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.