THIS WEEK has been delightful and encouraging. You might remember that last week I mentioned that I had attended an informational class about a mission trip to Peru that some of the youth at Southpoint Community Church are going on in June. The decision to go took a lot of prayer and thought.
A few months ago I was praying about whether I should go on a mission trip. Before long I learned about this trip to Peru, and I continued to pray about it. I didn't want to jump into it too quickly, because I only want to go there if God wants me to. But as I continued to pray about it, I didn't hear a 'no.' And when the sign-up clip-board came around at Youth Group service a few weeks ago, I just couldn't pass it on without putting my name down.
Still I've been praying to be sure it's where I'm supposed to be, because it wouldn't be good for a person to go on a mission trip if God prefers for him to be working somewhere else. Nor would it be good for a person to ignore His call and stay where she is if He prefers for her to go. But this week I've observed that God is blessing my efforts to be able to go on this trip in June, and it is very encouraging.
One of the most important things I learned at last week's meeting is that asking people for money to support this trip to Peru is not begging, but it is sharing in the opportunity that I'm already excited about. When we are trying to raise money for the trip, we might get nervous to ask because we are afraid to look like beggars, but with God's favor making it possible and with strong faith making us bold, we can be brave enough to ask anyway, to share the opportunity. We're going to Peru to help people in Jesus' name, to share the gospel, and to glorify God. This is something to really get excited about!
So on Monday, the day after that meeting, I sat up with courage on the side rail of the gazebo where I eat lunch with my friends, and I told everybody that I need help raising support for a mission trip to Peru in June. Instead of ignoring me, they showed interest. Now I have several friends who are promising to try to help me, and I left lunch that day having recieved my first dollar from my friend Sierra. The next day I raised $14 dollars more. A few days later one of my instructors promised to donate $100, and I think that more is coming during this week! If you would like to contribute, please feel free to send me an email to let me know! My email address is on the right side of the page.
In this middle of the week I was encouraged by Romans 8:28. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."
I am encouraged because God is responding to my faith that He will provide the money by providing the money! I am encouraged because I love knowing that we are the called according to His purpose! The success of this week assures me that He wants me to go because when He calls us to do things, He then provides what we need to do those things.
I am certain and confident that before this trip, I will have raised at least the $1700 that I need. I also have faith in God that He will provide for the rest of my team as well. And I know that I and all of the others in my group will be surrounded by the prayers of our friends and family. We need prayer just as much as funds. Meanwhile I pray that we all can be filled with faith in God, because He always comes through on His promises.
Ephesians 3:20-21 says "[20] Now to Him who is able to provide exeedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, [21] to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Community and Communication
THIS WEEK I went to the first meeting of ten weeks of Life Group with my friend Jenny White. A Life Group, or 'small group', is a group of a few friends who meet regularly to support each other and learn about God together. My group met at Five Guys on Saturday.
Near the end of the meeting we prayed in a circle, taking turns praying for the person to our right. I prayed for my friend Nani Cameron, who was worried about going to work later that day because she knew her boss was going to be keeping an extra-careful eye on her performance. I prayed Jesus would be there working at the restaurant with her, helping her to do better than well enough. Today I am very happy because Nani told me that God answered my group's prayer and hers: her boss took her aside to commend her on her work, and said she had done very well.
Life Groups are useful because they allow Christians to be a part of a community of believers. We can have accountability for our actions, helping us to grow, and we can both help people and be helped by them through prayer and shared wisdom.
Something God has been telling me this week is that it is important not to try to do Christian life alone. We need help from Him and from our friends. We need both a quiet time to rest and learn from Him and a time of communication with others who will help us to grow. I look forward to having that kind of spiritually beneficial communication with my sisters in Christ in my Life Group.
Earlier this week I opened up my Bible and found Isaiah 30. I almost turned the page away from it, but I stopped when the first verse caught my eye and spoke to me.
Isaiah 30:1 "'Woe to the rebellious children,' says the Lord, 'who take cousel, but not of Me, and who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin.'"
This verse refers to the Israelites' trusting in Egypt, a strong political force at the time, rather than in God for security. They did not ask God for direction, but sought to find strength in an earthly force. I realize that in my prayers I have asked for God's help, but sometimes in my actions I'm not always looking around for the opportunities He wants me to take. This verse reminds me that whatever decisions we make, we need to act within God's will. This can mean deciding not to watch a funny TV show with dirty content - a decision I failed to make earlier this week.
In this chapter God tells the people that if they would have faith in Him and obey Him instead of trying to accomplish things with earthly strength, He would be gracious toward them. He loves repentant hearts, and He is full of extravagant mercy. This reminded me of the importance of making decisions within His will, after praying and reading from His Word for direction.
I have been praying about whether I should go on a mission trip to Peru with some members of my Youth Group in June. I want to go unless He doesn't want me to. This morning I went to an informational meeting concerning this trip. I feel really excited about this trip, and even about making calls and sending letters to help raise the $1700 I'll need to go. I feel like I'm not getting a "No," so I'll keep praying for direction and for the whole trip, and we'll see what amazing things God does. He already has miracles planned out perfectly.
I'm reminded every time I see a flock of birds flying that God has a good plan for our lives. In Matthew 6:26 Jesus says "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" I celebrate the fact that God has known from eternity to eternity about every breath we would ever take. It is important that we both trust Him and communicate with Him in all situations. One of my favorite verses, Philippians 4:6, says "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."
In addition to communicating with God and accepting His way as the best way, we also need to communicate with other, like-minded people to help us to continue to grow. A verse that is often used when talking about Life Groups is Proverbs 27:17, "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."
The importance of a community of believers can often be underestimated. It is good to have a quiet time to be alone with God, to pray and read the Bible, to take notes and think. But it's also good to be with God with others, to discuss the Bible and the things God reveals to us. Proverbs 18:1 really spoke to me this week: "A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgement."
After all, sometimes if we get an idea into our heads that is misguided or needs refinement, it can be hard to get correction if we do not seek or accept the advice of others. God can use our friends to help us and bless us in many beautiful ways. Proverbs 18:24 says "A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." God did not call us to go it alone, but to be a Body of Believers, the Body of Christ, blessing each other and teaching each other, as in Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:19-20 that our prayers become even more powerful when we pray together in agreement: "[19] Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. [20] For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."
This reminds me of how He has answered my prayers for Nani, and how He answers so many prayers all the time. I am grateful for my sisters and brothers in Christ, who share the same heavenly Father, and for the direction of His Spirit.
Near the end of the meeting we prayed in a circle, taking turns praying for the person to our right. I prayed for my friend Nani Cameron, who was worried about going to work later that day because she knew her boss was going to be keeping an extra-careful eye on her performance. I prayed Jesus would be there working at the restaurant with her, helping her to do better than well enough. Today I am very happy because Nani told me that God answered my group's prayer and hers: her boss took her aside to commend her on her work, and said she had done very well.
Life Groups are useful because they allow Christians to be a part of a community of believers. We can have accountability for our actions, helping us to grow, and we can both help people and be helped by them through prayer and shared wisdom.
Something God has been telling me this week is that it is important not to try to do Christian life alone. We need help from Him and from our friends. We need both a quiet time to rest and learn from Him and a time of communication with others who will help us to grow. I look forward to having that kind of spiritually beneficial communication with my sisters in Christ in my Life Group.
Earlier this week I opened up my Bible and found Isaiah 30. I almost turned the page away from it, but I stopped when the first verse caught my eye and spoke to me.
Isaiah 30:1 "'Woe to the rebellious children,' says the Lord, 'who take cousel, but not of Me, and who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin.'"
This verse refers to the Israelites' trusting in Egypt, a strong political force at the time, rather than in God for security. They did not ask God for direction, but sought to find strength in an earthly force. I realize that in my prayers I have asked for God's help, but sometimes in my actions I'm not always looking around for the opportunities He wants me to take. This verse reminds me that whatever decisions we make, we need to act within God's will. This can mean deciding not to watch a funny TV show with dirty content - a decision I failed to make earlier this week.
In this chapter God tells the people that if they would have faith in Him and obey Him instead of trying to accomplish things with earthly strength, He would be gracious toward them. He loves repentant hearts, and He is full of extravagant mercy. This reminded me of the importance of making decisions within His will, after praying and reading from His Word for direction.
I have been praying about whether I should go on a mission trip to Peru with some members of my Youth Group in June. I want to go unless He doesn't want me to. This morning I went to an informational meeting concerning this trip. I feel really excited about this trip, and even about making calls and sending letters to help raise the $1700 I'll need to go. I feel like I'm not getting a "No," so I'll keep praying for direction and for the whole trip, and we'll see what amazing things God does. He already has miracles planned out perfectly.
I'm reminded every time I see a flock of birds flying that God has a good plan for our lives. In Matthew 6:26 Jesus says "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" I celebrate the fact that God has known from eternity to eternity about every breath we would ever take. It is important that we both trust Him and communicate with Him in all situations. One of my favorite verses, Philippians 4:6, says "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."
In addition to communicating with God and accepting His way as the best way, we also need to communicate with other, like-minded people to help us to continue to grow. A verse that is often used when talking about Life Groups is Proverbs 27:17, "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."
The importance of a community of believers can often be underestimated. It is good to have a quiet time to be alone with God, to pray and read the Bible, to take notes and think. But it's also good to be with God with others, to discuss the Bible and the things God reveals to us. Proverbs 18:1 really spoke to me this week: "A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgement."
After all, sometimes if we get an idea into our heads that is misguided or needs refinement, it can be hard to get correction if we do not seek or accept the advice of others. God can use our friends to help us and bless us in many beautiful ways. Proverbs 18:24 says "A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." God did not call us to go it alone, but to be a Body of Believers, the Body of Christ, blessing each other and teaching each other, as in Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:19-20 that our prayers become even more powerful when we pray together in agreement: "[19] Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. [20] For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."
This reminds me of how He has answered my prayers for Nani, and how He answers so many prayers all the time. I am grateful for my sisters and brothers in Christ, who share the same heavenly Father, and for the direction of His Spirit.
Friday, January 21, 2011
"Skate At Your Own Risk!"
THIS WEEK I went roller skating with my Youth Group on Monday. Every time I go roller skating I can't help but think it is very similar to Christian life in several ways.
The first thing you do after you pay to get in the door to the skating rink is go and get some skates. But you know that putting them on comes with a risk. There are a thousand ways you could fall down and hurt yourself, and there is no guarantee you will have an easy time. In fact, it is guaranteed that you will fall at least once as you learn to skate. As if it weren't frightening enough, there is a sign on the wall the says "Skate At Your Own Risk!"
In the same way, Jesus warns us that living as a Christian will not be easy. It comes with risks, since serving God is difficult in a sin-darkened world. In Luke 14:28-30 Jesus says "[28] For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it - [29] lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, [30] saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'" But He promises that we will not face it on our own, because He will help us along the way and be our strength. In John 16:33 He says "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
So now you're strapped in, skating along, perfectly terrified but having fun. At first you have to cling tightly to the wall, but you take a step of faith and let go. As you begin your walk, you are discouraged by some other people's amazing skill at skating. They zoom past you, turning in circles and ducking under each other. How do they do it? As you watch one of them, you lose your footing and the world rolls out from underneath you! Now you are on the floor, and all of your limbs hurt. And it's so hard to get back up again!
This is similar to how can often be for a new Christian. He (or she) sees other people following God with such boldness and strength of faith that he is at once both frustrated and encouraged to grow. The process of learning to skate, like growing in a relationship with God, involves getting hurt, getting up, and getting better. The difference here between skating and Christian life is that the people who are more 'mature' in their relationships with God, unlike most amazing skaters, do still fall down and get hurt. But they are very difficult to keep down, because God is the source of a Christian's strength.
You have a few good friends skating with you. They are more used to this than you are, but they stick with you, holding your hand or reaching to you to help you when you wobble. Those people use their skills at skating to help you develop yours. This reminds me of sisters and brothers in Christ lifting each other up in groups - groups of friends, family members, or life groups or people who help each other grow by keeping each other accountable for their actions. It also reminds me of Christians who make disciples as Jesus commanded.
In John 13:35 Jesus says "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
And in Matthew 28:19-20 "[19] 'Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations
, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen."
He loves it when we show love to each other. Friends helping friends make skating easier.
Now you are getting the hang of skating! You aren't exceeding seven miles per hour, but you aren't falling down every few feet. But what's that? Oh no - it's a jerk! Here's an amazingly fast skater with fire in his eyes and lights dancing on his teeth, moving opposite the flow of traffic! Here he comes, knocking down the best and the worst skaters in his path, just because he can. And you freeze with terror in your unstable tracks, because you know there is no way to stop him. Sure enough, he knocks you flat on your fanny, and you wish you could just sit there and not have to get up.
Or maybe it is a herd of troublesome pedestrians, or just the temptation to do something on wheels that you just can't do without falling - whether it is spinning around or stopping entirely. Whatever it is, we face things like that in our Christian walk as well. That's the devil, the biggest jerk in the skating rink of the universe, trying to make us fall down and not want to get up. Sometimes he uses people who hurt us, sometimes temptations, or anything else out of his arsenal of deceit. No matter how well we follow God, the devil is going to try to get us, and he often hurts us.
But the difference between skating and being a Christian is that we have the Holy Spirit giving us the power to resist the devil. It's harder to resist a guy who is trying to knock you over on skates than it is to have faith that God will give us the strength not to be defeated by the devil. Now, the devil might still cause us problems, but he won't win.
James 4:7 "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."
The trick to skating, like walking in Christ, is to not stop. Things will hurt sometimes, but God picks us up when we fall, just like He has promised He would. It's scary, and it never stops being risky, but it's worth it. And, as I found on Monday, it's a lot more fun with friends. Finally, when it's all over we can take off the skates and go home, where there is no fear that we will fall down any more.
The first thing you do after you pay to get in the door to the skating rink is go and get some skates. But you know that putting them on comes with a risk. There are a thousand ways you could fall down and hurt yourself, and there is no guarantee you will have an easy time. In fact, it is guaranteed that you will fall at least once as you learn to skate. As if it weren't frightening enough, there is a sign on the wall the says "Skate At Your Own Risk!"
In the same way, Jesus warns us that living as a Christian will not be easy. It comes with risks, since serving God is difficult in a sin-darkened world. In Luke 14:28-30 Jesus says "[28] For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it - [29] lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, [30] saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'" But He promises that we will not face it on our own, because He will help us along the way and be our strength. In John 16:33 He says "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
So now you're strapped in, skating along, perfectly terrified but having fun. At first you have to cling tightly to the wall, but you take a step of faith and let go. As you begin your walk, you are discouraged by some other people's amazing skill at skating. They zoom past you, turning in circles and ducking under each other. How do they do it? As you watch one of them, you lose your footing and the world rolls out from underneath you! Now you are on the floor, and all of your limbs hurt. And it's so hard to get back up again!
This is similar to how can often be for a new Christian. He (or she) sees other people following God with such boldness and strength of faith that he is at once both frustrated and encouraged to grow. The process of learning to skate, like growing in a relationship with God, involves getting hurt, getting up, and getting better. The difference here between skating and Christian life is that the people who are more 'mature' in their relationships with God, unlike most amazing skaters, do still fall down and get hurt. But they are very difficult to keep down, because God is the source of a Christian's strength.
You have a few good friends skating with you. They are more used to this than you are, but they stick with you, holding your hand or reaching to you to help you when you wobble. Those people use their skills at skating to help you develop yours. This reminds me of sisters and brothers in Christ lifting each other up in groups - groups of friends, family members, or life groups or people who help each other grow by keeping each other accountable for their actions. It also reminds me of Christians who make disciples as Jesus commanded.
In John 13:35 Jesus says "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
And in Matthew 28:19-20 "[19] 'Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations
, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen."
He loves it when we show love to each other. Friends helping friends make skating easier.
Now you are getting the hang of skating! You aren't exceeding seven miles per hour, but you aren't falling down every few feet. But what's that? Oh no - it's a jerk! Here's an amazingly fast skater with fire in his eyes and lights dancing on his teeth, moving opposite the flow of traffic! Here he comes, knocking down the best and the worst skaters in his path, just because he can. And you freeze with terror in your unstable tracks, because you know there is no way to stop him. Sure enough, he knocks you flat on your fanny, and you wish you could just sit there and not have to get up.
Or maybe it is a herd of troublesome pedestrians, or just the temptation to do something on wheels that you just can't do without falling - whether it is spinning around or stopping entirely. Whatever it is, we face things like that in our Christian walk as well. That's the devil, the biggest jerk in the skating rink of the universe, trying to make us fall down and not want to get up. Sometimes he uses people who hurt us, sometimes temptations, or anything else out of his arsenal of deceit. No matter how well we follow God, the devil is going to try to get us, and he often hurts us.
But the difference between skating and being a Christian is that we have the Holy Spirit giving us the power to resist the devil. It's harder to resist a guy who is trying to knock you over on skates than it is to have faith that God will give us the strength not to be defeated by the devil. Now, the devil might still cause us problems, but he won't win.
James 4:7 "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."
The trick to skating, like walking in Christ, is to not stop. Things will hurt sometimes, but God picks us up when we fall, just like He has promised He would. It's scary, and it never stops being risky, but it's worth it. And, as I found on Monday, it's a lot more fun with friends. Finally, when it's all over we can take off the skates and go home, where there is no fear that we will fall down any more.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
God Breaks Down Barriers
THIS WEEK I went to a great Christian music concert called Winter Jam. I heard many songs I know and love, and I had a wonderful time singing to God with the other 13,000 people in the Arena.
A pastor, whose name I'm afraid I do not know, came and said a few words at one point during the show. He explained that he had a very difficult background and that he had been adopted for $200. When his adopted father got drunk sometimes he would shout at him that he regretted ever paying those $200 dollars for him. The man's life was all downhill until he received salvation in Jesus, who died for all people's sins. Now he says that he rejoices in the fact that his adopted Heavenly Father never has regretted paying for him in the priceless blood of His own Son.
This week I'm reminded of what a truly astounding thing it is that God made that sacrifice, and what it means. I don't ever want to start to forget. He defines my life.
When Jesus died on the cross, everything changed. The people were trying to be near God by keeping the commandments, but nobody could be perfect enough to keep them all, all the time. It's just not in our power to make ourselves free of sin. They had to make sacrifices of animals to bear the punishment for their sin in their place. So what did God do? He loves us so much that He even made a sacrifice that would take away the sins of anyone who would believe. He gave His Son for the sins of the world. Romans 5:8 says "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
This sacrifice broke down all barriers. When I was at a Bible Study meeting on Friday morning we looked at Ephesians 2, which explains that all Christians have been given access to the same God through the same sacrifice, so that we are neither divided from God nor from each other. Ephesians 2:14 really caught my attention. "For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation."
This refers to the structure of the temple in Jerusalem, where people used to go to worship God. The building was divided so that everyone could come into the outer area, but there was a wall that meant only Jews could go beyond a certain point, and another wall for male Jews only, and it narrowed down to holier and smaller groups of people. In Jesus, it doesn't matter where we come from, what color we are, or what we've done. He wants Idians, Argentinians, Irish, Middle Eastern, French, Japanese, Australian - everybody! All people are invited. v. 18 "For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
To make it even better, God makes it clear that our sin has been payed for, and that once we accept salvation through His act of love there is nothing that separates us from Him! Today I read Mark 15 and 16, which tell all about Jesus' crucifixion, death, and resurrection.
Mark 15:37, "And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last." Look at this amazing little verse that comes immediately after: v. 38 "Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom."
This veil divided the Holy Place, where only priests could go, from the Holy of Holies in the Temple. It is a true, historical fact that this important object, which divided even the holiest people from the place reserved for the Holy Presence of God, was ripped in half the moment Jesus died. This means that God had completed all that was necessary to end the division between Him and His people. All that is left is for a person to accept it and enter God's family.
I celebrate the fact that God has torn down all the walls. He has made it so that we do not need the walls of the temple, for we are the temple. We don't need walls to divide us from one another, and we don't need a veil to divide us from Him. Our sins are gone, because He took them away. So we celebrate His buying us away from bondage to sin and placing us safely in bondage to Him, which is true freedom.
When the pastor at Winter Jam finishing speaking, he led the group in a prayer to let Jesus be the Lord of our lives. I interpreted this prayer as being not only for those who were receiving salvation in that moment but for anyone whose Lord is Jesus Christ. So I prayed it too. And when he invited everyone who prayed it to stand up on the count of three and shout "Jesus is my Lord!!!" I stood and shouted it too, as if it were the first time. We are called to being unashamed, so I am determined not to be shy about it. I want everybody to know who He is.
A pastor, whose name I'm afraid I do not know, came and said a few words at one point during the show. He explained that he had a very difficult background and that he had been adopted for $200. When his adopted father got drunk sometimes he would shout at him that he regretted ever paying those $200 dollars for him. The man's life was all downhill until he received salvation in Jesus, who died for all people's sins. Now he says that he rejoices in the fact that his adopted Heavenly Father never has regretted paying for him in the priceless blood of His own Son.
This week I'm reminded of what a truly astounding thing it is that God made that sacrifice, and what it means. I don't ever want to start to forget. He defines my life.
When Jesus died on the cross, everything changed. The people were trying to be near God by keeping the commandments, but nobody could be perfect enough to keep them all, all the time. It's just not in our power to make ourselves free of sin. They had to make sacrifices of animals to bear the punishment for their sin in their place. So what did God do? He loves us so much that He even made a sacrifice that would take away the sins of anyone who would believe. He gave His Son for the sins of the world. Romans 5:8 says "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
This sacrifice broke down all barriers. When I was at a Bible Study meeting on Friday morning we looked at Ephesians 2, which explains that all Christians have been given access to the same God through the same sacrifice, so that we are neither divided from God nor from each other. Ephesians 2:14 really caught my attention. "For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation."
This refers to the structure of the temple in Jerusalem, where people used to go to worship God. The building was divided so that everyone could come into the outer area, but there was a wall that meant only Jews could go beyond a certain point, and another wall for male Jews only, and it narrowed down to holier and smaller groups of people. In Jesus, it doesn't matter where we come from, what color we are, or what we've done. He wants Idians, Argentinians, Irish, Middle Eastern, French, Japanese, Australian - everybody! All people are invited. v. 18 "For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
To make it even better, God makes it clear that our sin has been payed for, and that once we accept salvation through His act of love there is nothing that separates us from Him! Today I read Mark 15 and 16, which tell all about Jesus' crucifixion, death, and resurrection.
Mark 15:37, "And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last." Look at this amazing little verse that comes immediately after: v. 38 "Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom."
This veil divided the Holy Place, where only priests could go, from the Holy of Holies in the Temple. It is a true, historical fact that this important object, which divided even the holiest people from the place reserved for the Holy Presence of God, was ripped in half the moment Jesus died. This means that God had completed all that was necessary to end the division between Him and His people. All that is left is for a person to accept it and enter God's family.
I celebrate the fact that God has torn down all the walls. He has made it so that we do not need the walls of the temple, for we are the temple. We don't need walls to divide us from one another, and we don't need a veil to divide us from Him. Our sins are gone, because He took them away. So we celebrate His buying us away from bondage to sin and placing us safely in bondage to Him, which is true freedom.
When the pastor at Winter Jam finishing speaking, he led the group in a prayer to let Jesus be the Lord of our lives. I interpreted this prayer as being not only for those who were receiving salvation in that moment but for anyone whose Lord is Jesus Christ. So I prayed it too. And when he invited everyone who prayed it to stand up on the count of three and shout "Jesus is my Lord!!!" I stood and shouted it too, as if it were the first time. We are called to being unashamed, so I am determined not to be shy about it. I want everybody to know who He is.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
"My Heart Greatly Rejoices"
THIS WEEK has been blessing after blessing. As I told my friend Jenny White on Wednesday, there has been joy everywhere all over my life. This joy derived from answered prayer and awe-inspiring stories.
First, in response to my prayers God gave me the strength to let go of some hard feelings I had left over from the past year. As a result I have renewed a friendship and seen a raincloud removed from my sky.
So the week had already gotten off to a great start when I heard a very amazing story from my friend Arun at Bible Study. I have been telling it to many people for the past few days, and my Youth Pastor has agreed to let me share it with my Youth Group on Wednesday!
Arun's mother's friend, Sheba, went Christmas caroling with her church in New Jersey a few weeks ago. They went to the houses of non-Christians to sing for them. They came to one house where the woman who answered the door was crying. When they asked her what was wrong, she told them that her niece in India, who had just had a healthy baby, was very sick. The doctors had given up on her and had told the family to begin planning the funeral.
This woman and her family had been praying to their Hindu gods that the girl in India would recover, but nothing was working. So the carolers asked if they could pray with them. They came inside and prayed to Jesus for her healing.
Very soon after this, the woman informed the carolers that her niece had made a 70% recovery. The doctors could not figure it out. They were going to try to let her start walking around.
As for the family in New Jersey, they have all been converted because Jesus answered their prayers while their prayer to other gods had not worked. They attended the church's Christmas event. The girl in India is alive and well for her son and husband, and she wants to know all about this Jesus who saved her life.
I love telling this story. God performed this miracle across half the world - from New Jersey to India! It's just very reassuring to see that He is not done doing miracles. He does now what He did when He walked the earth - healing the sick, making the blind see and the deaf hear, casting out demons, and much more - because He is still alive! And His Holy Spirit has given us, His people, the power to do things that are only possible through God.
Mark 16:15-18 "[15] And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. [16] He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. [17] And these signs will follow those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; [18] they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.'"
God does truly amazing things in very surprising ways. For example, at Youth Quake Live on Friday night I watched a skit which was meant to be a reenactment of a true story right that happened in my city, Jacksonville.
A young man who loved the Lord was sitting in his Spanish class, taking a test. Suddenly he heard God telling him very clearly and unmistakably, "Say 'Burrito'." He was very hesitant to say 'burrito.' It seemed very awkward to blurt out such a seemingly random word while his class was trying to take a test. But God insisted that he say this word, specifically to te girl sitting in front of him.
So the young man told the girl that God wanted him to tell her 'burrito'. She was overcome with emotion. She said that she had prayed that if God exists He would just say this one word, and she would be sure. Now she was sure.
I'm so glad God listens to prayer and responds. For the past few weeks, actually, I was praying that I could hear His voice in a way that is well represented by the story I just told you. I want to hear Him say things like 'burrito', and I want to be the kind of person who will say it if He tells me to. I was begging Him to tell me what college to go to, for example.
He spoke right to me through my Youth Pastor this Wednesday. Near the end of the sermon, Pastor Ryan explained that we do not need to worry about things like what college we should attend or whom we should marry in the future. That's God's mysterious will. Our concern is with obeying God's known will, which we learn by reading in His word and by seeking Him in prayer. My mouth dropped open when I heard the Pastor saying this, because I knew this was the answer to my prayers. He had even used examples which were in my own prayers! Now I understand that God doesn't want me to stress about receiving answers to my questions my way and in my timing. He knows what I need, and He will answer me when I call, as He always has.
So instead of praying that I'll hear Him speaking into my ear right when I decide I want Him to, I'm praying that I'll hear Him when He calls. I'm going to seek Him in His word and in prayer, and I'm going to pay attention every day so that if He is saying 'burrito', or anything else, I'll be aware.
Psalm 28:7 "The Lord is my strength and my sheild; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him."
Have a great week!
First, in response to my prayers God gave me the strength to let go of some hard feelings I had left over from the past year. As a result I have renewed a friendship and seen a raincloud removed from my sky.
So the week had already gotten off to a great start when I heard a very amazing story from my friend Arun at Bible Study. I have been telling it to many people for the past few days, and my Youth Pastor has agreed to let me share it with my Youth Group on Wednesday!
Arun's mother's friend, Sheba, went Christmas caroling with her church in New Jersey a few weeks ago. They went to the houses of non-Christians to sing for them. They came to one house where the woman who answered the door was crying. When they asked her what was wrong, she told them that her niece in India, who had just had a healthy baby, was very sick. The doctors had given up on her and had told the family to begin planning the funeral.
This woman and her family had been praying to their Hindu gods that the girl in India would recover, but nothing was working. So the carolers asked if they could pray with them. They came inside and prayed to Jesus for her healing.
Very soon after this, the woman informed the carolers that her niece had made a 70% recovery. The doctors could not figure it out. They were going to try to let her start walking around.
As for the family in New Jersey, they have all been converted because Jesus answered their prayers while their prayer to other gods had not worked. They attended the church's Christmas event. The girl in India is alive and well for her son and husband, and she wants to know all about this Jesus who saved her life.
I love telling this story. God performed this miracle across half the world - from New Jersey to India! It's just very reassuring to see that He is not done doing miracles. He does now what He did when He walked the earth - healing the sick, making the blind see and the deaf hear, casting out demons, and much more - because He is still alive! And His Holy Spirit has given us, His people, the power to do things that are only possible through God.
Mark 16:15-18 "[15] And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. [16] He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. [17] And these signs will follow those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; [18] they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.'"
God does truly amazing things in very surprising ways. For example, at Youth Quake Live on Friday night I watched a skit which was meant to be a reenactment of a true story right that happened in my city, Jacksonville.
A young man who loved the Lord was sitting in his Spanish class, taking a test. Suddenly he heard God telling him very clearly and unmistakably, "Say 'Burrito'." He was very hesitant to say 'burrito.' It seemed very awkward to blurt out such a seemingly random word while his class was trying to take a test. But God insisted that he say this word, specifically to te girl sitting in front of him.
So the young man told the girl that God wanted him to tell her 'burrito'. She was overcome with emotion. She said that she had prayed that if God exists He would just say this one word, and she would be sure. Now she was sure.
I'm so glad God listens to prayer and responds. For the past few weeks, actually, I was praying that I could hear His voice in a way that is well represented by the story I just told you. I want to hear Him say things like 'burrito', and I want to be the kind of person who will say it if He tells me to. I was begging Him to tell me what college to go to, for example.
He spoke right to me through my Youth Pastor this Wednesday. Near the end of the sermon, Pastor Ryan explained that we do not need to worry about things like what college we should attend or whom we should marry in the future. That's God's mysterious will. Our concern is with obeying God's known will, which we learn by reading in His word and by seeking Him in prayer. My mouth dropped open when I heard the Pastor saying this, because I knew this was the answer to my prayers. He had even used examples which were in my own prayers! Now I understand that God doesn't want me to stress about receiving answers to my questions my way and in my timing. He knows what I need, and He will answer me when I call, as He always has.
So instead of praying that I'll hear Him speaking into my ear right when I decide I want Him to, I'm praying that I'll hear Him when He calls. I'm going to seek Him in His word and in prayer, and I'm going to pay attention every day so that if He is saying 'burrito', or anything else, I'll be aware.
Psalm 28:7 "The Lord is my strength and my sheild; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him."
Have a great week!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Couscous and Fruit Juice
THIS WEEK marks the beginning of a new year, 2011 A.D. - my graduation year!! I had a great time partying Christian style at my church with my friends and family on New Year's Night. With this new year I'm making a point of listening more carefully to God, letting go any hard feelings of the past year, and just celebrating the fact that I get to celebrate Jesus in the world during a brand new year. This is going to be awesome. I know He has some beautiful things planned, and I'm excited that we all get to be part of His plan.
One night this week before the new year I did not get any sleep at all. Not five minutes. I spent part of the long night reading, part trying to fall asleep, and the last part knitting with the radio on (88.1 "The Promise"). This meant that I had the chance to wake up early this Thursday morning and think about what to do first. After my dad had left for work and before my mom woke up, I decided to have breakfast with Jesus in the backyard.
I heated up for myself some couscous and poured some fruit juice, grabbed my journal and my Bible, and went out and sat at the old picnic table. The morning sky was light and cold, and the sun had not quite come up yet.
I wore my boots and a big jacket over my fuzzy pajamas, and since I hadn't put on my contacts yet I was still in my glasses. I could see my breath rising above my couscous like steam from a kettle. And I just sat there eating and enjoying the day the Lord had made. It was very beautiful. There were birds in the trees far above and around me. I even saw a blue bird go across from the leafless tree to my left to the rainbow-painted oak tree to my right.
And then the sun came up, and there was gold all over everything to my right. I walked over and saw that the sun was now visible, and the more I watched the trees the more beautiful they got. I sang a little to Jesus. I read Luke 17 and wrote about it in my journal. I am glad I had that moment to rest and to just talk to God. I'm so glad He always listens.
Later that day I watched a very interesting movie called "Eat Pray Love." It is a story about a woman who spends a year traveling in Italy, India, and Bali looking for inner peace and self-discovery. She speaks with new friends, tries out the teachings of an Indian guru, and consults a little old mountain man to aid her in this search. All the while she is trying to deal with the end of her brief marriage as well as that of her relationship with her actor boyfriend, whom she had met about the time of her divorce.
I liked this movie. It is an interesting view of a woman's eye-opening journey through the world. I enjoyed the beautiful scenery and places featured in the film.
In the end she seems to have found happiness with a Brazilian man she met in Bali. I prayed, wondering why she could be happy in the end without having found a relationsip with Jesus Christ. After all, she looked in a lot of different places but not to Him. I see that although she had become happier and learned to "love herself," she did not find the inner peace she was searching for. She did learn some good lessons. For example, she learned that she shouldn't worry too much. She also learned that she shouldn't cling to the past and let it hurt her. She learned about a need for "balance," which in practice seems very difficult to acheive.
I was reminded that there are a lot of ways to happiness, but only one way to peace. Every heart desires eternity and significance, which can only come from God. But we can't get to God by our own strength - that's why He came to us in the flesh and gave Himself for us.
After the movie was over (when I should have been going to sleep) I went and found a World Religions book on one of the shelves in my room. I like to read about other people's religions because I think it's good to know what other people believe. I read about some of the more popular religions in the world. People seek God in a lot of different ways, because we all need Him.
It's stunning to me how God has made His way so separate from every other religion in the world. In two sentences He made it so that He cannot be satisfactorily grouped with the others. John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." He has designed it with such wisdom that however surprising and unusual it is, it can only have been designed by a God who can see all of time at once, so that old prophecies could be fulfilled. He is the only God who ever gave His life to save the world. And He is alive today. I love having Him in my life.
1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." and v.21 "For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe."
How wonderful it is that He is willing to save anybody! And how beautiful that He made the message of salvation accessible to anybody. It's not complex at all. That's just the thing that appears "foolish" about it, when it is truly very wise. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believed in Him shuold not perish but have everlasting life."
That' what I wanted to tell the woman in "Eat Pray Love." I wanted to let her know that although learning and travel are good, she didn't have to go across the world to find self-discovery and inner peace. God loves us. He wants to help us find ourselves in Him and to give us the peace we can't find anywhere else. Like I told my cousin Rina at the New Year Party, this woman could have just come to my church where we were celebrating a new year in Christ and seen what it is we're so excited about.
Have a very Happy New Year!!
One night this week before the new year I did not get any sleep at all. Not five minutes. I spent part of the long night reading, part trying to fall asleep, and the last part knitting with the radio on (88.1 "The Promise"). This meant that I had the chance to wake up early this Thursday morning and think about what to do first. After my dad had left for work and before my mom woke up, I decided to have breakfast with Jesus in the backyard.
I heated up for myself some couscous and poured some fruit juice, grabbed my journal and my Bible, and went out and sat at the old picnic table. The morning sky was light and cold, and the sun had not quite come up yet.
I wore my boots and a big jacket over my fuzzy pajamas, and since I hadn't put on my contacts yet I was still in my glasses. I could see my breath rising above my couscous like steam from a kettle. And I just sat there eating and enjoying the day the Lord had made. It was very beautiful. There were birds in the trees far above and around me. I even saw a blue bird go across from the leafless tree to my left to the rainbow-painted oak tree to my right.
And then the sun came up, and there was gold all over everything to my right. I walked over and saw that the sun was now visible, and the more I watched the trees the more beautiful they got. I sang a little to Jesus. I read Luke 17 and wrote about it in my journal. I am glad I had that moment to rest and to just talk to God. I'm so glad He always listens.
Later that day I watched a very interesting movie called "Eat Pray Love." It is a story about a woman who spends a year traveling in Italy, India, and Bali looking for inner peace and self-discovery. She speaks with new friends, tries out the teachings of an Indian guru, and consults a little old mountain man to aid her in this search. All the while she is trying to deal with the end of her brief marriage as well as that of her relationship with her actor boyfriend, whom she had met about the time of her divorce.
I liked this movie. It is an interesting view of a woman's eye-opening journey through the world. I enjoyed the beautiful scenery and places featured in the film.
In the end she seems to have found happiness with a Brazilian man she met in Bali. I prayed, wondering why she could be happy in the end without having found a relationsip with Jesus Christ. After all, she looked in a lot of different places but not to Him. I see that although she had become happier and learned to "love herself," she did not find the inner peace she was searching for. She did learn some good lessons. For example, she learned that she shouldn't worry too much. She also learned that she shouldn't cling to the past and let it hurt her. She learned about a need for "balance," which in practice seems very difficult to acheive.
I was reminded that there are a lot of ways to happiness, but only one way to peace. Every heart desires eternity and significance, which can only come from God. But we can't get to God by our own strength - that's why He came to us in the flesh and gave Himself for us.
After the movie was over (when I should have been going to sleep) I went and found a World Religions book on one of the shelves in my room. I like to read about other people's religions because I think it's good to know what other people believe. I read about some of the more popular religions in the world. People seek God in a lot of different ways, because we all need Him.
It's stunning to me how God has made His way so separate from every other religion in the world. In two sentences He made it so that He cannot be satisfactorily grouped with the others. John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." He has designed it with such wisdom that however surprising and unusual it is, it can only have been designed by a God who can see all of time at once, so that old prophecies could be fulfilled. He is the only God who ever gave His life to save the world. And He is alive today. I love having Him in my life.
1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." and v.21 "For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe."
How wonderful it is that He is willing to save anybody! And how beautiful that He made the message of salvation accessible to anybody. It's not complex at all. That's just the thing that appears "foolish" about it, when it is truly very wise. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believed in Him shuold not perish but have everlasting life."
That' what I wanted to tell the woman in "Eat Pray Love." I wanted to let her know that although learning and travel are good, she didn't have to go across the world to find self-discovery and inner peace. God loves us. He wants to help us find ourselves in Him and to give us the peace we can't find anywhere else. Like I told my cousin Rina at the New Year Party, this woman could have just come to my church where we were celebrating a new year in Christ and seen what it is we're so excited about.
Have a very Happy New Year!!
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