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!