Hope for the Unlikely

How long have you been willing to search for something?  Have you ever set your heart on anything, and been willing to pursue it for weeks, months or years?

Once, I tried to seek God's will on a certain area of my life. I prayed hard for a week... and then that was it. I prayed sporadically after that, but the intensity of my passion to find Him had fallen away. Life had consumed me again, and God was still in my life, but I wasn't seeking His will with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.

I am so, so weak. And I'm guessing I'm not alone; seeking God's heart can be so hard, in the midst of life's busyness.

Our pastor gave an incredible sermon on the story of the wise men in Matthew 2 this morning. I love these two points that He highlighted:

Christmas is missed most by those who should see.

Christmas belongs to the unlikely.

Often, in our nativity scenes, the wise men are set right next to the shepherds in the stable on the night of Jesus' birth. But historians would tell us much differently; when the wise men finally saw the Messiah, it was in his own home, not in the stable, and he was probably over a year old at the time.

These men, who had lives, dreams, and plans of their own, were willing to seek God out for over a year. Theirs was not just a passive maybe-I'll-pray-for-awhile-today attitude; they were willing to lay everything else aside to pursue Him, no matter the cost.

Historians estimate that the wise men were probably from Babylon. This city and the nation of Israel were far from allies; throughout scripture, the horrors of Babylon are portrayed vividly, and in Revelation, Babylon is portrayed as the epitome of evil. These wise men were the unlikely, and God chose them to behold His son.

If we were to look at this story without the lens of history, the ones we would have expected to visit Jesus would have been Herod and his officials. After all, he was the king of the Jews at the time, the man who was supposedly guiding God's people to await the coming of the promised Messiah. He was only miles away from Bethlehem, and could easily have made the journey to worship the one his people had been waiting for.

Instead, the so-called leader of God's people tried to kill the son of God.

The men from Babylon followed the light of God for as long as it took; the men of Israel tried to extinguish it.

Christmas is missed by those who should see, and belongs to the unlikely.

This is God's heart for the world; it is because of stories like this that Biblical authors could write with confidence that those dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and that there is redemption for even the most fallen.

Thousands of years and hundreds of miles removed from these events, we were the outsiders; we were the unlikely. And yet the God of the universe called us close to His heart, and poured out His blood to save us. At the end of Jesus' life, it would be a criminal who received salvation, while the "righteous" condemned the Word of God to death.

Which side are you on now?

We are the unlikely, but in some ways, growing up in good Christian homes, we are also those who should see. Do we realize that this is a hope for all people?  Do we overlook those who we don't think it could ever reach?

Voice of the Martyrs once shared the story of a Muslim sheikh, who literally ingrained the ideology of jihad into the minds of ISIS fighters. He taught them how and why they should kill "infidels", and he did it with pride. If ever there was a person who seemed beyond reach, it was him. And yet, eventually, he left his position, because he was tired of seeing the bloodshed. He left the country, and the thing he wanted to find most was a Bible.

God is capable of turning the hearts of the unlikely. He has called us to himself, while we were still the unreachable, and He redeemed us. Are we willing to believe that the same can be true of others?

This week, I'm keeping Syria on the prayer wall. I would encourage you to challenge yourself with this question: do you believe that these people are not beyond the reach of God?  Do you believe He can save them?  This week, as you pray, don't just pray for those who already know; pray that the unlikely would be brought near to the heart of God.

Because this hope is for them, too.

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ 

Worship Song: 

"We Three Kings",
by Tenth Avenue North

Low Places

He came to the most painful, unlikely place imaginable.

It's so easy this time of year to enjoy the beauty of the holiday season and our cute ceramic nativity sets so much that we forget how real the story of the manger was. We all know the story by heart; an angel came to Mary, she and Joseph made the trip to a little town called Bethlehem, and sweet baby Jesus was born and placed in a perfect manger with soft hay and smiling animals to guard him. It's a cute version of an incredibly raw phenomenon that only God could have created.

I love that version of the Nativity, in some ways. It's sweet, it doesn't distort the actual events that happened. But it simplifies and romanticizes them so much that we often miss one of the most key components to the story: pain.

I know a several of you have had the chance to actually watch the birth of a younger sibling. And while it's a beautiful thing to see a child come into the world, you know that what characterizes those hours of labor is the intense amount of pain it creates. The Bible draws this theme out several times, saying that all creation is groaning in the pains of labor awaiting redemption. More than that, the pain of childbirth is a direct result of original sin; it was part of the punishment in Genesis 3. The agony of childbirth was one of the first visible repercussions of the fall.

And it was through that venue that the uncreated, timeless God of the universe came to earth.

It was more than just the physical pain of labor; it was what it represented. The punishment of sin played a role in the coming of the Messiah.

This was not an ordinary birth, however. Jesus was born into apparent adultery. He lived his entire life as a seemingly illegitimate child, born to a woman who was shunned as an adulterer and cared for by a father who was not his own.

And the birth took place in a cave, barely fit for animals. Because out of all the places in the world He came to rescue, not one door would open to Him.

Jesus was the Living Water from God. Water is such an intriguing concept, from a Biblical standpoint. It quenches the insatiable desire of thirst. It gives life, and without it nothing can live. And it flows downward, to the lowest place.

It's amazing to think about how the Christmas story sets Christianity apart from any other religion. Nowhere else, in all the history of ancient or modern gods, will you find one who loves His people, enough to walk among them as a human, born into humiliation and pain, bearing the shame of the world on His shoulders, and ultimately laying down His life to save them. No other god took the lowest place in that way.

God understands pain, on a level more deeply than anyone. He entered into it, and felt it. And He did it, not through chariots and fireworks, but through the most humble situations imaginable. He created a plan to redeem the world not with armies, but with individuals. He chose a teenage girl and a doubting man to be the key vessels in His plan for redemption.

This is the God we follow. Thank you, Jesus!!!

How many kings stepped down from their thrones,

How many Lords have abandoned their homes,

How many greats would become the least of these?

How many gods have poured out their hearts

To romance a world that is torn all apart

How many Fathers gave up their sons for me?

Only One did that for me.

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Worship Song: 

"How Many Kings",
by Downhere

Building Blocks of the Kingdom

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal..."

Pastor Andy Stanley recently used these famous words to illustrate an incredible truth about the life of Jesus. In western thinking, oppressing those weaker than you is unacceptable. Bullying is reprimanded, minimum wage ensures workers can't be taken advantage of, and shelters are available for the homeless. It seems normal to us in America, but that's not the way the world works. Human nature suppresses the weak, and seeks power at the expense of the powerless.

The reason our nation is so different is because it was set up on Biblical principles. I'm not saying it's perfect, at its founding or today. But look at the American value system, compared to the ancient Roman culture. People are no longer seen as a monetary measure, to be exchanged and owned. Rights are acknowledged, and violators are punished. The foundation of those values is the Christian worldview.

Jesus came to love individuals.

It's amazing, to look at what Jesus was trying to build, in the context of his culture. He was born into the oppressive Roman empire, which would stop at nothing to build their kingdom and expand their power. They sent anyone who might have threatened them to torturous deaths, commanded their armies to conquer neighboring lands, and turned their captives into currency, to build an even greater regime.

Jesus was on a mission to build a kingdom, too. But He did it by loving individuals; by seeing people as image-bearers of God, and caring for them. Not just the clean, organized, pure members of the religious community, but the harlots, the cheating tax collectors, the lowly fishermen, the convicted criminals. He came for the least of these and cherished them. His first sermon made it clear that it was the poor in spirit, the mournful, the meek, the hungry that would receive this Kingdom. It was not an empire built by human hands, and limited by human values. God's hands were not tied by power; He loved in the lowest places, and called individuals to Himself.

This is the Kingdom He has called us to build as well. How often do we overlook people, when we're distracted by the things the world has to offer?  I've been so convicted of how often I do that in my own life. I am so quick to ignore the fact that an image-bearer of God is standing right in front of me, when something shiny and new appears in my peripheral. So often, I turn away from those around me, and fail to see the value they have in God's eyes. I want to be able to look at people, and see the beauty that God sees; not their appearance, not their mistakes, not what they can do for me, but who they are to Him.

Do you know that people are not "safe"?  They're not neat, organized, tidy packages of perfection. Even the people who you subconsciously categorize as those you should spend time with have the ability to hurt you deeply. I guarantee you some of them have. For me, my first inclination is always, always to pull back; to remove trust, put up my walls, and avoid having to love them. And I'm definitely not saying that you should trust those who have proven they're not trustworthy. Love and trust are two different things; God doesn't call you to trust everyone, but He does call you to love them unconditionally. That's what the Kingdom is built on. Does it hurt?  Definitely. It hurt Jesus so much He bled over it on a Roman cross, and had to die. But He faced that death with confidence, for the joy that was set before Him.

That joy was a broken, messy, beautiful person like you.

He knows you; as one worship song by Amanda Cook put it, He has memorized you. He knows you, individually, better than anyone else on earth. If you haven't experienced that, ask Him in faith to reveal it to you; He delights in showing you His goodness.

He has called you by name. Are you willing to follow?

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ 

Worship Song: 

"Sea of Faces",
by Kutless

I Won Battles for You

The battle I was loosing, temptation took its toll,

I couldn't find the strength any more to hold.

Grasped by the enemy I had failed again,

Exhausted, I gave up, and was seized away from Him. 

Willingly I followed, in slavery to sin,

Never, I felt, could I gaze on him again. 

Yet, while I held the enemy,

While there was no good in me,

When I had failed Him again,

He won the battle for me;

He slew my enemies;

He lifted my face to His and said, 

"Even through rejection, I held you in my palm.

"Even when you felt alone, I was helping you along.

"Because I loved you fist, even when you stopped;

"Because I held you still, even when fires got hot;

"Because I am Alfa, omega, I Am Who I Am;

"Because I am Living Love, I will rescue you again."

"And because I'm more than you could ever dream,

"Let me lift you again; let's be more than a team."

Oh, what a proposal, so glorious it seems,

That you can speak this covenant, and hand me the ring!

I have failed so many times, I know I can't stop.

But your voice surrounds again, shattering those ugly thoughts. 

For while I held the enemy,

While there was no good in me,

When I had failed Him again,

He won the battle for me;

He slew my enemies;

He lifted my face to His and said, 

"Even through rejection, I held you in my palm.

"Even when you felt alone, I was helping you along.

"Because I loved you first, even when you stopped;

"Because I held you still, even when fires got hot;

"Because I am the Alfa, the omega, I Am Who I Am;

"Because I am living love, I will rescue you again."

"I'll fulfill your every need, when I hold you you'll be freed,

"I meet every desire, I can lift your spirits higher!

"You can cry on my shoulder; you can sit on my knee.

"You can love me like you have never loved before!

"I fill every crevice, and mend every hole,

"Let me inhabit you, I will bring life to your soul."

"Even when you slip to sin,

"And to the enemy again,

"Whether or not you fight through,

"I will win your battles for you,

"I will slay your enemies,

"Just, hold on to me again!"

I can't resist you any more, too you I will open up this door.

Take me with you, Lord, I plead. Consume me with joy, abundantly!

Jesus, Jesus, make me whole, play my life's leading role.

Lord, fill every crevice, mend my every hole.

Be my guide, surround me, inhabit my soul.

The Beauty of the Human Soul

I think it's interesting how much Jesus had to say about taxes. If we think taxes today are bad, it's hard to imagine how they must have been during His time. Tax collectors were hated, as Jews who had abandoned their families and communities, and become Roman workers. Taxes were often collected unfairly, for extra profits, and those who couldn't pay were given no mercy. One of my favorite stories about Jesus is when the Pharisees posed a question to him about this process, asking whether it was right to pay taxes to Caesar. I love His response: whose image is on the coin?

The coin was distinctive in its build; thick, heavy metal, with an unmistakable imprint on its face.

"Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and give to God what is God's."

At first, this may seem like a clever lesson on the Biblical model for paying government dues. But look at the pattern Jesus sets, through His words; image defines belonging. Caesar's coins belonged to Him, because they had his image set upon them.

Humanity belongs to God, because He has set His image on us. 

Awhile ago, I was journaling and thinking about the value of the human soul. We had just talked about the question of when a life scientifically begins, in our psychology class, and it made me wonder... what is it that makes it matter at all?  Why does a human have value, regardless of age, or any other characteristic?

One of the strongest reasons, from the Christian worldview, is that God has made man in His image. God has placed His very heart into mankind; Paul writes that even non-believers have a sense of right and wrong, because God has placed His moral code on their hearts. Humans are image-bearers of the living God. I know we've heard that so many times... but have you stopped to think about what that actually means, in your life and the lives of those around you?

Each one of you will see at least one person this week. (I think I can count on that fact, even if you're a home schooler :))  Just think about what that means; you are interacting with a vessel formed in the image of the uncreated God of the universe. And look at yourself... that description holds true for your life, too. You are an image-bearer of God Himself.

That is your identity. You are His. It's something you've heard a thousand times, but how often does it register into reality, when it comes to your day to day life?  It's so easy to define yourself by the standards of the world. If that's where you find yourself, I would encourage you to sit down and make a list. Write down everything by which you're measuring your worth, and test it against what God has said about you. He calls you His beloved, His Lily among Thorns, His Rose of Sharon, His promised one, the one who ravishes His heart with one glance of your eyes, the one He was willing to shed His blood for. You are not your dress size, your grades, your hairstyle, your number of "likes" on social media. You are not what people think of you, say to you, or treat you as. You are His image-bearer.

And so is every person you interact with. Each human has the image of God on their hearts, and they are beautiful beyond imagination. I believe with all my heart that there is not a single person on earth who doesn't have some kind of depth to them. Maybe you haven't seen it, and maybe you never will. But God sees it. He sees everything about that person that you can't. There is an unspeakable, ravishing beauty inside each human soul, not because of anything they've done, but because of what has been done for them.

I love reading about how Mother Teresa approached this idea. Many people who talked with her later wrote that, when she was in a conversation with you, it seemed like there was not another human in the world, in her eyes. She was fully invested in and listening to you. She wrote that "Every person is Christ to me".

Think of the people you're going to see this week. Are you willing to see them through that lens?  Are you willing to see yourself that way?  You belong to Him; in the end, that is all that matters.

So give to God what is God's.

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ 

Worship Song: 

"Give Me Your Eyes",
by Brandon Heath

The Adventure of the In Between

"What do you want to do with your life?"

It's a pretty common question to hear your senior year. People have asked me this more times than I can count, and I appreciate the interest they have in my plans. So I tell them I'm going to college next year, and I eventually want to be a pediatrician.

Lately, I've been giving that question a little more thought. I realized that other people weren't the only ones interested in my future; I was beyond excited for it. I couldn't wait to study abroad, volunteer in refugee hospitals, and go on medical missions trips. I had wanted to do those kinds of things for so long, but now they were becoming tangible realities, only months away from happening.

We tend to have so many thoughts and dreams for our future. Whether it's vocational, relational, or anything in between, there is so much room in the future to dream about and look forward to. I love that feeling of anticipation that sends thrills through my being, as I think ahead, in the months, years, and decades to come.

But, over the past month, I've been realizing that, as I look ahead, sometimes I forget to look around me. I'm not in the future yet; I'm still in the "in between". Life is exciting right now, too; I have outside classes every day, and I love my professors and classmates. School keeps things moving at a good pace. Still, when things are in such a continuous routine, it's easy to for them to seem mundane.

I think most of us are probably in an in-between season of some kind right now. There's something that we expect or hope for in our future, and we're still in the waiting season. Sometimes, the waiting is enjoyable; classes, activities, and friends can keep us busy. Other times, it can seem painfully slow and monotonous.

Wherever you find yourself, don't waste your in between season. Sometimes, the future looks so exciting that it's easy to miss the adventure of each day, in the here and now.

That's where I found myself last week. As I was reading a devotional email about praying for Muslims, I stumbled across an organization dedicated to reaching Syrian refugees. It turned out they had a base just twenty minutes from my future university!  I was so excited at the thought of being part of that, and getting to show the love of Jesus to "real Middle Eastern people".

I still can't wait for that opportunity. But, this week, I found myself on my knees before God in thankfulness that He didn't let me miss the adventure in between then and where I was. Last week, a friend had sent me some information about the International Club at the community college where I'm taking some classes this semester. She had been involved when she was a student there, and said it was a great place for experiencing other cultures and reaching out to students who had no connections in the states. So this Wednesday, I invited one of my closest friends to come with me to check it out. Although it sounded interesting, I had to admit to myself that I didn't want to go. I had work to do at home, and there would be enough international-related adventures next year. Besides, it was a small community college, and there couldn't be that many international students who needed to plug in.

As it turns out, though, there were. I loved meeting so many new people, and seeing different cultures interact. We had some great conversations with some incredible people. But the one that stood out in my mind was with a young man with heritage in Iran. I had been looking forward to the future, and working with Middle Eastern refugees. But right here in front of me was a "real Middle Eastern person" who was willing to engage in conversation with me. He talked about his culture, his trips to Iran, and was open to talking about his faith, and even what he believed about Jesus, when I brought it up. I don't think I'll forget that conversation; it was amazing, to think that God had plans not just for my future, but for my here and now.

My favorite quote from Jim Elliot put it best: "Wherever you are, be all there!"

You are living on a mission field. Maybe God has placed you on a college campus to spread His love. Maybe He's given you a place to reach out in your city. Maybe He's just put you in your own home with a few outside classes. But wherever He has placed you, He has a plan for it. Don't miss the adventure of every new morning in His presence; be all there, wherever it is.

God isn't just in your future; He is in your in between season with you. And He is all there.... are you?

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ 

Worship Song: 

"The Voyage",
by Amanda Cook (Bethel Music)

Reflections: Fear

Questions for Thought: 

• What do you fear most?

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• Who has God revealed Himself to be?

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• What is His heart toward you?

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• Do you trust God to hold your fears?  How would your life practically change, if that idea of trust became a reality in your life?

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Scriptures:

"You did not choose Me but I chose you." -John 15:16

"Do not fear...I have called you by name." -Isaiah 43:1

"I am with you always, even to the end of the age." -Matthew 28:20

‘You are my servant’;

    I have chosen you and have not rejected you.

10 

So do not fear, for I am with you;

    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  -Isaiah 41:9b-10

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ 

Worship Playlist: 

Music by Misty Edwards

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Utbr9dCLVA

"Go"

It was 1996, when Francis and Amy landed in the hostile nation of Afghanistan. Their mission, with a bag full of Bibles in tow, was as simple as it was dangerous; spread the love of Jesus, and learn more, through interviews, about this Sharia-controlled land. Through an incredible series of events, the two of them passed through a dozen gunned checkpoints, and were allowed to interview the Taliban Minister of Education himself. After an academic interview, Francis handed the leader a Bible. The man's eyes widened, as he stared at the gift. "I know exactly what this book is. I've been praying to God for years that I could read the Bible. Thank you for coming this far to give me my own."

This story is unbelievable, in so many ways. It's incredible, to think that the Bibles passed through the checkpoints. It seems unthinkable, that a member of the Taliban would have prayed for a Bible to be brought to him. But the detail that touched me the most in this story was about Francis and Amy themselves; they were only 19 years old, when this story unfolded.

These two young adults were less than two years older than me. And they were fighting in the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, to see God's love come forth in that darkness. It's so easy to think that I don't have the opportunities to do something like that. But the question I have to ask myself is, would I be willing to go to that kind of place, if God sent me there?

I used to think that question was a no-brainer. Of course I would!  I was passionate about the Middle East, and I wasn't afraid to die. I wanted to live a full life, poured out before Jesus, holding nothing back. I wanted to walk, in alignment with the phrase I had taped to my desk: "To do any less is to cheapen His sacrifice."  I wanted to pour myself out; to give Him my all, as He had given His all for me.

At least... I thought that was my mindset, until this week. This past Friday, I had agreed to volunteer with an after-school ministry at a local elementary school. Originally, it was going to be with my family. But on Friday, as fate would have it, I was the only one who would be able to go. Instantly, I looked for every excuse to stay home. I had never been to this place, or met the director!  I didn't know what door to use, when entering the school!  And I wasn't teaching the lesson, so it wouldn't be that important if I skipped a week!  Eventually, I tried to ease my conscience with a more spiritual argument. God knew I had important things to do at home. I had to research the Yazidi Iraqi minority, for my comp paper, so I could learn more about them and have a more effective prayer life!  I had to have time to read this really important book about surrendering my love story, so I wouldn't accidentally take it back into my own hands!  I had to finish my calculus homework, so I didn't un-glorify God by not getting all my problems right!  SURELY He could let me off the hook!

I can just imagine God laughing down at me, as I grudgingly drove down the road to the elementary school that afternoon. He knew exactly what He was doing; that little group of first graders were so full of joy, and it was a beautiful thing to be somebody they could love, and to hold them when their feelings were hurt. I lost myself for the first time in longer than I can remember; I forgot all the other things on my mind, as I saw the heart of Jesus in the faces of His kiddos.

There are places in the world that are openly, visibly filled with darkness. But there are also areas in which that depression is hidden. You can't see it immediately, but it's there. It's in the eyes of the tiny little six year old, looking down at her shoes as she told me her friends said she was fat. It's buried within the clenched first of a psychology classmate, whose anger was visible when our class talked about the scientific evidence for life at conception. It's veiled behind the closed life of the Christian down the street, who won't ask for help.

I don't think God has a favorite part of the world. He may call you to the deepest, most dangerous spiritual abysses of the world. Or He may call you just down the road, to be His light. But would you be willing to go, wherever it was He sent you... even to the seemingly unimportant places?

The One who calls you is faithful, however dangerous or however meaningless the work may seem. Whether it's treks into the darkness of Afghanistan, or a quick drive to an elementary school, God is in control, and you are in His hands.

The question is, are you willing to go?

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ 

Worship Song: 

"You Make Me Brave",
by Amanda Cook (Bethel Music)

I Surrender

"God, I give this to You."

I can't count the number of times that that phrase has passed through my mind. I understood the value that surrender had, in the Christian life. And I thought I knew what it looked like to lay everything at the foot of the cross.

Recently, God turned my view of this topic on its head. It came through Galatians 2:20:

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me."

I'd never thought about how directly the idea of surrender was tied to the concept of dying spiritually. Surrender seemed so simple; trust God to do what's best, and go on living life as if nothing has changed. Bringing death into the conversation is a little extreme, isn't it?

I have been crucified with Christ. I have laid it all at the foot of the cross. I have given up my life, in exchange for His. The old is gone; the new has come. My life is not my own; I have been bought with a price. I have surrendered.

Dying doesn't just mean laying your life down, only to go on living. The concept of death reflects the fact that, when you lay your life down, you don't get to pick it back up again. When you die, you don't get to keep your life. When you have been crucified, you can't just keep living as though nothing has changed.

And, when you have surrendered to Him, you don't get to take control again. Not if it's real surrender. Not if you've truly given everything to Him.

I wondered if that was why the thought terrified me so much, as I lay on the floor that night, wrestling with God. This wasn't just giving Him control of a moment, or a day. It wasn't even the sometimes vague concept of "giving Him control of my life". This was specific. It was my dream; it was THE dream, that I couldn't help but think about each day. I wanted it so much. The strange part, though, was that I was sure I had already given God control of it. I had prayed so many prayers, "surrendering" it into His hands. But that night, He took me deeper. In the past, I had given my dream to God, so that He could fulfill it for me, in the right way. That night, He laid a challenging question on my heart: What if I don't fulfill it?  It wasn't a completely new idea, but it hit me so hard. Surrender became so much more than just telling God He had control. It meant laying down my thoughts, and the way I believed I had a "right" to this dream. It required giving it up, in the full expectation that God would take it away.

Sometimes, surrender feels freeing. But, if I'm completely honest, that's not what I felt that night. I felt pain, as though someone had taken a knife to my soul. Yet, in the midst of it, there was something greater. I felt rest. His presence was with me, holding me. It didn't stop the pain... somehow, it didn't need to. The peace that came in knowing He would do what was best for me stood above any feelings.

I crucified my control that night. And the very next morning, it was back. I wanted that dream. My flesh wasn't going to let go that easily. I had to take it before God again, in surrender. The next day, it came again. And the next. All week, that which I laid down kept trying to come back, to take control.

I. Die. Daily.

Crucifying your flesh is not a one-time process. It's going to keep coming back. Surrender is a daily, moment-by-moment process. And, most times, it hurts to give God control. We think we know what's in our best interests, and it is so tempting to fight that alone. But we only see this side of the battlefield; God sees the whole thing. He knows you, better than you know yourself. He has plans for you, and they are for good. As Pastor Eric Ludy put it, if we could only see one one-millionth of God's heart, we would beg him to come in and take control of our lives, holding nothing back.

I would encourage you to take some time this week, and take a deep look at your life. In what areas are you holding back from Him?  What would it look like to surrender it, completely?  And, more importantly, are you willing to surrender?

Because, when you do, you don't have control any more. But there is no safer place for your heart, than in the arms of the Lover.

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ 

Worship Song: 

"Take My Heart",
by Misty Edwards

No Condemnation

"There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ."

That truth was so clear, I couldn't understand how a Christian could wrestle with condemnation. I never thought I would struggle with the idea. The Enemy could attack me with whatever he wanted, but condemnation, I told myself, wouldn't work.

It's strange how much I underestimated the power of condemnation. Over the past year, I have seen it face to face, and I have crumbled before it. I have found myself awake for hours some nights, kicking myself over something I had done that day, and unable to receive God's forgiveness.

We're all familiar with the first sin. Man chose to put himself in the place of God, by choosing his own way first. In doing so, Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil. From that moment, the plan of redemption had begun. It started with the Old Covenant, marked by laws and sacrifices. The entire message of the Old Covenant was centered around the knowledge of good and evil. The law laid out right from wrong, and the way the people should lead their lives. The purpose of the law, as stated in the New Testament, was to show the people how far they fell from being able to keep God's commands. It painted a picture of good and evil, but could never be kept by a sinful human.

But it didn't end there. The New Covenant was not marked by knowledge, but by life. The people of Israel had lived under the law for centuries; they had the knowledge. That wasn't the message of the gospel. Jesus didn't come to earth to tell people how they should live their lives. He certainly addressed this topic, and His words contain incredible truths about what the Christian life should look like. As Pastor Andy Stanley said, however, Jesus' message wasn't His teachings; His message was Himself. His message was life, and He spilled that message forth by giving His own life on a tree. He created a New Covenant with man. He freed us from sin, and we are no longer ruled by the knowledge of good and evil, and the condemnation of knowing we can't make it on our own, but by a message of life.

How does this affect our lives, on this side of the cross?  The first relates to our own fight with condemnation, on a personal level. The Enemy's lies of condemnation are rooted outside of the cross. He uses the knowledge of good and evil, and holds our failures over our heads. And part of that attack is rooted in truth; we have done wrong, and we deserve punishment. But, through the New Covenant, that punishment has been taken. Yes, we are sinners. We have no plea in and of ourselves before the throne of God. Through the cross, however, we are no longer slaves to sin but sons of righteousness, in Christ. We are no longer under the control of sin, but the covenant of life. In Christ, there is no condemnation. We have fallen short... but we have been redeemed.

The message of the tree of life goes even deeper than that. Not only does it affect our personal lives, but it affects the way we view the world around us. Currently, there are countless political issues flying around, that the Bible directly addresses. Take homosexual marriage, or Planned Parenthood. How do you view those people?  I'm not asking what your position is on those issues. How do you view the people involved?

Christians are becoming increasingly outspoken about these issues, and I love the fact that the church is coming out of hiding and speaking truth. But Christians also have a reputation of being some of the most condemning people in the nation. Christians... who are supposed to be living in the shadow of the cross; who call themselves followers of Jesus, who was the most loving person to ever walk the face of the earth.

The problem, as Christian leader Anny Donewald stated, is that Christians are speaking out of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We believe in the New Covenant, but, when it comes to these issues, we are so often living in the Old. Instead of love, we bring a message of condemnation.

What is the first thing that comes to mind, when you hear about or see a homosexual person?  What thoughts do you have towards a mother who has had an abortion?  Yes, they have done wrong. We are not called to embrace their lifestyles, or stand by and watch as they destroy themselves and others. God hates sin... but He loves the sinners. Jesus portrayed this so clearly, as he ate with cheating tax collectors, reached out to Samaritan prostitutes, and washed the feet of His betrayer. He didn't accept their lifestyle; He called them to something higher. But He did it, not through condemnation, but through love.

What do you see, when you look at those people?  If you only see their actions, and their wrong, I would challenge you to ask yourself if you are truly looking at these people through God's eyes. Do you only see the sin, when you look at the sinner?  We have all sinned against God and, at the core, our sins are just as bad as theirs. But when God looks at us, He doesn't see our sin. He sees the life of Jesus, poured out in us. He looks at us through the eyes of love.

Anny Donewald experienced the message of condemnation firsthand, in her early adult years. Although she travels across the nation sharing the message of hope, she wasn't always living a clean, tidy Christian life. She spent years of her life in the sex industry, working in night clubs all across the country. Hearing about her story is incredible. She wasn't being trafficked; she could have left at any time, and she tried to, but she felt herself trapped. It was as though she had nowhere else to turn. And the Christians in her life, instead of showing her love, brought only condemnation, telling her how damaging her lifestyle was. Anny wasn't freed through the knowledge of good and evil; she was freed through the life and love of Jesus Christ and, today, goes back into those same night clubs to minister to girls in the industry with the light of the gospel. One thing she said, in an online interview, really stood out to me: "You can't tell these girls they're going to hell. They already know that; they're in it right now." 

There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. We are not condemned, nor are we called to condemn others. Are we brave enough to look past the sin, and love the sinners?  Are we willing to live our lives in the shadow of the tree of life?

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ 

Worship Song: 

"No Longer Slaves",
by Bethel

Before His Eyes

She carefully bends every way in the mirror to make sure her chest isn’t showing at any angle. Going through her closet she finally finds one skirt that is long enough. Scrutinizing herself in the mirror she asks herself “Will this make him stumble?” 

She twirls in her new dress with a giddy clap of her hands, but stops half way through. She doesn’t want to mess up her makeup. Putting on her best earrings she asks herself “Will he notice me now?”

I’ve heard a lot about modesty. And from a young age I’ve found it confusing. Where is the line between modest and not modest actually drawn? There was a time in my life where I drew the line closer to myself. I wouldn’t wear a skirt above knee length and rejected almost every shirt I saw in the store as “not modest enough”. I drove my poor mother crazy when we went shopping because, in my mind, every outfit I saw could be a potential stumbling block. 

Later I started drawing the line a little further out, but focused my modesty efforts at my actions and behavior. I was deathly afraid that something I said or did might come off as flirting or cause a boy to think the wrong things so I basically stopped talking to boys altogether. It was easier than trying to monitor every word from my mouth, every glance, every smile. 

My earlier confusion about modesty led me to read a lot of articles on modesty - some that shame girls for wearing “skimpy” outfits and others that shame boys for looking. Many articles make the case that men need to be kept responsible for their actions and that women should be allowed to wear whatever they want. Other articles state the same old argument that men are are visual and women need to help protect their purity. And it’s interesting to me that both sides of the argument have completely missed the point of modesty. We have made modesty a debate on what people think of our dress when modesty should have nothing to do with what people think. 

One girl is terrified to wear a skirt above knee length and another girl wears bikini’s with pride. One girl experiments with makeup, while the other won’t braid her hair. One girl flirts shamelessly while the other is afraid to look a boy in the eye. Which girl is wrong? Both. The point of modesty isn’t, and never has been, to control what men think of you. The point has always been an attitude of the heart, and a concern with how God, not man, sees you. As long as we are looking to please others - either by our provocative or conservative dress - we are looking in the wrong place. When it comes to modesty our first thought should be, is my Heavenly Father pleased with the way I am acting? It should never be, will this make a boy look my way? 

For some, honoring God will look different than it does for others. For one girl it may mean wearing jeans to church so her friend doesn’t feel awkward surrounded by dresses. For another it may be obeying her parents by not wearing the shirt they find too low cut. But no matter what it looks like, modesty should stem from a desire for God to be pleased with how you behave, not for man.

Guest Post

In Over My Head

When I was younger, I never grasped the importance of worship. I remember going to church, standing up to sing, and mindlessly mouthing the words on the screen, while other thoughts filled my mind. It was so strange for me to see people lifting their hands in worship. I couldn't grasp the fact that people actually loved God. After all, we couldn't see Him or hear Him. I knew that Jesus loved me, and I was willing to be a good Christian for Him. But, whenever I heard of someone having an intimate relationship with Jesus, I always thought they were at least partly faking it, unless they were a pastor. I understood the fact that I could talk to God, and that He would show me the way to go. I prayed, and I believed He heard me.

But I didn't understand His love.

When I was twelve or thirteen, I began wrestling with this as I lay awake at night. I was beginning to appreciate the idea of God, as a concept, after starting apologetics. I would think about His omnipotence and omniscience, and how vast He was. But I would struggle, because I knew I didn't love Him. I wanted to; I saw people in my life now who were genuine Christians, and whom I knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, weren't faking it.

At age fifteen, everything changed, and God began to answer my prayer that I would love Him. Ever since then, He has taken me on a journey of finding more of Him, and falling deeper into His love.

One of my favorite pictures foreshadowing the depth of who God is is painted in Ezekiel 47:

"The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east.... 2 He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side.

3 As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. 4 He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. 5 He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross."

                                                                    -Ezekiel 47:1-5

Right now, the uncreated God of the universe, who freely gave His blood for you, is longing to call you out into that living water, until you are in over your head.

So often, we come to God with our needs, frustrations and desires. We start with ourselves, when we come before Him. And, while He does long for us to bring our needs before Him, that is not the first priority; it starts with Him. When Jesus told His disciples how to pray, He didn't forget their needs. He told them to ask for their daily bread, freedom from temptation, and the power to forgive. But that's not where He started. The first words weren't God, help me, but God, this is who You are. Our confidence in approaching His throne is not in who we are, but in who He is. He is our Father in heaven, who longs to answer the cry of His people. He is Holy, and will give us power over sin. Calling Him our Father is only the beginning; the attributes of God in the Bible are endless!  Seek Him out. Delve into His word. Pray scripture, as the church did in Acts 4. Think of who He has shown Himself to be in your life. Write those things down, and come back to it throughout the day, or when you enter the place of prayer. When your faith is tested, remind yourself who He is. Some of my favorite scriptures revealing who God is, are:

                                 Psalm 19
                                 Psalm 33
                                 Psalm 111
                                 Job 38
                                 John 1

Worship is another powerful way to draw closer to God. Worship music puts my heart in a posture of coming to Him, and loving God for who He is. It keeps my mind from wondering, and inspires me to seek Him more deeply. Corporate worship is a beautiful thing, but I would encourage you to go even beyond that and spend time in worship while you're alone with God as well. I love worshiping with others who are passionately seeking Jesus, but some of the most intimate moments of worship have been when I'm alone in my room at night, or driving in my car by myself.

Seek Him out; He longs to reveal Himself to those who desire Him with all of their hearts!  Get lost in His love, until you are in over your head.

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ 

Worship Song: 

"In Over My Head",
by Bethel Music (Jenn Johnson)

A Quiet Heart

"Jesus slept on  a pillow in the midst of a raging storm.

How could He?

The terrified disciples, sure that the next wave would send them straight to the bottom,

shook Him awake with rebuke. How could He so careless of their fate?

He could because He slept in the calm assurance that His Father was in control.

His was a quiet heart.

We see Him move serenely through all the events of His life - when He was reviled,

He did not revile in return.

When He knew that He would suffer many things and be killed in Jerusalem,

He never deviated from His course.

He had set His face like flint. He sat at supper with one who would deny Him

and another who would betray Him, yet He was able to eat with them,

wiling even to wash their feet.

Jesus, in the unbroken intimacy of His Father's love, kept a quiet heart."

I love these words of Elisabeth Elliot, in her book Keep A Quiet Heart. I'm inspired not only by her insight in these words, but by the way she lived them out. Many of you know her story. She waited five years for God to show her His will for her life with Jim Elliot, and whether or not they were called to be together. After only a couple years of marriage, Jim was martyred, and she was left alone, only to choose to go back and minister to the people who killed her husband, and forgive them. She was widowed twice, and experienced more tragedy than most of us can imagine. But, through it all, she kept a quiet heart. She was able to forgive, and to pour her life out drawing others closer to God, not because of who she was, but because of who she committed herself to. She trusted and loved God with all of her heart, soul, mind and strength, and rested in the knowledge of Him.

Anxiety is something with which we all wrestle, at some point. With school starting back up, it's easy to become overwhelmed by workloads and circumstances. This year is my last year of high school, and even the first week of the semester has brought much more change than I expected. Change hurts sometimes. It carries such a weight of uncertainty. This week, I watched some close friends move away to college. Not only was it hard to see them go, knowing how much we would miss them, but I was reminded that it would be my turn soon. And, even though God has given me a general direction of what the next step should be, there are still so many unknowns. I haven't decided on a college, or a major, even though I know the field I want to study. And beyond college, I have no idea what the plan might be.

I think we're used to hearing the idea that we're not in control. But how often does that translate into actually believing that we're not the ones writing our stories?  We structure our days, as though our time was our own. Is it?

Or think about your dreams for the future, whatever they might be. Are you able to bring them to completion on your own?

As humans, we are so often under the illusion that we are in control of our circumstances. And when something happens to show us the painful truth that we're not as sovereign as we thought, it's easy to become overwhelmed and afraid.

But here's what we forget: we were never in control to begin with. Even when we were blinded by the illusion of control, the reality didn't change. God always knew the plan. He always held the pen. He always knew what was best, and His promise to work all things for the good of those who love Him was unchanging.

He is in control, no matter what might come against us. The disciples were in the middle of a storm, about to lose their lives. But God was still in control. Jesus had peace, because He rested in that fact that His Father was on the throne.

This past week, I've been reflecting on Job 38, specifically verse 4. When Job cries out to God, asking for answer to His suffering, God doesn't give him a straight answer. Even though Job thought he wanted a reason for his pain, that wasn't what he needed. Instead of answering as Job wanted, God reminded him of who He was. "Where were you, when I laid the foundations of the earth? .... Who shut the sea behind doors?" 

Through these verses, God gave His servant a quiet heart. We are only a breath... a fleeting moment... from dust we were created, and to dust we will return. But God is eternal. He is beyond time. He laid the foundations of the earth. Why do we trust in ourselves instead of Him?

We are not in control. We never were, and it can be terrifying to come to that realization.

But the God who laid the foundations of the earth is holding your heart in His hands. In Him, we are safe through the storms of life.

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ 

Worship Song: 

"Let the Waters Rise",
by Mikeschair

The Strength of the King: His Hands

Over the past few weeks, the focus has been on the injustice of the world, and God's heart for those involved. It's an incredible subject to explore. But we can't leave it without responding, in our personal lives.

In church this morning, the message was related to fighting for justice and healing. One thought mentioned really stood out to me. $100 billion are poured into human trafficking in the U.S. every year. That's an unbelievable number. And yet how many people are taking action against it?  If someone spent $100 billion destroying golf courses, people would be outraged and take a stand to fight it. But few are doing the same, for one of God's precious daughters.

Jesus makes it clear throughout the Gospels that His body is not to despise these little ones, who are in need. It's easy to think that we're following that command. After all, I don't think any of us would claim to hate orphans, or have a personal prejudice against refugees. Isn't that the root of despising?

Not according to K.P. Yohannan, in his book No Longer a Slumdog. He points out that, according to the common dictionary, to despise means "to regard as unworthy of one's interest or concern". Isn't that exactly what we do, when we know about the injustices of the world, but refuse to take any stand whatsoever against them?  Through the unspoken language of the way we live our lives, we are sending the message loud and clear that these people are not worthy of our time and interest. They are not worth inconveniencing ourselves. They are not worth our lives, to be poured out at their feet.

Is that truly what we believe?

My goal in writing this is not to condemn, because I am lacking so much in this area. It's hard to fight. At this stage of life, as a single young woman not even finished with high school, it's easy to convince myself that there's nothing I can do. And it's true that there are limits to what I can do in this season of life.

But, if God has taught me nothing else in this season, it is that prayer works. On this side of the cross, we have a personal audience with the King of Kings, who has established justice in His right hand, and who is bringing His kingdom to earth, and He has promised to hear our cries, whenever we bring them to Him. We are not fighting against Him; it is His heart that breaks, and, through prayer, we partner with Him to see the things of heaven come to earth.

We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus, to a dying world. What better place to start, than by using those hands to grab onto that which was purchased on the cross?  He died for the weak, the broken, the oppressed, and He made it clear that any who reached out to them in His name had reached out to God Himself. Jesus took time for the outcasts, and the fallen. He did not overlook the destitute and the suffering. He came, not for those who were healthy, but for those who were sick, and needed His healing touch. The work of the cross was freedom from slavery, for all who are oppressed under the power of sin. We have been purchased by the blood of Jesus, for more than just to be forgiven from our sins. We have been purchased, adopted, and cherished that we might share that love, and be His hands to the broken.

I would encourage you this week, to seek God, and pursue what He has to lay on your heart. While injustice in general stirs compassion and anger in my heart, God has burdened me more specifically in certain areas, including orphan justice, the Middle East, and women trapped in the sex industry. Seek Him out, and find out what those areas are for you.

"For whatever you have done unto these least of these, you have done unto Me."

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ 

Worship Song: 

"If We Are the Body",
by Casting Crowns

The Strength of the King: The Oppressors

They were laughing.

Laughter was a gift from God. It was designed to be precious, to spread joy. Laughter is an overflow of happiness that can't be contained inside... a phenomenon that changes the way a voice sounds, and transforms the entire expression on a face, into one of joy.


Laughter found its way onto the faces of members of ISIS that June day, as they stood outside the Turkish border, and turned away throngs of Syrian refugees trying to escape from their war torn homes into a place of safety just inches away. The men allowed them to get just close enough to see hope, without being able to touch it. In some sickening way, it brought them that joy.

Some injustices I hear about make me feel sympathy, or some kind of softer feeling, for those involved. But this one made me angry. It was so infuriating, to see something that God had created to be so beautiful, and the way the Enemy had perverted it. It was beyond imagination, that anyone could find that much enjoyment in sending innocent people to their deaths.

It's not hard to feel sorry for victims of injustice. We have a natural compassion for the oppressed. But I think how we view the oppressors can be just as defining. I believe with all of my heart that God stands for justice, and it was not His design that any of the oppression we see should take place. But I also believe that His love extends to the oppressors, as well.

The story of Daniel reflects oppression well. This young man was an enslaved refugee, separated from his home and his loved ones by the tyranny of the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. What was unjust, and God didn't stand by and watch; He raised up a mighty man of prayer, and eventually returned his people to their home. He didn't ignore what was happening to the victims; God freed them, and stood for justice in their lives. But one of the most incredible things in the story is that God doesn't just bring His light to the oppressed; He revealed Himself to a man who, according to historians and theologians, was arguably the most cruel, bloodthirsty, inhumane ruler in all the ancient world. One of the most amazing songs of praise to God was written by King Nebuchadnezzar himself:

"His dominion is an eternal dominion;

    his kingdom endures from generation to generation.

35 

All the peoples of the earth

    are regarded as nothing.

He does as he pleases

    with the powers of heaven

    and the peoples of the earth.

No one can hold back his hand

    or say to him: “What have you done?”

                                       -Daniel 4:34b-35

God didn't condone what Nebuchadnezzar did. But the power of forgiveness and redemption was stronger. God hates sin...His Word leaves no question on that issue. But He loves sinners. He died for them. For us. He forgave us, and, through the blood of Jesus, rescued us from our enslavement to the power of the enemy, and gave us the righteousness of Christ and the ability to walk in freedom.

As His followers, we are called to hate sin as well, both in our own lives and in the world around us. When injustice arises, we don't sit back and watch. But that doesn't mean hating the sinner. We are called to forgive, and show love, as His body.

Why?  Because we are no different. I know, we've dampened the effects of our sins. They seem so much smaller, through our earthly lenses. Even as I write this, it is so hard to reconcile in my mind the fact that on a spiritual level, my sin is as terrible as the atrocities of ISIS. But the Biblical model is clear. Jesus said in Matthew 5 that even one who becomes angry with his brother is guilty of murder, through the eyes of Heaven. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

But just as all have fallen, all are able to be rescued. There are stories coming out from all over the world that are horrifying... but there are also stories of unbelievable hope. The churches in dark corners of the world like China and Iran are growing underground at unbelievable rates. Former terrorists, even members of ISIS, are coming to know the love of Jesus.

There is hope, even for the oppressors.

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ 

Worship Song: 

"Break Every Chain",
by The Digital Age