Lifejournal: It Sucks for Apostates (12/17/10)

S: "For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them."

2 Peter 2:20-21

O: A word for apostates. It speaks strongly of how when one is confronted with the righteousness of Christ and how someone may turn from their sin because of it. However, when someone turns their back on Jesus, giving up on pursuing a life of godliness, glorifying God-they have dug themselves into a state that is stated to be worse.

If someone is to live a life of falsehood and one day is confronted and proven to be false, they would naturally (or supernaturally in the case of sinners) turn to the truth and live by the truth (faith in Christ!). But, should someone yet turn from the truth, knowing it to be true-and turns back to their life of lies, it would be an incredible offense to what is good and true...

A: Perseverance is the word-I need to persevere. I know the truth and I can't go any other way. Try as I might to lapse into sinfulness-I know that God will reprimand me to stand up and continue walking in the path of righteousness. So, I will not apostatize-well, God willing may I never walk away from the truth that which is the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.

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Lifejournal: Be humble, be dependent, and be watchful (12/16/10)

S: "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober minded, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

1 Peter 5:6-8

O: Who can do anything but to prostrate themselves before God and ask for help? Only the prideful will pause and say "I am not in need of deliverance from my struggle/burden/circumstance/etc." Daily, we must bring ourselves before the throne of God, recognizing that we do not have the power nor strength to carry what we have been given in this life. Here is the promise/application"

A: 1. I must humble myself. Gotta fall flat at the throne and give myself up in surrender-praying, and laying upon God my own anxiety.
2. At the "proper time" he will exalt me-however, the emphasis must be that it is upon God's timing-it is when he sees it is fit to answer prayer.
3. He will not make his children wait long-he loves us and cares for us. We may not always necessarily know what to pray for, but the Spirit intercedes on our behalf. The fact stands, God loves us-as the wonderful Father he is, he truly cares for us like no one else on this earth ever could! I love that small portion of Scripture. God, the maker of the heavens and the earth-creator of the universe, living God...cares for a meager, empty soul such as me!

(O:) However, along with the urge to humble ourselves before God-Scripture warns us that we have a devious, powerful enemy at hand. We must always be mindful or what we think, do, say-sin is waiting at our doorstep, ready to pounce on us the moment we are unguarded.

(A:) How will I fight back? How can I be watchful? It's simple-gotta daily be in the word. Gotta daily find myself in prayer-prayer without ceasing! Mind on Christ and kingdom things. If my heart is filled with the things of eternity, then there is no room for things of the world.

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Lifejournal: Assurance of Faith (12/13/10)

S: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith, we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible."

Hebrews 11:1-3

O: Faith is assured - Something that people are rooted by in their life. To live in faith is to live in a manner that is deeply assured in something we hope in, yet haven't seen. I mean, who among us have been eyewitnesses to the death and resurrection of Christ? Other than the apostles and the others Jesus appeared to-but upon hearing the Gospel, our heart was sparked with the beginnings of faith-"assurance of things hoped for, conviction of things not seen." In addition to the cross, who was present during creation? Only God was, and we have a divinely inspired text to tell us this-to the world, it may be a gamble-but by faith in the word, we believe the word and then live according to the word.

In the OT days, men of old were justified by their faith as well. By looking towards what was to come (Christ), their faith was credited as righteousness. Moses, Abraham, and King David are a few men that come to mind.

A: Faith is simply stated-but how can my faith be strengthened? God, in his own faithfulness, demonstrates how he keeps to his promises. By praying and having prayers answered faithfully by God himself would build up my faith in him. Sure, I may not be seeing fruit in my life immediately-but I cannot doubt that God will remain true to his word.

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Lifejournal: Do It

S: But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

James 1:22

O: I love the book of James-not to be pharisaical by works, but to be reminded that true faith is expressed by action. Not that every action validates our faith, but it is without a doubt that those who hear the word will take one of two routes: to obey or disobey.

We may hear that we ought to love God and others. Perhaps we may even recite to others that we should. We could go so far as to preach it far across the ends of the earth-but unless our life itself expresses an obedience to the word, it would be deception to think our supposed faith is faith at all.

Of course, I would immediately condemn myself and many others if a constant or immediate obedience were necessary-we are, after all, those who have "fallen short of the glory of God" and in many a case, it may be that we are in need of a continuing sanctification or discipline from God to bring forth an obedience to his word.

Anyhow, this is a great verse - we cannot sit still as if the word explicitly states we should do something. To love, preach, pray, sing, whatever-it's there, and we need to be a people of faith accompanied by action.

A: Will I ignore how the Spirit leads the next time I reach the fork in the road? Will the reminder of God's command to love be present and fruitful when I myself am found in bitterness towards my fellows? I hope and pray that I may be a doer of what God commands because I see that his perfect law is lovely.

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Lifejournal: Eyes to Jesus

S: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2

O: The writer of Hebrews groups together weight and sin-that our sin is our obstacle. Sin is baggage. It weighs us down in our race (I see that the writer also describes our life as a race just as Paul does) towards Christ. Sin is acknowledged to be clingy-it sticks to us unless we are to pointedly lay it aside (in repentance) and strive for our prize-which is to be with Christ.

This passage further confirms my last statement-that we are to affix our gaze upon Jesus in order to run vigorously. There would not be sufficient reason to cast off sin and "run with endurance" if the end result were merely a place of happiness or an avoidance of Hell.

However, to look upon Christ - and to see how he thought little of the shame, how he lovingly and joyfully accepted his task, and how he carried it to completion-to be with that person ought to be our greatest hope in this life and the life to come.

A: Sin is a weight-it drags me down in so many circumstances. It runs my life at times and I fear that it dulls my heart. But to take in the word and meditate upon it will teach me to hold fast to commands. I must pray because I cannot by my own strength or will overcome myself-knowing that God's will for me is to abide in Christ, he will overcome sin today as much as he did long ago upon the cross. This spiritual life will grow mundane and wearisome if my eyes are not upon Christ-I will seek him through all of these things. In the end, it is not about battling sin or being disciplined-those things will come about if I fix my eyes upon Jesus.

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Lifejournal: Faith is Necessary

S: And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Hebrews 11:6

O: I wondered how it would be impossible to please God without faith. I realized that no one (well at this time) has not actually physically seen God. In fact, we haven't seen Jesus Christ or his death on the cross...nor have we seen his resurrection from the grave. However, it is by placing our faith in God and his word/promises to truly see him. Without faith in these things, it would be the equivalent to not believing in God or his promises.

I'm a person who desires concrete evidence of something. In the beginnings of my walk, I would often ask my pastor why I couldn't hear God's audible voice or see him if he was omnipresent. I suppose that things that are unseen cannot be explained or proven by anyone or anything-faith in Jesus in my life is the only evidence I have of God being real in my life.

A: Here is a great promise in this verse-that those who approach God with a real faith and expectancy will be rewarded in their seeking.

I need to come with an expectancy that God honors his people who seek him genuinely and expectantly. When I come with an attitude that lacks faith in Jesus, what right would I have to be in God's presence?

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Lifejournal: Marks of a True Christian

S: "Let love be genuine, abhor what is evil, and hold fast to what is good."

Romans 12:9

O: In regards to this passage in Romans where Paul writes of the marks of a true Christian, I would think it would be very appropriate to see this as wisdom and guidance for the true Christian. Rather than actually being characteristics or traits of a person-it's interesting to see that this is a list of commands-a lot of things that Paul expects a true Christian to do and strive after. At the same time, I can see how much of this may just naturally occur for the one who is regenerate. However, it is also in good wisdom to test ourselves and meditate on these commands, which are without a doubt, good.

"Let love be genuine." When I see this command, I immediately think upon Luke 10:27 where Jesus spoke of the two greatest commands-loving the Lord and others.

The greek word for love (in this context) is agape, which is used extensively in regard to how God loves us and how we should love others.

(A:)For my love for God to be genuine, I know that my devotion for him shows through how I spend my life. If I am seeking him daily, meditating on his word, and actually doing it because I want to, it's clear to see where my heart lies. It's not even the matter of how many times I do it, but rather if my heart really seeks out God that I could not help but to want know him and enjoy him fully-glorifying him.

For my love of people to be genuine, it's yet again the time I spend with others as well as keeping them in my heart-praying for them, lifting up their needs. I know that I lack in showing love for others due to the fact that I'm used to keeping to myself-my selfishness is most apparent when I'm with others or how my attitude is towards others. I need to work on "considering others to be better than myself (Philippians 2:3)," both in my prayer life as well as being mindful of those directly placed in my life. I will also love others in the same consideration of

(O:) "...Abhor what is evil" I knew that abhor meant something along the lines of strongly hate-but I like the merriam webster definition more:

Regard with disgust and hatred.

So regard evil with disgust and hatred. Or, better - Regard sin with disgust and hatred. This is difficult for me because I know much of my ill-spent time or bouts with pornography or whatever else is something that I label as sin, but don't regard as something disgusting or loathsome. However, Scripture calls us to hate sin- the greek word for abhor (apostygeō), goes on to further expand how we should feel: "to have a horror of" sin.

(A:) I must spend more time with God-I think it would only be natural to take in what is good and holy to see a clear distinction of what is not good / what is evil and to thereby react accordingly. For now, I feel as though I am numbed to my own sin at times-but I certainly don't want to continue in this manner. I want to hate sin as God hates sin.

(O:) "...hold fast to what is good." I find it more interesting that the English language really fails me in comparison to how illustrative the original greek is: "kollaō," Which means to glue together, or cement. To fasten or join together firmly. This same word is used with how a man and woman getting married should join together as one. Or how when someone joins with God becomes one spirit with him. There (I thought this was funny) is also an instance where Jesus spoke of dust clinging to feet where the original word is used.

Anyhow, this is incredibly strong imagery-that we should cling to what is good to such a degree that we are one with it-as if we are married to it, one spirit with it, and like how dust naturally clings to our feet; We ought to cling to what is good the moment we know something is good.

What is good? I know that God is good. The same word is used to describe Christ, a person who bears good fruit, and so forth.

(A:) Over and over again I see that God is telling me to cling to him. To love God is to be with him. An abhorrence of evil comes from spending time with God. To cling to what is good is to cling to God.

P: Father, I am glad that upon meditating upon this Scripture-you showed me all the roads to where these commands lie: In loving you, all of these will be fulfilled. I ask that you place in my heart a drive and desire to know and love you all the more. These very commands I cannot accomplish on my own-I cannot purify my heart or motive when it comes to loving you or others. May you search my heart and prod it in the direction where it would be most pleasing to you-do what you will with my time, dreams, and life so that you may be most glorified (I pray that you may occupy my heart with joy so that I may forget how crappy this world is (Ecc 5:20). Let the love of Christ be made alive in my heart so that I may in turn understand how to be devoted to Christ.

I cannot hate evil when my heart is consumed with it-please forgive me of my daily failure to love you and others as well as my failure to take you as the greatest pleasure of my life. Yet again, I ask you to change my heart, Holy Spirit, in the direction where God may be most renowned in my heart and life so that I may truly hate and draw back in horror of what is evil. Lastly, I pray that you give me a heart full of the desire to not only draw close to you God, but full of desire to cling to you and what is good and righteous. In complete honesty-I don't know how to cling to you other than to seek out what you have to say in your word, listen to it, and try my best to seek you in prayer. Please make me diligent in those things and I pray that it may fruitful (good fruit, that is). All these things I pray in Christ, amen.

Lifejournal: Heart's Desire

S: Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.

Romans 10:1

O: Paul previously writes in chapter 9 that he desired that his fellow kinsmen to be saved at even the expense of his personal relationship with Christ. This speaks volumes as to how we should also desire to see those around us who are still lost.

Paul genuinely wished to see them saved-his heart's desire, was to see the lost around him, come to a saving knowledge of Christ. His heart's desire translated to prayer to God, which I see as an act of submission to the only one who could make it happen.

Simply, he wished for others to know Christ. So, he prayed to God to ask that others around him would come to know Christ.

Do I even have a desire to see those who are lost in my life, saved? I think that it translates quite well that if you truly want to see someone come to a saving faith, you will present your requests in your prayers to God. Not once, but until the day you or they die, if the heart's desire truly is to see the lost be found, prayers would not cease.

A: I do not pray often. I pray very little-even for those whom I claim I care for. I pray over food, the word, and an occasional prayer request is lifted up here and there. I am too prideful, too lazy and conceited to do such a thing. However, I hope that I may have the heart like Paul-or rather, his Christlikeness which is clearly seen by how he prioritizes contention for souls by praying to God for them.

P: Lord, to even have the desire is to be rooted in you. If I were clinging to Jesus, I know that my heart would conform to his desire-and I know that the desire of Christ is to glorify the Father. Contending for souls is a glorious thing-work that is fit for the kingdom of God. I pray that you may awaken a desire to see others come to before you, professing that Christ is their lord and saviour. I ask that you may give me a true and heartfelt desire, that I may be driven to my knees often, interceding on the behalf of those who really do need to know you, Lord Jesus. In Christ, amen.

Lifejournal: Renounce Everything

I'm not a big fan of saying I can do something by my own power. But, from this moment I will put myself in a position where there will be no room for argument in how I live. I will do everything I possibly can to live life the way I know it should be lived-from there, may God's will be done.

"I am poor and weak. Satan is too subtle, too cunning, too powerful; he watches constantly for advantages over my soul. The world presses in upon me with all sorts of pressures, pleas, and pretences. My own corruption is violent, tumultuous, enticing, and entangling. As it conceives sin, it wars within me and against me. Occasions and opportunities for temptation are innumerable. No wonder I do not know how deeply involved I have been with sin. Therefore, on God alone will I rely for my keeping. I will continually look to Him.”

-John Owen

For I said in myself, "I am afraid that I shall be lost but I will know the reason why. I am afraid I never shall find Christ but it shall not be for want of looking for him." That fear used to haunt me, but I said, "I will find him if he is to be found. I will read. I will think." There was never a soul that did sincerely seek for Jesus in the word but by-and-by he stumbled on the precious truth that Christ was near at hand and did not want any looking for; that he was really there, only they, poor blind creatures, were in such a maze that they could not just then see him. Oh, cling you to Scripture. Scripture is not Christ, but it is the silken clue which will lead you to him. Follow its leadings faithfully.

-C.H. Spurgeon


S: So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:33

O: This is not something where someone needs to dig to actually understand. But rather, this is an incredibly difficult truth to accept and process. Jesus spoke of how his true disciples renounce everything in their lives-from their families to their wealth...Christ is above it all. He is rightfully implying that the work for the kingdom-to follow him and to be like him requires that we have no reserve nor attachment for the people or things around us. Christ is saying that those who follow him will give up everything they have.

Christ lists out how we must partake in his suffering (carry our cross daily), go the extremes of even leaving our families, and the rest pretty much follows. A person who desires to follow Christ must not only give up his possessions, but what is most precious to them. Because, quite honestly-I have met very few who would be willing to forsake all for the cause of the kingdom. In fact, I have met few that are willing to give up a portion of their time each day for Christ. I am that very person. Christ calls his disciples renounce all that they have and yet...we, as the church are not fitting the prerequisite to Christ's discipleship at all.

How many days did I fail to give my best time and portion to the Lord? How many times did my material possessions or worldly pleasures take over my heart? Everyday I see that I have but renounced NOTHING for the Lord Jesus. Even now, when I am trying to offer up more time and more things, I understand that there is no worth to them. It really is black and white-all or nothing. Everything for Christ or nothing at all for Christ.

A: Terrifying, to think that there is no gray area. Many Christians are deluded, then-I conclude. It's plain to see if someone has renounced all that they have for Christ. I do think that I want to be that person. I have hope in that it does not repel me to the core to give up certain things now for the kingdom. I can only hope and pray that it is his will that when the time comes, all things will be given up to him joyfully. My comfort and ease, love of the world, and so forth. I will try my hardest to make good use of my time-seeking the Lord and doing his will.

P. I pray that I may renounce all things for the sake of you, Lord Jesus-that it may stem from a true love, a knowing love. One that comes from knowing you tangibly. That time probably is not now, but I pray that it may be eventually-soon, and forever. In Christ, amen.

Lifejournal: Set the mind upon the Spirit

S: "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law, indeed, it cannot."

Romans 8:5-7

O: I can see that Paul makes a large distinction between the flesh and the Spirit - That those who are in the flesh continue to think of sin, which leads to death, whereas those who are live in the Spirit will think and do things of the Spirit. Paul speaks of how those who are set upon the flesh are unable to submit to God's law-I see that, conversely, those who set their minds upon the Spirit would joyfully and gladly submit to God's law (thanks to the fact that those in Christ Jesus are able to see that the law is is good-Christ's fulfillment of the law actually making it possible for someone to set their mind on the things of the Spirit).

But what are things of the Spirit? In verse 11: "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you." The Spirit is life - in contrast to sin, which is death. I mean, real life is to live for and like Christ, isn't it? To give us life by effectually working in us to be more conformed to a greater Christlikeness. God, who sent Christ to die, also sent the Spirit to dwell in those who truly belong to Him.

In that, those who truly have the Spirit will without a doubt set their minds to the things of the Spirit. Paul goes on to write that those who are in the latter receive:

1. The Spirit of adoption where children of God are assured by the Spirit of their adoption and heirship with Christ (in His suffering).

2. Help in weakness from the Spirit-intercession from the Spirit himself.

But, I also believe that beyond that which is clearly outlined in the words of Scripture, things of the Spirit is also the discipline of setting our minds upon that which is eternal and heavenward-which provides a great deal of comfort and inspiration to continue living this life joyfully, as we look toward the future glory that is promised-Paul writes "the present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

"...to set the mind on the Spirit is life..." and the promise in verse 11, "...he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life..." I find it to be interesting that the Spirit gives life, and that setting our minds upon the Spirit is...well, living. I think this is another example of how someone who lives according to the flesh, unable to submit to Christ's Lordship, can only come into true life by the means of God's choosing and giving.

A: I do not think I can willfully set my mind upon the things of the Spirit, but I understand that by this passage, if the Spirit dwells in me, life will be given to me-a mind that dwells upon Christ will ensue in the one who is given the Spirit, along with the reassurance of adoption as well as comfort in weakness. Also, a submission to the law is also present in the one who sets their mind upon the Spirit. In practical application, I will try my best (and may the Spirit be pleased to help me) to set my mind on that which are life-giving things of the Spirit.

P: Lord, I ask that Spirit be present in me-There are such wonderful promises for those who are given the Spirit...from adoption to comfort as well as a promise to be given life is something I really do want. I know that in me there really isn't anything good-death reigns in me, and I see that my life is often lived according to the flesh. My mind is set on the flesh and I know that that is a path towards destruction. I ask that your Spirit would change my heart and mind towards that which is pleasing to you-I pray to be given life from the very Spirit that raised Christ; To be given an assurance of sonship and heirship; I want to know what it's like to see and taste how good it is to be with Jesus and to long for that all my days. Set my mind to be filled with that which is of your Spirit, if it may please you-so that I may live according to your Spirit.

Lifejournal: Much more, in His life

S: For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Romans 5:10

O: When I was lost in sin and could do no good and desired no good, Christ saved me. I have come to learn more of His goodness and to turn away from it now poisoned my mind to think that I have become more depraved-but, in reality, I've come to learn that I am just actually this bad: Lazy, unloving, undisicplined and full of lies and lust. However, I also realize now that the cross has not tilted or fallen over-that the blood of Christ is not diluted. Christ continues to live, to this day-and his perfection stands in place of my poor excuse for a life.

I think Paul says it best, later in Romans 7:24-25: Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

A: I will get it through my mentality that it is not the amount of work I do nor the quantity of time I spend in the Word that saves me. Neither is it that when sin reigns over my life for a spell am I suddenly dropped from God's mind or heart. I will understand that God sent Christ to die once for sins-once, for all my sins.

P: Heavenly Father, it's been awhile since I've even written the words "Father" to address you. I'm sorry that in this life, I've been caught in a terrible snare-not the laziness or even lack of spending time in the Word. But instead, Satan tricked me into believing even for a few moments that I was exempt from your grace. That I did not qualify or even matter to you. I'm so sorry to have even thought that-I know that despite what I've done and what I may do, you love me and the cross serves to remind me that very love every single time I find myself in a ditch. Praise be to you, Lord, the one true saviour! I pray that in this time of struggle, you may grant me perseverance-proven character and a renewed hope in your Son.

I also pray for Aaron - that in his preparation of making a message for his disciples, you may grant him a great wisdom (greater, considering he's already been given a great deal of wisdom :) through a diligent study of your Word and time spent in prayer.

I pray for Lynn and I ask that she may also be diligent in her prayer life as well as always reminding her to take every thought captive for you, Lord.

In Christ, amen.

Lifejournal: Worthy to Suffer

S: So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

Acts 5:41-42

O: Simply, I see an epic change in the apostles. The attitude of the apostles went from one of hesitant, bumbling and dense-now, as the church of Acts is established, the apostles are bold, fearless, and passionate for the sake of Christ. I can see Christ in them-such a life change cannot be from any mere man. Cowards and fools do not turn into soldiers overnight; That is, unless God decides it as such.

Anyhow, the disciples were actually rejoicing that they were counted as worthy to suffer for the name of Christ-How many people do I know that would cheerfully and joyfully suffer for Christ? To be truthful, very few. And to examine myself, I'm not even sure if I could cheerfully accept a flogging in many circumstances. But, I would hope I could do so by the same life-changing power of Christ.

Even crazier, not only did the disciples seem to be emboldened by the fact that they were punished-they continued to preach Jesus to be the Christ. I mean, I do not see men like this. Incredibly bold men ready at the forefront of spiritual warfare, putting themselves on the line physically, mentally and spiritually-it's not an easy task, I'm sure of it! But, the model they leave for men is without a doubt one to be followed. They disregarded their entire life, if it meant that they could continue to preach the one truth in their life-that Jesus was the Christ and that salvation was only through Him.

A: Yet again, I know God is teaching me to be bold-like real men changed by Christ. I need to look at life and the suffering it throws my way-and endure it joyfully for my Lord. I need to suffer for the sake of Christ to refine who I am in Him-I cannot merely sit comfortably in one place and expect to make any progress in the faith. I will consider myself to be blessed if only I could suffer for Christ-and I will do just as the disciples do: preach Jesus as the Christ.

P: Father, You alone can gauge my heart and where it stands-I pray that You may count me as worthy to suffer for Your Name. I personally know that I'm probably far from a physical flogging of some sort, but I pray that whether it be physical or any other circumstance-That You would remind me of how knowing You is my joy and any means of partaking in the suffering of Christ is a high honor bestowed to the faithful. Remove me from comfort and easy standing-put me on the edge of where I must always find You as my rock and shelter. If anything, through a greater time spent in the Word, I pray that You will bring a change in my heart to stand more firmly for You in this life-now, even: at school or at home...anywhere. Just as I am inspired by those brothers from long ago, I pray that I may follow in the legacy and vision You placed upon their hearts. Give me a vision to live, enjoying who You are fully, while giving up my entire life to You. In Christ, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria

Lifejournal: Bold as Love

S: And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.

Acts 4:12

O: As Peter and John were captured by the rulers/elders/scribes, this was the end of their (Peter and John) response to the inquiries of the leaders-When the rulers asked Peter and John about what power or whose authority they preached under, they were filled with the Holy Spirit responding extremely boldly.

There is such a deep conviction in the statement of the disciples being filled with the Holy Spirit-They leave no room for ambiguity. They plainly state that Jesus Christ is the only person in whom one can find salvation. There is no person that we can find a means of being saved.

Truth be told, I rarely see a statement as bold as this passage from others or myself. Not that I see people blatantly denying the deity of Christ or anything, but a firm conviction is far more admirable (as I definitely cannot help but to admire Peter and John responding so passionately and wholly on the behalf of Jesus) than a wishy-washy one.

A: My faith should be as rooted as this portion of Scripture-my life should scream: there is salvation in no one else other than Jesus Christ. A boldness for Christ is necessary and can only be found through knowing Christ and spending more time with Him (get more into the Word) and walking in the light (obedience). When you're right and you know you're right, you ought to flaunt it (preach the word of God in being justified-garnering joy and boldness from the fact that Christ has justified us by His blood).

P: Heavenly Father, help me look to the cross, to realize the joy and endless delight that comes with the freedom of knowing You and meeting with You. And with this freedom, may I become grow in boldness and joy, to preach just as Peter and John did; They were so convicted and so fully assured that Jesus was the only way of salvation-I often say this myself, but take me deeper into the depths of Your heart...in Scripture, speak to me exactly what You need me to hear-that the belief in it's own right would not die at the mental acceptance of the idea. Rather, I pray that you move my heart by allowing me to hear Your voice through the Word, transforming me into a bolder man for You Lord-willing to lay his life down just as great men before me did...for the greatest Man above all else. This I pray in Your Son's name, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria

Soap - Storms of This Life

S: Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry.

Luke 4:1-2

O: (Luke 4 is a great passage where Jesus uses Scripture to counter the devil's attacks on Him, but I decided not to reiterate on that point) I wonder what evidence there is when someone is full of the Holy Spirit - some images that come to mind is like a glowing, powered up superhero...but I'm guessing that it's probably not that, lol.

He was led around the wilderness for forty days. That's just plain ridiculous. I don't remember the last time I was led around the wilderness, but I certainly understand that sometimes my current life situations are pretty much in that mold. For example, while attending school-I have been utterly discouraged due to the trouble I've had coming to, working to obtain, and getting through: classes. For one, the commute is mind-blowing. Two, I've no chance of getting half of my classes due to a heavy wait list. Three, the class I was able to obtain has been dropped because of a registration mistake. I'm trying my best to contain the situation, but I realized in my crippling anxiety that God is sovereign and I just need to continue work diligently towards my goals (Application) without trying to control it.

Anyhow, if Jesus was frustrated (which I'm sure he was), I sure as hell would relate with him. Sure, wandering the desert and not eating for 40 days while being tempted by the devil actually puts my current standing in perspective, but I'm sure He wasn't skipping around, singing kum bay ya.

One interesting portion of this passage that sticks out is how they emphasize that Jesus was hungry after the 40 days of being tempted and not eating. The transliteration of the word "hunger" is peinaō, meaning to metaphorically ardently crave/desire and hunger for-who wouldn't be hungry after 40 days? To top that off, the temptation would have pushed me over the edge, that is without a doubt.

A: To have read on, Jesus did endure the severe conditions of temptation and hunger and did it on the basis of relying upon what "...is written." I will face my current standing as He did-trust that the Spirit leads me where I should be led...and should the storms of life approach me (as they do now), I will fill myself with the Word in preparation to combat doubt and anxiety that may cause me to fall to my temptation or my hunger (well...metaphorically). He walked the desert, and so shall I-the same Spirit that led Christ leads me...and the Word is still as sharp as it was back then, that it would repel the devil, himself.

P: Father, it is truly a difficult time. It's only been two days and I'm beginning to despair. Honestly, I know that it's completely out of my hands-Teach me to trust that the wilderness is not some place where I can lay flat and think that it will blow over. I will try my best right now, but it truly is Your Spirit that leads me to make wise decisions and trust in Your plan. Guard my heart in Christ, because my heart is in complete chaos-I don't even know what to do...other than to be faithful and to wait upon You. May Christ's blood cover my sins as I repent of my ways-I want to be filled with the Spirit, trusting just as Christ did. I understand that my scope of things is so limited and that You have a greater plan in sight. I pray that I would walk out of my wilderness, weak and tired-but glorifying You and relying upon You as my physician. In Christ, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria

Soap - Broken Cistern

S: "For My people have committed two evils:

They have forsaken Me,

The fountain of living waters,

To hew for themselves cisterns,

Broken cisterns

That can hold no water."

Jeremiah 2:13

I have spent a large portion of my time this early morning looking over many different articles and looking over transliterations of words in the bible and yet this verse stopped me and I found that God was trying to speak to me.

That I have not come to Him in loving obedience-that I am a despised and wretched soul that only covers his sin with lies and a facade that barely keeps the general public from seeing the stain upon my soul. My rebellion against Him has torn me apart, left dry, cracked and completely miserable. Completely miserable because I have tasted and I have drank my fill in Christ-and I have been satisfied. But, I ask myself, why did I come crawling back to my own vomit like a dog when living water and the bread of life is before me. That, despite the abundance of Christ before me, I chose my vomit and then relieved myself on some bread and drink on a few choice days.

And here, my doubt lies-why am I not thirsty? I want to be thirsty. Should I not desire righteousness? Am I so dull, so dry and cracked in the very mouth of my heart that I've forgotten the sweetness of the living water that which quenches my soul?

But, yet again - I wonder if I desire true repentance - To come back to Christ and by faith receive forgiveness and righteousness. That by the Spirit, I would receive all such blessings that are drawn from Christ, from where the very living waters flow. I would surely hope so-because I realize that my current state, one who has rejected the fountain of living water and I feel as if I'm a broken cistern.

I should never have treated the abundance of Christ so lightly. I want to be delivered from this damnable sin that holds me at the very neck-I hate how it runs my life and how I can't do anything about it on my own. So I turn to you Jesus, for your righteousness to cover me. Oh, overflow in this broken cistern, God-that I may be satisfied in You. That my drawing of water would never be paused-rather that I would continually drink, by your word.

A turning of my soul to Your authority is not of my own work-I pray for a sanctification, Holy Spirit-that I may turn to Jesus as Lord, daily. I pray for a deeper longing and thirst for things that are eternal-this righteousness which cloths me, blessings in wisdom and knowledge as you reveal more to me through Your word. That I would never turn from the fount, which is Christ. All these things I pray in Your Son's holy name, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria

Soap - Sin's reminder

Back to putting LJs publicly. I doubt many people read them, but the act of putting them up for everyone to read has quite a few benefits in comparison to writing them in my notebook:

1. Added bonus of having others proofread, to avoid heresy and utter crap that usually crops up in each of us.

2. Typing is way easier than writing.

3. You can tell if I've been doing them regularly or not, whereas with the notebook LJs you can't really tell without asking me to flip them out as proof xD

4. As long as blogger doesn't crash, I have a safe, organized means of looking back on LJs.

So back to it!

S: Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world (Adam), and death through sin (the wages of sin is death-everyone dies. Original sin.), and so death spread to all men, because all sinned-for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.

Romans 5:12-14, 18

O: Why is sin a big deal? I've been thinking about this question and I wonder...

Is it because sin is what severs our relationship with Him? The actions of one man's sin resulted in the entirety of humanity falling into total depravity, no hope-no means of returning to a righteous standing before the Lord...at least not by our own strength. Sin represents everything God hates and detests-it is the highest offense. In separating us from God, sin crushes us-it condemns us, rightfully bringing us before God's wrath as punishment. And the remnant of sin in our hearts and lives still exist even after accepting Christ-there is still santification to be done. One, like Christ-the Holy Spirit continues to do a work in us to mortify sins-sin, which is so repugnant to God.

Sin enslaves us. I think sin is such a big deal because it determines that we on our own, fell and by no means could ever get back up. Sin is not just a problem-it is an inevitability of life, meaning that if God did not provide a means of salvation by His grace, then we would only find ourselves on a one-way ticket to condemnation and judgement.

But, praise the Lord, He provided of means of being saved from our sins-and that was through Christ. Through the death and resurrection of Christ, the means of reconciliation was given to us and the relationship between man and God has been restored in those who place their faith in the propitiation of Christ, who curbed the wrath of God and paid the penalty of our sins-thereby allowing God's righteousness and holiness to be satisfied as well as allowing forgiveness of sins then and now and forevermore. Christ was the atoning sacrifice, and His finished work upon the cross continues to justify us. His grace is sufficient for me.

A: I think the big hit falls upon the fact that we, as sinners cannot save ourselves from our sin. Even sin points towards Christ, that He alone is the way. He died for us to be holy and blameless before Him-and it would be a waste to live continuously in the flesh knowing that (it would also judge us). I will live in the knowledge that the redemptive work of Christ is a unique gift that is consistent with the loving character of God-salvation is in Christ alone. Not in our actions in the slightest-even our disciplines to draw close to God cannot earn salvation. It is given and has been received-and to see from that perspective brings forth greater clarity and hope in Christ.

P: Lord, through one man, the world was thrown into chaos and through One, you brought everything back to order. God, I thank you for the deep reminder of Christ's work and how sin itself is even a reminder as well. Thank You for being You-loving and forgiving, and so amazing to satisfy your holy righteous standards...all of these things at the same time! It was upon Christ, and to Him be the glory-thank You. In Christ, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria

Soap - Matthew 15 - Jr. High

S: You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 15:13-16

O: You. "You" represents the subject at hand and "You" happens to be the salt of the earth as well as the light of the world. "You" was and still are the Christians that live in this world.

Salt. What does salt represent? After reading a wikipedia article on salt, I found out that salt can't actually lose it's flavor due to it's chemical composition (sodium chloride)- and reading about the speculation of how true salt may represent how Christians cannot "lose salvation," I have to come to the conclusion that Jesus was fully aware that salt didn't lose it's flavor and neither do Christians lose their faith.

So we are Christians, and we are what we are-and that can never change. Just like salt, if we don't taste like salt, we aren't really salt. If we don't have faith in Christ, and aren't Christ-like, we aren't what we claim to be.

We are also the light of the world. This world that is so deeply engulfed in darkness and sin, we need to be ambassadors for Christ and shine the light that exists in us, that which is Christ. Christ is the light to darkness:

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."

John 8:12

And we who follow Jesus are also considered as the light of the world (notice the non-capitalization, however :), and Jesus commands us "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." - We must let Christ shine in our lives so that God may be glorified.

A: What are some ways can we shine our light (that which is Christ!) in our life?

How does shining our light glorify God?

Who do we shine our light before? Men? Who are these "men?"

Christlikeness should be apparent in the Christian-and I know the fundamental means of going after Christ and becoming more like Him is to spend time with Him. The Word is a person-and that person is Christ. But, I know that the application of what He teaches me should be taught and shared-how can I personally shine the light in my life? To make Christ more visible, through the very life I lead-I should strive to obey all He commands (in salvation, He chose us and in doing so, intending for the Christians he chose to be molded as holy and blameless). People are quite observant, and I want people to see Christ-that my love and my means of being anything...a guy, a musician, whatever would transcend that which would be anything anyone would expect-that people would see that Christ really is my Lord and Saviour and that I'm nothing but better off because of it. I want the message of the Gospel to be preached through my life, not just by my words-and I want to shine the light of Christ before my family and my friends.

P: Heavenly Father, I thank you for this day. You have made life so awesome lately and I wonder to myself why I wouldn't want to praise You or even dive right back into Your arms. So, I'm sorry for my callousness-it's not as if there's been a deep revelation or deep-seated conviction that's been going on-but just the fact that I know I have a responsibility and know enough to have myself judged. Bottom line, I know better and I'm sorry for my indifference and lack of diligent disciplines. I pray for that deep, radical change-because I know that the light is pretty dim at the moment, but I certainly don't want to act like the salt is no longer salty or put Christ underneath a basket-no, please teach me Father to chase after Your Son and to spur me on towards action. Teach me to apply the very things I'm setting out to teach. In Christ, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria

Sonship

S: But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons, Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son in to our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father" Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

Galatians 4:4-7

O: Sonship has always appealed greatly to me. I knew the story of the prodigal son before I was saved and the idea of a perfect, loving Father seemed too good to be true. To be inducted into sonship to God was well beyond my comprehension, let alone forgiveness for sins.

This passage I find is an excellent recap of what God did-quite literally, and why. God sent His Son, Jesus, under the same curse as every man at the time (the Law, which inevitably brought judgement upon every man) so that He would be the propitiation for all people's trangressions, thus redeeming them-but also so that those who were chosen to be redeemed would also be adopted as God's children. The Son for sons.

I can't explain why God sent His Son, or why He chose to be a father to such people. But when I hear someone say that God is a father to the fatherless, my soul really cries an amen-In my greatest time of need, God does not shut me down and say that I'm not good enough to come before Him-as He has paid the cost. The veil has been torn, and I know that I am a son, adopted by the Heavenly Father.

...Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son in to our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father" Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

"Abba," though phrased differently in Korean-literally means father (just an interesting fact). When I read that word, I think of...well "dad." Meaning God is not some regal, upright judge that aims to glean more evidence to condemn me, but rather an upright and holy judge that aims to correct me because He loves me.

I love my family, both my blood family and spiritual family. One day I hope that the two may just meld together to be my family. But, speaking as a son of God, I should always cherish the fact that sonship was not earned-but given as a gift to those who were shown unmerited favor by God through Christ.

A: Why should I be meek about my inheritance? A son delights in following a perfect Father-one who knows all, sees all, and has unlimited power. A holy Father should have holy sons, obedient to the ways He has laid out for them. Should my soul not cry out for my Father? How strange it would be to not know one's own Father or His embrace. I will take my place that which was given to me-knowing that no one can take away the joy and peace God gives me in the reassurance of Sonship and redemption in Christ. I will know and declare that I am a son (and be proud of it), redeemed and perfectly loved by my Father.

P: God, I still plod along, still not quite getting it, I think. But it certainly will not stop me from believing that You actually miss me-love me, and are reaching out to me even in this moment where I am so weary from the week's work and events-unwilling to see Your Son for who He is in these very words-the Word of God. I'm sorry-I totally suck. It's not getting any easier and I know there is no magical cure in tons of Bible reading that leaves most feeling dull and lifeless, even afterwards. But, remind me of Your cross-teach me to meditate on it day by day and reshape this heart back to You, Father-because, truth be told, I miss the feeling of sonship. Only when I'm with other brothers and sisters in Christ do I legitimately remember the feeling of being loved and so privileged to be caught in Your grace. Do me the honor of drowning in that love and grace, everyday-I want to feel Your very heart beat as I Seek you face to face...knowing that You seek me. Lord, help me-it's no easy task, but I want to take joy in You...peace in You, excitement and passion to serve You as well as to serve others...but mostly, just to run after You, Jesus. In Christ's name, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria

Soap - The Blessings of Redemption

S: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.

In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.
In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Ephesians 1:4-14

O: This was a large passage-I usually go through the LJ reading highlighting things that especially strike a chord in me and I ended up highlighting pretty much half the chapter. It's amazing how I used to tell myself "Oh, it's just the first chapter-just the introductions of 'blessings upon this' and blah blah blah" and that I needed to jump and dig into the book rather than to take the introduction as seriously or with the same reverence people approach specific portions of Scripture. Today I found myself thoroughly humbled as I regrettably took the same approach and got owned. HERE WE GO!

(S:) "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him."

Immediately my first thought of blessings returns me to my old posting on what blessings are and how they differ for us and for God. God being "blessed" meaning that He is seen as who He is-Holy, and worthy of worship. For the man, however-being "blessed" means that God looks upon us with favor. And so, the beginning of this huge feast of Jesus' word is about the blessings-with those two definitions in mind, the way how God is characterized as being "blessed" (more like...a characteristic) and how He is such, specifically through His Son and the blessings that He has given us. This made a lot more sense to me in my head-being coherent is hard after almost 2 weeks of bits and pieces of bread (spiritual bread, that is). But He is blessed and He gives blessings to us, in Christ.

So what is the first blessing I see? He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. The reminder of unmerited favor is stressed upon when looking upon salvation-so CRAZY blessings of predestination! Why did He choose us? So that we would be holy and blameless before Him. I think this is insane-I mean, it pretty much states that whomever He decides, they will undoubtedly stand before Him (Holy God, righteous and good) to be...like Him: Holy and blameless.

(S:) "In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved."

But, not only did He choose us-He also took us in as adopted sons and daughters through Jesus. This is what He intended, that he would be glorified and praised (God is blessed!) and He gave this amazing inheritance of son-ship through the Son (we are so blessed!). Praise the Lord!

(S:) In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.

And yet again, in Christ we receive even more blessings-The forgiveness of our sins (We are blessed). Of course, this is necessary to stand before God, blameless-but, it's not as if He chose us to be saved through our own actions (because it's impossible) - But He chose for us to be saved in the only way possible-through the propitiation, that which is Christ. He gave us something that would have been unattainable if it were not for the "riches of His grace which He lavished on us." Lavished. I love that word. It means to have bestowed in abundance-He bestowed the riches of His grace in great abundance upon us all. How worthy of praise is He, who so freely gave such blessing? How truly and beautifully gracious is He? In the Beloved, we are so blessed.

(S:) In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.

When I read this, the idea of Christ being the center came so quickly and in such reality that I got really, really excited with my highlighting, HAHA. But yeah, all things for the glory of God (Blessed be the Lord in Christ). The blessing for us is the fact that God showed us His will (the Gospel) to the crazy extent that even angels longed to look into the Gospel (1 Peter 1:12) and yet, we are the ones who receive His grace in boundless ways. When God has been so good to us, how can we not make Him the center of all things?

(S:) In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

And yet again, this is the third time that predestination...being chosen by God by His grace is emphasized! Being chosen is a huge honor! It's...pretty much implausible, even (Oh, Lord forgive me-I cannot praise You enough for being who You are in Your mercy). To me, it's as if I were watching the Olympics and suddenly the judges pointed at me and took me down, and gave me a gold medal. The side story being that I was horribly injured and someone competed in my stead-and yet, I still received the prize. It would be tantamount to incredible kindness to the point of insanity. But that is who God is-His love far surpasses anything else.

The blessings keep on coming-Not only were we chosen (to be holy and blameless before Him), given the privilege of being God's children, forgiven of our sins through Christ, and given the privilege of knowing His will for us through the Gospel, but He rounds it off by giving us yet another inheritance...that being the Holy Spirit indwelling those who belong to Him. I'm not sure, but if I were to count my blessings that were each of infinite worth...I have about five things I can say that God has bestowed upon me. Five FAT blessings that sum up Jesus and what He's done for us that makes everything else pale in comparison. And all this to the praise of His glory. We are so blessed-and He ought to be worshiped, and made as the center.

A: Today I look at the Gospel in a simple heartfelt reminder in Ephesians, realizing that I have taken my blessings for granted. The blessings of redemption are not to be taken lightly-Each one is like a precious jewel, and it can never be taken from me! God, in His abundance of grace, love, and pleasure-has chosen me (to be holy and blameless), adopted me(as a son!), forgave me (as I could never forgive myself), allowed me to draw near to Him in Christ (reading of the Word...Christ is the Word), and resides in me (HOLY SPIRIT). Just looking at that in words is staggering. How wonderful is this God we serve? And so, my application is simple-to never forget these blessings and to remind myself that in this-Christ truly is the center of my life. By understanding the impossibility of each of these if it were not for Christ, draws up all the more passion and love and joy that is contained in knowing Him. And to also know that I had nothing to do with any of this! It was all by His doing. All this to the praise of His glory.

P: Father, be blessed. You are blessed in every way. Your grace overflows in the lives of those you chose. All these things...to the praise of YOUR glory. You are worthy of it-that in Your will, the Gospel was formed by Your very hands and that You would include a wretch like myself-so that I could live and see and learn and do all that I do...all thanks to You. Thank You, Father-Jesus has never looked more wonderful in my life and I pray that each day that the love grows deeper as You, if it is pleasing, reveal Yourself to me through the words you speak to me in my daily bread. God, I am so terribly lazy and unworthy to even be graced by this encounter with You, but I am also living proof of how far your love extends-to the very reaches of where Hell is, where I would assuredly be going if it were not for You. And so, I want to worship You because of that-looking at You, I how far gone I am and how desperate my life is without You. Teach me remembrance of Your blessings-that I may walk straight in the path of righteousness in Christ. Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria

Soap - Trust, Word, Everything

S: Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding,
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

Proverbs 3:5-7

O: In all my reading in the book of Proverbs, a long time ago in a late night bible study (not unlike this one, in fact...), I stumbled across this gold mine of wisdom and I was so thrilled to have found such wisdom and insight in plain sight. At the time, I didn't know that it was a verse used often amongst a lot of people, so it became a "special" or now what I'd call a life verse to me-used often and put in all my info boxes for blogs and so forth.

Reflecting on it again...I only read it as a set of verses then, and I hope that (by God's grace) it would be more than just a set of verses, but an application to this life.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding,
In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He will make your paths straight.

The first three lines encompass instructions while the last encompasses a promise (this coming from a dude blessed with wisdom from God, Himself). And so, they are simple instructions for relying upon God's providence:

(O/A:) Trust in the Lord with all your heart - First I must trust God with all my heart. Oh, how easily words can tell one story, but how often people fail at the very first step. Trusting God has much more to do with how I should place a complete faith in how God is handling my life-He knows best, as He is indeed the potter and He will mold the clay. Should the pot say to it's potter, "No, I cannot trust you to make me anew or whole (when I am broken)!" - It would be absurd, but I see that image in my life every time I fail to pray when trouble strikes or when I am not at peace because I fail to remember that it should stem from the finished work of Christ.

And do not lean on your own understanding - This screams out to me "READ THE BIBLE AND UNDERSTAND IT. CAUSE YOUR KNOWLEDGE SUCKS AND IT LEADS YOU TO NOTHING BUT CRAP." Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men (1 Cor 1:25). I would be willing to bet my life that if I were to consult the Word and enter into prayer (trusting in the Lord to be faithful) every time something went crazily bad or horrifying, I'd be living upon the Lord's providence with no qualms or complaint-Why? Because, I'd see Him faithfully carrying out the promises of His Word every single dang time-and how could I doubt someone who never fails? I must not lean upon my own understanding, not because I've seen innumerous occasions of God being faithful (though I have seen His faithfulness, many times), but because I can see how many times I fail myself with my own logic and understanding of life. Here is a basic application of not trusting oneself, because we are too unreliable, too finite, and too weak to get through anything on our own. I will not lean on any understanding other than the Lord's, set before me in the Word.

In all your ways acknowledge Him - Praise Him, worship Him. Give yourself up as a living sacrifice to God. Yield to the Lord of Lords and take all measures to give Him glory. I like how this particular part of Scripture says to acknowledge God in all our ways-for me, that sounds like: "Obey Him and be holy, praise Him through the gifts He gave You, and love and enjoy Him to no end." It feels like as if the Word is saying, just soak Him in-make Him your delight and absolute center in this life. In all ways I will acknowledge Him!

And He will make your paths straight. Sweetness, do all that and you're pretty much good to go-it's not easy, but to think that we could go about life with such peace of heart and mind is quite the blessing. So I need to trust God wholeheartedly, lean upon His Word for understanding, and give all I have in my life to God-and I will be guaranteed to know that God will make my path straight. What does that even actually mean? Does it mean I'll see where I'm going? That God will reveal to me exactly, step by step where He intends for me to be? I'm not entirely sure, and I don't think I'll find out until I actually go about trusting God with all my heart, leaning upon His understanding, and giving all aspects of my life over to Him. Trying and hoping!

P: Lord, it's a comfort to know that You intend the best for Your children. Saying that sounds almost absurd, because You're the ultimate Father-but I think it takes a lot of time for the message to sink in. Your children need a load of discipline, after all-myself, being one of many who need it particularly often. I'm sorry for the desire of my flesh, which I yield to less (praises, all thanks to You) these days, but have fallen to yet again-Make me whole again, I'm so unclean and unworthy to come before You at such times-but, I know You respond true to my repentance. Take me in and really run with me on trusting You-I think it's so hard for someone like me to even trust that the future isn't some haze, undecided and uncertain due to the fact that I've dug myself into a financial/academic pit. But, I will trust You and Your Word because Your Word...tells me to (LOL). Take everything, God-I want to know the peace in placing my trust in You. Give me the strength to do so, especially in the times when it is crucial to turn to You-I know I won't be able to do it on my own accord, so bring remembrance to me when I am struck down by the pains of this world and let me exchange it for the peace of trusting You. In Christ, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria

Soap - Beloved by the Lord

S: But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

O: When I read this, I had two immediate thoughts-that this piece of Scripture is yet again another example of how predestination is an immediate truth in the Word and then I realized how that immediate truth applies to me and how truly blessed are those whom this truth applies to.

Yet again, Paul calls for another round of applause for the Lord because of the fact that God had predestined who would be saved and who would be judged. I used to think, how is that even worthy of thanksgiving? There are people who will inevitably go to Hell and will be judged for all eternity-and I would ask myself and wonder why does that have to happen? I would childishly think that if God "loved" everyone, He would save everyone.

But of course, I realized later in my walk with Christ that God would be fully justified in condemning all to Hell for all eternity. Here, I see the clearest example of grace in Christ-that God could have withheld His Son and He would still be just and glorious, and yet-God, in such deep love that can't be expressed explicitly with words, did not even withhold His Son for that He would make some His objects of mercy rather than wrath. And every time I picture this, I see the Judge Himself coming down from the podium to say, "I will take their offense upon my own head." God is just, and He did not let the transgressions in my life to go unpunished-but, how much He must have loved me to go in my place...

So, now I come to the conclusion that predestination is a wonderful thing-because, it reminds me everyday of how I receive unmerited favor from God, which brings me to the understanding that there is a great deal of thanks to be given-thanks that lasts for eternity in fact, for an eternal consequence that I could not shift on my own. Today, like everyday is a reminder-but today I feel that God is telling me outright to look to Jesus and the cross.

A: I will give thanks, I will give praise, I will give all I have-because I was chosen and I was taken in, despite my wretchedness. I will remember that predestination is not just some Calvinist belief that others choose to believe or not believe, but in my case-it is yet another sign that points to the Gospel and the act that was and is so beyond me.

P: God, to You be all thanks and all praise and all glory. Your Son has immeasurable worth-You are so worthy of the highest honor. You picked me out before I was formed in the womb of my mother and look now! I'm no overt saint or holy man, by any means-I am a sinner, but Your Spirit sanctifies this broken soul-I pray that You would be so glorified in me, that You would be proud and joyful in molding faithfulness in someone who never deserved to be this close, or to receive anything but wrath from You. Thank You for the life You give and the life You gave. But Father, give me a devotion worthy of Your calling-someone who is enamored by Your every word and every movement. All these things for Your glory, in Christ, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria

Soap - Rejoice, pray, and give thanks

S: Live in peace with one another. We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone, See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances, But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:13-22

O: Live in peace with one another. God calls the church to be unified-But everyday I see many instances of disunity and conflict in the church. The hungry aren't fed, the broken aren't comforted, and the list goes on. It's not as though the church needs to shape-shift to meet the needs of everyone, but rather...the church needs to obey God in the sense that we should "always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people." Such a command is not found to be easy to follow because it is a collective effort for the body of Christ to reach out to the hurt, hungry, and broken.

(A:) A really simple application to my observation of the unity in the church is to reach out. My heart naturally goes out to the troublemakers (probably because I was one myself) that don't draw a good crowd around them. If every single person in the church took one moment in their day on a Sunday to physically lay hands on someone and pray for them, I bet there would be so many people who would be so encouraged-to say we will pray for someone after hearing their struggles or problems is one thing, but to simply be the hands and feet of Christ, even just for a moment could drastically change people and their mindset towards one another. I have been trying to do this for some time, but I think I've been failing to see the opportunities to pray for someone because my heart has been on the cloudy side-but I hope that I can recognize the need and reach out to someone.

(O:) The latter half of this portion of Scripture is my favorite though! Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

This is a very practical way to follow Christ-because the truth of the matter is that our spirit should constantly be encouraged by the fact that God has chosen us, saved us, and continues to do a good work in us daily! What reason is there to not rejoice? None at all!

And to pray without ceasing-what a command, what a discipline-but I believe that if we are to be reminded of the constant joy in our lives, we ought to meditate on the great privilege and joy in knowing Christ at all times. Why should we draw away from God at times to sink into the world, only to return to Him during "sacred" times of prayer or church gatherings? To pray ceaselessly goes hand in hand with the command of rejoicing always.

And in everything give thanks, because every moment is given to us by God. Every moment is another gift and means of living for Him. Even in the darkest and most troubling times, when we pray ceaselessly, we are reminded that Christ is still who He is, and that joy is still found in Him-and so, we give thanks at all times.

(A:) So what shall I do, but obviously take in my daily bread (like now) and pray ceaselessly-it's not as if I need to be crying out every moment for salvation of others or desperately interceding for the worlds behalf (although, I probably should do those things on a daily basis as well of course), but to be with Him and set my heart towards Him at all times. And by doing so, I will rejoice and give thanks at all times.

P: Lord, it all points to Your Son-if it were not for Your grace, there would be no hope. How kind You are and how wonderful and blessed am I to be treated with Your love. You are a God who calls His people to be joyful, and for good reason! I praise the fact that You do not push to confuse or to set upon me, blind commandments-but that You set an order amidst Your kingdom and that in Your Word, there is real truth and sense. Father, on so many days, I forget to think upon Your cross and I fail to be joyous, caught up with my worldly concerns and pleasures. Forgive my wandering heart, I will try my best to apply myself in praying ceaselessly, so that I may find true joy-not in the actual prayer or reading of Your Word, but in Christ, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Help me Holy Spirit, it's no easy feat for a mere man to set his heart upon Christ, no matter how sweet You may be-my heart is deceptive and I am foolish, but make me wise in Your Word and prone to obeying truth found in Him. May You unify Your people through the faithful who long for the good of everyone-and those who take action to turn hearts toward You. All these things I pray in Christ, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria

Soap - Possess the Vessel

S: For this is the will of God, your sanctification that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor...

1 Thessalonians 4:3-4

O: I understand the first half of this verse pretty well-as it's kind of laid out straight: Paul, telling the Thessalonians that sanctification is something that is necessary as God wills it in the walk with Christ; sexual immorality being pegged in particular.

It must be tough on pastors today, as it's probably the biggest issue amongst men in the church-Seeing as discussing sex is a bit of a taboo amongst men, I can see why Paul would address it so clearly and specifically; I think I can safely assume that people during biblical times were just as open with their sexual sins in public as much as people today (which is pretty much zero).

Which reminds me that discipleship is probably the only sure-fire way the church can address such sins-which seem to be tucked very deep in the conscience of every guy that walks around church. I think the only time I've ever been completely honest about my sexual immorality is when I'm being discipled or when I've discussed it with Jun, when drawing out a 'battle plan' together to fight it. But, even with the older guys in my life, I find it very hard to share or to even bring it up, which poses to be a problem in many ways, as I have nobody to keep me accountable, which makes it doubly hard to bear, and perhaps even more shame on my conscience.

(A:) The problem is that I haven't opened up to the Pathway dudes that I hang out with. Gleaning from the observations and Scripture, sexual immorality pretty much uproots spiritual life like it's nothing if it's left to fester on the heart. I know it's a fight I can't win alone-especially when I think I can pray it out or recite Scripture, but I feel that a good application would be to take initiative and open up to my trusted brothers in Christ. It wasn't exactly how I wanted it to happen, but-realizing that sexual sin (as Paul saw it, early on in church ministry) damages a great deal of Christians, I should take heed of the verse and consider sanctification as a great priority-especially sexual sin, in specifics. I'll find someone to keep me accountable.

"that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor..."

What does this actually mean? Possess my own vessel...in sanctification and honor. I almost feel like this is a part of the application!

The knowledge: Where does this knowledge come from? The Word? Knowledge is often practical and logical information that could be used for one's own benefit. Where can I get the actual knowledge of possessing my own vessel in sanctification and honor?

...of being able to posses my own vessel: Vessel, like my body and spirit? And how can I possess my own vessel? It's not as if I can will myself to be cleansed from sin or anything. But I think this means that my own physical and mental effort contributes to the resulting work of the Holy Spirit. I suppose the heart of that effort can only truly come from the Holy Spirit as well-so...I should probably pray for the willingness to obey the call to sexual purity and sanctification.

...in sanctification and honor: Continued work of Holy Spirit in me to cleanse me of sin.

Seeing that sanctification isn't some kind of passive process where I lollygag in this life and wait for the Holy Spirit to boot up and download sanctification packets in my brain or whatever-I understand that from this passage that I'm going to have to press myself towards sanctification and choose it if I am to see this particular portion of God's will in my life. This means making an active effort to shut out temptation by all means necessary.

P: Father, your Word is good. It is righteous and it embodies who You are and what You are like. Your call is righteous and it is praiseworthy-because You are holy, You call Your people to be holy as well. It's tough, though-sexual sin is the big finisher that always seems to crush and take me down. I don't know how to even hate it or avoid it, because in all honesty-when I sin, I choose that sin over You, and I'm sorry that I can even do that. Lord, teach me to possess my vessel in sanctification and honor. Give me a desire for purity and give me a desire to obey Your call for sanctification in my life. I have no strength of my own to invest in abstaining from sexual immorality that would render my efforts successful-I can only drag myself to Your Word or be prickled occasionally before my moments of weakness. But would Your Holy Spirit do a roaring work in conquering this sin in my life as I take steps to do whatever I can. But just as it is with Your Word and with prayer, it's not as if it will do any good unless Your Holy Spirit guides me, speaks to me, and reminds me. So, Spirit be present in all times and let me be filled-so that I may do the Fathers will, so as to please Him. In Christ, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria

Soap - Paul's Joy

S: But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord. For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, to as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face and may complete what is lacking in your faith?

O: When Paul ministered to the Thessalonians, he prayed for them everyday. He loved them deeply, and he was primarily concerned with their "faith and love" and was overjoyed to hear good news from Timothy-that the church in Thessolonica was doing well and was growing in faith. Upon hearing this, Paul said something that just stuck out so openly and gave me an idea of how much Paul actually cared for those who he ministered to-my favorite part of this passage is "for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord." I mean, Paul's life was dedicated to building upon the foundation of Christ, and to see it bear fruit was nothing short of pure joy. He maintains a joyous statement that is a comfort in it's own right-that he was comforted by the news from Timothy regarding the Thessalonians despite his afflictions at the current moment.

But, not only does this reaction show Paul's true feelings, but it reflects the heart and hard work he put into ministering to the Thessalonians. Daily prayer is no easy feat, and neither is planting churches. Paul perhaps may have had an inkling of the value of a person's soul. And because he knew how wonderfully miraculous it was for anyone to even be saved, he reacted accordingly upon hearing how Christ transformed those whom he prayed and worked with.

(A:) How many times do we see people actually taking steps towards growing in their faith? I mean, honestly-In my personal experience, I don't see it that often, and even when I do-my reaction is a mild "Oh, praise God!" but Paul goes as far as to say that life is worth living because the people he invested so heavily in were making progress in their spiritual life. On one particular occasion, however of remembering the fruits of mentoring those on my junior high praise team-the fruit was visible, and well worth the hard work and struggle. They were (and still are) my joy of being on praise team, that people were growing and are now spiritual leaders. I am so proud of them, and they are forever a comfort-despite the frustration they may cause me occasionally, as the growth should never stop.

I think that if I put the time and energy to pursue those around me-teaching them to observe all that Christ commanded, I would face a heck of a lot of trouble and suffering. But, the fruit that it bears would be worth it. I can see that God wants me to have the same joy and passion in investing myself in His work-because the rewards yield eternal dividends. Of course, as He commands it-whether the reward was there or not, I know I should do as He says. The reward is only a bonus!

(O:) But Paul does not stop to pat himself on the back or to announce that he's apostle no. 1 or something. But, he immediately goes on to say that there is no thanks that could be enough to properly thank the Lord for the great work that was happening amongst the Thessalonians.

(A:) How great is that reaction? I mean, it's so easy to take credit for something that we were a part of-Discipleship, ministry, whatever. Glory to the one who takes part in something successful! But, here was a man who suffered greatly for the sake of Christ, and praise God every time something wonderful happened. Here, Paul's heart is clearly seen to be one of a servant, paying proper dues to the King, when he knew that it was a privilege just to even witness such things.

To be honest, I don't think there have been a lot of great things happening in my life. Probably because I'm struggling to get back on my feet-but, I know that all things that are good come from Him. Even the fact that I'm able to stand up again, attempting to remain firm in Christ is a wonderful thing, that would never be possible without the aid of God. So I'll thank Him accordingly to all the things He's done in my life-because despite trouble, there is always reason to rejoice, even if it's just that one thing which always remains: Which is God in His steadfast faithfulness, love, mercy, and grace (which, incidentally, is the biggest reason of rejoicing, anyhow!).

P: Father, to be joyful in Your presence, when life feels desolate or when life is just one huge party-You're always to be praised and thanked, for who You are. I'm sorry for putting off my time with You again-it's not as late as usual, but I'm just glad it even happened tonight. Thanks for speaking to me, yet again! God, I see no reason to throw up my hands and sing, but at the same time, I know that mentality is so off. Would you show me that I should always be rejoicing (Rejoice, always! 1 Thess. 5:16) in You and in those whom You work in? Forgive me for my aloof attitude-I want to be filled with joy for You and for those around me-would You give me that heart? It's one thing to read it, believe it, and try to live it out-but I know I can never genuinely feel joyous without understanding that which what Christ did for me, and still does, and does in others. So remind me-remind me of the cross, so that I can be real with You and real with others-with a joy that stems from knowing You. Because I want to really live, standing firm in You. Take all these things-I believe it would be pleasing before You and glorifying as well. In Christ, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria