This is one of my favorite Hymns! Take a second to think about it!
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
In Him,
Byrde
Monday, April 30, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
21 Ways to Comfort the Hurting
After the tragedy at Virginia Tech yesterday, one of my favorite bogs, Girltalk, linked to an article by John Piper. Piper wrote this article after the attacks on Sept. 11. Its title is: 21 ways to help the hurting. I thought this was a very effective outline to help reach out to people who have been hurt by tragedy…True, not many of us know anyone who was directly affected by the shootings, so just file this list away in your mind for the time when you CAN use it!
1. Pray. Ask God for his help for you and for those you want to minister to. Ask him for wisdom and compassion and strength and a word fitly chosen. Ask that those who are suffering would look to God as their help and hope and healing and strength. Ask that he would make your mouth a fountain of life.
James 1:5. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
Deuteronomy 32:2. "May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distil as the dew, as the gentle rain upon the tender grass, and as the showers upon the herb."
Proverbs 13:14. "The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn aside from the snares of death."
2. Feel and express empathy with those most hurt by this great evil and loss; weep with those who weep.
Ecclesiastes 3:1. "There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven . . . A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance. . . . A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing."
Romans 12:15. "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."
3. Feel and express compassion because of the tragic circumstances of so many loved ones and friends who have lost more than they could ever estimate.
John 11:33-35. "When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, 'Where have you laid him?' They said to Him, 'Lord, come and see.' Jesus wept."
Luke 19:41-44. "When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, 'If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.'"
Luke 7:11-17. "Soon afterwards He went to a city called Nain; and His disciples were going along with Him, accompanied by a large crowd. Now as He approached the gate of the city, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, 'Do not weep.' And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, 'Young man, I say to you, arise!' The dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. Fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying, 'A great prophet has arisen among us!' and, 'God has visited His people!' This report concerning Him went out all over Judea and in all the surrounding district."
4. Take time and touch, if you can, and give tender care to the wounded in body and soul.
Matthew 8:14-15. "When Jesus came into Peter's home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and waited on Him."
Mark 1:40-41. "And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, 'If You are willing, You can make me clean.' Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him."
Luke 10:30-37. "Jesus replied and said, 'A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, "Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you." Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?' And he said, 'The one who showed mercy toward him.' Then Jesus said to him, 'Go and do the same.'"
5. Hold out the promise that God will sustain and help those who cast themselves on him for mercy and trust in his grace. He will strengthen you for the impossible days ahead in spite of all darkness.
Psalm 34:18. "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit."
Isaiah 41:10. "Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."
Psalm 23:4. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."
2 Corinthians 1:3-4. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
2 Corinthians 1:8-9. "We do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead."
6. Affirm that Jesus Christ tasted hostility from men and knew what it was to be unjustly tortured and abandoned, and to endure overwhelming loss, and then be killed, so that he is now a sympathetic mediator for us with God.
Hebrews 4:15-16. "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted [or "tested" which makes the application larger!] in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Isaiah 53:3-6. "He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him."
7. Declare that this murder was a great evil, and that God's wrath is greatly kindled by the wanton destruction of human life created in his image.
Exodus 20:13. "Thou shalt not murder."
Genesis 9:5-6. "Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man's brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man."
Deuteronomy 29:24-25. "All the nations will say, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land? Why this great outburst of anger?' Then men will say, 'Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.'"
8. Acknowledge that God has permitted a great outbreak of sin against his revealed will, and that we do not know all the reasons why he would permit such a thing now, when it was in his power to stop it.
Deuteronomy 29:29. "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law."
Romans 11:33-37 "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen."
9. Express the truth that Satan is a massive reality in the universe that conspires with our own sin and flesh and the world to hurt people and to move people to hurt others, but stress that Satan is within and under the control of God.
Job 1:6, 12, 21-22; 2:6-10. "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. . . . Then the LORD said to Satan, 'Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.' So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD. . . [After losing all his possessions and his ten children Job says] 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD. Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God. . . . [After a second meeting in heaven] the LORD said to Satan, 'Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.' Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. . . . Then his wife said to him, 'Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!' But he said to her, 'You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?'"
Job 42:2, 11. "I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. . . . Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the LORD had brought on him.
Luke 22:31-32. "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."
2 Corinthians 12:7-9. "Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me - to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."
Compare the following two perspectives on the cause of Jesus' death.
Luke 22:3-4 "Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them."
Acts 4:27-28. "Truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur."
10. Express that these terrorists rebelled against the revealed will of God and did not love God or trust him or find in God their refuge and strength and treasure, but scorned his ways and his Person.
2 Thessalonians 3:1-2. "Finally, brethren, pray for us . . . that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith."
Galatians 5:6. "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, but faith working through love."
Galatians 5:16. "Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh."
James 4:1-4. "What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."
11. Since rebellion against God was at the root of this act of murder, let us all fear such rebellion in our own hearts, and turn from it, and embrace the grace of God in Christ, and renounce the very impulses that caused this tragedy.
Proverbs 3:5-6. "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 your paths straight."
Psalm 9:10. "And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You."
Psalm 56:3. "When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You."
12. Point the living to the momentous issues of sin and repentance in our own hearts and the urgent need to get right with God through his merciful provision of forgiveness in Christ, so that a worse fate than death will not overtake us.
Luke 13:1-5. "Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And Jesus said to them, 'Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.'"
Revelation 9:18-21. "[As a judgment of God] a third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. . . . The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols . . . and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts."
Revelation 16:8-9. "The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire. Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory."
13. Remember that even those who trust in Christ may be cut down like these thousands who were in New York and Washington, but that does not mean they have been abandoned by God or not loved by God even in those agonizing hours of suffering. God's love conquers even through calamity.
Romans 8:35-39. "Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, 'FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG, WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.' But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
14. Mingle heart-wrenching weeping with unbreakable confidence in the goodness and sovereignty of God who rules over and through the sin and the plans of rebellious people.
Lamentations 3:32 "For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion According to His abundant lovingkindness. For He does not afflict willingly Or grieve the sons of men."
Genesis 45:7 [Joseph said to his brothers who sinfully sold him into Egypt] "God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance."
Genesis 50:20 [Joseph says to his fearing brothers] "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive."
Other texts on the absolute sovereignty of God over all things: Ephesians 1:11; Isaiah 46:9-10; Lamentations 3:37; Amos 3:6; Proverbs 16:33; Exodus 4:11; 1 Samuel 2:6-7; 2 Samuel 12:15-18; John 9:2-3; James 4:15; 1 Peter 3:17; 4:19; Matthew 10:29.
15. Trust God for his ability to do the humanly impossible, and bring you through this nightmare and, in some inscrutable way, bring good out of it.
Romans 8:28. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
Lamentations 3:21-24. "This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. The LORD's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'Therefore I have hope in Him.'"
2 Corinthians 1:8-9. "For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead."
2 Corinthians 4:17. "Momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison."
16. Explain, when the time is right, and they have the wherewithal to think clearly that one of the mysteries of God's greatness is that he ordains that some things come to pass which he forbids and disapproves of.
The clearest example is his ordaining that his Son be killed.
Acts 4:27-28. "Truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur."
See the Appendix titled "Are There Two Wills in God? Divine Election and God's Desire for All to Be Saved," in The Pleasures of God (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Press, 2000), pp. 313-340.
17. Express your personal cherishing of the sovereignty of God as the ground of all your hope as you face the human impossibilities of life. The very fulfillment of the New Covenant promises of our salvation and preservation hang on God's sovereignty over rebellious human wills.
Mark 10:24. "The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, 'Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.' They were even more astonished and said to Him, 'Then who can be saved?' Looking at them, Jesus said, 'With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.'"
Jeremiah 32:40. "I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me."
Hebrews 13:20-21. "Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen."
18. Count God your only lasting treasure, because he is the only sure and stable thing in the universe.
Psalm 73:25-26. "Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
19. Remind everyone that to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21-23. "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. . . . I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better."
2 Corinthians 5:7-9. "We walk by faith, not by sight - we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him."
20. Pray that God would incline their hearts to his word, open their eyes to his wonders, unite their hearts to fear him, and satisfy them with his love.
Psalm 119:36. "Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to gain."
Psalm 119:18. "Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law."
Psalm 86:11. "Unite my heart to fear Your name."
Psalm 90:14. "O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days."
21. At the right time sound the trumpet that all this good news is meant by God to free us for radical, sacrificial service for the salvation of men and the glory of Christ. Help them see that one message of all this misery is to show us that life is short and fragile and followed by eternity, and small, man-centered ambitions are tragic.
Acts 20:24. "But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God."
Titus 2:14. "[Christ] gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds."
Philippians 1:21. "To live is Christ."
~God Bless~
Bug
1. Pray. Ask God for his help for you and for those you want to minister to. Ask him for wisdom and compassion and strength and a word fitly chosen. Ask that those who are suffering would look to God as their help and hope and healing and strength. Ask that he would make your mouth a fountain of life.
James 1:5. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
Deuteronomy 32:2. "May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distil as the dew, as the gentle rain upon the tender grass, and as the showers upon the herb."
Proverbs 13:14. "The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn aside from the snares of death."
2. Feel and express empathy with those most hurt by this great evil and loss; weep with those who weep.
Ecclesiastes 3:1. "There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven . . . A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance. . . . A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing."
Romans 12:15. "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."
3. Feel and express compassion because of the tragic circumstances of so many loved ones and friends who have lost more than they could ever estimate.
John 11:33-35. "When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, 'Where have you laid him?' They said to Him, 'Lord, come and see.' Jesus wept."
Luke 19:41-44. "When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, 'If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.'"
Luke 7:11-17. "Soon afterwards He went to a city called Nain; and His disciples were going along with Him, accompanied by a large crowd. Now as He approached the gate of the city, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, 'Do not weep.' And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, 'Young man, I say to you, arise!' The dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. Fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying, 'A great prophet has arisen among us!' and, 'God has visited His people!' This report concerning Him went out all over Judea and in all the surrounding district."
4. Take time and touch, if you can, and give tender care to the wounded in body and soul.
Matthew 8:14-15. "When Jesus came into Peter's home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and waited on Him."
Mark 1:40-41. "And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, 'If You are willing, You can make me clean.' Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him."
Luke 10:30-37. "Jesus replied and said, 'A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, "Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you." Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?' And he said, 'The one who showed mercy toward him.' Then Jesus said to him, 'Go and do the same.'"
5. Hold out the promise that God will sustain and help those who cast themselves on him for mercy and trust in his grace. He will strengthen you for the impossible days ahead in spite of all darkness.
Psalm 34:18. "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit."
Isaiah 41:10. "Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."
Psalm 23:4. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."
2 Corinthians 1:3-4. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
2 Corinthians 1:8-9. "We do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead."
6. Affirm that Jesus Christ tasted hostility from men and knew what it was to be unjustly tortured and abandoned, and to endure overwhelming loss, and then be killed, so that he is now a sympathetic mediator for us with God.
Hebrews 4:15-16. "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted [or "tested" which makes the application larger!] in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Isaiah 53:3-6. "He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him."
7. Declare that this murder was a great evil, and that God's wrath is greatly kindled by the wanton destruction of human life created in his image.
Exodus 20:13. "Thou shalt not murder."
Genesis 9:5-6. "Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man's brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man."
Deuteronomy 29:24-25. "All the nations will say, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land? Why this great outburst of anger?' Then men will say, 'Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.'"
8. Acknowledge that God has permitted a great outbreak of sin against his revealed will, and that we do not know all the reasons why he would permit such a thing now, when it was in his power to stop it.
Deuteronomy 29:29. "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law."
Romans 11:33-37 "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen."
9. Express the truth that Satan is a massive reality in the universe that conspires with our own sin and flesh and the world to hurt people and to move people to hurt others, but stress that Satan is within and under the control of God.
Job 1:6, 12, 21-22; 2:6-10. "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. . . . Then the LORD said to Satan, 'Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.' So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD. . . [After losing all his possessions and his ten children Job says] 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD. Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God. . . . [After a second meeting in heaven] the LORD said to Satan, 'Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.' Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. . . . Then his wife said to him, 'Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!' But he said to her, 'You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?'"
Job 42:2, 11. "I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. . . . Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the LORD had brought on him.
Luke 22:31-32. "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."
2 Corinthians 12:7-9. "Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me - to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."
Compare the following two perspectives on the cause of Jesus' death.
Luke 22:3-4 "Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them."
Acts 4:27-28. "Truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur."
10. Express that these terrorists rebelled against the revealed will of God and did not love God or trust him or find in God their refuge and strength and treasure, but scorned his ways and his Person.
2 Thessalonians 3:1-2. "Finally, brethren, pray for us . . . that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith."
Galatians 5:6. "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, but faith working through love."
Galatians 5:16. "Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh."
James 4:1-4. "What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."
11. Since rebellion against God was at the root of this act of murder, let us all fear such rebellion in our own hearts, and turn from it, and embrace the grace of God in Christ, and renounce the very impulses that caused this tragedy.
Proverbs 3:5-6. "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 your paths straight."
Psalm 9:10. "And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You."
Psalm 56:3. "When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You."
12. Point the living to the momentous issues of sin and repentance in our own hearts and the urgent need to get right with God through his merciful provision of forgiveness in Christ, so that a worse fate than death will not overtake us.
Luke 13:1-5. "Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And Jesus said to them, 'Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.'"
Revelation 9:18-21. "[As a judgment of God] a third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. . . . The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols . . . and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts."
Revelation 16:8-9. "The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire. Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory."
13. Remember that even those who trust in Christ may be cut down like these thousands who were in New York and Washington, but that does not mean they have been abandoned by God or not loved by God even in those agonizing hours of suffering. God's love conquers even through calamity.
Romans 8:35-39. "Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, 'FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG, WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.' But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
14. Mingle heart-wrenching weeping with unbreakable confidence in the goodness and sovereignty of God who rules over and through the sin and the plans of rebellious people.
Lamentations 3:32 "For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion According to His abundant lovingkindness. For He does not afflict willingly Or grieve the sons of men."
Genesis 45:7 [Joseph said to his brothers who sinfully sold him into Egypt] "God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance."
Genesis 50:20 [Joseph says to his fearing brothers] "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive."
Other texts on the absolute sovereignty of God over all things: Ephesians 1:11; Isaiah 46:9-10; Lamentations 3:37; Amos 3:6; Proverbs 16:33; Exodus 4:11; 1 Samuel 2:6-7; 2 Samuel 12:15-18; John 9:2-3; James 4:15; 1 Peter 3:17; 4:19; Matthew 10:29.
15. Trust God for his ability to do the humanly impossible, and bring you through this nightmare and, in some inscrutable way, bring good out of it.
Romans 8:28. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
Lamentations 3:21-24. "This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. The LORD's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'Therefore I have hope in Him.'"
2 Corinthians 1:8-9. "For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead."
2 Corinthians 4:17. "Momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison."
16. Explain, when the time is right, and they have the wherewithal to think clearly that one of the mysteries of God's greatness is that he ordains that some things come to pass which he forbids and disapproves of.
The clearest example is his ordaining that his Son be killed.
Acts 4:27-28. "Truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur."
See the Appendix titled "Are There Two Wills in God? Divine Election and God's Desire for All to Be Saved," in The Pleasures of God (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Press, 2000), pp. 313-340.
17. Express your personal cherishing of the sovereignty of God as the ground of all your hope as you face the human impossibilities of life. The very fulfillment of the New Covenant promises of our salvation and preservation hang on God's sovereignty over rebellious human wills.
Mark 10:24. "The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, 'Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.' They were even more astonished and said to Him, 'Then who can be saved?' Looking at them, Jesus said, 'With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.'"
Jeremiah 32:40. "I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me."
Hebrews 13:20-21. "Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen."
18. Count God your only lasting treasure, because he is the only sure and stable thing in the universe.
Psalm 73:25-26. "Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
19. Remind everyone that to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21-23. "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. . . . I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better."
2 Corinthians 5:7-9. "We walk by faith, not by sight - we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him."
20. Pray that God would incline their hearts to his word, open their eyes to his wonders, unite their hearts to fear him, and satisfy them with his love.
Psalm 119:36. "Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to gain."
Psalm 119:18. "Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law."
Psalm 86:11. "Unite my heart to fear Your name."
Psalm 90:14. "O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days."
21. At the right time sound the trumpet that all this good news is meant by God to free us for radical, sacrificial service for the salvation of men and the glory of Christ. Help them see that one message of all this misery is to show us that life is short and fragile and followed by eternity, and small, man-centered ambitions are tragic.
Acts 20:24. "But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God."
Titus 2:14. "[Christ] gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds."
Philippians 1:21. "To live is Christ."
~God Bless~
Bug
Quote
This is an excerpt from a sermon by John Piper called The Beautiful Faith of Fearless Submission. It is more for married women, but I think there is something for all of us to learn! And might as well start learning to submit now, because as we all know, it is no easy task to learn!
“The deepest root of Christian womanhood mentioned in this text is hope in God. “Holy women who hoped in God.” A Christian woman does not put her hope in her husband, or in getting a husband. She does not put her hope in her looks. She puts her hope in the promises of God. She is described in Proverbs 31:25: “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.” She laughs at everything the future will bring and might bring, because she hopes in God. She looks away from the troubles and miseries and obstacles of life that seem to make the future bleak, and she focuses her attention on the sovereign power and love of God who rules in heaven and does on earth whatever he pleases. She knows her Bible, and she knows her theology of the sovereignty of God, and she knows his promise that he will be with her and help her strengthen her no matter what. This is the deep, unshakable root of Christian womanhood. And Peter makes it explicit in verse 5. He is not talking about just any women. He is talking about women with unshakable biblical roots in the sovereign goodness of God—holy women who hope in God.” –John Piper
blessings,
~becca~
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2007/2088_The_Beautiful_Faith_of_Fearless_Submission/
“The deepest root of Christian womanhood mentioned in this text is hope in God. “Holy women who hoped in God.” A Christian woman does not put her hope in her husband, or in getting a husband. She does not put her hope in her looks. She puts her hope in the promises of God. She is described in Proverbs 31:25: “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.” She laughs at everything the future will bring and might bring, because she hopes in God. She looks away from the troubles and miseries and obstacles of life that seem to make the future bleak, and she focuses her attention on the sovereign power and love of God who rules in heaven and does on earth whatever he pleases. She knows her Bible, and she knows her theology of the sovereignty of God, and she knows his promise that he will be with her and help her strengthen her no matter what. This is the deep, unshakable root of Christian womanhood. And Peter makes it explicit in verse 5. He is not talking about just any women. He is talking about women with unshakable biblical roots in the sovereign goodness of God—holy women who hope in God.” –John Piper
blessings,
~becca~
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2007/2088_The_Beautiful_Faith_of_Fearless_Submission/
Friday, March 30, 2007
Trust
Trusting God -
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5
The Scriptures are replete with references and admonishments to trust the Lord. Psalms and Proverbs especially abound with the righteous casting their reliance upon God as an example to all of us: Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him (Ps. 2:12); Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord (4:5); [L]et all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice (5:11); O Lord my God, in Thee do I put my trust (7:1); And they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee: for thou, Lord, has not forsaken them that seek Thee (9:10); O Thou that savest by Thy right hand them which put their trust in Thee from those that rise up against them (17:7); As for God... He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him (18:30); The Lord redeemeth the soul of His servants: and none of them that trust in Him shall be desolate (34:22); Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (37:3); Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass (37:5); It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes (118:8-9); Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help (146:3); The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe (Prov. 29:25). Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him (Prov. 30:5).Since the references to trusting in God are so abundant, might it be that a good portion of our personal tribulation, trials, setbacks, confusion, lack of peace, and misdirection is stemming from a lack of trust in the Lord? The Scriptures tell us that it is far better to trust in the Lord than to rely upon anything else. We cannot trust in ourselves. We cannot put our trust in man; and we certainly cannot rely upon our own understanding. In all our ways we must acknowledge Him, and He shall bring things to pass as well as direct our paths.For our study, we will focus on the relying upon our own understanding. In the modern era of American material comfort, this is our more likely stumbling block. Our tendency is to lean upon our own understanding, and this temptation is perfectly reasonable to "rational" man.Everything we encounter in life appears to operate and function by some kind of law or system. We have absolute confidence that the lights will turn on when we flip the switch; that our clock radios will awaken us; that our cars will start; that other people will try to be as considerate as we are; that Winter will follow Fall; that our hearts will beat; our eyes blink; and that everything eventually goes on sale! In short, life appears routine and regulated in every aspect. We only get bent out of shape when those natural processes are interrupted.It's very easy to lose sight of the absolute control of God in all things when the world appears to operate automatically. This was Israel's danger when they entered the Promised Land. God warned them that after they labored hard to build houses, plant vineyards, and harvest the land, they would say to themselves: "My power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth" (Deut. 8:17). Since their provision would no longer be falling out of the sky like the manna they would be tempted to think their provision came only by the sweat of their brow.But God was clear to Israel in stating the true source of all that they would inherit: "[T]hou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth" (Deut. 8:18). The Hebrew word for power being used here is kowach and it means force, vigor, or capacity to produce. Our ability to produce anything; whether it be cars, food, highways, houses, families, wealth, art, etc., is all derivative of God Himself. It is in Him that we live, move, and have our being (Acts. 17:28).If we were honest with ourselves, we would admit that we are very much like the Israelites who forgot the source of their wealth. It's not that we cease to love God, or lost our desire to serve Him. It's that we still accept a very "natural" way of looking at the world. We still assume a very natural order that seems to operate outside of God. We therefore tend to pray more when the natural order stops operating according to our liking. When the system breaks down, we feel we need God to do something "super-natural", i.e. God has to step in to help out the natural order.However, the world does not work that way. In fact, the Biblical writers provide us a much different picture of the way the world works:
He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate -- bringing forth food from the earth: These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. Ps. 104:10-14, 27-30
What appears to be as natural as springs flowing or grass growing is really the power of God sustaining all of creation. This is the heart of why the Scriptures encourage us to trust the Lord. If there is no "natural order" per se, wouldn't it be wrong to trust in it? If the natural world is directly controlled and sustained by God, wouldn't it be proper to trust in Him?This is also why you cannot lean upon man, princes, or your own understanding. Not yourself, not other people or leaders, nor anything else can possibly sustain us since they themselves are sustained by God. All things work together for His good purpose (Rom. 8:28), and He works all things after the counsel of His own will (Eph. 1:11). Nothing under heaven can stand on its own. Even gravity and every other so-called "law of nature" is simply the consistent way that God operates the world. To think otherwise is to move toward deism, i.e. the belief in the existence of a supreme being who does not intervene in the universe.Living a life of trust in God requires a simple practicality. First, it begins with viewing the world Biblically. We have to embrace the Scriptural testimony -- despite the way things appear -- that the world does not run on its own steam, but is sustained in all ways by God's active will. Second, we must train ourselves to "dis-trust" our own understanding. If you want to doubt something, doubt your own interpretation of your circumstances. This does not mean we turn our minds off. We need our "understanding" to do everything from a math problem to cooking dinner. The understanding we don't lean upon is our tendency to view the world unbiblically.Lastly, we must learn to stay our minds upon God. This is the ultimate expression of trust:
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. (Isaiah 26:3-4)
By staying our minds upon the Lord we are taking them off ourselves, our circumstances, and the natural order. Isaiah said to trust the lord "forever." The obvious meaning here is that trusting God is an eternal practice, and one that we should get used to sooner rather than later.Things You Can Do:
1. Ask God to teach you about trusting Him.
2. Start viewing the world as "un-natural" -- meaning "God-controlled." You can do this by reading and meditating on chapters like Psalm 104.
3. Start training your mind to stay upon God. The more you're thinking about God, the less you're thinking about your circumstances. Again, this is the greatest expression of our personal trust in God.
God Bless,
Bug
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5
The Scriptures are replete with references and admonishments to trust the Lord. Psalms and Proverbs especially abound with the righteous casting their reliance upon God as an example to all of us: Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him (Ps. 2:12); Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord (4:5); [L]et all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice (5:11); O Lord my God, in Thee do I put my trust (7:1); And they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee: for thou, Lord, has not forsaken them that seek Thee (9:10); O Thou that savest by Thy right hand them which put their trust in Thee from those that rise up against them (17:7); As for God... He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him (18:30); The Lord redeemeth the soul of His servants: and none of them that trust in Him shall be desolate (34:22); Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (37:3); Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass (37:5); It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes (118:8-9); Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help (146:3); The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe (Prov. 29:25). Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him (Prov. 30:5).Since the references to trusting in God are so abundant, might it be that a good portion of our personal tribulation, trials, setbacks, confusion, lack of peace, and misdirection is stemming from a lack of trust in the Lord? The Scriptures tell us that it is far better to trust in the Lord than to rely upon anything else. We cannot trust in ourselves. We cannot put our trust in man; and we certainly cannot rely upon our own understanding. In all our ways we must acknowledge Him, and He shall bring things to pass as well as direct our paths.For our study, we will focus on the relying upon our own understanding. In the modern era of American material comfort, this is our more likely stumbling block. Our tendency is to lean upon our own understanding, and this temptation is perfectly reasonable to "rational" man.Everything we encounter in life appears to operate and function by some kind of law or system. We have absolute confidence that the lights will turn on when we flip the switch; that our clock radios will awaken us; that our cars will start; that other people will try to be as considerate as we are; that Winter will follow Fall; that our hearts will beat; our eyes blink; and that everything eventually goes on sale! In short, life appears routine and regulated in every aspect. We only get bent out of shape when those natural processes are interrupted.It's very easy to lose sight of the absolute control of God in all things when the world appears to operate automatically. This was Israel's danger when they entered the Promised Land. God warned them that after they labored hard to build houses, plant vineyards, and harvest the land, they would say to themselves: "My power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth" (Deut. 8:17). Since their provision would no longer be falling out of the sky like the manna they would be tempted to think their provision came only by the sweat of their brow.But God was clear to Israel in stating the true source of all that they would inherit: "[T]hou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth" (Deut. 8:18). The Hebrew word for power being used here is kowach and it means force, vigor, or capacity to produce. Our ability to produce anything; whether it be cars, food, highways, houses, families, wealth, art, etc., is all derivative of God Himself. It is in Him that we live, move, and have our being (Acts. 17:28).If we were honest with ourselves, we would admit that we are very much like the Israelites who forgot the source of their wealth. It's not that we cease to love God, or lost our desire to serve Him. It's that we still accept a very "natural" way of looking at the world. We still assume a very natural order that seems to operate outside of God. We therefore tend to pray more when the natural order stops operating according to our liking. When the system breaks down, we feel we need God to do something "super-natural", i.e. God has to step in to help out the natural order.However, the world does not work that way. In fact, the Biblical writers provide us a much different picture of the way the world works:
He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate -- bringing forth food from the earth: These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. Ps. 104:10-14, 27-30
What appears to be as natural as springs flowing or grass growing is really the power of God sustaining all of creation. This is the heart of why the Scriptures encourage us to trust the Lord. If there is no "natural order" per se, wouldn't it be wrong to trust in it? If the natural world is directly controlled and sustained by God, wouldn't it be proper to trust in Him?This is also why you cannot lean upon man, princes, or your own understanding. Not yourself, not other people or leaders, nor anything else can possibly sustain us since they themselves are sustained by God. All things work together for His good purpose (Rom. 8:28), and He works all things after the counsel of His own will (Eph. 1:11). Nothing under heaven can stand on its own. Even gravity and every other so-called "law of nature" is simply the consistent way that God operates the world. To think otherwise is to move toward deism, i.e. the belief in the existence of a supreme being who does not intervene in the universe.Living a life of trust in God requires a simple practicality. First, it begins with viewing the world Biblically. We have to embrace the Scriptural testimony -- despite the way things appear -- that the world does not run on its own steam, but is sustained in all ways by God's active will. Second, we must train ourselves to "dis-trust" our own understanding. If you want to doubt something, doubt your own interpretation of your circumstances. This does not mean we turn our minds off. We need our "understanding" to do everything from a math problem to cooking dinner. The understanding we don't lean upon is our tendency to view the world unbiblically.Lastly, we must learn to stay our minds upon God. This is the ultimate expression of trust:
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. (Isaiah 26:3-4)
By staying our minds upon the Lord we are taking them off ourselves, our circumstances, and the natural order. Isaiah said to trust the lord "forever." The obvious meaning here is that trusting God is an eternal practice, and one that we should get used to sooner rather than later.Things You Can Do:
1. Ask God to teach you about trusting Him.
2. Start viewing the world as "un-natural" -- meaning "God-controlled." You can do this by reading and meditating on chapters like Psalm 104.
3. Start training your mind to stay upon God. The more you're thinking about God, the less you're thinking about your circumstances. Again, this is the greatest expression of our personal trust in God.
God Bless,
Bug
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Singleness III
Contentment -
This post really could apply to all areas of life, but I think it is a major part of being single! It is so hard to always be content. We strive every day to be joyful in our circumstances, and not pout, whine, or hold a pity party for ourselves. Let’s look at what the Bible has to say about being content.
Philippians 4:11-13 says, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”
So, what is the secret that Paul has found? I believe the answer lies in the passage above.
Philippians 4:4-7 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Consider also the last sentence of the previous verse I quoted: I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. What’s the secret? Remembering that the Lord is near, He is our sympathetic high priest, and we can rely on Him to give us strength through every circumstance. So why be discontent? Have you not been given everything through Christ? Discontentment is a very serious issue, and one of the biggest things I struggle with. Discontentment is really saying this to God:
My plans are better then Yours.
I want to do things my way.
I’m sick of waiting for the plans You have for my life, I want them now.
I do not trust that You have a better plan for me then I could ever come up with.
I am forgetting that RIGHT NOW is part of Your plan for me.
I want to hurry up, skip this season and get on with life. God, speed up. I want You to do things in MY time, not Yours.
I’m forgetting to look at how I can grow NOW, bless others NOW, mature NOW, be close to You NOW, but I want something else.
In this case, something else is a husband. A boyfriend. A companion. Those who are discontent in this area are looking RIGHT PAST our Savior, the Lover of our Soul, the Treasure of the universe, and saying He is not enough. He isn’t enough to satisfy our souls. He isn’t enough to fill us with contentment and joy.
Let me balance this out a little so you do not think I am against marriage or anything! Marriage is God’s beautiful design. Don’t get me wrong. I want to be married someday. I want to have a husband and a wheelbarrow full of kids. But, I am way too young. I’m not even out of highschool, let alone mature enough to make a wise choice about marriage or be ready to have a family. It is good to have goals in life, to have dreams, and aspirations. But I caution you, do not be too focused on tomorrow that you lose sight of today. TODAY is the day God has given you. You may not get tomorrow. You may die before you even finish reading this post. Morbid, but true. You are never guaranteed another breath. Imagine you die, go to heaven, and God says, “What did you do for Me on earth?” What will be your response? Will you only be able to say, “I dreamed about all the plans You may have for me, Lord.” Will you say, “God, I saw why you had me where You had me, the timing was Yours, and I used it to glorify You. I didn’t worry about the future, but I remembered that You still sit on the throne and that whatever I go through, I can do all things through You, who strengthens me.” Now, you may not know why God has you where you are right now, but you don’t need to know all His plans to give Him the glory, or to make the best use of your time.
So, I urge you, dear sisters in Christ, stop worrying. Stop being discontent. Praise God in your circumstances. Remember that CONTENTMENT IS THE ESSENCE OF SPIRITUAL BEAUTY!!! There is nothing more beautiful or more glorifying to our Lord and Savior, then a heart that is complete in Him. A soul that alone desires Jesus as our heavenly Treasure. Don’t forget your Treasure! Don’t scorn it and say it isn’t enough.
Blessings,
~Gretchen~
This post really could apply to all areas of life, but I think it is a major part of being single! It is so hard to always be content. We strive every day to be joyful in our circumstances, and not pout, whine, or hold a pity party for ourselves. Let’s look at what the Bible has to say about being content.
Philippians 4:11-13 says, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”
So, what is the secret that Paul has found? I believe the answer lies in the passage above.
Philippians 4:4-7 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Consider also the last sentence of the previous verse I quoted: I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. What’s the secret? Remembering that the Lord is near, He is our sympathetic high priest, and we can rely on Him to give us strength through every circumstance. So why be discontent? Have you not been given everything through Christ? Discontentment is a very serious issue, and one of the biggest things I struggle with. Discontentment is really saying this to God:
My plans are better then Yours.
I want to do things my way.
I’m sick of waiting for the plans You have for my life, I want them now.
I do not trust that You have a better plan for me then I could ever come up with.
I am forgetting that RIGHT NOW is part of Your plan for me.
I want to hurry up, skip this season and get on with life. God, speed up. I want You to do things in MY time, not Yours.
I’m forgetting to look at how I can grow NOW, bless others NOW, mature NOW, be close to You NOW, but I want something else.
In this case, something else is a husband. A boyfriend. A companion. Those who are discontent in this area are looking RIGHT PAST our Savior, the Lover of our Soul, the Treasure of the universe, and saying He is not enough. He isn’t enough to satisfy our souls. He isn’t enough to fill us with contentment and joy.
Let me balance this out a little so you do not think I am against marriage or anything! Marriage is God’s beautiful design. Don’t get me wrong. I want to be married someday. I want to have a husband and a wheelbarrow full of kids. But, I am way too young. I’m not even out of highschool, let alone mature enough to make a wise choice about marriage or be ready to have a family. It is good to have goals in life, to have dreams, and aspirations. But I caution you, do not be too focused on tomorrow that you lose sight of today. TODAY is the day God has given you. You may not get tomorrow. You may die before you even finish reading this post. Morbid, but true. You are never guaranteed another breath. Imagine you die, go to heaven, and God says, “What did you do for Me on earth?” What will be your response? Will you only be able to say, “I dreamed about all the plans You may have for me, Lord.” Will you say, “God, I saw why you had me where You had me, the timing was Yours, and I used it to glorify You. I didn’t worry about the future, but I remembered that You still sit on the throne and that whatever I go through, I can do all things through You, who strengthens me.” Now, you may not know why God has you where you are right now, but you don’t need to know all His plans to give Him the glory, or to make the best use of your time.
So, I urge you, dear sisters in Christ, stop worrying. Stop being discontent. Praise God in your circumstances. Remember that CONTENTMENT IS THE ESSENCE OF SPIRITUAL BEAUTY!!! There is nothing more beautiful or more glorifying to our Lord and Savior, then a heart that is complete in Him. A soul that alone desires Jesus as our heavenly Treasure. Don’t forget your Treasure! Don’t scorn it and say it isn’t enough.
Blessings,
~Gretchen~
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Singleness II
The Curse of Singleness Part II
While you might have laughed at the absurdity of the title, there are many Christian girls who do view singleness as a curse. Unfortunately, most of us single gals fall into this class. Admit it…how many of you girls have ever thought that you would just love to get this part of your life over, get married, have kids and live happily ever after. Yup. I thought so. Most of you have wished that. If you haven’t already…you will.
Thankfully, God did not stick the singleness season into your life for no reason. As with all things, God has the perfect plan. These years of our lives are THE MOST important. Why? Because they shape us into the women that we will be for the REST of our lives. We have these years to be taught and trained and whipped into the women that will make godly wives and mothers in the later years. How many of you have been somewhere in public and seen a young couple or family and thought that you would want to be just like that 10+ years down the road. We all have dreams or desires for the future and singleness is our training ground to work towards those dreams.
There are several key areas that we need to focus on as godly ladies so we can be women that honor God in the future.
1) Realize that God has a plan for you. Your times are in HIS hands. Every minute of your life has been planned down to the slightest detail. Please don’t waste your life wondering when Prince Charming will show. If he does come, he will come in God’s timing…..not yours.
2) Make God your center. God is training your for His work….Strive to become the woman that He desires you to be. Do you have a picture of the wife/mother you want to be? Take steps to become that….You don’t suddenly become patient, loving or compassionate when you get married….That is only the product of long years that you’ve shed blood, sweat and tears. It’s better to learn that BEFORE you get married…not after.
3) Don’t give your heart away to another. Your affections belongs to your future husband…anyone else who takes it is merely a thief. Here’s a good piece of advice: Treat EVERY man as ANOTHER woman’s husband. Would you flirt with another girl’s husband? Ya, I know….the thought is repulsive, but you get my point. 99% of the guys out there will be married to other women….Therefore, keep them out of heart and mind.
Gals….there is so much more I could say about singleness. If there is one thing that I want you to take away from this is that singleness is essentially your boot camp…Training you to become a godly woman. Make God the center of your heart….Wait patiently for His timing…And keep guys at arm’s length while you fall in love with CHRIST.
(Bug)
While you might have laughed at the absurdity of the title, there are many Christian girls who do view singleness as a curse. Unfortunately, most of us single gals fall into this class. Admit it…how many of you girls have ever thought that you would just love to get this part of your life over, get married, have kids and live happily ever after. Yup. I thought so. Most of you have wished that. If you haven’t already…you will.
Thankfully, God did not stick the singleness season into your life for no reason. As with all things, God has the perfect plan. These years of our lives are THE MOST important. Why? Because they shape us into the women that we will be for the REST of our lives. We have these years to be taught and trained and whipped into the women that will make godly wives and mothers in the later years. How many of you have been somewhere in public and seen a young couple or family and thought that you would want to be just like that 10+ years down the road. We all have dreams or desires for the future and singleness is our training ground to work towards those dreams.
There are several key areas that we need to focus on as godly ladies so we can be women that honor God in the future.
1) Realize that God has a plan for you. Your times are in HIS hands. Every minute of your life has been planned down to the slightest detail. Please don’t waste your life wondering when Prince Charming will show. If he does come, he will come in God’s timing…..not yours.
2) Make God your center. God is training your for His work….Strive to become the woman that He desires you to be. Do you have a picture of the wife/mother you want to be? Take steps to become that….You don’t suddenly become patient, loving or compassionate when you get married….That is only the product of long years that you’ve shed blood, sweat and tears. It’s better to learn that BEFORE you get married…not after.
3) Don’t give your heart away to another. Your affections belongs to your future husband…anyone else who takes it is merely a thief. Here’s a good piece of advice: Treat EVERY man as ANOTHER woman’s husband. Would you flirt with another girl’s husband? Ya, I know….the thought is repulsive, but you get my point. 99% of the guys out there will be married to other women….Therefore, keep them out of heart and mind.
Gals….there is so much more I could say about singleness. If there is one thing that I want you to take away from this is that singleness is essentially your boot camp…Training you to become a godly woman. Make God the center of your heart….Wait patiently for His timing…And keep guys at arm’s length while you fall in love with CHRIST.
(Bug)
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Hey ladies! I’m sorry we’ve kinda slipped from blogging right now! I will be posting on singleness as soon as possible; however, I wanted to share something with you first. This has been a very difficult week for me…one of those weeks where God truly tests your faith. During this time my sister at collage sent me this amazing sermon by John Piper, the author of Desiring God. The title of this sermon is “Don’t Waste your Cancer”…Most of us do not have cancer. However, God has placed challenging things into our lives to test us and make us more like Him. Don’t waste this time of trial!! So as you read though this sermon, instead of reading “cancer” think about what God has placed in your life to test you. And thank him for it. These times of testing are meant to CHANGE us…for the better. Don’t waste that opportunity!
Bug
Don’t Waste Your Cancer
John Piper
Desiring God
Bug
Don’t Waste Your Cancer
John Piper
Desiring God
I write this on the eve of prostate surgery. I believe in God’s power to heal—by miracle and by medicine. I believe it is right and good to pray for both kinds of healing. Cancer is not wasted when it is healed by God. He gets the glory and that is why cancer exists. So not to pray for healing may waste your cancer. But healing is not God’s plan for everyone. And there are many other ways to waste your cancer. I am praying for myself and for you that we will not waste this pain.
1. You will waste your cancer if you do not believe it is designed for you by God.
It will not do to say that God only uses our cancer but does not design it. What God permits, he permits for a reason. And that reason is his design. If God foresees molecular developments becoming cancer, he can stop it or not. If he does not, he has a purpose. Since he is infinitely wise, it is right to call this purpose a design. Satan is real and causes many pleasures and pains. But he is not ultimate. So when he strikes Job with boils (Job 2:7), Job attributes it ultimately to God (2:10) and the inspired writer agrees: “They . . . comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him” (Job 42:11). If you don’t believe your cancer is designed for you by God, you will waste it.
2. You will waste your cancer if you believe it is a curse and not a gift.
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). “There is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel” (Numbers 23:23). “The LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11).
3. You will waste your cancer if you seek comfort from your odds rather than from God.
The design of God in your cancer is not to train you in the rationalistic, human calculation of odds. The world gets comfort from their odds. Not Christians. Some count their chariots (percentages of survival) and some count their horses (side effects of treatment), but we trust in the name of the LORD our God (Psalm 20:7). God’s design is clear from 2 Corinthians 1:9, “We felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” The aim of God in your cancer (among a thousand other good things) is to knock props out from under our hearts so that we rely utterly on him.
4. You will waste your cancer if you refuse to think about death.
We will all die, if Jesus postpones his return. Not to think about what it will be like to leave this life and meet God is folly. Ecclesiastes 7:2 says, “It is better to go to the house of mourning [a funeral] than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.” How can you lay it to heart if you won’t think about it? Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Numbering your days means thinking about how few there are and that they will end. How will you get a heart of wisdom if you refuse to think about this? What a waste, if we do not think about death.
5. You will waste your cancer if you think that “beating” cancer means staying alive rather than cherishing Christ.
Satan’s and God’s designs in your cancer are not the same. Satan designs to destroy your love for Christ. God designs to deepen your love for Christ. Cancer does not win if you die. It wins if you fail to cherish Christ. God’s design is to wean you off the breast of the world and feast you on the sufficiency of Christ. It is meant to help you say and feel, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” And to know that therefore, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 3:8; 1:21).
6. You will waste your cancer if you spend too much time reading about cancer and not enough time reading about God.
It is not wrong to know about cancer. Ignorance is not a virtue. But the lure to know more and more and the lack of zeal to know God more and more is symptomatic of unbelief. Cancer is meant to waken us to the reality of God. It is meant to put feeling and force behind the command, “Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD” (Hosea 6:3). It is meant to waken us to the truth of Daniel 11:32, “The people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.” It is meant to make unshakable, indestructible oak trees out of us: “His delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:2). What a waste of cancer if we read day and night about cancer and not about God.
7. You will waste your cancer if you let it drive you into solitude instead of deepen your relationships with manifest affection.
When Epaphroditus brought the gifts to Paul sent by the Philippian church he became ill and almost died. Paul tells the Philippians, “He has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill” (Philippians 2:26-27). What an amazing response! It does not say they were distressed that he was ill, but that he was distressed because they heard he was ill. That is the kind of heart God is aiming to create with cancer: a deeply affectionate, caring heart for people. Don’t waste your cancer by retreating into yourself.
8. You will waste your cancer if you grieve as those who have no hope.
Paul used this phrase in relation to those whose loved ones had died: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). There is a grief at death. Even for the believer who dies, there is temporary loss—loss of body, and loss of loved ones here, and loss of earthly ministry. But the grief is different—it is permeated with hope. “We would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). Don’t waste your cancer grieving as those who don’t have this hope.
9. You will waste your cancer if you treat sin as casually as before.
Are your besetting sins as attractive as they were before you had cancer? If so you are wasting your cancer. Cancer is designed to destroy the appetite for sin. Pride, greed, lust, hatred, unforgiveness, impatience, laziness, procrastination—all these are the adversaries that cancer is meant to attack. Don’t just think of battling against cancer. Also think of battling with cancer. All these things are worse enemies than cancer. Don’t waste the power of cancer to crush these foes. Let the presence of eternity make the sins of time look as futile as they really are. “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” (Luke 9:25).
10. You will waste your cancer if you fail to use it as a means of witness to the truth and glory of Christ.
Christians are never anywhere by divine accident. There are reasons for why we wind up where we do. Consider what Jesus said about painful, unplanned circumstances: “They will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness” (Luke 21:12 -13). So it is with cancer. This will be an opportunity to bear witness. Christ is infinitely worthy. Here is a golden opportunity to show that he is worth more than life. Don’t waste it.
Remember you are not left alone. You will have the help you need. “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
Friday, January 26, 2007
Singleness
To start off our amazing series I'm going to begin at...singleness...the very best place to start. Its where we all start. Probably a place that most of us are still at. Probably the hardest part of female teens is keeping a healthy focus. It's what we were all intended for. Living a life of praise, reflecting our Lord...
I Corinthians 7:34 says "An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit."
Is that not the coolest verse EVER?! I'm lovin' it! Our good friend Bug just showed me that...until then I had never heard it. ha ha! Don't yah love that! :) So, I'm just gonna focus on one aspect of our "single" lives right now. What it should look like. Bug and Becca will hopefully go into more detail there. :)
Well, to begin with...everyone, guy or girl is built with a hole inside them. Yeh, a void. A huge emptiness, a longing. We all don't realize it, we don't understand what this feeling of unworth is, this feeling of unbelonging. Some of us pretend we don't have it, sometimes we disguise it. It's that longing to be loved, cherished, cared about, and deeply and sincerely treasured. We try to fill this hole by anything we can...acceptance, possessions, friends, satisfaction....and love. However, there is only one COMPLETE answer...something that totally fills that hole. Its the only existing puzzle piece that fits. We search everywhere else for the puzzle piece, many of us know what it is. I know you know it! Yup, Jesus Christ...the lover of my soul...your soul! We search for this puzzle piece...it's something we are ALL built to accent perfectly, or better yet. He accents US perfectly. However, we fail to see that. As girls, we look to boyfriends, even Dads to fill this gap. Since we were little we all dreamed of being princesses...growing up someday and marrying the perfect man of our dreams. This permeates our later childhood and teen years as we look to others for this unconditional love. Many don't realize they can ONLY find it in one place, and therefore give up everything searching in places where it will never exist. Heartbreak after Heartbreak they move on...broken. bruised. smashed. torn. crushed. God is the only one who can love us that way, and when we believe that, EVERYTHING changes. He fills that void perfectly. He loves us like no one can....he understands our problems not even the greatest psychiatrist or wisest man on the world could understand, nevermind solve. He heals the wounds others inflict on us. He heals the wounds we inflict on ourselves. TV, Music, Movies, Family, Friends, Magazines ALL tell us we need a boyfriend. If we don't know someone likes us, we feel uncomplete. Unloved, and not worth anything. I know so many times I don't even think of Christ as the sole lover of my heart, he holds the keys, he understands, he loves passionately. He's like no other. Yet, we search for anything else...He seems so distant...so far away, so unattainable. He's near, and He's waiting. Singleness...is complete in Christ. So, our task on hand is to be concerened about the Lord, and becoming more like him. As we wait for our future husband our focus should be completely centered on Him. "Let our eyes be fixed on Him, the author and perfecter of our faith!" He is our focus. As a young woman of God I am devoted to him at this point of my life. That's the only thing. Let's let that be our goals sisters!
I Corinthians 7:34 says "An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit."
Is that not the coolest verse EVER?! I'm lovin' it! Our good friend Bug just showed me that...until then I had never heard it. ha ha! Don't yah love that! :) So, I'm just gonna focus on one aspect of our "single" lives right now. What it should look like. Bug and Becca will hopefully go into more detail there. :)
Well, to begin with...everyone, guy or girl is built with a hole inside them. Yeh, a void. A huge emptiness, a longing. We all don't realize it, we don't understand what this feeling of unworth is, this feeling of unbelonging. Some of us pretend we don't have it, sometimes we disguise it. It's that longing to be loved, cherished, cared about, and deeply and sincerely treasured. We try to fill this hole by anything we can...acceptance, possessions, friends, satisfaction....and love. However, there is only one COMPLETE answer...something that totally fills that hole. Its the only existing puzzle piece that fits. We search everywhere else for the puzzle piece, many of us know what it is. I know you know it! Yup, Jesus Christ...the lover of my soul...your soul! We search for this puzzle piece...it's something we are ALL built to accent perfectly, or better yet. He accents US perfectly. However, we fail to see that. As girls, we look to boyfriends, even Dads to fill this gap. Since we were little we all dreamed of being princesses...growing up someday and marrying the perfect man of our dreams. This permeates our later childhood and teen years as we look to others for this unconditional love. Many don't realize they can ONLY find it in one place, and therefore give up everything searching in places where it will never exist. Heartbreak after Heartbreak they move on...broken. bruised. smashed. torn. crushed. God is the only one who can love us that way, and when we believe that, EVERYTHING changes. He fills that void perfectly. He loves us like no one can....he understands our problems not even the greatest psychiatrist or wisest man on the world could understand, nevermind solve. He heals the wounds others inflict on us. He heals the wounds we inflict on ourselves. TV, Music, Movies, Family, Friends, Magazines ALL tell us we need a boyfriend. If we don't know someone likes us, we feel uncomplete. Unloved, and not worth anything. I know so many times I don't even think of Christ as the sole lover of my heart, he holds the keys, he understands, he loves passionately. He's like no other. Yet, we search for anything else...He seems so distant...so far away, so unattainable. He's near, and He's waiting. Singleness...is complete in Christ. So, our task on hand is to be concerened about the Lord, and becoming more like him. As we wait for our future husband our focus should be completely centered on Him. "Let our eyes be fixed on Him, the author and perfecter of our faith!" He is our focus. As a young woman of God I am devoted to him at this point of my life. That's the only thing. Let's let that be our goals sisters!
In Christ,
Byrde
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
A Smashing New Series
Today we are going to kick off our new series! For lack of a better title, we are going to call the series “Guys!" We will be discussing young ladies proper attitude towards young men, how to respect them, and act around them. I’m sure sometime through this series, modesty will come up again as the Rebelution Blog has been doing a massive survey of the subject and we may post some of the results as it pertains to what we are discussing. Also, we will talk about singleness and the blessing that it is, and how we shouldn’t be discontent in our singleness. Some other topics that will be talked about: what to look for in a man and keeping emotional purity. These are tough subjects, but we feel that it is important to have a Biblical view about these issues!
Oh, one other thing, Bug and I haven’t been able to access the new blog, so Byrde has been doing all of the posting for us. The amount of post may be somewhat smaller until we can figure out what’s bugging our computer!
Well, I hope you will enjoy the new series!
Many blessings,
~Becca~
Oh, one other thing, Bug and I haven’t been able to access the new blog, so Byrde has been doing all of the posting for us. The amount of post may be somewhat smaller until we can figure out what’s bugging our computer!
Well, I hope you will enjoy the new series!
Many blessings,
~Becca~
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Also...
Another note. We are discontinuing the "Thursday Seven," just so you know!
Thanks,
The Blog Committee
Thanks,
The Blog Committee
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Yes, your in the right place
Okay, don't freak out. But we had some technical difficulties with our other site, so we had to change, and now everything is back to normal. We have alot of cool upgrades, but please give us a little time to learn how to USE them. ha ha ha. None of us three are very techy! :) So, grace us some time to find out how to work these new shiny buttons, gadgets, and accessories! ;) Hopefully we will be able to add some cool stuff. Posting may be a little difficult at first, as we learn to use this new program, so allow us some time! ;) Thanks, and hope you all are having an AWESOME time getting back into school.
In Him,
The Blog committee
In Him,
The Blog committee
Appreciate your pets day
Hey...I just made up a new holiday! We are in the midst of planning our next series, so meanwhile, we're just posting random things. I wanted to show you all a glimpse of our pets! Bubbles, I know you will appreciate this. ;)
Here's Callie... She weathers the storms of life by retreating to the flowerpot. hahaha
And the beloved Heidi Fish.... Awwww! :)
I had to stick in a pic of Smee. He's the most motivated guy I know! :)
Bugz
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Saturday, December 30, 2006
guess what?
I just had one of my poems published on a website! cool, no? :) I dunno how amazing it is, cuz i'm not sure what the percentage of the contestants make it, but it's on a website either way! You can read it by going to voicesnet.org and on the column on the left, click on Poem Database (er something) and then click on "War" and then look for a poem by me! lol.
blessings,
~becca~
blessings,
~becca~
Thursday, December 28, 2006
i'm alive :P
Hey!
just thought i'd post something to let y'all know i'm still alive and kickin just in case you thought i had died er something worse had befallen me. :) So yeah, I'm still here! I've SO enjoyed my holiday break and i'm SO glad i still have a whole week left of it! I have many things i want to accomplish before school starts up again, so i may be even more scarce on this blog then i have been! :P One of my goals is to finish reading "When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight For Joy" by Piper...then I want to read "Don't Waste Your Life" and "Desiring God" by Piper too. I've started "Don't Waste Your Life" already and i L.O.V.E it!!!!!! it is a MUST read! I'll post some of his thoughts sometime if i get around to it! :)
This next semester in school is gonna be a tough roller-coaster ride...my social life will suffer, my friends will suffer ;), and my reading life will suffer. But most importantly, i CANNOT let my spiritual life suffer! I will be doing 18 credits (more then my sis at the university!!) and i'll be at school all day every day (on Wednesday i'll be there until 5:50 :P) so it's a MUST that i set time specifically for my Bible reading. I am almost looking forward to the down time between classes (on one day i have almost 4 hours w/ no class) so i can do my devotions and my other reading. I can see myself cramming that time w/ homework tho, but i REALLY don't want to do that! you can pray for me! ;)
also, college apps are due...and i am nowhere near making up my mind on what i want to do. :P it's SOOO hard!!!!!! It takes faith to know that God has a plan for me, and i just have to be patient and ready to see it all unfold!
well, have a wonderful rest of your Christmas holidays!
on His adventure,
~becca~
just thought i'd post something to let y'all know i'm still alive and kickin just in case you thought i had died er something worse had befallen me. :) So yeah, I'm still here! I've SO enjoyed my holiday break and i'm SO glad i still have a whole week left of it! I have many things i want to accomplish before school starts up again, so i may be even more scarce on this blog then i have been! :P One of my goals is to finish reading "When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight For Joy" by Piper...then I want to read "Don't Waste Your Life" and "Desiring God" by Piper too. I've started "Don't Waste Your Life" already and i L.O.V.E it!!!!!! it is a MUST read! I'll post some of his thoughts sometime if i get around to it! :)
This next semester in school is gonna be a tough roller-coaster ride...my social life will suffer, my friends will suffer ;), and my reading life will suffer. But most importantly, i CANNOT let my spiritual life suffer! I will be doing 18 credits (more then my sis at the university!!) and i'll be at school all day every day (on Wednesday i'll be there until 5:50 :P) so it's a MUST that i set time specifically for my Bible reading. I am almost looking forward to the down time between classes (on one day i have almost 4 hours w/ no class) so i can do my devotions and my other reading. I can see myself cramming that time w/ homework tho, but i REALLY don't want to do that! you can pray for me! ;)
also, college apps are due...and i am nowhere near making up my mind on what i want to do. :P it's SOOO hard!!!!!! It takes faith to know that God has a plan for me, and i just have to be patient and ready to see it all unfold!
well, have a wonderful rest of your Christmas holidays!
on His adventure,
~becca~
...Missed you guys!...
Hey Ladies,
First of all I would like to have a HUGE round of applause for our dedicated friend, Bug. She has inspired, atleast me I know, with her "Christmas Series." (By the way, am I the only one who thinks she should write a book?!) I think she did and awesome job, and brought up many great points! Good job girl! We all love and appreciate you!
So, maybe Becca and I have been really busy, but I know that I'VE missed you guys. I feel like I've been out of touch with some very good friends for a very long time! I know that you great "fans," often keep us going! ;) You guys are awesome! I'm so glad that a few of you are still "bearing with us!"
Well, I hope you ladies' Christmas was as awesome as mine! We have some family staying with us, and we have had alot of fun together! I always hate the feeling of homework hanging over my head though! : / Oh well, bad things always come with good things! :) But I am lovin' the break! Have an awesome rest of "paradise!" ;)
In Him,
Byrde
First of all I would like to have a HUGE round of applause for our dedicated friend, Bug. She has inspired, atleast me I know, with her "Christmas Series." (By the way, am I the only one who thinks she should write a book?!) I think she did and awesome job, and brought up many great points! Good job girl! We all love and appreciate you!
So, maybe Becca and I have been really busy, but I know that I'VE missed you guys. I feel like I've been out of touch with some very good friends for a very long time! I know that you great "fans," often keep us going! ;) You guys are awesome! I'm so glad that a few of you are still "bearing with us!"
Well, I hope you ladies' Christmas was as awesome as mine! We have some family staying with us, and we have had alot of fun together! I always hate the feeling of homework hanging over my head though! : / Oh well, bad things always come with good things! :) But I am lovin' the break! Have an awesome rest of "paradise!" ;)
In Him,
Byrde
Saturday, December 23, 2006
The Shepherds
I apologize for not posting the last few days. Having company and being sick have kinda slowed me down on the important things in life. (Such as posting on the blog! :)) I apologize that today's post is shorter... As you probably gathered from the title, today's post will be about the Shepherds. I always loved this portion of the Christmas story because it clearly shows the majesty, yet humility of Christ's birth. The king of the universe has just entered the world and the whole universe is caught up in the drama. God Himself has come as a baby! As far as my human understanding goes, I would have chosen the powerful, rich, and influential people as the first to know about the Lord's birth. Surely more honor and glory would be given to God if they were chosen to be the ones to worship God. However, God, knowing best, chose the poorest of the poor...the most humble and downcast...the shepherds. God shows no partiality! It's the same for us, isn't it? We were the lowest of the low...dead in sin...yet he plucked us out of our helplessness and chose US to be part of the few that worshipped Him. God came to this earth in the most humble way possible, yet not even this could fully conceal His majesty and glory. We see a clear picture of this when the thousands upon thousands of angels are seen by the very same Shepherds, praising God.
Rejoice this Christmas season that God does not show partiality. He has chosen us to worship Him....and Him alone. We don't deserve to have God's love revealed to us, but because of his birth, we can.
XXXBugXXX
Rejoice this Christmas season that God does not show partiality. He has chosen us to worship Him....and Him alone. We don't deserve to have God's love revealed to us, but because of his birth, we can.
XXXBugXXX
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Mary's Response
Hi! For day two of our Christmas series we'll be looking at Mary. The life of this young woman is full of rich lessons for us women today. As most of you probably know, Mary was around our age. Scholars say she was probably in her later teens when she was chosen by God for this task. When I understood Mary was near my age, suddenly it becaome so much easier to relate to her. How would I feel in that situation? You have just been told by an angel of God that you will bear His child. I would be first hit by the honor of that choice. Then I would be humbled that God had looked beyond my failings and still chose me. I'm afraid, however, that soon I would be overwhelmed by my task. I would be so tempted to cry out God...asking Him to please choose someone else. I would ask Him how he expected me to deal with the social pressures... Obviously there were people in Mary's life who thought the worst of her...thinking she made up this specatcular story about an angel and the messiah to cover up her own sin. She was probably hated...Rejected...looked down upon by everyone. I'm sure doubts and fears arose in her mind, yet she chose only to respond, "I am the Lord's servant, may it be to me as you have said."
Like Mary, we have been given tasks from the Lord. No, none of us will ever be asked to bear the Son of God, but we have tasks just the same. I would go so far as to say that the tasks given by God to each one of us is equally important as Mary's task was. Some have been given a larger, more daunting task then others, but they are of equal importance on the kingdom of heaven.
However, our attitude towards God greatly affects how well he can use us. Like Mary, our response must be I am your servant. We must acknowledge that God is our master...The one that knows far more than we do. Our tasks may vary...God may call one to be a minister, another to be a janitor, still another to be a teacher, a singer, a wife... All equally important yet he calls us to do the task he has given us with diligence. He may also call us to undergo certian trials or suffering. Yet even in this we need to have submissive hearts...Hearts that accept His Lordship over us. May it be to me as you have said...
Remember that Mary's story should extend beyond the Christmas season. She should be remembered despite the season or time of year. What has God called you to do? Maybe he's called you to suffer...or lead many to his name. Whatever it is, seemingly big or small, I pray that you can respond with the same willingness as Mary. In the Magnificat Mary rejoices that God has chosen her for such a task. You also, rejoice for whatever God has chosen you to do for his name. It may seem too hard, but remember, with God, all things are possible!
The Mighty One has done great things for us.
Bug
Like Mary, we have been given tasks from the Lord. No, none of us will ever be asked to bear the Son of God, but we have tasks just the same. I would go so far as to say that the tasks given by God to each one of us is equally important as Mary's task was. Some have been given a larger, more daunting task then others, but they are of equal importance on the kingdom of heaven.
However, our attitude towards God greatly affects how well he can use us. Like Mary, our response must be I am your servant. We must acknowledge that God is our master...The one that knows far more than we do. Our tasks may vary...God may call one to be a minister, another to be a janitor, still another to be a teacher, a singer, a wife... All equally important yet he calls us to do the task he has given us with diligence. He may also call us to undergo certian trials or suffering. Yet even in this we need to have submissive hearts...Hearts that accept His Lordship over us. May it be to me as you have said...
Remember that Mary's story should extend beyond the Christmas season. She should be remembered despite the season or time of year. What has God called you to do? Maybe he's called you to suffer...or lead many to his name. Whatever it is, seemingly big or small, I pray that you can respond with the same willingness as Mary. In the Magnificat Mary rejoices that God has chosen her for such a task. You also, rejoice for whatever God has chosen you to do for his name. It may seem too hard, but remember, with God, all things are possible!
The Mighty One has done great things for us.
Bug
Monday, December 18, 2006
Christmas Series
Hello! I am so sorry that the blog has been neglected for the past few weeks! Hopefully we can get back to it as soon as possible. Today I'll be started a new Christmas series for you guys. As an introduction, I'd just like to dwell on the significance of Christ's birth. First, I want you to think of God. What words or descriptions come to your mind as you ponder Him? Maybe you think of Power....Holiness...Majesty....Perfection....Faultlessness....Divinity.... All of these words only begin to describe the utter VASTNESS of God. We can never, never, never even hope to scratch the surface of the character of God. We do not know the depths of his attributes...I'm sure there are even characteristics of Him we have not even discovered yet! He is all-powerful, all-knowing, omni-present and the list goes on and on. In short, he is beyond us.... He is too much for our minds to wrap around. Please...don't let the magnificance of God escape you...It's what makes the Christmas story 10x more amazing! How can a God so beyond us become a tiny, helpless, dependant baby? We are speaking of the God who does not tolerate sin...yet, He chose to be born in a stable? The Creator of the Universe chose the lowliest and poorest of people, the shepherds, to be the first ones to worship His son. The commander of thousands upon thousands upon thousands of angels has chosen to come to earth. If that doesn't affect you then you've missed something. Why did the Creator come for the created? We'll never know why. Why He chose to display his bottomless love and unquenchable mercy to us is too beyond our imaginations. He didn't come because we deserved to be saved. He didn't come because He needed us. He came because it was His good pleasure that even more glory may be brought to His name. I hope the significance of that blows you away. Don't get caught up in the material side of Christmas. When you are receiving gifts, remember the greatest gift you've ever been given...The gift of God himself. The gift you and I did nothing to earn.
So...where would we be if Jesus has never come as a baby? Dead in our sin. Hopeless. Destined for wrath. What do you have that you have not received from God?! Obvious answer: nothing. Please...let's take a stand to remember the true meaning of Christmas. If Bethleham had never happened you and I would be nowhere.
Bug
So...where would we be if Jesus has never come as a baby? Dead in our sin. Hopeless. Destined for wrath. What do you have that you have not received from God?! Obvious answer: nothing. Please...let's take a stand to remember the true meaning of Christmas. If Bethleham had never happened you and I would be nowhere.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Sorry...
The blogging board is very sorry that we have not posted of late. :( We're still debating what topic we want to do next! So...if you have any awesome ideas, now would be the time to let us know! If you have a specific thing you would like discussed, tell us! (Provided it has some spiritual significance) :) Meanwhile, sorry it's taking so long!
btw, meanwhile, check out the modesty survey on the rebolution blog. Basically, there is an open question/answer time. Girls can ask guys anything they want about modest dress and the guys will answer. If possible, join their forum and get involved! If you have any questions...here's your chance! Questions may be submitted until the 15th. We'll keep you posted on how this progresses and will probably post something about what the survey reveals.
In Christ~
Bug
btw, meanwhile, check out the modesty survey on the rebolution blog. Basically, there is an open question/answer time. Girls can ask guys anything they want about modest dress and the guys will answer. If possible, join their forum and get involved! If you have any questions...here's your chance! Questions may be submitted until the 15th. We'll keep you posted on how this progresses and will probably post something about what the survey reveals.
In Christ~
Bug
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