"Press us down!" the olives cry, abandoning their dread.
"The oil that flows from our demise will garnish many heads.
From infants to the sick and dying, to kings and priests in power,
Our unction represents God's favor on whose head it's showered.
"Crush us in our vats after you take us from our vine."
These martyred grapes prepare themselves to fill our cups with wine.
"Our juice will make you merry, and cause you to reflect,
On sufferings and covenants, your life they will perfect."
"Grind us lonely stalks of wheat, we're apt to bear the pain,
Together we will feed your homes, come partake of our grain.
Bake us in your ovens with or without salt and leaven,
And share our bread with others in communion prior to heaven."
"Strip me bare, beat me in, and nail me to a cross."
To suffer for our freedom He would surely pay our cost.
The joy was set before Him, our future made secure,
By freedom's price He saved us, to the end we shall endure.
"So may I face my trials with joy," this Christian will proclaim
"For my strength and trust is found in the Name above all names.
Weakness, loneliness, or hurt, may I my pressing, bear,
A brokenness that will provide a truth for all to share.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Friday, July 19, 2013
Son of Perdition
I was born in privilege, with caring parents raised.
In expecting a bright future, the name they gave me: "Praised"
I grew in the Jewish faith, in keeping with the rules.
I heard the rabbis and the priests speak of Shiloh's renewal.
They say that He will overthrow Rome's pagan tyranny.
If that's the case I want to fit into His company.
I've seen the man from Nazareth, His humble presence low.
Is this the Son of Man the prophets spoke of long ago?
Why yes indeed, it has to be, the lost and sick are healed.
The crippled walk, the dead are raised, but why does He still yield?
He shares meals with the enemy, helps the centurion.
But it must be true, I'm convinced, He's the Anointed One.
I'm growing tired of poverty, when will His triumph come?
When will the day appear when I'm an heir in His kingdom?
Maybe I can hatch a plan to hurry Him along
This Messiah in highest authority belongs.
Thirty pieces, precious silver to the treasury
Soon we will see Messiah's power in Gethsemane
Yes, they'll try to arrest Him but He will overcome.
The Romans soon will be destroyed, His time's about to come!
"My Rabbi!"I then exclaim, I run to kiss His cheek.
Affirming to the crowd, they've found the Nazarene they seek.
But wait, He's not resisting! Why won't He cast them down?
They're binding Him in shackles, they're leading Him into town.
This isn't how I've planned it! What is this thing I've done?
I now repent, this awful sin, this deed I can't refund.
So now I go the only place my Lord cannot find me.
My only pathway there: this field, this hanging rope, this tree.
This Judas is not unique, as many share his thoughts
When we try to imagine God in a way which He's not.
If he and we were yielded to God's purpose for us
There would be no betrayal, anyone could be Judas.
In expecting a bright future, the name they gave me: "Praised"
I grew in the Jewish faith, in keeping with the rules.
I heard the rabbis and the priests speak of Shiloh's renewal.
They say that He will overthrow Rome's pagan tyranny.
If that's the case I want to fit into His company.
I've seen the man from Nazareth, His humble presence low.
Is this the Son of Man the prophets spoke of long ago?
Why yes indeed, it has to be, the lost and sick are healed.
The crippled walk, the dead are raised, but why does He still yield?
He shares meals with the enemy, helps the centurion.
But it must be true, I'm convinced, He's the Anointed One.
I'm growing tired of poverty, when will His triumph come?
When will the day appear when I'm an heir in His kingdom?
Maybe I can hatch a plan to hurry Him along
This Messiah in highest authority belongs.
Thirty pieces, precious silver to the treasury
Soon we will see Messiah's power in Gethsemane
Yes, they'll try to arrest Him but He will overcome.
The Romans soon will be destroyed, His time's about to come!
"My Rabbi!"I then exclaim, I run to kiss His cheek.
Affirming to the crowd, they've found the Nazarene they seek.
But wait, He's not resisting! Why won't He cast them down?
They're binding Him in shackles, they're leading Him into town.
This isn't how I've planned it! What is this thing I've done?
I now repent, this awful sin, this deed I can't refund.
So now I go the only place my Lord cannot find me.
My only pathway there: this field, this hanging rope, this tree.
This Judas is not unique, as many share his thoughts
When we try to imagine God in a way which He's not.
If he and we were yielded to God's purpose for us
There would be no betrayal, anyone could be Judas.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Thoughts on Japan
I am terrible at multitasking. I should have been writing things down as I was in Japan, but in all of the time we were spending, trains we were taking, people we were meeting, churches we were visiting, messages and testimonies we were giving, it was hard for me to reflect and to think, therefore, hard for me to write down my thoughts about the trip. Now I am in San Antonio, a victim of time change, and able to think, so here we go...
The mission trip did not start in Japan, but in the air. The flights over were very interesting. Something was amiss on each flight, but there were blessings in their stead. One flight we were on was serviced by a Christian flight attendant, who said to one of the team members that she was going through some things, but felt peace and the presence of God when we came aboard. Another flight involved us meeting some missionaries to Thailand, who we got to minister to.
Everywhere we went in the Tokyo area was by train. It's best to know where you are going, as things can get crazy. We almost left Amanda and Sally on one of the platforms. After we got into Narita airport, we took an hour train ride into Tokyo. I got to see the beautiful countryside and go over my message with Ryota, as I was giving it the next day. We had to pass through one of the most chaotic train stations, and the biggest one in Tokyo, Shinjuku (shin-JEW-koo). While in the Shinjuku area, I felt a looming troubled feeling, not just because of the chaos, but because something didn't feel right. Later did I learn that the area we were passing through was close to one of Japan's most famous areas that we we would refer to as a "red light district". We got into the student center, unpacked, went to eat real ramen (it's a lot better that the 10 cent stuff here), and went to sleep.
The student center was such an awesome place to live. It was so efficient and always kept "Asianly" clean. We took our shoes off at the door, recycled everything there, and folded our futons each morning. A note on futons, they're not like the ones in America. They're super thin, twin-sized mats, but they are really comfortable to sleep on. They don't really use the air conditioner, but a fan was blowing so it was fine. We slept in the sanctuary. The sun rises early there (around 4:30) and sets early (around 6:30).
We woke up the next morning and headed to Komagome(ko-MA-go-may), where the Japan Assemblies of God headquarters, bible school, and Japan A/G's biggest church is. The Assemblies of God is one of the most successful Christian denominations in Japan, but like many Christian churches, its congregations are small. There largest church has around 90 members.
We go to a beautifully furnished chapel at Central Bible College where Amanda Plast leads worship. It seems like there is nothing more beautiful than hearing people sing hymns in Japanese. In japan, there is a time and a place for everything. This is a pentecostal bible college, so I was surprised to see such a reserved atmosphere, and I thought to myself Well, where's the fire? We gave a Texas presentation and I gave my message on the importance of sharing the gospel, and encouraging them as future pastors to not be afraid to speak truth. I sat down, the head of the chapel service asked the students to pray for us, then, the fire fell... I was surrounded by students laying their hands on me praying, some weeping, some shouting, some praying in Japanese, some praying in...not Japanese, and it was as if we could feel the Spirit equipping us for what we came to do.
That night we had a prayer meeting. Staff from Chi Alpha, YWAM (Youth with a Mission), and other churches came together to pray. Austin and Amanda led worship. Nothing but the Blood and How Great Thou Art sound great in Japanese. I got to facilitate the prayer meeting as the Lord led us in prayer, then we all got into groups where we prayed for one another. Then everyone in that room prayed over the Texas team. I'm not one for supporting weird manifestations in church or anything, but God's presence was so strong over us in the room that we felt an incredible joy and peace, and some of us couldn't help but laugh.
The next day, we went to Sayama Christ Church in Saitama prefecture. Like many churches in Japan, Sayama Church is led by by a single female pastor, who has a lot going on, and who has faced many struggles leading the church. That being said, the church is so beautiful. The people were warm and friendly, they loved Jesus, and you could tell in their worship. Ryota gave the message and Chris shared his testimony. One church member who had recently been water baptized was really impacted by Chris's testimony. After the service, we stood at the front, and people came down for us to pray for their needs. Then everyone fed us...there was so much food. We then went back to Komagome and saw two precious Chinese girls get baptized in water. It was an honor welcoming two new sisters into the kingdom of God.
Monday, we got to go to our first Japanese university campus. Our team went to Waseda University. We prayed over the university, ate lunch, and passed out fliers inviting people to a bible study meeting. I will never take booth time for granted ever again. At least people in America will acknowledge you. We had an outreach that night. Austin gave the message and I shared my testimony, and got to hang out with two awesome guys who love Jesus.
Tuesday we had intercessory prayer and went back to Waseda. That night we went to Shin's parents' house. Her father is into French cooking, so we had really good food and dessert. They were really sweet. Pray that they come to know Jesus.
Wednesday we went to Sonrise Nozomi Church, hung out with preschoolers, ministered to their mothers. I got to share my testimony there. That night, we had a youth outreach at the same church. Austin and Amanda led worship (Amanda can sing really well), Chris gave a great message on knowing God's heart. Mikami Sensei (yes, the pastors are called "sensei") took care in making sure we felt at home. They made us really good food, and Mikami Sensei took us on a tour of some classical Japanese buildings.
Thursday was our sabbath. We went into the mountains in Okutama. They were bigger than any mountains I've ever seen. Then we had sushi that night.
Friday I did not go to Waseda. I went to the University of Tokyo (they call it Todai for short), where we had intercessory prayer and worship. We prayed for our other team members at Waseda, and from what I heard, it went very well. That night we had an outreach at International Christian Assembly. It was a great success.
Saturday, Austin, Shin, Sally, and I went to Rikkyo University. Rikkyo was started as an Anglican university, and it looks like you're stepping into an ivy league school in the U.S. There we got to meet Akari Irokawa and her brother Masayuki (Masa for short). Their mother is a pastor of a church in Kashiwa, where we would be spending the night. So begins the "Kashiwa Experience"
We arrived to a warm welcome in Kashiwa. They brought Austin and I to a room upstairs where we rested for around an hour. Dinner was served and we sat with the children and tried communicating with them. Each of the children has a story of their own. I will talk about two of them. One of the children there is named Nozomi. Nozomi is super smart, to the point where she is bored in school, and doesn't go often. Her mother rejected her, but kept her younger sister. Pray that Nozomi would come to realize that she is valuable to Jesus, and that He will in no way reject her. Sota is around five or six years old, I forget his exact age. His father is not physically affectionate with him, so he tends to gravitate towards other adult men to fulfill his need for comfort. Pray that Sota grows to realize that he has a Father in heaven who loves him, and is willing to embrace him in His arms. We all went to a Japanese public bath. It was pretty awesome, despite the fact that there were kids running around, and old ladies cleaning while we were there. A little culture shock, I guess. The Kashiwa church service was great! Austin gave a message, Sally and I gave our testimonies, we prayed for members of the church, and I prayed for the church. Then they served us a Japanese dish called Okonomiyaki. Basically a pancake thing with anything meat and vegetable in it. It was great. Afterwards, we got to walk around a local university, and Austin and I got to hang out with Masa and a guy named Iwao (sounds like "E-wow"). Austin got to share with Iwao about holiness, and how to walk with Jesus. Iwao attends church, but like many Japanese guys, he doesn't really have a lot of fellowship or men to look up to. Pray that God would use Masa or another Christian to pour into Iwao's life. We came back to the church, helped Masa with a survey he had to do for nursing school homework, and went back to Tokyo
Monday we went back to Rikkyo and had lunch with students. Rikkyo has an awesome library. They have an original 1611 King James Bible there. After Rikkyo, we shopped for our supporters and saw a buddhist temple. The temple was like a physical manifestation of spiritual life in Japan. There was a heave demonic presence surrounding the place, but we got to pray together in front of it. We then went back to the Student Center, debriefed and had a powerful prayer meeting with Chi Alpha staff. The Lord moved and it was so beautiful praying for each other.
Tuesday we went back to Waseda, prayed over the university, and went to minister at Ryota's church in Japan, Evergreen Chapel. It was a sweet last day in Japan.
Japan needs a lot of work, and your prayers as well. Pray for pastors in Japanese churches, pray for their congregations, pray for Chi Alpha staff, and for the universities. Pray for the lost in Japan.
A word about our team, I couldn't have served on a better one for this trip.
Ryota Yogo led our team very well. He was so strategic, and also super patient with us. He always helped us and encouraged us while we were there. Pray for Ryota's family to know Jesus
Ryota's wife Shin is also amazing. She always had an encouraging word for us, and helped us feel very comfortable while we were in Japan.
It was a pleasure getting to hang out with Rick Stevens. Rick always provided us with encouragement and comic relief. He was also a great source of fun and rest when we got back to the student center at night. He has an incredible walk with Jesus. His wife Sheila went to be with Jesus a few years ago due to cancer, but he is such a witness to what it means to have the joy of the Lord. Pray for Rick as he is still in Japan with Ryota and Shin ministering to their families.
Sally Wenner is awesome. When something needed to be done, she was always good at making sure it was taken care of, as well as helping others get things done. She was a big help and encouragement to the team. Pray for Sally as she commits her time to serving UTSA's Chi Alpha team for three years.
Chris Harlos was always encouraging to everyone on the trip, and was a witness to God's love for people. Chris is also pretty dang funny. Pray for Chris as he starts his first year leading a small group.
Evana Toll was a great help to our team. She's super talented, and was always willing to help with worship. Her attitude and kindness was a big encouragement to me and the rest of the team.
Amanda Plast helped us out a lot, whether it was leading worship, helping Sally teach line dances, or encouraging people, Amanda was a great armor bearer. Pray for Amanda, that God would continue to lead, encourage, and minister to her this year.
Austin Porlier is one of my best friends, and it was great spending time in Japan with him, getting to eat real ramen with him, and seeing all of his reactions to the newness of being in another country. Having Austin being there was like having a piece of home with us. His outgoing personality, sense of humor, his walk with Jesus, his passion for preaching the word, and even his beard were big helps in ministering to people in Japan. Pray for Austin as he starts his senior year, graduates, and figures out where the Lord is leading Him.
the Japan trip was a great experience! The Chi Alpha staff over there were wonderful, and are trying their best to share Jesus with the Japanese people. Pray for Joyce, Yuri, Amanda (not our Amanda), and Jian. Pray for their physical and spiritual needs to be met, as well as their ministry.
It's been a great trip, I hope you enjoyed the reading.
-Seth
The mission trip did not start in Japan, but in the air. The flights over were very interesting. Something was amiss on each flight, but there were blessings in their stead. One flight we were on was serviced by a Christian flight attendant, who said to one of the team members that she was going through some things, but felt peace and the presence of God when we came aboard. Another flight involved us meeting some missionaries to Thailand, who we got to minister to.
Everywhere we went in the Tokyo area was by train. It's best to know where you are going, as things can get crazy. We almost left Amanda and Sally on one of the platforms. After we got into Narita airport, we took an hour train ride into Tokyo. I got to see the beautiful countryside and go over my message with Ryota, as I was giving it the next day. We had to pass through one of the most chaotic train stations, and the biggest one in Tokyo, Shinjuku (shin-JEW-koo). While in the Shinjuku area, I felt a looming troubled feeling, not just because of the chaos, but because something didn't feel right. Later did I learn that the area we were passing through was close to one of Japan's most famous areas that we we would refer to as a "red light district". We got into the student center, unpacked, went to eat real ramen (it's a lot better that the 10 cent stuff here), and went to sleep.
The student center was such an awesome place to live. It was so efficient and always kept "Asianly" clean. We took our shoes off at the door, recycled everything there, and folded our futons each morning. A note on futons, they're not like the ones in America. They're super thin, twin-sized mats, but they are really comfortable to sleep on. They don't really use the air conditioner, but a fan was blowing so it was fine. We slept in the sanctuary. The sun rises early there (around 4:30) and sets early (around 6:30).
We woke up the next morning and headed to Komagome(ko-MA-go-may), where the Japan Assemblies of God headquarters, bible school, and Japan A/G's biggest church is. The Assemblies of God is one of the most successful Christian denominations in Japan, but like many Christian churches, its congregations are small. There largest church has around 90 members.
We go to a beautifully furnished chapel at Central Bible College where Amanda Plast leads worship. It seems like there is nothing more beautiful than hearing people sing hymns in Japanese. In japan, there is a time and a place for everything. This is a pentecostal bible college, so I was surprised to see such a reserved atmosphere, and I thought to myself Well, where's the fire? We gave a Texas presentation and I gave my message on the importance of sharing the gospel, and encouraging them as future pastors to not be afraid to speak truth. I sat down, the head of the chapel service asked the students to pray for us, then, the fire fell... I was surrounded by students laying their hands on me praying, some weeping, some shouting, some praying in Japanese, some praying in...not Japanese, and it was as if we could feel the Spirit equipping us for what we came to do.
That night we had a prayer meeting. Staff from Chi Alpha, YWAM (Youth with a Mission), and other churches came together to pray. Austin and Amanda led worship. Nothing but the Blood and How Great Thou Art sound great in Japanese. I got to facilitate the prayer meeting as the Lord led us in prayer, then we all got into groups where we prayed for one another. Then everyone in that room prayed over the Texas team. I'm not one for supporting weird manifestations in church or anything, but God's presence was so strong over us in the room that we felt an incredible joy and peace, and some of us couldn't help but laugh.
The next day, we went to Sayama Christ Church in Saitama prefecture. Like many churches in Japan, Sayama Church is led by by a single female pastor, who has a lot going on, and who has faced many struggles leading the church. That being said, the church is so beautiful. The people were warm and friendly, they loved Jesus, and you could tell in their worship. Ryota gave the message and Chris shared his testimony. One church member who had recently been water baptized was really impacted by Chris's testimony. After the service, we stood at the front, and people came down for us to pray for their needs. Then everyone fed us...there was so much food. We then went back to Komagome and saw two precious Chinese girls get baptized in water. It was an honor welcoming two new sisters into the kingdom of God.
Monday, we got to go to our first Japanese university campus. Our team went to Waseda University. We prayed over the university, ate lunch, and passed out fliers inviting people to a bible study meeting. I will never take booth time for granted ever again. At least people in America will acknowledge you. We had an outreach that night. Austin gave the message and I shared my testimony, and got to hang out with two awesome guys who love Jesus.
Tuesday we had intercessory prayer and went back to Waseda. That night we went to Shin's parents' house. Her father is into French cooking, so we had really good food and dessert. They were really sweet. Pray that they come to know Jesus.
Wednesday we went to Sonrise Nozomi Church, hung out with preschoolers, ministered to their mothers. I got to share my testimony there. That night, we had a youth outreach at the same church. Austin and Amanda led worship (Amanda can sing really well), Chris gave a great message on knowing God's heart. Mikami Sensei (yes, the pastors are called "sensei") took care in making sure we felt at home. They made us really good food, and Mikami Sensei took us on a tour of some classical Japanese buildings.
Thursday was our sabbath. We went into the mountains in Okutama. They were bigger than any mountains I've ever seen. Then we had sushi that night.
Friday I did not go to Waseda. I went to the University of Tokyo (they call it Todai for short), where we had intercessory prayer and worship. We prayed for our other team members at Waseda, and from what I heard, it went very well. That night we had an outreach at International Christian Assembly. It was a great success.
Saturday, Austin, Shin, Sally, and I went to Rikkyo University. Rikkyo was started as an Anglican university, and it looks like you're stepping into an ivy league school in the U.S. There we got to meet Akari Irokawa and her brother Masayuki (Masa for short). Their mother is a pastor of a church in Kashiwa, where we would be spending the night. So begins the "Kashiwa Experience"
We arrived to a warm welcome in Kashiwa. They brought Austin and I to a room upstairs where we rested for around an hour. Dinner was served and we sat with the children and tried communicating with them. Each of the children has a story of their own. I will talk about two of them. One of the children there is named Nozomi. Nozomi is super smart, to the point where she is bored in school, and doesn't go often. Her mother rejected her, but kept her younger sister. Pray that Nozomi would come to realize that she is valuable to Jesus, and that He will in no way reject her. Sota is around five or six years old, I forget his exact age. His father is not physically affectionate with him, so he tends to gravitate towards other adult men to fulfill his need for comfort. Pray that Sota grows to realize that he has a Father in heaven who loves him, and is willing to embrace him in His arms. We all went to a Japanese public bath. It was pretty awesome, despite the fact that there were kids running around, and old ladies cleaning while we were there. A little culture shock, I guess. The Kashiwa church service was great! Austin gave a message, Sally and I gave our testimonies, we prayed for members of the church, and I prayed for the church. Then they served us a Japanese dish called Okonomiyaki. Basically a pancake thing with anything meat and vegetable in it. It was great. Afterwards, we got to walk around a local university, and Austin and I got to hang out with Masa and a guy named Iwao (sounds like "E-wow"). Austin got to share with Iwao about holiness, and how to walk with Jesus. Iwao attends church, but like many Japanese guys, he doesn't really have a lot of fellowship or men to look up to. Pray that God would use Masa or another Christian to pour into Iwao's life. We came back to the church, helped Masa with a survey he had to do for nursing school homework, and went back to Tokyo
Monday we went back to Rikkyo and had lunch with students. Rikkyo has an awesome library. They have an original 1611 King James Bible there. After Rikkyo, we shopped for our supporters and saw a buddhist temple. The temple was like a physical manifestation of spiritual life in Japan. There was a heave demonic presence surrounding the place, but we got to pray together in front of it. We then went back to the Student Center, debriefed and had a powerful prayer meeting with Chi Alpha staff. The Lord moved and it was so beautiful praying for each other.
Tuesday we went back to Waseda, prayed over the university, and went to minister at Ryota's church in Japan, Evergreen Chapel. It was a sweet last day in Japan.
Japan needs a lot of work, and your prayers as well. Pray for pastors in Japanese churches, pray for their congregations, pray for Chi Alpha staff, and for the universities. Pray for the lost in Japan.
A word about our team, I couldn't have served on a better one for this trip.
Ryota Yogo led our team very well. He was so strategic, and also super patient with us. He always helped us and encouraged us while we were there. Pray for Ryota's family to know Jesus
Ryota's wife Shin is also amazing. She always had an encouraging word for us, and helped us feel very comfortable while we were in Japan.
It was a pleasure getting to hang out with Rick Stevens. Rick always provided us with encouragement and comic relief. He was also a great source of fun and rest when we got back to the student center at night. He has an incredible walk with Jesus. His wife Sheila went to be with Jesus a few years ago due to cancer, but he is such a witness to what it means to have the joy of the Lord. Pray for Rick as he is still in Japan with Ryota and Shin ministering to their families.
Sally Wenner is awesome. When something needed to be done, she was always good at making sure it was taken care of, as well as helping others get things done. She was a big help and encouragement to the team. Pray for Sally as she commits her time to serving UTSA's Chi Alpha team for three years.
Chris Harlos was always encouraging to everyone on the trip, and was a witness to God's love for people. Chris is also pretty dang funny. Pray for Chris as he starts his first year leading a small group.
Evana Toll was a great help to our team. She's super talented, and was always willing to help with worship. Her attitude and kindness was a big encouragement to me and the rest of the team.
Amanda Plast helped us out a lot, whether it was leading worship, helping Sally teach line dances, or encouraging people, Amanda was a great armor bearer. Pray for Amanda, that God would continue to lead, encourage, and minister to her this year.
Austin Porlier is one of my best friends, and it was great spending time in Japan with him, getting to eat real ramen with him, and seeing all of his reactions to the newness of being in another country. Having Austin being there was like having a piece of home with us. His outgoing personality, sense of humor, his walk with Jesus, his passion for preaching the word, and even his beard were big helps in ministering to people in Japan. Pray for Austin as he starts his senior year, graduates, and figures out where the Lord is leading Him.
the Japan trip was a great experience! The Chi Alpha staff over there were wonderful, and are trying their best to share Jesus with the Japanese people. Pray for Joyce, Yuri, Amanda (not our Amanda), and Jian. Pray for their physical and spiritual needs to be met, as well as their ministry.
It's been a great trip, I hope you enjoyed the reading.
-Seth
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Secrets
This isn't a poem, a mini-sermon, or anything like that, just me speaking what's on my mind.
I've always been the person who has no hesitation to speak what is on my mind. Though it is true that in daily life, I am a very private person, in the fact that I prefer for people to know what I am doing at my own discretion, I don't readily have secrets. I faithfully keep them, yes, but I don't have many of my own because I speak my mind, and it is generally easy to tell what I'm feeling, unless I try to hide when I'm feeling, then I make no sense. Before I started walking with Jesus, this could get me in trouble, but the redeemed manifestation of this predisposition is one who is not afraid to speak up for the truth. God has given me a lot of grace by giving me the wisdom when to, and when not to share, but oh how difficult it is for me to hold things in. This leads me to ponder the nature of intimacy and one of the biggest hallmarks of it, secrecy. This mostly relates to our intimacy with God, and how we are to interact with Him. God favors the prayers and fasting in secret (Matthew 6), He claims that he who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 90). There is something really big and really sweet about secrets, especially between God and mankind. And so I am challenged. It is no secret (I say this without pride, but glory for what God has done) that I hear from God and I speak what He says to others. It is in my nature, it is where I am comfortable. What if God showed me something so profound and so lovely, that was for me, and He told me not to tell a soul about it, but to keep it between He and I, could I do it? I pray that God would give me such a revelation, that we would have something set apart for each other. Amen.
I've always been the person who has no hesitation to speak what is on my mind. Though it is true that in daily life, I am a very private person, in the fact that I prefer for people to know what I am doing at my own discretion, I don't readily have secrets. I faithfully keep them, yes, but I don't have many of my own because I speak my mind, and it is generally easy to tell what I'm feeling, unless I try to hide when I'm feeling, then I make no sense. Before I started walking with Jesus, this could get me in trouble, but the redeemed manifestation of this predisposition is one who is not afraid to speak up for the truth. God has given me a lot of grace by giving me the wisdom when to, and when not to share, but oh how difficult it is for me to hold things in. This leads me to ponder the nature of intimacy and one of the biggest hallmarks of it, secrecy. This mostly relates to our intimacy with God, and how we are to interact with Him. God favors the prayers and fasting in secret (Matthew 6), He claims that he who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 90). There is something really big and really sweet about secrets, especially between God and mankind. And so I am challenged. It is no secret (I say this without pride, but glory for what God has done) that I hear from God and I speak what He says to others. It is in my nature, it is where I am comfortable. What if God showed me something so profound and so lovely, that was for me, and He told me not to tell a soul about it, but to keep it between He and I, could I do it? I pray that God would give me such a revelation, that we would have something set apart for each other. Amen.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
ETERNITY
End and beginning are dwarfed in His midst.
Time unfolds while on His throne He commits,
Ev'ry resource to our cares and our needs.
Righteously judging our motives and deeds.
Never will His perfect justice relent.
In mercy He forgives those who repent.
Though in His power, to Him all belong,
You are His treasure, for your heart He longs.
Time unfolds while on His throne He commits,
Ev'ry resource to our cares and our needs.
Righteously judging our motives and deeds.
Never will His perfect justice relent.
In mercy He forgives those who repent.
Though in His power, to Him all belong,
You are His treasure, for your heart He longs.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
On God's Joy and Protection in Trials
Isaiah 43:1-2 says:
But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
There are many conditionals in the Bible, the "if"s that may happen or may not. Trials are not an "if", they are a "When". WHEN you pass through the waters, WHEN you walk through the fire. Trials will happen, but the beautiful thing is that if we are the Lord's, we are protected. This week has brought with it a few surprises, nothing big or terribly unbearable, but challenging enough to bring me to my knees before the Deliverer. It seems that with every new thing, and every time with God in brokenness, our relationship gets stronger, and it's helping me appreciate these times more and more. God sent angels to minister to Jesus after His time in the desert, God has been sending angels (messengers) to me lately as well. I've had four people proclaim over me, discuss with me, or bring up in corporate settings that "the joy of the Lord is our strength" (the latter half of Nehemiah 8:10). It's a commonly quoted verse, but it's been speaking volumes over my life.
Praise to God, "Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire." Psalm 104:4/ Hebrews 1:7. Be encouraged in trials this coming week, as we have a God in heaven and within us who cares for us.
But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
There are many conditionals in the Bible, the "if"s that may happen or may not. Trials are not an "if", they are a "When". WHEN you pass through the waters, WHEN you walk through the fire. Trials will happen, but the beautiful thing is that if we are the Lord's, we are protected. This week has brought with it a few surprises, nothing big or terribly unbearable, but challenging enough to bring me to my knees before the Deliverer. It seems that with every new thing, and every time with God in brokenness, our relationship gets stronger, and it's helping me appreciate these times more and more. God sent angels to minister to Jesus after His time in the desert, God has been sending angels (messengers) to me lately as well. I've had four people proclaim over me, discuss with me, or bring up in corporate settings that "the joy of the Lord is our strength" (the latter half of Nehemiah 8:10). It's a commonly quoted verse, but it's been speaking volumes over my life.
Praise to God, "Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire." Psalm 104:4/ Hebrews 1:7. Be encouraged in trials this coming week, as we have a God in heaven and within us who cares for us.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Suffering, Selfishness, and Seeing Eye Dogs
"God puts His best soldiers on the front line in battle", this was the profound thought that Daniel Savala would present to us two Thursdays ago. It has been continually shown why I would need to hear that statement. The following day, a fine soldier would be relieved of his post here on Earth, and some of us would question it. I didn't doubt God's lovingkindness or His faithfulness, or His healing, but my theology had been shaken up a bit. This leads me to think that I should study the "theo" more than the "logy", but there are some things we just don't know as to why they happen. I believe it to be a great blasphemy against the character of God to say that my friend dying of cancer was somehow in God's plan. What I can say though, is that God has made and is making a beautiful flower garden out of the manure pile of what this week has become.
What does it mean to know the full weight of the crucifixion of Jesus? I don't know. I still have yet to wrap my head around it, but I now can honestly say that I know, at least to an extent, how selfishness hurts people. My dog was killed due to a weird mixture of random chance and carelessness. That dog was instrumental in leading me to Jesus. She did absolutely nothing wrong in regards to deserving her fatal injuries, but they happened. I don't know who hit her, I don't know their motives for driving so fast, or for not stopping. I could speculate, but to judge righteously, one must hope for the best in people. The fact of the matter is, due to apathy, drunkenness, a feeling of being rushed, or whatever it may be, the individuals probably did not know how much they hurt me, or the gravity of what they did. I am not bitter, but I'm saying these things for the sake of making it known that though this real-life illustration, we can see how dangerous selfishness is. Sin is selfishness. The two go hand-in-hand. Sin is not an act, but a choice, and the intent of the heart. All of us have sinned against a good and just God who did not deserve the pain we caused Him. Every sin has a consequence, and I'm not just talking about spiritual things, even secret sins ultimately hurt someone else. If there is one thing that we can learn from my dog's death, it's that we need God, and we need an unselfish love for Him. We need a baptism of holiness, and we need to give up sin. Only Jesus can take it away, not any pathetic universalist westernized worldview we have, or any humanism, self help, eastern religion, etc. These still provide for mankind to be evil, but suppressed. Jesus provides for you to be holy and free! Come to Jesus, because you never know how many Seeing-Eye dogs you've killed.
What does it mean to know the full weight of the crucifixion of Jesus? I don't know. I still have yet to wrap my head around it, but I now can honestly say that I know, at least to an extent, how selfishness hurts people. My dog was killed due to a weird mixture of random chance and carelessness. That dog was instrumental in leading me to Jesus. She did absolutely nothing wrong in regards to deserving her fatal injuries, but they happened. I don't know who hit her, I don't know their motives for driving so fast, or for not stopping. I could speculate, but to judge righteously, one must hope for the best in people. The fact of the matter is, due to apathy, drunkenness, a feeling of being rushed, or whatever it may be, the individuals probably did not know how much they hurt me, or the gravity of what they did. I am not bitter, but I'm saying these things for the sake of making it known that though this real-life illustration, we can see how dangerous selfishness is. Sin is selfishness. The two go hand-in-hand. Sin is not an act, but a choice, and the intent of the heart. All of us have sinned against a good and just God who did not deserve the pain we caused Him. Every sin has a consequence, and I'm not just talking about spiritual things, even secret sins ultimately hurt someone else. If there is one thing that we can learn from my dog's death, it's that we need God, and we need an unselfish love for Him. We need a baptism of holiness, and we need to give up sin. Only Jesus can take it away, not any pathetic universalist westernized worldview we have, or any humanism, self help, eastern religion, etc. These still provide for mankind to be evil, but suppressed. Jesus provides for you to be holy and free! Come to Jesus, because you never know how many Seeing-Eye dogs you've killed.
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