Adoption

I was going through the 300+ blog posts that had accumulated in my google reader over the past 4 days and found a link to a great resource for churches looking to start adoption funds.  How amazing would it be if the church took seriously its call to care for widows and orphans?

Adoption lies in the future for Jennifer and I. The who, what, when, where, questions still lie unanswered, but the reality is already in our hearts. As the website above points out, money is one of the hardest challenges to overcome with adoption. While money is a big challenge, it is also a strong and powerful reminder to me of the gospel.  See, the price that Jennifer will have to pay in order to become the father and mother of one who is father and motherless will be thousands of dollars. When I think of this great financial cost I am always reminded that Jennifer and I were adopted by God at the greatest of expenses… the very life of his son (Gal 4:3-7).

Church… adoption beats in the heart of the gospel. Let us take seriously the call to care for the father and motherless. Let us give ourselves and our money to make the grace of God in adoption known to the world.

Live and Die Happily

Reading the Heidelberg Catechism in class today. Was struck by the end of the second question: “…live and die happily.” I’m in class right now, so no time for commentary… just a copy paste of the Q&A for you.

Question 2. How many things are necessary for thee to know, that thou, enjoying this comfort, mayest live and die happily?

Answer: Three; (a) the first, how great my sins and miseries are; (b) the second, how I may be delivered from all my sins and miseries; (c) the third, how I shall express my gratitude to God for such deliverance. (d)

(a) Matt.11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matt.11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matt.11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Luke 24:46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: Luke 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Luke 24:48 And ye are witnesses of these things. 1 Cor.6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. Tit.3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. Tit.3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Tit.3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Tit.3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; Tit.3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (b) John 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. John 15:22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. (c) John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts 10:43 To him (Jesus) give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (d) Eph.5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: Eph.5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Eph.5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. Eph.5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 1 Pet.2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 1 Pet.2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Rom.6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Rom.6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Rom.6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Rom.6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

The Dangers of Quiet Time

Last Thursday was my last day of the Spiritual Formation class (no final). This past week I’ve been thinking back on ways that it has impacted me and the progression throughout the semester. I wasn’t great at keeping up with the assignments, and I quickly came to realize I will not be taking any future classes for credit. However, mentally and emotionally I did purpose to really apply what we were covering in class (and in what reading I did complete).

One of the biggest impacts was on my “quiet time”. For those who may not know “quiet time” is typically the phrase used to describe a daily practice of bible study, meditation, prayer &/or private worship. When we first got here I had about 6-9months prior started having a real, regular, ‘productive’ quiet time for the first time in my Christian life. It was not EVERY morning, but almost. It had been amazing and for the first time I was REALLY studying the scriptures. Sometime in the beginning of the semester as Dr. Childers was doing a bit of “desconstruction” to further enable us to really see the poor condition of our hearts (thus leading us to cling more deeply to Christ and the work he did for us on the Cross) he said the following, “Quiet times are usually very harmful to the spiritual development of most Christians”. Then later on the class online forum the following questions: Do you think MOST Christians are either: 1) Living in guilt re; their lack of Quiet Times or 2) Feeling self-righteous re: their consistent Quiet Times? Where are you on this continuum?

We talked about how when we have regular quiet times we feel ‘good’ and are more likely to acknowledge God throughout the day and are confident in our standing with Him. Then on the flip side that when we are NOT consistent &/or it is a ‘boring struggle’ we feel distant from God and feel we have fallen out of favor with Him.

It occurred to me I absolutely rode that merry-go-round. At the time I was absolutely high-rolling with self-righteousness…thinking I had been offering this ‘amazing sacrifice’ to God every morning. Now, it wasn’t quite that literal and surface, but when I boiled it down, this was my logic. “QT” mornings = good day b/c God loved me. Non QT mornings = bad day b/c I was then ‘left to my own devices’.

It had become an old testament style sacrificial system. I had been struck deeply of the vision of myself placing this QT on an altar in payment for my sin….and God being disgusted with the aroma of these filthy rags (Is. 64:6). And I fled. So for the past few months I have BASICALLY had no quiet time.

In true Jenn form, I over analyzed and couldn’t figure out what was going on…what SHOULD be happening. I did figure out in no short order that something was amiss.

Then slowly over the past few weeks the puzzle pieces finally began to click into place….and I have returned to “the QT”. Slowly it dawned on me that I do NEED a “quiet-time” of some sort. I definitely do NEED to study the bible and I NEED to have a time where I dedicate my mind and heart entirely to the Lord…which should thus spill out through the day in prayer (not just ‘leaving God at the door’ of the office each morning to go about my day). Because I need this. For spiritual growth…food…sanctification. I need to draw near to Christ and to know God more. The best means of this is an ‘intimate relationship’ with His Word. HOWEVER, I DO NOT need it for my Justification. My righteousness and my standing with God is based SOLEY on the work of Christ on the cross. He died, was buried and on the third day rose again from the dead. He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty…. When I attempt to add to Christ’s work with anything I DO…it is to spit in the face of his sacrifice and say, “that was not enough, I need to help.”

THAT’s gross. That’s sin. That’s what is referred to as a ‘dead work’. I need a consistent purposeful quiet time to better know this Lord and Savior who would love even me in this unbelievably gracious manner. I need to do this out of love. Welcome back, ‘QT’.

Christ alone

Galatians 2:16 - yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

You aren’t good enough.  You can’t go to church enough, give enough money away, say enough prayers, obey enough rules, smile enough, help people enough, follow the rules enough, in order to be acceptable before God.

God says that by the works of the law NO ONE will be justified.  It is only through faith in Christ alone that you are found acceptable before God.

Friends, Family, and Random readers from around the world, don’t place your hope in yourself and your ability to fulfill some religious obligations in order to get into heaven.  Place your faith in Jesus and treasure him more than anything else.  Your good works aren’t good enough, only Christ is good enough.  Seek him as the source of your salvation and redemption… and when you’ve found him, trust in him.  Don’t be like the Galatians who found Christ and then tried to add moral and religious customs on top of faith.  It is Christ alone that can bring your to God and keep you there.  Trust him… you’re just not good enough… and neither am I.

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev’ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow’r of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow’r of Christ I’ll stand.

Pastors - Don’t Waste Your Pulpit

Just another reason I love John Piper!

Why I love John Calvin

If the Lord ever blesses Jennifer and I with another son, his name will be Calvin.

Today I was reading one of Calvin’s sermon on Micah 4:2-3, preached December 11th, 1550. He concludes his sermon with these amazing words… in a sermon given on a Thursday morning:

In light of this holy doctrine, let us prostrate ourselves before the face of our gracious God in acknowledgment of our sins. Let us pray that it may please God to open our eyes that we may be able to recognize his Son, who is God’s living image. And may we so acknowledge him that, in rendering him the honor which is due, we lean entirely on him, thereby demonstrating that we are truly his people. May we want only to humble ourselves before him, praying that our profession of faith, based on the Gospel, redound to our profit, that, acknowledging our sins and confessing them before his majesty, we ask only for his forgiveness in the true confidence that he will forgive us in the name of his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. And although we are so mistrustful as to distance ourselves from God when he calls us for our own good, may it please God to sustain us, and so validate our Lord Jesus Christ’s death and passion, that we experience its fruit. And in accordance with God’s knowledge of our needs, may he increase his grace more and more within us. And my God not only grant us this grace, but grant it also to all peoples and all nations of the earth.

Am I looking for God

A few weeks ago in my class the professor quoted G.K Chesterson:

“Every time a man knocks on the door of a brothel he is looking for God”

In class last week a classmate was sharing how that quote really impacted him and he found himself asking himself often, “am I looking for God right now?”. Like when aimlessly surfing the web, or being really ‘devoted’ to tv time or whatever the case may be. I thought it a striking practice. He did couch it with the idea that it is ok for us to enjoy hobbies or ‘free time’ or whatever, it’s just that line….am i just enjoying a facet of the life God has given me or am I hiding from my creator/looking for fulfillment in something other than Jesus?

Daily I’m constrained to Be

One of my favorite Saturday morning ‘rituals’ is to go out for a long(ish) run with my ipod set on the “worship” playlist.  This morning when it got to “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” I kept pulling the ipod off my hip & replaying the following:

Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be;
Let that grace now like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee:
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it;
Prone to leave the God I love.
Here’s my heart, oh, take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
Now THAT is music for my soul.  I think i used to hear “daily I’m constrained to be” & thought in relation to thanksgiving for what God had done in my initial salvation/justification.  I’m realizing now, I’m constrained to His grace to ‘daily’ keep my heart close to His….continual salvation/sanctification.

“Blessed Alliance”

Had a discussion w/Ryan the other night regarding spiritual matters (that’s code for I was crying a lot & Ryan was comforting me). During this conversation he mentioned how as we’re wrestling to work toward an understanding of who God is (which we will never conclude this side of eternity) we’re describing Him and His actions…. an Infinite God… using finite language.

He read that somewhere along the way, so it wasn’t an original thought, but it was incredibly helpful to me & odds are I won’t be getting around to reading whatever book that was anytime soon.

Which reminds me, I’ve been meaning to share the following quote with you from Renewal as a Way of Life by Richard Lovelace:

Most divorces among Christians probably occur because the parties have not realized that marriage is a contract to aid in one another’s sanctification. Without this realization, we become experts at what is wrong with one another, without recognizing that the information our spouse is giving us about ourselves is an essential aid to our spiritual growth.

So thanks Ryan, for “serving God as an agent of [my] sanctification” (also Lovelace).

“My Part vs. God’s Part”

All of the following content was not from my brain. I’m sure there are plenty of brain’s behind said content, but the one’s I have ’stolen’ from directly are from class yesterday (Tim…won’t give his last name in case he’s uncomfortable w/that sort of thing & Dr. Childers who does not have the luxury of being obscure on the internet). I will however submit that I could have heard wrong & misinterpreted, so anything good you read, attribute to them, anything wacko attribute to me (is that allowed?):

Dr. Childers was giving us 4 possible views on answering the question we all struggle with (Jenn’s paraphrase): What is MY part in sanctification/personal holiness & what is God’s part?”

1) Legalist/moralist: I do the work for God
2) Passivist: God does the work for me, “Let go & Let God”
3) Co-operationist: God does his part & I do mine (this i assume is where those irritating, “God is my co-pilot” bumper stickers come from)
4) The ‘correct’ view (I made up that category title): From Phil 2:12 & 13 “God NORMALLY works AS I work” I’m doing “X” & as I’m doing this, God is at work (that was attributed to someone but I didn’t catch it in my notes..”John” is all I got). Gospel discipline says, “God loves me & I love him, thus I want to engage”

What Tim had to add was a ‘catchphrase’ which I found to be an amazing illustration (I need mental pictures for this kind of stuff): “Hang on & let God”. He explained using an analogy of someone riding a horse that is not under the control of the rider & has taken off running. The person on the horse doesn’t have control over where they’re going, yet s/he is not passively resting upon the horse. No, s/he is active, holding on with every fiber of their being so as to continue on to wherever that horse is leading. Not sure if i gave the explanation justice. He did say he was thinking of the horse & rider (Shasta) from A Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis, if that helps those of you who have read the book. i have not…but now will.

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