tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31110489066730053332024-02-20T08:59:30.019-05:00The Nehemiah Challenge"The God of Heaven will help us succeed. We his servants will start rebuilding this wall." -Nehemiah 2:20Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.comBlogger169125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-44200479172021867972017-04-22T12:13:00.004-04:002017-04-22T12:29:34.040-04:00Prosperity Gospel<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KUIqxI_Z5hqQIeme-1BpeZzz78GLHr_bz9Z0qYDB2B0o1Rk4-zFvGJMhXkpnUVb6UnH2yGvFptE-3ooNcRmFvcaazTt4e7vvDFaVCnhTfAu2tqQvyKRJQ5R3hUqF7mibueaMrLAgszEG/s1600/do+not+fear.jpg" style="display: none;" />
<br />
<div>
I've heard it said that there are 365 spots where the Bible says "Do not be afraid." I'm not actually sure of the validity of this statement, but I do know that it seems to be a constantly reoccurring theme throughout. I am often tempted to read into this command a promise of my own: that God will protect me from the things I fear.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And herein lies the temptation of the prosperity gospel, the idea that I will succeed in what I want because God is by my side.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In chapter 7 of Isaiah, we find the country of Judah in a tough spot: Assyria, with one of the most powerful militaries in the world, is headed their way and in their own backyard is the now-enemy nation of Israel. Obviously, the people have some fear-related emotions about this. I'd imagine it was somewhat comforting when the Lord's prophet arrived with a message that started, "Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid' (Isa. 7:4). I'm sure there was a sigh of relief as they prepared to hear the promise of military victory with the help of the Almighty God.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And I'm sure their hearts dropped into their stomachs when the promise they received was quite different: "The Lord will bring on you and your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah-- he will bring the king of Assyria" (Isaiah 8:6). I wonder if they even heard the words that followed, the detailed prophesy of how their land would be destroyed. Because how could God tell them not to be afraid when he was promising them destruction? Wasn't God supposed to never give them more than they could handle?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And this is where the prosperity gospel falls to pieces. Sometimes God calls us not to fear, but also promises us defeat at the hands of our enemies. Sometimes the race we thought we were supposed to be running well was actually a path God never called us to walk. Sometimes "do not fear" doesn't mean "you will be successful," but actually means "I will still be Lord after your failure." We have been promised victory, but we were never promised victory on our terms or by our definition. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So why would He tell me not to fear if He isn't also promising safety? A few lines later the prophesy continues, "Do not fear what they fear and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear" (Isa. 8:13). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This is not an easy truth, but it is an important one. The "Do not fear" command is not a promise that we will succeed. It is, instead, a promise that even in the face of what we see as earth-shattering failure, God is still on His throne and He is still good. He is still perfect in all of His ways.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea." Psalm 46:2</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-41781161991773786872016-03-25T00:21:00.001-04:002017-04-22T12:18:56.551-04:00An Open Letter to a Much-Loved Friend<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3TCK4b6LL2f4SmF9SW97nPpuo8Nonx-it4OUohu5daIursEaQXklvtUFsGr0uluinehCXzUfdVY9QiADlJSsJxo-BbSn4yVcHfm7O3h9Lnsd8lxEGKzehCpyd1ZbIMd9YSEfysdch8RV/s1600/Intro+Slide+1.jpg" style="display: none;" />
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:128;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:fixed;
mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:128;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:fixed;
mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Note: Today, this is
for one friend in particular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it is
also for anyone that has ever felt they weren’t tough enough to keep going.</i><br />
<br />
Dear Friend,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At this point I think I’ve fallen apart enough times that
I’m beginning to learn how to do it well. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some ways I have kind of realized I’m a
phoenix… when things feel like they’re burning to the ground around me, it’s
not so much an end as a beginning.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But life was unfair to you, my friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t give you the chance to fall
apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It demanded that you be tough for
everyone around you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may have only
asked for a bit more every day, but eventually that weight on your shoulders
was going to teach you to walk with your face to the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One day you were going to forget to lift up
your head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then that one day would
become one week, and that one week would become one month, and then here we
would be.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My friend, you’ve been tough for me long enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now it’s my turn to be there for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I will, be there for you that is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will be there for the ups and the downs, but also for the
in-betweens, the broken bits that have no neat endings or good answers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will be there for the days when you feel like you are
drowning. I will not claim to know how to save you, because that would diminish
what you are going through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, I
will climb in beside you and we can learn to breathe underwater together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will be there for the days you forget to see yourself
through my eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will write
“beautiful” on your skin over and over again until it is the only thing you see
in the mirror.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friend, your pain is not beautiful, but your healing
is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do not cut yourself where you are
not bleeding, but also do not be afraid to bleed where you have been cut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can handle your blood, your sweat, and your
tears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, the best things will
always take some of them each in the end.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And finally, know that I see your strength and bravery, even
when you do not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may feel like you’ve
lost in some way, but I know your “surrender” for what it really is—a declaration
that you will not waste your energy when there are so many other things out
there worth fighting for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And you are at the very top of that list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are worth fighting for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I promise I will never let you forget that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With Love,<br />
<br />
Jessica</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-38972679694580880522016-01-24T21:19:00.001-05:002016-01-24T23:08:04.171-05:00A Christmas in JanuaryI wouldn't say I'm a "listen to Christmas music in January" kind of girl, but I am a "too lazy to change my Spotify driving playlist" kind and most definitely not a "skip the Nat King Cole song" kind. That's how I ended up listening to O Little Town of Bethlehem tonight somewhere halfway between Carmel and Elwood.<br />
<br />
Let me set the scene for you... Last week was Summit, which is sort of IWU's semester-ly "revival." I genuinely enjoyed the band and the speaker, and I learned quite a bit... but I wouldn't say I felt God draw particularly close to my heart during that time. Fast forward to today (Sunday), and between a cold and being home for the weekend, I skipped church, instead opting to stay in my pajamas until well after noon.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I'm making the drive back to Marion and thinking about (I'm ashamed to admit) boys and all the homework I'm putting off, when the song comes on. Nat King Cole sings to me from my small bluetooth radio: "Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light, the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight."<br />
<br />
As I round the corner of the single lane country road I pass a powerplant I must have driven by a hundred times. For some reason, tonight it seems different. I notice it as a slow at the bend; on the side of the building there is a huge Christmas light star. Immediately, I wonder at the coincidence.<br />
<br />
My soul stills for a moment as God draws close. In a nearly audible whisper, I hear the truth. Tonight much more closely resembles the moment my Savior entered the world than any Christmas I have ever celebrated. I am halfway in everything-- somewhere between one home and another, between the start of college and graduation, not yet who I hope to be but certainly not who I once was. I didn't attend any special services in my nicest dress or hang up any commemorative decorations. The revival speaker has packed up and moved on, and by this point Nat King Cole has switched into Imagine Dragons.<br />
<br />
But just as Christ once came on a silent night in a little town in the middle of nowhere and was met by the most unexpected and varied welcoming parties, so He has come to meet me in my car tonight. He has chosen to show Himself most strongly in a moment and place that otherwise would be insignificant. But the holiness shows all the more for it.<br />
<br />
So how do I react to this? What should be my response? In that moment, the words I read in a book someone recommend to me come flooding back. It is the prayer of Frederick Buechner, but tonight, it is also my prayer. I hope it may be yours as well...<br />
<br />
"Thou God in Christ,<br />
There is no ground anywhere that is not holy ground, for in the cool of the evening thou hast walked upon it and in the heat of the day thou hast died upon it, and at the coming of dawn thou hast returned and art always and everywhere returning to it and to us who walk upon it too, this holy ground, though heedless of its holiness. O make us whole. Set us free..."Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-56066811437578362872014-06-14T10:46:00.001-04:002014-06-14T10:46:55.019-04:00The Price Isn't RightRecently, I had a friend ask me how many boys I had dated. It wasn't the question itself that got to me, it was the context of how it was asked-- as though my answer would reveal something of how successful I was. My gut-reaction was a feeling of unworthiness, and an inflammation of insecurities I often refuse to acknowledge even exist.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But the more I thought about the question, the more annoyed I became. My value should not be determined by my dating history. My refusal to accept this led me to ask some further, deeper questions over the course of the next few days. How do I define my value? Am I successful?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I could define myself by a number. The paycheck I get every few weeks, the number on the scale, my percentage on a test, social media "followers" or "friends"... it's easy to get hung up on these things. I often find myself measuring the success of my blog by the number of viewers or the number of successive posts. Numbers are a quick and easy way to compare things, but do they accurately measure a persons success?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After all, how much is enough? At what salary do you reach the title "successful?" At what weight do you stop trying to shed a few pounds? How many likes does it take to be a worthy person?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Or, should I avoid numbers all together? I am often tempted to find my worth in others opinions of me. If she thinks I'm nice or he thinks I'm pretty, doesn't that make it true? But once again I find myself in a place of endless striving. If you find your worth in people there will always be one more judge to impress or one more smile to earn.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And then, in the midst of all my insecurities and self-doubt, I remembered a verse that I found in middle school. I used to read it again and again, but over time it had faded from my mind and other things had pressed forth. Now it silenced those questions of value and worth with an answer of it's own: </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give nations in exchange for you and peoples in exchange for your life." -Isaiah 43:4</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I had found my answer. I had been declared worthy long ago by the God who gave up His Son in exchange for my life. Just as no action of mine could earn that worth, I also could not diminish it. It was a fixed point, not a number or a changing opinion, but a love far beyond my greatest imagination. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There are days when I don't feel like I am enough, but those are the days when I chose to take my self-worth and invest it elsewhere. Those are the days that I find myself striving and pushing and fighting with everything, and still never measuring up. But I can chose to invest myself in something greater, placing my worth in something infinite and eternal. I am not a number. I am not a list of achievements or a total of past choices. I am part of the bride of Christ. I am a child of God. I have been declared worthy and any fear that tells me otherwise is simply a lie.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>"This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: 'Only in returning to me, and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it." -Isaiah 30:15</b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-34295427300189332732014-04-01T00:05:00.001-04:002014-04-01T21:17:12.569-04:00Masons, Money, and Men"You are... members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord." -Ephesians 2:19-21<br />
<br />
At first glance, this verse is very comforting, telling us that we are a part of the house of God. For those who grew up in church, it might bring forth images of "a big, big table with lots and lots of food" or "a big, big yard where we can play football." But other than being the inspiration for a peppy song and a comfort, we may not notice much else.<br />
<br />
However, this verse holds a truth that is dangerous to some of our ways of life. You see, we have all built our houses, brick-by-brick, with our own two hands. Each wall is a well-crafted accomplishment, one any fine mason would be proud of. Even the foundation is steady... we have been able to recite the teachings of the apostles and prophets since bible school age.<br />
<br />
In fact, our home is quite near perfect. Still, though, we can't help but feel as though there is just one thing missing. We are so confident that we are even able to admit this, asking around to see if anyone can identify what we need. It's not long before we realize... we have forgotten the cornerstone. We have tried to make Christ a part of our life, but he is not the basis of it.<br />
<br />
The problem with the cornerstone is, it can't be stuck in after the entire house is built. In fact, in order to ensure it serves its purposes, the entire house must be torn down and then rebuilt around the cornerstone. Many of us will go away sad when we learn this is what we must do. Tearing down the lives we have worked so hard to build for ourselves and starting over in the light of our newfound Savior is just too much to ask. We would much prefer a God who can simply be placed anywhere in lives... who will fit nicely into a box, who is just a simple brick. But only with Christ as the cornerstone will our house be able to stand.<br />
<br />
"A man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?... All these [commandments] I have kept since my youth.' And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, 'You lack one thing: go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.' Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." -Mark 10: 17, 20-22Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-39028369428202857662014-03-29T21:11:00.002-04:002014-03-29T21:11:59.129-04:00In Our Own WordsThe poetry and prayers of David, also known to many as the book of Psalms, are some of the most well-read works of all time. They relate across time and cultural barriers, tapping into those emotions and experiences which are common to all people. But the art of Psalm writing itself has been lost. <br />
<br />
Why? Why not record our prayers and our thanksgivings in the same way David did? Why not express so clearly our pain and our praise? Encouraged by a friend who often rewrites Psalms and bible passages in her own words, I decided to try my hand at it. I encourage you to as well... you may be surprised at how the Lord speaks when you meditate on His words.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u>A Psalm based on Colossians 3:5-11</u><br />
<br />
Praise the Lord, who is mighty to save,<br />
who has declared war on death for taking captive those He loves. <br />
He will rescue them from the grasps of sin<br />
and bring them into new life. <br />
He will not see them for what they have done<br />
or from where they have come,<br />
but as those that His Son died to save. <br />
<br />
He will see the new people they have become, people that resemble Him.<br />
<br />
Therefore, we will set aside all of our old ways,<br />
for they have died in us just as Christ died in our place. <br />
We will find, instead a new life--<br />
the Holy Sprit within us, convicting and teaching us<br />
so that we will become more like the perfect Son of God.<br />
We care nothing for our old ways<br />
for they were the ways of death.<br />
<br />
We are now on the path to life and have left our old ways behind us.<br />
<br />
Praise God for sending us a rescue<br />
that we might come to know Him.<br />
Praise Jesus Christ for defeating the power of death within us.<br />
Praise the Holy Spirit for perfecting in us<br />
the ways of God and the ways of life,<br />
which are one in the same.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-88253998617167013072014-03-27T21:01:00.001-04:002014-03-27T21:16:57.496-04:00Issues of the HeartDear Friends,<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Can I bare my soul for just a moment? Grab a cup of coffee and sit down, it's time for a heart to heart. I need to get these words off my chest.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I remember high school... the goal of dating was to just have fun. Most couples were just looking for a good time and as a result, a culture was created that made a "long-term" relationship one that lasted more than a few months. Certainly not the best of situations, but one I don't have time to address here.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Then, boom! College! All of the sudden, romantic relationships have an extra element, one that adds a little flavor to the mix-- the "M-word." Marriage. Suddenly, you're chances of finding your happily ever after increase, and it seems to make everything just a shade more interesting. Because now, everyone is looking for that person to complete them.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And it is that final thought that makes me the most uncomfortable. When did Christians start believing they need a romantic relationship to be completed? When did it stop being "Christ makes you whole" and begin to be "Christ and your boyfriend" or "Christ and your wife"? Doesn't scripture tell us, "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness" (Colossians 2:10).<br />
<br />
When did marriage become an idol?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If I'm even more honest, I would go further and say that <i>romance</i> has become an idol. We have all bought into the lie that we must be romantically involved to be happy or else we should be at least searching someone.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Some may wonder at this point if I'm not bitter, and no, I'm not. At least, not at dating or romance. I'm simply frustrated with society... for making me feel like I am incomplete, for trying to distract me from trusting in God's plan, and for telling me that my happiness depends on anything other than God.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Because if you are reading this, whether you are single or dating, married or unmarried, that is the truth I wish to convey. Our happiness depends on one thing and one thing alone. As the old hymn puts it: "My hope is built on nothing less / Than Jesus' blood and righteousness; / I dare not trust the sweetest frame, / But wholly lean on Jesus' name." Christ is our victory and our prize, a gift kept safely in heaven, untouched and unharmed by our circumstances... whatever they may be.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Mark 6:20-21).</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-84931728812659401402014-03-25T23:14:00.003-04:002014-03-25T23:14:49.599-04:00The EndIt's a creeping habit that sneaks up on me when I least expect it. It's not that I mean to do it, it's just that sometimes I get so busy that I don't have time to sit down and straighten out my priorities when they get out of line. The next thing I know, I'm doing it again. <br />
<br />
The distractions pull at the corner of my mind and stress begins to blow things out of proportion. I need something to get me through. I need someone to tell me it will be all right. I need some guarantee that I can do this.<br />
<br />
And then, I remember Him... the Big Guy Upstairs. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Great, thanks God! But then I run into a problem. So I pray. And through the process of much prayer and divine intervention, things begin to work out. Soon, I am faced with a tough decision and I ask for discernment, just to be certain I am making the right decision.<br />
<br />
Consulting God and leaning on Him during the busier times in life is a beautiful thing. But too often when this happens, I begin to notice a shift in my thinking-- one that is dangerous and needs to be addressed.<br />
<br />
Because the more distracted I get, the more I begin to view God as a means to an end rather than and end in itself. <br />
<br />
I see Him as the answer to my questions, the Almighty one who can use His power to step in when things get too big for me to handle. In the meantime, I stop seeing Him for who He truly is, a beautiful and loving God who deserves more praise than I could ever dream of giving Him. He is the Alpha, Omega, Beginning and End.<br />
<br />
Just as it would be rude of me to treat a friend as a tool to reach my goals and get through the struggles of life, it would be rude of me to do the same to God. And yet, so often I find myself doing just that. It is in these moments that I take a deep breathe, set aside a few moments, and spend them in God's presence, reflecting on who He is and the fact that my problems pale in comparison to His beauty.<br />
<br />
He is not a means to an end. He is <i>THE</i> End... one so beautiful it leaves me wanting for nothing.<br />
<br />
"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." -Psalm 46:10Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-25112627453332428732014-03-24T22:30:00.001-04:002014-03-24T22:30:56.391-04:00Precious and HonoredPeople are never wrong.<br />
<br />
Beliefs can be wrong. Expectations. Dreams can be wrong. Words can be wrong. Morals can be wrong. But people? People are never wrong.<br />
<br />
When did we become so hypercritical that we forgot the value of a human soul?<br />
<br />
Perhaps if we saw each other through the eyes of God, saw how invaluable and hurting those around us were, we would not be so quick to jump to conclusions, not be so careless with our words, and not be so consumed with ourselves.<br />
<br />
Instead, we allow our own insecurities to haunt us like devils. We listen to the voices that tell us we are not beautiful, not worthy, not loved. Guilt over our past and fear of our future are poisons we have learned to live with. And because we question our own value, we also fear that others may be more valuable than us. <br />
<br />
Comparison becomes an obsession and we learn that insults followed by "just kidding" are more socially acceptable but just as effective in tearing down. Labeling others and searching for reasons to find them inferior to us become such a habit that we don't even realize that we do it.<br />
<br />
But as we learn our own value in Christ, we should begin to see the value in others. Christ didn't just die on the cross for me... he died for everyone. If I truly believe that others are so valuable God would redeem them at the cost of His son's life, I would be doing everything in my power to show them this.<br />
<br />
"Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give nations in exchange for you, and peoples in exchange for your life." -Isaiah 43:4Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-23966488859331254042014-03-24T00:06:00.001-04:002014-03-24T00:06:31.616-04:00Drowned in LoveI mentioned that sometimes I write poetry when I process things. Another thing I do is imagine myself coming face to face with Jesus in a situation and ask Him to reveal to me what he would say. Although these are usually metaphors, they help me to understand different parts of the Bible or my life-- and most recently have allowed me to further explore the symbolism behind baptism... Here is a excerpt from my journal:<br />
<br />
I glance at the water cautiously. It is unlike any pool I have ever seen before. It is churned and muddy, and I have no idea what is awaiting me beyond the shore. You stand, waist deep in the waves, holding out a hand. I wonder if this is how Peter felt as he stepped out of that boat.<br />
<br />
"Do not go in," a voice scolds from within. I hesitate at the edge. Seeing my inner struggle, you encourage me, "That is your old master. You don't have to listen anymore. You are no longer obligated to him."<br />
<br />
I frown, confused. I have been following this voice for so long that just it's tone makes me believe I must obey. If not now, I know I will give in eventually and do as he suggests.<br />
<br />
"You are with me now. I love you and I bought your freedom," you explain, gesturing me forward.<br />
<br />
I step in. The water is already up to my ankles. It is cold.<br />
<br />
"What will happen?" I ask, still uncertain.<br />
<br />
"You will die," you answer.<br />
<br />
I falter, not expecting this answer. You smile. "The part of you that I created will live on, but the broken-ness inside of you will die. The person who is bent on doing the things that hurt you or others will be gone. You will be given a chance to start over, and this time with me by your side."<br />
<br />
Now I walk towards you. This is what I need, I know.<br />
<br />
"Will it hurt?" I ask.<br />
<br />
"The part of you that must die will tell you it does, but after you will see that you were okay the whole time. You will be much better off. You will understand freedom.<br />
<br />
I stand across from you now, facing you in the water. "Okay, I am ready." You smile, and I realize you have been counting down the days from the dawn of creation until this moment. You reach out and take me in your arms like a child. Then, you push me under the water.<br />
<br />
Immediately, I begin to panic. What if I'm not ready? What if this was a mistake? What have I done? I am choking. I can't breathe. I inhale a gulp of water and begin to gag, kicking hard. With a rush of panic, I realize I am dying.<br />
<br />
I try to fight you. "You're drowning me!" I scream in my head. How could you do this to me? You, who said that you loved me. You, who promised life.<br />
<br />
Suddenly, something inside of me changes. It is as though my very nature shifts. The fear is gone. I am breathing. I am still under water, but I am no longer dying. In fact, I distinctly feel more alive than I had ever been before.<br />
<br />
You pull me from the water and before I can say anything, you are hugging me. "You are free!" you exclaim. I grin in return. The doubt and worry that once dimmed your face to me is gone and now I can see how beautiful you are.<br />
<br />
"Will she come back?" I ask, thrilled to have shed the old me.<br />
<br />
"No," you answer. "You must believe that she cannot harm you now, or you will still be a slave to the idea of her."<br />
<br />
I nod. "Where is she?"<br />
<br />
"Gone. And you do not have to worry about becoming her again. You are victorious now. You will mess up, but you will not be her." You smile and I now you are seeing me for who I am, without the part of me that was broken and sinful. "Welcome to life."<br />
<br />
"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just like Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." -Romans 6:1-4Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-24193590189229412022014-03-22T18:43:00.004-04:002014-03-22T18:47:02.610-04:00Freed from the StreamI spent the last two posts explaining the concept of "transformation," God changing us and freeing us from sin. But I think I failed to explain why this is important.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After all, doesn't God's grace cover us? Aren't we forgiven of the areas in which we struggle? Yes, the cross covers our sins and makes us whole. But as Paul explains in Galatians, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourself be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sin is sort of like a river. It naturally pulls us downstream, towards destruction. However, in order to get away from our sin, we need to swim upstream. We have times in which our energy is renewed and we make progress in the fight, but after some time we aways grow tired and give in for a moment, being pulled downstream in our moments of rest.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But Christ offers us not just the strength to swim upstream, but the opportunity to climb up on dry ground. We think because we were born in water, we are water creatures. In reality, we were made for land. We think because we were born as sinful creatures that this is our destiny, and there is no escaping it. But we were made, not sinful, but in the image of God and in Christ we are given the opportunity to return to this holy life.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So why don't we? Because we have been taught to believe that the momentary thrill we get from the river is worth the danger we put ourselves in. We bend the rules and push the lines. We ask, "How far can I go in before the current takes me?" Don't think so? Well, how many times have you wondered, "How far can I go with this before it's sin? Before it's idolatry? Can I omit the truth and still not lie? Is this technically envy? Jealousy? Anger? When does this bad habit become a sin?" </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The problem is, we are asking all the wrong questions. If we are asking, "How long before this is sin?" then we are already headed in the wrong direction. Instead, we should be asking, "How can I become more like Christ?" It's not, "How deep can I get into the river?", it's "How much can I do now that I am not fighting it with every step I take?"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We have been freed. It's time we act like it.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-42572750898181425582014-03-21T20:02:00.000-04:002014-03-21T20:02:06.614-04:00More Than HealedWe have an inherited brokenness in our bones. We love the things that hurt us and want the things that are killing us. We lie. We run. We do the wrong things and we get angry.<br />
<br />
Sin is not a cold jail cell, it is a flashy party, a comfortable bed, or a gentle path... but one that keeps us trapped nonetheless.<br />
<br />
Thankfully, our God cares enough about us to rescue us. And yet time and time again, we find ourselves returning to the sin that entangles us so. Thankfully, God is forgiving, but does this mean that we can continue to seek the things we know are wrong, searching out momentary pleasure because we know His grace will cover our sin?<br />
<br />
No.<br />
<br />
Because what is so beautiful about our brokenness is not that we are broken, but the way in which God can heal us. As Paul explained to the Romans, "Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more" (Romans 5:20).<br />
<br />
But God's grace doesn't just stop at healing us. If we allow it to, it transforms us. We become new people, shining with the radiance of God, His spirit flowing through our veins. Not only are we healed from the disease of death, but we are restored to full health and given life to the fullest. We no longer need to chase shadows in hope of finding something that will fulfill us... we have found the sun.<br />
<br />
As John wrote in his first letter: "If anyone obeys His word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did."<br />
<br />
So answer the call, brothers. Respond to the voice, sisters. Stand up and walk out of the room, the house, that has become your jail. Leave it behind and never look back. You have been transformed. You no longer need to return to your former ways... you have found a glory that eclipses the world and you cannot look away.<br />
<br />
<br />
"Our God loves us enough to take us as we are, but loves us too much to leave us there." -Aaron Duvall, OCU ChaplainAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-18354303827177196972014-03-20T21:07:00.001-04:002014-03-20T22:26:42.862-04:00Not My Plans"I trusted God and he failed me."<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If we were being honest with each other, I think we would all say we've felt this way at one time or another. Whether it was a plan that didn't come to fruition, a situation we didn't want to get into, or a dream we wanted to see fulfilled, we can't help but feel as though God let us down when he didn't follow through. We prayed for our plans to be successful and they weren't, and now we wonder if maybe trusting them to God was the wrong decision.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The problem, though, is that we are trusting God with our plans when we should be trusting God's plans.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Proverbs 16:9 expresses this same sentiment when Solomon writes,"<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">The heart of man plans his way, </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">but</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="crossreference" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-16850B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">the</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">establishes his steps."</span></div>
<div>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">God promises to have our best interest in mind when he says, "</span></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">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" (Romans 8:28). The problem is, we often think that we can step ahead and determine what that good is. In reality, God sees a much bigger picture than we do and can imagine far greater plans for us than we are able to hope.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We do not know our own good, nor do we have the strength to bring it about. But when we learn to trust our Creator with his plans, we find the peace and rest that eludes us when we are struggling to make our own plans fit. God is not a tool we can use to secure the future we want... He IS the future we need.</span></div>
<div class="passage-scroller">
<ul class="result-options button txt-sm" id="result-options2" style="background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0% 0%, 0% 100%, from(rgb(255, 255, 255)), to(rgb(170, 170, 170))); border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); cursor: default; float: left; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px 5px;">
<li style="border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; float: left; list-style-type: none;"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%201&version=ESV" style="display: block; height: 25px; text-decoration: none;" title="Go to Psalm 1"></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-55855255742506396622014-03-19T15:00:00.000-04:002014-03-19T15:31:36.934-04:00All Clean<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIgysQXZygEJpa357sMbpg2IrRcDRFadv-fXGIn6WL4FLAlrtQEOoQUDWtvpwOUjemxMgrCUChfZsBlnb1v7ZDowDTbgfcI3tvAAxH0RJ9EHSf4Yjn6iRtKDAAA5wGFsdq_vxTqNyWPfE0/s3200/toddler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIgysQXZygEJpa357sMbpg2IrRcDRFadv-fXGIn6WL4FLAlrtQEOoQUDWtvpwOUjemxMgrCUChfZsBlnb1v7ZDowDTbgfcI3tvAAxH0RJ9EHSf4Yjn6iRtKDAAA5wGFsdq_vxTqNyWPfE0/s3200/toddler.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a>When I was a toddler (see picture for details...), I hated baths. They really didn't seem that important, I could think of a million better ways to spend my time, and I always got shampoo in my eyes, which hurt. However, there was one part of the bath-taking process that I enjoyed. When I was done with the soap and the shampoo and all rinsed off, my dad would wrap me up in a towel, hold like a baby so I could see in the mirror, and say in his best "talking-to-an-infant" voice, "All clean!"<br />
<br />
It was a tradition that made the whole ordeal worthwhile. Whenever it was done to us, my sister and I would laugh hysterically. Apparently we found it comical that we were being treated like babies because (clearly) we were much more grown up than that.<br />
<br />
God, as our loving Father, understands the importance of cleaning the areas of our lives that are hurting us. A child who does not bathe will become sick and suffer various infections and rashes. When we refuse to let God clean us, we suffer spiritually. But God sees our need and works to wash the harmful attitudes, habits, relationships, or thoughts from our lives.<br />
<br />
There are many reasons we hate being cleaned. Sometimes, it just doesn't seem important enough to bother with and we can't understand why God would ask us to give up a certain part of our life. Other times, we are too busy to take the time to sit down and address our issues like we should. Perhaps our core dislike, though, is that we hate it when the soap gets in our eyes. Being cleaned is never convenient or easy, and often can be a painful process, but it is one that is necessary to our health.<br />
<br />
Today in chapel, we studied the passage in John 15 where Jesus tells his disciples, "I am the vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." As the speaker explained to us, the word "prune" here might also be translated into English as "clean up." In other words, even when we are fruitful, we still should not be surprised when God begins to clean in areas of our lives. After all, if we were perfect, we wouldn't have needed the cross in the first place.<br />
<br />
Next time you are going through the hard process of being cleaned, thinking of all the things you could be doing in the meantime and fighting the pain of soap in your eyes, just remember the end goal. One day, you will see yourself through the lens of the cross, through the eyes of Christ, and you will see the smiling face of God looking back at you as He declares: "All clean."<br />
<br />
"Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." -James 1:4Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-75372986090340026412014-03-18T22:25:00.002-04:002014-03-18T22:37:53.590-04:00Ice Cream and The Lottery Will End Child Prostitution (Sort of.)If you could do anything in the world, what would you do?<br />
<br />
I hope you didn't answer something like "pass my test tomorrow" or "get through work today." If you did, please go back and revise your answer to be something more along the lines of..<br />
<br />
...make it possible to obtain knowledge by eating ice cream, which of course doesn't have any calories.<br />
<br />
...win the lottery and have enough money to support all my favorite charities, pay for my kids to go to college, buy a yacht, and move to Florida.<br />
<br />
...discover a way of breathing that cures all illnesses, so that everyone can be healed.<br />
<br />
These are much more acceptable answers.<br />
<br />
Why is it, then, that whenever we quote the famous verse, Philippians 3:14, "I can do all things through him who gives me strength," we are almost inevitably talking about situations like those first listed. Why don't we dream bigger? Why don't we aim higher? Perhaps our dreams will be a bit more serious that ice cream and the lottery, but shouldn't they also be more hopeful than passing tests and surviving work?<br />
<br />
Because if I truly believe I can do all things through Christ, wouldn't I forget about passing my test and instead worry about things like...<br />
<br />
...freeing the millions enslaved around the world.<br />
<br />
...saving all the lost and searching.<br />
<br />
...ending hunger and poverty.<br />
<br />
Perhaps the reason tragedies like child prostitution and death by starvation continue to happen around the world is not because our God is too small, but because our dreams are <i>too</i> small.<br />
<br />
"But Jessica," you say, "What if I want to be king of the world and my best friend wants to be king of the world? What then? What happens when we all believe in God, but have conflicting goals? How will we all be able to do <i>all</i> things?"<br />
<br />
Well, look back at the verse. It doesn't say "through Christ who I believe in," it is "through Christ who gives me strength." When Christ is our strength, we trust Him. As we learn to depend on Him more and ourselves less, our dreams begin to look more and more like His. In fact, when Paul wrote these words he was saying something more along the lines of "I can <i>endure</i> all things through Christ who gives me strength."<br />
<br />
Your dreams may be impossible for you to achieve. Thye might lie at the end of a difficult road of uphill battles and impassable roadblocks. But next time you tell your dreams to quiet down because they are simply too improbable, remember what Christ once told His disciples in a similar situation: "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-29405834585753062622014-03-17T20:58:00.001-04:002014-03-17T21:04:06.218-04:00Again.Today I went to the prayer chapel.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Why is this relevant? Why is it worthy of being the attention grabber to today's post? What is so amazing about this?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Well, I went to the prayer chapel feeling worn and broken. Again.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On campus, we have a beautiful little chapel complete with stained glass, small pews, pray journals, and a statue of Christ. It's a quiet place for students to go when they are seeking God. I like to go there when I am struggling with something.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And as I said, tonight I found myself in the prayer chapel. Again.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I went there struggling with the same insecurities and frustrations that seem to resurface every few weeks as of late. While I was there, I was convicted. However, I was not convicted about anything I originally was begging God to reveal to me.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I was convicted that I was in the prayer chapel seeking God in the midst of my struggle. Again.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's certainly okay to seek God when we are struggling; in fact, that's what we should do. But last time I was there, I was struggling with something. And the time before that. And the time before that. And the farther back I thought, the more I realized every time I had been in there, I had been struggling with something.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There I was begging and complaining at the altar again when I felt God ask me, "Why have you never come here to worship me? Why do you seek me so intentionally when you need something and then only offer up a quick prayer of thanks when I bless you? Why do you never come to just praise me, not for something I've done, but for who I am?"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You see, maybe the reason I struggle so much with the same things is because I do not know my God. As we praise God, we witness him revealing himself to us. The words we sing or pray or write become more true to us. But I only sought God when I was in peril, expecting him to be exactly where he was last time I finished telling him about my problems.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So next time I find myself in the prayer chapel, it will be with the sole intention of praising God. I will not find healing by telling him over and over again about my problems. I will find healing through Him. And maybe it's time I thank Him for that.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-48197472423652512352014-03-16T23:11:00.000-04:002014-03-16T23:11:55.975-04:00The Bible: Avengers Version"I am Loki of Asgard and I am burdened with glorious purpose..."<br />
<br />
After arriving on earth, shattering a government stronghold to bits, and taking two people as his mind-controlled slaves, these are the words Avengers' character Loki chooses to introduced himself. They are certainly intriguing-- a strange way to describe oneself that leaves the viewer wondering what exactly the long, dark-haired Tom Hiddleston means.<br />
<br />
However, I did not include this quote to open a lengthy discussion about the character development of Loki in the recent box office hit. Instead, I felt that it describes very well what it means to be a Christian.<br />
<br />
After all, we are all burdened with glorious purpose.<br />
<br />
First, we all have a purpose. Forwarding the kingdom of God and bringing glory to Him are general ones, but we are also placed on the Earth for a specific role in God's plan. The prophet Jeremiah was told by God when He was called, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations" (Jeremiah 1:5). Perhaps you were not called to be a prophet, but a social worker, a mother, a construction worker, or a friend. God does not leave us to find something helpful to do. He has a plan in store, and because it is from Him, we can be certain it is glorious.<br />
<br />
But why the choice of the word "burdened"? Well, from our point of view as children of God, we know that to be a part of God's plans is a blessing. Still, the culture will call us "burdened" because we must sometimes choose to pass up the things that will only bring momentary pleasure for those that will last eternally. We know that when we chase money, fame, or power, we are turning away from God's plans for our lives. If these things are given to us by Him, then they are not bad, but when they are our end goal, we have created idols.<br />
<br />
We must realize that some of the things we are offered today do not even begin to compare to the future we will find in God. When we fulfill the purpose He has given us, then we find true prosperity and contentment. Still, we must learn to say no to the tempting but fleeting pleasure of the moment when it is called for. We must learn to not be distracted as we seek something greater.<br />
<br />
I am Jessica of Indiana, and I am not burdened with glorious purpose.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-72392829439063030082014-03-15T23:13:00.002-04:002014-03-15T23:13:39.145-04:00Giving It UpHey, notice me! Aren't I great? Aren't you glad you know me? Look at all these amazing things I've done. Imagine what life would be like without me. Check out all these things I'm incredibly good at... you're so lucky to know someone like me.<br />
<br />
Whether it's Facebook, relationships, the workplace, or anywhere in between, we live in a culture that value self-promotion above all else. In a world where the individual is glorified and the community is often forgotten, competition to survive as "the best" is cut-throat. Social media allows us to pick and choose what parts of our lives we present to the world, while texting and email give us time to find the perfectly crafted, witty reply to whatever has been said. <br />
<br />
Self-promotion encourages us to constantly focus inward, only noticing others when we compare ourselves to them. After awhile, though, we will inevitably tire of this never ending work. We will look around and realize that in our desire to make ourselves stand out above the others, we have really only succeeded in making ourselves alone. <br />
<br />
God invites us to turn against the cycle of self-promotion. Instead, he asks us to give up to him the things we hold most precious: our future, our status, and our desire to save ourselves. He asks us to lie down at His feet in humility and go out to help the least.<br />
<br />
As Christian's, we do not have to worry about the business of promoting ourselves, because we are promised that in serving Christ, we will find everything we need. Jesus says in Matthew 19:29-30, "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first."<br />
<br />
In other words, maybe it's time we stop asking "What will I gain?" and begin asking "What can I give?"Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-23469027989472964352014-03-14T23:15:00.000-04:002014-03-14T23:19:59.607-04:00From Where I SitPerhaps it's because I am so used to it or maybe it is the increasing amounts of studying and decreasing amounts of free time, but regardless of the reason, I consider my daily life nothing to get excited over. True, I attend a beautiful school, take classes with some of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever met, and work daily with professors and employers I would be happy to one day resemble. Even still, while I never dread the day ahead of me, I often find myself thinking of my daily life as monotonous or boring.<br />
<br />
That's why it's humbling to realize that while you were going about your daily business as though it was just another Sunday or Thursday or Friday, God was using you for a greater plan.<br />
<br />
Let me explain.<br />
<br />
At Indiana Wesleyan, I have the pleasure of working for the admissions department, hosting prospective students overnight and allowing them to get a taste of daily life on campus. I like the job because I was just in their shoes last year, spending the night with college students whose attitudes often affected my view of the school. Also, it's a nice way to earn a little extra spending money.<br />
<br />
A few months ago, I hosted a student who was already fairly certain she was attending another college. We had a fun night, decorating a gingerbread man, hanging out with some of my friends, and having good conversation over coffee. I said goodbye the next morning, thinking that was the end of it.<br />
<br />
Today, I ran into her on campus, again. This may have not been odd, except that she is from the East Coast, and the Mid-West is a long way to go to see a school again that you aren't planning on attending. I had a chance to sit and talk with her, though, and she filled me in on how she has started to feel God calling her to Indiana Wesleyan, and as a result, her plans for next year are beginning to look different than she had previously thought.<br />
<br />
My point? 1 Corinthians 10:31, a quite popular verse, tells us, "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." The value in this verse has just recently struck me. Often times, when God uses us to His purposes, we are completely unaware. From where we sit, we are simply going about our everyday lives, oblivious to how many people we are touching in the process. Still He is using us, and it would be such a shame to pass up a chance to be used by God simply because we were unable to demonstrate His glory in that situation.<br />
<br />
So, next time you are annoyed in the grocery line or make eye contact with that old acquaintance you never had the time to get to know, just remember... God can use you for His plan in whatever you do, as long as you are willing do it for His glory.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-17064363308401251772014-03-14T00:27:00.000-04:002014-03-14T01:05:34.183-04:00At The End of the DaySome nights when I fall into bed- nerves stretched thin and bone tired, knowing that I have to do it all again tomorrow- I feel as though the world has beaten me.<br>
<br>
And then I remember...<br>
<br>
I serve a God who bent down to earth and breathed life into a man.<br>
<br>
I serve a God who parted seas to deliver His people.<br>
<br>
I serve a God who made a shepherd boy into a great king.<br>
<br>
I serve a God who cared enough to be jealous when His children turned away from Him.<br>
<br>
I serve a God who carried a prophet across a sea in a fish.<br>
<br>
I serve a God who loved his people despite their constant failures.<br>
<br>
I serve a God who came down to die in my place.<br>
<br>
I serve a God who could not be held in the grave by all the sins in the world.<br>
<br>
I serve a God who rose again.<br>
<br>
Nothing can beat me. Nothing can even stand against me.<br>
<br>
Because I serve a God who is victorious.<br>
<br>
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-67630621120798999822014-03-12T21:59:00.000-04:002014-03-12T22:22:53.579-04:00The Company We Keep"Show me your friends and I'll show you your character."<br />
<br />
"You become the company that you keep."<br />
<br />
"Bad company corrupts good character."<br />
<br />
These are all true and good expressions (or bible verses, in the case of the last one)... in their context. But when it comes to the company that Christians' keep, their tends to be a fear in the church of "sinners." This is pretty much the equivalent of a doctor being afraid of disease. <br />
<br />
Can a doctor catch a disease? Yes. Should a doctor take necessary precautions not to get sick? Absolutely. If your around the sick all day, you need to wash your hands. But should the doctor avoid the sick and only accept healthy patients? Most certainly not.<br />
<br />
We all need friends that have the same beliefs as us. Jesus had the twelve disciples. It's hard to stay strong in a world that is constantly tearing you down without a trustworthy support system. But to say that we should avoid sinners because we might become them is to go against the teachings of Jesus.<br />
<br />
Jesus taught us that we are all sinners. Jesus washed the feet of men that he knew would betray him, deny him, and run in fear. He associated with tax collectors, prostitutes, adulteresses, and Roman soldiers, some of the worst enemies of a Jew at the time. When questioned about the company he kept, he replied to the religious leaders, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:31).<br />
<br />
We have a disease, but we have also found a cure. We have two choices of what to do now. We can hoard that cure or we can take to the streets and seek out the sick. Will we follow in our teacher's footsteps?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
(This post was highly inspired by several articles and bible passages I have read lately. One of these is a video journal by the lead singer of one of my favorite bands, Tenth Avenue North. I would highly recommend checking it out. So much so, that I am going to link it right <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4UDgKqY3EE" target="_blank">here</a>. Enjoy!)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-66457116428129789942014-03-11T11:11:00.002-04:002014-03-11T12:05:17.226-04:00Holy HeartbreakThis will be a bit longer than usual, but if you read the whole thing, I promise it will be worth it. I'm taking this straight out of my journal because it's something God has been speaking to me strongly. It is a beautiful lesson. For the sake of length, I am limiting the bible passages I include, but if you want to read further, pretty much all of Malachi and Hosea would be relevant.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"'A son honors his father, and slaves honor their master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?' says the Lord Almighty...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
'When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?' --says the Lord Almighty... </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
'Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and I will accept no offerings from your hands.'"</div>
<div>
-Malachi 1:6, 8, 10</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The mediocrity you offer me is insulting on its best days. Do you not understand what I have done for you? Do you not understand who I am? Do you not understand who you are to me? I am your Father and Master, the Beginning and End of everything. I am the Creator, so great that with one word, I spoke your universe into existence. I sustain all life. I am the Lord Almighty!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And yet, you worship me with only parts of yourself. Your hands are raised and you mouth forms the words, but inside your heart, you are playing a tug of war match. You do not want to give up the idols you have made for yourself. You tell me it is too hard, that you are too weak, and that you need to kick your addictions slowly, but these are all excuses. I know that and you know that. Don't waste your breath.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We both know that if you loved me as whole-heartedly as you claim to, there would be no room in your heart for you to want those idols, let alone cling to them as determinedly as you do.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Because of this, your praise and prayer are a mockery to me. I wish you would stop. This has gone on far too long. How could you hurt me so? It is not that you are just depriving me of the respect and honor due to me, which you are. It is even greater that that. You are spitting on all that I have given you.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I payed with the life of my own son to redeem you from the slavery you had sold yourself into. You were hideous and wretched, naked and broken, ashamed. But I loved you. I clothed you. I nursed you back to health and I made you beautiful. I made you whole again. At first, you loved me back. You saw the love in my eyes and you could not help but return it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But then, something happened. You noticed that others began to admire the beauty you had become. You flirted with them and begged for their attentions. Soon, simply talk wasn't enough. You cheated on me. You offered yourself to them over and over and over.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"How could you do this to me?" I asked you. But you pretend there is nothing wrong. "I am sorry, it's a problem, I know," you tell me. "I am working on it." And then you leave again.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"I want you to leave them," I ask, and I see the look in your eyes, the unwillingness to do this. You tell me I am unreasonable and that you love me more, so isn't that enough? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But can you not see what you are doing? You offer me your kiss and your smile as though you believe this is what I want. And this is the worst insult of all. Do you really think so little of me? When I found you, you had not beauty, no future, and nothing to offer. You had none of the things that you give me now. But I loved you anyway. And now you believe you can repay me by simply going through the motions?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
How could you believe I want repayment at all?! I do not want your beauty or your gifts or your empty kisses. I want you to love me back, with everything you are! I want you! How could you not know this? When did you forget?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Please just stop. Drop the act, we both know you don't love me as much as you say you do. If you did, you would not keep these idols, much less worship them. Quit pretending because you are just insulting me more. Tell me the truth and let's work on this together. Give up the other things in your heart and I will woo you. I will remind you of who you are and then you will remember how much you love me.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Come back to me, my love.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall! Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: "...We will never again say 'Our gods' to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion." -Hosea 14:1-3</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-11944230977825336292014-03-10T16:54:00.002-04:002014-03-10T16:57:34.533-04:00PainkillersThe devil deals in painkillers.<br />
<br />
If you've ever had one of those days that wears you down until you feel like only a shadow of what you want to be, then you'll know what I mean. Our sin is a cancer, fed by the things that tempt us. It starts in one place and, if left untreated, spreads. It kills us slowly and from within, taking things that were intended for good and mutating them so that they strangle the life from us.<br />
<br />
We are desperate to make the pain go away... lucky for us, painkillers are cheap and easy to come by. They are available in many forms: television, drugs, relationships, idols, cutting, partying...<br />
<br />
The first time we take them, we are shocked by how well they work. Our symptoms fade, and we manage to convince ourselves that our disease does as well. But as the drugs wear off and the pain returns, we become more desperate to escape it. We take another hit. Soon we can't live without the drug. We take higher dosages. We take it more and more often. We mix in other painkillers.<br />
<br />
The truth is, we know we need surgery to remove the cancer, but even the idea of it is enough to make us panic. Instead we lie to ourselves until we really do believe that substituting painkillers is the cure. But we are the glassy-eyed, emancipated drug addicts, numbing ourselves to the pain that should be warning us to walk away. We fight to forget our symptoms, but we are only making the disease worse. <br />
<br />
When we finally give in to the surgery, we have already been taught to believe that we will never be cured. We have bought into the lie that we can only fight off death for so long. But God is a master surgeon, and when we wake up, we find ourselves new and whole again. We find ourselves more healed than we had ever dared to hope was possible. We are given new hearts, and new blood courses through our veins. <br />
<br />
When we learn to stop fearing the cure, we free ourselves from suppressing the pain. We open ourselves up to be cured. The change is more than a transplant; it is a transformation.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-54884550002318170572014-03-09T15:37:00.002-04:002014-03-09T15:41:20.159-04:00Performance PressureCome, let's take a walk down the path of pride. Let us wander among the lands of greed and shame, past the vast desert that is arrogance and self-promotion. It is here we stumble across a small village. It looks like the perfect place to live. See how neat and beautiful the houses and yards are? The people are all so friendly. They all smile at you. They are all elegant or handsome, with their neatly kept children and their awards and promotions. Everyone here is happy. Welcome to the land of performance.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Move in here, and you will love it at first. You will find joy in trimming your bushes, greeting your neighbors, and going on daily runs to lose a few pounds. Productivity is always a nice feeling. But wait until the weeks become months, and you may have a different opinion. You will wonder how on earth you are going to get everything done. Just being at your best will no longer be enough, you'll need to be better than everyone else. Your desire to be the skinniest, the smartest, the happiest, or the most respected will leave you under constant stress until you don't remember the last time you breathed easy.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If only you could get close enough to see into the cracks of your neighbors houses. There you would see the struggles kept silent in the light of day. You would begin to make out the insecurities that so closely mirror your own. You would see that the people you are trying so hard to be are really just as imperfect as you.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When Christ finds us here, in the land of insecurity, he invites us to wave our white flags and step out of the trenches that our lives have become. He allows us to be real about our struggles and even okay with falling down. He encourages us to leave behind the world we've been living in for so long.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Because in the land of performance, you will be taught that you must be at your best so that you will be loved. But, if you step into the light of God's grace, you will learn a different truth. You are loved, and therefore, given a holy strength that will make you more than you could ever imagine.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3111048906673005333.post-25211141310568658112014-03-08T20:36:00.000-05:002014-03-08T20:36:50.505-05:00Muddy FaithAt some point, we all find ourselves at the end of something. The end of a good book, the end of a big project, or the end of a vacation... (That final example is all too personal right now as tomorrow, sadly will be the final day of my spring break. Yikes!) Usually, such conclusions are accompanied by an important question: What next?<br />
<br />
The key here is to not get caught in the transition. It's why I can spend hours packing for a weekend trip. Choose my clothes, stare at them for ten minutes, put them in my bag, stare at it for fifteen minutes, get my toiletries, stare at them for five minutes, and so on and so forth.<br />
<br />
It is one thing to spend a few extra hours than necessary packing, and it is another to waste away months or even years of your life because you get stuck in the transition. It is here, in the time between concluding one thing and starting the next, that I fear so many Christians find themselves wandering for far too long.<br />
<br />
When I look back at my walk with God, I think of the verses "lying down in green pastures" and "led beside still waters." Then I think of a 5K mud run. Honestly the latter comparison seems more accurate. There have certainly been peaceful moments, but my daily walk with God is, more often than not... messy.<br />
<br />
Some of the hardest times of transition I have faced come after mountain top experiences. The far side of the hill is usually a slippery slope, covered in mud. Most Christian's have experienced this feeling: the desire to change because of something God has placed on their heart, the fear that things will return to the way they've always been, and... too often... disappointment when they do.<br />
<br />
So, then, what do we do when we've come face to face with God? Where do we go from there? Is our only option down? We can't stay on the mountain top, but we can grow no matter where we are. As Paul writes to the church in Colossae, "Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness" (Colossians 3:6-7).<br />
<br />
As your making your way down the muddy, rain-drenched side of the mountain that is daily life, just remember that it takes rain to make things grow. You may remember the exact moment that you made the decision to change, but in truth, the process of changing is what actually brings you closer to God. The truth is that it doesn't matter whether your on the mountain top, headed up, or going down. What matters is that you are making progress on the path towards God.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599876273112003622noreply@blogger.com0