Over my 15th summer, I fell in love with Jesus Christ and since then, I have acknowledged His persistent and faithful pursuit of my heart. It has been beautiful and it has been wild, especially over the past year or so. As time increases, my love for Him deepens. I cannot help but love the One is so adamant about loving me.
For my entire life, I have never been afraid to die. In fact, I even wished of it to save the life of another or to stand up for the cause of my Jesus. I had very missionary-like tendencies, but I chose to acknowledge them as a part of my personality, not my calling. However, two summers ago, when I was 18 years old, I felt for the first time a very heavy need for regular people to accept a missionary title. I saw that God had a place for me in missions, whether that meant in isle eight at the grocery store, in the projects of Chicago, or in the mountains of Iraq. I accepted God's command to, "Go," but I didn't surrender my plans to Him fully. I thought that I could still have my dreams and plans all while saying, "Yes" to commandments, too. I didn't realize that in order for me to live in God's will, I had to crucify my own, too.
For a very long time, I was a part of something that I had no business being a part of. It began as the product of my will and ended in obedience to God's will. As I denied myself something I was so sure of for so long, I crucified my very self. It was October 2, 2009. Everything changed that day. My entire being was dead in the most beautiful way and God began to fill me with everything that was Him: dreams, desires, characteristics, tendencies, etc. No longer was I Stephanie, Steph, Stevie, or whoever else, but I was renamed Beloved, Servant, Warrior, Bride, Lily in the making... My identity no longer stemmed from anything of myself. I was fully connected to the Life Giver that is Jesus Christ. I hung on the cross and Jesus was resurrecting me in power and in purity of everything that He is.
So for the past two months, I have lived such a rich freedom and deep-set joy that came as a direct result of surrendering my entire spirit, will, being, plans, loves, passions, everything. Everything that I used to be (both the negative and positive) hangs on the cross, right where it belongs. I am experiencing such bliss and contentment in the center of God's will and I cannot imagine how I survived outside this place for so long!
And the process continues...
...even now, God is re-arranging my career plans and making them His. They were mine for so long but after I surrendered them, He's beginning to read me a different story of how He wants me to spend my time here at Spring Arbor University.
Currently, my major is Secondary English Education and my minor is health education. I do not, however, ever see myself pursuing a career in public or private education. Instead, I envision a wide array of colors seated around my living room coffee table or in a hidden hideaway most do not know about teaching, edifying, and encouraging dry, thirsty hearts. I don't want to spend my life rambling about punctuation and Hamlet! I want to empower hearts for the Kingdom of God and provide Hope to those who have spent their lives looking for it for so long. I cannot be satisfied sitting on a cushy chair grading papers and going through red pens! I want to nourish lives for Christ! I'm sure that can happen in a classroom, but I do not believe it is my mission field. I love English, but I only want to teach it if it means it's the next step for one to read the Bible. I want to mentor people, laugh with them, invite them into my home, and see their faces light up with the Hope and Joy of Jesus Christ.
So could I be changing my major? Yes? What am I changing it to? I. Have. No. Idea. TESOL? Missions? Camp ministries? The possibilities are endless...But quite honestly, I want to have no say in this decision. Everything changes when God's will is your will, and I love it. He is reading a story to me that is far more beautiful that I could have ever written.
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4 Savior, You have been my richest, deepest desire and You're proving Yourself fully, fully faithful. I love that my desires are being reborn in to Yours.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Mindful
If it is true (which it is) that Jesus is with us always, shouldn't we be mindful of what He is doing in every conversation, every interaction, and every meeting? I want to join God in where He is already working. If I can add color to any man, woman, or child's life, then I know I have worked with God Himself.
In the same sense, if it is true that Jesus is with us always (which it is), shouldn't we be aware of how He is leading us in our thoughts, speech, emotion, action, and interactions? He is constantly working on us. Are we denying His lead and following our own will?
It may seem trivial, but I think God even wants to have a hold and complete control on every action we do! When we are in a room, it should be different because praise God, the Holy Spirit abides with us. So it DOES matter that we follow God's lead in EVERY way. Eating at Ada's Kitchen verses the DC may mean that you come into contact with someone God planned on using you to speak to. I cannot believe that God made us all so uniquely and so differently to not weave His people's lives together. We are a body of many members and we each have an important, functional role; therefore, I have to believe that as a body, we are knit together and cross paths with one another very intentionally and in a planned way.
I want to be aware of how God is leading me, even if its as small as going in the back door of Muffitt verses the front door. Who knows? It could make or break the life of the one who might be waiting at the door for the hope that you can bring them.
In the same sense, if it is true that Jesus is with us always (which it is), shouldn't we be aware of how He is leading us in our thoughts, speech, emotion, action, and interactions? He is constantly working on us. Are we denying His lead and following our own will?
It may seem trivial, but I think God even wants to have a hold and complete control on every action we do! When we are in a room, it should be different because praise God, the Holy Spirit abides with us. So it DOES matter that we follow God's lead in EVERY way. Eating at Ada's Kitchen verses the DC may mean that you come into contact with someone God planned on using you to speak to. I cannot believe that God made us all so uniquely and so differently to not weave His people's lives together. We are a body of many members and we each have an important, functional role; therefore, I have to believe that as a body, we are knit together and cross paths with one another very intentionally and in a planned way.
I want to be aware of how God is leading me, even if its as small as going in the back door of Muffitt verses the front door. Who knows? It could make or break the life of the one who might be waiting at the door for the hope that you can bring them.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thankful
Looking back over the course of the semester, there have been a few people that have blessed me deeply with their lives. With great faithfulness and devotion, they have shown me what friendship looks like and I am forever grateful. I am too blessed for my own good. Thanks for being godly examples to follow after. Thanks for letting me be me and being alright with that. Thanks for providing balance to the friendship and not making me do all the "friendshiping." Thanks for genuinely being interested in my life. Thanks for being you! Thanks for laughing, talking, praying, worshiping, and being with me. Thanks for, after seeing me at my lowest, loving me anyway. Thanks for weeping with me. Thanks for almost missing class to pray with me or just sit by me. Thanks for swiping me in at the DC. Thanks for encouraging me. Thanks for teaching me. Thanks for letting me help. Thanks for both letting me have flaws and nudging me to the cross. Thanks for, oh goodness, just thank you. :)
I appreciate you guys. I think you know who you are.
I appreciate you guys. I think you know who you are.
Friday, November 27, 2009
The Road (WAY) Less Traveled: Care to Marry?
Heya, Everybody.
Thissen (this one), like my other note, will probably be all over the place, too. But, these jumbled thoughts are just an effort to make sense of why the Savior of the entire world decided to let little ole me live again today. After all, He has our days numbered, so why was today included? I think that’s something we all need to question daily as we die to our self, pick up our cross, and choose to follow (or flee) Christ for another day.
This note, I have a feeling, will cause some what of an uproar. A thought worth thinking is a thought that causes halt marks in your brain. If something causes nothing inside of you to move, then it’s not worth thinking. So hear me with open ears and ask yourself why God had you read it. Is that fair? I think so. : )
Alright.
Tell me what the point in dating is. Honestly. I’m just wondering. What does it please? Who does it please?
I have never dated anyone. I have had a boyfriend, but I never considered it dating because we were boyfriend and girlfriend, not causally going on dates here and there or going on dates other than with each other. So we were “together.” Not “dating” or “going out.”
But lets take it even further. What is the point of being “together” with someone? To have a boyfriend or girlfriend? To me, it was a friendship with romance. Am I wrong? You spend time with this person, woo him or her in an effort to capture a living, beating heart, right?
I do not for one second regret the time God allowed blessings to be showered in the relationship my boyfriend had and continue to have as close friends, but for my future, I question the necessity of dating, going out, or considering yourself “together” with someone.
This past week, I have been reading a book called “Set-Apart Feminity” by Leslie Ludy. (Guys, this is a girl book, but you can read the brother book to thissen written by Leslie’s husband, Eric. It is called “God’s Gift to Women: discovering the Lost Greatness of Masculinity.”) In it is a story about a women who devoted all her single years to the romance she shared with her Prince, Jesus Christ. “As an overflow of her devotion to her Prince, she made a decision to live faithfully for her future husband; not to give her heart, emotions, or body away in temporary relationships, but to wait for the man God would one day bring into her life” (Ludy 61-2). This woman spent all her single years serving other people, going to the mission field, teaching children, completely devoted and abandoned to her First and Greatest Lover of her soul, Jesus Christ. The story goes on to tell readers about how this woman was teaching a Bible study and in comes Scott, a man who “had never given his heart to a woman” and had “been holding out for a Christ-like princess and waiting faithfully for her all his life” (Ludy 63). After two years of developing nothing more than a FRIENDSHIP, Scott asked Krissy to marry him. With much prayer, she said she would.
If you sat in a room with every friend you’ve ever known of the opposite sex, you could quite easily separate them into two groups. Be honest, now. There would be a group of friends that you know you could never marry but then there’d probably be that one, or those very few that you could. If it is a real friendship, you probably know as much or even more about this person as you would if the two of you had dated.
I mean, think about it. How often do friends of the opposite sex become sexually impure with each other? The friendship, or foundation in marriage, would be based purely (literally) on connection, shared passions, shared burdens, and the pure (literally) intimacy that friends share.
There isn’t a single need for romance or physical touch in the process of “getting a spouse.” What purpose does it serve? To please our flesh? Yes. To tickle our emotions? Yes. To provide an outlet to sin? Yes. To have fun? Yes. But is any of that necessary outside a marriage? Why toy with something beautiful when you can toy with your spouse and make it that much more beautiful? Why share something with someone when you’re going to share the same thing with your spouse later? The thought makes me cringe… to go on a date with a man I’m not going to marry? For what purpose? To spend his money? Some girls say so. To get a free meal? Some girls say so. To give your heart away? It’s inevitable. When physical intimacy and romance is removed from the picture, there is no goal that can’t be accomplished in a dating-like or boyfriend-girlfriend type relationship that cannot be accomplished in a friendship. All the same knowledge and bonding. All the same laughs and fun. The only thing that is added to a dating relationship is unfaithfulness to Christ (After all, aren’t we Christians the bride of Christ, our Bridegroom? When we love another man or woman greater than Christ, we commit adultery against our Savior.) In the same way, when we hold the hand or kiss the mouth of another, we literally commit adultery against our future spouse, even if we don’t know them at the time.
This is what I consider beautiful: Friend (boy) meets friend (girl). Friend (boy) loves the soul of friend (girl) because Jesus is her life and she’s not living to win the heart of a friend (boy). Friend (girl) appreciates that friend (boy) isn’t chasing after girls to win their favor but that he is seeking to win the heart of his Savior, Jesus Christ. Friend (boy) and friend (girl) do not slip into sexual temptation because they are just friends. Friend (boy) and friend (girl) get to know each other without taking their hearts from their First Love (Jesus Christ) and giving it to the other. In a long time of pursuing their mutual First Love (Jesus Christ) together in a friendship atmosphere, friend (boy) is intrigued and captivated by the soul of friend (girl) and friend (girl) hopes that friend (boy) is praying like she’s praying about their friendship. Both friend (boy) and friend (girl) pray and seek God’s direction. If friend (boy) is in love with the heart and soul of friend (girl), not anything about her physical self, then friend (boy) asks the Owner (God) of friend (girl) if he can have her. If Owner (God) says, “Yes,” then friend (boy) better obey and ask friend (girl) to marry him. If friend (boy) spent his entire single life devoted to his First Love (Jesus Christ) and if friend (girl) spent her entire single life devoted to his First Love (Jesus Christ) and decide to spend their entire married life (if that happens) devoted to Christ, then there is no reason why that marriage wouldn’t be anything but God-scripted amazingness. If you’re friends with a person long enough, you know if the two of you are compatible.
I don’t really know why I wanted to tell you guys this, actually…
Why would you want to “have fun” with and romance another person who is not likely to be your future mate? Why give little pieces of your heart here and there when your future spouse deserves it all? The heart cannot be redeemed. When it is given away, it is there to stay.
I know this sounds really, really radical, but has society twisted true love so much as to say it needs physical touch and romance to be beautiful?
This method of true love many would scoff at. And I’m sure many of those reading this are doing exactly that. But it’s those people who will attract people just like them. Now, that is not to say their love won’t be beautiful or it will be wrong. I am just trying to look at the other side of things, widen the perspective, and search out the Truth.
Now I know this thought is rising in your head: “Hey!! I’m in a relationship! Who are you to say it is the wrong way to do things?!” Now, now. It’s alright. : ) I don’t think you’re sinning because you have the label of boyfriend or girlfriend (unless the two of you are, of course, in a sinful relationship…). And I’m not saying I will never be labeled “girlfriend” again. Like I said earlier, this is just my humble attempt to search out the Truth and to see how God would be pleased with me.
The greatest, most beautiful love any person could give another is pure love, complete devotion, and second place to Jesus Christ. THAT is love.
Purity and devotion to Christ never hurt anyone. It is the opposite that causes pain and brokenness (the bad kind... and there's a good kind, too. But that's for another note).
I don’t know about you, but I want that kind of love. But I’m not going to look for it. Today, I’m called to be single and fall deeper in love with Jesus Christ my Savior. For now, I'll find myself completely content with the Lover of my soul. Now if in the process (and a WAY long time from now), this friend (girl)'s hand is asked for in marriage by her friend(boy) who has centered his entire life around our mutual Love (Jesus Christ), our callings are meshable, and we promise God and each other to love our mutual Love (Jesus Christ) together, then praise God, this friend (girl) will be a fiancée and that friend (boy) will be a fiancé. ...you know the rest of the story. ; *
Who wants to walk the road less traveled with me? Who knows… you might find the second greatest love of your life walking and lovin' Jesus among the few who choose as you do.
“Dare I say it, I am now so completely captivated by the Love of this Heavenly man, I want no earthly man until it will only serve to bring my First Love greater glory on this earth! And I know now that my heavenly love story with Jesus Christ will be the greatest gift I can one day give my future husband as we will both simply keep living full for our King…together” (Annie Wesche).
Hmm... that was long. Sorry, Everybody. Maybe my heart will whisper next time (doubt it). : )
Thissen (this one), like my other note, will probably be all over the place, too. But, these jumbled thoughts are just an effort to make sense of why the Savior of the entire world decided to let little ole me live again today. After all, He has our days numbered, so why was today included? I think that’s something we all need to question daily as we die to our self, pick up our cross, and choose to follow (or flee) Christ for another day.
This note, I have a feeling, will cause some what of an uproar. A thought worth thinking is a thought that causes halt marks in your brain. If something causes nothing inside of you to move, then it’s not worth thinking. So hear me with open ears and ask yourself why God had you read it. Is that fair? I think so. : )
Alright.
Tell me what the point in dating is. Honestly. I’m just wondering. What does it please? Who does it please?
I have never dated anyone. I have had a boyfriend, but I never considered it dating because we were boyfriend and girlfriend, not causally going on dates here and there or going on dates other than with each other. So we were “together.” Not “dating” or “going out.”
But lets take it even further. What is the point of being “together” with someone? To have a boyfriend or girlfriend? To me, it was a friendship with romance. Am I wrong? You spend time with this person, woo him or her in an effort to capture a living, beating heart, right?
I do not for one second regret the time God allowed blessings to be showered in the relationship my boyfriend had and continue to have as close friends, but for my future, I question the necessity of dating, going out, or considering yourself “together” with someone.
This past week, I have been reading a book called “Set-Apart Feminity” by Leslie Ludy. (Guys, this is a girl book, but you can read the brother book to thissen written by Leslie’s husband, Eric. It is called “God’s Gift to Women: discovering the Lost Greatness of Masculinity.”) In it is a story about a women who devoted all her single years to the romance she shared with her Prince, Jesus Christ. “As an overflow of her devotion to her Prince, she made a decision to live faithfully for her future husband; not to give her heart, emotions, or body away in temporary relationships, but to wait for the man God would one day bring into her life” (Ludy 61-2). This woman spent all her single years serving other people, going to the mission field, teaching children, completely devoted and abandoned to her First and Greatest Lover of her soul, Jesus Christ. The story goes on to tell readers about how this woman was teaching a Bible study and in comes Scott, a man who “had never given his heart to a woman” and had “been holding out for a Christ-like princess and waiting faithfully for her all his life” (Ludy 63). After two years of developing nothing more than a FRIENDSHIP, Scott asked Krissy to marry him. With much prayer, she said she would.
If you sat in a room with every friend you’ve ever known of the opposite sex, you could quite easily separate them into two groups. Be honest, now. There would be a group of friends that you know you could never marry but then there’d probably be that one, or those very few that you could. If it is a real friendship, you probably know as much or even more about this person as you would if the two of you had dated.
I mean, think about it. How often do friends of the opposite sex become sexually impure with each other? The friendship, or foundation in marriage, would be based purely (literally) on connection, shared passions, shared burdens, and the pure (literally) intimacy that friends share.
There isn’t a single need for romance or physical touch in the process of “getting a spouse.” What purpose does it serve? To please our flesh? Yes. To tickle our emotions? Yes. To provide an outlet to sin? Yes. To have fun? Yes. But is any of that necessary outside a marriage? Why toy with something beautiful when you can toy with your spouse and make it that much more beautiful? Why share something with someone when you’re going to share the same thing with your spouse later? The thought makes me cringe… to go on a date with a man I’m not going to marry? For what purpose? To spend his money? Some girls say so. To get a free meal? Some girls say so. To give your heart away? It’s inevitable. When physical intimacy and romance is removed from the picture, there is no goal that can’t be accomplished in a dating-like or boyfriend-girlfriend type relationship that cannot be accomplished in a friendship. All the same knowledge and bonding. All the same laughs and fun. The only thing that is added to a dating relationship is unfaithfulness to Christ (After all, aren’t we Christians the bride of Christ, our Bridegroom? When we love another man or woman greater than Christ, we commit adultery against our Savior.) In the same way, when we hold the hand or kiss the mouth of another, we literally commit adultery against our future spouse, even if we don’t know them at the time.
This is what I consider beautiful: Friend (boy) meets friend (girl). Friend (boy) loves the soul of friend (girl) because Jesus is her life and she’s not living to win the heart of a friend (boy). Friend (girl) appreciates that friend (boy) isn’t chasing after girls to win their favor but that he is seeking to win the heart of his Savior, Jesus Christ. Friend (boy) and friend (girl) do not slip into sexual temptation because they are just friends. Friend (boy) and friend (girl) get to know each other without taking their hearts from their First Love (Jesus Christ) and giving it to the other. In a long time of pursuing their mutual First Love (Jesus Christ) together in a friendship atmosphere, friend (boy) is intrigued and captivated by the soul of friend (girl) and friend (girl) hopes that friend (boy) is praying like she’s praying about their friendship. Both friend (boy) and friend (girl) pray and seek God’s direction. If friend (boy) is in love with the heart and soul of friend (girl), not anything about her physical self, then friend (boy) asks the Owner (God) of friend (girl) if he can have her. If Owner (God) says, “Yes,” then friend (boy) better obey and ask friend (girl) to marry him. If friend (boy) spent his entire single life devoted to his First Love (Jesus Christ) and if friend (girl) spent her entire single life devoted to his First Love (Jesus Christ) and decide to spend their entire married life (if that happens) devoted to Christ, then there is no reason why that marriage wouldn’t be anything but God-scripted amazingness. If you’re friends with a person long enough, you know if the two of you are compatible.
I don’t really know why I wanted to tell you guys this, actually…
Why would you want to “have fun” with and romance another person who is not likely to be your future mate? Why give little pieces of your heart here and there when your future spouse deserves it all? The heart cannot be redeemed. When it is given away, it is there to stay.
I know this sounds really, really radical, but has society twisted true love so much as to say it needs physical touch and romance to be beautiful?
This method of true love many would scoff at. And I’m sure many of those reading this are doing exactly that. But it’s those people who will attract people just like them. Now, that is not to say their love won’t be beautiful or it will be wrong. I am just trying to look at the other side of things, widen the perspective, and search out the Truth.
Now I know this thought is rising in your head: “Hey!! I’m in a relationship! Who are you to say it is the wrong way to do things?!” Now, now. It’s alright. : ) I don’t think you’re sinning because you have the label of boyfriend or girlfriend (unless the two of you are, of course, in a sinful relationship…). And I’m not saying I will never be labeled “girlfriend” again. Like I said earlier, this is just my humble attempt to search out the Truth and to see how God would be pleased with me.
The greatest, most beautiful love any person could give another is pure love, complete devotion, and second place to Jesus Christ. THAT is love.
Purity and devotion to Christ never hurt anyone. It is the opposite that causes pain and brokenness (the bad kind... and there's a good kind, too. But that's for another note).
I don’t know about you, but I want that kind of love. But I’m not going to look for it. Today, I’m called to be single and fall deeper in love with Jesus Christ my Savior. For now, I'll find myself completely content with the Lover of my soul. Now if in the process (and a WAY long time from now), this friend (girl)'s hand is asked for in marriage by her friend(boy) who has centered his entire life around our mutual Love (Jesus Christ), our callings are meshable, and we promise God and each other to love our mutual Love (Jesus Christ) together, then praise God, this friend (girl) will be a fiancée and that friend (boy) will be a fiancé. ...you know the rest of the story. ; *
Who wants to walk the road less traveled with me? Who knows… you might find the second greatest love of your life walking and lovin' Jesus among the few who choose as you do.
“Dare I say it, I am now so completely captivated by the Love of this Heavenly man, I want no earthly man until it will only serve to bring my First Love greater glory on this earth! And I know now that my heavenly love story with Jesus Christ will be the greatest gift I can one day give my future husband as we will both simply keep living full for our King…together” (Annie Wesche).
Hmm... that was long. Sorry, Everybody. Maybe my heart will whisper next time (doubt it). : )
A Hot Pursuit: the Story of Christ's Love for the Church
A deeper understanding of my Savior’s love has greatly changed and heightened my standards to accept anything less in various areas of my life. A new realization about Christ’s relationship with the church has changed my understanding about how God-pleasing romantic relationships should be.
First, please listen to what I have learned and second, how it applies to real life. I understand that my thinking may be considered impractical or even outlandish, but I write this in an effort to seek Truth, not worldly support.
What I've learned:
Christ loves the church SO deeply, and He loves this way without expecting ANYTHING in return for the efforts of His love. Christ’s love is an adamant and hot pursuit after the church’s soul and He doesn’t give up until He acquires His bride. At first, the church could be reluctant to accept Christ’s love, flattered but not ready to give in fully, or scared of either excellence or failure. Never the less, the pursuit continues. Christ’s patiently overwhelmingly selfless and giving love, despite every feeling the church holds captive, begins to gradually break down the wall guarding its heart. Tiny holes in this wall allow Christ’s love to sharply pierce. This love is shocking because of its selflessness and genuinely persistent motives. The church may at this point feel unworthy or alarmed at such love it is experiencing. This love is so extreme and without expectation that the church’s heart melts as a result of Christ’s verbal truth and intentional action. At this point, if it so chooses, the church begins to love back ONLY because it was first loved by Christ. Christ’s love for the church is so powerful and so worthy that the church eventually feels no other desire than to give in and fall under the rush of His love. This love is wild and can be compared to nothing tangible. It consumes, pierces, and quenches. At given points in this pursuit, the church may ask, “Why are You loving me like this? What have I done to deserve such love? HOW can you love me in this way?” Christ’s only answer is this: “I love you because you have something I want—your soul. For the sole purpose of who you are, I love you first because my Father loved Me.” And praise God, if the church says, “Yes,” to Christ, the lovin’ doesn’t stop there. The mutual submission tends to both side’s needs and both feel pursued. In a nutshell, Christ hotly pursues the church and the church is able to accept the pursuit and respond to it because of the love that was first given. Then, after mutual submission, both sides are pursued, but it starts with Christ loving the church first.
How what I've learned applies to real life:
We ARE the church, and that same story is true for our real lives. To better understand how this applies to our lives, go back and re-read that story but replace “the church” with “I.”
Finally, the way in which Christ's love stoy between Him and the church applies to romance:
The story of Christ’s pursuit of the church and its acceptance and response to His love should be the mold by which Christians form romantic relationships. As old fashioned and absurd this may sound, I am sure Christ’s way is the most God-pleasing way to be in a relationship if one so chooses to do so. Consider this story, all dreams included: After Boy says, “Yes,” to Christ’s pursuit, Boy meets Girl who has said, “Yes,” to Christ’s pursuit. Mutually won over and deeply in love with Christ FIRST, Boy seeks to develop a friendship with Girl without any expectation of return or relationship. Boy sees that Girl has something he wants—her heart. Knowing full well that he has to pursue its Keeper to acquire it, Boy seeks to grow far deeper in love with Christ. At some point, Boy may want Girl to be in his life in a more personal way while Girl has yet to have such feelings or is oblivious to Boy’s efforts. All the while, Boy faithfully, persistently, respectfully, and patiently pursues Girl. Boy takes intentional action to show, validate, and protect Girl’s worth in Christ, unique beauty, dreams, etc. through things that make her feel special: encouragement with Scripture, special hang out time, verbal assurance of the Truth, distinctive surprises, and genuine friendship. These actions may flatter, cause fear in, or confuse Girl but none the less, Boy respectfully and patiently pursues Girl without expectation of return. Over time, Girl begins to see that Boy is showing special attention to her and she is likely to question what she has ever done to deserve such unconditional and selfless love. Boy thinks: “It’s your soul that I seek—that’s what makes you so beautiful and worth the efforts of my love.” Girl seeks her Keeper’s permission and hopes Boy will continue. Because of the love he has given her, Girl wants to respond and love Boy back. She sees how unconditional his love for her has been over the course of their friendship and wants to add “wood to the fire.” Boy, hopefully, will begin to see her response and wait for God’s “thumbs up,” Boy and Girl both know each other and each one’s family, and at this point of mutual desire to love, Boy tells Girl’s father figure. Going off what father figure says, Boy acts to establish a more definite relationship (That honestly could mean an engagement because when you know and love someone this much, what else is there to do but follow in obedience of marriage?). And the rest is a history full of mutual submission of wild and Christ-like love.
Call:
Why are we settling for less than a relationship that is modeled to a tee after Christ’s pursuit of the church? Why are we throwing our emotions around as if they’re ours to keep when our Savior pleads with us to guard our hearts? What has changed so that godly women feel as though they need to pursue a man, godly men feeling unable to pursue women as Christ does the church, and people being contented with flirtatious lifestyles and ungodly love? The pattern of lustful, casual, unbalanced, and wrongly led romantic relationships need to stop. We are loving (and being loved by) our boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, and wives in ways that is not worthy of the Gospel of Christ. We are intentionally seeking ourselves in these relationships as opposed to the God who allowed them to happen. It is time to first, fall madly and recklessly in love with our Savior, second, for men to pursue the heart of a women as Christ does His church, and third, for women to accept this love, give it back because it was first given, and praise God for a love that is like His.
Bondage:
What are we waiting for? Why are we so afraid? What is there to lose when there is so much to give and gain?
Provision in Action:
God gave us His love. That alone is enough to blow our minds, but to give it to another person? That's stepping on heart-changing territory.
First, please listen to what I have learned and second, how it applies to real life. I understand that my thinking may be considered impractical or even outlandish, but I write this in an effort to seek Truth, not worldly support.
What I've learned:
Christ loves the church SO deeply, and He loves this way without expecting ANYTHING in return for the efforts of His love. Christ’s love is an adamant and hot pursuit after the church’s soul and He doesn’t give up until He acquires His bride. At first, the church could be reluctant to accept Christ’s love, flattered but not ready to give in fully, or scared of either excellence or failure. Never the less, the pursuit continues. Christ’s patiently overwhelmingly selfless and giving love, despite every feeling the church holds captive, begins to gradually break down the wall guarding its heart. Tiny holes in this wall allow Christ’s love to sharply pierce. This love is shocking because of its selflessness and genuinely persistent motives. The church may at this point feel unworthy or alarmed at such love it is experiencing. This love is so extreme and without expectation that the church’s heart melts as a result of Christ’s verbal truth and intentional action. At this point, if it so chooses, the church begins to love back ONLY because it was first loved by Christ. Christ’s love for the church is so powerful and so worthy that the church eventually feels no other desire than to give in and fall under the rush of His love. This love is wild and can be compared to nothing tangible. It consumes, pierces, and quenches. At given points in this pursuit, the church may ask, “Why are You loving me like this? What have I done to deserve such love? HOW can you love me in this way?” Christ’s only answer is this: “I love you because you have something I want—your soul. For the sole purpose of who you are, I love you first because my Father loved Me.” And praise God, if the church says, “Yes,” to Christ, the lovin’ doesn’t stop there. The mutual submission tends to both side’s needs and both feel pursued. In a nutshell, Christ hotly pursues the church and the church is able to accept the pursuit and respond to it because of the love that was first given. Then, after mutual submission, both sides are pursued, but it starts with Christ loving the church first.
How what I've learned applies to real life:
We ARE the church, and that same story is true for our real lives. To better understand how this applies to our lives, go back and re-read that story but replace “the church” with “I.”
Finally, the way in which Christ's love stoy between Him and the church applies to romance:
The story of Christ’s pursuit of the church and its acceptance and response to His love should be the mold by which Christians form romantic relationships. As old fashioned and absurd this may sound, I am sure Christ’s way is the most God-pleasing way to be in a relationship if one so chooses to do so. Consider this story, all dreams included: After Boy says, “Yes,” to Christ’s pursuit, Boy meets Girl who has said, “Yes,” to Christ’s pursuit. Mutually won over and deeply in love with Christ FIRST, Boy seeks to develop a friendship with Girl without any expectation of return or relationship. Boy sees that Girl has something he wants—her heart. Knowing full well that he has to pursue its Keeper to acquire it, Boy seeks to grow far deeper in love with Christ. At some point, Boy may want Girl to be in his life in a more personal way while Girl has yet to have such feelings or is oblivious to Boy’s efforts. All the while, Boy faithfully, persistently, respectfully, and patiently pursues Girl. Boy takes intentional action to show, validate, and protect Girl’s worth in Christ, unique beauty, dreams, etc. through things that make her feel special: encouragement with Scripture, special hang out time, verbal assurance of the Truth, distinctive surprises, and genuine friendship. These actions may flatter, cause fear in, or confuse Girl but none the less, Boy respectfully and patiently pursues Girl without expectation of return. Over time, Girl begins to see that Boy is showing special attention to her and she is likely to question what she has ever done to deserve such unconditional and selfless love. Boy thinks: “It’s your soul that I seek—that’s what makes you so beautiful and worth the efforts of my love.” Girl seeks her Keeper’s permission and hopes Boy will continue. Because of the love he has given her, Girl wants to respond and love Boy back. She sees how unconditional his love for her has been over the course of their friendship and wants to add “wood to the fire.” Boy, hopefully, will begin to see her response and wait for God’s “thumbs up,” Boy and Girl both know each other and each one’s family, and at this point of mutual desire to love, Boy tells Girl’s father figure. Going off what father figure says, Boy acts to establish a more definite relationship (That honestly could mean an engagement because when you know and love someone this much, what else is there to do but follow in obedience of marriage?). And the rest is a history full of mutual submission of wild and Christ-like love.
Call:
Why are we settling for less than a relationship that is modeled to a tee after Christ’s pursuit of the church? Why are we throwing our emotions around as if they’re ours to keep when our Savior pleads with us to guard our hearts? What has changed so that godly women feel as though they need to pursue a man, godly men feeling unable to pursue women as Christ does the church, and people being contented with flirtatious lifestyles and ungodly love? The pattern of lustful, casual, unbalanced, and wrongly led romantic relationships need to stop. We are loving (and being loved by) our boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, and wives in ways that is not worthy of the Gospel of Christ. We are intentionally seeking ourselves in these relationships as opposed to the God who allowed them to happen. It is time to first, fall madly and recklessly in love with our Savior, second, for men to pursue the heart of a women as Christ does His church, and third, for women to accept this love, give it back because it was first given, and praise God for a love that is like His.
Bondage:
What are we waiting for? Why are we so afraid? What is there to lose when there is so much to give and gain?
Provision in Action:
God gave us His love. That alone is enough to blow our minds, but to give it to another person? That's stepping on heart-changing territory.
When I Leave
Am I too busy chasing a temporary fortune
That my priorities get lost along the road
The seasons bring their moments
They linger for an instant
They never wait for you to pay the debts you owe
When I leave I want to leave a memory filled with love
The kind you don’t forget
When I go I want to be known
As one who lived with no regrets
If life is like a flower
Am I doing all that’s in my power
To leave a fragrance behind
It’s time to count my blessings
Forget about my savings account for a while
I want them to say
What a glorious day
She had so much to gain
But she gave it away
And I want them to see something different in me
And that I’m going to be free
Some glad morning when this life is over
I’ll fly away
To a home on God’s celestial shore
I’ll fly away
When I leave I want to leave a memory...
That my priorities get lost along the road
The seasons bring their moments
They linger for an instant
They never wait for you to pay the debts you owe
When I leave I want to leave a memory filled with love
The kind you don’t forget
When I go I want to be known
As one who lived with no regrets
If life is like a flower
Am I doing all that’s in my power
To leave a fragrance behind
It’s time to count my blessings
Forget about my savings account for a while
I want them to say
What a glorious day
She had so much to gain
But she gave it away
And I want them to see something different in me
And that I’m going to be free
Some glad morning when this life is over
I’ll fly away
To a home on God’s celestial shore
I’ll fly away
When I leave I want to leave a memory...
Love Me
He cries in the corner where nobody sees
He’s the kid with the story no one would believe
He prays every night, “Dear God won’t you please
Could you send someone here who will love me?”
Who will love me for me
Not for what I have done or what I will become
Who will love me for me
‘Cause nobody has shown me what love
What love really means
Her office is shrinking a little each day
She’s the woman whose husband has run away
She’ll go to the gym after working today
Maybe if she was thinner
Then he would’ve stayed
And she says…
Who will love me for me?
Not for what I have done or what I will become
Who will love me for me?
‘Cause nobody has shown me what love, what love really means
He’s waiting to die as he sits all alone
He’s a man in a cell who regrets what he’s done
He utters a cry from the depths of his soul
“Oh Lord, forgive me, I want to go home”
Then he heard a voice somewhere deep inside
And it said
“I know you’ve murdered and I know you’ve lied
I have watched you suffer all of your life
And now that you’ll listen, I’ll tell you that I...”
I will love you for you
Not for what you have done or what you will become
I will love you for you
I will give you the love
The love that you never knew
He’s the kid with the story no one would believe
He prays every night, “Dear God won’t you please
Could you send someone here who will love me?”
Who will love me for me
Not for what I have done or what I will become
Who will love me for me
‘Cause nobody has shown me what love
What love really means
Her office is shrinking a little each day
She’s the woman whose husband has run away
She’ll go to the gym after working today
Maybe if she was thinner
Then he would’ve stayed
And she says…
Who will love me for me?
Not for what I have done or what I will become
Who will love me for me?
‘Cause nobody has shown me what love, what love really means
He’s waiting to die as he sits all alone
He’s a man in a cell who regrets what he’s done
He utters a cry from the depths of his soul
“Oh Lord, forgive me, I want to go home”
Then he heard a voice somewhere deep inside
And it said
“I know you’ve murdered and I know you’ve lied
I have watched you suffer all of your life
And now that you’ll listen, I’ll tell you that I...”
I will love you for you
Not for what you have done or what you will become
I will love you for you
I will give you the love
The love that you never knew
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Merry Thanksgiving
This Thanksgiving has been far different than any other Thanksgiving in my whole life! It was my first big girl holiday! :)
My Thanksgiving break started out really, really well. I hung out with a friend and made apple butter into the wee hours of the night. Then, when I went back to my house to get ready for bed, a few girls sat in my room and opened up a lot. I saw different side of their personalities that I had been hoping to see for a while! So Tuesday night was full of wonderful fellowship and conversation.
On Wednesday morning, I woke up to a most delicious alarm clock--the smell of apple butter was practically hovering around my room. I wouldn't mind waking up to that every day! For lunch that day, I ate with my school's chaplain at the Hunt Club. Our conversation was rich and real and he provided a lot of insight for me about life, of course. We laughed a lot, and it was a ton of fun. :) I am so thankful for him! Later that day, I went to the store with two of my friends and we got stuff for Thanksgiving dinner. The evening was spent at a friend's house watching movies, old cartoons, and playing board games. I puddle-jumped on the way home, and I wonder if I have ever been happier. I was so, so, so happy.
This morning, I slept through my alarm clock, picked up a mocha frappe at MickyDee's, and a friend picked me up to make Thanksgiving dinner at his house. It was SO nice to be cooking again in a REAL house!! This was my first big girl Thanksgiving, and I loved loved loved cooking! I even wore an apron! So a friend and I cooked and ate together and I made him let me clean the house while he slept, then I read for a while. We went back to campus, watched Persuasion, ate pumpkin-apple-chocolate chip struessel bread, and messaged a bunch of people on Facebook to tell them we're thankful for them. Later, we're going to swinging on the president's lawn and probably call it a night.
Tomorrow, we're doing intense homework all day, watching the Little Mermaid, and playing spoons. Oh, and I for sure need to do laundry...
My Thanksgiving break started out really, really well. I hung out with a friend and made apple butter into the wee hours of the night. Then, when I went back to my house to get ready for bed, a few girls sat in my room and opened up a lot. I saw different side of their personalities that I had been hoping to see for a while! So Tuesday night was full of wonderful fellowship and conversation.
On Wednesday morning, I woke up to a most delicious alarm clock--the smell of apple butter was practically hovering around my room. I wouldn't mind waking up to that every day! For lunch that day, I ate with my school's chaplain at the Hunt Club. Our conversation was rich and real and he provided a lot of insight for me about life, of course. We laughed a lot, and it was a ton of fun. :) I am so thankful for him! Later that day, I went to the store with two of my friends and we got stuff for Thanksgiving dinner. The evening was spent at a friend's house watching movies, old cartoons, and playing board games. I puddle-jumped on the way home, and I wonder if I have ever been happier. I was so, so, so happy.
This morning, I slept through my alarm clock, picked up a mocha frappe at MickyDee's, and a friend picked me up to make Thanksgiving dinner at his house. It was SO nice to be cooking again in a REAL house!! This was my first big girl Thanksgiving, and I loved loved loved cooking! I even wore an apron! So a friend and I cooked and ate together and I made him let me clean the house while he slept, then I read for a while. We went back to campus, watched Persuasion, ate pumpkin-apple-chocolate chip struessel bread, and messaged a bunch of people on Facebook to tell them we're thankful for them. Later, we're going to swinging on the president's lawn and probably call it a night.
Tomorrow, we're doing intense homework all day, watching the Little Mermaid, and playing spoons. Oh, and I for sure need to do laundry...
Monday, November 23, 2009
The Lost Art of True Beauty
I don't like the world's definition of beauty. According to dictionary.com, to be beautiful is as follows: the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (Dictionary.com).
So let me get this straight. For me to be beautiful, I need to provide someone's mind intense pleasure or deep satisfaction?
That's absurd.
"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear" (1 Peter 3:4-6).
God's definition of a beautiful woman, which is of great worth in His sight, has nothing to do with the intense physical pleasure or deep satisfaction that the world pleads for us to believe. It does, however, have everything to do with the radiating, surrendered spirit a woman in refinement posesses. Paul describes such beauty as unfading.
We're born with strong wills. We want to do our own thing, to have our own dreams, to let our own personalities shine through. But that isn't what God deems beautiful. It isn't natural for a human to have a gentle and quiet spirit. It must be cultivated, and it starts with an entire gutting out of self. We must say, "God, rip me open and rid me of everything that is not of You!" It is painful. It is messy. It is not pretty. However, the product is the beginnings of beauty: an emptied vessel. Then, when this emptied person invites the Word of God to fill her up, Beauty begins to fill all the holes, cracks, and crevises that was once occupied by darkness, self, and death. She is filled with new life, new breath, new will. Often, the self will attempt to surface but by God's grace, Divine strength, and stubborn endurance, she will die daily to herself over and over again for the purpose of giving God glory one more day.
Ladies, we put so much effort into bringing out our physical beauty, but our inner self is dying, decaying, and rotting. We wake up with a self-focus, get ready for the day with a self-focus, and carry about each task, thought, and action with a self-focus. Even when we read the Word, pray, and serve God's people, we think of our selves. Don't you think it's time we get rid of the SELF that is so dominating and so concieted? Can we live a completely poured-out life for Christ and be filled with everything that is Him? It is time we actually live what we are preaching. We cannot honestly say we are surrendered to Christ when there are two wills, two plans, two mind-sets. Sacrifice your will. Sacrifice your dreams. Sacrifice your personality. Nail them to the cross because we have no right to bear even ourselves. Invite the Holy Spirit to transform you. Open the Word to fill you. Pray in great gratitude and thansgiving, begging God to give you strength to fight even your own flesh. It's our biggest battle, but praise God, His blood is enough and He promised me He'd fight for me if I just be still and know He is God.
Oh. And my whole point in writing this, lol, is for you to read this article. I guess I kind of went on a rabbit trail... Oh well. :) Here's the link: http://setapartgirl.com/article-FEB-thelostartoftruebeauty.html
In His Love,
Steph
Jesus, I want to be beautiful.
So let me get this straight. For me to be beautiful, I need to provide someone's mind intense pleasure or deep satisfaction?
That's absurd.
"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear" (1 Peter 3:4-6).
God's definition of a beautiful woman, which is of great worth in His sight, has nothing to do with the intense physical pleasure or deep satisfaction that the world pleads for us to believe. It does, however, have everything to do with the radiating, surrendered spirit a woman in refinement posesses. Paul describes such beauty as unfading.
We're born with strong wills. We want to do our own thing, to have our own dreams, to let our own personalities shine through. But that isn't what God deems beautiful. It isn't natural for a human to have a gentle and quiet spirit. It must be cultivated, and it starts with an entire gutting out of self. We must say, "God, rip me open and rid me of everything that is not of You!" It is painful. It is messy. It is not pretty. However, the product is the beginnings of beauty: an emptied vessel. Then, when this emptied person invites the Word of God to fill her up, Beauty begins to fill all the holes, cracks, and crevises that was once occupied by darkness, self, and death. She is filled with new life, new breath, new will. Often, the self will attempt to surface but by God's grace, Divine strength, and stubborn endurance, she will die daily to herself over and over again for the purpose of giving God glory one more day.
Ladies, we put so much effort into bringing out our physical beauty, but our inner self is dying, decaying, and rotting. We wake up with a self-focus, get ready for the day with a self-focus, and carry about each task, thought, and action with a self-focus. Even when we read the Word, pray, and serve God's people, we think of our selves. Don't you think it's time we get rid of the SELF that is so dominating and so concieted? Can we live a completely poured-out life for Christ and be filled with everything that is Him? It is time we actually live what we are preaching. We cannot honestly say we are surrendered to Christ when there are two wills, two plans, two mind-sets. Sacrifice your will. Sacrifice your dreams. Sacrifice your personality. Nail them to the cross because we have no right to bear even ourselves. Invite the Holy Spirit to transform you. Open the Word to fill you. Pray in great gratitude and thansgiving, begging God to give you strength to fight even your own flesh. It's our biggest battle, but praise God, His blood is enough and He promised me He'd fight for me if I just be still and know He is God.
Oh. And my whole point in writing this, lol, is for you to read this article. I guess I kind of went on a rabbit trail... Oh well. :) Here's the link: http://setapartgirl.com/article-FEB-thelostartoftruebeauty.html
In His Love,
Steph
Jesus, I want to be beautiful.
The Glorious Pursuit
The fleshly desire to manipulate God's plan to match your timing is extremely destructive, outright wrong, and all too easy.
My instinct is to show up here or there, to make this or that call, to invite, to write, to pursue. But BY GOLLY I refuse!!! NO NO NO NO NO!!!
Dreamin' sure can getcha in trouble.
I've need to live in the now, and let him do his thing.
My instinct is to show up here or there, to make this or that call, to invite, to write, to pursue. But BY GOLLY I refuse!!! NO NO NO NO NO!!!
Dreamin' sure can getcha in trouble.
I've need to live in the now, and let him do his thing.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Mull
"The same power the conquered the grave lives in me. The same love that rescued the earth lives in me."
Wait, wait, wait.
What?
Read it again.
How easy is it to read over Bible "stories" quickly--stories that, ahem, are not actually stories but real accounts of real events? We should fall over in great bedazzlement upon reading any single account of anything God did EVER. Wasn't it AMAZING when God created a planet and filled it with remarkable creatures? Doesn't it stop you in your tracks that God used a man of flesh to build a gargantuan boat to house two of every species of animal? Skipping a few years, doesn't it blow you away that God created a strip of dry land in the MIDDLE OF A RUSHING RIVER for His people to walk safely upon? Does your jaw drop when you remember how God made a little baby grow in a virgin? Does your mind whirl when you read about how that little baby grew into a little boy who grew into a man who never sinned? Does it amaze you that God sent that man to die on the cross once and for all? What about when this Man died? Did it amaze you that He, too, like many of the lives He touched, was raised from the dead? BUT GUESS WHAT? The same Power that did all of that stuff--brace yourself--LIVES IN ME! The same Love that was given to the world through the blood of Christ--here we go again--LIVES IN ME!!!!!!!!!
Remember all of the stuff the disciples did WHILE JESUS WAS WITH THEM? Casting demons out, feeding thousands, raising the dead--and they didn't have the Holy Spirit!!
...and we do.
WE HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT!!
I don't think we really understand that the same Power and Love the conquered the grave and rescued the earth LIVES IN US.
Mull over this idea: the disciples performed many miracles without the Holy Spirit living in them, and the greatest "miracle" we perform in life is maybe waking up for church on Sunday or serving at a soup kitchen every five years all while we hold the Holy Spirit captive.
We are so selfish.
Wait, wait, wait.
What?
Read it again.
How easy is it to read over Bible "stories" quickly--stories that, ahem, are not actually stories but real accounts of real events? We should fall over in great bedazzlement upon reading any single account of anything God did EVER. Wasn't it AMAZING when God created a planet and filled it with remarkable creatures? Doesn't it stop you in your tracks that God used a man of flesh to build a gargantuan boat to house two of every species of animal? Skipping a few years, doesn't it blow you away that God created a strip of dry land in the MIDDLE OF A RUSHING RIVER for His people to walk safely upon? Does your jaw drop when you remember how God made a little baby grow in a virgin? Does your mind whirl when you read about how that little baby grew into a little boy who grew into a man who never sinned? Does it amaze you that God sent that man to die on the cross once and for all? What about when this Man died? Did it amaze you that He, too, like many of the lives He touched, was raised from the dead? BUT GUESS WHAT? The same Power that did all of that stuff--brace yourself--LIVES IN ME! The same Love that was given to the world through the blood of Christ--here we go again--LIVES IN ME!!!!!!!!!
Remember all of the stuff the disciples did WHILE JESUS WAS WITH THEM? Casting demons out, feeding thousands, raising the dead--and they didn't have the Holy Spirit!!
...and we do.
WE HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT!!
I don't think we really understand that the same Power and Love the conquered the grave and rescued the earth LIVES IN US.
Mull over this idea: the disciples performed many miracles without the Holy Spirit living in them, and the greatest "miracle" we perform in life is maybe waking up for church on Sunday or serving at a soup kitchen every five years all while we hold the Holy Spirit captive.
We are so selfish.
Normalcy Set Standards
All around me, I see off-kilter representations of lack-luster love. Week long friendships are turning into lusty relationships, hearts are being stolen away, and the sacred is being tainted. It is so disheartening, so wrong, and so twisted.
Whatever happened to protecting the sacred?
My heart is so full. It is bursting at the seams, and it's contents are threatening to escape. Filled with my King's passion, Love, dreams, and desires, my heart wants to be held, nurtured, and protected. Hardly anything around me gives any hope of that happening any time soon. I am in the middle of a culture that tells me nothing I hold dear in my heart is sacred. All around me, men and women alike are spraying the hidden contents of their hearts all over anybody who even begins to ask! I refuse to have normalcy set standards and live as the world begs me. It hurts me to see women (especially) pour their hearts out onto men only for them to let it slide off them and become trampled under their feet. Every once and a while, he might cup his hands and catch as he can, but even then, some of it leaks through his fingers. And when the relationship ends, the woman is left empty because she trusted her man to fill her. Isn't it so backwards?
I am not against love. If you've read anything I've ever written, you'd know that is far from the truth. I am a lover of love, but a hater of lust and watered-down love. Love, pure love, is beautiful and can only be given if it is first received from God. I hope love will be written into my story someday, but praise God, I'm waiting for one who counts the contents of my heart as sacred and worth fighting for. This guy will not even threaten to pry my heart open, but will instead work especially hard to protect it from the world and its filth. He may see the contents of my heart through the clarity of my love for God and His people, but he wont seek to acquire my heart until he has its Maker's permission. This guy, I hope, will even be pleased with my decisions to defy normalcy and keep my heart for the One I love most and later, for him. He will love me for my character and know I'm beautiful because I carry my Savior's radiance. He'll set me apart as different and special because I refuse to be like the rest.
I don't know if a love like that exists, but in valiant and mighty effort to defy normalcy set standards, I wait with open hands held out to my King.
Whatever happened to protecting the sacred?
My heart is so full. It is bursting at the seams, and it's contents are threatening to escape. Filled with my King's passion, Love, dreams, and desires, my heart wants to be held, nurtured, and protected. Hardly anything around me gives any hope of that happening any time soon. I am in the middle of a culture that tells me nothing I hold dear in my heart is sacred. All around me, men and women alike are spraying the hidden contents of their hearts all over anybody who even begins to ask! I refuse to have normalcy set standards and live as the world begs me. It hurts me to see women (especially) pour their hearts out onto men only for them to let it slide off them and become trampled under their feet. Every once and a while, he might cup his hands and catch as he can, but even then, some of it leaks through his fingers. And when the relationship ends, the woman is left empty because she trusted her man to fill her. Isn't it so backwards?
I am not against love. If you've read anything I've ever written, you'd know that is far from the truth. I am a lover of love, but a hater of lust and watered-down love. Love, pure love, is beautiful and can only be given if it is first received from God. I hope love will be written into my story someday, but praise God, I'm waiting for one who counts the contents of my heart as sacred and worth fighting for. This guy will not even threaten to pry my heart open, but will instead work especially hard to protect it from the world and its filth. He may see the contents of my heart through the clarity of my love for God and His people, but he wont seek to acquire my heart until he has its Maker's permission. This guy, I hope, will even be pleased with my decisions to defy normalcy and keep my heart for the One I love most and later, for him. He will love me for my character and know I'm beautiful because I carry my Savior's radiance. He'll set me apart as different and special because I refuse to be like the rest.
I don't know if a love like that exists, but in valiant and mighty effort to defy normalcy set standards, I wait with open hands held out to my King.
Disallusioned Happiness
I have a question.
Why can complete disillusionment cause such happiness? Because we're Christians, we can SEE that such happiness is caused by complete disillusionment, but that they are missing out on the purest, best form of joy and happiness that is found in Christ only.
I saw one of the statuses of one of my friends from Olivet College, and it took me completely off guard. I knew she was a lesbian, but I didn't know that she went and got married. For a while, she was coming to Bible studies and even she really liked coming. But then when I left the OC, she stopped going. My first response was to be disgusted, second, weary, and third, just thinking about what she is missing with freedom from sin. Does she really GET that her happiness is disillusioned? Does she know what Joy looks like? Was I not a good enough representative of Christ to show her that Christ is the fullest, happiest way to live?
Why can complete disillusionment cause such happiness? Because we're Christians, we can SEE that such happiness is caused by complete disillusionment, but that they are missing out on the purest, best form of joy and happiness that is found in Christ only.
I saw one of the statuses of one of my friends from Olivet College, and it took me completely off guard. I knew she was a lesbian, but I didn't know that she went and got married. For a while, she was coming to Bible studies and even she really liked coming. But then when I left the OC, she stopped going. My first response was to be disgusted, second, weary, and third, just thinking about what she is missing with freedom from sin. Does she really GET that her happiness is disillusioned? Does she know what Joy looks like? Was I not a good enough representative of Christ to show her that Christ is the fullest, happiest way to live?
More Precious than Silver or Gold
"If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundatio of the world by has appeared in these last times for the ske of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory so that your faith and hope are in God. " (1 Peter 1:17-21).
How many times have we felt flawed? Like we can't meet some standard set by somebody? I know I have--even today! This morning, I tried so hard to cover my flaws when getting ready for the day, concealing this mark and that spot. In the same way as I tried to cover the flaws in my appearance this morning, we try so hard to cover the flaws in our spiritual lives when really, all we're using is cheap concealer that only rubs off in time, makes the flaw worse, and can't stand the elements. We cannot win when covering our own flaws.
...in walks Jesus...
Despite all our disgusting flaws, the flawless lamb of God chose to redeem us with His precious, precious blood. Not even the most expensive jewel or most pricely metal could buy us. Who else other than Jesus Christ would willingly purchase such a flawed "product" at such a high price--at the price of GOD?
None other than Jesus would do such a thing.
So yeah, we've got loads and loads of flaws. But the more and more we try and cover them up with denial, self-righeousness, or even over-confidence, we just "irritate" the flaw. Remember the song? It holds such beautiful truth: "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!"
Are you HOLEy? Do you have holes? Do you have flaws? I know I do! Don't you think it's time we let the blood of Christ do it's thing?
Stop trying to cover up your flaws before Christ. He knows they're there.
Let the blood of Christ fully cover you and make over your spiritual life.
Let it wash you and make you whiter than snow.
KNOW that you were bought at a high, high, HIGH price.
Walk in the newness of life! You're covered in the Blood!! Amen??
How many times have we felt flawed? Like we can't meet some standard set by somebody? I know I have--even today! This morning, I tried so hard to cover my flaws when getting ready for the day, concealing this mark and that spot. In the same way as I tried to cover the flaws in my appearance this morning, we try so hard to cover the flaws in our spiritual lives when really, all we're using is cheap concealer that only rubs off in time, makes the flaw worse, and can't stand the elements. We cannot win when covering our own flaws.
...in walks Jesus...
Despite all our disgusting flaws, the flawless lamb of God chose to redeem us with His precious, precious blood. Not even the most expensive jewel or most pricely metal could buy us. Who else other than Jesus Christ would willingly purchase such a flawed "product" at such a high price--at the price of GOD?
None other than Jesus would do such a thing.
So yeah, we've got loads and loads of flaws. But the more and more we try and cover them up with denial, self-righeousness, or even over-confidence, we just "irritate" the flaw. Remember the song? It holds such beautiful truth: "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!"
Are you HOLEy? Do you have holes? Do you have flaws? I know I do! Don't you think it's time we let the blood of Christ do it's thing?
Stop trying to cover up your flaws before Christ. He knows they're there.
Let the blood of Christ fully cover you and make over your spiritual life.
Let it wash you and make you whiter than snow.
KNOW that you were bought at a high, high, HIGH price.
Walk in the newness of life! You're covered in the Blood!! Amen??
All You Can Do
Whether it was from a pastor, a friend, a parent, the Word of God, or Ron Kopicko himself, we've heard it.
It is something we all have the ability to do--despite every physical flaw, worldly obstacle, or personality quirk--no matter what.
We might not be able to sing like the winner of American Idol or prophesy like Isaiah or pastor a church, but we can fulfill IT.
So what exactly am I talking about?
No matter the flaw, quirk, disability, or obstacle to overcome, we can be faithful to the Lord.
There is SO much that we can show faithfulness to God through.
Are you faithfully spending time in the Word of God each and every day?
Are you faithfully communing to God through prayer each and every day?
Are you faithfully going to church to worship God?
Are you faithful in tithing?
Are you faithful to your friends and family?
Are you faithful to your academics?
Are you faithful to God's ministry calling in your life?
Are you faithful in paying your bills?
Don't get lost in the experience of being a Christian. While it is a beautiful, exciting time to feel your walk with God and see the evidences of it in and around your life, remain faithful no matter how you feel. You are going to experience such a wide array of feelings and it's not safe or stable to base your "actions" towards God off fickle, human-made feelings. Remain faithful no matter what. And if you mess up (it's going to happen...), start over again!
And if it were for none other than this, be faithful because God is faithful. Remember the hymn: "Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me." Isn't that beautiful?
Whether it is through holding the door open at church every Sunday or mentoring a child each week or spending an hour of your day doing "God things," show yourself faithful to the Lord.
And I leave you with this thought: Jesus's blood, too, is faithful. Upon request, it faithfully and throughly fill every gash in your flesh. Don't we have a lot? Haven't we been hurt more times than we can count? Don't we keep falling into sin? Let the faithful blood of Christ heal and nourish you.
Don't you want the Lord to be able to say this to you when you die? "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" Matthew 25:21.
I know I do.
It is something we all have the ability to do--despite every physical flaw, worldly obstacle, or personality quirk--no matter what.
We might not be able to sing like the winner of American Idol or prophesy like Isaiah or pastor a church, but we can fulfill IT.
So what exactly am I talking about?
No matter the flaw, quirk, disability, or obstacle to overcome, we can be faithful to the Lord.
There is SO much that we can show faithfulness to God through.
Are you faithfully spending time in the Word of God each and every day?
Are you faithfully communing to God through prayer each and every day?
Are you faithfully going to church to worship God?
Are you faithful in tithing?
Are you faithful to your friends and family?
Are you faithful to your academics?
Are you faithful to God's ministry calling in your life?
Are you faithful in paying your bills?
Don't get lost in the experience of being a Christian. While it is a beautiful, exciting time to feel your walk with God and see the evidences of it in and around your life, remain faithful no matter how you feel. You are going to experience such a wide array of feelings and it's not safe or stable to base your "actions" towards God off fickle, human-made feelings. Remain faithful no matter what. And if you mess up (it's going to happen...), start over again!
And if it were for none other than this, be faithful because God is faithful. Remember the hymn: "Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me." Isn't that beautiful?
Whether it is through holding the door open at church every Sunday or mentoring a child each week or spending an hour of your day doing "God things," show yourself faithful to the Lord.
And I leave you with this thought: Jesus's blood, too, is faithful. Upon request, it faithfully and throughly fill every gash in your flesh. Don't we have a lot? Haven't we been hurt more times than we can count? Don't we keep falling into sin? Let the faithful blood of Christ heal and nourish you.
Don't you want the Lord to be able to say this to you when you die? "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" Matthew 25:21.
I know I do.
Perfect Unity
Stephanie Marzec March 24 at 3:02pm
Two nights ago, I was flipping through the Word and came across the following passage. It speaks for itself. Nothing I say about it will serve justice to the beauty of its truth. Just read:
"For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not keep quiet, until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, and her salvation like a torch that is burning. The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; and you will be called by a new name which the mouth of the LORD will designate. You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. It will no longer be said to you, "Forsaken," nor to your land will it any longer be said, "Desolate"; but you will be called, "My delight is in her," and your land, "Married"; for the LORD delights in you, and to Him your land will be married. For as a young man marries a virgin,
so your sons will marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so your God will rejoice over you." Isaiah 62:1-5
The blood He shed for us on the cross screams victory. That, my friends, is far from silent.
Do you believe me when I say that OUR GOD refuses to give up on you?
Two nights ago, I was flipping through the Word and came across the following passage. It speaks for itself. Nothing I say about it will serve justice to the beauty of its truth. Just read:
"For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not keep quiet, until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, and her salvation like a torch that is burning. The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; and you will be called by a new name which the mouth of the LORD will designate. You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. It will no longer be said to you, "Forsaken," nor to your land will it any longer be said, "Desolate"; but you will be called, "My delight is in her," and your land, "Married"; for the LORD delights in you, and to Him your land will be married. For as a young man marries a virgin,
so your sons will marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so your God will rejoice over you." Isaiah 62:1-5
The blood He shed for us on the cross screams victory. That, my friends, is far from silent.
Do you believe me when I say that OUR GOD refuses to give up on you?
Sea Glass
While working on a beach on a mission trip to Puerto Rico, a friend of mine came across sea glass and was struck by how that sea glass represents the redemption story our Savior sings sweetly to us. Listen to the beauty of God taught me through my friend:
Sea glass starts out as a regular glass bottle, jar, or container of some sort. In its outward appearance, the glass could be thought of as pretty. Maybe it's color is nice or its shape pleasing. Its purpose in life is to be filled with things--soda, alcohol, juice, ketchup, whatever. But each of those "fillers" get emptied. And once emptied, the bottles can be refilled, but in turn, they will again be emptied.
And then it happens: the bottle gets broken. There are shreds everywhere because somebody or some thing did something to make the bottle break. No longer able to hold onto its physical appearance, the bottle can only make people bleed. Like my friend said, the process of making sea glass starts with someone shattering a bottle on the beach. The bottle is currently useless, but, praise God, it doesn't end there.
After time, the broken glass is rushed over by the powerful waves and sanded by the grainy sand. With each wave, high tide, and low tide, the glass is scratched up and polished. It's a rough ride, and it takes a long time. Yet still, the story goes further.
In all the rush of the water and the polishing of the sand, the glass is completely undertaken and has no control over what is happening. If the glass were to try and stick itself in the sand where the water couldn't reach, the process wouldn't be complete. If the glass were to be swept out to sea and sink to the bottom of the ocean, the tide and waves couldn't sweep the glass back and forth, making it and polishing it into its potential beauty. All while this piece of glass appears as though it has no meaning, no worth, no purpose, it's Maker sees that if it would only submit to the Rush of His Ocean's Wave, it would be beautiful because of what the Ocean did to it.
Don't you see? We areee that bottle!! Don't we try and fill our lives with fleeting "fillers"? I know I do! Aren't you broken? I know I am! Don't your sharp edges cut those who come near you or try to touch your life? I know mine have! But the biggest question is this: is the Ocean calling you, pleading to let It sweep you off your feet and let It make you beautiful? The roar of the ocean is too hard to ignore.
Sea glass is such a beautiful treasure--my friend can account of that! He said how because of the ocean's work, it's beautiful and sparkling and among the shards of sharp glass, it stands out because of that beauty. We can shine and sparkle with beauty like the sea glass does if we submit to the fierce and transforming love of God and the redemption story of his Son, Jesus Christ. And like my friend said, we'll sometimes lose our shininess at times, just as the sea glass does out of water, but when we allow ourselves to become swept into those scary waters once again, God polishes us and heals us.
Pray that God would give YOU the courage to be swept away in the transforming love of God. Revival starts in individual hearts and grows by the grace of God to start a ragingly fierce body of believers on fire for their Maker.
I pray and trust that as we head into the weekend, you'll make special time to step intentionally into the changing Waters that is our Savior.
Sea glass starts out as a regular glass bottle, jar, or container of some sort. In its outward appearance, the glass could be thought of as pretty. Maybe it's color is nice or its shape pleasing. Its purpose in life is to be filled with things--soda, alcohol, juice, ketchup, whatever. But each of those "fillers" get emptied. And once emptied, the bottles can be refilled, but in turn, they will again be emptied.
And then it happens: the bottle gets broken. There are shreds everywhere because somebody or some thing did something to make the bottle break. No longer able to hold onto its physical appearance, the bottle can only make people bleed. Like my friend said, the process of making sea glass starts with someone shattering a bottle on the beach. The bottle is currently useless, but, praise God, it doesn't end there.
After time, the broken glass is rushed over by the powerful waves and sanded by the grainy sand. With each wave, high tide, and low tide, the glass is scratched up and polished. It's a rough ride, and it takes a long time. Yet still, the story goes further.
In all the rush of the water and the polishing of the sand, the glass is completely undertaken and has no control over what is happening. If the glass were to try and stick itself in the sand where the water couldn't reach, the process wouldn't be complete. If the glass were to be swept out to sea and sink to the bottom of the ocean, the tide and waves couldn't sweep the glass back and forth, making it and polishing it into its potential beauty. All while this piece of glass appears as though it has no meaning, no worth, no purpose, it's Maker sees that if it would only submit to the Rush of His Ocean's Wave, it would be beautiful because of what the Ocean did to it.
Don't you see? We areee that bottle!! Don't we try and fill our lives with fleeting "fillers"? I know I do! Aren't you broken? I know I am! Don't your sharp edges cut those who come near you or try to touch your life? I know mine have! But the biggest question is this: is the Ocean calling you, pleading to let It sweep you off your feet and let It make you beautiful? The roar of the ocean is too hard to ignore.
Sea glass is such a beautiful treasure--my friend can account of that! He said how because of the ocean's work, it's beautiful and sparkling and among the shards of sharp glass, it stands out because of that beauty. We can shine and sparkle with beauty like the sea glass does if we submit to the fierce and transforming love of God and the redemption story of his Son, Jesus Christ. And like my friend said, we'll sometimes lose our shininess at times, just as the sea glass does out of water, but when we allow ourselves to become swept into those scary waters once again, God polishes us and heals us.
Pray that God would give YOU the courage to be swept away in the transforming love of God. Revival starts in individual hearts and grows by the grace of God to start a ragingly fierce body of believers on fire for their Maker.
I pray and trust that as we head into the weekend, you'll make special time to step intentionally into the changing Waters that is our Savior.
To Our Advantage
Lately, I have been hearing a lot about God's will and how many want to be in it or hopes a certain thing is a part of it. Last semester, I was in that boat--I was on the search for God's will regarding a very particular part of my life. John 16 gave me great comfort.
"I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. "He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. "All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you" (John 16: 12-15).
Do you feel left in the dark sometimes, like you don't know what's going to happen next? Do you feel as though you have no idea what to do? I know sometimes it seems as if we want God to scream our life's story from the mountain top so that it's clear to us, but the Bible says that He will instead "guide" us into the truth. Remember Elijah? God spoke to him in a soft, still whisper. If He had done anything else, Elijah may have crumbled under the pressure of what God told him. We can't bear the entire load of what God has to say to us all at once or during certain parts of our lives. So instead of searching for God's will on all your own strength, let the Holy Spirit guide you into all truth.
Have you seen people sitting alone in the DC? Eat with them. What about an office door open? Give a friendly hello. Have you told your professors you appreciate their hard work? What about your parents? Have you thanked them for their hard work in raising you? Speak truth into people today. You never know how much they need to hear it.
"I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. "He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. "All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you" (John 16: 12-15).
Do you feel left in the dark sometimes, like you don't know what's going to happen next? Do you feel as though you have no idea what to do? I know sometimes it seems as if we want God to scream our life's story from the mountain top so that it's clear to us, but the Bible says that He will instead "guide" us into the truth. Remember Elijah? God spoke to him in a soft, still whisper. If He had done anything else, Elijah may have crumbled under the pressure of what God told him. We can't bear the entire load of what God has to say to us all at once or during certain parts of our lives. So instead of searching for God's will on all your own strength, let the Holy Spirit guide you into all truth.
Have you seen people sitting alone in the DC? Eat with them. What about an office door open? Give a friendly hello. Have you told your professors you appreciate their hard work? What about your parents? Have you thanked them for their hard work in raising you? Speak truth into people today. You never know how much they need to hear it.
The Love of God--No Cliche Attached
As you read these words, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the Truth of God's love to you:
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.
When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
Wow.
Do we REALLY get what God's love is? What it can do to people? What it has done to us? What it's going to make us into?
For the sake of God's people and the lost of our world, I beg you: accept and pursue the love of our Savior. What does that mean? It means realizing that as humans, we are soooooo useless, realizing how packed full of grace and mercy God's love is, and surrendering completely to it's consuming fire. When we do this, we will be completely transformed--no doubt. It will create such a deeply rooted Divine romance with the Creator of more galaxies than people. And the direct result of a fierce intimacy with Christ is this: every interaction with another, the way you carry yourself, your mindset, everything--it will all be Christ-like. Sure, we will always struggle with our sinful nature. But when you've fully accepted God's love for you, that same love will flow through you into people. You have the power to breathe God's love into a people that are dying for it. If you had an arm full of bread and you saw a starving child, it is likely that you'd fulfill their physical need. In the same way, there are loads and loads of people on our campus, in our communities, and around the entire world who are spiritually starving, begging God for love. You hold that love inside of you. Don't let it stay there. Give it away. And because God cannot be contained, you will always have a full supply to keep giving it away and have enough for yourself, too. When it comes to the love of God, there is no half full or half empty--to the brim and flowing over is the love of our Savior.
Pray for Steven tonight--some amazing things are happening with him.
Pray for chapel tomorrow morning, that God would meet us there.
Pray that God would heighten our senses to the Holy Spirit's power in our lives.
Pray that hearts would be stirred by the love of God (including your own heart!).
Verbally and prayerfully encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ today and treat them with the highest respect--after all, these are heirs of the Living God you are interacting with. : )
Most of all, fall freely into the love of our God and let Him teach you about Himself. Surrender to Him and let Him be Himself in your life. Don't try to fill His role.
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.
When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
Wow.
Do we REALLY get what God's love is? What it can do to people? What it has done to us? What it's going to make us into?
For the sake of God's people and the lost of our world, I beg you: accept and pursue the love of our Savior. What does that mean? It means realizing that as humans, we are soooooo useless, realizing how packed full of grace and mercy God's love is, and surrendering completely to it's consuming fire. When we do this, we will be completely transformed--no doubt. It will create such a deeply rooted Divine romance with the Creator of more galaxies than people. And the direct result of a fierce intimacy with Christ is this: every interaction with another, the way you carry yourself, your mindset, everything--it will all be Christ-like. Sure, we will always struggle with our sinful nature. But when you've fully accepted God's love for you, that same love will flow through you into people. You have the power to breathe God's love into a people that are dying for it. If you had an arm full of bread and you saw a starving child, it is likely that you'd fulfill their physical need. In the same way, there are loads and loads of people on our campus, in our communities, and around the entire world who are spiritually starving, begging God for love. You hold that love inside of you. Don't let it stay there. Give it away. And because God cannot be contained, you will always have a full supply to keep giving it away and have enough for yourself, too. When it comes to the love of God, there is no half full or half empty--to the brim and flowing over is the love of our Savior.
Pray for Steven tonight--some amazing things are happening with him.
Pray for chapel tomorrow morning, that God would meet us there.
Pray that God would heighten our senses to the Holy Spirit's power in our lives.
Pray that hearts would be stirred by the love of God (including your own heart!).
Verbally and prayerfully encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ today and treat them with the highest respect--after all, these are heirs of the Living God you are interacting with. : )
Most of all, fall freely into the love of our God and let Him teach you about Himself. Surrender to Him and let Him be Himself in your life. Don't try to fill His role.
The Breakthrough
Imagine a wall: it is thin and made of drywall. You look at it and see a wall and when you lean against it, it holds your weight. But it flexes because if you REALLY wanted to get through the wall, you could break through the dry wall. . On the other side of the wall, there is something you can't get anywhere else but in there. You NEED this thing behind the wall and the only thing stopping you from getting to what you DESIRE SO badly and NEED to breathe is behind that wall. You NEED to push through. And finally, your feet are supported by strong concrete. There are no holes to fall through. You will ALWAYS have that floor under your feet.
Psalm 63:8 says, "My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me" (Psalm 63:8).
God is JUST like that wall. When you look at Him, you can be sure it's Him. When you lean on Him, you can be sure He'll hold your weight. His right hand holds you up as a concrete floor would. You cannot fall out of our through a hole His hand. You are safe.
Each of God's children have two options in Christianity: you can stand in contented complacency in His hand and maybe even look at Him with awe and reverence. Or, you can follow HARD after Him, KNOWING that with great effort and pursuit, you'll break through a breakable wall and will have a Divine unity with God Himself. You and the Creator of the universe will have a oneness that is like none other. Far more intimate than the most beautiful, God-written marriage, deeper than the connection between a mother and her child, this unity will blow your mind. You've heard Steven (Owsley) say it before, our God is calling us to be with Him in the Holy of Holies, but it takes a hard pursuit after Him to break through the wall that is "normal Christianity."
Dare to defy even the standards set by today's Christianity? Care to be an early church Christian? Push hard in pursuit of your Savior and break through into the Holy of Holies. Our Savior is calling. It's time.
Psalm 63:8 says, "My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me" (Psalm 63:8).
God is JUST like that wall. When you look at Him, you can be sure it's Him. When you lean on Him, you can be sure He'll hold your weight. His right hand holds you up as a concrete floor would. You cannot fall out of our through a hole His hand. You are safe.
Each of God's children have two options in Christianity: you can stand in contented complacency in His hand and maybe even look at Him with awe and reverence. Or, you can follow HARD after Him, KNOWING that with great effort and pursuit, you'll break through a breakable wall and will have a Divine unity with God Himself. You and the Creator of the universe will have a oneness that is like none other. Far more intimate than the most beautiful, God-written marriage, deeper than the connection between a mother and her child, this unity will blow your mind. You've heard Steven (Owsley) say it before, our God is calling us to be with Him in the Holy of Holies, but it takes a hard pursuit after Him to break through the wall that is "normal Christianity."
Dare to defy even the standards set by today's Christianity? Care to be an early church Christian? Push hard in pursuit of your Savior and break through into the Holy of Holies. Our Savior is calling. It's time.
The Golden Calf
In the book of 1 John, John of Zebedee (the author) refers to the believers as "little children," and in 1 John 5:21, he states very clearly, "Little children, guard yourselves from idols."
Tonight, the message is very simple, yet very well could be the most prevalent problem in our hearts today: idol worship.
Raise your hand if you have a golden calf sitting on your desk: it's there.
Raise your hand if you have a golden calf hanging in your closet: ...it's there.
What about in your iPod? It's there...
On your bookshelf? Yep. It's there.
In the parking lot? Amongst the others...
In your wallet? Your parents' wallet? It's likely.
In your belly? Much of it.
On the field or on the court? Could be.
My golden calf is in my heart...comparing myself, and falling short, to others, not Jesus.
Where's your golden calf?
While it is unlikely that we have a literal golden calf that we worship, our own personal idols are peppered all over our rooms, our houses, and in our hearts and minds.
What is it that is battling for your worship? What are you giving your life and thoughts to that isn't Jesus? Nothing deserves our praise but Jesus Christ. Put Him on the throne where He belongs--not anything of material or even intellectual. And when you've put Jesus back on His throne, guard your heart from idols, because they're lurking at every corner.
Tonight, the message is very simple, yet very well could be the most prevalent problem in our hearts today: idol worship.
Raise your hand if you have a golden calf sitting on your desk: it's there.
Raise your hand if you have a golden calf hanging in your closet: ...it's there.
What about in your iPod? It's there...
On your bookshelf? Yep. It's there.
In the parking lot? Amongst the others...
In your wallet? Your parents' wallet? It's likely.
In your belly? Much of it.
On the field or on the court? Could be.
My golden calf is in my heart...comparing myself, and falling short, to others, not Jesus.
Where's your golden calf?
While it is unlikely that we have a literal golden calf that we worship, our own personal idols are peppered all over our rooms, our houses, and in our hearts and minds.
What is it that is battling for your worship? What are you giving your life and thoughts to that isn't Jesus? Nothing deserves our praise but Jesus Christ. Put Him on the throne where He belongs--not anything of material or even intellectual. And when you've put Jesus back on His throne, guard your heart from idols, because they're lurking at every corner.
Disease
Lately, I've been thinking a lot about disease because of some different things going on in my life. I have wanted to complain, to distrust, to writhe in discomfort but each time I am tempted to give in, my Savior gently tells me: no, this is when you praise Me, this is when you Trust me, this is when I am your comfort. Grow good fruit, even though everything around you says it's impossible. Consider a tidbit of what is going on in my life to make you help understand sin.
Whenever I eat anything with gluten in it, a whole array of things happen, including extreme fatigue. This weekend, I ate a peanutbutter and jelly sandwhich with the full knowledge that if I ate it, it would hurt me. But this was my rationalization: it was my last weekend to eat what I wanted, when I wanted, before the last round of my diagnoses was complete. So, I ate it. And guess what happened? I fell asleep--for five hours. Having just woke up, I feel poisoned or like my body was in attack mode while I was sleeping. Quite literally, both of those things happened. And it is the same way with sin.
In the same way that eating gluten "paralyzes" (not literally...) me, sin paralyzes us. Today, I couldn't do anything I originally planned because of the choice I made. When we sin, especially willingly, it is impossible that we do anything good or to further the kingdom of God. We know that sinning is going to hurt us, but we do it anyway. We know the consequences before we even set our eyes, hands, mouths, minds, or hearts to sin. And the consequence is great and takes time to recover from. Maybe those who aren't saved feel like that one last party, that one last shot, that one last hook up is their last weekend of freedom before Sunday morning church...they don't know that that "one last Saturday of freedom" may inhibit them from going to church the next morning. Because of the choices we make to sin, we might not have the opportunity to be made clean again...
So what am I getting at here? Sin messes you up, yet we willingly do it all the time. Quit having your last "Saturday of freedom," whatever that means in your personal world, and let our Jesus wash you Blood-colored white.
Whenever I eat anything with gluten in it, a whole array of things happen, including extreme fatigue. This weekend, I ate a peanutbutter and jelly sandwhich with the full knowledge that if I ate it, it would hurt me. But this was my rationalization: it was my last weekend to eat what I wanted, when I wanted, before the last round of my diagnoses was complete. So, I ate it. And guess what happened? I fell asleep--for five hours. Having just woke up, I feel poisoned or like my body was in attack mode while I was sleeping. Quite literally, both of those things happened. And it is the same way with sin.
In the same way that eating gluten "paralyzes" (not literally...) me, sin paralyzes us. Today, I couldn't do anything I originally planned because of the choice I made. When we sin, especially willingly, it is impossible that we do anything good or to further the kingdom of God. We know that sinning is going to hurt us, but we do it anyway. We know the consequences before we even set our eyes, hands, mouths, minds, or hearts to sin. And the consequence is great and takes time to recover from. Maybe those who aren't saved feel like that one last party, that one last shot, that one last hook up is their last weekend of freedom before Sunday morning church...they don't know that that "one last Saturday of freedom" may inhibit them from going to church the next morning. Because of the choices we make to sin, we might not have the opportunity to be made clean again...
So what am I getting at here? Sin messes you up, yet we willingly do it all the time. Quit having your last "Saturday of freedom," whatever that means in your personal world, and let our Jesus wash you Blood-colored white.
The Richness of our Savior
While the following passage tells a very familiar story, I would like to tell you guys about how God let it speak to me in a new light:
"A ruler questioned Him, saying, 'Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?' And Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER."' And he said, 'All these things I have kept from my youth.' When Jesus heard this, He said to him, 'One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.' But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich" (Luke 18:18-23).
Is it right to assume that we have...a lot? I mean, look around you. You probably have a closet full of clothes and shoes, a shelf full of books and clutter, a desk full of unused back up supplies... Our material posessions are growing and growing. Now while I do not believe it is wrong to have nice things, I think we have grown very accustomed to having MUCH and expecting to grow in the amount of posessions we have.
Notice verse 22. In it, Jesus says, "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." In other words, Jesus is saying that this rich young ruler cannot follow Him without first giving up everything that he has. So what are you holding on to that is not allowing you to follow Jesus? Are you rich in your own plans? Rich in relationships or love? Rich in dreamland or rich in academics? Rich in material posessions or even wealth? Now while I'm not telling you to drop out of school, gut your dorm room, or live in a cave and starve yourself of human interaction, I am asking you to loosen your grip and open your hands. You can't follow God and stay where you are. You have to first be willing to give Him everything you have (material and otherwise) and act upon that willingness as He leads.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would convict you of the things you're holding onto tightly.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would teach you to trust God and rest in that trust.
Do as the Holy Spirit leads, whether that means you relinquish control over your future, give some of your stuff away, or spend less time with friends and more with Him.
Oh. And on a side note, think about the richness of our Savior!! When we have Him, boyyy oh boy are we rich!! His purity, His glory, His heart! Howwww wonderful is He!!
"A ruler questioned Him, saying, 'Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?' And Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER."' And he said, 'All these things I have kept from my youth.' When Jesus heard this, He said to him, 'One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.' But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich" (Luke 18:18-23).
Is it right to assume that we have...a lot? I mean, look around you. You probably have a closet full of clothes and shoes, a shelf full of books and clutter, a desk full of unused back up supplies... Our material posessions are growing and growing. Now while I do not believe it is wrong to have nice things, I think we have grown very accustomed to having MUCH and expecting to grow in the amount of posessions we have.
Notice verse 22. In it, Jesus says, "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." In other words, Jesus is saying that this rich young ruler cannot follow Him without first giving up everything that he has. So what are you holding on to that is not allowing you to follow Jesus? Are you rich in your own plans? Rich in relationships or love? Rich in dreamland or rich in academics? Rich in material posessions or even wealth? Now while I'm not telling you to drop out of school, gut your dorm room, or live in a cave and starve yourself of human interaction, I am asking you to loosen your grip and open your hands. You can't follow God and stay where you are. You have to first be willing to give Him everything you have (material and otherwise) and act upon that willingness as He leads.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would convict you of the things you're holding onto tightly.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would teach you to trust God and rest in that trust.
Do as the Holy Spirit leads, whether that means you relinquish control over your future, give some of your stuff away, or spend less time with friends and more with Him.
Oh. And on a side note, think about the richness of our Savior!! When we have Him, boyyy oh boy are we rich!! His purity, His glory, His heart! Howwww wonderful is He!!
The Son Rise
This morning, a friend and I woke up to watch the sun rise. With hot chocolate mugs and blankies in hand, we hiked up Mt. Bebe in darkness. Soon, the darkness began to fade and the evidence of the sun was beginning to show. Before we could realize it was happening, the sun proved its faithfulness once again. Even while we may have wondered if the sun was going to come up today, it exploded with light across the horizon.
Isn't that just like our Jesus?
Look at how Luke 23:55-24:12 accounts of the doubt people had in Jesus's faithfulness:
"Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living One among the dead? "He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened."
When Jesus spoke about how His time was done on earth, many people listened to Him but failed to really hear and believe what He was saying. They doubted the faithfulness of His words. And treating His death as if were any other permanent death, some of His disciples went to anoint His body. They didn't believe Jesus when He said that He wasn't going to stay dead for long.
While many people don't believe the Words our Savior has spoken and continues to speak through His Word and the Holy Spirit, they are in fact True. And He will prove them to be true. So whether or not you believe you're the bride of Christ, you are. Whether or not you believe you were fearfully and wonderfully made, you were. Whether or not you believe you were chosen by God, you were. It's still true that the God of both the universe and the Maker of the blades of grass desires and seeks after your soul. He is jealous for you. He anticipates your return to Him and He can't wait for you to give your life to Him fully. Like how the sun breaks darkness, the Son wants to explode with Light into your life in the most breathtakingly beautiful way. Real Christianity is an explosion: it is impossible to remain unchanged as result of walking into its flame.
Isn't that just like our Jesus?
Look at how Luke 23:55-24:12 accounts of the doubt people had in Jesus's faithfulness:
"Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living One among the dead? "He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened."
When Jesus spoke about how His time was done on earth, many people listened to Him but failed to really hear and believe what He was saying. They doubted the faithfulness of His words. And treating His death as if were any other permanent death, some of His disciples went to anoint His body. They didn't believe Jesus when He said that He wasn't going to stay dead for long.
While many people don't believe the Words our Savior has spoken and continues to speak through His Word and the Holy Spirit, they are in fact True. And He will prove them to be true. So whether or not you believe you're the bride of Christ, you are. Whether or not you believe you were fearfully and wonderfully made, you were. Whether or not you believe you were chosen by God, you were. It's still true that the God of both the universe and the Maker of the blades of grass desires and seeks after your soul. He is jealous for you. He anticipates your return to Him and He can't wait for you to give your life to Him fully. Like how the sun breaks darkness, the Son wants to explode with Light into your life in the most breathtakingly beautiful way. Real Christianity is an explosion: it is impossible to remain unchanged as result of walking into its flame.
Real Love
"We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" (1 John 3:16).
Guess what? It's still Easter!! And better yet, our Jesus is STILL risen. The Truth goes passed the story into reality. Our God is in fact risen and coming again. He promised, therefore, we can believe with our whole hearts.
Real love is displayed through Jesus Christ giving His life for us, and we are able to know love because He did this. I don't think we're showing real love to our communities, families, friends, church, or even God in the way that we're called to love.
So you're busy studying for a huge test and your neighbor walks in or your mom calls. Give your life to him or her. You see a person sitting alone at lunch. Sit with him or her. Put your plans on the back burner and tend to the needs of those around you. Give a Saturday to your community or pay for yourself and a friend to go see a movie. Lay down your life, wants, plans, and goals for the interests of others. Exercise selflessness by giving and showing real love.
Are you wondering what your calling is? I can tell you part of it with great assurance. Without a doubt, you were called to love with real love. Give your life to God and the people around you--even if you don't feel like it.
Guess what? It's still Easter!! And better yet, our Jesus is STILL risen. The Truth goes passed the story into reality. Our God is in fact risen and coming again. He promised, therefore, we can believe with our whole hearts.
Real love is displayed through Jesus Christ giving His life for us, and we are able to know love because He did this. I don't think we're showing real love to our communities, families, friends, church, or even God in the way that we're called to love.
So you're busy studying for a huge test and your neighbor walks in or your mom calls. Give your life to him or her. You see a person sitting alone at lunch. Sit with him or her. Put your plans on the back burner and tend to the needs of those around you. Give a Saturday to your community or pay for yourself and a friend to go see a movie. Lay down your life, wants, plans, and goals for the interests of others. Exercise selflessness by giving and showing real love.
Are you wondering what your calling is? I can tell you part of it with great assurance. Without a doubt, you were called to love with real love. Give your life to God and the people around you--even if you don't feel like it.
When God Comes on the Scene
"For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persucute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; and I was advancing in Judasim beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him..." Galatians 1:13-16a.
It's likely that many who receive these devotionals have come from a healthy background. Not everyone, however, has. Paul would fall into this category. His testimony is the perfect story of a completely God-transformed life.
We've all got testimonies, and despite the events that make them up, God has set us apart for His purpose. He called us through His grace that we might preach Him.
"I'm not called to preach," one might say. "I'm a girl," another might point out. "But I've got this or that going on...I can't just drop what I'm doing and preach to the world."
Who cares?
Inside every classroom, office, bank, station, camp, grocery store, whatever, our God has called us, His own, to preach Him. Does that mean you stand on a soap box and speak to all who have ears? Not unless God layed that on your heart. For most, it means that we live a life worthy of the Gospel of Christ, boldly claim Christ and refuse to deny Him under any circumstance, and submit to the Holy Spirit's lead in witnessing. Possibly even more so, it means thirsting and hotly pursuing an intimate relationship with Christ. Our God wants a people who are so intimately unified with Him that He flows freely through them.
So you've got a testimony...you've been places. Maybe you've lived in sin and know what it's like to be away from God. Use it for His glory. A past of sin shouldn't decay the present but should serve as a reminder of the matchless love of Jesus Christ. Those scars just prove that when God comes on the scene, surgery happens on the hearts of people (Kopicko).
It's likely that many who receive these devotionals have come from a healthy background. Not everyone, however, has. Paul would fall into this category. His testimony is the perfect story of a completely God-transformed life.
We've all got testimonies, and despite the events that make them up, God has set us apart for His purpose. He called us through His grace that we might preach Him.
"I'm not called to preach," one might say. "I'm a girl," another might point out. "But I've got this or that going on...I can't just drop what I'm doing and preach to the world."
Who cares?
Inside every classroom, office, bank, station, camp, grocery store, whatever, our God has called us, His own, to preach Him. Does that mean you stand on a soap box and speak to all who have ears? Not unless God layed that on your heart. For most, it means that we live a life worthy of the Gospel of Christ, boldly claim Christ and refuse to deny Him under any circumstance, and submit to the Holy Spirit's lead in witnessing. Possibly even more so, it means thirsting and hotly pursuing an intimate relationship with Christ. Our God wants a people who are so intimately unified with Him that He flows freely through them.
So you've got a testimony...you've been places. Maybe you've lived in sin and know what it's like to be away from God. Use it for His glory. A past of sin shouldn't decay the present but should serve as a reminder of the matchless love of Jesus Christ. Those scars just prove that when God comes on the scene, surgery happens on the hearts of people (Kopicko).
Oh, How He's Willing
We all know the story of when Jesus cleanses a leper, but I think it's super easy to overlook a lot in well-known passages. See if you understand what I mean.
In Matthew 8, an unnamed man, only known by what makes him imperfect, meets Jesus. THE Jesus. I imagine this unnamed man's every thought and action are moved by the impression that he is nothing more than his disease. All he can think about is his filth. He is too desperate to search for an annecdote. Everyone gave up on him--even himself.
And then word spread about a Man in town. A tiny flicker, a deep-set warmth that surprises him arises in his belly. Hope. It's a new feeling. A good feeling. So he pursues it.
And he finds It.
"[That] leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, 'Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.'"
This nameless man had absolutely nothing to offer Christ. At most, he could give Him his filth. He bowed in despair and a weak thread of hope held him together. "Oh, Lord, even if You're willing, YOU can do something."
Now comes the good part...
The Bible doesn't record Jesus's feelings, but can you imagine what they might be? Did He gently tilt His head, let His lips curl up into a smile, and think, "Oh, My child...I am so willing. You're finally Mine..."
How do you fit in this story? Are you like the unnamed, unnoticed, unrecognized leper? Our Jesus knows your name.
Are you like the nameless leper in that you are disabled by your sin? Our Jesus is the Great Healer.
Are you like the unnamed leper because only that weak thread of hope is holding you together? Our Jesus is the Maker of strength.
No matter the sickness; no matter the sin; no matter the despair, our Jesus IS the remedy and He IS willing.
In Matthew 8, an unnamed man, only known by what makes him imperfect, meets Jesus. THE Jesus. I imagine this unnamed man's every thought and action are moved by the impression that he is nothing more than his disease. All he can think about is his filth. He is too desperate to search for an annecdote. Everyone gave up on him--even himself.
And then word spread about a Man in town. A tiny flicker, a deep-set warmth that surprises him arises in his belly. Hope. It's a new feeling. A good feeling. So he pursues it.
And he finds It.
"[That] leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, 'Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.'"
This nameless man had absolutely nothing to offer Christ. At most, he could give Him his filth. He bowed in despair and a weak thread of hope held him together. "Oh, Lord, even if You're willing, YOU can do something."
Now comes the good part...
The Bible doesn't record Jesus's feelings, but can you imagine what they might be? Did He gently tilt His head, let His lips curl up into a smile, and think, "Oh, My child...I am so willing. You're finally Mine..."
How do you fit in this story? Are you like the unnamed, unnoticed, unrecognized leper? Our Jesus knows your name.
Are you like the nameless leper in that you are disabled by your sin? Our Jesus is the Great Healer.
Are you like the unnamed leper because only that weak thread of hope is holding you together? Our Jesus is the Maker of strength.
No matter the sickness; no matter the sin; no matter the despair, our Jesus IS the remedy and He IS willing.
The Little Things
This message is a little different than Steven and I normally write, but I think it could carry much influence if even a few grasp it's importance.
Let me tell you a little story. I'm going to make it sound fake even though it's definitely real.
One day, there was a person who wasn't having the best of days. Everything seemed to go wrong during his day and he just couldn't seem to break free of this particular bad day. Right around dinner time, he met up with an old friend or two. Not noticing this person's down feelings, the old friend used seemingly funny, but rather abusive, words towards his friend. It only made his day worse.
What if the story went differently?
What if the old friend would have used encouraging words or given an optimistic vibe to the down friend? What if he would have given a small smile or a hug?
No matter if we realize it our not, our every actions affect one or more people. That catty comment, the rude remark, or all around "dragging" comments we give to our friends and portray through our actions towards one another do nothing but tear the body of Christ down. That is exactly the opposite of what we should be doing.
"Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11
"Whoever speaks should speak as if he is speaking the very words of God." 1 Peter 4:11
What we say, if anything, deeply affects those around us. If we're going to speak, lets speak godly words of encouragement filled with compassion and understanding. If we're not able to do that, we should be a very quiet people. If we can't speak only godly words like the Bible instructs us to do, lets just offer that steadying hug or smile. It's the little things that count.
Let me tell you a little story. I'm going to make it sound fake even though it's definitely real.
One day, there was a person who wasn't having the best of days. Everything seemed to go wrong during his day and he just couldn't seem to break free of this particular bad day. Right around dinner time, he met up with an old friend or two. Not noticing this person's down feelings, the old friend used seemingly funny, but rather abusive, words towards his friend. It only made his day worse.
What if the story went differently?
What if the old friend would have used encouraging words or given an optimistic vibe to the down friend? What if he would have given a small smile or a hug?
No matter if we realize it our not, our every actions affect one or more people. That catty comment, the rude remark, or all around "dragging" comments we give to our friends and portray through our actions towards one another do nothing but tear the body of Christ down. That is exactly the opposite of what we should be doing.
"Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11
"Whoever speaks should speak as if he is speaking the very words of God." 1 Peter 4:11
What we say, if anything, deeply affects those around us. If we're going to speak, lets speak godly words of encouragement filled with compassion and understanding. If we're not able to do that, we should be a very quiet people. If we can't speak only godly words like the Bible instructs us to do, lets just offer that steadying hug or smile. It's the little things that count.
His Calling
Whether it be to the playing field, an office, a classroom, the pulpit, or somewhere else, we all were intentionally made to be called somewhere at some time. The Creator of both the stars in the sky and of the petals on the flowers crafted us so exceptionally so that we could hold just a little bit of His own passion and let it seep into the world and glorify Him in the process. Ephesians 4:1-4 pricks my heart when I think about all of this:
“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Did you catch that? Since we have received, or are in the process of receiving, that special calling from God, we must live in such a way that is worthy of that calling. The [paraphrased] words of Ron Kopicko come to mind: “What do you want to be in ten years. A good wife? A pastor? The best son ever? Fulfill role today!” In the same way as Ron described, we must be that baseball player, doctor, teacher, pastor, or whatever else TODAY! Education can be important and that is the season we are in, but it’s okay to do a little “practicing” while you prepare. However, there is another side to this story.
That special calling, the one our Jesus so carefully decided to work into our being, might not always be on our mind to “walk worthy in.” There’s going to be the opportunity to continue that fruitless conversation, view that sinful media, overlook that hurting stranger, or skip that set apart prayer time. The desire to sin does not vanish when callings are revealed. That is why we must be all the more intentional about claiming the victory we have won because of Christ’s blood and keep an eye out for thorns that choke growth.
What is in your life that is not worthy of the calling you have received? Is there anything holding you back from living out that calling? Remember: nothing (NOTHING) is so important if it keeps you from Christ in any way at all.
Note: this next month, you will have the opportunity of joining SAU’s body of believers in a campus-wide fast. We do not recommend you choose to fast from food for this extended period of time but instead something that holds great importance in your life (A game? The internet? Texting? Etc…). Lets show Christ that we are serious about revival on our campus by giving something up for Him, okay? Also, stay posted for prayer meeting times that will be held in Steven’s home. We can’t wait to meet with as many of you as possible under one roof all praying and petitioning for the Holy Spirit to move! Wouldn’t it be great to have Steven’s house SO full that people are flooding out the doorways? Lets do it!
“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Did you catch that? Since we have received, or are in the process of receiving, that special calling from God, we must live in such a way that is worthy of that calling. The [paraphrased] words of Ron Kopicko come to mind: “What do you want to be in ten years. A good wife? A pastor? The best son ever? Fulfill role today!” In the same way as Ron described, we must be that baseball player, doctor, teacher, pastor, or whatever else TODAY! Education can be important and that is the season we are in, but it’s okay to do a little “practicing” while you prepare. However, there is another side to this story.
That special calling, the one our Jesus so carefully decided to work into our being, might not always be on our mind to “walk worthy in.” There’s going to be the opportunity to continue that fruitless conversation, view that sinful media, overlook that hurting stranger, or skip that set apart prayer time. The desire to sin does not vanish when callings are revealed. That is why we must be all the more intentional about claiming the victory we have won because of Christ’s blood and keep an eye out for thorns that choke growth.
What is in your life that is not worthy of the calling you have received? Is there anything holding you back from living out that calling? Remember: nothing (NOTHING) is so important if it keeps you from Christ in any way at all.
Note: this next month, you will have the opportunity of joining SAU’s body of believers in a campus-wide fast. We do not recommend you choose to fast from food for this extended period of time but instead something that holds great importance in your life (A game? The internet? Texting? Etc…). Lets show Christ that we are serious about revival on our campus by giving something up for Him, okay? Also, stay posted for prayer meeting times that will be held in Steven’s home. We can’t wait to meet with as many of you as possible under one roof all praying and petitioning for the Holy Spirit to move! Wouldn’t it be great to have Steven’s house SO full that people are flooding out the doorways? Lets do it!
Isaiah 43
Hi!!
Hey, will you please open up Isaiah 43 and read verses one through seven? Then go on to read what’s below, okay? : )
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What ever has a gripping hold on you has no power to take you. Christ has claimed us and called us His! We are the safest people on earth because we are in Christ’s hand and Christ is in God’s hand. Do you know HOW MUCH it would take to break that hold? None can do it! What is the sin or bad habit that you feel just consumes you? No matter how minuscule or how overpowering it feels, God has already claimed victory over it through the blood of His son! With hearts of surrender and minds too stubborn to give into the sin again, give Christ a resounding YES in response to His great love for you. And since we have to live in a world full of fires to pass through and raging waters that threaten to overflow us, God’s word promises that He will be with us, continuing to claim us as His own. So walk in confidence that Christ has power over your sin and despite the constant struggle to give into its call, Christ gently calls your name and speaks value, honor, and love into your life. Let Him win. He will eventually.
Hey, will you please open up Isaiah 43 and read verses one through seven? Then go on to read what’s below, okay? : )
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
What ever has a gripping hold on you has no power to take you. Christ has claimed us and called us His! We are the safest people on earth because we are in Christ’s hand and Christ is in God’s hand. Do you know HOW MUCH it would take to break that hold? None can do it! What is the sin or bad habit that you feel just consumes you? No matter how minuscule or how overpowering it feels, God has already claimed victory over it through the blood of His son! With hearts of surrender and minds too stubborn to give into the sin again, give Christ a resounding YES in response to His great love for you. And since we have to live in a world full of fires to pass through and raging waters that threaten to overflow us, God’s word promises that He will be with us, continuing to claim us as His own. So walk in confidence that Christ has power over your sin and despite the constant struggle to give into its call, Christ gently calls your name and speaks value, honor, and love into your life. Let Him win. He will eventually.
Pain
While many of us have yet to experience excruciatingly painful suffering (however, some have…), I do not doubt that we’ve all experienced pain. Despite the source, we’ve all felt that deep sting of dark regret, conditional love, crude mistreatment, or miserable failure. But, praise God, we can know what to do about that pain because Jesus felt it, too:
“In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.” Hebrews 5:7-8.
There is so much we could learn from this passage. First, God sees our pain, hears our cries out to Him, and accepts our tears when we give them to Him. He is able to save us from this pain because of His great justice and mercy. Second, Jesus didn’t wallow in His pain but instead stood with great victory and learned obedience from the things that were causing Him pain. Because Christ is in us, we can do the same thing!
Are you feeling the pain of a broken relationship? Be obedient to our Jesus by loving Him more than any person or thing. Do you feel the nagging regret of slipping into sin that sin you’ve been trying to fight for so long? Be obedient to our Jesus by accepting His victory over sin through His blood. Are you the object of anyone’s harassment or discrimination? Be obedient to our Jesus by letting His love overflow your heart and pour onto His hurting people. Does the memory of a particular or reoccurring failure distress your thinking? Be obedient to our Jesus by striving towards the you of tomorrow.
So yes, we can choose to dwell upon the pain that may be in our lives but we can also decide to be like Jesus and learn obedience through the suffering we experience. Lets stand together as a body of believers who choose to be obedient despite our outward circumstances.
Also, GUESS WHAT?? Today marks the first day of our October month of fasting!! If you haven’t decided already, pray about picking something you can fast for our Jesus. If you forgot about this, that’s alright. : ) Today’s a new day! Let’s rejoice and be glad in it, praying and petitioning for the Holy Spirit to move in the hearts of His people and being on our tip toes asking Him to use us in this revival.
“In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.” Hebrews 5:7-8.
There is so much we could learn from this passage. First, God sees our pain, hears our cries out to Him, and accepts our tears when we give them to Him. He is able to save us from this pain because of His great justice and mercy. Second, Jesus didn’t wallow in His pain but instead stood with great victory and learned obedience from the things that were causing Him pain. Because Christ is in us, we can do the same thing!
Are you feeling the pain of a broken relationship? Be obedient to our Jesus by loving Him more than any person or thing. Do you feel the nagging regret of slipping into sin that sin you’ve been trying to fight for so long? Be obedient to our Jesus by accepting His victory over sin through His blood. Are you the object of anyone’s harassment or discrimination? Be obedient to our Jesus by letting His love overflow your heart and pour onto His hurting people. Does the memory of a particular or reoccurring failure distress your thinking? Be obedient to our Jesus by striving towards the you of tomorrow.
So yes, we can choose to dwell upon the pain that may be in our lives but we can also decide to be like Jesus and learn obedience through the suffering we experience. Lets stand together as a body of believers who choose to be obedient despite our outward circumstances.
Also, GUESS WHAT?? Today marks the first day of our October month of fasting!! If you haven’t decided already, pray about picking something you can fast for our Jesus. If you forgot about this, that’s alright. : ) Today’s a new day! Let’s rejoice and be glad in it, praying and petitioning for the Holy Spirit to move in the hearts of His people and being on our tip toes asking Him to use us in this revival.
The God Slap
I’m sure you’ve felt it. It’s that moment of realization, long awaited epiphany, or deep pang of guilt or understanding. In these times, it’s almost as if God slaps you across the face, grabs hold of your chin, and directs your attention to something He wants you to see, understand, or realize. It feels abrupt, harsh, and sometimes brutal. Often times, it feels like you’ve been pushed down and immobilized. We serve a God of both gentle pursuit and fierce power. He both draws and shakes up. We clearly are a stubborn, willful people who are stuck thinking about ourselves, so sometimes it takes that sharp, “stop you in your tracks” moment to get our attention. Where are you?
Wasn’t it Jesus who said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:33-35)? It’s so easy to verbalize that we’ve decide to come after Jesus but never fully deny ourselves. Jesus was pretty straight forward about what He meant. If we are going to follow Christ, we MUST deny our very selves by entrusting Him to do well with every sinful tendency, dream, longing, and hope. While there are many side responsibilities that come with this position, our ONLY job is to glorify God. We cannot bring God glory when we are constantly thinking about our self, evaluating our emotions, resisting refinement, and living our own wills. We have no right to allow our sin to remain rooted in our lives when we have the blood of Christ to claim.
Romans 8:12-14 says, “Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
How many times is it going to take God to hit us with His loving correction until we allow Him to bury our flesh and live by His spirit? Where are you now? Are you standing with pride, refusing to let the Maker of the universe speak into your life? Are you appearing to stand tall but cowering with fear on the inside? Are you standing casually not knowing where to go next? Have you just been “slapped” by God and does He have your attention about something? Are you immobilized on the ground, grasping for a way to get up? Do you carry the bruises and scuffs of one who is continually falling? Are you trying to fight God Himself and win? Where ever you are, stop. Let the Holy Spirit speak into your life, uproot your very self, and bury it. “For I know in whom I have believed and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” 2 Timothy 1:12b. You can trust God with your self. If you want to live, I mean truly live, Jesus says you MUST let Him have your self.
Wasn’t it Jesus who said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:33-35)? It’s so easy to verbalize that we’ve decide to come after Jesus but never fully deny ourselves. Jesus was pretty straight forward about what He meant. If we are going to follow Christ, we MUST deny our very selves by entrusting Him to do well with every sinful tendency, dream, longing, and hope. While there are many side responsibilities that come with this position, our ONLY job is to glorify God. We cannot bring God glory when we are constantly thinking about our self, evaluating our emotions, resisting refinement, and living our own wills. We have no right to allow our sin to remain rooted in our lives when we have the blood of Christ to claim.
Romans 8:12-14 says, “Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
How many times is it going to take God to hit us with His loving correction until we allow Him to bury our flesh and live by His spirit? Where are you now? Are you standing with pride, refusing to let the Maker of the universe speak into your life? Are you appearing to stand tall but cowering with fear on the inside? Are you standing casually not knowing where to go next? Have you just been “slapped” by God and does He have your attention about something? Are you immobilized on the ground, grasping for a way to get up? Do you carry the bruises and scuffs of one who is continually falling? Are you trying to fight God Himself and win? Where ever you are, stop. Let the Holy Spirit speak into your life, uproot your very self, and bury it. “For I know in whom I have believed and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” 2 Timothy 1:12b. You can trust God with your self. If you want to live, I mean truly live, Jesus says you MUST let Him have your self.
Sticks 'n Cups
A friend of mine once said, “When one goes in a direction for so long it can be hard to know anything else. That path becomes the essence in which they live, the means by which they operate. It has become a necessity. If it is a path that is out of sync with the leading of God, then it becomes most destructive.” It’s true and it applies to both ourselves and the people around us.
With us, it’s that prying sin, ruthless attitude, dragging laziness, loose tongue, destructive mindset, reliance on self, or persistent unfaithfulness that is so difficult to get out of. Like my friend said, it’s hard to know anything else because that habit or sin became routine. But even while we all carry different tendencies toward destructive behaviors or sin, the path can be broken and we can return to God’s ways.
The same is true for the people around us. Do you have a family member or friend who is going in a direction that really, really upsets you? Whether it is deeply rooted anger, addiction, grudge, depression, racism, lust, or coldness, they behave in such a way because it’s all they’ve known for so long. So when these friends and family members lash out at you, make rude remarks, distance themselves, or wear arrogance, we have to remember that they’re sin is making them act in such a way. In the words of Ron Kopicko, “People who have deeply rooted sin do not have the ability to love others because they’re not allowing God’s love to flow freely through them.” It would be like sticking a bunch of sticks through a styrophome cup every which way and expecting the water to flow through without hitting any of the sticks. So until these people we love allow God to remove the sticks from their cups, we won’t receive straight God-love from them, simply because they won’t allow themselves to receive it.
So how do we pry ourselves from the destructive path we’re on and how do we respond to our friends and family members who are caught on that kind of path, too? Philippians chapter two tells us how: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men” (vv. 1-8). In this text, we can see that when we take the focus off our selves, regard others’ as greater than our own interests, and serve those around us, we empty ourselves. Think of a glass cup being God’s likeness. Either our “flavor” will be seen through the glass or God’s overflow into us will show. So we’ve got to pour ourselves out before godly characteristics will be evident in our cups.
And when our family members respond, because of their sin (not because they want to), we can give grace and respond with a Philippians 2:14-17: “do all things without grumbling or disputing.” It would be easy to lash back with a like-response as you were given, but give them grace instead. Serve them, uphold their dignity, and let God’s love overflow your cup and soak them head to toe.
With us, it’s that prying sin, ruthless attitude, dragging laziness, loose tongue, destructive mindset, reliance on self, or persistent unfaithfulness that is so difficult to get out of. Like my friend said, it’s hard to know anything else because that habit or sin became routine. But even while we all carry different tendencies toward destructive behaviors or sin, the path can be broken and we can return to God’s ways.
The same is true for the people around us. Do you have a family member or friend who is going in a direction that really, really upsets you? Whether it is deeply rooted anger, addiction, grudge, depression, racism, lust, or coldness, they behave in such a way because it’s all they’ve known for so long. So when these friends and family members lash out at you, make rude remarks, distance themselves, or wear arrogance, we have to remember that they’re sin is making them act in such a way. In the words of Ron Kopicko, “People who have deeply rooted sin do not have the ability to love others because they’re not allowing God’s love to flow freely through them.” It would be like sticking a bunch of sticks through a styrophome cup every which way and expecting the water to flow through without hitting any of the sticks. So until these people we love allow God to remove the sticks from their cups, we won’t receive straight God-love from them, simply because they won’t allow themselves to receive it.
So how do we pry ourselves from the destructive path we’re on and how do we respond to our friends and family members who are caught on that kind of path, too? Philippians chapter two tells us how: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men” (vv. 1-8). In this text, we can see that when we take the focus off our selves, regard others’ as greater than our own interests, and serve those around us, we empty ourselves. Think of a glass cup being God’s likeness. Either our “flavor” will be seen through the glass or God’s overflow into us will show. So we’ve got to pour ourselves out before godly characteristics will be evident in our cups.
And when our family members respond, because of their sin (not because they want to), we can give grace and respond with a Philippians 2:14-17: “do all things without grumbling or disputing.” It would be easy to lash back with a like-response as you were given, but give them grace instead. Serve them, uphold their dignity, and let God’s love overflow your cup and soak them head to toe.
Busy-ness
So who here is busy? If we were all excited elementary students with like tendencies, we'd all shoot our hands up and scream, "I am! I am!!"
Well, I AM super busy...can anybody testify to that? Do you spend every waking minute doing homework, going to meetings, and studying yet still trying to create time to create and deepen relationships on campus and maintain relationships left at home? I know I do...
You know it's bad when you get takeout at Ada's just so you won't run into a ton of people you know in the DC...
You know it's bad when you hide out in unused science building rooms so nobody will find you in the library...
We make so much time and room to further our studies, don't we?
But wait. Isn't our Jesus of much more importance?
Why don't we tiptoe to our hiding place, our prayer closet, our forest alter in hopes that nobody will see us because we are in dire excitement of spending more and more time with Jesus?
Why don't we eat from Ada's to avoid the time consuming traffic of the DC because we just don't want to "waste" any time away from Christ?
Maybe the question is this: why have the priorities of the world (academic success) overtaken the priorities of God (intimate relationship with Him)?
Or now, should we ask ourselves: why are we letting [insert time taker here] take over our devotional time?
Why are we letting ourselves become so tired that reading the Bible before bed is just too big of an "inconvience"? Don't you think it was an inconvience to Jesus leave His thrown as God to feel pain, sweat, weep, and bleed? Or what about this? Don't you think it was an inconvience for Him to die a gruesom, bloody death for a people who were undeserving?
Do you really think that He LIKED dieing for us?
He didn't... He told God that if it was possible to let this not happen...So you know what? Yeah, we're students! And we've got more worldly commitments than we can possibly handle, right? All these assignments and obligations and meetings and social opportunites are pressing needs and demand our immediate attention, but we can't submit to them. Sure, we've got to do them, but we can't let them take time away from our TRUE priorities--living out the God-centered life. He wants to be in such a tight unity with us and we can't live that out when we're pursuing things other than Him. He must be our sole pursuit.
So yes. Do your homework. But maybe try this: Start each day in prayer and commit to live it as God leads. For every hour of homework, read a chapter in the Word. Do homework and study early in the day. Don't let that time in between classes or before dinner slip by you and go to waste. Use it for some super quick homework crunch time. And after dinner, maybe go for a walk and just meditate on God's creation...how beautiful He made it for us. And if you've got some extra homework, go ahead and do it. But don't work so hard that you stay up so late that you can't read the Word before bed. Work hard throughout the day on homework for the Lord, but let yourself relax in the evening. Develop FIRST your relationship with God, second with people on campus, and third, maintaining relationships from home.
Don't be like the rest: normalcy says to burn out and grow weary. Defy the norms of our world and pursue Christ first and fiercely. If if doesn't turn out well, sue me. I'm confident you won't be able to. : D
Well, I AM super busy...can anybody testify to that? Do you spend every waking minute doing homework, going to meetings, and studying yet still trying to create time to create and deepen relationships on campus and maintain relationships left at home? I know I do...
You know it's bad when you get takeout at Ada's just so you won't run into a ton of people you know in the DC...
You know it's bad when you hide out in unused science building rooms so nobody will find you in the library...
We make so much time and room to further our studies, don't we?
But wait. Isn't our Jesus of much more importance?
Why don't we tiptoe to our hiding place, our prayer closet, our forest alter in hopes that nobody will see us because we are in dire excitement of spending more and more time with Jesus?
Why don't we eat from Ada's to avoid the time consuming traffic of the DC because we just don't want to "waste" any time away from Christ?
Maybe the question is this: why have the priorities of the world (academic success) overtaken the priorities of God (intimate relationship with Him)?
Or now, should we ask ourselves: why are we letting [insert time taker here] take over our devotional time?
Why are we letting ourselves become so tired that reading the Bible before bed is just too big of an "inconvience"? Don't you think it was an inconvience to Jesus leave His thrown as God to feel pain, sweat, weep, and bleed? Or what about this? Don't you think it was an inconvience for Him to die a gruesom, bloody death for a people who were undeserving?
Do you really think that He LIKED dieing for us?
He didn't... He told God that if it was possible to let this not happen...So you know what? Yeah, we're students! And we've got more worldly commitments than we can possibly handle, right? All these assignments and obligations and meetings and social opportunites are pressing needs and demand our immediate attention, but we can't submit to them. Sure, we've got to do them, but we can't let them take time away from our TRUE priorities--living out the God-centered life. He wants to be in such a tight unity with us and we can't live that out when we're pursuing things other than Him. He must be our sole pursuit.
So yes. Do your homework. But maybe try this: Start each day in prayer and commit to live it as God leads. For every hour of homework, read a chapter in the Word. Do homework and study early in the day. Don't let that time in between classes or before dinner slip by you and go to waste. Use it for some super quick homework crunch time. And after dinner, maybe go for a walk and just meditate on God's creation...how beautiful He made it for us. And if you've got some extra homework, go ahead and do it. But don't work so hard that you stay up so late that you can't read the Word before bed. Work hard throughout the day on homework for the Lord, but let yourself relax in the evening. Develop FIRST your relationship with God, second with people on campus, and third, maintaining relationships from home.
Don't be like the rest: normalcy says to burn out and grow weary. Defy the norms of our world and pursue Christ first and fiercely. If if doesn't turn out well, sue me. I'm confident you won't be able to. : D
How to Hold your Pants Up
I believe and know so deeply and assuredly in my heart that the Holy Spirit is the same exact Holy Spirit that was present in the early church. So why aren’t we seeing huge Holy Spirit revivals like God tells us about in Acts 2:41? I have some ideas.
Our flesh is like any other living flesh. Think of a real leather belt. When you first buy it, it is movable and soft. As you use it and use it day after day, it begins to get harder and harder in texture. You think, “My pants definetly won’t stay up unless I use that belt.” Day after day of relying on that belt to keep your pants up, the leather is really starting to show its weathering with toughness and cracks and just exhaustion. The belt is no longer movable and pretty. It’s worn out and really to fall apart. Maybe it’s already falling apart.
Okay, so you’re probably thinking I have diverted big time but listen to this. Your life is like those pants abd your flesh is like that belt. You feel like your life is going to fall apart because you’re not making a personal effort to “hold it together” with that belt of yourself. You think that if you’re not in control, then your life will just fall apart. But do we really realize that each time we use our flesh (that belt of protection), it gets harder and harder? Just like that belt, our life and everything about us begins to show signs of weathering and use. But the worst part is that our flesh is hard. And if you believe God didn’t lie when He said “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19), then our overused and hardened flesh is restricting the power and the mobility of the Holy Spirit. Now this is not to say God could never use weathered flesh to accomplish His will, but why would He want to when there are a few who are soft and who have surrendered their “temple” to the “Holy spirit” “who is in” them (1 Corinthians 6:19)?
The richest, most sweetest part of this story is the redeeming power of our beautiful Savior, Jesus Christ. When we completely surrender our flesh and our will to the Man who made them, our “top coat” gets softer and softer, more and more moldable because of what God is doing inside us. Each time we want to rely on our own power to pull that all nighter or start a new ministry or pursue that girl or this guy, our flesh gets tougher in a really ugly way. But on the flipside, when we surrender our flesh to God and allow the Holy Spirit to be our Guidance and our Helper and our will, we’d be surprised how God would use that same all nighter as a praise for the King on high or that same new ministry in a way we never thought imaginable or God would bless that possible relationship. And it’s because God had grace enough to allow us to relinquish that binding control of our own will to the power of that same Holy Spirit that raised our Glorious Savior from the dead and added “three thousand souls” to the Kingdom of Heaven in a single day (Acts 2:41). It is because of our reliance on our flesh for the accomplishment of both the tiny and huge thing that restricts the power of the Holy Spirit in our life and the lives around us.
So stop using that belt! Instead, grow to be a fat Christian by consuming more and more and more and more of God. Since it's true that "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God," eat up! : ) Our Jesus is the Food our body is yearning for. Why willingly starve when there's a heaping plate of Jesus right in front of you?
So answer your call to live a life fully surrendered to the power of the Holy Spirit. Who needs a belt when God can keep your pants up? Get fat in Jesus and you wont even need a that to keep your pants from falling down.
Our flesh is like any other living flesh. Think of a real leather belt. When you first buy it, it is movable and soft. As you use it and use it day after day, it begins to get harder and harder in texture. You think, “My pants definetly won’t stay up unless I use that belt.” Day after day of relying on that belt to keep your pants up, the leather is really starting to show its weathering with toughness and cracks and just exhaustion. The belt is no longer movable and pretty. It’s worn out and really to fall apart. Maybe it’s already falling apart.
Okay, so you’re probably thinking I have diverted big time but listen to this. Your life is like those pants abd your flesh is like that belt. You feel like your life is going to fall apart because you’re not making a personal effort to “hold it together” with that belt of yourself. You think that if you’re not in control, then your life will just fall apart. But do we really realize that each time we use our flesh (that belt of protection), it gets harder and harder? Just like that belt, our life and everything about us begins to show signs of weathering and use. But the worst part is that our flesh is hard. And if you believe God didn’t lie when He said “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19), then our overused and hardened flesh is restricting the power and the mobility of the Holy Spirit. Now this is not to say God could never use weathered flesh to accomplish His will, but why would He want to when there are a few who are soft and who have surrendered their “temple” to the “Holy spirit” “who is in” them (1 Corinthians 6:19)?
The richest, most sweetest part of this story is the redeeming power of our beautiful Savior, Jesus Christ. When we completely surrender our flesh and our will to the Man who made them, our “top coat” gets softer and softer, more and more moldable because of what God is doing inside us. Each time we want to rely on our own power to pull that all nighter or start a new ministry or pursue that girl or this guy, our flesh gets tougher in a really ugly way. But on the flipside, when we surrender our flesh to God and allow the Holy Spirit to be our Guidance and our Helper and our will, we’d be surprised how God would use that same all nighter as a praise for the King on high or that same new ministry in a way we never thought imaginable or God would bless that possible relationship. And it’s because God had grace enough to allow us to relinquish that binding control of our own will to the power of that same Holy Spirit that raised our Glorious Savior from the dead and added “three thousand souls” to the Kingdom of Heaven in a single day (Acts 2:41). It is because of our reliance on our flesh for the accomplishment of both the tiny and huge thing that restricts the power of the Holy Spirit in our life and the lives around us.
So stop using that belt! Instead, grow to be a fat Christian by consuming more and more and more and more of God. Since it's true that "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God," eat up! : ) Our Jesus is the Food our body is yearning for. Why willingly starve when there's a heaping plate of Jesus right in front of you?
So answer your call to live a life fully surrendered to the power of the Holy Spirit. Who needs a belt when God can keep your pants up? Get fat in Jesus and you wont even need a that to keep your pants from falling down.
The Choice
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2
Alright, so let's just be honest.
We don't have it all together. Isn't it true that half the time, we're blindly walking about our life without surrendering to the Holy Spirit's teaching? We don't know how to be Christians, friends, siblings, kids, spouses, students, Americans..
...so how do I figure these things out? To all those who are wondering how to be a [insert role here], we need to ask these questions (and in this order):
1. Have I told my Savior that I'm not or do not know how to fulfill(ing) this role?
2. Do I need to ask for forgiveness for not fulfilling this role by sinning? (ie. impurity in a relationship)
3. What steps towards repentance (life change after forgiveness) do I need to take?
4. How am I going to carry these steps out? (ie. I will not spend time alone with the opposite sex any more, I will not cheat on my wife anymore, I will set aside quality time for my friends, etc.)
5. What does the Bible say about these roles?
6. How am I failing to be like this?
8. How am I fulfilling this role?
9. Are there any biblical examples of this role around me?
10. Do I have any negative feelings towards this example? (ie. jealousy that I'm not like this example, bitterness that came as a result of this jealousy, etc.)
11. If I am harboring jealousy or bitterness towards this example, ask for forgiveness from 1. God, 2. the person. And 3., work towards moving that forgiveness to the next step: repentance against that kind of feelings towards people.
12. Am I observing this example with a watchful eye to see where/how he/she/they is/are biblical example(s) of this role?
13. Should I pray about asking this person/group of people to disciple me?
I think it begins there... We need to:
1. Make a daily, sometimes moment by moment, choices to surrender to the Holy Spirit's transforming power and die to the desires of our sinful flesh,
2. Ask for God's help, a good example of this role's help, and a role model's help,
3. Live a repentant life and choose to change, not repeat the same mistakes over and over again
4.and be very prayerful about this. It is God's will for us to be like His Son, but man's transformation has nothing on the Holy Spirit's transformation.
So fill in this sentence:
I want to be a godly [ ].
What are you going to do about it?
Change starts with surrender, happens through Holy Spirit transformation, and ends in Heaven. It's a life long process, but through our Savior's touch, progress can be made if we just let Him.
Alright, so let's just be honest.
We don't have it all together. Isn't it true that half the time, we're blindly walking about our life without surrendering to the Holy Spirit's teaching? We don't know how to be Christians, friends, siblings, kids, spouses, students, Americans..
...so how do I figure these things out? To all those who are wondering how to be a [insert role here], we need to ask these questions (and in this order):
1. Have I told my Savior that I'm not or do not know how to fulfill(ing) this role?
2. Do I need to ask for forgiveness for not fulfilling this role by sinning? (ie. impurity in a relationship)
3. What steps towards repentance (life change after forgiveness) do I need to take?
4. How am I going to carry these steps out? (ie. I will not spend time alone with the opposite sex any more, I will not cheat on my wife anymore, I will set aside quality time for my friends, etc.)
5. What does the Bible say about these roles?
6. How am I failing to be like this?
8. How am I fulfilling this role?
9. Are there any biblical examples of this role around me?
10. Do I have any negative feelings towards this example? (ie. jealousy that I'm not like this example, bitterness that came as a result of this jealousy, etc.)
11. If I am harboring jealousy or bitterness towards this example, ask for forgiveness from 1. God, 2. the person. And 3., work towards moving that forgiveness to the next step: repentance against that kind of feelings towards people.
12. Am I observing this example with a watchful eye to see where/how he/she/they is/are biblical example(s) of this role?
13. Should I pray about asking this person/group of people to disciple me?
I think it begins there... We need to:
1. Make a daily, sometimes moment by moment, choices to surrender to the Holy Spirit's transforming power and die to the desires of our sinful flesh,
2. Ask for God's help, a good example of this role's help, and a role model's help,
3. Live a repentant life and choose to change, not repeat the same mistakes over and over again
4.and be very prayerful about this. It is God's will for us to be like His Son, but man's transformation has nothing on the Holy Spirit's transformation.
So fill in this sentence:
I want to be a godly [ ].
What are you going to do about it?
Change starts with surrender, happens through Holy Spirit transformation, and ends in Heaven. It's a life long process, but through our Savior's touch, progress can be made if we just let Him.
Reflections on Psychology Class
I learned a lot in psychology class today. Here's a sum up of what Dr. C had to say about our feelings:
Since we're all human, it's safe to say that we've all gotten in trouble with our feelings, right? Whether it is frustration that turned into anger or sadness that turned into sorrow, our emotions grow. It is the same way with positive emotions, too. Feelings of happiness, love, or ambition can grow, too. It's like we've got these emotional balloons inside of us and the way we respond to life's curve balls either fills those balloons with air or depletes them.
"Rejoice evermore" 1 Thessalonians 5:16
"and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory" 1 Peter 1:8
The words in these verses indicate that God wants to expand our positive emotions. These verses do not imply dull, stagnant, or lifeless emotions. God wants us to rejoice evermore and to have such a joy that cannot be expressed in words!! That's the God we serve!! Choosing to blow up your rejoicing and joy balloons will force all the other negative feelings balloons.
In addition, God wants to constrict the negative emotions we feel. Psalm 27:1-3 says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? He Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies come upon me to eat my flesh...I shall not fear..." Proverbs 16:32 says, "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that can rule his spirit, take a city."
"Our feelings are the ultimate expression of our humanity. With our feelings, we can kill. With our feelings, we can love. This is why God gave to us the Sermon on the Mount. Are we willing to 'go the extra mile...to turn the other cheek...to love our enemies'? Get excited!! God wants to revolutionize our feelings!" Dr. Duane Cuthbertson.
Since we're all human, it's safe to say that we've all gotten in trouble with our feelings, right? Whether it is frustration that turned into anger or sadness that turned into sorrow, our emotions grow. It is the same way with positive emotions, too. Feelings of happiness, love, or ambition can grow, too. It's like we've got these emotional balloons inside of us and the way we respond to life's curve balls either fills those balloons with air or depletes them.
"Rejoice evermore" 1 Thessalonians 5:16
"and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory" 1 Peter 1:8
The words in these verses indicate that God wants to expand our positive emotions. These verses do not imply dull, stagnant, or lifeless emotions. God wants us to rejoice evermore and to have such a joy that cannot be expressed in words!! That's the God we serve!! Choosing to blow up your rejoicing and joy balloons will force all the other negative feelings balloons.
In addition, God wants to constrict the negative emotions we feel. Psalm 27:1-3 says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? He Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies come upon me to eat my flesh...I shall not fear..." Proverbs 16:32 says, "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that can rule his spirit, take a city."
"Our feelings are the ultimate expression of our humanity. With our feelings, we can kill. With our feelings, we can love. This is why God gave to us the Sermon on the Mount. Are we willing to 'go the extra mile...to turn the other cheek...to love our enemies'? Get excited!! God wants to revolutionize our feelings!" Dr. Duane Cuthbertson.
Who Let the Ducks Out?
"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:14-21
If you were to unload an armful of rubber duckies into a large, empty basin, they'd all fall to the bottom of the container. On their own, they'd never magically float up to the top or jump out of the basin. But just as soon as you fill the container up with water, the little duckies would float up and eventually, if you let the water flow over the basin's sides, they'd all make their way out of the basin.
It is the same way with us! Our hearts are full of rubber duckies and they're just sitting there, awkward and taking up space. These little duckies come masked as both good and evil, but really, they are all starkly out of place--gripped dreams, habitual sin, lack of surrender, out of place emotions, schedules, futures, burdens, etc. Our hearts were not meant to house rubber duckies, no matter how seemingly harmless they look!
So what do we do to kick this rubber duckies out? We know they don't belong, but they're pretty content to stay. Just like in the story above, the only way to get these [often invited] guests to leave is to douse them with water! They will have no choice but to float. But they're not going to move out if you sprinkle a little water here or a little water there. Your heart needs the consistent, daily flow of Living Water to rid itself of everything that does not belong. Spending time with God in Bible study, prayer, service, and Christian fellowship is like opening your heart to the floodgates of Heaven. Opening the Word of God is like asking for a tsunami. There is just no way around it!
Even the good things in our lives do not belong in our hearts. Every single thing EVER belongs surrendered at the foot of the cross and entrusted to the One who put it there.
If only we'd open up the Word and let the Living Water rush through our hearts, we'd stand before our Maker as a sopping wet creation, soaked in His love, soaked in His blood with little rubber duckies floating away from us. The Water would run through us and soak everybody within Love's distance and give them a glimpse of what it's like to taste and see that the Lord is good.
Isn't it time? Let the ducks out already. :)
If you were to unload an armful of rubber duckies into a large, empty basin, they'd all fall to the bottom of the container. On their own, they'd never magically float up to the top or jump out of the basin. But just as soon as you fill the container up with water, the little duckies would float up and eventually, if you let the water flow over the basin's sides, they'd all make their way out of the basin.
It is the same way with us! Our hearts are full of rubber duckies and they're just sitting there, awkward and taking up space. These little duckies come masked as both good and evil, but really, they are all starkly out of place--gripped dreams, habitual sin, lack of surrender, out of place emotions, schedules, futures, burdens, etc. Our hearts were not meant to house rubber duckies, no matter how seemingly harmless they look!
So what do we do to kick this rubber duckies out? We know they don't belong, but they're pretty content to stay. Just like in the story above, the only way to get these [often invited] guests to leave is to douse them with water! They will have no choice but to float. But they're not going to move out if you sprinkle a little water here or a little water there. Your heart needs the consistent, daily flow of Living Water to rid itself of everything that does not belong. Spending time with God in Bible study, prayer, service, and Christian fellowship is like opening your heart to the floodgates of Heaven. Opening the Word of God is like asking for a tsunami. There is just no way around it!
Even the good things in our lives do not belong in our hearts. Every single thing EVER belongs surrendered at the foot of the cross and entrusted to the One who put it there.
If only we'd open up the Word and let the Living Water rush through our hearts, we'd stand before our Maker as a sopping wet creation, soaked in His love, soaked in His blood with little rubber duckies floating away from us. The Water would run through us and soak everybody within Love's distance and give them a glimpse of what it's like to taste and see that the Lord is good.
Isn't it time? Let the ducks out already. :)
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