One of my all time favorite worship songs, I can never get tired of it :)
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
We Never Go Into Battle Alone
This morning I read from the Max Lucado book, "Six Hours One Friday." Lucado, ever the masterful storyteller, paints this picture of sin's earthly debut:
"It came camouflaged. It came in a golden cup with a long stem. It was in the flavor of fruit. It came not in the hands of the king, but the hands of a prince-the prince of shadows. Until this moment there had been no reason to hide in the Garden. The King walked with his children and the children new their King. There were no secrets. There were no shadows.
Then the prince of shadows entered the Garden. He had to hide himself. He was too ugly, too repulsive. Craters marred his face. So he came in darkness. He came encircled in ebony. He was completely hidden; only hi voice could be heard.
'Taste it,' he whispered, holding the goblet before her. 'It's sweet with wisdom.'
The daughter heard the voice and turned. She was intrigued. Her eyes had never seen a shadow. There was something tantalizing about his hiddenness.
The King watched. His army knew the prince of shadows would be no contest for their mighty legion. Eagerly they awaited the command to attack.
But no command was given.
'The choice is hers,' the King instructed. 'If she turns to us for help, that is your command to deliver her. If she doesn't turn, if she doesn't look to Me-don't. The choice is hers.'"
...I will leave the rest of the story for you to read yourself, but the point I want to emphasize is at the end, when the zooms out of that scene in the garden, and focuses on the heavenly realms. There is, most definitely, an unseen army that stands at the ready to intercede and go to battle for us against the evil that tries to overcome us. How seldom we employ this 'legion.'
"...the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." 1 John 4:4
"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." 1 Corinthians 10:3-4
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12
All we need to do is turn to Him in our hour of struggle. Just say the word, and our Lord is swift to come to our rescue.
"No temptation has seized you except that which is common to man. And God is faithful, He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13
Next time you hear the hissing voice of the shadow, be slow to react. Don't take another step before you seek the discernement of the Lord, no matter how sweet and fruitful the fragrance is of what's being offered. And do not forget, His great and powerful army stands ready, mounted on their horses, swords drawn, all you need to do is say the words, "Lord, help me" and you will be saved. How it could have saved Eve! But always, the choice is yours...
"It came camouflaged. It came in a golden cup with a long stem. It was in the flavor of fruit. It came not in the hands of the king, but the hands of a prince-the prince of shadows. Until this moment there had been no reason to hide in the Garden. The King walked with his children and the children new their King. There were no secrets. There were no shadows.
Then the prince of shadows entered the Garden. He had to hide himself. He was too ugly, too repulsive. Craters marred his face. So he came in darkness. He came encircled in ebony. He was completely hidden; only hi voice could be heard.
'Taste it,' he whispered, holding the goblet before her. 'It's sweet with wisdom.'
The daughter heard the voice and turned. She was intrigued. Her eyes had never seen a shadow. There was something tantalizing about his hiddenness.
The King watched. His army knew the prince of shadows would be no contest for their mighty legion. Eagerly they awaited the command to attack.
But no command was given.
'The choice is hers,' the King instructed. 'If she turns to us for help, that is your command to deliver her. If she doesn't turn, if she doesn't look to Me-don't. The choice is hers.'"
...I will leave the rest of the story for you to read yourself, but the point I want to emphasize is at the end, when the zooms out of that scene in the garden, and focuses on the heavenly realms. There is, most definitely, an unseen army that stands at the ready to intercede and go to battle for us against the evil that tries to overcome us. How seldom we employ this 'legion.'
"...the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." 1 John 4:4
"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." 1 Corinthians 10:3-4
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12
All we need to do is turn to Him in our hour of struggle. Just say the word, and our Lord is swift to come to our rescue.
"No temptation has seized you except that which is common to man. And God is faithful, He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13
Next time you hear the hissing voice of the shadow, be slow to react. Don't take another step before you seek the discernement of the Lord, no matter how sweet and fruitful the fragrance is of what's being offered. And do not forget, His great and powerful army stands ready, mounted on their horses, swords drawn, all you need to do is say the words, "Lord, help me" and you will be saved. How it could have saved Eve! But always, the choice is yours...
Friday, August 20, 2010
8.15.10 Francis Chan Sermon
I really have a great respect for Francis Chan, author of "Crazy Love" and "Forgotten God." He was, up until recently, the pastor of a church out in California and a lot of his convictions, his interpretations of Scripture fall right into line with mine, so I've been listening to some older sermons of his a couple times a week for the past month or so. Anyways, this one below is pretty good. The first 15 minutes is "announcements" of sorts to the church, so you can skip over that if you want. The question he poses that I find really thought-provoking is, "If you started with the Bible, would you do church the same way?"
Towards the end of the sermon, I like how Francis Chan lists off Scripture of what God has called us to do/be as a church. Rather than just write down what he said, I decided to do a word search of my own and look through the references to make sure I wasn't stretching the passage to fit the topic. So below is a list of instructions for believer's in how we should treat/respond to/live with 'one another.' I think its really good to go down through and say them outloud and mentally consider if we are obedient to God in these.
"Be at peace with one another"
"Wash one anothers feet"
"Love one another"
"Be devoted to one another"
"Give preference to one another in honor"
"Live in harmony with one anohter"
"Be of the same mind with one another"
"Accept one another"
"Admonish one another with love"
"Greet one another with a holy kiss"
"Stop depriving one another"
"Wait for one another"
"Care for one another"
"Serve one another"
"Not challenging or envying one another"
"Restore one another in a spirit of gentleness"
"Bear one another's burdens"
"Show tolerance of one another"
"Be kind to one another"
"Forgive one another"
"Speak to one another with hymns and Spiritual songs"
"Submit to one another"
"Regard one another as more important than yourselves"
"Be truthful to one another"
"Comfort one another"
"Encourage one another"
"Seek after that which is good for one another"
"Not hating one another"
"Spur one another on toward love and good deeds"
"Not speaking against one another"
"Confess your sins to one another"
"Pray for one another"
"Be hospitable to one another"
"Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another"
"Have fellowship with one another"
Towards the end of the sermon, I like how Francis Chan lists off Scripture of what God has called us to do/be as a church. Rather than just write down what he said, I decided to do a word search of my own and look through the references to make sure I wasn't stretching the passage to fit the topic. So below is a list of instructions for believer's in how we should treat/respond to/live with 'one another.' I think its really good to go down through and say them outloud and mentally consider if we are obedient to God in these.
"Be at peace with one another"
"Wash one anothers feet"
"Love one another"
"Be devoted to one another"
"Give preference to one another in honor"
"Live in harmony with one anohter"
"Be of the same mind with one another"
"Accept one another"
"Admonish one another with love"
"Greet one another with a holy kiss"
"Stop depriving one another"
"Wait for one another"
"Care for one another"
"Serve one another"
"Not challenging or envying one another"
"Restore one another in a spirit of gentleness"
"Bear one another's burdens"
"Show tolerance of one another"
"Be kind to one another"
"Forgive one another"
"Speak to one another with hymns and Spiritual songs"
"Submit to one another"
"Regard one another as more important than yourselves"
"Be truthful to one another"
"Comfort one another"
"Encourage one another"
"Seek after that which is good for one another"
"Not hating one another"
"Spur one another on toward love and good deeds"
"Not speaking against one another"
"Confess your sins to one another"
"Pray for one another"
"Be hospitable to one another"
"Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another"
"Have fellowship with one another"
8.7.10 - Personal Reflection
It is an interesting thing to me when you live long enought to see connections in how God has allowed your life to be influenced. For instance, my desire to work with teenagers was birthed well before I ever was one myself. My tumultuous years as a teen has equipped me for this season of my life to work with them, empathize to some degree, and hopefully encourage and challenge them.
Likewise, my desire for God's Word was birthed well before I began my relationship with Him. As a nine year old I remember dusting off my father's old King James leatherbound Bible, starting "In the beginning" and usually not making it past "On the fifth day..." before giving up-but the desire was there. Our family didn't go to church or talk about God, but I knew it was an important book. Then as a 19 year old newlywed, I went back to Genesis 1:1 and prayed that God would excite me for His Word-and since then, those pages became like a gripping suspenseful page-turning novel in that I can't seem to get enough! I can't wait to see what the Lord is going to show me next! God is so faithful!!
I used to struggle quite a bit, and sometimes still do, over how the Lord convicts people differently in gray matters like alchohol, birth control, politics, etc. It would drive me crazy that other people weren't convicted like I am. As I write that the image pops up in my head of the lecture I am constantly giving my daughters when they want to tattle or boss one another, I say, "YOU worry about what YOU are doing!" Because the truth is we are each held accountable for our own actions. It is not for us to decide how one ought to be convicted. Now, there are definite wrongs and rights clearly discussed in God's Word, but for those gray areas-I have too much plank left in my own eye to get worked up about the sawdust in my neighbor's. Leave the convicting to the Holy Spirit.
That said, I am beginning to see definite connections throughout my life that lead me to believe God is calling me to live radically for Him. My convictions are deep. My interpretations of Scripture are such that I draw closer to Paul's proclamation "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things." (Philippians 3:8). That is to say, "what else matters?" I remember being 20 years old, newlywed, with a baby and having every financial "complication" stacked against me. I remember feeling an odd sense of joy in my circumstances that with an empty wallet came a humility that would/could bond my little family and somewhat force us to rely on the Lord. Ha. And I remember getting that "she is crazy" look from others for this view. As years have passed I've watched "good fortune" fall on a lot of people around me. They accumulate toys and wealth, success, etc. and the temptation is to envy them. Now, I want to pause a moment and say that I KNOW that I am EXTREMELY blessed, living on means that would be categorized under "ridiculously filthy rich" to most of the world. But in the context of middle-class America and the narrow-minded temptations we are challenged by to compare ourselves to other middle-classed Americans (which is just nonsense and foolishness), this is what we face. And in that, we would "seem" to be at a disadvantage. As years pass and the more I study Scripture, the more thankful I become that so much wasn't handed to me freely without having to work for it. Knowing my personality and prone to pridefulness, I tend to believe I would not respond well to it. What humility I have is because things have not gone my way. After all, "God does not tempt you beyond what you can bare..." I doubt I am strong enought to win the lottery and do right by it. haha. But seriously, the more I seek God, the less appeal the trappings of this world have on me and I'm so thankful for it!!! Pursuing such things always left me empty! Pursuing God-now there's a promise that delivers!!
So instead of constantly fighting my convictions I am learning to embrace them. I believe God will continue to refine me in this way, and I believe, by doing so, make me a little more Christ-like. :)
Likewise, my desire for God's Word was birthed well before I began my relationship with Him. As a nine year old I remember dusting off my father's old King James leatherbound Bible, starting "In the beginning" and usually not making it past "On the fifth day..." before giving up-but the desire was there. Our family didn't go to church or talk about God, but I knew it was an important book. Then as a 19 year old newlywed, I went back to Genesis 1:1 and prayed that God would excite me for His Word-and since then, those pages became like a gripping suspenseful page-turning novel in that I can't seem to get enough! I can't wait to see what the Lord is going to show me next! God is so faithful!!
I used to struggle quite a bit, and sometimes still do, over how the Lord convicts people differently in gray matters like alchohol, birth control, politics, etc. It would drive me crazy that other people weren't convicted like I am. As I write that the image pops up in my head of the lecture I am constantly giving my daughters when they want to tattle or boss one another, I say, "YOU worry about what YOU are doing!" Because the truth is we are each held accountable for our own actions. It is not for us to decide how one ought to be convicted. Now, there are definite wrongs and rights clearly discussed in God's Word, but for those gray areas-I have too much plank left in my own eye to get worked up about the sawdust in my neighbor's. Leave the convicting to the Holy Spirit.
That said, I am beginning to see definite connections throughout my life that lead me to believe God is calling me to live radically for Him. My convictions are deep. My interpretations of Scripture are such that I draw closer to Paul's proclamation "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things." (Philippians 3:8). That is to say, "what else matters?" I remember being 20 years old, newlywed, with a baby and having every financial "complication" stacked against me. I remember feeling an odd sense of joy in my circumstances that with an empty wallet came a humility that would/could bond my little family and somewhat force us to rely on the Lord. Ha. And I remember getting that "she is crazy" look from others for this view. As years have passed I've watched "good fortune" fall on a lot of people around me. They accumulate toys and wealth, success, etc. and the temptation is to envy them. Now, I want to pause a moment and say that I KNOW that I am EXTREMELY blessed, living on means that would be categorized under "ridiculously filthy rich" to most of the world. But in the context of middle-class America and the narrow-minded temptations we are challenged by to compare ourselves to other middle-classed Americans (which is just nonsense and foolishness), this is what we face. And in that, we would "seem" to be at a disadvantage. As years pass and the more I study Scripture, the more thankful I become that so much wasn't handed to me freely without having to work for it. Knowing my personality and prone to pridefulness, I tend to believe I would not respond well to it. What humility I have is because things have not gone my way. After all, "God does not tempt you beyond what you can bare..." I doubt I am strong enought to win the lottery and do right by it. haha. But seriously, the more I seek God, the less appeal the trappings of this world have on me and I'm so thankful for it!!! Pursuing such things always left me empty! Pursuing God-now there's a promise that delivers!!
So instead of constantly fighting my convictions I am learning to embrace them. I believe God will continue to refine me in this way, and I believe, by doing so, make me a little more Christ-like. :)
8.4.10 Acts 9:1-19
Saul's life and conversion to Christianity was so substantial! Saul was known for being zealous and a 'Pharisee of pharisees.' I tend to beleive that he and many others truly believed what they were condemning. They thought they were defending the truth from false teachers, but were in fact cruxifying God Himself and persecuting His followers. I've got to believe nobody in their right mind would believe Jesus was/is who He says He was/is would still put Him to death. I do imagine, however, some of the religious leaders had doubts. Perhaps their pride kept them from voicing their wonderings. Perhaps they would quickly snuff out their convictions as soon as they rose. I have been guilty of that all too often. Then, in pride, we turn our defenses all the way up instead of considering that we may be wrong-we get angry. At others.
Maybe that was Saul. Or maybe Saul never doubted his beliefs. Whatever the case, he was going to great lengths to persecute those who followed "the Way." And then "the Way" got in his way! Jesus, Himself, meets Saul on the side of the road, confronts him, blinds him, and sets him straight about who he's really hurting. Knowing, somewhat, of how the rest of Saul's life goes, I find it intriguing! Sometimes God uses other people in our life to reveal His Truth. Sometimes He uses circumstances to get our attention. This time Jesus comes down from heaven! And oh! Doesn't God love irony!! He turns the guy who was determiend to stop the spread of Christianity, and taps him to extend His grace to the Gentiles!!! He takes the persecutor and so changes his heart that 'Saul' would go on to willing become the 'persecutED'! Never say never with the Almighty-I can vouch for that!
Maybe that was Saul. Or maybe Saul never doubted his beliefs. Whatever the case, he was going to great lengths to persecute those who followed "the Way." And then "the Way" got in his way! Jesus, Himself, meets Saul on the side of the road, confronts him, blinds him, and sets him straight about who he's really hurting. Knowing, somewhat, of how the rest of Saul's life goes, I find it intriguing! Sometimes God uses other people in our life to reveal His Truth. Sometimes He uses circumstances to get our attention. This time Jesus comes down from heaven! And oh! Doesn't God love irony!! He turns the guy who was determiend to stop the spread of Christianity, and taps him to extend His grace to the Gentiles!!! He takes the persecutor and so changes his heart that 'Saul' would go on to willing become the 'persecutED'! Never say never with the Almighty-I can vouch for that!
7.29.10 Acts 6:1-15
Stephen was such a man of God! The disciples chose him to oversee some internal problems rising in the early church-along with six other people. But none of the other guys had the favorable description as Stephen did: "a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit."(v.5) Then in verse 8: "Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power..." and as he performed miracles and got some opposition, the Bible says, "they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke." Wow! And here's the icing on the cake: "All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel." (v.15)!! That the light of Christ would shine through someone so intently!!! How proud of him God must have been! This is my prayer-that I would walk so closely with my Savior that others would see it clearly in me before I've even said a word!
"While we may think of a balanced Christian life as an insipid life of moderation in everything we do, a biblically balanced life is a radical life, where we follow a revolutionary Lord in everything we do." -The ACTS NIV Application Commentary
"While we may think of a balanced Christian life as an insipid life of moderation in everything we do, a biblically balanced life is a radical life, where we follow a revolutionary Lord in everything we do." -The ACTS NIV Application Commentary
7.24.10 Acts 4:23-31
This passage is called "The Believer's Prayer" and I love it!!!!
So here are Peter and John, just returned from being jailed for telling others about Jesus. They return home on fire!!!!! How empowering it can be when we take a stand for Jesus Christ! I imagine they were excited and animated as they "reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them." (v.23) I also imagine that the crowd eagerly took it all in! And what was their reaction? To get mad? To sit around and gripe, gossip, and protest? Did they give in to fear and beeline out of the Sanhedrin? Nope! They prayed! Together! Automatically!! It was their 1st response! And my favorite part was what they prayed :) It wasn't for safety-they didn't say "Lord, keep us from harm's way!" No, instead they claimed God's sovereignty and prayed for boldness. They didn't hesitate, they prayed for more work to do in Christ's name :)
I just love their unity, "they raised their voices together in prayer to God." (v.24) And the Lord was swift to answer their prayers- v.31 says, "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God, boldly." Uh oh! :) Not what the priests and elders were hoping for! I can just imagine them dismissing Peter and John and reassuring themselves, "Maybe this whole situation will just disappear quietly." Haha. No. God is so good!
So here are Peter and John, just returned from being jailed for telling others about Jesus. They return home on fire!!!!! How empowering it can be when we take a stand for Jesus Christ! I imagine they were excited and animated as they "reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them." (v.23) I also imagine that the crowd eagerly took it all in! And what was their reaction? To get mad? To sit around and gripe, gossip, and protest? Did they give in to fear and beeline out of the Sanhedrin? Nope! They prayed! Together! Automatically!! It was their 1st response! And my favorite part was what they prayed :) It wasn't for safety-they didn't say "Lord, keep us from harm's way!" No, instead they claimed God's sovereignty and prayed for boldness. They didn't hesitate, they prayed for more work to do in Christ's name :)
I just love their unity, "they raised their voices together in prayer to God." (v.24) And the Lord was swift to answer their prayers- v.31 says, "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God, boldly." Uh oh! :) Not what the priests and elders were hoping for! I can just imagine them dismissing Peter and John and reassuring themselves, "Maybe this whole situation will just disappear quietly." Haha. No. God is so good!
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