not be a tragedy at all, and the church must be careful not to react as if it were. Singles whose courtships have ended short of engagement inevitably suffer disappointment and pain. When your heart is drawn toward romance, there is no way to render that relationship totally free of risk. But, because courtship balances passionate feelings with wisdom and discretion, singles can often withdraw from a courtship with hearts that have been bruised but not seriously wounded.

Few events can help a church grasp the real meaning of courtship better than one that ends without a proposal, but full of grace. What a witness these trying situations can be to a watching world! When the church is able to see God's goodness in these testimonies as clearly as it does in stories of dreamy proposals and teary weddings, it demonstrates a solid grasp of what successful courtship is all about.”

God is glorified when we chose to walk by faith and to love each other with an agape love. This is a witness to the world of the power of God. And this is a witness to ourselves that He is good in all things. Continuing a friendship after courtship will look different for different people, but the idea of continuing to grow in friendship and in love should always be there. If your heart is the Lord’s and you have surrendered the relationship to the Lord, He will lead you. He is a good shepherd. He is a good Father. He leads us perfectly, even when we are not perfect.

Continuing a friendship after a courtship does take a lot of maturity and faith. Relationships take a lot of work and learning to communicate, even without a courtship. It also takes a lot of prayer, reading the word, and Godly counsel. It’s work. I haven’t read it yet, but I have heard of a book called “Relationships, a mess worth making”. I completely believe this. I think after ending a courtship, it’s hard and it is difficult to remain and to grow in friendship. I think because it is difficult, people often choose to shut off their hearts, instead of going through a difficult period of readjusting to friendship. This takes agape love, a choosing to love, even in the hardships, and a choosing to trust God when your heart is being torn. But it is a mess worth making. It is so worth it – learning to love others as God intended us to love.

I said that I know it is hard. I know this from experience. I had just asked a girl, if I could pursue her in marriage. We had courted and returned to friendship for a year at the time and had had a healthy friendship for years (only a small part of that was courting). She said, “No”. It hurt. But God had spoken clearly, that He had called me to continue to love her as a friend. I knew this would be difficult, because the more I got to know her the more I wanted to pursue her. But I knew that this was God’s will for me, and I said “Yes”, trusting the Lord that he would hold my heart. So I gave my heart to the Lord, and chose to love her as a friend. And as I have surrendered my heart to the Lord, he has given me an agape love for her and the strength to obey Him and He has protected my heart as well. I can say that in obeying God and in surrendering my heart to Him, God is using this to teach me to love others in a deeper way. I am learning to love beyond the emotions. And I am thankful for the work God is doing in my heart. It has given me a deeper strength and determination to love others. I still have a lot to learn, but taking that step of believing God’s word, that he has called me to love, even when it is hard, has taught me so much. He has commanded me to love her as my sister, and I don’t regret that. Agape love is not something you regret.

Choosing to love and continuing to be a friend, doesn’t mean that the other person will want to continue to be a friend. They may only want a casual friendship of just being friends because your supposed to be, but without any real substance. They may back off, they may stop trusting in the friendship you once had. They may stop valuing you or respecting you. They may push you away. We live in a fallen world and no matter how much you honor someone and love them with agape love; they may not want to continue to grow in friendship. Don’t let your heart get bitter. And don't be quick to assume, the person may not even realize what they are doing. They may just be hurt. Or it just may be that at this time your not communicating very well. Sometimes when someone has wronged you it is best to be patient and continue to believe in them. Continue to honor them as a friend and to encourage them in the Lord. The scripture says that love is patient, not self seeking.

I have been on the other end, too; where I have had to say “no” to others who liked me. For me when a girl likes me, it is an honor. I feel blessed, because who am I that a girl would consider me worthy of being considered as someone she might marry. To me that is just amazing. So I don’t understand why or how someone could just push someone away that just honored them in this way. That to me is ridiculous. Yes, you want to protect their hearts, but pushing them away is not protecting their hearts. It’s treating them like their dirt. It’s disobeying God’s command to treat them as sisters. If a girl comes to me and lets me know that she likes me, one of the things that I try to establish with them is that, even though I have to say, “no”, I still deeply value them as a friend, and I am not going to treat them different just because I just found out that they liked me. I want to communicate to them the security that God has established in our sister-brother relationship. I let them know that to me it is not awkward and they don’t have to feel awkward around me. They are my friend and my sister and that has not changed. In these situations it is important that I am sensitive to what she is feeling and where she is at. I need to find out how I can protect her heart and encourage her as a friend and a brother. She may say, you know, when you do this it really draws out my heart, please, don't do that. And that is totally, ok. It may be that they need some time away, and that’s ok, too, just let them know that their value to you has not changed and you will their as a brother and friend when they are ready. The key is learning how to respond in a way that encourages the other person in love and looks to their interests and grows the friendship and your relationship as brothers and sisters. I can say this. I am thankful for the girls who have liked me and have decided to continue to be friends with me. I can’t imagine not being friends with them. They are my friends and my honored sisters.

Does God have a great purpose for your life? pt 2

"In you, O LORD, do I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame;"

I wrote in the last post, that sometimes what God has for us is not what the world would call great. What God may have for us may even be mundane. This does not mean that God is mundane in the way He treats us or loves us or uses us. It just means that instead of striving to be great, we commit our lives to His faithfulness, trusting that He will bring about His purposes whether in the mundane or not so mundane. One of the things great about God is that He is always great, even in the things this world may call not so great. His wisdom is not the wisdom of the world. So press into Christ with all you might, knowing that He is faithful, and He is great, and His purposes for your life are our in His faithful hands.

Psalm 37:3,4 "Commit your way to the LORD, trust in him and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday."

1 Corinthians 12:12

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Does God have a great purpose for your life?

A friend of mine made this statement last night, "God did not tell us to seek a purpose for our life, that is something we have made up . . ." He had gone through a difficult time and fell into a deep depression because he was trying to find the purpose that God had in his life and couldn't find any. When he looked at his life, he felt like everything he touched failed. After going through a long depression, he started asking God, "What is important to you?". He came to realize that "None of this stuff is about us anyways".


It is not about us. It is not about having a great purpose in life. It is not about our purpose at all, it is about His. And He can either choose to do that in the mundane or He can choose to do that in what the world or the church calls great. We are God's handiwork. We are the clay and He is the potter, and He forms the clay as He wishes, for His purposes alone.

Running from the pain

Official first blog of the year :)

This year or so has been a year of learning that you can't run away from pain. The other day, I had something really tough happen to me that ripped my heart out. I don't know if it will ever get repaired. I haven't even figured out how to talk about it. I don't know that I want to. But right after that incident, I got hit with a ton of bricks. I went and sat in a place where the tv was turned on. On the show, there was a young child, whose parents had died violently. With his parents gone, he now had the responsibility of looking after his three younger siblings. He would often go without just so that they could eat. I just wanted to weep. How does a heart respond to that? How can a heart take it? I cried out to God, I want to be there, but I don't know if my heart can take it. I can't, I can't even take my own pain. But I think life is more than trying to be able to handle it. I don't know that we are always supposed to be able to handle it. Am I going to turn away my heart just because I can't sleep at night? No, I am going to press into the firm foundation that is Christ and I take the beating and weather the storm. By God's grace I will not run. I believe in life I can either protect my hear in relationships, situations, and hardships, or I can love. Love doesn't protect itself from pain, it loves even in the pain. It does not run away.

2 Corinthians 4:7-12
1 Corinthians 1:8-10
1 Corinthians 13
Hebrews 12:28-29
Luke 4:18,19

Britt Nicole - Believe

Words on Evangelism from an unbeliever

Question: Can men and women have healthy friendships?

Question: Can men and women have healthy friendships?

The scripture calls women and men into a relationship with each other under Christ. Paul told us to treat the younger women as sisters and the older women as mothers. This tells me that there ought to be healthy relationships between women and men and that there is a place for this. We also see that both Paul and Jesus had healthy relationships with women. I think one of our faults that hinders this is that our focus in getting to know others from the opposite sex is easily set on pursuing a spouse. In our culture, our relationships with the opposite sex are often associated with finding a spouse. I don’t believe this is Biblical. My relationships with other women should be focused on treating them as sisters and mothers and fellow servants in the Lord. My focus should be learning how to encourage and build them up in the Lord, not finding a spouse. My attitude should be how can I serve and put others above myself. When I meet other women my focus should not be looking for a wife. God is sufficient to let us know when it is time to pursue. I do not believe we seek a wife by social events. I believe we seek wife, by prayer, feeding on God’s word, and walking in the counsel with other men (and this is an active thing, but it is not the focus of our relationships with others). I know for myself I do not have enough wisdom to figure out who I should marry and if I am seeking a wife through social events or friendships, I will get all messed up in my emotions. But when I seek a wife on my knees and in God’s word and through godly counsel, there is an awesome assurance, certainty, and security. The steps I take to pursue a wife become firm. In my relationship with other women my pursuit is to point them to Christ and to encourage them in the Lord, not to me. I think that the line is that we treat others as sisters and mothers, not in the sense that I can do anything I can do with my own natural sisters or mother, but in the sense that I am protecting a healthy and secure relationship with proper boundaries. Instead of drawing their heart toward me, I am encouraging them in the Lord. This takes work, maturity, and learning how to communicate. And this does mean that some lines will be drawn on how you treat other women, but this does not mean that there can’t be healthy friendships. As for as how this looks practically, some of this stuff is still new to me, and I am still learning.

Don’t be afraid to pursue a woman

Here is a link on some of my thoughts on pursuing a wife: Courting

Christianity is not exclusive

“And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.’”


“And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.’ And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”


Some have said that Christianity is exclusive. I don’t believe this. . .


Christ asked for another way. Jesus asked God, “if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me”. Christ was in agony as he prayed, so much so that He sweated blood. If there was another way, he wanted it. And if it were possible, it would have been done, for Christ's prayer would have been answered, by a Father who loved his Son. Christ went to the cross and experienced God’s wrath because it was the only way to bring about our salvation. There was no other option. Our salvation was bought at a great price. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” God loved us and did what it took to save us by paying a high price, the only price, He gave His Son, so that whoever believes in Christ should not perish but have eternal life.


Yes, Christianity does say that only those who are in Christ will be saved and those outside of Christ will experience everlasting torment. But this is not exclusive. The calling is not exclusive, it is for everyone who comes. What should be said is that it is the only way and the greatest way for the salvation of mankind. and instead of being exclusive, it is God making a way for anyone and everyone who believes in Christ. His arms are open wide and He calls out, “Come”. And anyone who hears His voice and does come is accepted.

He opens our ears to hear.

A friend of mine came to me and we were talking about how sometimes I get frustrated, not so much because people disagree with me, but because people won't listen. I have known him for years, and he is a much loved brother to me. He told me that it is not so much that people won't listen, as much as they can't listen. He said that has been the case with him. Many of things I have said he was not capable of hearing it at the time. This was good for me to hear, and I hope it will help me to be more patient. God reveals His word not me, as much as I desperately long for people to hear it.

Daddy's little gift

Dare to Love

Love . . . Let it bring us to our knees.

LORD, in loving others, may I lock the door behind me and throw away the key and commit to never leave. And may You send angels to guard the door. Abba, give me wings of eagles to soar in Your love and renew Your strength in me, so that I might run where young men fail; and love and not grow faint. For Love is not a fight; it is something worth fighting for.




Love is not a place to come and go as we please. It is a house we enter in and commit to never leave.

"I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."

Dare to Love

Love. . .
Lord, as I love others, may I lock the door behind me and may you send angles to guard the door. G

He opened my eyes to beauty

Love them as I have loved you

A letter written to a friend July 21, 2005

I wrote this in my journal right before you asked me to pray for you last night:

"This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." - John 15

This gives us a glimpse into the heart and life of Jesus and how he treated those around Him. They must have been shown much love by Jesus, because they showed much love for one another. Christ loved personally those around Him.

Abba, put this heart in me, allow me to faithfully and fully invest in the lives around me. Let me hold nothing back nor hold on to things that are fleeting, but abandon my life to give. Reveal to me your love. Let me come close to the love of Jesus, in a real and personal and intimate way."

I need prayer for the same thing, to be able to come face to face with the reality of Jesus's love, to experience His tenderness and strength of love, the lion and the lamb. I need to know a love bigger than my own.

Pray fervently for both of us,

Your brother

Saying, "I love you"

There was a little talk, tonight about saying, "I love you" to someone you just started dating. Now, I don't mind saying this to my brothers and sisters in the Lord, but I do believe in a courtship relationship, what I communicate to the girl should reflect my commitment to her; and therefore, I will probably not say these words till I am committed to marriage. In the courtship that I had recently, I found this to be healthy, not just from the perspective of protecting her heart, but also in learning how to communicate with her. I also refused to touch her. It was good. I couldn't just revert to a simple, "I love you" or embrace her. I had to learn to tell her that she was special and that I cared for her in creative and healthy ways. I gained so much. I had to learn to communicate, something that takes work and makes a marriage stronger. Anyways, this something to think about, what do we cultivate in our relationships?

perspective of an outsider

When I was overseas, I was told what to expect about the culture I was entering. Although it was helpful, what I heard was from the perspective of an outsider, and I had to throw a lot of it out. I learned very quickly that I had to get to know the people that I encountered and lived life with, and not an analytic societal evaluation of who they were. I had to allow them to teach me who they were and on my part join them and live life with them.

How often do I not really get to know someone, because I think I already know. We assume someone is angry, sad, needy, weird, depressed, antisocial, or whatever. I assume the socially awkward person will be a burden, or perhaps, I assume I will be the burden to someone and don't reach out. I think I assume a lot, when perhaps I should be learning to love others and making an effort to get to know them, getting in the mud and living life with them. Listening and loving more than coming to conclusions. And when I speak; speaking the truth in love, not assumptions.

"Gracious words are like a honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul and health to the body."
--Proverbs 16:24

Kazoo playing

When you look at this world from a humanistic perspective it is like mimicking a masterful music piece that is meant to be played by an orchestra and choir with a kazoo. It does not come near expressing what the artist meant it to be.

Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me

Jesus said, "Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me." Do I see my life in those words or am I seeking a comfortable pilgrimage on this earth? The greatest portrayal of the Gospel was at the cross. I need to let that sink into my heart, for the greatest proclamation of the Gospel in my life is found in this statement, "Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me." To understand this I must look at the cross. But when I see Christ on the cross these words become stunning and uncomfortable. Impossible. I do not have that in me, anywhere. How could I suffer, in this way? How could I lose my life, in this way? But I must. I must, so that the gospel is preached. Because more stunning and more powerful are the words that call, "follow me". I think when you see these words for what they are you are like Isaiah who trembled and was helpless. The only place I see these words for what they are are in His presence and the only way I can live them is in His presence. If Christ did not say "follow me" there would be no hope. But He does say this and that He is with us, even to the ends of the earth.

--Hebrews 12:1,2

Listening to God

I think sometimes, when God speaks to us we try to fill in the gaps. I have learned that that is not how it works. He gives us his word and He fills in in the gaps in His timing and in His way.

Beautiful Daughters of the King

A few of the men made this for the women in my church this Friday:



Daughters of the King,


(written by Landon Lewis)
For lack of a better word I’ll declare
You blind as you look with unconcerned eyes
At your capturers but are unaware
That they already have you baited and tied.
With images of what is “beautiful”
They have brainwashed you to make you accept
That you are not physically wonderful
Because your look goes against their concept.
But dear lady I ask that you focus
Your eyes on your mirror but first your heart
To see the beauty you have failed to notice
And the outer beauty you had from the start.
If you look and are not able to see,
Open your ears and my words will set you free.


I listened as a man told a story on the radio about himself and his wife on their honeymoon. His wife had just gotten out of the shower in the morning and as she looked at herself in the mirror she began pointing out parts of her that were unattractive. Her husband walked up to her and placed his arms around her and faced her towards himself. He told her that she was insulting his wife; he would not have that. Then he gently said, “Look into my eyes.” She looked into his eyes. It was obvious in his eyes that there was no woman more beautiful. As she looked at him he said, “Let my eyes be your mirror.” . . . He would go on to tell her that throughout their marriage.


After hearing this story, I could hear Christ saying, “Look into my eyes, Let my eyes be your mirror.” I thought about this and I questioned whether or not I wanted this. I don’t want to just be told that I am loved. I want to face my sin. I want to have victory over it. I want a love that is real, not frivolous. Then I thought about Jesus’ gaze, the gaze that penetrates the deepest parts of the heart, leaving nothing unsearched. How it is stern and loving. There is no weakness to His love. He doesn’t lightly say, “I love you.” I realized that when Jesus says, “Look into my eyes”, His gaze not only searches the inmost being, but it also purifies the deepest sin.


There she stood clothed, yet naked
Before Him who looked into her
heart.
Fire and judgment stirred relentlessly
And searched . . .

She looked into His eyes and saw
severity
He did not penetrate her heart purposelessly
But was determined

She could no longer stand and fell . . .

His arms wrapped around her and
He held her close
“My child, my child, come close”

She looked into His eyes once again
And was consumed by His love.
And, and . . .
Amazed by the beauty He saw.
And yet His gaze had not changed.


As we look into His eyes, we see such great love, as He holds us in His arms and tells us that we are lovely. How could this be? A gaze so piercing and yet it contains such an enravished and gentle love, one drop being more than all the poems could contain. One drop bringing healing to our hurting heart. Such a love that makes you forget about yourself and abandon all as you are enraptured in romance of the Beloved. Now, all that matters is being with Him. Romance is at the heart of sanctification and holiness.


So let us, look into His eyes and let Him be our mirror. “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” This is not a gaze into our idea or concept of who Jesus is. But it is the gaze of a broken and contrite heart that trembles at God’s word and allows His truth to run wild and rule as a lion, without compromise. It is a humble walk before our Creator and Lord. It is a gaze that lets Christ be who He is and a gaze that allows us to be who He is creating us to be. It is the gaze that takes our breath away.


“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His Marvelous light . . .” 1 Peter 2:9


(written by Landon Lewis)
Who are the sheep O’ Christ that you’d take their place
And be pierced through by your Father’s own hand
When it was they who deserved the disgrace
Because it was they who sinned through the first man?
Do you love them that much? Are you that attached?
Just because they were given didn’t mean
You had to save. The door you could have unlatched.
The darkness you could have left to be seen.
But no, you had to open their blind eyes
And take the corks out of their deafened ears
Then draw them through the door where salvation lies
And where your glory is sure to appear.
You did everything to save your own.



Daughters of the Father and beloved by the Most High, your beauty, both inner and physical, are wrapped around this, beholding Jesus. As your brothers and men, we want you to see and believe this beauty in you. The beauty that does not look at the worldly standards, which fall so short of what physical beauty is, but a physical and inner beauty so great that it defies imagination and is stunningly captivating. A beauty that is fit for the Kingdom and captures the heart of our King and your brothers.


In Him with love,

Your Brothers

Adaptation of an earlier poem

There she stood clothed, yet naked
Before Him who looked into her
heart.
Fire and judgment stirred relentlessly
And searched . . .


She looked into His eyes and saw
severity
He did not penetrate her heart purposelessly
But was determined


She could no longer stand and fell . . .


His arms wrapped around her and
He held her close
“My child, my child, come close”


She looked into His eyes once again
And was consumed by His love.
And, and . . .
Amazed by the beauty He saw.
And yet His gaze had not changed.

Mud in her toes

She ran through the leaves
Feeling the mud in her bare little toes,
A little hanging on the eaves of her dress.
She laughed as the rain soaked her curls.
She hopped and skipped, and did a little dance.

Her dad who once saw only rain,
Gray and gloom,
Lost sight of anything else,
But the sweet smile of his princess.
He was no longer soaked,
No longer drenched.
“My little beautiful princess,
May I have this dance.”
A giggle and a courtesy, "yes"

Holding her close
He asked,
"Aren’t you afraid of the rain."
“No, papa, God made the rain”
She giggled,
“And you’re with me, so I know I’ll be safe.”

What is our only comfort in life and death?

Heidelberg Catechism Question 1. What is thy only comfort in life and death?
Answer: That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him.

Husbands love your wives

Ephesians 5:25-30

“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. 28So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30because we are members of His body.”


The scriptures paint a beautiful picture of the passion and the enduring and enveloping love of a husband for his wife. It is interesting that the scriptures never command the wife to love her husband. The husband, however, is commanded to love his wife in the most intense and serving way. He is to lay down his life for her. Husbands, when the scripture commands us to love our wives it uses the word “agape”, the very sacrificial love that represents Christ’s love for His church. The scripture describes our wives as “cherished”, “delight of your eyes”, “beloved”, “praised”, “more precious than jewels”, and “favor of the LORD”. Our love for our wives is to be a picture of Christ’s love for the church. Husbands, this is a love that has at its primary goal the good and protection of your wife. It is a love that sacrificially guards her under the word of God. Not in harshness but in the gentle and romantic strength of washing her with the word. A Husband must seek to serve his wife, nourishing and cherishing her, loving his wife as his own body. This is not a typical love, it is more. It is romantic, yet strong; passionate, yet deep and healthy. So husbands let us romance our wives in the amazing love Christ. Husbands, cultivate this love for your wife. And men, we must not wait till we are married for us to cultivate this kind of love, whether you are single or married, we must cultivate a heart of love. We must cultivate a love that not only lays our life down for our wife, but also for others, as we represent Christ’s love as men.

Men that had understanding of the times

1 Timothy 2:1-6

1First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.

I think in times like this, as Christians, we must be careful to hold fast to the council of our Lord and King. We must not respond out of our emotions or fear. No matter who rules, we have one King. A King who is mighty and because of that we do not fear and we are able to stand. In our pilgrimage, we are to be faithful observers of the times and are to live in understanding as we represent the Kingdom, in a fallen world. We are ambassadors, calling out on behalf of our King. And even in difficult times, we are to represent our King in our speech and conduct. And so we do not walk in this world like other men. We do not beguile or slander as other men, but we also do not back down on the truth, but remain faithful and honest, loving mercy and justice. We do not to fail to pray for the ungodly or to love or enemies. And we are not to fail to stand and be a banner, to be salt and light in this world, and to call out for repentance. We are honest about sin and we are bold in declaring salvation through Christ Jesus. God calls us to both be a rightful observer of the times and to be a call to repentance, but He also calls us to do this with respect and gentleness. When we fail to call out with gentleness and respect we become blinded by our own passions and are no longer able to see the times. When we fail to call men to repentance and fail to be honest about sin and make a stand, we become like the times or we become cold, lacking love. And in this I challenge myself, this is where I would like to be, and I ask for accountability, if I fail to represent my King. We must call these things out in each other and remind ourselves, we serve one King.


And of the sons of Issachar, men that had understanding of the times ,to know what Israel ought to do. --1 Chronicles 12:32

"Trust me"

I was talking with someone a while back about an issue that we disagreed on in the direction for a something. I told him that in the direction that we go we must follow scripture. Scripture must be the authority on the issue, not me and not him. I was able to point him not to my opinion, but to what the scripture said. He was unable to point me to scripture for what he believed. Despite that, he told me to trust him as a leader. I know someone else (actually many someone else’s) who have gone to a church where what the pastor taught was not to be questioned. You were supposed to trust the pastor since he was in authority. At that point these men have failed to be the leader the Bible tells him to be. They have sinned. Christ calls a leader to serve. He serves the people by serving the Word of God. It is the responsibility of a leader to be accountable to the scripture. If he refuses this he should not lead. He must be able to back up his position from scripture and is required to answer honest questions with scripture. He cannot say “just trust me”. A leader should be sorrowful when someone “trusts them”. Their ambition should be for people to trust and pursue Christ. And the only authority on how to do that is the scripture. A leader’s passion and call should be, “search the scriptures, to know Christ and obey Him. And trust Him”. I have also heard about teachings on how to interpret dreams. These teachings say in interpreting dreams “this” means “this” “so and so” means “so and so” and these are “the steps” of how to interpret dreams. The problems is that none of that teaching is found anywhere in scripture. It is unsubstantiated teaching. Unfortunately, this is only one of many examples that have plagued the church. Beloved, be wary of anyone who asks you to do anything or believe something that they cannot support with scripture. We must humble ourselves and place our selves under the Word of God. Like children, we must place ourselves under the care of our Father and under the care of His spoken Word. I don’t think anyone is perfect in this, but when we do fall, we shouldn’t run our own way or after distracting voices or be like the mule who has to be tethered to come near, not when our Father’s arms are wide open. We can crawl up into our Father’s arms and hear His voice as He speaks to us through scripture.


Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. – Acts 17:11


Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. -- 1 Timothy 4:13


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. -- 2 Timothy 3:16,17


But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. –Titus 2:1


He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. -- Titus 1:9-11


If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. -- 1 Timothy 6:3-5


If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. -- 1 Timothy 4:6


Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15


I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. – 2 Timothy 4:1-4


For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. -- Hebrews 4:12


I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. – 1 John 2:14


Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. -- 1 John 2:4-5a


Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. – Colossians 3:16

Gun fire

The last week or so there has been gun fire near where I live (something that is of course not unusual in this city and I am not in any danger). In some sense hearing the gun fire gave me peace. That might sound strange, but even if I were living away, I would still hear the gun shots in my heart. Not being here doesn't make the gunshots go away and it doesn't make them any less real. For me its harder to hide and still hear them, then to be here and hear them. But my feeling peace has convicted me. I shouldn't be settled with just living in this area. I have way too much pride. If I am not living out the gospel, that's no better than living somewhere else. I am still hiding. And so that is the question I pose to myself. As I frantically run trying to get things done, how can I present the Gospel? Right now, I don't know what I need to do, but with the Lord's help I would like to find out.

Whatever You're Doing

Halloween and Harry Potter, and the like

O you who love the LORD, hate evil! – Psalm 97:10


My heart breaks when I see Christians excited about Halloween or when I see a child carrying a Harry Potter book with them in a church. Many Christians feel comfortable with things like Halloween or Harry Potter and the like. I know this is often ignorance. When I see these things, I want to call on God like Elijah did for his servant, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” But we don’t have to have our eyes opened in that way to see the destruction that these things cause. When we look at these things through the lens of the scripture, the evil of these things are evident. Witchcraft, sorcery, familiar spirits are not a mild harmless thing. They are an abomination. God shared his heart with his people, “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a wizard or a necromancer, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord . And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God. The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so.” (Deuteronomy 18:9-12). God calls these things an abomination. I think we must understand that when we participate in these things we are participating in the very things Hell was made for. "Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien, and do not fear Me," says the Lord of Hosts.” (Malachi 3:5) "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death" (Revelation 22:8). God’s heart is broken over the destruction of witchcraft and sorcery; He hates it. And when we participate in these things we are participating in the very things God hates.


Some would say that I am binding men’s consciences. No, we are bondservants of Christ and our consciences are bound to love the things He loves and to hate the things He hates. Beloved, Christ has set us free from the evil and sin to which we once gave ourselves as slaves and were in bondage to. We are to no longer be bound by them. Listen to Acts 19:18-20. You can hear bonds crashing to the ground in an uproar of joy, “Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.” Christ went to the cross to set us free from the bondage of sin. True freedom is coming close enough to Christ to hear His heartbeat, to know the things He loves and the things He hates, and to embrace righteousness. We don’t hate evil because we are legalistic or in bondage, we hate evil because we are in love with Christ and we are enamored by the things he loves. This is freedom. Below are some scriptures that talk about God’s feelings toward witchcraft and sorcery, there are more, but those below should suffice. Read them and get close to the heart of your God.


Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. – Galatians 5:19-21

"Do not practice divination or sorcery.” – Leviticus 19:26

And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people. - - Leviticus 20:6

"But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." – Revelation 22:8

Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. –Revelation 22:15

“When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a wizard or a necromancer, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord . And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God. The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so.” –Deuteronomy 18:9-12

Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. -- Acts 19:18-20

“Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I [am] the LORD your God.” - - Leviticus 19:31

"A man or a woman who is a medium or a wizard shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them." - - Leviticus 20:27

You shall not allow a sorceress to live. Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death. -- Exodus 22:18,19

Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:31

For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. I Samuel 15:23

And when they say to you, "Consult the mediums and the wizards who whisper and mutter," should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? Isaiah 8:19

"Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien, and do not fear Me," says the Lord of Hosts. Malachi 3:5

Hide and Sleep

I think this is funny. I used to do this with my brothers and sisters, except that it never worked that well :)

Dignity of Women

Where are the men, in these days, who believe in women? Who believe in their strength and influence? Who are willing to stand in honor of the women around them? Where are the men who believe in the dignity of women? Where are the men who believe God at His word, when the scriptures give them such high honor? Below is a quote written by a man, during a war, declaring that the women were there hope. What is said here about women should not be something that is uncommon. It should be an attitude that we as men regularly portray. I want to challenge the men to believe God's word.



For the rest of this sermon go to: http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=914081731428

Give Me Your Eyes

Drench me in Your sweet perfume

The fall into subjective science

Darwinist claim that they have the only scientific explanation to how this universe got here. There is one fatal flaw with this. Darwinism is not science. Darwinism is a subjective perception of the evidence that we have so far. Science on the other hand is an attempt at an objective perception of the evidence. Much of which we are yet to gain. Instead of looking at the evidence objectively Darwinist forces the scientist to fit their findings with in a model. It frustrates me when scientist fail to be scientists and fail to explore objectively, because they are constrained by the subjective ideas of Darwinism.

As a Christian, I fully believe in the account of Creation in Genesis. The account was given to Moses face to face by someone who was there. And Moses's source is reliable. I believe God's account of Creation. There is no better source. And because I believe it, I have no fear, and I can encourage scientist to be scientist and to be objective, because I know real science won't contradict God. It can't.

I account my life of no value

written March 18, 2007

"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 received from the Lord, Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God"

We often approach Christianity from the perspective that we will have abundant life more than we can dream or think of. But we don't have a big enough picture of what that is to be. God says that life is to know God and the one whom He sent. And Paul said that we can know God's love more than all we can dream or think. The focus of abundant life in the scripture is not a life of material blessings or even of great ministry. The focus of the scripture is that God loves us.

The Little Tree

In a sun scorched land far away,
There were trees, little trees
Withered, sprangly, and dearth.
There were no big trees in this earth.
You see, the rain did not come nor did the rivers run free.
Only Desert was as far as one could see.
Some plants strived with all their strength and might to grow,
Others gave up and their limbs had a bow.
You could hear others complain, wine, or beg.
“Woe is me as anyone could see.”
But whether they strived, quit, or wined
None grew any more than the other, they were all in a bind.
They were all withered, sprangly, and dearth



One day a farmer came
He took one of the trees
So withered, sprangly, and dearth.
Which one I don’t know
For they all looked the same.
And so He took the plant gently away
Delivering it from its woe
And brought it to a meadow
And placed it near a stream
It was a place of beauty,
Where the sun would beam,
And sweetly down, the rain would come.
In this place, this little tree,
Though withered, sprangly, and dearth,
Grew roots that went deep and deep into the earth.
It grew and grew,
And was not little any more.
And season after season much fruit did it bore.

This little tree became strong,
And though it was once withered
Its leaf withered no more.

I Surender All

This song is what the LORD has been teaching me lately. I would, however, change the lines to "You are worth it all, now". He is pulling me close, in the midst of my pain, He is stripping my flesh away and coming close and washing me, in the midst of my hurt. He is bringing His arms around me, and holding me, when I cannot hold myself. God is good.

This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and delivers them.

--Psalm 34:6,7

Divine Romance

Get Service

Birthday Wish

What do you do when you are told that God has said, “no” to what you want most?




I heard this story of a man who was engaged to be married. He had the life he dreamed of, but he risked it all to help a slave escape to freedom. For this, he was put away in prison for five years. His fiancé faithfully waited those five years. When he was released from prison after those five years, he immediately went and helped another slave gain their freedom and was caught again. He was put in prison for another fifteen years. Another man was put into prison for not denying the gospel. He was taken away from his beloved and his children. His daughter was blind and he did not know how his family would be provided for. He longed to be there for his family, but he could not deny the gospel. Another man was engaged when he came to Christ. He knew that he could not marry his betrothed if she did not know Christ so he talked with her and shared with her the gospel. She became a believer. The country was Muslim so to become a Christian meant severe consequences, so they agreed to escape and be married. She never showed up at the meeting place. Her family found out that she had become a Christian and gave her to a Muslim man to be his wife. He would never see her again.


As my birthday nears, I have been thinking about the desires of my heart. If I were to ask God for a birthday present, what would I ask for? I have desires that are so deeply rooted in my heart and that I long for so intensely that I cry out to God, “It is only by Your mercy and grace that I could survive if these were taken away.” I know I could look at my desires. I could ask God to give me the desires of my heart, but I know that that is not a real prayer. I am not asking him to do that. Instead I am asking him to make me more dependent on Him, to trust Him more. To hold on to that treasure that is deeper than the things of this world. To hear His voice. To hold fast and to cling to Him, who is my life.



Off to the English Civil War

Tell me not, sweet, I am unkind
That from the nunnery
Of thy chaste breast and quiet mind
To warlike arms I fly.

True, a new mistress now I serve
The first foe in the field
And with a sterner faith embrace
The sword, a horse, a shield.

Yet this inconstancy is such
As thou too shalt adore.
I could not love thee, dear, so much
Loved I not honor more.

---- Richard Lovelace


I must love God more than the desires of my heart, or I don't have anything. All is loss compared to him. Abba, I pray that you set this truth deep in the roots of my heart, and may my heart be dependent on Thee. Command what Thou wilst, and grant what Thou commandest. My heart is Yours, my Lord.

"Take me away with you - let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers." Song of Songs 1:4.

Smelly Dead

When I see the druggie, the alcoholic, the person who is down and out, the person steeped in sexual immorality, the poor, the homeless, the sick, the dying, the leper, the only difference between this guy and them is the grace of God. I can't stand aloft and feel like somehow I am here because I made a better choice. I don't have it in me to make a better choice. I was dead, smelly dead, in my trespasses, an enemy of God, so horribly lost that it took Jesus dieing on the cross and Christ bearing the vileness of my sin, so vile that it caused Him to sweat blood. No, I am no better than the worst. And I am not here because I made a better decision. I am here because of Christ. It was Christ who was willing to take on the depths of my sin, to become vile. And it was His grace and the strength of His power that reached down to my dead and vile heart and gave me life from the dead. And I have to believe that that grace which is big enough for me is big enough for them. I once was one of them and so I long for them to come into the Kingdom. I know His grace reaches down to the worst of who we are and He can give life even to us, the most smelly of the dead.

Iranian / Afghani Christian Worship Song by Sedayezinda

Fighting Sin

Fighting Sin


1. Humble yourself before the Lord

2. Confess sin

3. Honest and exposed heart

4. Accountability

5. Cry out to God, mourn

6. Acknowledge that without the Holy Spirit I can do no good thing

7. Pray that He will do it, change my heart’s desire

---a. Transfer desire to God

---b. Create in me a pure, clean, steadfast, and determined heart

---c. No compromise

---d. Cleanse me from my sin

------- i. make me innocent

---e. A love for justice and goodness

------ i. an example for other men

-------ii. honoring to women

---f. Hate sin

-------i. Burn ships

-------ii. Put to death violently

---g. Simper Fidelis

-------i. Establish my ways

-------ii. Act and do what you know is right; obey

-------iii. When you fall get up and fight

---h. Flee

8. When you fall, do not back away, but come close to the Lord and other men

9. We must believe that sin will no longer have dominion over us. Reckon yourself dead to sin. Believe God will change your heart. Do not judge God’s timing – keep pursuing purity.

10. Be a man after God’s heart

11. That you will satisfy the desires of my heart and fill me with good things

12. Thank God for the virtue and good He as done and enabled you to do.

If God is so powerful and so good, why do bad things happen?

My Prayer for Marriage

o The Lord will have His rightful place, the first (the only) place. He is my first love.

o To live by faith

o To pursue others with faithfulness

o To honor my sisters

o To be pure, to be a man of honor

o That you will prepare my heart to be a home

o Lord, I want to be a one woman man, save my heart for my wife, and if or until I am married, Lord have my heart, in this.

o To trust that You will keep what I have committed to You

o To trust that You will meet my deepest needs and desires in this area

o You are the good Shepherd

o To lay it down at Your feet, to live fully as a single man - to commit myself to You (Being single is not to seek marriage, but to be free to seek the Lord undistracted, devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. We will pursue Him alone, seeking no other.)

Scripture

Joshua 1:8 "Do not let this book of the Law depart from your mouth. Meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."

Psalm 1:2,3 "His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. H is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whos leaf does not wither."

Deuteronomy 8:3 "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Jeremiah 15:16 "When your words came, I ate them. They were my joy and my heart's delight."

John 17:17 "Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth!"

I am concerned about their suffering

". . .I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land..." (Exodus 3:7-8)

. . . "I am concerned about their suffering." . . .

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

"-but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

"For there is not distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high." (Leviticus 26:13)

Light penetrates darkness.

but for a moment

"Some wish to live within the sound of church or chapel bell, I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell."
- C.T. Studd


Abba, help me to become less, take away my selfishness, and help me to run after Your love.

Held

focus on me

I want to lay my life down for others. But I have noticed that I get in the way. When I strive to lay my life down, I get all jumbled and somehow the focus gets on me. No matter how much I hate it, I seem to be good at that. Only when, I admit I cannot do it and run into the grace of Christ, do I really serve.

breadth of ministry

If you concentrate on the depth of your ministry, God will take care of the breadth.

--John McArthur

Lord, come and find me

My pastor was told a story about lady who for years prayed "Lord, help me find You." She was frustrated because she never felt any closer to the Lord. One day she was talking to the pastor about the struggle and he told that she was praying the wrong pray. He said pray this, "Lord, come and find me." She did, and the Lord did find her.

Grace to love

My pastor read an ancient description of Paul, “a man small of stature, with a bald head and crooked legs, in a good state of body, with eyebrows meeting and nose somewhat hooked, full of friendliness for now he appeared like a man, and now he had the face of an angel.” I was struck by the description “full of friendliness”. I want people to feel loved and cherished and safe around me. I am humbled knowing that that’s not something I can be, nor am I there. There is definitely no place for me to boast. I don’t have the appearance or the social skills; all I have is Christ.

I am so thankful for His grace, that can take someone like me, who is so much of a wreck, and fill my heart with His love for others. He fills us with Himself, so that we can be " full of friendliness". It is His grace.

Listening

A while back my pastor was talking about ministering and presenting truth. He asked the question, "Are you more focused on teaching, then listening?" I look back on some of my experiences since my pastor spoke these words. Without realizing it the Lord has been working this in me. And listening has given me the opportunity to present the gospel in some powerful ways. When you present the Gospel, you are not just presenting the truth, but you are you are presenting Christ.

Cinderella

My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

-- Psalm 73:26

Steady in tottering times

At the set time that I appoint
I will judge with equity
When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants,
it is I who keep steady its pillars.

--Psalm 75:2,3

from all my fears

I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

--Psalm 34:4

The LORD will answer

But for you, O LORD, do I wait;
it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.

--Psalm 38:15

Teaching life not "rules"

If you teach them "rules", then they have something to rebel against. If you teach them life and truth, then they have something to love.

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.