Urbana 12

This morning I was reading in Revelation chapter 5.  Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels  numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"   

This awesome scene reminded me of a few things.  Firstly, the intense joy of being in church for the Christmas Eve service, after two weeks without church and its music (Appalachian State graduation for one, and driving home, for another); it was amazing to be part of a harmonious throng singing the great songs of Advent.  

Secondly, it reminded me of "Messiah" by George Handel, which I've been savoring all this season long.  The Scriptures, the voices, the melodies, how exquisite! 

Thirdly, I thought of Urbana12, going on right now, and especially of our five New Hope young adults that are attending.  Can you even imagine the voices of 18,000 raised in song toward our glorious King?  Can you fathom the depth of harmonies, the height of sound, the "noise, NoIsE, nOiSe, NOISE!" (ala Dr. Seuss)?  All directed to our wonderful Counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of peace.  

Stop and imagine that glorious day.  It might just take your breath away.  And we will be there.  Oh glory divine!

Pray for Liliana, Josh, Ryan, Rachel, and Ben, as they attend this weekend.  Pray for a bit of that glory divine to invade their hearts and minds as they participate.  

2012 Books

Books!  We love them, don't we?  I've been looking over my favorites for 2012 (I know there's a month left to go, but what are the chances my favorite of the year is yet to come?) and I've picked the best.  Keep in mind that I've read some of the best theology out there this year, like J.I. Packer's Knowing God, Paul Brand's In His Image, Jerry Bridges' Bookends of the Christian Life, even Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables (finally!).  I've studied Redemption--Accomplished and Applied, Created in God's Image, The Final Word, and 13 Clues for Miss Marple.  But my absolute favorite of the year is by a young author, Kevin DeYoung, and it's titled The Hole in our Holiness.  

 I don't know about you, but I don't read much about holiness.  Grace, yes; idols, yes; attributes of God, yes; Downton Abbey, yes.  Holiness? No.  

If you haven't read much about being holy as God is holy, here's the place to start.  I challenge you, nay, encourage you, to read it, underline it, even come to a Women's Sunday School class on this amazing book.  Throw it into your Amazon cart today. 

What's been your favorite book this year (so far)?

Fear Mosquitoes

Okay, this has nothing to do with what I'm about to write, but I couldn't resist introducing Oliver Peabody (Opie) to you.  11 pounds of delicious sadness.  Doesn't he remind you of Eeyore?

I'm actually talking about fear today.  This is such a pervasive feeling in our hearts that we don't even recognize it.  How many of you have been afraid that your teen won't make it into the college of their choice, only to be afraid once they do that they will end up in the worldly crowd?  How many have been afraid that a husband won't make it home for supper in time, only to then be afraid that he's not working enough overtime to pay the bills? What a mosquito this fear is.   

Where does this fear come from?  Is our desire to protect our comforts and our children cause enough to not trust God with them?  1 Peter 3, in discussing Sarah's submission to her husband, gives us good words to apply to other areas of our lives as well:  And you are her children, if you do good and do nor fear anything that is frightening (v. 6b).  

And what about this admonition further on (v. 14-15):  But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed.  Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy.   

Surely the cares of this world are troubling, and sometimes conspire to drown us.  But there is an antidote:  the fear of God.  He governs all things.  He can be trusted.  You can let go of your control.  You can actively pursue God's peace by believing that He controls it all.  

Get to know Him better by studying the Word, memorizing and meditating on it.  In fact, read the same good passage daily for a week; oh, the things you will learn!  Begin with Romans 12, or Psalm 103, or 1 Peter 3.  

Repent of your fears every time they threaten to nibble at your heart.  Repent that you are not trusting God with the things that only He can change.  And then commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will act (Psalm 37:5).  

Bless the Lord!

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

who forgives all your iniquity,

who heals all your diseases,

you redeems your life from the pit, 

who crowns you with steadfast love and faithfulness,

who satisfies you with good,

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed;

he made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.

The Lord is gracious and merciful, 

slow and anger and abounding in steadfast love.

He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.

He does not deal with us according to our sins,

nor repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his steadfast love to those who fear him.

As far as the east is from the west

so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

As a father shows compassion to his children,

so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.

For he knows our frame,

He remembers that we are dust.

As for man, 

his days are like grass.

He flourishes like a flower of the field 

for the wind passes over it and it is gone.

But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting 

on those who fear him,

and his righteousness to children's children,

to those who keep his covenant

and remember to do his commandments.

The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,

and his kingdom rules over all.

Bless the LORD, O you his angels,

you mighty ones who do his word,

obeying the voice of his word!

Bless the LORD, all his hosts,

his ministers, who do his will!

Bless the LORD, all his works,

in all places of his dominion.

Bless the LORD, O my soul!

(Psalm 103 ESV)

Come to the Wedding

Can you imagine being invited to a wedding (No gifts please), where the food has been lovingly and lavishly prepared by God Himself?  Can you even fathom how exquisite the place settings would be and how beautifully all the food would be presented?  Talk about art and beauty.  Think of the aromas, and the brilliance of the silver place settings, and the heavenly music.  

Can you imagine saying no because you have to milk your cows?  Or work on your business ledger?  Would you rip up the invitation, or worse yet, kill the mailman because of your anger at being invited to such a feast?  

And yet, that is what many of the Jews did who were invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb; they were given first dibs and they responded in anger.  Unfathomable, isn't it?  And so, we Gentiles, "strangers to the covenant of promise" (Ephesians 2:12) have been invited as well.  And not just invited, but freely given the appropriate garments to wear, "robes of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10) so we too might not be cast out.  

And what are these robes of righteousness?  "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21).  Are you appropriately dressed for the feast?  Are you living as though you are so dressed?  Is His righteousness spilling out of you and spreading an aroma of a coming wedding feast?  

Read more of the grand feast in Revelation 19:6-10.  And say with the angel: "Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb."  

Halloween, or All Hallows' Eve

Have you ever seen a pumpkin carved in this manner?  Can you tell what it is?  (Hint: Our son Tim carved it as a demonstration of his masters program.)   

Well, Halloween is upon us, with All Saints Day quietly on its heels.  And whether you dress up, carve pumpkins, pass out candy, and decorate your house, or turn off your porch light and hide in the basement (we've done all of the above over the years, indecisive as we are!), you can't ignore it.  

We can celebrate it as Reformation Day (we actually named one of our dogs Martin Luther when we adopted him on October 31st) or All Souls' Day or Halloween, take your pick.  But, if nothing else, this day ought to remind us of those who have gone before, those who have fought the good fight and finished the race.  Take a walk through Hebrews 11, and marvel at what God has done through His flawed and forgetful people over the centuries.  And thousands, maybe millions, more names could be added since then.  

In his prayer book, Everyday Prayers, Pastor Scotty Smith today reminds us that the work has always been God's.  And he prays:  I'm only a saint because the Father has hidden my life in yours.  My only "dress" is your righteousness, plus nothing.  I will run and finish the race because in you, Jesus, I live, move, and have my being.  I will make it to heaven not because of my efforts but because of yours.  I'll not busy myself with tricks or treats, because everything that is yours is now mine, Lord Jesus.  What wondrous love and eternal inheritance is this, indeed!     Check it out tomorrow at http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/scottysmith/.   It's worth reading in its entirety.  

So snuggle up in the basement this evening, or enjoy the little ghosts and goblins that come to your door.  But remember who you are in Christ, not who the world wants you to be.  You are a saint because of His work on your behalf.  

And the jack-o-lantern above?  It's the continents of the world in all their glory.  But that's probably another blog post.

Deep Waters

But now thus says the LORD,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.

For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."
(Isaiah 43:1-3 ESV)

We've seen the waters that overwhelm this week in our nation. There are many to pray for. 

We have all known waters in our lives that have come up to our chins, even our nostrils.  We have feared drowning.  One thing we must remember when the drowning time is near:  He will be with us; the waters shall not finally overwhelm us.  The waters may hurt, they may even destroy, but they will not overwhelm us.  We are His, we belong to the Redeemer, Who gave His life for us.  He is the Lord our God, the Holy One of Israel, our Savior.  We know this to be true.  We must remember it in the time of deep waters.  

So fear not.  If you are redeemed, you are His.  He knows you and loves you, and you will not be overwhelmed.  

The Prodigals That Are Us

Did you ever notice what the father of the prodigal son did when his son headed down the driveway towards him?   Let me show you:  But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him (Luke 15:20).  Look at all those very active verbs!  Look at how he expressed his love for his son.  Is this not the way we long to be loved, especially when we have wronged our Father?  It's unfathomable, really.  

And yet, it's true.  Just look for a minute at Ephesians 1: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.  (Ephesians 1:7-10 ESV)    And this, while we were yet sinners.  This unfathomable love is ours because of Christ.  We are not strangers but children, if we belong to Christ. 

Take a good long look at those verbs highlighted above.  This is our Father, lavishing His love on us.  Soak in that image and savor it.  It's all true.    

Peace? What peace?

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:4-7 ESV)

Is this true?  Why, when we have given something hard to God, do we not feel the peace?  What are we doing wrong?  More importantly, where is God and His peace?  

Well, in my experience, my anxiety is directly related to how badly I want to fix things, how much I want something to look a certain way, whether or not God does what I want.  Does the thing I have prayed about turn around immediately, come out "right", or just go away?  No.  God hasn't promised that my problem will go away.  He does promise His peace. 

Maybe my problem is my understanding of who He is and what He is about.  His ultimate goal for me is that I might be holy.  He accomplishes that goal by giving me all sorts of things, many of them difficult (See Romans 8:28-29).   Letting go of these difficult things, even into His capable hands, is not ever easy.  But it is necessary.  

Look at the first sentence in the verse.  As I am giving my problems into His hands, I am also to be rejoicing in Him.  Maybe that's where we get stuck.  We hand him our difficulties and immediately start wondering how and when He is going to answer, and wondering if there might be some little thing we can do to help.  

Rather, we should begin rejoicing.  Rejoice in the Lord!  In Jeremiah 32, God says,  “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?
(Jeremiah 32:27 ESV)   The answer that resounds throughout eternity, from the Creation of the universe by His mere Word, to the exquisite Supper of the Lamb, is NO, nothing is too hard for You, Lord God Almighty.  

Not even my anxieties, problems, sleeplessness, pain.  Nothing is too hard or too small for God to know exactly what to do, and to do it.  

So rejoice in your pain.  Rejoice in His greatness and kindness to you.  Rejoice that He is certainly big enough.  And enjoy His peace.  

Truth in the Darkness

We can talk all we want about trusting God and letting Him be sovereign and resting in Him, but there comes a time when we are asked to live it.  We look into the future and it is dark.  Dark enough, in fact, that we are overwhelmed by it.  The proverbial rubber has met the road, and we are undone.  

What then?  Is God still sovereign, or has He momentarily let go of the universe?  Is He powerful enough for my darkness, or do I have to start sending out flares?  Is there a moment when He lets go, and I have to figure it out on my own?  

This, the very moment when all we want is to give up and give in to the darkness, is the moment we must start remembering. We must remember God's work in our lives in the past; we must conjure up past joys and amazing interventions; we have to make a diligent search in our personal histories for days of long ago when God made Himself abundantly known.  Read these words of Asaph, and take heart:

I am so troubled I cannot speak.  I consider the days of old, the years long ago.  I said, "Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart."  Then my spirit made a diligent search: "Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?  Has his steadfast love forever ceased?  Are his promises at an end for all time?  Has God forgotten to be gracious?  Has he in anger shut up compassion?"  

Then I said, "I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High." I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.  I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.  Your way, O God, is holy.  What god is great like our God?  You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples.  You with your right arm redeemed your people.  (Psalm 77:4b-15a)

Job says rightly:  I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. (19:25).

We may not feel that God is near, but we can know that He is.  And, as Jesus told us in John 8, If you abide in my Word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.  It is our knowledge of the truth that will set us free to trust Him fully in the darkness. He is strong, He is able, He is gracious and merciful, He alone lights the darkness.  Know it and be free to take the next step into it.

Real Rest

Only in God is my soul 
              at rest.  
     From Him comes my  
               salvation. 

This is the beginning of Psalm 62 as written into a song by John Michael Talbot.  

The NIV puts it this way: 

1 Truly my soul finds rest 
                  in God;
                     my salvation comes from him.
2 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
                 he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Are you resting in Him like my dog Mr. Knightley is resting in the pillows on my bed?  This is what trust looks like: taking your burdens to the Lord, and leaving them there, believing that in Him only is your salvation.  Truly, in Him only can you be at peace.  He only is your rock and fortress.  Drop your burdens there, and rest.  Really rest.  

Streets of Gold

This is the "street of gold" that is my backyard today, minus the glow factor.  It is simply, brilliantly beautiful.  And it gives me a hunger to see that "street of the city . . . pure gold, transparent as glass", that we read of in Revelation 21:21.  Can anything be more breathtaking than my backyard at this very moment?  Yes, and it awaits those who know Christ as Savior, who have trusted Him for salvation, whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.  

"If then you have been raised with Christ, set your minds on things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God" (Colossians 3:1).  "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved--and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-7).  

So you see, these streets of gold, far more glorious than my backyard, hard as that is to believe, are our future because of Christ.  But more glorious than that is the truth that we will finally see Him face to face, whose glory is far beyond all that we can ask or imagine.  

Sleepless Nights

What a glorious fall it has been!   The colors declare the glory of God as never before, in my estimation.  

And yet God's glory is seen in more than exquisite bits of His creation; we can see it in everyday bits as well.  Take Esther 6:1, for starters.  On that night the king could not sleep.   

Now normally I would not say that a sleepless night in any way demonstrates God's glory.  In fact, we do everything we can to avoid sleepless nights--sleeping tablets, no afternoon caffeine, no distractions, fans and heating pads in place.  

But this night was different . . . or was it?  Could it be that God keeps us awake for reasons that are beyond us?  Look what happened in Esther on the night the king could not sleep.  He decided to read The Book of Memorable Deeds and discovered that Mordecai had never been honored for saving the king's life.  And the story of Jewish annihilation was sharply turned, reversed in fact.  Mordecai was honored, Haman was humbled, then killed, and the Jews were saved through a series of amazing events.  And all because the king couldn't sleep.  I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that this sleepless night may be where we see God most clearly in the entire book of Esther.  

Don't you love how God uses the very mundane, even irritating, circumstances of our lives to change the course of them?  Aren't you grateful that God is sovereign over all things, even our sleep habits?  Nothing escapes His notice or thwarts His purposes.  

So the next time you have a sleepless night, praise God for His glorious plans.  

Setting a Watch

Here is a good morning prayer, or evening prayer, or a prayer for whenever you are going to be with other people, or animals, or inanimate objects of any kind:  

                         Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
                         keep watch over the door of my lips!

That exclamation point was David's, not mine, although I second that motion.  How I need the Lord to guard my lips, and remind me to speak only what is edifying and encouraging and truthful and loving.  This is hard for someone who loves to talk.  Daily I need His watchfulness to remind me.  

And more importantly, I need to saturate myself with His Word, so even my thinking is edifying and truthful and loving.  "For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart", according to Jesus as quoted in Matthew 12:34.   Long minutes in His Word, soaking it in, meditating on it, absorbing it into my heart and mind, is the first step to speaking rightly.  What fills my heart will fill my mouth.  Oh Lord, set a watch!

Birds and Love

I have found myself alone recently, the birdies having all flown the nest.  A little time for self-reflection and prayer and painting a little bird I found at the thrift store and re-covering dining chairs.  And catching a nasty cold, so it's not all Edenic.  

I've also been meditating on the truths found in 2 Corinthians 5:17, that greatest of all exchanges:  For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of Christ.    Christ endured the suffering owed to us for us!  This is unimaginable love, is it not?  Unequaled love, the like of which we will never see on this earth, no matter how great the sacrifice.  This is the Lord of glory come down to redeem wicked sinners who wanted nothing to do with Him.  

John Murray, in his Redemption Applied and Accomplished (1955 Wm Eerdman Publishing), describes it like this:  "Here we are the spectators of a wonder the praise and glory of which eternity will not exhaust.  It is the Lord of glory, the Son of God incarnate, the God-man, drinking the cup given him by the eternal Father, the cup of woe and of indescribable agony. . . . It is God in our nature forsaken of God.  . . . There is no reproduction or parallel in the experience of archangels or of the greatest saints.  The faintest parallel would crush the holiest of men and the mightiest of the angelic host." (pp. 77-78)

And in light of this truth, Romans 8:35 asks us this: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Read on to find the answer.  It is no one.  God the Father, the Lawgiver, the Just, accepted, yea even planned, the sacrifice of His Son on our behalf, and there is now no condemnation for us if we are in Him.  

This day, thank Him.  Give yourself to Him in new ways.  Serve Him as your only King.  Live a life of praise to Him for His marvelous love.   

Grace in the Wilderness

I spent the weekend with a dear friend with whom I have walked through the wilderness, both hers and mine, many times.  We have grappled with struggles that broke us and nearly drowned us.  Over the many years that we have spent time together, beginning in our college apartment, we have heard from God through His Word and through each other.  And what He has spoken most clearly is this in Jeremiah 31:2: 

      The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness.  

This, of course, was directed to the people of Israel as Jeremiah was prophesying their restoration after God's judgment on them.  But we, too, have wildernesses and swords, famines and plagues.  We often live in the darkness, unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  

But there is grace, always grace, in our wildernesses. My friend and I always find it in our times together.  For us, it has often been a comforting word from the Lord, like the promise that joy comes in the morning after a night of weeping (Psalm 30:5).  It has been one another's tears, and the joy of seeing God in the midst of our turmoil.  We remind each other that we are never outside of God's plans for us.  And while the wildernesses have abounded, the grace of God that we have found has abounded all the more.  

For God through Jeremiah goes on to say:  When Israel sought for rest, the Lord appeared to him from far away.  I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. (verses 2-3)  

My friend and I call these sorts of verses our "grace in the wilderness" verses.  Where have you found grace in the wildernesses of your life?    

Don't lose your focus

I have a confession.   I hate politics.  And my husband's undergraduate degree is in history!  :) Every four years, during the Presidential Election cycle, we are inundated with political commercials.  The constant slander of one candidate or the other is so discouraging to me.  It is not long before the gloom and doom articles come out which all claim that our country will not last or how certain people want to move to another country if so and so becomes president.   It's easy to get our eyes so focused on hoping in a particular person or political party that we forget who our only Savior is.   No mere man or political party can change the hearts of the American people or any people for that matter.  Even if all the laws in America were changed to reflect biblical morality, it still wouldn't change people's hearts.  Remember in the Old Testament how the Israelites were given the Law?  It was a gift but still did not fix their hearts.  Our only hope is through Jesus Christ.

Almost nine years ago, I had the opportunity to visit my Susu (Kenyan for grandmother) as she was struggling with cancer.  It was the last time I got to see her alive.  I had the privilege of staying with her one Sunday morning while everyone else went to church.  Susu asked me to read her Isaiah 40.      Have you read Isaiah 40 recently?  If not, I would encourage you to do so especially if like me, you struggle with this election season.   Look specifically at verses 22-23

  [22] It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
[23] who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
(Isaiah 40:22-23 ESV)

On this particular morning nine years ago, the news was just being released that Saddam Hussein had been captured.   Susu wanted to remind me that though our Armed Forces are great and mighty, it was really our Almighty God who brings "princes to nothing and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness".

Look to Christ!   Read the end of Isaiah 40.   He is the Creator and does not grow weary or faint.  Don't put your trust in men (or women).  You will constantly be disappointed if you do.  Put your trust in our Eternal and Everlasting God!


[28] Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
[29] He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
[30] Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
[31] but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
(Isaiah 40:28-31 ESV)

Pouring out

This is somewhere in Nashville, I think. The point being the clouds rolling in, bringing darkness and turmoil in the form of floods and power outages.  This is sometimes how our God operates.  

Remember the Israelites and their promise to obey all that the Lord had commanded them?  That lasted all of thirty seconds.  And yet it was hundreds of years and many judges and kings later that God finally poured out His wrath on His people, who were then carted off to foreign lands from their besieged cities, if they survived the plague, famine and sword.  

And here is what the Lord says about that final blow through the writer of Lamentations:  
              For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have 
              compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not
              willingly afflict or grieve the children of men.    (Lam. 3:31-33)

This is not a hateful God who afflicted them, but a God of incredible mercy, kindness and forbearance, a God who disciplines His children for their own good.   And ultimately, a God who poured out His awful wrath on His own Son so as to save us from it (the awful wrath that we deserved).  

And so we can sing with the words of Lamentations:   The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him.  (Lamentations 3:22-24)

This should cause your skin to tingle.  What a great and awesome God we have!

Loving Your Husband

Sarah's words this week (see below) are good ones.  With a birthday tomorrow, it's finally time to admit that I am an "older woman".  And as such, I have the responsibiity and the pleasure of training younger women.  Training them in what?  In loving their husbands, for one thing.  Isn't it easy to love your husband before he becomes your husband, when new love carries you over the minor irritations and issues, when just hearing his voice on the other end of the phone gets your heart pounding faster?  
And then you marry, and you have to learn to live with each other . . . ouch.  Your worst side comes out, and so does his.  

This is where weekly dates come in, a focus on serving this man you've married, and seeing him daily with the eyes of new love.  (I know . . . we're about to become empty nesters!)   

Each of us married a sinner, and so did each of our husbands.  In this vein, we are offering a women's Sunday school class this fall on The Excellent Wife, working through the joys and trials of serving and loving the sinners we live with.  I promise a gossip-free and gripe-free atmosphere in which to discuss the inner workings of our marriages.  

Please join us.  

Being the Older Woman

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,  and so train the young women to love their husbands and children,  to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.
(Titus 2:3-5 ESV)


What a wonderful system God instituted for us women to learn to grown in godliness.   And what a difficult command too.   How do we go about doing this?   If you are an older woman (and you are to someone), how do you join in with another woman in this type of relationship?   First you have to get to know a younger woman.   If you haven't noticed yet, our church has a lot of new young women.   This year the women will have many different opportunities to fellowship with one another.   But please look beyond the obvious.   These are not just times to hang out and have fun.   Consider them times to get to know a younger woman.  Take time to make connections that will go beyond the event and invite them to your home.   Pray that God will lay a woman on your heart this year to develop a closer relationship with.  Pray that God will give you the time and energy to pursue another lady.

The MacCreadys in Germany

Here they were in June.  Read Amy's blog at http://bavarianbriefs.blogspot.com/2012/08/im-humblest-person-i-know.html?spref=fb. to see where they are today.   Much food for thought here. 

You might enjoy all of her posts at bavarianbriefs.blogspot.com.  Isn't the cyber-world wonderful for keeping in touch?  

Bread Pans

A few months ago, I saw the perfect bread pans.   They were supposed to cook evenly, clean nicely and produce a wonderful loaf of bread.  I had to have them.   Then my bread would be great.  I thought about them, planned for them and saved for them.   Every time I made bread I kept thinking about how much better life would be with my new bread pans.   Eventually the day came when I had saved to buy these bread pans.  I carefully calculated my order, checked it twice and purchased them online (because shopping with 3 little ones is next to impossible in real stores).   The box arrived!   I couldn't help but imagine my fresh bread that I would make. In fact, I didn't even wait.  I made bread right away.    I don't think I even washed the pans.    That bread was one of the worst batches I have made.   It was dense and heavy.   No one seemed all that excited about eating any of it.  I still have a loaf in the freezer but am hesitant to thaw it out because it was so bad.   Needless to say, I was super disappointed.   Granted I don't think it was the bread pans that caused the bad bread, but they are not the miracle workers that I envisioned them to be.

John Calvin talks about our hearts being idol factories.  Do you see how I made these bread pans my idol?   Did you see the progression from having great bread to a great life?    When my bread pans "failed", I was dissatisfied.  Not just with them but with life.   Why?  Because I had allowed the bread pans to be my desire; that which would give me fulfillment and pleasure.  

Jeremiah says "The heart is deceitful above all things,and desperately sick; who can understand it? (17:9).    I am so thankful though that God does not leave us.  The Holy Spirit is working in me to will and to do what is pleasing to Him.

Have you had any "bread pan" experiences lately?  What is God teaching you about the idols in your life?  Do you need to repent of any idols?  God is merciful and will forgive.  What a gracious God we serve!

Boasting

Old North Church, in Boston.  Paul Revere's lantern church.  Amazing to see.   A reminder of the things that matter most.

I read this famous verse in my reading this morning; there's nothing to add to the wisdom of it.  

Thus says the Lord:  Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth.  For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.  (Jeremiah 9:23, 24) 

Let's skip right to the main point here:  we must understand and know Him.  Who is this God we claim to follow?  Where is He found?  What do we really know of Him?  

We know Him as the Lord of Scripture; read the Word voraciously, like a thirsty traveler looking for water and finally obtaining it, like a dry parched earth finally soaking in the satisfying rain.  Know Him.  

Then, look for Him; He is the God of history.  He practices His righteousness, love, and justice here in this place.  We see signs of it all around us as well as in the Biblical record.  He is not a God far off.  Remind yourself of His mighty acts in your own life.  He sent His Son for your sake, to save you from His own wrath, should you choose to accept that.  The resurrection of His Son is a historic fact, one we do well to understand.  

Why these amazing acts from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords?  Because in these things He delights.  Delights!  His joy is in loving us steadfastly, in doing us good, and in showing His justice and righteousness on the earth.  Imagine!  

Boast in these things, and in nothing else.  

The message of the Bible in 240 words

God is the sovereign, transcendent and personal God who has made the universe, including us, his image-bearers. Our misery lies in our rebellion, our alienation from God, which, despite his forbearance, attracts his implacable wrath.

But God, precisely because love is of the very essence of his character, takes the initiative and prepared for the coming of his own Son by raising up a people who, by covenantal stipulations, temple worship, systems of sacrifice and of priesthood, by kings and by prophets, are taught something of what God is planning and what he expects.

In the fullness of time his Son comes and takes on human nature. He comes not, in the first instance, to judge but to save: he dies the death of his people, rises from the grave and, in returning to his heavenly Father, bequeaths the Holy Spirit as the down payment and guarantee of the ultimate gift he has secured for them—an eternity of bliss in the presence of God himself, in a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

The only alternative is to be shut out from the presence of this God forever, in the torments of hell. What men and women must do, before it is too late, is repent and trust Christ; the alternative is to disobey the gospel (Romans 10:16;2 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17). 

— D. A. Carson"The Biblical Gospel" in For Such a Time as This: Perspectives on Evangelicalism, Past, Present and Future, ed. Steve Brady and Harold Rowdon(London: Evangelical Alliance, 1986), 80
How do these words from D.A. Carson encourage you today?    Do you think he covers the message of the Bible in the 240 words?

Speaking of Covenants

The Old Testament prophets, where I have been reading lately, foretold calamity, surely, but were also given glimpses, some ever so small, of future redemption.  And we, most blessed, know what those glimpses looked forward to.  


Consider Jeremiah 31, where God describes through the prophet the new covenant that he was going to make with His people:  "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts."  And while the old covenant was always meant to be more about a relationship than about following rules, the fact that the Israelites found it impossible to keep pointed to the need for a new covenant, a covenant that would deal once and for all with sin.


We now know that covenant to which the prophets were pointing:  the new covenant in Christ's blood, the sacrifice of the final Paschal Lamb to take away the sins of the world, the last high priest offering Himself as the last sacrifice. (For a fuller discussion of this concept, see Michael Williams' Far as the Curse is Found, p. 218.)


What Jeremiah saw through a fog we see in reality--the Holy Spirit given to write God's law on our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Christ is the fulfillment of the entire old covenant--all God's promises to us are 'yes' in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 1:20) and our obedience now is possible because Christ by His Spirit lives in us.  Law is not now obsolete as much as fulfilled! and alive in us! because of Jesus.  


So the old covenant pointed forward to Christ, and the new covenant flows out from the perfect life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, which He performed on our behalf. 

And we are able, finally, to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength, and our neighbors as ourselves.  Praise God from whom this very blessing flows.

Up a Tree

This is our son-in-law cutting down the tree in our son's front yard.  (He watched YouTube videos to know how.)

This is our daughter watching anxiously as her husband cuts down our son's tree.  Proud but nervous.  



This is the new view from our son and daughter-in-law's new home. 

Worth the risk?  We all think so.  


Pastor Jim spoke on Sunday of the Psalmist's grateful heart in the midst of both good and bad times, the bad including being "surrounded" by nations, distress, severe discipline from God, rejection (see Psalm 118).   I don't know about you, but when I am surrounded by nations, I am anything but grateful.  Nervous, more like.  As for discipline from the Lord, stressed and whiny.  Rejection?  Depressed.  


This is why I need the Scriptures, by way of reminder.  I, for one, need to be reminded that it is "better to take refuge in the Lord" than to call my friends.  That "the Lord is on my side; I will not fear; what can man do to me?"  That "the Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation".  


I need to feed my soul daily with this Word that reminds me of God's faithfulness and promises.  And even then, I need the Holy Spirit throughout the day to remind me of what I've read.  Praise God that we are not in this life alone.  We dwell in the palm of His hand.  We are never out of his care.  


Practice this remembering.  And say with the Psalmist:  You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you.  Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!  (Psalm 118:28-29)

The Raging of the Nations

Psalm 46:  
         The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
            he utters his voice, the earth melts.
         The Lord of hosts is with us; 
            the God of Jacob is our fortress.


          Be still, and know that I am God.
              I will be exalted among the nations,
              I will be exalted in the earth!
                                    (verses 6-7, 10)


Can any more be said?  We watch the nations rage on a daily basis.  It is the Lord of hosts who melts the earth, who puts nations in their rightful places.  Psalm 2 tells us that He laughs at their ragings, and will "terrify them in his fury".  He governs all, is sovereign over all.  Nothing is outside of His realm.   


So we can be still.  He is God.  He will be exalted.  Rest this day in that truth.  
                                     

Sharing the Word

As I've been reading through Isaiah this month, I am so struck by the names of God:  the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Redeemer, the Lord who made you, the Creator of Israel, your King, the Savior, I am the Lord who . . . . 


This encourages me in so many ways, not the least of which is that He is the one true God who created the world and me, and who acts in history; He, in fact, is history, sovereign over all things.  And this sovereign God loves us; it radiates from the entire book of Isaiah. What a comfort.  What a Savior.  


What are you hearing from the Lord lately?   How is your time in the Word encouraging you?  Please share and let us be encouraged as well.  

Pay Attention

And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.  (2 Peter 1:19) 


Have you ever had the Lord bring the same passage of Scripture before your eyes multiple times in the same week?  I'm sure you have.  


For me this week, it was Isaiah 43:1-3; first in the songs in church, second in a devotion I read daily, today in my appointed (or should I say anointed?) reading.  I do well to pay attention to it.  


Here He tells me to fear not.  Why?  Because He has redeemed me, He has called me by name, I am His.  What better reason could there be?  He will be with me, I will not be overwhelmed by my circumstances, I will not be consumed by them.  Why?  For He is the Lord my God, the Holy One of Israel, my Savior.  


How do I know?  How can I be sure?  Because He has acted in history on my behalf; He came down and rescued me from His own wrath.  This is true, recorded, believable.  These are not mere words; remember the Red Sea?  Remember the resurrection?  God's words are never mere words; He acts on them always.  Unlike us, He is who He says He is.  In fact, pay attention to when He names Himself in Scripture; it is often followed by what He has done: Thus says the Lord who made you (Isaiah 44:2); Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea (Isaiah 43:18); I am the Lord you God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery (Deuteronomy 5:6).


So, by His grace, I will fear not.  I will pay attention to these words of the Holy One of Israel, our Savior.  He really does mean what He says.