Monday, March 29, 2010

Low Humility - Our Best Battle Tactic

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

~1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)

"But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at My Word."

~Isaiah 66:2b (ESV)

Best Time to Attack

It is often among victory that the enemy most-aggressively seeks to trip us up. When we are already on the ground, the enemy usually must only kick us while we are on the ground in order to reign thoughts of condemnation and defeat upon us. But it is when we are in victory that the enemy has something else to fight past--he must first get us upon the ground again.

Christian, stand in victory, but do not stand tall in self-confidence. This leaves your legs vulnerable to tripping, an opportunity that the enemy will always take to get us far from rejoicing in his enemy--God. March not forth in boldness if your motive is that you are through with the battle. It will never be done on earth!

Low Humility

Instead, stay low in the humble and desperate dependence that is to characterize Christians who have left the life of self absorption behind. March forth in the boldness that naturally comes after gazing upon the power of God to save. It is His strength that will deliver you. Is is His hand that will hold you up from temptation. It is His call that will be loud enough for you to flee sin as strong Christians do.

Mighty God

He is here! He is mighty! As sure as the enemy will not give up on your soul's destruction, much mightier will God not give up on your soul's refining. As the battle against sin and for holiness will never end until your exhale your final breath, so far shall He be with you--from now until you inhale your first eternal breath of Heaven. Then shall you be with Him, Christian, never to sin again, always to joyfully praise Him without interruption.




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Monday, March 22, 2010

Highlighted Song: Stronger by Hillsong

"Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."

~1 John 4:4 (ESV)

I LOVE BIG songs with a BIG message. And this song is BIG.

Life Commonalities

Trying to kick a bad, sinful habit? Asking "why do I have to go through this" for the thousandth time?

We all have these things in our lives at different times, at the same time, or perhaps seemingly all the time! Struggles with sin and trials of life can become such a constancy and can so consume our minds that soon they seem to be ruler of our lives.

God is Stronger

However, whatever that sin--no matter how unbeatable it seems, whatever that fiery trial--no matter how heated, endlessly ablaze, and rekindling it seems, God is bigger, God is greater, God is stronger.

I, being "one of those people," have been so very encouraged by the song, Stronger, by Hillsong--both in listening and singing it with the congregation of God's church! This song's musical BIGNESS greatly supports the BIGGER message in the song--that God is BIGGEST!

"You broke my shame and sinfuless"--sin is already shattered and completely defeat-able! "You rose again victorious"--It is He Who has done it! "Faithfulness none can deny"--None can honestly deny that He is yet with us and will eventually see He has never left! "There is truth that sets me free"--There is LIFE to live! "You are stronger you are stronger, Sin is broken you have saved me..."

Now TURN IT UP LOUD and enjoy!



Stronger
by Hillsong

There is love that came for us
Humbled to a sinner's cross
You broke my shame and sinfuless
You rose again victorious

Faithfulness none can deny
Through the storm and through the fire
There is truth that sets me free
Jesus Christ who lives in me

You are stronger you are stronger
Sin is broken you have saved me
It is written Christ is risen
Jesus you are Lord of all

No beginning and no end
You're my hope and my defence
You came to seek and save the lost
You paid it all upon the cross

So let your name be lifted higher
Be lifted higher be lifted higher



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Friday, March 19, 2010

The Biggest Thing We Know

"Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world."

~Jesus in John 17:24 (ESV)


Providential Moment

This morning as I traveled to work in the beginnings of what is supposed to be a major winter storm, I was grateful that the traffic was quite good. I observed the fast moving cars moving through the increasingly-heavy snow and kicking up spray and mist from the streets (actual action-packed imagery to the right). As I rounded downtown Denver, the city could not be seen but a few buildings on its parameter.

As I observed these things, the song, "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus," (an outstanding hymn, came on on my iPod. Wow. What perfect timing.


Life Becomes Big...Too Big

Here's what I observed of my own heart and the habits of the human heart: This morning when I left, this commute was the greatest concern I had. It was the biggest thing to me..



The words of the songs sounded:

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim (as I observed the fading view of the city)
In the light of His glory and grace."


God Is Big

Wow. This commute wasn't so big after all. The hustle of the city, like all of our problems and riches, quickly fades when we truly behold Him. Nothing compares to Him. This weather is a small thing. God is big. When we join Him in Heaven, we won't be thinking about how fast or slow we got to work--all eyes will be fixed on Him, and it's small ways like this that He uses to train our eyes to stay on Him now.

Lord, draw our eyes to You and fix them upon your glory! Let us see each day that You are the biggest thing we know--bigger than all our struggles, commutes, earthly gain, relationships, pain, managers, poverty, emptiness, riches--bigger than all the voices of this world raging for our life. You are real, You are big, You are the God Who works mightily! Amen.



Challenge and Application Questions
  • What small (or big) ways has God reminded you of His greatness and bigness?
  • What things that the world (or you apart from grace) might see as an inconvenience do you appreciate that are frequent reminders of our big God?
  • How does knowing God's bigness (sovereignty and work in everything) comfort you in your present struggles?
  • How does knowing God's bigness keep your eyes on the ultimate Good (Christ Himself) in the midst of great gain?



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Thursday, March 18, 2010

Health-Care Reform, Abortion, and My Stance on Current Issues

Where I Stand on Current Issues

When it comes down to how much of our time, attention, and effort should be applied to what, the ultimate question is, "what is important to God?"

I do not believe our lives should be consumed by politics. Neither do I agree with the tone and approach that pretty much every political talk show host I have heard (I'm sure there are good ones) takes to current issues and politics. From my past experience, the approach taken largely in secular and supposedly God-fearing talk radio is usually dishonoring to the subject (person) of discussion, has a tone of self-righteousness, and seems to encourage listeners to a self-righteous judgment of everything. This clutter can be such an unhelpful distraction from the joy of life and our communion with God. Knowing I would be tempted to the same, I have chosen to avoid mainstream talk shows.

Our lives should be consumed by God's Word AND communion in His presence--not just knowledge and conviction alone. Yes, there are good, non life- and communion-consuming means to knowing about and acting upon what is most important--ways to act on Biblical principle without the mind-clouding side-issues and non-helpful verbal clutter. But getting your does of the important issues doesn't have to consume your whole and every day--it can be obtained in summary form.

Where Christians "Come In"

First of all, Christians shouldn't "be out." When it comes to a voice being heard on important issues, Christians should be the loudest voice. The definition of right and wrong comes from God, and that is what should fuel, discern, and shape our convictions, responses, and actions on current issues. What is important to God is important for us to speak out on. But first and foremost, we need a relationship with Him--not just the knowledge of and insight on what is right and wrong.

~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~
Times to Act: Abortion. Life is Important to God

There is a particular current issue--the Health Care Reform Bill--I feel it is important to mention and encourage action upon to resist, primarily for the cause of resisting abortion justification further in our country--because God in the Bible is clear on where He stands on murder. And that is what abortion is.

Go Rush Limbaugh! He posted 1 or two phone numbers to the Capital for people to call and say to stop Obama's "Healthcare Reform" bill that (1) would make abortions easier and more accessible for women (2) another step toward socialism in America (which has been tried elsewhere in other countries and it DOESN'T WORK), and (3) a whole bunch of other gobbledy goop contained in over 1000 pages.

This morning I heard an audio clip of Obama saying, "I am confident it will pass because it's the 'right thing to do.'" Make killing babies easier? The "right thing to do?" Here's a time to act.

The phone lines were near their maximum capacity due to this. Way to make a statement Rush and America!

Finally, I want to close with an aggressive, stern, but also humble approach to this issue:




Challenge and Application Questions
  • How do you approach current issues and cultivate humility simultaneously?
  • What sort of knowledge and information do you count as non-beneficial in the political talk world?
  • Why is it important to stand on what is important? (Whatever the Bible speaks to and is important to God ought to be counted important to us.)



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Site: Citizenlink.org

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Highlighted Song: Stand in Awe by Jeremy Riddle

"The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

~John 1:29 (ESV)

Stand in Awe

I just discovered a GORGEOUS song this morning! It's called Stand in Awe by Jeremy Riddle, who also wrote one of my other favorite songs, Sweetly Broken.

This song is a powerful invitation to simply come and behold and worship our kind, awesome, "gracious and astounding" Lord Whose "love so confounding appears to us in a CLEANSING FLOW of blood."

"God raised Him from the grave--for Him arm is MIGHTY TO SAVE!"

"All hail the Lord of every man!"

The melody and choir voices in this recording combined with the words they are singing make my hair stand on end!!

To listen, go here and scroll down to "Stand in Awe," or listen below!

Main Playlist

Enjoy!


Lyrics: Stand In Awe
by Jeremy Riddle (c)

Gracious and astounding
God's love so confounding appears to us
In a cleansing flow of blood!

The Son left throne and glory,
Bore the Father's wrath and fury in our stead;
And for the sins of all He bled!

Stand in awe and worship!
Raise a voice and worship; Come adore
The King of kings and Lord of lords!

Behold the Lamb in Heaven
He was dead but God raised Him from the grave;
For His arm is mighty to save!

Now glorified and reigning
The keys of death and Hades in His hand;
And all hail the Lord of every man!

The King of kings and Lord of lords.



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Monday, March 08, 2010

The Ordainer is the Healer

"Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?"

~Job 2:10 (ESV)

As much as God is the Maker of our humanly-unclimbable mountains, the Creator of the seas that rage around us, and the Ordainer of our trials, He is the Provider of strength to climb, the calmer of the seas, and the Healer of our excruciation.

I WILL LIFT MY EYES
Bebo Norman

God, my God, I cry out
Your beloved needs You now
God, be near calm my fear and take my doubt
Your kindness is what pulls me up
Your love is all that draws me in

I will lift my eyes to the Maker
Of the mountains I can't climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
Of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
Of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You


God, my God, let mercy sing
Her melody over me
And God, right here all I bring
Is all of me
Your kindness is what pulls me up
And Your love is all that draws me in


I will lift my eyes to the Maker
of the mountains I can't climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

'Cause You are and You were and You will be forever
the Lover I need to save me
'Cause You fashioned the earth and You hold it together, God
so hold me now

I will lift my eyes to the Maker
Of the mountains I can't climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
Of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
Of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

God, my God, I cry out
Your beloved needs You now
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I Will Lift My Eyes

Thursday, March 04, 2010

A Fallen Pilgrim's Discourse



Oh Father,
What grace has ordained for me such pain?
What sovereignty has chosen for this pilgrim
That he should walk through fire and ashes and filth?

My hands cling feebly to your grace,
While my body rebels against me and enters into places of death.
I could not hold on any longer to the purity which once defined me,
I had not the spiritual Water to convince me to keep on.

Not that the Water had left me, but I failed to drink it.
A dehydrated being I stood, expecting to continue on in grace,
But instead stumbled, then stumbled in the midst of stumbling
And alas crashed to the ground in sin and hurt and pain.

Oh, to see your face again!
How can I see it when my own lies now burrowed in the dust?
My limbs are broken, and my muscles find not strength to even move or lift themselves.
My life is broken. My soul is broken. I am broken to pieces.

Rain now falls upon my rotting carcass--or so it feels I am a carcass.
What use am I in the kingdom of God? Why have I been called here to die?
Oh, the pain and sorrow I feel in this moment.
All I have built with you is lost--the strong walls have crumbled.

The stream of rain that now runs under my shattered face is refreshing;
At least there is a little hope--if only a little.
A little is all I need to know that you are still here.
Where are you?

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: For thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou annointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over."


Ah--how I remember those words.
Yet they have been forgotten by me.
How I should love to cherish them again!
What have I done?
What happened so quickly?

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever."


I shall die now.
I shall die now.
I shall die.
I am open to You, God.
Will You take me now?

Why answer You not?
Have I--
Yes, I have.
I have broken our fellowship.
God, is there hope for one who has done as I have done?
Help! Answer! Curse my life. It is a loss! I hate it!

I am in such turmoil
Yet I have this nagging little pull of life that won't leave me alone
What is that? Lord, what?
Who are You? Are you hope?

---

I now experience desert. I have been laying here for years.
My eyes are dry as my lips.
The light and heat is so bright,
Yet it illuminates things I could not see before.
Howcome I can't learn these things when on my feet?
Why not teach me before I am in such a hopeless predicament?

God, You are good. I am stupid.
I lie here with everything stripped away.
I am such a fool--so blind.
I was more blind when I could see.
I thank Thee that my eyes are now dried out.
I thank Thee that Thou hast taken the limbs I used for sin
For pinning me here to the ground.
It is almost now humorous--
Yet I don't know how I have come to that given my initial state when I fell.

Perhaps then I have not broken our fellowship.
I haven't, but rather neglected our communion to only harm's way...

Will I be rescued soon? No?
No.
Okay.
Gah! I wish to move on with life!
Will you satisfy me in You?
I find it wrong humanly to ask for that, but it would be sin not to.
There is nothing wrong with asking that one be filled with His God and not the world.

I vomit.
I see what I have been consuming in Your place now being cast to the heat.
My vomit is turning of a human's stomache,
Yet I strangely find no more beautiful sight right now--
For what be expelled now is what causes me to be in rotting state.
What casts it out is what caused the purifying river to flow beneath my face
Leave me, vomit, and be no longer my god.
May I not return to you again as dogs do to theirs!

I'll wait for you God, for you are continuing now the work You began.
I see it now.
I see it.
My living or dying be in Your hands.
You will complete Your work.
I will not die; I will live again...
I trust you; help me trust you.
I love You, God.
I love...You.


"...for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God."
-Psalm 42:11







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Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Seeing to Grace - Part 1: The Role of Sympathy (Sympathy - Part 1)

"See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God..."

~Hebrews 12:15 (ESV)

"...weep with those who weep."

~Romans 12:15 (ESV)

Off to an Odd Start

Umm....sympathy? What kind of topic to start a set of writings is sympathy? Perhaps it seems odd to start here, and perhaps it is. But let me tell you why I begin a series on seeing that grace is present in your life and conduct with a focus on sympathizing: Because it may be difficult to grasp other areas of extending and receiving grace in our lives if we are not sympathetic to the reality of struggle and the reality of grace for struggle. My intention is to knock away hesitation to accept the reality of these things from the outset and say, "let's get down to earth together and do life alongside each other."

Where We're Going

When we hear the word, "sympathy," we often might think of experiencing sorrow alongside someone that has just experienced pain--making the pain of someone else your pain. And that is a form of sympathy.

Our focus is on a wide-spread, but intentionally specific sympathy to any situation outside of us (situations experienced by other people).

Why We Need This

Why do we "need" a general sympathy toward others? Well, there's a very real lesson that can be learned (if we are attentive) from life as we progress through life and that lesson is:

Human Hardship and Struggle is Real.

It is real and should not be denied! If we go through life denying and dismissing that the complaint of another person just might have a true struggle behind it, we will be high (in our own eyes), self-righteous, cold, hard Christians lacking aptitude to understanding others. Resultantly, people will naturally be drawn away from an unfeeling person when they need help--a sure hindrance to personal evangelism and contribution to God's work in the church.

Coming to the Reality of Other Peoples' Pain

It's my turn to testify to what the Lord has pried at my own heart and taught me in terms of my own pride.

I can recall specific types of weaknesses that, in the past, I assumed others had in different areas and thereby judged them internally as "weak." A big part of my problems was that...

  1. I had forgotten that I have the same weakness by default and have lived in it,
  2. I had failed to remember that any transformation in my life is purely the grace of God and I would still be dwelling in that weakness were it not for the grace of God,
  3. I dismissed that you've got to start somewhere and there is a time to learn everything
  4. I had not experienced that person's hardship myself and therefore would have a harder time relating,
  5. I had dismissed the power of God's transforming grace and the fact that it is available to all, believer for sanctification and unbeliever for saving salvation and then sanctification,
  6. I had forgotten my own struggles and the grace shown me.

So what does God often use to break down this kind of pride in our lives? Well, He gives us hardships of our own. He gives us struggles that put our faith to practice and that reveal to us that it really is hard to be a Christian in this life and world--that...

  • we humans really do lose sight of God, that
  • we really do need restoration for drifting, that
  • we really do get honestly frustrated with prayer, that
  • we really do tend toward attempting to earn grace and focus on performance rather than God working and reigning down daily, already-paid-for grace on us, that
  • we really can become angry at God for lack of change in our lives--whether that be circumstances or sin--and that that is a very real, dangerous struggle, that
  • people are lusting creatures and it is not abnormal to find things that you hate in your heart--dark desires for forbidden things--and that that also is a very real and dangerous and fight-able battle, that
  • people really do struggle at times to worship God--whether it be due to condemnation for wrong, dryness of spirit, a learning season simply ordained by God (as all seasons are), or spiritual starvation.
  • And of course, there is a myriad of other real struggles of people. Why deny these struggles exist? Let us instead put them on the table and live the fight together and alongside each other.

    A Confession

    Let me give a couple revealing examples from my own life:

    I have judged countless people for not engaging in musical worship on Sunday mornings when I've stood among the congregation. Sure, my passion was genuine and my excitement for what we were singing about was real, but there was a disconnect in my thinking between the grace I was excited to sing about and extending it to those immediately around me as we sang! Sheesh. The way God has worked on this was by giving me plenty of hardships and dry seasons that made it evident--this is a human issue, not a "them" issue. I haven't always felt like worshiping on Sunday mornings, neither have I worshiped enthusiastically every Sunday. I've come with burdens, condemnation, dryness, and starvation. I need help like anyone else.

    Plus, I remember a teen retreat I attended in my teen years (duh) back in 2002. The worship so affected a quiet, fearful, sinful young man (me) that it was a breakthrough moment in my life. I moved from being fearful that anyone would even see my mouth move in worship to leading worship with passion. It took a miraculous work of God to get me that willingness--and it will for others too. That's the wonderful reality.


    I have seen relational difficulties--relationships ended or consumed by conflict. I assumed there was something characteristically wrong or weak with a guy or girl if a courtship didn't work out for them--until I experienced the most excruciating relational difficulty myself. When a close friend abruptly and ungraciously ended a friendship with me despite my efforts of reconciliation (and I had failed to lead in that friendship too), I felt wronged (and of course we need to monitor our hearts against claims that we were wronged when in reality it is "simply" or mostly a hard time handling someone else's well-meaning action). I was hurt. I was crushed. It was real. It was excruciating. I was now in the place of the people I judged.

    Previous beliefs of mine would have led me to believe, "boy, if I ever had a relationship cut off from me like that, I would just say, 'it's all for my good and I'll learn from it and move on.'" Not so. There are people apparently more able to do that, but for me there was a lot of work to do. I need God's grace to this day for it and always will.


    So it WAS Meant for Good?

    There are more examples I could give, but I want to make a point: I have an honest sympathy and passion to encourage others in those and other situations because God called me through the same heat of trial. It was through those tests that God stripped me from my arrogant pedestal and brought me to fellowship and sympathy and encouragement of other struggling pilgrims on the same path. Yes, it was meant for good. Yes, I still struggle with the outcome of my life. Yes, there is more yet to be revealed as to why this happened.

    Helpful vs. Non-Helpful Counsel

    I can tell you one thing, the least helpful counsel I received in those times (by perhaps well-meaning individuals) was this:

    "Just get over it!" Not helpful.

    The most-helpful counsel I have received in any circumstance was when the individual attempting to help me did the hard work of coming down to my level and truly tried to understand what it might be like to be in my position and have experienced my struggle. Anyone I've in turn feebly attempted to help was more affected by understanding than anything else. That's not a pointing to myself, it's only a testimony to what God does through hardship and how sympathy really does make fellowship more valuable.

    Small Cautions

    Now, there are small cautions to this. It is possible to be only sympathetic to the point one is not even helped and their issues are never addressed. It is critical to any true friendship to contain the aspect of input, correction, and feedback. But let us not forget to pave the way there by following our Lord's example. Read the Gospels and you will quickly see a Savior of compassion and sympathy for the lost, broken, sinful, hurting, and those experiencing loss. Next time, we'll look at some examples from the life of Christ that I trust will minister to our souls in learning to see to grace in our lives and the lives of others.

    "See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God..."
    ~Hebrews 12:15 (ESV)


    Challenge and Application Questions
    • What were you convicted by while examining your own heart?
    • Could you relate with my mistakes?
    • Can you relate with lessons born from humbling hardships?
    • To whom specifically can you extend sympathy, grace, companionship, and pilgrim-like friendship?
    • What about your outlook on other peoples' hardships do you have faith God will work in?



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