we plan our lives in phases. we set goals. to take in the whole picture all at once usually tends to overwhelm us and even scare us sometimes. one step at a time, we tell ourselves. we can handle it if we take it one step at a time. if we take small bites, we can consume the largest tasks; so long as our patience or the patience of someone else doesn't wear thin. our ability to overcome is contingent upon our resolve.
when our plans are reflected in God's plan, or perhaps, when our plans are a mirror image of God's plan, we have a part to play but the outcome is not contingent upon our resolve or zeal. it will be accomplished, with or without us. with us. or without us.
when we feel like failures, when we feel like the whole world has fallen on us, when we lose our focus, God stands waiting for us to approach Him. He is ok with us collapsing in His arms and weeping. He doesn't mind if we tell Him that we can't handle it by ourselves. He smiles, His arms are wide open and He cries with us.
He is not a "good-time only" God. He doesn't leave us when times get tough. He is a true gentleman. He is a complete Lover. He fought for us. He died for us. He overcame the grave for us.
our transparency shows off His strength. our openess glorifies His grace. the less of "us" that we put on in the morning, the more room for people to see God in all of His magnificent glory at work in our lives. This is what John the Baptist meant.
even if we feel terrible. even if we feel like the world is closing in. when we allow for God to come and take over, people are drawn to Him. This doesn't mean that when we feel terrible and people ask us how we are doing that we put on plastic facades and and pretend that we're ok. it does mean that when we're asked, we are transparent and still point to Jesus. "you know, i'm struggling a little bit with... but by the grace of God, i am overcoming it." not exactly normal, is it? watchman nee wrote that "we are so used to the subnormal that when we finally encounter the normal we think it is abnormal."
life is a big picture. to try to take it all in at once can be overwhelming. for those of us who are saved, we have read the last chapter (at least, we know the outcome) and it should allow us to put life into perspective. that no matter what, God is still God and as long as we follow Him and His commands, we will come out victorious as heirs with Christ Jesus.
our pain allows us to identify. our struggles offer hope to the hopeless. and our humanity allows us to reach others. if we act perfect and as if nothing can touch us then we elevate ourselves above everyone else and then we have nothing to offer anyone else except the false idea that God makes everything great for a believer.
14 November 2005
09 November 2005
[a tru revolution]
the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men to do nothing.
no more big puffy clouds. no more enchanting halos. no more pretty pictures. no more rhetoric. no more wimpy christianity. and certainly, no more compromise.
no more tolerance of sin. no more dancing with decadence. no more bowing to the profiling of the world. no more turning a blind eye. no more half-world christianity. and definitely, no more compromise.
no more avoiding the sick and the dying. no more passing the hurting and wounded. no more turning away from the helpless and needy. no more watered down christianity. and absolutely no more compromise.
no more "alamo syndrome." no more escapist mentality. no more avoidance "me-ology." no more self-centeredness. no more living in fear. no more compromise.
no more empty air. no more glass cathedrals. no more dirty little secrets. no more compromise.
there is a gathering storm. an undercurrent of unrest. a growing rift. a coming earthquake. a great shaking. there is a three-way collision mounting. the Divine, the earthly and the demonic are all set to collide soon.
the table is set for the greatest revival, a true revolution is arising. holiness must be our banner. lives sold-out to Jesus must be in the open, not in a closet. Who we represent must be visible.
the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
with respect, it's deeper than that mr. burke.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
no more big puffy clouds. no more enchanting halos. no more pretty pictures. no more rhetoric. no more wimpy christianity. and certainly, no more compromise.
no more tolerance of sin. no more dancing with decadence. no more bowing to the profiling of the world. no more turning a blind eye. no more half-world christianity. and definitely, no more compromise.
no more avoiding the sick and the dying. no more passing the hurting and wounded. no more turning away from the helpless and needy. no more watered down christianity. and absolutely no more compromise.
no more "alamo syndrome." no more escapist mentality. no more avoidance "me-ology." no more self-centeredness. no more living in fear. no more compromise.
no more empty air. no more glass cathedrals. no more dirty little secrets. no more compromise.
there is a gathering storm. an undercurrent of unrest. a growing rift. a coming earthquake. a great shaking. there is a three-way collision mounting. the Divine, the earthly and the demonic are all set to collide soon.
the table is set for the greatest revival, a true revolution is arising. holiness must be our banner. lives sold-out to Jesus must be in the open, not in a closet. Who we represent must be visible.
the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
with respect, it's deeper than that mr. burke.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
08 November 2005
[the word and fire]
i've swum the ocean of regret. in the midst of all my pleasure, i've felt the pain of remorse. though i cried unto God and my ears heard no response, i knew in my heart that He heard my voice and moved on my behalf.
it is in the difficult times that God forges our character. i think we all get that. that knowledge doesn't always keep us from getting frustrated over our circumstances. we get lost in ourselves, our plans and our goals and we forget to look for the One who is Wonderful.
when you place a log into a burning fire and watch it, the first thing you will see is the flames spread around the log. as it is cooler, the water on the surface sustains the log and keeps it from the burning flames. but as the heat overcomes the surface water, the flames dance closer. the flames begin to lick the surface. shortly, the flames are no longer content to stay on the surface. soon, you can hear the crackling, hissing and popping as the wood inside dries out. quickly discontented with the drying process, the flames leap to consume the wood. once the log breaks apart, it has become coals that are no longer ON fire, but rather, CONTAIN fire.
we must prepare ourselves for the hard place. that is not to say we must set up walls and and blockages to cushion the pain; but that we ought to prepare our hearts and spirits for the onslaught of the enemy allowed by God that enables us to be refined- and defined.
make no mistake, the attacks are coming if they have not yet begun. suffering is not a sign of God's displeasure, rather it is a symbol of our status. we are not to endure suffering, but (as john piper argues from romans 5) we are to rejoice in it. tribulation works patience. every pain we experience works out for His glory. our exposed weaknesses proves to expose His strengths.
all over the world, the price of being a christian is rising. the cost of being a christian is going up. it has always been high, but at this time in history, there is a form of spiritual inflation at work and we are being asked if we are willing to pay the price.
what do we do with 2 timothy 3:12? i once heard john piper preach a sermon in which he spoke of a renowned bible smuggler who was teaching a group of local pastors. at one point in the meeting, a well-respected romanian pastor entered the room who had spent the previous twelve years in prison for his faith. he asked the younger smuggler about the conditions of the gospel in his home nation. to which the smuggler replied, "we have none." the romanian pastor asked how this could be, and the smuggler thought for a moment and responded, "i think that perhaps it is because we do not take advantage of all the opportunities that we are presented with." and then the romanian pastor asked his final question: "brother, what do you do with 2 timothy 3:12?" at this point, the young smuggler, opened his bible and began to read aloud to the group of local pastors: "indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." the smuggler closed his bible, and said, "forgive me dear brother, but we do nothing with 2 timothy 3:12."
when we contain fire of a godly life in Christ Jesus, we will be persecuted, and we will stand as a light to others.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
it is in the difficult times that God forges our character. i think we all get that. that knowledge doesn't always keep us from getting frustrated over our circumstances. we get lost in ourselves, our plans and our goals and we forget to look for the One who is Wonderful.
when you place a log into a burning fire and watch it, the first thing you will see is the flames spread around the log. as it is cooler, the water on the surface sustains the log and keeps it from the burning flames. but as the heat overcomes the surface water, the flames dance closer. the flames begin to lick the surface. shortly, the flames are no longer content to stay on the surface. soon, you can hear the crackling, hissing and popping as the wood inside dries out. quickly discontented with the drying process, the flames leap to consume the wood. once the log breaks apart, it has become coals that are no longer ON fire, but rather, CONTAIN fire.
we must prepare ourselves for the hard place. that is not to say we must set up walls and and blockages to cushion the pain; but that we ought to prepare our hearts and spirits for the onslaught of the enemy allowed by God that enables us to be refined- and defined.
make no mistake, the attacks are coming if they have not yet begun. suffering is not a sign of God's displeasure, rather it is a symbol of our status. we are not to endure suffering, but (as john piper argues from romans 5) we are to rejoice in it. tribulation works patience. every pain we experience works out for His glory. our exposed weaknesses proves to expose His strengths.
all over the world, the price of being a christian is rising. the cost of being a christian is going up. it has always been high, but at this time in history, there is a form of spiritual inflation at work and we are being asked if we are willing to pay the price.
what do we do with 2 timothy 3:12? i once heard john piper preach a sermon in which he spoke of a renowned bible smuggler who was teaching a group of local pastors. at one point in the meeting, a well-respected romanian pastor entered the room who had spent the previous twelve years in prison for his faith. he asked the younger smuggler about the conditions of the gospel in his home nation. to which the smuggler replied, "we have none." the romanian pastor asked how this could be, and the smuggler thought for a moment and responded, "i think that perhaps it is because we do not take advantage of all the opportunities that we are presented with." and then the romanian pastor asked his final question: "brother, what do you do with 2 timothy 3:12?" at this point, the young smuggler, opened his bible and began to read aloud to the group of local pastors: "indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." the smuggler closed his bible, and said, "forgive me dear brother, but we do nothing with 2 timothy 3:12."
when we contain fire of a godly life in Christ Jesus, we will be persecuted, and we will stand as a light to others.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
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