"But what is the ultimate good in the good news? It all ends in one thing: God himself. All the words of the gospel lead to him, or they are not the gospel. For example, salvation is not good news if it only saves from hell and not for God. Forgiveness is not good news if it only gives relief from guilt and doesn't open the way to God. Justification is not good news if it only makes us legally acceptable to God but doesn't bring fellowship with God. Redemption is not good news if it only liberates us from bondage but doesn't bring us to God. Adoption is not good news if it only puts us in the Father's family but not in his arms."
-John Piper, Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die
Monday, April 18, 2011
heart, soul, mind, strength.
Wrote this for my home church in reflecting on Christ's life and death this week.
Many of us are familiar with the Great Commandment. When Jesus is asked in the last week of his life which commandment is most important, he responds with, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these,” (Mark 12:29-31). In this simple and profound statement I find great encouragement. Christ is communicating that with Him, things are changing. In reflecting on the Old Testament and the old law, we find several commandments. This law was meant to show us our sin, to show the depth of our depravity before the Father. It was a law that could not be fulfilled by any person in history—until Christ came down in the flesh and lived a perfect and holy life. And what was his gift to us? Himself. Above all, He is asking us to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. The other commandments have not disappeared, but our motivation has changed. When we are seeking to know and love God more, obedience flows from a heart of praise to Him. We are not perfect, but we are being renewed to see and delight in the Lord, causing us to live lives pleasing to Him. Thus, our religion is not based on all we must do, but what Christ has done and is doing in us. This is a great and wonderful truth! Meditate today on the gift of God and think on what it means to love Him with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
hope of glory.
Aching right now for a place I've never been before. My home church supports an orphanage in Haiti, an opportunity that has been used by the Lord as a blessing to many. But, because of circumstantial issues surrounding the orphanage right now, I am reminded of the depth of human depravity, of the far-reaching effects of sin and brokenness in this world. It breaks my heart.
But light does shine through darkness. God is there in the midst of the broken. I see it in several ways, but the most powerful to me is the image of my dad and other members of the LCF body loving these children. My father, the man who has been by my side since I took my first breath and loved me and taught me and helped me grow, has several other children. Beautiful Haitian children. Because as we have received the spirit of adoption as sons (Romans 8:15), we all become family under One name. We should take great pleasure in loving and caring for brothers and sisters and widows and children in Christ. We are told in James 1:27 that, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." God cares deeply for the poor and oppressed. He hates injustice, He hates sin and its painful out-workings in this world. And as His children, we are called to love those who are also called His.
The darkness has not and will not overcome. And though suffering does exist, the Lord is still magnifying His name through the pouring out of His love on His people, to give to those in need. Not only do we have these glimpses of light, but we also have the hope of future glory.
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."
Romans 8:18-25
But light does shine through darkness. God is there in the midst of the broken. I see it in several ways, but the most powerful to me is the image of my dad and other members of the LCF body loving these children. My father, the man who has been by my side since I took my first breath and loved me and taught me and helped me grow, has several other children. Beautiful Haitian children. Because as we have received the spirit of adoption as sons (Romans 8:15), we all become family under One name. We should take great pleasure in loving and caring for brothers and sisters and widows and children in Christ. We are told in James 1:27 that, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." God cares deeply for the poor and oppressed. He hates injustice, He hates sin and its painful out-workings in this world. And as His children, we are called to love those who are also called His.
The darkness has not and will not overcome. And though suffering does exist, the Lord is still magnifying His name through the pouring out of His love on His people, to give to those in need. Not only do we have these glimpses of light, but we also have the hope of future glory.
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."
Romans 8:18-25
Saturday, April 2, 2011
center.
March 31, 2011
Tonite I heard a message that strikes a chord with where I’ve found myself lately. Thinking about what it means to live a life of radical abandonment to the glory of God. To repent of self-centeredness, to aim to make Christ the center. To love Him and love people.
These are simple callings. They look very different from the law of the Old Testament. They are straightforward, unadorned. But simple and easy are two different things. Christ, who has freely given me grace and abundant life in His name, is asking me to love Him and to love my neighbor as myself. And I want to. So why do I find myself in the same place over and over again? Proclaiming that I want to love and serve God, but living a life that is still very much my own?
Father.
Thank you that you are gracious and slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love.
I am unworthy to be called Yours. I am unfaithful. I am selfish. I am lazy. I hear what you’re asking me, but more often than not, I do not act obediently in love.
Break me. Break me of myself. Let me see your glory, and may it change me deeply. Bring me to my knees. Then mobilize me, fill my heart and mouth with praise to You.
I pray that my life would be evidence of the work YOU have done in it. I can claim nothing good as coming from me. All glory, honor, power is Yours.
trust.
March 15, 2011
Oh, Lord,
Why is it so hard to trust? Trust that YOU, Creator and Sustainer of everything, are plotting my course, directing my steps?
Why do I doubt and question along the way whether I really want your will for my life? Why can’t your will also be mine?
It’s because I’m clinging too closely to the things I know. The things I can see. And what I see is a whole lot of people making things happen for themselves. I try to follow suit. But I always come back to the place where YOU are. Distraught. Humbled. Wishing I had put all of my faith in YOU all along.
Thanks, Lord, for never leaving. Thanks for welcoming your wayward children with open arms after every time we try to walk on our own and stumble and fall. Thanks for picking us up, dusting us off, and offering us grace upon grace to bring us back home.
Read these words today that I’ve heard countless times, but they struck me with new sweetness and promise this afternoon:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.”
proverbs 3: 5-8
because I live.
Mach 1, 2011
Sunshine. Warmth.
Stands in stark contrast to the wintery cold that hung in the air just days ago. To the frost on my windshield and chill in my bones.
Now I see golden-light and feel the way the soft breeze meets my bare arms and feet, an unexpected but warmly-welcomed sensation.
Warmth.
I forget. Forget that it’s coming. Forget that there’s more. Get trapped in snow and ice and heaviness. Feel like that’s all there ever is.
And then this day comes. This glorious day. It catches me off guard, fills my heart with joy, reminds me that hope exists.
There is HOPE. When you’re hurting, when you’re wondering, when you’re seeking, when you’re waiting.
The Lord says in John 14: “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you…Because I live, you also will live.” We will never stay where we are for very long. Christ has made us His and given us life in His name. He is always faithful and good. So we have Him and eternity to look forward to.
Not a life of worldly pleasures that are fleeting and fade all too quickly. Not a life of riches and power and success. But a life spent knowing Him and making Him known. Seeing His beauty all around us, loving and being loved. Giving grace as we have received the greatest grace.
Because the grass withers and the flower fades, and so do we. Our lives are a breath. And when we shrink it down to those terms, it becomes clear that most things aren’t worth living (or dying) for. Christ, only.
sufficiency.
February 12, 2011
Lately I’ve been confronted by my own inadequacies. I’ve been doing my best to juggle various activities and homework and a job and people and my relationship with the Lord, and the truth is, I don’t always do it so gracefully. In fact, I drop a lot of balls.
I get overwhelmed, I get discouraged, and the devil creeps into my thoughts, seeking to attack every weakness (and there are several). Lately that has looked a lot like: FAILURE. Being convinced that I will fail. That it’s no use trying, because ultimately I will not succeed. And, hey, look at the people all around you, they are doing a lot better than you are. They’ve got it together. They’ll be okay. But you’re not like them. You can’t do it… It gets old very quickly. I get weary. And I start to become convinced of these lies that seek my destruction.
Praise the Lord, though, for His faithfulness to speak truth to me through His word! I have encountered this blessing several times recently, the first coming through Luke 18:9-14. Here Jesus tells the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector who go into the temple to pray. The Pharisee looks around him and says something like, “God, thank you that I am not like them, the sinners all around me. I have done good things for you.” But the tax collector could not even lift his eyes to heaven. His prayer was humble and simplistic, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” And the tax collector went away justified before God.
What I see here is that the Pharisee came before the Lord boasting, because he was comparing himself to the people around him, and thought that he was doing pretty well. But the hidden sin of his heart was PRIDE. The tax collector, on the other hand, saw himself in relation to the Lord rather than others recognized his complete and utter depravity before a HOLY God and begged God to have mercy on him. HE had it right. ”For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted,” (vs. 14).
2 Corinthians 3
“Are we beginning to commend ourselves again?” (vs. 1) Oh, let us never commend ourselves! For “Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant…” (vs. 4-6).
I take great comfort in the fact that my sufficiency comes from an all-powerful God, not my feeble heart. I don’t have to do or be anything great. But I can ask big things of a big God who desires to work in and through me. AND he will make me competent to do His work, to love and serve and share truth and light with the people around me. Which is ultimately all that matters.
Lastly, encouragement in Psalm 143:11-12
“For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life!
In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!
And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies,
And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies,
and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
for I am your servant.”
