Christmas Confidence

Luke 1:46-55

Christmas Confidence

Christmas is a time to celebrate Christ's birth, but it is a reminder that every Sunday is a celebration to celebrate that birth. It reminds us of the conflict between the seed of the woman and the seed of the servant. We find great joy in the coming of Christ. We find great love of all aspects of Christmas. And now we move to the idea of confidence in Christmas. We see with this passage the confidence that Mary had with God and His promise to her. We also look at Miriam and Moses and Hannah's songs from the Old Testament. We compare the songs of Hannah and Mary side by side and we see so many similarities between them. It is obvious that Mary was shaped by Scriptures, aware of Hannah's song and confidence in The Lord. The challenge in their songs is to see all of life this way, formed and shaped by the Scriptures. 

Confidence Promise #1: God remembers His promises to His covenant people. He has helped His servant Israel. God remembers His mercy and promises. We have confidence in the present and the future because God has kept His promises of the past. He does all that He does for Himself as His motivating cause and His people always benefit from it. Mary has picked up a theme from Psalms - her song here is woven with the words of the Psalmist. God remembers His everlasting love and mercy, we find this in Jeremiah. God has not forgotten us and we see this in our Scriptures. The word remember here is not used as a recall, but an acting upon the memory. God promised and did not just keep the promise but kept it and acted out His promises. God demonstrated this by the pregnancy of Mary and the holy birth of Christ. 

Confidence Promise #2: God is no respecter of persons. Simeon and Anna...even shepherds, all were shown the Christ child. God does not show favor towards those high and lifted up above others. Those of poverty are granted heaven and a glimpse of the great joy of heaven through Christ. The problem is not the rich and the poor. God does not prefer the poor over the rich. It is that God takes care of His children. The antithesis is not between the rich and poor, the real antithesis is between God's covenant and those outside the covenant. Christ, Himself, came from the line of David, a king. God raised up a Messiah and used the most unlikely scenario to bring it about. There is no one to whom God would not stoop to save. All are within His fold. We can have great confidence in our missionary mindset as well to know that God takes all. 

Confidence Promise #3: History is God-directed. God has done all the doing. God has put down the mighty and brought up the lowly. It is not time plus chance plus circumstance. It is all carefully orchestrated in God's own direction. History is person, it is not one action because of another, it is one action of God, after another action of God. God is the one doing all the doing. History is brought about by the finger of God. We are supercharged with meaning because God gives us that meaning. 

Confidence Promise #4: God is our Savior. He remembered Israel and sent His son to save those outside of the faith. We have been reconciled and He has become our propitiation. We have the confidence that we are a saved and redeemed people because God is our Savior. This is an unforgettable truth. He always has been and always will be our personal Savior who has committed our sins to Himself so that He has wiped away our sins without any assistance from us. He needs no assistance. All contribution to salvation belongs to Him and none can go towards us. 

The Conflict of Christmas

Genesis 3:15, Romans 16:20

The Conflict of Christmas

It has been said that the first passage (Genesis 3:15) captures the most glorious and noble of all phrases. The most foremost idea is the idea of enmity - warfare or hostility, a deep hatred. We see the scope of this enmity, the conflict first begins between the serpent and the woman. Then it spreads out to the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. It is a very real war. The plural seed of the woman narrows down to a singular seed, Hebrew meaning of the word "he". So we see the true seed, the champion, is Christ. The climax of this passage is the great battle between Christ and Satan. This war is broad and narrow...we see how it belongs between very few and yet also a great deal of people (all people). Christmas is a time of warm fuzzies, but also we see it being a war of conflict. The bruising of the heel happened at the cross and crucifixion, but the crushing of the head happened with the resurrection. C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy displays the true conflict between the good and bad. We too often make the conflict about all spiritual and nothing truly corporeal. We refuse to see the it is as truly powerful as it really is. We also need to be in prayer: God, give me a fire for You and as such am enmity towards those who oppose you; give me the proper love, not love as they see it, but true love; true love being the fact that we do what is best for them, not to let them go on their path to hell, but true love to correct them and help them see Truth. 

Christmas...The Divine Expression of Divine Love

1 John 4:7-11

Christmas...The Expression of Divine Love

"Dear brothers, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we ought also to love one another."

Throughout the Bible we see the love of God displayed clearly. From creation to the cross there is a theme of love woven into every moment. There are five aspects of love to look at today: love of God to Himself, Trinitarian love, love of God to His people, the love of His people to God, and the love of His people to one another. Agape love is a self-sacrificing love, an earnest and anxious desire for others. This love is displayed by focusing on others. True self-sacrifice. This self-sacrificing love is displayed to Himself, He displays it by loving Himself. Many cannot fathom God loving Himself the highest, some would call it narcissism. But it is either God worships us first or Himself first. We are not here for Him to serve. God's highest love is for Himself. In the sending of Christ, it is true that it was a picture of the love to God's people to save them, but it was also a picture of God's love to glorify Himself and upholding His law. He is meeting the standard which He set. 

Selfless love is shown in the giving love given among the Trinity. The Father shows unique love for the Son in this passage. He sends His only Son, there is a certain tenderness in this passage that speaks of the love between Father and Son. The Son goes as commanded from the Father and the Father sends the Son in order to further glorify the Son. God did not create the world in order to have people to love. He did not make the world because He was lonely. The inter Trinitarian love was constantly present long before the world was created. We see the Son agreeing to come save this people out of love for the Father and the Father so loves His Son that He gives Him a people all of His own. He loves Himself and He loves the whole Trinity. He does all He does for His glory and for the pursuit of the glory of the Trinity. God is preoccupied in Himself while at the same time His love is overwhelmingly selfless. If our love was half as true love as God's is then we are blessed. Our prayer life should be filled with thanks for His love and for the request to be more like Him. We should not think of ourselves more highly than we ought. We see this in how the Trinity gives so freely. 

We now move to the love of God to His people. Especially at Christmas we are moved to see how great and magnificent God's love for us is. In sending His Son, He displays His selfless love for us to save us. God is interested in our good. He will not give us a stone if we ask for a fish. How touching, how amazing, how breathtaking that God loves us! 1 John 3:1a "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us!"  Yes, God loves Himself, but also He loves us. The love of a husband to his wife or the wife to the husband is that the love will spill over and bless the family. The love pours over and is applied to the children and those around. This is the love of God: first to Himself but it over pours to apply to us as well. Without that love we would be nothing. Without that love demonstrated by the sending of the Son, we would be twisted and selfish dying sinners. With the love, though, we have the opportunity to live and love others as has been given to us. We now live because of Christ and because of this we ought to lift up our eyes and be burdened for those outside of Christ and to offer up prayers for their salvation. 

The love of God's people to God: we are focusing our love upon Him and no longer within ourselves. We cannot love one another without loving God first. "Love The Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and might, and love your neighbor as yourself." We love Him first and then others. We show our love by keeping His commandments. That is the true love to God, that we are in keeping with His law and defining true love according to that. 

We are to love one another. We see the love of God to us and so we turn around and love one another. We carry one another's burdens. We serve one another by taking care of one another and thinking of others as higher than ourselves. We give to each other at every turn. We see the demonstrated love and so we have a privilege to love and serve one another. The world talks about love so much these days, but the love we have in this season is manifested by the great love given as an example to us by Christ. The love we are to give is the deep love as set out by Scripture. 

The Joy of Christmas

The Joy of Christmas

Luke 2:8-20

"Do not fear". Be full of joy. The advent season and a Christian life are to be characteristic of joy. The angels bring joy with them in their announcement to the shepherds. That joy does not rest on Herod or the shepherds or anyone making it of their joy...so whether they are joyous or not, there is still joy. This joy is the joy of The Lord. In the Christian's life joy is not always an emotion, though it can be an emotion. Rather, it is a quality that we display. 

1) the joy of the pivotal event of Christ's birth: we have long awaited this announcement and coming of the promised Messiah. This joy and anticipation is compared to a bride and her wedding day, a long awaited day and the on the actual day, there is even more joy. Here is the one who is promised. God kept His promise and here is our Redeemer who has come to set up apart and save us from death and doom. This redemptive announcement to the shepherds remains with us even today. 

2) the joy of the coming of God's glory due to Christ's arrival. Dark night had been at work and with the coming of Christ, the "now" is the front row and the "not yet" has taken a back seat. The serpent has been cast out. There was an entrance of a new kingdom casting out the old evil kingdom. This gives us a great reason to be joyful! We can have joy because the change and new order has come in. Mary's words come true, those of low birth are highly esteemed. Even with the shepherds, those of low birth are first to get the news, their fear is to be replaced with great joy. 

3) personal joy for the individual and individual joy. The shepherds took the news and spread it everywhere (verse 17). They could not hold it in, but rather give it away. Once you've given it away you are given even more joy! It was a double joy for them. This joy is personal and they own it and you see that they own it by how they went out and could not hold it in. Joy is cheated when you cannot go out and "blab" it to others. And so we also are to go out and spread this great tiding of joy to everyone. What a mission statement that is. This emotion of joy is to take over our fear and fright, just as it was to the shepherds. We get so afraid for the battle that is already own thanks to Christ and His bringing of joy. 

Mary's Song

"My soul magnifies The Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on a generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for me - holy is His name. His mercy extends to those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as He said to our fathers." Luke 1:46-55  

Old Song

1. Oh come, Redeemer of the earth,

And manifest thy virgin-birth. 

Let every age in wonder fall:

Such birth befits the God of all. 

2. Begotten of no human will,

But of the Spirit, Thou art still

The Word of God in flesh arrayed,

The promised Fruit to man displayed. 

3. The virgin womb that burdened gained

With virgin honor all unstained;

The banners there of virtue glow;

God in His temple dwells below. 

4. Forth from His chamber goeth He,

That royal home of purity,

A giant in twofold substance one,

Rejoicing now His course to run. 

5. From God the Father He proceeds,

To God the Father back He speeds;

His course He runs to death and hell,

Returning on God's throne to dwell. 

6. O equal to the Father, Thou!

Gird on Thy fleshly mantle now;

The weakness was of our mortal state

With deathless might invigorate.

7. Thy cradle here shall glitter bright,

And darkness breathe a newer light,

Where endless faith shall shine serene,

And twilight never intervene. 

8. All laud to God the Father be,

All praise, eternal Son, to Thee;

All glory, as is ever meet,

To God the Holy Paraclete. 

Veni, Redemptor Gentium

Advent hymn written by St. Ambrose in the fourth century. 

Another Parable post

"The Parable of the Rich Fool"

We covet the rich. We claim it isn't fair. We become so jealous that we as Christians vote for those people who will give us true inequality. Be on your guard for all kinds of greed. The rich man in the parable took responsibility for the many crops produced. He gave no credit to God. God had been gracious to him with his multitude of crops. Now these days we are blessed without bounds from God and all we want is more. The man's reaction to his crop is first off one of selfishness. God is not saying that riches are bad, but rather the motives behind our actions. The ground gives us our harvest and God owns that land. We are merely stewards. We find ourselves anything but thankful and grateful for what we have. We find we cannot give away our first fruits. We are the caregivers and ought to freely give up that which isn't even rightfully ours. In Luke 12:32-34 we see where our true treasure should be. Where our hearts should rest. Has it become the fact that our goods and possessions have become our god instead of God? If the fear of giving up our possessions is greater than fulfilling our purpose in Christ, then our hearts and minds are in the wrong place and we are far from proper stewards. 

Parable notes

Mark 4:1-20

Farming was common in Christ's time and He knew this as He told this parable. He used things that people understood to teach about spiritual things. He also loved to use parables. A parable is taking complex ideas and breaking down so they might be understood. Christ as the sower and us the people of Christ as the seeds. So why so many seeds thrown everywhere, even where it will not flower? Why not just the ground where it will be received best? Scripture has a two-fold purpose: first, that it will strengthen those who are in Christ..it will make their faith even stronger. Or secondly, it will strengthen those who are outside of the faith and will determine who they truly are. Are we those who claim to be Christian but then reshape the faith so as to not offend anyone? They forget that the Gospel is offensive to the world all on its own. They refuse to see God as anything but a smiling and loving God. Then there are those "Christians" who, when presented with a chance to share the Gospel, back off and shy away from being a true Christian. And also the Christians who are so wrapped up with riches and material goods and popularity that they will readily give up their Christian faith for any of it. How can you fully commit to God when you are committed to a life of debt and a slave to the world. And then there is the "good soil"...the one that produced thirty, sixty, even a hundred times more than what it was originally. This is a true believer of Christ. These are the actions of a firm believer of the faith. We do not conform on those issues that others mock us for or get offended over. We are obsessed over God and not the riches of this world. 

Canon notes

The Canon

There became a growing need for it to be written. Eye witnesses began to die off and it became more speculation. The apostles were eyewitnesses to Jesus Christ and so were considered highly valuable. Apostle broadly is "sent one". Any one who is sent. A more narrow definition is one who was an actual eye witness of Christ. Letters were meant a to be circulatory... Not just one church but for many surrounding churches. If something was written by an apostle it had authority and was given the respect of God's very own Word. Hence so many pseudo apostles. Church back then was characterized by the reading of Scripture. That was a primary part of their worship. There arose heresies because of false books written by frauds. The Church had to decide upon specific books because it cut off heresies and frauds. They had to identify with God's books so to limit the Bible and not give way to lies and false books. Because of Martians there had to be a set list if books of the Bible. By 1 AD this list was made. Mark is often associated with Peter. It was believed that if a writer was associated with an apostle that there was validity. There were a lot more questions and doubts raised about the Old Testament than the New Testament. The old church fathers (Polycarp, Athanasius ect.) understood the difference from themselves and the apostles. The latter had direct relation to Christ. The former were students of the apostles. The Church is not fixed. The Church is not divine. The Church can err. The books in the canon are all inspired or they wouldn't be in the canon. Either you bow to the self-attesting authority of the Church or you bow to the self-attesting authority of Scripture. They both claim authority, but only the Scripture can truly be backed up and believed. It is not that the Church has no authority, but rather that does not have ultimate authority. The Bible has sustained through the years. There is no suppressing it entirely. You control the Bible and information thereof, and you control the people. The Scripture alone has freedom, true freedom that we seek. The Church cannot be on the defensive, we have no reason to be attacked. We are to be on the offensive, the one doing the attacking the culture and world driven by sins of the flesh. 

Old Testament notes

The Old Testament speaks about Christ. Christ victorious and resurrected. Everything points to it. The birth of Seth was for the purpose of creating a line that would end up with Christ. Cain's sacrifice was not done in light of the promise and was done to "bribe" God to give him the promise. Abel's was a blood sacrifice and was done in light of the promise and was so accepted. Cain "the one obtained" and was God's way of giving them the promise. When her second child was born "a triviality, a mere breath" he was named Abel. Cain felt no need of deliverance and his life was one filled with fear. The sacrifices were to be offered out of the heart and out of gratitude for life and Christ. Cain did not truly believe or devote his life and heart to God and had no gratitude and so his sacrifice was not worthy. There was an implicit demand for blood and Cain did not bring that. Cain brought "some of the fruit" whereas Abel brought "fat portions". This was their form of worship. Cain confronted Abel and murdered him. The murder was not a problem but rather it was a sin because Abel was an image bearer of God. He bore the image of God and Cain killed that. He attacked an image of God and so it was an assault on God. Abel's blood could only cry out for restitution, but Christ's blood provided restitution and deliverance for those born into sin. God asked a rhetorical question when he asked where Cain's brother was. Cain had to turn his back to his home because of his shame and punishment of being cursed. He went east...east, meaning away from God. Adam and Eve's faith was now sorely tested. Both sons were lost to the promise. Cain married his sister, bore a son, and built walls, characteristic of those living in fear away from God. Down that line there was Lamech, who married two women and began the abominable practice of polygamy. Also, Eve bore another son, Seth, their son of the promise. 

Random quote

"With longings noble - yet in nature slave;

Immortal I am - yet tending to the grave;

God's breath within - yet dust of the earth

God's dwelling place - yet sinner from birth."

More Doxology sermon notes

Matthew 6:5-14 "Prayer- Doxology"

God is to be central to our prayer closet. No matter what we are about, God and His glory and His kingdom come is to be primary. Sin is not measured by the evil, but sin is there to lead us away from God no matter what. Sin and temptation come in all shapes and sizes, fitted perfectly for each of us. Sin, while maybe personally from the fight not against flesh, but against principalities. Sin isn't particular things, sin is the departure from God. Certain things aid with this, but the ultimate sin is a leading away from God. Desire above true worship. Idolatry of any thing but God. It is to be of the world, to obey the lusts of the flesh. It is to go along with what is normal and accepted instead of what is of God. Instead of looking "narrow", we want to seem "relative" and "acceptant" of those who do sin against God. We too often give into the world. We go along to get along. Lead us not into temptation. We redefine what reasonable is. No matter who we are, there is a special temptation for us. We don't like to pray for relief from temptation because we may not see our sin and weakness because we don't have a true accusation of our sin and sin nature. 

Old sermon notes

1 Kings 19

Ahab has been embarrassed and what does he do? He comes back and he complains of what Elijah did. As if Elijah were the one in heaven creating these things. He goes to Jezebel and whines like a little boy. And here we see one of the first cases of feminism. A woman taking over and taking charge over her man. Her comment about the gods even refers to the gods destroyed on Mount Carmel. Evil comes from all sides no matter what sense it might make sense. So Elijah flees, not because God told him to, but because he is a human man. He knew fear and was afraid. He goes to the place where Jacob was when he fled. He was sent out to the wilderness where God sends His people. Don't despair when you're in the desert. It is where God fashions and shapes His people. Elijah comes to the end of his rope. He is done and tired. But that does not mean that God is done. Even when we want to conclude we can go no farther and do no more good, God provides and cares for His people. He is tired from his journey and God does the most practical thing: He feeds him. Bread and water. A symbol of Christ. This is a comfort to know that God cares for and witnesses to His children when they need it the most. Elijah cared and strove for what God cares about. It's not so much Elijah complaining, but seeking relief from God. And God always provides. God's answer: all because you cannot see everything I am doing does not mean I am not doing anything. The still small voice. It is not what we expect but it is what God gives us. Elijah had to think about whether he ought to go on or give up still. But he learned all because there seemed to be no activity doesn't mean God is doing no activity. Even after all this God reminds Elijah of the task at hand and the responsibility ahead. This is not a story of Elijah, this is a story of God's faithfulness to Himself. He continues to work within His people even if we cannot see it. God reminds him that he is not abandoned. Elijah complains of being alone...left alone. But God reminds him that there are a number of people that He has reserved for His purpose. Those that have not bowed the knee to Baal. This is encouragement to us. Strength from God. A still small voice of God speaking to us through the Scriptures. 

Quotes

"It is very important that we assert, against. Mystics and Fanatics, the counterpoint truth, that His customary instrument (in all cases except the redemption of infants and idiots) is the Word. If we allow any other standard or instrumentality of regeneration than the Word, there will be no barrier to the confounding of every crude impulse of nature and Satan, with those of the Holy Spirit." --R. L. Dabney

"Our inability to see our sin is a diminishing of the work of The Lord Christ on the Cross in favor of a pride mechanism that always wants to justify ourselves. Just so the ability to only see our sin is likewise a diminishing of the work of The Lord Christ on the Cross in favor of a pride mechanism that tells itself that the more I grovel the more righteous I must be." -- B. L. Davidson

"If things can improve, this means that there must be some absolute standard of good above and outside the cosmic process to which that process can approximate. There is no sense in talking of 'becoming better' if better means simply 'what you are becoming' -- it is like congratulating yourself on reaching your destination and defining destination as 'the place you have reached'." -- C. S. Lewis

Notes on Doxology sermon

Matthew 6:13

There are many manuscripts that don't include the end of the Doxology. There are many debates about it. Luke includes the end in his book, but that is said to be because Luke was constantly writing about the glory of God. You are given sound theology with the Lord's Prayer, which then leads to great praise and glory. You should be lead to adoration. Theology comes first and you understand the character of God and out of that we find a Doxology. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. There are no lesser gods. He rules over all things and everything is subject to God. He has absolute dominion over all things. There is no competition. 

God's kingdom forever. "This Is My Father's World" captures the idea of God's kingdom forever. God's dominating authority. We do not give any power to any other kingdom that challenges God, any lesser gods.

God's power forever. We recognize His power to create an effect. We believe that whatever He wants to do that nothing can stand in his way. Governing and sustaining power. Everything that happens of every second is due to His everlasting power. We are kept by the power of God. We are in the hands of Him who has control over all matters. We recognize the power that has saved us and that saves us everyday, giving us the strength and determination to turn away from the world and turn to Christ. What makes us different from a different man in terms of salvation? Only the power of God. We can boast of nothing apart from His power.

Thine is the glory forever. To stand in awe and majesty. Thine is the glory, not us. He is glorious and we are sinful. Adoration belongs to Him. The glory of God is especially a difficult concept for us because we so often think of ourselves and seek not to look anywhere else. We are also a people who have difficulties seeking or finding or placing glory into our world and so we fall short when it comes to placing any glory on God. We have no idea of it's true meaning. We are a people who suppress glory. We hold those ahead behind so that all are equal in glory. We do this to one another and we automatically apply it to God as well. There was a time when people were held in respect and glory. Not inappropriately, but how God has instigated it. But as we have lost that, we have lost the true definition of glory. We don't know how great and powerful that glory is now. You see God's glory as a major theme in the Old Testament. Christ shares in this glory. In Revelation 1:12-18 we see the glory of God as portrayed in the character of Christ. To have even a small inking of God's glory in our understanding would change us so we would never be the same again. As we understand His glory we absorb it and we reflect it. There is nothing within ourselves but as we soak in and believe and hunger after His glory we are gifted to shine it forth to the world. We cannot give God's glory as if He doesn't have it already. He is high above the earth whether we acknowledge it or not. We only ascribe to Him what He never ceases to be. As we understand more and more who He is, then we enter into adoration easier. We cannot help but come before Him in praise and adoration. Ecstasy of His glory.

This Doxology is the adoration, an offering of praise to God. God is glorious whether we recognize it or not. The heavens declare His handiwork. We pray this as a vertical prayer. We pray these things for God's kingdom and power and glory being forever and ever. This is a prayer to go up, vertical. This is a God-centered prayer. Us aside, focused on God and His character. This life is not about us. It's about God and as such the last thought in this prayer finds us centered on God and His glory. 

Quote

"God's people have their trials. It was never designed by God, when He chose His people, that they should be an untried people. They were chosen in the furnace of affliction; they were never chosen to worldly peace and earthly joy. Freedom from sickness and the pains of mortality was never promised them; but when their Lord drew up the charter of privileges, He includes chastisement amongst the things to which they should inevitably be heirs. Trials are a part of our lot; they were predestined for us in Christ's last legacy. So surely as the stars are fashioned by His hands, and their orbits fixed by Him, so surely are our trials allotted to us: He has ordained their season and their place, their intensity and the effect they shall have upon us. Good men must never expect to escape troubles; if they do, they will be disappointed, for none of their predecessors have been without them. Mark the patience of Job; remember Abraham, for he has his trials, and by his faith under them, he became the "Father of the faithful." Note well the biographies of all the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, and you shall discover none of those whom God made vessels of mercy, who were not made to pass through the fire of affliction. It is ordained of old that the cross of trouble should be engraved on every vessel of mercy, as the royal mark whereby the King's vessels of honour are distinguished. But although tribulation is thus path of God's children, they have the comfort of knowing that their Master has traversed it before them; they have His presence and sympathy to cheer them, His grace to support then, and His example to teach them how to endure; and when they reach "the kingdom," it will more than make amends for the "much tribulation" through which they passed to enter it."  -Charles Spurgeon

Quote

"The best way to develop an attitude of responsibility toward the future is to cultivate a sense of responsibility toward the past. We are born into a world we didn't make, and it is only fair that we should be grateful to those who did make it. Such gratitude carries with it the imperative that we preserve and at least slightly improve the world that has been given us before passing it on to subsequent generations.  We stand in the midst of many generations. If we are indifferent to those who went before us and actually existed, how can we expect to be concerned for the well being of those who come after us and only potentially exist." -David R. Carlin

Baptism

Acts 2:36-39

Baptism as a sign and seal of the covenant. Peter speaks of the promise, what promise? The Jews understood the promise there. The promise and covenant are related. I will be your God and you shall be my people. This was a promise throughout the whole Scripture. Peter says it is for those he was speaking to, but not just them,.. Their children and the nations. The same nations they are to go out and witness to. Those nations and their children. This was the promise understood here in Acts. *If* you do this, then the reward shall be theirs, as long as they remain faithful. What is formed then is a covenant community. These people are distinct and unique, they belong to God and God is their Father. They are not like the broader culture around them. God has a way of dealing with His people and that theme is running through the OT, the heme of salvation. The modern church is about the personal relationship with Jesus, but it is a legal relationship. Atonement and covenant. Restitution. The relationship is only as legitimate as His sacrifice makes it. Baptism is linked with justification and sanctification. It is His sign upon us to say "This is mine, keep your hands off". Baptisms are a sign for life. Peter says in terms of the covenant that it is not just for them but for their children as well. With Adam, he fell and the human race fell. Noah went to the boat with his family. When Abram was promised the covenant his children were included. Households were to go all together. Families are what makes up the covenant, not quite so much of individuals. Christianity is about community and welded groups, it's not an individual and personal relationship with God. There is a purpose to the covenant community. It is to fight as the church militant. The gates of hell shall be prevailed upon. We are on the attack, and we will conquer. At one point it was seen as odd when you didn't baptize your children. But the idea of individualism crept into the church and it became the individual with his own relationship with God. They cannot get the nurture and care like they would as a family unit. It is not our response to the Gospel that is our focus, it is rather, the Gospel. The Gospel promise still does apply to infants and children. God initiates and we respond. It is not our response that saves us, it is God. An infant baptism is a particular reminder of how it is God who does the doing and we who are the passive recipients of the Promise. It is not us or our doing or our promises...rather God, God's doing, and God's promises. "I am a sinner, but I have been baptized." - baptism has sealed us, God has promised salvation. Infant baptism brings about a building block of our salvation. It is not a work, there is nothing about our salvation that is a work, especially our work. 

Quote

"When it is said, 'The Lord laid on Him the iniquities of us all' this does not mean that God permitted indignities to be inflicted on Him by men without any divine action, but that God caused them to descend. This is further taught by the antithesis in which the exaction of justice is connected with the affliction which He bore. 'He was oppressed' - or, more strictly, He was demanded in the exercise of divine exaction - 'and He was afflicted' (vs. 7). We see the one side of the claim of offended justice, and on the other Messiah's agonies in responding to that demand. We have two parties in their several actions: the Most High demanding (and inflicting) punishment, and the Surety bearing it. But expression containing the same idea are multiplied. Thus, when it is said, 'For the transgression of my people was He stricken' (vs. 8), the allusion is to the infliction of punishment. Not only so: it is added, It pleased The Lord to bruise Him (vs. 10). These memorable words intimate that the Lord not only permitted this at the hand of man, but that had pleasure or delight in it, as it bore on His declarative glory and man's salvation. These sufferings, not in themselves, but in their scope and consequences, gave satisfaction to the Most High, who could not otherwise have had delight in it; and the supreme Author of all these sufferings was Jehovah, by whom we must understand God the. Judge of all."

George Smeaton

The Doctrine of the Atonement According to the Apostles - pg. 78-79

Prayer - Doxology

Matthew 6:13

There are many manuscripts that don't include the end of the Doxology. There are many debates about it. Luke includes the end in his book, but that is said to be because Luke was constantly writing about the glory of God. You are given sound theology with the Lord's Prayer, which then leads to great praise and glory. You should be lead to adoration. Theology comes first and you understand the character of God and out of that we find a Doxology. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. There are no lesser gods. He rules over all things and everything is subject to God. He has absolute dominion over all things. There is no competition. 

God's kingdom forever. "This Is My Father's World" captures the idea of God's kingdom forever. God's dominating authority. We do not give any power to any other kingdom that challenges God, any lesser gods.

God's power forever. We recognize His power to create an effect. We believe that whatever He wants to do that nothing can stand in his way. Governing and sustaining power. Everything that happens of every second is due to His everlasting power. We are kept by the power of God. We are in the hands of Him who has control over all matters. We recognize the power that has saved us and that saves us everyday, giving us the strength and determination to turn away from the world and turn to Christ. What makes us different from a different man in terms of salvation? Only the power of God. We can boast of nothing apart from His power.

Thine is the glory forever. To stand in awe and majesty. Thine is the glory, not us. He is glorious and we are sinful. Adoration belongs to Him. The glory of God is especially a difficult concept for us because we so often think of ourselves and seek not to look anywhere else. We are also a people who have difficulties seeking or finding or placing glory into our world and so we fall short when it comes to placing any glory on God. We have no idea of it's true meaning. We are a people who suppress glory. We hold those ahead behind so that all are equal in glory. We do this to one another and we automatically apply it to God as well. There was a time when people were held in respect and glory. Not inappropriately, but how God has instigated it. But as we have lost that, we have lost the true definition of glory. We don't know how great and powerful that glory is now. You see God's glory as a major theme in the Old Testament. Christ shares in this glory. In Revelation 1:12-18 we see the glory of God as portrayed in the character of Christ. To have even a small inking of God's glory in our understanding would change us so we would never be the same again. As we understand His glory we absorb it and we reflect it. There is nothing within ourselves but as we soak in and believe and hunger after His glory we are gifted to shine it forth to the world. We cannot give God's glory as if He doesn't have it already. He is high above the earth whether we acknowledge it or not. We only ascribe to Him what He never ceases to be. As we understand more and more who He is, then we enter into adoration easier. We cannot help but come before Him in praise and adoration. Ecstasy of His glory.

This Doxology is the adoration, an offering of praise to God. God is glorious whether we recognize it or not. The heavens declare His handiwork. We pray this as a vertical prayer. We pray these things for God's kingdom and power and glory being forever and ever. This is a prayer to go up, vertical. This is a God-centered prayer. Us aside, focused on God and His character. This life is not about us. It's about God and as such the last thought in this prayer finds us centered on God and His glory. 

Notes on Genesis

The Old Testament speaks about Christ. Christ victorious and resurrected. Everything points to it. The birth of Seth was for the purpose of creating a line that would end up with Christ. Cain's sacrifice was not done in light of the promise and was done to "bribe" God to give him the promise. Abel's was a blood sacrifice and was done in light of the promise and was so accepted. Cain "the one obtained" and was God's way of giving them the promise. When her second child was born "a triviality, a mere breath" he was named Abel. Cain felt no need of deliverance and his life was one filled with fear. The sacrifices were to be offered out of the heart and out of gratitude for life and Christ. Cain did not truly believe or devote his life and heart to God and had no gratitude and so his sacrifice was not worthy. There was an implicit demand for blood and Cain did not bring that. Cain brought "some of the fruit" whereas Abel brought "fat portions". This was their form of worship. Cain confronted Abel and murdered him. The murder was not a problem but rather it was a sin because Abel was an image bearer of God. He bore the image of God and Cain killed that. He attacked an image of God and so it was an assault on God. Abel's blood could only cry out for restitution, but Christ's blood provided restitution and deliverance for those born into sin. God asked a rhetorical question when he asked where Cain's brother was. Cain had to turn his back to his home because of his shame and punishment of being cursed. He went east...east, meaning away from God. Adam and Eve's faith was now sorely tested. Both sons were lost to the promise. Cain married his sister, bore a son, and built walls, characteristic of those living in fear away from God. Down that line there was Lamech, who married two women and began the abominable practice of polygamy. Also, Eve bore another son, Seth, their son of the promise. 

Elijah in the Desert

1 Kings 19

Ahab has been embarrassed and what does he do? He comes back and he complains of what Elijah did. As if Elijah were the one in heaven creating these things. He goes to Jezebel and whines like a little boy. And here we see one of the first cases of feminism. A woman taking over and taking charge over her man. Her comment about the gods even refers to the gods destroyed on Mount Carmel. Evil comes from all sides no matter what sense it might make sense. So Elijah flees, not because God told him to, but because he is a human man. He knew fear and was afraid. He goes to the place where Jacob was when he fled. He was sent out to the wilderness where God sends His people. Don't despair when you're in the desert. It is where God fashions and shapes His people. Elijah comes to the end of his rope. He is done and tired. But that does not mean that God is done. Even when we want to conclude we can go no farther and do no more good, God provides and cares for His people. He is tired from his journey and God does the most practical thing: He feeds him. Bread and water. A symbol of Christ. This is a comfort to know that God cares for and witnesses to His children when they need it the most. Elijah cared and strove for what God cares about. It's not so much Elijah complaining, but seeking relief from God. And God always provides. God's answer: all because you cannot see everything I am doing does not mean I am not doing anything. The still small voice. It is not what we expect but it is what God gives us. Elijah had to think about whether he ought to go on or give up still. But he learned all because there seemed to be no activity doesn't mean God is doing no activity. Even after all this God reminds Elijah of the task at hand and the responsibility ahead. This is not a story of Elijah, this is a story of God's faithfulness to Himself. He continues to work within His people even if we cannot see it. God reminds him that he is not abandoned. Elijah complains of being alone...left alone. But God reminds him that there are a number of people that He has reserved for His purpose. Those that have not bowed the knee to Baal. This is encouragement to us. Strength from God. A still small voice of God speaking to us through the Scriptures. 

Quote

"God's people have their trials. It was never designed by God, when He chose His people, that they should be an untried people. They were chosen in the furnace of affliction; they were never chosen to worldly peace and earthly joy. Freedom from sickness and the pains of mortality was never promised them; but when their Lord drew up the charter of privileges, He includes chastisement amongst the things to which they should inevitably be heirs. Trials are a part of our lot; they were predestined for us in Christ's last legacy. So surely as the stars are fashioned by His hands, and their orbits fixed by Him, so surely are our trials allotted to us: He has ordained their season and their place, their intensity and the effect they shall have upon us. Good men must never expect to escape troubles; if they do, they will be disappointed, for none of their predecessors have been without them. Mark the patience of Job; remember Abraham, for he has his trials, and by his faith under them, he became the "Father of the faithful." Note well the biographies of all the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, and you shall discover none of those whom God made vessels of mercy, who were not made to pass through the fire of affliction. It is ordained of old that the cross of trouble should be engraved on every vessel of mercy, as the royal mark whereby the King's vessels of honour are distinguished. But although tribulation is thus path of God's children, they have the comfort of knowing that their Master has traversed it before them; they have His presence and sympathy to cheer them, His grace to support then, and His example to teach them how to endure; and when they reach "the kingdom," it will more than make amends for the "much tribulation" through which they passed to enter it."  -Charles Spurgeon

The Canon

The Canon

There became a growing need for it to be written. Eye witnesses began to die off and it became more speculation. The apostles were eyewitnesses to Jesus Christ and so were considered highly valuable. Apostle broadly is "sent one". Any one who is sent. A more narrow definition is one who was an actual eye witness of Christ. Letters were meant a to be circulatory... Not just one church but for many surrounding churches. If something was written by an apostle it had authority and was given the respect of God's very own Word. Hence so many pseudo apostles. Church back then was characterized by the reading of Scripture. That was a primary part of their worship. There arose heresies because of false books written by frauds. The Church had to decide upon specific books because it cut off heresies and frauds. They had to identify with God's books so to limit the Bible and not give way to lies and false books. Because of Martians there had to be a set list if books of the Bible. By 1 AD this list was made. Mark is often associated with Peter. It was believed that if a writer was associated with an apostle that there was validity. There were a lot more questions and doubts raised about the Old Testament than the New Testament. The old church fathers (Polycarp, Athanasius ect.) understood the difference from themselves and the apostles. The latter had direct relation to Christ. The former were students of the apostles. The Church is not fixed. The Church is not divine. The Church can err. The books in the canon are all inspired or they wouldn't be in the canon. Either you bow to the self-attesting authority of the Church or you bow to the self-attesting authority of Scripture. They both claim authority, but only the Scripture can truly be backed up and believed. It is not that the Church has no authority, but rather that does not have ultimate authority. The Bible has sustained through the years. There is no suppressing it entirely. You control the Bible and information thereof, and you control the people. The Scripture alone has freedom, true freedom that we seek. The Church cannot be on the defensive, we have no reason to be attacked. We are to be on the offensive, the one doing the attacking the culture and world driven by sins of the flesh. 

The Sum of the Matter

Ecclesiastes 12:9-14
"And the more wise the Preacher was, the more he taught the people knowledge, and caused them to hear, and searched forth, and prepared many parables. The Preacher sought to find out pleasant words, and an upright writing, even the words of truth. The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails fastened by the masters of the assemblies, which are given by one pastor. And of other things beside these, my son, take thou heed: for there is none end in making many books, and much reading is a weariness of the flesh. Let us hear the end of all: fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work unto judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil."

The Sum of the Matter
How do you find a meaningful life? We are reminded at this point of the whole purpose of the book of Ecclesiastes. After looking at both sides of the matter, now the Preacher is giving some ways to be able to live that meaningful life with God. We find traction in our duties from God because of the fact we are in the covenant. 

Goads were like cattle prods: directing and guiding them to the right path. Well-driven nails nails refers to tent pegs, stability. 

Fear God, keep His commandments. This is to sum it all up. If the Preacher was to direct it to one key focus point, it would be this. The idea of fearing God is out of reverence and respect and awe...intimate and tender. He is transcendent while I am a mere mortal. It is a constant embrace of the Creator/creature distinction. We can have this respectful fear of God instead of a cringing dread because of Christ's work. God is not a Judge to us any longer, He is now a loving Father. We were created to fear and obey. Fear of God eliminates the fear of all other things...including man. We are to revolved and center on God.

We are also to keep His commandments. This theme has been carried along since Deuteronomy and Exodus. There is a connection and relationship between fearing God and keeping His commands. You cannot have one but not the other. We walk in terms of His law not to curry favor or earn something, but we've already been given favor...now out of fear, reverence, gratitude, and love, we seek to glorify Him by the keeping of His law. 

This life has consequences...the last verse here speaks on it and reminds us that life does not end with the grave.

"By this fear the people of God are excited to, and confirmed in the way of their duty. Ecclesiastes 12:13 Fear God and keep 'His commandments'. It is, the keeper of both tables, because the duties of both tables are influenced by it. It is this fear of God that makes us have a due respect to all His commands, and it is as powerful to confirm us in, as it is to excite us to our duties. Jeremiah 32:40: 'I will put My fear into their inwards, and they shall not depart from Me.' Look as he that sows does not regard the winds, but goes on in his labour whatever weather the face of heaven threatens; so he that fears God will be found in the way of his duty, let the aspect of the times be never so lowering and discouraging: and, truly, this is no small advantage, in the times of fright and distractions. Slavish fear sets a man upon the devil's ground, religious fear upon God's ground: And how vast an odds is there in the choice of our ground, when we are to endure a great fight of affliction!" -John Flavel

Someday...

Someday I will get on and post on here, I promise. My main reason for not posting in so long...well, two really...first of all I have no time...and it's very difficult to not have any time. What time is not at work or actually socializing is spent working again or cleaning or preparing for my open house. Or working. And my second reason is my little notebook in which I record pretty much everything and all my notes and all my blog posts (just on paper) vanished...into thin air. SO...until such time as I find it or I decide to get a new one ...have a lovely...well, ...yup just be lovely!

Recent Life Lessons

It's been quite a while since I've written...but right now I'm in the middle of graduating and open houses (plus my open house) as well as starting college and helping out at home. My parents finally pushed me to do Drivers Ed and that's been going on for the past week and a half and I'm only half way through...24 hours total for classroom which means 2 hours a night, 4 nights a week, 3 weeks. It's been a little hectic with that...but mostly boring. Guess what they call me there? "The Old One"...whaaaa O.o  ... The kids there don't take it too seriously...but I'm doing it with a few other homeschoolers and plus I really enjoy my instructor so time is passing. And he told me last night that I can legally drive on my own a month after I turn 18...so really I can drive on my own in early September if I jump on the ball, get a decent job, get my own car fast...just get going. So I'm praying that all falls in place. We're also having to do a lot of work around the home to get it ready for Jon and my open house in early July. Because we're inviting both our friends it is getting pretty big. Should be fun, though. Other than that, God has really been showing me some valuable life lessons. He's showing me them, and I'm still working through the problems...seeking for solutions and trying to overcome them.

One of the first lessons He's been showing me is that everyone is imperfect. That sounds silly...but some people look so good! They look so nice and kind and sweet and thoughtful. But are they *real*? I had a friend come to me and thank me for being so real...so imperfect. For messing up. At first I was confused but then it just make sense...I am not *real* with people. I am not the real sinful me out in open. We all want to look good and nice to people, but people all know that no one is truly perfect, so we live a lie that way. We all know that all fall short, all sin, all mess up...why hide it? When we have it out there it is asking for help and guidance, proper advice and prayer from others. You get HELP. Part of this lesson included understanding more how people often mold themselves to do, say, and look like what others want them to. That's not themselves. You are your own person, special and unique. Why be what your friends or the culture tells you to be like? Why not just be you? If they cannot appreciate you being you (flawed but always seeking to better yourself from sin) then they do not deserve you! You be you. You be honest and open and free to be the real you and not some good image that they want to paste on you.

Which leads me to my second lesson...I don't go out and seek out help. It's kind of rare. If I've ever done it to you then you are something special or I'm in a funky mood. But we all need help...we have friends, family, and most importantly GOD for that! But do we use it? Or do we hide away our pain and ignore it? Pretend it doesn't exist? That won't help it...we have to address it and face whatever the problem is in order to make it better, to improve it. We cannot just be cowards, putting our pain and hurt in a little cubbyhole and telling ourselves that it doesn't exist. We must pull out our problems and seek out help. Our first help is to come from God. So often we want to run off to our friends first. But God comes first. He is our ultimate Help and He is the One with the true solution. From there, we go out to our parents. They understand WAY more than you could ever realize. Maybe they don't say so...maybe you don't communicate well...but they still love you and want your very best. Then you have friends. Maybe you have one friend, maybe you have countless friends...but you always have someone. If you don't, then go get one! Pretty much everyone loves people. Most people love people. People love love. And so people love people. You are bound to find a friend if you are faithful, honest, and loving. If you are a good friend then you will find good friends. You'll find bad ones too, that is inevitable. But seek out your friends. Use them as a support. TELL THEM when something is wrong. Don't say, "it's fine", "I'm fine", "Nothing's wrong" when there is! They love you and always want to help. Just make sure you listen to *them* when they have bad days or problems as well.

The third lesson that I've been facing is there are good days and bad days...even bad weeks...even bad months. And just because you go back into bad times of darkness and rain clouds doesn't mean you haven't made progress. You can work at your life, your belief, your relationship with God, your faith...you can work on it for months and months and think you've made great progress and then one day you come face to face with the "reality" that you've not gone a single place. You've been walking on a treadmill and not advanced anywhere. Then you feel like a failure and like no matter what you do it will be worthless...and that's just not true. If you seek it, you will always have progress...and on bad days you will be told it's worthless and useless...you're a failure...but it's just not true. It's just a bad day...a bad week....a bad month. It will pass and you can continue on. The dark rain clouds will go away eventually and the sun will shine. I can say this right now in the middle of the clouds and that's great encouragement to have that kind of hope. It's not my own, but it's a gift of God to have this hope and encouragement.

And the last lesson (I love how these are all tied in and related...you just go from one to another) is that you are told things...all the time...you tell yourself stuff. But it's really not true...it's not you. It's your old nature, your sin nature. It's the devil. Whenever someone ever said the word "devil" or "Satan" I always inwardly chuckled. Psh...there is no power there. And to some degree it's true. God is so much more powerful than the devil. But if you read the story of Job, you know God is always in control, but at the same time so much wrong and hurt can be done to a child of God through simple work of the devil. And when you tell yourself you're not worth it, you're not good enough, you're not a good person, you will always fail, you're nothing but a failure...that's not truth. It's not truth at all. "No one loves me", "No one wants me", "No one would want to hear my problems", "I'll never be good enough"...these are lies. Maybe you've heard someone say it before, maybe you've said it to yourself before...but that's not you. You are a child of God and as such you always hit the mark, you pass with flying colors. You are snow white, clean, and beautiful. Not because of you, but because of Christ. This means, no matter how much you mess up it won't be near enough to really mess up because it's due to CHRIST. No pressure on you! So go ahead...mess up...see if it matters. Not to Him. He loves you all the same because He sees you as clean, perfect, and blameless because of the great sacrifice of Christ. He loves you ..without fail. You are all He could want. So don't listen to the lies, don't listen to "yourself" as the devil tells you what to say. Listen to Truth.

Have a wonderful day, lovely readers!

From Church

I know...I haven't been posting a lot lately..between finishing school, concerts, recitals, Cedar Point trips, graduation, work....it's been crazy. I do mean to post more often on here now that it has begun to "slow down" ...but no promises! We shall see how summer paves out. In the mean time, here's to another post!

"And this is that regeneration so highly extolled in Scripture, that renewal, new creation, resurrection from the dead, making alive, which God works in us without our aid. But this is in no wise effected merely by the external preaching of the gospel, by moral suasion, or such a mode of operation that, after God has performed His part, it still remains in the power of man to be regenerated or not, to be converted or to continue unconverted; but it is evidently a supernatural work, most powerful, and at the same time most delightful, astonishing, mysterious, and ineffable; not inferior in efficacy to creation or the resurrection from the dead, as the Scripture inspired by the Author of this work declares; so that all in whose heart God works in this marvelous manner are certainly, infallibly, and effectually regenerated, and do actually believe. Whereupon the will thus renewed is not only actuated and influenced by God, but in consequence of this influence becomes itself active. Wherefore also man himself is rightly said to believe and repent by virtue of that grace received.

Being An Example As A Christian

I found this article and I was able to really relate to what the author was saying! Whether it applies to you or someone you know, I hope you can benefit from it as well!

"In the middle of a radio interview I did last week, the host decided to take calls from listeners. This happens during longer live interviews – the host greets the caller and then hands the reins of the conversation over to me. Might I pause here to point out how this practice evokes equal amounts of panic and excitement into my bones.

I panic because I have absolutely no way to prepare for what a caller might say. This isn’t a problem in normal conversation but on the radio it gets a little tricky. Because after exactly 15 seconds of listening I will be expected to have some kind of “expert” answer which stands in direct opposition to both my personality and the natural way I believe a conversation is suppose to work.

I gag. Still, I realize this is the nature of interviews like this and I accept it as part of the process while I work desperately to avoid ever trying to sound like Dr. Phil by refusing to say statements like “How’s that workin’ for ya?” and “Do you wanna be right or do you wanna be happy?”

Still, there is also something exciting about having people call in. It’s true, there is no way to prepare for what someone might say, but that’s kind of the fun part. There is no way to prepare for what someone might say!

In a way, this takes the pressure off and frees me up to be myself.

So last week when the host opened it up to callers, I got that familiar ache in my knees I always get when I am anxious and also excited. One of the first callers was a girl, a junior in high school.

After two minutes of listening to her story, it was obvious she was a good girl – dedicated student, obedient daughter, sweet disposition, high anxiety, unrealistic expectations of herself. Her main concern was being a Christian in high school and wanting to be a good example for her friends.

But it was hard, she said, to always be a consistent one.

Then the host turned it over to me.

I made a few observations, told a story about how I could relate – I don’t think anything I said added much to the conversation in that moment, which was fine. This is the downfall of handing over the reins of conversation to an INFJ on a live call – I can usually assess the situation fairly accurately but it takes a lot of time for my observations to reach my mouth.

I tend to just want to ask a question or say, “Hmm, that’s so interesting!”

Which is decidedly not interesting on the radio.

Lucky for me, this particular radio host was deeply invested in the conversation and responded to her in an appropriate way – he told her the worst thing she could do is to try to have it all together in front of her friends.

Instead of trying so hard to be an example, just be honest. “If you struggle,” he said, “say so. If you hurt someone, apologize. Then they really will get to know you and they won’t have reason to call you a hypocrite.”

Brav. O.

When the interview was over, I sat in my room and thought for a few more minutes about the conversation. I kept rolling her words around in my head: “I want to be an example to my friends, but sometimes it’s so hard to be a good one.”

The more I thought about her struggle, the more frustrated I got. I paced my room, made my bed with the excess energy. I thought about what the host said to her and began to think how I would put his response in my own words.

Here’s what I came up with: She isn’t supposed to be an example. Her friends don’t need an example, they need a friend. A real one. An honest one. A touchable one. They  need a friend who doesn’t think she’s better than everyone, but one who knows she isn’t. They need a friend who knows she needs Jesus.

So what about being a leader and setting the example? Isn’t that a good thing? Isn’t that what parents and youth leaders tell students all the time?

The more I think about it, the more I believe this well-meaning statement is not only a manipulative way to try to control our daughters’ behavior, but can also be dangerous to their spiritual health. When we tell her to be an example, we may as well just hand her a mask right there – Here. Hide behind this. Don’t let them see you struggle.

I know that’s not what we mean. I know. But it doesn’t matter so much what we mean, it matters what she hears.

And when she hears adults tell her to be an example, she thinks that means she can never mess up, can never have problems, can never just be a teenager with struggles like everyone else.

She might then mature into a woman who believes being a Christian means having it all together, saying all the “right” things, staying a few steps above everyone else.

She may become a person people look up to, but she will never be someone they can relate to.

She may be successful at managing her behavior, but she will always struggle to manage people’s opinions.

She may have a great reputation, but her character will be clouded with bitterness and anger.

She may be a good church-goer, but she will not know how to be a good friend.

This may keep her out of trouble, but it will suffocate her soul.

But what about holiness?!  I can hear the protests now. Don’t we want her to be a light in a dark place?

Yes. But telling her to be an example won’t let her shine, it will just cause her to shrink.

She already is a light in a dark place, but here is the part most of us forget when we’re telling our teenagers to be an example:

Her light comes from Jesus, not from her awesome behavior.

Do you believe Christ himself has taken up residence within her? Do you trust him with her life – her decisions, her emotions, her relationships? Do you truly believe he goes with her wherever she goes?

If so, then instead of telling her to be an example, how about encouraging her to be herself?

When she is hurt, she can deeply feel it. When she messes up, she can own it. When she hurts someone, she can apologize. When she has doubts, she can voice them. And when she is joyful, it will be from a real place inside her, not a manufactured mask she puts on for show.

If you have a daughter graduating in a few weeks, don’t be afraid. As she packs her bags for her summer trip or her college dorm, encourage her to leave the mask behind.

Believe Christ is in her. Believe she already has everything she needs. And for the love, don’t tell her to be an example. Free her up to be herself – a girl who has the living Christ living inside her."

Deception and Rumors

I can honestly say that through observation I've seen how our culture had become one of deception and rumors and lies. A person is more willing to hear a lie from their best friend than the truth from a stranger. Truth, honesty, investigation into rumors...it's a thing of the past. 

One "avoids" conflict by hearing, believing, and judging by rumors and not pursing any truth from the person by the rumor is about. No one bothers to go to the accused and ask if it's true. Instead, they accept the rumor as truth and avoid any confrontation about what they've heard or believe. This leads to a mess of drama and heartaches and broken friendships and lost love. 

If you think I'm talking to the one reading this status, I'm not. It's just a general culture/generation thing. But if you want to take it personally, then that is not my fault because I warned you not to. But next time you hear something about anyone, check with it. Turns out, people lie. People spread rumors. People blow things up and miscommunicate. It's gotten to where I can't talk to anyone about anyone even about something good without someone taking it the wrong way and spreading it places and then I get blacklisted and avoided because of something GOOD I said. Silliness. Just ask. Just investigate. Just believe truth. 

Hope

"Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective. A lot of hope is dangerous. Spark is fine, as long as it's contained." -insert any bad guy here and it would probably apply

Christians are based and grounded upon hope. Hope from God concerning all things. He is with us through everything. If that doesn't give you hope then I don't know what will. He is behind us, supporting us, loving us, correcting us, guiding us, providing for us. I would be without hope if it were not His promise to be with me even through the valley of the shadow of death. I can face all things because of hope from God.

To Text Or Not To Text...THAT Is The Question

Maybe this will come across as harsh. Good. I mean it to be jarring and forceful. Too often people brush off this message as old news that doesn't apply to them. Trust me, it applies to everyone with a phone and a brain...but especially to those with a phone but without a brain. 

Studies have shown texting is more impairing than driving drunk. Driving Under the Influence is illegal. We know that and we know not to do that. But we think texting while driving is just fine. Texting is considered normal and harmless. We never assume that a texting accident could happen to us. 

Texting while driving is one of the most selfish things you can do. Not only are you putting your own life at danger, but you also endanger the lives of those you might hit. You are disrespecting the image of God by disrespecting His creation made in His very own image.

Another aspect of being selfish while driving...imagine if you were the person texting the person who crashed and died. The guilt over knowing it was your text that ended their life is not a guilt easily gotten over or brushed aside. It is selfish of any person driving and texting to possibly force that kind of guilt on someone just for innocently texting you...they probably didn't even know that you were TWD (Texting While Driving). If you are texting someone and you know they are driving, don't risk it...just don't text them or ask them to let you know when they are at their destination.

All in all, the greatest problem wrong with TWD is the disrespect you show to God's image with yourself and others who may be involved. God made your life particular and when you put yourself in danger, especially in great harm like that on purpose, then you are essentially breaking God's commandment of "thou shalt not murder" by putting yourself in purposeful harm when you know that it could mean life and death to yourself and others. 

We brush off this message because we never think it will happen to us. Do you think that those who die in accidents ever thought it would happen to them? We think we are invincible and untouchable until it happens to us, and then it's too late.

Here is a great video if you want to hear more of a Christian's perspective on TWD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=s3Sbvhc--sE

Are You Guilty? Or Grateful?

Christ took our guilt. Our guilt is removed from us and any remaining guilt is of the devil. A life of guilt cannot be led by a true Christian. Your moves cannot be dictated by the grip of fear and guilt over your sin...past or current. Guilt will shape and form any person, but especially a Christian to lead an unhealthy life that does not display God as we are called to do. Instead it will portray fear and self-pity and a depression that is unattractive and repelling. Our actions are not supposed to be some desperate attempt to gain reconciliation with God because we feel over-ridden with guilt. Instead, we are to understand that we have no guilt or past history left over because of Christ's work on earth and on the cross. Out of that knowledge and reality we are to live as Christians. We cannot commit our actions, thoughts, and daily deeds to somehow make up for our sin...we can never fulfill that or hope to achieve enough "goodness" to cover our disobedience to His Law. We seek to obey and follow His Law now not to earn our way to heaven or make up for how much we sin, but because we are so thankful for the penalty and punishment being paid for us because of His mercy and grace, not anything of ourselves, that we strive to please our Father in any way we possibly can. Our actions and works are to be 100% of gratitude for His sacrifice, not guilt over our own sin. 

It Matters Whom You Marry

(Note: I did get this from another blog...the original link is here: http://thechristianpundit.org/2012/08/15/it/)

"My husband and I were once with a youth group. There were three kids sitting across from us at a meal: two guys and a girl. The one guy was a computer geek with glasses. The other one was a college student with slightly cooler hair and no glasses. The girl was obviously with him. But while the computer geek was busy serving everyone at the meal, clearing plates and garbage, the college student got angry with the girl for a small accident and poured red juice over her leather jacket and white shirt. She picked the wrong guy, and the juice didn’t seem to change her mind. She is in for some grief if that relationship continues and especially if it leads to marriage.

So to all the young, unmarried Christian girls out there, listen up: who you marry matters. You might think that the way he treats you isn’t so bad. It’s not going to get better after the wedding. You might think that he’ll change. It’s possible, but most don’t. You might think that you’ll be able to minister to him and help him. Possibly, but if you can’t now, you won’t then, and you will be at risk yourself. A husband should lead and cherish you, not need your counsel for basic personality or behavior issues.

Unless someone married is very frank with you, you can’t understand how much a husband will impact your entire life. Next to salvation there is no other long term event that will change so many areas of your life so deeply. Here are just some of the ways that marriage will impact every aspect of living.

1. It will impact you spiritually. If the guy is not a believer, you can stop right there. You have no business yoking a redeemed soul with an unregenerate one, even if he seems open to change. Christ has bought you with a price and it is not an option to give away that blood bought heart to someone who doesn’t know and love your Lord. It will cripple your spiritual development, open up a host of temptations, stifle your prayer life, make regular church going difficult, and cause massive parenting conflict if you have children.

If the guy is a believer, is he a strong one? Will he lead you in prayer, Bible reading, family devotions, and public worship? Or will you be on your own? Is he going to make spiritual growth a priority or do other things come first? Is he going to ask you how it’s going with your soul so he can help you grow in holiness and love for Christ, or will he leave that to your pastor? Is he going to lead the children in this, or will you have to spearhead that? In church, is he going to help the kids sit well, pray, find the hymn, or will you be the one pointing out what is happening next and helping the family keep up? Many women have married spiritually immature men, thinking that it wasn’t a big issue, or that the man would change, and they were wrong. They bear the scars.

The health of your eternity is at stake. Think carefully.

2. It will impact you emotionally. Is the guy you’re thinking of going to encourage you, love you, be kind to you, and seek to understand you, or will he want to go out with the guys when you’re having a hard night? Will he listen when you are struggling with something or will he be preoccupied with a video game? Is he going to be annoyed when you cry or will he get you Kleenex and give you a hug? Is he going to going to understand that you are probably more tender than he is, more sensitive to issues and comments, or is he regularly going to run rough shod over your feelings? One woman was struggling to breastfeed her new baby, believing that that was the best thing for her, but it was very difficult. Instead of giving support and encouragement, the husband would make mooing sounds whenever he saw his wife working at it. We have to get rid of princess complexes, but we do have emotional needs. Any guy who is uncaring about your feelings and self esteem is selfish and should be left alone.

Be careful – a husband can cripple or foster emotional health.

3. It will impact you physically. Is the guy you’re with going to provide for your basic needs? Will he be able to shelter, clothe and feed you? At one point in our marriage, I was worried that there was no employment opportunity. My husband assured me that he would work at McDonalds, dig ditches, clean up roadkill – whatever it took to provide for the family, regardless of his gifts and training. That’s the kind of attitude you want. A man who doesn’t provide for his household is worse than an infidel (I Tim. 5:8). You might have to help ease the financial burden, but unless your husband is disabled or there is another unusual circumstance, you shouldn’t have to carry it yourself.

Will the man you are with care for your body or abuse it? If he gives you little smacks, kicks, etc. when you’re dating, get away. It’s almost guaranteed that he will abuse you after marriage, and stats show that’s especially true when you are pregnant. Is he going to care for and protect your body or will he hurt it? There are women in churches across America who thought it was no big deal to have little (sort of friendly) punches or slaps from their boyfriends, but who are covering up the bruises from their husbands.

Will the man you are with care for you sexually? Is he going to honour the marriage bed in physical and mental faithfulness to you or will he flirt, feed his porn addiction, or even leave you for another woman? You can’t always predict these issues, but if the seeds or practices are already there, watch out. I recently saw a newly married couple and the husband was flirting openly with another woman. Unless something drastic happens, that marriage is headed for disaster.

Is he going to be tender and gentle to you in bed? An unbelieving co-worker once told my sister that after her first sexual encounter, she had trouble walking for a few days because her boyfriend was so rough. In other words, he wasn’t selfless enough to care for the body of the woman he said he loved.

Watch out. Your body needs care and protection.

4. It will impact you mentally. Is the man that you’re thinking of going to be a source of worry or will he help you deal with your worries? Is he going to encourage your intellectual development, or will he neglect it? Is he going to value your opinions and listen to what you are thinking, or will he disregard your thoughts? Is he going to help you manage stress so that your mind is not burdened that way, or is he going to let you struggle through issues alone? Is he going to care for you and be thoughtful of you if you are experiencing mental strain, or will he ignore it? I know of a woman who could handle pregnancy and child birth very well physically but postpartum depression took a huge toll on her mind. The husband overlooked it, continuing to have more children, until his wife ended up in a mental institution.

You might think that the intellectual or mental side of a marriage is small. It’s bigger than you think. Consider it seriously.

5. It will impact you relationally. How’s your relationship with your mother? Your dad? Do you love them? Does your boyfriend? Fast forward ten years: you tell your husband that your mother is coming for the weekend. Is he excited? Disappointed? Angry? Making snide jokes with his friends? Of course, a husband should come first in your priority of relationships, as you both leave father and mother and cleave to one another. But parents are still a big part of the picture. Whatever negative feelings he has about your parents now will probably be amplified after marriage. Your marriage will either strengthen or damage – even destroy – your relationship with your parents. The people who know you best and love you most right now could be cut out of the picture by a husband who hates them.

It’s the same with sisters and friends. Will they be welcomed, at reasonable times, in your home? Will the guy who you’re with encourage healthy relationships with other women, or will he be jealous of normal, biblical friendships? Will he help you mentor younger women and be thankful when older women mentor you, or will he belittle that?

Don’t sacrifice many good relationships for the sake of one guy who can’t value the people who love you.

So how will your boyfriend do after the vows? Because this is just a sampling of the ways that a husband can bless or curse his wife. The effects are far reaching, long lasting, and either wonderful or difficult. True, there are no perfect men out there. But there are great ones. And it’s better to be single for life than to marry someone who will make your life a burden. Singleness can be great. Marriage to the wrong person is a nightmare. I've been in a church parking lot where the pastor had to call the police to protect a wife from a husband who was trying to stop her from worshiping and being with her family. It’s ugly. Don’t be so desperate to get married that your marriage is a grief. If you are in an unhappy marriage, there are ways to get help. But if you’re not married, don’t put yourself in that situation. Don’t marry someone whose leadership you can’t follow. Don’t marry someone who is not seeking to love you as Christ loved the church. Marry someone who knows and demonstrates the love of Christ."