Divorcing God Daily

This post deals with the extremely delicate topic of divorce. To some I'm just a kid; so I don't pretend to have all the answers, or be right about everything. I have lived through my parent's divorce as a teenager, so I feel somewhat qualified to talk about it. I know what it did to me - what it still does to me. I know a little bit about who God is too.

If Christians are not brave enough to talk about it, we'll never get it right.

Last evening, as I was talking with my good friend, we hit the topic of divorce.

My parents are divorced, they separated when I was about 13, and divorced when I was about 17. For most of my younger childhood though, I grew up with both parents. It was when I started to define who I was going to be that I had more time on my own.

Let's move up to approximately 4 years ago. It was the day before my wedding. I felt an extremely deep sense of fear. I reluctantly, and in a very frustrated fashion, poured out my feelings about this fear to my wife-to-be late that night (the night before we were getting married).

Just for a moment, let's talk about the word covenant before I digress too much.

Near the beginning, at least in the bible, God made a covenant with Noah. (Genesis 6:18)

There was a covenant made with Abram (Genesis 15, Genesis 17)

Much later, God continues to communicate the same covenant through Moses to Israel when saving them and bringing them out of Egypt (Exodus 6, Exodus 19)

Covenant where Jesus is concerned?

Luke 22:20

"In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."

2 Corinthians 3 (The glory of the new covenant)

Hebrews 7:18-25

"The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19(for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.
20And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever.' " 22Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.
23Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."

The dictionary defines covenant as an agreement between 2 people that they will, or will not, do something. It also defines it as the bible does as an alternate definition, that it is God's agreement with people.

See, here's the thing, when you get married, you stand before the person you are marrying, and you stand before God. You stand before both and basically say, "No matter what happens, I'm going to stick with you until death." When you do this, you enter into a covenant that God is involved in. You stand before God whether you believe in him or not. If you didn't stand before God, you are not married. Marriage is a covenant relationship. It is a relationship that is between a husband, a wife, and God.

Pastor's or priests sometimes say, "by the power vested in me..."

Who do we think is doing the "vesting of power"? The only thing that can "vest true power in you" is God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. If you don't believe in God, take it as a lesson. If you do believe in God, take it as a reminder.

Matthew 5:31

""It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' 32But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery."

This is Jesus speaking. He makes a statement about what should be the past. There is a clear offense, and a clear exception in his statement. The offense of a husband that divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress. Not only that, but anyone who marries that divorced woman commits adultery." Which makes sense. Why does it make sense? Because of the covenant. Without the idea that marriage is a union between 3 entities (2 people, 1 God), you can argue this all you want and I can't refute it.

To everyone that believes in Christ, the Bible is your rulebook. You should not, although you have the choice, to divorce God from your daily stuff. If divorce is happening in your marriage (like paperwork and legally) - divorce from one another has already been going on for awhile. Not only divorce from each other, but also divorce from God. In the covenant...there were/are 3. You can't really divorce one without divorcing the other in your decision. I'm not saying God doesn't forgive you or go with you (as you already read) - but you divorced God from your decision. There is a separation, a compartmentalization that went on. You locked God out of your world, and made the decision on your own (like we do so often with so much sin).

Read it and follow it. Sometimes, we mess up, because we're human. If you made a decision to get divorced after you became a Christian (without adultery or death in the mix), you made a choice that doesn't reflect your faith. I know what you're thinking. What about abuse? My husband / wife hit me! He/She hit my kids! My life was in danger!

I don't understand it either. Neither did the disciples. What Jesus said to them was extremely hard to hear - but even harder to live.

Matthew 19:1-12

"1When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"
4"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' 5and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? 6So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."
7"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"
8Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."
10The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry."
11Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."

That being said, God is good.

Here's what I mean by that.

Romans 8:10

"8But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

If you have divorced, and also believe in Jesus, God is with you. I know thus far, it sounds like I'm beating up on those of you who are divorced for any reason, and that is not the case. My point is not to "beat up" on anyone here. The truth is the truth, but it must be spoken in love. I needed to lay some groundwork above before writing what the deal is.

The deal is this, if you know Christ and are in, or ever encounter a situation of difficulty or challenge with your spouse...you need to seek Christ (together preferably) to provide power, guidance, reconciliation, joy, peace. God is love, and it is the only love that lasts forever. Without seeking Christ and letting your relationship be led by the Holy Spirit, be covered always in the grace of God, and full of forgiveness, a "Christian" marriage is doomed to fail. Period. The truth is that everything you need to succeed in a marriage "under God" comes from God. You cannot do it on your own, like so many other things that go on with the life of a Christian.

If you do not know Christ. It is better for you to know Christ. Without Christ in my life, I would not have a marriage. I would not have ever had the strength to stand there and promise to love someone until death. My parents couldn't do it, why should I even try? I was so scared, I was terrified of failing at it. I was sure I'd screw it up somehow (and I was right). My marriage is held together because of the power of God; plain and simple. I find stuff to love my wife with I never knew was available because God is gracious and lets me borrow some stuff He knows she will like. The same is true for my wife toward me. He is the center; He is the hope; He is the all in all. I'm getting better at it (at least I hope), but without His help I would have nothing to go on...nothing that worked anyway.

You may very well live this life in happiness, but without the knowledge of Christ you will not be saved from an eternity in hell, absent of the presence of God. I say this to you so that you might share in the joy and the peace and the everlasting life that is Christ Jesus for those who believe in Him. Jesus Christ died for your sins, he sacrificed himself as the Son of God to become payment for the sins of all people. All sins all people have committed have been paid for. This is not a permission slip to continue sinning (which Paul says in the New Testament) but it is a special gift of God that we may receive his rich mercy and infinite supply of grace through Christ Jesus and be ushered with him into the presence of God covered by His blood that is without sin. I have no right to stand before God of my own accord. I should be in hell, just like all people except for Jesus Christ. But that was not the plan. God had a plan for redemption, for reconciliation to himself; and that is only Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:1-4

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. "

These verses are supposed to change how we live - - they are designed so that we remember who we are in Christ toward right action. Live according to the Spirit, and not according to the flesh alone, the mind alone, or the emotions alone. The Spirit was designed to trump all of these things, not be picked up and set down like a toy that serves us whenever we want. We are in service to One who is infinitely greater, and full of love. Doesn't One like that deserve your obedience?

Seeking Breakthrough

Matthew 17:14-18 (NKJV)
And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” 17 Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.

The thought behind this verse in Matthew has always intrigued me. The story of a man who takes his son to the disciples fully expecting them to heal his son. Or should I say, fully expecting God to heal his son through them. Yet, that doesn't happen. For some reason, even after Jesus has "sent" his disciples to perform miracles, and they have performed miracles before this...they cannot do it.
I'd like to hit pause on the story here, and think about what that means for us...today. Today, there is no "person" of Jesus sitting around, waiting for the time when someone fails to perform a miracle. Thinking about it like this, there is a danger in us being somehow unequipped as the disciples were in this situation.

Let's look at this for just a moment. The deal is that this boy has a "demon" according to the bible. Some translations say "epileptic," yet the root cause is understood to be a demon, something evil and from Satan to plague humans. The disciples try to cast it out, but the boy's state is unchanged. The boy is not healed. When Jesus hears that the disciples could not take care of this, there is a statement he makes about the "faithless and perverse" generation. I can almost hear the tone, like an exhausted tone. Jesus calls for the boy to be brought to him. The boy is healed.

So we have the disciples, who on some level are "faithless and perverse" where Jesus wasn't.
Now it is the same power healing the boy through the disciples, and through Jesus. So that means there is something about Jesus that was different than the disciples.

Matthew 17:19-21
"19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Jesus points to the "unbelief" of the disciples as a reason they could not cast out the demon. Yet after describing that, there is more. In vs. 21 Jesus says, "However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

OK, I've gone long enough without just saying it.
I believe that we (as believers in Christ) hold the keys to unlock the power of God in our lives. Specifically, the decision we make to pray and the decision we make to fast for spiritual breakthrough. I firmly believe that there are things that God wants to do in people's lives on this earth that aren't done because we don't prepare ourselves to usher them into being.

Romans 12:1-2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Now I'm not saying to stop eating today, because that is not biblical.
Fasting is refraining from "something" (most often food) for a spiritual purpose. I would bet that one of many spiritual purposes that Jesus had fasted / prayed for was to cast out the demon in that boy. That obedience unlocked the power that was needed. See, Jesus was God in the flesh. He had the foreknowledge to know what was coming his way. There was times spent with the Father in secret where I think this foreknowledge was extended and made clear so that Jesus would know what action he needed to take to be obedient to the will of the Father. Jesus at this point knew that it was God's design to heal this boy, so he could make statements about what was preventing it from happening separate from the will of God.

There are many other examples of fasting breakthrough throughout the bible. Moses, David, Elijah, and Daniel to name a few; not to mention Peter (was fasting when he saw a vision to go to the Gentiles), and on many occasions Paul.

I find myself in a spot in life where I "need" breakthrough spiritually. There are health issues with my family that I'd like to see taken care of. Doctors can't find a true cause. That's the great thing, for those of us who believe in Christ, we will always have a doctor who is capable of healing. What if your healing lies behind a fast? What if it lies behind 40 days of fasting?

I have fasted before. A few 3 day things and 1 time a 14 day fast drinking just water. While I'm thinking of it, don't fast without drinking water. Water is a faster's best friend. Drink water, and plenty of it. When you fast, give up something that matters to God. Food normally matters to all of us, especially certain types of food. Only try longer fasts after you have tried shorter ones, and only try complete fasts (no food or water) after doing a few longer fasts so you are familiar with the territory. There is faith about true fasting, and there is focus on God. If you have any questions or doubts, consult a medical doctor as you fast. They should tell you that it has true medicinal benefits and can help keep your body healthy. I say that understanding that all of our bodies are different, which is why you should talk to a doctor that is familiar with you and can guide you the first few times.

Even though I have fasted before, I don't personally know the extent of blessing found behind fasting. Don't get me wrong, I have experienced blessing behind a fast, I just hear many people talk about blessings and how God "opens the floodgates" when people fast. Like fasting is a key to unlocking deeper relationship with God and unleashing the power of the Holy Spirit. I want that in my relationship with God. I "hunger" for deeper relationship with Him that is meaninful, practical, and can show people that He is the only God that is to receive glory, worship, honor and praise. Remember, no food is not enough. Have purpose.

I think it is time for me to find out "how deep the rabbit hole goes."
Chances are it is infinite, because God is infinite.

I am reading a book right now by Jentezen Franklin called "fasting."
I recommend it for anyone thinking about this topic. I am finding it greatly helpful and encouraging.

A Call to True Christian Community

I heard a good sermon today. It impacted me to the point where I feel compelled to write about it more and more. Then I remembered, "I have a blog...and I haven't written in it in a month! Perfect!"

John 13:34,35 - "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
A majority of the things I will be talking about find their foundation in this verse. Some things mentioned are borrowed from the pastor I heard them from.

To start things off from there, I'd like to note that perfect love casts out all fear. This is an interesting statement when you take the time to think about how we treat one another relationally, when it comes to the body of Christ. To qualify this statement, John 13:34,35 should be applied when it comes to community within the body of Christ. That means that if you are (or claim to be) a Christian, Jesus is talking to you. If you do not believe in Christ, you are not held to this standard of living at the present time. For Christians, the bible is the rulebook; and we are not exempt from commands therein. This is just one of those commands.

Perfect love casts out all fear. I dare say that I see much fear in the way Christians relate to one another these days. I think individually we fear many different things and therefore we treat relationships as if they were eggs. We hold them in our hands with care and great trembling. I agree with the care part. This verse says that we must do more than care for one another...we must "love" one another.

"I (Jesus) give you a new commandment..."
A command. Seems very straightforward. Let's move on.

"...that you love one another just as I have loved you, you also should love one another."
This begs the question, "How did Jesus love?" He is referencing the way he loved his own disciples as the way they should love each other. Jesus is all in all, so I'm thinking the same thing that you are, "Yeah right! Jesus, that is crazy! I can't love other people like you love me!" I'm thinking that Jesus knows you can't do this on your own; while that is the case the command remains the same.
So how did Jesus love his disciples? He taught them, washed their feet, encouraged them, challenged them, rebuked and corrected them, hoped in them, put His trust in them, send them out on His behalf, spent time with them, forgave them, extended grace to them, and probably many other things I am forgetting.

The disciples were all unique people, just like us. Put in today's language, some were probably more patient than others, while still others may have used more common sense than the rest. As people, we like to love from where we are, and from how we want to be loved. So, if I want you to treat me in a forgiving manner, I will forgive you offenses against me...because I would be a hypocrite otherwise right? This view of Christian relationship; the view that keeps the peace at the expense of reflecting the great love of Christ is a terrible folly of today.

Just today, I had to contact a friend of mine. Now, this friend unknowingly had made a comment that hurt me. It was just a joke, and I knew in my heart that there was no offense to it. But the comment kept bothering me. Isn't that really stupid? I knew better in my head. This is a guy that I know wouldn't speak something like he said to hurt me and with whom I've been in relationship for awhile. Once I finally got to the bottom of the issue I realized that what was bothering me was that he hesitated to "let me in on the joke that was really about me." I could care less that he was joking about me in good fun, but he hesitated when I turned and said, "What was that?" because I honestly didn't hear him the first time. I thought to myself, "Why did he hesitate? Does he think I should somehow be approaching this situation differently or was it just a joke?"
I knew it was probably nothing, but at this point I was not yet excused biblically. I felt hurt. I knew who made the statement that hurt me. It is my responsibility to take that to him because by not telling him, I'm not only prolonging my own hurt and making it worse...but I'm depriving him of the knowledge that what he said could have really hurt me. See, with that knowledge he can be a better friend, a better brother in Christ, a better encourager, a better piece of iron. Without coming forward, I was robbing him of that. Not to mention I would be robbing myself of a full friendship in Christ...which is what this is all about.

On the other side of things, we should all be encouraged by this to challenge one another. To correct with love like that of Christ! It is important to remember that while you are called to do this, you are not called to do it alone (like with so many things). Jesus Christ has given you a helper in His Holy Spirit. We are equipped by the Holy Spirit to correct one another. By that same Holy Spirit we should be equipped to receive correction from one another. These 2 things need to be there in order to grow in Christ and in love for His body. Not to mention how critical it is to allow the Holy Spirit to be facilitating discernment in all these things. This brings us to the final statement of the verse.

"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, that you have love for one another."
Folks, if you are going to compromise with any part of your Christian faith, let it not be with this part. I would recommend not compromising with any part of your faith, but because we are people and always growing we won't ever have achieved "perfection" while on this earth. Other people will know Christ because of how Christians treat each other. Wow. Suddenly, I am greatly saddened. Today, it is becoming more and more difficult to treat one another with respect, honesty, dignity, integrity, and most of all...without unjustified fear, anger, or indifferent emotions.

To every Christian out there who doesn't think they have work left to do, you are wrong. If you somehow believe that all other purpose has left you...love your friends as Christ loved His disciples. If your friends are not with you anymore, cry out to God for a community that you can love like He loved His disciples and go looking for it. Present a holy example for being in what we refer to as "Christian community." Be men and women of integrity, and uprightness of heart. It is this kind of faithfulness to the "smaller" things that will be credited to you as righteousness. Truly love one another. Don't accept anything less than a biblical relationship. There should be peace in relationship; but not at the expense of conviction, of correction, of encouragement, or of action for Christ. All are important, and only working together do these things put on display the love of Christ for all to see. "A light that shines in the darkness..."

Seek First the Kingdom

On May 31st, Mr. Chambers' devotional includes an entry entitled Put God First. Because this entry seems very fitting for me to "re-start" my blogging with...here goes.

The Holy Spirit has proved to me, yet again, that He can sift through as much junk as I can pile on top of my heart to get in the way of God's plan or design for my life. Said another way, I cannot make enough mistakes, keep enough idols, be stressed out enough, or have taken 1 too many steps away from God for Him through His Spirit to come through and say, "You're not seeking me." Said in a way that is straight from the Bible, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither present or future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - From Romans 8:38,39

Now, that being said; it doesn't mean that when He comes and says "You're not seeking me" that seeking will be easy to do so. It does not mean that it will make any worldly sense to do so. However, if you have chosen to believe in Jesus Christ and have a great amount of proverbial "junk" piled on your heart, you will know in your heart and in your mind 2 things. You will begin to understand that you are not seeking Him, which may come to a surprise for you (as it did me). Second, you realize that change is necessary; change that gets you into position to seek Him first at all costs. Until I was able to separate myself from my "daily life" for a few days (I was on vacation at the time), and reflect on what is really going on in your heart...you think you are serving God and seeking Him first. In my case, which is all I can speak to, Satan was definitely tricking me into believing that in spite of how stressed out I was, and how negatively my attitude was impacting my environment that I was doing what God wanted me to do.

Sound familiar? It's the same story as in Genesis, when the serpent (Satan) tricked Eve into eating fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It's the same trick, just different person, different time, and different circumstances. Same Satan, same God, same results. For many years, this was the case, and Satan had me tricked into believe that I was living for God; led by the Holy Spirit. Oh don't get me wrong, the Holy Spirit was working through me. There were times when I would say things to my friends, or in church groups that was wisdom or understanding I know I did not come to on my own. See, when Satan gets involved, he doesn't need to shut you down completely, he just needs to veer you off or distract you from what God is doing in your life. It's about what God wants YOU to do. You can (and often times will) be very busy with seemingly "good things" when Satan has you right where he wants you. Much discernment is needed in these times in life.

My apologies, I've digressed. Back to the title of the post, which is "Seek First the Kingdom."
Matthew 6:33: "But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Hmmm...all these things. What are all these things? Well, in the paragraph before this verse, we're told. They are to not worry about the following: your life, what you will eat or drink, about your body, what you will wear, about adding a single hour to your span of life. So, if you seek God's Kingdom first, all these things will be given to you as well. Let me say again, that there is a major amount of discernment to be happening in this process. I don't recommend resigning your job just because you think that you are not seeking God. You can definitely just re-focus your priorities and get back on track with God. That is if you know what God is asking of you, and the something God is asking of you is in line with whatever you find yourself currently involved in.

Prayer and reading God's word is important here. If you are not spending time with the Lord, chances are that you will not know what He is asking of you. The Holy Spirit speaks to you about your life and truth that is God's word as it is relevant to your life if you have chosen to believe in Jesus Christ and been baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If you know what God is asking of you, then you just have to do whatever it takes to get to where doing that is a priority in your life. Make God priority 1. Make His Kingdom come first, and the stuff that you need will be provided for you by a living God, who is alive in us through the Holy Spirit because of the great sacrifice of God's son, Jesus Christ.

The problem comes when you are working only for the things that God promises anyway if you seek His kingdom first. It is like you are just skipping over God. I know this is a challenge, and I'm challenging many people's theology here. It is good, and sometimes God, to work for those things. Again discernment is needed. Are you receiving the things in your life (what you will eat, drink, wear, etc) because you having the $$$ to go out and get those things for yourself and your family; OR are you receiving the things in your life from God, because you are seeking his Kingdom first.

I'm going to end this here, because I am already walking a "thin line" so to speak. God can be in your life, working. At the same time, Satan can be in your life, working. God is bigger than Satan, but people are warned in the Bible that they should not serve 2 masters. That's the thing isn't it? It is possible for you and me to be serving 2 masters at the same time in different (or even the same) parts of our lives. This is the danger. There is a difference between simply having a sinful nature and screwing up...asking God for forgiveness, and unknowingly serving 2 masters if you have made a decision for Christ. Making a decision for Jesus Christ means that you have decided to have only 1 master. I encourage you to look deep into your life and where provision is coming from. Are you providing for yourself separate from the will of God for your life; or is your provision coming from Him because you have decided to put His kingdom first? Only you and God, through the Holy Spirit can make that call, and take action if it is necessary.

Broken Faith

"This is the will of God, your sanctification..." (1st Thessalonians 4:3)

Definitions of sanctification: (from Dictionary.com)
1. To set apart for sacred use; consecrate.
2. To make holy; purify.
3. To give religious sanction to, as with an oath or vow: sanctify a marriage.
4. To give social or moral sanction to.
5. To make productive of holiness or spiritual blessing.

Oswald Chambers mentions that we should be careful of saying, "Oh, I am longing to be sanctified" because the truth of the matter is...we are not longing at all to be sanctified. He goes on to mention that we need to receive Jesus Christ as sanctification for us by absolute, unquestioning faith.

Did you read that right? We need to "receive" by faith. Humans aren't good at receiving when it comes to God, especially when it comes from His Son Jesus Christ. And don't even mention the Holy Spirit, because that's clearly taking it too far. On the other hand though, there are some Christians who won't just talk about the Holy Spirit or claim gifts from Him, they live on the other end of the echelon by action for God...preaching the good news of the gospel without any hesitation. It's interesting how all kinds of Christians (and there are so many different, unique people in the body of Christ) no matter what their actions say...could still be in the same situation when it comes to "receiving Jesus Christ as our sanctification." Action doesn't have to equal relationship.

I realize while reading Mr. Chambers devotion "Is God's Will My Will?" that my faith is mostly broken. The only part of my faith that is not broken is that I can say out loud to people whom I don't know that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I don't know if that qualifies for much of anything, but it would take care of "confessing with my mouth that Jesus is the Son of God," at least in part. Possibly that is just what I tell myself though. I really don't know for sure.

1st Corinthians 1:30 says:
"It is because of him (God) that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption."
So according to this verse, Jesus Christ has become wisdom, righteousness, holiness, and redemption for me. That means that I don't "acquire" these things through a relationship with Jesus Christ...HE IS THEM FOR ME. I know this is what I don't fully understand, and may well never fully understand. When I say understand, I mean fully...life changing, live my life reflecting this truth. I understand in my head that this is the case. My life constantly reflects that I do not believe this. Who am I kidding, my life reflects that I think it is a bunch of garbage. But I believe in Jesus...right?

Mr. Chambers also mentions that we should not confuse the effect with the cause.
"The effect in me is obedience, service, and prayer, and is the outcome of inexpressible thanks and adoration for the miraculous sanctification that has been brought about in me because of the atonement through the Cross of Christ."
See, I have this trouble with thinking of prayer, obedience, service, meditation, fellowship, worship, as the "effect" instead of things I need to do to "get closer to God." This is why my faith is broken. It's not because I don't believe enough. I think it might be because I don't believe that Jesus is enough. Why do I constantly focus on things I can do for Jesus? I should just be focusing on Jesus with every breath, for everyday, in everything.

It is a good thing that Jesus is sanctification for me...because if it was up to me to make myself holy and blameless in the eyes of God, I'd be tired, miserable, and no good to anyone...especially God (not to mention no better off than when I tried to start the whole thing). This is me trying to prove that I am worth something by my own standards, and not allowing Jesus to be everything. If I am trying to do "more" for God and my relationship with Jesus is suffering or hurt by this...then I'd better stop and get back to Jesus in a hurry. Jesus is the only thing about you that makes God proud. The Holy Spirit is dedicated to making Jesus Christ become evident in your life on this earth. Everything that pours out of you as a result of Jesus Christ is Holy. Can you believe this way?

The Unheeded Secret

The following text was taken from Oswald Chambers daily devotional, "My Utmost for His Highest." Many of the posts on this blog find their beginnings in the work of this devotional.
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"The great enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ today is the idea of practical work that has no basis in the New Testament but comes from the systems of the world. This work insists upon endless energy and activities, but no private life with God. The emphasis, is put on the wrong thing." (The wrong thing being 'activity')

He goes on to say...
"You have no idea of where or how God is going to engineer your future circumstances, and no knowledge of what stress and strain is going to be placed on you either at home or abroad. And if you waste your time in over activity, instead of being immersed in the great fundamental truths of God's redemption, then you will snap when the stress and strain do come. But if this time of soaking before God is being spent in getting rooted and grounded in Him, which may appear to be impractical, then you will remain true to Him whatever happens."
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I don't feel comfortable "adding" anything to what Mr. Chambers has said above. However, I do feel like a participant in what he is talking about. My life is plagued with busyness, much of which has nothing to do with the New Testament, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, etc, etc. At least I should say, there's nothing extremely "evangelical" about my life. Evangelism (sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ) just doesn't seem to be happening right now.

However, it seems from Mr. Chamber's statements, that God has this rhythm of preparing us for what is to come. I feel like he has been preparing me for about 8 years now. I think that is a long time, and I'd rather be finished with the preparation time. Not only that, it seems like the preparation ground is getting more and more filled with things to challenge me in various ways. Not exactly what I'd call "a light burden" as is promised in scriptures. I'm not saying that Jesus lied in the Bible...that would just be silly. What I am saying is that your burden changes weight depending on how you perceive it. Are you looking at your current burdens through the eyes of God, or are you looking at them through your own eyes (the eyes of the world.)

There is a powerful statement above that eludes to God preparing us for future things that we know nothing of. We really can't judge current challenges / trials if we know nothing of what is coming. God is preparing a way to provide you with some things you've "always" wanted regarding His purposes for your life, and positioning you for huge blessings (because he wants to show he loves us more and more). And here is a difficult truth to deal with; if we aren't willing to go through what God has put in front of us to CHANGE US into what HE DESIGNED and had in mind when we were created in His own image, then we will never receive some of the things on this earth that God wanted us to have straight from Him. This is for His glory and to exalt Jesus Christ, the reason we have any relationship at all with God.

Us, we don't like to change when it's not on terms we can control. If I knew exactly where God was taking me, I tell myself that I would be more willing to change. People I know every day justify that they are open to God's leading because they are willing to change, but all they do is change into things based on something they have complete control over, leaving nothing to the power of the Holy Spirit. It is easy to change when you have control. It's not easy to let something so intimate, powerful, and unhinged as the Holy Spirit change you. I've fought it. More days than I have not fought it, I have fought it. I fight the Holy Spirit's desire to show me and uncover things in my life that He wants to change, destroy, or create in my heart, in my head, in my life, in my character, in my example to others...in everything.

It's that word surrender. I have to give up. I have to give up what I think I want. Give up what I think I need. It's not that I have to be miserable. I'm not saying that I have to give up "everything I like to do" or "everything I enjoy." This is an entirely different line of thought here. I'm talking about the things that wrong God. Things that added lashes to the back of Jesus Christ. Things that drove the nails into his hands and feet. It's our sin that drove the soldier to spear Christ in the side. It fulfilled scripture, and the fact that the spearing happened to fulfill scripture, and that it was driven by sin proves that God composed a love story with the entire Bible. God's story included our fallen state...He designed to restore us to Him. Isn't that worth my surrender? With this love story as the backdrop of history, seeing my life in that perspective...sure I owe it to God. I think God wants me to love Him though, not just "owe" Him. He wants my heart.

I guess that makes the secret this: With trials you face, God is preparing you for a future you do not know. He knows, and that is why it would probably be best to let Him prepare you. Trials are not from God in order to punish. Trials are from Him as attempts to woo you back to Him and for His glory. We're in a love story with the God of the Universe. In the times you can't handle it, or you are frustrated or angry at the situation or at Him...He wants you to tell Him. God wants a relationship with you in every way. Why do you think He walked in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve? Relationship and Worship.

God doesn't tempt you, He tests you. Tests will always come. Reaching to Him for the strength and the means for your life is always the right thing to do. Open your heart to Him. Life will mean more to you with Him involved every step of the way. I'm not going to lie to you, it's bitter-sweet on this earth. Some things get harder, some things get easier. Things change, that's for sure. In the end though, when you've lived your life on this earth, you're good to go because you have a relationship with Jesus. It's all good then.

Behold, The Lamb of God

I have a great hope that the message in this post will be communicated effectively.

"Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins."
"He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised, for our iniquities. The chastisement that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed."
"All we like sheep had gone astray, each of us had turned to our own way but God has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all."
"There is, therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death."

All of these quotes are straight from the Bible. They are in a song that is stuck in my head for about 7 years now. I know of so many people who live their lives not reflecting that they believe the truth that is in the statements above. I stand among these great many, as one who tends to wallow in self-doubt, hurt, and anguish over mistakes and a life lived in fear of falling short of God.

I apologize in advance for the amount of scripture / dictionary definitions to follow. Please be patient with this post and see it through to the end.
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Oswald Chambers says that the Missionary's key message should be the propitiation of Christ.
"He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world." (1 John 2:2)
I was curious what exactly "propitiation" meant. I figured it meant something like "reconciliation" or "payment." Turns out I wasn't totally wrong in this case. Although if you look for propitiation in the dictionary, it's very existence is defined by "a response to appease / reconcile relationship with 'a deity'." I find this interesting, that we have a word (and probably not the only one) that exists in the English language under the assumption that there is some type of God out there. It is also one of those words that defines itself by using the word. Like, "Propitiation: the act of propitiating." Like that helps anyone know what a word means.

Moving on.
Propitiation means:
"A process by which it becomes consistent with his character and government to pardon and bless the sinner. The propitiation does not procure his love or make him loving; it only renders it consistent for him to exercise his love towards sinners."
Propitiation also means:
"Christ is called the 'propitiation for our sins.' Here a different Greek word is used (hilasmos). Christ is 'the propitiation,' because by his becoming our substitute and assuming our obligations he expiated our guilt, covered it, by the vicarious punishment which he endured."
::The above definitions were copied exactly from dictionary.com::

At this point, I had to look up expiated, which I guessed meant something like "relieved."
This word also happens to have its existence due to the existence of a God of some kind. It means "to make amends."

That was all background to support this statement.
I desire a relationship with Jesus Christ because I recognize that I am a sinner that needs help from Jesus Christ in order to have a relationship with God.

We started with, "Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins." Jesus Christ took away my sins. The sins I have committed against God in the past, the sins that I commit every day (whether I realize it or not), and the sins that I will commit in the future that offend a Father in Heaven that wants nothing more than to be in a relationship with me.
Things that aren't like God do not exist in the presence of God. The blood of Christ that covers those who believe makes us holy and blameless...regardless of whether we "really" are. This is by far the most difficult gift for me to accept in life. I can't repay this. It's just like when someone forgives you, and you know you don't deserve it. You want to feel bad. You want to change, at least you should. I mean c'mon, if someone forgives you or shows you kindness and you have done nothing but hurt that person (even if it was unknowingly), you feel bad. There's immediate feeling of guilt.

But the feeling of guilt is wrong. Know why it's wrong? Because God doesn't want you to feel it. Christ fulfilled a perfect people in the eyes of God by His life, His death, and His resurrection. God "made amends" for your guilt. You don't have to feel guilty, and you shouldn't feel guilty about needing to be forgiven. Trust me, you're not the only one that needs to be forgiven. Every person that is in heaven, is in heaven because they needed to be forgiven for stuff. Stuff that was wrong in the eyes of God.

Jesus Christ did that. He did that for all people. The choice to accept this truth...is yours.
"There is, therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death."
Right now, whether you believe in Jesus or not, Christ felt the pain for your stuff. Stuff in your life that is in conflict with the Character of God...Christ bled for that. A decision that turns eyes away from the truth when ears have heard it will be subject to the law of sin and death. That means you'll be judged, by God, according to your terms...instead of by the law of the Spirit of life...according to Jesus Christ's terms.

The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus.

The Vision and the Reality

I've felt ashamed lately how drastically different my reality is compared to the "Vision" that God has given me for my life, and possibly many other lives. It's beginning to hit me though. Something about my life...and my character needing to be built so that it can handle the reality of the vision.

When God gives a vision, it serves as hope. I've lost sight of that lately. I've been asking the question, "What good is all of this doing me?" I should be asking the question, "What good is all of this doing God?" The fact is, and I really hate to admit this, that God is using some really challenging circumstances to mold my character. It's not only that, but these things are molding my character in ways I know it "should have been" years ago. I guess that's proof that "God's timing is not my timing."

I don't mean to throw around so many Christian cliches at once. Sometimes Christians have a tendency to over-use certain phrases. Doing this has the potential to be dangerous. Words like savior and Lord for example. Christians say that Jesus is their "Lord and Savior." Many people seem to want the Savior part. They want to be saved from hell. The Lord part though, isn't so easy. Lord implies that you emulate, respect, and follow that person's example. Beyond that, you will act in accordance with what they would do in a situation.

In the harder times of life, we tend to be tested to the greatest extent. Why would God allow me to be tested in the hardest times? I think God wants to know who you are going to turn to when things get to be too much for you to handle on your own. Who do you turn to now? Do you turn to God in your difficult situation? This is how it must be for a person with a God-given Vision, especially if they hope for it to become their reality. God hopes His vision for you will become your reality. Out of His goodness and out of His mercy, he designs your life so that you can experience His purpose for your life together. There's no benefit to trying to experience God's purpose for your life without God. It's His purpose...He's got to be involved.

If you are in a hard time, persevere. Perseverance leads to character, and character leads to hope. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. Pray. Prayer is communication with God. He might not say anything, and probably won't say anything if you are surrendering to His Will in your heart. He knows you are on the right path, and wants you to continue. Love others, as if your Lord was Jesus Christ. The Journey is hard, but the burden is light. Here's to all of the dreamers out there, hoping and believing in the visions from God.

Rest

Matthew 11:28 - "Come to me, and I will give you rest."
A somewhat elusive statement by Jesus. Not elusive because it's indirect or vague...but because it's difficult.

How do I come to Jesus?
What does he think of me?
I haven't been doing well as of late...
What if he turns me away?
Why would he waste time on me?
Things are such a mess, how did they get this bad?
There's no hope for me, I'm too far away from God.

I've thought about these things. I know I'm not the only one. See, all of these statements are "Self-awareness" statements. It's us, looking at ourselves being aware of our current state. Let's face it, we're sinners. In other words, we're not "perfect." We're not "good" most of the time, and even if we are we aren't good enough. With statements like this we are caught up in our own self-awareness so much that we live inside a box that we have designed for ourselves...and unfortunately we've crafted a God that lives outside that box, and would not bother with us "even if he did care."
That's why it's so hard. Jesus very plainly says "Come to me." He doesn't tell you to evaluate yourself first. That will come later, as the Holy Spirit does a work in your life. The simple command is to take a few steps toward Him. To trust Him enough to lift up your cares and worries to an "unseen" savior, a righteous Lord.

More often than not, I have serious trouble coming to Jesus. It's because of self-awareness that this happens. It's not because I can't accept his Grace (even though I'm terrible at this), and it's not because I'm not qualified to be with Jesus, because he gave me the option to accept qualification by His blood when he died on the cross. I struggle because I think about how "well" I've done lately in God's eyes. I take what I know of God's character, and match it up against my character...then I do something so silly as to compare those 2 things and decide based on that the level in which Jesus will accept me today.

The truth of the matter is that Jesus wants you and me to Come to Him. We're supposed to come to him all the time. There is a rest that lies with leaning on Jesus that is not like sleep or relaxation. It's like the feeling that you are alone slowly leaving. You're sharing your worries, cares, and anxiety with the God of the Universe. I'm pretty sure He can handle it. Jesus wants us with Him, because He wants to be reflected in us. He knows that His power is enough. And that's the thing isn't it? Do you know that the love of Christ is powerful enough to love through anything you are, no matter how ugly, miserable, or rebellious?
Let me just say it in plain truth.
The Love of Christ is powerful enough to love through anything you are, no matter how ugly, miserable, or rebellious. If you're questioning whether you "should" come to Jesus or not because of a struggle with worth...there's no argument. Come to Jesus, and He will give you rest.

Discouraged or Devoted?

There was a moment when a rich young ruler came to Jesus Christ. This man had kept all of the commandments since his youth. Yet...
Luke 18:22-23: When Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Come, follow Me."

This man had done "nothing wrong" according to the law. What must it have felt like to be told, "Yeah, but I want to ask something more from you." This man has probably labored over decisions in his life; probably feels as if he's done pretty well overall. I suppose in many ways...he has. He's a good person. But in this example, being a good person is separated from the expectations of Jesus. There may be some expectation to be a good person, but Jesus asks more of us. Jesus just told a good person, that he needs to do one more thing before following him.

That's hard to hear. It's hard to hear that more is required, when you feel like you've given all you can possibly give. Or, in a different way, it is hard to be asked for the one thing you don't really want to give...when you've given everything else other than that one thing. I mean, you're entitled to that one thing for yourself...right? Oswald Chambers puts it like this: "Rid yourself before God of everything that might be considered a possession until you are a mere conscious human being standing before Him...and then give God that."

Luke 18:23: "When he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich."
This is where my life becomes much like the rich young ruler's at this moment. Unlike the rich young ruler, I am not able to stand before Jesus and say, "I've kept all the commandments since my youth." The rich young ruler feels sorrowful. Why? Is it because he doesn't think he can give his money away? Is it because he loves possessions? Is it because following Jesus would cost him "too much?" Well...Yeah.

Measuring what you should do for Jesus with the current worlds perception of things makes this feel ridiculous. I mean, it's ridiculous to give everything. We work "so hard" for what we have. Why shouldn't we do what we want to with stuff? The answer is because all this stuff is His anyway. We need to love Jesus Himself. Not be proud or want to boast about our devotion to Jesus. Only Jesus is worthy of that praise. It is His Spirit that accomplishes this work in us anyway. The praise, glory, honor, and power are His.

Yet I feel sorrowful. Because I haven't yet been able to fully lay my life down for Jesus. I hope one day, I find the courage to fully receive what Jesus did for me...and live my life according to His direction, and His example. Not that I would be "perfect" exactly, but that I would be after Jesus with every ounce of energy I have.

Does He Know Me?

John 10:3 says "He calls us each by name, and we like sheep follow him...because we know his voice." This verse goes on to say that we do not follow him as a stranger.

Sometimes I wonder whether I know God. I've been trying to "get life right" for about 8 years now, and I feel lost more than I thought I would at 28. The sheep analogy doesn't really make much sense at the moment...I'm not sure that I would recognize His voice. God does know me however, He knows me all too well. He knows how he built me, and how I'm designed to work.

It's funny how people will talk about God a bunch, but sometimes won't say the name of "Jesus." It must be reserved for those "Jesus Freaks" out there. You have to be certified in crazy to go around talking about Jesus. You really can't separate God from Jesus though. At least, not if you are looking at the God of the Bible; the God of Israel; the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

God knows me. He knows you. Sometimes it makes me sick to my stomach that God knows me, because I wonder how he could accept me, or love me, or call me by name when I've screwed up and stabbed Him in the heart so many times...on purpose. I think about Jesus, and how he died; I'm the cause of a bunch of the pain he went through. One of those lashes on his back was to purchase my life. Some of the blood that was spilled was to cover my sins; to shield my iniquity from the sight of our Father. Jesus did that. God is righteous. He is Holy. Nothing can be around him that isn't Holy. We aren't Holy. Something or someone needed to make us Holy in the eyes of God. Jesus did that. He's the only one that could have done that.

He knows me. If He didn't know me He wouldn't have sent Jesus. He did send Jesus. Jesus willingly came out of heaven to live on earth. Not just to live on earth, to die for our sins. The trick is that it's a gift. Lots of things in me rise up against accepting this kind of thing for free. But there is nothing I can do. There's nothing I can do to deserve what Jesus did for me. There's nothing I can do to get to heaven on my own. I can't be a good enough person to be with God. I can only accept the gift of life that was given to me by God Himself, through Jesus Christ: Son of God, Son of Man.

He knows me and he calls out to me by name. Ever reaching for me, offering everlasting life. Not some day, but today and every day.