Quick Encouragement for College Kids: Especially Freshies

So by this point, most college freshmen are moved into their dorms. I just moved in yesterday and…it was quite a day. In the first couple of weeks of college, there is a lot going on. I know I can only say so much because I’m only on day 2 of that journey, but just from what I’ve heard and already experienced, I know the transition is hectic, exciting, a little overwhelming, and a ton of fun.

Right before our hall meeting last night, I was ready to crash. My eyes felt extremely tired and heavy and all I wanted to do was sleep. But then the “little voice” in my heart said, “Have you forgotten Me?” It was God, and I had barely talked to Him all day. In the chaos of the move-in process, I had not been praying to Him. I hadn’t thanked or praised Him for the incredible day He had given me. I opened my Bible, not really knowing where to turn. In His awesomeness and faithfulness, He showed me exactly what He wanted me to see…something that I will continue to be reminded of in my first semester of college:

“Surely I will not enter my house, nor lie on my bed; I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.” –Psalm 132:3-5

Of course there will be late-night hall dance parties, all-nighters for studying, sport practices, or even just midnight chats with some buddies. But remember to take care of yourself with rest. Don’t forget the sweetness and importance of just resting in the Lord. Don’t go to sleep before you spend time with Him. Let Him be integral in every aspect of your life. Don't keep putting Him off. Go to Him NOW.

Be Bold: New Theme!

So with the whole starting-a-new-chapter-in-my-life thing happening, I figured it was time for some changes on the blog. I love the “waiting in the desert” theme, and I pray that the Lord would daily teach me more on how exactly to do that. But for now, there is another concept that God is wanting me to focus on: boldness.

For the past four years of high school, God has shown me passages in Scripture that sort of become my “theme verses” – ones that He wants me to dive into and meditate on throughout the year. As move-in day for college has drawn nearer and nearer, I have been wondering and praying, “Lord…what do you want to teach me this year? Besides, of course, the overload of knowledge and experience I will gain in my first taste of college life, what do You want to teach me?”

Well, you’ve already read about my new love for Song of Solomon. I’ve mentioned my recent dive into the Timothy books. And then there’s just good ole James. Out of these three books, my theme verses for the year arose.

• ·         Song of Solomon 5:6-7 “I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned away and had gone! My heart went out to him as he spoke. I searched for him but I did not find him; I called him but he did not answer me. The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me, they struck me and wounded me; the guardsmen of the walls took away my shawl from me.” If you didn’t read my last post, then you’re probably very confused as to why this verse would have any positive significance. I believe that this verse represents boldness in that Solomon’s bride (who is a representation of the bride of Christ – the church) sought after her husband so desperately and diligently even at the risk and ultimately result of persecution. Nothing else mattered – not her reputation, not her safety, not the clothes on her back – nothing mattered except finding her beloved. That’s how I want to be with Jesus. I want to believe with every fiber of my being that Jesus is enough.
• ·         2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” Short and sweet. I have heard this verse many times over the years, but now as I head off into this totally new chapter of life, it has a whole new meaning to it. For the next several months, I pray that God would help me break down this verse and understand what it means to have a spirit of power and love and discipline. God reminded me of His sovereignty when He showed me this verse, specifically referring to the word “discipline.” For Christmas, my parents gave me a book by Elizabeth Elliot called…can you guess it?... “Discipline”. I’ve only read the first few chapters, but I plan on taking it with me to college so that the Lord would give me a greater appreciation for discipline so He can show me how to apply it to my life. It’s funny how God works, sometimes. J (Side note: if you have never read anything by Elizabeth Elliot, you are missing out! I read her Passion and Purity last year and it rocked my world. She is one incredible woman.)
• ·         James 1:22 “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” God used this verse to bring conviction…it gets me every time I read it. Growing up in a Christian home and going to a Christian school my whole life, there is a lot of “hearing” the Word of God that goes on…which is fantastic! But if there is no action to back it up, then all that “hearing” I’ve been doing means nothing. Just like James says later in his book, “Faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself” (2:17). I think God wants me not just to dig deeper into His word, but to really focus on the application aspect of it. When I’m studying His Word, whether it’s during my own personal study or in Bible class at college, I step back and say, “Alright Lord, show me how I can bring this truth You’ve shown me in my daily life?”

So those are my theme verses…I have a good feeling that God is going to use these verses in a powerful way. Along with those verses is a phrase that is quite old, but I was reminded of when listening to Audrey Assad’s “No Turning Back”: “Though none go with me, still I will follow.” Those are nine words that bring so much conviction and encouragement in that if everyone around me stopped following Christ and I was all alone in my faith, I am still responsible to pick up my cross and follow Christ. To go along with the theme of boldness is a song that I was introduced to at church camp this summer. I’ve mentioned it in a post before, but I’m going to write out the lyrics to the bridge again, just cuz it’s that gorgeous J

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever you would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

That my faith may be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior

I love this bridge because it’s so full of faith and obedience… I want to have that, especially in the crucial time of my college years when so many huge decisions are ahead.

So in a nutshell, this is my motto for my freshmen year of college:

Being Bold…

To pursue Jesus with everything I have.

To live out my daily life with a spirit of discipline.

To be a “doer” of the Word in every action, every thought, and every word.

I tried to think of something shorter and catchier than that, but that’s all I’ve got. If you have any suggestions for something short and sweet, please feel free to comment. J *raise imaginary champagne glass that’s filled with…something not alcoholic* So here’s to living a life of boldness for the glory of God…maybe the Lord wants you to learn what that means, too!

P.S. Since I'll be starting college (I move in tomorrow actually...gah!), that means I probably won't be posting as much. Hopefully I can keep it up, though...I love doing it! God's taught me so much this year and it makes it even more fulfilling when I can share it. Anyways, if you don't hear from me as often, you'll know why. ;)

Song of Solomon

It’s funny how an “accidental” stumble upon something unexpected can give you a totally new appreciation for the Lord. I’m trying to get a routine going with my quiet times so that when I get to college, I won’t be totally shaken by the new schedule…but it’s been tough. I had it all planned out – I was going to go through a Weirsbe commentary on the Timothy books and also one on Exodus (I try to spend time in an OT and NT book at the same time)…but I don’t think Exodus is where God wants me right now. I stumbled upon Song of Solomon and thought, “Well…it’s kind of an awkward book, but it’s in the Bible, so I should go through it.” I skimmed through Song of Solomon a couple of years ago, but have never read it this way before. God really opened my eyes to this incredible piece.

So I’m just going to kind of go through the book and pick out verses that stood out for me. Right from the beginning, God seemed to want me to read this book not just as a romance between a couple, but as God’s love story to His people (which makes sense of why He wanted me to read it that way, cuz I ain’t married yet J). When I started reading it from that perspective, it became one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever laid eyes upon. I encourage you all to read this book…let yourself become overwhelmed by the unconditional love Jesus has for you and know that just as Solomon pursued his bride, Jesus is pursuing you.

• ·         1:4 “Draw me after you and let us run together!” This is a plea from the bride asking for the groom to pursue her…we don’t have to worry, we know Jesus is pursuing us. J I love this image of them running together because it gives the implication of abandonment from everything else going on around them.
• ·         2:3-5 “In his shade I took great delight and sat down, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He has brought me to his banquet hall, and his banner over me is love. Sustain me with raisin cakes, refresh me with apples, because I am lovesick.” I love this because it shows a picture of how we as Christians are to behave when in the presence of Jesus – we are to be in longing, in search, in seeking. When we are yearning for satisfaction, we should immediately come to Jesus’ “banquet table”, which is His Word and ultimately Himself. When the bride says “in his shade I took great delight and sat down”, I can’t help but think of Mary in Luke 10:39 when Jesus came to visit her and her sister Martha, “Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word.” Just like the bride in SOS (Song of Solomon) and Mary, we should come humbly before Jesus and bask in His presence, desperate to be filled – not just as a duty but as a delight.
• ·         2:10-11 “My beloved responded and said to me, ‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come along. For behold, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.’” This verse is such a beautiful picture of hope to me. It’s a picture of Jesus drawing His bride to Himself, reminding her of her beauty and value, and wanting her to soak in that hope. When I was taking literature in high school, we talked about how the weather and seasons have a deeper connotation. For example, we would say that the “winter” and “rain” in this verse represents trials, maybe even sadness. But the groom wants to show his bride the hope that remains after the rain and struggles have past. I am reminded of the promise we have in Revelation 21:5 when Jesus says, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
• ·         2:14 “Let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet.” What if that was our attitude in regards to listening to God’s voice? What if we actually made the effort to stop and listen, and discover just how sweet it really is? A couple of weeks ago, one of the leaders of our college ministry at church reminded us that as we entered this exciting new period of our lives, we should try and get in the habit of knowing what God’s voice sounds like. That’s my prayer, not just for college kids, but anyone out there reading this blog – that you would learn what God’s voice sounds like and come to know Him on a more personal level than you ever have before.
• ·         2:16 “My beloved is mine, and I am his.” Simple enough.
• ·         3:2 “I must arise now and go about the city; in the streets and in the squares I must seek him whom my soul loves.” The bride seeking the groom isn’t just from emotional motivation, but logical motivation…it just makes sense that she would seek him. It’s almost like she was created to seek him...isn’t that the same for us in seeking Jesus? I’m gonna go with yes.
• ·         3:11 “…on the day of [Solomon’s] wedding, and on the day of his gladness of heart.” When the church is reunited with Jesus just as a bride is reunited with her groom, I have a feeling that there is going to be plenty of “gladness of heart” J
• ·         4:1 “Your hair is like a flock of goats…” Ok so there’s no deep theological thoughts on this one – out of all the sort-of strange compliments in SOS, this is by far my favorite!
• ·         4:7 “You are altogether beautiful, my darling, and there is no blemish in you.” This verse is quoted a lot, especially by girls…it just sort of melts our hearts. But what’s really so awesome about this verse is that, thanks to the cleansing love of Jesus Christ and the fact that He took our sin and gave us His righteousness, this verse is true. So beautifully true.
• ·         5:3 “I have taken off my dress, how can I put it on again? I have washed my feet, how can I dirty them again?” Now, you might be thinking, “um…ok now we’re getting awkward.” Yeah, yeah I know what they’re referring to! But hear me out. So the bride is getting ready for sex – one of the greatest gifts God gave to man, and one of the ways we can glorify God the most. She has prepared for this great intimacy, so the bride is saying “I’m ready to be with my man! Why would I leave now? Why would I “dirty” myself again?” That’s how we should respond to spending time with Jesus! When God is drawing us to Himself and wanting to have intimate fellowship with us, why on earth would we turn away to “dirty” ourselves with the distractions of the world? Something God has been teaching me lately is to lay off the social media…I have a very strong love-hate relationship with social media. It’s awesome to use to get in touch with people and yada yada yada, but it’s also a huge distraction! Not just from spending time with God and my family, but from living life! And whenever I’m away from my phone or a computer for a long period of time, I find myself not missing it! So if I’m trying to have my quiet time with Jesus, and my phone “dings” saying I have a notification on Twitter, why on earth would I put down my Bible and pick up my stupid phone??? Now obviously this is a very modernized application I’m using, but I think it’s something my generation needs to know. Why would I want to leave the beautiful, intimate presence of God and exchange it for the unsatisfying and temporary distractions pulling for my attention? ***If you are a smart-phone-social-media-addicted teenager and reading this, GET YOUR NOSE OUT OF YOUR PHONE AND START LIVING LIFE. Ok rant over. ***
• ·         5:6-7 “I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned away and had gone! My heart went out to him as he spoke. I searched for him but I did not find him; I called him but he did not answer me. The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me, they struck me and wounded me; the guardsmen of the walls took away my shawl from me.” This is one of my favorite passages in this book! You’re probably thinking, “Um…why? The girl’s man left her on their wedding night (I’m not actually sure if it is their wedding night, but from looking at 3:11 I think it might be…) and she went to go search for him but got beat up by a bunch of guards. This sounds depressing!” I love these verses because the bride is an example of how Christians should seek Jesus so desperately and diligently, even at the risk of facing persecution. She went out into the dark, unknown streets searching for “him whom her soul loves”, not focusing on her safety, but focusing on her groom. That’s how we should be pursuing Jesus. He didn’t call us to a safe life. “Pick up your cross and follow me.” That is a commandment – we are to pursue and follow Christ, no matter the costs. One of my favorite quotes from Alan Paton’s Cry, the Beloved Country that relates to this is, “I am moved by something that is not my own, that moves me to do what is right, at whatever cost it may be” What is the “right” for us? To seek after Christ with everything we’ve got.
• ·         5:16 “…he is wholly desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend.” And that is what Jesus is to us. He is desirable. He is our beloved. He is our friend. John 15:15.
• ·         6:2-3 “My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of balsam, to pasture his flock in the gardens and gather lilies. I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine, he who pastures his flock among the lilies.” So the groom is passionate about growth and his sheep…sounds like Someone else I knowJ. (*cough cough* as in Jesus)
• ·         7:1 “How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O prince’s daughter! The curves of your hips are like jewels, the work of the hands of an artist.” Who’s the “artist”? GOD! How awesome is that??? We are His masterpiece. You are His masterpiece.
• ·         7:10 “I am my beloved’s, and his desire is for me.” Jesus desires you. What else can I say?
• ·         8:6-7 “Put me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, jealousy is as severe as Sheol; its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love, nor will rivers overflow it; if a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, it would be utterly despised.” I just always thought that was a beautiful verse.

Alright, so that’s all I got. I hope you found the beauty in this incredible book…it’s just a gorgeous representation of Jesus’ love for the church. Maybe when I’m married, other things about this book will make more sense. But for now, I’m content with knowing that Song of Solomon is also for us young’ns in that Jesus pursues you and me…and that is a beautiful truth.

God's Love: More than an Emotion

Sorry once again for disappearing for a bit! Sometime I would love to blog about my week spent in El Salvador, but I’ll do that another day. For now I just want to address something that’s been on my heart the past couple of weeks.

I met with my friend Mele today (I’ve mentioned her on here before) and we discussed some stuff going on in our individual walks with Christ. We both agreed that we struggle with the whole “mountains and valleys” of our spirituality. For example, we both went to different church camps where we felt so in tune with God and on fire for Him, when gradually we notice that the fire has gone out. During my mission trip to El Salvador, I felt so alive as I shared the gospel with the kids. The gospel became fresh again, and I was reminded of how powerful and beautiful it is. But there are days when the gospel seems like just another Sunday school story, something I’ve heard over and over again. The passion isn’t what it was. The determination to dive into God’s Word more has dwindled. We become distracted in our prayers to God, as upcoming events or tasks we have to accomplish fill our minds. Our quiet times have become a duty rather than a delight. We know we need to spend time with God, so we do…but the yearning has gone and God suddenly seems so distant.

 This is something I’ve been struggling with for awhile. Mind you, it’s improved drastically over the past couple of years as the Lord has been teaching me what I’m about to describe, but it’s still something I face. I think this is something that my generation has been struggling with, also. Society puts a huge emphasis on our feelings and experience and emotion. I think that’s one of the reasons why society has perverted the importance of marriage and sex – because they have no concept of what real love is (don’t even get me started on that topic! Maybe I’ll get on that soapbox another time.) So when kids go to a church camp/retreat/whatever and they have this emotional mountaintop experience, they feel awesome! At that moment, they feel closer to God than ever before…almost unstoppable! But emotions are fleeting, so the passion and fire are only temporary. We let this doubt creep in, saying that because we don’t feel that emotional connection to God now, it means we are distant from Him. That He loves us less.

Obviously, this isn’t true. God’s love for us is so much stronger than this “love” that our society has redefined. If someone is without God, then they are without love, because God is love (1 John 4:8). Not only is God’s love a part of who He is, but it is an action. His pursuit of us, His faithfulness towards us, His ultimate sacrifice of sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins so that we might have a personal relationship with Him are actions of His love. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8) – which means that His love for us never wavers. Even when we are inconsistent with Jesus, He is always consistent with us.

Now, don’t get me wrong – experiences and emotions are important. When God does radical things in your heart, there are going to be emotions! God doesn’t want our relationship with Him to be dry and dull! But “feeling” is not what God’s love for us is based on, and it shouldn’t be the basis of our love for Him. Our love for God should be based off of who He is.

 So all this to say, when you are not doing so great being consistent with your quiet time, or your prayers aren’t as “deep” or “meaningful” as they used to be, or you’re unsure of where to go in your Bible so you go through the flip-to-a-random-passage scenario, or you don’t feel quite as enthusiastic to spend time with God, or you feel like your faith isn’t as strong as it once was…quit looking at yourself! If you look to yourself and your efforts, you will never be content. You will never have peace. We are to look to Jesus for answers, guidance, and hope – not ourselves. Quit looking down at your hands and your heart which have failed you and turn your gaze upward toward God who will give you rest and assurance.

The Spurgeon quote on my previous post keeps coming to mind…it’s one of the most convicting messages I have read in awhile. Here’s an excerpt of the wise man’s words:

Remember, therefore, it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee-it is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee-it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that be the instrument-it is Christ's blood and merits; therefore, look not so much to thy hand with which thou art grasping Christ, as to Christ; look not to thy hope, but to Jesus, the source of thy hope; look not to thy faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of thy faith. We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul.

Here are a few things I would say if you are struggling with this (I’m not trying to pretend I know all the answers – these are all things the Lord is still teaching me and I will continue to learn until the day I die):

Keep praying. Ask the Lord to help you fall in love with Him more. Ask that the Lord would make your desires His desires. Before you dig into the Word, prepare your heart. Here are some psalms I find helpful to pray in order to focus my attention on Him: Ps. 63:1-3, Ps. 119:18, Ps. 86:11, Ps. 119:36, Ps. 90:14. Keep asking the Lord to fill your heart and your mind with the Holy Spirit so that His thoughts can become your thoughts. Be honest with God when you pray – don’t put on a fancy façade and pray all these lofty prayers when the only thing you really should say may be “Help.” Come into His presence with reverence, brokenness, and humility. Come ready to be fulfilled at His banquet table, but also come ready to lift up your praises to Him in worship. Continue to repent of your sins so that God may do a cleansing work in your heart. Don’t just be a man/woman of emotion but of action – be a doer of the Word (James 1:22). Just as God is a God of action, so we are to become people of action.

Here are just a couple of other encouraging words:

“You can have an hour with Him one day and then five minutes the next; He is the same God regardless. Don’t feel guilty for doing ‘less’, that’s pride getting in the way. That’s human nature saying ‘it is because of the effort I put in that this good thing is happening’, when rather it is entirely by His power alone.”

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful -Hebrews 10:23

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. -1 John 1:9

“If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” -2 Tim. 2:13

It Has Never Been About You

Read this from Spurgeon this morning...it was such a blessing and yet so convicting. Grateful for Jesus who grants us grace despite of our unfaithfulness. Grateful for Jesus who grants me grace even when I attempt to be self-righteous. Very humbling. If you only read one of my posts, read this one.

Hebrews 12:2

Looking unto Jesus.

 

It is ever the Holy Spirit's work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan's work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, "Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you have not the joy of His children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus." All these are thoughts about self, and we shall never find comfort or assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: He tells us that we are nothing, but that "Christ is all in all." Remember, therefore, it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee-it is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee-it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that be the instrument-it is Christ's blood and merits; therefore, look not so much to thy hand with which thou art grasping Christ, as to Christ; look not to thy hope, but to Jesus, the source of thy hope; look not to thy faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of thy faith. We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by "looking unto Jesus." Keep thine eye simply on Him; let His death, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercession, be fresh upon thy mind; when thou wakest in the morning look to Him; when thou liest down at night look to Him. Oh! let not thy hopes or fears come between thee and Jesus; follow hard after Him, and He will never fail thee.

"My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesu's blood and righteousness:

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesu's name."

 

 

 

Predestination *Gasp*

I know, I know. Predestination is not the most enjoyable discussion ever. But, I realized that in my last post, I said that I would address it, and I totally forgot about it. Therefore, I’m going to give some insight that I received (ultimately through God) from Beth Moore. My mom lent me some of her old audio tapes from Moore’s Sunday school class and a session on predestination was on there. Being a young lass who hasn’t even chipped the surface of theological doctrines, predestination has always been a topic that makes me anxious and uncomfortable. It’s a topic that I have so many questions about, but my brain can’t even handle the complexity of predestination so I don’t even know how to phrase the questions I do have.

So, for those of you who are like me and are still unsure of how to swallow the idea of election, these notes are for you. Beth Moore waltzes gracefully into the complex idea of predestination with the best possible attitude a Christian can have with difficult doctrines in the Bible – total awe and submission to the sovereignty of Christ. You ready to dive into this sucker? Let’s do it.

·         Ephesians 1:4-6 “even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved.”

·         We must love the body of Christ even when we disagree on points of doctrine

·         Both sides – Arminianism vs. Calvinism – have Scriptural evidence

·         “Both sides are right. In our human minds, we can’t understand how what seems two contradictory statements could be right, but in the omniscience of God, they are, and He will prove Himself right.” (paraphrased quote from Beth Moore’s former pastor)

·         Let’s not be cowards and think denominationally over Scripture but think as children of God

·         A.W. Tozer: “pouring over this issue may make us theologians, but it will not make us saints”

·         Vs. 4 “chose” God picked us out for Himself

·         Vs. 5 “predestined” begins with “in love” (end of vs. 4) and ends with “grace” (beginning of vs. 6)

·         When we hear predestination, we should immediately think of God’s love and grace, not with meanness or prejudice

·         What’s the basis for this election?

1.       The Sovereignty of God

§  He doesn’t owe us an explanation

2.       We have absolutely no idea

§  This subject is beyond our comprehension

3.    Implications of Matthew 22:1-14

§  Parable of the wedding feast – helps us understand a glimpse of heaven

§  Vs. 5 shows 2 types of people:

·         Complete refusal

·         Too busy to think about it

§  Vs. 10 “good or bad” on the basis of grace, not on their past

§  Is. 61:10 in context of a wedding

§  They must come to God by God’s requirements and not their own; they must be clothed in salvation (parallel to the wedding garments in Matt. 22) through Jesus; He chooses those who choose Him

·         Rom. 9:21-22 the other side: election for wrath

·         God’s sovereignty cannot be separated from His foreknowledge

·         1 Peter 1:1-2

·         We have not been chosen apart from foreknowledge

·         He knew in advance what was being chosen

·         Rom. 8:28-29 foreknowledge undergirds predestination

·         Rom. 11:1-6, 25-36

1.       Vs. 5 this remnant is chosen by grace

2.       Vs. 33 we need to be more like Paul in our reaction to difficult questions rather than being dogmatic

3.    “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor? Or who has given a gift to Him that He might be repaid? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.”

Just a Hodge-Podge of Thoughts

So I really wanted to blog today, but I don’t really have a clue on what I want to write about. The Lord’s been teaching me a lot these past couple of weeks, but they’re just short little snip bits – little glimpses of the wisdom of the Creator. So, I’m going to give you a very, very long blog, filled with insights on all kinds of topics, from studying the Bible to abuse to predestination. These aren’t light and fluffy issues, but I think they are issues that Christians need to address. Read what you want – please don’t feel like you have to read this whole thing. I encourage you to read the Scripture references that are provided. It’ll definitely help give some context through my scattered notes and will provide wisdom and truth. I pray that the Lord would speak to you through these topics as He has spoken to me.

 

These topics I learned about were from a church camp I went to two weeks ago. The leaders at this camp covered a vast array of subjects and these are some of the notes I jotted down during their sermons. They’re kind of scattered…sorry ‘bout that. Also sorry for the awkward spacing...don't know how that happened. Points that really stuck out to me or head sections are bolded. Enjoy!

The Problem of Evil

·         It’s a theological and emotional issue

·         What is evil?

o   Moral evil: caused by man, ex. Newtown shooting

o   Natural evil: caused by natural means, ex. Tsunami of ‘05

·         Luke 13: Jesus addresses both these kinds of evil; it’s a call to repentance

·         “Pain is God’s megaphone to the world.” –C.S. Lewis

·         Is God sovereign? Is He in total control? (*read all of these!*)

o   Ps. 115:3

o   Ps. 135:6

o   Eph. 1:11

o   Deut. 32:39

o   Dan. 4:35

o   Is. 46:10

o   Prov. 16:9

o   Prov. 16:33

o   1 Peter 3:17 He’s also in control of our suffering

·         Is man responsible?

o   Acts 2:22-23

o   Acts 4:27-28

o   1 Peter 2:8

o   Luke 22:22

·         We know from Scripture:

o   Man is responsible for his actions

o   God is sovereign over evil

o   God does not sin or tempt men to sin (James 1:13)

·         Biblical Suffering

o   Job 38:1-12 God questions Job…kind of terrifying

o   Job 40:1-14

o   Job 42:1-6

·         Scripture never assumes that God owes us an explanation
·         Scripture is not centered around what makes man happy, like clear answers to difficult questions
·         If we’re honest, we don’t want justice; we want happiness
·         We’re in rebellion against God – what does He owe us?
·         2 Good Things About Evil:

o   Evil brings about greater good; ex. Stephen martyred for this faith (Acts 7), Jesus dying on the cross; even the most unexplainable evil is used for greater purposes

o   God is glorified even in the punishment of evil

·         If God is the most satisfying thing for us, the most loving thing He could do is give us more of Himself, which is what the Fall did. When we suffer and are surrounded by the results of evil, it makes us run to God for safety and security

·         We’re not only the victims of evil but the instigators

·         Why do bad things happen to good people? Well, really it only happened once and He volunteered for it (*cough cough Jesus*)

·         Sometimes we think Jesus owes us the cross, that we don’t deserve His wrath. But we do

·         2 Corinthians 4:16-18; Romans 3:21-26

·         Jesus is a man of sorrow acquainted with grief – He is with us in our loss.

Sexuality

·         Main passages: 1 Peter 1 and 1 Thessalonians 4

·         Jesus should be the center of our sexuality

·         When we’re participating in sexual activity, we’re either worshiping ourselves and the human body or we’re glorifying God and worshiping Him

·         How and why God created sex:

o   God created sex for His glory

o   Sex exists for our pleasure

·         1 Peter 1:14-16

o   We’re called to be holy as God is holy → holy: being completely devoted to the glory of God in everything

o   Humble yourself; set your affections on God

·         1 Thess. 4:1-3

o   Sanctification: process of God bringing us into holiness and making us more like Jesus

o   Sexual immorality: 2 people not married doing things only married people should do

o   Sex has to be a part of our sanctification – it should make us more like Jesus

o   Our sex-life, whether abstaining or taking part, should further us in our sanctification

o   Ephesians 5:26 He wants to wash us with the Word of God

o   You can’t clean yourself enough for God to approve of you

o   How we abstain (1 Thess. 4)

§  Please God by surrendering (vs.1)

§  Don’t live life by your own will – surrender your life to the will of God (vs. 3)

§  The call of God (vs. 7)

§  Understand God’s holiness (vs. 5, 7)

o   Why we abstain

§  To please God (vs. 1) → different than earning His favor

§  It’s an act of obedience (vs.2)

§  To honor God and honor others (vs. 4)

§  To love others and not sin against them

§  Because God’s the avenger (vs. 6)

Desiring What God Desires (Girls only)

·         Eve

o   God designed us to desire leadership

§  The serpent caused her to doubt

§  She knew the instruction

§  Eve was tempted

§  Eve, like us, desired to be led

§  God is your authority

§  Satan tempted Eve with a physical need…we do that to ourselves. Ex. Body image: not eating would be good for us so we can get skinny and “healthy” (stupid)

·         Adam did well in carrying out the commandments but not protecting it

·         Girls: we shouldn’t want an Adam, who takes no responsibility, doesn’t execute what the Lord commands, and who lays the blame on anyone but himself

·         Is. 26:3; 1 Tim. 1:12

·         Phil. 4:8 how Satan got Eve – attacking her thoughts. Protect your thoughts!

·         1 John 2:16

·         Satan will attack:

o   Desires of the heart

o   Desires of the eyes

·         Eve cont.

o   To be lead means you choose to submit

§  Surrender my will

§  Understand the blessing of being protected

§  Believe the design is for your protection

§  Mark of spiritual growth and maturity

§  Intentionally say “no” to temptation

§  Testimony of faith

·         Ruth

o   The desire to be pursued (pursuing prepares you for the pursuit)

§  Pursuit of God and family

§  Understand your position: live well, serve well

§  Rest in God’s plan

§  Safety

§  Under authority

o   2:19-23 even though Boaz was kind and told the men not to harm her, Ruth chose Naomi’s authority and stayed with the young women

·         Boaz vs. Bozo

o   Boaz

§  Builder of others

§  Open and follows God’s will

§  Acts with Christ-like character

§  Zeal (passion/eagerness) for the Lord

o   Bozo

§  Builder of himself (arrogant)

§  Open to his own plans

§  Zealous for worldly philosophies

§  Obstinate

·         Mary: The Desire for Knowing God

o   Luke 10:38-42

§  Mary was attentive to Jesus and sat at His feet

§  Was not distracted by what Martha was doing

o   John 15:1-11

o   Abiding in Christ will produce fruit in your life

·         Galatians 5:22 Fruit of the Spirit (not issues of behavior but issues of the heart)

o   Love: brotherly love, affection, good will

o   Joy: gladness, rejoicing

o   Peace: quietness, steadfastness

o   Patience: endurance, steadfastness

o   Kindness: gentleness, integrity, (sometimes, being honest is kind), teachable

o   Goodness: uprightness of heart and life

o   Faithfulness: character of one who can be relied on: confidence springing from faith in Christ (gossip ruins this…DON’T DO IT)

o   Gentleness: humility

o   Self-control: temperate (pleasant), can’t do it alone, have to submit; Rom. 7:18

Just a Random Thought:

This was just a random thought God gave me at church camp that I thought was a cool connection.

If you’ve grown up in church, you’ve probably heard the illustration of salvation being like Jesus giving us a bath – He has washed away our sins and made us pure and clean. I heard this illustration once again at camp, and I thought this was cool:

When you take a bath/shower, you have to have soap, right? And besides washing away your dirt, it also makes you smell good. Ephesians 5:1-2 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” So not only did Jesus’ sacrifice make Him a pleasant aroma, but we as Christians are commanded to live a life that is a pleasant aroma to others and that conforms to the image of Christ. Being this pleasant fragrant can only be done by the grace we find in Jesus’ sacrifice when He cleansed us of our sins.

When you’re taking a bath, you use water to rinse off the soap, right?  Jesus is that water, but not just any water…living water. Jesus tells a Samaritan woman about this water in John 4:14, “but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” Jesus offers us salvation, Living water of which we will forever be satisfied. This beautiful gift is given to us by His blood and sacrifice as He washes us of our filth and instead gives us His righteousness.

 

 

A Beautiful Song

Here’s a song we sang at camp. Along with just the beautiful sound of it, the lyrics - especially the bridge – really blessed me.

You call me out upon the waters

The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand

 I will call upon Your name

And keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

 Your grace abounds in deepest waters

Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You’ve never failed and You won’t start now

 I will call upon Your name

And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

 Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

 

I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

 

Being Yoked with Christ (for girls only)

·         Lamentations 3:21-29

·         We all labor for something…

o   Either to live out the Gospel gloriously with the help and counsel of the Holy Spirit or

o   To survive, find acceptance, excel with our lack and inability found in ourselves

o   So…we are either yoked with Christ or yoked to ourselves

o   The easy and restful yoke Matt. 11:28-30; Heb. 4:15

o   The yoke of slavery to a master here on earth. Gal. 5:1

·         Owner determines value concept

o   Your owner/slave master could be:

§  Image: what others think of you

§  Body: Ecc. 7:26

§  Performance

§  Beauty: Is. 3:16,24 branded slave

§  Significance: craving someone’s recognition

§  A boy

§  Sex

§  *side note: DON’T MAKE PROVISIONS FOR THE FLESH

o   Do not be unequally yoked

o   Do not be yoked to the will of your flesh

o   Gal. 5:17

·         Two options:

o   Feel the effects of a battle within

o   Feel nothing because of surrender

·         Pride and the proud flesh illustration…Hosea 13:6

·         Pride is where the conception of sin takes place

·         Our battle plan:

o   Cling to Scripture: Heb. 4:12-13

§  If you omit scripture, you will commit the darkness that is inside you

o   Have confidence in the Lords’ love and desire for you

o   Hosea 11:1-8

·         Christ longs to be yoked with us. He wants to labor with us. He wants to let you in on the victory He experiences over your sin and dark mind

·         Christ wants to battle our flesh with us.

·         Our flesh = our ego in ourselves that feels empty but hates the idea of filling the emptiness with Christ…so do not feed your flesh!

·         Rom. 8:14-15

·         If you are enslaved to sin…there is hope! There is redemption. You have already been bought out of your slavery! Not with money, but with the blood of Christ!

·         My salvation and redemption required the death of Christ. My life separated from sin and darkness requires the death of me!

·         Leviticus 26:13; Jeremiah 31:4; Ps. 34

 

What to Look for in a Man (For girls only, obviously. Yeah, lots of girl sessions)

·         Perversion of gender roles

o   Chauvinistic: women have no rights

o   Feministic: men have no rights

·         This perversion started with the failure of manhood: twice in NT says that Eve was deceived and Adam disobeyed

·         Don’t go find a good dude… go find Jesus

·         A godly man will cultivate (work to produce fruit) in the relationship

·         Men are to be fighters:

o   To guard your heart and purity

o   To keep a godly household

o   To kill your guilt

·         Your man will not love you well if he doesn’t love the Word of God more than you

·         Watch how a guy treats his mom because it’s practice for how he will treat you

Marriage

·         Genesis 1:26-27 up till this point, there’s been a consistent pattern of God speaking creative words (ex. “Let there be light” and “God saw that the light was good”). Now there’s a break in the pattern: God’s not just speaking a creative word but having a conversation with the Son; break in the pattern because we’re the only creation made in His image

·         Gen. 2:18 God says His creation is not good because man was alone. He created Adam for a relationship

·         Marriage is an example of how God takes natural things and uses them as a reflection of heavenly realities (ex. Butterfly pic of life, death, and resurrection of Jesus)

·         Eph. 5:25-33 Paul quotes Genesis

·         Marriage isn’t just about husbands and wives, but the Gospel. What you say about marriage is said about the Gospel

·         “our theology is in our fingertips”, in how you live

·         The men/women in your life are probably not gonna marry you, so be careful in how you treat someone else’s husband/wife

Abuse and Forgiveness

·         What you do with abuse is your responsibility

·         Time does not heal all wounds – Jesus does

·         Warnings

o   Can’t have superficial motto: “Forgive and forget”

o   Don’t look for “functional saviors”: dive into being a good kid

o   Just because this has happened to you, doesn’t mean you have new freedom to sin

o   Don’t totally shut off  because then you’ll have no way to make relationships

o   Don’t minimize it. All sin is not the same. What was done to you was completely evil

·         Col. 3:12-13; Matt. 18:21-25; Matt. 5:43-45; Rom. 12:17-21

·         Need to release bitterness and anger. We were not made for wrath or vengeance

·         If you’ve been abused, there’s a danger that you will abuse

·         We have to find our identity in Christ

·         Where was Jesus when this happened to you? He was sovereign, sitting on His throne. One the throne, He has scarred hands and feet…He knows your suffering

·         He not only redeemed us from our own sin but also redeemed us from the sin committed against us

·         Matt. 11:28-30

·         Identity in Christ: look at Ephesians 1

·         Jesus’ goodness is so much bigger than what happened to you

·         Forgiveness is not pretending that it’s not a big deal, and does not mean they don’t deserve serious consequences

How to Study the Bible

·         We have serious highs and serious lows because we’re not studying the Bible or not studying it well

·         If we know it’s important to study the Bible, why don’t we do it?

·         3 tips on how to study the bible:

o   Wake up early, or at least pick a time that you can be consistent with

o   Get a literal transition of the Bible and a notebook

§  Notebook: can get 2, one for sermons and stuff you hear from other people and another for your own personal study

o   Go through one book of the Bible slowly, don’t skim

§  Ex. Phil. 2:17 “drink offering’, if you didn’t know what that meant, then take time to study the sacrificial system

·         How to go in depth? Get commentaries. Some options:

o   James Boice

o   NIV application Bible commentary

o   The Word biblical commentary

·         Don’t be governed by your feelings during your study – be obedient

The New Atheism

·         Rom. 1:18-25 the exchange – mankind exchanged God’s righteousness for lies

·         Secularization

o   It used to be impossible not to believe (into the Medieval world)

o   It became possible not to believe (the Enlightenment)

o   The first big problem: it’s impossible to prove a “universal negative”. Ex. To say that “there is no God”, you’d have to have knowledge over everything – they’d have to be God

o   “The Four Horsemen” (the 4 guys leading this movement of “the new atheism”)

§  Richard Dawkins

·         Calls himself “The Devil’s Chaplain”, attacks Christianity, proposes militant atheism

§  Christopher Hitchens

·         Died in ‘l1, says religion is sexually oppressive

§  Daniel Dennett

·         Says Darwinian evolution is the “universal acid”, trying to come up with totally naturalistic understanding of human consciousness

§  Sam Harris

·         Says “science must destroy religion”

§  Victor Stenger (taking Hitchens’ spot)

·         What’s “new” about it?

o   Focus: focused on Christians; old atheists were philosophers, not natural scientists

o   Audience: the masses, not the academy; not writing on a scholarly level; selling millions of copies

o   Tone: they are angry; old were cordial and dispassionate, actually dealing with the question; new are mean-spirited

o   Grouding: the natural sciences rather than philosophy; the new guys; philosophies suck

o   Aim: to eradicate Christianity from the planet

o   Tolerance: want to abolish all religious tolerance

o   Ignorance: regarding history and classical Christian proofs

o   Zeal: they’re launching an evangelical campaign

·         Is it working?

o   Yes…unfortunately. In the US in the last 5 years, “unaffiliated” grew from 15% to 20%; 3% to 6% say they’re atheist/agnostic; 72.8% of philosophy professors “accept or lean towards atheism”

·         Why?

o   Rejection of authority

o   Poor representation of Christianity

o   Emotional overreaction to the problem of evil

·         How should we respond?

o   Don’t be afraid…the truth is on our side – worldviews matter

o   Get grounded and think critically

o   Put your hope in the Gospel – we need to have a greater zeal for the Gospel than atheists have for attacking the Gospel

·         The New Atheists have no answers for:

o   Origin

o   Meaning/purpose/value

o   Morality

o   Science

o   Human consciousness

A Call to Missions: The Power of the Holy Spirit

·         Acts 1:4-8

·         Jesus promised the disciples the Holy Spirit and that He would be their power

·         Rom. 8:11; John 14:15-17; John 16:7

·         The power of the Holy Spirit keeps us from cowardice; He refreshes the Gospel daily

·         Acts 8:4-8 Philip witnessed in Samaria which was a fulfillment of what Jesus said in Acts 1:8

·         Revelation 7:1

·         Our desire should be that the power of God would rest upon us

·         There is no need to be afraid to share the Gospel

Well…that’s it! I hope the Lord gave you insight on this issues…I know He definitely gave me some. Have a fabulous evening and don’t forget to spend some time with the Lord! Happy Monday!