Imagine with me for a second…think of the last time you were at a party. You were probably sitting in a chair watching people beat each other up on super smash bros, watching a movie, or simply just chilling. Anyway, point is, you have a chair and your friend, who happens to be standing just beside that wonderfully comfortable chair you’re sitting in, does not. Yet, all of a sudden, you feel the urge to get up and say…go to the bathroom, or get a drink, or go welcome that awesome new person that you just met last week (SAWEET). So (poor, innocent) you decide to get up and do your thing (whichever of the above choices you chose to pursue). Unfortunately, as you turn around to return to your oh-so-very-comfortable seat, you discover (to your horror) that your friend (*cough*) has already placed their backside in juxtaposition with what used to be considered “your” chair. Not anymore though. You know why your friend decided that s/he was justified in stealing, yes stealing, “your” seat? Cuz you didn’t declare to the world the simple phrase: SEAT CHECK.
Before I came to the United States of America, I had never in my life heard of the phrase “seat check.” So imagine my surprise when I had my first seat jacked from me when I neglected to pronounce these two simple words. Oh yes, it was a simply delightful experience. NOT. For me, it felt like some sort of violation against…my morals or something; it simply did not seem right to me in any way. Like seriously, if you’re going to jack my seat just take it and don’t give me the lame excuse that “you forgot to call seat check (so that justifies me taking the seat you were just occupying and intending on returning to).” Quit your jibber jabber, man up, and steal my seat; but don’t try to justify it by making it a game. Like c’mon, really?
While I understand that the seat is not actually MINE, I did get there first and it’s simply one of those unspoken moral codes: that when a person gets to a seat first, you respect their “right” to sit in the seat until they choose to get out of the seat and begin a completely different activity not involving the seat. Okay, before people start grumbling about how this is open to interpretation and this is purely my opinion and shouldn’t be a devotional, I would like to bring to light the passage found in Mark 12:31: “The second [greatest commandment] is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."” In case you’re wondering what in the world this has to do with anything I’ve said so far, let me explain. Jesus, the master of everything ever, said that the most important thing that we can do (other than loving God) is to love our neighbors as ourselves. Now imagine how much you love yourself, seriously. I’m pretty sure that the greater majority of us would do most anything to ensure that we live comfortably and are happy. Now imagine what your reaction is when someone steals your seat; probably something along the lines of “JERK!” or “UGGHHHH!” or “wow, REALLY?” Basically, not good. Now if you yourself do not like it when other people take your seat, and we want to live according to God’s Word which commands us to love others how we ourselves would want to be loved, then my question for you is this: is this whole “seat check” business biblically sound? And every time we steal another’s seat, are we building them up in a positive way or are we simply tearing down friendships (in minute ways that we cannot see with our human eyes)? Basically, if what we do is not uplifting for others, should we really be doing it?
Therefore, I am challenging you today to reevaluate this whole “seat check” business. Does God really desire us to be stealing other people’s seats, causing disharmony (even if it’s minor and brief and quickly forgotten) between two or more persons? Does He really want us to be concerned over such a small matter as remembering to “check” your seat amidst trustworthy companions? Does He really want us to always be worried about our FRIENDS (not even strangers) taking advantage of our ignorance or forgetfulness? I do not believe that there is really any biblically sound way that you can fashion a “yes” to answer these questions. So, all I am asking is that you think and pray about this issue, reflecting on what Jesus would do in a seat-stealing situation. And, yes, how Jesus would respond in these situations…that is exactly how we are called to act. Thus, my hope and prayer is that our youth group can continually be challenged to be one that learns to love one another, in every single way. Not just the ways that are easy or simple for us, but through every single one of our actions, including such a small matter as “seat checks.” How can we, as a community, strive to love one another in such a tiny teeny part of life? Pray about it; think about ways that you can express Christ’s love for us through your actions in the coming day, week, or year. Maybe that means restraining yourself when you feel the urge to “blitz” someone’s seat the next time they leave it without calling “seat check.” Maybe that means offering your seat to someone else who you think needs it (or doesn’t need it) more than you do simply out of care and concern for the individual. I don’t know what God is trying to tell you right now but I believe that He desires to use us more and more each day to reflect His love for EVERYONE IN THE WORLD. Think and pray about how you can be a reflection of God’s love this week, especially during everyday events or situations that God is convicting you of.
Pray about it. And take action. Today.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Humbleness. Or Wait, I Mean Humility.
Sometimes it is just so easy to feel awesome.
Maybe you play a sport. As soon you hit that three point shot or score that game-winning goal or run that speedy time, we all know what that feeling is right afterwards… “YEAHHHHH I’M THE MAN, I’M SO GOOD!!!”. Or maybe you don’t play a sport. Right after you play that piano or violin piece that you’ve been practicing for the past few months or even finish just a little drawing that you have been working on, maybe that feeling isn’t really outwardly expressed but you’re thinking it on the inside. You feel powerful, you feel accomplished, you just feel awesome. But we have to remember one thing.
We have to remember that it isn’t about us being the ones glorified.
Read Philippians 2: 5-8
Re-read it. Maybe even memorize it. Get this verse stuck in your head so that it is a constant reminder of how we should act at all times.
It is not about us being celebrated but how God gave us these talents to use for His good. God deserves all the praise and celebration, after all He is the one who created us and gave us these abilities. That feeling of power, success, or unstoppable-ness is not how we should think of ourselves. Now I’m not saying that when playing a sport or music piece or etc are we supposed to purposely make a mistake here or there just so that we don’t feel like we are on top of the world. But we should absolutely play each sport, sing each song, or draw each drawing to the very best of our abilitiy in order to glorify God who gives us these things.
Sure, humbling ourselves is very hard to do, but is it not exactly what Jesus did? He humbled himself to be the servant of all others even when he knew he could do these amazing things and was in fact in the very nature of God.
In order for God to truly be glorified, he must be the one whom all the credit is given. Maybe everytime that you do something great take a moment to thank God for that ability. Have a brief prayer. Thank the Lord for talents you’ve been given and give the praise and adoration to Him.
Keep that verse in your brain and always remember that it wasn’t Christ Jesus who considered himself equal to God, so let us act in the same manner and not consider ourselves great but give glory to the true Great One.
Maybe you play a sport. As soon you hit that three point shot or score that game-winning goal or run that speedy time, we all know what that feeling is right afterwards… “YEAHHHHH I’M THE MAN, I’M SO GOOD!!!”. Or maybe you don’t play a sport. Right after you play that piano or violin piece that you’ve been practicing for the past few months or even finish just a little drawing that you have been working on, maybe that feeling isn’t really outwardly expressed but you’re thinking it on the inside. You feel powerful, you feel accomplished, you just feel awesome. But we have to remember one thing.
We have to remember that it isn’t about us being the ones glorified.
Read Philippians 2: 5-8
Re-read it. Maybe even memorize it. Get this verse stuck in your head so that it is a constant reminder of how we should act at all times.
It is not about us being celebrated but how God gave us these talents to use for His good. God deserves all the praise and celebration, after all He is the one who created us and gave us these abilities. That feeling of power, success, or unstoppable-ness is not how we should think of ourselves. Now I’m not saying that when playing a sport or music piece or etc are we supposed to purposely make a mistake here or there just so that we don’t feel like we are on top of the world. But we should absolutely play each sport, sing each song, or draw each drawing to the very best of our abilitiy in order to glorify God who gives us these things.
Sure, humbling ourselves is very hard to do, but is it not exactly what Jesus did? He humbled himself to be the servant of all others even when he knew he could do these amazing things and was in fact in the very nature of God.
In order for God to truly be glorified, he must be the one whom all the credit is given. Maybe everytime that you do something great take a moment to thank God for that ability. Have a brief prayer. Thank the Lord for talents you’ve been given and give the praise and adoration to Him.
Keep that verse in your brain and always remember that it wasn’t Christ Jesus who considered himself equal to God, so let us act in the same manner and not consider ourselves great but give glory to the true Great One.
Monday, June 28, 2010
My Way or Yahweh?
To tell the truth, I spent a lot of time reflecting about how I was going to write a devo, especially amidst all this “busyness” of a vacation in China. But God is definitely good and He never fails to show his amazing glory to me every single day.
So last Sunday, my family and I were in Beijing and we had the awesome opportunity to attend BICF (Beijing International Christian Fellowship) Sunday Service. I cannot explain how glad I was to finally step into a church again – a very large one at that – and feel enveloped by that same warmness I feel back at WCAC. That day, the church had the opportunity to invite a guest speaker from Ohio and I can’t remember his name (probably means I should’ve wrote this earlier), but he was supposedly renowned as a Christian author and professor; think he had a Stuart in his name or something. ANYWAYS, he spoke about priorities and how we, as Christians, handle them. His sermon deeply moved me and drew some simple, yet often, overlooked truths.
This brings us to our REAL devo.
Read Colossians 3: 2-3
We, as “important” teens, like to find ourselves in busyness. And it’s extremely easy to say, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” But the Bible often speaks truths much easier said than done. Do we actually set God as our number one priority? Do we actually wake up in the morning feeling like doing devos and simply talking to God? Do we actually prefer to read the Holy Bible instead of watching the World Cup? For me right now, it’s super easy to just go into vacation-mode when I’m supposed to be in JESUS-mode 24/7.
Quick stories. Throughout my vacation, God has shown me many, I guess, little “reminders” to get back into JESUS-mode; one of them being BICF.
We had a friend who took us around Beijing, but he spoke pretty broken English. But God’s glory surpasses language barriers, and we were able to minister and teach our friend how to pray. Several other “outreach” instances also opened, such as ministering to taxi drivers and praying with my dad’s non-Christian agents. I had the amazing opportunity to go to the Great Wall of China. The wall is man-made, yet still remarkable. God showed me somethings even more remarkable: His creation – the lush forestry that He fed with rain, the towering mountains that He crafted, and all the beautiful animals He created. There is always time for God.
Sometimes we miss the point. It’s not about all this me-stuff – about possessions or entertainment. Who do you worship, God or the world? This brings us to…
Read Matthew 6: 19-34
Let me just finish with this passage. Read it a bajillion times, cause I feel this passage speaks a TON about what I’m trying to say. Pay particular attention to verses 24 and 33.
Honestly, sometimes we just have to chill a little with all the commotion of life and sit down and focus on the true focus, which is God. Pray… cause prayer is powerful. Talk to God. Remember, you’re talkin with the Creator and Sustainer of this whole universe. Focus on Him. I hope this devo was good to you as it spoke powerfully to me. Kudos to Joey Chen for that oh-so-outstanding title.
So last Sunday, my family and I were in Beijing and we had the awesome opportunity to attend BICF (Beijing International Christian Fellowship) Sunday Service. I cannot explain how glad I was to finally step into a church again – a very large one at that – and feel enveloped by that same warmness I feel back at WCAC. That day, the church had the opportunity to invite a guest speaker from Ohio and I can’t remember his name (probably means I should’ve wrote this earlier), but he was supposedly renowned as a Christian author and professor; think he had a Stuart in his name or something. ANYWAYS, he spoke about priorities and how we, as Christians, handle them. His sermon deeply moved me and drew some simple, yet often, overlooked truths.
This brings us to our REAL devo.
Read Colossians 3: 2-3
We, as “important” teens, like to find ourselves in busyness. And it’s extremely easy to say, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” But the Bible often speaks truths much easier said than done. Do we actually set God as our number one priority? Do we actually wake up in the morning feeling like doing devos and simply talking to God? Do we actually prefer to read the Holy Bible instead of watching the World Cup? For me right now, it’s super easy to just go into vacation-mode when I’m supposed to be in JESUS-mode 24/7.
Quick stories. Throughout my vacation, God has shown me many, I guess, little “reminders” to get back into JESUS-mode; one of them being BICF.
We had a friend who took us around Beijing, but he spoke pretty broken English. But God’s glory surpasses language barriers, and we were able to minister and teach our friend how to pray. Several other “outreach” instances also opened, such as ministering to taxi drivers and praying with my dad’s non-Christian agents. I had the amazing opportunity to go to the Great Wall of China. The wall is man-made, yet still remarkable. God showed me somethings even more remarkable: His creation – the lush forestry that He fed with rain, the towering mountains that He crafted, and all the beautiful animals He created. There is always time for God.
Sometimes we miss the point. It’s not about all this me-stuff – about possessions or entertainment. Who do you worship, God or the world? This brings us to…
Read Matthew 6: 19-34
Let me just finish with this passage. Read it a bajillion times, cause I feel this passage speaks a TON about what I’m trying to say. Pay particular attention to verses 24 and 33.
Honestly, sometimes we just have to chill a little with all the commotion of life and sit down and focus on the true focus, which is God. Pray… cause prayer is powerful. Talk to God. Remember, you’re talkin with the Creator and Sustainer of this whole universe. Focus on Him. I hope this devo was good to you as it spoke powerfully to me. Kudos to Joey Chen for that oh-so-outstanding title.
Friday, June 25, 2010
The Loving Father, The Lost Son, and The Older Brother
This is a passage that is so familiar with us but that gives us some many great reflection points. It is so important not to just fast forward thru this story and say, “yeah, yeah, yeah” I know this story. I would really hope that each time you read this, you are challenged by what Jesus was saying through this story. It is so rich and meaning and application for each of us. I want you to do something for me. Read this passage three times, each concentrating on the different perspectives of a different character from the story.
So first, read the story as if you were the father – now Read Luke 15:11-32
Can you see the pain of loving your son so much and then having him take advantage of our love and provision? Can you see what it means that you are overjoyed to see your son return more than the feeling of the son betraying you and leaving you? Do you believe in a God that gives this kind of love and grace? Understand this, God loves you and wants to shower mercy and grace as your return to Him. Rest in His grace.
So second, read the story as if you were the young son – now Read Luke 15:11-24
Are you taking for granted the love of your heavenly Father? Are you living in a way that is running away from God? Lastly, are you so ashamed of what you have done or are doing that you feel like you can’t return to the Father? Understand this, God loves you and wants you to return to Him. Rest in His grace.
So third, read the story as if you were the older son – now Read Luke 15:25-32
Is your walk with God run by duty and chore? Do you feel like you have always been “faithful” and wonder where your “party” is? Spend some time reflecting if you would rejoice if your brother returned home or not? Take some time to examine your walk with God. Understand this, God loves you and wants you to return to Him. Rest in His grace.
God is love! God is full or mercy and grace. Let this reign true in you.
For your viewing enjoyment you can watch the video I made with Emmaus (my son) and Ethan (my nephew) Prodigal Emmaus
So first, read the story as if you were the father – now Read Luke 15:11-32
Can you see the pain of loving your son so much and then having him take advantage of our love and provision? Can you see what it means that you are overjoyed to see your son return more than the feeling of the son betraying you and leaving you? Do you believe in a God that gives this kind of love and grace? Understand this, God loves you and wants to shower mercy and grace as your return to Him. Rest in His grace.
So second, read the story as if you were the young son – now Read Luke 15:11-24
Are you taking for granted the love of your heavenly Father? Are you living in a way that is running away from God? Lastly, are you so ashamed of what you have done or are doing that you feel like you can’t return to the Father? Understand this, God loves you and wants you to return to Him. Rest in His grace.
So third, read the story as if you were the older son – now Read Luke 15:25-32
Is your walk with God run by duty and chore? Do you feel like you have always been “faithful” and wonder where your “party” is? Spend some time reflecting if you would rejoice if your brother returned home or not? Take some time to examine your walk with God. Understand this, God loves you and wants you to return to Him. Rest in His grace.
God is love! God is full or mercy and grace. Let this reign true in you.
For your viewing enjoyment you can watch the video I made with Emmaus (my son) and Ethan (my nephew) Prodigal Emmaus
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Time to Wrestle
Read Genesis 32
What’s your first instinct when something goes wrong? What do you do when things don’t go according to plan? Is it to cry? Scheme? Give up? Maybe in our most difficult moments its time we consider something different: wrestle. Yup, wrestle, not the high flying, spandex wearing, square ring sort, but the desperate grappling you’d see from someone with no other options left. We see in Genesis 32 that Jacob has arrived at this final choice, to wrestle. He’s in the midst of an incredibly difficult time. After running from home because he’d stolen the blessing from his brother Esau, Jacob has left his uncle Laban’s with a new family and great wealth (again, much of it cheated from Laban) to return home. But he’s met with alarming news, his brother Esau, who he hasn’t seen in over 20 years, is coming out to meet him. Jacob is afraid. Last time he saw Esau, he’d stolen the blessing. He’s out of choices, he can’t run, he has his family with him. All he can do is send them ahead across the river and wait for Esau. Alone. Time for him to wrestle.
Read Genesis 32:22-31
His entire life up until now, Jacob has gotten what he wanted by scheming and trickery. His name Jacob means “He Cheats.” Everything he has earned he has done by his own hands and his own mind. But now, there’s nothing he can do to trick his way out of escaping Esau. And so, that night, Jacob wrestles with God. Jacob probably doesn’t know its God initially. Its just a man who has attacked him in the night. Maybe he thinks its one of Esau’s men. But Jacob does what he’s always done, he fights. He tries to win it with his own ability and strength. And for a time, it seems like he’s winning. So much so, that the man has to touch his hip to gain the upper hand. Now Jacob’s hip is dislocated and probably starting to realize this is no ordinary man he is dealing with. With no ability to use his lower body strength, Jacob has very few options, much like his problem with Esau. There’s only one thing he can do. He clings to God. He grabs hold of God and says, I will not let go until you bless me. If Jacob was the stronger, this would seem to be an arrogant demanding request. But Jacob is the loser, he can’t wrestle anymore. He’s not demanding anything, he’s desperate; he’s begging for blessing. All of a sudden, his strength is insufficient. He’s run out of tricks and deception.
Its in this desperate clinging to God that Jacob finds the victory. This is real blessing. Not blessing won from ability or trickery, but blessing given as a gift from God. Real blessing. God blesses Jacob (v29) and gives him a new name as a reflection of that blessing. No longer Jacob, “he cheats” but now, Israel, “He strives with God.” So that’s the question for us, how do we respond in our darkest moments? Do we try to cheat and win by our own ability? Or do we cling in desperation to God? Jacob’s life changed that night when he wrestled with God, lost, and realized it. Perhaps in our most difficult moments, its time for us to wrestle so that we can see our only hope comes when we hold on to God.
What’s your first instinct when something goes wrong? What do you do when things don’t go according to plan? Is it to cry? Scheme? Give up? Maybe in our most difficult moments its time we consider something different: wrestle. Yup, wrestle, not the high flying, spandex wearing, square ring sort, but the desperate grappling you’d see from someone with no other options left. We see in Genesis 32 that Jacob has arrived at this final choice, to wrestle. He’s in the midst of an incredibly difficult time. After running from home because he’d stolen the blessing from his brother Esau, Jacob has left his uncle Laban’s with a new family and great wealth (again, much of it cheated from Laban) to return home. But he’s met with alarming news, his brother Esau, who he hasn’t seen in over 20 years, is coming out to meet him. Jacob is afraid. Last time he saw Esau, he’d stolen the blessing. He’s out of choices, he can’t run, he has his family with him. All he can do is send them ahead across the river and wait for Esau. Alone. Time for him to wrestle.
Read Genesis 32:22-31
His entire life up until now, Jacob has gotten what he wanted by scheming and trickery. His name Jacob means “He Cheats.” Everything he has earned he has done by his own hands and his own mind. But now, there’s nothing he can do to trick his way out of escaping Esau. And so, that night, Jacob wrestles with God. Jacob probably doesn’t know its God initially. Its just a man who has attacked him in the night. Maybe he thinks its one of Esau’s men. But Jacob does what he’s always done, he fights. He tries to win it with his own ability and strength. And for a time, it seems like he’s winning. So much so, that the man has to touch his hip to gain the upper hand. Now Jacob’s hip is dislocated and probably starting to realize this is no ordinary man he is dealing with. With no ability to use his lower body strength, Jacob has very few options, much like his problem with Esau. There’s only one thing he can do. He clings to God. He grabs hold of God and says, I will not let go until you bless me. If Jacob was the stronger, this would seem to be an arrogant demanding request. But Jacob is the loser, he can’t wrestle anymore. He’s not demanding anything, he’s desperate; he’s begging for blessing. All of a sudden, his strength is insufficient. He’s run out of tricks and deception.
Its in this desperate clinging to God that Jacob finds the victory. This is real blessing. Not blessing won from ability or trickery, but blessing given as a gift from God. Real blessing. God blesses Jacob (v29) and gives him a new name as a reflection of that blessing. No longer Jacob, “he cheats” but now, Israel, “He strives with God.” So that’s the question for us, how do we respond in our darkest moments? Do we try to cheat and win by our own ability? Or do we cling in desperation to God? Jacob’s life changed that night when he wrestled with God, lost, and realized it. Perhaps in our most difficult moments, its time for us to wrestle so that we can see our only hope comes when we hold on to God.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
In the Lord
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4
Recently, Jon told me that idols are anything that gives us more joy than God. An easier definition to live by (if you are trying to avoid idols) is the one given by dictionary.com: an image of a deity other than God or any person or thing regarded with blind admiration. I guess both these definitions are correct, but it’s easy for me to feel normal/not guilty about idolizing things if it doesn’t look like bowing to a carved image. That is a bad thing. Example: if I consistently went out with friends even if it meant sacrificing much-needed time with God, that would be because I find more joy in hanging out with friends than reading my Bible. It’s not like I’m sinning all over the place while being with my friends or that I have to spend hours every day doing my devotionals, but by wanting to focus my time and thoughts on them instead of God, I’m idolizing my friends.
Sometimes when we sing praise songs about how God is the only thing we need and want, I hesitate because I want so many other things. I don’t think there has ever been a whole worship set where I haven’t thought about something other than praising God for at least a few moments. Jesus is supposed to be my One Desire. I don’t think this means that I can’t think about or want something else, but He should be the only thing that gives me true fulfillment and the only thing I want to give me true fulfillment. In Blue like Jazz by Don Miller, he talks about how loving Jesus is something you know and something you can feel. It is a feeling if you are in love with Jesus.
It is easier to put the Bible as your first favorite book on your facebook profile than to spend more time reading it than the other books on your list. It is easier to put God as your first interest than wanting to spend more time with Him than your hobbies. Oftentimes my pride in wanting God to seem first in my life gets in the way of Him actually being first.
I know that delighting in the Lord doesn’t mean always being super excited and jumping around everywhere because I’m so happy about knowing Jesus, but it should change how I want to spend my time, money, etc. However, I have found that I can feel tangibly peaceful and even happy after something bad happens if I give it over to God. We act differently if God is the only thing that truly fulfills us.
Recently, Jon told me that idols are anything that gives us more joy than God. An easier definition to live by (if you are trying to avoid idols) is the one given by dictionary.com: an image of a deity other than God or any person or thing regarded with blind admiration. I guess both these definitions are correct, but it’s easy for me to feel normal/not guilty about idolizing things if it doesn’t look like bowing to a carved image. That is a bad thing. Example: if I consistently went out with friends even if it meant sacrificing much-needed time with God, that would be because I find more joy in hanging out with friends than reading my Bible. It’s not like I’m sinning all over the place while being with my friends or that I have to spend hours every day doing my devotionals, but by wanting to focus my time and thoughts on them instead of God, I’m idolizing my friends.
Sometimes when we sing praise songs about how God is the only thing we need and want, I hesitate because I want so many other things. I don’t think there has ever been a whole worship set where I haven’t thought about something other than praising God for at least a few moments. Jesus is supposed to be my One Desire. I don’t think this means that I can’t think about or want something else, but He should be the only thing that gives me true fulfillment and the only thing I want to give me true fulfillment. In Blue like Jazz by Don Miller, he talks about how loving Jesus is something you know and something you can feel. It is a feeling if you are in love with Jesus.
It is easier to put the Bible as your first favorite book on your facebook profile than to spend more time reading it than the other books on your list. It is easier to put God as your first interest than wanting to spend more time with Him than your hobbies. Oftentimes my pride in wanting God to seem first in my life gets in the way of Him actually being first.
I know that delighting in the Lord doesn’t mean always being super excited and jumping around everywhere because I’m so happy about knowing Jesus, but it should change how I want to spend my time, money, etc. However, I have found that I can feel tangibly peaceful and even happy after something bad happens if I give it over to God. We act differently if God is the only thing that truly fulfills us.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The Destruction of Anger
Do you lose your temper easily? When someone hurts you or makes fun of you, do you get angry? Do you fight back, verbally or physically?
Read Matthew 5:21-26
We all handle certain situations differently, but it’s because we all make a choice to carry out certain actions. You can CHOOSE to get angry about it, or you can take a deep breath, calm down, and know that you are doing the right thing by not saying or doing anything mean. Although we might think of murder as way worse than just lying, but God sees sin as sin. There isn’t really a big difference between murder and lying in the eyes of God; they are both sins. Calling someone a fool, stupid, or any other names in which it may hurt the other person is a way of attacking the other person’s character. Even if the person may not show that it hurts, it’s never a good idea to harm another’s identity.
James 2:8 “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well.”
According to the Royal Law of Love, you should love each other. So the first best thing to do would be to reconcile. Reconcile with the person that might have something against you. In the passage, no reconciliation led to the people going to court, and then prison. So if you think that’s bad, how do you think God thinks of you? God is the ultimate and final judge, only He may judge your character, not your parents, nor friends, nor family members. And if you cannot reconcile and love one another, do you really love God?
1 John 4:19-21 “We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar, for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him; whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
We were created in the image of God, so shouldn’t we represent God through ways of love rather than anger? Take some time to think about who you might have hurt or who you might have a grudge against. Did you think you were doing the right thing?
Read Matthew 5:21-26
We all handle certain situations differently, but it’s because we all make a choice to carry out certain actions. You can CHOOSE to get angry about it, or you can take a deep breath, calm down, and know that you are doing the right thing by not saying or doing anything mean. Although we might think of murder as way worse than just lying, but God sees sin as sin. There isn’t really a big difference between murder and lying in the eyes of God; they are both sins. Calling someone a fool, stupid, or any other names in which it may hurt the other person is a way of attacking the other person’s character. Even if the person may not show that it hurts, it’s never a good idea to harm another’s identity.
James 2:8 “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well.”
According to the Royal Law of Love, you should love each other. So the first best thing to do would be to reconcile. Reconcile with the person that might have something against you. In the passage, no reconciliation led to the people going to court, and then prison. So if you think that’s bad, how do you think God thinks of you? God is the ultimate and final judge, only He may judge your character, not your parents, nor friends, nor family members. And if you cannot reconcile and love one another, do you really love God?
1 John 4:19-21 “We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar, for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him; whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
We were created in the image of God, so shouldn’t we represent God through ways of love rather than anger? Take some time to think about who you might have hurt or who you might have a grudge against. Did you think you were doing the right thing?
Monday, June 21, 2010
The Heart of Worship by Jen Tang
Worship and praise through music have been so influential in my walk with Christ. Even before I became Christian I knew there was something powerful about a room full of believers singing and guitar-ing and just praising God. And in some ways, that made me feel like an outsider. Or an onlooker. That everyone was so filled with a passion for God that I didn’t understand. But you could see so clearly the way the Holy Spirit was moving in and among each individual and though I wasn’t a part of it, I knew it was something amazing.
Then after I came to know Christ, music became this really awesome experience that helped me grow closer to God and it was just how I would express my love for Christ and praise him and just sing about His amazing love. But I guess, recently, I joined a worship team and began leading worship for Sunday school. The role of music in my spiritual life changed, from a medium through which I could be with God, to kind of another responsibility – something I would have to prepare and perform and practice. The stress over how I sounded and how I played and how I sung distracted me from the true purpose of worship. I became so concerned with this fear of screwing up the song or the words or chords. For me, worship wasn’t about God anymore, but about pleasing the congregation and not making a fool of myself.
But I recalled something Jon told me when I first joined a worship team – he said that when they practiced, his team would only go through the set once and be done so as not to make worship a time about the band’s performance and playing everything perfectly, but to keep it focused on God.
Read and reflect on Mark 12:29-30
Heart of Worship
When the music fades
And all is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless your heart
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the ways things appear
You're looking into my heart
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You
All about You, Jesus
I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You
It's all about You Jesus
King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve
Though I'm weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath
Pray this song to God
Then after I came to know Christ, music became this really awesome experience that helped me grow closer to God and it was just how I would express my love for Christ and praise him and just sing about His amazing love. But I guess, recently, I joined a worship team and began leading worship for Sunday school. The role of music in my spiritual life changed, from a medium through which I could be with God, to kind of another responsibility – something I would have to prepare and perform and practice. The stress over how I sounded and how I played and how I sung distracted me from the true purpose of worship. I became so concerned with this fear of screwing up the song or the words or chords. For me, worship wasn’t about God anymore, but about pleasing the congregation and not making a fool of myself.
But I recalled something Jon told me when I first joined a worship team – he said that when they practiced, his team would only go through the set once and be done so as not to make worship a time about the band’s performance and playing everything perfectly, but to keep it focused on God.
Read and reflect on Mark 12:29-30
Heart of Worship
When the music fades
And all is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless your heart
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the ways things appear
You're looking into my heart
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You
All about You, Jesus
I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You
It's all about You Jesus
King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve
Though I'm weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath
Pray this song to God
Friday, June 18, 2010
A Biblical Model
Excerpts from Study & Meditation by Jan Johnson
One classic method of entering into a Scripture text is called lectio divina, which is Latin for "divine reading." It includes reading a Scripture passage aloud, meditating on it, praying about it and contemplating God in it. As the Bible passage is read, we wait for a word to resonate or "shimmer." Then we meditate on that word or phrase to hear what God might have to say to us. After praying about what this means, we rest in quiet contemplation before God.
The key lectio is to be open to hear God afresh in Scripture. That means setting aside previous ideas of how this passage applies to us. With unfamiliar passages, it may help to do a short preliminary study to understand historical background and individual words so we can open ourselves to hear anew from God. If we are truly open, God usually communicates surprising things we could never have made up ourselves.
Read and reflect upon Luke 1:46-55 and 1 Samuel 2:1-10
"It is necessary to immerse ourselves in [the Bible], to let it permeate our flesh, to grow so familiar with it that we possess it in the depths of our being and hold it in our memory. A good example is the Magnificat, the Song of Mary. It flows with biblical imagery, clearly the fruit of a heart that knew the Bible." - Enzo Bianchi
"The Great Inversion [means that] there are none in the humanly 'down' position so low that they cannot be lifted up by entering God's order, and none in the humanly 'up' position so high that they can disregard God's point of view on their lives. The barren, the widow, the orphan, the eunuch, the alien, all models of human hopelessness, are fruitful and secure in God's care." - Dallas Willard
"We come to the [Bible] text with an openness to hear, to receive, to respond, to be a servant of the Word rather than a master of the text." - Robert Mulholland
And if you have the time, sing a song you know by heart. Sing it several times, and let the words of the song deepen within you.
One classic method of entering into a Scripture text is called lectio divina, which is Latin for "divine reading." It includes reading a Scripture passage aloud, meditating on it, praying about it and contemplating God in it. As the Bible passage is read, we wait for a word to resonate or "shimmer." Then we meditate on that word or phrase to hear what God might have to say to us. After praying about what this means, we rest in quiet contemplation before God.
The key lectio is to be open to hear God afresh in Scripture. That means setting aside previous ideas of how this passage applies to us. With unfamiliar passages, it may help to do a short preliminary study to understand historical background and individual words so we can open ourselves to hear anew from God. If we are truly open, God usually communicates surprising things we could never have made up ourselves.
Read and reflect upon Luke 1:46-55 and 1 Samuel 2:1-10
"It is necessary to immerse ourselves in [the Bible], to let it permeate our flesh, to grow so familiar with it that we possess it in the depths of our being and hold it in our memory. A good example is the Magnificat, the Song of Mary. It flows with biblical imagery, clearly the fruit of a heart that knew the Bible." - Enzo Bianchi
"The Great Inversion [means that] there are none in the humanly 'down' position so low that they cannot be lifted up by entering God's order, and none in the humanly 'up' position so high that they can disregard God's point of view on their lives. The barren, the widow, the orphan, the eunuch, the alien, all models of human hopelessness, are fruitful and secure in God's care." - Dallas Willard
"We come to the [Bible] text with an openness to hear, to receive, to respond, to be a servant of the Word rather than a master of the text." - Robert Mulholland
And if you have the time, sing a song you know by heart. Sing it several times, and let the words of the song deepen within you.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Meditation and Obedience
Excerpts from Study & Meditation by Jan Johnson
You've probably heard someone say that the longest distance in the world is from a person's head to a person's heart. What that statement usually means is that to know a fact in your mind does not mean you truly believe it in such a way that your behavior changes. The premise behind this Bible study series is that our behavior changes as we connect with God. When we do the connecting, God does the perfecting.
One of the ways we connect with God is through Scripture, but merely reading Scripture or even studying it is not enough. The connection is extended and made stronger as we meditate on Scripture.
The overlooked discipline of meditation on Scripture is mentioned many times in the Bible - fifteen times in Psalms alone. When Scripture talks about meditation, it often mentions obedience in the next breath.
"Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful" - Joshua 1:8 (Oh my wow, we just learned this in youth group!)
Read and reflect upon Psalm 119:97-104
"It is not that you will think about what you have read, but you will feed upon what you have read. Out of a love for the Lord you exert your will to hold your mind quiet before him. In this peaceful state, swallow what you have tasted... take in what is there as nourishment." - Jeanne Guyon
If you have the time, take a walk, bringing either your Bible or a passage of Scripture with you. As you walk, put yourself completely into the text and picture yourself as part of it.
Ex: The woman that was bleeding who longs for a secret healing (Mark 5:25-34) OR the father who only half believes that Jesus can help his demon-possessed son, but sees Jesus heal the boy anyways (Mark 9:14-27)
You've probably heard someone say that the longest distance in the world is from a person's head to a person's heart. What that statement usually means is that to know a fact in your mind does not mean you truly believe it in such a way that your behavior changes. The premise behind this Bible study series is that our behavior changes as we connect with God. When we do the connecting, God does the perfecting.
One of the ways we connect with God is through Scripture, but merely reading Scripture or even studying it is not enough. The connection is extended and made stronger as we meditate on Scripture.
The overlooked discipline of meditation on Scripture is mentioned many times in the Bible - fifteen times in Psalms alone. When Scripture talks about meditation, it often mentions obedience in the next breath.
"Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful" - Joshua 1:8 (Oh my wow, we just learned this in youth group!)
Read and reflect upon Psalm 119:97-104
"It is not that you will think about what you have read, but you will feed upon what you have read. Out of a love for the Lord you exert your will to hold your mind quiet before him. In this peaceful state, swallow what you have tasted... take in what is there as nourishment." - Jeanne Guyon
If you have the time, take a walk, bringing either your Bible or a passage of Scripture with you. As you walk, put yourself completely into the text and picture yourself as part of it.
Ex: The woman that was bleeding who longs for a secret healing (Mark 5:25-34) OR the father who only half believes that Jesus can help his demon-possessed son, but sees Jesus heal the boy anyways (Mark 9:14-27)
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Comprehending God's Truth
Excerpts from Study & Meditation from Jan Johnson
"I don't get it" is the phrase we use to indicate that we don't comprehend the meaning of what we read or heard. The purpose of studying the Bible is to "get it." We examine the text carefully to comprehend what the Holy Spirit is communicating through the words on the page. Although the Scripture itself says almost nothing about study, it does urge us to make the effort required to truly hear the Word and follow it, both of which involve comprehension. The goal of studying Scripture is to know God.
Studying the Bible commonly includes gathering basic facts, understanding the text,and applying the text. So first we must look at what the passage says, who is talking and who is being spoken to, and the historical background. Next we have to figure out what this says about God and what it says about us as humans. Then we look at the text and think about how we might pray upon the passage and how we will act.
Read Isaiah 11:1-9 and reflect upon it.
Also read Matthew 23:23-29 and John 5:39 and focus on the Pharisees and the teacher of the law to see that even though you can study the Scripture well but miss out on what God is saying.
"I don't get it" is the phrase we use to indicate that we don't comprehend the meaning of what we read or heard. The purpose of studying the Bible is to "get it." We examine the text carefully to comprehend what the Holy Spirit is communicating through the words on the page. Although the Scripture itself says almost nothing about study, it does urge us to make the effort required to truly hear the Word and follow it, both of which involve comprehension. The goal of studying Scripture is to know God.
Studying the Bible commonly includes gathering basic facts, understanding the text,and applying the text. So first we must look at what the passage says, who is talking and who is being spoken to, and the historical background. Next we have to figure out what this says about God and what it says about us as humans. Then we look at the text and think about how we might pray upon the passage and how we will act.
Read Isaiah 11:1-9 and reflect upon it.
Also read Matthew 23:23-29 and John 5:39 and focus on the Pharisees and the teacher of the law to see that even though you can study the Scripture well but miss out on what God is saying.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Immersing Yourself in God's Thoughts
People perceive the Bible as boring. "Dead words on a page." So as long as we have an exciting teacher, we're good to go.
What we don't realize is that the Bible is God-breathed.
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness..." 2 Timothy 3:16. So God uses the Word the connect and communicate with us. It can transform us into very different people that think and love like God.
When we study the Bible, we must look past what is written on the page. It tells us about who God is and teaches us to live wisely. Every day that we spend in God's word, God shows us a bit of His will for us. This is pretty exciting, eh?
Reading the Bible should not be an obligation and it is definitely not a thing to check off our list. So let's dig into the word.
Read Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Reflect upon these verses. Think about what God promises for us and think about how we are supposed to relate to God. Also, think about how God will permeate all of our ordinary, mundane activities.
"[The Bible] is not only a book which was once spoken, but a book which is now speaking... If you would follow on to know the Lord, come at once to the open Bible expecting it to speak to you. Do not come with the notion that it is a thing which you can push around at your convenience." A.W. Tozer
Also, take some time to be still and quiet. Turn off your computer, your cell phone, your music, whatever. And just reflect upon a psalm. If you don't have a favorite psalm, try Psalm 42.
What we don't realize is that the Bible is God-breathed.
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness..." 2 Timothy 3:16. So God uses the Word the connect and communicate with us. It can transform us into very different people that think and love like God.
When we study the Bible, we must look past what is written on the page. It tells us about who God is and teaches us to live wisely. Every day that we spend in God's word, God shows us a bit of His will for us. This is pretty exciting, eh?
Reading the Bible should not be an obligation and it is definitely not a thing to check off our list. So let's dig into the word.
Read Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Reflect upon these verses. Think about what God promises for us and think about how we are supposed to relate to God. Also, think about how God will permeate all of our ordinary, mundane activities.
"[The Bible] is not only a book which was once spoken, but a book which is now speaking... If you would follow on to know the Lord, come at once to the open Bible expecting it to speak to you. Do not come with the notion that it is a thing which you can push around at your convenience." A.W. Tozer
Also, take some time to be still and quiet. Turn off your computer, your cell phone, your music, whatever. And just reflect upon a psalm. If you don't have a favorite psalm, try Psalm 42.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Devo Worshiping God
Throughout my life, I have never really stuck to one thing. I’ve practiced a lot of sports, played a lot of instruments, and I’ve even tried some martial arts. But one thing that I have stuck to is worshiping God. From when I was ye high to now, I have been coming to Church. Now people would say that my parents forced me to go. Well, yes, when I was little. I would threaten not to go to Sunday Service and they would threaten to not feed me. So of course I went. But now, my parents don’t even attend the same Church as I do. So that’s why I don’t to WCAC anymore… I’m just kidding. I still come. And I feel that is important for all of us to stay connected to a Church
As we as believers get older and start heading off in different directions in life, it is important to stay connected to a body of believers. If it’s easy now to sleep in through Sunday service, then how will you be when you go to college? Oh I can just change later, no big deal. But I’m telling you as everybody else says, old habits die hard.
Read John 15:1-17
Ok, so we are the branches, Jesus is the true vine, and God is the gardener. If a branch is not connected to the vine, the branch will wither and eventually die. I don’t’ mean that if we aren’t connected to Jesus, we’re going to go into a fetal position and then wither up and die. I mean that our spiritual lives will suffer. After all, it’s sort of hard to be a Christian without Christ.
Just because we go to Sunday service every Sunday doesn’t mean our spiritual lives are all fine and dandy. A lot of people go to attend a Church service just like people go to the bathroom, or the mall, or to school. That doesn’t necessarily make them a true follower. Same deal with devotionals, prayer, and quiet time. Just because we do these things every day doesn’t necessarily make us a true follower. Anybody can do the act of prayer or going to Church or devotionals. But what matters is our hearts towards God.
We must realize that it’s all about God because who are we compared to Him? We are nobodies! Yet he extended his grace and love towards us so we can be saved through Him. Our actions should reflect that. We love Him because He first loved us. We live for Him because He died for us. We are responding to God’s goodness to us.
I want you to reflect upon the promise he makes through this passage.
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you.”
Now go and bear fruit.
As we as believers get older and start heading off in different directions in life, it is important to stay connected to a body of believers. If it’s easy now to sleep in through Sunday service, then how will you be when you go to college? Oh I can just change later, no big deal. But I’m telling you as everybody else says, old habits die hard.
Read John 15:1-17
Ok, so we are the branches, Jesus is the true vine, and God is the gardener. If a branch is not connected to the vine, the branch will wither and eventually die. I don’t’ mean that if we aren’t connected to Jesus, we’re going to go into a fetal position and then wither up and die. I mean that our spiritual lives will suffer. After all, it’s sort of hard to be a Christian without Christ.
Just because we go to Sunday service every Sunday doesn’t mean our spiritual lives are all fine and dandy. A lot of people go to attend a Church service just like people go to the bathroom, or the mall, or to school. That doesn’t necessarily make them a true follower. Same deal with devotionals, prayer, and quiet time. Just because we do these things every day doesn’t necessarily make us a true follower. Anybody can do the act of prayer or going to Church or devotionals. But what matters is our hearts towards God.
We must realize that it’s all about God because who are we compared to Him? We are nobodies! Yet he extended his grace and love towards us so we can be saved through Him. Our actions should reflect that. We love Him because He first loved us. We live for Him because He died for us. We are responding to God’s goodness to us.
I want you to reflect upon the promise he makes through this passage.
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you.”
Now go and bear fruit.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Job Song
One of my favorite verses from the Bible comes from Job. It is Job 26:14. Before we get to that passage I think it is important to know who Job is and what he was going through. For those that don't know about the story of Job, he was a man that was faithful and loved God. Then Satan started attacking him to prove to God that Job only praised Him because of all the good things going on in Job's life. So God gave Satan permission to take away everything from Job, his family, his land, his livelihood, and etc....
Yet Job continued to look to God and asked Him for strength. Through his whole journey he still wanted God to be part of his life. We sing a popular praise song called Job Song and it goes like this:
Been Broken put through a fire. Felt the heat melt all my strength away
Felt so lonely, felt so abandoned. “Where is God?” I heard my little voice say
I need You, I need You. Oh Lord, please hold me next to You
I need You, I need You. Oh Lord, don’t let me fall from You
Lord, I know this world isn’t easy, And I know that You never promised no pain
Trials will come and trials will test me
But help me, Lord – it’s hard to see them as gain
I forgot that You’re right beside me
Let me know that You’re with me through the length
Though I’m weak, this is my prayer –
Through my weakness, Lord, please be my strength
Job through all things in his life good and bad wanted to see more of God. Then he also realized that all of this was still just a small glimpse of God's amazing beauty. So read Job 26:14
14 And these are but the outer fringe of his works;
how faint the whisper we hear of him!
Who then can understand the thunder of his power?"
Take some time to reflect on our amazing God. The thunder of his power in which we can't comprehend. We only hear faint whispers of Him but that isn't an indication that the ways God works are small and insignificant. God works in amazing ways but even in those huge ways, they are still just a small glimpse of His glory and amazement.
Yet Job continued to look to God and asked Him for strength. Through his whole journey he still wanted God to be part of his life. We sing a popular praise song called Job Song and it goes like this:
Been Broken put through a fire. Felt the heat melt all my strength away
Felt so lonely, felt so abandoned. “Where is God?” I heard my little voice say
I need You, I need You. Oh Lord, please hold me next to You
I need You, I need You. Oh Lord, don’t let me fall from You
Lord, I know this world isn’t easy, And I know that You never promised no pain
Trials will come and trials will test me
But help me, Lord – it’s hard to see them as gain
I forgot that You’re right beside me
Let me know that You’re with me through the length
Though I’m weak, this is my prayer –
Through my weakness, Lord, please be my strength
Job through all things in his life good and bad wanted to see more of God. Then he also realized that all of this was still just a small glimpse of God's amazing beauty. So read Job 26:14
14 And these are but the outer fringe of his works;
how faint the whisper we hear of him!
Who then can understand the thunder of his power?"
Take some time to reflect on our amazing God. The thunder of his power in which we can't comprehend. We only hear faint whispers of Him but that isn't an indication that the ways God works are small and insignificant. God works in amazing ways but even in those huge ways, they are still just a small glimpse of His glory and amazement.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
All the believers were one in heart and mind
“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.”
Acts 4:32-35 (NIV)
Last summer, God taught me a lot about what He wants His church to look like. In St. Louis, I attended a church that had a bluegrass worship team and a pastor that wore blue jeans and a baseball cap up to the pulpit. He played a clip of The Simpsons as an illustration and conducted a baptism and two baby dedications in the same service. At another church, the worship team looked like a mariachi band, liturgy was used in every section of the service and Jesus was referred to as El Señor. At both these places, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit, and I know that God was pleased with the worship of those two congregations.
I found it fascinating. How diverse our God must be to create people that worship Him in these ways! And then it got me thinking… what should the Church look like? I mean, looking at just those two churches, there must be a million different possibilities. But what is at the core of what God intended the body of Christ to be?
This passage in Acts paints a picture of the early church that awes me whenever I read it.
1. All the believers were one in heart and mind.
2. They shared everything they had.
3. The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
4. There were no needy persons among them.
5. Money (from land or houses sold voluntarily) was distributed to anyone as he had need.
Isn’t that amazing?
The early church was intimate and close-knit. They looked after their own and proclaimed Christ to others. They “all joined together constantly in prayer” (Acts 1:14) and “ate together with glad and sincere hearts” (Acts 2:46).
Is that what our church looks like?
Acts 4:32-35 (NIV)
Last summer, God taught me a lot about what He wants His church to look like. In St. Louis, I attended a church that had a bluegrass worship team and a pastor that wore blue jeans and a baseball cap up to the pulpit. He played a clip of The Simpsons as an illustration and conducted a baptism and two baby dedications in the same service. At another church, the worship team looked like a mariachi band, liturgy was used in every section of the service and Jesus was referred to as El Señor. At both these places, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit, and I know that God was pleased with the worship of those two congregations.
I found it fascinating. How diverse our God must be to create people that worship Him in these ways! And then it got me thinking… what should the Church look like? I mean, looking at just those two churches, there must be a million different possibilities. But what is at the core of what God intended the body of Christ to be?
This passage in Acts paints a picture of the early church that awes me whenever I read it.
1. All the believers were one in heart and mind.
2. They shared everything they had.
3. The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
4. There were no needy persons among them.
5. Money (from land or houses sold voluntarily) was distributed to anyone as he had need.
Isn’t that amazing?
The early church was intimate and close-knit. They looked after their own and proclaimed Christ to others. They “all joined together constantly in prayer” (Acts 1:14) and “ate together with glad and sincere hearts” (Acts 2:46).
Is that what our church looks like?
Friday, June 4, 2010
Faith and Works
As many of you know, I was a member of the Service Ministry on Doulos, so that meant a lot of service project planning and attending, so I thought the topic of service/deeds would be appropriate for me to write about. So there’s my little introduction, here we go.
James 2:14-17 says “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him “Go, I wish you well, keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
This topic is brought up quite often within the Church. Therefore, it seems as though a lot of pressure is put upon Christians to do good works. Christians know that “good deeds” are the “right” thing to do, so they either choose to perform these things because it’s what is expected of them, or they choose to not because they think that their own agenda is more important, and they’re already “right” in their mindset, so they don’t need to perform acts of service. As for me– a leader in service– I, at times, felt that it was my duty to attend service projects, so that was an extra push for me to get up on that Saturday morning and go do something for the community. Well there’s nothing wrong with a little external motivation to keep you doing the things you should be doing. But the act of performing good deeds is about the mindset you have when doing them. Some may feel as though they must get crackin’ on the community service in order to “save” their faith because of this verse (James 2:14-17), but that’s not the right approach. You shouldn’t sign up for service projects because you think it’s your obligation to do so or because you feel like others may question the sincerity of your faith if you don’t. You should see every opportunity to show love onto others as just that– an opportunity. “Deeds” aren’t just offical events that Pastor Ben announces on Sundays. Deeds– small or big– are little pieces of God’s love that you give to others, despite what may be most desirable for you. For instance, I don’t really like writing, and I’m pretty mentally checked out after just ending high school, but Josh asked me to write a devotional, so this is something that I’m doing for him– allievating the stress of writing/ finding people to write devotionals every day– and for you– the reader who might get something positive from my thoughts. As another example, I joined a club called the Flock my sophomore year because all of my friends were doing it. It was a newly-formed group to help special education kids at our school feel more socially accepted with others. In all honesty, I joined because I didn’t want to seem like a jerk for not joining. I went to the meetings so I wouldn’t get kicked out of the group. But as I got to actually know the students, I discovered that they were so, so precious. I became an officer of the club not to improve my college application, but because I wanted to do anything and all that I could to make the group better for the kids. I joined their gym class and helped them change clothes, which was something I was reluctant to experience at first, because it was the best way to show love to them. When they have someone who will stop and help them tie their shoes, who walks at their pace and listens to how their day was, and who tells them that they’re such a great friend, their self-worth shoots up tremendously, and that is something incredibly valuable. Showing love to each and every one of the special needs students went beyond just one occassion or method, but took a lot of patience and intentional prayer. But it went beyond the students feeling good about themselves– they built lasting relationships and social skills, and the student body around us saw how much love we gave to the kids and how much love we got in return. The Flock grew from about 15 to 115 students (excluding the special education ones) over 2 years, and students (and even teachers and administrators) outside of the group have seen a bridge built, and it is no longer “uncool” to approach the kids. That’s not to say that you’ll always get recognition for the good things you do; there has been no formal recognition of the club or administrative acknowledgement of the group’s growth whatsoever. Anyways, to sum up, I encourage all of you to reflect upon the ways that you can perform “deeds” in your life. Remember that this doesn’t come from the logic that deeds must be present if you have faith, but the logic of wanting to do good because of your faith. Your faith isn’t something that you concocted on your own but rather was a gift from God, and so it goes with deeds. You must ask God for the humility, patience, and intentionality that it requires to spread love. Remember that Jesus gave everything for you, so serving the other people he sacrificed for is the best way to give a glimpse of what He did, and serve Him.
James 2:14-17 says “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him “Go, I wish you well, keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
This topic is brought up quite often within the Church. Therefore, it seems as though a lot of pressure is put upon Christians to do good works. Christians know that “good deeds” are the “right” thing to do, so they either choose to perform these things because it’s what is expected of them, or they choose to not because they think that their own agenda is more important, and they’re already “right” in their mindset, so they don’t need to perform acts of service. As for me– a leader in service– I, at times, felt that it was my duty to attend service projects, so that was an extra push for me to get up on that Saturday morning and go do something for the community. Well there’s nothing wrong with a little external motivation to keep you doing the things you should be doing. But the act of performing good deeds is about the mindset you have when doing them. Some may feel as though they must get crackin’ on the community service in order to “save” their faith because of this verse (James 2:14-17), but that’s not the right approach. You shouldn’t sign up for service projects because you think it’s your obligation to do so or because you feel like others may question the sincerity of your faith if you don’t. You should see every opportunity to show love onto others as just that– an opportunity. “Deeds” aren’t just offical events that Pastor Ben announces on Sundays. Deeds– small or big– are little pieces of God’s love that you give to others, despite what may be most desirable for you. For instance, I don’t really like writing, and I’m pretty mentally checked out after just ending high school, but Josh asked me to write a devotional, so this is something that I’m doing for him– allievating the stress of writing/ finding people to write devotionals every day– and for you– the reader who might get something positive from my thoughts. As another example, I joined a club called the Flock my sophomore year because all of my friends were doing it. It was a newly-formed group to help special education kids at our school feel more socially accepted with others. In all honesty, I joined because I didn’t want to seem like a jerk for not joining. I went to the meetings so I wouldn’t get kicked out of the group. But as I got to actually know the students, I discovered that they were so, so precious. I became an officer of the club not to improve my college application, but because I wanted to do anything and all that I could to make the group better for the kids. I joined their gym class and helped them change clothes, which was something I was reluctant to experience at first, because it was the best way to show love to them. When they have someone who will stop and help them tie their shoes, who walks at their pace and listens to how their day was, and who tells them that they’re such a great friend, their self-worth shoots up tremendously, and that is something incredibly valuable. Showing love to each and every one of the special needs students went beyond just one occassion or method, but took a lot of patience and intentional prayer. But it went beyond the students feeling good about themselves– they built lasting relationships and social skills, and the student body around us saw how much love we gave to the kids and how much love we got in return. The Flock grew from about 15 to 115 students (excluding the special education ones) over 2 years, and students (and even teachers and administrators) outside of the group have seen a bridge built, and it is no longer “uncool” to approach the kids. That’s not to say that you’ll always get recognition for the good things you do; there has been no formal recognition of the club or administrative acknowledgement of the group’s growth whatsoever. Anyways, to sum up, I encourage all of you to reflect upon the ways that you can perform “deeds” in your life. Remember that this doesn’t come from the logic that deeds must be present if you have faith, but the logic of wanting to do good because of your faith. Your faith isn’t something that you concocted on your own but rather was a gift from God, and so it goes with deeds. You must ask God for the humility, patience, and intentionality that it requires to spread love. Remember that Jesus gave everything for you, so serving the other people he sacrificed for is the best way to give a glimpse of what He did, and serve Him.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
EASTER PARTY
So this year, I was baptized on Easter! This event meant a lot to me because it gave me a chance to physically show the change within me spiritually that I had experienced the past three years. Three years ago, the day before Easter, I made the decision to accept Christ into my life. This decision not only changed my lifestyle but it changed who I am. I changed from the girl finding this life purposeless and a waste because we all die and leave nothing but a gravestone behind to a girl who has found a purpose for everything that she does. In high school, this is not always the easiest path to take. There were many things that my close friends would do from drinking to something like casually dating that with this new identity; I must abstain from making me sometimes unintentionally excluded and un-relatable. I would feel a heavier responsibility and weight on my actions. However, I think of my favorite Bible verse and remember that we are to live as lights in this world, set apart from everyone else.
As Romans 12:1-2 states: “So then, my friends, because of God’s great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer. Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this old, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God—what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.”
As Romans 12:1-2 states: “So then, my friends, because of God’s great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer. Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this old, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God—what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.”
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Devotion from a Super Busy Person
I’m a super busy person. So busy that a good chunk of my day is spent trying to figure out how to fit all the “busy-ness” together in my planner, and then when I’m not doing that I’m constantly going over my schedule in my head. While all this may appear OCD-ish, an affliction of only a select few, I assure you that everyone has at one point or another felt like this before.
It’s a weird sensation being ridiculously busy- trying to finish one task just so you can get to the next. In fact often times you become so focused on completing your to-do list that you neglect the help others offer you because you feel that it’s easier to work alone, that there isn’t any time to explain what is going on to others. You feed off of that check or that scratch-out line as you complete a task. And while you feel like you’re missing out on the nuances of life, you justify it in getting pity from those you complain to. In fact you somehow find ways to complain despite how busy you are, “Ugh, I can’t (insert name of person your complaining to), I’m super busy”.
Everything is fine and dandy, albeit busy, until you crack under the load of all that you have to do. And then you really start to complain, “This sucks so much! Why do I have to do everything and work so hard while everyone is out there having fun?!”
Read Luke 10: 38-42
When we become bitter and angry at all the work we have to do we lose focus on what is truly important. Because we are so wrapped up in the busy-ness of life we are distracted from our number one priority- Jesus and our relationship with him. Like Martha we may end up simply complaining/whining to Jesus, “God don’t you care that everyone is having fun but me? Won’t you tell them to help me?” or even, “Look at how hard I’m working, I’m much more diligent then those people.”
This is not what God wants to hear from you, not only are you not depending on him for strength through the busy-ness, but you also look down on others who do not “have it as bad” as you.
God knows when we are busy. And we should know that nothing is impossible through Him; that when we look to him as our number one priority everything else will fall in place. However this does not mean that the rest of your life is smooth sailing, in fact it most likely will become even more busy and hectic. So keep your planners, schedules, and to-do list, but most importantly remember to keep your focus on God -for He is the rock that you should cling to when you feel in over your head.
It’s a weird sensation being ridiculously busy- trying to finish one task just so you can get to the next. In fact often times you become so focused on completing your to-do list that you neglect the help others offer you because you feel that it’s easier to work alone, that there isn’t any time to explain what is going on to others. You feed off of that check or that scratch-out line as you complete a task. And while you feel like you’re missing out on the nuances of life, you justify it in getting pity from those you complain to. In fact you somehow find ways to complain despite how busy you are, “Ugh, I can’t (insert name of person your complaining to), I’m super busy”.
Everything is fine and dandy, albeit busy, until you crack under the load of all that you have to do. And then you really start to complain, “This sucks so much! Why do I have to do everything and work so hard while everyone is out there having fun?!”
Read Luke 10: 38-42
When we become bitter and angry at all the work we have to do we lose focus on what is truly important. Because we are so wrapped up in the busy-ness of life we are distracted from our number one priority- Jesus and our relationship with him. Like Martha we may end up simply complaining/whining to Jesus, “God don’t you care that everyone is having fun but me? Won’t you tell them to help me?” or even, “Look at how hard I’m working, I’m much more diligent then those people.”
This is not what God wants to hear from you, not only are you not depending on him for strength through the busy-ness, but you also look down on others who do not “have it as bad” as you.
God knows when we are busy. And we should know that nothing is impossible through Him; that when we look to him as our number one priority everything else will fall in place. However this does not mean that the rest of your life is smooth sailing, in fact it most likely will become even more busy and hectic. So keep your planners, schedules, and to-do list, but most importantly remember to keep your focus on God -for He is the rock that you should cling to when you feel in over your head.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Looking toward God for Help
My cousin blessed me with this passage just after a time in my life that left me exhausted and drained, looking toward God for help, but unsure how to approach Him.
This passage is the inspiration for the first song I ever wrote, the same song that God used to bless people in New York City during a mission trip in the summer of 2006. And I hope that this passage will bless you as much as God has used it to bless me.
Read Matthew 14: 22-36.
When I read this passage, I see an intimate moment between Jesus and the disciples. In verse 22, Jesus dismisses the crowd that was following Him (He had just fed the 5,000) and sends the disciples ahead of Him in a boat.
Jesus deliberately wanted to be alone with the disciples, but it seems like He didn’t think things through. He sent the disciples away in the boat earlier and by nightfall, the boat was already far away from land…but since Jesus wasn’t with them then, He was still on shore. Not to mention, a storm had started to brew. Clearly, it was bad planning on Jesus’ part… right?
But then, Jesus heads out onto the lake.
Matthew makes it sound so inconspicuous. “Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.” Almost like we would say “Ben came to youth group, driving in his silver Nissan.” And I think many people like to stop and just focus on the fact that Jesus is doing something supernatural. But that’s not the point; Jesus is 100% God, so it shouldn’t be surprising that He is doing something like that.
What I glean the most from this passage is the interaction between Jesus and the disciples because it parallels the relationship we have with God.
When Peter asks if he can go out onto the water with Jesus, he is welcomed without hesitation. “Come,” Jesus says. And Peter is able to walk on water through God’s power as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus. However, when Peter focused on the waves and the storm that were around him, he started to sink. And of course, Peter cries out for his life and Jesus reaches out and saves him.
Read Matthew 14:22-36 again.
Does the connection seem clearer?
I can name many times in my life when I felt like I was struggling by myself in a storm. But God always reminds me to keep my eyes on Him and is always faithful in making everything work out for His glory.
That is the amazing thing about our God. He doesn’t just show off his power and strength for the sake of it to make us drop our jaws in awe. Instead, He invites us to join Him and lends us His strength and His power as we work with Him so that others can also see how great and wonderful our God is.
This passage is the inspiration for the first song I ever wrote, the same song that God used to bless people in New York City during a mission trip in the summer of 2006. And I hope that this passage will bless you as much as God has used it to bless me.
Read Matthew 14: 22-36.
When I read this passage, I see an intimate moment between Jesus and the disciples. In verse 22, Jesus dismisses the crowd that was following Him (He had just fed the 5,000) and sends the disciples ahead of Him in a boat.
Jesus deliberately wanted to be alone with the disciples, but it seems like He didn’t think things through. He sent the disciples away in the boat earlier and by nightfall, the boat was already far away from land…but since Jesus wasn’t with them then, He was still on shore. Not to mention, a storm had started to brew. Clearly, it was bad planning on Jesus’ part… right?
But then, Jesus heads out onto the lake.
Matthew makes it sound so inconspicuous. “Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.” Almost like we would say “Ben came to youth group, driving in his silver Nissan.” And I think many people like to stop and just focus on the fact that Jesus is doing something supernatural. But that’s not the point; Jesus is 100% God, so it shouldn’t be surprising that He is doing something like that.
What I glean the most from this passage is the interaction between Jesus and the disciples because it parallels the relationship we have with God.
When Peter asks if he can go out onto the water with Jesus, he is welcomed without hesitation. “Come,” Jesus says. And Peter is able to walk on water through God’s power as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus. However, when Peter focused on the waves and the storm that were around him, he started to sink. And of course, Peter cries out for his life and Jesus reaches out and saves him.
Read Matthew 14:22-36 again.
Does the connection seem clearer?
I can name many times in my life when I felt like I was struggling by myself in a storm. But God always reminds me to keep my eyes on Him and is always faithful in making everything work out for His glory.
That is the amazing thing about our God. He doesn’t just show off his power and strength for the sake of it to make us drop our jaws in awe. Instead, He invites us to join Him and lends us His strength and His power as we work with Him so that others can also see how great and wonderful our God is.
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