Hey guys,

I transferred my blog to the website below:

http://reicheru723.wordpress.com/

Blank Bibles

Have you ever heard of a blank Bible?

Here is a clip about Jonathan Edwards' Blank Bible:




(Photo from The Shepherd's Scrapbook)

Switchfoot Videoclip

HT: Challies.com

Passing on the torch...

2 Chronicles 6:7-10 (ESV, emphasis added):

Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. But the LORD said to David my father, 'Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart. Nevertheless, it is not you who shall build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.' Now the LORD has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have risen in the place of David my father and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and I have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

May we remember this should we ever find ourselves in a torch-passing situation when our use may have stopped in the seed-planting process or helicopter seed tossing stage.

Stamped with Grace

Upon entering the saving faith, we are marked with the ultimate stamp of approval, not won by merit but by grace through faith alone. This "seal ... who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance" is none other than the Holy Spirit. We've been stamped with grace.

Just as God's acts of redemption did not start or stop with the ultimate act of saving redemption, so His stamps of grace do not stop upon our entrance through faith's cross-door.

This past Sunday, the Sunday School lesson centered on a selection from Exodus 4. A comment was made in regard to Moses' staff - that it would serve as a reminder of the power of God - not Moses - over the deliverance of Israel. I think someone suggested that if Moses had decided not to follow God, his staff would have been a constant reminder of his disobedience. Interesting that an everyday object can act as a memorial stamp of God's grace and provision in times of obedience, and likewise that the objects could serve as reminders of God's grace needed to cover particular acts of disobedience.

Sometimes the stamps may feel more like scars of grace. In a sermon I heard last year on Hebrews 2:10-18, it seems we were told to "celebrate [our] scars." Do we seek to embrace or erase our scars? In the sermon, Amy Carmichael was referenced. I did a search and found the following poem attributed to her authorship:

Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot or side or hand
I see thee sung as mighty in the land
I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star
Hast thou no scar?

Hast thou no wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers
Spent
Leaned me against a tree to die
I swooned
And was rent by ravening beasts that compassed me
Hast thou no wound?

No wound, no scar?
Yet as the Master, so must the servant be
And pierced are the feet that follow me
But thine are whole.

Can he have followed far who has no wound or scar?

Indeed, Jesus endured the ultimate wounds for us. He can provide the strength to endure ours. The One who once wore a crown of thorns would not take away Paul's thorn in the flesh. And sometimes we must endure ours. But as we do so, may we seek God through His Word and prayer, perhaps raw prayer. I think someone once mentioned the presence of teardrop stains on another's Bible. Perhaps for that person bleary tear-stained words acted as a reminder of the grace of God felt in times of despair.

Whether or scars are physical, such as stretch marks or scars from tragedy, or emotional, may our ponderings shift from the ugliness of the scars to the beauty of the sufficiency of His grace.

Truly, we are stamped with grace and sealed with His deposit. May we embrace the scars and grow through His strengthening grace.

In Christ Alone

HT: girl talk

Challies Dot Com

A few links to posts from Challies.com :

1) Is Forgiveness Conditional or Unconditional?
2) Take This Cup (Redux)
3) Hymns & Worship
4) Drawing Out the Infection

The Blazing Center

I have found The Blazing Center blog to be quite insightful. Here are links to some of the posts there:

1) How To Master A Book
2) Interrogating Your Soul
3) An Adventure in Disguise
4) The Story of God's Goodness
5) Memories of Wickedness
6) Arguing With God
7) His Last Friday Was His Best
8) Worriers Live In The Future

Pursue a Paul

I once heard the following three lines:

Pursue a Paul
Be a Barnabas
Train a Timothy

The "Paul" in one's life is like a spiritual mentor, while being the "Barnabas" embraces the role of encourager, and the trainer role would involve discipling.

Maybe we could extend the first line to include looking to Paul as an example, as a mentor. There's an article up at Boundless called "Praying Like Paul," by Rachel Starr Thomson. She ends the article with this:

In his Ephesian prayer, Paul prayed "that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith." Ultimately, this is my greatest prayer for the church. That we would walk with God. That by faith, we would reach out and find that Christ is truly "Emmanuel" — truly with us. That by faith, we might know Jesus Christ in an intimate, life-changing way. As Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:18, "that we might be filled with all the fullness of God."

In the end, that is what I really want.

An Engineer's Guide to Cats

HT: Tim Challies

Flavors of Grace

Colossians 4:5-6 says: "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

From the post Purposeful Words on the girl talk blog:

So if a friend is condemned or legalistic, I want to give her justifying grace through my words. And if my husband is struggling with a particular sin, I want to give him sanctifying grace through my words. For a fellow church member who is suffering I want to give them comforting grace through my words. If a child is disobedient, I want to give him or her convicting grace through my words. And if a friend is weary, I want to give her sustaining grace through my words.

Perhaps the ways in which grace is sprinkled could count as the 'salt', such as the different types of grace mentioned in this blurb: justifying, sanctifying, comforting, convicting, and sustaining.

Grace enhances the flavor of the conversation through its many forms just as salt flavors food in different ways.

Sacrifice

In the following blurb (found in a post on the Between Two Worlds blog), Todd Bolen talks about animal sacrifices, and, according to the above-mentioned blog, links to a "Passover Sacrifice video":

[...]We read about sacrifice in the Bible but we don't really understand what that means. We read passages that talk about the "life being in the blood," but those are just words that we don't really consider. We "know" that the wages of sin are high, but we don't get the life lesson that the ancient Israelites received every year.

The point of sacrifice was simply this: you deserve to die because of your sin. This animal is dying in your place. Watching the priest slice his throat and watching the blood drain out drove the point home much better than reading a chapter of Leviticus.

Today New Testament believers know that the blood of bulls and goats is not enough to take away sin. But I think that we can often just take for granted Jesus' death in our place. We don't think about his innocent blood draining away because we can't conceptualize it. We don't always appropriate the idea of substitute because we've never seen a living object die in our place. But our loss can be this: sin is easy because forgiveness (we think) is cheap. [...]

Though I don't want to watch the graphic video now or ever, it is quite sobering to think of animals' blood being shed as a reminder of our sin and to point to the future sacrifice we needed in Jesus Christ...

Wow...precious animals' deaths resulted from the sacrifices...It's easy to just think of 'animal sacrifices' without really thinking that animals were actually dying in the process...

Here is some more information about animal sacrifices from Challies' post T4G - R.C. Sproul:

On the Day of Atonement there are several animals involved in the ritual. The High Priest, before he enters the Holy of Holies, involves two animals, one of which is killed and the other which survives. The one is killed and its blood is sprinkled on the mercy seat. But there is no power in this blood except that it points forward to the blood of the Lamb. What is symbolized is an act of propitiation—a vertical transaction. The other animal is not killed but becomes the object of imputation where the priest now lays his hands on its back, symbolically indicating the transfer or imputation of the guilt of the people to the goat. At the end of the ceremony, he lays his hands on the goat and drives that goat into the wilderness. He is driven outside the camp. To be driven outside the camp, outside the community, was to be driven to the place where God’s blessings did not reach. He was sent into the outer darkness; into the curse. This is expiation. In the cross not only is the Father’s justice satisfied by the atoning work of the Son, but in carrying our sins the Son removes them as far as the east is from the west. He does this by being cursed. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law not just by being cursed for us, but by becoming a curse for us. He who is the incarnation of the glory of God now becomes the very incarnation of the divine curse.

God is too holy to even look at sin. His eyes are averted from His Son. The light of His countenance is turned off; all blessedness is removed from His Son whom He loves. And in its place is the full measure of the divine curse. All the imagery that portrays the historical event of the cross is the imagery of the curse. Jesus needed to be delivered into the hands of the gentiles so He could be crucified outside the camp so the full measure of the curse and the darkness could be visited upon Him. God adds to these details others—God turns out the light of the sun so as God turns His face, even the sun won’t shine on Calvary. Bearing the full measure of the curse Christ screams “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus did not merely feel forsaken; He was forsaken. He was utterly, totally and completely forsaken by the Father.

Thankfully, Jesus paid the price of our sin through the ultimate sacrifice of Himself. Hebrews 9:12: "He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption."

The sacrifices never completely did away with sin. Hebrews 10:1-4 says (boldness added):

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

But we can now approach the throne of Grace spot-free because of our High Priest Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 4:15-16:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

3 Things

Thing #1: The Least of These

On Monday I heard a talk on Matthew 25. Note verse 40, NIV, boldness added:

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Note the bold part. Interesting, eh?

Thing #2: Preaching the Gospel to Yourself

Ashleigh recommended the following links in a comment on the Fresh Brew blog:

Preach the Gospel to Yourself
How to Preach the Gospel to Yourself
A Gospel Primer

Thing #3: Claiming God's Promises

Patrick noted the following in a comment on the Talking Out of Turn blog:

I remember Charles Spurgeon telling the story of an older Christian woman who had written the letter “T” next to every Bible verse she’d had to “claim” (as you put it) for a particular situation in her life. And when the Lord kept his promise and brought it to pass in her life, she’d write the letter “P.” Spurgeon tells us that the “T” was for tried and the “P” was for proven, and that she had many Ts and Ps in her Bible. What a faithful God we serve!

Neat, huh? Reminds of me of something Elisabeth Elliot wrote (you can see the blurb here).

Do Hard Things

Skim the whole thing but let the following blurbs from Do Hard Things, by Alex and Brett Harris whet your appetite...

This world would have you think that your best life would be a life in which you were able to completely avoid responsibility and effort. But a life like that could be compared to the strange fish that live in the complete darkness of the deepest parts of the ocean, who never come in contact with a hard object their entire lives, and whose flesh has become completely translucent. That is a picture of what we're asking for when we desire a life of ease.

and

If you can take only one thing from this article, take this: Our greatest joy and satisfaction comes not from avoiding hard things but from joyfully embracing them.

This is how the same Jesus who said, "If anyone would come after me let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me," could also say, "for my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

and

— knowing that the loving God who would never leave us as we are and who desires our growth, will also delight with the first feeble, stumbling effort you make tomorrow to do the simplest hard thing for His glory.

Regeneration, Faith, Love: In That Order

Blurb from Regeneration, Faith, Love: In That Order, by John Piper:

That is the summary of all the tests of life in this book: Believe on Jesus and love each other.

But the order of causality is crucial. The reason it’s crucial is this: There is going to come a day when you do not love as you ought. What will you do if your heart condemns you because you know that love is a sign of the new birth? How will you fight the fight for assurance at that time?

Jesus Has Never Failed in Loving Others

Here is one crucial way to fight for your hope at that moment, and it depends on a clear distinction between faith in Christ and love for people: Go to 1 John 2:1 and read, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin [that is, fails to love others as you ought], we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” John assumes that even when you fail—even when you sin, when you do not love as you ought—you have an advocate before God. And this advocate is called “the righteous.” That is, he is perfect. (See Romans 8:33-34.)

Even if you have sinned, he has never sinned. Even if you have failed to love as you ought, he has never failed to love as he ought. And this one stands before God and advocates for you—not against you, but for you. Precisely because you have failed. “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate . . . the righteous one.”

The emphasis falls on his righteousness—his sinlessness. His perfectly doing what we have failed to do. The reason this works for us is that faith is what receives him. And when faith receives him he is everything that we need before God. He is our righteousness and our perfection and our perfect love. This is the bottom of our hope before a holy God.

The Jailer's Conversion

From Acts 16 (vs. 25-34, ESV):

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

Notes & Questions:

1) Paul & Silas were praising God in the midst of trial.
2) The non-believing jailer was afraid and temporarily suicidal.
3) Paul cared and tried to prevent it.
4) Requirement for salvation: Belief in Jesus.
5) The jailer and his household heard "the word of the Lord"
6) Did the jailer care for Paul & Silas' wounds?
7) He and his family were baptized. So did his family also believe? They heard the Word. Were they baptized because of a personal faith or because of the faith of the man of the household? Hopefully they had a personal faith in Christ.
8) The now believing jailer fed Paul & Silas.
9) He and his household rejoiced over his belief.

Quiet Inspirations.

1 Thess. 4:11-12:

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

This picture is the background image on my phone. The sweet face you see belongs to my grandmother, who has been in heaven since the summer of 2006. Her husband, my grandpa, entered heaven's gates about 17 years before her arrival. Though most of my life I lived about a mile and half away from her, I honestly feel like I didn't "know know" her inside and out. And yet somehow she serves as a quiet inspiration. She was a quiet, peaceful, simple, cat-loving, pleasant, enduring woman...


This is my other grandma. Just this afternoon and evening she, my grandpa, and I spent time talking, eating, playing a game, and walking out onto the dock and a bit around the premises. They are quite active and settled into their community. She revealed her sensitivity in a passing comment that just last week (I believe) she felt (maybe told my grandpa) that she just didn't want to live in their community anymore -- others' sicknesses and perhaps deaths were getting to her tender heart. Though she likely feels grateful for her home and probably in reality would not want to move, it must be hard to live where death and sickness knock at neighbors' doors. People who live in those environments must have a deeper understanding and appreciation of Psalm 90:12 -- "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." Perhaps many surrounded by death and sickness have been taught to number their days and have received this heart of wisdom.


And this is Barbara. I wonder if she'll ever know how much of a heart print she has left on me. She is such an amazing woman who shared her hospitality and home to host a small group for volunteers of a ministry of which I was part. Her kind gesture impresses upon my heart the importance of loving fellow believers who are engaged in ministry. We must not only love outwards, but inwards as well. "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (Galatians 6:10).

Selflessness

Selfishness permeates both invisible and visible aspects of my life. I just googled: "how to become more selfless and Christian" and stumbled across a post called "The Pilgrim's Heart Part 6 - The Selfless Heart." Have a skim. In this post he talks about the importance of "sorrow and suffering". He writes about letting Jesus take the wheel of our lives, about being "Spirit-led", and when we are so led that "He will see to it that we will drink from the cup of suffering which will burn away everything in us not of the Lord." He includes the verse in Matthew 6 that talks about storing "treasures in heaven". So our hearts must be transformed through Christ. I suppose a Christ-steered heart would be much more selfless than a self-steered heart. I know what it's like to fall asleep at the wheel; it must be something like submitting to a self-steered heart. When I fell asleep, my memory is that I first allowed myself to relax. A case of momentary shuteye resulted in a loss of control and crossing of oncoming traffic (which thankfully wasn't so heavy during this little spontaneous nap). In a vaguely similar vein, relaxing (rather than grasping tightly onto the cross) my self-steered heart results in a lack of control and helplessness as I cross the oncoming temptations. However, if my heart was steered by Christ, I'd be able to stay in my lane of travel while the temptations pass me by while I wait at the signal light; my guide.

On the right part of the above mentioned blog is the following under the headline "The Key to Genuine Humility":

The key to self-denial, taking up one's cross and following Christ is to simply spend more and more time with God in prayer, worship and praise and Bible study. Religiosity is not a substitute for this. As we do this, God will work in our hearts with His good work. As we grow in grace through this, we will become more and more humble and less and less prideful. We will become more and more reliant upon God's grace and less and less reliant upon our abilities, our knowledge and our training. However, to simplify this process we must adapt the following statement as our focus in this life: I’m a poor sinner, and nothing at all, But Jesus Christ is my all in all.

I like the line: "Religiosity is not a substitute for this." I like to be 'activity-ed up', but there are likely a lot of people who are not as involved in established Christian activities, but are way more spiritually involved on a one-to-one basis with God and in expressing selfless love toward Him and others. I want to learn to live and breathe selfless love to God and to everyone. But perhaps my sinful nature loves my selfishness more than the desire to be selfless in both visible and invisible ways...

Citizen of Heaven...

Bus people are interesting. Recently I was an awkward position, however. Actually, it was a bit like an experience related in Elisabeth Elliot's Discipline: The glad surrender, that I posted here, only I had to decide which opinion to follow. One woman really wanted me to open a window, so I stood up, and, in attempting to get other opinions, one woman seemed hesitant because of the rain issue [it may or may not have been raining at that moment]. Perhaps I should've taken a full-on vote, but I decided against opening the window. At some point someone else opened a window, and I heard the assertive woman talk well of that gesture, saying something like "Oh that was nice" (perhaps for me to overhear? Who knows, who cares).

Stronger personalities can be intimidating or can be uncomfortable to interact with, but I should love people of all personalities, and hopefully I'll learn to love, learn, and grow through interactions with all types.

One thing I like about the bus community is the variety of socioeconomic classes. I believe a 'tent city' is currently hosted in a location near one of the bus stops, so that, along with the downtown stops, may be among the reasons for the diverse bus community. It's interesting to listen in on the conversations and comments. I've heard mention of church, but do they believe in the truth? Have they heard? And then there's the woman who I believe said something extreme - something to the extent of how life sucks. And today did I overhear someone seated far from me talk about wanting to kill themselves? Not sure. But there's a lot of bus brokenness, no matter the socioeconomic class, no matter whether the brokenness is voiced or kept silent. Perhaps manifested through expressed frustration with the heat or a comment reflecting a sincere heart cry. There's just plain lots of bleeding hearts all over this earth-tent we call home. Lots of it. Just yesterday a man asked for prayer at a small group - he's in physical pain possibly nearly all or all the time. Can't imagine that. Just yesterday I learned a bit of a friend's situation (though I do not know all the details) that has since been resolved at least in part (though I'm sure there will be emotions and things to be dealt with).

Sure puts perspective on my 'woes'. How glad I am to be a citizen of heaven. Philippians 3:20:

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

This earth is my 'tent city'. 2 Cor. 5:4-5:

For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

God please provide opportunities for me to share Your hope with others, and make me use them...

God, please raise my eyes...

From Before the Throne of God Above:

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

From Psalm 38:

For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. (4)

I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart. O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me. My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off. (8-11)

But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes. But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. (13-15)

Pray for prayer-pray till you can pray; pray to be helped to pray, and give not up praying because you cannot pray, for it is when you think you cannot pray that you are most praying. (in Spurgeon's Effective Prayer)

For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me. I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin. (17-18)

Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation! (21-22)

Isaiah 55:8: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.

Psalm 121:1-2: I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Addicted to Jesus

If you grew up in the 80s, you might remember that Carman song that talks of this "A to J". Or you might be thinking that it's really cheesy Christianese.

But the fact of the matter is, as what goes up comes back down, what goes in comes out. If we're not addicted to Jesus, we're addicted to other things. There are 24 hours in a day, and most of us are not sleeping during all of them, so, we must be filling our brains with something...and outputting something as well.

In a post on Fresh Brew called Learning from Hannah, Ashleigh Slater writes:

When we face trying circumstances, our cup is tapped. A favorite metaphor of my husband's—which is similar to the sponge metaphor—involves a cup that is full to the brim with water. It only takes a slight tap for the water in the cup to go streaming over the edges. The same goes for our hearts. It only takes a small inconvenience, offense, or struggle to tap our hearts. And, when they're tapped, what's in our hearts comes out (Luke 6:45). In many cases, cup tapping reveals sin.

How can we make sure our cups are filled with what is good? By being addicted to Jesus and His Word.

Yesterday at church the Assistant Pastor preached a sermon called The Heavenly Perspective of Christ centered on Colossians 3:1-11. He began his sermon by talking about the videoclip which I previously found on a post by Tim Challies and which I included in a blog post. Much (not all) of the commentary below references my sermon notes and much of it may very well be my Assistant Pastor's exact words:

Paul teaches us the real solution of how we can be set free from our addictions. Colossians 3:5 contains a list of sins that fuel addictions. The Colossians wanted to be free from temptation toward addiction and that they wanted to be spiritually mature and were turning to aestheticism toward that end. Adopt the following perspectives to fight addiction:

1) You must have perspective.
2) You must have a heavenly perspective.
3) You must have a heavenly perspective of Christ.

People can be in the same situation but respond in different ways. What do our cups or sponges contain? What will leak out?

When the Lord is not the object of our worship, something else will be. We cannot live without worshipping something. We are created in a sense to be addicted to something. Imagine that you are told that you will die if you suck in the water all around you. What do you do? Many of us would hold our breath. That is the natural reaction, but not the solution. We need to breathe air. We need to replace that which is bad with what is good. We must have a heavenly perspective of Christ.

As believers we "have died, and [our lives are] hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3). God is our refuge. Why are we addicted? People will often describe an addiction as a refuge, a reward. Addictions need to be overcome and replaced. Even a good thing cannot replace the ultimate thing.

Addictions have the common goal to isolate you. Addictions destroy community. Being addicted to Jesus builds community. "...Christ is all, and in all" (Col. 3:11). Being heavenly minded is not a form of escape. We go back into the world and share Christ's love and mercy that we have received with others.

We need to worship Christ. He rose from the dead so we might rise with Him. Colossians 3:1 talks of being "raised with Christ" and tells us to "seek the things that are above, where Christ is..." We are free. Free to be addicted to Christ.

Remember that we're not in this on our own. Remember Romans 8:11: "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you."

The same God who raised Christ from the dead raises us from the dead. May we learn to be addicted to Him and fill our cups or sponges with Him and His promises. And may they leak out as we continue to fill up on this living water.

Lord teach me how to die to myself daily and carry the cross. And please renew in me the new life you have graciously given because You have raised Your son from the dead...Thank you.

*Note: I'm not quite sure how to choose the sermon to listen to from this website, but maybe you can. And if the sermon on Colossians 3:1-11 preached by the Assistant Pastor on 4/6 gets posted there, then have a listen! And even if not, still feel free to listen :)

"Let Them Know or Let It Go"

In Challies' A La Carte posted today is a link to the article "Let Them Know or Let It Go?"

One-to-One Ministry

In today's A La Carte posted by Challies is a link to the article One-to-one ministry, by Tony Payne.

Here is a blurb from that article:

However, one-to-one ministry usually means going further than this—to the point of suggesting meeting together for a particular purpose: to read the Bible, to pray, to use a particular set of studies together, or whatever it might be. As we do so, our purpose is not just growth, but mutual growth. No one person has a monopoly on godliness or spiritual truth. Out of the mouths of babes and infants God brings forth praise (Matt 21:16). Our relationships should be mutually helpful, even if one of us is more mature as a Christian. It is not a professional relationship of expert to client; it is iron sharpening iron. It is confessing our sins to one another.

Contentment

An article up at Boundless -- Wanted Now: Contentment.

Everyone's Needy...

On the blog Reformation Theology, there is a post called "Did Christianity Spread Due of the Promise of Power?", in which a response is given to someone's critique of missions and power. In the last part of the paragraph of the "Question from Visitor" section the following is written:

Missionaries just don't go into areas where people are rich, white, and not in need of social assistance. Why? Because if they do they are more likely to have doors shut in their face, be asked to leave, or be regarded as an annoyance. And that's because those richer people don't need the social services that the missionaries use to attract those poorer converts mentioned earlier.

Sure it might be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. But check out this poem by Karsten Piper:

Luke 18.25
by Karsten Piper

He spread his blanket on the sand,
kneeled and arranged his bowls and tools:
hook, mallet, clamp, chisel, rasp, razor.

His smile glinted in the rongeur’s claws,
and upside down in the curette’s spoon.
Light shone out of the needle’s eye.

“Hoosh,” he said and began plucking hairs,
paring calluses, shearing wool, shaving
to the follicles, cutting to the quick.

He sorted these, trimming skin with skin,
hair with hair, into rows of clay bowls,
and set a large basin to catch each sour drip

as he sliced the hide and used both fists
to yank back the whole stubbled, gray pelt,
as wet and red on its underside as afterbirth.

He piled this heavily away, draping it
in clean linen, and turned to the meat and bone
heaving under sheer, tight membrane.

Sawteeth chewed into femur, rib and shoulder.
Pliers twisted and wrenched away tendons
until everything softened, canted, and collapsed—

yet not one sliver dies. Each ribbon and shard
bawls for the horror and hurt of their missing,
wishing for the old braying wholeness.

Pain bloodies evening and morning,
stabbing day after day from even the first cuts,
like the slow light of far stars.

Eyeballs and heart float alone in the last bowl,
dark and defenseless, quavering when he leans down
and they recognize in his eyes how little is left.

“Easy now, Camel,” he says and lifts me
in his fingertips, one quivering strand at a time,
through the eye of the needle.

Aren't we like the camels, in comparison with perhaps most of the world? If God chose to save us, might He not have chosen some others who are not living in complete poverty as well...?

Also from the Piper world is a post called "Overcome Contradictory Compassion", posted just today on the Desiring God blog. Here is a snippet from this post:

That there are conservatives who talk compassion for unborn persons, but feel little interest or compassion for their own neighbors, let alone the sorrows of the countless poor, does not make inattentive heartlessness less evil.

Isn't it interesting how we can feel compassion for different types of people? My heart tends to gravitate toward people who would on a societal level considered to be needy or people who in or victims of horrific social conflicts...but aren't we all in need? In need of Christ, that is...

Compassion passions toward particular people groups such as the 'poor' or otherwise 'marginalized' can act as compelling motivations to propel people to act in love. But what about the 'rich' people group who might live nearby? Both groups of people are equally 'needy' of Christ. It would do us well to keep the all part of Galatians 6:10 in mind:

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

"What the Needy Need"

A blurb from "What the Needy Need", from Tabletalk April 2008:

But beyond this is the simple modeling of ordinary mercy. Do we notice the disabled in our midst and make provision for their participation? Do we care about the problems the elderly have in getting to church? Are we involved in ministry to the shut-ins? The church should not be a compartment in life where one participates in mercy ministry. Rather, the church should be a community in which the practice and habits of mercy are learned and trained.

Thirdly, we must always remember that the greatest mercy is that which brings the good news of Jesus Christ to the lost. Are we inspiring church members to personal evangelism? Many people think that the Reformed faith de-motivates Christians from sharing the Gospel. But when we realize the costly mercy by which God has saved us, the natural result is that we would look with mercy on the world. The Bible says that we love because God loved us, we forgive because God has forgiven us, and we give because of what God has given to us. If we understand the sovereign mercy that has saved our souls, we will be merciful to others by presenting a living and loving witness to the Gospel of Christ.

Keep Bleeding Love...

Here's a blurb from the song Keep Bleeding Love (not a Christian song):

My heart's crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I

Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love

I really should love when it hurts or is tough or when I notice particular characteristics/behaviors in people (who are not my good friends) that wouldn't necessarily be on my 'good friend criteria list' (such a list doesn't exist though if you asked me I could probably tell you what I like in good friends).

Tonight at Bible study in response to the question "Explain what 'loving your neighbor as yourself' means to you", I think someone said that it means "wanting the best for others"...I like that theory. It seems to coincide with Matthew 7:12. Indeed, we should treat others as we'd like to be treated. We should love our enemies (Matt. 5:44).

In practice I should extend the same grace (even if it's just in my thoughts) that I'd like to be given.

I should let love be the band aid that covers the wound of sin (which might include negative thoughts and internal judgment). Somehow, "love covers over a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). Doesn't excuse our personal sins, but it might be the frames of the grace glasses through which we can view others to love them over their sin or potentially sin-tainted quirks.

Note: I'm not saying we should neglect the issue of sin, especially if it's deeper or intentional sins, but often times it is natural to neglect 'little' sins we see in others. Don't think it's necessary to call people out on every single sin. Whew. Would we ever get anywhere? :)

Just do it...or stop it.

The following videoclip can be found on a post by Tim Challies called "Just Stop It!"



Indeed, there are things in my life I need to just...stop. Or just...do.

Challies relates the following Mark Driscoll story:

The man called him in the middle of the night crying and begging for help because he had committed a certain sexual sin yet again. Though Driscoll’s answer was a tad vulgar I think he essentially gave the guy the right one: Just stop it!

My mom was telling me of how years ago when she was on a prayer chain at a church we used to go to, she got a prayer request from a woman who said that she always went to _______________ and ended up _____________. Well, if she asked any Christ follower for advice, most likely they'd immediately think the solution would be to simply stop going to the places that led her into deep sin that so entrenched her.

But that's...her. What about...me? Should I immediately think the obvious answer would be for her to stop while I still fall through sin's trapdoor? Hmmmmm...

Challies goes on to write:

Some time ago I spoke to a friend about an ongoing sin in his life and tried to show him that the essence of his problem was this: he hates his sin just a little bit less than he loves it. Sure he wants to stop sinning, but even more he wants to keep sinning.

Good point, good point. SO. How do we hate our sin of doing certain things or/and not doing the good we know we should do? Perhaps by thinking about it and what we should (not) do in our 'off' times, when we are not immediately faced with the temptation? Perhaps if in these moments we fill our minds with Scripture, that might spontaneously come to mind when in the midst of the battle of temptation where our better senses seem to have lost? Or each time we are tempted to (not) think or (not) do something (good) bad, even if we love our sin, we should instead cry out to God and ask Him to provide the way out as is promised (1 Cor. 10:13)?

Challies ends his article with this:

But there comes a time when forsaking sin, truly putting it to death, requires a decision of the mind and an act of the will. Sooner or later I need to just stop it. And God can give me the strength to do so.

May God indeed give us the grace and strength to...stop...or....do.

The Grace-Providing Heart-Seeing God

I. God sees the heart.

" '...For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart'" (1 Sam. 16:7b).

Nice. Though God will see ugly things that don't always surface with the appearance. Still, it's so nice that God knows our hearts and that that He "is greater than our hearts" (1 John 3:20).

II. God is ultimately in control. Refreshment sometimes requires a process that involves struggle and treatment or effort. It's not a guarantee that our thorns will be removed.

Saul was "tormented" by "an evil spirit from the LORD" (1 Sam. 16:14). The affliction seemed to have persistently lingered over Saul's soul. Interesting that it took a process for the evil spirit to leave Saul. Not sure if the evil spirit repeatedly left him, but it's very well possible as vs. 23 seems to indicate that David repeatedly played the lyre for Saul's refreshment in his times of trouble.

Interesting...Yes, God is ultimately in control. The note in my Bible about the "evil spirit" in vs. 14 says, "The Hebrew word may describe something that is troubling, annoying, or harmful." Though these alternatives sound better than "evil spirit" to me, since they are from God, even if the author intended to convey the meaning of "evil spirit", it could be acceptable as God permits evil in this world and ultimately we will never fully grasp how everything works in this universe.

Guess an application that could be drawn is that refreshment sometimes first requires a process. One thing that is different betweeen Saul and believers today though is that Believers have the Spirit. Not sure if the faithful followers back then had the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, but in whatever way the Spirit was with Saul, it seems that He left Saul (verse 14).

God doesn't always (immediately) remove our thorns in the flesh, but His "grace is sufficent" (2 Cor. 12). And that is more than enough.

It's called, 'The Fall.'

So last night I was at a local community Task Force gathering and in response to something I said I think a friend said something like, "It's called 'The Fall', Rachael."

...Oh yeah.

But if I were Eve I likely would've done the same, and if not at the tree, I would've sinned soon enough elsewhere.

If I were alive in Jesus' day I may have shouted "Crucify Him!" if I were not called, and even if not, my actions would've spoken and speak otherwise.

In this post, C.J. Mahaney quotes Stott as saying in The Cross of Christ:

If we were in their place, we would have done what they did. Indeed, we have done it. For whenever we turn away from Christ, we ‘are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace’ (Heb. 6:6)

In a review of Mahaney's book Living the Cross Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing, the reviewer quotes Mahaney:

I identify most with the angry mob screaming, 'Crucify Him!' That's who we should all identify with. Because apart from God's grace, this is where we would all be standing, and we're only flattering ourselves to think otherwise

Sin, crimes, and social problems in the community and world at large suck.

Thankfully through Christ there is a way for death's wages to be paid off and to be reconciled to God.

But that doesn't mean society is shielded from the damaging effects of sin...

"Worship"

Here's an audio clip of a song by Shirley Booth I found on YouTube. It's based on Isaiah 58.

And here are the lyrics:

It seems so far away –
The thought of suffering, of hunger and need.
Lord, we’re so comfortable,
They’re only pictures on my TV screen.

Oh, we fast but we know we can eat the next day,
And we travel to church in a car.
There are carpets to comfort our knees when we pray,
And no danger in being what we are.

Are my praises so loud that they drown out the cries?
Do I fail to stoop down
‘cause my hands are raised so high?
Are my eyes shut so tight when I pray I won’t see?
Am I worshipping God for only me?

You say that worshipping, Lord,
Is more like something I should do with my life.
Not just at Sunday School –
No Lord, You’re calling me to put these things right.
There are hungry to feed – I have so much to spare
For the naked and down-trodden too.
So much hurting around me, please help me to care –
Lord, I want to start worshipping You.

You make me shine like the sun,
And Your glory will shelter me.
When I cry out, You come.
You restore me Lord, setting me free!

Acts of redemption...

So recently Christians all over the world celebrated the ultimate act of redemption: Christ's atonement for our sin through His death and resurrection. And sneak previews of smaller acts of redemption and prophecies sprinkled throughout the Old Testament foreshadow this glorious event.

On Saturday a friend and I talked of one such act of redemption, when Boaz married the widow Ruth. The next day the same friend redeemed me a bit. I could've easily stopped at a store to pick up the fruit juice I was supposed to bring, but she offered to bring hers instead (never mind the fact that we didn't end up drinking it anyway). Another instance of redemption comes to mind. I was at school and the thought of making copies of tests had totally slipped my mind until it was about time to start teaching. A fellow teacher helped me out by making a bunch of copies and bringing them to me so that I could proceed to start my class without waiting for that set of copies. A quick response of kindness that saved my morning.

Last week during Holy Week I attended the morning services that included bits from The Book of Common Prayer. Here is a snippet from a daily prayer from that:

"And, we pray, give us such an awareness of our mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise"

God's 'saves' did not stop with the ultimate save. He has delivered since the beginning of time and will continue to do so until the end. Perhaps if we live with eyes open to His mercies, we will notice and be more thankful for His many acts of deliverance.

And we should strive to redeem others in even small invisible ways in day-to-day life. You never know when those small acts of kindness might 'save' someone's day or 'redeem' the moment. Perhaps some of the tips in the article Practice Non-Random Acts of Kindness can help create a good framework toward this end.

Always be prepared...

...Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have... - 1 Peter 3:15

So Wednesday night I presented the gospel to an AWANA girl, and we prayed together for her to accept. But how deep did the roots go? So much information in so little time. My drawing and explanation may have lacked clarity. Good thing her salvation does not rest upon my measly attempt. The counsel time later that evening was about salvation, but even then I wonder if it was clear enough to someone who may have just heard for the first or second time. Afterwards we received booklets providing information and verses about Jesus. Hopefully she'll read the booklet. The church's children's ministry director later told me that there is a Bible club at the child's school. Also she may talk with her during the handbook time next week. Hopefully there will be follow-up, and hopefully there is or will be a faith that will grow. Perhaps I rushed things? Regardless of whether or not she grasps salvation and the faith enough at this point, God can use anything to plant seeds and accomplish His purposes, and it's neat to think He may have planted or watered seeds in her heart...

We don't always know when an opportunity to share Christ might arise. I should seek to be prepared to speak of this great Hope should opportunities arise again in the future.

"Who do you say I am?"

(Matt. 16:15b)

Back in the day, a friend and I had lots of fun doing newsletters for a church college group. Some adventures had in the process. One of these was a trip to the local store (not sure if anywhere else in addition to that for this particular mission) to survey people's answer to the question: "Who do you think Jesus is?"

Well I just found the newsletter with the responses:

1. "He's a dude. Just a dude. Read the Bible."

2. "I'm an athiest."

3. "Jesus is God."

4. "I don't know."

5. "That's a hard question. I never really thought of that before. He came to earth and was crucified and that's why we have Easter."

6. "What you said." (Jesus being the Son of God.)

7. "Just a prophet."

8. "Jesus is the Lord."

9. "I'm a Catholic. Does that explain it?...I don't believe in the Trinity thing...I just hope He comes back soon to end all this..."

10. "No one's ever asked me that before."

Wow huh. Not sure if this was the exact order in which we received the responses. Not necessarily advocating this particular method, but I think I stepped up in my younger years in ways that I wouldn't necessarily repeat now. (Though I might be willing to do the 'survey' method again provided it were not inside a store and if I weren't doing it alone.) Would be nice to be courageous and proactive with regard to speaking of God when out and about.

Fast from, Feed on...

My church is having early morning services throughout the week for Holy Week. This morning a woman offered an interesting prayer, requesting that we fast from certain sins, and feed on that which is good. In talking with her a bit after the service, I learned she found it in a bulletin or something of a church in Scotland. She may copy the version she prayed for me, but for now, here is a version of that I found online:

Fast from criticism, and feast on praise.

Fast from self-pity, and feast on joy.

Fast from ill-temper, and feast on peace.

Fast from resentment, and feast on contentment.

Fast from jealousy, and feast on love.

Fast from pride, and feast on humility.

Fast from selfishness, and feast on service.

Fast from fear, and feast on faith.

Putting off the old self, and putting on the new (see Eph. 4:22-24). Part of the Bible study last night was on a portion of Scripture (in Matt. 22) that described a wedding feast and how a man "without a wedding garment" was cast away into a place where "there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (vs. 12-13). Wedding clothes are necessary to celebrate in the "feast", but how do we get them, and from whom?

Fortunately we have only to accept them as a gift in faith.

Isaiah 61:10:

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the
garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of
righeousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a
priest with a beautiful
headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with
her jewels.

Beautiful. He is beautiful, and He has made us so. We're covered; we're beautifully forgiven. He has washed us whiter than snow, though our sins are as scarlet (see Isaiah 1:18). If dressed in His wedding clothes, we will take a seat at His table of eternal life. In this life, while our tables are adorned with beautiful platters of the fruits of the spirit, they are simultaneously cluttered with greasy foods. From which will we partake?

God please grant us the power to feast from and feed on that which we should. Please be glorified. Thank you...

(edit: 3/19)

"Rachael, Rachael."

Here I am. What are you asking of me? Turn my ears toward Your voice and make me follow. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The God who has always been and who will always be. The God who knows my pain. The God in whom we can place our trust. We need not fear. He will guide. He will lead. He will never leave.

Gen. 46:2-3:

And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, "Jacob! Jacob!"

"Here I am," he replied.

"I am God, the God of your father," he said. "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.

Gen. 22:1-2:

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!"

"Here I am," he replied.

Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

And when God appears to Moses in a burning bush in Exodus 3:

When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"

And Moses said, "Here I am."

"Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

God is a personal, relational God. He identifies Himself with the people who He related to on a personal level. As He was the God of those who have gone before, He is now. As He was faithful to them He will be faithful to Moses. As He was faithful to Moses He will be faithful to us. God desires to meet Moses and He makes Himself known. He initiated the relationship as He always does. Access to God is possible. Just as Moses does not burn up in God's presence, neither do we have to burn. This experience points to a future possibility that you can be in the presence of God and not be completely consumed. That access is now given to us. We serve that High Priest who mediates between God and man. The curtain is torn. We can reach God! Jesus has bridged the gap!

Hebrews 9:24:

For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

And what kind of High Priest do we have, and what confidence can we take from this?

Hebrews 4:14-16:

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

He understands our weakness! We can approach him and expect to receive mercy and grace!

God has been faithful since the beginning of time. He is as He was as He evermore wil be. Matthew 22:32 states:

'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."

Yes, indeed, God is the God of the living. Do we live as though we believe that?


(Note: This post contains some of the same ideas and most likely some/many of the exact words used by my Sunday School teacher [Jae Kim] and possibly other church people.)

One-minute Friends

What are some ways we can show love in very brief conversations with people we will likely never see again? Give? Make eye contact and smile? Graceful one-liners?

What are some of the best things we can do for the person asking for money, for the cashier, for the person on the elevator...? How can we brighten their days or help them in a small way?

How have your one-minute friends impacted you or made your day? Did mention of God or faith come up in the exchange?

[later on...]

Oh! I just found something here, written by C.J. Mahaney, about Mark Dever:

The first lesson I learned from your life was your heart for the lost and your passion to reach them with the gospel.

You asked me that day if we could eat at Subway, and I gladly followed (trying to keep up with you, as I immediately discovered you walk as fast as you talk) on the brief walk to this location. And just before we entered Subway, you informed me that you ate there often--not because of the cuisine, but in order to reach those who worked there with the gospel. I then observed your conversation and interaction with those who served us. As we sat down, I immediately began to draw you out about your heart and strategy for reaching the lost. You told me that you try to frequent the same places when you eat out, run errands etc. for the purpose of sharing the gospel. Since that day, I have followed your example and have shared the gospel with many I have come to know. Whatever heart I have for the lost is the result of your example and influence (second only to that of my very good friend Kenneth Maresco).

Oh! So sometimes maybe those one minute interactions could end up as multiple one minute interactions on different days! Ah! Tip of the day :)

"Both righteous and sinful"

"Ligoner National Conference - John MacArthur - We Have Been Raised But We Stink"

In the last part of Challies' synthesis of MacArthur's sermon, which includes discussion of justification and sanctification, he writes:

Putting sin to death is a lifelong process and one that will be perfected only in the day of Jesus Christ. Until then we are and shall remain both righteous and sinful.

Our Daily Bread

Neglecting The Lord's Prayer

My Appointment With God

Reacting to Criticism

In the post called A Toad in a Texas Hailstorm are a few tips for handling criticism. Here's one of them: "Remember, you’re worse than any criticism of you."

In this regard the following wisdom is given:

Anything sinful someone sees in me is but the tip of the iceberg. I’m far worse than anything you say about me, because I crucified Christ. I can’t tell you how much remembering this has helped me when disrespected or criticized.

I wonder if this could help in times of hurt or unsureness about others' opinions of oneself. Even if someone views me negatively, you know what? I'm WORSE than what s/he might be thinking! And you know what? God's GREATER than what any of us could ever imagine! Whew!

As John Newton once said: "My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things, that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour."

(edit: 3/16)

Euphemizing Sin...

What Are We Really Talking About?

Resources...

Wow, you can find lots of resources at a post called: "Resources for living ‘the everday mission’."

A little Octavius...

From my brother's post He restores my soul.

A breath away...

"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself." -Phil. 3:20-21

And this life is but a breath, temporary,a fleeting shadow...

To beyond and heaven...Onward and upward...

Upward I look and see Him there, Who made an end of all my sin.

Thanks be to God for preparing a place for me. Please teach me to make room in my heart for Thee.

Hiding the secret...

I just read a diary (the students had to write diaries for my class) where a student poured out his heart, expressing his negative emotions. Here is part of his entry (not sure if it's all his own words; it's exceptionally good for his level):

I felt sad today but I don't know why? I thought suddenly, I came to one of those bleak periods that many us encounter from time to time, a sudden drastic dip in the graph of living when everything goes stale and flat, energy frightening. The barren days dragged on, and the paralysis grew worse. I don't want to go to school, I don't want to go out with my friend. I only want to sit alone in my bed room. I wish I can walk alone on the beach, stand there and shout. Some times, I think about myself because I'm just kidding when I think everything will be good for me but it's not true. [....] I can't understand the problem of my life. [...]

And in my comment, what do I write? Absolutely nothing about Christ. I keep the solution hidden.

And last month another student wrote that she's a Christian but doesn't go to church in Seattle. She felt sad about this. She hates her host family and wrote: "They never lead me go to church. I bring a lot of crime with Christ. I feel sad about this." I'm not sure if she's saved, but she could be. Did my comments back to her do anything? She never talked to me about her problem. I think I'm okay with the way I handled her situation, though she never verbally opened up about it...

But with the guy who expressed his sadness, I'm keeping the secret to contentment hidden...

Although aspects my faith have leaked out in my interactions with students before, perhaps I should strive to be bolder and more proactive? What would Paul do...?

Now for that grading...who knows what I might discover next...

[...later in the evening....]

Aha! I found something else written by the student I first mentioned in this post...oh...he wrote:

Indeed, seldom do I cling my mind to anything but maybe, I do, do now....It's the first times I've failed to struggle with my conscience, and conceded victory of my heart. God! bless me. Any way, thank you for one times making me not myself. Believe in me, every truth following is guaranteed, go back to my life, and back to the true [or time?].

I suppose now's the chance...I don't know if he meant "God" to refer to "God", or if he meant it like "Gosh"...I don't know who the "you" is...is it "God"? Who knows...okay, so I just wrote a comment that included a bit about God. But really, only God knows if and where that helicopter seed might land...

Now, back to grading galore...

Inspirational People I

1) My mom -- Her servant heart and her understanding of Service vs. service. Her deep desire to look to Christ. Upward and onward...

2) My dad -- A secret servant to his family. Working endless hours in my youth. Generous with his time and resources. Gifted in talking with ease with all types of people.

3) When I was at WWU - A woman who opened up her home and led a small group to the young gals who helped with international student ministry. A very hospitable, kind, gentle woman. I hope to be like Barbara when I 'grow up' :). She not only 'reached out', but 'reached within'...Love is definitely an important ingredient in ministry, from the inside out.

4) During an interview -- I believe the interviewer mentioned that he used to fall asleep when reading his Bible. His love for God's Word (if I'm not mistaken) made a mark on my heart.

5) People who exemplify humility -- evidence of a genuine, real faith expressed through prayer. I recently personally heard someone do this and I've been told that my old pastor (who is other family members' pastor) has expressed humility through prayer.

And the list could go on and on...

(edit: 3/14)

Behind the Scenes...

*God is at work behind the scenes. He uses people like midwives to bring about salvation. He uses oppression. He uses the river of death and changes it to the river of life for Moses. Putting Moses on the Nile would be the last thing you’d want to do; it was the place where babies were killed. His methods of deliverance are mysterious. (As a sidenote, the Hebrew word for basket is the same as the word for ark: "tevah". It’s the same one used in Genesis 6:14!)

Indeed, God does work behind the scenes, even if we feel abandoned. God was silent to His Son at the cross: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" His momentary or seeming abandonment from His Son in His death led to life for Him and us. Life. Life eternal. Life for all who partake in Him. Even when we feel insignificant, even when the river seems full of death, even then, He can change it into life. Even then He can work His power through the insignificant for His glory.

Perhaps knowing that God works even when we are unaware can fuel a desire for the call to invisible service – serving others through life investing relationships, serving others through church and work, serving God even when no one is around…

In a blogpost, Stephen Altrogge writes of the servant heart of his grandfather Julian. Among his various acts of service are the seemingly invisible, including faithfully taking care of his wife even when she had dementia and his relationship with a blind man. In another post, Altrogge writes about a man named John Thornton, who lived in the 1700s. Though he could have lived a life of luxury, he chose to live simply and frugally. According to Altrogge, he “paid for Bibles to be printed, and then used his own company ships to send them throughout the world. He gave John Newton an annual allowance of 200 pounds (worth approx. $50,000 today) so that Newton would be free to write songs, books, and be a pastor.” So the Amazing Grace guy was supported by a man with a big heart. Have you heard of Thornton? Likely not. Amazing. Grace.

And there are more stories. Countless stories we will never hear. Let’s just remember that as God works behind the scenes, He may choose to use us in the process. May God work in us to be living stones (as Christ was) and the clay through which He can work wonders that may never be visible to our eyes...


*Note: Much of the first 2 paragraphs is likely what a Sunday School leader said verbatim (and almost verbatim) during a lesson on Exodus 1:17-2:10. Some of it is my extension.

(edit: 3/10)

Calling a sin a sin ~~

What if we were to frame our complaints or discontentment in our personal sin? To address and seek to overcome them as sin rather than allow them to leak out as interesting, seemingly therapeutic blabber? Should we first acknowledge our wrong attitudes and struggles while seeking prayer and advice rather than just sympathy or understanding?

What if we were to say to one another:

"This is my sin: ________. Do you have any advice? Can we pray?"

or a little more softly,

"I'm struggling with ... Can we pray about it?"

When people share their concerns, the temptation can be there to paint others ugly-ily. Are the listeners supposed to bear the burden by empathizing with the speaker? While the speaker might find pleasure in sharing the story, would s/he be sharing it in the same manner should the person being discussed be present? Even if the listeners don't know the subject of the conversation, is it okay for gossip to take place? Would a more appropriate response be to together offer a prayer to change the heart of the speaker or/and for God to work in the situation, at the risk of the iniatiator of that appearing 'holier-than-thou'?

Some sins might be clearly understood. The blows of the heavy hammer of guilt may not always be necessary to open the eye of conviction. But it would be neat if a little conviction, confession, and prayer were a natural response and course of action to follow 'bear and share sessions'.

"But God..."

Here is a blogpost entitled The "But God" Gap...There's now an article up at Boundless called Fighting Spiritual Drift. In that article, Ricky Alcantar notes: "Two of my favorite words in scripture are 'But God....'". These two words appear in his closing as well...

My sister has related to me her "But God" experience...she and another girl would reflect upon those two words on their way to school when they were student teaching.

Maybe she'll write out the details and allow me to post them here...

No matter what...

In a Between Two Worlds blogpost (entitled Piper on the Prosperity Gospel) is the following videoclip:



The last thing Piper says is: "God most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him in the midst of loss...not prosperity." While I'm not sure about the first "most" and the "not" part of his quote, there is definitely something to said for suffering and endurance.

Romans 5:3-5:

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

God beautifies faith through times of adversity and works all for the good for those who love Him and are called by Him (see Romans 8:28, 1 Peter 1:7). And contentment can be found in Him in whatever circumstance (Phil. 4)...

Reviews on cross-centered books

You can find them here: Some lesser-known, Cross-centered books

Memorizing Scripture

3 Reasons To Memorize Scripture

The path beyond...

God doesn't need human notions of the ideal "closure" to heal our wounds...

The ultimate "closure" happened at the cross with the ultimate wound, and He'll direct our paths from there if our trust is in Him.

Proverbs 3:5-6:

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding, In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

And note the lesser known verses 7-8:

"Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones."

The icing on the cake...

Philippians 4:10-20 (ESV):

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Somehow the context surrounding the well-known verse 13 (last sentence of the first paragraph) strikes me.

Paul rejoices in the Philippians' concern, even though He's learned the secret to contentment. Seems possible to be blessed with community without viewing it as an essential ingredient for ultimate contentment. Look at the word following verse 13: yet. Paul's knowledge of the secret didn't rob him of his appreciation of their kindness in bearing his burden. And isn't it interesting that the great Paul, when leaving Macedonia, only had partnership ("in giving and receiving" [15]) with just the Philippians and no other church. Perhaps he felt isolated from the other churches; perhaps not. In any case, it's just neat how Paul highly regarded the community of believers at Philippi, even though He knew the secret to contentment. Why not enjoy the icing (community) on the cake (contentment in Christ)? Just hopefully God will cause us to not look to the icing alone to fill the stomach, and, when we do, cause a sweets sickness or longing for the real thing rather than for the filling that provides temporary pseudo-contentment...

"So what -- I'm saved."

Here's an excerpt from the post What To Do When Your Fig Tree Fails...

Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation. (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

In Habakkuk's day, if you were a farmer, your whole life depended on your crops and herds. He describes a worst-case scenario: all his crops fail, all his flocks and herds die. Yet he says, even if all this befalls him, "I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation." In other words, so what -- I'm saved!

How this honors God! How it blesses him when we say "Lord, even if you don't bless me in any other way, you alone are enough for me. You have saved me to bring me to yourself. Your glory is all I need. I rejoice in you."

So when the mechanic tells you that you need a new transmission, say, “So what -- I'm saved.” Depending on how well you know him, you might want to consider saying it to yourself quietly. When the children break your favorite Ming Dynasty vase say, "I will rejoice in the Lord." When you come downstairs in the morning to discover that Sparky the Wonder Dog left a little surprise in the middle of the living room carpet, you know what to say. And should you be facing something really serious, I would still encourage you to say along with Habakkuk, "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation."

May God teach me to continuously look to Him for the joy in Him and His salvation...May He cause me to genuinely, consciously, and consistently feel, when appropriate: "So what -- I'm saved." May He teach me that that is enough. Enough. Yes sanctification and fruits of the faith are important. But the starting point is not with my efforts but His grace. As Paul was told that God's grace was sufficient for him (2 Cor. 12:9), may His grace be sufficient for me also...

Stepping down...

God may have given me wisdom; I hope so. I poured out my heart to Him tonight. I asked God to fill me with wisdom. What may have been after the prayer, I talked with my mom on the phone and from her was given the advice to quit a particular ministry...

So...

I'm planning to quit, greatly minimize my involvement, or take a break. Will people be inconvenienced because of this decision? Perhaps. Will some people wonder or/and internally judge me negatively? Perhaps. Some might not.

I poured a lot of my heart into this ministry. Stepping back is probably the right thing for me to do, though, at this point in time. If my heart and uncomfortability don't change with my continued involvement, perhaps the external decision of my removal or partial removal will help heal my heart and help the sanctification process.

God knows my heart...God knows my heart....to Him be the glory, hopefully even through this decision....Hopefully it was made through His wisdom.

Stepping down...which will hopefully be a step Up...

In My Place Condemned He Stood: Celebrating the Glory of the Atonement

...is a forthcoming book by J.I. Packer and Mark Dever

You can see the endorsements here, at the Between Two Worlds blog.

Facebook Song

Just...trust me.

So I made a mark on 2-3 students' tests today, to indicate their test-time chatter. A couple of them seemed alarmed at my doing so; they seemed to feel justified in their behavior, and I can understand how they might feel that way. Even though I 'disciplined' them in this way, in my heart I know they don't have to worry. Trust me. I know that if they end up at least close to the minimum requirements for achievement and proficiency, there's a good chance they'll pass. I'll have to figure out for sure if it's okay at this school to 'flub' a bit if some students don't technically make the cut, but I assume it would probably be okay. At another school, I think I've used my 'sense' on students who numerically didn't get to the level I thought they should be at. So in the end...what are grades? They're meant to measure the students' proficiency and progress. Hopefully they motivate the students to study and try their best. Ultimately, come grade time, though, I'll have a general sense of who should or should not pass. Yes, I'll do the numbers and plug them into excel, blah blah blah. And there might be a few borderliners and people I'm unsure of whether or not they should pass. It'll be with those students that I may need to balance my 'sense' with their numerical achievement and proficiency and final test performance.

Life application.

In times of trial (which might include for some questioning the fairness of or reasons for particular life crises), we can still trust. We can trust Him. He knows what he's doing. He works all for the good. He disciplines "for our good" (Hebrews 12:10). "...the testing of [our] faith develops perseverance" (James 1:3). Trials "have come so that [our] faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed" (1 Peter 5:7). In the midst of trial, we can still trust.

Our performance and achievement is not the admission ticket to heaven. Yes, a genuine faith will bear fruit. A "faith without deeds is dead" (James 2:26). Thankfully God's spirit can work in us and through us. But we don't have to worry that our sin will prevent us from the glory of heaven. Jesus paid our admission ticket in full, if we accept His gift through faith in Him.

Desperate for Forgiveness

Here's a link to a videoclip from an ER segment: Atonement

It portrays a man desperately, frustratingly longing for answers; he's longing for forgiveness because he's "running out of time"...

How many people may feel this desperate without me even knowing? How many people might want me to share with them how to find forgiveness, or how many people want to know about the gospel or life after death? How often do I hide this vital news from those desperate to know?

I think my mom has described 1 or 2 occasions in her pre-saved days where she wanted to be told about Christianity, where she wanted to be told, to be let in...

How often might I deny people the opportunity to hear the good news of Jesus Christ? How many don't know the basic gospel message:

realizing how great God is and how people cannot match that perfection; we fall short in our sin,

knowing that the consequence of sin is eternal separation from God and punishment after death,

confessing our sin and realizing we need some way outside of ourselves to be made clean in God's eyes; knowing it is only by God's grace that we can be saved,

believing that Jesus (God's Son; fully God and fully man) is the way; He bridges the gap between us and God; His death paid the penalty our sin deserves. He rose again on the third day and is alive today.

Hope in both this life and the one after death can be found through Christ.

John 3:16 --> "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." That verse right there contains the saving message of the gospel.

Bus school

In the not-too-distant past, an acquaintance told me that people like to talk. Granted this is not a novel idea, and it can at times be true for me, but I saw this to be quite true of a couple of fellow bus riders today. One was a fellow complete with binoculars and a pin-clad hat. It was kind-of remarkable how he kept spouting off ideas in his conversation with the bus driver. It was interesting to see what triggered his thoughts. His ideas seemed to be quite localized for the most part - the bus world, the replacement of a bowling alley with apartments...These are real things that interested him or perhaps topics with which he felt he could connect with the local community -- the driver.

There was another chatty man on the bus. The two may have been on the bus at the same time for awhile, but eventually it ended up being just that other man in the front part of the bus. And he sure liked to talk! But when it was just him, who was he talking to? I was in a seat near that front section, and I believe there was another passenger on the other side of the aisle behind the main section, but I ended up responding to the talker to a degree. It was just so interesting. At first he chatted away, I think mainly about the bus price situation, but eventually he talked a bit to me in particular...he guessed that I worked. I responded affirmatively and told him I teach, which led to further conversation. He sure carried the weight of that conversation! And what were the topics? Again a local interest, followed by a shift to talking about my life, which influenced the ensuing conversation.

Maybe I'll learn from the bus folk over time. Not sure I'll ever be proficient in talking about local interests with a passion quite the same as these 'vocal experts', but maybe I'll improve my small talk skills from this kind-of...bus school ;)