Dear friends,
I've been reading a book called "The Secret of Contentment" by William B. Barclay. It's been especially encouraging, because I find myself at times dissatisfied with the world around me, that I get a feeling of...there has to be something more.
Perhaps it's because I've been bombarded by messages from the world saying that you can find happiness in something it offers, or maybe it's that I tire/bore easily, looking for something new to excite and impress me. And then the sad reality is, how different am I from the non-believer next to me, that I find myself caught in building of my own little kingdom rather than God's kingdom. :(
I think what Mr. Barclay says is really helpful:
"The unbeliever sets his entire hope on this world and values life in the world above all. But the Christian recognizes that he is a pilgrim and alien in this world (1 Pet. 2:11). His true home is in heaven." He continues by saying that Paul's desire and bent towards heaven enables him to "seek the things of God, which translates into living with one another and serving one another in godly ways." and that heavenly values determine [Paul's] life, that he can reject the thinking of the world, and then becomes, as a result, especially useful on earth.
I'm realizing more and more how important it is to be in the Word regularly, how wrong our own thinking can be, especially as we don't have the ability to produce the right and true way to live life, outside of what God teaches. It's so critical to be Spirit-filled, Spirit-led as we seek to mortify sin and die to self.
Everything the world tells you is pretty much at odds with what the Bible teaches. For example, I heard a related message this morning on KKLA about how being "in love" is the world's measure of love, ...and Hollywood glamorizes romance, but being in love is more about what it does for me than caring for the other person, and when you stop to think about it, that's what many couples pursue, only to discover that it's not enough...
In reality, I believe that this is not what God intended for us. The type of love He calls us to is agape, sacrificial, it is a type of love that is giving, that acts and does and serves, with the heart motivation to glorify God and build His kingdom, in service to and for the benefit of others, not myself.
And I'll be completely honest with you here...it is a struggle to choose to build God's kingdom, not my own. I'm like most people. I want to be happy, have nice things, travel and experience awesome and fun places, but then it quickly fades and you find yourself "chasing" that next thing, in an endless cycle...then you realize you've just spent your life and energy pleasing yourself...you don't want that to be your story to the Lord, do you?
I know we naturally care about self first, and care about others when it's convenient and when it suits us...but when we're thinking about heaven, and what matters most to the Lord, we can finally be satisfied in ways that the world doesn't understand. It puts things in proper perspective, that this is not my home, and I have a job to do here, to live out the gospel, to point others to Jesus.
Let's work together and encourage one another to focus on what lies ahead and not settle for salad or soup when steak is coming. :)
Grace and peace to you.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
We like sheep...
To all that still check in every once in a while, I thank you. :)
It has been a while indeed, and life keeps going, some things change while some things feel like they stay the same...and I find that many of my struggles these days happen within the context of relationships...as if that's anything new.
At any rate, I was listening to Family Life Radio this morning and Mr. Dennis Rainey quoted Isaiah 53:6 -
"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned-every one- to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
Yes, indeed, we are all hopelessly afflicted by selfishness.
He then proceeded to read the "Toddler's Creed" - check it out on google. And I feel like sometimes I'm stuck in that mode, desiring to have my own way, and demanding that others give into me. And that's just it, we are prone to wander and go astray, we continue to be in control, "kings and queens", mini gods of our own worlds.
Do we really know what was going on in Eve's heart when she was deceived? I imagine it has everything to do with what James 1:13-15.
And why do we continue to struggle with submission, ultimately sinning when we are discontent with God's providence, sovereignty, timing and reasons for what we are experiencing?
It's because we are sinners, in need of Jesus' redeeming work, which freed us from our selfishness, to open our eyes and ears to see and hear a new Master.
I find we get so easily bogged down from all the things going on around us, that we fall into the trap of forgetting to be thankful, forgetting to take joy in what we are so blessed with, and how easy it is to become critical and grumble over why it's not the way we imagined or planned.
Praise be to God, for helping us realize our greatest problem is US, and that we cannot do this alone. Thankful for the Word to guide us, thankful for Christ's example to follow, thankful for friends that are faithful to point me towards the Way I am to go. :)
Grace and peace to you.
It has been a while indeed, and life keeps going, some things change while some things feel like they stay the same...and I find that many of my struggles these days happen within the context of relationships...as if that's anything new.
At any rate, I was listening to Family Life Radio this morning and Mr. Dennis Rainey quoted Isaiah 53:6 -
"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned-every one- to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
Yes, indeed, we are all hopelessly afflicted by selfishness.
He then proceeded to read the "Toddler's Creed" - check it out on google. And I feel like sometimes I'm stuck in that mode, desiring to have my own way, and demanding that others give into me. And that's just it, we are prone to wander and go astray, we continue to be in control, "kings and queens", mini gods of our own worlds.
Do we really know what was going on in Eve's heart when she was deceived? I imagine it has everything to do with what James 1:13-15.
And why do we continue to struggle with submission, ultimately sinning when we are discontent with God's providence, sovereignty, timing and reasons for what we are experiencing?
It's because we are sinners, in need of Jesus' redeeming work, which freed us from our selfishness, to open our eyes and ears to see and hear a new Master.
I find we get so easily bogged down from all the things going on around us, that we fall into the trap of forgetting to be thankful, forgetting to take joy in what we are so blessed with, and how easy it is to become critical and grumble over why it's not the way we imagined or planned.
Praise be to God, for helping us realize our greatest problem is US, and that we cannot do this alone. Thankful for the Word to guide us, thankful for Christ's example to follow, thankful for friends that are faithful to point me towards the Way I am to go. :)
Grace and peace to you.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Heart check-up
Dear friends,
It has been a long four months since I've posted. For the faithful few that still come by and check in every once in a while, I'm glad to see your commitment.
The Lord has been revealing many things in my heart these days, particularly in the context of dating and relationships with others.
I'm realizing just how easy and how conditioned I am to be self-obsessed, self-centered, self-worshipping...it's really quite shameful.
Ranging from my personal preferences, things (and there are many) that tend to make me irritable, and standards or expectations that I hold for myself and then naturally apply to others...and there's only one word to describe it all - sin.
I've been doing a new Bible reading "program" called the 10 lists. It's a system started by Dr. Horner from the Masters College. Although it is a lot of daily reading, it is flexible and comprehensive, as we see a larger view of the Bible as a whole.
I'm just now being reminded again of how often we fall short, like Israel, how valuable it is to meditate and be awestruck by the Lord's majesty, how easy it is to be caught in the struggle of what we were saved from...the old self is hard to put off and kill. All these things and more...
Even more recently, I've often wondered how Paul must have felt about his past sins, and how he dealt with them...trusting in the blood of Jesus, but still feeling wretched....I know I have those days, and without proper self-control to snap out of that thinking, I am often discouraged at how little progress I see when I fail again.
Just to wrap up, I'm seeing how I am a sinner, in need of grace and forgiveness as the next person, and I am a work in progress. I'm blown away by the humility, kindness, and patience I'm surrounded by daily. I know I offend people just as much as I feel offended by them, and yet I rarely acknowledge this.
Praise the Lord that He shows us how to trust in Him, to abide in Him, to continue to battle the flesh, to be deliberate about "putting on" righteousness and pursuing holiness, and dealing first and foremost, with the heart.
From thoughts, to speech, to actions, I need to do a regular heart diagnosis, and run to the loving Father that forgives again and again.
Grace and peace to you.
It has been a long four months since I've posted. For the faithful few that still come by and check in every once in a while, I'm glad to see your commitment.
The Lord has been revealing many things in my heart these days, particularly in the context of dating and relationships with others.
I'm realizing just how easy and how conditioned I am to be self-obsessed, self-centered, self-worshipping...it's really quite shameful.
Ranging from my personal preferences, things (and there are many) that tend to make me irritable, and standards or expectations that I hold for myself and then naturally apply to others...and there's only one word to describe it all - sin.
I've been doing a new Bible reading "program" called the 10 lists. It's a system started by Dr. Horner from the Masters College. Although it is a lot of daily reading, it is flexible and comprehensive, as we see a larger view of the Bible as a whole.
I'm just now being reminded again of how often we fall short, like Israel, how valuable it is to meditate and be awestruck by the Lord's majesty, how easy it is to be caught in the struggle of what we were saved from...the old self is hard to put off and kill. All these things and more...
Even more recently, I've often wondered how Paul must have felt about his past sins, and how he dealt with them...trusting in the blood of Jesus, but still feeling wretched....I know I have those days, and without proper self-control to snap out of that thinking, I am often discouraged at how little progress I see when I fail again.
Just to wrap up, I'm seeing how I am a sinner, in need of grace and forgiveness as the next person, and I am a work in progress. I'm blown away by the humility, kindness, and patience I'm surrounded by daily. I know I offend people just as much as I feel offended by them, and yet I rarely acknowledge this.
Praise the Lord that He shows us how to trust in Him, to abide in Him, to continue to battle the flesh, to be deliberate about "putting on" righteousness and pursuing holiness, and dealing first and foremost, with the heart.
From thoughts, to speech, to actions, I need to do a regular heart diagnosis, and run to the loving Father that forgives again and again.
Grace and peace to you.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
2011 is here!
Happy New Year!
With each new year, we hope for better, it's another chance for change, and new beginnings...and praise the Lord that we have opportunities to ask for forgiveness and realize where we've often strayed and gone wrong. If we've been in a valley for a while, we can cry out to God and pray for reprieve, and if we've been on the mountain-top, He has been exceedingly good, and we long to stay there longer. We can rejoice in both because God is in control and trustworthy, that's part of who He is.
And as I reflect on how the Lord has been working in my life, it's important to think about the familiar passage in John 15:2 - "Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit."
J.C. Ryle says this: "God will often increase the holiness of true Christians by His providential dealings with them...just as the vinedresser prunes and cuts back the branches of a fruitful vine, so does God purify and sanctify believers by the circumstances in life in which He places them."
I like that...life isn't about fairness, comfort, or "happiness" in the sense that it should revolve around us and what we most desire and want to fuel our ill-begotten and sinful tendencies. Brothers and sisters, we were bought at a price and the least we can do is to surrender our lives daily to God as living sacrifices to Him.
Instead, God is kind to include us in His work; He is molding us, pruning us, so that we can produce more fruit, be stretched in ways that make us my like Christ...so we can minister to others better.
New Year's Day is a great time to think deeply about our spiritual conditions, to revisit and look through our priorities (how we spend our time, money, and other resources), kinda in the same way that I have looked through and cleaned out my actual closets recently, and pray that the Lord will be first in our hearts and minds, that He is affecting our daily living and the choices that we're making.
I'm excited about the year to come, because I'm enjoying all that the Lord has graciously provided, and how He's patient to work with me, even though I am so weak and imperfect.
May we be mindful and intentional in the ways we can serve Him excellently, moreso in 2011 than ever before!
Grace and peace to you.
With each new year, we hope for better, it's another chance for change, and new beginnings...and praise the Lord that we have opportunities to ask for forgiveness and realize where we've often strayed and gone wrong. If we've been in a valley for a while, we can cry out to God and pray for reprieve, and if we've been on the mountain-top, He has been exceedingly good, and we long to stay there longer. We can rejoice in both because God is in control and trustworthy, that's part of who He is.
And as I reflect on how the Lord has been working in my life, it's important to think about the familiar passage in John 15:2 - "Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit."
J.C. Ryle says this: "God will often increase the holiness of true Christians by His providential dealings with them...just as the vinedresser prunes and cuts back the branches of a fruitful vine, so does God purify and sanctify believers by the circumstances in life in which He places them."
I like that...life isn't about fairness, comfort, or "happiness" in the sense that it should revolve around us and what we most desire and want to fuel our ill-begotten and sinful tendencies. Brothers and sisters, we were bought at a price and the least we can do is to surrender our lives daily to God as living sacrifices to Him.
Instead, God is kind to include us in His work; He is molding us, pruning us, so that we can produce more fruit, be stretched in ways that make us my like Christ...so we can minister to others better.
New Year's Day is a great time to think deeply about our spiritual conditions, to revisit and look through our priorities (how we spend our time, money, and other resources), kinda in the same way that I have looked through and cleaned out my actual closets recently, and pray that the Lord will be first in our hearts and minds, that He is affecting our daily living and the choices that we're making.
I'm excited about the year to come, because I'm enjoying all that the Lord has graciously provided, and how He's patient to work with me, even though I am so weak and imperfect.
May we be mindful and intentional in the ways we can serve Him excellently, moreso in 2011 than ever before!
Grace and peace to you.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Bearing fruit
Good morning, dear friends!
Just wanted to post something briefly to start off your week. I've been thinking about how I can try to use this time of "singleness" to the fullest, being challenged to serve and minister to others for two reasons, one: because I love Christ and the Church, two: because I know it is how God intended us to live as a Body, how we grow and are sanctified, and how I learn to turn to the focus on loving God and others more than self.
The passage I was reading this morning focuses on John 15:8 - "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." Ryle says this - "the point is not what a man should do to be saved but what ought a saved man to do."
What is the meaning of bearing fruit? What is the meaning of doing good works?
I'll leave this exercise to you, for your personal study, as we think about and reflect upon how we can and should be "doing" more for the glory of the Lord.
We were created in His image, work is part of God's design, and as Pastor John says, the curse only changed the nature of work, that work was never the punishment, but something given to man to do, something that God did/modeled for us through creation and still does through providence, etc. God works!
I often revisit the lists in Gal. 5:16-24, to see how my life reflects more of the latter than the former. How am I living by the Spirit? Would people describe me as bearing good fruit as the result of what I say I profess?
I pray that you are all fighting the good fight, struggling and battling against the flesh, all for the glory of our Lord.
Grace and peace to you.
Just wanted to post something briefly to start off your week. I've been thinking about how I can try to use this time of "singleness" to the fullest, being challenged to serve and minister to others for two reasons, one: because I love Christ and the Church, two: because I know it is how God intended us to live as a Body, how we grow and are sanctified, and how I learn to turn to the focus on loving God and others more than self.
The passage I was reading this morning focuses on John 15:8 - "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." Ryle says this - "the point is not what a man should do to be saved but what ought a saved man to do."
What is the meaning of bearing fruit? What is the meaning of doing good works?
I'll leave this exercise to you, for your personal study, as we think about and reflect upon how we can and should be "doing" more for the glory of the Lord.
We were created in His image, work is part of God's design, and as Pastor John says, the curse only changed the nature of work, that work was never the punishment, but something given to man to do, something that God did/modeled for us through creation and still does through providence, etc. God works!
I often revisit the lists in Gal. 5:16-24, to see how my life reflects more of the latter than the former. How am I living by the Spirit? Would people describe me as bearing good fruit as the result of what I say I profess?
I pray that you are all fighting the good fight, struggling and battling against the flesh, all for the glory of our Lord.
Grace and peace to you.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Are we too comfortable?
Dear friends,
It's the day after Thanksgiving, otherwise known as Black Friday. For many years, I would be amongst the crazy holiday shoppers, sifting through the advertisements to plan out the best way to hit all the stores for the best deals, especially in electronics...those days are gone with the advent of internet shopping and my realization that time and rest are becoming higher priorities, scarcer commodities.
As many of you know, I've looked and waited 18 months, for a full-time job and the Lord has been gracious to provide. He is always faithful! However, the routine and things I was used to, waking up, enjoying breakfast, going to the gym, having prolonged time in the Word, are now very much different as I join millions of others in the world of Work. I see how much I like taking in the morning slowly, with ease, and doing the things that make me most happy and calm.
With that, I've stumbled across a theme in my life, am I getting too comfortable with the way things are or how I wish them to be? Being loved, feeling warmth, freedom from pain, noise, obnoxious smells, having financial security, peace/hope and knowledge of a great future including spouse and family.
I was reading a passage in Matt. 4 about not living by bread alone...and I stopped to reflect on how much I hate the feeling of hunger and how much my life can be somewhat dominated by that. I asked the Lord to reveal what other idols had taken hold. I'm still so consumed with "me", tired of waiting, of traffic, of being inconvenienced or annoyed by others...in a way that is both sad and humbling...why is it that this selfishness still lies within?
And yet, it's all quite paradoxical, because this is not our home, and the Lord is faithful to keep us "unsatisfied" in many senses (not to be confused with discontentment), and I pray that He continues to make me uncomfortable because it is for my own good. So ask yourself the hard questions, about when you last assessed your spiritual condition, what you're doing to love the Lord and others more...that it's not about you and what makes you comfortable, but how you're serving in a selfless and sacrificial way because it's Sanctifying for your soul!
I know I have to keep working on it, put off, AND put on. It's like J.C. Ryle says, not moral living but living in the Spirit. I pray that you are all well. I will try to be better at blogging more regularly. :)
Grace and peace to you.
It's the day after Thanksgiving, otherwise known as Black Friday. For many years, I would be amongst the crazy holiday shoppers, sifting through the advertisements to plan out the best way to hit all the stores for the best deals, especially in electronics...those days are gone with the advent of internet shopping and my realization that time and rest are becoming higher priorities, scarcer commodities.
As many of you know, I've looked and waited 18 months, for a full-time job and the Lord has been gracious to provide. He is always faithful! However, the routine and things I was used to, waking up, enjoying breakfast, going to the gym, having prolonged time in the Word, are now very much different as I join millions of others in the world of Work. I see how much I like taking in the morning slowly, with ease, and doing the things that make me most happy and calm.
With that, I've stumbled across a theme in my life, am I getting too comfortable with the way things are or how I wish them to be? Being loved, feeling warmth, freedom from pain, noise, obnoxious smells, having financial security, peace/hope and knowledge of a great future including spouse and family.
I was reading a passage in Matt. 4 about not living by bread alone...and I stopped to reflect on how much I hate the feeling of hunger and how much my life can be somewhat dominated by that. I asked the Lord to reveal what other idols had taken hold. I'm still so consumed with "me", tired of waiting, of traffic, of being inconvenienced or annoyed by others...in a way that is both sad and humbling...why is it that this selfishness still lies within?
And yet, it's all quite paradoxical, because this is not our home, and the Lord is faithful to keep us "unsatisfied" in many senses (not to be confused with discontentment), and I pray that He continues to make me uncomfortable because it is for my own good. So ask yourself the hard questions, about when you last assessed your spiritual condition, what you're doing to love the Lord and others more...that it's not about you and what makes you comfortable, but how you're serving in a selfless and sacrificial way because it's Sanctifying for your soul!
I know I have to keep working on it, put off, AND put on. It's like J.C. Ryle says, not moral living but living in the Spirit. I pray that you are all well. I will try to be better at blogging more regularly. :)
Grace and peace to you.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Surrender is sweet
Dear friends and family,
I've been spending a lot of time at home lately...well, a lot of time in bed actually, since I've needed a lot of rest to recover from this sinus infection/cold I caught last week.
And it's always in these times of vulnerability, especially through physical and/or emotional brokenness, that I realize how much I must continue to seek God for His grace to sustain me.
So needless to say, I have had more time to read, reflect, and meditate, to pray through things that I've continued to struggle with.
And the lesson is, that God, in His sovereign ways, is teaching me more about surrender.
What does that really mean?
I think it's a complete end to myself. I think it's being humbled...and being stripped of my pride and any thought that I could be self-sufficient. I think it's telling God that my life is in His hands, that He can use me however He pleases, that I cannot and will not complain but will allow whatever circumstances to shape me into how He sees fit. I think it's trusting that everything that's happening, what I'm feeling is what is best for me right now. And I think it's asking the Lord to search my heart more, to reveal ways that I can continue to daily let go of "control" and let Christ reign as King of my life.
And beloved, surrender to the Lord is sweet indeed. :)
Grace and peace to you.
I've been spending a lot of time at home lately...well, a lot of time in bed actually, since I've needed a lot of rest to recover from this sinus infection/cold I caught last week.
And it's always in these times of vulnerability, especially through physical and/or emotional brokenness, that I realize how much I must continue to seek God for His grace to sustain me.
So needless to say, I have had more time to read, reflect, and meditate, to pray through things that I've continued to struggle with.
And the lesson is, that God, in His sovereign ways, is teaching me more about surrender.
What does that really mean?
I think it's a complete end to myself. I think it's being humbled...and being stripped of my pride and any thought that I could be self-sufficient. I think it's telling God that my life is in His hands, that He can use me however He pleases, that I cannot and will not complain but will allow whatever circumstances to shape me into how He sees fit. I think it's trusting that everything that's happening, what I'm feeling is what is best for me right now. And I think it's asking the Lord to search my heart more, to reveal ways that I can continue to daily let go of "control" and let Christ reign as King of my life.
And beloved, surrender to the Lord is sweet indeed. :)
Grace and peace to you.
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