"Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." -2 Corinthians 9:6-8
the phrase "good work" comes from the greek word "ergon," meaning a good deed, or to do something. this same greek word is used when mary annoints Jesus in mark 14:6. Jesus remarks that she has "done a beautiful thing to me," after one of the disciples questions her extravagant giving. mary was worshiping through giving an amazing gift to Jesus.
"good works" does not mean busyness. it means worship.
i pray that the Lord gives me (and you) the grace of giving this christmas.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
go listen to it
It always starts like this,
A harmless and simple thing to fix.
Contagious and spreading quick…Like cracks in ice,
Wholly claiming our lives while we sleep.
We’ll pray for Heaven’s floor to break,
Pour the brightest white on blackest space,
Come bleeding gloriously through
The clouds and the blue.
Forcing one place from two,
Killing formulaic views,
Only love proves to be the truth.
When heaven meets the earth,
We will have no use for numbers
To measure who are and what we’re worth.
When Heaven meets the earth,
We will have no need for mirrors
To tell us who to be and where we fit into this awkward point of view.
When angels meet the earth, may our bodies be light.
When angels meet the earth, may our heavy hearts untie.
When angels meet the earth, may our bodies be light.
May our bodies be light for you.
- Heaven Breaks, Sleeping at Last
A harmless and simple thing to fix.
Contagious and spreading quick…Like cracks in ice,
Wholly claiming our lives while we sleep.
We’ll pray for Heaven’s floor to break,
Pour the brightest white on blackest space,
Come bleeding gloriously through
The clouds and the blue.
Forcing one place from two,
Killing formulaic views,
Only love proves to be the truth.
When heaven meets the earth,
We will have no use for numbers
To measure who are and what we’re worth.
When Heaven meets the earth,
We will have no need for mirrors
To tell us who to be and where we fit into this awkward point of view.
When angels meet the earth, may our bodies be light.
When angels meet the earth, may our heavy hearts untie.
When angels meet the earth, may our bodies be light.
May our bodies be light for you.
- Heaven Breaks, Sleeping at Last
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
i will.
"I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."
Ezekiel 36: 25-27
i love that God promises to be the one to clean our hearts out of all the junk we put in them. coming from someone who is more than a little OCD about cleaning, its nice to be reminded that someone else is doing the complete and perfect work that i could never do. just when we feel helpless and frustrated to do what the Father has called us to, he reminds us that HE gives us the Spirit that enables us to obey.
the phrase "I will put/I will give" that is repeated over and over again in this passage correlates to the hebrew word "nathan," meaning to give, to put or to set in place. it is the same word used in Genesis 1 when it talks about God setting the sun, moon and stars in the heaven.
so the Father uses the same power to place His spirit in us that he used to create the universe.
that is amazing to me. really, really amazing.
"Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name." Ezekiel 36:22
Ezekiel 36: 25-27
i love that God promises to be the one to clean our hearts out of all the junk we put in them. coming from someone who is more than a little OCD about cleaning, its nice to be reminded that someone else is doing the complete and perfect work that i could never do. just when we feel helpless and frustrated to do what the Father has called us to, he reminds us that HE gives us the Spirit that enables us to obey.
the phrase "I will put/I will give" that is repeated over and over again in this passage correlates to the hebrew word "nathan," meaning to give, to put or to set in place. it is the same word used in Genesis 1 when it talks about God setting the sun, moon and stars in the heaven.
so the Father uses the same power to place His spirit in us that he used to create the universe.
that is amazing to me. really, really amazing.
"Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name." Ezekiel 36:22
Sunday, August 23, 2009
fear not
"It's fear that makes us do those slightly crazy, often inappropriate things. Fear that blurts out thoughtless, sometimes hurtful words. Because fear babbles. It freaks out. It searches frantically for explanations and solutions. It races around trying to fix things or, at the very least, figure things out....
For you see, difficulties can't separate us from God - only fear can. And fear in its purest form is really unbelief, the false conviction that 'God can't, God won't...so I must.' Faith on the other hand, chooses to believe that 'God can, God wants to, and God will...so I choose to trust Him with my life.' Can fear and faith coexist in the same person? Of course they can...and they do. As long as we live on earth, flesh-fed fear retains an influence. But the more we persist in faith, obeying God and opening our hearts to His love, the weaker fear becomes....
On those difficult, overwhelming days when I'm struggling with fear- when the waves of my failure obliterate my awareness of God's perfect love - I make a conscious choice to both repent and then believe I am forgiven in spite of what I feel. And not just forgiven, but cherished. Beloved. Protected. Held close with a love that far surpasses anything we could ever experience here on earth. "
-Joanna Weaver
For you see, difficulties can't separate us from God - only fear can. And fear in its purest form is really unbelief, the false conviction that 'God can't, God won't...so I must.' Faith on the other hand, chooses to believe that 'God can, God wants to, and God will...so I choose to trust Him with my life.' Can fear and faith coexist in the same person? Of course they can...and they do. As long as we live on earth, flesh-fed fear retains an influence. But the more we persist in faith, obeying God and opening our hearts to His love, the weaker fear becomes....
On those difficult, overwhelming days when I'm struggling with fear- when the waves of my failure obliterate my awareness of God's perfect love - I make a conscious choice to both repent and then believe I am forgiven in spite of what I feel. And not just forgiven, but cherished. Beloved. Protected. Held close with a love that far surpasses anything we could ever experience here on earth. "
-Joanna Weaver
"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us." 1 John 4:16
Monday, July 20, 2009
messengers of grace
"troubles in life are often messengers of grace." -lloyd shadrach
"I call out to you Lord, every day; I spread out my hands to you. Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do those who are dead rise up and praise you? Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in destruction? Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion? But I cry to you for help, O Lord, in the morning my prayer comes before you." Psalm 88
praise God that the answer to all those questions is a resounding 'Yes.' like mary and martha facing lazarus's death, my heart has asked God several times this month...Lord, where were you when that happened? and He responds the same: "I am the ressurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26).
the past few weeks have been full of very hard and heavy things for a lot of people i know. pray that God's grace can find its way through the cloud of troubles to heal their hearts... and mine.
"I call out to you Lord, every day; I spread out my hands to you. Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do those who are dead rise up and praise you? Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in destruction? Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion? But I cry to you for help, O Lord, in the morning my prayer comes before you." Psalm 88
praise God that the answer to all those questions is a resounding 'Yes.' like mary and martha facing lazarus's death, my heart has asked God several times this month...Lord, where were you when that happened? and He responds the same: "I am the ressurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26).
the past few weeks have been full of very hard and heavy things for a lot of people i know. pray that God's grace can find its way through the cloud of troubles to heal their hearts... and mine.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
"As for me, I have set my King."
we are going through psalms right now at church and sunday we explored the issue of kingship and how we often rebelliously seek what we think is 'freedom' from Jesus being king over us.
"But when they said, 'Give us a king to lead us,' this was displeasing to Samuel, so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: 'Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king...'
But the people refused to listen to Samuel. 'No!' they said. 'We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." 1 Samuel 8:6-7, 19-20
i love imagining what scenes like this look like. samuel's pride is wounded when the israelites tell him they want a king instead of a judge. the hebrew word for 'displeased' is ra'a', which can mean to injure, to be evil to, or to shatter/break. 'displease' just makes it sound like samuel is a little irritated, when in reality he is crushed and probably angry. yet the Lord is quick to remind him, "this story is not about you, its about Me."
Jesus please keep us from desiring to 'be like all the other nations' and trying to replace you with something less. thank you for reminding me on sunday: "As for me, I have set my King." (Psalm 2:6)
"But when they said, 'Give us a king to lead us,' this was displeasing to Samuel, so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: 'Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king...'
But the people refused to listen to Samuel. 'No!' they said. 'We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." 1 Samuel 8:6-7, 19-20
i love imagining what scenes like this look like. samuel's pride is wounded when the israelites tell him they want a king instead of a judge. the hebrew word for 'displeased' is ra'a', which can mean to injure, to be evil to, or to shatter/break. 'displease' just makes it sound like samuel is a little irritated, when in reality he is crushed and probably angry. yet the Lord is quick to remind him, "this story is not about you, its about Me."
Jesus please keep us from desiring to 'be like all the other nations' and trying to replace you with something less. thank you for reminding me on sunday: "As for me, I have set my King." (Psalm 2:6)
Sunday, June 28, 2009
looking for justice
Oswald:
"Looking for justice is actually a sign that we have been diverted from our devotion to Him. Never look for justice in this world, but never cease to give it... "
really cool film projects focusing on the injustice of poverty in the world. gerry straub says in the film that "...the suffering is there not because of God, but the suffering is there because of us... and our unwillingness to share. Christ isn't looking for us to give our spare change, he wants us to give our very lives."
"Looking for justice is actually a sign that we have been diverted from our devotion to Him. Never look for justice in this world, but never cease to give it... "
really cool film projects focusing on the injustice of poverty in the world. gerry straub says in the film that "...the suffering is there not because of God, but the suffering is there because of us... and our unwillingness to share. Christ isn't looking for us to give our spare change, he wants us to give our very lives."
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Soren Kierkegaard- won't you be my neighbor?
sometimes i flip through books that i have already read to re-read the pages i have underlined, dogeared, or otherwise mutilated.
today soren was a favorite:
"To love one's neighbor, therefore, means essentially to will to exist equally for every human being without exception. If then you meet the king, gladly and respectfully give him his due. You should see in him his inner glory, the equality of glory, the neighbor that his human magnificence only conceals. If you meet a beggar - perhaps suffering in sorrow over him more than he himself -you should nevertheless also see in him his inner glory, the equality of glory, the neighbor which his wretched outer garments conceal. Yes then, you shall see, wherever you turn your eye, your neighbor. In being king, beggar, scholar, rich man, poor man, friend, enemy, we do not resemble each other - in these ways we are all different. But in being a neighbor we are all unconditionally alike..."
"[and on how to love your neighbors]...to help another human being to love God is to love another person. "
today soren was a favorite:
"To love one's neighbor, therefore, means essentially to will to exist equally for every human being without exception. If then you meet the king, gladly and respectfully give him his due. You should see in him his inner glory, the equality of glory, the neighbor that his human magnificence only conceals. If you meet a beggar - perhaps suffering in sorrow over him more than he himself -you should nevertheless also see in him his inner glory, the equality of glory, the neighbor which his wretched outer garments conceal. Yes then, you shall see, wherever you turn your eye, your neighbor. In being king, beggar, scholar, rich man, poor man, friend, enemy, we do not resemble each other - in these ways we are all different. But in being a neighbor we are all unconditionally alike..."
"[and on how to love your neighbors]...to help another human being to love God is to love another person. "
Sunday, May 24, 2009
pray...without ceasing?
we are going through 1 Thessalonians at church and last night Lloyd preached on the passage of "Be joyful always; pray without ceasing; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thes 5:16-18)
he brought up that if we want to know God's will for our lives, we have three pretty plain commands right here. but, most people will eventually figure out that these things are impossible for anyone to do....except in Christ Jesus. most people forget the dependent clause on the end of that section and instead just focus on the holy "to do" list at the beginning of the passage. The point is Jesus. He was the only person who actually did all these things and we can only even attempt them with His help.
"Our thinking about prayer, whether right or wrong, is based on our own mental conception of it. The correct concept is to think of prayer as the breath in our lungs and the blood from our hearts. Our blood flows and our breathing continues 'without ceasing'; we are not even conscious of it, but it never stops. And we are not always conscious of Jesus keeping us in perfect oneness with God, but if we are obeying Him, He always is. Prayer is not an excercise, it is the life of a saint." -O. Chambers
he brought up that if we want to know God's will for our lives, we have three pretty plain commands right here. but, most people will eventually figure out that these things are impossible for anyone to do....except in Christ Jesus. most people forget the dependent clause on the end of that section and instead just focus on the holy "to do" list at the beginning of the passage. The point is Jesus. He was the only person who actually did all these things and we can only even attempt them with His help.
"Our thinking about prayer, whether right or wrong, is based on our own mental conception of it. The correct concept is to think of prayer as the breath in our lungs and the blood from our hearts. Our blood flows and our breathing continues 'without ceasing'; we are not even conscious of it, but it never stops. And we are not always conscious of Jesus keeping us in perfect oneness with God, but if we are obeying Him, He always is. Prayer is not an excercise, it is the life of a saint." -O. Chambers
Thursday, May 07, 2009
redeeming us from the system
"But our inclination to replace the King with a thing does not die easily. It rears its ugly head even when we search for answers in Scripture. We approach the Bible with a "where can I find a verse on blank " mentality. We forget that the only hope the principles offer rests on the person, Jesus Christ. And we forget that the Bible is not an encyclopedia, but a story of God's plan to rescue hopeless and helpless humanity. It's a story about people who are rescued from their own self-sufficiency and wisdom and transported to a kingdom where Jesus is central and true hope is alive.
We cannot treat the Bible as a collection of therapeutic insights. To do so distorts the message and will not lead to lasting change. If a system could give us what we need, Jesus never would have come. But he came because what was wrong with us could not be fixed any other way. He is the only answer, so we must never offer a message that is less than the good news. We don't offer people a system; we point them to a Redeemer."
- Paul David Tripp, Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands
Great great book. Looks like a counseling book at first (and is in a lot of ways), but turns out its extremely helpful if you have any sort of relationship with any other human being. Meaning... its pretty applicable for everyone.
We cannot treat the Bible as a collection of therapeutic insights. To do so distorts the message and will not lead to lasting change. If a system could give us what we need, Jesus never would have come. But he came because what was wrong with us could not be fixed any other way. He is the only answer, so we must never offer a message that is less than the good news. We don't offer people a system; we point them to a Redeemer."
- Paul David Tripp, Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands
Great great book. Looks like a counseling book at first (and is in a lot of ways), but turns out its extremely helpful if you have any sort of relationship with any other human being. Meaning... its pretty applicable for everyone.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
"...drop us off on 55th and keep us reading Vonnegut, point out now what we're careless of" -brendan james
Practicing an art, no matter how well or how badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.
-Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country
-Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country
Friday, April 24, 2009
delivered.
i am officially in remission as of 12:35pm today. no more tests, no more scans, no more injections, no more radiation....ever.
i feel like i can finally breathe.
i don't think i knew that i had been holding my breath for the past few years in anticipation for the next blow, but the freedom of deliverance is a wonderful thing that i am ready to embrace.
i am so thankful for all of you and grateful that jesus has allowed me to stick around for a while longer. praise God for his grace towards me and us all!
"You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy!" Isaiah 26:19
"Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.
For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave."
Psalm 86
i feel like i can finally breathe.
i don't think i knew that i had been holding my breath for the past few years in anticipation for the next blow, but the freedom of deliverance is a wonderful thing that i am ready to embrace.
i am so thankful for all of you and grateful that jesus has allowed me to stick around for a while longer. praise God for his grace towards me and us all!
"You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy!" Isaiah 26:19
"Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.
For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave."
Psalm 86
Thursday, April 23, 2009
update
so yesterday i drank some radiation with a plastic straw. out of a 3 pound metal cylinder.
i should have learned by now i need to bring my camera everywhere with me. seriously.
today, had my 30ish minute scan (shorter than usual!) where they wrap you up like a mental patient and put dots on your face. i dragged katie beth along for entertainment while i was stuck in the tube and we had a good time.
well, as good of time you can have when you can't talk or move in any way.
i'll get the results late today or tomorrow so i'm still on the diet and i'll update when those come in.
on a side note, something i've noticed over the past few weeks:
faithfulness.
not only has God been extremely gracious and faithful to me since all this began, but i am reminded of people's faithfulness to each other.
the waiting room is always a sobering place filled with people who are bald from cancer, in wheelchairs, people who look miserably sick. yet, they all have children or husbands or wives to love them. if you wonder if people stay married anymore, come sit in the waiting room with a couple in their 70s where he holds her hand and tells her she is beautiful even with no hair. that is faithfulness.
i have gotten insane amounts of phone calls and text messages from friends reminding me of their love. flowers, cards, emails... all tangible expressions of how i have amazingly faithful friends. old friends who have walked with me from the beginning of this and new friends to see me to the finish.
thank you. i love ya'll.
i should have learned by now i need to bring my camera everywhere with me. seriously.
today, had my 30ish minute scan (shorter than usual!) where they wrap you up like a mental patient and put dots on your face. i dragged katie beth along for entertainment while i was stuck in the tube and we had a good time.
well, as good of time you can have when you can't talk or move in any way.
i'll get the results late today or tomorrow so i'm still on the diet and i'll update when those come in.
on a side note, something i've noticed over the past few weeks:
faithfulness.
not only has God been extremely gracious and faithful to me since all this began, but i am reminded of people's faithfulness to each other.
the waiting room is always a sobering place filled with people who are bald from cancer, in wheelchairs, people who look miserably sick. yet, they all have children or husbands or wives to love them. if you wonder if people stay married anymore, come sit in the waiting room with a couple in their 70s where he holds her hand and tells her she is beautiful even with no hair. that is faithfulness.
i have gotten insane amounts of phone calls and text messages from friends reminding me of their love. flowers, cards, emails... all tangible expressions of how i have amazingly faithful friends. old friends who have walked with me from the beginning of this and new friends to see me to the finish.
thank you. i love ya'll.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
hope
i get so frustrated with myself this time of year when fear decides to take over my every thought as i go through my yearly tests. if i pass, this will be the last one. i want to be okay. i'm hoping that i will be.
but...our pastor said something at church this week that has been ringing in my head ever since:
hope isn't wishing nothing bad will happen to you.
we hope for things to turn out alright, when we should be hoping for the glory of God to be revealed in us. suffering ends up producing hope. not hope in ourselves, but hope in someone better...
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5: 1-5
but...our pastor said something at church this week that has been ringing in my head ever since:
hope isn't wishing nothing bad will happen to you.
we hope for things to turn out alright, when we should be hoping for the glory of God to be revealed in us. suffering ends up producing hope. not hope in ourselves, but hope in someone better...
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5: 1-5
Thursday, April 02, 2009
something to believe
http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/1711_i_will_never_believe/
jesus is so patient with those who have a hard time with belief. Belief that he is who he says he is. Belief that he loves them. Belief that he can be trusted with everything.
"Lord I do believe; Help my unbelief!" Mark 9:24
jesus is so patient with those who have a hard time with belief. Belief that he is who he says he is. Belief that he loves them. Belief that he can be trusted with everything.
"Lord I do believe; Help my unbelief!" Mark 9:24
Saturday, March 21, 2009
happy spring.
"See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth, the season of singing has come..." Song of Solomon 2:11-12
Monday, March 09, 2009
you can do as you please
so...Jonah and I have been hanging out for a while.
a while as in.... several years. we have gotten to know each other pretty well. yet the Lord still uses this little book to teach me new things all the time.
"Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own gods....the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. Then they cried to the Lord, 'O Lord, please do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O Lord, have done as you pleased.' Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him." Jonah 1:4-5, 13-16
most of the time when this phrase "the Lord has done as he pleased" is used, it is dealing with getting rid of our idols. Often situations arise that seem horrible, uncomfortable, disappointing or irritating - are situations where the Lord is removing things from our life that we value more than him. And when we finally recognize him for who he is, we'll finally get the point...he is God and he can do as he pleases.
"I know the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths." Psalm 135:5-6
"Our God is in heaven, he does whatever pleases him. But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands on men." Psalm 115:3-4
"To whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared? Some pour out gold from their bags and weigh out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down and worship it. They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Though one cries out to it, it does not answer; it cannot save him from his troubles...Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand and I will do all that I please." Isaiah 45:5-10
a while as in.... several years. we have gotten to know each other pretty well. yet the Lord still uses this little book to teach me new things all the time.
"Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own gods....the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. Then they cried to the Lord, 'O Lord, please do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O Lord, have done as you pleased.' Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him." Jonah 1:4-5, 13-16
most of the time when this phrase "the Lord has done as he pleased" is used, it is dealing with getting rid of our idols. Often situations arise that seem horrible, uncomfortable, disappointing or irritating - are situations where the Lord is removing things from our life that we value more than him. And when we finally recognize him for who he is, we'll finally get the point...he is God and he can do as he pleases.
"I know the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths." Psalm 135:5-6
"Our God is in heaven, he does whatever pleases him. But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands on men." Psalm 115:3-4
"To whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared? Some pour out gold from their bags and weigh out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down and worship it. They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Though one cries out to it, it does not answer; it cannot save him from his troubles...Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand and I will do all that I please." Isaiah 45:5-10
Saturday, February 21, 2009
anniversary
it blows my mind that it has been two years this weekend.
two years of freedom for me.
and of course God in his perfect timing brought about several stories this weekend of people who weren't so lucky. people who didn't make it. sad, horrible stories of families struggling to see God in the midst of their pain.
every time i heard one of these stories i felt like a bus hit me. my breath was taken away... to be reminded once more of God's kindness and grace and gentleness toward me. i know God is sovereign, but i still wonder sometimes why his hand of mercy was upon me.
me, instead of someone else.
maybe its God's way of reminding me of salvation. that although i (we) deserve to die, he lovingly chooses to save us.
two years of freedom for me.
and of course God in his perfect timing brought about several stories this weekend of people who weren't so lucky. people who didn't make it. sad, horrible stories of families struggling to see God in the midst of their pain.
every time i heard one of these stories i felt like a bus hit me. my breath was taken away... to be reminded once more of God's kindness and grace and gentleness toward me. i know God is sovereign, but i still wonder sometimes why his hand of mercy was upon me.
me, instead of someone else.
maybe its God's way of reminding me of salvation. that although i (we) deserve to die, he lovingly chooses to save us.
"Comfort, comfort my people, says your God
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for..."
-Isaiah 40:1-2
"In my anguish I cried to the Lord,
and he answered by setting me free."
Psalm 118:5
william fitzsimmons
I should not have hid where my heart can't follow,
'cause this grace gets so far and too hard to swallow.
I've been running from Saul, he's been giving chase;
when I look in his eyes, all I see is my face.
You're still on my back after all these years,
chasing me out of hell and my nice veneers.
I don't know how you stand when you've got no floor,
or how you can breathe with your hands on boards.
I just want to be not what I am today,
I just want to be better than my friends might say,
I just want a small part in your passion's play.
Do you hear when I call in the midst of wrong?
Do you hear these here words while I sing this song?
Are you caught up in me like I heard you say,
or just some big cashier that I'll have to pay?
Just want to be not what I am today,
I just want to be better than my friends might say,
I just want a small part in your passion's play.
-Passion Play
been finding a lot of good music lately.
'cause this grace gets so far and too hard to swallow.
I've been running from Saul, he's been giving chase;
when I look in his eyes, all I see is my face.
You're still on my back after all these years,
chasing me out of hell and my nice veneers.
I don't know how you stand when you've got no floor,
or how you can breathe with your hands on boards.
I just want to be not what I am today,
I just want to be better than my friends might say,
I just want a small part in your passion's play.
Do you hear when I call in the midst of wrong?
Do you hear these here words while I sing this song?
Are you caught up in me like I heard you say,
or just some big cashier that I'll have to pay?
Just want to be not what I am today,
I just want to be better than my friends might say,
I just want a small part in your passion's play.
-Passion Play
been finding a lot of good music lately.
Friday, February 13, 2009
encouraged to love
in honor of "valentimes" (that is for wimbo).....what does it look like to truly love someone in an unselfish way? encouragement can certainly play a part.
the book of acts talks about a guy named joseph who was incredibly encouraging to those around him. so much so that everyone started calling him barnabus (which means son of encouragement).
so barnabus encouraged people in a couple of different ways.
-he saw needs and met them:
"All the believers were in one heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales to the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. Joseph...whom the apostles called Barnabus, sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the feet of the apostles." -Acts 4:32-37
-he saw potential in someone and developed it
"But Barnabus took him [Paul] and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord has spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus." Acts 9:27
-he saw faith and encouraged/nurtured it
"...they sent Barnabus to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts." -Acts 11:23
whatever it looks like for you,
today i encourage you to love someone well.
the book of acts talks about a guy named joseph who was incredibly encouraging to those around him. so much so that everyone started calling him barnabus (which means son of encouragement).
so barnabus encouraged people in a couple of different ways.
-he saw needs and met them:
"All the believers were in one heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales to the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. Joseph...whom the apostles called Barnabus, sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the feet of the apostles." -Acts 4:32-37
-he saw potential in someone and developed it
"But Barnabus took him [Paul] and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord has spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus." Acts 9:27
-he saw faith and encouraged/nurtured it
"...they sent Barnabus to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts." -Acts 11:23
whatever it looks like for you,
today i encourage you to love someone well.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
song by sojourn...look them up.
Falling down upon our knees,
Sharing now in common shame,
We have sought security,
Not the cross that bears Your name.
Fences guard our hearts and homes
Comfort sings a siren tune.
We're a valley of dry bones;
Lead us back to life in You.
Lord we fall upon our knees,
We have shunned the weak and poor,
Worshipped beauty, courted kings
And the things their gold affords,
Prayed for those we'd like to know --
Favor sings a siren tune.
We've become a talent show;
Lead us back to life in You.
You have caused the blind to see,
We have blinded him again
With our man-made laws and creeds,
Eager, ready to condemn.
Now we plead before Your throne --
Power sings a siren tune.
We've been throwing heavy stones;
Lead us back to life in You.
We're a valley of dry bones
Lead us back to life in You.
We've become a talent show
Lead us back to life in You.
We've been throwing heavy stones
Lead us back to life in You.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
if you feel like being convicted....
read these:
http://www.generousgiving.org/page.asp?sec=101&page=407
good heart-check/kick in the face for me today. with everyone losing their jobs left and right, its easy to start thinking about stuffing money under our mattress or burying it in the backyard like they did in the great depression...having a biblical perspective can be difficult. scary really. but like everything else, the Lord calls us to overcome our fear of not being "secure" and trust that he will take care of it.
http://www.generousgiving.org/page.asp?sec=101&page=407
good heart-check/kick in the face for me today. with everyone losing their jobs left and right, its easy to start thinking about stuffing money under our mattress or burying it in the backyard like they did in the great depression...having a biblical perspective can be difficult. scary really. but like everything else, the Lord calls us to overcome our fear of not being "secure" and trust that he will take care of it.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
augustine's rhetoric
"Nevertheless, I would confess to you my shame, for your glory. Bear with me, I implore you, and give me the grace to retrace in my present memory the devious ways of my past errors and so be able to offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving."
"With you is perfect rest, and life unchanging. The one who enters into you enters into the joy of his Lord, and shall have no fear and shall achieve excellence in the excellent one. I fell away from you, my God, and in my youth I wandered too far from you, my true support. And I became a wasteland to myself."
-Augustine, Confessions
reading this book makes me realize how horribly lazy we are with our words. i definitely recommend it. for something written around 400 a.d it is totally relevant.
"With you is perfect rest, and life unchanging. The one who enters into you enters into the joy of his Lord, and shall have no fear and shall achieve excellence in the excellent one. I fell away from you, my God, and in my youth I wandered too far from you, my true support. And I became a wasteland to myself."
-Augustine, Confessions
reading this book makes me realize how horribly lazy we are with our words. i definitely recommend it. for something written around 400 a.d it is totally relevant.
Monday, January 05, 2009
ananias
Acts 9:10-11
"The Lord told him, 'Go to the house of Judas on straight street and ask for a man named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.'
'Lord,' Ananias answered, 'I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name. But the Lord said to Ananias, 'Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer in my name.'
Then Ananias went."
such an interesting example of obedience in a seemingly illogical situation. i too might be a bit hesitant to go talk to someone who might murder me...but when i drag my feet, the Lord certainly is faithful to remind me who he is ("Go!" with an exclamation point is pretty intense when it comes from God.)
if Ananias would have talked himself out of going to talk to Saul/Paul, would the rest of the bible have looked different? would the Lord have blessed someone else with the opportunity to witness to Saul/Paul? interesting how small decisions can make big differences.
"The Lord told him, 'Go to the house of Judas on straight street and ask for a man named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.'
'Lord,' Ananias answered, 'I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name. But the Lord said to Ananias, 'Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer in my name.'
Then Ananias went."
such an interesting example of obedience in a seemingly illogical situation. i too might be a bit hesitant to go talk to someone who might murder me...but when i drag my feet, the Lord certainly is faithful to remind me who he is ("Go!" with an exclamation point is pretty intense when it comes from God.)
if Ananias would have talked himself out of going to talk to Saul/Paul, would the rest of the bible have looked different? would the Lord have blessed someone else with the opportunity to witness to Saul/Paul? interesting how small decisions can make big differences.
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