Do you receive zillions of those Christmas cards that contain pictures of relatives you hardly know and friends of your parents' from the glory days like I do? They always seem to contain "THE letter" that nonchalantly explains all of the accomplishments each family member has achieved throughout the year. Sometimes they are fun to read and useful in quickly catching up with old friends, and yet sometimes it can seem like a "keeping up with the Joneses" yearly exercise.
I am probably wrong about this, but I sometimes feel that coming back to school after vacation is a prime opportunity for the old Christmas card routine. "What did you do this summer?" people want to know. If you haven't gone to camp, led a homeless person to Christ, or personally given an African child your Toms then you can sometimes feel a twinge of guilt as friends describe their action-packed, spiritual roller coaster (that only goes up and never down,) ride of a summer.
Maybe I say this because I didn't do any of these things and I wish I had. Yet the over-achiever in me has had to take a break and say, "It's okay. It's not wrong to take a summer off, and work and rest until school starts again." I can honestly say that I haven't done a whole lot this summer. I worked, gained experience in my possible future career, volunteered, hiked with my friends, and spent a lot of time with my family. Those are the sort of things I never do during the school year, so in that sense I feel as though I didn't waste it. Would I have liked to go to Africa and adopt 13 children? Absolutely. But seeing that I didn't, I can look back and see many things that God did in my own heart. Sometimes it takes quietness to hear whether or not my heart beats for Jesus because of the exciting circumstances I am in or because I love Him regardless of what I am doing or who I am with. This summer provided that quiet, and quite frankly I didn't like all of what I found. But I never would have recognized some of my own personal struggles had I not taken the time to see who I really was without a thriving spiritual environment, solid Christ-following friends and countless prepared opportunities for service.
God has graciously shown me many of my own weaknesses, revealed to me more of His character, and strengthened several relationships vital to my spiritual maturity. It was hard and I am looking forward to it coming to a close, but I trust that Jesus used it for my good and His glory as it has been apart of His grand plan since the beginning of time. The things I have learned will undoubtedly be of great value in the coming semesters and I am anxious to see how Jesus will use these lessons in the future.
Hears to waking up late, having long devotions, and sipping sweet tea on the porch with family. Who knows if you'll ever have the free time to do it again!
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Sunday, June 10, 2012
[Un]pOpuLaR
As I read through the Bible a few years ago I wrote down verses that struck me as being unpopular. The difficult ones that no one likes to preach or think about, and that no one really knows what to do with. I've been wanting to put them all in one place for the sake of organization, so I figured this would be a good place to do that. I found these verses to be helpful examples of how God is so much more than the warm, fuzzy Santa Claus that American Christianity makes Him out to be. But, I fully acknowledge that context is key with each of these, so I have included the references so you can do your own study and come to your own conclusions.
This list is not for the purpose of discouraging anyone's view of God as a loving Father and Savior, but rather to show how much more complex and mysterious His character is. Since these verses come straight from the Bible, the word of God, I believe it's important to study them rather than to shy away from them.
So here goes.
1 Samuel 2:6-8 The LORD kills and brings to life;
he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low and he exalts.
He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's,
and on them he has set the world.
1 Samuel 2:25 If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the LORD to put them to death.
1 Samuel 19:9 Then a harmful spirit from the LORD came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing the lyre. And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.
2 Samuel 17:14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring harm upon Absalom.
1 Kings 12:20-24 ‘Thus says the LORD, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives the people of Israel. Every man return to his home, for this thing is from me.’” So they listened to the word of the LORD and went home again, according to the word of the LORD.
1 Kings 22:20 And Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; and the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ And the LORD said to him, ‘By what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’ Now therefore behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the LORD has declared disaster for you.” (also 2 Chronicles 18:19-22)
2 Chronicles 10:15 King Rehoboam spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by God that the LORD might fulfill his word, which he spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
2 Chronicles 22:7 But it was ordained by God that the downfall of Ahaziah should come about through his going to visit Joram. For when he came there, he went out with Jehoram to meet Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab.
2 Chronicles 25:20 But Amaziah would not listen, for it was of God, in order that he might give them into the hand of their enemies, because they had sought the gods of Edom.
2 Chronicles 32:31 And so in the matter of the envoys of the princes of Babylon, who had been sent to him to inquire about the sign that had been done in the land, God left him to himself, in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart.
Psalm 5:5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
Psalm 44:2 you with your own hand drove out the nations,
but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
but them you set free;
Psalm 71:20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
you will bring me up again.
Jeremiah 51:12 “Set up a standard against the walls of Babylon;
make the watch strong;
set up watchmen;
prepare the ambushes;
for the LORD has both planned and done
what he spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.
Jeremiah 51:20-23 “You are my hammer and weapon of war:
with you I break nations in pieces;
with you I destroy kingdoms;
with you I break in pieces the horse and his rider;
with you I break in pieces the chariot and the charioteer;
with you I break in pieces man and woman;
with you I break in pieces the old man and the youth;
with you I break in pieces the young man and the young woman;
with you I break in pieces the shepherd and his flock;
with you I break in pieces the farmer and his team;
with you I break in pieces governors and commanders.
Lamentations 3:37-38 Who has spoken and it came to pass,
unless the Lord has commanded it?
Ezekiel 14:9 And if the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, the LORD, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
Ezekiel 20:47-48 Say to the forest of the Negeb, Hear the word of the LORD: Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree in you and every dry tree. The blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from south to north shall be scorched by it. All flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.”
Ezekiel 36:22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.
Amos 4:7 “I also withheld the rain from you
when there were yet three months to the harvest;
I would send rain on one city,
and send no rain on another city;
one field would have rain,
and the field on which it did not rain would wither;
so two or three cities would wander to another city
to drink water, and would not be satisfied;
yet you did not return to me,”
declares the LORD.
Amos 9:4 And if they go into captivity before their enemies,
there I will command the sword, and it shall kill them;
and I will fix my eyes upon them
for evil and not for good.
Micah 1:12 For the inhabitants of Maroth
wait anxiously for good,
because disaster has come down from the LORD
to the gate of Jerusalem.
Zechariah 8:10 For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor.
Luke 11:49-51 Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.
Luke 24:26 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
John 3:27 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.
John 12:37-42 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
“He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.”
Romans 9
2 Thessalonians 2:11 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
1 Peter 2:8 For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
and
“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
Jude 1:5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.
Revelation 2:10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Revelation 6:4 And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.
Revelation 13:7 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation
Revelation 13:14-15 ...and by the signs that it [the dragon] is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.
Revelation 16:9 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.
Revelation 17:17 And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.
This list is not for the purpose of discouraging anyone's view of God as a loving Father and Savior, but rather to show how much more complex and mysterious His character is. Since these verses come straight from the Bible, the word of God, I believe it's important to study them rather than to shy away from them.
So here goes.
1 Samuel 2:6-8 The LORD kills and brings to life;
he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low and he exalts.
He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's,
and on them he has set the world.
1 Samuel 2:25 If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the LORD to put them to death.
1 Samuel 19:9 Then a harmful spirit from the LORD came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing the lyre. And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.
2 Samuel 17:14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring harm upon Absalom.
1 Kings 12:20-24 ‘Thus says the LORD, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives the people of Israel. Every man return to his home, for this thing is from me.’” So they listened to the word of the LORD and went home again, according to the word of the LORD.
1 Kings 22:20 And Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; and the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ And the LORD said to him, ‘By what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’ Now therefore behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the LORD has declared disaster for you.” (also 2 Chronicles 18:19-22)
2 Chronicles 10:15 King Rehoboam spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by God that the LORD might fulfill his word, which he spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
2 Chronicles 22:7 But it was ordained by God that the downfall of Ahaziah should come about through his going to visit Joram. For when he came there, he went out with Jehoram to meet Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab.
2 Chronicles 25:20 But Amaziah would not listen, for it was of God, in order that he might give them into the hand of their enemies, because they had sought the gods of Edom.
2 Chronicles 32:31 And so in the matter of the envoys of the princes of Babylon, who had been sent to him to inquire about the sign that had been done in the land, God left him to himself, in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart.
Psalm 5:5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
Psalm 44:2 you with your own hand drove out the nations,
but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
but them you set free;
Psalm 71:20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
you will bring me up again.
Jeremiah 51:12 “Set up a standard against the walls of Babylon;
make the watch strong;
set up watchmen;
prepare the ambushes;
for the LORD has both planned and done
what he spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.
Jeremiah 51:20-23 “You are my hammer and weapon of war:
with you I break nations in pieces;
with you I destroy kingdoms;
with you I break in pieces the horse and his rider;
with you I break in pieces the chariot and the charioteer;
with you I break in pieces man and woman;
with you I break in pieces the old man and the youth;
with you I break in pieces the young man and the young woman;
with you I break in pieces the shepherd and his flock;
with you I break in pieces the farmer and his team;
with you I break in pieces governors and commanders.
Lamentations 3:37-38 Who has spoken and it came to pass,
unless the Lord has commanded it?
Ezekiel 14:9 And if the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, the LORD, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
Ezekiel 20:47-48 Say to the forest of the Negeb, Hear the word of the LORD: Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree in you and every dry tree. The blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from south to north shall be scorched by it. All flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.”
Ezekiel 36:22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.
Amos 4:7 “I also withheld the rain from you
when there were yet three months to the harvest;
I would send rain on one city,
and send no rain on another city;
one field would have rain,
and the field on which it did not rain would wither;
so two or three cities would wander to another city
to drink water, and would not be satisfied;
yet you did not return to me,”
declares the LORD.
Amos 9:4 And if they go into captivity before their enemies,
there I will command the sword, and it shall kill them;
and I will fix my eyes upon them
for evil and not for good.
Micah 1:12 For the inhabitants of Maroth
wait anxiously for good,
because disaster has come down from the LORD
to the gate of Jerusalem.
Zechariah 8:10 For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor.
Luke 11:49-51 Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.
Luke 24:26 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
John 3:27 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.
John 12:37-42 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
“He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.”
Romans 9
2 Thessalonians 2:11 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
1 Peter 2:8 For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
and
“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
Jude 1:5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.
Revelation 2:10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Revelation 6:4 And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.
Revelation 13:7 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation
Revelation 13:14-15 ...and by the signs that it [the dragon] is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.
Revelation 16:9 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.
Revelation 17:17 And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
The Seed That Grew Into a Forest
My post "Good News" from a few months ago touched on something that I have become increasingly aware of in recent weeks; good news travels fast. Really fast. Recently I've seen this happen with not just any good news, but especially God's good news-that is, the gospel. The gospel spreads through words, yes. People share the gospel every Sunday at church through the preaching of the word. But I've noticed that God also glorifies Himself through other mediums, including music and the transformation of lives, which in turn are used to transform others. I guess the idea of one match lighting a whole room of candles has been overused and even sounds cliche, but I've come to realize that this is both true and very beautiful to watch.
I recently went on tour with my a capella group where we went around the state singing and sharing the gospel. I saw God work in amazing ways as seeds that He had planted 12 years ago bore fruit unexpectantly to us, and just on time to Him. At the beginning of the trip we went downtown to sing and share Christ with the people there. Little did we know that every Saturday night for the past 12 years a faithful group of Christians had been rotating singing on the street corner-with a sound system. They not only allowed us to use their sound system but to sing two of our songs to the growing crowd. How cool that God had planned that from the beginning of time our ministries would intersect and encourage one another for the glory of His name. Their faithfulness to meet every Saturday night and sing to the city resulted in our group having a platform to share our music and pray with several homless people, two of which came to know Christ!
Another way in which I saw God work was in the giving away of our CDs. We christened them "seeds" after realizing the long-term effect that they can have as the result of a one-time gift. It was so encouraging to know that while we could sing and speak of Jesus at a concert, the music that we shared could do that over and over again, being held suspended in time by the confines of a compact disc. We heard testimonies of encouragement gained from our music in the past, and trusted as we gave away CDs that hearts would be pricked in the future. In that sense the whole life cycle of our music was represented at one time or another, and we were fortunate enough to see God working in every stage. One night we met a sweet couple downtown. Music was the only thing that brought us together. It was what we shared with each other in our time together. And it was what we gave them at our parting. I have hope that our love for them and our passion for Christ will live on in the music we gave them, producing fruit for years to come. This idea of one thing multiplying into a thousand other things shows how God is not restricted by time-He doesn't simply work during one interaction, but continues to cultivate the soil of people's hearts long afterwards.
Something else that started in one person and grew to influence many others was the Christlike examples of my friends. As I watched their individual boldness, passion, humility, compassion, and maturity, especially with respect to non-Christians, God was quietly working in my own heart and making plans to use their faithfulness to later speak to many others through me. Tonight I went downtown in my own city to sing and worship with my local Bible study. As a result of much practice at the a capella tour, God had renewed in me a sense of boldness and urgency that fueled my desire to speak to the non-Christians surrounding me and my friends as we sang. I was able to pray with three different people, two of which I have connected with online and one of which is planning to later attend the youth Bible study at my house! So many lives affected by the faithful examples of others.
In a more general sense God has also used the people in my a capella group, who have become some of my best friends in the entire world, to teach me what it means to live on a secular campus, to have a Christ-centered relationship, and to follow Christ even into the darkest of situations. It's truly amazing how an example, a CD, an interaction, can transcend a momentary event and have a long-term influence on numerous lives, even if only one person tipped the first domino. This is both encouraging and scary, as not only good things but bad things can spread like wildfire. I am encouraged to know, however, that despite threats to His name Christ will accomplish His will and will spread His gospel through even the smallest acts of faith.
I recently went on tour with my a capella group where we went around the state singing and sharing the gospel. I saw God work in amazing ways as seeds that He had planted 12 years ago bore fruit unexpectantly to us, and just on time to Him. At the beginning of the trip we went downtown to sing and share Christ with the people there. Little did we know that every Saturday night for the past 12 years a faithful group of Christians had been rotating singing on the street corner-with a sound system. They not only allowed us to use their sound system but to sing two of our songs to the growing crowd. How cool that God had planned that from the beginning of time our ministries would intersect and encourage one another for the glory of His name. Their faithfulness to meet every Saturday night and sing to the city resulted in our group having a platform to share our music and pray with several homless people, two of which came to know Christ!
Another way in which I saw God work was in the giving away of our CDs. We christened them "seeds" after realizing the long-term effect that they can have as the result of a one-time gift. It was so encouraging to know that while we could sing and speak of Jesus at a concert, the music that we shared could do that over and over again, being held suspended in time by the confines of a compact disc. We heard testimonies of encouragement gained from our music in the past, and trusted as we gave away CDs that hearts would be pricked in the future. In that sense the whole life cycle of our music was represented at one time or another, and we were fortunate enough to see God working in every stage. One night we met a sweet couple downtown. Music was the only thing that brought us together. It was what we shared with each other in our time together. And it was what we gave them at our parting. I have hope that our love for them and our passion for Christ will live on in the music we gave them, producing fruit for years to come. This idea of one thing multiplying into a thousand other things shows how God is not restricted by time-He doesn't simply work during one interaction, but continues to cultivate the soil of people's hearts long afterwards.
Something else that started in one person and grew to influence many others was the Christlike examples of my friends. As I watched their individual boldness, passion, humility, compassion, and maturity, especially with respect to non-Christians, God was quietly working in my own heart and making plans to use their faithfulness to later speak to many others through me. Tonight I went downtown in my own city to sing and worship with my local Bible study. As a result of much practice at the a capella tour, God had renewed in me a sense of boldness and urgency that fueled my desire to speak to the non-Christians surrounding me and my friends as we sang. I was able to pray with three different people, two of which I have connected with online and one of which is planning to later attend the youth Bible study at my house! So many lives affected by the faithful examples of others.
In a more general sense God has also used the people in my a capella group, who have become some of my best friends in the entire world, to teach me what it means to live on a secular campus, to have a Christ-centered relationship, and to follow Christ even into the darkest of situations. It's truly amazing how an example, a CD, an interaction, can transcend a momentary event and have a long-term influence on numerous lives, even if only one person tipped the first domino. This is both encouraging and scary, as not only good things but bad things can spread like wildfire. I am encouraged to know, however, that despite threats to His name Christ will accomplish His will and will spread His gospel through even the smallest acts of faith.
John 1:5
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
What's in a Name?
The Bibe Belt is a tough place to be. It's hard to tell who is really a Christ-follower and who just grew up reading the catechism. Who loves Jesus with their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and who just loves knowing a lot of theology. Who wants to give their life away to their Creater and Savior, and who wants to spend their retirement collecting sea shells. I know because I used to be the catechism thumping, legalistic snot that thought she was all that until Jesus revealed the depths of sin in her own heart.
In the Bible Belt it's also tough knowing where to draw the line when it comes to cultural norms. "How short is too short?" "What kind of movies can I 'handle'?" "When and whom should I date?" and "Is it okay to drink?" are questions I have heard from the mouths of many Christians. While the answers to these questions can vary depending on the person, there is one issue that the Bible is black and white about-taking the Lord's name in vain. Sadly, I haven't even heard Christians asking about whether or not it's okay, unlike many of the above issues. Many Christians are simply doing it without thinking twice. Personally, I would be less offended hearing a string of cuss words, watching an inappropriate movie, or seeing too much skin than hearing someone say "Oh my G**." It diminishes the very God of the universe-the One Whom we claim to love and glorify.
Please hear me when I say that He cares more about His name than your obedience. The Bible itself says,
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
Nothing we can do can save us-as my pastor said today, your identity is not produced by your obedience to God. Your obedience flows out of your identity! So if life is not about a set of do's and don't, and it is all about magnifying our Lord and Savoir, then why in the world would we care more about rules and "how far is too far" instead of honoring the name of God Himself? It seems to reflect an underlying legalism that pervades throughout the Bible Belt. We care more about what is socially acceptable than the clear-cut command of God Himself to honor His name-after all, He is the center of our faith and the reason we have life! It's really all about Him and in no way about us, which, again, is why I believe we should not even question the morality of taking His name in vain even if we disagree about whether or not it's okay to have a beer this St. Patrick's Day.
I don't in any way intend to sound judgmental or condemning (which I'm pretty sure mean the exact same thing but I'll say both for emphasis!), I simply want to admonish those of us whose hearts have been changed forever by Christ to care more about honoring His glorious name as we claim to on Sunday mornings, than sweating the little things that don't have any eternal consequence.
In the Bible Belt it's also tough knowing where to draw the line when it comes to cultural norms. "How short is too short?" "What kind of movies can I 'handle'?" "When and whom should I date?" and "Is it okay to drink?" are questions I have heard from the mouths of many Christians. While the answers to these questions can vary depending on the person, there is one issue that the Bible is black and white about-taking the Lord's name in vain. Sadly, I haven't even heard Christians asking about whether or not it's okay, unlike many of the above issues. Many Christians are simply doing it without thinking twice. Personally, I would be less offended hearing a string of cuss words, watching an inappropriate movie, or seeing too much skin than hearing someone say "Oh my G**." It diminishes the very God of the universe-the One Whom we claim to love and glorify.
Please hear me when I say that He cares more about His name than your obedience. The Bible itself says,
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
-Hosea 6:6
and
For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it
for how should my name be profaned?
My glory I will not give to another.
-Isaiah 48:11
Nothing we can do can save us-as my pastor said today, your identity is not produced by your obedience to God. Your obedience flows out of your identity! So if life is not about a set of do's and don't, and it is all about magnifying our Lord and Savoir, then why in the world would we care more about rules and "how far is too far" instead of honoring the name of God Himself? It seems to reflect an underlying legalism that pervades throughout the Bible Belt. We care more about what is socially acceptable than the clear-cut command of God Himself to honor His name-after all, He is the center of our faith and the reason we have life! It's really all about Him and in no way about us, which, again, is why I believe we should not even question the morality of taking His name in vain even if we disagree about whether or not it's okay to have a beer this St. Patrick's Day.
I don't in any way intend to sound judgmental or condemning (which I'm pretty sure mean the exact same thing but I'll say both for emphasis!), I simply want to admonish those of us whose hearts have been changed forever by Christ to care more about honoring His glorious name as we claim to on Sunday mornings, than sweating the little things that don't have any eternal consequence.
O Yahweh, our Adonai,
how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
-Psalm 8:9
Friday, December 30, 2011
Ask Away
The past few months I have been faced with an overwhelming amount of newness. New places, new people, new pastimes, new habits, new churches, new weather, new home! I have adjusted to most of it pretty easily, since I believe that God has been preparing me for this stage of life for a while. What I don't feel prepared for, however, is the future. I am completely at a loss as to the specifics of what I want to do, where I want to be, and who I want to be with. A lot of the time I find myself frustrated that God hasn't magically revealed those things to me already, and that I feel confused and unsure when I should feel confident. The problem is always with me though, not God (which seems to be a trend in my life...) I realized recently that I do not ask Jesus for guidance in my life like I should-it is not enough to simply pray about the "essentials". No, a true relationship with Christ, and a true submission to His will as your Shepherd, Father, and Lord is talking to Him about every aspect of life! It's asking Him about amoral decisions, instead of relying on your own judgement. It's crying out for help and asking for His protection in the sinful world in which we live. Here's what John Piper had to said about prayer:
Christians have stopped believing that we are in a war. . . . what did they do with the walkie-talkie? They tried to rig it up as an intercom in their cushy houses . . . not to call in fire power for conflict with a mortal enemy, but to ask the maid to bring another pillow to the den.
Clearly prayer is not simply for us to submit our wishlist to God. I have often had to remind myself that my focus should be on the Creator, not his created things. And yet He loves to hear my heart's desires! I can share my fears and excitements with Christ, like I would with any other friend. That to me is such an important, yet neglected part of prayer in my own life, and doing so destroys any "religious" aspect of my Christianity and promotes what it should be-a relationship. Not part of my life, but my life. He loves it when we call out to Him-I can literally almost feel His smile when I talk to Him. And all we have to do is ask :)
Christians have stopped believing that we are in a war. . . . what did they do with the walkie-talkie? They tried to rig it up as an intercom in their cushy houses . . . not to call in fire power for conflict with a mortal enemy, but to ask the maid to bring another pillow to the den.
Clearly prayer is not simply for us to submit our wishlist to God. I have often had to remind myself that my focus should be on the Creator, not his created things. And yet He loves to hear my heart's desires! I can share my fears and excitements with Christ, like I would with any other friend. That to me is such an important, yet neglected part of prayer in my own life, and doing so destroys any "religious" aspect of my Christianity and promotes what it should be-a relationship. Not part of my life, but my life. He loves it when we call out to Him-I can literally almost feel His smile when I talk to Him. And all we have to do is ask :)
Saturday, February 19, 2011
This Title Would Be "Speak" Were It Not For Taylor Swift
Talking is a strange thing. Not the actual words, or even the sound of them coming from one's mouth. Rather, the process of speaking is was puzzles me. Let me explain. Have you ever noticed that you can only do so much thinking before losing your train of thought and going down more than one rabbit trail? Sometimes this flow of conscience is peaceful and relaxing when there is no agenda or purpose. But when one is attempting to arrive at a conclusion about a specific issue, getting a thought process out of one's brain and into words is almost always the most efficacious way of working through something. (This transfer of thoughts to words can be done through either writing or speaking.)
I have personally found that if I want to figure something out, it is necessary for me to talk through it, or at least write so that I can see a concrete visual of the journey and destination of my thought process. In doing this, I often find that I know things that I did not know I knew. For example, once when I was talking with my friend about a certain theological issue, a random connection between Israel and our topic tumbled out of my mouth before I even knew what I had said. (Speaking in tongues! Glory hallelujah! jk ;] ) I had not even thought before of that connection, or if I had it had been a long time. And yet, through talking, the idea came out and was, if I may say so myself, a valid and interesting point. If I had been left to simply think about our conversation, I can honestly say that I do not believe that connection would have ever come to my mind.
How then can a person talk without thinking previously about what he or she is going to say? I have no idea! Have you ever thought of that? Even now, I am not thinking about what I am going to write, but rather the words are simply flowing from somewhere inside my brain, through my fingertips and onto the keyboard. How do words exit our mouths without any preparation of what we are going to say? Where do they come from? Perhaps I cannot explain my wonder at this phenomenon, as it is such a daily occurrence. I can only say that I am amazed at how God has designed the human body and psych to perform such involuntary tasks.
Aside from the physiological process of speaking, words are noteworthy for their strong ability to influence others. While that may seem obvious, since the purpose of words is for others to hear them (although there are people who talk into thin air, but we won't go there,) have you ever thought how words can either elevate or devastate a person? As it says in James 3,
I have personally found that if I want to figure something out, it is necessary for me to talk through it, or at least write so that I can see a concrete visual of the journey and destination of my thought process. In doing this, I often find that I know things that I did not know I knew. For example, once when I was talking with my friend about a certain theological issue, a random connection between Israel and our topic tumbled out of my mouth before I even knew what I had said. (Speaking in tongues! Glory hallelujah! jk ;] ) I had not even thought before of that connection, or if I had it had been a long time. And yet, through talking, the idea came out and was, if I may say so myself, a valid and interesting point. If I had been left to simply think about our conversation, I can honestly say that I do not believe that connection would have ever come to my mind.
How then can a person talk without thinking previously about what he or she is going to say? I have no idea! Have you ever thought of that? Even now, I am not thinking about what I am going to write, but rather the words are simply flowing from somewhere inside my brain, through my fingertips and onto the keyboard. How do words exit our mouths without any preparation of what we are going to say? Where do they come from? Perhaps I cannot explain my wonder at this phenomenon, as it is such a daily occurrence. I can only say that I am amazed at how God has designed the human body and psych to perform such involuntary tasks.
Aside from the physiological process of speaking, words are noteworthy for their strong ability to influence others. While that may seem obvious, since the purpose of words is for others to hear them (although there are people who talk into thin air, but we won't go there,) have you ever thought how words can either elevate or devastate a person? As it says in James 3,
"Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things."
You have been given the amazing ability to speak. How are you going to use it?
Friday, January 21, 2011
Good News
A lot of great things have happened to me in the past few months...and when I say great things, I mean those little things in every day life that make you smile. For some reason these simple pleasures give me an insatiable urge to share what's making me so happy. I literally cannot keep good news to myself. Upon finding Toms shoes this summer at a little Boutique downtown for 75% off, I told so many of my friends about the sale that the store was sold out literally a day later. Whenever I hear music that makes me want to dance, I love to share it with anyone and everyone. I had a random math-lab partner that I mentioned a certain band to, and he downloaded their whole cd that night! My school changed the cafeteria around and it actually looks like a decent cafe now instead of a ghetto dump, and I couldn't help but tell all my friends about it [it really is pretty cool]. I could go on, but basically good news just gets to me, so I always have to find a way to get it to others.
The fact that good news is so hard for me to keep in begs the question, why do I keep in the best news there is? That is, the Gospel. The human race was not lacking Toms, good music, or nice looking cafeterias, but rather a right standing before the God of the universe! And Jesus was the remedy for our grievous sin against Him. He loved God perfectly as we couldn't, and gives His children His status before God-heir of the universe. So I need to remind myself of this amazing news more often so that I can keep it in perspective and be as explodingly excited about the Gospel as I am the things that have no eternal consequence.
So...guess what? I have something cool to tell you :)
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Fountains
Jesus summed up the law with one seemingly simple idea: love God, love others. John stated in his first book that if one claims to love God and yet does not love his brother, he does not even know God. All my life I have known the importance of loving Christians and non-Christians alike with a self sacrificial, genuine spirit. While I have a burning passion to serve and do whatever humanly possible for the kingdom, it has often caught up with me, and I have often found myself in a battle between giving and receiving. The two should be on the same team rather than the opposite, and serving Christ through serving others should bring me joy and satisfaction. Often it does. But it can also be very draining to me, and that is something I have not understood. My life is no exception; plenty of Christians who have the kind of joyful, selfless, servant hearts that I desire have experienced more stressful circumstances than I will ever know. A passage in Luke that I recently read shed a bit of light on the subject. Jesus and His disciples were with the crowds of people, and had been for some time. The disciples told Jesus of the crowd's hunger, expecting Him to magically produce enough food for everyone. While He did do that in one sense, He went about it in a way that the disciples did not expect. Rather than the "Sure, pals!" that they were eager to hear, Jesus said bluntly, "You feed them."
Often I have heard Jesus saying the same thing to me. Of course He could be the perfect friend, counselor, listener, and provider for those around me. But He's not about to let me off the hook. He says, "You feed them, Jenna." Can I? Not in the least. But look again at the story.
The disciples show Jesus that all they have is a few morsels of food; really only enough to feed themselves, if that. And Jesus says, perfect, and performs a miracle, feeding the 5,000 and wow-ing the disciples by taking their little, and turning it into plenty. Jesus can do that for me as well; take what He has given me and multiply it for others to be nurtured by. All I have to do is hold up the small amount of spiritual food that I have, acknowledge that only Jesus can provide, and let Him be the source of life to others. Although Jesus told the twelve that they should feed the multitude, in the end it was really Him who did it. Similarly, Jesus may use me to be a blessing to others, but in the end He is the one who provides and ultimately, receives all the glory. If I try to feed 5,000 people with my meager rations I will run dry. Only Jesus can be the inexhaustible, never tiring, ever flowing fountain in my heart. It is then that He will spill out of me onto others and create life everywhere I go.
Ezekiel 47
1Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east...
9And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes...
12And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.
Psalm 36
9For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light
Psalm 116
12What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits to me? 13I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the LORD
Please more, Daddy :]
Often I have heard Jesus saying the same thing to me. Of course He could be the perfect friend, counselor, listener, and provider for those around me. But He's not about to let me off the hook. He says, "You feed them, Jenna." Can I? Not in the least. But look again at the story.
The disciples show Jesus that all they have is a few morsels of food; really only enough to feed themselves, if that. And Jesus says, perfect, and performs a miracle, feeding the 5,000 and wow-ing the disciples by taking their little, and turning it into plenty. Jesus can do that for me as well; take what He has given me and multiply it for others to be nurtured by. All I have to do is hold up the small amount of spiritual food that I have, acknowledge that only Jesus can provide, and let Him be the source of life to others. Although Jesus told the twelve that they should feed the multitude, in the end it was really Him who did it. Similarly, Jesus may use me to be a blessing to others, but in the end He is the one who provides and ultimately, receives all the glory. If I try to feed 5,000 people with my meager rations I will run dry. Only Jesus can be the inexhaustible, never tiring, ever flowing fountain in my heart. It is then that He will spill out of me onto others and create life everywhere I go.
Ezekiel 47
1Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east...
9And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes...
12And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.
Psalm 36
9For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light
Psalm 116
12What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits to me? 13I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the LORD
Please more, Daddy :]
Thursday, January 6, 2011
When Life Stops for a Month
The Christmas season is an awesome time of year. It's the time of a few birthdays in my family (including Jesus',) vacation time, rest, Christmas specials, amazing food, snowboarding, singing, and reflection on the Messiah. I had a milestone birthday recently which was a lot of fun. It's the kind of age that really does make me feel different, with new responsibilities, privileges, and question marks. Who am I going to be? What am I going to do with my life? Is it going to be all about me and getting as many toys as I can before I die, or giving myself to others for the sake of Christ?
In Cairo, Egypt on New Years Eve, 20 Christians were killed and 100 lost the ability to see due to a strategic car bomb outside of their church building. I have heard of numerous accounts of similar tragedies thru International Christian Concern, but this one hit me in a way that I have not experienced before. Over the Christmas break I have learned more about Jesus; Who He was on earth, what He did, and how that defines who I am today. I am sad to say that though I love Him with all of my heart, His life does not influence mine as it should, considering the magnitude of what He did. Hearing about these Christians who knew Who Christ was and were so in love with Him that they continued to live for Him, go to church, and do ministry despite threats from the corrupt government and persecuters in Egypt, convicted, humbled, and broke me. Would I continue to be public about my faith in Christ if my parents were victims of a car bomb and my eyesight was ruined? I am incredulous at how apathetic we Christians are in unpersecuted nations, while those whose lives are in danger are more bold in their faith than we.
On a lighter note, I went to a retreat up north where several churches gathered for some good ping pong, singing, devo's, improv, swing dancing, games, and preaching. I was challenged not just to go out into the real world and do amazing things for Christ, but to know how amazing Christ is and then go out into the real world and live for Him. "Will this make me a better Christian?" is a question introduced to me at the retreat that I have often since implemented in my own life. Perhaps better understood to mean "Will this honor Christ best?", the question reminds me to think with an eternal perspective of the choices I make with respect to my words, thoughts, and actions.
I met so many awesome people at retreat! I learned that looks can be deceiving, and it's good not to judge others before you get to know them. People can be unimpressive on the outside, but completely surprise you on the inside. And vice versa. But we won't go there
It's going to be hard to go back to real life after Christmas vacation, but instead of surviving the beginning of the year, I can now thrive with all the rest, fellowship, and good teaching I have enjoyed the past month.
2011, watch out
In Cairo, Egypt on New Years Eve, 20 Christians were killed and 100 lost the ability to see due to a strategic car bomb outside of their church building. I have heard of numerous accounts of similar tragedies thru International Christian Concern, but this one hit me in a way that I have not experienced before. Over the Christmas break I have learned more about Jesus; Who He was on earth, what He did, and how that defines who I am today. I am sad to say that though I love Him with all of my heart, His life does not influence mine as it should, considering the magnitude of what He did. Hearing about these Christians who knew Who Christ was and were so in love with Him that they continued to live for Him, go to church, and do ministry despite threats from the corrupt government and persecuters in Egypt, convicted, humbled, and broke me. Would I continue to be public about my faith in Christ if my parents were victims of a car bomb and my eyesight was ruined? I am incredulous at how apathetic we Christians are in unpersecuted nations, while those whose lives are in danger are more bold in their faith than we.
On a lighter note, I went to a retreat up north where several churches gathered for some good ping pong, singing, devo's, improv, swing dancing, games, and preaching. I was challenged not just to go out into the real world and do amazing things for Christ, but to know how amazing Christ is and then go out into the real world and live for Him. "Will this make me a better Christian?" is a question introduced to me at the retreat that I have often since implemented in my own life. Perhaps better understood to mean "Will this honor Christ best?", the question reminds me to think with an eternal perspective of the choices I make with respect to my words, thoughts, and actions.
I met so many awesome people at retreat! I learned that looks can be deceiving, and it's good not to judge others before you get to know them. People can be unimpressive on the outside, but completely surprise you on the inside. And vice versa. But we won't go there
It's going to be hard to go back to real life after Christmas vacation, but instead of surviving the beginning of the year, I can now thrive with all the rest, fellowship, and good teaching I have enjoyed the past month.
2011, watch out
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