Do you believe in forgiveness?

If we each ask ourselves this question, do you believe in forgiveness, most of us would likely answer yes regardless of our spiritual beliefs. It is not only a Christian concept, but an American one - dare I say a principle of human nature. Yet if we look at the relationships in our lives, are we really practicing forgiveness?

It feels like the past few years of my life God has really been working on me in this area. The lesson is a very challenging one, yet is also the center of the relationship between me and Christ. This is one of the most important things I can learn in this life on Earth because it has an eternal impact. I want my life to be a reflection of Christ and glorifying to God. What could demonstrate that more than forgiveness?

When Christ began His ministry He took what God had already begun teaching His people and raised it to the next level. In a very general sense, Jesus taught that it is easier to sin, but also easier to forgive. Sin was no longer a check list of dos and don'ts, but it became about character. Forgiveness was no longer about penance, but about grace. God spent hundreds of years teaching us about sin and forgiveness through very tangible tools of the Ten Commandments and animal sacrifice, etc. When Christ came we graduated from those elementary principles and were called to a higher benchmark.

1) Sin is not just about your actions, but about your heart.

"You have heard that the law of Moses says, `Do not commit adultery.' But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Matthew 5:27-28

2) Forgiveness is not about paying the consequences, but about the graciousness of the offended person.

"Teacher," they said to Jesus, "this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?"

They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, "All right, stone her. But let those who have never sinned throw the first stones!"

When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one.
Then Jesus stood up again and said to her, "Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?"

"No, Lord," she said.

And Jesus said, "Neither do I. Go and sin no more."
John 8:1-11

Take a look at the relationships in your life - professional colleagues, neighbors, friends and family. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you forgive, then pray for the Holy Spirit to do its work in the other persons heart. It will change your life, it will change their life and it will change the kingdom of Heaven.

Partial Obedience

"As they were walking along the road, a man said to [Jesus], "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and firds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-bye to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
- Luke 9:57-62

In the past months I have observed in my own heart, conditions upon which I rest my obedience to Christ. I say, "Lord, if you would just do this, make this thing happen, give me this one thing, fix this one situation, then I would obey you." But, what nonsense! That is NOT obedience. As a teacher, I have found that most times, partial obedience has little more value than complete disobedience.

"'Did you do your homework?"
"Yes."
"Well, where is it?"
"I left it at home."
"Do you know that if you do not bring it to school, you will not receive credit for it?"
"I just didn't feel like looking for it this morning."

Seriously? Partial obedience is wasted effort. I want to challenge myself and my friends with this question: Where in your life do you find yourself placing conditions on your obedience to God? In what part of your soul is partial obedience hindering you from beholding the glory of Jesus Christ?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer discusses true obedience in his book The Cost of Discipleship. Bonheoffer was a German theologian who live during the first part of the twentieth century. When Hitler rose to power, Bonhoeffer moved to the U.S. to escape persecution. However, after a short time he returned to Germany in order to proclaim the truth of the gospel to his people, in hopes that their hearts would be softened, and that they would turn from their heinous ways. Bonhoeffer was arrested in 1943 and executed by the Nazis in 1945. Here is what he has to say concerning obedience to the call of Christ:

"If we would follow Jesus we must make certain definite steps. The first step, which follows the call, cuts the disciple off from his previous existence...To stay in the old situation makes discipleship impossible...The call to follow implies that there is only one way of believing on Jesus Christ, and that is by leaving all and going with the incarnate Son of God...The new situation mus be created, in which it is possible to believe on Jesus as God incarnate; that is the impossible situation in which everything is staked solely on the word of Jesus. Peter had to leave the ship and risk his life on the sea, in order to learn both his own weakness and the almighty power of his Lord. If Peter had not taken the risk, he would never have learned the meaning of faith...Unless a definite step is demanded, the call vanishes into thin air, and if men imagine that they can follow Jesus without taking this step, they are deluding themselves like fanatics...The idea of a situation in which faith is possible is only a way of stating the facts of a case in which the following two propositions hold good and are equally true: only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes."

Divine Provision

Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.
Ephesians 3:20
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/printerFriendly.cfm?b=Eph&c=3&t=NLTP&x=9&y=10

Today I received a surprise from my Heavenly Father. It came in the form of a refund check in my mailbox and was a gentle reminder that all things are His to give and take away. I am His child and I have no need to worry. What is so thrilling about this surprise is that I left my job three days ago to stay home full time. It is such a unique and awesome experience to take a leap of faith and then see God moving in your life. I challenge you to take the next step in your spiritual journey, and stay alert for what is in store!

Mary and Darlene

I just wanted to share a quick story about two precious women who minister to me weekly, though they may not realize it. I work at a boarding school for at-risk youth. Our school is a non-profit, so we see quite a few volunteers come through our doors each week. There are more people than I can count who have shown their support for the ministry through volunteering. However, there are only a few who have shown the loving commitment that Mary and Darlene show each week. Every Tuesday morning, Mary and Darlene arrive at the boarding house to wash clothes for the boys that live in the house. Most of our students are pre-teen boys, all experts at getting their clothes dirty, so naturally the washing is heavy duty! The boys are usually out of the house when Mary and Darlene are working and they probably would not notice that their clothes had been cleaned and put-away unless a staff member pointed it out to them. Mary and Darlene are usually gone before lunch or shortly after, so they don't often cross paths with the staff members either. I have the joy of seeing them serve on occasion. Sometimes, they have to wait a while for the drying to finish so that they can put the last load of clothes in to dry before they leave. Sometimes they have to ask me for a key to unlock the boys' bedroom to put away clean clothes. Aside from that, their role is low-profile, so their work often goes unnoticed.

These two precious ladies serve out of the gladness of their heart and the joy that they have in Christ Jesus. They show love to the kids at our school by showing up EVERY SINGLE TUESDAY morning and giving up 3-4 hours of their day to wash clothes. It's not an exciting job, but they do it so joyfully. They are meeting a very practical need within this ministry and it is such a beautiful blessing to see their joyful and humble service. Their service brings to mind a passage from Philippians which speaks of Christ as a servant.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage, he made himself nothing by taking the very of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." - Philippians 2:3-11

Thank you Mary and Darlene! I love you both and rejoice to call you my sisters!

The dwelling of our minds

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." Philippians 4:8

Where do we find such things to think on? Nothing of this world will cause our minds to dwell on things of loveliness or purity or that which is worthy of praise. The world causes our thoughts to be fleeting just as it is, tempted by the sinful nature of our flesh. The gospel liberates us from the bondage of sin to gaze into the only pure loveliness that exists and that is Christ Jesus. Charles Spurgeon says this, "Deep thinking is a very shallow affair after all when the thoughts are our own; we only get into real depths when we receive the thoughts of God." John Piper reminds us that, to follow the empty and trivial thoughts of the mind of our flesh makes us "small and weak and worldly and unauthentic in worship...instead we need to read something true and great and beautiful and pure and honorable and excellent and worthy of praise.". The Word of God is infallible, unchanging precious truth by which we are sustained through the grace of God! Oh, how I yearn to love His Word more and for my thoughts to be indwelled by that of His Spirit with a mindset that treasures the gospel! What an eternal delight to think on, Jesus Christ!

Some REALLY Good Christmas Music

So... if you are like me, then Christmas music starts playing in the house as soon as school starts in the fall and really ramps up after Halloween.

I wanted to share with you an amazing Christmas album that I listen to, all year, but especially at Christmas. Our friend, Daniel Renstrom, put out a Christmas Album titled "On the Incarnation" last fall. The album focuses on the significance of our God incarnate, as evidenced by the album title. Daniel and a few other incredibly talented musicians wrote and produced this album. I'm not going to over-explain because I don't think that my words do the album justice.

Here is link to listen to "His Company," one of the songs on the album.

Here is a link to preview other songs on the album and buy it if you are interested (a purchase that I HIGHLY recommend).

Providence

This is from a book I am reading by Thomas Watson:

"The truths of the gospel are evident and infallible...A Christian may come not merely to a vague opinion, but to a certainty of what he holds...So all God’s providences, being divinely tempered and sanctified, work together for the best to the saints...He who loves God and is called according to His purpose, may rest assured that everything in the world shall be for his good...If all things work for good, hence learn that there is a providence. Things do not work of themselves, but God sets them working for good. God is the great Disposer of all events and issues. He sets everything working. ‘His kingdom ruleth over all’ Psalm 103:19. It is meant of His providential kingdom. Things in the world are not governed by second causes, by the counsels of men, by the stars and planets, but by divine providence. There are three things in providence: God’s foreknowing, God’s determining, and God’s directing all things to their periods and events. Whatever things do work in the world, God sets them a working."

not even Noah, Daniel or Job...

I've been reading through Ezekiel this week and read this passage this morning:

"Then the word of the LORD came to me saying,"Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast, even though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves," declares the Lord GOD. "If I were to cause wild beasts to pass through the land and they depopulated it, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the beasts, though these three men were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the country would be desolate. "Or if I should bring a sword on that country and say, 'Let the sword pass through the country and cut off man and beast from it, 'even though these three men were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be delivered. "Or if I should send a plague against that country and pour out My wrath in blood on it to cut off man and beast from it, even though Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not deliver either their son or their daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness. "For thus says the Lord GOD, "How much more when I send My four severe judgments against Jerusalem: sword, famine, wild beasts and plague to cut off man and beast from it! "Yet, behold, survivors will be left in it who will be brought out, both sons and daughters. Behold, they are going to come forth to you and you will see their conduct and actions; then you will be comforted for the calamity which I have brought against Jerusalem for everything which I have brought upon it. "Then they will comfort you when you see their conduct and actions, for you will know that I have not done in vain whatever I did to it," declares the Lord GOD.

- Ezekiel 14:12-23

Ezekiel wrote to Israel during a time of exile. God exiled Israel from the land He promised his beloved people because, even in the midst of promise, they rejected God. For a nation steeped in sin, the righteousness of the great men that they once upheld, men whose stories are trumpeted in the Old Testament as examples of faithfulness...even the righteousness of such great men could do nothing on Israel's behalf. Consider Daniel stepping into a den a lions because he refused to worship anyone other than the Lord, and Job, who even in the midst of suffering greater than anything that I can imagine, did not reject the Lord. What great faith! Still, not enough to save anyone but themselves from the wrath of God.

But the righteousness of Jesus Christ, IS enough. Having resisted all temptation (rest assured, He faced temptation head on as a man, but unlike us, he struggled well against it, and won), Christ offered himself as a perfectly righteous sacrifice to save us from our self-imposed destruction and narrow-minded rebellion.

Christ alone can rescue. Love His righteousness.

"Something in the Water"

One of my favorite recording artists, Brooke Fraser, just released her new album titled "Flags." Here is the video for one of the songs on the album. It will make your heart sing or my name's not Jenn Brown.

Miraculous Love

Hello Friends,

It has been too long since I last posted! Please forgive me!

I wanted to share a story with you. My husband and I recently had the opportunity to spend 3 weeks in Nepal serving with some believers there. Our purpose was to trek out to hard to reach Tibetan Buddhist villages in the mountains with the hope of learning about their culture, learning about their physical and spiritual needs and sharing the gospel with them. The information gathered would help believers in Nepal to better serve and reach these people. About halfway into our trip our team faced the most difficult circumstance that we have ever been forced to confront. Here is the story. I hope that it points you to the glorious wonders of our Creator, Savior and Healer, Jesus Christ.

The story is in the form of a letter, as I originally wrote it while in Kathmandu as an update to family and friends. Here it is:

Hey Family and Friends,

This is Jenn :)

So, the last 72 hours have been the craziest and scariest of our lives, but the Lord has been SO faithful to provide for us and has shown His glory in miraculous ways! Right now, Andrew and I are at the Ciwec Travel Clinic (here is the website) in Kathmandu. Andrew has been vomiting several times an hour for the past 72 hours and so doctors here are treating him with I.V. fluids and anti-nausea/vomiting medicine. We are spending the night here and the doctors will re-evaluate again in the morning. At this point, they believe that Andrew has an acute viral infection in his stomach, a condition that he will just have to suffer through for a few days until it passes. Please pray that he would feel better soon and that his vomiting would stop so that he can rest tonight. He is MUCH better than he was 48 hours ago, but still has a ways to go.

I just wanted to share with you the miracles that we have experienced over the past few days in hopes that you would rejoice with us in the knowledge that what Satan would use for evil, God will use for our good and His glory!

Here is the story. It's amazing.

After a crazy two day jeep ride through the mountains of Nepal, we arrived in the city of Taplejung. Taplejung is the last town that is reachable by road in this area of Nepal. We left the town of Taplejung by foot on Thursday morning and began our trek to the remote Tibetan villages in the mountains of eastern Nepal. When we stopped for lunch on Friday afternoon Andrew started to feel sick, but we assumed that he was suffering from heat exhaustion and just needed some rest. Friday night we stopped in a small village to spend the night. When we went to sleep Andrew began to feel worse. He vomited throughout the night Friday, all day Saturday and all night Saturday night. Saturday night was the scariest night of my life. Andrew was sick, sick, sick, vomiting almost constantly. He was incredibly dehydrated (at this point he had not been able to eat or drink anything for over 24 hours and had thrown up everything in his system) and could not keep ANYTHING down. I cried out desperately to God to rescue us and heal Andrew, but I did not know how He would answer my prayer.

The village where we were staying was a strenuous two day hike from the nearest road, and then from there, a two day drive to Kathmandu. That being said, walking to medical care was not an option, so our team leader began the procedures for having Andrew medically evacuated by helicopter. We were hoping that a helicopter would be able to evacuate Andrew on Sunday morning, but we did not know if it was actually a possibility. So much was up in the air: the weather (it is monsoon season in Nepal and a helicopter can not fly through a monsoon), our ability to give our exact location for the helicopter (no addresses in Nepal, no GPS coordinates to go by for the village), our cell phone battery was almost dead so phone conversations had to literally be seconds long.

We literally needed a miracle and God worked many! I wanted to share them with you. As you read, please REJOICE with me! Praise God with me for His grace and mercy in rescuing Andrew from what could have been a much more desperate situation.

Miracles:

1. Two weeks ago another volunteer working with the our believer friends in Kathmandu became desperately sick in a village and almost had to be evacuated from another area of Nepal. Because of this, our friends were already familiar with the steps necessary for a medical evacuation. Coordinating a medical evacuation is MUCH more complicated than a simple phone call. It took hours for the our friends to coordinate it all, but God worked it out. That was a MIRACLE!

2. Our guide, James, an incredible brother in Christ and native Nepali, had a signal on his cell phone. In the middle of the mountains of Nepal. In an incredibly remote area that can only be reached by foot. That is a MIRACLE. He was able to call our friends in Kathmandu who arranged for the medical evacuation.

3. There was a Nepali village woman in the village next to us who had received several months of training as a nurse. In her home she had two bottles of Saline solution and a sterile needle. Seriously. She came to the home where we were staying on Saturday night, when Andrew was at his worst, and was able to give Andrew over 1 liter of fluids to help relieve his dehydration. By candle light and headlamps, she set up the I.V. with a piece of old twine tied to the rafters of the porch. With Andrew laying on a bench we covered his arm with Germ-X and the woman put in the I.V. That there would be I.V. fluids and a trained nurse in the middle of the mountains in the middle of nowhere is an absolute MIRACLE. This kind of medicine in the mountains is unheard of (literally).

4. On Sunday morning, the helicopter could not find us and could not contact us (we had no cell phone signal on Sunday morning). There was apparently another village by the same name an hour away from our location. Our friends from the Summit church who live and work in Nepal looked over a map of another area of the country and realized that the helicopter had gone to the wrong village. The helicopter pilot was able to pick up a guide from a nearby village who was familiar with the area to lead him to our village. That they were able to find us in a virtually unmapped area without being able to contact us was a MIRACLE.

5. We were having trouble finding a landing spot for the helicopter. There was a rice paddy on the side of the mountain by our village, but they are usually several inches thick with mud. However, it was dry enough and big enough for the helicopter to land. The owner of the paddy just asked for money to cover the damage (250 Nepali rupees, which equates to something like 4 American dollars). That was a MIRACLE.

6. Andrew got to ride in a helicopter over the mountains of Nepal on his 25th birthday. Miracle :)

7. With Andrew in good hands, the rest of our team was able to continue on their trek to reach the Tibetan villages in the high mountains which have probably never heard of the hope of salvation in Christ Jesus. Though Satan would have stopped the gospel from going forth, God provided miraculously so that the precious people in these villages could hear about His glorious gospel! What a MIRACLE!

^"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." ~ Philippians 4:4-7

I love you and praise God for you ALL! Keep praying! Keep rejoicing!

Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners

Beautiful.

Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!
Jesus! Lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Savior, makes me whole.

Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Hallelujah! what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.

Jesus! what a Strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in Him.
Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
He, my Strength, my victory wins.

Jesus! what a Help in sorrow!
While the billows over me roll,
Even when my heart is breaking,
He, my Comfort, helps my soul.

Jesus! what a Guide and Keeper!
While the tempest still is high,
Storms about me, night overtakes me,
He, my Pilot, hears my cry.

Jesus! I do now receive Him,
More than all in Him I find.
He hath granted me forgiveness,
I am His, and He is mine.

Oh, Sweet Mercy!

Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song,
The joy of my heart. and the boast of my tongue;
Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,
Hath won my affections, and bound my soul fast.

Without Thy sweet mercy I could not live here;
Sin would reduce me to utter despair;
But, through Thy free goodness, my spirits revive,
And He that first made me still keeps me alive.

Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart;
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground,
And weep to the praise of the mercy I’ve found.

Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own,
And the covenant love of Thy crucified Son;
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine.

Sin in disguise

Sometimes we try to do God's job. He certainly uses us as instruments, but we often forget that we are all peers when it comes to needing His grace. Many times as followers of Christ we fall into the trap of unforgiveness. Next time you find yourself pointing out someones offenses be sure to keep it in the perspective of grace. Let God handle the justice.

On our side...

Are we not all thieves, whores, orphans, runaways? And yet He loves us. He died for us. He defeated death for us. Hallelujah!

"You Are on Our Side"
Bethany Dillon

The orphan clings to Your hand
Singing the song of how he was found
The widow rejoices
For her oppressors are silenced now

You sit at the table with the wounded and the poor
You laugh and share stories with the thief and the whore
When You could just be silent and leave us here to die
Still, You sent Your Son for us
You are on our side

The runaway falls at Your feet
You are what he has searched for
The rich man is broken
When he stands beneath a sky full of stars

You sit at the table with the wounded and the poor
You laugh and share stories with the thief and the whore
When You could just be silent and leave us here to die
Still, You sent Your Son for us
You are on our side

Self-Pity vs. Humility

I sometimes confuse humility with self-pity. When confronted with various trials I take some twisted pleasure in self-loathing. I allow the devil to convince me that I am worthless and that my existence is pointless. But this response to any kind of trial is, at the very core, selfish and sinful. You see, my response, being self-focused, assumes that I can solve or eliminate whatever trial it is that I am facing on my own (be it stress at work, illness, relational conflict). But that is simply not so. If I rely on my human abilities in order to face a difficult situation I set myself up for defeat. When I rely on my own very limited ability, then I can do little more than to behold a trial and be conquered by it. If I focus on my suffering rather than on salvation, then surely I will be discouraged to the point of surrender. It is not humble to dwell in self-pity. It is just stupid and sinful.

However, if I focus on the salvation in Jesus Christ, rather than on my suffering, then I will be reminded that "in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:36-39)

Brothers and sister's, I want to encourage you to focus on your salvation when you are in the face of suffering. Be centered on Christ and what He has done, rather than on what you cannot do! Do not slip into the pit of self-pity! It's really gross down there. You can't breath. You can't see. You can't think. Don't go there! Instead, look up! Look up to the cross. Look up to the empty tomb! Look up to Jesus Christ, seated by the Father! Look up to our Savior, our Creator, our Lover, our Kind and Good and Gentle Redeemer! Cling to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord!

C.J. Mahaney, a pastor in Maryland, discusses this topic in his book "Humility: True Greatness." You can download the audio book for free by following this link.

Resting

Our precious friend Shelly recorded this hymn for her most recent album "A Hymn Project" (check out her website here). I have been learning so much about resting, truly resting in Christ Jesus. From Mom's diagnosis, throughout her illness, at the moment of her death, and throughout the past few months of life without her our entire family has had no choice but to learn to rest in His Providence.

What does it mean to rest in Christ? How are you all learning to rest in Christ? Please share and comment! How has the gospel become manifested in your life so that you might learn to rest in Christ? I need encouragement to learn how to better rest in Christ.



p.s.

Re-read Psalm 23. I know that you probably have it memorized, but I mean, really read it. We recite it blankly so often without earnestly considering it. It is a precious picture of what it is to rest in Christ Jesus.

No other

There is a Love that has bound me to Himself. He has drawn me in with great compassion in the superiority of bold gentleness. No other Love as this to make my heart say, "It is well with my soul!". I am grateful.
:)

This rain

Today it rained. I wish that I could tell you all that ran through my mind as I thought about the rain and watched it pour down. I am sorry that I cannot rightly give words, hardly am I ever able to.

When a peoples land is in drought, danger of lack of water can become severe. The time of dryness becomes a fearful one, with uncertainty of when the rain will come again. When it does, the sound, the feel, the taste, the sight of long awaited water dropping from the heavens is sweet renewal in the burdened man waiting for harvest and in the parched roots of the ground waiting for sustenance.

Can you picture our souls.

Just today, I read of a prisoner who is chained for the sake of his faith. I read of his prosperous attitude in the midst of suffering through the knowledge that God's word is not chained and His work is infinitely prospered. This believer has received a flood of grace in rain of affliction.

It is with heaviness that I say, many do not notice the drought of their own heart. It is disgusting to me to find myself in this jejune behavior that I often face. I do not like it, at all. It brings me fallen in His presence for it is not I that can change the apathetic fatigue of my heart towards Christ, only God, Himself can bring about truth of the necessity of His gospel and means of loving it deeper. This is the rain. Rain to our souls to deepen our affections for Him who is eternally good. Because He is good and sovereign over all of time and creation, He sufficiently knows what is our good. That is why drought occurs and why rain overwhelms it. Unable to recognize our souls as parched, or even oblivious to it, we become fearfully stunned when the rain begins to pound against our heart. As the water soaks into the roots of our soul, we become aware of the fresh deliverance it brings. We can rejoice in the rain of affliction because we know it is producing a harvest in our heart of more intimate and greater love towards the One whose hand governs each drop. Yes, believer, we can rejoice! It is all for the glory of God, our Father.

Beautiful Sunshine

"Walk in the beautiful sunshine,
Smiling so cheerful and bright,
Chasing the mist from the mountain,
Flooding the world with its light.
Hark! the sweet voice of the Master
Whispers in accents divine,
“Take thou no thought for the morrow,
Only the present is thine."

Walk in the beautiful sunshine,
Falling in waves from the skies,
Gilding the streams and the valleys,
Scatt’ring the shadows that rise.
Hear the sweet voice of the Spirit
Softly and tenderly say,
“Trust for what may be tomorrow,
Live in the joy of today."

Walk in the beautiful sunshine,
Jesus thy footsteps will guide;
While thou art safe in His keeping,
Evil can never betide.
Hear the sweet voice of His mercy
Kindly and lovingly say,
"God will take care of the morrow,
Be thou content with today."
---Fanny Jane Crosby 1901

I was reading this hymn and thinking of the woman who wrote it. Fanny Jane Crosby did not know what it was like to see the sunshine or the mist in the mountains, her eyes were blinded from seeing any part of creation. Her eyesight was lost from her physical body while she was only an infant due to doctors errors. This is what she said about it, "If I had been given a choice at birth, I would have asked to be blind...for when I get to heaven, the first face I will see will be the one who died for me." Although the eyes of her face knew no sight, her heart had been granted vision into the love of our Savior and could look, by light of His grace, into the sunshine of His glory. She is reminding us to be content with today, for our Creator is sufficient in all things and has sovereign intentions as He grants new mercies each morning to walk in the truth of His glorious light.

To know the sunshine of His face. Oh, what incomprehensible beauty!

The Most Perfect Gift

As Mother's Day was approaching I was pondering things my Mom taught me, and how we desperately all try to teach our children well. The one thing my Mom emphasized in my life, and I truly agree, is that if we do nothing else the most perfect gift we can give our children is to introduce them to Jesus Christ and witness their acceptance of His salvation! He can protect our children far better than we ever could; He can influence our children for good in ways we would never imagine.

Rejoice with me as you listen to this :)

This past Sunday, we spent some time in our small group (we meet weekly with this group through our church here in Durham) talking about the role of music, songs and hymns in the growth of a believer. This discussion was sparked by a discussion of Colossians 3:16-17 which reads "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Below is a sweet hymn that tells the story of the gospel. The joy that I hear in Sandra McCracken's voice as she sings this hymn stirs up gratitude and joy in my heart as I listen. Hearing her and others praise God and sing the story of His sweet gospel makes my heart say "Hallelujah!" Be encouraged as you listen!





Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature's night
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth
and followed thee

Amazing love, how can it be,
that Thou my God should die for me?
Amazing love, how can it be,
that Thou my God should die for me?

No condemnation now I dread,
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine
Alive in Him, my living Head
And clothed with righteousness divine
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown,
through Christ, my own

Amazing love, how can it be,
that Thou my God should die for me?
Amazing love, how can it be,
that Thou my God should die for me?

My sisters

These are some of the boys that my sister teaches. Please watch this video and your view and comments will count towards the total...of which they are trying to be the highest to win a contest! She and her husband spend their lives loving these precious children and teaching them for the sake of Christ. It is something that they do all days of the week, no matter what the hour.



My other sister works at a ranch where therapeutic horseback riding is given for children with special needs. She is such an asset to the organization, using her skills to help provide the necessities for the ranch to continue helping the dear children.

I am so encouraged by my sisters and so thankful for them. They use their energy for the abundant proclamation of the gospel through the way that they serve and love their community. It is such a blessing for me to be a part of this in their lives, to watch and learn from them and to be able to know and love the ones that they are serving.

Surviving according to what He treasures as our need

"And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever."
Philippians 4:19-20

People have told me, the human race needs three specific things, food, water and shelter to survive. Do they? What is surviving? No, food, water and shelter do not provide means of surviving. Yes, they physically maintain our flesh from day to day, but every moment that passes this flesh is decaying. Food, water and shelter are not the means of what will cause me to survive, nor those whom I know that have survived to live on. These so called needs could not offer any slight hope of true sustenance. Actually, I have yet to survive. Not until I meet my Makers face will I know full survival. His means of survival is for our souls for all eternity through the power of His Holy Spirit. He does not decay; therefore, we do not decay in Him but are renewed with steadfastness of His spirit whether we have these physical amenities or not. Know Him and know His hope, and survive for the eternity of your soul. As the scripture above tells us, God gives according to His riches and the greatest treasure is Christ and in perspective of eternity, there is nothing else that we need. He may chose to use what He pleases, whether taking or giving of any means to make this truth known to us. What He chooses to supply is for the sake of His glory and He has supplied infinite grace. "Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Matthew 4:4, Deut.8:3

"Whatsoever is good for God's children they shall have it; for all is theirs to help them towards heaven; therefore if poverty be good they shall have it; if disgrace or crosses be good they shall have them; for all is ours to promote our greatest prosperity."
--Richard Sibbes


(Knowing these truths does not mean to withhold any gifts that are provided from those who are without them or to not use them ourselves. Rather it means to present them as a source of His goodness to proclaim the gospel and to take them as nourishment for our bodies as His word is for our souls. We should never forget this.)

Steady sovereignty of a good God

"I can hardly recollect a single plan of mine, of which I have not since seen reason to be satisfied, that had it taken place in season and circumstance just as I proposed, it would, humanly speaking, have proved my ruin; or at least it would have deprived me of the greater good the Lord had designed for me. We judge of things by their present appearances, but the Lord sees them in their consequences, if we could do so likewise we should be perfectly of His mind; but as we cannot, it is an unspeakable mercy that He will manage for us, whether we are pleased with His management or not; and it is spoken of as one of his heaviest judgments, when He gives any person or people up to the way of their own hearts, and to walk after their own counsels."
-- John Newton

"The world rings changes, it is never constant but in its disappointments. The world is but a great inn, where we are to stay a night or two, and be gone; what madness is it so to set our heart upon our inn, as to forget our home?"
-- Thomas Watson

"Nothing is more contrary to a heavenly hope than an earthly heart."
-- William Gurnall


To hope in the Lord's sovereignty, to seek release of earth, to be weary of sin, to long for Him.

Faith for All

I treasure divine appointments! They are so intricately designed, and when we follow the Holy Spirit (sometimes we just think it is our "gut") our lives become so meaningful!

Tonight I bumped into a friend at the grocery store and we took a few minutes to chat. They were asking how I have been and commented on how much they enjoyed my writings during Mom's illness. One of their comments was, "your faith is so strong." On my drive home I got to thinking about that...

Yes, my faith is a personal decision and I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Yes, I seek daily to submit my life to His will. But honestly there is nothing special about me that allows me this privilege. This faith is a gift and is it waiting for every single person, all you have to do is accept it!

If you think you are too good, you are wrong. If you think you are too bad, you are wrong. If you think it does not matter at all, you are wrong. You do not have to change a thing, I dare say it is impossible to change on your own anyway! Once you accept this gift, the Holy Spirit will begin to teach you God's will, and the more you submit to Him the more abundant your life will be.

*********************************************************************

For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed."
Paul's letter to Rome, chapter 10, verses 9 to 11

The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent.
Second Letter from Peter, chapter 3, verse 9

Let us rejoice :)

"This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalm 188:24

"For our heart rejoices in Him,Because we trust in His holy name."
Psalm 33:21

"your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you."
John 16:22

"And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord."
John 20:20

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!"
Philippians 4:4


"and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,"
1 Peter 1:8

Breakfast

Last week, my dad and I were out having breakfast together. As an elderly couple was leaving the restaurant, the lady stopped at our table, rested her fragile hand on my arm and commented on what she had observed. Her words made me teary in the kindness that she spoke to a stranger, knowing that what she had seen and spoke of, I had not taught myself. Actually, myself by itself is corrupt and deceitful in sin, there is nothing about me to notice any good. I am unable to articulate to you what my heart carries in knowing grace through ransom from this deceitful corruption. Christ, He is good and through His ministry of reconciliation His Holy Spirit abides.

God created me in the womb of a God fearing women that was married to a man who would deeply love and provide for his family. As I grew under my mothers guidance, she joyfully proclaimed Truth to my sisters and me. We remember her sweet, gentle words. We remember her comforting care. We remember our dear mommy. She was the one that taught us at the breakfast table, so as this lady commented for my ears to hear, it was not me that she was speaking well of at all, it was my mother and God's grace.

Horseback children

I would like to share with you what this horse does! She carries little children on her back, some of whom are unable to use their legs, are non-verbal, or any number of disabilities(but I don't really like calling it disabilities because each individual was created with the perfect abilities that the Creator intended for them to have). This is one of many horses used for therapy to children who are struggling in various ways. I am astounded by the servant who started this ranch and the dreams that she has for it in the future...all attending to the "least of these" for God's glory.

Perfect loveliness

In the heavenly marriage, the bride to the Lamb of God will one day be perfected to perfect loveliness. Christ will return to be glorified in all the saints who have believed. The glory of God will be her(the bride's) brilliance. Those whose names are written in the Lambs book of life will partake in the marriage supper of the Lamb, on that glorious day when the old has passed away and the new has come.

I am disgusted by my sin and oh, how I wait for the day when it will be no more and all temptation lost with complete adoration and treasure of the holy One. Occurrences in my life have led me to become ardently interested in and delight in the thoughts of heaven, where believers glory in the presence of God, where no tears, no death, no mourning, no crying, no pain exists. All the things of earth have passed away for them, as it has for one most precious to me. I ponder the loveliness she has met and find myself in utter awe and desire of knowing this manifestation of perfect love with no hindrances.

"When all the common fruits of the Spirit cease with respect to particular persons at death, and with respect to the whole church at the end of the world, while charity shall still remain in heaven, and there the spirit of God shall be poured forth and manifested in perfect love in every heart to all eternity...the heavenly state of the church is distinguished from its earthly state, as it is that state which God has designed especially for such a communication of his Holy Spirit, and in which it shall be given perfectly, whereas, in the present state of the church, it is given with great imperfection. And it is also a state in which this holy love or charity shall be, as it were, the only gift or fruit of the spirit, as being the most perfect and glorious of all, and which, being brought to perfection, renders all other gifts that God was wont to bestow on his church on earth, needless...Heaven is a part of creation that God has built for this end, to be the place of his glorious presence, and it is his abode forever; and here will he dwell, and gloriously manifest himself to all eternity. And this renders heaven a world of love; for God is the fountain of love, as the sun is the fountain of light. And therefore the glorious presence of God in heaven fills heaven with love, as the sun, placed in the midst of the visible heavens in a clear day, fills the world with light. The apostle tells us that 'God is love'; and therefore, seeing he is an infinite being, it follows that he is an infinite fountain of love. Seeing he is an all-sufficient being, it follows that he is full and overflowing, an inexhaustible fountain of love. And in that he is an unchangeable and eternal being, he is an unchangeable and eternal fountain of love...There, in heaven, this infinite fountain of love - this eternal Three in One - is set open without any obstacle to hinder access to it, as it flows forever. There this glorious God is manifested, and shines forth, in full glory, in beams of love. And there this glorious fountain forever flows forth in streams, yea, in rivers of love and delight, and these rivers swell, as it were, to an ocean of love, in which the souls of the ransomed may bathe with the sweetest enjoyment, and their hearts, as it were, be deluged with love!"

---Jonathan Edwards

Marriage

I write this, not from experience but from keen observation. I write this knowing that I do not have wisdom on the basis and depths of these precepts, having not known them myself but only deeply affected by means of witnessing such things in the lives of those most dear to me. Things perceived when moments were most happy and when moments were deep with sorrow. I have observed marriage, a fervent love. From the mouths of those whom I speak of, it has been proclaimed that great joy is found in marriage. The source of joy in this relationship does not come from merely the two people, but the experiences that the Giver places upon them. Beloved soul, be careful not to seek supreme contentment in an earthen vessel, for in it sin is revealed and one day the outcome is loss. I must acknowledge that apart from Christ(where in Him no sin can be revealed and no loss of Him ever known) no joy exists but rather trapped desperation. This joy is not of ourselves, therefore, it cannot be found in another mortal being, so it must be shared by each other, not sought in one another. The joy that resounds in a believers marriage(those pursuing holiness) is beautiful to watch because it consists of sacrificial commitment, trusting in the Sovereign, hoping in grace, enduring pain and persisting through hurt. The commitment, trust, hope, endurance and persistence come from the same Giver that allowed the pain and hurt to occur. As a result of these moments, or months or years joy is granted in grace by the means of ordained grief. (It is not only in the contexts of marriage that this deep grief occurs, but that is the most intimate of human relationships created by God.) We see no greater picture of this than at the cross, where no greater sorrow and no greater joy can be found.

Now, I must tell you of a heavenly marriage that is bound by this act of the cross. This marriage is eternal, never ending by any cause. The bridegroom, the Lamb of God, Christ is the husband of His bride, the church, the body of believers. It is the result of sin that death parts an earthly marriage but it is because of our sin and His love that Christ came to conquer sin and death through the power of the cross and resurrection to grant an eternal marriage of which we are never parted. Sin separates us from God, Christ reconciles us by His perfect sacrifice. By this reconciliation, in grace, we are given an everlasting, loving marriage to the sweet Lamb of God. Praise be to Him who grants cleansing of sin, putting upon us the spotless robe of righteousness that we forever wear as God's bride. Here lies joy. This truth should cause us to mourn over our sin and to have a holy fear towards the Lord with thankful hearts, rejoicing in His works alone.

The Gospel Brings Tidings

The gospel brings tidings, glad tidings indeed,
To mourners in Zion, who want to be freed,
From sin and Satan, and Mount Sinai’s flame,
Good news of salvation, through Jesus the Lamb.

What sweet invitations, the gospel contains,
To men heavy laden, with bondage and chains;
It welcomes the weary, to come and be blessed,
With ease from their burdens, in Jesus to rest.

For every poor mourner, who thirsts for the Lord,
A fountain is opened, in Jesus the Word;
Their poor parched conscience, to cool and to wash,
From guilt and pollution, from dead works and dross.

A robe is provided, their shame now to hide,
In which none are clothed, but Jesus is bride;
Though it be costly, yet is the robe free,
And all Zion’s mourners, shall decked with it be.

---William Gadsby 1814

Unveiled faces beholding

"Here [in Christ] is the fairest representation that ever the world had or that could be had, of this most delectable object. The Divine holiness incarnate did never shine so bright. And we may easily apprehend the great advantage of having so lively and perfect a model set before us of what we are to design and aim at. Rules and precepts could never have afforded so full a description or have furnished us with so perfect an idea.
Look steadily to Jesus, “with open face” behold the gory of the Word, and be “changed from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord” (II Cor. 3:18).
Truth is the means of holiness (John 17:17)… We have this practical truth not only exhibited in aphorisms and maxims in the Word, but we have it exemplified in the life of Christ. And when the great renovating work is to be done, the old man to be put off, the new man to be put on, the spirit of our mind to be renewed, our business is to learn Christ and the truth as it is in Jesus. (Eph. 4:20-24)"
—John Howe

Hark the Voice of Love and Mercy

Hark! the voice of love and mercy
Sounds aloud from Calvary;
See, it rends the rocks asunder,
Shakes the earth, and veils the sky:
“It is finished!” “It is finished!”
“It is finished!” Hear the dying Savior cry;
Hear the dying Savior cry.

“It is finished!” O what pleasure
Do these precious words afford;
Heav’nly blessings, without measure,
Flow to us from Christ the Lord:
“It is finished!” “It is finished!”
“It is finished!” Saints the dying words record;
Saints the dying words record.

Finished all the types and shadows
Of the ceremonial law;
Finished all that God had promised;
Death and hell no more shall awe:
“It is finished!” “It is finished!”
“It is finished!” Saints, from hence your comfort draw;
Saints, from hence your comfort draw.

Tune your harps anew, ye seraphs,
Join to sing the glorious theme;
All in earth, and all in heaven,
Join to praise Emmanuel’s Name;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Glory to the bleeding Lamb!
Glory to the bleeding Lamb!

---hymn by Jon­a­than Eva­ns, Ben­ja­min Fran­cis 1787

More lovely

Tonight as I was driving home, I was captivated by the beauty of the moon. Did you see it? It was lovely. So big and full with a golden glow splendoring the dark sapphire sky. Strands of cloud swept across the golden ball creating a soft velvet blanket of sweet light. My eyes wanted to fix on its brilliance. The hand that crafted this moon into the sky and governs it to rise and fall is the hand of One who reigns supremely over all, granting grace and showing mercy in His great loving-kindness. As my sight found radiance in the moon, so I desire my heart to gaze affectionately into the gospel of Jesus Christ, where no such other glory is found. Christ over came sin, He conquered death, He is alive through His resurrection! Our iniquities were placed upon Him. His righteousness is placed upon us. The law was crushed, we no longer are held in bondage to it but justified by the pure and blameless Savior who fulfilled it. No, not slaves to sin to receive wrath but heirs of glory, receiving reconciliation through His blood of sacrifice perfecting for all times those who are sanctified. By adoption we become children redeemed with spirits of sonship and not of fear. Not hopeless but full of eternal hope! Not bound to death but liberated with life, for the grave is overwhelmed, Christ is risen! Do you see Him? He is infinitely more lovely than any moon that will ever glow in the night sky.

Upon Himself on our behalf

“The gospel teaches that what could not be found in us and was to be sought in another, could be found nowhere else than in Christ, the God-man...who taking upon himself the office of surety most fully satisfied the justice of God by his perfect obedience and thus brought to us an everlasting righteousness by which alone we can be justified before God...what Christ did and suffered in our place is ascribed to us as if we had done that very thing. Thus we are considered in Christ to have fulfilled the whole righteousness of the law because in our name he most perfectly fulfilled the righteousness of the law as to obedience as well as to punishment."
-Francis Turretin

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
2 Corinthians 5:21

"He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed"
1 Peter 2:24

Abased and glorified

"There was first in Christ human flesh, abased flesh, and then glorious flesh. Abasement was first necessary for Christ; he could not have performed the office of a servant, unless he had undertaken the condition of a servant. He must first be abased and then glorious, our ill must be his before good, his cause could be ours. And how could he undergo our ill, our sin and misery, and the curse due to us, unless abased? Our sins must be imputed to him, and then his righteousness and whatsoever is good is ours; so here is both the abasement of his condition and the excellency of his office to be a King, priest, and prophet to his church."
—Richard Sibbes

Don't Waste Your Cancer

I hate cancer. I do not stumble over those words. I feel a pit in my stomach every time I think back to the moments in the doctor's office with my family last June as we listened to him explain to us the MRI that revealed that my mother had a brain tumor.

Still, if I am to believe that God is good, then I must believe that he works in such a way as to point me to His glory, which is greater than anything I can imagine, and more wonderful and satisfying than anything that I could desire. To believe this is to know that He allows all things to happen in order that He might be glorified and in order that we might see His glory. If I am to trust that God is glorious, that He is good, and that He works all things together for His glory and my good, then I must believe that even a thing as ugly and horrible as cancer can point me to glory.

The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
'For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.'

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:18-39

Permitted

"One never meets just Cancer, or War, or Unhappiness(or Happiness). One only meets each hour or moment that comes. All manner of ups and downs. Many bad spots in our best times, many good ones in our worst. One never gets the total impact of what we call 'the thing itself'. But we call it wrongly. The thing itself is simply all these ups and downs; the rest is a name or an idea."......."But suppose that what you are up against is a surgeon whose intentions are wholly good. The kinder and more conscientious he is, the more inexorably he will go on cutting. If he yielded to your entreaties, if he stopped before the operation was complete, all the pain up to that point would have been useless. But is it credible that such extremities of torture should be necessary for us? Well, take your choice. The tortures occur. If they are unnecessary, then there is no God or a bad one. If there is a good God, then these tortures are necessary. For no even moderately good Being could possibly inflict or permit them if they weren't."

---CS Lewis

Faith

"Faith must trample under foot all reason, sense, and understanding."
-Martin Luther

"Faith is a principle which hath its root deeper than feelings. We believe, whether we see or not. We believe, whether we feel or not."
-Charles Spurgeon

"we walk by faith, not by sight"
-2 Corinthians 5:7

"If asked whereon I rest my claim
To full salvation’s joy,
If nothing more I need to name,
Or other words employ,
Besides our Savior’s blood and wounds,
To me all-satisfying grounds;
I answer then, “My claim is good!
’Tis based on Jesus’ blood.”

This is my hope’s foundation firm,
Which ever shall endure;
Yea, at the end of life’s brief term,
I’ll rest thereon secure,
And dreaded death shall lose its sting,
As of my Savior’s wounds I sing;
His precious blood shall be the key
That opens Heav’n for me."

-Faith in the Blood hymn by Er­ik L. Pon­top­pid­an, 1748

Finding time

This morning during my commute I was pondering how I constantly try to find time for everything in my life. There is a continuous monologue in my mind about what needs to be done next and how it will influence all of the other things that "must" also be done.

What really hit me this morning is that among all the juggling to decide whether I should be here or there, God is ALWAYS with me - I do not have to sacrifice time for something else to be with Him. I ought to schedule time aside to be alone with Him, but despite my frequently neglect of that He is with me all the time anyway. It is nice to know that God seeks after me continually and desires to be with me in all I do if I will acknowledge Him and invite Him to take control. It is my goal over this next week to let go of my time and follow what God has prioritized for me. I want to do less and do it at my best for His glory.

Look what I met outside!

A sunshine daffodil

A sherbet cherry tree



Trees ready for their green leaves...the clouds were rolling



I'm not so sure what this is, but I found it and it smells really pretty


"The grass withers, the flower fades,But the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8 Though the seasons change and all creation with it, Christ, He is always constant. His character remains faithful and unchanged. Our Creator God clothes the fields with lilies and by His gracious hand their petals and stems grow, they have sweet fragrance, their colors are vibrant...if He orchestrates the flowers in this manner, much, much more does He love His children. The gospel of Jesus Christ is beautiful above all else and nothing will ever cause it to fade or loose it's power. Praise Him.

Jesus, Thou Soul of All Our Joys

Jesus, Thou soul of all our joys,
For Whom we now lift up our voice,
And all our strength exert;
Vouchsafe the grace we humbly claim,
Compose into a thankful frame,
And tune Thy people’s heart.

While in the heavenly work we join,
Thy glory be our whole design,
Thy glory, not our own:
Still let us keep our end in view,
And still the pleasing task pursue,
To please our God alone.

The secret pride, the subtle sin,
O let it never more steal in,
To offend Thy glorious eyes,
To desecrate our hallowed strain,
And make our solemn service vain,
And mar our sacrifice!

To magnify Thy awful Name,
To spread the honors of the Lamb,
Let us our voices raise;
Our souls’ and bodies’ powers unite,
Regardless of our own delight,
And dead to human praise.

Still let us on our guard be found,
And watch against the power of sound
With sacred jealousy;
Lest haply sense should damp our zeal,
And music’s charms bewitch and steal
Our hearts away from Thee.

That hurrying strife far oft remove,
That noisy burst of selfish love,
Which swells the formal song;
The joy from out our hearts arise,
And speak and sparkle in our eyes,
And vibrate on our tongue.

Thee let us praise, our common Lord,
And sweetly join with one accord
Thy goodness to proclaim:
Jesus, Thyself in us reveal,
And all our faculties shall feel
Thy harmonizing Name.

With calmly reverential joy,
O let us all our lives employ
In setting forth Thy love;
And raise in death our triumph higher,
And sing with all the heavenly choir,
That endless song above!

---Charles Wesley wrote this hymn in 1749. He composed thousands of hymns filled with theology. As he traveled the streets of England the gospel was proclaimed through his preaching and hymn writing. I am thankful for all of the hymns authored by this man and for his commitment of taking the gospel to the poor and illiterate.

"a thorn in the flesh"

As an English major, I delight in symbolism, recurring themes, and the foreshadowing of things to come in literature. Today I read a blog post from the blog "She Worships" that discusses the recurring symbol of the thorn in scripture. It's a beautiful picture of redemption. I have posted the article below. Here is a link to the blog. Check it out :)

The Story of a Thorn

Mar 07, 2010

Have you ever wondered why Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12, refers to a struggle in his life as a “thorn in his flesh?” Today we take that language for granted because it’s a phrase that people use all the time. But why did Paul coin that phrase? Was there a reason?

This weekend I heard a sermon that sparked my imagination and challenged me to pursue the answer to that question. I know this seems like a really random blog post but stick with me! I think you’ll be amazed by what Scripture has to teach us about this seemingly insignificant thorn.

First, rewind thousands and thousands of years before Paul ever comes on the scene. We begin in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve have just sinned and the world is now under a curse. Women will now suffer through child-bearing and men will have an unhealthy relationship to work. But notice what else the curse entails: “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.” (Gen. 3:17-18)

In the very first scene of Scripture, thorns appear as a symbol of the curse, and this symbol will continue to crop up (no pun intended!) throughout the rest of Scripture.

Now fast forward to the life of Moses. At this point in history God’s people are in bondage to Egypt. They have suffered for hundreds of years and they desperately need a savior. So what does God do? He speaks to Moses through a burning bush, and instructs Moses to deliver His people.

Now watch this–the word for “bush” in Exodus 3:2 actually refers to a thorny bush. In fact, this particular type of bush still exists today, and it’s known for its perilous thorns. With that in mind, notice that God is speaking from out of this symbol of the curse, telling Moses, “I have heard my people’s cry. I will deliver them.” What a foreshadow of God’s redemption to come!

But it gets better. Fast forward a little more to Moses’ encounter with God on Mt. Sinai. The word “sinai” literally means “thorny” in Hebrew. And on top of this “thorny” mountain is where God imparts His Law to Moses, a Law that makes it even more clear how desperately cursed and in need of salvation we are. Like the burning bush, Mt. Sinai is a picture of God’s intervention amidst our cursed and thorny state. Again, He reminds us, “I am here! I have a plan! Just hold on!”

This thorn bush appears only one more time in Scripture. This time, it’s in the Gospels. Jesus is about to be crucified, he is beaten beyond recognition, and soldiers are gambling for his clothes. In a final act of humiliation, they twist together a crown of thorns and place it on his head. Then he is crucified, and dies.

I can’t help but wonder if Paul had all this in mind in 2 Corinthians. Paul was a man well-versed in Hebrew Scripture. He would have known the history of the thorn bush and how it always appeared at strategic points in Israelite history, reminding God’s people of the curse, as well as His plan to overturn it. He also knew the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. He must have seen the significance of that crown of thorns atop a crucified Savior.

Which leads me to conclude that Paul’s word choice was intentional in 2 Corinthians 12. He wasn’t simply being poetic. He wasn’t merely creating a helpful word picture. He was making a theological statement. That thorn in his side was a sign of the curse. Until Christ returns we will feel the effects of the curse on all our lives. But like Paul, we can endure that thorn with hope in our hearts, knowing that the thorn was literally crucified with Christ. God has redemptive plans for it. In the same way that God spoke to Moses out of a burning, thorny bush, God has a message of hope and redemption that bursts out of our own struggles.

What is the thorn in your side right now? What have you pleaded with God to take away, and for reasons beyond your understanding He has not removed? I encourage you to cling to the above visual as you battle your own thorns of the flesh. Remember that the very reason Christ had to die was because of that thorn in your side. It rested upon his head as he gasped his final breath.

So view your thorn through the lens of that story, and how that story ended. God hears your cries and He is at work, so rather than let the thorn in your flesh determine how you live, move and breathe, instead rest upon Christ’s victory over it. Then, like Paul, you can proudly boast, “I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Temporary

This is only temporary. A mist. A vapor. What we know now, we only know for a little while. What we experience in this flesh is momentary. Earth's fleeting treasures will vanish.

There is one truth of eternal importance. His name is Jesus.

A life of worship

I desire for everything I think, say and do to be an act of worship to God. Nothing is trivial, and yet it is not my job to be concerned about orchestrating life. That is God's job and all I have to do is pay attention and respond to the Holy Spirit. I am not worshiping God if I am trying to do His job - I worship God by allowing Him to be in control and recognizing my place as His child, to be protected by Him and to honor Him. I am so grateful for God's faithfulness and for the opportunities He has set before us. It is my prayer that as I speak and act in this life that all the glory would be for Him.

Waiting for Home

My friend E. I introduced him to you in the post from February 16.

When E spoke today, the words that came out of his mouth completely humbled my heart. A man who has no possessions of this earth was proclaiming the blessings of the promise in Jesus Christ. Today, there was no fear in his voice. He said he knew there were not many days left of his life in this temporary tent. In the turmoil of homelessness and cancer this man boldly spoke of his belief that God's hand has been upon him during it all. Oh, how beautiful that is, beauty found only through the blood of Christ. My heart has been so very burdened and broken for this man. Today I rejoiced, I rejoiced in the knowledge that E is secured in the Lambs Book of Life. His home is not here, so having one does not bother him. His life is not in this flesh, so the thorns do not cause him to fear. He is living as this hymn cries for us to live.

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

---Take My Life and Let It Be by Fran­ces R. Ha­ver­gal 1874

Evidence of Grace

The fight against pride starts every morning when I wake up. Christ has carried me a long way in this fight, though I still have much more ahead of me than behind me in my battle against self-centeredness. I am not exaggerating when I say that I truly thought the world and everything in it was about me, Jennifer, until about 4 years ago.

Since graduating from college I have felt this constant and selfish tug in my heart to prove myself in all that I do. College is performance centered, and so I suppose after five years of performing and seeking the approval of professors and peers, I am still very much in the mindset of "I want to be the best..." While excellence can be a good thing, it is only so if we are striving for excellence for God's glory. In the past months I have found myself striving for excellence for my benefit and my glory, sometimes even in the name of Christ, and I must say, I have met much discouragement and disappointment because of it. This selfish ambition cultivates a nauseatingly critical heart, which only compounds the frustration.

In the past weeks Christ has been teaching me to praise Him for this discouragement and disappoint and has used these things to turn my head away from the mirror and toward heaven.

C.J. Mahaney a former pastor and author writes about combating pride in his book. "Humility: True Greatness." (Quick and necessary confession: At times there is even pride in my heart that is built upon my reading this book. Oh my. Sin is so cunning.) He points out a number of simple practices for doing battle against the sin of pride. One such practice is Identifying and appreciating evidence of grace in the lives of those around us. My critical heart is quick to find the insuffiency of my brothers and sisters, but reluctant to look for and see grace at work in their lives. Here is an excerpt from the book that convicted my heart and encouraged me to see others as Christ sees them (an act that is both humbling and encouraging).

"What about people in your church? Would they tend to view you as just another fault- finder? Or do they know you as someone who actively calls attention to the evidences of God's gracious work in their lives and in the church?
In his commentary on 1 Corinthians, David Prior emphasizes Paul's valuable example for how we view our churches today: 'Paul looks at the Corinthian church as it is in Christ Jesus before he looks at anything else that is true of the church. That disciplined statement of faith is rarely made in local churches; the warts are examined and lamented, but often there's no vision of what God has already done in Christ.'"

Before pointing out the faults of the church in Corinth (there were plenty to point out), Paul graciously acknowledges and rejoices in the power of the gospel at work in the hearts of Corinthian believers.

"To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Today, look for evidence of grace in those around. And be encouraged by the power of the gospel at work in their hearts and yours.

Respond with Boldness

Sometimes it seems as if trials come in seasons and other times it just feels like they are more obvious as you grow older. I am ever thankful for the joy that the Holy Spirit brings even in times of trial. Trials have seemed frequent in my life lately and so yesterday during our worship service I was pondering how I respond to them. It occured to me there are two types.

There are those which are completely out of our control, such as disaster or disease. During those times if you believe in God even just a little, it is almost an involuntary gut reaction to turn to Him with your emotions and needs, to lean and depend on Him, to trust Him when there are few or no other sources of hope.

Then there are trials that are somewhat in our control, such as life changing decisions or responding to the Holy Spirit. It is in these trials that it seems a little more challenging to lean on God because it is a matter of overcoming our own will. We question our judgement. We try to find evidence of God's blessing in other peoples lives who made the same choices. We do just about everything except simply act in faith.

If we choose to lean on God the outcome is the same in either situation - He will carry you and can offer more abundant life than you could imagine. It is my prayer for both you and me that we would seek Christ and allow ourselves to be filled to overflowing by God's Holy Spirit, and that as the Holy Spirit moves in our lives we would respond with boldness! This is the path to intimacy with God and finding the abundance that He desires for each of us!

By faith, we see the hand of God

By faith, we see the hand of God
In the light of creation’s grand design
In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness
Who walk by faith and not by sight

By faith our fathers roamed the earth
With the power of His promise in their hearts
Of a holy city built by God’s own hand
A place where peace and justice reign

By faith the prophets saw a day
When the longed-for Messiah would appear
With the power to break the chains of sin and death
And rise triumphant from the grave

By faith the church was called to go
In the power of the Spirit to the lost
To deliver captives and to preach good news
In every corner of the earth

By faith this mountain shall be moved
And the power of the gospel shall prevail
For we know in Christ all things are possible
For all who call upon His name

We will stand as children of the promise
We will fix our eyes on Him our soul’s reward
Till the race is finished and the work is done
We’ll walk by faith and not by sight

We’ll walk by faith and not by sight

By Stuart Townend / Keith Getty / Kristyn Getty


"Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful"
Hebrews 10:19-23