John 1:5 "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."
If you don't live in Lincoln, you may not have heard about Ellen Kopetzky. She is a student at Pius X High School, who, a few weeks ago, walked into the ladies' bathroom to be confronted by a girl who stabbed her in the face and hit her over the back of her head. (It has been determined that Ellen was not the target of the attack: it was pretty much random.) It was the most violent school attack that has occurred here in Lincoln for 27 years.
Ellen Kopetzky. For you, a name. Someone you've never met.
For me, a friend. She goes to my church. I was in youth group with her a few years ago. Many nights, we walked home from youth group together, and if there were events that required driving, we sometimes carpooled.
When I hear about things like that in the news, I never think it could happen to people I know. And then it did. The world's darkness can seem remote and almost a little unreal, until that day when it roughly intrudes itself into your life.
Lately, I've become a lot more aware of the darkness of the world. And, honestly, it can be really depressing. Abortion. Abuse. Crime. Human trafficking. Horrible poverty.
My friends, the world is a very dark place. But how, as Christians, do we deal with it? In the face of so much darkness, what can the light do?
I like to think of Christians as candles, in whom the Holy Spirit has lit a flame. Sometimes, though, I feel like God has taken His little candle and set her in the middle of an immense, dark plain. Complete blackness for miles, pressing in unmercifully. Cruel winds. And this little, tiny candle with its fragile flame. And then I cry out, "God, help me! I'm so small, so little, and the darkness is so great." I feel overpowered by the blackness.
The problem is, that's looking at it the wrong way. We're not alone in the darkness: God is there, cupping His hands around our flames and shielding them. If we let Him, He will shine in that flame, so that it pierces through the darkness and stands brave, and warm, and true.
Those who know me well know that I love floating lantern fireworks. (Is that what they're called? I'm not sure. I'm talking about the big bag-like contraptions that you light a light in and they float away, like in the movie Tangled.) We don't set any off because my dad thinks they're dangerous, but I like watching them anyways. :)
On the Fourth of July, I went out on the field behind my house and watched them float, little spots of glowing, flickering light in an immensely black sky. I was over-thinking this the other day, and I realized that fire lanterns are an analogy of the Christian life.
Because when people watch fireworks, nobody is looking at the blackness. Yeah, there's way more of it, but no one cares. They're looking at the light. The darkness does not overcome it, but makes it more beautiful and draws more people to see it.
The darkness may be bigger, but the light is what matters.
Christians are called to be that light in this world upon which the darkness is falling so quickly. In Romans, Paul tells us to "cast of the works of darkness and put on the armor of light." (Romans 13:12b) And once we put on the armor of light, we must take the light into the darkness, bringing it to those who don't know about it, or don't care about it, or who have forgotten.
Yes, there will be darkness. But it will NEVER overcome. That's a promise. In the end, the light will win out. Meanwhile, through the grace of God, we'll shine, bright and brave, beacons of hope in a sea of despair. Let us walk as "...children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom [we] shine as lights in the world." Philippians 2:15
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Grapes - The Continuing Saga
I've been blessed with a lot of friends and acquaintances over the past few years. 100% of them are Christians. 50% seem to want that identity to consume their lives, on some level. 30% try to make that happen, and only about 11% succeed.
11% succeed. That means only 1 out of every 3 who seem like they're trying actually appear to have reached their goal to the casual observer.
Today's a little different than a normal week. This is an active participation devotional. You don't have to share your answers to these questions with anyone; this is meant to be an opportunity for you to be openly honest with yourself. No judgmental eyes are watching you. No one's going to force you to explain your answer to them. This is just you and Jesus.
Now. Where would you classify yourself, under those numbers at the top? (you are not allowed to scroll down until you've answered this :)
I won't post my answer here, but I'll tell you this: I'm not part of that 11% yet.
Why not? Why can't we all honestly say that we've not only "surrendered our lives to Jesus", but are actually living out that promise in every aspect of our lives? How does that even work?
A couple weeks ago, God drew my attention to a new aspect of the Grape metaphor. I think John 15 gives a lot of direction on this question.
John 15
I don't know if you've ever witnessed the natural phenomenon of a grape growing by itself on the ground.... I know I haven't! If grapes are going to grow, they need the vine. It's impossible for us to follow God's calling to be grapes in the world if we don't remain on the vine. The church can't be Jesus to the world if it doesn't stay attached to Him.
I love the way Eric Ludy put it one of his sermons..... a lamp can't shine unless it's plugged in. If it's not attached to its outlet, then it just stands in the way, as a pointless piece of decorum, and people trip over it.
Grapes aren't designed to be decorations. You don't see people walking around a vineyard, complimenting the grapes on how beautiful and ripe they look. Grapes are made to be crushed. They are designed to be poured-out.
Second question: What is it in your life that's cutting you off from the vine?
And here's the toughest one of all: Are you willing to remove that from your life? Even if God wants it to be completely gone (and not just lessened)?
I've been reading Leslie Ludy's book Set-Apart Femininity, and in it, she referenced a study guide that was on her blog. This guide was called: "Cleaning the Sanctuary". The goal was to identify and remove all the garbage that was cluttering your heart, and preventing Jesus from entering those areas. It included almost 15 entire pages of tough, direct questions about how you were handling your life. It was a pretty excruciating process to complete. Jesus called to mind all kinds of things that I'd done in the past, and not only did He call me to remove those actions from my life, but He also probed me to confess to my mom that I'd done them. Cleaning the Sanctuary, and all that it involved, was no cakewalk...to say the least!
But now that it's over, I can't even believe how much closer I feel to Jesus! Everything that I'd been hiding now lay completely exposed at His feet, and now, He has the space to turn that into something beautiful.
Chances are, if you didn't classify yourself as part of that 11%, there's something cutting you off from the Vine. And without the vine, us as grapes die fast. The things keeping you from the vine may not be inherently wrong, like some of mine were; in fact, they might actually be good things taken too far. But, whatever they are, I promise you: if you choose to lay them down at the foot of the cross, and completely let go... He will make something beautiful out of it.
11% succeed. That means only 1 out of every 3 who seem like they're trying actually appear to have reached their goal to the casual observer.
Today's a little different than a normal week. This is an active participation devotional. You don't have to share your answers to these questions with anyone; this is meant to be an opportunity for you to be openly honest with yourself. No judgmental eyes are watching you. No one's going to force you to explain your answer to them. This is just you and Jesus.
Now. Where would you classify yourself, under those numbers at the top? (you are not allowed to scroll down until you've answered this :)
I won't post my answer here, but I'll tell you this: I'm not part of that 11% yet.
Why not? Why can't we all honestly say that we've not only "surrendered our lives to Jesus", but are actually living out that promise in every aspect of our lives? How does that even work?
A couple weeks ago, God drew my attention to a new aspect of the Grape metaphor. I think John 15 gives a lot of direction on this question.
John 15
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
I don't know if you've ever witnessed the natural phenomenon of a grape growing by itself on the ground.... I know I haven't! If grapes are going to grow, they need the vine. It's impossible for us to follow God's calling to be grapes in the world if we don't remain on the vine. The church can't be Jesus to the world if it doesn't stay attached to Him.
I love the way Eric Ludy put it one of his sermons..... a lamp can't shine unless it's plugged in. If it's not attached to its outlet, then it just stands in the way, as a pointless piece of decorum, and people trip over it.
Grapes aren't designed to be decorations. You don't see people walking around a vineyard, complimenting the grapes on how beautiful and ripe they look. Grapes are made to be crushed. They are designed to be poured-out.
Second question: What is it in your life that's cutting you off from the vine?
And here's the toughest one of all: Are you willing to remove that from your life? Even if God wants it to be completely gone (and not just lessened)?
I've been reading Leslie Ludy's book Set-Apart Femininity, and in it, she referenced a study guide that was on her blog. This guide was called: "Cleaning the Sanctuary". The goal was to identify and remove all the garbage that was cluttering your heart, and preventing Jesus from entering those areas. It included almost 15 entire pages of tough, direct questions about how you were handling your life. It was a pretty excruciating process to complete. Jesus called to mind all kinds of things that I'd done in the past, and not only did He call me to remove those actions from my life, but He also probed me to confess to my mom that I'd done them. Cleaning the Sanctuary, and all that it involved, was no cakewalk...to say the least!
But now that it's over, I can't even believe how much closer I feel to Jesus! Everything that I'd been hiding now lay completely exposed at His feet, and now, He has the space to turn that into something beautiful.
Chances are, if you didn't classify yourself as part of that 11%, there's something cutting you off from the Vine. And without the vine, us as grapes die fast. The things keeping you from the vine may not be inherently wrong, like some of mine were; in fact, they might actually be good things taken too far. But, whatever they are, I promise you: if you choose to lay them down at the foot of the cross, and completely let go... He will make something beautiful out of it.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Injustice
Today.
Today in the world approximately 7 billion people call earth their
home.
Out
of those 7 billion people, there are 250,000 thousand child soldiers.
Out
of those 7 billion, about 3 million women, girls, and even a small
number of boys are currently enslaved in the sex trade.
Every
year 1.5 million people die of hunger. That's one child every five
seconds.
Every
year 3.4 million people die of a water related disease. That is
almost the entire population of Los Angeles.
Statistics,
as sad as they are, have a way of numbing us to the pain and reality
of the situation. Let's break it down.
These
people aren't statistics. These people have faces with names who have
dreams and hopes. In reality,
they're probably not much unlike you. These people are
someone's daughter, son, wife, grandparents, husband, baby. These are
real people, not just a
number written down on a piece of paper. These people are not just
statistics.
We
could talk for hours of the different injustices in the world. The
list goes on and on and we've only mentioned a few. If I were to ask
you what the biggest injustice is, what would you say? Is it
abortion? Is it the alarmingly rate of orphans whose parents have
died of aids? Is it the lack of clean water and food?
While
all of these are important issues, there is a bigger issue at hand.
It is an issue that all the other issues stem from. The biggest
injustice in the world is that there are people out there in the
world today who have never heard of the name of Jesus. That is where
all of the under issues fall under. I remember on my mission trip to
Nepal we met a lady who have never heard of Jesus and God and so,
beginning with creation, we shared the Gospel with her. How do you
explain the Gospel to someone who has never heard of Jesus? Living in
a Western culture, it's difficult for us to wrap our minds around the
fact that there are people who haven't heard of Jesus. But the fact
of the matter is, people are dying everyday without ever hearing
about Jesus.
And
what are we doing about it? Please know I'm not trying to guilt trip
you into going on a mission trip (even though I'd highly recommend
it!) or anything like that. But we must learn to capture God's heart
for the nations. We must begin to realize how desperately he loves
these people, these people who have never heard about His Son and
live their lives in captivity and fear and hopelessness. Because, you
see, Jesus died for these people just as much as He died for you and
me and all of us living in the Western world. We are blessed to grow
up in a country where we have all heard the Gospel multiple times but
we can't be selfish with what God has blessed us with. Pray that God
will give you His heart. Pray that your heartbeat will become one
with His.
You
don't have to go overseas to tell people about Jesus. I promise you
that, if you really look, you will realize that you are surrounded by
people who desperately need Jesus. Maybe they've heard of Jesus
before but their perception of the Gospel is warped. There are people
who are broken, homeless, hurting, lonely, feeling unwanted and
unloved and desperately need to hear about a personal God who loves
them so much that He gave up His most precious Son to die the worst
possible death so that we wouldn't have to be separated from Him for
eternity. I challenge you to go out and radically love others!
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Losing
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered to loss of all things... in order that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him. … That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”
~ Philippians 3:7-11
You're a loser.
No offense, and don't stop reading because you feel insulted. :)
Let's break down this passage from Philippians in order to understand why. But before we do so, a quick disclaimer: I'm not responsible for any random tangents or ideas that don't make sense that may appear in this post. I wrote those, um, while I was, um, asleep.
Now, let's talk about losing! Some of you may be familiar with the idea that when we give everything we have and are to Christ, we can be deemed losers; there's even t-shirts out there that say it! But what does this really mean? That's the question I'd like to explore today.
Paul makes a comparison in his letter between gain and loss. In life, there are certain things that we “gain.” This could mean a variety of things. I'm sure that you can think of a thing or two right now that you've gained in your life. Actually, stop reading and think. What is one thing that you've gained? Maybe it was by your own accord, or maybe it was with the help of someone or something else. If you are at a total loss, I can think of one or two for all of us; have you ever broke at a qualifier? Placed at a tournament? Won a speech category? Qualified for Nationals? Even if you've never done any of these things, I know you've gained skills and talents from competing in NCFCA. These can all be classified as something that we've “gained” in our lives.
However, Paul doesn't stop by just saying that we give up awards that we've won or skills that we've learned; our gains. Rather, we count everything as loss, in order to gain Christ Jesus. Have you ever thought about what everything means? Think about it. Is everything something that you have? Is it the whole universe? Outside our universe? Every atom that's ever existed? What does everything mean to you?
Yeah, that's right. Everything.
While you're sitting there with your mind blown, let's talk about loss. Have you ever lost something important to you? We lose little things all the time; maybe we don't get an A on that test we wanted to, or we don't win the contest we entered, or a friend moves away, or someone on our basketball team plays better than we do. Stop and think about one thing that, no matter how big or small, you've lost. Little disappointments and losses in life can often get us down; but this is the exact message that these verses want us to understand. When we lose, we shouldn't think about what we've lost for ourselves. Rather, we should rejoice! Why? Because when we lose, we are gaining Christ. When we suffer joyfully the little things that let us down, we're able to be drawn more deeply into the heart of Jesus. We give everything up, so that we can love Him better.
But the heart of this message to the Philippians goes deeper. Are you ready to give up everything? Actually, you don't have to be ready. Jesus demands it of you, every day; but not for no reason. We don't just give up everything because we want to be recognized, or because we think that that is the right thing to do, or because we want people to see that we believe in Jesus, or because we want the world to know that being a Christian is the thing to do. All of those reasons could be right and good, but the real reason we surrender everything we've gained and choose to become a loser is because knowing Christ and being found in Him is worth more than anything. Ever. Paul knows this, and he wants the rest of the Church to know this, too. Nothing we have, do, or want could ever be worth more than knowing Christ Jesus our Lord, amen?
There's a song by Love & The Outcome called “Heart Like You”; some of its words go like this: “What could be worth more than You? What do I have I wouldn't lose? I give up the world to find my soul, pour out my life, give You control, I just wanna be what You want me to be, I just want a heart that's true, a heart like You....”
Let's go out there and show the world how to be the awesomest losers EVER.
God, I just want a heart like You. I give everything up, because I want to love You. I'm not afraid to lose everything, because I know that nothing could ever be better than gaining You. I'm not afraid to suffer for You, because I know that I am found in You. And I'm proud to be a loser for You.
Written by Caroline Andrews
Saturday, October 5, 2013
It's Not That Complicated (Emotional Purity)
I've never kissed a guy.
I've never had a boyfriend.
I've never been romantically involved with anyone.
So how am I still giving my heart away?
This is a question I've struggled with for a long time. Physical purity is pretty easy for me to maintain. But what about all that goes on inside of my head? Many people call this aspect of purity emotional purity.
Emotional purity can include:
So, how do we know when "liking" someone turns into a serious obsession? Again, the Botkin sisters had some helpful advice here. They list some indicators that our desires are becoming, well -- less than pure.
1. Seeking our will above God's
2. Thinking we have a claim over a young man
3. Building castles in the sky
4. Letting our brains go out the window
I've found that considering these points is usually enough to get my brain back on track. When my sinful thoughts are locked up inside me, and I don't consider what I'm actually doing to myself and others, it's hard for me to stop. But when I think about what I'm doing, and ask God to help me find my way out, he always provides.
Our hearts are hidden. Emotional sins don't seem that bad. After all, it's just a little daydream! But the Bible says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." (Proverbs 4:23)
I'm assuming most of you have read or memorized Philippians 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
I recently realized that this verse directly applies to this topic! When we are constantly asking God for help, his peace will guard our hearts and our minds. I pray that this verse will speak to you as much as it has to me.
Written by Magali Laporte
I've never had a boyfriend.
I've never been romantically involved with anyone.
So how am I still giving my heart away?
This is a question I've struggled with for a long time. Physical purity is pretty easy for me to maintain. But what about all that goes on inside of my head? Many people call this aspect of purity emotional purity.
I've just finished reading a book called, It's Not That Complicated, by Anna, Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin. They point out that while violating emotional purity is not a sin listed in the Bible, it is a helpful classification of some sins we (especially girls) struggle with.
Emotional purity can include:
- Idolizing a guy/male attention (Ex. 20:4-6, Is. 44:9, Col 3:5)
- Lustful thoughts (Col. 3:5, 1Jn. 2:16)
- Discontentment (Pr. 19:23, Phil. 4:11-12)
So, how do we know when "liking" someone turns into a serious obsession? Again, the Botkin sisters had some helpful advice here. They list some indicators that our desires are becoming, well -- less than pure.
1. Seeking our will above God's
- Am I seeking romantic fulfillment before God's timing?
- Am I trying to write my own love story, instead of letting God take the pen?
2. Thinking we have a claim over a young man
- How would I feel if he expressed interest in another girl?
- Am I thinking possessively about him?
3. Building castles in the sky
- Am I planning out my future with this person?
- Do I spend most of my free time imagining my life with him?
4. Letting our brains go out the window
- Am I so focused on how I feel about this person that I ignore serious warning signs?
- Am I disobeying my parents, explicitly or implicitly, by my relationship with this person?
I've found that considering these points is usually enough to get my brain back on track. When my sinful thoughts are locked up inside me, and I don't consider what I'm actually doing to myself and others, it's hard for me to stop. But when I think about what I'm doing, and ask God to help me find my way out, he always provides.
Our hearts are hidden. Emotional sins don't seem that bad. After all, it's just a little daydream! But the Bible says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." (Proverbs 4:23)
I'm assuming most of you have read or memorized Philippians 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
I recently realized that this verse directly applies to this topic! When we are constantly asking God for help, his peace will guard our hearts and our minds. I pray that this verse will speak to you as much as it has to me.
Written by Magali Laporte
Sunday, September 29, 2013
True Love
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
I love that hymn. What beautiful words.
We sang that song this morning in church, and it really reminded me of God's love for us.
Turning our eyes upon him, looking fully into His WONDERFUL face, I seriously can't wait for that day!
What an amazing day that'll be.
God is so wonderful. Even as Christians, we underestimate that thought. We think lightly of His death and resurrection. We don't stop to think about WHY he did that, or for WHAT reason. He loved us so much that he sent his one and only Son to DIE for us.
wait.......................ME?
ME?
He wanted to die for me?
Think about this.
He loved us SOOOOO much that he actually gave his life for us.
But then the question arises,
"Would I be willing to die for someone I love? Someone dear to my heart?"
"Oh yeah. Totally", comes the reply.
hm.....
You know, I've realized recently. No one really ever knows the importance and significance of something until they're put in that position. Forced to make that decision right then and there.
...And that's when the devil wants to whisper in our ear, "Hah! You'll never make it through! You're not strong enough. You could actually be doing something in your life. and you waste it on a little friend? Someone you think you love?"
Guys.
Lately, I've realized the true importance of friendship. I've been thinking, "What if my life was put in a position where I had to decide right then and there, if I had to decide if I should either give my life for that friend who I loved most or to let him or her die and I continue on with 'normal life'?"
ASK YOURSELF THAT QUESTION. RIGHT NOW. RIGHT HERE.
Now, put your life in Jesus' shoes for a couple seconds. Just a couple. Think about what He went through in order to give us life. ETERNAL LIFE.
So, guys?
Let's think about what's ahead of us. If Jesus was so loving as to give us eternal life by dying on the Cross to save us from eternal damnation, how much more should we be stewards with the time he has given us? How much more should we start loving others? Challenge yourself to live that. Like a true Christian.
LET'S BE WILLING TO BE LIKE JESUS.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Life as a Grape
Real Christians have been described in many different ways over the years.... they're disciples, they're image bearers of God, they're courageous, they're loving, they're filled with joy, and they're faithful.
They're also grapes.
Around two weeks ago, I (Hannah) was browsing around Ellerslie's website when I found a message called "Life as a Grape". I thought the title sounded entertaining, so I checked it out during my quiet time that day. A large part of this devotional is based on the ideas brought up in that message. After listening to that sermon, I started taking a real interest in grapes. My dad and I have figured out lots of different ways to eat grapes over the years. Our most recent rendition is putting grapes in the freezer for a few hours, and eating them during football games. I never realized how sweet grapes were!
Me and my dad weren't the first ones to figure that out. For years, the "pressing of grapes" was a huge ceremony that was always full of rejoicing. People would literally stomp and dance around in the grapes to squash them, and pour out their sweet juice. Grapes were tended lovingly in their vineyards, but ultimately, it was for a purpose:
Grapes Are Tended to be Poured Out
Think about a grape for a minute. What really makes a grape sweet? I don't know if you've ever tried a grape skin by itself (I've only done it once), but they're pretty disgusting. The life that makes the grape what it is, is its juice.
People don't plant vineyards so that the grapes can live a happy life on a vine, and then grow lifeless and shriveled up in a few weeks. Grapes are designed for more. Grapes are grown so that the life inside them can be poured out.
Christians are exactly the same. God didn't set us on this earth so that we could live a happy comfortable life for a few decades, and then die. Think of how unsatisfying that would be! All humans seem to come to a point in their lives where they realize that there must be some purpose to their existence, or else it's all meaningless. We were made to be poured out, for His glory.
Two Cups (Two Comings, in Revelation)
When God created mankind, He gave us minds of our own; we're accountable for our own decisions. Ultimately, we have two choices on this earth: glorify God, or glorify self. There's no middle ground. Either Jesus has control of our lives, or He doesn't.
When it comes to the grape metaphor, there are two cups referenced in scripture: the cup of Life, and the cup of Wrath. The cup of Life holds a massive amount of significance in the New Testament. On Sundays, we drink out of this cup during Communion.
As C.S. Lewis once said, there are going to be two types of people on judgement day: those who, while they were on earth, sincerely prayed "Thy will be done," and those to whom God will say, "Thy will be done."
It's definitely easier to fill the cup of Wrath. All we have to do is follow our own nature of sin, and await the results. The call to fill the cup of Life is much more difficult. Look back at Matthew 26... "This is my blood, which is poured out for the forgiveness of sin." The cup of life is filled with blood. Jesus Christ, the ultimate grape, had to pour out everything He had to fill that cup. But He was willing to, for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). Are we?
The Winepress
Grapes can release their juice through plenty of different ways, but, really, it's when the grapes are crushed that the sweetness inside truly comes out. That's when our biggest opportunity to fill the cup of life shows itself.
When the people of this world are crushed, bitterness and anger are all usually the emotions displayed. But when God's Grapes are crushed, spectators see something entirely different flowing forth: love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. And JOY.
Christian grapes have endured torturous crushing over the years:
Stephen was stoned.
Philip was crucified.
Paul was beaten, imprisoned and beheaded
Matthew was slain with the sword
James was stoned and clubbed
Matthias was stoned and beheaded
Mark was dragged to pieces
Jude was crucified
Bartholemew was severely beaten and crucified
Thomas was thrust through with a spear
Luke was hung
Simon was crucified
John was thrown into boiling oil, and exiled to Patmos
Peter was crucified upside down
The reactions?
"I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles, my joy knows no bounds." (Paul, 2 Corinthians 7:4b)
"In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.." (Peter, 1 Peter 1:6-8)
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Jesus, Matthew 5:11-12)
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Paul, Philippians 4:4)
These are some really, really tough ideas to implement into life. But guys? Have you ever noticed that grapes ALWAYS grow in clusters? You are not alone, as you seek to pour yourself out for Jesus. Feel free to comment, drop me a Hangout or email me, I'd love to pray for you.
#inspiredbyEricLudy'smessageLifeAsAGrape
They're also grapes.
Around two weeks ago, I (Hannah) was browsing around Ellerslie's website when I found a message called "Life as a Grape". I thought the title sounded entertaining, so I checked it out during my quiet time that day. A large part of this devotional is based on the ideas brought up in that message. After listening to that sermon, I started taking a real interest in grapes. My dad and I have figured out lots of different ways to eat grapes over the years. Our most recent rendition is putting grapes in the freezer for a few hours, and eating them during football games. I never realized how sweet grapes were!
Me and my dad weren't the first ones to figure that out. For years, the "pressing of grapes" was a huge ceremony that was always full of rejoicing. People would literally stomp and dance around in the grapes to squash them, and pour out their sweet juice. Grapes were tended lovingly in their vineyards, but ultimately, it was for a purpose:
Grapes Are Tended to be Poured Out
Think about a grape for a minute. What really makes a grape sweet? I don't know if you've ever tried a grape skin by itself (I've only done it once), but they're pretty disgusting. The life that makes the grape what it is, is its juice.
People don't plant vineyards so that the grapes can live a happy life on a vine, and then grow lifeless and shriveled up in a few weeks. Grapes are designed for more. Grapes are grown so that the life inside them can be poured out.
Christians are exactly the same. God didn't set us on this earth so that we could live a happy comfortable life for a few decades, and then die. Think of how unsatisfying that would be! All humans seem to come to a point in their lives where they realize that there must be some purpose to their existence, or else it's all meaningless. We were made to be poured out, for His glory.
Two Cups (Two Comings, in Revelation)
When God created mankind, He gave us minds of our own; we're accountable for our own decisions. Ultimately, we have two choices on this earth: glorify God, or glorify self. There's no middle ground. Either Jesus has control of our lives, or He doesn't.
When it comes to the grape metaphor, there are two cups referenced in scripture: the cup of Life, and the cup of Wrath. The cup of Life holds a massive amount of significance in the New Testament. On Sundays, we drink out of this cup during Communion.
Matthew 26:27-28
New International Version (NIV)
27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the[a] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (emphasis added)
The cup of Life is the cup of the new covenant of Jesus Christ. He gave His life up on a cross to give us that cup. THAT is the cup into which we, as Christians, are designed to pour ourselves. We were created for the sole purpose of glorifying God.
The cup of Wrath, on the other hand, is filled when we put ourselves above God. Those who thirst for righteousness will receive the cup of Life, but Jeremiah makes it clear that those who thirst for unrighteousness will get exactly that:
The cup of Wrath, on the other hand, is filled when we put ourselves above God. Those who thirst for righteousness will receive the cup of Life, but Jeremiah makes it clear that those who thirst for unrighteousness will get exactly that:
Jeremiah 25:15
New International Version (NIV)
The Cup of God’s Wrath
15 This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it...17 So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and made all the nations to whom he sent me drink it...28 But if they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink, tell them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: You must drink it!
The Bible doesn't sugar-coat the dangers of a self-centered life. Throughout the gospels, we can see through Jesus' interactions with the Pharisees that those who live only for themselves have no place in the Kingdom of Heaven. I always think it's interesting that it's the Pharisees - the church leaders of the day - that Jesus references here. Even followers of God can fill the cup of Wrath. The phrase "thirsting for unrighteousness" isn't normally used in our modern-day vocabulary, but think about it.......how often does that describe us? How often do we WANT to sin? How often do we long to make ourselves the center of our lives? I'll be the first to confess - I struggle with that all the time.
As C.S. Lewis once said, there are going to be two types of people on judgement day: those who, while they were on earth, sincerely prayed "Thy will be done," and those to whom God will say, "Thy will be done."
It's definitely easier to fill the cup of Wrath. All we have to do is follow our own nature of sin, and await the results. The call to fill the cup of Life is much more difficult. Look back at Matthew 26... "This is my blood, which is poured out for the forgiveness of sin." The cup of life is filled with blood. Jesus Christ, the ultimate grape, had to pour out everything He had to fill that cup. But He was willing to, for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). Are we?
The Winepress
Grapes can release their juice through plenty of different ways, but, really, it's when the grapes are crushed that the sweetness inside truly comes out. That's when our biggest opportunity to fill the cup of life shows itself.
When the people of this world are crushed, bitterness and anger are all usually the emotions displayed. But when God's Grapes are crushed, spectators see something entirely different flowing forth: love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. And JOY.
Christian grapes have endured torturous crushing over the years:
Stephen was stoned.
Philip was crucified.
Paul was beaten, imprisoned and beheaded
Matthew was slain with the sword
James was stoned and clubbed
Matthias was stoned and beheaded
Mark was dragged to pieces
Jude was crucified
Bartholemew was severely beaten and crucified
Thomas was thrust through with a spear
Luke was hung
Simon was crucified
John was thrown into boiling oil, and exiled to Patmos
Peter was crucified upside down
The reactions?
"I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles, my joy knows no bounds." (Paul, 2 Corinthians 7:4b)
"In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.." (Peter, 1 Peter 1:6-8)
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Jesus, Matthew 5:11-12)
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Paul, Philippians 4:4)
These are some really, really tough ideas to implement into life. But guys? Have you ever noticed that grapes ALWAYS grow in clusters? You are not alone, as you seek to pour yourself out for Jesus. Feel free to comment, drop me a Hangout or email me, I'd love to pray for you.
#inspiredbyEricLudy'smessageLifeAsAGrape