My daughter is a ballerina... just ask her, she'll tell you. She'll go so far as to twirl for you while providing her own soundtrack. She loves to dance, anytime, anyplace... it doesn't matter what else is going on, when she feels like dancing, dancing will happen.
This past weekend, we were at a motorcycle and car show (she also happens to love motorcycles and cars) at a local frozen custard joint. The show is part of a benefit and outreach event supported by our church's affiliated motorcycle ministry to help raise money and food for a local food pantry. While we were walking around looking at cars, and sitting on motorcycles, my lil lady decides that its time for some ice cream. So, we left my wife and son out perusing while we stepped into a much too crowded, filled with men (not just any men, but motorcycle and car men), custard shop. While in the middle of the crowd, this is the time when she decides its time to break into song and dance. She began singing the theme song to Angelina Ballerina and twirling. About 2 bars into the song she stopped, took my hand and said, "You twirl too daddy."
In these moments, I am reminded of the awesome privilege and responsibility that comes with being a father and a husband, but I am also saddened by the men I know who have no desire to serve in such a role. It is a catastrophic breakdown in the institution of family within our culture that men have been convinced that the job of husband and father is not manly. Through the scriptures, we are taught that the head of a woman is her husband, and the head of the husband is Christ. We are to be the spiritual leader of our home. I have recently heard it phrased that women are to manage the home, but men are to manage the woman... This is not some misogynistic, tarzan-esque call to belittle women. It is a call for men to be men. We are to love our wives as Christ loves the church. We are therefore to love our wives because Christ first loves us, we are to follow that example to first love our wives! Nothing else should matter in our relationship as much as that we will make the choice to first love her! The call to spiritual leadership is not a call to supremacy, it is a call to action, a call to servitude, a call to sacrificial love. It is a call to entrust to our wives the role they are called to, to be a mother and a wife, and to serve her through leadership in Christ-like love. Its a call to sacrifice everything we think we are in order to place our family above ourselves. Its a call to put down everything that hinders our family's growth, and pick up the reigns of the spiritual guidance that is our responsibility.
We choose, as men, whether we do so consciously or not, to take on the role of spiritual leadership. The moment we enter into the covenant commitment that is marriage, we are saying that we accept the role of spiritual leadership for our new family. You are accepting the responsibility of the spiritual condition of the woman. Your two fleshes are now joined into one, and you are at her head, while Christ is at yours, and when you choose to add children into that flesh, you are accepting the further responsibility for their spiritual condition as well. You are their leader, whether you accept it, or choose it, or ignore it. The responsibility is yours, and you will be held to it at the time of your judgement. They are each responsible for their own lives, but you are responsible for their leadership.
So, men, are we willing to sacrifice whatever claim we think we might hold on our manliness? Are we willing to accept that a true man lives his life in the example of the sacrificial love of Christ as our head? Are we willing to love our wives first, independent of her response? Are we willing to daily make a choice of our will to act in the promotion of the good of those to whom we are charged with leading, no matter the assumed cost? Are you willing to twirl with your daughter, while singing Angelina Ballerina, while surrounded by car dudes?
Are you going to do it perfectly?
No, you won't... I won't... I don't. But, at the end of your life, will you be able to look back and see that the progressive pattern of your life as the spiritual leader of your family was a consistent, persistent growth towards being more Christ-like?
When we choose to live as we have been called, we are men. Sometimes the most manly thing in the world is dancing and singing like a little girl. It was the other night for me. I hope that today, I will continue to move closer to God, and lead my family better than I did yesterday, and that tomorrow will be better still. I hope that maybe you will do the same, whatever that means.
Get a job, provide to the best of your current ability, love sacrificially, love unconditionally, do the dishes, scrub the toilet, sing songs, make a fool of yourself, pray, open the Bible in front of your kids, read it to them, teach them to pray, kiss your wife, hold her hand, make her laugh, lessen yourself, allow your family to see you struggle, allow them to see you grow, help your kids understand failure, help them embrace success, read to them, push them on the swing, catch them on the slide, take them to the ER, ask for their forgiveness when you do wrong, love them, punish them, hold them to a different standard than the world, pursue your wife, make her feel beautiful, go to church, serve, sing praise, cry no matter who is watching, be a man.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Saturday, May 11, 2013
thoughts on searching for a pastor
Serving on the Pastor Search Team (notice we're a team, not a committee... we're a cool kind of Baptist church) has taught me a few things. We began our search a couple of months ago, and I am privileged to have been nominated and selected to serve our church by sitting on this team. I am serving in the role of Vice Chairman, mainly out of a kick in the teeth conviction in our first meeting in which I truly felt that God was telling me to volunteer for the responsibility of the position. To this point in the process I do not regret that move. I have learned more about leadership, networking, professionalism, prayer, and commitment in the last couple of months than I ever would have expected.
Among the biggest truths I have seen through this, the sovereignty and promise of God has been evident. We share at each meeting how God has been working in our lives over the past week, and I am never left without amazement at the unity of the Spirit. It seems each week that as we share our own personal walk of the week, that the message to each of us is a variation of the same message we each share. This past week seemed to be centered on the power of prayer and focus, and the need to keep the communication between each member of our team and God as open as possible. The ultimate point was that we can easily be led down a path that seems right and good, and a path that pleases us as men and women, but if we are not careful, diligent, and prayerful as we do so, we will easily find that the path that pleases us, does not please God. We must be willing, at intervals throughout this journey, to take a quick pause and examine the path we are on, and take stock of how we got to that point. One of the biggest fears for our committee is following our own, worldly desires. We know and trust that God has the man selected who is to be our next pastor, and that as long as we are serving obediently, that we will be blessed to find him. We have been and will continue to pray for this man, his family, and his church... we know we will be causing an uprooting and ultimately be causing a ripple-effect of change through many lives. It is not a task we take lightly.
For the sake of implicit confidentiality I will not share anything concerning the search process, and I really have no desire to. But I will share this, if your church is going through this same process, be in prayer for those serving in this capacity. For most of us, it is unfamiliar territory, a strange path, and daunting at best. If you are serving on such a team, maybe you can take some peace in a couple of thoughts that have come out of our times meeting together:
1) “I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, In paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them
And rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do, And I will not leave them undone.” Isaiah 42:16
Among the biggest truths I have seen through this, the sovereignty and promise of God has been evident. We share at each meeting how God has been working in our lives over the past week, and I am never left without amazement at the unity of the Spirit. It seems each week that as we share our own personal walk of the week, that the message to each of us is a variation of the same message we each share. This past week seemed to be centered on the power of prayer and focus, and the need to keep the communication between each member of our team and God as open as possible. The ultimate point was that we can easily be led down a path that seems right and good, and a path that pleases us as men and women, but if we are not careful, diligent, and prayerful as we do so, we will easily find that the path that pleases us, does not please God. We must be willing, at intervals throughout this journey, to take a quick pause and examine the path we are on, and take stock of how we got to that point. One of the biggest fears for our committee is following our own, worldly desires. We know and trust that God has the man selected who is to be our next pastor, and that as long as we are serving obediently, that we will be blessed to find him. We have been and will continue to pray for this man, his family, and his church... we know we will be causing an uprooting and ultimately be causing a ripple-effect of change through many lives. It is not a task we take lightly.
For the sake of implicit confidentiality I will not share anything concerning the search process, and I really have no desire to. But I will share this, if your church is going through this same process, be in prayer for those serving in this capacity. For most of us, it is unfamiliar territory, a strange path, and daunting at best. If you are serving on such a team, maybe you can take some peace in a couple of thoughts that have come out of our times meeting together:
1) “I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, In paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them
And rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do, And I will not leave them undone.” Isaiah 42:16
2) On their journey out of slavery, to the promised land, when the Israelites reached the Jordan River (at flood stage), God called a few of them to go out into the water, and stand. It was only after this act of obedience by a few that God stilled the waters, walled it up, and allowed the rest to cross on dry land. Take peace in knowing that If you are willing to obediently step into raging water, you can help lead your church closer to the place God desires you all to be.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Remembering to start
When the Israelites were fleeing from their former Egyptian masters, they were doing pretty well until they came up to the Red Sea. Perplexed by what to do next, God performs one of the most famous miracles of the Old Testament and ultimately of the entire Bible. He works through the obedience of Moses and the power of the wind to blow the Red Sea vertical into two walls and the Israelites crossed through the sea on dry land. Its a great story, and is used over and over again in our lives when we face seemingly impossible situations. People encourage us using this story as an example of allowing God to show us the way to pass through our struggle, and to have faith that stepping onto that path and trusting that God will sustain the waters, we will safely come through the other side. It is also frequently used by people seeking God's will in a certain situation, that we just need to wait on God to show us the path.
Both of those situations are great examples of one way that God worked with this people group and used the faith and obedience to bring them close to Him and allow them to walk alongside Him within His will...
But the rub is this: people often get stuck in thinking that this is the only way that God works. The He will always clearly define the path before us, then call us to move, and give us a nice, easy, clean pursuit down the road of His will. We get so busy being stuck at the shore of our given Red Sea that we forget another story that occurs that involves another water crossing...
The Israelites are finally heading to the promised land, they are marching under the leadership of Joshua, and they come upon the Jordan River. They must cross it in order to reach the Promised Land. They knew the goal they were marching towards, and they knew they had to get through the river. But the Jordan River was at its traditional flood stage, it was ripping through the countryside, violently rushing as a barrier of this part of their journey. Yet this time, instead of having His people wait while He cleared an easy, direct path through the obstacle, God tells them to send the priests carrying the Arc to stand in the middle of the river. And, while they are standing there, He calls a group of leaders to follow into the river. At this point, the river halts its flow, and the rest of the Israelites are able to pass through the river and continue their march to the Promised Land.
What should this tell us? It shows that sometimes, God doesn't define a path through our struggles or clearly delineate His plan or will... sometimes He calls us to action in faith. Sometimes we have to step right into the raging river ahead of us first. Not only that, but also, God called them to carry the Arc out there with them! Their most precious, significant possession they had. God was asking them to send all they had that they held at high importance to go stand in the middle of the obstacle. And it was only after they faithfully obeyed and began to press towards their goal did God halt the water and show them their next step.
We see here that there are times that God does give His people clear, easy, clean, directions that show how to get from the here to the there... how to accomplish a goal, how to get through something difficult, etc... but we also see that sometimes, He only gives us an end goal in mind, and requires a radical act of faith, a sacrificial obedience and a determination to achieve the goal, and then, He will show us the next step...
I don't know the best way to tell the difference from one to the other, but I do know this... if you are standing on the shore, and you don't see a direct path in front of you, start stepping into the water... if you want to achieve something, be willing to sacrifice, trusting that God will be faithful, and start...
Both of those situations are great examples of one way that God worked with this people group and used the faith and obedience to bring them close to Him and allow them to walk alongside Him within His will...
But the rub is this: people often get stuck in thinking that this is the only way that God works. The He will always clearly define the path before us, then call us to move, and give us a nice, easy, clean pursuit down the road of His will. We get so busy being stuck at the shore of our given Red Sea that we forget another story that occurs that involves another water crossing...
The Israelites are finally heading to the promised land, they are marching under the leadership of Joshua, and they come upon the Jordan River. They must cross it in order to reach the Promised Land. They knew the goal they were marching towards, and they knew they had to get through the river. But the Jordan River was at its traditional flood stage, it was ripping through the countryside, violently rushing as a barrier of this part of their journey. Yet this time, instead of having His people wait while He cleared an easy, direct path through the obstacle, God tells them to send the priests carrying the Arc to stand in the middle of the river. And, while they are standing there, He calls a group of leaders to follow into the river. At this point, the river halts its flow, and the rest of the Israelites are able to pass through the river and continue their march to the Promised Land.
What should this tell us? It shows that sometimes, God doesn't define a path through our struggles or clearly delineate His plan or will... sometimes He calls us to action in faith. Sometimes we have to step right into the raging river ahead of us first. Not only that, but also, God called them to carry the Arc out there with them! Their most precious, significant possession they had. God was asking them to send all they had that they held at high importance to go stand in the middle of the obstacle. And it was only after they faithfully obeyed and began to press towards their goal did God halt the water and show them their next step.
We see here that there are times that God does give His people clear, easy, clean, directions that show how to get from the here to the there... how to accomplish a goal, how to get through something difficult, etc... but we also see that sometimes, He only gives us an end goal in mind, and requires a radical act of faith, a sacrificial obedience and a determination to achieve the goal, and then, He will show us the next step...
I don't know the best way to tell the difference from one to the other, but I do know this... if you are standing on the shore, and you don't see a direct path in front of you, start stepping into the water... if you want to achieve something, be willing to sacrifice, trusting that God will be faithful, and start...
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Claiming victory
I get confused sometimes... especially when it comes to the things of God. I suppose that to some point, that level of confusion is encouraging in realizing that my mind cannot begin to comprehend or even try to wrap itself around certain aspects of God. The mystery of God is necessary in order to keep ourselves in proper perspective as the creation, made in the image of a Creator... not the other way around.
One aspect that often confuses me is the idea of claiming victory in Jesus. We are told that because God uses all things in our life, good and bad, to direct those of us who have submitted to the Lordship of Christ in the direction of the will of God, that we can get through tough times by simply claiming our victory in Jesus.
I don't know about you, but I have no idea what that is supposed to look like, I can't envision it well, and it doesn't seem like one of those huge God things that are supposed to be mysterious. This is a practical resolution to a problem, and an idea that I think God wants His children to understand... He wants me to understand what it tangibly looks and feels like to claim victory in Jesus, and here is what I'm getting right now:
In the Old Testament, we see many times that the Israelites were facing a battle. Many times they were ferociously overmatched, whether by strength, size, or even both. But we also see a resolve because they knew they were to claim the victory already won for them by God, they just had to be humbly obedient. That part is easy to understand. I get that if I am humbly obedient and following the will of God that I will be victorious. But the catch is this: victorious doesn't always mean what we think it will. Victorious can quickly become a selfish pursuit of greatness, holiness, righteousness, so on and so forth... we see this because God was always with His chosen people, watching out for them, helping them through their battles, but there were times that they thought they were to be "victorious" from a prideful and selfish heart, and yet, they were defeated, enslaved, etc... they were still "claiming victory in God". Yet they were not "victorious".
We have to be willing to accept that the victory we claim in Christ is not always going to be what we expect. But by claiming the victory, we are submitting to the Lordship of Christ to say that His victory is good, right, and unwavering. We don't always get to define a victory, we are called to humbly, obediently take part in the battle, follow the command of our Lord, and celebrate the outcome with glorious praise and worship...
One aspect that often confuses me is the idea of claiming victory in Jesus. We are told that because God uses all things in our life, good and bad, to direct those of us who have submitted to the Lordship of Christ in the direction of the will of God, that we can get through tough times by simply claiming our victory in Jesus.
I don't know about you, but I have no idea what that is supposed to look like, I can't envision it well, and it doesn't seem like one of those huge God things that are supposed to be mysterious. This is a practical resolution to a problem, and an idea that I think God wants His children to understand... He wants me to understand what it tangibly looks and feels like to claim victory in Jesus, and here is what I'm getting right now:
In the Old Testament, we see many times that the Israelites were facing a battle. Many times they were ferociously overmatched, whether by strength, size, or even both. But we also see a resolve because they knew they were to claim the victory already won for them by God, they just had to be humbly obedient. That part is easy to understand. I get that if I am humbly obedient and following the will of God that I will be victorious. But the catch is this: victorious doesn't always mean what we think it will. Victorious can quickly become a selfish pursuit of greatness, holiness, righteousness, so on and so forth... we see this because God was always with His chosen people, watching out for them, helping them through their battles, but there were times that they thought they were to be "victorious" from a prideful and selfish heart, and yet, they were defeated, enslaved, etc... they were still "claiming victory in God". Yet they were not "victorious".
We have to be willing to accept that the victory we claim in Christ is not always going to be what we expect. But by claiming the victory, we are submitting to the Lordship of Christ to say that His victory is good, right, and unwavering. We don't always get to define a victory, we are called to humbly, obediently take part in the battle, follow the command of our Lord, and celebrate the outcome with glorious praise and worship...
Saturday, April 20, 2013
the husband jackpot
Now, don't tell my wife this, I don't want her bragging to everyone... but, I am pretty sure that she won the husband lottery. I mean, c'mon, I am an amazing cook, I work hard at a job I love to provide for our family, I clean the bathrooms, I do the dishes, I even do my own laundry... I'm thoughtful, insightful, I have a strong, growing relationship with my Lord and Savior, I teach discipleship classes, I serve with an awesome group of men, I'm funny, I'm smart, I'm compassionate, I'm ferociously in love with her, I am passionate about the things I care about most, and on top of it all... I'm pretty good looking.
You know what I think is the most ridiculous thing about that previous paragraph? There are times I fail to remember why any of that is true. Many of the statements above are exaggerated, and others are accurate, but one thing remains constant through them all, I am only who I am because of the love and support of those closest to me, and because of the grace of a God that loves me unconditionally.
I cook well because my mom invested time in teaching me how much fun it is, and how to enjoy feeding others. The foods I cook are only on the plate because of the time my wife spends tracking down recipes, because she researches the ads to get the best prices, because she wrangles two kids through the grocery store to bring home the ingredients, and because she entertains them while I am in the kitchen.
I work hard at a job I love because 7 years ago, she didn't laugh when I told her I wanted to be a nurse. She encouraged me, and supported me through those years. She helped me stay focused on accomplishing my goals, even through my mom's illness. Without her support, I wouldn't be supporting this amazing family.
I clean bathrooms and do dishes because they are small ways I can help out around the house to express my appreciation. She does so much, the least I can do is do the gross jobs. That includes my laundry, because lets face it, boy laundry is smelly... nurse laundry is smelly... boy-nurse laundry is darn near toxic.
I am thoughtful, insightful, and growing in my faith because she invested time in me 13 years ago to reintroduce me to the one true God. Since then, she has willfully listened to the ebb and flow of my growth. She encourages me to seek God in new and different ways. She encouraged me to take on the task of leading in discipleship, and prays for me, she introduced me to these men along whom I serve.
My wife is an amazing woman, her constant support and love has pushed me to become the man I am today. Her investment in me drives me to want to be the best man I can be. God uses her, in direct and powerful ways, as He continues to pursue me, to change me, to grow me. Everything I am now, everything that is good in me, is only there because of the work that God has done in my life... and He has accomplished most of the work through her. I am only a good catch because my wife caught me. I hope to do a good job of living up to the husband she deserves, and I am immensely saddened by the times that I have failed miserably.
I thank God every morning when I wake up, and she is laying beside me for another day.
You know what I think is the most ridiculous thing about that previous paragraph? There are times I fail to remember why any of that is true. Many of the statements above are exaggerated, and others are accurate, but one thing remains constant through them all, I am only who I am because of the love and support of those closest to me, and because of the grace of a God that loves me unconditionally.
I cook well because my mom invested time in teaching me how much fun it is, and how to enjoy feeding others. The foods I cook are only on the plate because of the time my wife spends tracking down recipes, because she researches the ads to get the best prices, because she wrangles two kids through the grocery store to bring home the ingredients, and because she entertains them while I am in the kitchen.
I work hard at a job I love because 7 years ago, she didn't laugh when I told her I wanted to be a nurse. She encouraged me, and supported me through those years. She helped me stay focused on accomplishing my goals, even through my mom's illness. Without her support, I wouldn't be supporting this amazing family.
I clean bathrooms and do dishes because they are small ways I can help out around the house to express my appreciation. She does so much, the least I can do is do the gross jobs. That includes my laundry, because lets face it, boy laundry is smelly... nurse laundry is smelly... boy-nurse laundry is darn near toxic.
I am thoughtful, insightful, and growing in my faith because she invested time in me 13 years ago to reintroduce me to the one true God. Since then, she has willfully listened to the ebb and flow of my growth. She encourages me to seek God in new and different ways. She encouraged me to take on the task of leading in discipleship, and prays for me, she introduced me to these men along whom I serve.
My wife is an amazing woman, her constant support and love has pushed me to become the man I am today. Her investment in me drives me to want to be the best man I can be. God uses her, in direct and powerful ways, as He continues to pursue me, to change me, to grow me. Everything I am now, everything that is good in me, is only there because of the work that God has done in my life... and He has accomplished most of the work through her. I am only a good catch because my wife caught me. I hope to do a good job of living up to the husband she deserves, and I am immensely saddened by the times that I have failed miserably.
I thank God every morning when I wake up, and she is laying beside me for another day.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
pursuing an adulterous woman
We recently had a message at our church concerning the woman caught in adultery from John 8. The classic, over-quoted, awesome story of grace and stone-casting. As I continued to think about the story, and discussing it in our men's group, I was reminded of something that God has really been working on deepening my understanding about how He works... I am being constantly reminded and assured of God's pursuit of us.
Think about this woman, clearly she is not living right. We don't know how deeply involved with adulterous affairs she is, or what else she might be involved with, but we know that she was caught in the act of adultery and paraded out for all to see. She was likely ashamed and deeply embarrassed by her life. She likely felt, like so many of us often do, that she was worthless, and unable to be forgiven. But here's the thing, God is jealous for His children, and He will do whatever it takes to bring them back into a right relationship with Him. It is His desire for each of us to join in to this relationship with Him, and He calls us to come to Him, just as we are, with all of our filth and failures and cast our burdens on Him. But we are resistant to this call because we feel we are unworthy of this relationship, we have to clean up first, we have to make ourselves able to stand before God. We want the forgiveness, but we don't want to display our dirt. So, we run away from God, trying to find a way to make ourselves clean.
When we do this, at some point, in His own timing, God will choose to pursue us. He will begin to call us back to Him, and as we resist, His call will get louder... and when God decides it is time for you to come back to Him, He will use whatever means He has to get to you. In this particular case, God desired this woman to return to Him, but due to the depth of her sin and shame, I don't believe there is any way she would have approached God to seek forgiveness. She was "too dirty". So, God went on the pursuit... He used the zeal, pride, arrogance, and outright sin of the scribes and Pharisees to go get this woman, in the very act of her sin, and bring her before God. It was not the intent of the scribes and Pharisees to be used by God in this way. They were unaware of their part as pawns in this great act, they were hatching their own scheme to trick and discredit Jesus. They were busy focusing on their own self-interest to notice the hand of God. So, using the unaware pawns, approaching the woman at the depth of her sin, God brought the woman to Himself. He knew the deepest secrets and pain that present in her life, her sins were not secret to Him. He listened as the charges of the self-righteous were leveled against her, and He responded. He judged her, righteously, as a sinner, and never downplayed that fact, but He also righteously judged the crowd around her. He had called her to this place to let her know that He knew who she was, and what she had done, but to respond with love. He called onto the carpet the sin of those around her, and they fled. The woman recognized Jesus as Lord, and called Him accordingly. She received a forgiveness that she desired, yet believed was not possible. Not because she was good enough, but because God is. He pursued her, used the path that was available to Him, brought her before Him, and extended grace to her. She left the encounter changed.
This is the God I serve, one who will pursue those He loves, through whatever means possible, into and through a literal Hell. A God who knows the depth of my sin and chooses to love me anyway. A God who places the crowd back where they should be. A God who extends grace to all who declare Him as Lord. A God who looks at me and says, "Neither do I condemn you, now go and sin no more."
What God do you serve?
Think about this woman, clearly she is not living right. We don't know how deeply involved with adulterous affairs she is, or what else she might be involved with, but we know that she was caught in the act of adultery and paraded out for all to see. She was likely ashamed and deeply embarrassed by her life. She likely felt, like so many of us often do, that she was worthless, and unable to be forgiven. But here's the thing, God is jealous for His children, and He will do whatever it takes to bring them back into a right relationship with Him. It is His desire for each of us to join in to this relationship with Him, and He calls us to come to Him, just as we are, with all of our filth and failures and cast our burdens on Him. But we are resistant to this call because we feel we are unworthy of this relationship, we have to clean up first, we have to make ourselves able to stand before God. We want the forgiveness, but we don't want to display our dirt. So, we run away from God, trying to find a way to make ourselves clean.
When we do this, at some point, in His own timing, God will choose to pursue us. He will begin to call us back to Him, and as we resist, His call will get louder... and when God decides it is time for you to come back to Him, He will use whatever means He has to get to you. In this particular case, God desired this woman to return to Him, but due to the depth of her sin and shame, I don't believe there is any way she would have approached God to seek forgiveness. She was "too dirty". So, God went on the pursuit... He used the zeal, pride, arrogance, and outright sin of the scribes and Pharisees to go get this woman, in the very act of her sin, and bring her before God. It was not the intent of the scribes and Pharisees to be used by God in this way. They were unaware of their part as pawns in this great act, they were hatching their own scheme to trick and discredit Jesus. They were busy focusing on their own self-interest to notice the hand of God. So, using the unaware pawns, approaching the woman at the depth of her sin, God brought the woman to Himself. He knew the deepest secrets and pain that present in her life, her sins were not secret to Him. He listened as the charges of the self-righteous were leveled against her, and He responded. He judged her, righteously, as a sinner, and never downplayed that fact, but He also righteously judged the crowd around her. He had called her to this place to let her know that He knew who she was, and what she had done, but to respond with love. He called onto the carpet the sin of those around her, and they fled. The woman recognized Jesus as Lord, and called Him accordingly. She received a forgiveness that she desired, yet believed was not possible. Not because she was good enough, but because God is. He pursued her, used the path that was available to Him, brought her before Him, and extended grace to her. She left the encounter changed.
This is the God I serve, one who will pursue those He loves, through whatever means possible, into and through a literal Hell. A God who knows the depth of my sin and chooses to love me anyway. A God who places the crowd back where they should be. A God who extends grace to all who declare Him as Lord. A God who looks at me and says, "Neither do I condemn you, now go and sin no more."
What God do you serve?
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
bottom of the pit
I don't really have anything specific to write about today... sometimes I would let that keep me from writing or posting anything. Of course that is pretty obvious by the many, many days that I don't post anything original to this blog. I wish I were one of those people who had new and inspirational thoughts every day, someone who people would check each day to see what I had to say, because they knew it would be beneficial. But I'm not that guy, nor do I believe I ever will be. Its not how I was gifted. My gift is more like a shotgun, there are days when I will get 5-7 ideas for blog posts, fully formed, well articulated ideas... but most days are like today, I don't really feel like I have much to share.
I have often thought it would be interesting to write in a truly, free-flowing, flow of consciousness style. To just spill my thoughts onto paper as they come to me... unedited, unplanned. The plain and simple truth is that it terrifies me to think of where my mind would likely go in such a situation. My mind is not clean, easy, or generally public appropriate at many points throughout the day. I have to allow careful control over my thoughts on a moment to moment basis to ensure that I am not traveling down the paths of egotistical, arrogant, self-righteous, manipulative, proud, and disdain. Those who feel they know me well would likely not describe me in the ways listed there, but those who do truly know me have watched me struggle through those times. My wife knows all too well that this side of my nature still lives and breathes within me, she has suffered through many days where it controls my thoughts, actions, and words. Luckily, it is not that nature which controls me, that nature only comes out when I feel that I can control it, rather than allow Christ to do so. When I submit my mind and body over to the Lordship of Jesus, as He commands me to do so daily, and when I choose to shoulder my own cross and nail my life to it, as He did His... when I surrender who I am, and allow Him to redefine me, I am controlled and compelled by His love. His power over sin is universal, but also personal. He died for ALL sin, but He died for mine. He paid the wage of death for ALL mankind, but He paid it for me. And when I try to take back control, when I start to answer to that old self, the one that will one day be defeated, I find myself back in the pit of my total depravity, surrounded by the pains of my past, and the darkness of who I am apart from the Christ who saved me... when I reach that bottom... Jesus is there. He whispers to me, still, silent, calm, empowering... and He asks me, "Why are you back here? I have already died for this, I have already paid the painful price for this so that you don't have to. I love you." He knows when I head down that path, He warns me as I do, He offers a way off that path, a way that leads back to Him before I reach that pit... but He also knows that many times, I'll ignore Him on the way, and so He waits for me there...
I don't care how deep your pit is, I don't care who or what is laying in it for you... I don't care what you have done, or how far you have run... I don't care who you believe you are... Jesus already paid your price, He is already risen, defeated every sin, every doubt, He has conquered death for us. All we have to do is accept His payment, turn from our own pit, and walk back out along the path, lighted by His love, back into the life He has intended for each of us. He said it Himself, so many times and so many ways... Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life... the only way back to God... He is the word become flesh... and the Word is a light upon our path, guiding us in the way of righteousness
I'm glad I didn't have anything to write today... that felt good, and right
If you read this, thank you for doing so... if you liked it, please share it with others, or take a look at some of the other things I have written... if you didn't like it, then don't
I have often thought it would be interesting to write in a truly, free-flowing, flow of consciousness style. To just spill my thoughts onto paper as they come to me... unedited, unplanned. The plain and simple truth is that it terrifies me to think of where my mind would likely go in such a situation. My mind is not clean, easy, or generally public appropriate at many points throughout the day. I have to allow careful control over my thoughts on a moment to moment basis to ensure that I am not traveling down the paths of egotistical, arrogant, self-righteous, manipulative, proud, and disdain. Those who feel they know me well would likely not describe me in the ways listed there, but those who do truly know me have watched me struggle through those times. My wife knows all too well that this side of my nature still lives and breathes within me, she has suffered through many days where it controls my thoughts, actions, and words. Luckily, it is not that nature which controls me, that nature only comes out when I feel that I can control it, rather than allow Christ to do so. When I submit my mind and body over to the Lordship of Jesus, as He commands me to do so daily, and when I choose to shoulder my own cross and nail my life to it, as He did His... when I surrender who I am, and allow Him to redefine me, I am controlled and compelled by His love. His power over sin is universal, but also personal. He died for ALL sin, but He died for mine. He paid the wage of death for ALL mankind, but He paid it for me. And when I try to take back control, when I start to answer to that old self, the one that will one day be defeated, I find myself back in the pit of my total depravity, surrounded by the pains of my past, and the darkness of who I am apart from the Christ who saved me... when I reach that bottom... Jesus is there. He whispers to me, still, silent, calm, empowering... and He asks me, "Why are you back here? I have already died for this, I have already paid the painful price for this so that you don't have to. I love you." He knows when I head down that path, He warns me as I do, He offers a way off that path, a way that leads back to Him before I reach that pit... but He also knows that many times, I'll ignore Him on the way, and so He waits for me there...
I don't care how deep your pit is, I don't care who or what is laying in it for you... I don't care what you have done, or how far you have run... I don't care who you believe you are... Jesus already paid your price, He is already risen, defeated every sin, every doubt, He has conquered death for us. All we have to do is accept His payment, turn from our own pit, and walk back out along the path, lighted by His love, back into the life He has intended for each of us. He said it Himself, so many times and so many ways... Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life... the only way back to God... He is the word become flesh... and the Word is a light upon our path, guiding us in the way of righteousness
I'm glad I didn't have anything to write today... that felt good, and right
If you read this, thank you for doing so... if you liked it, please share it with others, or take a look at some of the other things I have written... if you didn't like it, then don't
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