Strenght, Intelligence, and Wisdom

II Corinthians 1:25
"Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

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This whole issue of college selections, among other things, often place a great deal of stress upon myself to somehow simply produce magical qualities of supposed superiority, in order to appear slightly more prospective to colleges in comparison with both my peers, and the rest of the world.

It makes it very easy to attempt to rely on oneself for strength, to try and simply work to succeed via brute force and effort. Such is the American dream--to take nothing, and through effort and sweat, turn it into something more. But such is not reality.

Certainly there are some men with more wealth than others, and there are some with seemingly "better" positions than others. But this obsession with power, this obsession with the "best" is, I believe, ultimately detrimental to the production of quality work in the long run anyway. When I am competing with others, I am not attempting to produce quality work--I am attempting to win, I am trying to survive. What truly needs to happen is realize that I am working for a purpose, for a King, and that is why I need to do well.

One might try to live up to the standards of other people--but is not the true source of both knowledge and inspiration the Lord? Was it not He who formed both the marvelous heavens and the mysterious Earth? Even as we learn more about it, the more we learn of the Lord's work, the more perplexing and incredible it becomes.

It defies human endeavors, and declares that there is none other than the LORD.

No matter how wise we become, no matter how strong we might believe ourselves to be, we will never even become close to the wisdom of God's foolishness, nor to the strength of his weakness. As such, we must cling to Him, and He shall sustain us through every day.



I hope that some may read, somewhere, and be glad by it. It does me good to write for Christ.

In a Bottle

Psalm 56 [KJV]


1 Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.
  2 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.
  3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
  4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
  5 Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.
  6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.
  7 Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.
  8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?
  9 When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.
  10 In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.
  11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.
  12 Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.
  13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?

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God is good. Always. But especially, God is good when we most need Him to be. A lot of times, as one goes through life, it is very easy to think as if God is not watching. As if He doesn't care. As if when someone goes through life and fails, and starts dropping everything that they had previously been able to juggle, and collapses and cries out for someone to help them--a lot of times it may seem as if God is cold to such agony. But He isn't. In fact, in this Psalm it is easy to see the heart of our Saviour. "You number my wanderings; you put my tears in a bottle. Are they not in Your book?" (v8). God is not simply concerned--He is dedicated. He loves to such a degree, and cares so much about our sorrow, that He would go as far as to collect them in a bottle, to write each instance down in His book. I don't think anyone else exists who is like that. No one one earth could possibly love someone else to such a degree--the human being is simply not capable. Not on our own, anyway; that is certain. Not without Christ can we even begin to understand love, or sorrow, or pain, or peace. We cannot understand. But He does--and that is why we can come to Him. The shortest verse in the Bible is as follows: "Jesus wept." That is such a beautiful picture of a God who knows what His people experience, and who loves them beyond all measure. He is a magnificent King, but He knows our pain--indeed He has taken it for us.

I know not who shall read, but it pleases me that I, unworthy as I am, might live in some small way for Christ.

Do Work

"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways and be wise!"
Proverbs 6:6

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This is my third year in high school. I really have begun to hate work.

I don't know how other people feel. I really have never heard anyone else in any of my classes tell me that they love to work. Who likes doing long, arduous, tedious tasks all day, then going to activities later, and then staying up even later than that so that they can finish everything with a clean mind about the matter? No, I really have come to despise it.

But there's just one problem with this. There is a few, actually. For one, hating this work doesn't make it all go away. I still have to do it. Secondly, there is a Biblical problem with this mindset. If I don't work, then I do not rightly fulfill my purpose for Christ in this world.

 Why is it so hard? How is it that these necessary tasks are so painful? Is there something wrong with us, that perhaps other people might not have issues with?

In Genesis 3:14 it says that "And unto Adam he said, 'Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree which I command you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground for your sake. In sorrow you shall eat of it all of the days of your life." So therefore in one sense the reason why work is hard is related to why there are earthquakes and tornadoes and death, among other things--due to original sin.

So if it is from original sin, what are we supposed to do about work? Are simply supposed to grind on bitterly, deploring it as a loathsome yet necessary duty?

No--as Christians we have no excuse.

We know this because in Collosians 3:23-24 it says "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." So okay, we know that we need to do work really well and vigorous, and we know that we are doing it for Christ. AND we know that doing so will bring us reward.


In Proverbs God tells us to "Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways and be wise!" Now this, coupled with the verse from Genesis, might seem a little unfair. Sluggard? Me, lazy? But what does this mean? In what way do ants work?

I find the way that this verse is phrased to be quite interesting: "Consider her ways and be wise."
If you think about ants, and the lives they lead, one might be tempted to call them futile. Empty. Without purpose. But that isn't true--because purpose is defined by God. Those ants work and live exactly as they were designed and called by God to do, consistently, and we must do no differently.

So then, the question we must ask ourselves is this: For what purpose do we work?

In I Corinthians 10:31 it says that "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God." So not only do we have a means of work, and a description, but now we have a purpose. We are to do everything, including work, with but one purpose in mind--to do so for the glory of God.

And that is all that really matters.

I know not who if any shall read, but I am pleased to know it is well to write for Christ.

Hold my Hand

"For I the LORD your God will hold your right hand, saying unto thee, 'Fear not; I will help you.' " -Isaiah 41:13

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A while ago I had been doing some praying about this year, and all of the hundreds upon hundreds of very large and important things which I would have to be juggling this year, and, being overwhelmed, my mind came to the many instances in the Bible in which God says "Fear not for I am with you," and yet we don't believe Him. It is almost as if, Common English being so often used arbitrarily, that we often miss the great magnitude of that the statement being that God is always with us. Not looking down from heaven only, simply throwing down little axioms of encouragement simply meant to trick us into taking a few more steps. God is actually with us every day and every moment, experiencing our own situations as they happen. God does not want us to be the Lone Ranger, having to shoot down all of the enemy, with no one else to help or turn to. That is His job. God is greater than superman. I don't even come close.

God tells His children that he "will hold your right hand." I don't know. That image, to me, is a powerful one. God is not some nameless general in the battle of God vs. the World, and he certainly does not simply send his troops to places that He himself would never go. He goes there himself, with us, as we are in the moment. And it is in that instant in which He helps us. So we have every reason to "Fear not". We know that God is with us, and that when we need it, the help will surely follow.

Weak and Strong

"And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." --II Corinthians 12:9 (NASB)

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I am oftentimes astonished at how utterly powerless I am to control the circumstances of my life and those around me. And it is not so much that I am surprised that such things do happen to me, but rather that I myself, the great and mighty being which lives my life, cannot do anything about it. I suppose that everyone, whether they would profess it openly or not, would like to be thought of as strong, dependable, and brave. Everyone wants to be thought of as a hero, just like superman, just like wonderwoman, intelligent, strong, and unbeatable. Everyone wants to win. Everyone wants to be on top. In our secondary school culture and society, more and more I see and feel the pressure to be strong. And we all, in one way or another, answer that call to the best of our ability. But it also makes me wonder, just how many of us retreat towards the end of the day, and lay upon our beds and cry out in despair for just how really, utterly, and unequivocally weak and destitute we are of any true virtue of our own in our possession.

We all do our best to appear strong, to appear well thought out and put together, to avoid the shame of being human. We play God, the saint, the savior, but at the end the day we know that we have nothing. And I know that some people cannot deal with that. But it is all so very interesting.

At my church we have lately been going through the life of Sampson. What an intriguing character he is! And how appropriate for this subject. Sampson, a man who has been gifted with enormous physical strength, far beyond any other man in history, is a nazarite with a special vow, and is judge of Israel. One would think he would be a hero! One might think he could be a saint! A savior of Israel from their enemies, the Philistines! But Sampson, in all his strength and might, in all of his God-bestown gifts, was utterly powerless to keep his life from falling apart.

Sampson makes one bad choice after another, until even his own wife tries to kill him three times. And at the end of his life, his final act is his revenge on the Philistines. But what a wretched life to lead. How did it get this way? How is it that Sampson, judge of Israel, eventually became the bane of his own nation, his own people, and his family?

"My grace is sufficient for you," says the LORD, "for power is perfected in weakness." Sampson's strength did not come to him because he worked any harder than the Philistines, or even because he was an Israelite! It was because God decided to give it to him in order to fulfill his purposes for Sampson.

Sampson forgot whose strength it was. We forget too. At least I do.

So what does it mean to be weak, or to be strong? I suppose that when we are weak, as we always are, if we rely upon God, and trust that His "grace is sufficient", then his strength will will make us strong, and allow us to have His control to be in charge of our lives.

Oh Give Thanks

Psalm 106
"Praise the LORD. O give thanks to the LORD; for He is good--for His mercy endures forever. [2] Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? Who can bring forth all His praise?"

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I was reading through Psalm 106 some time this week, and these few verses in the beginning really struck me. "Praise the LORD. O give thanks to the LORD; for He is good--for His mercy endures forever." We know to praise God. We hear it all the time. We know to thank God. We thank God at mealtimes (sometimes) and we thank God for good tests and for close saves. But how should we really do things? "Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? Who can bring forth all His praise?" In other words, in my life, in my praise, in everything that I do for God, I should give it everything I've got--knowing that that STILL isn't enough, because nothing that I have or could say or could give is ever enough to be worthy of what our great and awesome God deserves.

And then there is why we do so. In my life, sometimes (not all the time), I forget that the reason why I am thankful and grateful and give everything to God is not duty, is not because He's done some good things but because "He is good" and because "His mercy endures forever."

Thank You, God. Thank You for being good, for being what You are. And that Your mercy endures forever.

Amen

Eh. Something different, but this I feel struck me this week. So, enjoy the Psalm amidst the many Proverbs I've been posting!

Thoughts and Works

Proverbs 16:3 "Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established."

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I was thinking about this verse lately. It is kind of interesting when you think about it. A bit flummoxing, a tad confusing one might say.





Oh, quite surely this verse is very straight forward. There is little to debate about it regarding its mere meaning. "Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established." If we commit, if we give, if we lift up our works in praise and worship to the LORD, then our thoughts will be established. But the significance of what these verses are telling us--that is what struck me as I examined it with my soul.





One might expect a verse like this to say, "Commit your thoughts to the LORD and your works will be established." And that may or may not be true. But in this verse, we are not promised that. If we commit our works, then our thoughts, not our works, are established.





And in the end, I suppose, that is what really matters anyway. Our thoughts--our hearts, rather, being established.





There is a work that I am itching to accomplish, and I want to do it for God and I want it to be awesome. So if I commit it to God, then surely my thoughts will be established in Him and that is all that matters.





Again, I know not how helpful or how little these things of which I spread. But I write for Christ, and in this I am glad.

Ponder our Path

Proverbs 4:26-27 "Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. [27] Turn not to the right hand or the left; remove your foot from evil."















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Every now and then it does a man (or woman) good to simply stop for a moment and to think about where his life is going, where the path is taking him. "Ponder the path of your feet" the proverb says, "and let all your ways be established." So now we have moved from simply thinking about our life, but now to establishing it. Many a thing can go awry if we do not establish our path, if we do not clearly mark it for our treading. Having an established breakfast, an established prayer time, an established bed time (hehe), and whatever else one may think of. Any way taken, truly it is wisdom that I in my life need to consider more often.

How, one may wonder, are is person supposed to establish their path, so to speak? "Turn not to the right hand or the left," God says to us, "remove your foot from evil." So, if a pattern in our life is by the wayside, or near the fence, or if our foot is stuck in some evil, then we must eradicate it.

Ponder our path, turn not to the side, continue straight on, and remove ourselves from evil. These things are what I get from this verses. Again, I know not who shall read, but it is good for me to write for Christ.

BitterSweet

Proverbs 27:7 "The full soul loathes a honeycomb, but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet."

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I was thinking about this a little this week, but this verse is a good reminder just to myself that our perspective on what is going on in our lives can have a big impact in both how much we enjoy it and also how well we respond to it. In this Proverb it says "The full soul loathes a honeycomb". This is quite interesting. Honey is really sweet, so why wouldn't someone want it? They are, "full", the proverb tells us. I think everyone gets like this sometimes. God gives us so many good things, but then, being content with the things, we look at all of the good things that God blesses us with and say to Him "God, I think I need something more than this. I want something sweeter." But they don't really need anything sweeter, because it is not the quality of the honey which is the problem, but the appetite of the person who is receiving it. "To the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet." This person is the complete opposite. It's like he gets this massive hunk of rotting wormwood, takes a big hunk out of it and goes, "MAN! WOAH! I get to eat THIS???!!!! God You are so very good to me." He eats this bitter nasty thing and it tastes sweet, because He is hungry for anything that God gives to Him. Because what may look like Wormwood on the outside may actually be honey within.

This is how we should always be, I think. Hungry--for God.

I know not who may read, but it gladdens me to write for Christ.

Plowing in the Cold

Proverbs 20:4 "The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg at harvest and have nothing."





Colossians 3:23-24 "Whatever you do work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.







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I think a lot of times we as Christians and people, and Americans, often get tired of plowing. Very few reading this may be farmers, or even remotely close to such a profession (indeed I am not much of a simple gardener even), but I know that this still applies to my own life as it is.

I think, in my life at least, a person may go on for weeks or months throughout the school year, or in the work place, or at the market place, day in and day out doing one thing, and one thing only. Work, work work and more plowing and shearing and pruning and harvesting. Work. We people, especially in high school, would give a great deal simply to have no responsibility and simply sit for a few days and simply REST without doing ANYTHING at all that is required of us.
And then winter comes.

Yeah. We don't want to go out there and PLOW EVEN MORE when we've been plowing out and working our faces off for the rest of the year.

There's just one problem with this. While it is good to rest, we must also realize that when the time calls for it, it is good to work.

And according to Proverbs, it is only the sluggard who "will not plow for reason of by cold." And doing this also costs the sluggard something beyond just getting work done. "Therefore shall he beg at harvest." If we don't plow now, when it's hard, when it stings us in the wind, then we will pay for it later. This is what this verse said to me.

Beyond this, in the other verse I mentioned, it says to "work heartily as for the Lord and not for men."

The reason why we must plow now, in the cold, is not because we try to further ourselves, or so we can work less later. It is to provide for us in the future, and it is because it was to this end that God has created us to function.

To work. To work heartily. In the cold.

And most importantly, for Him.

I know not all who may read, but I write this to honor Christ. And that is all that matters.

Even at Maine West, God Has Control

Daniel 4:35

...But He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and no one can ward off His hand...

Romans 8:28

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.


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I wanted to write a short post about all of the cuts that are happening, which I'm pretty sure all of you know about (if you are from Maine West). I know that a lot of us, like me, are upset about at least one of the potential cuts, whether it's a teacher or a club/sport. The reason I wrote Daniel 4:35 is because it says that God's will will always be done. It really shows His sovereignty and power over all; and I think that it can also be comforting, like in this case, that He is always in control. Even if what we want doesn't get done, we can know that everything is going as He wants (and because He is holy and righteous, we should rejoice in that). No board member or anyone else involved can change that (or, ward off His hand).

Romans 8:28 was actually the first verse that came to my mind when I started thinking about my post. What's really great about it is that no matter what happens, God will turn all things for the good of those who love Him. The cuts might not be what we want or expect, and it might not even be the best for us academically, but we can know that God will work this out for our spiritual good, even if we don't understand why or how. And again, no one can change that.

I still encourage all of you to go to the meeting at Maine East on Wednesday (and I'd go too, except I help with Awana Sparks that night), but if things don't go the way we want it or the way we think it really should be, I just want to remind you (and myself) that we can trust that God is in control and will work it for our good, no matter what happens.

Rule or Die

Proverbs 16:32 "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city." Proverbs 25:28 "He that has no rule over his own spirit, Is like a city that is broken down, And without walls."

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I have not posted in a really, good long while. This is mostly due to neglect. I am a busy person, but every person is a busy person so there is no excuse in that sentiment. Nevertheless, I have been thinking about things for a while, reading a chapter of proverbs in the morning, and then reading the same chapter of proverbs before bed (when that hour comes). But one verse that has struck out to me has been these two.

What does it mean to truly have "rule" over one spirit? According to proverbs, a person who has this is "better than he who takes a city", and a person who does not "is like a city broken down, and without walls."

For a Christian, to have "rule over one's spirit" means to have your life be in submission to Christ. Before Christ, we were our own, blinded in our sinful ways. Now, we have Jesus, and He is the King of the castle.

So if we are Christians, and He is the ruler of our spirits, does that mean that every Christian will always have rule over their own spirit? No.

I used to ask how a Christian man could struggle with Pornography. That's because I was one of those, and I couldn't understand it. My life was miserable, and I didn't know what was going on. People said it was "common" and "normal" for people of my age to struggle with such a thing. But I knew--garbage. Those words are meaningless in Christ's kingdom! Against a Holy, Righteous God! Why do people who know Christ become unstable or have trouble fighting things like Pornography, drugs, alcohol, or bad video games, distasteful music, gossiping, slander, hate, jealously, covetousness--ANYTHING, fill in the blank? It is for this reason that this is even possible:

They do not have rule over their own spirit. Their "old man", their "old nature" is what is the problem, as is every Christian's problem. Basically, they are the problem. But it is the part that does not love Christ.

For at conversion, God creates in us a "new heart" and makes us a "new creation", the Bible says. When that person, the person that Christ created us to be, is in control, as Christians we are stable and have rule over our own selves, because Christ is our master. This is where all of us as Christians should be.

However, that is not always the case. Unbelievers have no problem sinning because their is only one master of their lives, and it is them. They are in control, and because of this, they unanimously have no problem with living sinful lives.

However as Christians this presents a problem, as man can not serve two masters. Whether it be God, money, lust, excitement, adventure, praise, man can only have one King of the castle at one time. If a Christian gets caught in an old sin, or even a new one, this presents a state of turmoil in his life.

The "castle" or "city"---basically his soul----is under siege. Christ is King, but it is a battle ground in the village. That is why Proverbs says that those with no rule over their own spirits "are like a city broken down, and without walls." Because when sin is trying to take over a believer's life, and the believer doesn't stop it, then it will. It waltz right on through and rip, tear, and pillage every single thing in a person's life that they had ever built, dreamed about, or hoped of nurturing. Sin will come to destroy you. That is what these verses say.

Paul talks in the new testament of a double-minded man as being "unstable in all his ways." Why is he unstable? Because he is at war! No town or city or even nation is stable or at peace when it is at war. The objective is to destroy the enemy, to shut them out and regain control. And this is precisely what these verses are getting at.

I don't know what these verses say to others, but to me it has said this thing:

"You will be victorious or die."

That is what dawned on me. A lot addicts of sin or substances are never freed from it because they do not realize this one thing: You can not beat an addiction step by step. There is no 10 Step plan that will help them, there are not a million Nicotine Patches in the world that can cut their habit. Either you have Total and Utter Victory, regaining your Rule over your spirit, or you don't--and then you die, because it kills you. It was on this realization that God gave me the ability and the victory to overcome my sin.

I used to be afraid of admitting such a sin. What would people think? But now that it is dead, now that Christ's sword is caught within its chest, being dead it no longer seems scary to me anymore.

Because Christ is stronger than sin. Maybe you aren't. Maybe you couldn't beat it in a game of checkers but Christ is always victorious. He never lost. Not once. In anything.

Thus you need only raise the sword, and Christ's arm shall be your victory. Complete victory, or utter defeat. It is the fight of your life, and it will be hard. But you must be determined and choose your victory, make it a decision, a final decision. If a Christian trusts in Christ and faces their sin with that choice, "I will not lose". If they choose victory, as Christ offers it, then they shall never be defeated.

I hope most of you won't be traumatized reading this. I hope this may help some people. We are all sinners; but the Christians have Christ as master.

I know not who shall read, but I know I have written to honor Christ, and that is all that matters.

Bless the Lord!

Okay, you may be thinking after these few months of no posts (by the way, this was actually posted on New Year's Eve, the date just got messed up) that this one will at least have something to do with Christmas or New Year's, but it's not. The thought did cross my mind to write something about it, but because there was so much that I could write and I didn't have the time I wanted, I decided that you could read the Christmas story for yourself if you haven't already this year. As for this post, I was meaning to do it for Thanksgiving, but things got a little busy. But it's been on my mind for a while, especially since I memorized the chapter, and I think it's a pretty good psalm; so here it is.

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Psalm 103:1-22

[1] Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is within me,
bless His holy name.
[2] Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
[3] Who pardons all you iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
[4] Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness
and compassion;
[5] Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

[6] The LORD performs righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
[7] He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the sons of Israel.
[8] The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
[9] He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
[10] He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
[11] For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
[12] As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
[13] Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
[14] For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.

[15] As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
[16] When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its place acknowledges it no longer.
[17] But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from
everlasting to everlasting on those who fear HIm,
And His righteousness to children's children,
[18] To those who keep His covenant
And remember His precepts to do them.

[19] The LORD has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.
[20] Bless the LORD, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of HIs word!
[21] Bless the LORD, all you HIs hosts,
You who serve Him, doing His will.
[22] Bless the LORD, all you works of His,
In all places of HIs dominion;
Bless the LORD, O my soul!


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First, you can probably tell that the focus of this Psalm is "Bless the Lord." The first blessing of God that David mentions is, "who pardons all your iniquities." Sometimes when I go through the chapter I have to actually stop and think about it: it's just so amazing that God would do it. The other things that God does for our souls are just as amazing, and you can see that He really is our Healer and Provider and He loves us enough to give all those good things to our souls. There is no wonder that our souls should bless the Lord because of His blessings and goodness to us, even when we fall into the pit.

The second part of Psalm 103 is pretty amazing, too. God has shown us His character; that He is "compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness." This part kind of makes me laugh when I hear that God was mean and unforgiving in the Old Testament--it's pretty much the opposite. David also gives the ultimate example of God showing this: His lovingkindness and forgiveness of sins. He hasn't punished us in the way we deserve; but rather, He has removed our sins from us, "As far as the east is from the west." Now that is awesome. I really find a lot of comfort in this Psalm, especially in the last verses here about His fatherly compassion and His knowledge that we are but dust. Although it is definitely not an excuse to sin, it is a comfort to know that He understands who we are and that He does give us compassion--that we don't deserve. God's grace to us is amazing.

This next part contrasts the lives of people and God's love. While people are here pretty much here today and gone tomorrow, God's love and righteousness lasts forever. It's just so cool how He is always going to be the good God He is, forever.

Verse 19 is really interesting, at least to me. By saying that "His sovereignty rules over all," it shows that He's not some wimp who decided He would be nice to us. He is the all-powerful God, and no one can get out from under His rule. It shows that He is awesome, which makes His forgiveness so much more amazing. The rest of the Psalm calls all to bless the Lord, from the greatest angel in heaven to the tiniest bug on earth; and of course, David's own soul.

I guess the reason that I wrote this other than to share a Psalm that I thought was really cool, is that I think that a lot of times we forget to bless the Lord. Even David had to remind His soul to do it. In the good times and the bad, a lot of us, including myself, tend to complain instead of praising God for who He is. He always loves us and blesses us, even in the worst circumstances. And if, say, you were sick, you can always remember that although your body may not be healed, God does heal the diseases of your soul, which is the most important part of you. There are so many reasons for us to praise the Lord, in His power, His love and forgiveness, His salvation, His blessings, and His works; and He is always who He is, no matter what you are going through. So as this year ends, and in all of the years to come, don't forget to bless the Lord.

Blog Update: A New Resource

We have a new Resource that I'd like to make available to you all. For now it will simply be called, "Other Blogs". Basically, it is a way for you guys to get more than just from what you get here.

One blog in particular that I want you to see is "Stories From the Loft."

It is something being done by a good friend of mine, and I think that you all would enjoy it.

http://storiesfromtheloft.blogspot.com/

Honorable Shame: Suffering Fearlessly for the Name

Acts 5:12-42 (KJV) "[12] And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. [13] And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. [14] And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) [15] Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.
[16] There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one. [17] Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, [18] And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. [19] But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, [20] 'Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.' [21] And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought. [22] But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told, [23] Saying, 'The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.' [24] Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow. [25] Then came one and told them, saying, 'Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.' [26] Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. [27] And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, [28] Saying, 'Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.' [29] Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, 'We ought to obey God rather than men. [30] The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. [31] Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. [32] And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.' [33] When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them. [34] Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space; [35] And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men. [36] For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. [37] After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. [38] And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: [39] But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. [40] And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
[41] And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
[42] And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ."

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It seems that a lot of us Christians today seem a little wary about this whole suffering thing. We tense up, and as Americans we often attempt to avoid suffering as much as possible. But it wasn't that way with the early church. In fact, they were honored. We don't like pain, we don't like shame, but the Apostles were honored that they were even considered for the participation of it.

In verses 12-16 we see that the ministry of the Apostles is growing, and it seems as if nothing is holding them back.

"[14] And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both men and women."

"Multitudes," it says. So in this part they've been pretty successful. Kind of like us, if we start doing something for God, and then He blesses it; maybe a little bit, or maybe even a lot.

But then in the next section, the trial comes forth. Something big happens that throws the entirety of everything out of whack.

"[17] Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, [18] And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison."

So they're out there preaching and healing their hearts out, serving God with a passion, and then the higher ups come and throw them in jail! There have been a lot of times in my life where I felt led by the spirit to do something, but because of certain people around me, I was afraid to do it.
I'm sure others have had the same experience.

What I do know is that if I went ahead and ran with it, even in spite of that fear, it always turned out better for me in the end, than if I had given in and given up. And that's what happens here.

Now, God gets them out of prison and sends them back to continue their work, basically to do it again. And when they meet up with the higher ups, they do not get a welcome response:

"[27] And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, [28] saying, 'Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in His name? And, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.' "

So that's their accusation. I love the apostles' response:

"[29] Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, 'We ought to obey God rather than men."

I love that. "We ought to obey God rather than men." And we really should. He demands it. And, Proverbs says "the fear of man is a snare."

So when the apostles were done speaking, the authorities were going to kill them, but Gamaliel, a Pharisee, said that if they weren't from God, that it would be God who put them down; but if they were from God then did not dare go against them.

So, instead of killing them, they just beat them a few times, and then they let them go.

"[40] And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go."

But even all this is not what gives me kicks about this passage. It is the next two verses that hit the nail on the head.

"[41] And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. [42] And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ."

That is just beautiful. There is no other way to put it. Before I saw this passage, I don't ever think I even thought about the concept that it might be honorable for me to suffer shame. It's almost as if they were admitted into a prestigious society, or given exclusive awards. But it was in the form of shame.

Again, I have no idea who or when people will read this. But I pray that those who do would be blessed by this example, and be encouraged by it to share their faith--to teach and preach Jesus Christ without ceasing. That is my hope, and I hope some of you are blown away by it. I was :)

Radical Labor: As for the Lord

Collosians 3:23-24

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, [24] knowing that from the Lord you will recieve the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."

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This is a very popularly quoted scripture, and for good reason. It's giving us instruction about how to live our lives as we work. It says, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men"(emphasis added). So anything that we do, whatever we do, whoever we do it for--it is not for those people that we work. Anything from getting out of bed to brushing our teeth to walking the dog to getting a grade to even changing the world. We work heartily, as for the Lord. This is not simply some spiritually-charged pep talk. This is an aspect of the way to live out life.

And why do we do this? What do we have to look forward to? Because of the fact that we know "that from the Lord you will recieve the inheritance as your reward."(emphasis added). So we know that we are to work heartily, as for Christ and NOT for men, and we know that we will receive the inheritence from Jesus Christ himself. But more than this, we know from the last line, that we actually ARE serving Jesus Christ, and should be serving Him, regardless of the task that we face. "You are serving the Lord Christ." I might not want to do something for myself, or for my parents, or for my teachers; but if I'm doing something for my Savior, the King and Ruler of the universe--then, it is WAY more important on my agenda. Maybe it is that way for you too.

I know that this is the time of the year when we just get so tired, that we start ceasing to care anymore. It gets like that, when you are sick of seeing the same classes, and the same grades, and the same everything throughout the year. We don't think it matters anymore; so little time left to go, and yet, so much to be done with. School is not over. Not yet. But that's ok. We are serving Christ. So don't be discouraged. Work heartily, as for Lord. I pray that many would be blessed by this word; not by my words, but Christ's.

Refuge in the Storm: "Be still and know that I am God."

Psalm 46



"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. [2] Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, [3] though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. (Selah)

[4] There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. [5] God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. [6] The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. [7] The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Selah)

[8]Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth. [9] He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. [10] 'Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!' [11] The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Selah) "

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For what it's worth, especially nowadays, it seems as if more and more this planet, and this people, and this country is so out of whack. It's almost as if it is falling apart, as if the very ground were falling beneath our feet. Apparently the sons of Korah felt this way too when they composed this Psalm. "[6] The nations rage, the kingdoms totter". It makes you wonder if it will ever be right. It makes you kind of nervous, really. "[10] 'Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!' " That statement alone is a world of comfort for my own heart. We might not know what's going on, but God does! And he promises that one day, He will recieve what is due, and that he will be exalted among the nations! Today this is partially fulfilled, through his people throughout the world. But from Revalation, we know that Christ will actually reign as King someday. That's amazing! But again, that's another subject. God's been showing me that, even in the craziest and most dire of situations, that is when He is there. Even in the darkest storm, in the hottest fire, it is there that we savor that God is "a very present help in trouble".

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. [2] Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, [3] though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. (Selah)"

I pray that this would be of encouragement to many, even as in our own nation, built on a belief that God ruled and that men should have freedom to choose Him-- even as it becomes more and more of a secularist and socialist place to live, we can be still and know that He is God.

God's Amazing Love and Grace

Isaiah 1:2-4

"[2] Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth;
For the Lord speaks,
'Sons I have reared and brought up,
But they have revolted against Me.
'[3] An ox knows its owner,
And a donkey its master's manger,
But Israel does not know, My people do not understand.'

[4] Alas, sinful nation,
People weighed down with iniquity,
Offspring of evildoers,
Sons who act corruptly!
They have abandoned the Lord,
They have despised the Holy One of Israel,
They have turned away from Him."


Romans 3:10-12

"[10] as it is written,
There is none righteous, not even one;
[11] There is none who understands
There is none who seeks for God;
[12] All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one."


Romans 5:6-11

"[6] For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. [7] For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. [8] But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. [9] Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. [10] 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. [11] And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation."



Ephesians 2:4-7


"[4] But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, [5] even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), [6] and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7] so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."

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I have been reading through Isaiah for a while, and the passage from Isaiah 1 stuck out to me. Although it is talking about Israel, all of us were like the Israelites because God created us and we all rebelled against him and sinned and some even denied his existence. As Romans 3 points out, we all turned away from him. I didn't want to stop there because I didn't want to leave people feeling guilty. That's not my point. Besides, if you're a Christian, you are forgiven and God gives us a heart that seeks after Him. I wrote those verses so that we could understand more clearly how much we didn't deserve God's grace and how much God really loves us.

The verses from Romans 5 are amazing. Just think about it. God sent His only Son to die for us-- while we were still sinners. Not only did we make a few "mistakes," we hated Him and turned away from Him... and yet Christ died for us. One would hardly die for a righteous man (verse 7), but God sent His Son to die in our place when we were His enemies. We deserved God's wrath and punishment, but God gave us mercy. We deserved eternal separation from the all-powerful, loving, holy God, but He gave us grace. Now we don't have to be God's enemies any more and can live in His love if we have repented and put our trust in Jesus. We can have a relationship with God, having no fear of His wrath or punishment, and also be shown the "surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." Jesus taking the punishment for our sins is the ultimate example of God's love for us.

I wrote this to try to help you understand how much God loves us and how much grace He shows us. Please meditate on these verses and pray about this and see how knowing about God's love can affect your life-- whether it's loving others like God loves us (1 John 4:7-21 and Ephesians 5:2), remembering how much God loves you (even when you were a sinner), especially when you feel like God can't love you (Romans 8:38-39) , worshipping and glorifying Him even more because of it (Psalm 136), encouraging others and telling others about it, living your life in light of His love, or strengthening your relationship with God as a whole.

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

The LORD is our Strong Tower

Luke 12:13-34



"Someone in the crowd said to him, 'Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.' [14] But he said to him, 'Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?' [15] And he said to them, 'Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.' [16] And he told them a parable, saying, 'The land of a rich man produced plentifully, [17] and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ [18] And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. [19] And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ [20] But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ [21] So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. '




[22] And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. [23] For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. [24] Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! [25] And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? [26] If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? [27] Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [28] But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! [29] And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. [30] For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. [31] Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
[32] “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. [33] Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. [34] For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways, and he will make straight your paths."

Proverbs 18:10

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe."

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Brothers and sisters, have you ever been afraid of loss, because of trusting in the wrong things--things which aren't eternal? I know I have. Don't waste your time on it, it is a foolish thing for us who have been called, as sons and heirs with Almighty God, through the Lord God Jesus Christ. It says somewhere that "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans, I think). So brethren, if you are ever halted in your ministry because of fear, listen to Jesus when he says “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life" and " Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you." We all need to remember just how much our Father loves us, and that he does not leave us unguarded--indeed, He IS our protection. If you are weary, worn, confused, in danger--run to Him! He is a strong tower, and for those who have been redeemed by his blood--surely we shall be safe.

We Shall not Be Cast Headlong

Psalm 37:23-24

"The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; [24] though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand."

I as a Christian have often had a problem with not having a right sense of God in the way that he forgives. Today, I was going to post a different passage from Luke, but I feel the Lord would rather me get this out here first.

Of course, as Christians we know that we have been given the forgiveness and salvation from our sins that comes from the blood and knowledge of Jesus Christ. However, I know in my life that when the music stops playing, your pack starts getting heavier, and you start to trip, even falling down--it can seem that the Lord is dissapointed in us. And He very well may be, but not in the way that we feel dissapointment. When we are dissapointed in someone, it is very tempting to let them know about it, and not always in a very nice way.

There have been many times in my life when I have felt so ashamed of myself, and so aware of my unrighteousness before God that I feel as if I deserve and am being thrown on my face, because of the things that I still have yet to learn. There's just one thing--God isn't like that.

On Easter Eve I was having a down day, but through the radio God spoke in my ears this good word: "The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; [24] though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand." For us who delight in the way of the LORD, God says that He establishes our steps. But He doesn't even stop there; He says, "though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,". So not only does God establish our steps, when we mess up and fall, He will not cast us headlong. He's not going to hit us in the face. Yes, the LORD disciplines us, and we should rejoice when he does, but we must always remember the God does not do so in bitterness, nor in malice.

"for the LORD upholds his hand."-- The picture that comes into my mind is a loving father, taking his little child and leading him back home from across the street. As we get older, we seem to grow out of this, but when I was a toddler, my mom and dad would almost always make me hold their hand when we would walk through somewhere dangerous, and even if we were walking around the block of our street, or going to the park. God says here that he takes us by the hand. He is not some distant figure that we cannot be sure if He is with us or not. Indeed, He is our Father, "whereby we cry Abba, father."

When I heard this on the radio on Easter Eve, it touched me in a way it couldn't have at any other time thus far. I was brooding, I was sulking, and I deserved to be knocked over. But God didn't do that--He took me by the hand and it was as if He said, 'You will not be cast headlong. The Lord still loves you.'

Brothers and Sisters, I know not who will read this, but I hope the Lord shall bring it as a good word to many, even as He gave it to me. God bless, and know that he is a God who loves His children, and who does not cast them headlong.