He Is Doing Something

"We should not be too taken aback when unexpected and upsetting and discouraging things happen to us now. What do they mean? Simply that God in his wisdom means to make something of us which we have not attained yet, and he is dealing with us accordingly." --J. I. Packer in Knowing God

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Look Up

Such a great passage to remind me where the focus of my life should be:

"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.  For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory."  Colossians 3:1-4

It is so easy to get distracted by life in all of its consuming busyness, by the difficulties, and even by the good things that we sometimes pursue instead of the Perfect One who gives us everything. But we must keep redirecting our attention above, to our Lord Jesus.  He died for us so that He could now be our LIFE. I'm praying that the hope of seeing Him face to face will drive my life moment to moment down here.

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"No Love to Jesus? Impossible!"

"Do you love Jesus?

You must light your torch of affection for Christ — at the altar of Calvary. You must go there, and learn and believe what the love of Jesus is to you: the vastness of that love; the self-sacrifice of that love; how that love of Christ labored and wept, bled, suffered, and died for you!

Can you stand before this love — this love so precious, so great, so enduring, so self-consuming, so changeless; and know that . . .
  for you was this offering,
  for you this cross,
  for you this agony,
  for you this scorn and insult,
  for you this death —
and feel no sensibility, no emotion, no love to Jesus? Impossible!

Do not be cast down, then, in vain regrets that your love to Christ is so frigid, so fickle, so dubious. Go and muse upon the reality and the greatness of the Savior's love to you — and if love can inspire love, while you muse, the fire will burn, and your soul shall be all in flame with love to Jesus!"
-- Octavius Winslow (1808-1878)

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God, What Are You doing?

Difficulties and troubles can be very useful.  Often they strip away the frivolity of our living and thinking and instead make us think seriously and search for meaning and truth that will help us stand in the storms of life. God intends trials to bring us back to Him.  In our pain we are more able to recognize our weakness, our inadequacy, our dependency, and our great need for God.  Trials make us grapple with questions like, "What do I really believe about God? And what in the world is He doing?"

Today I was reading J.I. Packer's classic book Knowing God.  In it (Chapter 9, God Only Wise), I found a quote that gives a great answer to that question, "God, what are you doing?", and will help us align our lives with his great purposes for us, even in trials.

"God's almighty wisdom is always active, and never fails. All his works of creation and providence and grace display it, and until we can see it in them we just are not seeing them straight.  But we cannot recognize God's wisdom unless we know the end for which he is working.  Here many go wrong.  Misunderstanding what the Bible means when it says that God is love (see 1 John 4:8-10), they think that God intends a trouble-free life for all, irrespective of their moral and spiritual state, and hence they conclude that anything painful and upsetting (illness, accident, injury, loss of job, the suffering of a loved one) indicates either that God's wisdom, or power, or both, have broken down, or that God, after all, does not exist.

But this idea of God's intention is a complete mistake: God's wisdom is not, and never was, pledged to keep a fallen world happy, or to make ungodliness comfortable.  Not even to Christians has he promised a trouble-free life; rather the reverse.  He has other ends in view for life in this world than simply to make it easy for everyone.

What is he after, then?  What is his goal?  What does he aim at?  When he made us, his purpose was that we should love and honor him, praising him for the wonderfully ordered complexity and variety of his world, using it according to his will, and so enjoying both it and him.  And though we have fallen, God has not abandoned his first purpose.  Still he plans that a great host of humankind should come to love and honor him.  His ultimate objective is to bring them to a state in which he is all in all to them, and he and they rejoice continually in the knowledge of each other's love--people rejoicing in the saving love of God, set upon them from all eternity, and God rejoicing in the responsive love of people, drawn out of them by grace through the gospel. 

This will be God's glory, and our glory too, in every sense which that weighty word can bear. But it will only be fully realized in the next world, in the context of a transformation of the whole created order. Meanwhile, however, God works steadily toward it.  His immediate objectives are to draw individual men and women into a relationship of faith, hope, and love toward himself, delivering them from sin and showing forth in their lives the power of his grace; to defend his people against the forces of evil; and to spread throughout the world the gospel by means of which he saves.

In the fulfillment of each part of this purpose the Lord Jesus Christ is central, for God has set him forth both as Savior from sin, whom we must trust, and as Lord of the church, whom we must obey."

Yes, the last line is in bold type because it reminds me that Christ is at the very center of all God is doing. Through him we have been saved from the impending wrath that was ours because of our sin, and on this side of the cross we need him every single day as we receive the grace to respond to life in a way that acknowledges the wisdom and love of our heavenly Father, who is behind it all.  What a comfort to know that we are in good hands.

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Take Heart

Anyone ever feel like a failure, or feel discouraged by the reality of your sin?

Take heart, Christian, because You are still alive, Jesus isn't done with any of us, and there is always hope when He is part of the equation. As a fellow sinner, I am daily comforted by the fact that God will never stop loving us:

" The Lord is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust." -Psalm 103:8-14

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True Freedom on the Fourth

Growing up in America means that on the Fourth of July we enjoy celebrating the day with fireworks, parades, parties, very creative displays of red, white, and blue food, and time to relax with friends.  I love all of those things, and have a collection of memories from years past of how we spent the day with many wonderful people.

But the word freedom makes me think of something much deeper, and really has nothing to do with the United States of America.  My most cherished thoughts of freedom are wrapped up in what Jesus Christ has done for me.  It  happened over 27 years ago, but I can still remember what it felt like to feel freedom from my sins for the first time. You can read a longer version of it here, but the short version is that I came to experience this: 

"For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13, 14)

The idea of freedom must involve a rescue from something, a deliverance from some oppression, or danger. It is exactly why Jesus came to earth. He came to set captives free from a life of slavery to sin.  He is the one way out of that slavery. He offers that deliverance to everyone who will come to Him, putting all their hope in who He is and what He has done.

I am extremely thankful for the blessings of national freedom that we enjoy in our country. But the spiritual freedom that I have found in Jesus makes me pray that God will do something even more amazing in America than continue the legacy we have of national peace and prosperity.  I'm praying that He will set people free from their slavery to sin, deliver them from the spiritual death that sin brings, and that many will come to embrace Jesus Christ as the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE.  

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God the Gracious Initiator

Over 27 years ago, as a brand new believer in Jesus Christ, I picked up a copy of J.I. Packer's classic book Knowing God.  In those early days of my faith, I remember God using this book to shape my understanding of Him, and creating in my heart an awe that such a majestic and holy Being would stoop to love me.

But that was a very long time ago, and after so many years, I had forgotten the specific parts of the book that impacted me.  Recently, however, I took it up again to read and discuss it with some lovely college girls at my church. And I have to say that I am being blessed all over again.

Chapter 3, called Knowing and Being Known, was such an encouraging reminder of God's gracious treatment of us. God is so gracious that He takes the initiative to reveal Himself to sinful, undeserving human beings.  When He makes us to know Him, our lives are changed forever.

     "What happens is that the almighty Creator, the Lord of hosts, the great God before whom the nations are as a drop in a bucket, comes to you and begins to talk to you through the words and truths of Holy Scripture.  Perhaps you have been acquainted with the Bible and Christian truth for many years, and it has meant little to you; but one day you wake up to the fact that God is actually speaking to you--you!--through the biblical message.  As you listen to what God is saying, you find yourself brought very low; for God talks to you about your sin, and guilt, and weakness, and blindness, and folly, and compels you to judge yourself hopeless and helpless, and to cry out for forgiveness. 
     But this is not all.  You come to realize as you listen that God is actually opening his heart to you, making friends with you and enlisting you as a colleague...a covenant partner.  It is a staggering thing, but it is true--the relationship in which sinful human beings know God is one in which God, so to speak, takes them onto his staff, to be henceforth his fellow workers (1 Cor. 3:9) and personal friends.  The action of God in taking Joseph from prison to become Pharaoh's prime minister is a picture of what he does to every Christian: from being Satan's prisoner, you find yourself transferred to a position of trust in the service of God.  At once life is transformed."  (page 36)

Packer returns to this idea (that God is the gracious initiator in our relationship with Him) as he wraps up chapter 3. This should wash over our souls with a sense of joy and comfort and gratefulness:

     "What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it--the fact that he knows me.  I am graven on the palms of his hands.  I am never out of his mind.  All my knowledge of him depends on his sustained initiative in knowing me.  I know him because he first knew me, and continues to know me.  He knows me as a friend, one who loves me; and there is no moment when his eye is off me, or his attention distracted from me, and no moment therefore, when his care falters.
     This is momentous knowledge.  There is unspeakable comfort-- the sort of comfort that energizes, be it said, not enervates--in knowing that God is constantly taking knowledge of me in love and watching over me for my good.  There is tremendous relief in knowing that his love to me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery now can disillusion him about me, in the way I am so often disillusioned about myself, and quench his determination to bless me.
     There is, certainly, great cause for humility in the thought that he sees all the twisted things about me that my fellow humans do not see...and more corruption in me than ...I see in myself.  There is, however, equally great incentive to worship and love God in the thought that, for some unfathomable reason, he wants me as his friend, and desires to be my friend, and has given his Son to die for me in order to realize this purpose."    (page 41)

What can I say after that except to repeat the words of this Christ Tomlin song, "You see the depths of my heart, but you love me the same. You are amazing God!"

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Remember that at 3AM!

        I saw a baby card once that said, “Children are a blessing from the Lord. ”  Underneath those words was a serene photo of a baby’s face.  But a little further down in parentheses were the words, “Remember that at 3 AM!”

       It made me laugh, but the reality that hit me when I saw that card was this:  God gives children to us as a gracious blessing, but difficult days can sometimes tempt us to forget who they are, and what God is doing.  In the challenging times, we may have to remind ourselves that what God says about children is still true.

Who they are…

       In Psalm 127, God Himself says that children are a gift, and you are blessed if you have them.

       Look into the eyes of your brand new baby boy and think what a uniquely designed gift he is. The world of boys is loud and rowdy, charged with energy, filled with sound effects of shooting guns and revving engines, busy with the victories and defeats of competition, the rampages of cowboys and Indians, and the roars of wild animal attacks! You are raising a little man, and you look ahead with anticipation to first steps, first words, and the opportunity to cultivate a special relationship with this son that God has placed into your family.

      But the crying at 3 am quickly yanks you back to the reality of the here and now! This is life. Woven together with the wonderful, joyous things, are challenging things, things that are tiring and unpleasant, things that we don’t always relish, especially after doing them over and over and over, and they are still to be done again.

But when you are overwhelmed and there’s another messy diaper to deal with...
or
... your boys are wrestling and fighting and your patience is wearing thin,
or
... it is 4:30 pm, no dinner has been planned, and you are exhausted from the constant care, training, and cleaning that your children required for the day, you can still say, “Yes, God is right. My children are a blessing from the Lord!”

      And of course, many trials have been experienced by parents down through the ages that make these examples seem trite and naïve.  But nothing, no matter how grave, can undo the truth of God’s word, that children are a blessing from the Lord.

  

How can I say that?

1.   Your children are a blessing from the Lord because they are made in His image. A living, breathing human being is the pinnacle of God’s amazing creative genius and power. The ability to think, reason, love, communicate, show compassion, kindness and even hate, are attributes that reflect the image of the One who made us.  When your gaze into the face of your baby, stand in awe of the great God who made him in His image.

2.    Your children are a blessing from the Lord because they are given by Him.  In the sovereign plan of God, He wisely wove together each child that He gives to you. With divine insight, He created this particular eternal soul, and placed him in your care. This baby is His gift to you, and He knows what He is doing. How humbling it is to realize that the Mighty Creator, who spoke worlds into existence, would stoop to give such a gift, a one-of-a-kind, uniquely, crafted-by-His-hand gift, to His children!

3.   Your children are a blessing because God is going to use them greatly for your sanctification.

There is a process of transformation set in motion at the moment you trust Christ to save you, and God will

complete it when you see Jesus face to face after this life is over. He intends to change you, and He is going

 to use your children to do it!  You are probably already aware, maybe painfully aware at times, as I am, that 

this is true!  Do you want to be like Christ? Well, here’s your chance!  It is called motherhood!  Oh, the sin 

your children are going to uncover that you were previously unaware of!!!  Oh, the character flaws that will 

surface as you deal with your children through the long and tiring days!!!  Oh, the anger and unkindness that 

will be revealed in your own heart when faced with ungrateful, rebellious children!  Stand back and say to 

yourself, “Thank you Lord, for my children!  Because I want to be like Christ, and my children are helping 

me get there, by showing me my sin, so I can repent and grow! 

So, children are a blessing. That is what God intends them to be as He gives them to you. Along with that truth, you may need to remind yourself on difficult days of the big picture of God’s great plan….

What God is doing…

              He is giving you the opportunity of a lifetime for Gospel work!              

       From their earliest days, your children are to receive love and care from you, and as they grow older, years of instruction from the Word of God, the Bible, through what you say to them and how you live.  Don’t get so caught up in the physical work of raising children that you forget that this is all a means to an end, not an end in itself!  Let it all be for the sake of your Savior. Love them toward the goal of leading them to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Build a relationship with them that is marked by unconditional love and trust so that you will have a platform from which to influence them for Christ.  That is what it is all about: being a light in the dark world to point others to Jesus and the salvation that is available in Him alone.  No other missionary opportunity can equal the opportunity you have as the mother of this child! In Psalm 78, Israel was commanded to pass along the knowledge of God to their children:

Psalm 78:5-7

 For He established a testimony in Jacob

And appointed a law in Israel,

Which He commanded our fathers

That they should teach them to their children,

That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born,

That they may arise and tell them to their children,

 That they should put their confidence in God

And not forget the works of God,

But keep His commandments…”

 This must continue in our own families, today.

It is really easy to lose sight of this in exhausting times, as you are busy with physical tasks that never end, and when you are confronted by resistance that wears you down.  It is easy to forget what God is doing and how he wants to let us participate in the process.  He is gathering a people from every tribe and tongue and nation, and redeeming them from their sin.  He wants to use you, right here, right now, in your own little family, with your specific children to bring more souls to worship and value and find salvation in the Lord Jesus.

Maybe you are thinking…..”Whoa! But I’m just an ordinary mom.  That is a high and lofty work, and I’m not adequate for such a task!”  At least that is what I think sometimes when I’m feeling overwhelmed about all that God has called me to do.

But I love what John Piper has to say about this in his book, Finally Alive:   He’s explaining the passage from 2 Cor. 4:7 that says, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.” God has entrusted the treasure of the Gospel of Christ to us, who are nothing more than clay pots, ordinary flawed human beings…

“God’s aim is that his own power through the gospel, not ours, be exalted.  This means that if you feel average or less than average in your sense of fitness to tell the gospel, then you are just the person God is looking for- a clay pot, who simply shares the treasure of the gospel, not the glitzy intellect, not the glitzy eloquence, not the glitzy beauty or strength or cultural cleverness.  Then God will do his work through the gospel, and the surpassing power will belong to Him and not us.

Be encouraged, ordinary Christian.  You are appointed, precisely in your ordinariness, for the greatest work in the world: opening the eyes of the blind and showing the Treasure of Christ.”

And do you know how this missionary work is going to look each day?  It is simply loving and caring for your children, building a relationship of trust and kindness that makes you a desirable authority in their lives, and letting the natural conversation of your days together (arising from both happy and hard times) lead you to talk of the Savior. It also means confessing your sins to God and your children, and asking forgiveness so that they see how a sinner lives by grace at the foot of the cross, and offers that same grace to others.

So when it’s 3 AM and the baby is screaming, remind yourself, “This child is a blessing, and God wants to use me to spread the glory of Jesus through the earth, starting right here in my own family!”

It is my prayer that these thoughts will encourage you through the busy days of caring for your children.

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Afflictions, Comfort, and Hope

I love the honesty with which the Apostle Paul describes his ministry life.

" For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us..." (2 Corinthians 1:8-10)

Yes, even the apostle Paul felt burdened excessively, His afflictions were greater than the strength that he had to deal with them, he felt despair, and even felt as if his troubles had landed him on death row! But by Paul's own testimony it accomplished a great purpose: he learned NOT TO TRUST IN HIMSELF, BUT IN GOD, who is so mighty and powerful that He can even raise the dead!

He prefaced this description of his difficult life with an exclamation of praise for the comfort that Christ gave him in all of his troubles. (verses 3-7) He endured a lot of them. He suffered greatly for the cause of Christ, yet he says that the amount of comfort he received in all his troubles was greater. Abundant suffering was countered with abundant comfort. And he came through it with a heart that was still hopeful, not cynical, looking to Christ, the author and perfecter of his faith, and the One worthy of love and worship and service. That's where I want to be today and everyday. Christ is still on His throne. He is still building His Church. He loves us. He intercedes for us. He reigns over the entire world that He created, and we belong to Him. That gives me great hope. Praying that all of us would live moment to moment with this kind of hope in the Lord Jesus.

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I Will Go Because Christ Is Worthy

To those of you Christians who find yourselves in a place that is not what you had hoped it would be, in a ministry where you are experiencing conflict or are misunderstood or judged, or are simply worn out from the exhaustion that is part of pouring your life out in service, re-focus your eyes on the worthy Lord Jesus Christ.

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, FIXING OUR EYES ON JESUS, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."  (Hebrews 12:1-3)

He deserves all the sacrifices that you have made to serve Him and live for Him.  Who He is and what He has done makes Him completely worthy of the life you are giving away for the sake of His Name and to see His kingdom go forth. There are days when I have to remind myself of His worth, and it is usually when "I will serve You, Lord" sounds much more appealing than the reality of "I will serve the difficult people that You place in my life."  But when I retrace my steps to the cross, I remember that I was the sinner from whom He endured hostility.  Yet, He welcomed me as a friend, He gave His life so that the guilt and shame of my sin could be wiped away, and I could be treated by the Father as a righteous child.  I deserved nothing but I have been given Jesus.  That realigns my thinking, and is helping me sing the words to this Starfield song today with a joyful and grateful heart:

"I Will Go"

To the desperate eyes and reaching hands
To the suffering and the lean
To the ones the world has cast aside
Where you want me I will be

[Chorus:]
I will go, I will go
I will go, Lord send me
To the world, To the lost
To the poor and hungry
Take everything I am
I'm clay within your hands
I will go, I will go, send me

Let me not be blind with privilege
Give me eyes to see the pain
Let the blessing You've poured out on me
Not be spent on me in vain
Let this life be used for change

[Chorus]

I wanna live for you
Go where you lead me
I wanna follow you

*************

Christ is worthy!

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Count It All Loss

"If when you become a Christian you write a big red “LOSS” across all the things in the world except Christ, then when Christ calls you to forfeit some of those things, it is not strange or unexpected. The pain and the sorrow may be great. The tears may be many, as they were for Jesus in Gethsemane. But we will be prepared. We will know that the value of Christ surpasses all the things the world can offer and that in losing them we gain more of Christ."               -John Piper

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Thank You, Jesus!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day.  I am thankful to God for so many things!  He has blessed my life in a million ways, and my heart is so full of praise!

The foundation of all my thanksgiving is what Jesus Christ did on the cross for me.  His atoning death satisfied the penalty that my sins had earned for me before a holy, righteous God. But the payment made by Jesus was fully accepted by God the Father. As if that were not enough, Christ not only paid for my sins, but He also forgave me for all of them, and then further adopted me into the family of God with all the rights, privileges, and inheritance of a true child.  I deserved only His wrath, but I was given His mercy because of Jesus' sacrifice. It was the precious blood that He gladly shed on my behalf that has purchased all of this for me!  I am His and He is mine!  This is everything.  It is why I live, it sustains me through each day, and the mystery and miracle of it will cause me to rejoice throughout eternity.

My gratefulness to God is best expressed by my favorite song from Sovereign Grace Music...

Jesus Thank You


The mystery of the cross I cannot comprehend
The agonies of Calvary
You the perfect Holy One, crushed Your Son
Who drank the bitter cup reserved for me

Your blood has washed away my sin
Jesus, thank You
The Father’s wrath completely satisfied
Jesus, thank You
Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table
Jesus, thank You

By Your perfect sacrifice I’ve been brought near
Your enemy You’ve made Your friend
Pouring out the riches of Your glorious grace
Your mercy and Your kindness know no end

Lover of my soul
I want to live for You

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Thankful for Hope and Perspective

Scrolling my Facebook newsfeed for the last three days has shown me that many Christians are suffering from post-election fear and anxiety. The outcome of Tuesday's vote has caused me, too, to have moments of concern about the future of our country, what changes may be ahead, and how those changes may affect daily life as we know it now.  

Fear has caused many people to jump from "lost election" to imagining worst case scenarios.  But, what if our very worst fears materialize? What if we do lose the "rights" and freedoms that we have all enjoyed for our entire lifetime of living in a country like America?  What if our economic situation continues to worsen and collapses altogether? What if persecution comes, and Christians begin to suffer publicly in our country for worshipping Christ and holding to the truth of the Bible?

Many people have questions now about the future, but for me, the best thing that resulted from the events of the week is another question that keeps rising to the front of my mind. 

Where is your hope?

A very timely study on the sovereignty of God in our home fellowship group this past Tuesday night reminded me of the great, comforting truths upon which every Christian must fix his hope, especially when tempted to worry or fear.

God is sovereign.  That means that He is completely in control. He is the King of the universe and He is still reigning above the affairs of this world. He is doing something great, and He is not done yet!  His plan has not been thwarted, and though it may not seem like it on particular days, His agenda is being carried out exactly as He has planned it. He will win. His righteousness will one day prevail.  He is God; after all, He created everything, and it will all ultimately result in bringing glory and worship to Him.

Isaiah 46:9-11:
“Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man of My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, surely I will do it."

This is our God, and all our hope is in Him!

God is good, He loves His people, and promises always to do what is best for us. He will meet our needs. He will sustain us through difficult times (and prosperity) by His grace and perfect provision. We can completely trust Him, and find peace, yes even joy, in all He is to us and for us. He has proven His great unfailing love for us by giving us the greatest gift possible: Jesus.  Our sins against a holy God have been wiped away by Christ's sacrifice for us on the cross.  What more could we possibly need to be happy in this life and for eternity?

Matthew 6:25-30:
“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?  And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,  yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!"
Romans 8:32:
"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?"

God wants us to be on board with His plan. What God is doing on this earth may or may not include the prosperity and religious freedom of the United States of America. He is doing something far grander and more glorious than blessing our country, and allowing us to enjoy a life of ease and wealth. The Bible tells us that God sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners. The sum of the whole message of the Bible is that God is reconciling sinful man to Himself through the one way that He provided, the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus. We can not afford to be distracted from that by anything that happens in a day.  We must keep that big picture in mind, and with greater fervency than ever give ourselves to being part of what God is doing on this earth.  Christ has left His people here to be compassionately and lovingly evangelizing the lost and equipping the church to live for Him and be salt and light to a dark world. It would be a huge mistake to allow political differences to make us view our unbelieving friends and neighbors as "the enemy".   There is an enemy who has blinded their eyes to the glory and worth of Jesus Christ, and we must love them and speak truth into their lives with the hope that God will continue to deliver and save sinners, just as He has done for us.  We should say with Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:20: 

"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."

Are we making our lives count toward God's plan and goal for His people?

God wants us to gain perspective.  It is comforting and challenging and convicting all at the same time to think about the lives of believers who have gone before us.  What about the apostle Paul, who suffered incredible persecution and loss during his life (see the long list in 2 Corinthians 11:23-29), yet wrote from a jail cell exhorting us to fix our eyes on Jesus, fight the good fight of faith, and rejoice always in the Lord? His difficult circumstances under the appointed governing authorities did not keep Him from living a passionate, useful, world-impacting life for His Savior.  He never enjoyed the prosperity, religious freedom, and comforts that we have become accustomed to in America. Yet, he says, "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ." (Philippians 3:8)

We have a great God. We have these truths to stabilize our hearts, and I am extremely thankful for the hope and perspective they bring.

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Thankful for The Word

Every week when my pastor preaches God's word, I go away encouraged, and challenged, and usually convicted. I am so thankful for the Scriptures, and for Brian as God has used his teaching in my life for many years now. (Being married to him for 24 years has also been rather nice!) This past Sunday, I was so pierced by one part of the sermon that I just wrote OUCH under that section of my notes.  Here's part of what he said:

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Our text identifies areas that we are to die to our selves.

George Muller of Bristol expressed it in clear terms.

"There was a day when I died, utterly died, died to George Muller and his opinions, preferences, tastes and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame of even my brethren and friends; and since then I have studied only to show myself approved unto God." [quoted by Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, 291-292].

How does this work out in our daily lives? To begin with we must get a handle on the sinfulness of self.

If left to ourselves we will assert our rights in every situation. But we have gone to the cross, laid down the rule over our own lives - including our assertion of personal rights, and given all to Jesus Christ. He is now King over us, and He will not tolerate our defiant assertion of our own rights, for to do so will only lead into sin.

At the heart of every sin is the selfish claim that I have a right to indulge my mind or desires or flesh into some arena forbidden by our Lord (James 1:13-16).

Martyn Lloyd-Jones gave a series of questions that I found searching and helpful in considering the sinfulness of self.

Whenever I notice in myself a reaction of self-defense , or a sense of annoyance or a grievance, or a feeling that I have been hurt and wronged and am suffering an injustice-the moment I feel this defensive mechanism coming into play, I must just quietly face myself and ask the following questions.

·         'Why exactly does this thing upset me?

·         Why am I grieved by it?

·         What is my real concern at this point?

·         Am I really concerned for some general principle of justice and righteousness?

·         Am I really moved and disturbed because I have some true cause at heart or, let me face it honestly, is it just myself?

·         Is it just this horrible, foul self-centeredness and self-concern, this morbid condition into which I have got?

·         Is it nothing but an unhealthy and unpleasant pride?' [294].

We also, as Lloyd-Jones reminds us, need "to realize the extent to which self controls your life" [294].

So much of what we do is not to the glory of God but for our own aggrandizement. It can happen in everything from friendships to the marital life to the sermons we preach. We must take great care to examine ourselves, and guard our ambitions against the tyranny of self.

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Thankful for the Means of Change

I'm thankful for God's faithful commitment to my sanctification.  He is way more committed to my transformation and growth in Christ than I could ever be.  And He amazes me by the ways that He plans to bring about that change.  Actually, sometimes He surprises me.

Take motherhood, for example. 23 years ago when we were just weeks away from the birth of our first baby, I can honestly say that I was clueless about all the ways that God was going to change me through raising children.  With every year that went by, and every child that was added to our family, God had changes in mind.  He has used my children to show me that I desperately need His strength to do the work involved.  He has used my children to show me that my heart is naturally selfish and sinful.  (Yes, I did know that before they arrived, but not nearly to the extent that I discovered when conflict arose between us).  He has shown me that with children come unspeakable joys, and that they are amazing specimens of God's creative genius. And He has used my kids to show me my need to imitate Christ in gracious love, just as He has treated me with patience and kindness, though I did not deserve it. Finally, God has used my children to show me that He is powerful and can change the hearts of people, including me and my kids.

All these things that He has shown me through my kids have left me different than I was at the start.  I see how much greater God is than I ever dreamed, and how much more gracious and loving He is than I imagined. I'm thankful that He will keep working to conform my heart to the image of Christ, until the day that I see Him face to face. One more thing to cause me to give thanks.

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Thankful for God's Work Around the World

I am so thankful that God is at work building His church.  He said He would do this, and that the gates of hell will not prevail against it. He is doing it around the globe, in Florida where we are privileged to serve, and in a beautiful place like Mililani, Hawaii, using some dear friends of ours that left California a few years ago to plant a church on that island. Island Grace Church celebrated their 3rd anniversary yesterday, and I'm sharing the following letter because it is so encouraging and because it so clearly articulates the right vision for ministry.  May we all keep the vision of the exalted Christ before us as we work to see the Gospel go forth.

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A note from Pastor Ray Polompo as we celebrate IGC's 3rd anniversary:

Dear Island Grace Church Family,

I stand in awe that the King of the universe would use such feeble and finite beings like you and me to do His work. And yet we are celebrating 3 years of just that. Amazing God, amazing mercy, and amazing grace. So when I get over (I really don't) the fact that God has put us into ministry here in Mililani, that we do exist as a church, and that there is something that we must do here, I come to these two points:

1. The most desperate need, the biggest problem, the greatest plight of man is not the economy, foreign affairs, or hurricanes. All needs are as nothing compared to the eternally devastating havoc sin wreaks upon the soul of man. Sin destroys any relationship with God and access to all the blessings He provides and it condemns man to eternal separation from God into an eternity of torment (which is the only fitting punishment for the crimes against a perfectly holy King who is God). Bad news.

2. The church has the supreme mission of bringing the only good news that can remedy the bad news. And this Gospel doesn't originate with us. It comes mercifully and graciously from this holy King who has been offended. It is the power of God to salvation to any who believe (Romans 1:16). Delivering this good news is our supreme mission. We will help the poor,meet needs, and do ministry along the way, but these are only done with the view of pointing man to Christ the Savior. That's it. There is no other priority. God has given us no other pressing business but to lead others to the salvation of souls and their worship of the exalted Christ. And we do this by opening our mouths and opening our lives. We speak the Gospel and we live the Gospel. We must keep pursuing to be a holy church delivering a holy message. We can't get bogged down with anything else because He hasn't given us anything else to do.

So what does that look like? It's you continuing to build relationships at home, at work, and at school. Keep pursuing holy lives and speaking a holy message to friends and family. Don't grow weary in this. IGC is growing roots in Mililani for the sake of the Gospel.

And for us leaders (as I was reminded recently), while it may be the "in" thing to cast vision for the church, as a pastor on the verge of our church's 3rd anniversary, the only vision I want to put before you is the vision of Christ Himself. Seeing your God in all of His glory and holiness is the only needed vision. Seeing Christ as supreme and exalted is sufficient vision. Like Isaiah and Ezekiel, the way to move men to holiness and evangelism is to show more of Him! And we recommit to doing this by revealing Christ in Scripture. From Genesis to Revelation, all Scripture speak of Him, as He told the disciples on the Emmaus Road (Luke 24:27). So, by the power of the Spirit, we will preach Christ and Him crucified from all of Scripture and unfold the vision of Christ. We will cast vision all year long and hope to stoke the fires of our people to fulfill the supreme mission.

Happy 3rd anniversary, Island Grace Church!

Serving alongside you to exalt Christ,

Ray Palompo
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Click here to go their website.

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Thankful for His Open Arms

I'm thankful that God constantly extends an invitation to us to come to Him.  The number of times we have failed Him, sinned against Him, complained about the circumstances He chose for us-- NONE of that causes God to turn away and withdraw His open, welcoming arms. Still He simply says, "Come to Me". (Isaiah 55:1,3; Matthew 11:28)

He knows all about us, and He says come anyway.  His graciousness, patience, and loving-kindness beckons us, and assures us that He won't change His mind. His words draw us to Him.

"Now return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness."  Joel 2:13

James 4:8 "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."

The Lord Jesus Christ purchased this "anytime" access to God as our Father, when he paid for all our sins on the cross. And now those who trust in Christ alone can come to God, freely, boldly, and with confidence as beloved children.

"Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16

That should fill our hearts with thanksgiving today.

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Thankful for His Command

I'm grateful that God  commands  us to be thankful.

Thessalonians 5:18 says,
"In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

Very simple. Since He made it a command rather than a mere suggestion, then we know that it is possible "in Christ Jesus". And the reason it is possible for the Christian, is that we have been given the Holy Spirit to dwell within our hearts to produce the fruits of righteousness....like gratitude to God.

That being true, I must square off against challenging circumstances and make some decisions about how I'm going to respond. Depending on the difficulty of any given situation, I may have to remind myself why I can be thankful in everything.  Whatever I'm facing, I know that God is in control of it all.  I know that He is so wise and kind that it will ultimately be for my good, and it will glorify Him in some way, even if I don't see how either of those things could be true at the time.  Even if my worst fears came true, I have already been shown the ultimate expression of love by God... the giving of Jesus as the sacrifice for my sin.  So, on any given day, in any given circumstance, I can remind myself of the cross.  I have been loved, though I did not deserve it.  That, like nothing else, moves my heart to thanksgiving.

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Thankful For God's Transforming Power

Today I am thinking about the amazing power of God to change people, and it has moved me to be especially thankful!
When I look at my own life, I remember back to the days before Christ saved me 27 years ago.  I was living to pursue my own selfish desires, and was only concerned about "doing what's right" if other people were watching.  I saw God as demanding and angry, and people as irritating and an inconvenience to my agenda. But then God brought a friend along to live out and explain the Gospel to me. I began to understand who Jesus was and why He came and how greatly I needed Him. As He began to awaken my heart to truth, change was inevitable.  How I viewed God, what I thought of Christ and His love demonstrated on the cross, how I see the people He has created and strategically placed around me.....all of that changed.  He is filling my heart with love for Him and others, and I see that continuing to increase, regardless of my sin, because He is so powerful.  There is so much that still needs to change in my sinful heart, but I have every confidence that He can do it, because nothing is too hard for God! His love for me has caused me to want to live for His agenda in this world, to see Christ exalted and proclaimed.  That can only be His work, and I am extremely thankful!

2 Corinthians 5:17:
"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."

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My Thankful List Last Year

One of the last posts that I wrote in 2011 was this. And since in November I love to recount reasons for gratitude to God, it bears repeating...
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So thankful for...

*the Lord Jesus Christ, without whom we would have no hope in this world, or the one to come. but with whom we have forgiveness for all our sins.

So thankful for...
*the unveiling of sin that humbles me
*the kindness of God that draws me
*the work of the Spirit that gives me repentance
*the tenderness of my Savior that welcomes me back
*and new mercies every day to press forward.

So thankful for...
*growing up with a dad that made me work
*the welcoming embrace of loved ones
*small white lights on Christmas trees
*a church where Christ is exalted and proclaimed
*and the way God uses other believers to make me grow

So thankful for...
*the inviting call of the Gospel to unworthy sinners
*paper snowflakes
*kids who serve when no one makes them
*the loss of stuff that we are tempted to trust in
*and how God uses children to kill some of our selfishness and pride.

So thankful for...
*the comfort of God's sovereign control
*crisp, juicy apples dipped in peanut butter
*photos of my kids when they were little
*the way the saints at CBC sing their hearts out
*and the way God has always provided for our needs.

So thankful for...
*God's work in my children's hearts
*beautiful sunsets
*family vacations
*the hope that comes with a new day
*and the big impact of little acts of kindness.

So thankful for...
*crocheted scarves
*Hebrews 4:14-16
*20-something years of music from Steven Curtis Chapman
*drinking my brewed coffee out of my favorite Starbucks cup
*and the diverse beauty God created in His world.

So thankful for...
*the comfort of the Psalms
*the timeless musings of C.H. Spurgeon
*the way little girls dance around when they are happy
*the blended wet colors of traffic lights on the road in the rain
*and the love my children have for their Daddy.

So thankful for...
*the well-captured images that come out of my daughter's camera
*the brilliant, breath-taking colors of fall
*cream cheese, avocado, and tomato on dark rye
*the entertaining things that Caleb says
*and the steady joy and peace that Christ gives in trials.

So thankful for...
*the body of Christ
*teeny, tiny newborn baby feet
*cups of steaming spiced apple cider
*family and friends who help celebrate happy times
*and God's amazing ability to answer my prayers in a way that surprises me.

So thankful for.....
*a break from school work
*dark chocolate
*friends that are intentionally encouraging
*watching God transform people's lives
*and new adventures :- )

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