Thoughts on 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"Rejoice always, praying without ceasing, in everything gives thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." ~      1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Wow. Those are some challenging commands to follow.  Does it really mean to rejoice always? To pray without ceasing? To give thanks in everything?  These were (and still are) some of my initial thoughts about this passage in 1 Thessalonians 5.  I mean, how can I truly apply this to my life? It it even possible? 

No. It is not possible. I cannot rejoice always, praying without cease, and give thanks in everything without Jesus Christ.  Humanly, it is not possible.  But with God all things are possible.  

Sure, it's easy to thank God when things are going my way, when life is good.  But what about when things are not good from my limited view point? When things don't do my way? Do I still believe that God has planned it for good? That everything is a gift from Him?  So many times I let my circumstances control my attitude instead of letting Jesus Christ rule over all.  

In order to be thankful at all times I must realize that God works all things out for good.  I must look for the good in the "bad".  Until I realize that all is a gift from God, I will complain when life doesn't go my way.  All I have is a gift from Him and without His grace I will fail to see these gifts.  That's why I must pray without ceasing.  I must live in constant dependance on Him because if I'm not dependent on Him, I will be dependent on my flesh.   And my flesh doesn't want to thank anyone for anything because it depends on itself.   Without Jesus Christ's grace, I won't even want to look for the good.

So I must die to my flesh and purpose to look for the gifts of God in each and every moment of life.   

This is hard.  It doesn't come naturally. But with God all things are possible.  I won't be perfect.  But I must continue, by God's grace, to create the habit of looking for God's gifts.  To practice, practice, practice.  To ask God to open my eyes that I may see His wonderful works.  

This is where the joy comes in.  The Bible says, "In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16:11b)  Joy is found in God.  And God is evident everywhere - if I'm looking for Him.   I must choose to acknowledge His presence and His working in every detail of every part of my life.  It's when I thank God for His gifts that I can live in His presence.  "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him and bless His name." (Psalm 100:4)  Joy only comes with thanksgiving.  I cannot rejoice always unless I am thankful, unless I am continually looking for the gifts God bestows on me.  

So, "rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks." Creating these habits will allow me to live life to its fullest -  "for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  There's no better place to be than in His will.  

May God give me grace to live these verses out in my life!

Faithfulness In Those Little Things.

I've been thinking a lot about faithfulness.  About being faithful in the little things.  You know, the little things we do everyday; school work, chores, practicing music, and the list goes on.   Many times we overlook these things. We skim over them as unimportant.

We can get excited about doing the "big" things; the things that "hold significance." As young people, we can't wait until we can have our first job, go on a missions trip, go to college, serve in "ministry", or other "big" things like that.  There is nothing wrong with these things.  In fact, we should want to do these things, if it's according to the will of God.

But sometimes, I think that we get so caught up wanting to do those "big" things that we forget the important ministries that the Lord has given to right now.   We long for the day when we can serve the Lord as a missionary, but we complain about helping Mom in the kitchen.  We can't wait until we can get our first job, but we are lazy in our chores and helping Dad with projects.  We look forward to post-highschool education, but we don't excel in our studies in school.  We love serving in the church's nursery, but we don't find time to read a book or play with our little siblings.

Are we being faithful in the ministries and jobs the Lord has given to us? Or are we constantly longing to do something "bigger"? Let's not overlook the vital positions God has given to us in our homes.   We have the opportunity to serve and bless our families, encourage and disciple our siblings, develop our world-views and characters, learn valuable skills that will be with us for the rest of our lives, and much more.  If we don't do these things faithfully, how will we ever excel in whatever else the Lord may have in store for us?

Let's be content and thrive right where God's placed us.  Let's not hasten to go on to "bigger" things, but let's excel in the little things that God has given us to do right now.  They might seem insignificant, but they hold great value when they're done to the praise and glory of God.

May Jesus say of us:

"Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things."

"He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.  Therefore is you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?" Luke 16:10-12

"A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished"

Proverbs 28:20

  

I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can

"‘One word. All you’ve been saying is quite right, I shouldn’t wonder. I’m a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won’t deny any of what you said. But there’s one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things–trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that’s the funny thing, when you come to think of it. We’re just babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I’m going to stand by the play-world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia. So thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentlemen and the young lady are ready, we’re leaving your court and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for the Overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that’s a small loss if the world’s as dull a place as you say.’" (C. S. Lewis, The Silver Chair)

I was thinking about Puddleglum’s renouncement of the Lady of the Green Kirtle several days ago. That has always been one of my favorite scenes in Narnia...when the good side wakes up and stands against the evil. But recently, I realized that we are in the same place as Puddleglum, Jill, Eustace, and Rilian–we’re living in a culture that says that the "trees and grass and sun and moon and stars" are just a product of evolution and not God’s creative handiwork. Then, culture follows up the rest of the Lady’s denial of "the bigger and better cat." The world says that Christians aren’t strong enough to take care of themselves, so we created a bigger and better man–the God-Man, Jesus Christ. We’re just babies playing at a game...the "fools to the world" (1 Corinthians 1). Doesn’t Puddleglum have the most amazing answer to all that?! I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia.

Here, Lewis uses Blaise Pascal’s famous apologetic argument in a child’s story. Pascal’s Wager goes something like this:

1) There is no God

• I will gain nothing by believing Him.
• I will lose nothing by not believing in Him.

2) There is a God

• I will believe Him and gain everything.
• I will disbelieve Him and lose everything.

Assuming there was a 50-50 chance that there is a God, you lose nothing either way by believing Him. By not believing Him, you risk losing everything. That’s what Puddleglum is saying when he says that. Puddleglum is willing to be the world’s fool and take the wager on Aslan’s side.

Puddleglum, Jill, Eustace, and Rilian all began their conversation with the Lady knowing exactly what they believed. However, she sweetly convinced them that they were wrong (brings back memories of Genesis 3). There came a point when all their minds became so muddled that they could not remember the truth, and they began to believe her lies. Puddleglum in particular struggled with this. Inside, he knew that Narnia was real, but her words all but convinced him that Narnia was just an imagination. "Suppose we have only dreamed..." What do they risk by believing in Narnia? "That’s a small loss if the world’s as dull a place as you say." They face her wrath and have to slay the serpent, but then they gain everything! Why are Christians so ready to believe that the trees and grass and sun aren’t God’s special creation? Why do they want to take away Jesus’ deity and turn Him into a great human teacher? They’re listening to the wrong arguments. We’re afraid to stand for the truth. But are we so afraid of good news that we let even wet-blanket Puddleglum believe while we sit in the Underland listening to the Lady? That’s when you must make the wager–do you believe the dream or not? I, for one, am on Jesus’ side even if the world doesn’t believe there’s a Jesus. I’m going to live like I am a citizen of Heaven even if everyone else says there is no Heaven.

Are you present?

A few weeks ago, I read 2 Corinthians. I love reading the Epistles; the men who wrote them knew exactly what Christians from every time need to hear (I guess that is one of the advantages of having the Holy Spirit tell you what to write!). Those men were the pillars of the Church. Christ is the foundation, and they were the pillars built upon Him that provide structure for the rest of the building. Paul, Peter, John, James–their sermons must have been amazing!

Yet, in 2 Corinthians 10:10, we read that Paul was mocked because his sermons weren’t as strong as his letters! "‘For his letters,’ they say, ‘are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.’" In a world where much of our communication with other Christians is via the internet, we can easily "know" someone through their writing rather than their speech. We have a great opportunity to communicate with people without having to worry about our "bodily presence being weak" or our "speech contemptible." Those of you who don’t know me very well might be surprised if you saw me try to speak in front of people. While I can normally give a Bible study lesson speaking clearly and not too terribly fast, there have been times when little girls will come up to me afterwards and say, "It’s okay, Abbie. You don’t need to shake and look so scared. We’re not going to hurt you." (Talk about getting embarrassed...!) Even though I study the Bible and pray before starting a lesson, I still struggle sometimes with a weak presence teaching! But with blogs, email, and other modes of communication, I can "talk" to people about what I’m learning without having to actually talk. We can encourage and learn from other Christians through technology without having to worry about shyness or speech impediments getting in the way.

BUT–

We have a problem. It’s easy to separate our "cyber life" from our "real life." On this blog, I can talk about all the great things I’m learning in my Bible reading, how God’s working in my life, and all sorts of Christian things. But what you can’t see is my bad attitude when my mom asks me to set the table. I doubt any of you would intentionally live separate lives online and in the real world, but it’s very easy to let your personality, interests, character–to let you–slide around when people can’t see you or know "the real you." Online, we only know what the other person wants to tell us. Do you see how that can be a problem even with well-intentioned Christians? That’s why, after confessing that his speech is contemptible, Paul follows up with this in verse 11: "Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present." As Christians, all of us are living our lives as a reflection of the one Life. Whether we’re communicating in person, via snail mail, email, blogs, or Skype, we need to speak the same message...we can’t let our character be dependent on the media we’re using. We need to learn how to use the same boldness in a face-to-face conversation that we use on a blog. I am much more comfortable writing a long blog post about the Gospel than going out and telling it to a friend, but I need to learn how to say the same words absent and present. That’s why Paul’s sermons were powerful even if the presentation wasn’t–he wrote, spoke, and lived one message no matter where he was.

Why I'm not memorizing the Bible

Yes, you read that correctly. I’m not being sarcastic–it is possible for Bible memory to be a stumbling block for Christians.

Bible Bee opened my eyes and taught me something about myself: I was capable of memorizing huge portions of Scripture. Before 2009, I struggled getting through my one verse a week for school. After the 2009 National Bible Bee, I began memorizing verses, chapters, books "for fun" during my personal devotions. I learned so much and developed a love for Scripture unlike anything I had ever known. Yet at the same time, I began falling into the dangerous trap of turning Bible study into an academic exercise.

Eager to learn more, I continued to keep a vigorous memory schedule during the months I was not participating in Bible Bee. Last year, as a 10^th grader, I made it my goal to have the entire New Testament memorized by the time I finished college. I figured out approximately how many verses I needed to learn per month and fulfilled my quota. If I continued my plan, I would have all but two epistles memorized by the end of the school year. I could definitely do this.

The past few weeks have been extremely busy for me. School and extracurricular activities all managed to coincide their deadlines. In between a few hours’ sleep and a cup of coffee, I continued my memory work, loving the Word but struggling to keep up.

My mom had warned me before not to speed-memorize the Bible. We’re supposed to meditate on it. Feed on it. Not just slurp it down. I justified my method, feeling that the constant read, memorize, review that I did every single day was anything but speedy.

Then, I realized I had fallen into the trap. Bible memory was becoming something I do. It’s not supposed to be that way. It’s supposed to be God working in us, not cramming facts into our minds as a mental exercise. God still worked in me as I crammed the facts, but I was so busy "just getting through" that I didn’t leave time to listen to Him.

Here are a few "traps" that I fell into:

• I love challenges.  I enjoy training my mind to do something new and love the thrill of accomplishing it.
• I’m being a good Christian.
• We’re supposed to meditate on His Word day and night, so the more words knew the better. Forget the quality as long as there’s quantity.
• I want to do well at Bible Bee. Memorizing more would give me a better foundation when competition season starts.
• I do everything fast (well, not when I’m driving. Apparently I’m too slow then...). Talking, reading, playing piano–everything’s best at top speed. Naturally, Bible memory also became a game to see how quickly I could memorize.
• And, of course, there’s that little giant called pride. It makes me feel good to know how devoted I am to the Bible (obviously there’s a problem with that. It’s called self-justification. It doesn’t work. Memorizing words won’t save you, but meeting the Word will).

I’m going to continue studying and memorizing Scripture, but I think I will change my goal. Rather than aim for memorizing huge hunks of the Bible, I’m going to slow down and focus on each individual verse. I’ll keep reviewing old verses; hopefully, I will fully learn them! Oh the depth of the riches–who can fully know the glorious mysteries of Christ? When Bible Bee starts, I’ll do more new memory work again, but for now, I think I will slow down and learn to quiet my heart and meditate on the wonder of God. Eventually, I would like to have the whole New Testament–or, Lord willing, the entire Bible–memorized, but for now, I will slow down and take it verse by verse, step by step; always pressing toward the goal, but not being consumed with the prize; running steadily with endurance rather than running quickly and stumbling.

A new year

Happy New Year! Looking back, it’s hard to believe a whole year has passed since we last said that. It seems like 2011 just started yesterday. Thinking back to everything that’s happened this last year, it almost feels like several years have elapsed instead of just one.

Towards the end of 2011, my family knew that 2012 was going to be a challenging year full of changes and decisions and would need a lot of family cooperation to make things work. By the last week of 2011, we received news that made challenging sound like an understatement. Things fall apart. Life is full of unpredictabilities and hurts. Yet through it all, God is always the same. He is always faithful. Hebrews 13:5b-8 says, "For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say: ‘The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." A few verses later, the writer asked the recipients to pray for him. Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably (Hebrews 13:18). I was thinking about these verses as lots of things have been going on, and I wanted to share these words with you since they are a great comfort and challenge for all of us as we face a new year. None of us are going to have a "perfect" year; we’re all going to experience times when we want fall into anxiety and fear. But the correct reaction is to see that we’re not alone because we have God with us. Last year, this year, next year–He never changes. He will always be with us. As we begin a new year, we look to Him for the strength to live honorably with a good conscience and without fear.

To live is Christ

In the Bible Bee gift bags, Voice of the Martyrs gave the senior contestants a copy of Jesus Freaks: Martyrs. A few days ago, I had a little extra time and decided to read for a few minutes. About 100 pages later, I finally put the book down.

For some of the stories, they listed the ages of the martyrs. They were teenagers–just "kids" our age! Like the Jeremiahs and Timothys in the Bible, they were not afraid to proclaim the Gospel even when they knew it would be their death sentence. Not all the "Christians" stood firm during persecution, though; some counted this life above that which is to come.

Have you ever imagined what you would say if someone pointed a gun at you and asked if you were a Christian? I like to think that I would say yes, not caring what the consequences would be. But then I think of Peter, the apostle who said that even if all were made to stumble because of Jesus, he would never be made to stumble (Matthew 26). We read Peter’s story and wonder how–after declaring how much he loved Jesus and how he would never desert him–he could be so afraid of being associated with Jesus that he told a little servant girl that he didn’t know Him. Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Many of us would say that we are more than willing to die for Jesus, but how many of us are really prepared to live for Him? Jesus didn’t define a Christian as "one who will die for Me" (although being a Christian sometimes includes that), but as "one who takes up his cross daily and follows Me" (Luke 9:23, emphasis added). We’re ready to die for Jesus or suffer for Him, but we’re not always ready to take up the daily little crosses. How many times a day do you deny Christ by not wholeheartedly following His commands? I doubt I could even count how often I disobey Him. As Paul said, "For me, to live is Christ" (Philippians 1:21). The rest of that verse says, "and to die is gain." Sometimes it’s easier to think about dying for Him and receiving the gain of being with Him instead of present tense living for Him. If we think that saying we are willing to die for Jesus proves our love for Him when we are not willing to live for Him, we need to examine our hearts. Ask Him to help you learn to deny yourself and live for Him every day. The Greek word martys does not mean only one who dies for his faith, but also one who bears witness of his faith. You can be a martyr for Jesus while you’re still alive! Don’t wait for the day you die to prove your love for Him–let your life be a shining testimony to the world; show everyone what it means to have the Love of God alive in your heart!

After Bible Bee

Rejoice!–that was the theme of the 2011 National Bible Bee. And if you are anything like my family, it was impossible to do anything but rejoice last week!! We spent almost an entire week studying the Bible, listening to people speak about the Bible, and singing hymns about the Bible. We were with hundreds of Christians who had all diligently studied the Word of God. We made lots of new friends and strengthened old friendships. It was one of the most encouraging, thrilling, and joyful weeks of the whole year.  

But now, Bible Bee is over for the year. Most of us probably had an after-Bible-Bee-is-over list. You know, when a friend or family member says, "Do you want to do _____?" And you reply, "Well, I’m really busy studying for Bible Bee, but after that’s over, I’ll do _____, _____, and _____." It’s easy to slip into the life-begins-again-after-Bible-Bee mentality. Once Bible Bee is over, we’ll have plenty of time to do lots of things because we won’t be studying the Bible all day, right? We loved studying Bible Bee for hours upon hours every day, but now it’s time to move on. The competition is over and we have other work to do.

Do you find yourself thinking that? I know I do! But when you think about it, doesn’t that take away the whole point of Bible Bee? If Bible memory is only something we’re doing for a grade or competition, it’s only getting hidden in our minds–not our hearts.

Now that Bible Bee is over, I challenge you to keep on studying the Word. We probably can’t study as much as before–we need to be developing other talents God has given us to use for His glory and kingdom as well–but please don’t stop studying! Instead of thinking of Bible Bee as a Bible memory curriculum that lasts for half a year and then you get a "winter vacation," try to think of it as a springboard to get you started on a new study. Choose another book and do an inductive study on it. Set a new Bible memory goal. Review old memory verses. Don’t ever take a vacation from studying the Bible! In 2009, Bible Bee’s motto was Learn it! Speak it! Live it! I challenge you to keep on learning, keep on speaking, and most importantly, keep on living the truth of the Bible.

Friends

Last week I was biting my tongue, trying to obey 1 Peter and not say all the many responses that were running through my head.

Three other highschoolers and I were beginning a team project that will not be done until June. It felt more like they were a team and I was an outsider. They all go to the local public art school, and I’m "just" a homeschooler. They are all good friends and get along really well, but I’m the "different" one. I don’t mind being different or on the outside, but it’s hard feeling like I’m not wanted. Two of them are quiet and generally speak only when spoken to, but the other one talks to them but ignores me, talking to me only to critique me or blame me for making a mistake when it wasn’t my fault. It hurts to be ignored, critiqued, and treated as the outsider, especially when you are all on the same team! And so, I found myself just about bursting with all the things I really wanted to say. I didn’t do anything to deserve the comments, but I was not about to spoil my witness by venting my feelings in front of everyone. All those verses from 1 Peter 2 were coming in handy!

The other thing I was thinking about was how excited I am that Bible Bee is next week!

When I’m with other people who look down on me because I’m different, it makes me appreciate the times I’m with people who (like me) want to be different. As I hear not-so-nice remarks, I can look forward to the days when we’ll all be quoting the Word of God to with other. At my church, there are some really amazing people. After talking to them, I can’t wait to go home and read more "hard" books, study apologetics, or look up a new Bible lecture. Just five minutes of talking gets me excited to spend five hours learning! And in just a few days, we’ll have almost a whole week of learning, fellowshipping, and praising God together at Bible Bee! When the apostles wrote epistles, they referred to the recipients as the "beloved brethren" (agapetos adelphos). Doesn’t that describe the family of Christ well? The beloved brethren–not the popular, cool, awesome friends (not that y’all aren’t awesome friends–it’s just that being "beloved brethren" involves so much more than that!). They are the family members who love you, encourage you, advise and help you and when the world thinks you’re weird...the ones whose agape love makes them call you agapetos. Isn’t that a comforting thought? Even when we feel like we’re alone, we still have Christian brothers and sisters all around the world experiencing the same things!

I am looking forward to meeting you all next week! It will be a joy-filled family reunion!

True love

Have you noticed that when you’re memorizing a passage that you had learned before, you tend to skim over it more quickly? My family first memorized Romans 12 many years ago, so when I got to the verses from that chapter, I studied it really quickly. But then, a few days ago, I noticed something that I hadn’t read carefully before.

Let love be without hypocrisy (Romans 12:9)

Whoa.

Agape anypokritos.

Agape love is something that we’ve studied already; it’s God’s unconditional love toward us–the love that He commands us to exhibit toward each other in 1 Peter 4:8 described in 1 Corinthians 13. Anypokritos, though, is a word we have not studied for Bible Bee. It means "unfeigned, undesigned, sincere." Ouch–is it even possible to love completely sincerely? I can’t seem to do anything for other people without at least some amount of concern for myself! But God tells us–He commands us–to love one another fervently with a pure heart (1 Peter 1:22). Pure, sincere, undesigned, unfeigned, fervently...as Christians, we have no choice but to love one another!

1 John 4:7-13–Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

A Christian's praises

O God, my exceeding joy,
singing Thy praises uplifts my heart,

for Thou art a fountain of delight,

and dost bless the soul that joys in Thee.

But because of my heart’s rebellion

I cannot always praise Thee as I ought;

Yet I will at all times rest myself

in Thy excellencies, goodness, and loving-kindness.

Thou art in Jesus the object of inexpressible joy,

and I take exceeding pleasure in the thought of Thee.

But LORD, I am sometimes Thy enemy;

my nature revolts and wanders from Thee.

Though Thou hast renewed me,

yet evil corruptions urge me still to oppose Thee.

Help me to extol Thee with entire heart-submission,

to be diligent in self examination,

to ask myself

whether I am truly born again,

whether my spirit is of Thy children,

whether my griefs are those that tear repenting hearts,

whether my joys are the joys of faith,

whether my confidence in Christ works by love

and purifies the soul.

Give me the sweet results of faith,

in my secret character, and in my public life.

Cast cords of love around my heart,

then hold me and never let me go.

May the Savior’s wounds sway me more than the scepter of princes.

Let me love Thee in a love that covers and swallows up all,

that I may not violate my chaste union with the beloved;

There is so much unconquered territory in my nature,

scourge out the buyers and sellers of my soul’s temple,

and give me in return pure desires,

and longing after perfect holiness.

(This prayer was in my church bulletin; there is no name after it, but I think it is from the Valley of Vision or another Puritan prayer book)

Earth into Heaven

Have your heart right with Christ,

and he will visit you often,

and so turn weekdays into Sundays,

meals into sacraments,

homes into temples,

and earth into heaven.

~Charles H. Spurgeon

Doesn’t that sound lovely? Having ever earthly thing turn into its heavenly counterpart? If your heart is right with Christ, it will happen–earth becomes heaven! When your heart is sanctified (1 Peter 3:15), your life will become sanctified. Jesus’ set-apartness will change the common into the holy.

Have you ever felt that Sundays are the best day of the week, and that Communion Sunday was filled with an even more special joy? Sometimes when we walk into a friend’s home, we sense a certain peace and joy that overflows onto us. That is the kind of home that is filled with Christ’s love. We can have all of that by keeping our hearts right with Christ!

Traveling

This weekend, my family drove across the country to visit our family.  It was a long drive--20 hours!--but we have done it many times and look forward to our long family car trips.  They give us plenty of time to read, study, listen to sermons, and stare out the window.  This year, the ride was relatively uneventful.  Last summer, it wasn't, but that's another story=)  We pulled in the driveway after 3 a.m., and several very sweet cousins were still awake to help us unload.  For the next few weeks, we will be visiting a state that, although very familiar and "homey" from many years of visiting, is still not quite our home. 

It's a good reminder of what we began our summer thinking about in 1 Peter: The pilgrims, strangers, and aliens scattered around the world (1 Peter 1:1).  We can settle down here and enjoy being with family--some of our best memories were made here--but we won't be at home.  We're travelers.

During the drive, my older sister was reading and old edition of Pilgrim's Progress.  In the book, she noticed that Bunyan used the verbs "travel" and "travail" interchangeably (don't you love reading olde English!).  We were traveling to our grandparents.  Pilgrim was travailing to the Celestial City.  Traveling means we are going from one place to another on a journey; travailing means we are laboring and toiling.  When our traveling is difficult, we travail.  When we travail, we travel.  Our suffering doesn't leave us in the same place!  We travel from one place to another!

2 Corinthians 7:10-11--For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.  For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner:  What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication!  In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

Godly sorrow, or suffering, is not in vain!  Sometimes when our travailing seems in vain and we pray for strength, it still seems like we can't get through...things don't get easier.  But, as my pastor says, God's answer to prayer may not be taking the trial away.  It may simply be the strength to get through the day so you return to Him the next day and ask for more grace.

As we enter the last 20 days before the local Bible Bee competition, our travailing is getting more intense.  It's almost time!  Yet our journey is nowhere near over--Bible Bee is only the beginning.

Keep traveling and travailing to the Celestial City, Pilgrim!

Give Me the Faith

Give me the faith which can remove
And sink the mountain to a plain;
Give me the childlike praying love,
Which longs to build Thy house again;
Thy love, let it my heart overpower,
And all my simple soul devour.

I want an even strong desire,
I want a calmly fervent zeal,
To save poor souls out of the fire,
To snatch them from the verge of hell,
And turn them to a pardoning God,
And quench the brands in Jesus’ blood.

I would the precious time redeem,
And longer live for this alone,
To spend and to be spent for them
Who have not yet my Savior known;
Fully on these my mission prove,
And only breathe, to breathe Thy love.

My talents, gifts, and graces, Lord,
Into Thy blessed hands receive;
And let me live to preach Thy Word,
And let me to Thy glory live;
My every sacred moment spend
In publishing the sinner’s Friend.

Enlarge, inflame, and fill my heart
With boundless charity divine,
So shall I all strength exert,
And love them with a zeal like Thine,
And lead them to Thy open side,
The sheep for whom the Shepherd died.

"Give Me the Faith" by Charles Wesley

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Mark 11:22-23

So He said, "Come."

“Matthew 14:28-29.”

I sighed and turned my head toward the water. Perhaps the answer would be written somewhere in the waves? But no, nothing–maybe just a sailboat in the distance.

“First word please.”

“And”... “Peter”... “answered”...

“And Peter answered and said what? Skip.” My sister showed me the card. Of all cards to miss while one was studying at the beach!

And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

As I’ve been reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship, I have been amazed at how well it goes along with our study of 1 Peter. Bonhoeffer talks a lot about the call and the cost of discipleship, which is very similar to the theme in 1 Peter of salvation and suffering. Many of the passages on which Bonhoeffer focuses are our memory verses, and reading this book has helped me learn what I am studying.

In Chapter 2, Bonhoeffer focuses on the Call of Discipleship. In reference to Jesus’ call to Peter in Matthew 14:28-29, he says,

It means that we can only take this step aright if we fix our eyes not on the work we do, but on the word with which Jesus calls us to do it. Peter knows he dare not climb out of the ship in his own strength–his very first step would be his undoing. And so he cries, “Lord, bid me come to thee upon the waters,” and Jesus answers: “Come.” Christ must first call him, for the step can only be taken at his word. This call is his grace, which calls him out of death and into the new life of obedience. But when once Christ has called him, Peter has no alternative–he must leave the ship and come to him. In the end, the first step of obedience proves to be an act of faith in the word of Christ. But we should completely misunderstand the nature of grace if we were to suppose that there was no need to take the first step, because faith was already there. Against that we must boldly assert that the step of obedience must be taken before faith can be possible. Unless he obeys, a man cannot believe.

...If you dismiss the word of God’s command, you will not receive his word of grace. How can you hope to enter into communion with him when at some point in your life you are running away from him? The man who disobeys cannot believe, for only he who obeys can believe.(The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

We might not walk on the water to go to Jesus as Peter did, but like Peter, we have received the call to come to Jesus. To refuse that call is disobedience...it is also the refusal of His grace. Are you answering His call? Will you lay aside all reasonable, earthly fears and trust solely in Him? Run across the troubled waters of life and have faith!

Proud to be a Christian

Today is July 4–the day America became an independent country. Fifty-six men agreed to break away from England and become the United States of America–“one nation under God.”

Since the signing of the Declaration, America has fallen away from her Christian heritage. It saddens me to read the news and see how far away we are from God’s law.

Have you ever felt that you are an outside observer numbly watching the news and wondering how these things can be happening?

In some ways, we are. I live in America, but my citizenship is not in America. Philippians 3:20–For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. In our Bible Bee Sword Study, we were told to read the book of 1 Peter as if it was written to us. Who were the real recipients? The Dispersion...the pilgrims, aliens, wanderers...the “poor wayfaring stranger,” as the old gospel song goes. If you’re a wanderer, are you at home? Jesus said that His kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). My American citizenship is temporal and lasts only as long as I live in America, but my citizenship in Christ’s kingdom is eternal.

Today we celebrate the liberty of our country. Why not use today to celebrate our liberty in Christ? Galatians 5:13 says that we have been called to liberty. We are free from sin–isn’t that amazing? We have been freed from sin, and now we serve our King! Even in a “free” country, we still have to obey some form of government. No earthly government is perfect, but our King is perfect. It is a joy to serve Him!

Jesus taught us to pray to the Father “Your kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10). Revelation 12:10 says, Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down." We eagerly wait for the day when His kingdom will come...and we know it will!

God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world (Galatians 6:14). On Independence Day, we look back and celebrate the good our country has accomplished–I am proud to be an American! But my identity and true pride do not lie in being an American; rather, they are in Christ. The world is nothing to me, because I am not a citizen of it. We boast in the name of Christ.

I am proud to be called by His name. I am proud to be a Christian.

Eternity

Today I attended a funeral. Yes, I had the joy of being present at a memorial service of a dear, Christian man named Harold Reiner. I would have rather been there than anywhere else. Why? Let me explain.

This man, Uncle Harold as I knew him, was a Christian giant. He had fought the good fight, he had finished the race, he had kept the faith. He had served as a missionary to Brazil faithfully for over sixty years. He was completely surrendered to the call of the Lord. No matter what circumstances he faced, he consistently did what the Lord wanted him to do. He faced many, many hardships throughout his life. His first wife died, leaving him the father of four kids. He lost two of his children in a plane accident. But, no matter what, he still faithfully finished the course that the Lord had laid out for him. He never gave in. His heart's desire was to see the unreached people reached. Through his work, there are now thirteen churches and two camps in existence and hundreds of lives saved.

I had the amazing privilege to be impacted by Uncle Harold. I was able to go down to Brazil and see all the different places where he had ministered. I spent countless hours traveling with him and was able to hear story after story after story of all his adventures in Brazil and how God had used him in his ministry. He always was encouraging me to follow the Lord. He always had a verse to share, a quote to get you thinking about.

And now, Uncle Harold's journey on earth is over. All the trials and hardships are over. He finished his course. He is now in the presence of our Lord, rejoicing and praise Him. 1 Thessalonians 4 talks about how we as Christians don't sorrow as those who have no hope. Why? Because we have the amazing hope of heaven. Uncle Harold is freed from the pains and sorrows of this world. He is in a better place. This is reason to rejoice!!

At the funeral, Uncle Harold's son shared some thoughts. When we leave this earth, we will take no possessions with us. Only two things about our earthly life will matter for eternity. First, the legacy we leave behind. Second, the people that we reached with the Gospel. Uncle Harold left an amazing legacy. His life shared the message of complete surrender to the Lord. He made so many great memories with everyone he knew. He also reached hundreds of people with the Gospel. His work on this earth is over, but what he did here will last for all of eternity.

What about us, though? What does all this have to do with us? Well, we are still on this earth. We still have to run the race that is set before us. Will we follow the Lord's call? Will what we do here in this life count for the rest of eternity? What kind of legacy are we creating? How many people are we reaching with the Gospel message? We only have one short life to live before we enter eternity. I don't know about you, but I want my life to count. I don't want to waste it. What will be said of us when we leave this world? We, as Christians, have heaven to look forward to! Let's keep our eyes on the prize as we run the race set before us. May our heart's prayer be to have it said of us, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

So, why would I have rather been at the funeral than anywhere else? Because I get to think about eternity. I get to remember Uncle Harold's life and be encouraged to keep pressing on until I reach heaven as well.

Blessings, friends!

Answering the call

Ashley’s post about the call of Christ reminded me of one of Keith and Kristyn Getty’s songs titled “Hear the Call of the Kingdom.” Yohannan’s message was Christ's call; this song should be our answer!

Hear the call of the kingdom
Lift your eyes to the King
Let His song rise within you
As a fragrant offering
Of how God rich in mercy
Came in Christ to redeem
All who trust in His unfailing grace

King of Heaven we will answer the call
We will follow bringing hope to the world
Filled with passion, filled with power to proclaim
Salvation in Jesus' name

Hear the call of the Kingdom
To be children of light
With the mercy of heaven
The humility of Christ
Walking justly before Him
Loving all that is right
That the life of Christ may shine through us

King of Heaven we will answer the call
We will follow bringing hope to the world
Filled with passion, filled with power to proclaim
Salvation in Jesus' name

Hear the call of the Kingdom
To reach out to the lost
With the Father's compassion
In the wonder of the cross
Bringing peace and forgiveness
And a hope yet to come
Let the nations put their trust in Him

King of Heaven we will answer the call
We will follow bringing hope to the world
Filled with passion, filled with power to proclaim
Salvation in Jesus' name

When black and white are turned to grey

Have you ever felt that there was no right answer? That the black was mixed with white, and the white with black, and everything was in that grey area called Conscience? I love when the Bible is clear black-and-white and the answer is obvious, but when all the Scripture passages just say that whatever your conscience allows you to do is right, what then?

My mom used to tell me a story about making decisions. One day, a man who lived in a hilly country was looking for a donkey. He needed to buy a donkey that would help him safely manoeuver the steep slopes. The first man he came to said that his donkey would take him up to a yard of the edge without ever letting him fall. The next man said that his donkey could carry him within a foot of the precipice in complete safety. Then, the man came to one last donkey seller. That man looked him in the eye and said, “Sir, my donkey will keep you as far from danger as she can.” Which was the smartest choice? The one farthest from danger. Take heed lest you fall (1 Corinthians 10:12).

On the other hand, God places unique situations in our lives to teach us how to turn them around and glorify Him. Something that’s grey could be turned to a brilliant shade of white. It could be that “open door” you’ve been praying for. If it’s all a matter of conscience, do you seize the day and turn an awkward situation into something amazingly God-glorifying, or do you stay home and play it safe?

The only passages I could think of (please tell me if you know of any others!) Are from Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 10:

Romans 14:12-16–So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil.

1 Corinthians 10:22-24, 31-33–All things are lawful for me, not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being. Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

What do you do?

I'm struggling with some decisions...could you please pray for me?

The Guiding Light

The idea of Christ as the Light of the world has always fascinated me. Even the world recognizes that the “Dark Side” is evil and it takes a supernatural force to conquer it. But they leave out what kind of force it takes to conquer the dark. A light saber doesn’t cut it. All it does is glow in the dark. The world needs a light that expels darkness, turning the darkness to light–not a laser beam. Jesus is the conquering Light; He is the One who gives direction to our lives. On our own, we are helplessly lost in the dark. I remember when we were visiting my grandparents and I went down to the basement early in the morning to study. I was carrying down my laptop and a stack of books and couldn't turn on the light. I miscounted one stair. You get the picture–without a light shining on our otherwise dark path, we’re bound to mess up.

John 1:4-5 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Psalm 119:105 Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

The light which on my way once so brightly shone
First flickered, then darkened to dimmer glow
When I the wind-blown path did own.

Then I, lamp burning with flame low,
Strayed from the straight and the narrow way
To be carried about, tossed to and fro.

I knew no right or wrong; all was grey
As I blundered about in darkest night
Till I knelt down in deep despair to pray.

Then a hand struck a flame and rekindled my light
And gently leading me back to the path from which I stray’d,
Taught me not to trust again in my own might.

~~~~~~~~
Today is the halfway point--six months from today, 300 Bible Bee contestants and their families will be in Nashville!